The briefs: 'Travel' to Africa

'Travel' to Africa

Naturalist Jack Pomatto of the Kane County Forest Preserve will show slides and share stories of his travels in Africa at 10 a.m. Jan. 3, at Tekakwitha Woods Nature Center off Route 25, one mile north of Army Trail Road in St. Charles. This is a Senior Stroll event, but there will not be a hike. Senior Stroll is free, but nature center donations are welcome. To register, call (847) 741-8350, ext. 10. For directions or information, visit www.kaneforest.com.

Men's basketball league:

Registration is under way for the Fox Valley Park District's winter adult men's basketball league. Play begins Jan. 10 and continues for 10 weeks, not including playoffs. Game times are 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays at Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora. Cost is $565 per team for in-district teams and $585 for out-of-district teams. A meeting for team captains will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 3 at Prisco. Call Fox Valley Park District Recreation Supervisor Kevin Jenkins for information at (630) 859-8606.

Rosary exam Jan. 12

Eighth-grade girls interested in attending Rosary High School in Aurora should register for the placement exam by Jan. 7. Get the application for admission and release of records form from the Web site at www.rosaryhs.com and return it to Rosary with $30. The exam is at 8 a.m. Jan. 12 at the school, 901 N. Edgelawn Drive. Call (630) 896-0831, ext. 12, for details.

Controversy in the arts: Reservations are due Jan. 7 for the Fox Valley Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago lecture at 5 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Herrington Inn, 15 S. River Road, Geneva. James Yood of the School of the Art Institute will discuss why the visual arts have been so controversial in recent years. The program will begin with a cash bar at 4:30 p.m., the lecture at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. The program fee is $60, and reservations are necessary. Call Barbara at (630) 377-2357.

ECC names new director

Philip Garber is Elgin Community College's new executive director of planning and institutional effectiveness. Previously the director of university assessment at National-Louis University, Garber was also an adjunct professor at National-Louis since 2001.