Old televisions are some of the items that will be accepted at the Tazewell County’s Electronics Recycling Event coming up in April.

REGIONAL

Kick off spring with A Day in the Garden Patch

University of Illinois Extension Livingston County Master Gardeners would like to welcome spring after a long winter with “A Day in the Garden Patch from 9 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, April 6 in Pontiac.

A Day in the Garden Patch is all about inspiring, educating and encouraging gardeners, whether they have a balcony and a sunny window or an acre to grow. This educational event is for all who love plants and want to discover new gardening hacks and tips while having fun.

The morning will kick off with Kelsay Shaw from Possibility Place Nursery in Monee. Kelsay’s presentation, entitled Ornamental to Natives will cover why natives not only brighten home landscapes, but prove beneficial to birds, butterflies, and the environment.

Kelsay will share before and after pictures of plantings gone from regular ornamental to native-based landscaping. He also will discuss native plant benefits, and how to select the right plants.

Bob Streitmatter, from Luthy Botanical Garden in Peoria, will inspire to breathe new life into your garden with a little design, planting, accessorizing, and maintenance. While some of his tips are long-term projects, others can be implemented within a few hours.

Finally, a container making party will end the morning where participants will get to design and make their very own kitchen herb garden in a colander to take home. Livingston County Master Gardeners will provide great tips on growing and using herbs all summer long.

Space is very limited. A $20 registration fee will include morning refreshments, two garden-themed presentations, and one hands-on workshop, where you will leave with your very own container of kitchen herb gardens. The program will be hosted at the University of Illinois Extension Livingston County office, 1412 South Locust St., Pontiac. To register, visit go.illinois.edu/RegisterLMW or the Livingston County Extension Office at (815) 842-1776.

Registration open for ICC’s College for Kids

Registration is now open for the summer 2019 sessions of Illinois Central College’s popular College for Kids program.

The summer program features fun and educational classes for students entering fourth through twelfth grades. Session 1 runs Monday through Thursday, June 10-21, and Session 2 runs Monday through Thursday, July 8-19.

Kids are sure to find topics to fit their interests, with classes available in leadership skills, French, chess, cooking, dance, science, art, Harry Potter, balloon artistry, computer design and coding, and much more.

Several new classes are being offered this year. Some of these include: “The Price is Right!,” which teaches kids to earn, save and spend in a fun way; “Disney 101,” in which students will learn all things Disney-related; and “Python Programmers,” which explores coding with Python to create engaging apps and games.

Kids can extend their fun by participating in additional off-site Friday Fun Trips offered from 8:30 am to 2:30 p.m. on each Friday of College for Kids. Cost for these Friday fun sessions ranges from $75 to $95.

Two additional class options extend the day and accommodate working parents — Early Bird Club, available Monday through Thursday from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m., and Club CFK, available from 3:15 to 5 pm.

Both Early Bird Club and Club CFK feature games and computers. Cost for Early Bird Club is an additional $45, and Club CFK costs an additional $75.

Tuition per class varies for each class, based on instructional materials needed. Space is limited. Registration by phone at 309-690-6900, or online at www.icc.edu/cfk. A complete listing of classes, descriptions and registration materials also will be available online.

For questions, contact ICC Youth Programs Coordinator Steffi Xu at (309) 690-6916 or email steffi.xu@icc.edu

Benefit Access Program assistance available

The Benefit Access Program (formerly Circuit Breaker) provides benefits for seniors and persons with disabilities, such as a fee discount on license plates and free rides on fixed-route transits. Eligibility is determined by age, disability, residency and income.

On Wednesdays, March 6 through April 24, the library will help people sign up for this program. Here’s what you need to know:

The Morton Public Library will have a SHIP Counselor and Central Illinois Agency on Aging volunteer to assist those individuals, who qualify, to apply for the Benefit Access Program.

This Illinois program provides for a $75 license plate sticker discount and a Ride Free Transit Card. There is no charge for this service, but you must schedule an appointment by calling the library at 263-2200.

