The St. Olaf Band is one of the country’s preeminent school bands. The band will come to DeKalb for a performance during its 2018 national tour. It will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at DeKalb High School.

COUNTY

Global shipping is topic at annual business dinner

The DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) will hold its annual dinner Oct 4. DCEDC is a public/private partnership working to facilitate sustainable economic growth within the county.

Jason Dickinson, director, supply chain operations for 3M Corporation, will deliver the keynote address. He will describe how the global science company receives thousands of 3M products from all regions of the world and ships to locations across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. 3M is one of the largest private-sector employers in DeKalb County. The company opened operations in 1985 on Corporate Drive in DeKalb’s South Industrial Park. Since then, the company has expanded six times.

The event will be at the Faranda’s Banquet Center. The event will begin with its Exhibitor Showcase and high-level networking reception, followed by dinner and presentations.

DeKALB

Dance school alums to perform special “Nutcracker”

Alumni of the Beth Fowler School of Dance and the Beth Fowler Dance Company will present a special performance of “The Nutcracker” in November. The performance will mark three milestones: the 35^th anniversary of the school, 25^th anniversary of the company’s first performance and 25^th anniversary of the company first staging of Beth Fowler’s production of “The Nutcracker.”

The Beth Fowler Dance Company has presented “The Nutcracker” each holiday season at the Egyptian Theatre, and for the last six seasons, has also brought the holiday classic to the stage at St. Charles North High School.

Fowler has been discussing with Northern Illinois University Professor and Scenic Designer Sahin Sahingolu and Egyptian Theatre Manager Alex Nerad to make the 25th anniversary performances more magical, with new special effects, props, scenery, lighting and choreography.

The opening night of “The Nutcracker” at 7 p.m. Nov. 30, at the Egyptian Theatre will feature a special alumni performance, open to all alumni dancers.

In addition to the Nov. 7 performance, the Beth Fowler Dance Company will take the stage in its 25th anniversary production of “The Nutcracker” at the Egyptian, 135 N. Second St. DeKalb, 7 p.m. Dec. 1; and 2 p.m. Dec. 2. Tickets will go on sale Oct. 19, and can be purchased at EgyptianTheatre.org, or by calling the box office at 815-758-1225.

National tour to bring top school band to town

One of the country’s preeminent school bands will come to DeKalb for a performance during its 2018 national tour. The St. Olaf Band will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at DeKalb High School, 501 W. Dresser Road, DeKalb.

Founded in 1891, the band performs the best compositions and transcriptions for symphonic band.

The St. Olaf Band is the oldest music organization at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, a campus internationally renowned for its high caliber of musical ensembles as well as high marks in mathematics and the sciences. The band has toured nationally since 1904 and internationally since 1906, when they performed a four-week, 30-concert tour of Norway, making them the first American collegiate band to tour Europe. 

Tickets are $10 for adults and free for students. For tickets and more information, visit stolaf.edu/tickets.

SYCAMORE

New food pantry to help students, families

A food pantry designed to help feed families of children in Sycamore School District 427 is opening Oct. 3. Kristi Crawford, principal of West Elementary School, and Atlee Mathews, social work intern, have been working since last fall to establish what they have named the Spartan Food Pantry. Located inside West Elementary School, 240 Fair St., Sycamore, the pantry’s first hours of operation will be 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Visitors only need to bring a photo ID, which will be used to verify their relationship to a Sycamore school district child via enrollment records.

The food pantry will continue every other Wednesday, even functioning over winter and summer breaks when school is not in session.

Fifty-five percent of West Elementary students qualify for free and reduced meals, the highest rate in the district.

As part of the pilot program with the help of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the food pantry received two industrial-size refrigerators, two industrial-size freezers, four rolling shelves, five rolling carts, a flatbed cart and a permanent shelving unit. Tables will be set up along the hallway and more shelves are planned to be added in the future.

To further help its visitors, the food pantry will offer free child care while parents pick up food. The pantry will allow its visitors to choose what they want, much like shopping at a grocery store.

Volunteers ages 8 and older can help stock the food pantry when it is closed. Volunteers age 18 and older can work during pantry hours.

For information, or to volunteer or donate, call 815-899-8199 or email spartanfoodpantry@syc427.org.

–DeKalb County News Briefs–