Briefs: Vent victim still in hospital
Des Plaines police are waiting to talk to a man who spent almost 24 hours stuck head first in an exhaust vent in the roof of the Little Amsterdam restaurant, which closed in June. The man was rescued from the vent on Monday and is still in intensive care at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to police. The building's landlord was checking the property when he saw a man's head and arms sticking from the vent. No charges have been filed, but police assume the man was trying to break in, said police Cmdr. Dan Niemann. "That's the obvious reason for him to be up there, but we haven't talked to him yet," Niemann said.
Santa, new play area, at mall
Santa makes his seasonal debut at Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg Friday, Nov. 7, and this year's arrival coincides with the opening of the new Looney Tunes Play Park inside the mall. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new play area takes place at 10:30 a.m., followed by Santa's arrival parade through the mall's lower level at 11 a.m. The new play park, sponsored by Alexian Brothers Children's Hospital, is a 1,600-square-foot "playscape" featuring three-dimensional Looney Tunes characters. The park will be open free of charge during regular mall hours. Friday's event will also feature appearances from Bugs Bunny and Tweety, children's recording artist Dave Rudolph, the Conant High School Drum Line and guest families from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Also, Woodfield will make a $5,000 donation to the Pajama Program, a charity that provides pajamas and books to children around the world who are waiting to be adopted.
Morgenthaler to headline
Retired Marine Col. Jill Morgenthaler of Des Plaines will be the keynote speaker for the Des Plaines Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Lake Park near Lee Street and Howard Avenue. The event is sponsored by the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Liver transplant fundraiser
A bowling fundraiser will be held Sunday, Nov. 9, in Des Plaines to benefit Shelby Karafa Donnelly of Rosemont, who was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease in 2006 and needs a liver transplant to survive. The average liver transplant costs approximately $500,000 and daily anti-rejection medications can range from $2,000 to $5,000 each month. Her current medical bills are approximately $1,000 a month, and she takes 35 pills a day. The fundraiser, which will include a silent auction, is from 1 to 7 p.m. at River Rand Bowl, 191 S. River Road. Admission is $30 for adults, $15 for children ages 11-17 and $10 for children 10 and younger. The National Foundation for Transplants will use proceeds to assist Karafa Donnelly. Donations also can be sent to the NFT Illinois Liver Fund, P.O. Box 5493, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089, or made at transplants.org.