The Driver Opera House Center for the Arts was presented with a $5,000 check on the evening of the wine, cheese and ale tasting event they sponsored on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
    The check was the first installment of a $25,000 total grant that will be dispersed over five years from the Woodward Foundation, which is associated with Woodward Communications, Inc. out of Dubuque, Iowa.
    Stan Krahenbuhl, board president of the opera house organization accepted the check from Brian Stuart, the manager for Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Shopping News and Becky Wiegel, HR manager for Woodward Communications.
    During the event, held in the lower level of the Driver Opera House, attendees also tasted samples of locally produced wine, cheese and ale.
    The event was well attended and several local businesses donated products to the event including Roelli Cheese, Thuli Family Creamery, Bunkow Cheese and Pecatonica Beer Company as well as several local people who make their own wine and beer.
    Attendees of the event could also vote for their favorite of the products that were sampled and Dick Tuescher of Darlington was the winner, with his home brewed beer.
    To find out more information about the Driver Opera House, head to their website, www.DriverOperaHouse.org.