The best gift of all is the gift of your time in meaningful presence with others.
These personal actions will combine toward making a restored, healthy planet. Supporting local businesses is better for the earth and the economy. Consider buying locally produced goods to help our small local businesses.

Toys: In a recent study at the University of Toledo, Ohio, researchers hypothesized that “an abundance of toys reduced the quality of toddlers’ play”, and that fewer toys will benefit children in the long-term.”

There is a significant advertising push for us to buy Christmas gifts early, due to supply chain issues. This is a perfect opportunity to re-consider our holiday traditions for gift giving. Consider buying gift cards for services, such as a massage or a restaurant meal.  When giving gifts, think about what the recipients need or something unexpected.  Perhaps a coupon for a night of babysitting, a coupon for yard work help, or maybe they need money to help pay bills.  A card with a note telling someone how important they are to you could be the best gift they receive. Orake a contribution to a charity and let your recipient know you made this as their Christmas gift.

SCARCE, located at 800 S. Rohlwing Rd. (Rt. 53) (Unit D) in Addison, has a vast selection of donated LPs for collectors of vinyl records-and at a significantly lower price than vinyl record stores. They also carry a large selection of donated DVDs and books curated by a volunteer librarian.

Start a tradition of playing gift bingo: Each person brings a wrapped gift (many in re-usable gift bags) and takes turns selecting them. These gifts could be anything from a jar of pickles or some grapefruits, to a book previously read. It is a fun way to spend the holiday and to give away things that you no longer wish to keep but that someone else could enjoy.

The new dues cycle has begun! As of November 1st of any year, dues payments are credited to the following year. For the first time in many years, we’ve increased our dues slightly. The new structure is:

Individual: $30

Household: $40

 Election Judge/Student/Senior/Disabled: $15

Renew here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ltdo2022

January 14 through March 14, 2022

• Petitions due

June 28, 2022 – GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION

• For the Nomination of Federal, State, and County Officials and for the election of Precinct Committee persons

November 8, 2022 – GENERAL ELECTION

• For the Election of Federal, State, and County Officials

DuPage Election Division : Upcoming Elections

The recent Tornado disaster in Naperville should remind us that no one is immune. Here’s how to be vigilant during severe weather season.

The outdoor sirens are intended to alert people who are outdoors. You should NOT rely on them to alert you when you are indoors.

Know the difference between Watches and Warnings.

• A WATCH means the conditions are right for severe weather in your area and you should be alert.
• A WARNING means that something dangerous is happening NOW and you should take immediate protective measures if you are in the warned ares.

While the now-common cell phone alerts are great, note that cell towers are easy marks for tornadoes. The most reliable alerting device is a NOAA Weather Radio. These will turn on automatically to alert you during a watch or warning. This is an example of an inexpensive full-featured model (disclaimer: I don’t own one of these and can’t “endorse” it as such, but it looks pretty good).

Some of you may not be aware of Deep Dive DuPage, a live webcast conducted by LTDO vice-chair Claire Goldenberg and Holly Hootman. They interview “local politicians, elected officials, grassroots leaders and organizations in our community”.

The interviews are live most Fridays at 7:00pm. If you view live you get the chance to participate, but if you can’t, no problem; the interviews are recorded. The most recent interview was with newly elected Lisle Township trustees Lisa Rose and Jean Page. Tune in sometime!