Sugar Grove Park District to host bird watching class

The Sugar Grove Park District will offer a beginning bird watching class from 7 to 9 a.m. May 4 at Bliss Woods Forest Preserve, 5S660 Bliss Road, Sugar Grove. Participants will learn how to identify birds by sound and other clues. Participants are urged to bring binoculars. The fee for the class is $5. for more information, call the park district at 630-466-7436.

Cantigny Park to host open house

Cantigny Park will host an open house featuring its horticulture department from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 5 at the park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Visitors will have an opportunity to tour the park’s greenhouse, where more than 1,000 varieties of flowers are nurtured annually. Visitors should enter through the main gate on Winfield Road. Trams will be available to take visitors from the main parking lot to the greenhouse.

O' Sole Mio Gelato sets grand opening

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce will conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. May 4 at O’ Sole Mio Gelato, 27 N. River St., Batavia. The ceremony is part of O’ Sole Mio’s grand opening celebration. The business offers authentic Italian gelato and coffee, sandwiches and more. The event is open to the public. To learn more about the event, call O’ Sole Mio at 630-454-4536.

Golf outing to benefit Riverwoods campus

Fox Valley Christian Action will host its annual golf challenge to benefit Riverwoods on May 20 at the Royal Fox Country Club in St. Charles. Check-in will begin at 10:30 a.m. Golf will begin with a shotgun start. The event will include a banquet and awards. Registration is available online at www.fvchristianaction.org. The Riverwoods campus is located at 35W624 Riverwoods Lane, St. Charles. 

Batavia Chamber plans golf outing

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce will host its annual golf outing from 1 to 8 p.m. June 3 at the Eagle Brook Country Club, 2288 Fargo Blvd., Geneva. The registration fee is $145. For more information, call the Chamber at 630-879-7134.

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O' Sole Mio Cafe opens in Batavia

Tony Natale, left, Tory Chiappelli and Andrea Chiappelli 

Kevin Botterman photo

The O’ Sole Mio Gelato Cafe recently opened at 27 N. River St. in downtown Batavia. Owners Tony Natale, Tory Chiappelli and Andrea Chiappelli offer authentic Italian gelato, coffee and desserts. The menu includes grilled panini sandwiches, beer and wine. We have visited O’ Sole Mio cafe twice, enjoyed both experiences and encourage friends to visit Tony, Tory and Andrea soon. The trio is finalizing plans for the cafe’s grand opening celebration in May. We’ll share the details here. 

Waubonsee to host merchandising workshop

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, the founder of Retail Minded magazine, will present a retail merchandising workshop from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Waubonsee Community College’s Aurora Campus, 18 S. River Street. The workshop will cover 10 merchandising tips to help maximize retail space. Leinbach Reyle works with a number of area retailers and offers a wealth of knowledge. The registration fee for the workshop is $35, and registration is required.

Altiro Latin Fusion opens in Geneva

Miguel Villanueva and Roberto Avila recently opened Altiro Latin Fusion restaurant at 308 Anderson Blvd. in Geneva. The tapas-style restaurant offers tacos, mini enchiladas and seafood dishes For more information, call 630-232-7717.

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Neverly Brothers to perform at the Alibi April 13

The Neverly Brothers will perform at the Alibi in St. Charles.

Submitted photo

The Alibi Bar and Grill, 12 N. Third St. in downtown St. Charles, will host a performance by the Neverly Brothers from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13. The band performs a lively mix of American rockabilly and hits from the British invasion. The Neverly Brothers perform throughout the Chicago area and deliver some highly charged entertainment. For more information, call 630-443-0011.

Mooseheart to host annual Easter Egg Hunt
Mooseheart will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30 at the Mooseheart Field House, which is located near Route 31. The event is open to the public and admission is free. The hunt will feature thousands of eggs and prizes on the stadium field turf. The event also will include an opportunity to visit with the Easter Bunny, games, pony rides and other attractions. 

Kaneville Fire Department plans Easter fun
The Kaneville Fire Department will host Easter activities, including a visit from the Easter Bunny, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30. The department is located at 46W536 Lovell St., Kaneville. The event also will include a free lunch. 

Tarragon Catering offers culinary classes
Tarragon Catering in South Elgin offers in-home culinary classes, ranging from appetizers to coursed meals. The classes are led by chef Douglas Yeomans, owner of Tarragon Catering. Tarragon offers full-service catering. To learn more about the class offerings, call 630-624-4272 or click here.  

