This morning, two radiant 8 x 10 foot murals by Chicago-based artist, Tony Fitzpatrick, were unveiled in the heart of Glen Ellyn at 427 N. Main Street. The murals are displayed near the new pedway, completed this past spring, which connects pedestrians to downtown businesses, parking and the Metra station.

The murals depict birds native to the area: a woodpecker and a cardinal. Composed of acrylic paint on aluminum board, the visually collaged background features imagery distinctive to pop culture influences in Fitzpatrick's work. In creating the murals, Fitzpatrick was assisted by his studio partner and protégé, Danny Torres, and Sam Decarlo who, like Fitzpatrick, is a former College of DuPage student.

“I was honored to be have the opportunity to create this work for Glen Ellyn,” says Fitzpatrick. “It’s one of my core beliefs that art is best made via cultural and community efforts and this project is a perfect opportunity to show that in action.”

The Fitzpatrick murals are part of the DuPage Public Arts Project. The College of DuPage (COD), through the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), created the DuPage Public Arts Project in October 2020, with the goal of initiating public art events and art installations throughout their 38 partner communities. The partnership with Glen Ellyn is the inaugural kick-off to the Project, where COD will work with the Village for a two-year period to establish a public arts committee. The Project, currently funded by the Village of Glen Ellyn and College of DuPage, is tasked with the creation of two public art installations and one community arts engagement effort.

The mural was sponsored by College of DuPage, the Village of Glen Ellyn and the Glen Ellyn Fund. The Glen Ellyn Fund awarded a grant, applied for by the Village's Environmental Commission, to support public art in Glen Ellyn.

“Public art is more than just pictures on the side of a building. Public art is a catalyst for economic development and has the power to draw people to our community,” observed Glen Ellyn Village President Mark Senak. “I want to thank our friends at College of DuPage for raising awareness of the virtues of public art and look forward to working with them on making public art part of the Glen Ellyn brand.”

In June 2021, the Board voted to extend the moratorium ordinance on accepting or approving applications for recreational cannabis dispensaries in Glen Ellyn until September 28, 2021. The moratorium ordinance maintains the status quo by prohibiting recreational cannabis businesses in Glen Ellyn.

With the moratorium ordinance nearing its expiration, the Village Board is scheduled to discuss and vote on whether or not recreational cannabis businesses should be permitted in the Village at the next Village Board Meeting scheduled for Monday, September 13 at 7 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the Village's Civic Center, 535 Duane Street, with the agenda posted to the Village's website by Friday, September 10. Additional opportunities for public engagement include:

For more information on this topic, including background information and frequently asked questions, please visit the Village of Glen Ellyn's website.

The Village of Glen Ellyn's Environmental Commission will host the Annual Recycling Extravaganza, held Saturday, September 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will take place at the College of DuPage in parking lot #6 (southwest corner of campus).

This annual recycling event provides the public with the opportunity to bring items to be recycled, reused and kept out of landfills. No electronics will be accepted at this event. Please bring non-perishables for the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.

Main Street, between Duane Street and Hillside Avenue, has reopened to two-way vehicular traffic, as of Tuesday, September 7, 2021. The fencing and barricades on the west side of Main Street were moved back four feet, to accommodate the opening of southbound traffic.

Glen Ellyn’s outdoor dining season runs through October 31 each year. With the repositioning of the barricades on the west side of Main Street, outdoor dining will be able to continue within the parking stalls on Main Street.

Curbside pick-up will remain in the current locations on Duane Street, the corner of Hillside and Main Street, and within the Civic Center Parking Garage as identified by Village signs.

As a reminder to customers visiting downtown, three-hour customer parking is now available within the Main Street Parking Garage located on the ground level of the Apex 400 development. The new covered garage is currently accessible for vehicles via Glenwood Avenue. Patrons can then access Main Street businesses via a covered walkway.

The Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company will host an annual memorial service commemorating the events of September 11, 2001.

The memorial service will take place outside on Saturday, September 11 at 6:30 p.m. in front of fire station 61 at Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The service is expected to last approximately 30 minutes. All residents are welcome to attend.

The most delicious week of year is starting Monday, September 20 through Sunday, September 26, 2021. From International flair to American classic, from fine dining to fast casual, Glen Ellyn offers a variety of dining options for families, date night and more.

Restaurant week will offer prix fixe menus, special promotions and classic signature items which makes each restaurant unique. During Glen Ellyn Restaurant Week, no tickets or special passes are required, but reservations are recommended if dining in or on one of the many outside patios around town. Also note restaurants will offer delivery or pick-up options.

“The mission for the Glen Ellyn Restaurant Week is to highlight the wide array of dining options

and to support our beloved restaurants. We are encouraging our restaurants to be creative and

show off their culinary skills”, said Dawn Smith, Executive Director of the Glen Ellyn Chamber of

Commerce. “This is the ideal time for guests to experience our diverse and vibrant dining scene,

as well as, it is the perfect opportunity to find all that Glen Ellyn has to offer.”

The Village of Glen Ellyn has partnered with SeeClickFix to implement a new platform that allows citizens to report quality-of-life issues and request certain Village services. The new reporting tool launched Monday, August 23.

Residents can submit non-emergency requests for various items, such as potholes, parkway tree maintenance, signs, street lights, water issues and more. SeeClickFix uses your location data for the request. Once the request is received, it is routed to the appropriate Village department. Those that submit a request will receive updates on the status.

The new SeeClickFix platform replaces Glen Ellyn's former service request system, YourGOV.

The SeeClickFix mobile app is available for download on Android and iPhone. In addition to the mobile apps, citizens are able to send reports via Glen Ellyn’s website or at seeclickfix.com.

On August 15, Governor Pritzker announced that all Illinois residents over the age of two will be required to wear a mask in all indoor settings, effective Monday, August 30. The requirement is applicable to both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents statewide.

The Governor also announced a new mandate requiring teachers, healthcare workers, and higher education students to either receive the coronavirus vaccine, or to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing through an enhanced protocols program.

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 at the Glen Ellyn Public Library on Saturday, September 11 and Saturday, October 2 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

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: