Friends of the Fox River (FOFR) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the birth of The Fox by bringing the Jim Phillips story to life with “The Legend of The Fox”, presented by FOFR’s executive director Gary Mechanic. A video documentary produced by FOFR’s digital media director Jennifer Howard, will be held at the Schweitzer Environmental Center (SEC), Sunday, Feb. 10, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.. The program is free to the public, but seating is limited. Visit the Friends of the Fox River website, click on “events” to reserve a seat. SEC is at 16N900 Sleepy Hollow Road, West Dundee, in the Schweitzer Forest Preserve.
Fifty years ago a mild mannered high school biology teacher from Oswego, began a courageous, covert, war against the worst polluters of the Fox River. For nearly two decades, James F. Phillips successfully hid his identity by masquerading as “The Fox” when he launched midnight raids to plug up polluting pipes, left a giant broadside cartoon to embarrass a major corporation and a mayor on Chicago’s Picasso statue, and boldly walked into the headquarters of U.S. Steel to leave a sample of the toxic waste their mills were dumping in Lake Michigan.
Gary Mechanic brings his 30 years of experience in historic interpretation, informal environmental education, and public storytelling to present the depth and breadth of “The Legend of The Fox” in its historic context, with vivid verbal images.
Jennifer Howard has more than 30 years of film/television experience, including work for Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, FOX, and CBS sports. She is an instructional designer/video producer at Northern Illinois University and an adjunct instructor at Aurora University. She knew of The Fox’s escapades through her father who was a supporter of The Fox. As an adult, she reconnected with The Fox, interviewed him, and completed the 30-minute film prior to The Fox’s passing in 2001.
A question and answer session will follow the presentation and film February 10.
— Friends of the Fox River