Highland Around Town — Jan. 5 edition
Noon Wednesday, Jan. 5, 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. Due to the number of submissions, events may run only one time in print, will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.
Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: Highland News Leader Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.
Thursday, Jan. 6
▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. Virtual support meetings for family members and other caregivers of individuals with mental illness. Meetings are peer-led and rely on the knowledge and experiences of the group to help one another. Registration is required in order to receive the link to these meetings. For more information or to register, contact Pat Rudloff at silverlining6@charter.net.
Friday, Jan. 7
▪ Book Sale — 9 a.m. to noon. Tri Township Library, 209 S. Main St., Troy. Book donations accepted during the book sale and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m .Tuesdays. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. 618-667-2133.
▪ Highland Fish Fry — 4-7 p.m. VFW Post 5694, 1900 VFW Road, Highland. Fish, chicken, shrimp, sides. Carryout and limited indoor dining. Masks required for customers going through the serving line. No call-in orders. facebook.com/vfwpost5694
▪ Aviston Legion Fish Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod (baked or fried), catfish, shrimp, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311 or avistonlegion.com.
Friday, Jan. 7, & Saturday, Jan. 8
▪ Stéphane Conducts Brahms — 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 7, and 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. Powell Hall glows with richness and warmth. With Shai Wosner at the piano, Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto dreams and dances, leaving us smiling. Detlev Glanert’s “Brahms-Fantasie” spins memories of Johannes Brahms into a comforting musical coat. Stéphane brings Brahms’ First Symphony to radiant, resounding life. slso.org
Saturday, Jan. 8
▪ Eagle Meet & Greet — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa St., Alton. Liberty, the American Bald Eagle from World Bird Sanctuary, will be on hand with his handler to welcome visitors. Learn more about bald eagles and take photos during this event. At the same time, there will be family-friendly activities at the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, 301 Riverlands Way, West Alton and National Great Rivers Museum, #2 Locks & Dam Way, Alton. For tickets and information: riversandroutes.com
▪ Twelfth Afternoon Ball — Noon to 4 p.m. Gateway Arch Visitor Center, 11 N. Fourth St., St. Louis. Celebrate the end of the holiday season as St. Louisans did 250 years ago with the Twelfth Afternoon Ball, which recognizes the completion of the 12 days of Christmas. This year’s ball highlights popular music and dancing from 1772 and features live music from Dennis Stroughmatt et L’Espirit Creole and dancing by living history interpreters dressed in authentic 18th-century clothing. Food Historian Suzanne Corbett will display 18th-century French Creole holiday treats. This event is free and open to all ages. Visitors may observe the event at any time.
Tuesday, Jan. 11
▪ Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. If you would like to join the teleconference, please call/text 618-567-6095 or email craigloddeke@yahoo.com. palgroup.org
Christmas Tree Recycling
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake will be collecting used, real Christmas trees for the annual Christmas Tree Recycling Project. The Corps of Engineers, along with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, uses these trees to provide effective and economical fish habitat at Carlyle Lake.
Christmas trees can be donated through Sunday, Jan. 30, at the following locations: Plant Land (located on Old Route 50 east of Breese), Dam East Highwater Boat Ramp, and the Little Prairie Nature Trail parking lot located in the West Spillway at Carlyle Lake. All decorations, including garland and tinsel, must be removed. No artificial trees or wreaths.
Every spring, volunteers from various conservation minded organizations and clubs donate their time to help submerge the trees in the lake as fish shelters. These fish shelters provide breeding areas, resting places, and protection. They give young fish much needed living spaces where they can feed on plankton and avoid being preyed upon by larger fish. The protection provided by the trees allow young fish to grow to maturity and ultimately provide more fish for anglers.
If you are interested in volunteering to help place Christmas trees in the lake in the spring, contact the Carlyle Lake/Kaskaskia Navigation Project Office at 618-594-2484 or email at carlylelake@usace.army.mil.