Neighbors

ST. CHARLES – The St. Charles East Dancing Saints group is hosting its annual summer dance workshop from 6-8 p.m. June 11-15 at the STC East Sports Center. All dancers entering first through eighth grades are invited to attend.

MENDOTA – American Banker Magazine recently recognized the top 200 community banks and thrifts as ranked by three-year return on equity. First State Bank, a subsidiary of Tri-County Financial Group, was ranked third in the nation. Return on equity is the amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity. Return on equity measures a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. 

Cpl. Neil O. Garity receives a non-commissioned officer sword aboard the USS Pearl Harbor on May 1 after completing formal, non-commissioned officer leadership training. The 23-year-old hails from Geneva and serves as a mortarman for Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 3/1. The team is the ground combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, currently a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force. The group is providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

It’s almost Mother’s Day so it might be fitting – but not altogether proper – to brag about one’s wonderful grandchildren.

ST. CHARLES – Healing Gardens, a two-acre expanse of woodland and perennial gardens on Stone Hill Farm off Dean Street in St. Charles, will host its annual perennial sale from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

GENEVA – Nearly 150 fifth-graders and 50 teens from the Geneva area joined Chad Markuson, a 2003 GHS graduate and president of LawnBOYZ, to complete a landscaping project three years in the making.

Thirteen young people were received into the membership of the St. Charles Congregational United Church of Christ on Confirmation Sunday, which was on May 6. The kids who have attended confirmation classes for the past year with the Rev. Suzy Daly planned the morning worship service and shared what their year in confirmation has meant to them. Daly and the Rev. John Rodgers officiated in the Act of Confirmation, assisted by Kathy Brens and Dave Beckman. Those confirmed were Nicole Amstadt, Olivia Englert, Alex Fortcamp, Tessa Giamberdino, Lissy Holbrook, Aleah Molitor, Morgan Mroz, Morgan Rerko, MacKenzie Smith, Corrin Stines, Colin Turner, Jamice Webster and Brock Wodrich.

Laurie Milbourn (from left), owner of Going To My Happy Place Yoga and organizer of the Business Bee Fest in St. Charles, helped gather 31 local businesses to network at The Beehive, 204 W. Main St. Also pictured are Mark Richards, Sue Klinkhamer and Bill Conner. “The Blues Brothers Business Bee Fest 2012 was fun, interesting, productive and attracted quite a crowd,” Milbourn said in a news release. “[More than] 250 business-minded people flocked to the fest for plenty of power networking, social interaction, food and fun.”

Geneva High School recently announced their April students of the month. They are freshman Kristian Moravec (from left), sophomore Reid Plinske, junior Victoria Conlon, freshman Pace Temple, sophomore Emma Pappas, sophomore Joseph Boenzi, senior Matthew Abern, freshman Mark Lamb. Senior Drew Carberry is not pictured.

The Azalea flower’s macro is shown in this picture taken on Sylvia Kaufmann’s Elburn property. She said in an email that her Azalea flowers turned out magnificent.

St. Charles residents share stories of random acts of kindness during DrivingtheMidwest.com and ePIFanyNow’s Kindness Quest on April 28 Fox Valley Buick GMC, 1421 E. Main St., in St. Charles. In an effort to drive positive change in the community, participants “passed it forward” by visiting the elderly, planting and delivering flowers and bringing pizza to the local fire stations.

Looking for a local family that continues to help others and build international understanding? Take a look at the Adams family in St. Charles.