A Metropolis Performing Arts Centre tradition, celebrate the holiday with Ebenezer Scrooge and the Cratchit family. “A Christmas Carol” runs through Dec. 27. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Tickets can be purchased online at MetropolisArts.com or by calling the Box Office at (847) 577-2121. Metropolis is located at 111 West Campbell Street, Arlington Heights.

Arlington Heights

‘Movie with the Mayor’ charitable event on tap

The village announced that the Paragon Arlington Heights movie theater (CMX Cinemas), 53 S. Evergreen Ave., will host “Movie with the Mayor,” a free charitable event with Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes, beginning at 9 a.m. Dec. 9. Two PG-rated, holiday-themed movies — “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Home Alone” — will begin showing at 10 a.m., and all guests with a non-perishable food donation will receive free admission. Cub Scout Pack 129 will be on hand to collect the donations, which will benefit the Wheeling Township Food Pantry. The theater is also offering a free large popcorn for each new, unwrapped toy donation (no stuffed animals) to support Toys for Tots. The Northwest Suburban Marine Corps League will be on hand to collect donated toys. In addition, the Rolling Meadows Madrigal Singers will perform holiday songs prior to the movies. For more information, call (847) 368-5000 or visit www.vah.com.

Lemont

Park Dist., Lions Club named IAPD Partners of the Year

The Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) announced that the Lemont Park District and Lemont Lions Club recently were selected Partners of the Year at a statewide ceremony recognizing significant contributions to parks and recreation agencies. The award recognized the Lions Club’s continued dedication to the Lemont Park District, including the Lions Club Centennial Community Legacy Project. The project consisted of 100 volunteers planting 100 sapling trees within a 100-minute period in an area of the Centennial Park campus that was affected by the Emerald Ash Borer. In addition, the Lions Club committed to a five-year replanting program, including monetary donations to cover some costs associated with establishing healthy trees in the same area. For more information, call (217) 523-4554 or visit www.ilparks.org.

Evanston

Good Neighbor Fund nets donation from Northwestern

The city reported that support for facility and park improvements, paramedic services and youth job training are among the services and projects that will be funded by this year’s $1 million donation from Northwestern University to Evanston’s Good Neighbor Fund. This marks the third year in a row that Northwestern has donated $1 million to the fund. In March 2015, NU agreed to contribute $1 million to the city for a period of five years, with proceeds to be spent on projects and services jointly agreed upon by Evanston Mayor Stephen Hagerty and Northwestern President Morton Schapiro. Allocations for this year’s fund include $325,000 for Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center interior improvements; $220,000 to support Evanston Fire Department paramedic services; $160,000 to support existing job training programs for at-risk youth; $100,000 to support the city’s Youth and Young Adult Division; $70,000 to support a full-time social worker at the Evanston Public Library; and $25,000 for a CTA/Union Pacific Viaduct Beautification Pilot Project. For more information, call (847) 448-4311 or visit www.cityofevanston.org.

Hoffman Estates

Jorian retires as Fire Chief after long run of service

The village announced that Fire Chief Jeffrey Jorian has retired after serving more than 35 years with the Hoffman Estates Fire Department. Jorian, who was sworn in as Fire Chief in 2013, was originally hired as a firefighter in 1982. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1990, assuming responsibility for leadership of the department’s Dive Rescue Team and serving as a member of the department’s Hazardous Materials Response Team. As Lieutenant, Jorian also managed the department’s transition to Northwest Central Dispatch. In 1999, Jorian was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief and served as the department’s first full-time training officer. He then worked to coordinate the first multi-agency training between the Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, Schaumburg and Palatine rural fire departments. Jorian was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief in 2008, and then assumed the role of Acting Fire Chief in 2013 before his official installation as Fire Chief later that year. In the wake of Jorian’s retirement, Village Manager Jim Norris has named Deputy Chief Patrick Fortunato as the village’s Acting Fire Chief. For more information, call (847) 882-9100 or visit www.hoffmanestates.org.

Tinley Park

Village Board adopts property tax levy request

The Tinley Park Village Board recently adopted a property tax levy request for tax year 2017 in the amount of nearly $25.6 million, which is unchanged from last year and represents a zero percent increase over the previous year’s total amount. This marks the the fifth consecutive year the village has held the tax levy unchanged. The Village Board also approved tax levy abatements for the coming tax year, a practice that has been followed for the past 36 years. Officials stated that these abatements continue to save residents hundreds of dollars a year on an average property tax bill. Over the past 10 years, the annual average residential tax savings generated by abatements on homes with a market value between $150,000 and $350,000 is between $164 and $385. During the same period, homeowners have received and benefited from cumulative savings of between $1,643 and $3,846 on the village portion of their tax bill because of the abatements, which have totaled more than $47.5 million for the past 10 years. Overall, the amount included in the village’s tax levy has remained unchanged at $350,000 annually since tax year 2003. For more information, call (708) 444-5000 or visit www.tinleypark.org.

Schaumburg

WACO food drive sets record for donations

The village reported that donations increased by 130 percent to a record-setting 16,030 items this year during the Woodfield Area Children’s Organization’s (WACO) 22nd Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. The Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center served as a collection drop-off site for the food drive, and the donated items were then dispersed to five different agencies for distribution. As a result of the Schaumburg community’s efforts, WACO was able to stock the pantries of more than 200 families in need. For more information, call (847) 895-4500 or visit www.waco4kids.org.      

–Cook County News Briefs–