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CITY NEWS
Veterans Day
The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.
~Douglas MacArthur

November 11th is Veteran's Day. It is important that we remember the service these special men and women have given our country. Please take the time to thank a Veteran and remember the sacrifices they have made.
Darien Citizen of the Year Search 
It's that time of year again when we begin our search for a very special man or woman who has given of themselves to make Darien a "Nice Place to Live"! 

The Citizen of the Year Committee is accepting nominations for the 2017 Citizen of the Year.  If you know of a person who goes "above and beyond the call of duty" ... is always there when someone needs a hand ... and who has contributed to make Darien a special place, please write a letter to the committee or fill out one of our official nomination forms that can be found at any time during the year at City Hall or at the Indian Prairie Library. Nominations may be also be submitted on line by clicking here.
 
Guidelines for Nomination:
  • Resident of Darien
  • Outstanding voluntary contribution to the City - diversity of activities, length of service, degree of involvement in the community and impact to the City of Darien.
  • Cannot presently hold a paid or elected position within the City of Darien government. Paid or elected individuals within other local Governments are eligible for nomination.
The deadline for nominations is January 3.
IDOT Construction on North Frontage Road
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is conducting road maintenance on North Frontage Road between Cass Avenue and Bailey Road. The project has been delayed and the City received numerous calls regarding the poor condition of the roadway due to the maintenance.

Yesterday IDOT advised that:
Contract 60Y98, I-55 North Frontage Rd between Oldfield Rd. and Cass Ave. in the City of Darien consists of Drainage Improvements, Pedestrian ADA Ramps, Patching and Resurfacing.  The $658,609 project began on September 29, 2016 and is expected to be completed by the end of November.  Currently the project is on schedule to be completed on time. At the current stage of construction, the existing pavement has been milled which produces a rough ride for motorists.  Due to the recent wet weather, the condition of the milled pavement has developed potholes which are a great inconvenience to motorists and of great concern to IDOT.  We will mobilize construction crews to repair the potholes.  One of our main goals is to provide a resurfaced road that will meet its intended design life span.  In order to accomplish this we have to make certain the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Mix meets IDOT's stringent specifications.  At this time, we are evaluating a "test strip" of HMA that has been placed on a portion of the Frontage Rd.  The test strip did not meet our expectations and the contractor is currently making adjustments to the HMA mix in order to exceed our specifications.  This extra unanticipated time has put the milled pavement into use a bit longer than we anticipated and deterioration has occurred.

If you have questions regarding this project please contact IDOT at 847-705-4201
City of Darien Election Packets
Packets for the April 4, 2017 Consolidated Election may be picked up at Darien City Hall, 1702 Plainfield Road, beginning September 20, 2016.

Available Elected Positions include:
ALDERMAN for Ward 1, 3, 5, and 7 (4 year term)
ALDERMAN for Ward 4 (unexpired 2 year term)

Candidates are encouraged to seek advice of legal counsel before filing nomination papers, which must be in apparent conformity with the Election Code.  The first day to file is December 12, 2016 at 8:30 A.M. and the last day to file is December 19, 2016 at 5:00 P.M.

Regular business hours at City Hall are Monday thru Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

For more information please call 630-852-5000.
Free Fall Leaf Pickup Under Way 
The City of Darien is again providing fall leaf pick-up FREE OF CHARGE to residents. The program began October 3 and will run thru  November 26 of this year, and takes place weekly on your normal garbage day.

Leaves should be placed in brown kraft yard waste bags or in plastic garbage cans. If garbage cans are used they must have a permanent "YARD WASTE ONLY" label attached to the front of the can so the driver can identify it as leaf pickup. These labels are available free of charge at city hall.

Residents are not permitted to rake leaves into the street. Raking leaves into the street can cause serious local flooding for you and your neighbors. For more information please call 630-852-5000.
Help Keep Leaves out of Storm Sewers  
The City of Darien ask for residents help in keeping street flooding down.  City crews go out and clean catch basins and storm drains in the streets, but they fill up quickly again at this time of year with the falling leaves, which can cause road flooding during storms.  Residents can help keep flooding down by clearing out leaves and debris blocking the storm sewers in front of their homes.
 City Administrator
(630) 353-8114
(630) 852-5000
(630) 971-3999
(630) 852-5000
Mayor
City Clerk
Treasurer
Ward 1
Ward 2
Ward 3
Ward 4
Thomas Chlystek
Ward 5
Joseph Marchese
Ward 6
Ward 7

City Council Meetings 

Monday, November 21
 7:30 p.m.

Monday, December 5
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 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:

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
 Recycle Your  Holiday Lights!
Don't know what to do with the old strands of Christmas lights that are tangled and broken?  Don't throw them in the garbage - recycle them!  The City of Darien has again partnered with Elgin Recycling to offer our residents free recycling of holiday lights!  Last year Darien residents recycled 1900 pounds of Holiday Lights.
 
All light colors and strand lengths will be accepted. Items include mini-lights (Italian lights), C7 lights, C9 lights, rope lights, LED lights, and extension cords.   (Please - no CFLs).  From November 14 through February 10 you may bring your lights to the Darien Police Department lobby at 1710 Plainfield Road. The bin is located outside, so there are no restricted hours. Please leave lights only, and take your boxes and bags home with you for disposal.

For more information please call 630-353-8115 or visit www.elginrecycling.com
Town Hall Meetings with COD Chairman and President     
College of DuPage Board Chairman Deanne Mazzochi and President Dr. Ann Rondeau will host a series of Town Hall Meetings throughout District 502 to provide an opportunity for residents to share their thoughts and ask questions about the College.

"No questions are off the table," Chairman Mazzochi said. "These meetings are a way for us to connect with our community members and really listen to their thoughts, concerns, questions and ideas so we can continue to improve the College's service to our more than one million residents in District 502."

Sessions will take place:
* Monday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Carol Stream Center, 500 N. Kuhn Road
* Monday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Naperville Center, 1223 Rickert Drive
* Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. at the Addison Center, 301 S. Swift Road
* Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Westmont Center, 650 Pasquinelli Drive
* Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. at the College's main campus in Glen Ellyn, Student Services Center, Room 2200 (Board Room)

"We wanted to make sure all residents have a convenient time and location to meet with us, which is why we have arranged sessions at all of our Center locations as well as our main campus in Glen Ellyn. We hope many residents gather with us to discuss and clarify the issues the College has been facing," Chairman Mazzochi said. "Dr. Rondeau and I look forward to meeting with our community members to inform them about the work we are doing to ensure a bright future for this great institution."

For more information and to submit a question in advance for a particular session, please visit www.cod.edu/townhall.
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 3000 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
Burr Ridge Electronics Recycling Center  
Burr Ride is now a designated Electronics Recycling Collection center.  This collection center is located at the Public Works building at 451 Commerce Street and is sponsored by eWorks ESI, the Village of Burr Ridge, and DuPage County. 

The center is staffed daily from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. There is a fee for all televisions and monitors, which can be paid in advance at http://recycle.eworksesi.org or you may pay the fee onsite.

For a complete list of acceptable items, click here.  "Fly dumping" is NOT permitted.
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
Eisenhower Junior High Craft & Vendor Fair
The Eisenhower Junior High Choir and Sports Boosters are hosting their 3rd Annual Craft and Vendor Fair on Saturday November 12, from 9am to 3pm at Eisenhower Jr. High, 1410 75th Street.. This event will feature over 55 vendors and crafters, concessions, caroling, and raffles too!

Proceeds from this event will benefit the EJH choir and sports students.
Herb Shares for the Holiday - Sunny Patch Project
Good Worx is inviting our neighbors to stop by Sunny Patch Community Garden Patch the next two Saturdays if you'd like to harvest some garden fresh herbs for your holiday cooking.
 
Sunny Patch Project has shared over one ton of garden fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs with some of our at-risk neighbors over the past 16 months. Stop by and get your own fresh sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, chives or parsley to add to your holiday table. ALL ARE WELCOME!
 
Sunny Patch is located on the grounds of Safety Village of Darien, 7400 Cass Ave. We will be open from 9 to Noon, November 12 and November 19, in hopes of sharing!
 
To learn more about our community garden project, visit: www.sunnypatchproject.org
Darien Public Schools, District #61 Meetings
Darien Public Schools, District #61 Committee of the Whole Meeting, Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - 6:00 P.M at Lace School, 7414 S. Cass Avenue Darien, IL 60561.  Topic is Sharing Assessment - How data is used within each building to address student and instructional success.

Darien Public Schools, District #61 Regular Board of Education Meeting and Closed Session during the Regular Meeting, Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - 7:00 P.M at Lace School, 7414 S. Cass Avenue Darien, IL 60561
Darien Public Schools, District #61 Meetings
Darien Public Schools, District #61 Committee of the Whole Meeting, Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - 6:00 P.M at Lace School, 7414 S. Cass Avenue Darien, IL 60561.  Topic is Sharing Assessment - How data is used within each building to address student and instructional success.

Darien Public Schools, District #61 Regular Board of Education Meeting and Closed Session during the Regular Meeting, Tuesday, November 15, 2016 - 7:00 P.M at Lace School, 7414 S. Cass Avenue Darien, IL 60561
Historical Society Turkey Raffle
Darien Historical Society repeats long-ago tradition with a TURKEY RAFFLE on Friday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m., at Chuck's Café, 8025 Cass avenue

Pre-Event Tickets $10.00 - At Door $12.00. includes one raffle ticket. Additional tickets are .50 cents apiece. Plus Silent Auction, Pulled Pork and 21 and-over refreshments available. Win a turkey for your holiday season!

Call 630-724-7325 for tickets
Christmas Craft & Vendor Fair
Everyone is invited to the St. John Lutheran Early Learning Center (ELC) Christmas Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, December 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 7214 South Cass Avenue in Darien, IL. Admission is free.
 
Each year this extensive showcase of handmade and retail items provides the perfect opportunity for patrons to find items on their holiday gift list in one convenient location. Popular retail products will be featured along with crafters of jewelry, textiles, and seasonal items. There will also be a bake sale and raffle.
 
A unique feature of the fair is Candy Cane Lane where children can meet Olaf the Snowman and participate in supervised Christmas-themed games, crafts, music, and read alouds while their parents shop.      
 
If you are a crafter or vendor and would like to reserve a table, call 630-324-6582 or email elc@sjlcdarien.org. The event raises funds to help support the preschool. Whether you come to sell or to buy, we hope to see you there!

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