Good News Sunday: It’s Lilac Time in Lombard, and the blooms are popping

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

Lombard’s lilacs are in full bloom, or so says the official “bloom ‘o’ meter.”

A villagewide festival still revolves around the blooming period. The Lilac Time schedule is packed with concerts, the Lilac Queen coronation, guided tours of Lilacia Park and the garden club’s lilac sale — all leading up to the annual Lilac Parade down Main Street on Sunday, May 21.

The park contains over 200 varieties of lilacs. Buds open into white, pink, blue, violet, magenta and deep purple blooms at different times.

Lilacs and their heavenly fragrance have been adored by Lombardians for nearly a century. The town’s love affair with lilacs began in 1927 when Col. William R. Plum, a Civil War veteran, donated his collection to the village. The colonel and his wife, Helen, brought lilac bushes back home to Lombard from their European travels in the early 1900s. That private garden grew into Lilacia (pronounced Lye-lay-sha) Park.

Some lilac fans come simply to wander among the flowering trees and shrubs, to breathe in their perfume, before the blooms start to fade.

“A lot of people are hypnotized by them. It’s just gorgeous,” Lombard Park District horticulturist Jane Burke said.

For the full story, click here.

Elgin principal focuses on giving students opportunities

When Marc Spacone became principal at Larsen Middle School in Elgin in 2021, he knew his back corner office would not do.

He didn’t want students, parents or teachers to have to go through a secretary to get to him or be hidden away or out of view from the community he serves. So, the corner office became a file room, and Spacone took over a conference room near the front desk.

“The first thing I said was I’m moving out of that corner office and I’m making myself a space where people can come to me,” he said.

He proudly points to fingerprints on the window looking into his office, noting that teachers, parents and students regularly walk by and tap on his window to come in to chat.

“The principal’s job first and foremost is to be there for his or her students, the teachers and the community,” said Spacone, who also serves as a village trustee in Lake Zurich.

Earlier this year, Spacone, who has been principal at Larsen Middle School since 2021, was named the Illinois Principal Association’s Middle School Principal of the Year for the Kishwaukee Region, which includes schools in Kane, DeKalb, Winnebago, Boone and McHenry counties.

For the full story, click here.

Millie, a golden retriever puppy, is the Mundelein Police Department’s new comfort dog. She’s teamed with social worker Stephanie Escobar, shown here. – Courtesy of Mundelein Police Department

Millie the comfort dog joins Mundelein Police Department

The Mundelein Department’s newest four-legged staff member was formally introduced to the public Monday.

Millie, an 11-week-old golden retriever, is the department’s first comfort dog. She made her public debut during the evening’s village board meeting.

Partnered with department social worker Stephanie Escobar, Millie’s primary assignment is to provide affection, comfort and support to people who may need that kind of assistance during encounters with police.

“Our social worker deals with many victims of crime, and our hope is that Millie will help with making victims feel more comfortable and bring their anxiety levels down when using our services,” Chief John Monahan said in an email.

Millie also will be used to make positive connections in the community, Monahan said.

For the full story, click here.

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