Briefs: Your coats and toys needed

The South Elgin Fire Protection District has teamed up with the Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots program to help make sure needy children in the area receive a new toy this holiday season. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off until Friday, Dec. 19 at Fire Station 1, 150 W. State St., and Station 2, 2055 McDonald Road. The donation of toys will help less fortunate families in the South Elgin area. In addition to serving as a toy drop-off location, the fire district is again serving as a drop-off site for state Rep. Randy Ramey's annual coat drive. New and gently-used coats for all ages will be collected at both fire stations and distributed to needy families.

Charity choo-choo

Win a Lionel model train set in a raffle to raise money for the Geneva Community Chest. Tickets - with a suggested donation of $5 - are on sale at Sweet Nostalgia, 318 W. State St., Geneva, through Dec. 18. The drawing is at noon Dec. 19. For more information about the raffle, call (630) 208-9664. For details about the train, call Structures and Trains by Fred, 12 N. Second St., at (630) 208-9011.

Clerk's holiday hours

The Kane County Clerk's Office of Vital Records is altering its hours for the Christmas and New Year's holidays. The office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 23 and closed Dec. 25 and 26. The following week, the office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 30 and closed Jan. 1. For more information, call (630) 232-5950.

Buy books, help kids

Shoppers at the Borders bookstore at 1660 S. Randall Road in Geneva can give $1 or more with their purchase to the Geneva school district's literacy programs. The Holiday Literacy Donation program is sponsored by State Librarian Jesse White and the Illinois Literacy Foundation. It runs through Dec. 31.

U-46 nomination forms

Nominating forms for the April 7 school board election for Elgin Area School District U-46 are available. Forms can be picked up in the office of the board secretary, Patrick Broncato, at 355 E. Chicago St., in Elgin on business days between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. A school board candidate's petition must be filed in the same office no earlier than 7:30 a.m. Jan. 20 or no later than 5 p.m. Jan. 26. Three seats on the seven-board member board of are up for election. Candidates must reside within U-46 boundaries which include portions of Elgin, South Elgin, Bartlett, Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, Hanover Park, Wayne, Carol Stream, West Chicago, St. Charles and Schaumburg.