DuPage County briefs

DuPage slates finance debate:

DuPage County residents are invited to what is expected to be the final public discussion of the county's upcoming fiscal year budget at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The budget which calls for no increased taxes and freezes most county employee salaries recently was approved by the county board's finance committee. The full board has to approve the budget before the end of November. The meeting will be held in the county board room at the administration building located at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton.

Suspicious suspicious investigated:

Wheaton police are investigating the report of a suspicious man who was seen Thursday afternoon in the area of the Avalon Lakeside Apartment complex, near Briar Glen School. Two 11-year-old girls were walking home from school about 3:45 p.m. when they noticed a white adult male sitting inside a black passenger car, possibly a Lincoln. It appeared that the man had a camcorder and might have been photographing children. The girls reported what they saw to their parents upon arriving home. No children were approached. Police searched the area immediately after gettng the 911 call but the vehicle wasn't located. Anyone with information should call Cmdr. James Volpe at (630) 260-2056.

Martin Plaza project canceled:

Wheaton's Sesquicentennial Commission has canceled the Martin Plaza renovation project because of lack of sufficient funding. The project was intended to serve as a commemorative showpiece of the city's 150th anniversary through the renovation of the plaza at Front and Main streets in downtown Wheaton. People who bought paver bricks to help fund the renovation project will be fully refunded by the end of November. Checks will be returned by mail, and credit card purchases will be refunded.

Roselle state of the village:

The Roselle Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host Village President Gayle Smolinski's state of the Village address at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at Villaggio Ristorante, 1242 E. Lake St., Roselle. The address will take place following the Chamber's November General Membership Luncheon, which starts at noon. If you would like to join the Chamber for lunch, cost is $20 per person, and reservations are being taken by the chamber office at (630) 894-3010. Residents interested in only the speech should arrive afterward.

Shelter receives check:

Cantigny Park in Wheaton, part of the McCormick Foundation, gave a $7,000 check to the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton as part of the park's Veterans Day observance. The check represents the net proceeds from the recent 6th annual Cantigny 5K Run/Walk. Cantigny, Cantigny Post 556 of the American Legion and the McCormick Foundation have generated more than $12,000 for the shelter in 2009.

Anima invites to rehearsal:

Anima-Young Singers of Greater Chicago, formerly the Glen Ellyn's Children's Chorus, invites students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades who like to sing to come to an open rehearsal at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Glen Ellyn Park District building, third floor, 501 Hill, Glen Ellyn. Anima has been providing performance-based choral music education since 1964. For details, contact (630) 858-2471 or sing@animasingers.org.

Helping those in need:

Fox Valley United Way is seeking partners to help provide holiday gifts for area children and families in need. Businesses, community groups, families and individuals may adopt an individual or family; sent checks payable to Fox Valley United Way to 40 W. Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60506; purchase a gift card from a local grocery store to help provide at holiday meal; drop off an unwrapped gift at the Fox Valley United Way office by Dec. 10. For details, call (630) 896-4636.