Aurora Police Commander Joe Groom who passed away Dec. 9, 2015.

Aurora

Police commander honored with road dedication

Aurora Police Commander Joe Groom’s memory was honored on May 20 when a stretch of the street where he was raised in his family home at Fifth and Benton was named Commander Joe Groom Way.

Born and raised in Aurora, Commander Groom, who passed away suddenly on Dec. 9, 2015 at the age of 50, faithfully served and protected the Aurora community for 26 years. First appointed to the Aurora Police Department in 1989, Commander Groom steadfastly worked his way through the ranks to the position of Investigations Division Commander, which he held at the time of his passing.

A dedicated public servant, Groom was a member of both the International and Illinois Associations of Chiefs of Police; the Chiefs Associations in Kane, DuPage, and Kendall Counties; the Kane County DUI Task Force; the Juvenile Drug Court Advisory Committee; and the Aurora Police Foundation.

In addition, Commander Groom was a current board member and Past President of the Exchange Club of Aurora; the current Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 736; and served two terms as a Resource Council Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kane and Kendall Counties.

The Kendall County University of Illinois Extension will host a Master Gardener Program informational meeting June 14 in Yorkville. Interested individuals can meet certified Master Gardeners and learn more about the program and how it serves the communities. (Photo courtesy of University of Illinois Extension)

Kane County

Master Gardeners announce Idea Garden Tours

Skip the apps and websites, and come see inspirational garden ideas in-person at the popular Kane County Master Gardener Idea Garden in St. Charles. The Master Gardeners will host four summer open house events, beginning June 13.

“The 2017 Idea Garden continues to showcase designs that are easy to replicate at home, but with some new featured ideas,” said Sarah Fellerer, program coordinator for University of Illinois Extension. “Come see what plants work well in a three-season bed, a children’s garden, a pollinator patch or a cutting garden. Plus, visit other beds of various vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and stop by the year-round rain garden and prairie garden.”

The open houses will be hosted from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13; Tuesday, July 11; Saturday, Aug. 12 and Tuesday, Sept. 12. Visitors also are welcome to stop in during workdays on other Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. The Kane County Master Gardener Idea Garden is located at the corner of Peck Road and Route 38 in St Charles. Visitors can enter via the Route 38 driveway.

Do you have questions about your garden, lawn, or trees? Call the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Help Desk of Kane County at (630) 584-6166, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Montgomery

All ages invited to Walk with the Mayor

Montgomery Village President Matt Brolley will host a “Mayor on the Move” on Saturday, June 3rd, from 10 – 11:30 a.m.  Walk, talk and get fit with the mayor.  Meet at the Foxmoor gazebo (near Simpson Parkway and Cambridge Lane in the Foxmoor subdivision) from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.  Then everyone is invited to walk with the mayor through the Foxmoor and Fairfield Way subdivisions from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Children are welcome to participate.

Residents are invited to drop by to chat with the Village President on an informal basis and discuss items of concern with him.  Everyone is encouraged to bring their comments, questions and ideas to the session.

“As village president, I enjoy visiting with residents and hearing what issues are important to them,” Brolley explained.  “I also hope to tap into some of the great ideas people have on how to improve life in Montgomery.

Oswego

Community Unity Project set during PrairieFest

Community Unit School District 308 will host a “Unity in the Community” event at this year’s PrairieFest, which is being held June 15-18 at PrairieFest park in Oswego.

Beginning on Thursday, June 15, at 6 p.m. the public, especially youths, are invited to come together for the SD308 Unity Opening Celebration. The event is part of the SD308 Unity Project promoting respect and acceptance of individual differences.     

The Unity in the Community art project will take place during the four days of PrairieFest. The Community will tie colorful strands of yarn to 32 posts placed in a circular arrangement in a large field. Each post will be identified with a label, such as “I’m a parent,” “I speak English as a second language,” or “I identify as LGBTQ.”

As the different strands of yarn intertwine with one another, they form a web of interconnectedness, allowing participants to see that, although we identify in different ways, we have much in common. The event celebrates our uniqueness and strengthens our ties to each other.

School District 308’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee is hosting the event to bring awareness of the district’s values and to promote DEI efforts within the district. The event is an effort to engage the community in authentic opportunities to recognize, appreciate, and learn about the experiences of those who make up the District 308 family.

The DEI Committee is seeking volunteers for the Unity in the Community event. To volunteer or for more information, email deic@sd308.org.

For more on the Unity Project, go to: http://www.unityproject.net/ For more information about PrairieFest, go to: http://www.prairiefest.com/

Summer free paper shredding event

Identity theft is a serious crime. Those who are victimized can spend countless hours and money cleaning up the mess thieves have made of one’s good name and credit record. Vigilance in protecting personal information is crucial.

While you cannot fully prevent identity theft you can certainly minimize the possibility of becoming a victim. By managing your personal information wisely, cautiously and with an awareness of the issue, you can help guard against Identity Theft. To assist in the prevention of identity theft, the Oswego Police Department is partnering up with First National Bank of Oswego to offer a free shredding service to the community. Important personal documents no longer needed that should be shredded may include charge receipts, copies of credit card applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks, bank statements, or expired charge cards and credit offers you get in the mail.

This event will take place on Saturday, June 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at the First

National Bank located at 6601 U.S. Route 34. You may bring up to 3 large file boxes full of papers to be shredded.

How Identity Theft Occurs:

• Your personal information is stolen from businesses or other institutions.
• Your personal information is taken from your mailbox or your trash.
• Personal information is captured using “skimming” devices.
• On-line “phishing” scams.

For further information regarding Identity Theft, please visit the Oswego Police Department website at www.oswegopoliceil.org and click on the Community Programs and Services link.

Yorkville

Become a Master Gardener with U of I Extension

University of Illinois Extension will host a Master Gardener Program informational meeting June 14 in Yorkville. Interested individuals can meet certified Master Gardeners and learn more about this valuable volunteer program and how it serves the communities.

“Master Gardeners are a diverse group of residents with a desire to learn and share knowledge with their communities,” said Sarah Fellerer, Master Gardener program coordinator in Kane and Kendall Counties. “You do not need to be an experienced gardener to qualify. If you are looking for a way to volunteer and grow your knowledge of horticulture, this may be the opportunity for you.”

Master Gardeners reach into the communities with service projects in partnership with local organizations, and they also work the Master Gardener Help Desk by answering the phone line and assisting residents who come to the office with garden and landscape questions.

The Master Gardener program provides 60 hours of horticultural training in return for 60 hours of volunteer time to support the Master Gardener Program. Thirty of the first 60 volunteer hours must be completed at the Master Gardener Help Desk, which is open to the public during the growing season.

The fall 2017 training program will begin Sept. 6 and run through Nov. 15. Classes will be held each Wednesday from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of Illinois Extension office in Yorkville.

Core topics include: basic botany, soils and fertilizers, vegetables, woody ornamental plants, fruits, insects and disease diagnosis, pesticide safety and perennials. A program fee of $300 covers the training costs and includes a copy of the award-winning Illinois Master Gardener Manual.

The informational meeting will be 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14 at 7775B Illinois Route 47 in Yorkville. To register, email Sarah Fellerer at fellerer@illinois.edu or call the Extension office at (630) 553-5823. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please notify at least two weeks prior to the event.

–Kendall County News Briefs–