Cutting ribbon cuttings

To give you an idea why photos of ribbon cuttings aren't used much anymore in newspapers, this schedule of events came in this week from the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce:

Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 2:30 p.m.: Ribbon cutting for Punk's at 121 N. Maple St. Sycamore.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m.: Ribbon cutting for Midwest Museum of Natural History to celebrate the opening of its new exhibit, Urban Wildlife Observation Center Phase II.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 11:30 a.m.: Ribbon cutting for Home Bound Healthcare Inc. at 1710 Mediterranean Drive, Sycamore.

Friday, Sept. 25 at 11:30 a.m.: Ribbon cutting for Sweet Earth Jewelry & Gifts (formerly Ben Franklin) at 341 W. State St. in downtown Sycamore.

Somebody in Sycamore must have a really sore scissors-finger.

Katie Muth of St. Charles is headed to Las Vegas as one of the semifinalists for the hit FOX TV show "So You Think You Can Dance."

Muth, 18, moved straight ahead to the semifinals last week following auditions in Phoenix, and got some high praise from judge Nigel Lythgoe.

"Thank you for putting together the two things I've been searching for today, which is performance and technique," he said.

Muth and the other semifinalists will perform in Las Vegas for a chance to be named one of the 20 finalists (10 male and 10 female dancers) who will compete in Hollywood for the title of America's favorite dancer this season.

For more information on the show, check out www.fox.com/dance.

While students from Larsen Middle School, 665 Dundee Ave. in Elgin, were recently on their way to hear Hal Getzelman, an Elgin High School graduate and the Lead CapCom (capsule communicator) for the International Space Station, talk about his job at NASA at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., they were late because they got lost walking to the library.

This time of year, there are pumpkin pie scented candles to be found just about anywhere you buy candles. Culver's has a pumpkin pie flavored shake. And you can even find pumpkin flavored beers at quite a few liquor stores and bars, including Barley House, 1520 S. Randall Road, Algonquin.

"We have 24 Oktoberfest style beers and four different pumpkin beers," said Barley House owner/operator Brian Jason.

As such, the bar currently is having a "13 Beers of Oktobeerfest." If you drink a baker's dozen of them between now and Halloween (NOT ALL AT ONCE) you get a free Oktobeerfest T-shirt.