Batavia family, Kiwanis join forces to assist kids in Ecuador

Sue Bauer of Batavia had the perfect mix in place for helping her son with a charitable project for children in Ecuador.

As a member of the Batavia Kiwanis Club since 1988 and looking for a cause that would fit with Kiwanis’ international mission of “serving the children of the world,” Bauer suggested supporting the Rural Ecuador Development Initiative set up by her 33-year-old son, Dan Bauer.

“Each month, the Kiwanis Club picks a different charity to support,” said Bauer, who retired from Batavia High School in 2002, where she was the adviser to the school’s Key Club. “It could be a local food pantry or any other organization — locally, nationally or internationally.”

Bauer said her son, a 1995 graduate of Batavia High School, is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Southern Indiana.

“He has done research in the Manabi Province of Ecuador for 10 years and he has set up this not-for-profit initiative to aid the children,” Bauer added.

With the Kiwanis embracing that initiative, the monthly fundraiser has been set up 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at CiCi’s Pizza in Batavia, where 10 percent of the funds will go to the Ecuador charity.

In an e-mail message, Dan Bauer said recent projects have included the creation of freshwater systems and the construction of bathroom facilities for rural villages.

He said this year’s project, supported by Kiwanis, involves installing kitchens in rural schools to help assure that each child has a good breakfast in the morning.

Information about Dan Bauer’s project is available at rediecuador.org. The initiative started in 2004 with the “humble beginning of a box full of used books,” the site explains, to eventually supporting many facets of the underprivileged schools in rural coastal Ecuador.

Office politics

The staff of new 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren will deal with the good and not-so-good aspects of serving the public now, as a new district office has opened at 1797 W. State St. in Geneva.

In the wake of the Tucson, Ariz., violence, congressmen and staff across the country have to be alert and aware, while also holding true to the main reason that congressmen exist — to represent district residents.

Former St. Charles Mayor Sue Klinkhamer has been working in politics long enough to know that elected officials can’t stop meeting with constituents, whether at a mall, a social event or a local service club meeting.

But she also knows what it is like to be concerned about dealing with those expressing anger to the point of making you uncomfortable and even frightened — especially during the health care debate.

“We were as nice as possible on the phone or if someone came in to visit at the office, because that’s what we were trained to do,” said Klinkhamer, who worked in former Congressman Bill Foster’s Batavia office.

But when things get heated, Klinkhamer said, those who exhibit behavior that would be unacceptable in any other public forum could ruin the whole system of helping people.

Party for fake turf

If you haven’t made Super Bowl party plans and want to help raise money for artificial turf at Geneva’s Burgess Field, stop by the Old Towne Eatery in Wasco.

Ten percent of sales Sunday will go toward the field project. Fox Sports Radio will broadcast live from noon to 2 p.m. and former Chicago Bears Keith Van Horne, Robin Earl and Bobby Douglass will attend. A bunch of raffles and drawings in addition to the food will make this an enjoyable way to watch a game that doesn’t feature the Bears.

Time well spent

When you volunteer for an organization, it doesn’t mean you’ve signed your life away. It means you volunteer for the amount of time you can give.

That’s the premise behind a meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the TriCity Family Services office, 1120 Randall Court, in Geneva. It’s called Open Your Heart to TriCity Family Services, a volunteer recruiting event.

The agency is seeking all ages for its volunteer network. For information, call (630) 232-1070.

Now that’s slow

A great line from Terry Jeglum, a trustee on the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District board, during a recent meeting, when discussing problems with the district office’s five-year-old computers: “They are slower than a dog sled in the summertime.”

Gallery won’t reopen

When we stopped in to chat with Ginger Lewis recently about the closing of her Ginger’s Gift Gallery on the west side of St. Charles, she spoke about the possibility of relocating or someone else taking over the business that has been in St. Charles for 20 years.

She has now announced that none of the options are possible, so the store will close its doors for good Feb. 26.

Because her husband took a job in Denver, her plans now are to join him in the Pikes Peak state.

dheun@sbcglobal.net