Latest news with #GailBordenPublicLibraryDistrict
Chicago Tribune
28-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: Gail Borden public libraries closed Friday for staff training; pancake breakfast fundraiser to raise money for mental health
Gail Borden public libraries closed Friday for staff training Gail Borden Public Library District buildings in Elgin will be closed Friday, May 2, for staff training, reopening for regular 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday hours the following day, according to a social media post. Patrons will still be able to access the library's electronic systems by going to The libraries are located at 270 N. Grove Ave, Elgin and 2751 W. Bowes Road, Elgin. The branch at 127 S. McLean Blvd. in South Elgin has been closed since August 2024 for renovation and expansion and should to reopen this summer. Pancake breakfast fundraiser to raise money for mental health Dundee Township Park District, Carpentersville police and fire departments and Algonquin Police Department are holding a pancake breakfast fundraiser Friday, May 2, to support mental health initiatives for first responders. The all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast will be from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Rakow Center's Adult Activities Center at 665 Barrington Ave. in Carpentersville. Pancakes, sausage and refreshments are provided by Village Fresh Market, with proceeds going to the 100 Club of Illinois and Illinois Firefighter Peer Support, a park district website announcement said. The cost is $5 cash payable at the event. For more information, call 847-428-7131. 'Sprint to Spring' 5K set for Saturday at Izaak Walton center Hanover Township's 10th annual 'Sprint 2 Spring' 5K run/walk will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Hanover Township Izaak Walton Youth Center, 899 Jay St., Elgin. Money raised will be used by the Hanover Township Foundation to assist low-income residents in obtaining dental and medical services, a news release said. Registration is $35 online through Friday, May 2, and $40 in person on race day. To register, go to Use the code 'SPRING' for the early rate. The 3.1-mile course will take participants through streets in Elgin east of Liberty Street and south of Villa Street. A party with beverages, snacks, music, games and a children's bounce house will follow the race. 10th annual Fox River cleanup to be held in Elgin Saturday State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, and Friends of the Fox River are joining forces for the 10th year in hosting a Fox River cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 3, starting at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Volunteers should bring gloves, small plastic shopping bags, plastic buckets, water and snacks, a news release said. Friends of the Fox River also will provide some supplies. 'This is a valuable opportunity for individuals and groups to come together to participate in tangible actions to protect habitat and water quality,' Friends President Gary Swick says in the release. To take part, go to For more information, call 847-841-7130 or email staterepmoeller@ Shredding, recycling, food drive event set for Carpenter Park A free community shredding and recycling event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 3, in the parking lot of Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave. in Carpentersville. Hosted by state Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Crystal Lake; KCT Credit Union; Kane County Recycles; FISH Food Pantry; and the Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce, the event also will be collecting unexpired, nonperishable food items for the food pantry, according to a social media post for the event. Shredding will be limited to two banker boxes per vehicle. Kane County Recycles will be accepting electronics, clothing, shoes, home textiles and books for free. There will be recycling fees of $25 per item for monitors and TVs with screens under 21 inches and $35 per item for screens 21 inches or larger, measured diagonally, the post said.
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Hollywood magic comes to the Elgin library via movie costumes worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis and Gregory Peck
Film buffs can feast their eyes on attire worn by such legendary actors as Deborah Kerr, Gregory Peck and Faye Dunaway at the Elgin library's new exhibit, 'Glitz-Glamour-Gorgeous: A Tribute to Hollywood Movie Costumes.' 'This is the first time this collection has been exhibited in the Chicago area and probably at any library,' said Natalie Kiburg, spokeswoman for the Gail Borden Public Library. 'We're truly honored to be able to display it here.' The 33 outfits on display include iconic costumes worn by Elizabeth Taylor in 'Cleopatra,' Bette Davis in 'All About Eve' and Maurice Chevalier in 'Gigi.' They are from the personal collection of Greg Schreiner. Schreiner is the producer of and a performer in 'Hollywood Revisited,' a muscial revue that features singers and dancers wearing costumes from famous movies. The show made a stop at Elgin Community College in April 2024. While in town last year, Schreiner met with old friend Carole Medal, who's CEO of the Gail Borden Public Library District. The two have known each other since their undergraduate days in the music program at Millikin University in Decatur. 'Talking with Carole and the wonderful things they do at the library led to putting the exhibit together,' Schreiner said. While Medal's career path took her to the Elgin library, Schreiner ended up on the West Coast, where he completed a master's degree at the University of California-Los Angeles. He became president of a Marilyn Monroe fan club and wound up buying one of her movie dresses, the beginning of his passion for acquiring movie attire. 'I fell in love with owning costumes,' he said. 'Then I woke up one day with more than 500 in my collection.' When he first started buying costumes, they were affordable because no one seemed to care about curating Hollywood's past, Schreiner said. That's no longer true these days, he said. 'In today's market, with my costumes, I'm looking at my retirement account,' he said. His hobby also has also led to a career in which he's traveled around the world with his show and to exhibit his collection. Next year, he will be part of events being put together in London, Paris and Los Angeles to commemorate Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday, Schreiner said. While nothing worn by Monroe made the trip to Elgin, there are nearly three dozen costumes from old and new Hollywood displayed on both floors of the downtown library. The exhibit features movie clips, background information compiled by library staff and a soon-to-be-added interactive iPad game, Kiburg said. 'Glitz-Glamour-Gorgeous' is being funded in part by a grant from the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission. Schreiner will be in town to present 'A Celebration of Great Movie Music' at 3 p.m. Saturday and 'A Look at Fabulous Fashion in the Movies' at 6:30 p.m. Monday. Both library programs are free, with the former focusing on music from various films and the latter showcasing the stars who wore the costumes on display and designers, like Edith Head, Orry-Kelly and Adrian, who created them. Schreiner will lead a tour through the exhibit as part of the Monday event. The library also will be screening the Bette Davis' classic, 'All About Eve,' at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 7. The gown she wore in the scene in which she says, 'Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night,' is part of the exhibit. 'The allure of iconic Hollywood costumes is the perfect draw, appealing to movie buffs, fashion lovers or anyone who has performed in theater as a child,' Kiburg said. 'This exhibit is connecting our community together in a new way and ultimately, bringing them to the library.' For more information about 'Glitz-Glamour-Gorgeous: A Tribute to Hollywood Movie Costumes,' which runs through May, and to register for related programs, go to Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. 'GLITZ-GLAMOUR-GORGEOUS: A TRIBUTE TO HOLLYWOOD COSTUMES' These are the 33 costumes on display at Elgin's Gail Borden Public Library, listed by actor's name and the film in which it appeared. In parentheses are noted the costume designer and the year of the movie was made. Bette Davis – 'All About Eve' (Edith Head, 1950) Deborah Kerr – 'An Affair to Remember (Charles LeMaire, 1957) Richard Burton – 'Anne of the Thousand Days' (Margaret Furse, 1969) Kevin Bacon – 'Beauty Shop' (Sharen Davis, 2005) Judy Holliday – 'Bells Are Ringing' (Walter Plunkett, 1960) George Chakiris – 'Brigadoon' (Irene Sharaff, 1954) Julianne Moore – 'Cast a Deadly Spell' (Mary Rose, 1991) Elizabeth Taylor – 'Cleopatra' (Irene Sharaff, 1963) Julie Andrews – 'Darling Lili' (Donald Brooks, 1970) Gregory Peck – 'David and Bathsheba' (Edward Stevenson, 1951) Maurice Chevalier – 'Gigi' (Helen Rose, 1958) Peter Palmer & Leslie Parrish – 'Li'l Abner' (Alvin Colt, 1959) Doris Day – 'Love Me or Leave Me' (Helen Rose, 1955) Kathryn Grayson – 'Lovely to Look At' (Adrian, 1952) Jane Wyman – 'Lucy Gallant' (Edith Head, 1955) David Cassidy – 'Malcolm in the Middle' (TV series) (Bob Mackie, 2003) Sandra Bullock – 'Miss Congeniality' (Susie DeSanto, 2000) Hedy Lamarr – 'My Favorite Spy' (Edith Head, 1951) Sally Field – 'Soapdish' (Nolan Miller, 1991) Lena Horne – 'Stormy Weather' (Helen Rose, 1943) Geraldine Page – 'Sweet Bird of Youth' (Orry-Kelly, 1962) Lana Turner – 'The Big Cube' (William Travilla, 1969) Madeleine Carroll – 'The Fan' (René Hubert, 1949) Stephen Baldwin – 'The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas' (Robert Turturice, 2000) Rhonda Fleming – 'The Great Lover' (Edith Head, 1949) Betty Hutton – 'The Perils of Pauline' (Edith Head, 1947) Jane Russell – 'The Revolt of Mamie Stover' (William Travilla, 1956) Richard Chamberlain – 'The Slipper and the Rose' (Julie Harris, 1976) Ginger Rogers – 'The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle' (Edward Stevenson, 1939) Faye Dunaway – 'The Wicked Lady' (John Bloomfield, 1983) Anne Bancroft – 'To Be or Not To Be' (Albert Wolsky, 1983) Shirley MacLaine – 'What a Way to Go' (Edith Head, 1964) Betty Grable – 'When My Baby Smiles At Me' (René Hubert, 1948)
Chicago Tribune
11-03-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Randy Hopp, one-time Elgin library board member and current candidate, dies from accident injuries
Randy Hopp, a former Gail Borden Public Library District trustee who was trying to return to the board in the April 1 election, has died from injuries he received after being struck by a car in December. Hopp, 73, whose troubled behavior led to him being banned at several libraries and convicted of the theft, died Feb. 25 and was buried Tuesday in the Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin. Hopp served on the library board from 2009-13 but was unsuccessful in his subsequent attempts to be reelected. Board members were to hold a moment of silence in his memory at their Tuesday night meeting. 'Randy had his struggles, but he always had the best interests of his community at heart,' current library board Trustee Joy Symonds said. 'In his own way, he worked to make government better.' Symonds said she witnessed the Dec. 10 accident in which Hopp was injured. He was crossing Kimball Street en route to a library board meeting, which he frequently attended, when he was struck by a car, she said. He was taken to Ascension St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin and later transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood to be treated for a traumatic brain injury, Symonds said. When she and her husband, Dan, who own the Symonds-Madison Funeral Home in Elgin, learned that Hopp was estranged from his family, they stepped in to serve as his health care surrogates, she said. 'We knew nobody else would do it and worried he'd be all alone,' Symonds said. Two attempts to have Hopp moved to a rehabilitation facility didn't work out and he was eventually transferred to Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights and later to The Vines Senior Homes in Elgin, where he received hospice care, she said. Hopp was born and raised in Elgin, graduating from Elgin High School and studying metallurgical engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, according to his obituary. He was preceded in death by his parents, LeRoy and Nola Hopp, and had been living in his parents' home prior to the December accident. Symonds and her husband arranged for Hopp's funeral services and burial. Hopp led a sometimes troubled life, and his behavior led him to be banned from the Gail Borden Public library in 2000 and again from 2009-13 as well as at other places, including the libraries at Judson University and Elgin Community College and at a now-closed bank in Carpentersville, according to published reports. In March 2011, Elgin police were called to the Hopp residence for a domestic dispute where it was alleged that Hopp had hit his elderly parents but the case did not go to trial. In April 2017, police found hundreds of stolen campaign signs at Hopp's home, which led to theft charges. He was convicted and sentenced to 14 months of conditional discharge and ordered to work 10 days in the Cook County Sheriff's Work Alternative Program. Symonds, who has been on the library board since 2021, said Hopp always attended meetings, taking notes and often speaking during the public comments. 'Randy was always kind to me and my husband, Dan,' she said. 'Despite his faults, Randy was a human being who deserved love, dignity and respect in his final days. … I am hopeful that he is now free of the struggles that weighed him down on this Earth.' Denise Raleigh, Gail Borden's director of development, said Hopp was dedicated in his concern for the library. 'I have known Randy for many years. I was always impressed with how much he cared about the Gail Borden Public Library,' she said. Hopp is one of five candidates for three seats on the library board in April. Should he win one of them, the library board would have to declare a vacancy and appoint someone to fill the post until the 2027 election, Raleigh said.
