For a minute, consider the following situation: a violent storm, possibly a tornado, hits your townhome or condo, and the damage is so significant that you are forced to move out of your home and into a temporary living arrangement. Now fast forward almost three years, and the damage to your condo has not been repaired, you are still living in temporary housing, and you have been paying your monthly mortgage payment, your Home Owners Association fees, and your current temporary rental fees for almost three years with no promise of moving back into your permanent home.

While this is only something I ask you to imagine, there are currently twenty-four families from Woodridge whose condos were hit by the June 2021 tornado that came through Naperville, Woodridge, and Darien for whom this is not an imaginary situation but a reality. A shortage in the Homeowner Association’s insurance totaling 1.1 million dollars has left these homeowners shut out of their homes for close to three years. Immediately following the tornado, efforts were made by neighboring communities such as Darien to assist Woodridge families hit hard by the tornado, and the community formed a 501c3 called “Woodridge Neighbors Helping Neighbors Disaster Relief,” which raised monies to provide initial assistance to those in need. Unfortunately, the need to assist these twenty-four families still left out of their homes remains a major issue and a cause for concern.

Mayor Frank Trilla of Willowbrook and I have joined with Mayor Gina Cunningham of Woodridge to form a group titled “Mayors Helping Mayors, Helping Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” Our goal, as Mayor Cunningham states, is to “bring people home,” and to achieve that goal, we will be working to inform residents and business leaders such as you to become part of this effort through your monetary donations and/or your participation in our Mayors Helping Mayors, Helping Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraiser at Seven Bridges Golf Club on June 26. Mayors Trilla, Cunningham, and I will also be working to solicit help from our fellow mayors, asking them to join us in this effort.

As Maya Angelou states, “It is good to remember that in crisis, natural crisis, human beings forget for a while their ignorance, their biases, their prejudices. For a little while, neighbors help neighbors, and strangers help strangers.” Darien, Woodridge, and Willowbrook are three communities that have always come together to provide assistance when a crisis has taken place, and we are now committed to a process that will assist those who are still suffering from the ramifications of the June 2021 tornado, which impacted all three of our communities.

While we will be coming out with additional information regarding our fundraiser in June, you can join in this effort by visiting the Woodridge Neighbors Helping Neighbors Disaster Relief site at woodridgenhn.org, and if possible, make a personal donation to this effort. Your donation to this 501c3 will be tax deductible, and no funds will go to the City of Darien or the Villages of Willowbrook or Woodridge. As you visit that site, please remember what Ronald Reagan said so many years ago, “Our American tradition of neighbor helping neighbor has always been one of our greatest strengths and most notable traditions.”

Thank you for helping your neighbors!

Monday evening, the City of Darien honored the Darien Rotary Club, which will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary on April 8. Mayor Marchese read a Proclamation noting the Rotary's significant accomplishments over its five years as one of Darien’s major service organizations. Pictured with Mayor Marchese is Ms. Ashley Szabo, the club’s current President, and members of the club.

Residents should have received the spring event postcard in the mail. There is one correction to note - the mailer lists the date for Arbor Day as April 24 - the correct date is April 26. View Postcard

Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on our roads. Cell phone use — specifically, texting, talking, and social media use — has become the most common distraction. Other risky actions include adjusting the radio or GPS, applying makeup, eating and drinking. By driving distracted, you’re robbing yourself of seconds that you may need to avoid a close call or deadly crash.

Remind your friends and family: If you’re in the driver’s seat, it’s the only thing you should be doing. No distractions.

April is Earth Month - a time for celebrating and advocating for environmental awareness and sustainability. Doing some Spring cleaning? Find ways to recycle instead of sending things to the landfill. Consider what can be recycled or reused! Here is a list of recycling events in our area.

In April, the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) acknowledges National Child Abuse Prevention Month, urging parents to contribute to a safer environment for children and families in DuPage County.

