Batavia’s Water Street Studios, 160 S. Water St., will host the first of many themed shows, “illuminate,” Jan. 12–May12. The 3,800 sq. ft. exhibit space will have all the lights off and feature work that is self-illuminating. A variety of mediums will be on display. waterstreetstudios.com

TriCity Family Services Teens Won't Wait Project kicks off Fri., Jan. 27 with a reception from 4–7pm at TriCity Family Services, 1120 Randall Ct., Geneva. Teens Won't Wait is an agency-wide initiative to increase the impact on teenagers in the community and achieve the funding necessary to treat more of them. The need is greater than it ever has been. Meet and hear from teens themselves. See why services for teens must be TCFS' top priority in 2012. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, beverages and networking. Event is open-house style, all are welcome to attend. Please R.S.V.P. 630-232-1070 hhudson@tricityfamilyservices.org.

Batavia Apartments, an affordable housing apartment community for families and seniors, is in need of Volunteer Tutors for its After School Program. Students Kindergarten–grade 6 attend the after school program Monday–Thursday from 3:45–5pm. Those interested can contact Joy Sobczak, Resident Service Coordinator at 630-879-3117 or jsobczak@fm-inc.org. Batavia Apartments is located at 1259 E. Wilson St. on the corner of Kirk and Wilson.

Becoming a member of Zonta Club of St. Charles-Geneva-Batavia is a great opportunity to meet wonderful people while getting involved in the community. Zonta opens doors to networking and friendship while enhancing the status of women locally and globally. The next meeting will be held on Tues., Jan. 3 at 6pm at Urban Grille in Geneva and will celebrate Amelia Earhart, one of the pioneer members of Zonta. zontawest-sgb.org or call Christie Plotzke at 847-931-2292

Scott Payne of Barlett was the lucky winner of the Rotary Club of Batavia’s 23rd annual Corvette Raffle. Seven other lucky winners took home cash prizes of $200-$1,500. The Rotary Club of Batavia thanks all participants in this year’s fundraiser in which all 800 tickets were sold. The Batavia Rotary meets every Tuesday at 7:15am at Enticing Cuisine, 12 S. Water St. in Batavia. 630-761-0399

Participants packed the Batavia Moose Lodge on a Saturday evening in November to take part in the popular Trivia Night fundraising event hosted by TriCity Family Services (TCFS). Over 25 teams made it the largest turn-out yet with tops honors going to team “Brain Drain”. The event raised over $3,000 to help TriCity Family Services provide quality, counseling services to all ages and all incomes in the community. Trivia Night will be back in March. tricityfamilyservices.org

Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice offers a six-week program, “Our Grief Journey,” to help cope with the grief of losing a loved one. It will cover topics such as: understanding the grief process, coping with grief, spirituality, and embracing change and growth. The group meets Feb. 2 through March 8, from 6:30-8pm at FVVH, 200 Whitfield Dr., Geneva. The program is free to all community members, but registration is required at 630-232-2233 or info@fvvh.org. Spanish interpretation is available. fvvh.org

Batavia Girl Scouts will learn goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics as Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois (GSNI) kicks off its Girl Scout Cookie Program from January 2-22. Community members can donate cookies to the military and local organizations. GSNI will introduce Savannah Smiles, a cookie for the Girl Scout 100th Anniversary. girlscoutsni.org

Annunciation Catholic Elementary School is hosting an Open House for prospective families on Fri., Feb. 24 from 9-11am. Annunciation provides a comprehensive Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade educational program. Annunciation offers full day Kindergarten and extended day care. The rigorous curriculum concentrates on phonics, reading comprehension, writing, computation, and interactive SmartBoard technology. Annunciation is located minutes from Batavia. Forty-five percent of families live in Batavia or North Aurora. 630-851-4300 or annunciationbvm.org.

LivingWell Cancer Resource Center’s Bridge Walk Kick-Off Party & Pancake Breakfast is open to the public on Sat., Jan. 21 from 9–11am at the Baker Memorial Church in St. Charles. Attendees will enjoy a pancake breakfast, courtesy of the St. Charles Unity Masonic Lodge #48, with inspirational speakers, the Living-Well video, and information tables with fundraising hints, registration information, sponsorship opportunities, volunteer support, team building tips and more. LivingWell’s 7th annual Bridge Walk will be held Sat., May 18. livingwellcrc.org

Lazarus House, a shelter in St. Charles serving persons from Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and rural Kane County, who are homeless or on the brink of homelessness, welcomes donations of supplies for its operations. A current needs list as well as events and volunteer information is available at lazarushouseonline.com. Lazarus House would like to thank the community for reaching out to help others in need.

