Evanston’s 10th annual Mayor’s Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive is underway. Through Dec. 14, the city is collecting new, unwrapped toys that encourage physical and/or social activities, in addition to staple food items for holiday meals.

Chicago

Chicago Kmart to close

A Chicago Kmart will close in February as part of the latest round of Kmart and Sears closings.

The Kmart at 3443 W. Addison is one of two Illinois Kmart stores that will close early next year. The other is in Springfield. The move is part of parent company Sears Holdings’ process to “accelerate its strategic transformation and facilitate its financial restructuring.” A total of 40 Sears and Kmart stores will be closing in February. Liquidation sales at the Chicago store are expected to begin late this week. These closings are in addition to 142 stores expected to be closed near the end of this year. Company officials urge potential customers affected by the Chicago Kmart closing to go to https://www.kmart.com/stores.html to find other stores near them.

Barrington

Barrington High’s Gibbons named Teacher of the Year

Barrington 220 Community School District announced that Erin Gibbons, a French teacher at Barrington High School for the past four years, recently was named the Paul T. Griffith Illinois Foreign Language Teacher of the Year at the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL) Fall Conference. Gibbons received a scholarship from the French Embassy to participate in a special training program in Vichy, France, in 2014, and also completed a study abroad program in Lille, France, in 2005. Gibbons earned a B.A. in French from St. Norbert College and a M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction with English as a Second Language endorsement from Concordia University. For more information, call 847-381-1400 or visit www.barrington220.org.

Deerfield

Village to host annual Downtown Lighting Ceremony

The village announced that the 4th annual Downtown Lighting Ceremony will be held from 4-5 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Deerfield Village Centre Plaza (between Starbucks and Bobby’s Deerfield), 625 Deerfield Road. The event is hosted by Mayor Harriet Rosenthal, the Deerfield-Bannockburn-Riverwoods (DBR) Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. Complimentary treats and beverages (including dog treats) will be provided by Starbucks, PetPeople, Seta Salon and Kid Snips. Musical entertainment will be provided by Bill Robinson & Friends, and kids will have an opportunity to give Robinson’s hammered dulcimer a try. Rosenthal will plug in the lights at 5 p.m. to mark the beginning of the holiday season. For more information, call Communications Specialist Kylie Cerk at 847-719-7404 or visit www.deerfield.il.us.

Tinley Park

Village earns high ranking on EPA Green Power list

The village announced that Tinley Park recently was ranked eighth on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Communities list. Tinley Park is using nearly 179 kilowatt hours of green power annually, which represents more than 78 percent of its total power needs. The village’s choice to use green power helps advance the voluntary market for green power and the development of those sources. By working together in the voluntary green power market, Tinley Park and other Green Power Communities are helping to reduce the negative health impacts of air emissions, including those related to ozone, fine particles, acid rain and regional haze. According to the EPA, Tinley Park’s green power use of nearly 179 kWh is equivalent to the electricity use of nearly 17,000 average American homes annually. For more information, call 708-444-5000 or visit www.tinleypark.org.

Evanston

Annual Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive underway

The city announced that the 10th annual Mayor’s Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive is underway. Through Dec. 14, the city is collecting new, unwrapped toys that encourage physical and/or social activities, in addition to staple food items for holiday meals, including stuffing, green beans, yams, mac-and-cheese, corn and corn bread mix. New this year, the city is also collecting new and gently used children’s books. Items can be dropped off at the following locations: Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.; Main Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.; North Branch Library, 2026 Central St.; Chicago Avenue/Main Street Branch Library, 900 Chicago Ave.; Robert Crown Community Center, 1701 Main St.; Chandler-Newberger Community Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.; Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St.; Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center, 1823 Church St.; Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.; Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St.; Evanston Police Station, 1454 Elmwood Ave.; J.E.H. Education Center, 1500 McDaniel Ave.; First Northern Credit Union, 1705 Sherman Ave.; and Booked, 506 Main St.. Families who wish to receive holiday baskets through the Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive must register by calling 847-448-4311 between Nov. 26 and Dec. 14. To learn more, including how to submit tax deductible financial donations online and how to volunteer during the holiday basket giveaway on Dec. 19, visit www.cityofevanston.org or call Ken Cherry at 847-448-4311.   

River Grove

Triton College to host Fall Open House

Triton College is inviting future students and community members to its Fall Open House, to be held from 4-7 p.m. Nov. 29 in the Triton College Student Center, located on the west side of campus, 2000 Fifth Ave. During the event, prospective students and families can tour the campus, including recently updated facilities utilizing the latest technology and equipment. Triton staff members will be on hand to answer questions concerning financial aid, admissions, scholarship opportunities and more. Registration is encouraged but not required. Register online at www.triton.edu/openhouse. For more information, call 708-437-6915, ext. 6915 or visit www.triton.edu. 

Schaumburg

Village nets national budget presentation award

The village announced that it recently received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. This is the fifth year in a row the village has received the distinction. The GFOA national guidelines assess how well an organization or municipality’s budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device. Budget documents must be rated proficient in all four categories and in the 14 mandatory criteria within these categories to receive the award. Village manager Brian Townsend specifically recognized Assistant Village Manager Paula Hewson, Finance Director Lisa Happ Petersen, Assistant Finance Director Rosemary McAdams and Management Analyst Clayton Black for their efforts in crafting the award-winning budget. For more information, call 847-895-4500 or visit www.villageofschaumburg.com. 

–Cook County News Briefs–