Briefs: Environment fair Saturday

Speakers, exhibits and representatives from environmental and recycling groups are among the highlights of an all-day environmental fair that will take place Saturday in Schaumburg. Sponsored by Schaumburg's and Hoffman Estates' environmental commissions, the family-oriented fair will include exhibits from such groups as Chicago Wilderness, Greenpeace, the Illinois Arborists Association, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Morton Arboretum will exhibit photos, brochures and examples of their environmental initiatives. Several alternative-fuel cars will also be on display. Speeches include "The Bee Hive Collapse" at 10 a.m.; "Wind Power in Illinois" at 11 a.m.; "A Greener You" at noon; "Snakes Alives," featuring live snakes, at 1 p.m.; and, following that, "Build a Rain Barrel." The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court. Admission is free.

Fremd fundraiser Nov. 16

The deadline is today to reserve tickets for Fremd High School's 13th annual Viking Booster Dinner Dance and Raffle, which takes place Nov. 16 at The Meadows Club in Schaumburg. Tickets are $135 for one dinner and one raffle ticket or $170 for two dinners and one raffle ticket. Raffle tickets offer a chance to win $10,000 and are available for $100 for those who do not plan to attend the dinner. Discounts are available on multiple raffle tickets. Doors open at 6 p.m. For details, e-mail FremdDD07@aol.com.

Central School saved

After a six-year campaign, the Mount Prospect Historical Society announced it has raised the $150,000 needed to relocate the endangered 1896 Central School in Mount Prospect. Donors can expect to see the one-room frame schoolhouse rolling down the street to its new location sometime this winter or next spring, according to Gavin Kleespies, executive director of the society. More than 650 families, businesses and organizations in 11 states donated. Society fundraising efforts have ranged from bake sales to skating parties, grant applications to corporate presentations, village-wide mailings to targeted and sometimes hand-written letters. Soon, the society will begin raising funds to restore the structure, Kleespies said.

Convention bureau honored

The Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau said Thursday it is the first convention bureau in Illinois to earn the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program designation. "The Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau is honored to be among the small group of destination marketing organizations worldwide to achieve the Destination Marketing Accreditation," said Fran Bolson, president. To get the accreditation, the bureau had to demonstrate compliance in 54 mandatory and 33 voluntary standards in 16 core competencies. The bureau, established in 1983, promotes the Northwest suburbs for meetings, conventions, and tourism.

No one hurt in bus crash

No one was hurt when a school bus collided with a car Thursday in Wheeling. The crash happened about 4 p.m. at McHenry and Weiland roads. One person was in the car and three were on the bus, but no one had to be transported to a hospital, firefighters said. Wheeling police declined to release information about the crash Thursday night.