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The Shopper 4/23/2025

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Celebrate

Connecting the Community Since 1957

EARTH DAY

Wednesday • April 23, 2025 INSIDE THIS ISSUE - GAMES & PUZZLES - PAGE 6

The TurfMutt Foundation Says Thank a Tree this Arbor Day, April 25 LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In recognition of Arbor Day on April 25, the TurfMutt Foundation is celebrating the vital role trees play in enriching our environment, enhancing our health, and beautifying the spaces where we live, work, and play. “Trees are environmental superheroes,” says Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “They clean our air, cool our neighborhoods, support wildlife, and even help us feel better—physically and mentally. This Arbor Day, we invite everyone to step outside, enjoy the trees in their communities, and consider planting one to leave a lasting legacy.” The TurfMutt Foundation shares these many reasons to thank a tree this Arbor Day: • Reduces heat islands: Large parks or tracts of urban trees can cool daytime summer temperatures by about 10 degrees. Shaded ground can be up to 36 degrees cooler than unshaded ground. • Produces oxygen: Two mature trees provide enough oxygen for one person to breathe over the course of a year. • Improves air quality: In L.A. alone, trees remove nearly 2,000 tons of air pollution each year. • Makes people healthier & happier: According to the Arbor Day Foundation, people who engage with trees and green spaces daily have better mental and physical health than those who spend less time in nature. • Better learning: Trees on or near school grounds are positively linked to students’ academic achievement. • Decreases energy costs: According to the Urban Forest Coalition, 100 million mature trees around U.S. residences save approximately $2 billion annually in reduced energy costs. • Boosts property values: Each front yard tree adds one percent to a homeowner’s sale price, while large specimen trees can add 10 percent to property values.

To help children and families explore the benefits of green spaces, the TurfMutt Foundation offers free lesson plans and activities designed to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. Discover more in the TurfMutt Foundation’s International Backyarding Fact Book, and don’t miss Mulligan the TurfMutt on CBS’s Lucky Dog Saturday mornings. About the TurfMutt Foundation TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. Championed by Foundation spokesdog, Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery and Weekly Reader, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” Today, TurfMutt is an official USGBC® Education Partner and part of their global LEARNING LAB. TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. TurfMutt’s personal home habitat was featured in the 2017-2020 Wildlife Habitat Council calendars. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. More information at www.TurfMutt.com

Giannoulias Issues $1.3 Million to Support 2,500 Illinois School Libraries Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias has awarded more than $1.3 million to 2,484 Illinois public school libraries throughout Illinois. The grants, awarded in the spring of every fiscal year, support school library services for Illinois students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade. Resources and services provided through the grant include library books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, multilingual materials, technology and programs. “Illinois students deserve to have access to quality library resources, including learning materials, books and online services at our public schools,” Giannoulias said. “Libraries serve as places of knowledge, learning and discovery and this funding will help equip them to educate and inspire our future generations.” Based on a statutory formula, school districts receive $0.885 per student for their enrollment at each school having a qualified library. Funding for the program originates from the General Revenue Fund and is appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly. “The school district library grant is an investment into the

futures of all Illinois students. With this funding, library staff provide a rich array of materials, including books, online resources, and technology, to meet the educational needs and spark the interests of all K-12 students in all areas of our state,” said Chiddix and Evans Junior High School Librarian and Illinois Library Association Executive Board Director-at-Large Michelle Glatt. “We appreciate and commend Illinois leaders, especially Secretary of State and State Librarian Giannoulias, for their commitment to school libraries and the young people they serve.” “Throughout Illinois, school librarians are thankful to receive these grants from Secretary Giannoulias to improve our libraries,” said Jacob Roskovensky, Danville School District Librarian and President of The Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE), which provides leadership and support for the development, promotion, and improvement of school libraries. “In some districts, this funding is the sole source of revenue to purchase books. These grants allow school librarians to continue to bolster their educational offerings, ensuring that all Illinois students have opportunities to learn.”

New Property Tax Savings for World War II Veterans Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and staff welcomed World War II veterans and their spouses to the office this week to honor their service and celebrate a new program that will exempt them from property taxes. The World War II Veterans Exemption was created by the Illinois state legislature and signed into law in 2024. It permanently exempts members of the United States Armed Forces during World War II from paying property taxes. The veterans in attendance were Eddie Durham, Leo Schmitz, Thomas Cernek, and Don Ferrone. Anita Hurwitz and Barbara Martin, surviving spouses of two other veterans, also attended. Assessor Kaegi presented certificates to all the attendees in honor of their military service and listened to each family share their story about serving their country. The oldest veteran in attendance is 103 years old. His daughter and caretaker expressed her gratitude for the tax-saving program

and shared that her father enjoys meeting other WWII veterans like himself. “As the descendant of veterans, I was proud and honored to be able to thank these veterans and their families for their service to the United States,” said Assessor Kaegi. “Help us spread the word to other military families that may be eligible for these savings.” The Cook County Assessor’s Office also offers exemptions for Veterans with Disabilities and Returning Veterans. For more information, see https://www.cookcountyassessor. com/exemptions. Exemption applications are due by Monday, April 21. If a homeowner misses the deadline, they can file for what is called a Certificate of Error to redeem past exemptions. Applications can be downloaded at www.cookcountyassessor. com/exemptions More photos of the event are available at https://www.flickr. com/photos/cookcountyassessor/albums/72177720325106370.

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