Girl scores laptop from non-profit program

This month, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn announced that 40 elementary students at the Illinois School for the Deaf would receive brand new, cutting-edge XO laptop computers.

Nine-year-old Daniella Bernal of Palatine was among one of those students.

Quinn's office teamed with Western Illinois University's Institute for Rural Affairs to purchase the 40 XO laptops from the non-profit organization One Laptop Per Child.

And taking advantage of a special, limited-time promotion to buy the computers, that group will match the 40 laptops for Illinois children by sending 40 of the computers to children in developing countries.

The computer is a compact, durable, energy-efficient machine created especially for children living in the most remote environments to benefit from laptop learning at its best.

Who has the best pizza? The Palatine Jaycees will hold a contest to determine who makes the best pizza in the Palatine area on from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Durty Nellie's. For $5, you can judge for yourself. All proceeds go to Northwest Community Healthcare Foundation Adolescent Dependency Program. Go to palatinejaycees.org for more information.

Food drive a success: Kudos to Lavelle Law, Ltd. for sponsoring its fourth annual Palatine Food Drive. Several truckloads of food were delivered to the Palatine Township Food Pantry last week after the collection. Employees of the Palatine-based law firm were joined by students from Fremd and St. Viator high schools, St. Theresa Elementary School and South Middle School in loading the donations from multiple collection sites and delivering them to the storage site for the food pantry.

One last leaf pickup: Palatine residents have one more chance to get leaves picked up. Put them on the street by 7 a.m. Monday for a final collection. Residents should not place leaves on the street until the evening prior to collection. This is for everyone's safety. Questions may be directed to the village at (847) 705-5200.

Clayson open house: The Palatine Historical Society's annual open house will be 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Holiday decorations will be on display until Jan. 6.

Members have been busy decorating the George S. Clayson House Museum for the upcoming Christmas season. This year's holiday theme is "Scenes from the Nutcracker Suite." Scenes from the ballet will be portrayed in different rooms of the house. The house itself is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. It's at 224 E. Palatine Road. For more information call (847) 991-6460.