Cook County Farm Bureau (CCFB) will host Electronic Recycling/Shred Day from 10 a.m. to noon April 1 at Country Financial, 4190 W. Euclid Ave.

Buffalo Grove

Village earns Tree City USA recognition

The village recently earned recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA. The Tree City USA program has four requirements: that the recipient has either a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least 42 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation on a yearly basis. The village will be presented with a Tree City USA flag by the Arbor Day Foundation, and will recognize the designation during its Arbor Day observance on April 28. For more information, call (847) 459-2500 or visit www.vbg.org.

Elgin

Abbott selected as Illinois Social Worker of the Year

The School District U-46 Board of Education recently recognized Elgin resident Mary Abbott for being selected as a 2017 Illinois Social Worker of the Year. Abbott, who received the honor from the Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, was presented with a Proclamation of Appreciation on behalf of all the District’s social workers, as well as an Accent of Achievement Certificate in recognition of her state title, her 20 years as a District U-46 social worker and five years leading the District’s social workers.

Hillside/Maywood

Dist. 209 to host pair of free tax-help events

Proviso Township High School District 209 is partnering with the Center for Economic Progress to offer free tax and credit assistance with two Progress on the Go mobile tax sites: Proviso West High School, 4701 W. Harrison Street, Hillside, on April 1; and Proviso East High School, 807 S. First Ave., Maywood, on April 15. Both sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is highly recommended to schedule an appointment for either session. A limited number of walk-ins will be accepted between 9 and 11 a.m. To sign up, visit www.economicprogress.org/proviso or call (312) 252-0280, Ext. 2. For more information, contact Dist. 209 Community and Public Relations Coordinator at (708) 338-5924 or via email at cmoreno@dths209.org.

Schaumburg

Village Board approves Bethel Lane realignment project

The Schaumburg Village Board recently approved a development agreement with Bethel Baptist Church for a project to realign Bethel Lane. Village staff members have been coordinating the project with the church and M/I Homes since 2015. As part of the project — to enhance safety — the Schaumburg Christian School parking lot will be consolidated north of Bethel Lane, and the mid-block pedestrian crossings previously used multiple times a day by parents and students will be eliminated. The village will manage the construction of the roadway, traffic signal and parking lot improvements as budgeted in the Capital Improvement Plan that was adopted in January. Construction is anticipated to begin in mid-April and conclude in fall 2017. Bethel Lane will be closed to traffic for the duration of the construction project. Additional details will be posted on the village website (www.villageofschaumburg.com) once they become available.

Arlington Heights

Happy Half-O-Ween dinner/dance party on tap

District 214 Community Education, and its high schools (Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, Forest View Educational Center, Hersey, Prospect, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling) will host Happy Half-O-Ween: Trick or Treat in April, an intergenerational dinner/dance party, from 6-10:30 p.m. April 8 at Forest View Educational Center, 2121 S. Goebbert Road. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their best Halloween costumes to win a prize. Tickets are $20 (adults) and $10 (K-12 students). For tickets, and more information, call (847) 718-7702.

Rolling Meadows

Cook County Farm Bureau to host recycling/shred event

Cook County Farm Bureau (CCFB) will host Electronic Recycling/Shred Day from 10 a.m. to noon April 1 at Country Financial, 4190 W. Euclid Ave. Items that can be dropped off for recycling include computers, servers, laptops, speakers, printers, fax machines, batteries, cables, phones (all types), stereo equipment, circuit boards, copiers and networking equipment. Items that will not be accepted for recycling include microwaves, TVs, air conditioners, food processing equipment, washers, dryers, refrigerators and freezers. Because of environmental protection rules, $10 will be charged per computer monitor to cover the costs of proper recycling and disposal. Participants also can bring up to three bankers’ boxes of unwanted documents for shredding. To make a reservation, and for more information, call CCFB at (708) 354-3276.

Elk Grove Village

Fire Dept. to host Citizen’s Fire Academy

The Elk Grove Fire Department announced that it will host its Citizen’s Fire Academy at Fire Station No. 8, 1000 Oakton Street. The six-week program, intended for village residents and Elk Grove business employees interested in learning more about the Fire Department and its operations, will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays, beginning April 6. Topics to be covered include calling 911, special teams operations, fire extinguisher training, auto extrication, hose evolutions, emergency medical services/CPR and disaster preparedness. Participants will tour the training tower, learn basic first aid skills, and use specialized tools and equipment to better understand the types of conditions encountered by firefighters. All students also will be fitted with a set of protective clothes to use during the course of the academy. The program will culminate with an evening of hands-on simulations. All participants must complete an application form and provide a release of liability prior to the start of class. To apply, and for more information, contact the Fire Department Public Education Team via email at firedepartment@elkgrove.org or call (847) 734-8027.     

Oak Forest

Cicero Ave. lighting upgrade project underway

The city announced that the LED lighting upgrade project on Cicero Avenue is underway. The Public Works Department’s Street Division is replacing old, 455-watt metal halide/mercury vapor (blue/white light) and high-pressure sodium (orange light) fixtures with new, energy-efficient, 106-watt LED lights from 149th Street to 159th Street. The new LED lighting will provide a uniform look and presentation, and will reduce energy usage by 75 percent. For more information, call (708) 535-4090 or visit www.oak-forest.org.  

–Cook County News Briefs–