Northwest suburbs in 60 seconds
Dist. 214 call for entries
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 is seeking entries from residents for its annual Arts Unlimited Community Writing and Art Contest. One entry per person can be made in the three categories: poetry, prose and visual art. Prose entries are limited to 1,500 words. Visual art entries must be in two dimensions, in color or grayscale, and submitted as a photograph or copy. Two copies of each entry are required, with the entrant's name, address, telephone number, the title of work on the back of one copy, and the title only on the other copy. Entries will not be returned. Submit entries to Liz Schrenk, Arts Unlimited 214, Elk Grove High School, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. Deadline is Feb. 15. An awards presentation and reception will be April 15.
Dist. 62 approves levy
The Des Plaines Elementary District 62 board has approved a property tax levy of $58.6 million for 2009, up 6.2 percent from this year's levy. The administration is projecting that the value of property in the district has risen 5.8 percent, meaning that the impact on taxpayers would be an increase of 0.4 percent. No one commented on the levy at the public hearing held last week before the board's vote, according to district spokeswoman Mindy Ward.
Hospital expansion advancing
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge last week began to take down walls between the original hospital and the new eight-story patient tower under construction in front of the building. Construction of the 192-room, 382,623-square-foot tower, the largest building project ever undertaken at the hospital, began in May 2006. The tower will feature single rooms to enhance safety, privacy and comfort. The tower will include two floors devoted to the advanced care of critically ill adults and children, and the top floor will house a 28-room mother-baby unit. The hospital is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification for the building from the U.S. Green Building Council. The hospital's new surgery family waiting room will open next month, the first facility to open in the new tower. Magnetic resonance imaging services are scheduled to open in April. The grand opening is scheduled for June 1, and patient rooms will begin being used that month.