St. James Farm Grand Opening

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County will open St. James Farm FP to the public on Memorial Day weekend. We are calling it a soft opening, as it will not be open after the weekend everyday as our other preserves.

There will be many volunteers to help people navigate the farm. There will also be a cell phone tour and interpreters to tell you about various aspects of the farm, such as the natural resources, history, etc. This will be a great chance to peak at what is there and to find out a little about what we are planning to do here.

Plan a couple of hours over the weekend to see St. James (and please pray for good weather).

Scheduling Speaking Engagements

I have been asked to speak to several groups about what is happening at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Not only the natural resources, but the fiscal, educational, recreational, operational, and yes, even the political.

On April 9th, I will speak to the Naperville Area Republican Women's Organization. The last time I spoke for these ladies, it was a small group that met in the basement of an office building. I did a small magic show to explain some of what the District was up to. Now it is a much larger group. I am not sure about the magic, other than the magic that is the Forest Preserves.

On June 21, I will speak to the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation. This is primarily a group composed of the presidents of various homeowners associations. They are generally interested in the quality of life in and around Naperville. So here I will concentrate on the quality of life that the District provides.

If your group would like to hear about the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, please contact me at cschultz@dupageforest.com.

When One Vote Counts

The City of Tamarac, Florida held a special election to annex a subdivision. One would think that the neighbors would band together and vote for it, or against it, as the case may be. But the Prospect Bend neighborhood didn't show up. AT ALL! Not a single person showed up to vote. If even one person would have cast a vote that would have decided the community's fate. As it is, Tamarac spent $2500.00 for no decision.

Naperville Township Republican Officers

The Naperville Township Republican Organization met to elect the new officers. Congratulations to the new officers!

Chairman – Rachel Ossyra
Vice-Chairman – Michael Bowler
Recording Secretary – Keri-Lynn Krafthefer
Treasurer – Paul Santucci
Corresponding Secretary – Matthew Carlyle

The Cenacle

Well, the cat is out of the bag. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has come to an agreement to purchase the Cenacle retreat property in Warrenville. We are very interested in the riparian corridors and the opportunity to restore the area. As for the building... well maybe the Warrenville Park District will want to utilize it.

Stay tuned for updates on this property.