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Sugar Grove library to host local author

Author Melanie Jane Nicolas will speak at the Sugar Grove library.

The Sugar Grove Public Library will host a presentation by Melanie Jane Nicolas, a local author, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 16. Nicolas will discuss her book, "Raising Wealthy Kids: Seven Steps for Creating the First Financially Responsible Generation." Admission is free. Seating is limited and registration is encouraged. Nicholas is the founder of Kids Wealth International Club and the Association of Proud Parents Educating About Riches. Gayle Deja-Schultz, a candidate for Sugar Grove village trustee, will host a free continental breakfast at 10 a.m. The library is located at 125 S. Municipal Drive, Sugar Grove. To register for the presentation, call Deja-Schultz at 815-603-0541.

Kane County sets no-refusal campaign for St. Patrick's weekend
The Kane County State's Attorney's Office will conduct a no-refusal effort during St. Patrick's Day weekend. During a no-refusal operation, police and prosecutors work together to speed-up the process required to secure a search warrant requiring a suspected drunk driver to submit to a blood or breath test. The effort is intended to deter impaired driving. A press release issued by the office did not name the police departments that will participate in the effort. The Kane County State's Attorney's Office began the campaign in 2008 and has conducted 12 no-refusal weekends. For more information, click here.

Gary and Mary Burge, center, conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Elements Therapeutic Massage opens in Geneva
Gary and Mary Burge, owners of Elements Therapeutic Massage recently conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the grand opening of their business at 507 S. Third St., Geneva. Mayor Kevin Burns and members of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce attended the event. To learn more about Elements Therapeutic Massage, call 630-621-9734.

St. Charles East drill team finishes 2nd at state finals
Congratulations to the members of the St. Charles East High School Varsity Drill Team for their second-place finish March 3 at the Team Dance Illinois State Championships in Peoria. The team finished second in the Class 3A Lyrical Division and fourth in the Class 3A Open Dance Division. The varsity team is coached by Hannah Byington and Kristina McAndrew.

Performing arts school to host faculty concert
The Vero Voce School of Visual and Performing Arts will host a faculty concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 30 at the Vero Voce Black Box Theatre, 951 State Ave, Suite F, St. Charles.  The performance will feature a variety of styles and genres. The concert is open to the public. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online. For more information about the event, call 630--965-0825.

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Batavia celebrates Restaurant Madness

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce is hosting Restaurant Madness through Saturday,  March 9.  More than 20 restaurants are participating in the special event. Diners can enjoy good food and save money all week long.

Dick Tracy cartoonist to visit Geneva
Dick Locher, a Dick Tracy cartoonist and a Pulitzer Prize winner, will speak at the Geneva History Center at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9. Locher will discuss his experience as an artist and his work as a syndicated editorial cartoonist. The center is located at 113 S. Third St., Geneva. Admission to the program is $10 for adults and $5 for students and members of the Geneva History Center. For more information about the event, call 630-232-4951. 

Books vs Badges benefit game
The fourth annual Books vs Badges Benefit Basketball Game will be played Sunday, March  10 at Batavia High School. The event features teachers from Batavia schools playing against members of the Batavia Police Department and the Batavia Fire Department. The doors will open at 4 p.m.  Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for seniors, students and children. Proceeds from the game will benefit the Batavia 4^th of July Fireworks Fund.

Fox Valley Orchestra plans concert
The Fox Valley Orchestra will present “All Things English,” a concert featuring classical favorites by English composer Edward Elgar, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9 at the Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Road, St. Charles. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For tickets, call 630-584-7200 or go to www.norrisculturalarts.com.

Chamber sets candidates forum

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce will host a forum featuring the candidates for Batavia’s City Council at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 at the Batavia Government Center, 100 N. Island Ave. The event is open to the public. Candidates for alderman will have the opportunity to comment on five questions. For more information about the event, click here. 

Geneva Underground Playhouse closes
I was disappointed to learn that the operators of the Geneva Underground Playhouse in downtown Geneva recently closed its doors and ceased operations. The playhouse was located in the basement of the Urban Grille restaurant, 524 W. State St. A spokeswoman for the playhouse said supporters could not raise the funds to maintain operations. The Tri-Cities is home to an active arts community, but the GUP will be missed.

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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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