Stand Against Terrorism
Last night hundreds gathered at the steps of the Naperville Municipal Center to stand against terrorism. Indian Community Outreach put on the peaceful candlelit protest to condemn the February 14 terrorist attack in India that killed 40 innocent lives and wounded 44 others. President of the organization Krishna Bansal spoke, along with Mayor Steve Chirico and U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. A moment of silence was held, and each speaker discussed spreading peace worldwide, uniting together as a community, and how to grieve in a time of need.
Aurora Strong Vigil
There was also a vigil held at Water Street Mall in Aurora to honor the five killed in the February 15 shooting at the Henry Pratt building. Interfaith leaders as well as Congressman Bill Foster and Representative Sean Casten spoke at the event, which included a full minute of silence for each of the deceased victims. The event was organized by Indivisible Aurora and donations to help the families of those affected by the shooting can be made at www.gofundme.com/aurorastrong.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Over the weekend, the Naperville Park District’s Knoch Knolls Nature Center hosted its third Great Backyard Bird count for residents to enjoy the sights of their favorite birds while staying warm. Kids took part in arts and crafts, like coloring different birds and even making their own binoculars. The nature center encourages residents to count how many birds they see in their own backyard and enter your results at gbbc.birdcount.org or through the eBird mobile app.
All-State Wrestlers
Congratulations to our four All-State wrestlers on a great performance at the University of Illinois this weekend. Neuqua Valley senior Roberto Pena won the fifth place match at 285 pounds. Naperville Central senior Jackson Punzel scored a pin in the fifth place match at 170 pounds to end his career with a win. Metea Valley senior Phillip Sims won third place at 145 pounds, just the second top three finish in school history. And Neuqua Valley senior Jake Boumans finished as the state runner up at 170 pounds, ending his season with a record of 40-4.