What started out many years ago as a small unnamed and unofficial picnic for the faithful of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in DeKalb, has over the years experienced great growth and popularity and is now a major annual community event in the DeKalb Sycamore area. It is now known simply as Greek Fest.

The two day festival features authentic Geek food, lively Greek and American music,  dance performances by the Chicago based Ellas Dance Troupe which will be performing on Saturday at 1:00, 3:00 and 6:00 for your entertainment pleasure. They will perform dances popular from the different islands of Greece and made famous by the motion picture movie Zorba the Greek. You will not want to miss this! There will also be games for the kids, a Greek grocery store and commercial vendor booths and arts & crafts for your shopping pleasure.

The menu for the festival definitely has something for everyone’s appetite and includes some of the all time favorite authentic Greek dishes including Grecian style chicken, Slovakia (Shish Ka Bob), Lamb, Gyros, Pasticho (delicious Greek style lasagna), Spanakoptia, (chopped spinach, feta cheese and spices baked in phyllo dough), Greek salad and the ever popular combination platter as well as Saganaki (flaming Greek cheese), the best appetizer. OPA! Most of the food is prepared by the areas Greek owned restaurants using receipts brought over from Greece that have been passed down through generations.

Pastries galore! You will find a large selection of fresh homemade irresistible pastries for you to select from to compliment your dinner. These delicious desserts are handmade by the ladies of the church, including the ultimate Greek pastry Baklava (layered phyllo dough with ground nuts, cinnamon and dribbled with honey), as well as, Galaktobouriko (honey drenched custard in flakey phyllo dough), Koulourakia (the best Greek dunking cookie ever), Kourambiedes (melt away rich cookies covered with powered sugar), Melomacarona (a moderately spiced cookie hand dipped in honey), Diples (spiral flaky pastry dipped in honey and sprinkled with finely chopped walnuts) and the ever so popular Loukoumades (hot, freshly make, honey puffs topped with warm honey and cinnamon).

The Greek grocery store has been expanded on again this year. A number of popular items in demand have been added including, Feta Cheese, Greek Olives, Virgin olive oil, Greek coffee, Greek spices for cooking.

Don’t forget –  this is an affordable family event for the whole community that is free and open to the public. In the event of inclement weather all food and pastries will be available for drive up pick up at the shelter house.

Greek Fest 2012 dates this year are Saturday, June 23^rd Sunday, June 24^th from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will once again be held at Hopkins Park in DeKalb. We hope to see you there.

It’s sure to be a Hellenic of a good time!

Merlin Two Hundred Thousand Mile Shops and Stitch N’ Pitch are helping raise awareness and donations for the thousands of children served by Children’s Home + Aid. Stitch N’ Pitch and the Chicago White Sox will host “Stitch N’ Pitch fans” who love needlearts at a special White Sox baseball game. Don’t miss this quirky and fun event!

It’s the Stitch N’ Pitch baseball game with the Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field on Saturday, June 2^nd.

Tickets are $35 and order forms are at Merlin Two Hundred Thousand Mile Shops or at merlins dot com. If you can’t attend the game and would like to help, Merlin has two ways:

Visit the STITCH N’ PITCH WALL at merlins dot com. Donate one dollar and place with your name on the wall .

Service your car at Merlin on Wednesday, May 23^rd and up to $50 of your purchase will go to Children’s Home + Aid.

Since 1883, Children’s Home and Aid has been saving children’s lives and helping families. Each year they provide nearly forty thousand Illinois children and families help, hope, and opportunity.

Merlin.  Helping you, and the children served by Children’s Home and Aid go farther.

To learn more about Merlin or Children’s Home + Aid, please visit merlins.com or www.childrenshomeandaid.org.

The answer is: [C] 3,000

LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE CHAIN COLLECTS 15,000 POUNDS OF WARM WINTER GEAR FOR LOCAL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Children and families located in Illinois recently received warm winter gear just in time for the cold weather.  The clothing was donated by local area residents to the Snug Hugs for Kids clothing drive, sponsored by Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops and benefitted their charity partner, Children’s Home + Aid.  This was the 21^st year that the Snug Hugs for Kids clothing drive was conducted.  More than 30 Merlin courtesy vans and a large delivery truck, formed a caravan at the Merlin shop in Hanover Park and traveled to the Children Home + Aid Mitzi Freidheim Englewood Child and Family Center in Chicago to deliver the clothes.

Clothing was also delivered to additional Children’s Home + Aid Centers and affiliates:

• Tom Thumb Child Care Center in Carpentersville, Illinois
• Rice Child + Family Center in Evanston, Illinois
• Marletta Darnall Child + Family Center in Schaumburg, Illinois
• Community Child Care Center in Palatine, Illinois
• Children’s Home + Aid Western Avenue Center in Chicago, Illinois5946
• Children’s Center/Children’s Foundation in Bloomington, Illinois
• Chicago Youth Center Rebecca Crown & Chicago Educare Center

Two additional programs that were also conducted to support the collection effort of Snug Hugs for Kids brought in significant donations as follow:

1. The Crochet & Knit-A-Thon™ gathered more than 4,000 handcrafted items from volunteers located across the country who knit and crochet.
2. The Kids Helping Kids program encouraged girl and boy scouts troops to gather donations in pursuit of a collectible badge.

To learn more about Merlin or Children’s Home + Aid, please visit www.merlins.com or www.childrenshomeandaid.org.

The answer is:  [C] 1944

Most of us take a warm winter coat, hat, or gloves for granted, but that’s simply not true for thousands of Illinois children.  Please help Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops with their Snug Hugs for Kids™ winter clothing drive by donating new and like-new winter gear to benefit the children served by Children’s Home + Aid  (childrenshomeandaid.org/).

