DuPage County briefs
Disaster grant issued:
A $52,000 disaster assistance grant was issued to the College of DuPage through the Illinois Department of Commerce. The grant will assist the college's Small Business Development Center to provide disaster assistance and emergency preparedness education, training and outreach to more than 100 county clients through May 2010. The county is a federally designated disaster area following the fall 2008 flooding. For more information about grant funding, call Carol Anglet at (630) 942-2461.
COD radio receives funds:
The Illinois Arts Council awarded the College of DuPage radio station a $34,910 grant to help fund operations and maintenance. WDCB 90.9-FM was one of 26 Illinois public radio stations to receive the funding. College officials said the council regularly funds operations of the campus station, but the money is more of a necessity this year because state appropriations are more limited. The station predominantly features jazz music and received Chicago Music Awards for the past two years as the area's "Best College/Community Music Radio Station."
Pet food drive benefits Wayne:
A Bartlett woman is running her own pet food drive with the help of her local village. Bozena "Bo" Barda said she was inspired to organize the drive after reading in the Daily Herald about the shortage of pet food at food pantries and the difficulties for people who are already suffering hard times to keep their pets. Today is the final day to donate, which can be done by dropping off cat and dog food and other pet supplies at the Bartlett police station, 228 S. Main St. The food will be donated to the Wayne and Hanover township food pantries. Barda herself has been going through hard times, having lost more than one professional job in recent years because of company mergers or downsizing. For the past year, she's made her livelihood by passing out food samples at a grocery store. But Barda has volunteered at pet shelters and has three dogs adopted from shelters.
Sleigh rides available:
The DuPage County Forest Preserve is offering horse-drawn sleigh rides through the Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton. The sleigh rides will be available from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 26 through Dec. 31 and then from noon to 3 p.m. every Sunday in January and February. Hay rides will be available if there is less than six inches of snow on the ground. The rides last about 15 minutes and cost $5 for adults and $2 for children between 5 and 12. Children younger than 5 ride for free. For more information, call (630) 668-6012 or visit dupageforest.org.