Briefs: Barrington Taste Fest today

The 5th annual Great Taste Fest and Expo of Barrington takes place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. tonight, Oct. 23, at the Onion Pub & Brewery at 22N221 Pepper Road, Lake Barrington. Area breweries and more than 20 local eateries will showcase signatures dishes and drinks, and there will also be raffles, silent and live auctions, games and door prizes and business exhibitors, with proceeds benefiting scholarship funds and economic development. Tickets for the event, hosted by the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce and Barrington Bank and Trust, are $30 in advance and $40 at the door. Call (847) 381-2525.

Meet 'Real Girl of the Year'

Ten-year-old Bella King, American Girl's "2008 Real Girl of the Year," will appear at the American Indian Center of Chicago's Trickster Gallery in Schaumburg at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. Bella was born on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and continues to share her Native American culture at local powwows. Aside from acting and modeling, she started a youth group teaching kids about native cultures, including their dance, music and histories. Families are encouraged to come out and meet Bella. Tickets are $15 and include autographs, pictures and a Native American dance performance by Bella.

Resource center honors

Community members and public officials who helped establish the Palatine Opportunity Center will be honored at a reception tonight, Oct. 23. The center is a community resource facility for Palatine Township. The reception takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the center, 1585 Rand Road, with the presentation at 6 p.m. The public is invited.

Salt price spirals upward

The Des Plaines City Council approved contracts for 3,000 tons of salt at average prices more than three times what the city paid last year under a group buying program with the state. Even at prices ranging from $105 to $137 a ton, the city is getting less salt than it wanted. With reserves, the city will have 3,800 tons of salt, versus the 4,500 tons used in the average year and 6,000 last winter. A variety of factors were cited for the high price. The city will experiment this winter with alternative treatments and also plans to seek bids independent of the state next year to cut costs and usage, city officials said. The council also approved $62,558 worth of upgrades to the city's data processing systems.

Hanover Park budget meeting

Hanover Park seeks input for its upcoming 2010 budget. An open forum is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight, Oct. 23, at Village Hall. Topics could include public safety, municipal utilities, public works projects of financial resources. At a later meeting, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, officials will discuss the public input. For more information, call (630) 372-4200.

Palatine library closed Friday

The Palatine Public Library District will be closed Friday, Oct. 24, for a staff institute day. The closing affects the main library, Freeman Road branch, Rand Road branch and Bookmobile.

Passport fair coming

The Arlington Heights Post Office at 909 W Euclid Ave. will host a "Passport Fair" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct 25. Travelers can apply for either a passport or the new U.S. Passport Card, which will be available and mailed to applicants in spring 2008 for land and sea travel between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. The average passport processing time is four to six weeks. More information is at usps.com/passport.