Cook County Commissioners joined state reps and senators, aldermen and suburban mayors at the annual legislative good packing project at Chicago Food Depository on Sept 27.

Barrington Hills

Park Dist. to host 4th Annual Barrington Hills Festival

The village and the Barrington Hills Park District will host the 4th Annual Barrington Hills Festival, “The Hills Are Alive 2016,” from 1-5 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Barrington Hills Park District Riding Center, 361 Bateman Road. The event includes live music, crafts, games, pony rides, family activities, demonstrations, representatives from local organizations, Kids Fly-a-Kite (open to the first 300 kids) and Sunset Yoga (bring your own mat) at 4:45 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, including how to volunteer and/or donate, contact Village Clerk Anna Paul at (847) 551-3000 or via email at fest@ vbhil.com — or visit www.barringtonhills-il.gov.

Deerfield

Pair of Dist. 109 schools awarded National Blue Ribbon status

Deerfield Public Schools District 109 reported that Alan B. Shepard Middle School, 440 Grove Place, and Walden Elementary School, 630 Essex Court, have been named by the U.S. Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools. A total of only 16 public schools from Illinois were selected among nearly 4,500 schools in the state. During the 2015-16 school year, students at Walden demonstrated growth as a school in the 96th percentile for math and 97th percentile for reading on the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments. Students at Shepard showed growth in the 98th percentile for both math and reading on MAP assessments. Representatives from both schools and District 109 will officially accept the awards at the National Blue Ribbon Award ceremony, to be held in Washington, D.C., in November. For more information, call (847) 945-1844 or visit www.dps109.org.

Elk Grove Village

Fire Dept. to host annual Open House event

The village announced that the Elk Grove Fire Department will host its annual Open House from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 16 at Fire Station 7, 101 Biesterfield Road. The event includes live demonstrations by firefighters, a kids firefighter challenge, an inflatable fire safety house, a photo booth and a fire pole, and the Fire and EMS apparatus will be on display. In addition, representatives from Nicor Gas, Northwest Central Dispatch and Alexian Brothers Medical Center will be on hand to answer questions and hand out information. Admission is free. For more information, call (847) 439-3900 or visit www.elkgrove.com.

Park Ridge

Chamber of Commerce to host SWANCC recycling event

The city and the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) will host a document shredding, electronics recycling and textile recycling event from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 15 at the Public Works Service Center, 400 Busse Highway. The event is open to residents of Park Ridge and other SWANCC membership communities. Acceptable items for electronics recycling include answering machines, batteries, cable receivers, calculators, camcorders, cameras, CD and DVD players, cell phones, converter boxes, copy machines, computers and monitors, cables, keyboards and electronic mice, printers, fax machines, microwaves, postage machines, power tools and cords, satellite receivers, scanners, shredders, small home appliances, stereo equipment, telephones, televisions, typewriters, video game consoles, VCRs and zip drives. Document shredding will take place across from the Public Works Center at 515 Busse Highway. Participants will be limited to six file boxes or six brown paper bags of documents per vehicle. Plastic and metal clips must be removed from items for shredding, and materials from businesses, institutions or schools will not be accepted. A $5 donation is requested to assist the Chamber of Commerce with community projects and recycling efforts. Participants who donate will receive a $5 coupon to use at select businesses on purchase of $20 or more. For more information, call (847) 318-5243, send an email to mmcgrath@parkridge.us or visit www.parkridge.us.

Chicago Heights

City sells land parcel to assist expansion project for Zarlengo’s

The city reported that it acquired a parcel of land at the northeast corner of Joe Orr Road and Ashland Avenue, and recently sold the parcel to Zarlengo’s Italian Ice, 257 W. Joe Orr Road, to assist in the establishment’s plans for a manufacturing expansion project. Citing a need to meet an increase in business, Zarlengo’s plans to expand its current storefront and manufacturing location from lot line to lot line, and beautify the adjacent lot while creating additional parking. The expansion also will serve as an upgrade to the intersection of Joe Orr Road and Ashland Avenue, and is expected to create up to 18 full-time jobs. For more information, call (708) 756-5300 or visit www.cityofchicagoheights.org.

Hinsdale

Police Dept. to host National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event

The village announced that the Hinsdale Police Department is participating with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to host a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 22 at the Hinsdale Police Department, 121 Symonds Drive. The police department will collect expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs for destruction. Participants can dispose of such drugs in their original containers, and it is not required to remove any identifying information from the prescription label. All materials collected will be safely incinerated. The police department will not accept liquid products, intravenous solutions, syringes, inhalers and other air cylinders. The program is free, and participation is anonymous. For more information, call (630) 789-7000 or visit www.villageofhinsdale.org.

Park Forest

Community seminar offers info on stress, heart health

The village announced that a hands-on, community seminar providing information on how to minimize stress and how to identify signs of stroke or heart attack will be held from 1-3 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Board Room at Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive. Scheduled speakers at the event include Felecia Houston, Behavioral Health Consultant at Ingalls Memorial Hospital, and Janice Ervin, Director of Health for the Park Forest Health Department Nurse Plus organization. Participants must register for the event by Oct. 14. To RSVP, call (708) 748-1118. For more information, visit www.villageofparkforest.com.

–Cook County News Briefs–