The Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Industry will host Woodstock Willie’s Family Funday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 4 at Mixin Mingle, 124 Cass St.

McHenry County

McHenry County College fills board positions

McHenry County College (MCC) announced that the MCC Board of Trustees recently elected Linda Liddell as board chair. Liddell, a Crystal Lake resident, will fill former board chair Chris Jenner’s role through April. Liddell has served on the board for more than six years, and most recently served as the board’s representative to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA). She also served as vice chair from 2013 to 2017, and is the former president and current board member of the Illinois Community College Trustee Association. In addition, the MCC board appointed Tom Allen to fill the board position vacated by Jenner. Allen’s appointment runs through April 2019. Allen, a Lakewood resident and MCC alumnus, serves as a member of the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation board and previously served as an adjunct fire service instructor for more than 20 years. For more information, call (815) 455-3700 or visit www.mchenry.edu.

Island Lake

Family Fun Bowl to aid 2018 fireworks program 

The village will host Family Fun Bowl, a fundraiser for the 2018 Summer Fireworks program, at 1 p.m. Feb. 11 at 3-D Bowl, 4018 Roberts Road. The cost to participate is $20 for adults, $15 for ages 11-18 and $5 for ages 10 and under, and includes three games of bowling, shoes, a lunch buffet and one drink ticket. The event also includes a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and more. Advance sign-up is recommended. To access a registration form, visit www.villageofislandlake.com. For more information, call (847) 416-7867 or send an email to tina.loos@voislk.com.

Huntley

Registration opens for upcoming Citizen Police Academy

The village announced that the Huntley Police Department is now accepting applications for the upcoming Citizen Police Academy, an eleven-week program designed to give participants a working knowledge of the department. The program is scheduled to begin on March 14 (7-9 p.m.), and will meet every Wednesday through May 23 at the Huntley Police Department, 10911 Main St. It consists of a series of classes and discussions that will provide an overview of the various aspects of law enforcement, including issues that affect law enforcement efforts in Huntley. The Citizen Police Academy is free of charge and open to individuals who are at least age 18 and live or work in the village. Applicants will be subject to a background check. Advance registration is required, and seating is limited. The deadline to register is Feb. 28. Applications are available at the police department or online at www.huntley.il.us/departments/police. For more information, contact Officer Megan Racila at (847) 515-5411 or via email at mracila@huntley.il.us.

Woodstock

Chamber offers Woodstock Willie’s Family Funday

The Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Industry will host Woodstock Willie’s Family Funday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 4 at Mixin Mingle, 124 Cass St. One of numerous Groundhog Day-themed events being held throughout Woodstock, Family Funday offers an opportunity to see infamous groundhog Woodstock Willie throughout the day, while kids get tickets to play games for prizes, make crafts, color, take pictures with photo booth props, and enjoy pizza, treats and more. The event also includes face painting and a balloon artist from RC Juggles. Tickets are 2/$1 (activities require 1-4 tickets each). Woodstock Willie’s Family Funday is hosted in partnership with Woodstock Wannabees and Clover 4H Club, and 50 percent of ticket sales will be donated to the group. For more information, call (815) 338-2436 or visit www.woodstockilchamber.com.

Crystal Lake

City to host follow-up meeting on flooding issues

The city will host a follow-up open house meeting to continue discussing flooding in neighborhoods in the North Shore Study Area at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at City Hall, 100 E. Woodstock St. Questions from the open house meeting held in September 2017 will be answered, and the conceptual project(s) to address intermittent flooding will be presented. The goal of the meeting is to obtain additional feedback about the project(s) prior to proceeding with a request for funding for future engineering and construction. Residents unable to attend can provide input via email at stormsolutions@crystallake.org. Additional open house meetings are scheduled for other neighborhood areas so that adequate time and attention can be provided for each. For more information, call (815) 356-3611 or visit www.crystallake.org.

Lake in the Hills

Village offers free income tax assistance for seniors      

The village announced that AARP is offering tax preparation assistance for seniors (ages 60 and up) of moderate to low income, beginning in February. Representatives from AARP will prepare and electronically file 2017 Federal and State of Illinois income tax returns (free of charge) from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Fridays (in February, March and April) in the Community Room at Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate. The last appointment will be taken at 11 a.m.; participants should allow at least one hour. To schedule an appointment, call the Lake in the Hills Parks & Recreation Department at (847) 960-7460. For more information, visit www.lith.org.

Algonquin

Library to host program with first transgender teacher

The Algonquin Area Public Library District will host a special program, “A Unique Perspective: Transgender from Personal and Parental Experience,” from 7-8:15 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Eastgate Branch, 115 Eastgate Drive. The program features LGBTQ advocate Karen Topham, who in 1998 became the first teacher in the United States to transition from male to female. Five years later, her first-born child became the first student at Stevenson High School to transition from female to male. Topham will discuss her unusual perspective of transgenderism from the point of view of both a transgender woman and the mother of transgender man in a society that still fights acceptance of an oft-misunderstood minority. To register, and for more information, call (847) 658-4343 or visit www.aapld.org. 

–McHenry County News Briefs–