Lifestyles

The Summer Food Service Program sponsored by the Voluntary Action Center is in its 15th year of serving the children of DeKalb County. Current organizations using the SFSP are the DeKalb Park District, YMCA, Mason Court Apartments, DeKalb Sycamore Association of Special Recreation’s Camp Maple Leaf and Neighbor’s House. The local SFSP serves an average of 300 meals per day, totaling about 16,500 meals from May to August.

Have you enjoyed the flower beds and large containers of flowers in downtown DeKalb? Is Hallgren Park Community Garden a place you like to take your family to relax? While visiting residents at DeKalb County Nursing Center, have you sat and enjoyed the beautiful, seasonal flower display in their inner courtyard? All of these projects and many more are the work of a dedicated group of volunteers called the DeKalb County Master Gardeners.

Nothing goes with Friday nights like fried fish. Throw in a burger and fries and I’m in Friday-night heaven.

Those who have always wanted to take a cruise ship vacation to the Galapagos Islands or see the mystical Machu Picchu, Peru, can realize that dream and also help the Midwest Museum of Natural History. MMNH has teamed up with Globus Journeys and Carder Travel for an opportunity to experience some of the natural and historic treasures of South America, and each ticket sold will include a tax-deductible donation to the museum. A few cabins are still available for the 14-day land and water excursion that will set sail on Feb. 10, 2010.

Sullivan

BIRTHDAY 75th birthday

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners announce their second annual Gardenwalk and Plant Sale, to be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 11, rain or shine. Eight gardens and a “Point of Interest” will be featured: Howard and Donna Petersen, Sycamore; Pay-it-Forward House, Sycamore; Tom and Judy Harris, Kingston; Dave and Nancy Shuler, Kingston; Jack Pizzo, Clare; Ronald and Joyce Marten, DeKalb; Loreen and Jay Stravers, DeKalb; and Kathy and Junior Cochrane, DeKalb. The Point of Interest is Davenport Elementary School in Genoa.

On June 2, the annual meeting of the Kishwaukee Community Hospital Auxiliary was held in the KCH Roberts Conference Center. President Lesley Clements Gilbert presided over the event. During the evening, the auxiliary board remembered Auxiliary members who passed away in 2008-2009, recognized adult and TAGS volunteers with top hours and announced the scholarship winners.

Martha Smith, a horticulture educator for University of Illinois Extension, will focus on problems in the landscape that are caused by weather, planting environment and the gardener in an upcoming class called “Don’t Blame the Plant.”

The thermostat is climbing, and all you want to do is crank the air conditioning and hide until the temperature finally drops again.

Some time between childhood and adulthood, avocados stopped looking like monster food and started looking like green gold. And they started tasting like creamy, nutty butter that’s best paired with cilantro, lime and lots of salt.

At 8 p.m. Tuesday, the DeKalb Municipal Band, under the direction of Dee Palmer, will present its next Pops Concert in the Park.

Mathey

BIRTHDAYS 75th birthday

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners announce its second annual Gardenwalk and Plant Sale, to be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 11, rain or shine. Eight gardens and a Point of Interest will be featured: Howard and Donna Petersen, Sycamore; Pay-It-Forward House, Sycamore; Tom and Judy Harris, Kingston; Dave and Nancy Shuler, Kingston; Jack Pizzo, Clare; Ronald and Joyce Marten, DeKalb; Loreen and Jay Stravers, DeKalb; and Kathy and Junior Cochrane, DeKalb. The Point of Interest is Davenport Elementary School, Genoa.

The University of Illinois Extension reminds people that summer’s hot temperatures can pose challenges for trees.

SOAR, Strategies for Optimal Achievement and Regeneration, is starting a new walking program this summer.

The DeKalb Municipal Band will feature the music of Gershwin, Strauss, Bernstein, Leroy Anderson, John Philip Sousa and more at its pops concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday in DeKalb’s Hopkins Park bandshell.

The produce team at Schnucks is ready for summer and excited to share their knowledge of the season’s most delicious fruit: gourmet summer melons. From 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Schnucks customers are invited to stop in for Frieda’s Produce University, a fun, hands-on way to discover a wide selection of specialty and exotic melon varieties.

Drive by the little house at Oakwood Avenue and Sycamore Road around lunch or dinner, and you’re likely to see it’s buzzing inside. It’s clear that a lot of people know something good is cooking inside. We finally made it to Bea’s Wok-N-Roll recently, after too many of these jealous drive-bys.

Warden

ANNIVERSARIES

On Wednesday, after three hours of rehearsing in a practice room with a broken air conditioner, actors participating in Children’s Community Theatre’s Advanced Imagination Camp could not deny the irony.

Area young people age 8-17 will have two chances to take to the skies this month: from 9-11 a.m. Saturday at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport’s corporate hangar 3 or from 1-4 p.m. June 20 at Rochelle Municipal Airport, in conjunction with the military vehicle preservation event.

A Flag Day observance will highlight Tuesday’s Concert in the Park. The DeKalb Elks Club will join with the DeKalb Municipal Band in a ceremony to honor the U.S. flag.

The last time I had hot breakfast on a weekday with any regularity was my senior year in high school. My best friend and I would answer the lure of fluffy omelets, hash browns and coffee every several weeks – in lieu of English class.

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners announces its second annual Gardenwalk and Plant Sale, to be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 11, rain or shine.

Midwest Museum of Natural History in Sycamore will feature “Picture This!” June 20, a program by Brown’s Oakridge Zoo that offers guests the opportunity to have their picture taken with Bagheera the leopard cub, a 3-week-old lion cub, or a coati mundi.

Brown

ANNIVERSARIES