O’Fallon Around Town - April 27 edition
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Noon Friday, April 28 is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Submissions will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.
Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: O’Fallon Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.
Thursday, April 27
▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness: Family Support Group — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. These support meetings are for family members, significant others and/or friends of persons with a mental health condition. Facilitators: Pat Rudloff and Beverly Churchill. Held the fourth Thursday of the month. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.
▪ Shoe Collection Drive Fundraiser — Through Saturday, May 6. Papa Wally’s Produce, 138 Seibert Road, Shiloh. Fundraising for 4 Paws for Ability Autism Assistance Dog for 22-month-old Tucker. How to help: Donate new or gently worn shoes (mens, womens, or kids—no cleats, please) at Papa Wally’s Produce. Pick up can be arranged for group donations. The goal is to collect 100 bags of shoes to raise funds to help cover fees for a service dog for Tucker. For more info: facebook.com/4paws4tucker.
Thursday, April 27 thru Monday, May 1
▪ Friends of the O’Fallon Public Library annual Book Sale — 9 a.m to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 28, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 29, 1-5 p.m. Sunday, April 30, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, May 1. O’Fallon Public Library, 120 Civic Plaza, O’Fallon. Featuring thousands of books, sorted fiction and nonfiction, young adult, children, DVD, CD, vinyl records, audio books, puzzles, games, special items. All proceeds go to Friends of the O’Fallon Public Library. Accepting cash, check and credit cards. Free admission. ofpl.info/booksale
Friday, April 28
▪ O’Fallon K of C Fish Fry — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Knights of Columbus Hall, 402 E. U.S. 50, O’Fallon. Traditional menu of cod, tilapia, catfish, hamburgers, hot dogs, pork steaks and several side dishes. Dine-in and carryout. Credit cards accepted. Orders can be called in at 618-632-6229. facebook.com/KnightsOfColumbus4239
▪ KC Club and Event Center Fish Fry — 3-7 p.m. 5420 Old Collinsville Road, O’Fallon. Catfish plates, cod plates, barbecue chicken, fries, cole slaw, hush puppies, baked beans, potato salad. Dine in or carryout and drink specials. facebook.com/KCClubEastStLouis
▪ Shiloh Eagles Fish Fry — 5-7 p.m. Shiloh Eagles 545, 100 Eagle Drive, Shiloh. Cod, walleye, catfish, shrimp and sides. Full menu. Dine-in or carryout available. For carryout, call 618-624-5412. facebook.com/shiloheagles545
Friday, April 28 thru Friday, July 21
▪ ‘The Life & Art of Charles M. Schulz’ — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays from April 28 to July 21. Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, St. Louis. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts Gang at the Field House Museum in the traveling exhibit, “Life & Art of Charles M. Schulz.” Explore Schulz’s personal history and his role as the sole inspiration and artistic talent behind Peanuts and its unique cast of characters. Follow Schulz from his Minnesota roots to his life in California and tracks the development of the characters that make up the unique world of Peanuts from comic strips and Schulz quotes to photographs that illuminate the story behind the creation of this most popular and influential cartoon strip. fieldhousemuseum.org
Saturday, April 29
▪ Yorktown Golf Course Bob Goalby Junior Golf Classic — 8 a.m. Saturday, April 29. Yorktown Golf Course, 300 Goalby Drive, Shiloh. Boys and girls divisions, 18- and 9-hold divisions, four age divisions. Medal prizes to top 10 individuals in each division. Free entry tol golfers age 16 and older who volunteered at the Village of Shiloh Carnival on April 22. To register: https://forms.gle/FFEZ7C7JBparRuUUA.
▪ St. Clair County Garden Club Spring Plant Sale — 8:30-11:30 a.m. In front of Wild Birds Unlimited, 2657 N. Illinois St., Swansea. Some annuals, mostly perennials. These plants have been grown by the club’s members, so usually do well in local gardens. There will be three varieties of milkweed for monarch butterflies, as well as hostas, irises, daylilies, phlox, small shrubs, geraniums, herbs and some surprises waiting to bloom.
▪ Caffeine and Chrome — 9 a.m. to noon. Gateway Classic Cars, 1237 Central Park Drive #1, O’Fallon. Cruise in with your collectible car or daily driver and bring your appetite. Indulge in pastries and coffee* (while supplies last). All makes and models are welcome, with plenty of parking space. This is a family and pet friendly event. Free and open to the public. facebook.com/events/1467388670415073
Saturday, April 29 & Sunday, April 30
▪ St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: ‘The Rite of Spring’ — 8 p.m. Saturday, April 29, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 30. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. Stéphane Denève explores the crossroads of human, spirit and nature. Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Apu” recounts mischievous spirits from Andean Perú and Stravinsky’s primally rhythmic “Rite” ends with a sacrifice. Pianist Piotr Anderszewski, known for adding “infectious, rhythmic vitality to his playing” (The New York Times), returns for Bartók’s Third Piano Concerto. slso.org
Sunday, April 30
▪ Masterworks Chorale and Orchestra: A Schubert Spring — 3 p.m. St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 1411 Cross St., O’Fallon. Featuring the music of Franz Schubert with Stella Markou, guest soprano. For ticket info, visit singmasterworks.org.
Monday, May 1 thru Monday, May 15
▪ Empty the Shelters Adoption Event — May 1-15 at multiple area shelters. BISSELL Pet Foundation is helping homeless pets go from shelter kennels to the couches of loving homes by sponsoring reduced adoption fees of $50 or less during its Spring National “Empty the Shelters” adoption event. From May 1-15, BISSELL Pet Foundation is teaming up with Dogtopia to host our largest “Empty the Shelters” event yet, with more than 350 participating shelters in 45 states, including St. Clair County Animal Adoption Center in Belleville and Partners For Pets in Troy. To see the full list of participating locations, visit bissellpetfoundation.org.
