The Woodstock Department of Public Works is offering residents three different opportunities throughout January to have their discarded Christmas tress collected and mulched.

Lake in the Hills 

 Lake in the Hills Parks and Rec seeks input for playground feature 

The Lake in the Hills Parks and Recreation Department is seeking resident input for the selection of a new playground feature at Cattail Park, located at 4402 Albrecht Road. Input regarding the project can be provided by residents via an online survey, accessible on the village website at www.lith.org. The 3.74-acre park, completed in 2008, currently features a playground area with rock climbers, belt and bucket swings, and a slide. The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking input to ensure that a new playground feature would best reflect the needs of its users. For more information, call (847) 960-7460 or visit www.lith.org.

Woodstock 

City of Woodstock offers Christmas tree collection program 

The Woodstock Department of Public Works is offering residents three different opportunities throughout January to have their discarded Christmas tress collected and mulched. To participate, residents must place trees in the parkway (between the sidewalk and street) by 7 a.m. on their regularly scheduled garbage day to ensure collection. The program runs through Jan. 20. All ornaments, garland, tinsel, lights, decorations, nails, bags and stands must be removed prior to pick-up. Non-Christmas trees, branches, roping and other greens will not be collected. In addition, trees must be secured to prevent them from blowing into the street and potentially creating a traffic hazard. For more information, contact the Department of Public Works at (815) 338-6118 or via email at pwdept@woodstockil.gov — or visit www.woodstockil.gov.

Johnsburg 

Johnsburg Police Dept. to host annual Citizen Police Academy 

The Johnsburg Police Department, 3611 Chapel Hill Road, announced that it will host the 6th annual Citizen Police Academy, beginning the last week of January and meeting once per week for a total of nine two-to-three-hour sessions. The program is intended to educate adult citizens (ages 21 and up) about police work and provide a working knowledge of the department’s organization, personnel, policies and procedures. Enrolled citizens will be encouraged to build a lasting relationship with the Johnsburg Police Department, with the ultimate goal of reducing crime and improving the quality of life in the village’s neighborhoods. Topics will include the history and evolution of law enforcement, firearms familiarization, patrol tactics, gangs, drug enforcement, special response team operations, canine patrol, criminal law, crime prevention, media relations, crime scene processing, investigations and more. The Citizen Police Academy is open to Johnsburg citizens, and village employees and business owners. To access an application, visit www.johnsburg.org. For more information, contact the office of Police Chief Keith Von Allmen at (815) 385-6024 or via email at police@johnsburg.org.

Spring Grove 

 Village of Spring Grove offers sign-up for Horse Fair Park rentals 

The village announced that Horse Fair Park rental reservations for family gatherings and events in 2017 will be offered — beginning Jan. 9 for village residents and Feb. 6 for the general public. Rental fees are $180 for residents, businesses and organizations, and $360 for non-Spring Grove residents. Amenities at Horse Fair Park, 8105 Blivin Street, include the pavilion with a refrigerator, freezer, oven, microwave, bar and running water, as well as picnic tables, an outdoor grill, Port-A-Potty, and volleyball and basketball courts (including equipment) for exclusive use. To access a rental fee/permit application form, visit the village website at www.springgrovevillage.com. For more information, call (815) 675-2121 or visit the website.

Huntley 

 Village of Huntley earns Investment in Infrastructure Award  

The village announced that it recently received the 2016 Ruekert-Mielke Investment in Infrastructure Award. The award was presented for the village’s work in creating a Geographic Information System (GIS), which tracks crime information and ADA compliance, as well as many other informational components. The award also included a monetary consideration, and the village requested that the funds be given to the family of recently deceased police officer LJ Marak. Wisconsin-based Ruekert-Miekle, established in 1946, is considered a leader throughout the Midwest in helping municipalities achieve balance with infrastructure needs that support quality of life, and make each community served a desirable place to work and live. For more information, call (847) 515-5200 or visit www.huntley.il.us.

Crystal Lake 

FaithBridge to host MLK Interfaith Prayer Breakfast 

FaithBridge, a consortium of faith-based communities in McHenry and Lake counties that seeks to promote understanding and respectful relationships among diverse religious communities, will host the 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Prayer Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 16 at D’Andrea Banquets, 4419 Northwest Highway. The event includes a vegetarian breakfast buffet, as well as prayers, readings and music representing a variety of different faiths. The program also includes a Racial Conditioning Workshop, featuring guest speaker Phyliss Unterscheutz, co-founder/president of the Race Story ReWrite, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable social change by elevating the discourse on race and empowering individuals to transform cross-racial relationships. Unterscheutz also is the co-author of “Longing: Stories of Racial Healing,” a book that examines the effects of racism. In addition, winners of the 2017 MLK Day Essay Contest for middle school students will read their essays on the topic, “Honestly Confronting Racism.” Tickets for the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast are $20 (adults) and $10 (students). For more information, call (224) 623-9200, send an email to interfaithbridge@gmail.com or visit www.faithbridgeinterfaith.org.