Mayor's Monarch Pledge 2025

Letter from the President

Hello, Sugar Grove Residents,

This year, I have taken the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayor's Monarch Pledge, joining hundreds of other communities across North America that are taking action to protect the imperiled Monarch Butterfly. Special Thanks to the Village of Romeoville Mayor John Noak for posting about this project in 2024 and pledging support again in 2025 for the inspiration. We all benefit when communities inspire and share positive ideas with each other.

💛 I would like this to be a Community-Wide Monarch Project where residents can all participate. We have been a very divided community for the last few years, and it is time to come together. I am working diligently to advocate for residents in every way I possibly can. I think resident pollinator gardens are a symbol of hope and peace and will bring our community together again. There will be a Resolution on the agenda of the May 20th Village Board meeting to approve and restart the Beautification Committee, which will include the Monarch Project under its umbrella. More information, and an invitation for volunteers will be coming soon.

🦋 We will have numbered garden markers available for every participating pollinator garden. A pollinator garden can be as simple as a few pollinator plants in a pot outside. We can then celebrate as a community how many pollinator gardens have been added to the Village and how many residents have united for a project representing peace, hope, and change.
We also anticipate and encourage the involvement of scout troops and student groups for this project. Please feel free to email me if you are interested or have any ideas. Also, please feel free to email me with a photo if you are a resident who has planted a pollinator garden of any size, and we will add you to the list for a garden marker! SStillwell@sugargroveil.gov

🌺 Illinois pollinator plants that would be excellent for pollinator gardens and have beautiful flowers include New England Aster, Butterfly Weed, Stiff Goldenrod, Aromatic Aster, Echinacea, Pale Purple Coneflower, Coreopsis, Common Mountain Mint, Purple Prairie Clover, and many more.

💚 There are several local businesses we would like to highlight that are a fantastic resource for pollinator plants:

Spring Bluff Nursery in Sugar Grove has pollinator plants available for purchase.
Wild Ones Greater Kane County has a Native Plant Sale Saturday, May 17th, 2025.
Rosewood Farm provides gardening classes and will likely celebrate Pollinator Week in June.

We look forward to supporting all of our local businesses in this project, and if you have a local business or would like to partner in some way, please feel free to email me at sstillwell@sugargroveil.gov.

🌱 Happy Planting, Sugar Grove!

Village President, Sue Stillwell

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Employment Opportunity

By Tracey Conti • July 9, 2026

Employment Opportunity - Fiscal Clerk AP/AR Full-Time

Urgent Brush Pickup Information

July 7, 2026

The Village will conduct brush pickup on the West side of IL-47 on Thursday, July 9, and on the East side of IL-47 on Friday, July 10. Residents are requested to place their brush piles, including larger debris and branches, at the curb. Please ensure the piles are kept under 4 feet in height and avoid parking in front of them. The Village is prioritizing storm damage cleanup during this period.

Sugar Grove Second Best in North America at National Competition

By Tracey Conti • July 2, 2026

The Village of Sugar Grove has officially taken second place in the prestigious "Best of the Best" Tap Water Taste Test at the American Water Works Association (AWWA) ACE26 conference in Washington, D.C. The national runner-up finish establishes Sugar Grove as home to some of the highest quality, best-tasting drinking water in North America. The top spot went to the City of Fredericton, New Brunswick, while third place was awarded to Vineyard, Utah “We are incredibly proud of our Public Works Team and thankful for the Leadership of our Public Works Director, Brad Merkel”, said Village of Sugar Grove President Sue Stillwell. “We value providing Sugar Grove with the best possible water, protecting our water resources, and we are all celebrating their win for the community as the stewards of the Best Tasting Water in the United States!” The Journey to the National Stage Sugar Grove's path to the national podium required winning a series of consecutive regional and state tournaments: The Regional Qualifier: First, the Sugar Grove Public Works team won the Kane County Water Association regional taste test. The State Championship: The team advanced to the Illinois Section AWWA State Finals at WATERCON 2026 in Peoria. On April 14, 2026, Sugar Grove was crowned the state champion, earning the sole right to represent Illinois nationally. The National Finals: The village competed against elite water producers from across the United States and Canada at the ACE26 conference in Washington, D.C. Rigorous Standards of Excellence A panel of independent water experts judged the competition using strict blind-taste protocols. Samples were evaluated at room temperature across three major categories: Taste: Overall flavor and crisp drinkability profile. Clarity: Total visual transparency and absence of turbidity. Odor: The absolute lack of any organic or chemical scent. To even qualify for entry, Sugar Grove had to maintain a pristine safety record, with zero state or federal drinking water violations during the previous calendar year.