Naperville News Digest: Woman’s Club Trick or Treat at Safety Town tickets on sale; Will County Forest Preserve District’s fall challenge starts Sunday; dedication planned for Naperbrook’s new practice facility

Woman’s Club Trick or Treat at Safety Town tickets on sale

Tickets are now on sale for the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club’s annual Trick or Treat at Safety Town event, being held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at 1320 Aurora Ave.

The event is designed for children ages 3 to 12, but younger children are also welcome. Local businesses will be handing out toys, coupons, stickers and candy, a social media announcement said. Costumes are encouraged.

The event is $15 per family with prodeeds benefitting Safety Town, a campus that has a kid-sized town featuring buildings, streets, a fire safety house, railroad crossing, traffic signs and signals, and a classroom. It is used for safety and health-related programs for children, such as open bike events, Safe Sitter classes, home-alone safety and CPR programs.

Families are being asked to donate a nonperishable food item for Loaves and Fishes as part of the Halloween event.

For tickets, go to napervillejuniors.org/trick-or-treat.

Anyone who completes the fall Woods Walk hiking challenge sponsored by the Forest Preserve District of Will County will receive a medallion that features an eagle, symbolic of the seven eaglets born in district preserves this spring. (Forest Preserve District of Will County)

Will County Forest Preserve District’s fall challenge starts Sunday

Normantown Trail at the Vermont Cemetery Preserve in Naperville is one of 10 designated trails on this year’s annual Woods Walk hiking challenge.

The challenge is offered by the Forest Preserve District of Will County and will take place from Sunday, Sept. 1, through Saturday, Nov. 30.

Participants need to hike at least seven of 10 selected trails to earn a 2024 medallion featuring a bald eagle. The medallion celebrates the birth of seven eaglets in district preserves this spring and can be attached a backpack or walking stick, a district news release said.

Participants complete the hikes on their own schedule over the three-month time frame. The designated hikes, which range from a half mile to 4.4 miles, are located throughout the county.

The others include Forsythe  Woods Nature Trail at Forked Creek Preserve in Florence Township; Evans-Judge Nature Trail Loop at Evans-Judge Preserve in Custer Township; the Spring Creek Greenway Trails at Messenger Marsh and at Hadley Valley, both in Homer Glen; the Plum Creek Greenway Trail at Goodenow Road Access in Crete Township; the Hickory Creek Bikeway and LaPorte Road Nature Trail at Hickory Creek Preserve in Mokena; the Wauponsee Glacial Trail at Sugar Creek Preserve and the Old Plank Road Trail at Washington Street Access, both in Joliet Township and the Rock Run Greenway Trail at Hammel Woods in Shorewood.

Trail maps are listed in the Woods Walk booklet available at forest preserve visitor centers and online starting Sept. 1. Walks can be entered into the Goosechase smartphone app.

Participants have until Sunday, Dec. 8, to submit their travel logs. For more information, go to www.reconnectwithnature.org.

The new Marie Todd Practice Facility at the Naperbrook Golf Course in Naperville will be dedicated Sept. 18. It's named after a longtime Naperville Park Board member who served from 2005 to 2023. (Naperville Park District)
The new Marie Todd Practice Facility at the Naperbrook Golf Course will be dedicated Sept. 18. It’s named for a former Naperville Park Board member who served from 2005 to 2023. (Naperville Park District)

Dedication planned for Naperbrook Golf Course practice facility

A grand opening celebration will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18 for the new Marie Todd Practice Facility at the Naperbrook Golf Course, 22204 W. 111th St/Hassert Blvd.

The facility is named for Marie Todd, who served on the Naperville Park Board from 2005 to 2023, including terms as president and vice president. The park board approved naming the practice area after her in April 2023 to recognize her commitment to the community and love of golf, a news release said.

“Marie Todd served the Naperville Park District and the community with dedication for nearly two decades,” district Executive Director Brad Wilson said in a news release. “She was an avid supporter of expanding opportunities for women and youth golfers and an integral part in the development of popular, outstanding facilities, such as Knoch Knolls Nature Center and Fort Hill Activity Center.”

The dedication will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, comments from park board President Mary Gibson and light refreshments.

 

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