Briefs: Hoffman Estates turns to tourism

Hoffman Estates officials have hired Linda Scheck, the former director of sales at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hoffman Estates, as the village's first tourism and business retention coordinator. The Hoffman Estates village board voted in March to pull out of the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau in favor of handling its own marketing, and the $77,800 it saved will pay for a new coordinator. Scheck's first day will be April 28, and she will be in charge of marketing the village's hotels and its entertainment district, which includes the Sears Centre arena and Cabela's, and develop Web sites touting Hoffman Estates as a tourist destination. She will report to Director of Economic Development Gary Skoog.

Library finds temp site

The Poplar Creek Public Library has chosen a small mall at 490 S. Bartlett Road in Streamwood as the site of the temporary library while the main library is being expanded. The main library, at 1405 S. Park Ave. in Streamwood, will close May 12. The temporary site will open at an unspecified time in June. Throughout the project, however, Poplar Creek's Sonya Crawshaw Branch at 4300 Audrey Lane in Hoffman Estates will remain open. A groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion project at the main library will be held at 6 p.m. April 24. The public is invited for the ceremony and refreshments.

23 resumes for fire chief

Hoffman Estates village officials say they've gotten 23 resumes from applicants since posting the fire chief vacancy Feb. 22. Village Manager James Norris is in charge of hiring a replacement for Kevin Rynders, who retired in March after 28 years with the department. Norris told village board members he would provide an update on the search at Tuesday's meeting. Rynders left Hoffman Estates for an assistant fire chief's job with Algonquin/Lake in the Hills. Deputy Chief Robert Gorvett was then named acting chief, his third time in that capacity. Gorvett is among the applicants for the chief's post.

Mass for Rosemont mayor

A memorial Mass for the late Rosemont Mayor Donald E. Stephens will be held at 8:30 a.m. Friday, the first anniversary of his death, at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, 9711 W. Devon Ave. Mass also will be held in remembrance of the mayor at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Stephens served as Rosemont mayor from 1956 until his death last year. His son, Bradley Stephens, was named acting mayor after his death, which he'll hold until the April 2009 general election.

New president in Dist. 15

Gerald Chapman was chosen by his fellow board members last week to a 1-year term as president of the Palatine Township Elementary District 15 board of education. Chapman, formerly the longtime superintendent of Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, was elected to the school board in April 2007. As board president he replaces Tim Millar, who has been president for the past year. Kelly Keenan was made the new vice president, while June Becker retained her position as board of education secretary. Each person holds office for one year.

Knot this time

Schaumburg's Jerry Giuliano came up short this time around. Giuliano and his fiancee, Katie Schad, were among four finalists vying to get married on the red carpet before the New York premiere of the Patrick Dempsey romantic comedy "Made of Honor." They produced and submitted a minute-long Internet video clip about a special moment in their relationship. However, on Monday they learned that a Pennsylvania couple had been selected by the fans as favorite. But fret not -- they still have the honeymoon they won two months ago to fall back on. Giuliano's YouTube wedding proposal earned them a honeymoon at a Sandals resort in an Internet contest in February.