Cook County briefs

Bartlett park dedication:

The Bartlett Park District invite the public to celebrate the opening of its renovated Leiseberg Park at 6:30 p.m. today at 325 E. Devon St., across from Bartlett Plaza. Officials will turn on the park's splash pad for the first time this season. The renovations also include a sledding hill. The splash pad will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day, and Leiseberg is the only park in the village with the splash pad. Check out bartlettparks.org for more info.

Emergency info kiosks set up:

Des Plaines has set up eight emergency information center kiosks throughout the city to provide residents access to written information during emergencies like floods. When not used for emergency purposes, the kiosks may be used by aldermen to convey information pertinent residents of their respective wards. The kiosks, which are red in color and resemble newspaper boxes, are located at: Rand Road and Hawthorn Lane, 1492 Henry Ave., Prairie Lakes Community Center at 515 E. Thacker St., Brentwood Baptist Church parking lot at 588 Dara James Road, Lake Park Golf Course at 1005 Howard Ave., Des Plaines Park District Administrative and Leisure Center at 2222 Birch St., Chippewa Park at 123 Eighth Ave. and Rosemary Argus Friendship Park Conservatory at 395 Algonquin Road.

Library will have lower budget:

Schaumburg Township District Library trustees have approved a new annual budget with spending 0.3 percent lower than the last one. The 2009 budget is approximately $14.57 million, down from $14.61 million, officials said. Library Director Stephanie Sarnoff said the budget was sensitive to taxpayers' financial struggles and made possible by deferring capital projects like expansion of the teen area and hiring only for critical positions that may open up during the course of the year. "This budget will allow us to maintain or improve resources and services at a time when the community needs access to free programs, books, classes and all the library has to offer," Sarnoff said. "We had to do some realigning of the budget to make that happen, but the result was worth the board's time and effort."

Local author at library tonight:

Longtime teacher and now author Michael Bellito will appear at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library today, Thursday, to discuss his first book, "Ten Again," a chronicle of growing up in the Northwest suburbs in the late 1950s. Bellito, who retired from Hersey High School and now teaches at Harper College, will read excerpts from his book at 7 p.m. in the Hendrickson Room of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library during a book signing and sale. Admission is free.