Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a forgotten book in Wheaton City Hall rewrote county history

And on the Wheaton Patch calendar - Garden Club to feature Forest Preserve District President

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Greetings Wheaton! We're your go-to source for what's happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a forgotten book in Wheaton City Hall rewrote county history
  • Why is Wheaton's 60187 ZIP suddenly one of America's hottest markets?
  • Wheaton College community mourns the loss of alumnus John Bonlender

Also on today's calendar: Garden Club to feature Forest Preserve District President and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What did one strawberry say to the other strawberry? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Tuesday: Partly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 78 and low of 63 degrees.
  • Wednesday: Humid with a t-storm in spots, temps: high: 81, low: 62.
  • Thursday: Chance of a shower, with a high of 81 and low of 61 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. 'Much more than old books on a shelf': DuPage recorder celebrates return of long-lost land records book (chicagotribune.com) — A long-missing 19th-century DuPage County plat book has been rediscovered in storage at Wheaton City Hall and returned to the county recorder's office in Wheaton. The massive volume, once loaned for an exhibit, details early land parcels including the downtown courthouse site, and its return has officials hoping other missing books tied to Wheaton's past might still surface in local attics or basements.
   

2. The 10 Hottest U.S. ZIP Codes in 2026, According to Realtor.com (bhg.com) — Wheaton's 60187 ZIP code has landed on Realtor.com's 2026 list of the nation's hottest housing markets, signaling strong demand and quick sales for local homes. The ranking credits suburbs like Wheaton for offering larger houses, character-filled older properties, and commutes that still keep residents within reach of major job centers.
   

3. John Bonlender: Always Present, Always There (thewheatonrecord.com) — Wheaton College is mourning 2025 graduate John Bonlender, who died in a July motorcycle accident at 23 after years of deep involvement in student government and campus life. Friends, roommates, and church leaders recall his passion for law, service to marginalized people, quirky love of building computers and motorcycles, and the way he kept Wheaton friendships close even after graduation.
   

4. Oswego East flag football routs Hinsdale South in season opener: Monday's Record Newspapers sports roundup (shawlocal.com) — Wheaton Warrenville South's flag football team opened its season with a 28-0 loss to Oswego, as Oswego's defense snagged four interceptions. The wider roundup also highlights strong early-season performances in flag football, golf, volleyball, and soccer from schools across the western suburbs.
   

5. 2026 Marks the 10-Year Anniversary of Dr. Larycia Hawkins' Departure from Wheaton (thewheatonrecord.com) — Ten years after political science professor Larycia Hawkins left Wheaton College, students, faculty, and alumni are still wrestling with how her hijab solidarity gesture and subsequent departure reshaped trust and identity on campus. The story revisits key meetings, student activism, a documentary, and a scholarship created in her name, while exploring how Wheaton's evangelical community has tried to heal and redefine itself.
   

📸 Around Wheaton

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🪧 Patch Classifieds

  • HUGE tool sale/garage sale
    Delta benchtop planer/jointer, Bosch router table w/ stand, Ryobi miter saw, many power tools, hand tools, all kinds of hardware, saws, clamps,... (More info)

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Government Jobs posted a job opening for Unit Secretary in Wheaton. Apply here.
  • Robert Half posted a job opening for Accounts Payable Clerk in Wheaton. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Wheaton here.

Ok Wheaton! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: If you weren't so sweet, we wouldn't be in this jam! (Thank you Patti F. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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