Choir to host annual Swedish Meatball Dinner

The Swedish American Children's Choir will host its fourth annual Swedish Meatball Dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9 at Bethany Lutheran Church, 8 S. Lincoln St. in Batavia. The dinner will include Swedish meatballs and gravy, carrots, Swedish rye bread, lingonberries and dessert. The event also will offer Swedish music, baked goods, and Swedish gift items for purchase. Dinner tickets are by reservation only and can be ordered by phone at 630-414-9700. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 3 to 10. Children age 3 and younger are admitted free.

St. Charles Public Library to host concert
The St. Charles Public Library will host a concert featuring Mike Basin at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10. The concert will be presented in the library's Carnegie Community Room. Admission is free, but seating is limited. The performance is part of the library's Sunday Afternoon Concert series. The library is located at 1 S. Sixth Ave. in downtown St. Charles. For more information, call 630-584-0076.

Wine, craft beer tasting to benefit Elderday Center
The Elderday Center in Batavia will host a wine and craft beer tasting from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at 409 N. River St. in Batavia. The event also will include hors d'oeuvres and silent auction. The wine and beer will be offered from Gibby's Wine Den and Stockholm's, both located in Geneva. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. To order tickets, call 630-761-9750. For more information about Elderday Center, go to  www.elderdaycenter.org.

And here's another benefit
TriCity Family Services in Geneva will host a wine tasting of its own from 4 to 7 p.m. on  Saturday, March 9 at The Wine Exchange, 1 Illinois St., St. Charles. The evening will be open house style and will benefit TriCity Family Services. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. The event will include light hors d'oeuvres and a raffle. For more information, call 630-232-1070, or go to www.tricityfamilyservices.org. 

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Batavia library to look a sports, Cajun culture

The Batavia Public Library is located in downtown Batavia.

   The Batavia Public Library will close out February with special programs that will feature the world of professional sports and the music of Cajun culture. 
    ESPN editor Lester Munson returns to the library at noon on Thursday, Feb. 21 to discuss "Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter" by Frank DeFord and "Dream Team" by Jack McCallum. The program is part of the library's Books Between Bites series, and attendees are invited to bring a lunch or purchase one from the 10 South Coffee House, located inside the library.
     The library will present "The Cajuns: Their History, Language, Culture and Song" at 2 p.m. Feb. 24. The program will feature the Midway Ramblers. The entertainers will perform Cajun music and share details about Cajun culture. The program is part of the library's Sundays on Stage series. Admission is free, but registration is required.
    The library is located at 10 S. Batavia Ave. in downtown Batavia. For more information, call 630-879-1393.

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Waterline Writers event to feature local writers

Jenny Scott

Waterline Writers will host an event featuring local authors at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 at Water Street Studios, 160 Water St., Batavia. Admission is free. The event will include writings by Tom Heneghan, Troupe Strozzi and my friends, Jenny Scott and Laura Vasilion. For more information about the event, go to www.waterlinewriters.org. 

Education foundation plans awards dinner

The Greater St. Charles Education Foundation will host its 18th annual Jazz Event and Distinguished Alumni Awards at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 at the St. Charles Country Club. The event will honor St. Charles Mayor Donald DeWitte, Michael Hood and Jon Miller. Tickets are $85. The event will include dinner, a silent auction, a raffle and entertainment. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.stceducation.com.

NIU Steelband to perform at Norris Center

The Northern Illinois University Steelband will perform music from a variety of genres during a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2 at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1014 Dunham Road, St. Charles. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.norrisculturalarts.com.

Mothers' club to host 5K run
The Batavia Mothers' Club Foundation will host its 13th annual Fox Trot 5K Run/Walk at 8 a.m. April 2 at the Batavia Riverwalk in downtown Batavia. Registration is available online at  www.signmeup.com/89651. The event will benefit Batavia schools. For more information, go to www.bataviamothersclub.org.

Karen Hollis

A note of thanks
I want to thank Karen Hollis of K. Hollis Jewelers in Batavia for acknoledging my photo work in a story abour her store that appeared in the most recent edition of Insight, a publication by Kaneland Publishing. The article discusses the recently-completed expansion project at Karen's store and her commitment to quality designs. 

—Share news and photos about your business or organization here. Email information and photos to kbotterman@gmail.com. Please include caption information for each submitted photo.

Judson University names new president

Gene C. Crume, Jr.

Judson University in Elgin named Gene C. Crume, Jr. as the school's seventh president on Feb. 8. Crume replaces Jerry B. Cain, who retired in 2012, and will begin his duties May 10. Crume most recently served as an independent consultant with St. Mary's University of Minnesota and the Peru State College Foundation in Nebraska. 

Geneva History Center series to feature Coultrap Elementary School
The Geneva History Center's Brown Bag Lunch series will host Memories of Coultrap, a discussion about Coultrap Elementary School, at noon Tuesday, Feb. 12. The presentation will include a history of the building and comments from Geneva residents. The fee for the program is $5 for adults and $3 for members of the history center. Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch. Coffee and cookies will be provided. The center is located at 113 S. Third St. in downtown Geneva. For more information, call the center at 630-232-4951.

The Mystery Diner visits the State Street Diner
The Kane County Chronicle's Mystery Diner recently visited the State Street Diner, 630 W. State St., Geneva, and was impressed with the tasty offerings, including Mexican dishes, and hearty portions. The diner is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dress is casual, of course. I enjoy reading the Mystery Diner's reviews and frequently visit the restaurants featured in the reviews. I am happy to report that I always leave satisfied. 

Chick-fil-A opens in Batavia
Chick-fil-A recently opened a new restaurant on Randall Road in Batavia, near the Target store. The Kane County Chronicle recently reported on the grand opening. Welcome to the neighborhood and best wishes. 

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