There's no shortage of interesting things to do in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff this weekend. The Gorton Community Center offers a rare concert on Friday night when British rock group The English Beat comes to town. Visit Gorton's website for more info. Also on Friday and Saturday, Lake Forest Symphony closes its season with "Dramatic Brilliance." But before jamming to a rock band or enjoying the symphony, you can shop for original oil paintings by 18 Really Awesome Women at an exhibit called The Raw Show, which takes place Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Stirling Hall, 60 Old Mill Road, Lake Forest (cash and checks only). That new painting is surely going to need an antique chest to go with it, or perhaps some vintage garden furniture?  On Friday and Saturday, local designer Jessie Davidson is hosting a Country Antique Market in her backyard, featuring items brought back from the Brimfield Antique Market in Massachusetts and the Scott Market in Atlanta, as well as inventory from Juicy & Co., the retail store she used to run in Lake Forest. Friday from noon to 3 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at  210 E. Center Ave., Lake Bluff. All this shopping and culture will require some fresh air. On Sunday the City of Lake Forest is celebrating the Grand Opening of Townline Community Park, a new, 37-acre park located west of Waukegan Road and on the south side of Route 60, just west of the railroad tracks. Ribbon cutting starts at noon and festivities are planned throughout the day, including  games, lacrosse clinics, refreshments and an old-time baseball game. The celebration culminates with Lake Forest Open Lands' 7th annual Dog Day, an event that promises to be wooftastic and runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Townline Park … but don't be late! The first 150 dogs registered will get a doggie goody bag.

For more info on any and all of these events, click on the highlighted words!

Friday at daybreak a Bell Jet Ranger 206 helicopter will conduct aerial spraying of Btk over 308 acres in Lake Bluff's Tangley Oaks, West Terrace and North Terrace and about 30 nearby acres in Lake Forest. It's part of a three-pronged effort to contol gypsy moths, which if left untreated can defoliate trees.

Some people feel a little creepy about pesticides being sprayed from above, regardless of whether they're snoozing when it happens. So GazeboNews talked to Tom Cahill, Lake Bluff public works director, and George Balis, entomologist with Clarke Environmental, to find out what's up with gypsy moths. Mr. Balis sent us this photo of larvae and egg masses from the University of Illinois Extension Service. The Village provides many links to Morton Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Gardens and other websites with knowledge about gypsy moths. Click over to LakeBluff.org for photos, maps and all sorts of data. Continue reading for a Q&A with Mr. Balis and Mr. Cahill.

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Commissioners of the Lake County Forest Preserve on Thursday put plans for a Fort Sheridan golf course on the way-back burner. According to the Daily Herald, the Forest Preserve Board voted 19-2 to stop the process that would have produced specifications for bids to build a golf course. Please visit the Daily Herald's website for more on this important story.

"Aladdin" opened at Deerpath Middle School on Wednesday, and it was a night of many debuts. The musical adaptation marks the first time District 67 and Citadel Theatre have collaborated on a product, and it's the first time the school's Brainstormers group has had an all-fifth grade cast. It also was the first stage experience for many of the performers. The 37-member cast/crew is directed by Scott Phelps, artistic director of Citadel in Lake Forest, with musical direction by Leslie Pruitt, choreography by Mario Mazzetti and Sarah Hayes, and technical direction by Christi Geidner. The next performance is Tuesday, June 2, at 9 a.m.

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The phrase "Lake Bluff Orphanage" is used frequently in searches by people who spent their early months or years at the Children's Home that once dominated the 200 block of Scranton Avenue. The internet has made it easier to locate birth records, medical records and/or information about relatives, but some adoptees long to know the intangibles: Who cared for them in those early, critical months when nurturing and bonding are so important? What was their life like on a daily basis? Here is one such story, written by a 61-year-old woman who was born at Cook County Hospital on May 15, 1948, to an unwed, teen-age mother. At the age of two weeks, she was relinquished to the orphanage in Lake Bluff and adopted three months later by a family that had its own share of troubles. Every year on her birthday, she spends some time wondering about her life as an infant in Lake Bluff. Click over to Wander To The Wayside to read more. You can also find information on the Children's Home at the website for the Vliet Museum of Lake Bluff history, and you can find even more historical information and many photos at the museum itself (it's on Scranton Avenue).

After more than 40 years of helping those who can help those in need, the Volunteer Center of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff is in a crisis that may cause it to close its doors or drastically refocus its programs as early as July.

Funding is down dramatically from all sources due to the challenging economic environment. United Way, which for decades has been a steadfast supporter of the Volunteer Center, is significantly reducing its allocation as it focuses on crisis intervention and financial stability programs in fiscal year 2010 rather than health & wellness and children & youth issues. To find new sources of funding, the Volunteer Center is mailing personalized letters to 800 residents of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff who have been involved in its programs. The bottom line: "Help!"

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What should Lake Bluff School District 65 do with East School? That's been on the minds of many residents since voters approved a new school referendum in April of 2007. On Tuesday night, the East School Task Force outlined four potential scenarios for the building that's been around since 1895. Initial pricing ranges from $650,000 for an open space plan to $7.7 million to renovate the entire building for a facility similar to Lake Forest's Gorton Community Center. The four scenarios are:

1. Adaptive reuse of the entire building for a community center, which involves modernizing and bringing the building up to today's codes. The District's architect estimates such a renovation would cost $6.2 million to $7.7 million
2. Adaptive resuse of the entire building for a community center, but only making improvements that bring the structure up to code. The estimated cost: $4.9 million to $6.1 million
3. Demolish the 1947 addition and reuse/renovate only the older part of the building for a community center: $3.2 million
4. Raise the entire building and develop the lot into green space while retaining certain architectural elements. The estimated cost: $650,000 to $690,000

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Moments after performing on the Village Green in Lake Bluff, the Lake Forest High School Band and conductor Janene Kessler boarded a bus for Lake Forest's Memorial Day Observance in Market Square. The ceremony was sponsored by American Legion McKinlock Post 264 in conjunction with local Scout Troops. Post Commander Steve King opened the morning's gathering by pointing out a sobering statistic: "More than one million American service members have died in U.S. wars and conflicts this nation has fought since the first Colonial soldiers took up arms in 1775 to fight for independence."

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It was a somber morning in Lake Bluff for the 200 or so people who dressed in layers to attend a chilly and poignant Memorial Day Observance that was lead by a cast of Village All-Stars. American Legion Post 510 Commander Rudy Iberle opened the ceremony with a welcoming address; Lake Bluff Scout Troop 42 raised the flag; Trustee Rick Lesser recited the Pledge of Allegiance; Grace United Methodist Church Pastor Debbie Fisher issued the Invocation; Lake Forest High School student Natalie Blahunka sang "America The Beautiful," and Lake Bluff Middle School Student Council President Annie Wells read the Gettysburg Address. Here are several photos of the morning's ceremony, which was held on the Village Green and sponsored by Post 510. Please continue reading for a list of Village residents who have died while serving the United States since the Civil War.

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Lake Bluff's newest restaurant is opening Thursday, May 28, and random interviews with local residents indicate there's a high level of curiosity and excitement about it. Inovasi specializes in casual, contemporary, American cuisine and is the brainchild of John des Rosiers, formerly the executive chef of Lake Forest's Bank Lane Bistro. The restaurant at 28 E. Center Avenue will have limited seating at first, so it's a good idea to call ahead for reservations. You can learn more about its farm-fresh concept, read a menu and enjoy some mouth-watering photos at inovasi.us. Or check out GazeboNews' previous story about the restaurant by clicking here.