Items needed most include coats, hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters, and boots for children aged newborn to 18 years old. You can drop these items off at your local Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop from November 1 through December 6, 2011. 

Two additional Snug Hugs for Kids™ support programs are also taking place to assist in the collection of winter outerwear.

1.    The Kids Helping Kids program encourages Girl and Boy Scout troops and youth groups to collect and earn an embroidered badge for their efforts.  Registration forms can be printed at www.merlins.com/news.php.

2.    The Crochet & Knit-A-Thon encourages talented individuals who knit and crochet to handcraft items for the children.  Participants can register for the program at www.childrenshomeandaid.org/snughugs.

For more information, please visit www.merlins.com/news.php

The answer is:  Linda Hamilton. In 1985 Hamilton was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actress for “The Terminator”, in 1992 she won for “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”. She received special weapons training from former Israeli commando Uzi Gal before making “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”.

The answer is:  Barbara Turner. Turner is also the mother of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh.

a. 18 years
b. 78 years
c. 163 years
d. 275 years

And the answer is….

d. 275 years.

At 275 years, Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Central Market is the oldest U.S. market still in operation. When Andrew and James Hamilton laid out the town in 1730, they designed a 120 foot square lot in the center of town to be a public market.

Central Market is home to stands that have been owned and operated by the same families for many, many generations. The Stoner Family’s vegetable stand has been there the longest — well over 100 years.

You may be a survivor and in various stages of recovery or remission. You may be a caregiver, family member or a friend of someone affected by cancer.

Cancer was once considered a deadly, incurable disease. For many, cancer is now survivable and curable. Still, it is the second leading cause of death in the United States.

DeKalb County has several wonderful events that help raise awareness as well as funds for cancer research. Ladies Night Out in downtown Sycamore on June 9th draws large crowds — dress in pink! Relay for Life is another annual event (held this year, June 17th and 18th).

Make plans to attend and enjoy these events.We all can help make a difference.

Staff from New Values Magazine were there too, handing out the latest copies of our magazine, selling Kites Over Sycamore t-shirts and taking entries for our drawing of either a free Kites Over Sycamore t-shirt or a $25 gift certificate to Kar-Fre Flowers.

Dozens entered the drawing and the winners are….

Christy Oehlert as the winner of the free t-shirt and Marlo Oostmeyer as the winner of the Kar-Fre Flowers gift certificate!

Look for New Values Magazine at more upcoming events, including the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours at Amber Pines Banquet Center in Sycamore on Tuesday, May 10th from 5 to 7 pm.

Sunday, May 1st is the day, from 2 pm to 10 pm on Bill Johnson Boulevard, behind Taxco Restaurant.

Here are few of the upcoming classes and events at our hospital and other facilities — look for more of these listed in the coming months over on the Upcoming Events part of this blog, or visit www.KishHospital.org for a comprehensive list.

Resources for Women
Kish Hospital has developed a new website that brings together many of the health topics important to women all in one place. The website also includes action steps and tips to start on the path towards a healthier life; visit www.kishforthegirls.org.

Free Blood Pressure Clinics
A Kishwaukee Hospital community wellness nurse educator will monitor your blood pressure weekly. You receive blood pressure information and a tracking card.
No appointment is necessary.

• Every Monday, 10am-1pm at Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb
• Every Wednesday, 9-11am at KishHealth Family & Specialty Care in Genoa (599 Pearson Drive)
• Every Thursday, 9-11am at KishHealth Family & Specialty Care in Waterman (10003 US Route 30)

Manage Pain with Healthy Habits
Does persistent pain affect your life? Join Karen Rouse, Director of Outpatient Clinics along with a registered dietitian and a licensed physical therapist as they discuss how diet changes, coping skills and simple exercises can positively affect daily activities and help you manage chronic pain. This free class will be held April 5, 6:30 – 8 pm at the Kish Hospital Roberts Conference Center. Call 815-748-8962 to register.

Step Into Summer with Healthy Feet
Is toenail fungus, athlete’s foot, and dry cracked skin forcing you to keep your flip flops in the closet? Surgical podiatrists Jennifer and Douglas Pacaccio, DPM share tips and tricks to get your feet ready to show off this summer. They will also discuss skin care and signs of skin cancer. This free discussion will be held April 12, 6:30 – 8 pm at the Kish Hospital Roberts Conference Center. Call 815-748-8962 to register.

Weight No More
Are you looking for a way to lose weight and improve your health? Join us for an 8-week nutrition and exercise program with weekly wellness classes at Kish Hospital, fitness classes at the YMCA as well as a pass to the YMCA for the duration of the program. By joining, you become part of a small group led by a team of experts who helps you stay on track. Winners receive various YMCA memberships. Sign up today, space is limited! Call 815-756-9577 for information and to register. The cost is $25, YMCA members, $75 non-YMCA members. The program runs March 28 – May 16, Mondays, 5:30 – 6:30 pm.

Safe Sitter
This 2-day internationally recognized babysitting program teaches 11-13 year olds the skills to provide children in their care a safe, nurturing environment. Includes Safe Sitter backpack, manual, supplies and light refreshments. Classes are offered monthly at Kish Hospital, call 815-748-8962 to register. Cost is $40.

Meet the Experts: Women and Heart Disease with Dr. Nguyen, Dr. Patel and Dr. Salwan
Heart disease has symptoms and risks unique to women. Cardiologist Paul Nguyen, MD, MS encourages women to join him for this informative discussion with cardiologist Jagdish Patel, MD, FACC and internist Manav Salwan, MD as they discuss why women of all ages should take heart disease seriously. Heart healthy meal provided. This free class will be held April 28, 6:30 – 8 pm at Kish Hospital.