Dupage Policy Journal

- Albert Pike

- N.H. Kleinbaum

One of the greatest ways to improve our community is to bring together the many social, civic and service groups that serve our community together with the goal of answering the question, “How can we further enrich the lives of our Darien community?" On Saturday, February 12, a group of civic-minded individuals representing over 20 different community organizations met for the second time to answer that question.

We have titled this group the “Darien Community Action Team,” a group of civic-minded individuals who answered our call to join together to assess our community’s strengths, to find ways to create new programs, and bring forth new ideas to better serve our community. As the facilitator of the group, I come away energized by our discussions, and I appreciate the civic engagement that takes place each time we meet. We have already started work on a dynamic community calendar that will be available to residents, on February 12, we heard from two Hinsdale South students regarding a plan to initiate a Farmer’s Market in Darien, and this is just a start for this group.

We are committed to promoting the goal of ONE Darien, as we Organize, Nurture, and Empower our residents in order to make Darien, The Best Place to Live.

City offices will be closed on Monday, February 21 in observance of the President’s Day holiday.

The refuse/recycling schedule will proceed as normal with no delays.

The City Council will meet on Monday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Darien City Hall.

Agenda will be posted here.

The city will begin budget discussions on February 23, 2022, for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2023. The draft budget is available here.

Any questions regarding the City’s budget may be directed to the City Administrator Bryon Vana at 630-353-8114 or bvana@darienil.gov.

On Feb. 7, Hinsdale South students Hailey Bishop, Gustavo Botero and Camden Kiefer presented the Darien City Council with their idea for creating a local farmers market. Check out their presentation here.

The idea for the farmers market was something the students researched and worked on in conjunction with a semester-long service learning project in their civics class. They have been invited to partner with the Darien Citizens Action Group to explore the possibilities that exist for the concept.

We want to congratulate Hailey, Gustavo and Camden on a job well done. We also want to thank teachers Kelly Van Hout and Alex Bitto for providing the students with the opportunity to learn about and experience what it means to give back to the community.

The City of Darien’s 2022 Citizen of the Year Committee is proud to announce Lou Mallers as its choice for this year’s recipient. Read more about Lou here.

Make your reservations now for a celebratory dinner/dance to be held in Lou’s honor on Friday, March 4th at Alpine Banquets in Darien. Deadline for reservations is Wednesday, February 23rd. Enjoy a family-style dinner, open bar, music, dancing and Alpine’s world-famous Kolacky for desert! Cocktails at 6 pm/Dinner at 7 pm. Cost is $49 per person. For questions or reservations, please contact Diane at Darien City Hall at 630/353-8102.

A congratulatory reception will be held on Tuesday, February 22 after the City Council meeting in the police training room (across the parking lot). All are invited, no reservation is needed.

Congratulations Lou – Our 2022 Citizen of the Year!

Ice dams occur when heavy snow buildup melts during the day and then refreezes when temperatures drop overnight. After several days of melting-freezing cycles, it's common for the melted water and ice to work up under the shingles until water enters the attic and eventually does damage to the ceilings, wall and contents. In cases where the ice dam goes unnoticed for an extended period of time, it can do significant damage to the building and its contents.

Thoroughly clean all leaves, sticks and other debris from your home's gutters and down spouts. This allows melting roof snow to flow into gutters and through down spouts.

Make every effort to keep snow on your roof to a minimum. Long-handled devices on the market called "roof rakes" let you stand on the ground and pull the snow off the roof. Keeping heavy snow loads off your roof reduces the chances for both ice dam formation and roof failure due to the weight.

Keep gutters and down spouts clear of snow and icicles. Learn more

Not all insects we find in our gardens are pests. In fact, most insects aren’t pests at all. Learn about some commonly encountered beneficial insects and ways to attract them to your garden.

About Our March General Meeting presentation: Ken Johnson, an educator from the University of Illinois Extension, will help us explore some of the most common beneficial insects and ways to attract them to your garden. Ken Johnson is the Horticulture Educator serving Calhoun, Cass, Greene, Morgan, and Scott Counties. His educational efforts focus on fruit and vegetable production, pest management, and beneficial insects.

Registration required.