Brewers in St. Charles create collaboration beer to aid non-profit that helps students

Brewers in St. Charles create collaboration beer to aid non-profit that helps students

The third annual collaborative beer created by the six breweries in St. Charles will be launched soon, with a portion of sales going to help a group which aids students in St. Charles School District 303.

The STC Six group producing the beer is made up of all six St. Charles breweries: 93 Octane Brewery, Alter Brewing + Kitchen, Broken Brix Fermentation Emporium, D&G Brewing, Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling, and Riverlands Brewing.

A celebration of the launch of the beer will be held starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, at Alter Brewing + Kitchen, 12 S. First St. in St. Charles.

Riverlands Brewing’s head brewer and co-founder Eric Bramwell said the style of beer that was created for this year’s STC Six beer is a California common, or “steam beer,” which ferments with lager yeast at warmer temperatures, according to a press release about the new beer. “One of the only truly American indigenous styles of beer as it was created in San Francisco.”

One dollar from every sale of the STC Six collaborative beer and its limited-edition glassware will go towards STC L.E.A.R.N., a local non-profit that partners with District 303 students and families to access equal learning and academic opportunities.

For more information on the STC Six beer collaboration, go to www.stcsix.com.

Pop-up markets to be held at Aurora pantry

A series of four Saturday pop-up markets will be held in the Marie Wilkinson Pantry Urban Farm and Gardens at 835 N. Highland Ave. in Aurora beginning June 15.

The gardens will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 15 and 29 and July 13 and 27. Guests will be invited to shop from a variety of local vendors and enjoy a cooking class, and activities for children will be available, pantry officials said.

Admission to the markets is free. The first 50 attending families will also have a chance to win a door prize, according to officials.

Each market will feature a plant-based cooking demonstration from 11 a.m. to noon in Marie’s Garden Kitchen. Classes featuring fresh garden herbs and seasonal ingredients will be led by guest teachers nutritionist Deepa Deshmukh and dietetics student Julia Rudnicki. To register for a seat at the demonstrations go to mwfoodpantry.org.

Each Saturday market will have a theme: June 15 is “Exploring Marie’s Garden: Herbs, Edible Flowers, Spring Veggies,”
June 29 is “Women’s Health: Period Product Giveaway, CUPS Bra Drive,” July 13 is “Container Gardening: University of Illinois Extension” and July 27 is “Back to School Fun in the Garden.”

Vendor and sponsor opportunities are available for July market dates. For information, contact Cynthia Gamboa at 630-897-5431 or email cgamboa@mwfoodpantry.org.

Circuit Clerk’s Office has new Aurora service

The Kane County Circuit Clerk’s Office has announced the opening of a new full-service window at the Aurora Branch Court at 1200 E. Indian Trail Road, within the Aurora Police Department headquarters.

Circuit Clerk Theresa Barreiro said the new location aims to provide enhanced convenience and customer service to the public. While the office continues to utilize the newer E-File system for many criminal proceedings and civil or family cases, the addition of the full-service window ensures that the office can meet a wide range of customer needs, officials said.

The window will be open weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. unless otherwise posted and will be closed from noon to 12:30 p.m. weekdays for lunch.

Tours offered of Yorkville Christian Middle School

Yorkville Christian School is inviting parents to explore Yorkville Christian Middle School during three upcoming events.

During the sessions, participants can tour the school in Yorkville and ask questions of Director of Enrollment Tim Schnyders.

School officials said parents can get information about sixth through eighth grades at the school for the 2024-25 school year, including spiritual growth, curriculum and electives, available sports and clubs, tuition assistance and more.

The events will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, June 12 and 26 and July 17.

To register to attend a session, go to https://yorkvillechristian.com/inquiry/. Walk-ins will also be welcome, officials said.

Geology program set at library

Geologist and paleontologist Jason Rehorst will talk about the science of geology and the hobby of rock collecting during a program at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles.

Attendees will be able to examine and handle various fossils and minerals during the program, library officials said.

During June and July, the Virtual Museum of Geology’s traveling display will be hosted at the library in the lobby display cases. The display consists of a selection of geological specimens and gives viewers a further understanding of mineral varieties and the creation of fossils, library officials said.

To register for the upcoming geology program, call 630-584-0076 or go to scpld.libnet.info/event/10224403.

‘Skeleton Secrets’ topic of class

What can bones tell us about the animal that left them behind? Quite a bit, according to the Kane County Forest Preserve District.

The district will explore the issue during “EcoLab: Skeleton Secrets,” from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 13, at the Barbara Belding Lodge in Brewster Creek Forest Preserve at 6N921 Route 25 in St. Charles.

During the hands-on program, class members will examine numerous bones from a variety of species found in Kane County, district officials said.

The program is for those 10 years old and older. The registration fee is $5. Advance registration is required for the session. To register, go to www.kaneforest.com/register, call 630-444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com.

To see a full roster of Forest Preserve District of Kane County programs, go to www.kaneforest.com or find the district on social media by searching @forestpreserve.

Free HIV testing to be offered

In honor of National HIV Testing Day, Open Door Health Center of Illinois is teaming up with Walgreens to provide free HIV and STD testing from noon to 6 p.m. June 27 at Walgreens at 9 N. Union St. in Aurora.

Staff from Open Door Health Center of Illinois will be at the site to provide free, private and confidential HIV testing, according to a press release about the event.

“Open Door has been part of the National HIV Testing Day for over 20 years,” said Perry Maier, executive director of Open Door Health Center of Illinois, in the release. “Getting tested is important so people will know their status and can make better decisions on their health care needs. Getting engaged into care earlier increases better health outcomes.”

For more information on Open Door Health Center of Illinois, go to https://odhcil.org/.