Oak Park’s ninth annual Earth Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd. (Photo courtesy of the Village of Oak Park)

Buffalo Grove

Police Dept. seeks donations of items for troops

The Buffalo Grove Police Department announced that it has partnered with Help USA Troops to collect items for soldiers stationed overseas. Help USA Troops is a local non-profit organization that collects and sorts items that are then shipped in packages to military personnel deployed around the world. A donation box is located in the lobby of the Buffalo Grove Police Department, 46 Raupp Blvd., and is available through April 25. Some of the requested items include pocket-sized food and snacks, gum, single-serving powdered drink packs, personal hygiene items and iTunes gift cards. To view a complete list of requested items, visit www.helpUSAtroops.com. For more information, call 847-459-0201 or visit www.vbg.org.

Barrington

Chamber to host Public Town Hall Forum

The Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce will host the Second Annual Public Town Hall Forum at 8 a.m. April 25 at Makray Memorial Golf Club, 1010 S. Northwest Highway. The event will provide attendees with updates on local public services in the Barrington area, and will feature a Q&A session with forum speakers. Speakers include Barrington Area Library Executive Director Jesse Henning, Barrington Community School District 200 Superintendent Dr. Brian Harris, Barrington Countryside Protection District Chief Jim Kreher, Barrington Hills Park District Treasurer Dennis Kelly, Barrington Park District Executive Director Teresa Jennings, Harper College President Dr. Kenneth Ender and South Barrington Park District Executive Director Jay Morgan. Admission is $35 per person, and includes a buffet breakfast. Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. To register, and for more information, call 847-381-2525 or visit www.barringtonchamber.com.

Park Forest

Honorary street named for wounded police officer

The Park Forest Board of Trustees recently dedicated a section of Lakewood Boulevard, from Forest Boulevard to Orchard Drive, as Honorary Officer Tim Jones Way. Jones, a second-generation police officer, was hired by the Park Forest Police Department in June 2015. He was critically wounded by gunfire in the line of duty on March 19, 2016. Given little chance of survival in the days following the shooting, Jones defied all odds and subsequently recovered. A little more than a year after the incident, Jones was released from a rehabilitation facility. A dedication ceremony to officially designate Honorary Office Tim Jones Way was held March 19. For more information, call 708-748-1112 or visit www.villageofparkforest.com. 

Oak Park

Environment focus of activity-filled Earth Fest 

Oak Park’s ninth annual Earth Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd. Attendees will be able to engage with more than 50 vendors and organizations providing hands-on activities, environmental services information, free samples and green goods for sale. Activities include tours of the LEED Gold-certified Public Works facility, featuring an up-close look at the village’s big trucks and other equipment, as well as the beehives on the building’s environmentally green roof. Kids’ activities include an opportunity to pet and feed goats from an urban goat farm, a bounce house, face painting, a puppet show, a pop-up park provided by the Park District of Oak Park, and the Oak Park Public Library’s book bike. Food trucks from local restaurants will be on-site. Other refreshments will be available as well. In addition, attendees can bring eyeglasses, sunglasses and hearing aids to be recycled. Residents will also have an opportunity to meet the citizen volunteers who serve on the village’s Environment & Energy Commission. For more information, call 708-358-5700 or visit www.oak-park.us/earthfest.       

Hoffman Estates

Chamber to host Community Food and Drink Festival

The Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce will host the 2018 Bon Appetit Community Food and Drink Festival from 5-7:30 p.m. April 26 at the Stonegate Conference & Banquet Center, 2401 W. Higgins Road. The event features cuisine and liquor samples from more than 25 restaurants and distilleries. In addition, attendees will have an opportunity to judge cupcakes prepared by culinary students from Elgin Community College and Harper College. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door (if still available), and guests are encouraged to bring a canned food item to donate to a local food pantry. Advance tickets are available at the Chamber of Commerce office, located at 2200 W. Higgins Road (No. 201) or online at www.hechamber.com. For more information, call 847-781-9100.

Evanston

Complete and Green Streets policy earns high rank

The city announced that its Complete and Green Streets policy was ranked second in Illinois and among the best in the nation by Smart Growth America, the nation’s leading developer of locally driven community solutions. Earning 94.4 points out of 100, Evanston achieved the second highest score in the state, trailing only Calumet City (96). Evanston also improved significantly from its most recent Smart Growth America Complete Streets policy score of 60.8 in 2014. Complete streets are designed to increase the livability of communities by enabling safe and convenient movement across all modes of transportation by people of all ages and capabilities, including pedestrians, mobility assistance device users, motor vehicle users and public transit users. Evanston updated its Complete and Green Streets policy in 2017 to provide an implementation framework and metrics to ensure that Complete and Green Streets principles are incorporated during planning, design and construction phases for all projects involving rights-of-way and public spaces. For more information, call or text 847-448-4311 or visit www.cityofevanston.org.

–Cook County News Briefs–