The DeKalb County Board, Wednesday night, granted $75,070 to the Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve for development projects.

“In all seasons, the DeKalb County Forest Preserves offer a wide variety of activities in beautiful settings,” said Forest Preserve Superintendent Terry Hannan.

The 300-acre Potawatomi Woods offers picnicking, hiking, fishing, canoeing, wildlife observation, cross-country skiing, photography and equestrian trails. The new projects will add a paved handicap-accessible trail. It will run about one mile before running into a canoe launch at the Kishwaukee River. Other projects and funding items included two open-air shelters, playground equipment, new creek bridges, a wildlife-observation deck for bird watching and a newly landscaped Oak Savannah, Hannan said.

The projects will be completed in fall 2006 with a total cost of $140,000, he said.

The board approved the lowest bid of $17,250 from the Park Supply Company, of Geneva, for the construction of the two open-air shelters and the lowest bid of $57,820 from Dashney Gustafson, of Kirkland, for the handicap-accessible trail.

Perspective donators can contact Hannan at 815-895-7191.

Other business included the approval of a discount drug card program and the attention of an upcoming Mardi Gras party in support of Katrina victims.

The National Association of Counties Drug Card Program offers citizens of DeKalb County around 14 percent off retail prices for brand name prescriptions and 34 percent off generic medicines. CareMark, a pharmaceutical company, and other manufacturers are offering free production of the cards to the county.

The price reductions are paid for through pharmaceutical manufacturers, said County Board Member Rich Osborne.

The cards will probably be distributed through the county offices, but will hopefully be distributed directly to NIU Health Services since Health Services does not offer any coverage for outpatient prescriptions, Osborne said. County Board Member Anita Turner raised the issue of Sycamore Sports Of All Sorts’ Mardi Gras Party at Blumen Gardens, in Sycamore. The party will take place from 6 p.m. to midnight Oct. 1. There will be wine tasting, food and music. All profits will be sent directly to the American Red Cross for Katrina relief.

“We hope to raise $15,000,” Turner said.

Turner is a part time teacher for seventh and eighth graders at St. Mary’s School, 210 Gurler Road, whose students recently raised about $900 through a penny drive for the relief of students at St. Joseph School in Louisiana.