The McHenry County Historical Society and Museum, 6422 Main St., Union, is hosting its annual holiday quilt display and Christmas memorabilia show through Jan. 5, 2018. (Photo courtesy of McHenry County Historical Society and Museum)

McHenry County

Historical Society hosting holiday quilt display

The McHenry County Historical Society and Museum, 6422 Main St., Union, is hosting its annual holiday quilt display and Christmas memorabilia show through Jan. 5, 2018. This year’s Rock Around The Quilted Tree theme is, “Blue Christmas.” Veteran Christmas memorabilia collectors Dave Harms and Lynne Eltrevoog collaborated to create a display focusing on vintage, frequently rare, aluminum Christmas trees. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, and free for Historical Society members. The museum is open from 1-4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with the exception of Dec. 6, 22 and 29, and Jan. 1, 2018. For more information, call (815) 923-2267 or visit www.mchenrycountyhistory.org.

Fox River Grove

Village Board set to reduce overall property taxes

The village reported that the Fox River Grove Village Board recently recommended an increase of $18,506 (2.1 percent) to the amount of property taxes collected for the village portion of the property tax bill. This will be offset by a $24,643 abatement of a portion of the village’s outstanding general obligation bond, resulting in a reduction of property taxes by $4,048 (0.4 percent) for 2018. Further property tax relief is scheduled in 2019 when the village will retire its only outstanding general obligation bond. A resident with a home valued at $200,000 can anticipate an annual property tax savings of $48, representing a 10.6 percent reduction of the village portion of the bill. The village portion represents about 6 percent of the overall property tax bill in Fox River Grove, while the other 94 percent of the bill is in the control of other taxing bodies. For more information, call (847) 639-3170 or visit www.foxrivergrove.org.   

Lakemoor

Library adopts half-mile stretch of Lily Lake Road 

Friends of Lakemoor announced that the River East Public Library, 813 W. Route 120, is the latest organization to adopt a road in and around Lakemoor. Through a partnership with the McHenry Township Road District and the Village of Lakemoor, the library has adopted a half-mile stretch of Lily Lake Road. The program offers an opportunity for families and organizations to adopt a stretch of road with the commitment of periodically performing clean-up efforts. For more information, call (815) 385-1117, send an email to villagehall@lakemoor.net or visit www.lakemoor.net.

Huntley

Huntley High selected for statewide theater fest

Huntley Community School District 158 announced that Huntley High School is among 11 high schools in the state selected to perform a full-length production at the upcoming Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF), to be held Jan. 11-13, 2018 at Illinois State University. The Huntley High School group will perform “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” (Abridged). To be selected, a school must submit a performance for review by theater educators and hold a discussion period with the reviewers, who then submit a written critique/recommendation to a selection committee. In addition to the performances, participants in the festival will have an opportunity to attend several workshops, watch professional guest productions, experience an all-state production of the top student performers in the state, and connect with numerous college and university theater programs. For more information, call (847) 659-6158 or visit www.district158.org.

Crystal Lake

Chamber to host program on MCC career services

The Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce will host Get Ready for 2018, a special program featuring Dan Ortego, coordinator for McHenry County College’s (MCC) Career Services Department, from 7:30-9 a.m. Dec. 21 in the lower level at American Bank & Trust, 381 S. Main St. Ortego will lead an informative discussion about how to post jobs on the MCC job search board, as well as other recruitment opportunities available to promote jobs or internships, how to access the program at MCC and other services offered by MCC’s Career Service Department. Breakfast will be included. The cost to attend is $17. To register, and for more information, call (815) 459-1300 or visit www.clchamber.com.

Algonquin

Village offers holiday lights recycling program

The village, in cooperation with Elgin Recycling, is offering a holiday lights recycling program through Jan. 22, 2018 at Ganek Municipal Center, 2200 Harnish Drive. A container for unusable or unwanted lights is available in the Municipal Center lobby during regular business hours. Items that will be accepted include mini-lights, C7 and C9 lights, rope lights, LED lights, and extension cords of any length. All tinsel, garland, plastic casing and other decorative items must be removed prior to drop-off. Household light bulbs, floodlights, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and fluorescent bulbs will not be accepted. In addition, Groot Industries will offer curbside collection of Christmas trees from Jan. 4-26 on regularly scheduled collection days. For more information, call (847) 658-2700 or visit www.algonquin.org.

McHenry

Library program features portrayal of author Ingalls

The McHenry Public Library, 809 Front St., will host Laura Ingalls’ Christmas Memories, a special program featuring Laura F. Keyes performing as author Laura Ingalls, from 7-7:50 p.m. Dec. 14. Ingalls (1869-1957) published a series of autobiographical “Little House” books, beginning in 1932, including “Little House on the Prairie,” which served as the inspiration for the long-running (1974-82) TV series of the same name. Keyes (as Ingalls) will reminisce about Christmas Day on the snowy Midwestern prairie, as well as other stories from her childhood days. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the McHenry Library. To register, and for more information, call (815) 385-0036 or visit www.mchenrylibrary.org.

–McHenry County News Briefs–