ELGIN COUNCIL MEMBER COMPLETES FELLOWS PROGRAM
Elgin City Council member Diana Alfaro is one of 41 people who took part in the Edgar Fellows Program, an executive leadership seminar held Aug. 2-6 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“Effective leadership requires us to look beyond our own experiences, ask questions and learn what is working in other communities,” Alfaro said in a news release. “The Edgar Fellows Program was a valuable opportunity to do that alongside leaders from across Illinois and to bring those lessons and relationships back to our community.”
The program was established in 2012 and designed by late Gov. Jim Edgar. The recent session was led by Ray LaHood, a former Congressman and U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and brought together elected and appointed officials, nonprofit and labor leaders, and others who influence public policy.
Among the current Elgin City Council members who have also completed the program are Tish Powell, who did it in 2013, and Anthony Ortiz in 2025.
For more information, go to edgarfellow.com.
SIDE STREET HOLDING DRAG SHOW SATURDAY NIGHT
Linda the Lunch Lady will host “Drag Me to Elgin” from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin.
The evening will be a drag show “packed with big hair, high glamour, runway-worthy looks and unapologetic drag magic,” according to the Side Street Studio Arts website.
Admission is a $20 or a pay-what-you-can donation and open to anyone 18 and older. For tickets and more information, go to www.sidestreetstudioarts.org/event-details/drag-me-to-elgin-august.
DOWNTOWN EAST DUNDEE PARKING DECK MURAL DONE
Artist Karl Jahnke, of Crystal Lake, recently completed a mural covering the upper level wall of the East Dundee downtown parking deck.
Commissioned by the East Dundee Arts Council, the mural cost $10,760 for labor and materials, according to East Dundee Management Analyst Caleb Haydock.
Jahnke’s work features four panels depicting realistic images of local wildlife, including geese, raccoons, a fox and an owl. Haydock said the piece will be among the public art installations throughout the village featured in the Conservation Foundation’s Art of the Fox initiative, a walk planned for Saturday, Oct. 10.
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ELGIN PLANS TO REPAINT 2,500 FIRE HYDRANTS IN 2026
The Elgin Water Department is in the process of repainting about 2,500 of the city’s fire hydrants this year.
Workers are removing old paint and rust before applying a white primer and then a final coat of orange paint, according to a social media post.
This is the first year in a multiyear project in which about 6,800 hydrants will eventually be repainted. The work is needed to prevent corrosion, extend the life of hydrants and ensure they’re easy for firefighters to see, according to the post.
For more information about this program, call 847-931-6150.