Deerfield Park District notes

For more information, call (847) 945-0650 or visit www.dfpd.org.

Community Services Day: Everyone's invited to the third annual Community Services Day Saturday at Brickyards Park at Kates and Pfingsten and the Patty Turner Senior Center at 375 Elm St., in Deerfield. This free, community-wide activity will offer inflatable rides for children; family musical entertainment; a Touch-A-Truck event; a disc jockey for middle school and high school students; and police dog, auto extrication and fire sprinkler demonstrations. The American Legion Post 738 will post the Colors at noon to officially start the event. The Flight for Life helicopter is planning to land for a visit around 1 p.m. Booths manned by community service clubs and civic organizations will offer information and special giveaways. A display area will be designated for Operation Lifesaver railroad safety. Food and beverages will available for purchase.

Hosts for Community Services Day 2007 include Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District, Deerfield and Bannockburn Police Departments, Deerfield Park District, Village of Deerfield, and the DBR Chamber of Commerce.

Pre-event activities include:

• A Passenger/Child Safety Seat Checkpoint from 9 to 11 a.m.

• A Household Electronics Collection offered cooperatively through the Village of Deerfield and the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County from 9 a.m. to noon. Visit www.swalco.org for list of materials suitable for collection.

• A Clean Air Counts initiative through the Village of Deerfield will offer residents the opportunity to trade in their gas-powered equipment for a voucher to purchase new, more environmentally-friendly equipment, from 9 a.m. to noon. Old gasoline cans may also be exchanged for new spill-proof, plastic gasoline cans. Visit www.deerfield-il.org for details.

The purpose of this event is to promote services available to community residents. The event will take place rain or shine. Public parking for the event will be at the 155 Pfingsten office building parking lot in Deerfield. Emergency services demonstrations depend upon availability and may change without advance notice.

School-age activities: The Deerfield Park District will offer the following activities in fall for students in elementary and/or middle school. All activities take place at (or have drop off and pick up from) Jewett Park Community Center:

• Create-O-Bug Ceramics Workshop will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, for children of all ages. Participants will explore various insects and use molds to make their own bugs.

• Earthworks at Experiencia offers a walking tour for students in first through eighth grade from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Oct. 8. Kids will participate in a variety of earth science careers and habitats as well as perform experiments and learn about the natural world.

• Half-Day Happenings offers games, projects and other activities to students in first through fifth grade from 11:40 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 24.

• A Haunted Maze trip is offered from 5 to 11 p.m. Oct. 31 for students in sixth through eighth grade. This scary adventure will take place at an 18-acre corn maze at Richardson Farms in Spring Grove. Dinner is included.

• Mother Daughter Pajama Party for girls ages 4 to 10 and their mom is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 12. The event will feature games, crafts, a movie with snacks and a pajama fashion show.

• Fall Winds Ceramics Workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 21 will offer children of all ages the chance to collect leaves and make their own wind chime.

For Adults 50 and up: Activities for Adults 50 and up are offered at Jewett Park Community Center as well as the Patty Turner Senior Center, 375 Elm St., Deerfield. For details, call 847-940-4010.

The following are programs and events offered at Patty Turner Senior Center:

• The Senior Men's Club meets at 8:45 a.m. every Tuesday morning. Speakers and activities include: Circus Tent Raising on the Soccer Field on Tuesday; and William Helmuth, India and Pakistan, on Sept. 25 (sponsored by Right at Home).

• Upcoming Trips departing from PTSC, (some of which involve advance ordering of tickets) include; Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise, on Sept. 25; Loop Interiors Tour with Bill Hinchliff, on Oct. 9; "Meet Me in St. Louis" at Drury Lane, on Oct. 24; Jazz Afternoon, on Nov. 14; "Forbidden Broadway," on Dec. 8; High Tea at the Drake and Holiday Shopping, on Dec. 10; and "Jersey Boys," on Jan. 9.

• Exercise Classes include 50+ Fitness Workout from 9 to 10 a.m.; Tai Chi (Yang Style), from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; Ballroom Benefits from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; and Feldenkrais, from 9 to 10 a.m. Mondays.

• Bridge, mah jongg and poker classes include: Duplicate Bridge from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Thursdays; Social Bridge at 12:30 p.m. Mondays; Open Mah Jongg from noon to 3 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; Beginning Mah Jongg Lessons, from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays, Oct. 15 to Nov. 15; and Open Poker from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Varied services offered through the Patty Turner Senior Center include:

• Blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol Screenings sponsored by ENH are available on the first Tuesday of every month.

• Massage and Podiatry Services may be arranged by calling the Patty Turner Senior Center at (847) 940-4010 for an appointment.

• AARP's Driver Safety Program offers participants the opportunity to learn defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws, rules of the road and much more in this eight-hour course offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 8 and 9. Reservations are necessary.

Seniors computer classes: Computer and digital camera classes offered in the computer lab/library of Patty Turner Senior Center include:

• Organizing Your Computer, from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 19 and 26.

• Digital Cameras II, from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 9, 16, and 23.

• Intro to Quicken 2007 from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 15, 22 and 29.

• How to Use the Internet, from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 3, 10 and 17.

Saturday "Weekend Mini Computer Seminars" include: Brain Fitness, on Sept. 29; Graphic & Clip Images, on Oct. 20; e-Bay -- An Intro to the Basics, Nov. 17; and Question & Answer Workshop, on Dec. 8.

Chicago on the Big Screen: The College of Lake County-South Lake Discovery! Program for seniors will offer the Chicago as Seen on the Big Screen Series at the Patty Turner Senior Center. Movies in this Series will be shown from 1 to 3 p.m. on the following Thursdays:

• Chicago in the Movies 1930s-1960s, Oct. 11.

• Chicago in the Movies 1970s - 1980s, Oct. 18.

• Chicago in the Movies 1990s to present, Oct. 25.

50+ Expo: The 50+ Life Style Expo, co-sponsored by the DBR Chamber of Commerce and the Patty Turner Senior Center, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Patty Turner Senior Center, 375 Elm St., in Deerfield. This annual event will include exhibits, a variety of free health screenings and refreshments for adults 50 and older. To make a reservation for a flu shot or for more information about the event, call (847) 940-4010.

Halloween Hoopla: The Halloween Hoopla two-day event will offer games, food, entertainment, a haunted house, a bonfire and more Oct. 26 and 27. Everyone's invited to these harvest-time festivities from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 26 and 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27; a Haunted House at Jewett Park Community Center and entertainment and food at Jewett Park. At dark on both days, weather permitting, there will be a bonfire in Jewett Park. The Haunted House will operate with lights on from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at JPCC. Event sponsors include the Deerfield Park District, School District 109 and PTOs, the Optimist Club, the Patty Turner Senior Center and local businesses.

In keeping with the Hoopla theme, a Middle School Dance will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 19 at Shepard Middle School, 440 Grove Place, Deerfield.

New this year will be Deerfield Park District's Parade of Haunted Homes. Everyone within the Deerfield Park District is invited to show off their homes with scary decorations and lighting effects, spooky music, lifelike or live action and creepy creatures. There will be a Haunted Home Contest Judging Night from dusk until 10 p.m. Oct. 21. Winners will be announced at Halloween Hoopla at 8 p.m. on Oct. 27. Judging categories will include: Best Fear Factor, Most Creatively Creepy, Most Family-Friendly, Judge's Choice and more. (Haunted Homes must be within the Deerfield Park District boundaries.) Contestants must complete an entry form and pick up a "Tour of Haunted Homes" guidebook by or before Oct. 12.

For details on any of the Halloween-related events, call: (847) 945-0650 or visit: www.dfpd.org.