Elgin holding memorial for 20th anniversary of 9/11
The city of Elgin’s 20th annual September 11 Remembrance Ceremony, being held in partnership with the American Legion, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at Civic Center Plaza, located behind Elgin City Hall at 150 Dexter Court.
Free and open to the public, the event will feature speakers and a performance of the national anthem by the Baptist Providence College Ensemble.
Seating will be limited so anyone attending should consider bring their own chair, a city news release said.
Should it rain, the event will be moved indoors to the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way.
For more information, call 847-931-6770 or go to cityofelgin.org/events.
Elgin residents named semifinalists in Indie book competition
Two Elgin writers are among the semifinalists in the eighth annual Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project Indie Book Competition.
India Powers’ “Demon’s Bane” is a fantasy romance novel involving witchcraft and time travel set in medieval and regency England. R. C. Ontiveros’ “Grandes Aventuras de un Pequeño Viajero” (“Grand Adventures of a Little Traveler”) is a memoir of his youth spent visiting attractions across Mexico.
According to her website, Powers is from West Texas and now lives in Elgin with her family. Ontiveros teaches advanced placement Spanish at Elgin High School and has been an educator for more than 20 years.
Powers’ work is one of 10 in the adult fiction category while Ontiveros’ book competes against seven others in the new De la Página a la Fama (From Page to Fame) category for works written in Spanish.
Judges will narrow the field to three finalists in each category before announcing the winners in October.
The author of the top book in each category receives cash prize, gets to promote their books at libraries and author fairs throughout Illinois, and competes against winners from other state competitions to be named national Indie Author of the Year.
Mental health board provides funds to 3 Elgin-area nonprofits
The Hanover Township Mental Health Board has approved $30,850 in funding to three nonprofits with ties to Elgin.
The board awarded $25,000 in capital funding to Easterseals of DuPage & Fox Valley’s Elgin branch to purchase new audiology booths used to administer hearing tests. The agency’s move to a facility at 1135 Bowes Road in South Elgin created the need for the new equipment.
Elgin-based Ecker Center for Behavioral Health received $3,000 to pay for employees to attend training sessions on crisis intervention, co-occurring disorder and coalition building.
Family Services of the Greater Elgin Area was awarded $2,850 to fund a training program that will assist the agency in embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its offerings.
Hanover Township serves more than 101,000 residents in portions of Streamwood, Elgin, Bartlett, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg.
Free native garden plant kits available at Elgin Farmers Market
The Elgin Sustainability Commission’s native roots program will be offering free native garden plant kits at the commission’s booth during the Downtown Elgin Farmers Market from 3 to 7 p.m. every Friday.
Kits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with each containing a bundle of plants and care instructions.
The Sept. 10 mix will be for hummingbird gardens; Sept. 17 for rain gardens; Sept. 24 for micro-prairie gardens; and Oct. 1 for woodland edge gardens.
For more information, 847-931-5613 or go to cityofelgin.org/nativeroots.
COVID-19 vaccination clinics being offered in Elgin
The Kane County Health Department will be provide COVID-19 vaccines at following Elgin locations in the coming week:
Sunday, Sept. 5, from 2 to 7 p.m. at One Fitness Center, 24 Tyler Creek Plaza.
Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the AID Back to School Vaccination Event at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11-12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hoops 4 Peace Event, Prairie Park, 301 Willard Ave.
The Kane Vax Hub at 501 N. Randall St. in Batavia is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Walk-ins are welcome or appointments can be scheduled at KaneVax.org.
