Eighth-graders to gather stories from W.W.II, Korea vets
Eighth-graders from Elgin Academy will interview veterans of World War II or Korea each day this week. This unique project is a partnership between the Gail Borden Public Library and the Veteran's History Program, initiated by the Library of Congress in 2000 through the American Folklife Center.
Seven students will ask set question about why the veteran joined, their experiences in service, what life events were like in those years (sports, entertainment) and their life after leaving the service.
Our local stories will be available on the Gail Borden Public Library Web site after the first of the year. The tapes will be sent to the Library of Congress to join 90,000 other stories. If you are or know of a veteran who would like to participate in the next few months, call Sara Sabo at (847) 429-5984.
Festival of Trees
Ecker Mental Health Center will host its seventh annual Festival of Trees at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Marriott Northwest in Hoffman Estates.
The celebration already has started, with the beautifully decorated trees on display on the second floor of the Gail Borden Library until early Saturday morning, when Berna Movers will take them to the Marriott for the auction.
There are a dozen large trees and a dozen small -- all with a novel and different theme.
Co-chairs Greg Pate and Melanie Plasmier say a new raffle is a special feature this year. A 26-inch Sharp flat-panel TV and a Nintendo Wii game are being raffled off, with boxes all over town at Quizno's downtown, Karena Spa and Salon, Joseph's salon and the library. Guests at the festival can shop at the Market Place, where local vendors will provide a pre-holiday bazaar.
Terry Dunning conducts the live auction of the trees after dinner and then Phil Barrile's band EDEN will play for dancing. Call Mary Ann Stephens at (847) 695-0484.
Animal shelter party
Also on Saturday night, Anderson Animal Shelter will host "Come and Get Your Love" at 6 p.m. at the Elgin Holiday Inn. Last year, more than 300 people attended the event, which is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the shelter.
The dozen live auction items include a ride in a fighter plane, a NASCAR racing experience at the Chicagoland Speedway, a Riders Edge school at Zylstra Harley-Davidson, and a personal chef's visit to your home to prepare a dinner for six people.
Hundreds of other items are available in the silent auction before and during dinner.
Call (847) 697-2880, ext. 33.
Hiawatha Pageant
The Elgin Area Historical Society will host its Autumn Feast and annual meeting at noon Sunday in the Centre Ballroom.
The silent auction of vintage collectible and whimsical items includes collector baseball cards, an Elgin American compact in a gift basket. a local cookbook, and books by authors Carlton Rodgers and Mary Bramer. The auction will be followed by a short business meeting and election of officers for the club.
After lunch, Dr. Clyde Ellis from Elon College in North Carolina will speak about Indian Lore Clubs and their role in the context of the early- to mid-20th century. I had a chance to speak to Dr. Ellis, and he said Elgin's own Hiawatha Pageant fits perfectly in the early 1900s' fascination with Indian lore and culture. The movement was part nostalgia, part fear of the "modern" world, and part conservation consciousness.
Reservations need to be in by Tuesday. Call (847) 742-4248.