Kane CASA garden plan hits high gear

Officials at CASA Kane County recently broke ground on a “Grow a Healthy Child Garden” for the west side of the old courthouse in downtown Geneva.

And construction is well under way, with earthmoving and excavation proceeding Friday in the extreme heat.

The 4,100-square-foot garden was made possible through in-kind donations from the community, and the aim is to provide a place where community members and courthouse visitors can find beauty, peace and hope for healing, officials said.

The garden site also acts as a buffer between the sidewalk coming out of the west entrance and the parking lot.

CASA officials are providing naming opportunities of bricks, tables and benches at the garden as a way to raise money for the Grow A Healthy Child endowment, which they hope will hit $1.5 million by the end of the year.

Pavers start at $150 and top out at $1,000 for larger, 12-inch by 16-inch granite pavers.

Several entities have already bought a bench or table, such as: Kathleen Chapski & Robert Chapski Ltd.; St. Charles Bank & Trust; Kane County Bar Association; Wills Burke Kelsey Associates, Ltd.; Carl & Lisa Schoedel; Caterpillar Foundation; and Bollinger, Lach & Associates.

Founded in 1988, CASA Kane County recruits, trains and manages volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children who are in court because of abuse and neglect. Last year, CASA Kane County served 512 children throughout the Kane County area.

For information about volunteering or to make a donation, call (630) 232-4484, or visit casakanecounty.org. CASA says mid-July is the deadline to purchase an item for the garden.

Free legal advice: The Kane County Bar Association will host its monthly “Ask A Lawyer Day” on Saturday.

The program, which was offered all of last year and which was established a few years ago during its 150th anniversary celebration, allows residents to call on the second Saturday each the month to get free legal advice from a volunteer attorney between 9 a.m. and noon.

People can call (630) 762-1900 for a free consultation.

Last month, volunteers helped 42 people with problems ranging from real estate and wills to divorce and bankruptcy, according to the bar association. Organizers say there usually is a very high call volume, so keep trying if the phone lines are busy because volunteers can’t access voice mail.