Cook County briefs
Three Golden Apple finalists:
Three teachers from the Northwest Cook County suburbs are among the 30 Chicago area finalists for the 2009 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching in grades prekindergarten through 3rd. A total of 972 teachers were nominated and 10 winners will be announced in May. The finalists are Michelle Mangold, who teaches 1st and 2nd grades at Dryden Elementary School in Arlington Heights; Jaime Shanahan, who teaches 3rd grade at Sanborn School in Palatine; and David Sobel, who teaches kindergarten and 2nd-6th grades at Huntington Ridge Elementary School in Palatine. Finalists will be honored Saturday, April 18, at the Celebration of Excellence in Teaching from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency McCormick in Chicago. Two members of an awards committee of Chicago area educators will observe each finalist in the classroom and interview their principal and colleagues, parents and students.
Special Olympics fundraiser:
Palatine Township Elementary District 15 is hosting a fundraiser, "A Night for the Blue Jays," to benefit its Special Olympics program at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 4. The district fields seven teams in five sports for up to 46 weeks each year. The event, which includes entertainment, a raffle and silent auction, will take place at the Cotillion Banquets, 360 S. Creekside Drive, Palatine. Tickets are $60 per person and include dinner and open bar. For information, call Terri Storino at (847) 963-5564.
Fundraiser for Wheeling police:
The Wheeling Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association will have a fundraiser from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 5, at AMVETS Post 66, 700 McHenry Road, Wheeling, to buy equipment for the Wheeling Police Department. Tickets for the all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner hosted by Joe of Wa-Pa-Ghetti's Pizza are available in advance at Corus Bank, 125 McHenry Road, for $7 or at the door for $7.50; children 5 and under eat free.
Town meeting on stimulus:
Des Plaines Alderman Pat Beauvais and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky will host a town-hall meeting on the federal government's economic stimulus package at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. Attendees can learn about basic provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that can help families and the community in tough economic times.
Elk Grove hall dedication:
Elk Grove Village will mark completion of its new village hall with a ribbon-cutting ceremony 3 p.m. Thursday, April 9, and an open house, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 11, at 901 Wellington Ave. The $29 million project, which combines reworked existing space with new construction, will almost double the size of the hall from 55,000 square feet to 104,000 square feet. Village officials promise the construction will be done for the open house, but it will be September before all village departments are in their permanent homes.