By ensuring individuals have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for children, we can help promote the social and emotional well-being of children and youth and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.

Together, we can take action to prevent child abuse by:

Learn about the Healthy Families for DuPage program.

We are pleased to welcome Little Legends Indoor Playground to Darien! Little Legends provides endless fun and entertainment for kids, as well as a barista-staffed gourmet coffee, tea, and espresso cafe for adults. It is large enough for the children to run and play, yet intimate enough for adults and caregivers to relax, have a conversation, or catch up on work.

Little Legends playground offers a safe and fun environment for kids 6 months to 10 year-old, with a wide range of activities and games to keep your kids active, engaged and entertained. It's also the perfect place to celebrate your child's birthday, gender reveal or baby shower.

7516 S Cass Ave #26-29, Darien

The City of Darien is accepting applications for summer employment for its Public Works Department. Applicants must be 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license. Work involves manual labor and is primarily outdoors. The starting salary is $18.75 per hour. Hours are capped at 1,000 hours. Applications can be obtained here and can be sent to the City of Darien at 1702 Plainfield Rd., Darien, IL 60561 or emailed to lklemm@darienil.gov.

The City has implemented a new public portal for submitting property maintenance concerns online. The cloud-based software that hosts the portal is called OpenGov, and it will allow users to access the portal and have a streamlined way of submitting property maintenance concerns, also commonly referred to as code compliance or code enforcement. In order to access the portal, please visit the City’s website. If you have any questions, please contact the City Planner at (630) 353-8113.

Starting April 1st through the second full week of December, residents can take advantage of weekly yard waste and food scrap collection services (composting) with Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS). These services are included in the monthly fee!

Yard waste generally includes leaves, grass cuttings, twigs, small shrubbery clippings, plants and flowers. Limbs should not exceed 4 feet in length and 50 pounds in weight. Branches must be no more than 4 inches in diameter, with the total diameter of the bundle not to exceed 24 inches. Residents can participate by placing yard waste and/or food scraps (there is no need to separate them) in biodegradable paper bags, or in containers and placing them at the curb on your garbage day. You can find more details on acceptable yard waste and food scraps on the LRS Website.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a Public Hearing on April 17. The case involves a petition from Indian Prairie Public Library for a variation request

from Sections 4-3-7(A)(11), 4-3-7(C)(4), and 4-3-10(A) of the City’s Sign Code. The petition specifically requests to allow for the construction/installation of electronic message board signs. The agenda will be posted here.

In our continuing effort to keep Darien residents informed, the Darien Police Department is introducing Emergency Notifications via text. Please visit our Direct Connect Signup page and provide your cell phone number to receive text notifications in case of an emergency. These texts will be sent at any time (day and night) when an incident within the City may impact the community (e.g. police activity, accidents where there are road closures, etc.). There is no cost to sign up for this service. The Police Department will continue to use X/Twitter for non-urgent notifications.

Darien’s Direct Connect E-Newsletter (DC) is the City’s primary source of information for residents and businesses. Please tell your friends and neighbors about DC, forward this email to them, and ask them to sign up. Signing up is simple and can be done here.

Click on the links below for more information on these upcoming community events!

Lions Club Big Raffle 2024: link

Historical Society and Woman’s Club Plant Sale - Order by April 8: link

Spring Craft and Vendor Fair - April 13: link

Darien Arts Council Meeting - April 16: link

April 18-20: link

Darien Swim Club 2024 Registration: link

Mayor Joe Marchese, (630) 200-2390

Bryon Vana, City Administrator,

City Hall (630) 852-5000

Police Department (630) 971-3999

Public Works Streets & Water (630) 353-8105

Community Development (630) 353-8115

Visit the City of Darien's website for information on City services.

Follow us on Facebook at @CityofDarien.

Follow us on X at @CityofDarien.

Follow the Darien Police Department on X at @DarienPolice.

Join your Darien neighbors on Nextdoor.