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CITY NEWS

The City of Darien Remembers on 9-11

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children." - President George W. Bush

The City of Darien remembers and honors all who gave so much on September 11, 2001...........

City of Darien 2016 Citizen Survey

The City is in the process of surveying residents about city services and future priorities. Please take the time to complete this brief survey as your feedback is critical in continuing to move the City forward.

Please take the survey by clicking here.

Notice of Public Hearing

1. Notice is hereby given that there will be a public hearing held before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Darien on September 21, 2016, commencing at 7:00 PM, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1702 Plainfield Road, Darien, IL 60561.

The purpose of the public hearing will be to consider a petition by Mark and Rona Spano for a variation to reduce the required setback distances in a front yard for an existing single family house and pool structures upon subdivision of a lot into three lots for single family houses for the property located at: 8225 Bailey Road, Darien, Illinois 60561

2. Notice is hereby given that there will be a public hearing held before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Darien on September 21, 2016, commencing at 7:00 PM, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1702 Plainfield Road, Darien, IL 60561.

The purpose of the public hearing will be to consider a petition by John Dietrich for a variation to reduce the required setback distance in a side yard for the purpose of constructing a concrete paved storage pad for a RV boat in the side yard for the property located at: 7218 Bayberry Lane, Darien, Illinois 60561

Community Alert - Car Burglaries

Darien Police Department Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 31, 2016

Darien has experienced multiple burglaries to motor vehicles as have many towns in DuPage County.

Recently the Darien Lake sub-division as well as two homes on Stewart Dr. had multiple vehicles entered, all of the vehicles entered were left with their doors unlocked. This could lead to the offenders using a garage door opener to gain entry to your house in addition to the loss of personal items/paperwork from your vehicle. There was one residence where the garage door opener was used to gain entry to the garage, the subjects then opened a door in the garage which was unlocked however this only led to a furnace room.

Please lock your vehicles, do not leave your house/vehicle keys in your car and call 911 to report any suspicious people or activity. You can help combat these crimes if you take a moment and check that you have locked your vehicle(s) even if you will only be away for a short period of time. If you hear or see anything suspicious do not hesitate to call 911, our Police Officers will be glad to check that you and your family are safe.

Last year the Darien Police Department began the Lock It or Lose It campaign. This is a nationwide campaign to address a problem experienced across the Country. Some tips we would like to pass along:

Don't leave valuables in your car.

If you must leave valuable items in your car while out and about, place items out of sight.

Once home, unload your valuables immediately. Do not store valuables in your car any longer than necessary, and certainly never overnight.

If possible leave no trace. Don't leave any sign that there might be valuables "out of sight" in your vehicle, such as docking stations or connector cables.

Lock ALL your vehicle's doors, even if you plan to be gone for only a brief time. Every month, there are items stolen from unlocked vehicles where the owner was only going to be gone "just for a second."

Set any alarm or anti-theft device. If you have one, use it! Many people believe that car-alarms no longer make a difference, but they can be an effective deterrent to an auto-burglar, who most often chooses the easiest target.

Residents are requested to dial 911 immediately if they see anything or anyone that looks suspicious.

ComEd Scam Alert

ComEd has seen an increase in reports of individuals calling ComEd customers and falsely claiming their electric service will be disconnected unless payment is made. These impersonators instruct customers to buy a prepaid credit card and call back to a different phone number with the personal identification number (PIN) or other personal information. They also use a tactic called "Caller ID spoofing" to manipulate the displayed phone number so that it appears as a ComEd number.

Remember: ComEd representatives will never call you to ask you for cash or request that you purchase a prepaid credit card to make a payment on your bill.

If you have concerns about the status of your account, call ComEd's Customer Service line at 800-334-7661 (800-EDISON1).

Bryon Vana, City Administrator	(630) 353-8114
City Hall	(630) 852-5000
Police Department	(630) 971-3999
Public Works	(630) 852-5000

Mayor	Kathleen Weaver
City Clerk	JoAnne Ragona
Treasurer	Michael J. Coren
Ward 1	Ted Schauer
Ward 2	Tina Beilke
Ward 3	Joseph A. Kenny
Ward 4	Thomas Chlystek
Ward 5	Joseph Marchese
Ward 6	Sylvia McIvor
Ward 7	Thomas Belczak

City Council Meetings

Monday, September 19
7:30 p.m.

Monday, October 3
7:30 p.m.

Official Social Media Links

FACEBOOK: There are several Facebook pages that come up when doing a search for our City page. Please use this link to "Like" us for city contact information and current city news on the City of Darien Official Facebook Page

TWITTER: The City of Darien Now "Tweets"! Please follow us on twitter at Cityofdarien.

NIXLE: The Nixle text alert system provides for the City to send out urgent and emergency alerts via text messages. This a FREE service. To sign up for Nixle, visit our website and click on the nixle icon.

SMART PHONE APP: The City of Darien smart phone app is now available! The app will allow easy, mobile access to city information, services and request. There is also a direct link on this app to Commonwealth Edison website, which is a great source of information during power outages. This FREE app is called Darien Connect, and is available in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.

Agendas for City and Committee Meetings

The following links will direct you to the City Meeting and Committee agendas and packet information on our website. Stay informed on City issues and upcoming projects!

All Agendas

City Council Meeting Agenda

City Meeting info / Minutes on website

As a reminder to residents, the City's website includes City Council, and various other city committee, meeting agendas, background materials, staff memos/reports, city expenses, monthly financial and meeting minutes. This allows residents to closely follow all of the business conducted by the City.

If you wish to review the Council and committee meeting information simply use the following link:

http://www.darien.il.us/Reference-Desk/Agendas-Minutes.aspx

View Darien Meetings on YouTube!

You may now view city meetings on YouTube by clickng here.

Our user name is DarienCableChannel. You may still access meetings from the links on our website.

Meet & Greet Mayor Weaver! The third Monday of every month at Darien City Hall from 6 - 7pm

Find out the latest city updates - Share your thoughts and suggestions. Get involved - Meet other residents!

View Darien Police Department Weekly Incident Report
You may view the Darien Police Department weekly incident report by clicking here

View Police Chief

Monthly Police Report

You may view the Police Chief's monthly press release by

clicking here

Submit an article for Direct Connect

You may submit an article for Direct Connect by emailing mwintermute@darienil.gov

2016 50/50 Parkway Tree Planting Program

The City of Darien is now taking orders for the 2016 Parkway Tree Planting Program. The program is a 50/50 cost share program between the City and the resident. The cost includes the purchase, planting, mulching and one (1) year guarantee of the trees. Please note: Program is pending City Council approval.

Please contact Lisa at the City of Darien for the 50/50 Parkway Tree Planting Program at 630-353-8105 or e-mail lklemm@darienil.gov for additional information or to place your order.

The deadline to order trees is September 23.

The following trees are available for the parkways:

DIAMETER	SPECIES	PLANTED PRICE PER TREE	CITY COST	RESIDENT COST
2.5"	American Linden	$320.00	$160.00	$160.00
2.5"	Norway Maple	$300.00	$150.00	$150.00
2.5"	Honeylocust Skyline	$310.00	$155.00	$155.00
2.5"	Red Maple	$310.00	$155.00	$155.00
2.5"	Chanticleer Pear	$310.00	$155.00	$155.00
2.5"	Freeman Maple	$310.00	$155.00	$155.00
2.5"	Sugar Maple	$315.00	$157.50	$157.50

*4inch diameter available - please call 630-353-8105 for pricing

2016 Private Property Tree Planting Program

The City of Darien is offering residents to take advantage of pricing for planting trees on their private property. The City has selected Acres Group to be the vendor for the 2016 Tree Planting Program and has included contract pricing of various private property tress. The cost includes the purchase, planting, mulching and one (1) year guarantee of the trees.

Please contact Jeff at Acres Group for private property tree planting at 630-975-1426.

The deadline to order private property trees is September 23.

The following trees are available for private property planting:

DIAMETER	SPECIES	RESIDENT COST-PLANTED PRICE
2.5"	American Linden	$330.00
2.5"	Norway Maple	$350.00
2.5"	Honeylocust Skyline	$340.00
2.5"	Red Maple	$340.00
2.5"	Chanticleer Pear	$340.00
2.5"	Aristocrat Pear	$360.00
2.5"	Swamp White Oak	$365.00
2.5"	Freeman Maple	$360.00
2.5"	Sugar Maple	$373.00
2.5"	Kentucky Coffeetree	$370.00
2.5"	Purple Maple	$370.00
2.5"	Northern Red Oak	$380.00
2.5"	Little Leaf Linden	$360.00
2.5"	Smoothleaf Elm	$360.00

Television Recycling thru Advanced Disposal

With free electronic recycling becoming harder to find, the City of Darien refuse hauler, Advanced Disposal, will be accepting televisions for recycling.

You must place 5 refuse stickers on each, and call Advanced to let them know you will be placing the TV at the curb on your normal refuse collection day. If you would like the TV collected outside of your normal refuse day, you can schedule

a special pickup for an additional $25.00 trip charge.

All televisions will be properly disposed of by Advanced Disposal. Advanced can be reached at 708-409-9700.

Spread the Word About Direct Connect!

Providing important city information to Darien residents has been a priority of the Elected Officials and city staff for many years. Our most important resource to distribute information is Darien's weekly E-newsletter, Direct Connect. This provides residents with important community information that is emailed on Fridays. Direct Connect is also sent out periodically when there is important information to provide to residents.

There are approximately 2500 subscribers to Direct Connect. The City's goal is to have 5000 subscribers by the end of 2016. We ask that you please spread the word about Direct Connect and encourage your friends, neighbors, and local groups to sign up. Signing up is simple, just provide any Elected Official or staff member with your email address and we will have you registered. If you prefer to register yourself, you may use the following link: http://www.darien.il.us/Reference-Desk/DirectConnect.aspx.

Please help the City reach our goal!

COUNTY/STATE/FEDERAL NEWS

Lisle Electronic Recycling

In order to assist DuPage County residents with collecting unwanted electronics and to ensure environmentally-responsible recycling of these devices, DuPage County and the Village of Lisle have partnered with eWorks Electronics Recycling Services, Inc. to develop an electronics recycling drop-off program to collect electronics on a regular basis.

The Village of Lisle offers a site for electronic recycling the third Saturday of every month, from 8am to 12pm at 925 Burlington Avenue. Televisions will be collected for a fee that ranges from $25 to $35.. For a complete list of accepted items visit here.

DuPage County encourages residents to sign up for Smart911

As the new year draws near, DuPage County officials are asking residents to "resolve to be safe" and sign up for Smart911. Smart911 is a free, confidential service that allows users to create a profile that is activated in participating dispatch centers when a person dials 911. The electronic safety profile provides essential household information about family members, your home, pets and vehicles. This information will display automatically on the 911 call taker's screen when users make an emergency call. It's private and secure, and users control what information is in their profile.

Smart 911 is a valuable tool when searching for missing children, assisting unresponsive callers who are unable to speak due to a medical condition, or in a house fire when first responders need to locate and account for family members, pets and essential documents.

Learn more on the DuPage ETSB webpage at www.dupageco.org/smart911 and register at www.smart911.com.

Electronic Recycling Information

The State of Illinois has banned computers, monitors, printers, televisions, and other electronics from landfills. If any of these items are left curbside, they will not be picked up. There are many options to responsibly recycle your electronics throughout DuPage County. Residents are encouraged to visit the DuPage County website or SCARCE for information on how to recycle electronics.

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS

DarienFest This Weekend!

DarienFest is a fundraiser sponsored by the Darien Chamber of Commerce and the largest community event in the City of Darien. This EPIC event is held in beautiful Darien Community Park which includes Food, Beer Tent including Darien's own Miskatonic Brewing Company, Live Entertainment, Thrilling Carnival Rides, Business Expo featuring Darien Chamber Businesses, Free Pet Parade, Darien Chamber Women in Business "Paint the Town Pink" Adirondack Chair Silent Auction and 50/50 Raffle hosted by Darien VFW Post 2838.

One-day DarienFest: Saturday, September 10 from 1:00pm-10:30pm with Food, Beer, Wine, Music & Business Expo

Windy City Amusements Carnival: All Weekend September 9 thru 11 ~ Friday 6:00pm-10:30pm, Saturday 1:00pm-10:30pm, Sunday 1:00pm-8:00pm

For updates visit www.darienchamber.com

NO PARKING during DarienFest

There will be no parking on 71st St from Clarendon Hills Rd to Bentley Ave from 2:00 a.m. on September 9, until Midnight on September 12. No parking will be allowed for residents and non-residents alike. This is in place to maintain emergency vehicle access for the DarienFest and residents in the area.

DarienFest Pet Parade

The Darien Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 4th annual Pet Parade on September 10 at Darien Community Park. For mpore information and to pre register online for a gift at check in visit www.darienchamber.com

Sunny Patch Project - Self Guided Community Garden Tours - Late Summer Series

Good Worx has been working, the past 15 months, to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity in our community with their Sunny Patch Garden Project.

If you're looking for a fun, low-key, family outing, consider dropping by the main Sunny Patch garden space, located on the grounds of Safety Village of Darien - 7400 Cass Ave. any Saturday between now and the end of September to see what's growing! Access to the Sunny Patch is free but donations are always welcome!

Photo enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities to capture some great shots with our butterfly patches and visiting pollinators as well as our late summer vegetable displays (changing daily)! Pop-up Pesto and Tomato tastings will be offered. If you want to get a jump on planning your gardens for next year, we'll have free seeds to share as well as fresh herb cuttings.

