Tis the season for ugly sweater parties

The Lodge on 64, 41W379 Route 64 in Campton Hills, will host an ugly sweater party at 9 p.m. Dec. 23. Admission is free and prizes will be awarded. For more information, call 630-443-8000.

The Geneva Park District will host a Christmas caroling event from 11:15 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. Dec. 22 in downtown Geneva. Participants will meet at 11:15 a.m. in the Geneva BRIA Center lobby, 1101 E. State St. Those younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The program is free but registration is encouraged and can be completed by calling 630-232-4542.

The Geneva Public Library will feature photographer Anthony Nevins’ black-and-white photos during December. The exhibit features 21 photos and is displayed in the library's lower level gallery. The library is located at 127 James St., Geneva. 

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Flag Day event to benefit Batavia's fireworks show

Batavia will observe Flag Day with a special celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. June 14 at the Peg Bond Center on the Batavia Riverwalk in downtown Batavia. The event will include an ice cream social, entertainment and the Batavia Community Band. Admission is free, but donations will be collected to support the annual Independence Day fireworks display. The event is presented by the Batavia Fireworks Committee and the Batavia Access Committee.

Kaneland Foundation sets annual Knight Run
The Kaneland Foundation will host its annual 5K Knight Run at 8 p.m. June 19 at Kaneland High School, 47W326 Keslinger Road, Maple Park. The event also will include a quarter-mile run for children and a one-mile fun run and walk. The children’s run will start at 7 p.m., and fun run will start at 7:30 p.m. The fee is $25 for the 5K, $10 for the fun run and $5 for the children’s run. For more information, call 630-365-8295.


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Batavia Farmers' Market opens for season June 6

The Batavia Farmers’ Market opens for the season June 6 on north River Street in downtown Batavia. The market will be open 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 17. The June edition of the Kane County Farm Bureau’s Kane Farmer publication includes a listing of farmer’s markets in the area.

More from the Farm Bureau
Be sure to visit the Farm Bureau’s updated Bounty of Kane website for information about 38 local farms that sell direct to consumers. The website is part of the bureau’s popular Discover the Bounty of Kane program. 
 
Trolley museum plans ‘Rails to Victory’
The Fox River Trolley Museum will host its “Rails to Victory” World War II reenactment program May 30 and May 31 at the museum, 365 S. LaFox St., South Elgin. The program will include battle reenactments, trolley rides into occupied France and a baseball game featuring the Rockford Peaches. Trolley excursions will begin at 10:30 a.m. May 30. For more information, call 847-697-4676.
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K. Hollis Jewelers marks 10th anniversary

Karen and Rob Hollis and the staff at K. Hollis Jewelers in Batavia will celebrate the store’s 10 anniversary from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 11. The store is located at 147 S. Randall Road, Batavia, near the Jewel store. The event will include hourly raffles, refreshments and a few special surprises. Lori and I plan to attend. Join us as we celebrate Karen and Rob’s success.  For more information, call the store at 630-879-8003.

Dinner to benefit Loyalty Day Parade
The Batavia VFW Ladies Auxiliary will host a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 11 at VFW Post 1197, 645 S. River St., Batavia. Proceeds from the event will benefit Batavia’s Loyalty Day Parade on May 3. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. The event will include music, a 50/50 drawing and raffles. Each dinner ticket includes one ticket for a raffle drawing for a laptop computer. For more information or to purchase advance, tickets call 630-879-9630.

Kane County Flea Market opens April 11-12
The Kane County Flea Market will be open noon to 5 p.m. April 11 and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12 at the Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road in St. Charles. The market offers a variety of merchandise, including antiques, furniture and crafts. Admission $5 for adults. Children ages 12 and younger are admitted free. Parking is free.

Kiwanis to host spaghetti dinner
The Batavia Kiwanis Club will host an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. April 16 at Riverview Banquets, 1117 N. Washington Ave., Batavia. For details, including ticket information, click here.

Friday flashback features Dave Edmunds
My Friday flashback for April 10 is “Slipping Away”, Dave Edmunds' 1983 hit about a fading romance. The song was Edmunds’ second Top 40 hit and was written and produced by Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra. Edmunds was a favorite of mine during his days with Rockpile and during his solo years. Enjoy.

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Cougars ticket sales, the Albright Theatre and more

Single-game tickets for the Kane County Cougars' 2015 season go on sale Feb. 21. The Cougars will host their home opener April 9.

Albright Theatre’s ‘Mousetrap’ continues
The Albright Theatre Company will continue its production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” with weekend shows Feb. 20 to Feb. 28. The play involves a murder and a group of strangers stranded in a London snowstorm. Michael Yoder and Mitch Jacobs direct the show. The cast includes Richard Holloman, Katy Steel, Chris Contreras and Bobby Dunn Jr. The show is presented at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m Sunday. The Albright Theatre is located inside the Batavia Government Center, 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia. For more information or to buy tickets, call 630-406-8838.


Kane County Flea Market to open 2015 season
The Kane County Flea Market will be open  noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 28 and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 1 at the Kane County Fairgrounds, located near Randall Road and Route 64 in St. Charles. The fair features antiques, collectibles and a wide variety of other merchandise. Admission is $5 for adults. Children ages 12 and younger are admitted free.

Cougars share theme night dates
The Kane County Cougars’ theme night schedule for the 2015 season includes two Star Wars nights, a Military Appreciation Night, two Bark in the Park nights and a two-day celebration marking the Halfway to Halloween. The theme nights offer fun and activities for all ages. All event take place at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva. The team will announce additional theme nights in the coming weeks.

