Workshop Set to Mark 50th Anniversary


Valley Sheltered Workshop and the Batavia Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the workshop’s 50th anniversary at 10 a.m. May 9 at 325 Main St., Batavia. Mayor Jeffery Schielke will lead an anniversary ribbon-cutting ceremony. The workshop opened in 1966 and provides job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the organization’s interesting history and its operations. The City of Batavia marked the workshop’s anniversary with a ceremony April 18, during a Batavia City Council meeting. (Photo above by Valley Sheltered Workshop)



And pancakes too


The Valley Sheltered Workshop and the Batavia Lions Club will partner to host the workshop’s 50th annual pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to noon May 1 at 325 Main St. The meal will include pancakes, sausage, fresh strawberries, orange juice and coffee. Take-out service will be available. The event also will include a cash drawing, a silent auction, and basket raffles. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors age 65 and older, and $3 for children age 12 and younger. I try to attend this breakfast each year and can tell you they serve up a fine meal. Hope to see you at this year's event.



Farm Bureau to offer mature driving program
The Kane County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee will host a 55 Alive Mature Driving Program April 26 and 27. The eight-hour course discusses defensive driving techniques and related safety information. The program will meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day at the Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles. Registration is required. The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for all others. Participants must attend both days to successfully complete the course. Some insurance companies offer discount auto insurance for drivers age 55 and older who complete the course. For more information or to register, call the Farm Bureau at 630-584-8660. I don't meet the age threshold for this one now, but I hope to one day.

Concerto concert on April 24
Our friends at the Fox Valley Philharmonic Orchestra will present a free concert featuring two soloists at 3 p.m. April 24 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 420 W. Downer Place, Aurora. The concert will feature Kristine Mertens, the orchestra’s senior oboist and Lily Johnson, 12, the youth winner of the Fox Valley Academy Concerto Competition. For more information, call 630-476-9092.



Library program highlights 'British Invasion' music


The Batavia Public Library will present The British Invasion, featuring musician Dave Rudolf and the music of the Beatles, Donovan, the Who and others, at 2 p.m. April 24. The show is part of the library’s Sundays on Stage program. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged and can be completed by calling 630-879-1393, ext. 200. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were two of my early favorites, followed by the Who. Get the Led out, toss in some AC/DC and Warren Zevon, and it would be a rockin' Saturday night for me way back in the day.



Save the date
The Pottawatomie Garden Club of St. Charles will host its annual Garden Walk July 9. The theme for this year’s event is A Day in the Country and will feature six gardens. The walk will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 the day of the event. The event benefits the club’s scholarship program. For more information, click here.


A special reminder
More than 100 volunteers from local churches and organizations will lend a hand with the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry’s annual Food Sharing Days collection effort April 30 and May 1 at the Berkeley Food Store in downtown Batavia and the Jewel-Osco store on Randall Road. Volunteers will offer shoppers lists of items needed to restock the pantry’s shelves. The collection effort will be conducted 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

— Kevin Botterman is a Batavia resident and serves as one of the aldermen representing the city’s 5th Ward. Share news and photos about your local organization or business here. Email information and photos to kbotterman@gmail.com. Please include caption information for each submitted photo.