Briefs: Dist. 108 leader dies

The first superintendent of Lake Park High School District 108 in Roselle died earlier this week. Carl M. Forrester, 87, died at his California home on Saturday, officials said. Forrester began his career with the district in 1955 and oversaw its formation and the opening of its first school on Sept. 4, 1956. Forrester, a former resident of Itasca, retired in 1977. After retirement, he moved to LaMesa, Calif., where he remained active in educational circles for many years. Services were private. Forrester's ashes were cast into the waters of the Pacific. A memorial gathering will be held in Roselle sometime in the spring. The family asks that memorials be sent to the Lake Park Educational Foundation that will establish a Carl Forrester Teacher Preparation Scholarship in his memory. The address is 450 Spring Court, Roselle, Illinois 60172.

Road blocks in Bensenville

Bensenville police will conduct a roadside safety check sometime this weekend. It will take place near Hillside Drive and Franzen Street. Motorists will be directed to a checkpoint area and asked to provide their driver's license and proof of insurance. It should only take a few minutes for those in compliance. Police will be checking motorists for operating unsafe vehicles and other violations. This will be the fifth roadside safety check Bensenville has conducted this year.

Library hosts open house

To celebrate the holidays, the Bensenville Public Library will host an open house from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the library, 200 S. Church St., Bensenville. It will feature music, entertainment, games, storytelling and a variety of other activities. A harpist will play from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and The Vegabonds will carol at 1:30 p.m. Free admission. For details, call (630) 766-4642.

Radio station collects toys

North Central College's student-run radio station, WONC-FM 89.1, is collecting toys and nonperishable food for the Humanitarian Service Project, a Carol Stream-based not-for-profit organization that assists needy residents of DuPage and Kane counties. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 14 at the radio station, on the college campus in Oliver Hall, 232 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Items may be left inside the door and the front room. For details, call Carrie Gerdes at (630) 637-5971 or visit www.northcentralcollege.edu.

Bloomingdale loves trees

Bloomingdale has again been named a Tree City USA community by the National Arbor Day Foundation. This is the 13th time the village has been recognized. The village won the award by meeting the four standards which include having a tree department, a tree-care ordinance, a local forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.

Dist. 204 holds cultural fair

Indian Prairie Unit District 204's Parent Diversity Advisory Council is holding its second annual Cultural Arts Festival and Multi-Cultural Book Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Still Middle School, 787 Meadowridge Drive, Aurora. The event will feature performers, displays and storytelling. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.ipsd.org.