Darien Direct Connect E-Newsletter: July 31, 2025

The following email provides timely information on news and services

from the City of Darien.

City of Darien Website

Weekly eNews - July 31, 2025

Mayor's Message

“Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

If given the opportunity, I always enjoy recognizing young people who step out of their comfort zone in order to serve another individual or their community. Last week on Friday, we experienced over four inches of rainfall in a two-hour period. While my hope is that many of you made it through that storm with little or no damage, we did experience a number of streets that held the large amount of water until it could run off into the storm sewers. Our public works crew was out unclogging storm sewers on streets where rainfall was resulting in large bodies of standing water. In several instances, public works crews had to search for the storm sewers, in order to remove any debris that might have been blocking proper drainage of water.

While our crews are well trained to deal with situations such as this, two young men left their home while rain was still falling, in order to assist out public works crew in locating the storm sewers. As their mother Tricia related to me, the boys told their mom that they knew where all the drains were, and wanted to go out and assist our public works staff. So, in the pouring rain, Ovie, (10) and Rush, (7) Basalone took it upon themselves to assist our public works crew. On that day, each of these young men chose to leave the comfort of their home and assist our crews, and in effect serve their fellow residents. Ovie and Rush, on behalf of the City of Darien’s public works crew, our city staff and your fellow residents want you to know how much we appreciate your efforts, and your service to our community.

I have asked Ovie and Rush to attend our August 4 City Council meeting, where we will get an opportunity to thank them in person, and recognize their unselfish behavior.

Scroll to the bottom to view Community Events

Summer Concert Series - TONIGHT

Don't miss Ocean's Rat Pack TONIGHT at Westwood Park! There will be delicious food available from local restaurants and the show starts at 6:00 p.m. Please bring any cleaning supplies and canned goods you have to donate to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Food Pantry. A big thanks to the Darien Park District for offering the City the use of Westwood Park for our 2025 Summer Concert Series.

National Night Out

National Night Out is an annual event to help build partnerships between police and the communities they serve. It's also an exciting family night out with Touch-a-Truck, games, a K9 Demo, and more!

Come by Westwood Park on August 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to meet your neighbors and have some fun at Darien's National Night Out event!

View the flyer here.

Save a Life by Donating Blood

The Darien Police Department is hosting a blood drive during National Night Out on August 5. According to Versiti, each donation can save up to three lives, which means that every donor makes a difference! If this is your first time donating, Versiti has a great video about what to expect -- check it out here.

Appointments are recommended and walk-ins are welcome. Remember to bring a photo ID and always eat and hydrate before donating. Use the QR code below to make your appointment today!

Darien Police Department Blood Drive

August 5

4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

National Night Out at Westwood Park

75th & Fairview Ave

View Flyer

37th Annual Darien Fest

Join us August 8 - 10 as Darien Fest returns to Westwood Park (northeast corner of 75th St. and Fairview Ave). There will be carnival rides, food and drinks, a Business EXPO, and live entertainment daily! Unlimited ride specials are available.

Entertainment includes live music every night starting at 7:30 p.m.:

Friday - Blind Reality

Saturday - Bad Medicine

Sunday - Reckless

NO pets, bikes, motorized scooters or bikes, coolers or outside food and beverages are allowed inside the grounds.

A big thanks to the Darien Park District for offering the City

the use of Westwood Park for the fest.

ComEd Opens Applications for Customer Relief Fund, $10 Million in Relief Available

ComEd is encouraging customers to begin applying to the Customer Relief Fund, which offers one-time grants of up to $500 for qualifying low- to moderate-income residential customers, and $1,000 for nonprofit organizations, to help those struggling with rising energy costs in northern Illinois. Supported by Exelon, ComEd’s parent company, the Customer Relief Fund has allocated $10 million in bill assistance grants, provided on a first come, first serve basis, to eligible customers, while funds last.

Click here to read more.

Shop Local for School Supplies

Back-to-school shopping season has arrived! Turn this annual chore into a creative way to support your community by finding local shops that carry some of the items on your classroom's supply list. Shopping locally supports our neighbors and helps to build a strong community.

Darien to See a Second Fiber Installer to Begin Installing Fiber Infrastructure Within the City Parkways/Right of Ways

T Mobile is partnering with Lumos to install fiber optic cable in the parkways in Darien. Work is scheduled to begin the week of July 28.

Crews will install fiber using low-impact directional drilling, typically 36 inches underground, within public rights-of-way and utility easements, such as sidewalks, street fronts, between homes, or behind property lines.
Work across the neighborhood typically lasts a few weeks. Construction near your specific property generally takes just a few days.
You may see construction signs, temporary flags or paint in your yard (used to mark underground utilities), and crews using specialized equipment. Please do not remove the markers—they are essential for safety and will be cleared after construction is complete.
Public utility locators do not mark private underground features. To help prevent damage, please mark these items using white flags or landscape-safe spray paint, or notify us at lumosfiber.com/tmoconstruction for assistance.

More details

Get Back to School Bash - Hinsdale South

Get ready to head back to school at the Get Back to School Bash on August 3 at Hinsdale South's Football Field from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This event is open to all students and their families, so get ready for food, fun, prizes, and more! Contact Ms. Truman with any questions by email or at (630) 468-4582.

ComEd Tree Trimming

ComEd intends to perform vegetation management activities in the Darien community within the next few months. The vegetation management activities are a key component of ComEd’s maintenance program to ensure system electrical reliability, as vegetation contact with ComEd equipment is the leading cause of outages.

ComEd has contracted cycle vegetation trimming with Intren, LLC and their subsidiaries Kendall and Shade Tree. Please review the documents linked below to learn more about the upcoming line clearance activities in your area.

Notification Letter to Darien

Tree Trimming Map

Sample Postcard to Homeowners

If property owners have questions, please call 1-800-Edison-1.

New Police Text Alert System

The Police Department is currently exploring options for a new text alert system. The city is no longer using the previous service, as we were experiencing too many issues with it. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Downers Grove Township Senior Programs

The Downers Grove Township Center provides programs and services designed to enhance the quality of life for our senior citizens 55 years of age and over. These programs promote independence and wellness to help older adults in the community remain active and healthy.

Check out the programs coming up in August here!

City Council Meeting - August 4

City Council will meet on Monday, August 4, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1702 Plainfield Road. The agenda will be posted here.

Planning, Zoning & Economic Development Meeting - August 6

The Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Commission will meet on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1702 Plainfield Road. The agenda will be posted here.

Be in the Know - Help Spread the Word

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.