Wednesday, May 3
▪ O’Fallon Sunrise Rotary Meeting — 6:45 a.m. O’Fallon Township Building, 801 E. State St., O’Fallon. 618-210-8156 or ofallonsunriserotary.org.
▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group — 6:30-8 p.m. Online via Zoom. Free peer-to-peer support group for adults with a mental health condition working towards recovery. Every Wednesday. Open the Zoom app and enter 3914844542. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.
Thursday, May 4
▪ St. Clair County Genealogical Society — 7 p.m. Online via Zoom. Program: “Exploring Croatian Genealogy and Investigating Your Croatian Roots.” St. Clair County native Michelle Petroff discusses research in Eastern Europe, particularly her ancestral homeland Croatia, including history and language barriers, work-arounds and resources she used in researching family who immigrated from both Croatia and Macedonia. The meeting is open to the public, but space is limited. Reservation information: stclair-ilgs.org/events or facebook.com/STCCGSIL.
Other area happenings
▪ 16th annual QFest St. Louis — May 4-10. Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis. QFest St. Louis uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture. The event will excite, entertain, and enlighten audiences of all identities. This year marks the 16th anniversary of QFest. The fest, which largely features films that would not otherwise screen in St. Louis, is presented by Cinema St. Louis (CSL), organizers of the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF). This year’s QFest features 26 films from 9 countries (Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Morocco, Spain, U.K., and U.S.), including eight narrative features, two documentary features, 15 narrative shorts, and one documentary short. For more info and the full schedule, visit cinemastlouis.org/qfest.
▪ 32nd Women of Distinction Celebration — 6 p.m. Thursday, May 4. Julia’s Banquet Center, 101 Eastgate Plaza, East Alton. Doors open at 5 p.m. The event will feature Rachelle Aud Crowe, US Attorney as the Emcee and Keynote speaker. The 2023 Honorees include Felicia Alexander, Erin Bickle, Lisa Brown, Creola Davis, Christine M. Favilla, Bonnie Hindelang, Dr. Dorothy Mosby, Dr. Ameera Nauman, Stephanie Schrage and Maura Wuellner. Tickets are $65 per person or $520 per table of eight. Reservations can be made online at altonywca.com or by calling 618-465-7774. Reservation deadline is Thursday, April 27. All proceeds from the celebration support YWCA mission related programs including Child Enrichment, Girls Circle, Boys Council, Riverbend Reading Club, Community Tutoring, Racial/Social Justice, and women’s economic advancement and empowerment.
▪ HSHS St. Elizabeth’s 2023 Injury Free Running Clinic — 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 22. McKendree Metro Rec Plex, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Outpatient Therapy Clinic, 209 Rec Plex Drive, O’Fallon. This free clinic educates current runners and those wishing to start on how to run safely and improve performance. Space is limited. To register, visit hshs.org/StElizabeths/Events or call 618-624-3668.
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HSHS Medical Group Welcomes Ricki Loar, PhD, APRN, Hand Surgery
HSHS Medical Group is pleased to welcome Ricki Loar, PhD, APRN, to our medical team. Loar sees hand surgery patients at HSHS Medical Group Orthopedic & Sports Medicine - O’Fallon, located at 670 Pierce Blvd., Suite 200, in O’Fallon.
Loar is a skilled advanced practice registered nurse offering patient-first care alongside Hand Surgeon Andres Lerner, MD. She will provide conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, tendonitis, osteoarthritis and other hand conditions.
Loar earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing at Rush University in Chicago. She received post-master’s certificates as a family nurse practitioner and gerontological nurse practitioner from University of Illinois at Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Loar also has a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Champaign.
“I am very much looking forward to working in orthopedics—and especially hand surgery, because I am able to work with patients to help them reach their goals by decreasing pain and increasing function,” Loar said. “This helps them regain important parts of their lives that they may have lost due to disability and/or pain.”
For an appointment with Loar, please talk to your primary care physician about a referral to hand surgery or call 618-206-2094.
To learn more about Loar and other HSHS Medical Group specialists, visit HSHSMedicalGroup.org.
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World of Authors Celebrates Ribbon-Cutting, Grand Opening
World of Authors, Writer’s Enrichment Center located at 3 Eagle Center, Suite 2 in O’Fallon held their Grand Opening Tuesday, April 11. The O’Fallon-Shiloh Chamber of Commerce kicked off the event with a Ribbon-Cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
“I am incredibly excited about the many opportunities The World of Authors – Writer’s Enrichment Center has been presented. We recognize the enduring needs of those in our community who have sought mentorship and support as they have worked toward achieving their dreams of becoming published authors,” said President and Founder Reginald “Reggie” Harwell.
Harwell has a lifelong dream of empowering writers to enhance their skills and publish the books hidden inside them. The local business offers a variety of services including one-on-one and group coaching; in-person and online academic course offerings ranging from basic writing to advanced author and publishing topics; Writer-in-You monthly social gatherings, The Writer’s Den Membership; and much more. In addition, the organization sponsors a competitive poetry slam the third Wednesday of each month.
Harwell has a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Writing and is a retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant with 27 years of active-duty experience. He and Stephanie, his wife of 42 years, have two adult children and one beloved granddaughter.
For more information call 618-589-3488 or visit www.worldofauthors.com.
