Woodstock

CASA to host Little Black Dress Party fundraising event

CASA of McHenry County will host its fourth annual Little Black Dress Party from 6-10 p.m. Feb. 18 at Bull Run Golf Club, 1311 Club Road, Woodstock. The fundraising event — featuring special drinks, wine, heavy hors d’oeuvres, chocolate, jewelry and live entertainment — will benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a non-profit organization that provides trained volunteers as advocates for child victims of abuse and neglect in Juvenile Abuse and Neglect Court in McHenry County. Tickets are $50 (advance) and $60 (at the door). For tickets, and more information, call (779) 994-4398 or visit www.casamchenrycounty.org.

Fine Arts Assoc. offers program on Newberry Library

The Woodstock Fine Arts Association’s Creative Living Series will present Uncommon Books for Uncommon Folks: Building the Newberry Library’s Rare Book Collection at 10 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St. The event features Paul Gehl, longtime curator at Chicago’s Newberry Library, which opened in 1887. Gehl will discuss how generations of librarians made decisions regarding the library’s collection, and reveal some of the hidden treasures still to be discovered. Tickets are $24. For more information, call (815) 338-5300 or visit www.woodstockoperahouse.com.

The Cary Area Public Library, 1606 Three Oaks Road, will host Roads That Lead to Lincoln from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 17. (United States Library of Congress)

Cary

Library to hold program, examining life of Lincoln

The Cary Area Public Library, 1606 Three Oaks Road, will host Roads That Lead to Lincoln from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 17. The program (for adults) features presenter Dave Clark, who will discuss the impact that Abraham Lincoln has made in our culture over time. Clark will trace the major events of Lincoln’s life, from his arrival in Illinois until he left for Washington, D.C. in 1861. The program includes a virtual tour along Route 66, the Great River Road and the Lincoln Highway in search of sites related to the life of Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. For more information, call (847) 639-4210 or visitwww.caryarealibrary.org.

Park Dist. reports progress on Master Plan update

The Cary Park District is currently in the process of updating its Comprehensive Master Plan, which was enacted by the Park District Board of Commissioners in 2006. Upon completion, the updated plan will serve as a park district road map for the next 10 years, outlining the current and future desires of residents, and indicating any necessary improvements in the district’s parks, facilities, recreation programs and services. In 2015, the park district completed the “Assess” and “Connect” phases of the plan. As part of the “Assess” phase, an inventory of all properties and facilities operated by the park district was completed with comparisons to state and national benchmark standards. During the “Connect” phase, both stakeholder and community input meetings were held, and a community-wide survey also was distributed and collected from residents. The next two phases, “Envision and Prioritize” and “Plan and Implement” are currently underway. The final plan then will be presented to the Board of Commissioners. For further details, visit www.carypark.com.

Marengo

City Council approves agreement to build quarry

A report stated that the Marengo City Council approved an annexation agreement and rezoning ordinances allowing Super Aggregates, Inc. to build a quarry at a 255-acre property located west of Route 23 and south of Pleasant Grove Road. As part of the agreement, Super Aggregates will pay the city for the excavation and production of each ton of sand, gravel and other materials removed from the site, and also pay a $10,000 reimbursement fee for any expenditures associated with the annexation and rezoning proceedings, as well as $50 per acre at the time of annexation. Super Aggregates intends to use the quarry for the extraction of natural materials over a 20- to 30-year span.

Huntley

Park District to present annual Mother-Son Bash

The Huntley Park District will present its fifth annual Mother-Son Bash from 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 19 at the REC Center Theater, 12015 Mill St. The event will feature DJ Don Esposito playing favorite dance songs, as well as crafts, snacks and giveaways. Admission is $15 (residents) and $22 (non-residents) per mother-and-son couple, and $8 for each additional sibling. To register, and for more information, call (847) 669-3180 or visit www.huntleyparks.org.

Fox Lake

Village 911 center earns international excellence award

The village announced that its FoxComm 911 Center has been awarded the distinguished Accredited Center for Excellence Award by the International Academies of Emergency Medical Dispatch (IAED). FoxComm will officially be recognized by IAED in Washington, D.C., in April. FoxComm, one of only two 911 centers in Illinois to receive the award, was selected following an independent review through IAED, which cited FoxComm for providing superior, up-to-date public care and efficient resource utilization to achieve maximum results in emergency situations, and adhering to the highest level of standards in the industry, among other criteria met.

Lakewood

Village temporarily suspends electronic recycling program

The village announced that due to the considerable volume of items being recycled though its Electronic Recycling Program, the program has been closed, through February. The village will continue to offer its Styrofoam and holiday lights recycling program, with specially marked bins available at Village Hall, 2500 Lake Ave. Residents are encouraged to visit the McHenry County Green Guide at www.mchenry.edu/Recycling/greenguide/pdf for more information on other recycling options in the area.

McHenry

Country club to host open house event

The McHenry Country Club, 820 N. John Street, will host an open-house event from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 28. The event is free, and will feature a brief presentation on memberships the club has to offer, as well as tours of the facility and grounds. Food and cocktails will be available. Established in 1922, the club serves the McHenry, Crystal Lake, Fox Lake, Wauconda, Woodstock and Bull Valley areas. To RSVP for the open house, send an email to Laura Lewis at (815) 385-1072 or call (815) 385-1072. For more information, visit www.McHenryCC.net.

–McHenry County News Briefs–