❤️ A week of kindness and community

For the past seven years, Random Acts Matter has spearheaded Random Acts of Kindness Week as a way to mobilize the community around their mission.

The St. Charles nonprofit’s mission is pretty simple: fostering care and compassion in the community — no strings attached.

This year’s Random Acts of Kindness Week kicks off today and runs through Sunday.

The way I understand it, this week is less about RAM supporting the community and more about connecting members of the community so they can support each other. RAM’s just leading by example.

And while the organization is based in St. Charles, there’s nothing to stop folks from Geneva, Batavia or other local communities from participating. In fact, I’m sure they’d welcome it.

How to participate

Here’s an overview of some of the activities planned for this week:

• Today: Start things off by sharing a treat bag and a nice note with someone.

• Tuesday: Volunteer with the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva.

• Wednesday: Do something extra special for a local business.

• Thursday: Bring treats to the STC Fire Department, Lazarus House and other local organizations — or donate to a veterans food drive.

• Friday: Deliver notes of kindness to seniors.

• Saturday: Provide breakfast at Lazarus House then head to the Kindness Rocks party at Pollyanna Brewing.

• Sunday: Random acts at local parks and churches.

You can learn more about what RAM is all about — and how to get involved or support the organization — on their website.

♻️ Thursday’s most popular links

☑️ Restaurant month: Batavia launching ‘Shiver By the River’ dining/drinking promotion

☑️ West suburban hospitality: Geneva ranked as one of the most hospitable towns in Illinois

📰 News to use

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🔒 Sounds of Batavia: A local business owner launched Area Code: Batavia, a new podcast exploring what it means to be a part of the Batavia community. Listen to the first episode featuring the owners of Limestone Coffee.

🔒 Decision time: St. Charles School Board members will vote tonight on enrollment zone boundary changes for middle and high schools (and continue to discuss elementary zones).

☑️ White House visit: Kane County Board Chairman Corinne Pierog and other Midwest leaders converged in Washington, DC for a forum on local projects and community investment.

☑️ Key voting info: Early voting for the March Primary is underway in Kane County. Here’s what you should know about casting a ballot.

☑️ Machine non-issue: After some voters voiced concerns about early voting machines, a county investigation concluded that those complaints were misguided.

🔒 “You don’t have the authority”: Elburn officials were ready to enact stricter distracted driving laws until a Kane County Circuit Clerk stopped them in their tracks.

🔒 Local politics: U.S. Rep Bill Foster is in a fundraising fight with his challenger in the 11th District Democratic primary; plus Republican candidates are jostling for position in their primary.

☑️ PD drama: Campton Hills’ police chief ended his tenure with a two-sentence email on Jan. 22. In connection with an investigation into the former chief, the city also paid more than $18K for a police evidence audit.

🏘️ In the community

☑️ Now open: Head to the Geneva History Museum’s new exhibition "Saving Fabyan's Legacy: The Darlene Larson Story" to explore the life of the woman who preserved and beautified the famous local estate.

☑️ Batavia parking restrictions: Starting 2/15, parking won’t be allowed on the north side of Cleveland Avenue from Branford Avenue to Prairie Street as part of the Prairie/Wilson intersection project.

🔒 Plan primer: A public meeting in Geneva last week gave residents an inside look at the county’s draft climate action plan — eliciting mixed reviews among those who attended.

☑️ Renovation plans: St. Charles will use a state grant to fund court and field improvements plus other amenity upgrades at East Side Sports Complex.

☑️ Basking in nature: Think the kids might benefit from some time in the great outdoors? Registration is now open for summer 2024 Kane County Forest Preserve summer camps.

☑️ Expanding the canopy: Batavians looking to add new life to their yards should take advantage of the city’s 50/50 parkway tree cost-sharing program, which is now open for spring.

🎸 Live music 

As of now, we’ve got 45 performances lined up for the week. I’ll try to keep an eye out for late additions and get the page updated throughout the week.

This week includes a couple of special Valentine-related weekday performances as well as a rare show at Crosstown Pub in Batavia on Saturday — plus TWO weekend performances at Hunt House Creative Arts Center in St. Charles.

🏬 Local biz

☑️ New Geneva salon: Located on 3rd Street, On Point Nails is women-owned and focused on providing a safe, clean, luxurious and professional salon experience.

☑️ Celebrating V-Day: Myriad St. Charles’ shops and establishments are offering holiday sales and specials this week.

🔒 Booze tax hike? Al Buchanan, owner of Geneva Wine Cellars and Tasting Room, was quoted in a Daily Herald article about the recent decline in state liquor tax revenues.

🗓️ Events + things to do

🎟️ Valentine’s Day Skate Party | Tuesday | Funway Batavia | Celebrate the occasion with skating, dinner, bowling and arcade games.

🎟️ Strike of Love | Wednesday | Emagine Batavia | Snag a special date night package for unlimited interactive bowling a sweetheart snack bundle.

🎟️ The Desk Set | Fri-Sat-Sun | Albright Theatre, Batavia | Catch a performance of this quirky office-themed comedy on Friday or Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon.

🎟️ UW Varsity Band | Friday, 7-8:30PM | Norris Cultural Arts Center, STC | A thrilling evening of music performed by one of America’s premier collegiate bands – the University of Wisconsin Varsity Badger Band.

🎟️ Midnight at the Masquerade Murder Mystery Dinner | Friday, 6:30PM | Northwestern Medicine Field, Geneva | An elegant evening of mystery, intrigue and Mardi Gras style food and drinks in a suite at the Cougars’ ballpark.

☑️ Small Business Expo | Saturday, 10AM-3PM | Kane County Fairgrounds | Explore a variety of local business vendor booths and make community connections at this St. Charles Chamber event.

🎟️ Living with Wildlife | Saturday, 10-11:30AM | Creek Bend Nature Center, STC | A rep from Anderson Humane Wildlife Center will share animal encounter experiences and guidance on how to treat injured or orphaned animals. Registration required.

🎟️ Any Suggestions Improv | Saturday, 7:30PM | Steel Beam Theatre, STC | An improvisational comedy troupe will put on a love- and romance-themed performance.

🗞️ Un-classifieds

☑️ Local home sales: Residential property sales for the week ending Feb. 3 included six in Batavia, four in Geneva and six in St. Charles.

☑️ Pickleball news: Resident registration for April round-robin pickleball leagues in St. Charles starts today.

☑️ Convenient disposal: We’ve just learned that Batavia offers a household hazardous waste collection service to its residents.

☑️ LIHEAP: Did you know there’s a federal program that can help qualifying local families reduce their electricity bills?

🌖 Weather snapshot

☀️ Today: High 45F | Low 25F | Gorgeous

🌤️ Tuesday: High 39F | Low 26F | Loving the sun

🌥️ Wednesday: High 47F | Low 32F | Cloudy but warm

🌧️ Thursday: High 43F | Low 24F | Sloppy mix

📖 Thanks for reading

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