Boomers hot for area ranch-style homes
Baby boomers are on the move in Chicago’s suburbs, downsizing from two-story colonials and buying one-floor, single-family units, according to an article by Jean Murphy in the Daily Herald’s Feb. 14 edition. Ranch-style home built in the 1950s and 1960s are in high demand with baby boomers and empty-nesters between the ages of 45 and 64, according to the report. The baby boomers are seeking the convenience of a one-floor structure and the privacy of a single-family home. While the baby boomers seemed focused on existing housing stock, the good news is they typically conduct large-scale renovation of the homes they purchase, seeking open kitchens, larger master bedrooms and family rooms. Many also add exercise areas or hobby spaces, according to the article.



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State partners with group for butterfly habitat effort

The Illinois Tollway Authority and the Natural Resources Defense Council recently partnered to create a habitat for monarch butterflies along 286 miles of the state’s roads, according to a recent report from the Associated Press. The effort includes plans to plant milkweed along roads. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed, the source of food for the caterpillars that subsequently develop into the monarch butterflies, which is the state insect of Illinois. Experts say the monarch population is declining, primarily due to habitat destruction, according to the AP report. I hope the effort produces the desired results. The monarch butterfly is a pretty thing to watch fly on a summer day.

Military History Fest continues in St. Charles
The annual Military History Festival continues Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the Pheasant Run Mega Center, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. The festival includes displays of military vehicles, heavy weapons, encampments and reenactors. The event also includes live music and children’s activities. Admission is $20 for adults. Children ages 12 and younger admitted free. For more information, call 630-336-2614.

Cougars plan job fair
The Kane County Cougars will host a job fair for seasonal employees from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 7 at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva. The Cougars are looking to fill full and part-time seasonal positions, including concession stand staff, picnic servers, cooks and bartenders. Applications are available here and at the Cougars’ administrative offices at the ballpark. For more information, call 630-232-8811.
 
Batavia Brotherhood Banquet set for Feb. 16
The 46th annual Batavia Brotherhood Banquet is set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 2300 W. Main St., Batavia. The event will feature guest speaker Al Ritter, president of the Ritter Consulting Group. I enjoy attending the banquet. The featured presentations are always engaging, and the evening offers an opportunity for Christian fellowship.

Here's something I learned this week
Kelsey Wolf of nearby Winfield, IL is a member of the Baylor University’s Equestrian team. As of this writing, the team is 3-0 in conference competition and 8-0 overall. I always find it interesting to see where life takes people. I came across the roster for the Baylor team while working on an unrelated project and was surprised to see the name of a Winfield resident on a list that consisted mostly of students from Texas and California. You never what you might find once start looking around.



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Batavia to launch Winter Farmers Market Jan. 10

Batavia’s Winter Farmers Market will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 10 at Gaetano’s Batavia, 15 E. Wilson St. The market will offer organic breads, meats, eggs, and other items. The market will be open Saturdays through May 23. The market is presented by Batavia MainStreet.

All Canada Show continues at Pheasant Run
The annual All-Canada Show, featuring a fishing and hunting expo, continues Jan. 9 to Jan. 11 at the Pheasant Run Resort Mega Center, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles.  The show will offer exhibits, seminars and presentations. The show will be open 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors. Children ages 17 and younger are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, call 920-362-0966. 

Books Between Bites
The Batavia Public Library will its next installment of the Books Between Bites program at 1 p.m. Jan. 15. Steven Sullivan, a retired judge, will discuss Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism. Sullivan will discuss some of the event and personalities included in the book. The program is open to the public and admission is free. Attendees are invited to bring a lunch and eat during the program. The library is located at 10 S. Batavia Ave. in downtown Batavia. For information about future programs, click here.

Daddio’s featured in Illinois Farm Bureau publication
Daddio’s Diner, 134 W. Wilson St. in downtown Batavia, was featured in the winter edition of the Illinois Farm Bureau’s "Illinois Partners" magazine. I can endorse all the good things the article reports about Daddio’s. The cinnamon-raisin French toast is one of favorite items from Daddio’s menu, but I have a long list of favorites there. Make a point to visit Daddio’s and enjoy a meal. For more information about Daddio’s call 630-879-5299.

More from the Illinois Farm Bureau
I always enjoy reading the Illinois Farm Bureau’s "Illinois Partners" magazine. Each edition contains a variety of information about Illinois agriculture and Illinois farmers. The magazine covers a range of topics. Here’s a sampling from the publication’s winter edition:
• Dianne Ruff of downstate Lincoln is an artist who works with wheat. She practices the art of wheatweaving, according to an article by Joanie Stiers. Judging by the pictures accompanying the article, Ruff appears to a talented weaver of wheat. 
• Illinois farms produced 46.2 million bushels of wheat in 2014, ranking the state near among the top 15 wheat producing states in the U.S. according to Wheat 101, an interesting little article.
• Jan Phipps offers Tips for the Aging Gardener, a brief item chock full of helpful suggestions. I am not a talented gardener, but I like the activity and enjoy the outdoors. I make a point of visiting local hardware stores and garden centers during the winter months just to look at outdoor tools and daydream about warm days and sunny skies. 

And one more item from the Illinois Farm Bureau
Our friends at the Illinois Farm Bureau sent word reminding us January is National Egg Month and sharing some interesting facts about eggs. Here are some of the points I found most interesting.
• About 6.1 billion dozen eggs are produced each year in the U.S.
• A typical adult will eat about 250 eggs each year. I’m sure total count of consumed eggs is much higher than the average.
• Illinois is ranked 25th in the nation for egg production.•Most eggs produced today will be at the grocery store within 72 hours. That is an accomplishment worth noting, I think.Share news and photos about your organization or business here. 

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