Naperville News Digest: Half-price dog park permits on sale for Will County preserves; Neighborhood Historian program features coal miners music

Chicago Tribune

08-07-2025

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is offering half-price dog park permits that can be used through the end of the year at all six of its dog parks, including the one at Whalon Lake in Naperville, officials said.
Discounted permits can be bought online at www.reconnectwithnature.org or in person at Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet, Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville and Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township.
The cost is $20 for Will County residents and $40 for nonresidents. Passes for seniors, veterans and active duty military are $10 for residents, $30 for nonresidents.
A current rabies tag number and expiration date must be provided to buy a permit, officials said. Dogs must be at least six months old to use the dog parks. Dog owners can buy a permit for up to three dogs.
Naper Settlement's Friendly Neighborhood Historian presentation on Saturday, July 26, will feature the history of poetry and music written by coal miners in Illinois and throughout the United States.
The program, 'Down in the Mine: American Coal Miners and Their Songs, 1890-1960,' will be held at 1 p.m. at the settlement, 523 S. Webster St. The event is included as part of the museum's general admission cost.
Coal miners have a long tradition creating poetry and music related to their job, settlement officials said. The program will combine musical performance with spoken commentary and will talk about the tradition in a broader historical context.
For more information, go to www.napersettlement.org.
DuPage County board member Yeena Yoo, who represents District 2, has announced a bid for DuPage County treasurer.
Yoo, of Elmhurst, is a legal aid attorney who advocates for low-income clients, veterans, senior citizens and working families, a news release announcing her nomination said.
Married with two children, she is commissioner of the Elmhurst Senior Citizens Commission, a York Township precinct committeeperson, a board member for the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation board member, a League of Women Voters Elmhurst member, and former chair for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense-Elmhurst, according to her county biography.
She earned a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, her biography said.
Yoo, a Democrat, has served on the DuPage County Board since 2022. Her term expires December 2026. District 2 includes Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace, and portions of Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Westmont, Downers Grove and Lisle.
The treasurer's office, a countywide position, will be on the November 2026 ballot. Incumbent Jean Kaczmarek has not announced if she plans to seek reelection.