Byline: Ed Fanselow
Dust off your fishing poles and lures - it's time for the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce's annual Community Fishing Derby.
The event, now in its 11th year, kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday on the north end of town, near Whiteley School.
Two retention ponds - err, lakes - will be stocked with fish, some of which are tagged to correspond with cash prizes ranging from $25 to $100. Prizes for the longest fish will also be awarded.
Registration costs $5.
For more information, log onto hechamber.com or call (847) 781- 9100.
Fit to be tied: Also on Saturday, the Hoffman Estates Park District will kick off its new Summer Fitness Challenge with a special open house at the Higgins Road community center/ice arena.
Participants in the summer-long program will receive a Step Up to Health passport, which provides free access to all park district facilities and discounts to certain programs and services.
Registration costs $10 (or $25 for a family). For more information, call Debbie at (847) 285-5442.
Overdue honor: In a special ceremony earlier this week, Hoffman Estates village officials honored the life of longtime resident Jim Knippen, who died in March.
Knippen, a Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, was among the early leaders of the village's volunteer fire department and was a 17-year public works department employee before taking a job as a dairyman with Dean Foods.
Knippen also served for many years as a deacon at St. Hubert Church.
'It's people like Jim who built this community,' Mayor Bill McLeod said. 'We wanted to thank him and his family for that.'
Local exposure: Photographs by local artist Liz Cockrum will be on display through June at the Hoffman Estates village hall. Among the works exhibited are several included in her 'Kane County' series, which chronicles the effects of suburban sprawl.
The exhibit can be viewed during regular business hours.
Party with the stars: Former Chicago Bears Jim McMahon and Steve McMichael and former Bulls Bob Love and Artis Gilmore are among the local sports celebrities expected to appear on Sunday at a special pre-party celebration in advance of the seventh annual Walter Payton Memorial Scholarship Fund golf outing on Monday.
The party will take place at the Alumni Club, 871 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, beginning at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and are available at the door.
Tidbits: Village officials have approved a liquor license for the owners of LaStrada Ristorante, scheduled to open later this summer along Barrington Road just north of the tollway ... Congratulations to Hoffman Estates police officer Bob Kravetz who marks his 35th year on the force this month ... Stay tuned for news next week about the new indoor water park resort planned for the Prairie Stone business park.
efanselow@@dailyherald.com
