Batavia Lions Club to host annual pancake breakfast

The Batavia Lions Club will host its 40th annual pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. April 8 at the East Side Community Center, 14 N. Van Buren St. in downtown Batavia. The breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, eggs, juice, coffee and milk. Tickets are $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 4 to 12. Children ages 3 and younger are free.

Elburn chamber plans annual craft fair
The Elburn Chamber of Commerce will host its annual craft fair April 1 at the Elburn & Countryside Community Center, 525 N. Main St., Elburn. The fair will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will include crafters, community organizations, refreshments for purchase and other attractions. For more information, call the chamber at 630-365-2295.

Evensen unveils new website
Christine Evensen at RealStar Realty recently unveiled her new website. Evensen specializes in residential real estate, and her site offers a variety of information about listings, finance tools and market data. You can reach Evensen at 630-399-2696.

Wade's World of Working opens in Batavia
Wade’s World of Wood Working recently set up shop at 951 W. Wilson St., Batavia. Wade specializes in Adirondack furniture and custom-made indoor furniture. Visit Wade’s website and follow him on Facebook. Welcome to the neighborhood, Wade, and best wishes.

Andres' marks 10th anniversary
Our Friends at Andres' Restaurant in Batavia recently marked their 10th anniversary with a ribbon cutting ceremony conducted with Batavia Chamber of Commerce. We frequently visit Andres for breakfast and lunch. The bacado omelette is my favorite. Andres is located at 5 Webster St. in downtown Batavia.

Batavia chamber welcomes Allstate office
The Batavia Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony at March 14 at Jim Towns’ Allstate office,  713 W. Main St., Batavia.

Library to host Dewey Dash 5K
The Town and Country Public Library in Elburn will host its 13th annual Dewey Dash 5K run and Walk at 9 a.m. April 9 at the library, 320 E. North St. For more information, call 630-365-2244.


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Monika uses 'off seasaon' to refine bakery skills

Courtesy photo

Monika’s Organic Bakery is one of our favorite vendors at Batavia’s outdoor Farmers’ Market, and we happily followed Monika’s Facebook updates from Germany, where she recently spent a month at a bakery academy. Monika further developed her skills in bread making and dessert preparation. Monika’s bakery is located in Kingston and Monika regularly offers her baked goods at winter markets in St. Charles and Woodstock. During the summer months, Monika participates in outdoor markets in DeKalb, Kane and McHenry counties. Batavia’s Farmers’ Market is scheduled to open June 3.

Library to host ESPN writer
The Batavia Public Library will host a presentation featuring ESPN senior writer Lester Munson at noon March 16. Munson will discuss two sports books, “The Last Innocents” by Michael Leahy and “All the Way” by Jordin Tootoo. The presentation is part of the Books Between Bites program. Admission is free and attendees may bring a lunch to enjoy during the hour-long program. The library is located at 10 S. Batavia Ave. For more information, call 630-879-1393.

Messenger library to screen 'Some Like It Hot'
The Messenger Public Library in North Aurora will show the classic 1959 comedy “Some Like It Hot” at 2 p.m. March 19. The movie stars Tony Curtis Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon. The screening is part of the library’s monthly Classic Cinema Sundays series. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, call 630-896-0240. The library is located at 113 Oak St., North Aurora

Here comes 'Restaurant Madness Week'
Batavia’s 2017 Restaurant Madness Week is set for March 20 24 and will include 30 Batavia eateries. For a list of participating restaurants and a coupon, click here.
The event is presented by Batavia MainStreet, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce and the City of Batavia.

From the farm bureau:
The Kane County Farm Bureau recently shared these interesting facts:
• More than 30 million acres of land in Illinois are used for agricultural purposes.
• Illinois has about 1,500 different soil types.
• The average depth of Illinois top soil is 12.6 inches.
• The average age of an Illinois farmer is 56, and each Illinois farmer feeds 156. (And that average age fact ought to fuel some concern for each of us.)
• Illinois grows more pumpkins than any other state.

Here’s what I think:
• I frequently comment about the sad condition of state government in Illinois, so I want to balance some of my criticism with a bit of praise. I had reason in recent months to visit two different facilities operated by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, one in Aurora and another in Elgin, and I left impressed with the staff’s efficiency and professionalism. I completed my business at both locations in less than 10 minutes and was tended to by workers who were pleasant and professional. I just wanted to go on the record with that before I return to complaining about the state legislature.

• When it comes to Hollywood depictions of military drill instructors, I can’t imagine any actor topping R. Lee Ermey’s performance as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in 1987’s “Full Metal Jacket”,  but Vince Vaughn does a fine job as Sgt. Howell in Mel Gibson’s Oscar-winning World War II saga “Hacksaw Ridge”. Lori and I recently watched the film, and I recommend it, but do not let the humor in this scene mislead you. The film’s combat scenes are beyond intense, and Mel really has a thing for flamethrowers.
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