Elderday Center is committed to providing quality day services for older adults through structured programming that stresses cognitive stimulation and socialization. Elderday also offer a counseling program and several support groups free of charge to support and educate caregivers. Elderday Center is located at 8 S. Lincoln St. in Batavia. Tours can be scheduled by calling 630-761-9750 or elderdaycenter.org.

On Monday, Jan. 23, The League of Women Voters of Central Kane County will present a Candidates Forum featuring Democrats Sue Klinkhamer and Bill Sarto, and Republicans Kevin Burns and Chris Lauzen, who are seeking their party’s nomination for Kane County Board Chair in the primary election on March 20. The event will begin at 7pm at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles. Republican candidates in other contested county-wide races have also been invited to participate: Auditor: Terry Hunt, Carl Regnier, and Laura C. Wallett; Circuit Clerk: Thomas M. (“Tom”) Hartwell, Karin M. Harwick, and Catherine S. Hurlbut; Coroner: L. Robert (“Rob”) Russell and Robert Nicholas “Bob” Tiballi.

The League will host a second forum on Thurs., Feb. 23, at Batavia City Council Chambers at 7pm for candidates in contested races for Kane County area state senate districts. For the 25th District seat, Republicans Jim Oberweis, Dave Richmond, and Richard C. Slocum will face off, as will Democrats Corinne M. Pierog and Steven L. Hunter. Republicans Karen McConnaughay and Cliff Surges are seeking the 33rd district nomination.

Two Democratic candidates seeking to represent their party in the newly redrawn 14th Congressional district, Dennis Anderson and Jonathan Farnick, are also being invited to the Feb. 23 forum.

For updated information on League forums, check local or on-line media, visit lwvckc.org or contact Patti Lackman, League Voter Service Chair, at phlackmanil@aol.com or 630-879-1539.

The last quarter of 2011 for Batavia United Way ended with a flurry of activities: The launch of the 2012 campaign, the 3rd Annual Run for BATavia United Way, a Day of Caring, as well as an expanded Adopt-A-Family program. For 2012, Batavia United Way has volunteer positions open for events, committees, to help in the office, as well as to serve on the board of directors. 630-879-4041 or jody@bataviaunitedway.org.

Preservation Partners will be holding Winter Walks through the Fabyan Japanese Garden located in the Fabyan Forest Preserve on select dates in January and February. A special way to experience this unique garden, Winter Walks are scheduled on Jan. 11, Jan. 21, Feb. 8, and Feb. 18 from 1-2pm. A donation of $2 per person is requested. As snow-covered ground is necessary, those interested in attending should call 630-377-6424 the day of to confirm tour status. ppfv.org

Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley will hold free tutor training on February 6, 8, 13 and 15 from 6:30–9pm at the St. Charles Public Library. The four-session workshop will teach volunteers how to help an adult read, write and speak English. Each volunteer tutor will be matched with an adult learner. Volunteers will meet for one hour each week at a time and location that is convenient. Volunteers can register at lvfv.org or by calling 630-584-4428.

Hoover Wood Elementary PTO is holding the Children’s Clothing & Toy Resale Feb. 17 and 18. Donations are accepted through Feb. 10 and may be brought to the school office. Sellers may register by going to myconsignmentmanager.com/hwspto. Sellers who volunteer at least six hours will receive 70% of the profit instead of the regular 60%. Volunteers who work three or more hours are eligible to shop at the pre-sale. Visit hwspto.org for more information.

The Batavia Mothers’ Club Foundation will host its 12th Annual Fox Trot 5K Run/Walk Sat., April 28 at the Batavia Riverwalk (Island Ave. and Houston St. in downtown Batavia).
Start time for the 5K run is 8am with the non-competitive walk starting at 8:05am. There are awards for the winners of the run in all age groups. The Fox Trot also features non-competitive kids’ fun runs from pre-schoolers through fifth graders. The kids’ events begin at approximately 9:15am. The cost for pre-registration is $25 per adult and $8 per child. There is a $3 CARA member discount available only through pre-registration. Participants receive a t-shirt and goodie bag.
Funds raised support Batavia Public Schools and other educational opportunities for local families. For more information or to register, please visit bataviamothersclub.org.

On Oct. 24, at the Governor's mansion in Springfield, Batavia's own Ed Cook was inducted into the Illinois Senior Hall of Fame in the Performance and Arts category. For 30 years, Ed has painted intricately detailed miniature paintings—considered rare masterpieces. During that time, he also educated the public on this unique art form. His paintings have been recognized for merit in international miniature competitions.

Batavia American Legion Post 504, 645 S. River St., holds meetings at 7pm on the third Tuesday of the month (Jan. 17 and Feb. 21). The group welcomes current or prior members of the military from all branches of the US Armed Service. Bataviapost504.org.

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