How would you score on state's geography bee?
Thomas Middle School seventh-grader Steven Landeweer will compete against 99 other students in the state geography bee on Friday at the Field Museum in Chicago. To get to this level, Landeweer won his school's bee and took a qualifying test.
Geography has always been a mystery to me. I mean, it's basically memorizing the globe, right?
Turns out I was way off. Here are a few of the questions from Landeweer's test, which was a tad more difficult that I expected:
• Known for its production of alpaca wool, Arequipa is a major commercial and tourist center in what country just south of Ecuador?
• A Mediterranean climate occurs in only one state in the U.S. Name this coastal state.
• Name the major river that flows through Turkey and Syria before joining the Tigris River in Iraq.
• The region of Alsace-Lorraine has changed hands four times since 1870 between France and what other country, which occupied the area during most of World War II?
In order, the answers are: Peru, California, Euphrates River and Germany.
If he wins, Landeweer advances to the national competition on May 20 and 21 in Washington, D.C.
Slow down: Some things never change.
Like speed traps.
I remember driving on Hintz Road in the backseat of my parents' car when my mom would suddenly slow down as we'd pass a police car sitting in the parking lot at Arlington Countryside Church, at 916 E. Hintz Road.
Apparently, the police car never left. I saw it parked in the same church parking lot twice last week.
Safe senior driving: Dr. Barry Kaufman will talk about helping seniors drive safely near railroad tracks and trains at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Arlington Heights Senior Center, 1801 W Central Road.
Kaufman's program is called Operation Lifesaver and aims to end tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way.
Kaufman lives in Wilmette and hosts "Healthy Minute" on WBBM Newsradio 780.
Tuesday's program is free and open to the public and no reservations are needed. For more information, call the senior center at (847) 253-5532.
Looking for dresses, coats: South Middle School is collecting gently used dresses and sport coats appropriate for students to wear at the school's eighth-grade dance. The clothes will be for any student who wants to borrow something from the "closet" to wear to the dance.
You can drop off the dresses and sport coats at South from Tuesday through April 7.
• Sheila Ahern covers Arlington Heights. She can be reached at (847) 427-4563 or sahern@dailyherald.com.