13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Crowning ceremony begins Juneteenth Week in Aurora
The city of Aurora officially launched Juneteenth Week 2025 with the crowning of the new Mr. and Miss Black Aurora on Thursday night at Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium, city officials said.
The ceremony honored four high school students from across the city, each a symbol of academic success, community service and cultural pride, according to a press release from the city.
West Aurora High School senior James Baker was crowned Mr. Black Aurora and will serve as king of the Royal Court. He is a scholar-athlete with a 4.0 grade point average and a student leader, the release said.
The new Miss Black Aurora and queen of the Royal Court, Mbayie Tendong, is a junior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora. She has a 4.2 grade point average and is a science tutor, Sunday School teacher and multi-sport athlete, city officials said.
Chantz Trotter, a senior at West Aurora High School, earned the title of prince of the Royal Court. His resume includes government internships, youth advisory roles, volunteerism and more, according to the release.
Zyon Askew-Ward, a senior at Metea Valley High School and accomplished cellist, peer mentor and Tri-M Music Honor Society member, was named princess of the Royal Court, city officials said.
The 2025 Black Heritage Royal Court will serve throughout the upcoming school year as youth ambassadors and be involved in mentorship, outreach and cultural engagement, the release stated.
State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit. D-Oswego, will host her free annual Recycle and Shred Day event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 28, in the parking lot of Kifowit's district office at 1677 Montgomery Road in Aurora, organizers said.
The event is dedicated to helping residents safely dispose of sensitive documents and unwanted electronics while supporting environmental sustainability and local nonprofit causes, according to a press release.
On-site paper shredding for residents will be offered, with a limit of three 13-gallon trash bags or two banker boxes per vehicle, the release said.
The electronics recycling effort at the event will accept items such as computer towers, printers and fax machines,
DVD and VCR players, video game consoles, microwave ovens, and receivers and cables, organizers said.
TVs and computer monitors will not be accepted at the event, according to the release.
There will also be collection of cellphones to be donated to Mutual Ground to support survivors of domestic violence,
eyeglasses to benefit Lions Clubs International global vision programs and new or gently used books for donation to Scarce and the Will County Sheriff's Office, organizers said.
For more information, call 630-585-1308 or email
State Reps. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, and Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, will host the Outside Kids Fair on Saturday, June 21, at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva.
The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the church at 3435 Keslinger Road.
The family-oriented event includes free admission, refreshments and giveaways, according to a press release about the fair. Demonstrations will be given by the Kane County Sheriff K-9 Office, Traveling World of Reptiles Show, DancEncounter School of Dance and World Martial Arts Academy, organizers said.
A medical helicopter from Superior Air Medical will be landing at 10 a.m., and a drawing for a bicycle is scheduled for 11:15 a.m., the release stated.
Kids will have 27 options for Touch-A-Truck activities, and there will also be face-painting stations, according to organizers.
The fair will include participation from over 50 local businesses, state agencies, county departments, police departments, park districts, villages, cities and more, the release stated.
The St. Charles Public Library concludes its 2024-25 Sunday Concert Series at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, with a performance by percussionist Josh Graham at the library, 1 S. Sixth St. in St. Charles.
Graham will perform several recently commissioned works for solo marimba, library officials said in a press release.
Graham is assistant professor and percussion program coordinator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as executive director of the trio F-PLUS.
The free performance is funded through donations to the St. Charles Public Library Foundation.
The second annual Solstice Century Ride cycling event will be held Friday, June 20, to raise money for six area nonprofit charities providing mental health and housing insecurity programs, organizers said.
Riders are asked to collect $1,000 or more in donations by completing 100 miles of cycling through the Whalon Lake Forest Preserve near Royce Road and Route 53 near Naperville.
Money raised will help support Hesed House in Aurora, DuPage PADS, 4:13, SamaraCare Counseling, Grow Wellness Foundation and Max's Mission.
The event begins at 6 a.m. and is organized by Zac Larson, a wealth advisor and avid cyclist. A celebration for riders, donors and volunteers with dinner, music and drinks will take place from 6 to 9 p.m.
For more information, go to
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has broken ground on its new Grounds and Natural Resources Campus at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville.
The 112,900-square-foot facility will be a main hub for crews that maintain nearly 26,000 acres of preserves in the county and will replace aging and scattered maintenance buildings, officials said.
Its eco-friendly features including a solar array for renewable energy, rainwater harvesting systems to conserve water, and native bioswales and basins that support stormwater management and habitat restoration, a district news release said.
The campus also includes a native plant nursery support building and greenhouse, which increases its ability to collect and distribute native seeds.
The $36.4 million project is expected to be mostly completed by February 2027 with final completion set for December 2027, the release said. It is the largest of 32 projects the district included in its 2019 master plan.
