Briefs: Bridge work starts May 7

Reconstruction of the Bailey Road Bridge in Naperville is slated to begin Wednesday, weather permitting. At that time, the bridge will close to all traffic. The city anticipates the bridge will re-open in mid-August. During construction, detour routes will be posted and message boards will be in place to alert drivers. A temporary pedestrian bridge is slated for completion by May 15 to maintain foot traffic; however, the use of the bridge may be restricted at times for safety purposes. In addition, access to the DuPage River Trail at Bailey Road may be closed at times during construction. Users of the trail will be directed to use on-street bicycle routes as an alternative. The city requests that trail users respect private property by not using it as an access point to and from the trail. For a list of on-street bicycle routes, download the Naperville Biking Map & Guide at www.naperville.il.us/bikemap.aspx.

Dist. 202 names official

Lisle Unit District 202 has named Karen Gordon as director of student services. She will begin her duties July 1. Gordon currently is director of student services in Palos Community District 118 and has 24 years experience as both an administrator and as an elementary and special education teacher. She has been a faculty member at both Lewis University and Moraine Valley Community College. Gordon received a bachelor's degree from Illinois State University, where she is currently pursuing a doctoral degree, a master's degree in education from DePaul University and administrative certification from Lewis University. She and her husband, Robert, are residents of Orland Park. They have two children, both of whom attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Veterans needs help

The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton seeks volunteers for ongoing tasks. The shelter needs volunteers to drive shelter residents to and from work and to appointments at various locations within DuPage County. The shelter also seeks a part-time house manager who would be available on the weekends and at an on-call basis. This is a paid position. For details, call (630) 871-8387.

Abbey hosts concert

A concert to support efforts to build a peace academy in the Holy Land begins at 7:30 p.m. today at St. Procopius Abbey, 5601 College Road, Lisle. The concert features performances by international mezzo-soprano Xiu-ru Liu, members of the Benet Academy choir and a children's chorus. Proceeds will support the establishment of the Beit Benedict Peace Academy at the Dormition Benedictine Abbey on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. Tickets are $25 at the door. For reservations, call (630) 829-9253.

Click it or ticket

The Carol Stream Police Department will be conducting several seat belt enforcement zones during the month of May as part of the national "Click It or Ticket" campaign organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Funding for the additional enforcement zones will be paid by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Mail carriers to collect food

The 16th annual Letter Carriers' Food Drive begins at 8:30 a.m. today at the Naperville post office, 1750 W. Ogden Ave. The food drive will be May 10 and benefits Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry in Naperville. Residents are encouraged to place plastic bags with donations of nonperishable food, personal-care essentials, and small-size diapers by their mailboxes. Contributors are asked to check expiration dates before donating food. Last year, 30,000 pounds of food were collected in Naperville.

Golf demo day on tap

If you're in the market for a new set of golf clubs or equipment, you'll want to check out the Vendor Demo Day to be held from 4 to 7 p.m. May 16 at Naperville Park District's Naperbrook Golf Course, 22204 West 111th St., Plainfield. Vendors such as Nike, Cleveland, TaylorMade, Ping and others will be on hand to showcase their newest equipment. The event is free and open to the public. For details, visit www.naperbrookgolfcourse.org.

Rape suspect in jail

Chicago police have tied a Oak Forest man they recently arrested to a sexual assault in Wheaton back in 2005. James P. Murphy, 33, of 15712 Terrace Drive in Oak Forest was indicted on Jan. 10, 2008 on 26 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. The indictment was served on March 31, 2008. Police tied Murphy back to the Wheaton incident based on the circumstances of the crimes. In the Wheaton case, a 26-year-old woman and her infant daughter were sexually assaulted while inside their apartment located at 1327 E. College Ave. in Wheaton. The victim called the police as the suspect fled on foot. Wheaton police responded to the scene, but never located a suspect. Murphy remains in custody at the Cook County Jail pending trial.

Ticket in Elk Grove crash

The driver of a Jeep involved in a three-car crash in Elk Grove Village Wednesday was ticketed for improper lane usage, police said. Pamela Gerstmayr, 45, of Wood Dale was eastbound on Nerge Road in a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee just before 4 p.m. Wednesday when the vehicle swerved into the left turn lane at Rohlwing Road and hit a Toyota Corolla, police said. The Corolla, driven by Wieslawa Puchacz, 61, of Chicago, then rotated and hit the rear of a 1999 Ford Windstar driven by 41-year-old Hanover Park resident Leonor Granados, police said. There were only minor injuries.

Baseball parade postponed

The Streamwood Little League's annual opening day parade and celebration has been postponed. The parade was to kick off Saturday morning and conclude at Dolphin Park with refreshments and amusement games. But anticipated rainy weather has pushed back the event to an undetermined later date. The Little League baseball games themselves that are planned for Saturday might still go forward, depending on the weather. League officials are also trying to raise money to replace fencing at Dolphin Park. For details on the fundraising effort, call President Rick Filippo at (630) 215-7945. For league information, go to eteamz.com/streamwoodlittleleague.