Lake Forest resident Brittany Sullivan survived another week as "McKey" on "America's Next Top Model" on Wednesday night. She won a contest that involved posing in a prostitute's store-front window while wearing designer evening wear, and judges gave her fashion photo the highest nod. She is one of five remaining models vying for the show's top prize–and clearly the classiest gal in the bunch, given that she avoids the naked tub soaks and nasty cat-fights of her co-stars. Perhaps because she avoids the limelight, the preview of next week's episode on the CW network's web site does not include any dialog with, or even a close-up photo of, McKey. Click over to the CW website to see for yourself.

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Better get that pumpkin carved: Halloween begins and ends early tonight. Official trick-or-treating hours are 4 to 8 p.m. in Lake Forest and 4 to 7 p.m. in Lake Bluff.

In keeping with tradition, Lake Bluff Police Chief Gallagher and his team of crime fighters are hosting a hot-dog roast, which is wildly popular with the princesses, goblins, fairies, ghosts, witches, hippies and Darth Vaders of the day (ie: everyone!). Stop by the Public Safety Building at 45 E. Center Ave. for dinner–come early, because hot dogs go fast. For more info, click over to the village's website.

Here's a good opportunity to help kids work off their sugar high: attend Saturday's Little Hands/Big Hearts program at the Mellody Farm Nature Preserve at 350 N. Waukegan Road in Lake Forest. From 10 to 11 a.m., volunteer coordinator Michael Hahn will demonstrate how to harvest seeds so they can be sown into the restored area wetlands, savannas and prairies. Contact Mr. Hahn at mhahn@lfola.org to RSVP or get more information. The Little Hands/Big Hearts program is run by the Volunteer Center of LF/LB.

Several families of ghosts have been seen holding hands on front lawns throughout Lake Forest and Lake Bluff in recent weeks. The spirits are white, of various heights and either opaque or see-through. From time to time one or another falls down, but the ghosts mysteriously return to their upright positions. They usually huddle in groups of six, but some hang with as few as three spirits. The community is asked to report all sightings to adrienne@gazebonews.com.

Here are a few examples:

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Wondering about that headline? No, we did not forget to use the spell-check. This is what words look like to people with dyslexia, a learning disorder that (according to Wikipedia) "manifests primarily as a difficulty with

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Students from Lake Bluff Middle School got up before dawn this morning for the school's annual trek to Washington D.C. A total of 105 out of 136 eighth graders are taking the trip, which is the first airplane ride for one-third of them, said Principal Nate Blackmer at Tuesday night's School Board meeting. In this photo, kids and chaperones line up to board coach buses for the drive to the airport.

Six
Lake Bluff Middle School students can look forward to a career in
marketing based on the success of this fall's schoolwear sales. "It was
a fantastic program," PTO President Leann Asma said at Tuesday night's
District 65 School Board meeting. The students
conducted a study to determine the color choices
and type of clothing that most LBMSers would wear. Black
hoodies with  gold lettering were so popular they sold
out after just one day; the PTO is looking to order more to sell at
upcoming book fairs. The LBMS marketing team included Mollie Blahunka,
Kelsey McAfee, Kylie Carlson, Jeff Zillner, Meghan Howe and Elliott
Anderson.

The schoolwear sales were just one of several successful
fund-raising efforts sponsored by the Lake Bluff PTO this fall. Ms. Asma
thanked parents and other members of the community while she shared the
news–all figures represent gross sales:

• Wrapping paper: $15,000
• Book fair (the first of three): $9,300
• PumpkinFest: $28,000

"We are so grateful in this difficult economic time," said Ms. Asma.
She said she wants people to know the PTO members are good
stewards of the money.

 Sharing the limelight at
Tuesday's board meeting were Alex Walinskas and three other poised and confident Central
Elementary students who gave a presentation

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Halloween doesn't have to end with a sack full of treats and a pumpkin chewed by squirrels. You can extend the season's spookiness by attending CenterStage's performance of "The Woman In Black," which the Lake Forest community theater describes as "a play of spine-tingling suspense." The play opens 8 p.m. Friday (after curfew!) in the Grotto at the Gorton Community Center. Repeat performances run Sat. Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; and at 8 p.m. on Nov. 6, Nov. 7 and Nov. 8.  Tickets cost $20. Want some? Click over to the CenterStage website or call 847-234-6062.

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On Saturday when supporters of the Mothers Trust Foundation gather for the Betty Bash, they will both celebrate and bid farewell to Barbara Monsor, the influential executive director who retired in September from the group she founded a decade ago. It is the second time Mrs. Monsor has retired, and this time she really means it.

Over tea at MonCafe last week, Mrs. Monsor shared the inspiring story of her journey with GazeboNews.

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Everyone knows about the donkey and the sheep and the oxen in the manger. But goats and chickens in a church? A Lake Forest church?

On Nov. 16, Church of the Holy Spirit is hosting a Heifer International Living Gift Market. To inspire shoppers from all faiths and backgrounds to attend the event and open their wallets, the church is opening its parish hall to sheep, pigs, goats, chickens and rabbits.

"One goat can provide a family with a gallon of milk every day," said Ellen Humphrey, head of the Mission & Outreach group at CHS. That's her flirting with a llama in the photo, which was taken by parishioner Fred Chase in September at Historic Wagner Farm in Glenview.

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