The 3rd Annual Trail Mix Acoustic Music Fest will be held from noon to 8:30 p.m. July 21 at the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve, located at 1100 W. Ridge Road.

Barrington Hills

Police Dept. seeks donations to aid stricken officer

The Barrington Hills Police Department (BHPD) announced that it is seeking assistance from community members as part of an effort to help BHPD Officer Jeremy Hensler, who recently was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is progressively debilitating and eventually terminal. Hensler, a 13-year BHPD veteran, served as a patrol officer in Texas for five years before moving to Illinois with his wife and young daughter, now 15 years old. He also served as a Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team (EST) sniper the last 12 years, and is a 10-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps as well. Hensler is currently on an administrative desk assignment and is in the process of obtaining a non-duty-related disability, but will progressively need more care and assistance. To aid Hensler and his family, the BHPD has created a GoFundMe page for donations, accessible at www.barringtonhills-il.gov/pay-it-forward. Donations will also be accepted by mail, with checks made payable to Jeremy Hensler and sent to: Barrington Hills Police Department, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, Ill. 60010 (Attn: Jeremy Hensler Fundraiser). For more information, call 847-551-3006 or visit www.barringtonhills-il.gov.

Deerfield

Dist. 109 promotes Schwartz to new administrative post

Deerfield Public Schools District 109 announced that Walden Elementary School Principal Scott Schwartz has been promoted to the position of Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning & Innovation, replacing incoming Superintendent Anthony McConnell in that role. Schwartz has been part of the District 109 family for more than 15 years. He served as a teacher and associate principal at Caruso Middle School, and most recently as principal at Walden for eight years. During his time at Walden, the school earned a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award in 2016. For more information, call 847-945-1844 or visit www.dps109.org.

Buffalo Grove

Woodman’s on board as Buffalo Grove Days partner

The village announced a public/private partnership with Woodman’s Food Markets, Inc. to sponsor several events during Buffalo Grove Days, a five-day festival that includes a carnival, parade, car show, beer tent, food tent, live entertainment, the Arts & Crafts Fair, Business Fair, BBQ Challenge, events for residents with disabilities and more. This year’s fest will be held Aug. 30 through Sept. 3 at Mike Rylko Community Park, 951 McHenry Road. Woodman’s will be the presenting sponsor of the Main Stage entertainment on Sept. 1, the presenting sponsor of non-profit beverage and food sales, and the sponsor of the parade on Sept. 2. Through the partnership with Woodman’s, non-profit organizations will no longer have to procure or manage inventory, pay entry or booth fees or compete with other organizations for sales. Woodman’s will donate all beverages and corn that local non-profit organizations sell during Buffalo Grove Days to help raise money for their organizations. In addition, Buffalo Grove Days will now offer fundraising opportunities to more non-profit and charitable organizations in the community. By covering work shifts in the corn and beverage sales booth, organizations will earn credits toward a portion of the proceeds for their volunteer time. Non-profit or charitable organizations interested in signing up to volunteer at the sales booth should contact Mike Reynolds via email at mreynolds@vbg.org to apply. Applications are due July 20. For more information, call 847-459-2500 or visit www.bgdays.com. 

Homewood

Teen-led Trail Mix Acoustic Music Fest on tap

The village announced that the 3rd Annual Trail Mix Acoustic Music Fest will be held from noon to 8:30 p.m. July 21 at the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve, located at 1100 W. Ridge Road. The free, picnic-friendly event is a fundraiser for Homewood’s Theatre & Arts Leadership Kouncil (TALK), a non-profit, teen-led organization consisting of teenagers (ages 12-18) who come together to plan and execute arts-based events throughout Chicago’s south and south suburban areas. The fest is operated by teens, and 30 percent of the acts feature teen musicians, including headliner Work in Progress. In addition, teens will run food concessions, henna/face painting and hair braiding/flowers. A VIP seating section will be waited on by teens as well. For more information, call 708-365-TALK or visit www.talksouthland.org.

South Holland

Village offers electronics waste collection event

The village announced that it will host an electronics waste collection event — for South Holland residents only — from 8 a.m. to noon July 28 in the rear parking lot at the South Holland Public Library, 16250 Wausau Ave. Electronics waste, also known as e-waste, refers to old electronic devices that are broken, outdated, discarded or at the end of their useful life. This includes cell phones, laptops, desktop computers, monitors, tablets, PDAs, televisions, printers, fax machines, scanners and other similar electronic devices. In January 2102, putting e-waste in the trash or setting it out on the curb to be picked up with garbage became illegal in Illinois. To address this issue — particularly the improper disposal of unwanted televisions in the village — the South Holland Public Works Department, along with the South Holland Public Library, offers a series of community-wide e-waste collection days throughout the year. For more information, call 708-210-2900 or visit www.southholland.org.   

–Cook County News Briefs–