June 15, 2025




"No one wants to think about dying, but death educators tell us the best way to deal with our own death is to acknowledge its reality while we are still healthy and full of life," Jerrilyn Zavada Novak writes in her weekly Spirit Matters column.



The burr oak at Hickory Knolls Natural Area is 240 years old and is 90 feet from branch tip to branch tip, the length of the world’s largest animal – the blue whale, Patricia MacMillan of the St. Charles Park District writes in her column.


Fertilizers and pesticides can sometimes cause problems for pets, so read the label and understand the safety precautions of anything you choose to apply. Some products may require a waiting period before allowing pets (or humans!) to walk through the treated area.