Northwest suburbs in 60 seconds
Crash survivor to speak
A Schaumburg man who survived the crash of Flight 232 in an Iowa cornfield will be the keynote speaker at a National Day of Prayer breakfast Thursday in Glendale Heights. Jeff Miller was among 184 passengers who survived after their plane cartwheeled into the field outside Sioux City and burst into flames in 1989. The prayer breakfast, sponsored by Adventist GlenOaks Hospital in Glendale Heights and other community groups, takes place at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at Glendale Lakes Golf Club, 1550 President St. Tickets are $20 or $150 for a table of eight. Call (630) 856-7525.
Tax appeal workshop
Democratic state Reps. Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates and Paul Froehlich of Schaumburg will co-sponsor a property tax appeal workshop with Chicago Board of Review Commissioner Joseph Berrios from 7 to 9 p.m. May 5 at the Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg. Any property taxpayer in Cook County is welcome to attend. Attendees are asked to bring their tax bills. For details or to RSVP, call Crespo at (630) 372-3340 or Froehlich at (847) 985-9210.
Park grants bestowed
Governor Rod Blagojevich has announced $18.2 million in grants for projects at existing parks and development of new parks through northern Illinois. The funds will be used for 48 projects that include work like land acquisition and construction of new trails and playgrounds. The grants in the Northwest suburbs include: $311,400 to the Bartlett Park District to develop eight acres on Lambert Lane for a neighborhood park, $400,000 to the Buffalo Grove Park district to renovate the 35-year-old Willow Stream Pool and $325,000 to the Hoffman Estates Park District to develop Black Bear Park off Shoe Factory Road, which will include a playground and disc golf course.
Palatine Arbor Day event
A Palatine park previously plagued by tree vandals was the scene of an Arbor Day celebration Friday morning. Village and Park District officials were on hand to plant three Autumn Blaze Red Maples and two Accolade Elms at Oak Park near the corner of Clear and Anderson drives. Over the last six months, three large trees in Oak Park have been destroyed. Students at nearby St. Thomas School are raising money to help replace them.