Fox Valley briefs

New parent group at U-46Elgin Area School District U-46 is seeking volunteers for the new Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute. The group is open to bilingual parents of children in grades three through eight who are interesting in getting more Hispanic parents involved in Elgin schools. Sessions will be held once a month for eight months during the 2010-11 school year. An informational meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 23 in Room 236 at U-46 district offices, 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin. Call (847) 888-5000 ext. 4211.Ready to run in D300?Petition packets for those seeking election to the Community Unit District 300 school board in the April 5, 2011, election may now request petition packets. The packets are available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the district's Administration Center, 300 Cleveland Ave, Carpentersville. They are also available from the county clerks' offices in Kane and McHenry counties. Tuesday was the first day petitions may be circulated. Filing will run from Dec. 13 through Dec. 20 at the administration center. There are four seats up for election in the spring.Highland to open soonWestbound lanes on Highland Avenue at Route 31 in downtown Elgin should open Friday after state officials inspect new traffic signals installed there. The city is in the process of reconstructing a stretch of Highland and there has been a detour there for months. City officials had hoped last Friday to open Highland so motorists could at least turn south or north on Route 31 but the state was unavailable to sign off on the traffic signals there on Route 51, which is a state route.Dump your drugs day:On Saturday, Sept. 25, the Crystal Lake Police Department in conjunction with federal Drug Enforcement Administration will coordinate a one-day collection of pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications to law enforcement officers for destruction. The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates there are 6.2 million current nonmedical users of psychotherapeutic drugs in the United States. Expired, unused, or unwanted controlled substances in our homes are a potential source of supply that fuel this abuse. Most people tend to dispose of these medications by discarding them into the trash or down the drain. Either option contaminates the waterways and wastewater treatment plants. Collections will take place from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. at the Crystal Lake Police Department, 100 W. Woodstock St. Liquid medications will not be accepted. Intravenous solutions, injectables and/or syringes will not be accepted, either. Nor will illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine. This program is anonymous; remove names from prescription labels. Call (815) 356-3620 with questions.