The briefs

Elgin garden club meets Wednesday

The Elgin Better Gardens Club will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, 12N462 Tina Trail in Elgin. The program will be "Make It, Bake It, Plant It Auction." Anyone interested in gardening may call Marcy at (847) 429-1708 or Barbara at (847) 741-6756.

Latvian choir sings at Dundee library

Dundee Township Public Library hosts the Chicago Latvian Men's Choir at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in the meeting room, 555 Barrington Ave., East Dundee. The 20-plus international male singing group will present a selection of Latvian music, including traditional folk songs. Visitors also will enjoy "A Glimpse of Latvia," original photos and narratives of Latvian life that will be displayed through the month of May in the library's Ruth M. Wendt Art Gallery. A reception will be held after the performance. Both the performance and reception are free and open to the public. Reservations are suggested, however, and may be made at (847) 428-3661, ext. 308, online at www.dundeelibrary.info, or in person at the library.

Parenting class offered Wednesdays

PEACE 4 ALL in Crystal Lake is offering an Active Parenting workshop. Registration is ongoing. The 90-minute sessions will cover topics such as: getting your children to cooperate, having your children take responsibility for their actions, developing courage and independence and building character. A children's enrichment program for ages 6 to 11 will run concurrently with the Active Parenting workshop. Children in the program will enhance their conflict resolution and problem solving skills and build their self-esteem. Child care available for ages 5 and under upon request. The classes meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at 44 N. Virginia St., Suite 1A2 in Crystal Lake. The fees are $10 per session, per adult and $5 per session, per child, age 6 to 11. All materials are included. To register, call (815) 455-2457, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday.

Astronomers host star party in DeKalb

The Northwest Suburban Astronomers, in cooperation with the DeKalb County Forest Preserve District, will host a public star party at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at Afton Forest Preserve, 13600 Crego Road in DeKalb County. This is your opportunity to look at stars, galaxies, nebulae and star clusters with the help of NSA member telescopes. Some of the observing highlights will be the planet Saturn, open cluster M44, globular cluster M13, the constellations Leo and Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) among others. The forest preserve is about one mile east of Route 23 and 4.5 miles south of the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, I-88. Bring warm clothing (nights can be chilly), insect repellent (if needed), and a flashlight covered with red plastic or cellophane (red light preserves your night vision). You can also come out early and have a picnic and hike the trails. You are welcome to bring your own telescope or binoculars. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be canceled. There is no cost to attend.

The next club meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 8, at Vogelei Barn, 650 Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates. The guest speaker will be Richard Doctor, Ph.D., of Argonne National Laboratory on "The History and Science of the 'Greenhouse' - Astronomical connections." For details, visit nsaclub.org.