At the Monday, September 28 Village Board Meeting, the Board approved appointments to be made to the Village's newly reestablished Community Relations Commission. The Commission is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Wednesday, October 6 at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, Galligan Board Room, 535 Duane Street.

The Community Relations Commission was created in 1975 to address issues related to fair housing. In 1976, the intent and purpose of the Commission was amended to broaden the Commission's scope beyond housing to also consider issues of equality, employment, and the overall well-being of Village residents.

With the reestablishment of this Commission in 2021, the proposed duties of the Commission are wide ranging and include developing and promoting programs, establishing metrics and benchmarks and hearing community concerns and complaints related to diversity, equality, equity and inclusion issues within the Glen Ellyn community.

The Commission has nine members, with two members designated as student Commissioners (retaining full voting rights). The Commission will also allow for multiple liaisons from the Glen Ellyn Park District, Glen Ellyn Public Library, School Districts, 41, 87 and 89, the College of DuPage and Village staff.

Regularly scheduled meetings will be held at the Village's Civic Center on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.

The Glen Ellyn Community Development Department has seen a trend of increased activity over the past several years that is anticipated to continue. Building activity during the COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented, with building permits and building inspections up 31% and 25%, respectively. Due to transitioning most activities to an online format during the pandemic, the Community Development Department now handles more electronic permit activities than ever before. 

In order to allow the Village's permit staff to have some uninterrupted time to catch up on the heavy daily electronic submittals and to process permit applications, the Community Development Department will be closing the counter to the public at 3:30 p.m., an hour earlier each day, on a trial basis. These modified hours will go into effect on Monday, October 11 through the end of the calendar year, December 31, 2021. The permit counter will be open for business from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.  Please note that phone lines will remain open until 4:30 p.m. daily, while the counter is closed.

Leaves are collected during the months of October and November, during regular Monday refuse collection. Leaf stickers can only be used during these months, and leaves must be disposed of in a 33-gallon kraft paper bag.

Refuse and yard waste stickers are $2.82 each, while leaf stickers are $1.70 each.

Refuse, yard waste and leaf stickers can be purchased at the following locations, during normal business hours:

Additionally, stickers are available through the mail from Groot Industries by calling (847) 429-7370.

For more information on refuse, recycling and yard waste guidelines and reminders, visit the Village’s website.

DuPage County Stormwater Management (SWM) is encouraging DuPage County residents to dispose of leaves properly this fall. When leaves blow into storm sewers and waterways, they can become a source of water pollution. In just six to eight weeks, leaves can account for more than half of annual phosphorous in stormwater runoff, which may cause algal blooms and be detrimental to fish and aquatic insects. Leaves can also build up along streets and block storm drains, which can lead to localized flooding. Residents can avoid these issues by composting, bagging and mulching leaves.

As a reminder, it is illegal to rake leaves into the street, a practice that clogs storm drains and can create slippery conditions for drivers and cyclists. Whenever possible, please clear stormwater grates in your neighborhood of leaves and debris to aid stormwater runoff. Please bag and sticker or compost leaves with your lawnmower.

On Saturday, October 9 at 10 a.m., award winning chalk artist Nate Baranowski will be drawing an artwork of chalk in the heart of downtown Glen Ellyn, in front of Citibank, located at 444 N. Main Street. This project is part of the kick-off to the College of DuPage (COD) Public Art program, a two-year initiative in which College of DuPage partners with DuPage County communities in the creation of public artwork and community engagement in the arts. 

Baranowski is a celebrated award-winning artist who has traveled the world doing installations and is experienced with a range of mediums, including large chalk murals, indoor and outdoor painted murals, acrylic on canvas, and various forms of digital painting and concept art.

The Public Art Committee encourages everyone to join in on the fun and chalk the sidewalk in front of your home or business from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 9, then come downtown to see Nate Baranowski work his brilliance. Chalk is available to those who wish to participate, one package per family. Families can pick-up chalk beginning Tuesday, October 5 from the following locations, while supplies last:

Three packages of chalk will have a winning ice cream gift certificate. Those who participate are asked to share their family-friendly artwork and upload a photo to be shared with the community to this Dropbox link.

This year's Fire Prevention Week theme, "Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety!" works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. 

  

In support of Fire Prevention Week, spanning October 3-9, 2021, the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company shares these safety tips to help you “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety”

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit www.fpw.org.

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9, in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred 150 years ago.

Unfortunately again this year, the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company will not be hosting their annual Open House during Fire Prevention Week. Through outreach using social media, the Fire Company will be sharing the fire safety message and engaging with the public in other unique ways:

Look for more details to be shared on the Fire Company's social media channels including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Village of Glen Ellyn's Environmental Commission held their Annual Recycling Extravaganza event on Saturday, September 18. Thank you to those that participated, the vendors and the many volunteers that helped to make the event a success.

For more information on where to recycle items year round, utilize the following resources:

The “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition, presented by the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA) and the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage (COD), was one of this summer’s most notable events, not just for its artistic merit and educational value, but for its extraordinary economic impact on Chicagoland.

The exhibition, which ran June 5 through September 12, sold more than 88,000 tickets and drew more than 100,000 visitors to DuPage County. The DuPage County Convention & Visitors Bureau estimated that patrons from Illinois infused $8 million into the local economy, with another $2 million generated from spending by out-of-state and international visitors. Ticket buyers came from 50 states plus 43 different countries.

To honor Frida Kahlo’s amazing contributions in furthering Mexican art and culture, the Village of Glen Ellyn featured events and experiences throughout the summer. In celebration of the Exhibit, over 20 businesses in Glen Ellyn created unique experiences that both residents and visitors enjoyed. Experiences included shopping, custom menus and cocktails, plus cooking, painting and floral classes.

“The impact of COVID-19 presented a huge challenge for our area businesses but the exhibit has had a major influence on helping our local economy rebound,” says Glen Ellyn President Mark Senak. “It has not only provided short-term economic benefits to our local businesses, but it has also served the Village’s long-term goal of establishing Glen Ellyn as a center for the arts in DuPage County.”

American Water Works Association reminds us that today is National Coffee Day. To mark the day, here's a look at coffee by the numbers:

75% – Caffeine consumed by Americans that comes as a coffee

66% – Of women drink coffee every day

62% – Of men drink coffee every day

100 – The age a coffee plant can live up to

5.7 billion – Pound of coffee Brazil exports every year

3.1 – The number of coffees the average American drinks each day

400 million – coffees consumed throughout America every day

146 billion – coffees consumed in America each year

The DuPage County Health Department Care Van will make stops in various locations across the County in the upcoming months. The van will be in Glen Ellyn on the following dates:

Those in need of the COVID-19 vaccine are able to walk up to the Care Van and receive the vaccination from a Health Department nurse. The clinic is free and open to all people 12 years or older, including those who do not have health insurance or legal immigration status. The Care Van will offer either the Pfizer vaccine which requires two doses 21 days apart or the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Please note that anyone under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian accompany them.

What you should know about the COVID-19 vaccination: