Briefs: MainStreet director lauded

Waukegan MainStreet's Theodora Anderson was named Executive Director of the Year on Thursday by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn at the 14th annual Illinois MainStreet Conference in Danville. Waukegan MainStreet was also recognized as a premier program for its efforts toward downtown revitalization. The organization won the Partnership Development award for "Night on Main Street," an event that brings together merchants, city officials, and leaders of not-for-profit groups to promote their accomplishments and find new ways to create partnerships. It began with a small gathering in 2002 and has expanded to include 400 participants.

Short village hall hours

Grayslake village hall will close at noon today to accommodate construction of a new police headquarters adjacent to the building on Seymour Avenue. Village hall will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday. Meanwhile, anyone who made plans to attend Tuesday night's Grayslake village board meeting will need to place something else on their calendar. Officials announced the village board's regular meeting and an informal committee session have been canceled. The next scheduled village board meeting is Dec. 4.

Buy a book, help a school

You can buy books and other products at the Barnes & Noble store in Vernon Hills on Dec. 1 and raise money for Vernon Hills High School in the process. The fundraiser will benefit student organizations, including the anime club and the student council. Crafts and other activities also are scheduled. To participate, shoppers must use vouchers available at www.vhhscougars.org or by e-mailing student council sponsor Leslie Nardini at leslie.nardini@district128.org.

Author, journalist book tour

Haroon Siddiqui, editor of the Toronto Star, a leading daily newspaper in Canada, will autograph copies of his book "Being Muslim" today at the Islamic Foundation North's Libertyville mosque, 1751 O'Plaine Road. Siddiqui will sign books at 12:15 and 1:15 p.m. The book, which offers an assessment of current issues affecting Muslims and Western democracies in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, has sold more than 20,000 copies. It is written for teens and adults as a cross-cultural link to these worlds. Siddiqui will make several stops through Sunday in the Chicago area as part of a book tour. Siddiqui will also sign books from 7 to 8 p.m. today at 3247 W. 63rd St., Chicago, sponsored by the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation.