Free tax prep help available at township senior center
Hanover Township and volunteers from AARP are offering free tax preparation at the Township Senior Center, 240 S. Route 59, Bartlett.
Appointments are required and scheduled on a first-come basis, according to a news release. Appointments will not be scheduled after Monday, April 6. Last year, 421 people were served by the program.
Participants are asked to pick up the necessary documentation prior to their appointments at the senior center. All returns will be filed electronically, and printouts provided to the tax form filer.
For questions or to schedule an appointment, call 630-483-5660.
‘Wildlife and Wine’ painting session at Randall Oaks Zoo
“Wildlife and Wine,” an evening featuring painting and wine, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee.
Professional instructors will guide participants in producing artworks inspired by zoo animals, according to the Dundee Township Park District website. All supplies will be provided. Wine from Cooper’s Hawk, soda and water are included with admission, which is $50.
For more information and to register to attend, go to www.dtpd.org/calendar/events/wildlife—wine-1579638042.
Memorial event for George Rawlinson being held Feb. 18
A celebration of the life of writer and raconteur George Rawlinson will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at American Legion Elgin Post 57, 820 N. Liberty St., Elgin.
Rawlinson, 69, died Jan. 13 at Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights, succumbing to cancer, according to his online obituary. He was living in Palatine at the time of his death.
Rawlinson at one time wrote freelance arts-related features and reviews for The Courier-News, once ran his own publishing business, authored “Elgin People, Elgin Pets” and was one of several people who contributed to “Cubbie Blues,” a collection of recollections from Chicago Cubs fans.
Rawlinson was known for his colorful, encyclopedic knowledge of Chicago, where he was born and raised, and in Elgin could frequently be found at local events, the American Legion hall and taking part in discussions on radio station WRMN-AM (1410).
The celebration will include a spaghetti dinner followed by tributes from those who knew Rawlinson, according to a social media post for the event.
For more information, call the American Legion Elgin Post at 847-741-1684.
Playground equipment ordered for two elementary schools
The District U-46 School Board has approved the purchase of new playground equipment for Creekside and Otter Creek elementary schools in Elgin.
Otter Creek’s equipment will cost $87,803 and is the standard model designed for children ages 5 to 12, according to meeting documents. The new set at Creekside will cost $232,961 and is being custom made to be handicapped accessible for children ages 2 to 5. A new surface also will be added at Creekside, bringing it up to the district standards.
The sets are being purchased from North Carolina-based Cunningham Recreation and should be installed sometime this summer.
ECC professor to speak about Venezuela on Feb. 19
“Crude Dreams: Venezuelan Migration and US Power,” a program presented by Elgin Community College Associate Professor of History Antonio Ramirez, will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Seigle Auditorium, Room E125, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Ramirez will examine the political and economic forces behind Venezuela’s crisis, including the role of deposed president Nicolás Maduro’s regime and U.S. interests in the region, according to a social media post. The presentation will also feature excerpts from Ramirez’s oral histories collected from Venezuelan migrants and their allies in the Chicago area.
It is part of the Bill Pelz Global Speaker Series, named for William Pelz, who taught history and political science at ECC for more than 19 years.
For more information, contact Lauren Nehlsen at 847-214-7809 or lnehlsen@elgin.edu.
