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St. Charles proclaims 'Lights Out' for migratory birds and honors Arcada Theatre centennial
Summary
At its May 4 meeting the St. Charles City Council proclaimed voluntary 'Lights Out' periods to reduce migratory bird collisions, recognized World Migratory Bird Day, and presented Spirit of St. Charles awards to the Arcada Theatre and local community leaders.
May 4, 2026 — The St. Charles City Council used its ceremonial portion of the meeting to adopt a voluntary 'Lights Out' proclamation aimed at reducing bird collisions during migration and to present Spirit of St. Charles awards celebrating local volunteers and institutions.
Mayor Clint Lowery read a proclamation recognizing World Migratory Bird Day and establishing voluntary lights-out periods on the second Saturday in May and October. The proclamation encourages commercial building owners, operators, tenants and residents to switch off, dim or redirect nonessential internal and external lighting between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. during migration windows to reduce disorientation and collisions; the mayor cited national estimates that bird–glass collisions are a leading cause of bird mortality.
Julie Myers, introduced as a member of the Natural Resources Commission, said the NRC will run a lights-out campaign and invited residents to a Tekakwitha walk-and-birding event on May 9, noting attendees should wear long pants because of ticks. “We’re going to first of all… Valerie Blaine…take us for a little walk,” Myers said, announcing the NRC-led public event.
The council also presented the Spirit of St. Charles Awards: the Arcada Theatre was honored for its 100th anniversary and community contributions under the leadership of Ron Onesti, with an anniversary parade planned for Sept. 6. Jim DeChellis was recognized for long-standing nonprofit leadership, including his role with CASA Kane County and founding the 'Random Acts Matter' initiative.
These proclamations and recognitions were read into the record and received rounds of applause; no formal votes were required for the ceremonial proclamations. The mayor later reminded residents that the State of the City address would be held May 6 at 6 p.m. at the Arcada Theatre.
What’s next: The Natural Resources Commission will lead local outreach for the lights-out effort during migration periods; the council recorded the proclamations in the meeting minutes.
