Fox Valley briefs

Elgin remembers the missing:

The Elgin Watch City VFW Post 1307 will hold a POW/MIA Remembrance event at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19. This National Day of Observance was designed to set aside a day separate from Memorial Day and Veterans Day to remember the missing - those who were captured or lost and never returned home. The ceremony will feature a Table of Remembrance, a playing of taps and a reading of "Remember." Special attention will be given to the last POW from the Vietnam War, Air Force Col. Charles Shelton. Afterward, the post will have a barbecue with burgers, hot dogs and potato salad. A $5 donation is requested at the door. Any profits will go to the post relief fund.

Carpentersville does, too:

The Carpentersville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5915 is holding its 22nd annual National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Remembrance Day at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Carpenter Park's Veterans Garden. The day honors all former prisoners of war and those still missing. The local VFW post will retire any old and tattered flags at the ceremony.

Meadowdale car show Saturday:

The first Meadowdale Motorsports and Memories car show is slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the former Meadowdale Raceway in Carpentersville. The event is sponsored by the Meadowdale International Raceway Preservation Association. Cruisers, hot rods, classic cars, muscle cars, old racers and drag cars will be on display on the straightaway of the old racetrack. Visitors can also meet drivers and crews of the Meister Brauser Racing Team, which will be celebrating the team's 50th anniversary. The raceway is just north of Spring Hill Mall on Route 31 and the entrance will be from the Raceway Woods Entrance near the silo on Route 31. For details, go to mirpa.org.

Elgin film finalists set:

Five films, including three from Chicago directors, have been named finalists for the Elgin Short Film Festival set for 7 p.m. Sept. 26, at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way. The local finalists are: "The Visionary," by Gwyhar Bratton; "House of Cards," by David Priego; and "The Booby Trap," by Simon Pennekamp. Other finalists vying for the $1,000 grand prize are: "Crossing the Line," by Tim Miller, Louisville, Ky., and "The Erogenous Zone," by Nick Abdo of North Hollywood, Calif. A panel of judges, headed by WGN television film critic Dean Richards, and an audience vote will decide the winner. Tickets for the event are $5 and available at hemmens.org or by calling (847) 931-5900.