MORTON

Museum Pass available at the Morton Library

Thanks to sponsorship from the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s Visionary Society, Morton Public Library cardholders can now borrow a pass to the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

The library has one pass which is available to be checked out on a first-come, first-served basis to patrons with a valid Morton Public Library library card.

The pass can be used on the day of checkout or the following day. The pass includes general admission* to all exhibits, galleries, and daytime planetarium shows for two adults and their children or grandchildren.

Passes cannot be reserved or checked out online or over the phone. Passes must be checked out in person at the library’s Check Out Desk. Please visit the library to find out current pass availability. Library staff will be able to check if it is available and also check out the pass.

Please note that passes are non-transferable. Borrowing patrons will be asked for photo identification and their library card to gain admission to the museum.

For more information about the Peoria Riverfront Museum, visit peoriariverfrontmuseum.org.

PEKIN

Pekin High School presents ‘Trials of Robin Hood’

Pekin Community High School presents the play, ‘The Trials of Robin Hood,’ on April 4 and 5, at 6:30 p.m., and April 6, at 2 p.m., at Pekin Community High School.

Pekin Community High School presents the play, ‘The Trials of Robin Hood,’ on April 4 and 5, at 6:30 p.m., and April 6, at 2 p.m., at F.M. Peterson Theater at Pekin Community High School.  (Courtesy of Pekin High School)

Robin Hood: lusty hero, hopeless lover, or evil criminal? Upon his return from the Crusades, King Richard is forced to try and figure out what happened in his kingdom during his absence. Is the outlaw Robin Hood a hero, a lovelorn sap, or just plain mean?

Told from the perspectives of Robin himself, Maid Marian, and Prince John, this hilarious tale combines three different stories into one.  A family friendly show that all ages will enjoy.  Directed by Jeanette Odle, Teri Bruning and Student Hannah Marcier.

Tickets are $5 for adults, and $3 for students.

Tickets are available in advance at the Branch Finance Office at Pekin Community High School, or at the door the night of the performance (while supplies last).  For more information, call Pekin Community High School at 309-347-4101.

TAZEWELL COUNTY

Spring electronics recycling event scheduled

Tazewell County is hosting an Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, April 27, from 8 a.m. to noon at the FOLEPI Building, 2200 E. Washington St., East Peoria.

Acceptable Items Include:

Computers and small-scale servers,

Computer monitors,

Televisions,

Printers, fax machines and scanners,

DVD players, DVD recorders and VCRs,

Video game consoles,

Digital converter boxes, cable receivers and satellite receivers,

Electronic keyboards, electronic mice and portable digital music players.

Items Accepted (Fees Charged):

CRT monitors – $20

CRT TV – $20

Flat-screen TV – $20

Projection TV – $40

Console TV – $40

For more information, contact the Tazewell County Health Department at 309-929-0272.

STATE

Free tax preparation assistance available

Low-to-moderate income families and senior citizens needing assistance filing their 2018 income taxes can receive free help through several trusted programs across the State of Illinois.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and AARP Tax-Aide programs are providing free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals in over 300 locations statewide.

“With April 15 just around the corner, it is important for Illinois taxpayers to know that filing assistance is available,” said David Harris, Illinois Department of Revenue acting director.  “Volunteers at these locations are certified by the IRS and ready to assist qualified individuals in filing their state and federal tax returns accurately and on time.”

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs offer free tax help for individuals making $55,000 or less, persons with disabilities, limited English speaking taxpayers and individuals 60 years of age or older.

AARP’s Foundation Tax-Aide program focuses on helping low-to-moderate income individuals, with special attention to those over 50 years of age. An AARP membership is not required.

“I want to thank the Illinois Department of Revenue, Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE), and AARP Tax-Aide programs for providing this much-needed service to older adults across the state that just need help,” said Paula Basta, acting director of IDA.

Taxpayers can search for a free tax preparation location closest to them by visiting the Illinois Department of Revenue’s website tax.illinois.gov.

Get the latest news and updates from the Illinois Department on Aging by following the department on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, or by calling the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966.