To learn more about our community garden project, visit: www.sunnypatchproject.org.

Rotary Food-For-Kids-Bag-Packing

Come join us as we assemble food bags for 2 months of food in a night. Typically, we pack 800-1000 bags, and it takes approximately one hour with 20 to 30 volunteers! Location is at Safety Village, and all volunteer organizations are welcome to help!

For more information and a schedule visit www.rotarybackpack.org

Team 66 Education Foundation - Kelly Miller Circus

The Team 66 Education Foundation is excited to announce its sponsorship of the all-new 2016 edition of the Kelly Miller Circus being held under the Big Top on Thursday, September 15, at Elizabeth Ide Elementary School, 2000 Manning Road in Darien, IL.

For more information and tickets plese visit www.kellymillercircus.com

Senior Car Care Safety Clinic

On Saturday, September 17, from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, the Downers Grove Township S.A.L.T. council (Seniors & Lawmen Together) will hold its Third Annual Senior Car Care Safety and CarFit Clinic. CarFit is a new program that has been added to help drivers be safer on the road by making sure that they "properly fit" their vehicle.

This event is FREE to older residents of Downers Grove Township. It will be held at the Westmont South Fire Station, located at 6015 South Cass Avenue on the east side of Cass and two blocks north of 63rd Street.

Local car care professionals and S.A.L.T. volunteers will provide vehicles with a free multiple point safety inspection; checking fluids, belts, hoses, tire condition, lights and more. Participants will also receive coupons from local auto service centers, information on other free senior services from local agencies, and complimentary morning refreshments.

This event is a collaboration of the Westmont Fire Department, DuPage County Sheriff's Department, Westmont Park District, AARP, CarFit, Friends for Downers Grove Township Senior Citizens, and the Downers Grove Township S.A.L.T. Council.

If you are an older driver please bring your car to this FREE event. Registration is not necessary. Our personnel will provide guidance and assistance. Please pass this information on to other older drivers who may be interested.

For more information contact Senior Services Coordinator Hanna Benioff at (630) 719-6682 or via e-mail at hanna.benioff@dgtownship.com

Darien Community Blood Drive Hosted by the Darien Woman's Club

The Darien Community Blood Drive will take place on Tuesday, September 20, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Lace School - 7414 Cass Avenue. Walk-ins Welcome! Prepare for your donation: Eat Well - Stay Hydrated - Bring I.D.

For more information please call 877-543-3768

Indian Prairie Library News & Events

One Author, One Community

Twelve area libraries are partnering to host Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout on Saturday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. at Ashton Place, 341 75th St. in Willowbrook. She is the author of popular titles Olive Kitteridge and Amy and Isabelle, and her newest book, My Name Is Lucy Barton, was released in early 2016. Enjoy a moderated discussion, a Q&A with the audience, and a book signing. Register at oneauthor.eventbrite.com.

Resume Workshop

Learn how to write an eye-catching and informative resume at the Indian Prairie Public Library on Thursday, Sept. 22, 7-8:30 p.m. Topics will include format, function, and descriptions, as well as an overview of library resources. Register at www.calendar.ippl.info.

Homebound Delivery

Did you know that the Indian Prairie Public Library can deliver materials at no charge to those who are permanently homebound due to age or disability, or temporarily disabled for at least one month due to illness or surgery? Books, including large print and audio, movies, music, and magazines can be provided. Call 630/887-8760 ext. 265 or email homebound@ippl.info to learn more.

Chess Club

Do you play chess? The Indian Prairie Public Library's Adult Chess Players group meets on the first three Mondays of the month at 6 p.m. and new members are always welcome! (Please note that the group will meet on the second, third, and fourth Mondays in September due to the library being closed on Labor Day.)

Darien Historical Society Open House

Darien Historical Society's October 2 OPEN HOUSE from 1-3 P.M. invites you to a tribute to WWll Veteran Ralph Andermann, which begins at 1:00 o'clock. Participating will be members of the VFW. Ralph, a local resident and direct descendant of the pioneer Andermann family, was chosen by the U.S. Army to help develop radar technology. Following his story will be a question/answer opportunity as well as viewing time at Old Lace Schoolhouse & Museum. Public most welcome.

Shop Local - Shop Darien

The Darien Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce their Shop Local Shop Darien Campaign. We encourage residents to support Darien Chamber businesses that display the Shop Local Shop Darien decal posted in their window. Shop Darien Shop Local Preferred Cards are now on sale for $5 at the Darien Chamber of Commerce office in City Hall or at local Darien Chamber member businesses. Visit the Chamber at www.darienchamber.com for all the Shop Local Shop Darien Preferred Offers and Discounts!