Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-7th) will host a 7th Congressional District Town Hall meetings over the coming weeks.

Cook County

Davis to host 7th Congressional Dist. Town Hall meetings

Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-7^th) will host a 7th Congressional District Town Hall meetings over the coming weeks. The meetings will be held at: 7 p.m. Aug. 16 — Berkeley/Hillside , Berkeley Village Hall, 5819, Electric Avenue, Berkeley; 7 p.m. Aug. 23 — Westchester Village Hall, 10300 Roosevelt, Westchester; 7 p.m. Aug. 24 — Oak Park Village Hall 123 Madison, Oak Park; 7 p.m. Aug. 29 — Broadview/North Riverside Town Hall, Broadview Village Hall, 2350 25th Avenue, Broadview. Topics on the agenda include the Affordable Care Act, jobs and the economy, international affairs, education, immigration, flooding issues and any other issues of concern to area residents. For more information, call (708) 345-6857 or (773) 533-7520 — or visit www.westchester-il.org.

Palatine

LifeSource to conduct blood drive at Village Hall

The Palatine Board of Health will host a blood drive, conducted by LifeSource, from noon to 6 p.m. Aug.17 at Village Hall (Community Room B), 200 E. Wood St. The blood donation takes approximately 10-15 minutes, and the entire process from registration to post-donation refreshments takes approximately one hour. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information about the process or to schedule an appointment, call LifeSource at (877) 543-3768 or visit www.lifesource.org. The village will host an additional blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 19.

Schaumburg

Pedestrian improvement project on Golf Road underway

The village reported that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has begun a pedestrian improvement project on Golf Road (between Roosevelt Boulevard and Ring Road East) in Schaumburg and Rolling Meadows. A multi-use path is being constructed on the north side of Golf Road that will include new pedestrian traffic signals and sidewalk improvements. Temporary, daily lane closures will occur on westbound Golf Road from Roosevelt Boulevard to Ring Road East during off-peak hours. Vehicular traffic will be maintained at all times while construction activities are taking place. The project is expected to be completed by fall. For more information, call (847) 895-4500 or visit www.villageofschaumburg.com.

Oak Brook

Village earns prestigious budget award for sixth year in row

The village reported that Oak Brook recently received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2017 annual budget. This marks the sixth consecutive year the village has received the prestigious award. In order to become a recipient, the village’s governing body and staff met nationally recognized guidelines for successful and effective budget presentation. The village’s 2017 budget was rated “proficient” by GFOA reviewers in the following aspects: as a policy document, as a financial plan, as an operations guide and as a communications device. For more information, call (630) 368-5000 or visit www.oak-brook.org.

Evanston

City to host 2017 CommUNITY Picnic

The city announced that the 2017 CommUNITY Picnic will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 20 at Ingraham Park, located behind the Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. The event — designed to celebrate Evanston, diversity and going back to school — includes free food, 3-on-3 basketball, face painting and temporary tattoos, a photo booth, critters and pollinators from the Evanston Ecology Center, live music by Suite Molly Seven, and performances by the Jesse White Tumblers and balloon artist Tony Wright. In addition, the 5th Ward Planning Committee will host a Community Mixer (noon to 3 p.m.) inside the Morton Civic Center. Registration is requested. Admission to the CommUNITY Picnic is free. For more information, call or text (847) 448-4311 or visit www.cityofevanston.org.

Franklin Park

Low-cost Rabies and Microchip Clinic on tap

The village announced that Cook County Animal and Rabies Control will conduct a low-cost Rabies and Microchip Clinic from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Aug. 22 in the parking lot at Jewel Foods, 10203 W. Grand Ave. The cost of a vaccination (for dogs and cats) is $7 (1-year vaccination), $21 (3-year) and $9 for a 1-year ferret shot. All participants must show a valid ID or proof of residency in Cook County. Only cash or checks will be accepted (no credit or debit cards). For more information, visit www.cookcountyil.gov/service/low-cost-rabies-clinic or call Village Hall at (847) 671-4800.

River Forest

Village nets major performance management award

The village announced that the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) recently recognized River Forest’s data-driven management and reporting efforts with a Certificate of Achievement in Performance Management. River Forest is one of 19 municipalities in the United States to receive the award. Recipients are required to collect and verify data to ensure reliability, train staff in performance measurement, and report data to the public through budgets, newsletters and/or information provided to elected officials. For more information, call (708) 366-8500 or visit www.vrf.us.

Skokie

Oakton College completes new solar power system

As part of its signed commitment to participate in the American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge, Oakton Community College recently completed the addition of a 25-kilowatt photovoltaic array at its Skokie campus, 7701 N. Lincoln Ave. In its first month of operation, the roof-mounted system — consisting of 80 solar panels — generated five megawatt hours of energy, enough to power approximately 15,000 light bulbs for one day. This use of solar power prevented roughly 3,700 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the environment, equivalent to planting 201 trees. In addition to the new solar array, the Skokie campus is home to a test system that is easily accessible for enrolled students and provides them with hands-on experience working with solar panels. Live data from the solar array will soon be incorporated into the college’s existing Energy Dashboard. For more information, call (847) 635-1600 or visit www.oakton.edu.

Arlington Heights

Longtime volunteer earns Kenneth Hood Senior award

The Village of Arlington Heights Senior Citizens Commission announced that Terence McElroy recently was named the 10th recipient of the Kenneth Hood Senior Award. McElroy has spent nearly 17 years as a volunteer with Catholic Charities Northwest Senior Services, located at the Arlington Heights Senior Center, 1801 W. Central Road. He began volunteering full-time with the organization in 2001 and continued through 2006. Since then, McElroy has volunteered between 400 and 800 hours per year. During his time as a volunteer, McElroy became certified by the Illinois Department on Aging in the Community Care Program, and was trained in the Illinois Volunteer Money Management Program, which helps older adults in overseeing their finances and paying bills. McElroy also is a trained Senior Health Insurance Program counselor, and an expert on Medicaid and a variety of benefit programs. For more information, call the Senior Center at (847) 253-5532 or visit www.vah.com.      

–Cook County News Briefs–