Lake County briefs

Tour green buildings:The Lake County Forest Preserve District will offer a free tour of the environmentally friendly welcome center at the Ryerson Woods preserve on Thursday, May 20. The tour will run from 7 to 8 p.m. at the preserve, which is on Riverwoods Road near Half Day Road in the Riverwoods area. People 12 or over can participate. Register by Wednesday online at lcfpd.org or by calling (847) 968-3321.Women's self -defense:The Vernon Hills Police Department will host a women's self-defense class from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 25, at the police station, 754 Lakeview Parkway. This class is free and open to female residents of Vernon Hills, aged 8 and older. Children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent. The instructor is Harriet Johnson, director of the Crystal Lake Hapkido School, who is a former police officer and has more than 35 years of teaching experience in self-defense. Topics include basic principles of survival, awareness and self-defense; vulnerable areas of the body; and, psychology of fear and how to make it work for you. To register or for information, call (847) 247-4889 or visit www.vhpd.com.Mini-Relay for Life:Officials at Frederick School in Grayslake say $10,753 was raised in an April 30 event dubbed a Mini-Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. Frederick's students, parents and staffers combined with Grayslake Central High School on the second-year fundraising effort. The $10,753 was donated to the cancer society. Frederick serves fifth- and sixth-graders as part of Grayslake Elementary District 46. A full-fledged Relay for Life is held overnight to celebrate cancer survivors and caregivers, as well as remember those who have lost their battles to the disease. The goal also is to raise money for research, educational outreach and programs assisting area cancer patients and their families.Township food pantry stocked:The Avon Township Food Pantry recently received about three tons of food from the Stamp Out Hunger program run by the U.S. Postal Service. The pantry provides emergency food assistance to about 2,000 people a month, according to Township Supervisor Sam Yingling. Unexpected unemployment and medical expenses are among the common reasons for people seeking assistance. The pantry is at 433 E. Washington St., Round Lake Park. It's open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday; and, 10 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of each month. Call (847) 546-1446. The township covers Grayslake, Hainesville, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park and Third Lake.Art competition:The Lake County Heritage Farm Foundation is reminding that the deadline for its art competition and exhibition is June 1. The competition is open to artists 18 and older from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. The theme is "The Farm: Images from the Heartland" and involves farm scenes, such as buildings, equipment, animals, farm fields, crops, and people in a variety of media. The art will be juried, and cash prizes will be awarded. Work of winning artists will be exhibited at the Discovery Museum at the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda from Aug. 21 through Nov. 14. For a prospectus including deadline details and an entry form, e-mail art@lchff.org.New website for library:The Cook Memorial Public Library District has renovated its website, cooklib.org. Designed with a light-blue hue, the site features drop-down menus for faster navigation, answers for common patron questions search functions and other additions.