DeKALB

Iconic locations are part of bicentennial celebration

Coinciding with this year’s celebration of the Illinois Bicentennial, Doors Open Illinois is promoting iconic historical sites and architectural treasures throughout the state to open their doors to the public during August. It’s a chance for the public to get a glimpse of the state’s history and heritage. Two DeKalb landmarks are part of this event: the Ellwood House Museum and the Egyptian Theatre.

The Ellwood House Museum features a grand historic mansion on 10-acres of parkland. Guided tours of the mansion will be offered throughout the coming weekend. On Aug. 25, the Visitor Center exhibits will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with mansion tours beginning on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Aug. 26, the Visitor Center exhibits will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with mansion tours beginning on the hour from noon to 3 p.m. There is no admission fee for the Visitor Center. Mansion tours are $8 for adults and $5 for youth. For more information, visit enjoyillinois.com/illinois-bicentennial/doors-open-illinois/listing/doors-open-ellwood-house-museum

Egyptian Theatre, an art deco gem, was featured on the State of Illinois Tourism’s Top 20 Architectural Treasures to visit. One of seven remaining Egyptian Theatres left in the U.S., the theater will be open for tours during the DeKalb’s Corn Fest, starting at 1 pm.. Aug. 25 and Aug. 26. The Egyptian Theatre has roots back to the age of the pharaohs. This historic structure owes this connection to the discovery of the tomb of King Tut in 1922 that set off a nationwide interest in everything Egyptian. The theater was built in 1929 at 135 N. Second St. For more details, visit enjoyillinois.com/illinois-bicentennial/doors-open-illinois/listing/doors-open-the-egyptian-theatre.

Annual Corn Fest offers three days of events

The annual Corn Fest, which attracts more than 50,000 people over three days, will again be held in downtown DeKalb on Lincoln Highway between First and Fourth streets and Grove and Locust streets. This festival features national and regional music acts, a carnival, car show, bike rally, kid fest, community stage, more than 90 vendors, a free corn boil on one day and more. Admission is free and there is a $5 admission fee per day into the soundstage area. There is also a free viewing area.

Hours are 3-11 p.m. Aug. 24, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Aug. 25 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 26.

For more information, call 815-748-CORN, visit cornfest.com or Facebook at DeKalb Corn Fest.

NIU data analytics program offered totally online

Northern Illinois University’s newly created Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDA), recently approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, has been cleared for a 2019 rollout. In January, the program will launch 100 percent online, making the MSDA the second fully online graduate degree from the NIU College of Business. The coursework, which can be completed in as few as 12 months, will emphasize hands-on learning, enabling students to develop data analytics and problem-solving skills.

Rita Dragonette

NIU alum uses campus war protest experience in novel

Universities across the country exploded with student protests against the Vietnam War, and Northern Illinois University was no exception. An NIU graduate of that era has written a novel about the war’s effects on students and the campus in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Rita Dragonette, class of 1972, uses her Vietnam War era experiences for the basis of a novel, “The Fourteenth of September.” The story focuses a pivotal time at the peak of the Vietnam War told through the perspective of a young woman, tracing her path of self-discovery and a “coming of conscience.” The story speaks to the clash of young adulthood, early feminism, and war, offering an ageless inquiry into the domestic politics of protest when the world stops making sense. The book will be released on Sept. 18 by She Writes Press, and is available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Dragonette holds a bachelor of arts from Northern Illinois University and is the recipient of both the 2015 Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Alumni Awards from its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She earned a Certificate in Creative Writing (Novel) from the University of Chicago in 2008 and is the recipient of multiple writing residencies granted by the Ragdale Foundation.

On Oct. 25, Dragonette will visit NIU for a book reading and signing at 12:30 p.m. and a panel discussion at 4:30 p.m. about protest activities on campus and in town after the Kent State shootings.

For more information about the book, visit www.ritadragonette.com.

SYCAMORE

Library gets new director

Monica Dombrowski will be the new director for the Sycamore Public Library, starting Sept. 4. The Sycamore Public Library board hired her at its recent meeting.

Dombrowski comes from Gail Borden Public Library District in Elgin, where she has been digital services director since 2014. She will take over for the previous director, Jesse Butz. Butz is moving on to become the director of the Porter County Public Library in Valparaiso, Indiana.

–DeKalb County News Briefs–