DuPage County briefs

Peace groups plan rally:

Several DuPage County-area groups opposed to the war in Afghanistan will rally from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Old Town Pavilion, 111 Third St., Bloomingdale. The rally will mark the eighth anniversary of the start of the war. Participants are expected to hear speakers and then march to the offices of U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam. Organizers said they also will collect items to be donated to Hines VA Hospital in Maywood. Participating groups include the West Suburban Faith Based Peace Coalition, DuPage Against War Now, the DuPage Peace Through Justice Coalition and Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice. For details, call (630) 469-8251.

More trees in Naperville:

Naperville Park District has received a $13,200 grant from the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation for its Trees for Parks project. The district will use the grant to jump-start a districtwide initiative to plant trees to replace those expected to be lost to the emerald ash borer. Volunteers from the community and Lowe's will help district staff plant 25 trees Saturday, Oct. 10, at May Watts Park. For details, visit www.napervilleparks.org.

NCTV unveils documentary:

NCTV17 presents the premiere of its documentary, "The Band Plays On," at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. The documentary focuses on the Naperville Municipal Band, which will perform in concert immediately following the program. Both the documentary and concert are free. The municipal band is celebrating its 150th anniversary. For details, visit NCTV17.com.

Wendt coming to Naperville:

Actor George Wendt, who gained fame playing Norm on "Cheers," will discuss his book, "Drinking with George" at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. His book serves up a cultural history of beer with a comedic twist. Sponsored by Anderson's Bookshop, tickets are $30 and include admission to his speech, a copy of the book and a spot in the autograph line. For details, call (630) 355-2665.

Book lovers celebrate Chicago:

Aurora Public Library is joining with the Oswego Public Library District and Messenger Public Library of North Aurora for this year's Fox Valley Reads program that runs from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15. This year's book selections are meant to celebrate the centennial of the Daniel Burnham Plan of Chicago and include "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson, "Haymarket" by Martin Duberman and "The Sinking of the Eastland" by Jay Bonansinga. For details on programs, visit www.foxvalleyreads.org.