A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at noon Aug. 26, in the former Fargo Theatre, 629 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, which has been repurposed as Fargo Skateboarding’s indoor training facility.

DeKALB COUNTY

Privately sponsored scholarships awarded to 5 master’s candidates

The DeKalb County Community Foundation announced that the Spinoso Masters Scholarships have been awarded to five individuals. The scholarships total $30,000, and may be used to pay for master’s-level education.

The award winners are Veronica Behrens, Lydia Moore, Morgan Latimer, Blair Wright and Shelby Wood.

Spinoso Masters Scholarship recipients must be past graduates of a high school in DeKalb County and enrolled in a post-undergraduate institution working toward a master’s or higher degree in any field of study.

The Spinosos, long-time residents of DeKalb County, support this scholarship fund at the Community Foundation. Each year, the scholarship selection committee members are impressed by the talented graduates of DeKalb County schools.

For more information about scholarship applications, contact Becky Zantout, grants and community initiatives manager, at (815) 748-5383 or becky@dekalbccf.org.

DeKALB

Experts will talk about possible lead problem in Illinois water

Could Illinois experience the frightening problems with lead-polluted water similar to Flint, Mich.? Two experts will weigh in on The Ripple Effect: What We Can Learn from the Flint Water Crisis, 9 a.m. Aug. 27, at Northern Illinois University’s Lorado Taft campus.

Melissa Lenczewski, NIU associate professor of geomicrobiology, organic geochemistry and contaminant hydrogeology, will discuss water quality, how contaminants get into our drinking water and how they are removed. Eric Zeemering, NIU associate professor of city management, intergovernmental relations and collaborative governance, will discuss the responsibilities of local governments to solve environmental problems.

They will talk during breakfast. The breakfast buffet can be purchased for $10. Interested participants are urged to make reservation by emailing jdymond@niu.edu or calling (815) 753-4751.

A tour of the Lorado Taft campus will be given at 11 a.m.

Indoor skatepark opens In refurnished theater 

A three-day celebration is planned for Aug. 26-Aug. 28, the grand opening of Fargo Skateboarding’s indoor Skatepark, 629 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb. The festivities will include skateboarding for beginners to experts, live music and a skateboard competition with prizes totaling more than $5,000.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at noon Aug. 26, in the former Fargo Theatre, which was built in 1929 and has been restored as Fargo Skateboarding’s indoor training facility. Free skating will follow the opening ceremony, as will the 8 p.m. premiere of a full-length video featuring the Fargo team. Live music and free skating will follow until midnight.

Free lessons for beginners will be given from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Aug. 27. The public can watch skateboarders practice from 1-7 p.m. for the Aug. 28 competition and enjoy live music from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Deluxe Distribution out of San Francisco, Calif., will host the Aug. 28 competition. Thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes, including cash prizes, will be awarded. Professional skateboarders will be the judges and will skate in a demonstration after the contest. Free skating will be offered at 7 p.m. until the park closes at 8 p.m. For more information, call (815) 756-5555.

Bank donates money to community winners

First National Bank recently announced winners of the 2016 Community First Award, which recognizes and celebrates nonprofit organizations that are contributing to the success of communities across most of the bank’s seven-state service area.

TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb was selected as the winner for the Illinois region and will receive $10,000. TAILS Humane Society finds homes for more than 2,000 animals a year, serves at-risk youth, provides food for pets of Meals on Wheels clients and provides temporary shelter for pets of individuals experiencing domestic violence or homelessness.

Open Door Rehabilitation Center in Sandwich was selected as the runner-up for the Illinois region and will receive $2,500. Open Door Rehabilitation Center serves 130 adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities by providing housing, workforce training and education, medical care and social and outreach activities.

One winner and one runner-up were selected from each of the following areas: Nebraska/South Dakota, Kansas, Illinois and Colorado. The local First National Bank branch is at 141 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb.

Auditions set for production of ‘Christmas Carol’ 

Stage Coach Players are seeking actors to audition for the winter musical, “A Christmas Carol,” based on the story by Charles Dickens.

Prospective actors will be required to sing a prepared song of no more than 16 measures. They should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to dance. Some may be asked to do cold readings from the script. There are roles for actors ages 7 through 70.

Auditions will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 and 6:30 to 9 p.m. Aug. 29 at First Lutheran Church, 324 N. Third St., DeKalb. Recommended audition times for children are 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 27 and 28. Children must be 7 years old at time of auditions. Featured dancers will be cast in speaking and singing roles as well as non-singing and non-speaking roles.

Production dates are Nov. 25-Dec. 4. For more information, visit stagecoachers.com or call (815) 758-1940.