'Nuns in Charge' hits Carpentersville venue
Now that income tax deadlines are out of the way, this weekend is your reward providing you with a wide variety of opportunities to satisfy your sense of humor, your sense of adventure, and finally your sense of taste.
On Friday, April 24, "Put the Nuns in Charge!" is going to be at the Dundee Township Park District Senior Center in Carpentersville. This nationally acclaimed comedy phenomenon written by Vicki Quade has been playing in downtown Chicago at the Royal George Theater and the park district has brought it to this much more convenient location for a one-night stand. It is a whimsical spinoff of the comedy marvel, "Late Night Catechism," now in its 15th year. The show is for a more mature audience and has something to say on everything from skirt lengths to cell phones. Critics have called it sharp, funny and richly humane.
Tickets are $25 each and are now available at the Senior Center located right behind the Rec Center at 665 Barrington Ave. in Carpentersville. The doors will open at 6 p.m. The performance begins at 7 p.m. and will end around 8:45 p.m. There is no reserved seating. Refreshments like pop, coffee, sub sandwiches and chips will be available for purchase for early comers. To purchase tickets or for information, call (847) 551-4307 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
"Garlic Mustard Harvest": We have been plagued by an eco-invader and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rescue Raceway Woods from the dreaded garlic mustard. This plant landed in Long Island from Europe about 150 years ago and is now in 29 states from the northeast to the Midwest.
Its innocent-looking dark green heart-shaped scalloped leaves and little white flowers belie its environmental impact. It has no natural enemies here. It is a threat to native plants and animals because it monopolizes moisture, nutrients, soil and space. Its leaves that can be about 5 inches big stop the sunlight from getting to low native plants. It harms fungi that native trees and plants require for proper growth. Butterfly eggs laid on the plant will not hatch because of a toxic chemical in its leaves. Deer and other animals will not eat it but will trample it while rummaging for other food thereby spreading its seeds.
However - to humans early spring garlic mustard is a tasty treat. Therefore on Saturday, April 25, the Dundee Township Park District is sponsoring a "Garlic Mustard Harvest" volunteer work day. Organizer Kath Ellinghausen promises that it is very easy to pull and the roots come cleanly out of the ground. Gloves are encouraged if you don't want your hands to smell like garlic for the rest of the day. Volunteers will meet at the Route 31 entrance to Raceway Woods at 9 a.m. and the harvest will continue until noon. The person who bags the most garlic mustard will win a prize and there will be free garlic mustard cookbooks for all volunteers. Refreshments will also be provided. For information call Kath at (847) 551-4310.
Pancake breakfast: If garlic mustard doesn't suit your palate, everyone loves pancakes. The Dundee Township Lions Club will be holding its Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, April 26 at the Dundee Highlands Elementary School, 407 S. Fifth St. in West Dundee. This tasty breakfast is a real bargain costing a mere $6 for adults and $4 for children. Youngsters aged 3 and under eat free.
When you support the Lions Club Breakfast, you are really having your cake and eating it too. By eating the wonderful scrambled eggs, sausages, biscuits and gravy and pancakes and enjoying the juices, coffee and milk you are helping the Lions provide so many good services to our community. Since the beginning of the 20th century when Helen Keller started them in their goal of providing vision health, they expanded their efforts nationally to include hearing screenings. Locally, they sponsor middle school basketball contests, a Christmas tree competition during Dickens in Dundee, and give generously to many local nonprofit agencies. We are very lucky to have this humanitarian club in Dundee Township.