Cook County News Briefs

Chronicle Media

Elmwood Park has received a 2017 Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association (APWA) for its Flood Mitigation Project.

Barrington

Chamber to host 2017 Barrington Family EXPO

The Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 2017 Barrington Family EXPO from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 9 at Barrington High School, 616 W. Main Street. The event features approximately 100 vendors showcasing business, community and education resources, and includes the Barrington High School District 220 Student Art Show, hands-on activities for kids, live music, robotics demonstrations, food and refreshments, and more. In addition, attendees can enter to win a Barrington shopping spree. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call (847) 381-2525 or visit www.barringtonchamber.com.

Palatine

LifeSource to conduct Board of Health Blood Drive

The Palatine Board of Health Blood Drive will be held from noon to 6 p.m. April 13 at Village Hall (Community Room B), 200 E. Wood Street. The blood drive will be conducted by LifeSource. Appointments are preferred; walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment, and for more information on the donation process, call LifeSource at (877) 543-3768 or visit www.lifesource.org. Additional LifeSource blood drives will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 17 and Oct. 19.

Schaumburg

Non-profit group named Business of the Month

The village announced that Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit, charitable organization that provides nutritionally complete meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, was selected as the March Business of the Month. Feed My Starving Children, located at 1072 National Parkway, takes donations and uses the service of volunteers to hand-pack meals called “mana packs,” which contain soy, rice, veggies and vitamins and provide six meals for a single child in need. Volunteers at the Schaumburg location pack more than 35 million meals each year, which amounts to approximately 118,000 being packed each day. In December, the organization held a holiday meal-packing event at the Schaumburg Convention Center that resulted in nearly 7,000 volunteers packing 1.4 million meals in two hours. Founded in 1987, Feed My Starving Children now aids more than 70 different countries. For more information, call (847) 519-9614 or visit www.fmsc.org.

Oak Lawn

Senior & Family Health-Safety Expo on tap

The Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce, Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123, Oak Lawn Community Partnership and the village will host the Senior & Family Health-Safety Expo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8 at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School, 5345 W. 99th Street. The event features a wide variety of vendors, as well as a series of educational sessions, including Chiro for Kids, Holistic Wellness, Diabetic Foot Care, Medicare ABCs, Benefits of Immunizations for Children, Fall Prevention, Safety & Security and By The Hand Outreach Services. In addition, Chamber businesses, Community Partnership, the Oak Lawn Fire Department and Police Department, and the village will showcase a variety of products, services, safety tips and more. Admission is free, and the event is open to all ages. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at (708) 424-8300 or via email at office@oaklawnchamber.com — or visit www.oaklawnchamber.com.

Elmwood Park

Flood Mitigation Project earns national award

Elmwood Park has received a 2017 Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association (APWA) for its Flood Mitigation Project. The project was recognized in the Management Innovation category for displaying creativity that enhanced the goals of Public Works by serving the public and protecting the environment. The Flood Mitigation Project, which broke ground in 2013, separated some of the village’s stormwater from domestic sewage, thereby increasing stormwater capacity and decreasing flooding. For more information, call (708) 452-7300 or visit www.elmwoodpark.org.

Bellwood

Firm relocating to village gets tax help 

The village reported that W-R Industries, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of products used for offset printing that is relocating to Bellwood from Chicago, was one of four suburban businesses selected by the Cook County Board’s Bureau of Economic Development to receive tax incentives to retain and create jobs. W-R Industries plans to purchase the 30,000-square-foot property at 2715 Grant Ave., and substantially rehab it to meet the company’s growing needs. It is estimated that the project will create one full-time job, retain seven full-time jobs and support 15 construction jobs. For more information, call (708) 547-3500 or visit www.vil.bellwood.il.us.

Niles

Harts Road resurfacing project set to begin

The village announced that Harts Road — from Milwaukee Avenue to Croname Road — will be resurfaced, beginning April 10. Daytime lane closures are expected. The intersection at Gross Point Road and Touhy Avenue will be omitted due to an upcoming, planned intersection improvement project. The work is being performed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). For more information, call (847) 588-8000 or visit www.vniles.com.

Orland Park

McLaughlin nets national small business award

Representatives of the United States Conference of Mayors traveled to Orland Park from Washington, D.C. on March 28 to present Mayor Don McLaughlin with the Small Business Advocate Award. McLaughlin was one of a select number of mayors nationwide to receive the award. The award is part of the Partner America Program, created by the United States Conference of Mayors and American Management Services, Inc. Jeffrey Bean, a Partner America national director, cited the village’s Business Retention and Extension Program, the mayor’s Revolving Loan Program, the Commercial Façade Improvement Program, the Cook County Property Tax Incentive Program and the Build Orland Program among initiatives offered under McLaughlin’s leadership to help local commerce. For further details, visit www.orland-park.il.us.

–Cook County News Briefs–