The briefs
Alchemy to present 'Collected Stories'
Alchemy Theatre Company will present a staged reading of "Collected Stories" at 7 p.m. Friday at the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library, 110 W. Maple St., Lombard. The play, written by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Donald Marguiles, explores the relationship between a short-story writer and a graduate student. Admission is free, but reservations are suggested. For details, call (630) 627-0316 or visit www.plum.lib.il.us.
Entrance exam offered Saturday
Driscoll Catholic High School will administer an entrance exam for incoming freshmen at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the school, 555 N. Lombard Road, Addison. For details or to register, call Matt Butler at (630) 543-6310.
Breakfast buffet available Sunday
An all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet will be offered from 7:30 a.m. to noon Sunday at VFW Post 2801, 39 E. St. Charles Road, Villa Park. The menu includes sausage, pancakes, french toast, eggs, biscuits and gravy, coffee and juice. The cost is $5. The buffets are held the second Sunday of every month.
Kids: Enter poetry contest by Jan. 19
Fourth- and fifth-grade students who live in Lombard may enter the Lombard Service League's annual Children's Poetry Contest, "A Precious Moment" until Jan. 19. All poems must be the student's original work, include a title, be eight to 30 lines long and be typed. Entries also must include the child's name, address, home telephone number, age, school, grade and teacher's name. Entries should be mailed to: Lombard Service League, P.O. Box 482, Lombard, IL 60148. The winner will be announced during the club's meeting at 7 p.m. March 13 at Lexington Square of Lombard, 555 Foxworth Blvd. The winner and runner-up each will receive a $50 savings bond. The first-place poem will be submitted to a statewide writing contest. For details, call JoAnn Scheiwiller at (630) 620-0482.
Student exhibit now open at COD
Work by students in the Advertising, Design and Illustration program at College of DuPage will be on display through Feb. 7 in the Wings Student Art Gallery, on the first floor of the Student Resource Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Admission is free. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays. For details, call Marina Kuchinski at (630) 942-2423.
CPR, first aid taught in Lombard
The Lombard Fire Department will offer CPR and first aid classes from 6:30 to 10 p.m. on the following dates at Station 1, 50 E. St. Charles Road, Lombard. Registration is required. The health care provider class is for licensed professionals. Participants must attend both sessions. First aid and Heartsaver CPR/AED are for lay rescuers: First Aid, Jan. 21, March 17 and May 19; Health Care Provider, Feb. 4 and 7, March 3 and 6, April 7 and 10, and May 5 and 8 and Heartsaver CPR/AED, Feb. 18 and April 21. The cost for the Heartsaver CPR/AED class is $26 for Lombard residents and $34 for others; the health care provider class is $28 for Lombard residents and $39 for others; the first-aid class is $16 for Lombard residents and $22 for others. For details, call (630) 620-5736.