Lake County in 60 seconds
Free summer beach bash
Mundelein Afterschool Coalition and the Mundelein Park and Recreation District continue to celebrate summer. Plans call for a special Beach Bash, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the park district's Diamond Lake Beach. Free swimming, sand fun and an opportunity to engage in Guitar Hero under a gazebo are among the planned offerings. Beach Bash is open to students in grades six through eight attending classes at Mundelein Afterschool Coalition participants. Those participating include Mundelein Elementary District 75, Diamond Lake Elementary District 76, Fremont Elementary District 79, Hawthorn Elementary District 73 and Santa Maria del Popolo grade school in Mundelein.
School merger talk in Lake Villa
Board members at two school districts are expected to hold a joint meeting tonight to discuss the concept of combining. Lake Villa Elementary District 41 and Antioch Elementary District 34 are to have the discussion at a meeting that begins at 7 p.m. It'll be at District 41's administration center, 131 McKinley Ave. Officials say they want to explore a merger as a cost-cutting measure. Both elementary school systems feed into Antioch-Lake Villa Area High School District 117. Tonight's meeting is open to the public. If the merger idea is pursued, at least 66 percent of voters in both elementary school districts would have to support it in a referendum.
Fitness center remodeled
The Wheeling Park District Fitness Center will be closed today through Aug. 4 for a complete redesign, including new equipment, carpeting and other upgrades. A grand reopening will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 4. The park district partnered with LifeFitness to replace treadmills, ellipticals, and exercise bicycles. The new equipment offers technological enhancements like individual iPod linkup capabilities and LCD televisions that allow users to watch personal programming or iPod videos. Specially-designed USB ports digitally save and file workouts to track performance and results. The party features refreshments and hors d'oeuvres and special membership offers. The center is located at 333 W. Dundee Road.