Cook County News Briefs

Chronicle Media

The Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce Rocktoberfest will be held from 6-11 p.m. Sept. 30, noon to 11 p.m. Oct.1 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 2 in the parking lot at Bettenhausen Fiat, 17600 Oak Park Ave.

The Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce Rocktoberfest will be held from 6-11 p.m. Sept. 30, noon to 11 p.m. Oct.1 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 2 in the parking lot at Bettenhausen Fiat, 17600 Oak Park Ave.

Barrington

Village to host Public Safety Open House

The village announced that its annual Public Safety Open House will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 1 at the Public Safety Building, 400 N. Northwest Highway. The event will provide an opportunity for residents to meet and greet fire department personnel and gain valuable safety information. In addition, children can see rescue vehicles, explore some of the equipment and meet Sparky the Dog, among other kids’ activities. The event also includes an appearance by the LLC Comfort Dogs, and refreshments will be available. For more information, call (847) 304-3400 or visit www.barrington-il.gov.

Hoffman Estates

Police Dept. Lieutenant graduates from SPSC program

The Hoffman Estates Police Department announced that Lieutenant Julie Golden recently graduated from the School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC) at Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety. Golden successfully completed the 10-week program, which provides upper-level college instruction in leadership, organizational behavior, planning and policy, among other topics. The Center for Public Safety was established at Northwestern in 1936 to provide university-based education to members of the law enforcement community. 

Rolling Meadows

City to host Hometown Hoedown & Fall Fest

The city announced that Hometown Hoedown & Fall Fest will be held from 3-8 p.m. Oct. 1 at Kimball Hill Park, 2905 Meadow Drive. The event, sponsored by the RM Community Events Foundation and the Rolling Meadows Park District, includes horse-drawn hayrides, a cowboy cookout, square dancing, kids’ crafts, bounce houses, a community band and more. Admission is free; hot dog and hamburger dinners are $5. For more information, call (847) 394-8500 or visit www.ci.rolling-meadows.il.us.

Hinsdale

Village raises funds for benches near new Oak Street Bridge

The village announced that it raised more than $2,000 to purchase benches for the “pocket park” created on the southwest corner of the new Oak Street Bridge. The money was raised in August during a silent auction for two of the iconic stoplights that controlled one-way traffic over Hinsdale’s historic Oak Street Bridge. The two winning bidders, Chris Elder and Mike Meier, are longtime Hinsdale residents. The century-old Oak Street Bridge was owned and maintained by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation until 2009, when the village committed to replacing the bridge. The village secured funding through various local, state and federal agencies to cover 100 percent of the cost to replace the bridge. The project was completed in December 2015.

Tinley Park

Chamber of Commerce to host Rocktoberfest

The village announced that the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce Rocktoberfest will be held from 6-11 p.m. Sept. 30, noon to 11 p.m. Oct.1 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 2 in the parking lot at Bettenhausen Fiat, 17600 Oak Park Ave. The event includes beer and food vendors, beanbags and other activities, and a drawing to win Chicago Bears-related prizes, including game tickets. Live music includes Rockstar Rodeo (Sept. 30), the Tinley Park High School Titan Jazz Ensemble, Billy’s Boys and Beyond (Oct. 1) and the 95th Street Band (Oct. 2). Admission is $8 at the door, and free for ages 18 and under (with parental supervision) until 6 p.m. each day. Special admission packages are available online (in advance) for $20, including three drinks and a complimentary event coozie. For more information, call (708) 532-5700, send an email to info@tinleychamber.org or visit www.tinleychamber.org.

Park Ridge

Fire Dept. nets grant to purchase new fire engine

The city reported that the Park Ridge Fire Department has been awarded a grant of $500,000 from the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) program — under the guidance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — to purchase a new fire engine. The new fire engine will replace the one of the fire department’s existing engines that is more than 20 years old and has logged almost 130,000 miles of service duty. The new engine is scheduled to be delivered in 2017, and will be assigned to Fire Station 35, located at Devon and Cumberland avenues. Including the latest grant award, the Park Ridge Fire Department has successfully applied for and received more than $1.1 million the last three years in an ongoing effort to provide new equipment and personnel training while trying to minimize requests from taxpayers. For more information, call (847) 318-5283 or visit www.parkridge.us.

Glenview

Police Dept. to host free child safety seat event

The village announced that the Glenview Police Department will host a child safety seat inspection event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 1 in the parking lot at the Glenview Municipal Center, 2500 E. Lake Ave. Certified safety seat installers will be on hand to install child safety seats and inspect current seats to ensure correct installation. According to the National Traffic Safety Administration, 46 percent of child safety seats are installed or used incorrectly. For more information, call (847) 729-5000 or visit www.glenview.il.us.

Melrose Park

Village receives grant for purchase of new bike racks

The village announced that Melrose Park is one of four suburban Cook County municipalities to receive a grant for the purpose of purchasing new bicycle racks. Funded by the Cook County Department of Health’s Healthy HotSpot Initiative and administered by Active Transportation Alliance, the grant will provide approximately $3,000 worth of new bike racks and a new bike site plan. The village is currently considering locations for the racks, which may include the Metra Station, Winston Plaza, the Broadway Business District, the Melrose Park Public Library, Village Hall and local parks. The grant arrives in conjunction with the upcoming implementation of the village’s Active Transportation Plan, also funded by the Healthy HotSpot Initiative. Bike racks sites are expected to be finalized this fall, and racks will be installed in the spring of 2017. For more information, call (708) 343-4000 or visit www.melrosepark.org.

Flossmoor

Village offers free rain barrel program to residents

The village announced that it has partnered with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to offer free rain barrels to residents. Rain barrels are designed to collect and store rainwater at the end of a downspout with the intent to provide an efficient, low-cost method for homeowners to collect and recycle water. The village will take orders for rain barrels through Oct. 28. Order forms must be completed and dropped off at Village Hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road. To access an order form, visit www.flossmoor.org. For information about the program, contact Laura Brennan-Levy at (708) 798-2300 or via email at lbrennan-levy@flossmoor.org.

–Cook County News Briefs–