Briefs: Car burglaries investigated
Naperville police are looking for a person responsible for at least seven burglaries at Fair Oaks Ford, 1351 E. Ogden Ave. The burglaries occurred between June 1 and Tuesday, and in each case Ford factory DVD voice-activated navigational systems with 6.5-inch screens and six-disc in-dash CD changers were taken. The units, valued at $1,700 each, were removed from unlocked Ford Tauruses, Explorers, a Sport Trac, and an Expedition. Naperville Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call (630) 420-6006. All callers may remain anonymous.
New leader at White Eagle
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 administrators announced Thursday that Jonathan Vogel will serve as principal of White Eagle Elementary School beginning July 1. Vogel has served as assistant principal at Gregory Middle School since 2004. While at Gregory, his responsibilities included overseeing special education and leading the school improvement team. Martha Baumann, director of elementary education, said Vogel is a good fit for White Eagle. Prior to joining Indian Prairie, Vogel served as an assistant principal in Oswego District 308 and taught Language Arts at Simmons Middle School in Aurora. Vogel is replacing Ron Zeman, who accepted a principal post in another district.
Lisle golf fundrasier
The second annual Cole Exner Memorial Golf Outing will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at River Bend Golf Club, 5900 S. Route 53, Lisle. This year's event will be a nine-hole best ball scramble and will be followed by a social hour, dinner and silent auction at Suparossa Ristorante, 6310 S. Route 53, Woodridge. All proceeds will benefit the Cole Exner Memorial Fund, which was created by Lisle residents Scott and Janie Exner in the name of their son Cole, who died in a 2006 car accident at age 22. The fund bestows grants in honor of Cole's memory to causes he was passionate about, such as child abuse prevention and aiding at-risk children and their families. Registration will begin at 3 p.m. with a shotgun start at 4 p.m. The cost is $80 per person; $40 for social hour and dinner only. For details, call Susanne Murray at (630) 960-3753.
Cosley Zoo's wild Saturday
Wheaton's Cosley Zoo is hosting its annual "Wild at the Zoo" event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The event will include pony rides, a tractor display, a sheep shearing demonstration and crafts and activities. Admission is free, although pony rides cost $3. Cosley Zoo is located at 1356 N. Gary Ave. in Wheaton. Additional parking for the event will be available at Sandburg School along Jewell Road and at Hofner & Hofner near the corner of Gary and Prairie avenues. The zoo, which is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through October. For more information, call (630)665-5534.
Tollway safety fair
Travel tips, child safety seat inspections, medical helicopter demonstrations and a variety of displays make up the Illinois Tollway's Family Safety Fair slated for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Downers Grove headquarters at 2700 Ogden Ave. The event runs until 2 p.m.
Wheaton grads lead team
Two students from Wheaton, Greg Gauthier, 2008 graduate from Wheaton North High School, and Curt Peterson, a 2008 graduate from Wheaton Warrenville South High School, recently were among five high school students who represented Illinois against teams from 27 other states and won the 21st annual Panasonic Academic Challenge. This is the second consecutive year Illinois has won the championship. Gauthier was chosen to the All-American Team for the second consecutive year. He is only the third student in the history of the competition to receive that honor two years in a row. The other four students on the Illinois team were: Mike Verity of Norridge and Siva Sundaram and John Brown of Rockford. Each member of the winning team received a $2,500 scholarship.
Group gets $300,000 gift
A $300,000 donation has been made to Bridge Communities, a non-profit, transitional housing program serving homeless families in DuPage County. The contribution from the Ronald L. McDaniel Foundation will be used to complete the acquisition of a six-flat apartment building in Westmont, officials said. The apartments will be converted to condominium units and sold to formerly homeless families who have completed the Bridge Communities transitional housing program in a equity-sharing arrangement. The families will make monthly payments that fit their budget. Bridge Communities, which is based in Glen Ellyn, partners with 43 local churches and community groups to serve more than 100 homeless families each year.
Grants to be awarded
The DuPage Community Foundation next week is planning to distribute $235,141 in grants to 23 nonprofit organizations from DuPage County. The grants, which range in value from $5,000 to $25,000, will be awarded during a Thursday breakfast at Glen Oak Country Club in Glen Ellyn. All the groups that will receive grant money work in the areas of health and human services. The list of grant recipients incldude Northern Illinois Food Bank, Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region, Hamdard Center for Health and Human Services and Exodus World Service.