Good News Sunday: Lisle gardeners open their havens to visitors

This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:

The Lisle Woman’s Club Garden Gait walk is the kind of activity a pandemic-weary public could crave. The Garden Gait tour takes place from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, June 13. It begins at the Museums at Lisle Station Park, 921 School St., Lisle. A craft fair and basket raffle will take place at the park. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 the day of the walk.

Tickets admit participants to six private gardens in Lisle, one of which is the garden of Sharon and Daniel Hederle. The Hederles only kept three original pine trees when they redid their almost one-acre yard and added square footage to the house, patio and pergola since they purchased the house 13 years ago.

A mix of hanging pots, roses, dianthus and statuary flank a winding flagstone path on the side yard, along with 23 different kinds of hostas. A raised vegetable garden includes tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, pumpkins, cucumbers and herbs.

Five peonies that were from a friend of Sharon’s mother are now home in their garden along with irises from family members. On a lovely metal arbor, both orange and yellow honeysuckle vines grow.

A one-of-a kind garden gate that leads visitors to the side yard was created for the family using the metal soundboard of two baby grand pianos.

For the full story, click here.

Batavia Mothers’ Club Foundation fundraisers support local groups

Showing continued creativity and determination, the Batavia Mothers’ Club Foundation continued to raise money this spring through various innovative fundraisers.

In addition to the yearly FoxTrot 5K/10K, which was all virtual this year, the club had two new fundraisers.

The first event was a Virtual Bingo event. Participants picked up bingo kits with candy treats to use as markers. They were able to play with their own personal circle. There were a number of prizes raffled off to participants, including gift cards to Batavia-located enterprises. This event was enjoyed by many and raised more than $1,600!

The second event was a “SomeBunny Loves You” campaign, where families and neighbors ordered Easter treats and a stuffed animal friend to be delivered to their friends and loved ones. Excited bunny helpers hid eggs in participants’ yards. This event raised almost $700.

The funds from these events allowed the Batavia Mothers’ Club Foundation to provide funds to more than 30 local community organizations.

For the full story, click here.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Full slate of community events on tap in Rolling Meadows

Rolling Meadows hosted a scaled-down Memorial Day parade on Kirchoff Road May 29, kicking off a slate of community events scheduled for 2021. – Courtesy of City of Rolling Meadows

After the pandemic-forced cancellation of most events in 2020, the Rolling Meadows Community Events Foundation and city officials have a full slate of local gatherings on the 2021 calendar, from concerts and festivals to community dinners and the annual tree lighting.

It all kicked off last weekend with an abbreviated Memorial Day parade and ceremony, and the first City Market of the year.

Organizers are now getting ready for the annual Block Party on Central Road in front of Rolling Meadows High School, scheduled from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 11. Then, on June 18, the FRIDAYS ROCK! & Roll in Meadows concert series kicks off at Kimball Hill Park with 1980s cover band Hi Infidelity.

For the full story, click here.

Peace pole would be a focal point in Lake Zurich

A group of volunteers is pursuing an ambitious project in downtown Lake Zurich to celebrate peace and diversity.

Friends of the Ela Peace Project is raising funds for a 20-foot-high, multisided, stainless steel “peace pole” with laser cut messaging. They say it would be the first of its kind in Lake County.

As envisioned, the peace pole would be installed on Ela Township property between the Ela Historical Society and Museum, 95 E. Main St., and Lions Park.

“I want it to be a focal point,” said Shari Gullo, a Lake Zurich resident who originated the idea and co-founded the project with Pamela Self, a landscape architect from Hawthorn Woods who designed the peace pole.

The tapered pole would include the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in English, with the word “peace” appearing in each of the more than 60 languages spoken in Lake Zurich Unit School District 95.

For the full story, click here.

• Good News Sunday will run each weekend. Please visit dailyherald.com/newsletters to sign up for our Good News Sunday newsletter.