Naperville News Digest: Downtown Naperville Music Box display to end Sunday; Citizen Police Academy applications being accepted

Downtown Naperville Music Box display to end Sunday

Naperville Music Box, an interactive art display, will be on view through Sunday, Jan. 25.

The temporary art piece has been open since early December in the alley between the Apple and Sephora stores in downtown Naperville. It combines music, lights and color to create an immersive sensory experience and fill an otherwise ordinary alley into a space with sound, light and discovery, organizers said.

“The installation has become a gathering point for families, passersby and curious explorers of all ages, encouraging spontaneous interaction and connection,” a news releasesaid.

The temporary art exhibit was designed by the creative production company Freightwood and artist Maddie Peterson, a Naperville native, and Tony Award-nominated designer Joshua Carr.

It also is part of ArtForum Naperville’s mission to create accessible, meaningful public art and to help establish a path for artists, organizations and property owners to collaborate on future projects in the city, the release said.

Citizen Police Academy applications being accepted

Applications for the 10-week Citizen Police Academy hosted by the Naperville Police Department are due Friday, Jan. 30.

The free program will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays from March 4 to May 6 at the police department, 1350 Aurora Ave.

Class size is limited, and applications will be considered in the order they are received, the department said. Participants must be at least 18 and live or work in Naperville. A criminal background check will be conducted on each applicant, the department said.

The academy will consist of classroom lectures, interactive discussions and hands-on demonstrations of various aspects of police work, including patrols, forensics and investigations.

The application and waiver can be found at www.naperville.il.us/cpa. They should be submitted to Jim Pacetti by email at PacettiJ@naperville.il.us, by fax at 630-305-7004 or through the mail or in person at the Naperville Police Department.

Will County fundraiser to support free books for children

Proceeds from a celebration of singer Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday will support free, monthly books for Will County children.

The Imagination Library of Will County, part of the nonprofit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library organization, will host the fundraiser at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at Hollywood Casino, 1401 Gateway Blvd., Joliet.

There will be a “Singo Bingo,” and a chance to compete for prizes donated by local businesses, a news release said.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at willcountyillinois.org/dolly-partons-80th-birthday-party.

Imagination Library mails free, high-quality and age-appropriate books to Will County children from birth to 5 years old.

Since launching last year, the program has signed up 5,500 Will County children and mailed more than 20,000 books. It is a partnership between the Will County Executive Office, Will County Economic Development Foundation and the Dollywood Foundation and is funded by local donors and partners, county officials said.

For more information, go to www.willcountyimaginationlibrary.org.