By William S. Bike
AUDITORIUM NEWS
Auditorium Theatre will host the Cuatro Festival on Saturday, Nov. 5; United Kingdom bands London Sued and Manic Street Preachers on Wednesday, Nov. 16; and Too Hot To Handel, a jazz-gospel performance of Handel’s Messiah, on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 and 4. The theatre is at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr. Call (312) 341-2300.
FREE BALLET
Ballet 5:8, a female and minority-led ballet company, will perform Ver la Música, Oír la Danza at the National Museum of Mexican Art on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 1 and 3 p.m. Performances are free to the public, but tickets must be reserved in advance at https://www.ballet58.org/calendar/ver-la-musica-oir-la-danza-1pm. The repertoire includes the dance Mi Familia. The museum is at 1852 W. 19th St.
SOCCER PROGRAMS
The Chicago City Soccer Club offers youth soccer programming. See chicagocitysoccerclub.com.
FAMILY BIKE PARADE
ChicagoFamilyBiking.org hosts a family bike parade the third Saturday of every month at 9:30 a.m. at Palmisano Park, 2700 S. Halsted St. The next ride is on Nov. 19.
THANKSGIVING PARADE
The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade will be held Thursday, Nov. 24, from 8 to 11 a.m., traveling up State Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolph Street. This free family tradition showcases marching bands, floats, staged performances, equestrian units, cultural performance troupes, and inflatables, all led by celebrity hosts and featuring a visit from Santa.
REPAIR FAIR
Get broken items and clothes repaired at the Chicago Tool Library/Chicago Association of Realtors Repair Fair at the Richard J. Daley Branch Library, 3400 S. Halsted St., on Saturday, Dec. 3. Call (312) 747-8990.
MEETINGS SET
The Chicago Women’s Park & Gardens Advisory Council will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 5:45 p.m. at the fieldhouse. All are welcome. The park is at 1801 S. Indiana Ave. Call (312) 328-0821.
CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY NEWS
All are invited to worship at Church of the Holy Family with the Saint Ignatius College Prep community at any of the church’s upcoming Masses, including First Friday Mass on Nov. 4 at 8:10 a.m.
Join the Saint Ignatius Choir and Orchestra for their annual Christmas concert at the church on Thursday, Nov. 17, 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free.
The church is located at 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Parking for all events is available on May Street just west of the church. For more information, contact Development Director Wendy McCarthy at [email protected] or (312) 492-8442, ext. 3.
CAREER CENTER
The City of Chicago Mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities has launched a career center at 2102 W. Ogden Ave. To sign up for services, email [email protected] or call (312) 746-5773 and select prompt no. 3.
STAR SCHOLARS
City Colleges of Chicago’s current Star Scholarship cohort is the largest ever enrolled at CCC, with 1,597 new students across all seven colleges. Students qualify for the Star Scholarship if they graduate from high school with at least a 3.0 grade point average, and the Star Scholarship covers up to three years at City Colleges. The Star Scholarship is open to any Chicago Public Schools student and partner Big Shoulders Fund schools. To learn more, visit www.ccc.edu/starscholarship.
MOTORCYCLE BUSINESS FUNDED
A local motorcycle business will renovate and expand its sales and service center through a $1.59 million City of Chicago Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grant approved by the City Council. Planned for 1901 S. Western Ave., the improvements will include upgrades to an existing showroom, new classrooms and offices, and creating a rooftop event space. The $3 million project by Motoworks Chicago expects to retain and create 30 permanent jobs. The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund allocates fees paid by downtown construction projects toward business improvement projects in Chicago’s West, Southwest, and South sides.
ARTS GRANTS
ComEd and the League of Chicago Theatres awarded $160,000 in funding to local community arts organizations across the region. Locally, the organizations presented grants to the Auditorium Theatre, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, and the Kalapria Center for Indian Performing Arts. For more information, call (312) 925-0978.
CHICAGO KIDS DIG
Dozens of youngsters attended the inaugural Chicago Kids Dig hosted by real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering and construction firm Clayco, in partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. The event took place at a Clayco jobsite at 170 N. Green St. and gave patients, their families, hospital staff, and friends of Lurie Children’s the opportunity to learn about and operate (with assistance) a variety of heavy machinery such as rollers, bulldozers, excavators, and telehandlers in a giant sand box, along with other interactive activities with support from professionals. For more information, log on to www.claycorp.com.
DELASALLE NEWS
DeLaSalle Institute hosted its inaugural Historically Black College & University (HBCU) College Fair in October, attended by 12 colleges and universities and more than 250 students from all grades. Meteor graduates have enrolled at HBCUs in greater numbers in recent years. DeLaSalle is at 3434 S. Michigan Ave. Call (312) 842-7355 or log on to www.dls.org.
COLLABORATION EXPANDS
DePaul University and Rush University, the Center for Community Health Equity’s co-founders, will expand their collaboration into science, education, and technology by exploring opportunities together for seminars, courses, academic programs, research, internships, and practica.
11TH WARD NEWS
The 11th Ward Organization, Alderman Nicole Lee, and County Commissioner John Daley will host document shredding, electronic recycling, and prescription drug disposal Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to noon at 34th Street and Shields Avenue.
They will host a blood drive on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Armour Square Park, 3309 S. Shields Ave., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call the ward office at (773) 254-6677 or log on to www.versiti.org.
PHANTASMAGORIA
Art by Mikey Mosher entitled Phantasmagoria is on display at the Catacombs at Epiphany Center for the Arts through Saturday, Nov. 19. See https://epiphanychi.com/mikey-mosher-phantasmagoria/. The center is located at 201 S. Ashland Ave.
CALUMET VOICES
Calumet Voices-National Stories, an exhibition at the Field Museum, includes flora, fauna, and fossils from the museum’s Calumet collections; a nine-foot-tall steel plate crafted during World War II by women welders; and carved figurines depicting industrial might, fragile ecosystems, and human stories of the Calumet region’s last 100 years. The exhibition opens Friday, Nov. 11. The Field Museum is at 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. Log on to www.fieldmuseum.org.
GLESSNER HOUSE NEWS
Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Ave., offers 75-minute docent-led tours on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 1 and 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. The house will be decorated for Christmas from Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Saturday, Dec. 31. Several holiday related events are planned, including a gingerbread decorating party for children on Saturday, Dec. 3. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.glessnerhouse.org.
PUBLISHER HONORED
Mark J. Valentino, editor and publisher of Gazette Chicago, received the prestigious Vicariate III 2022 Bishop Quarter Award at Holy Name Cathedral from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago on Oct. 2. Cardinal Blase Cupich and the seven Vicariate Bishops of the Archdiocese presided. The archdiocese recognized Valentino for his lifelong commitment to Notre Dame de Chicago Parish, now known as Our Lady of the Holy Family Parish.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
The Health & Medicine Policy Research Group recently presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Bronzeville resident Sista Yaa Simpson, a community epidemiologist for the Association of Clinical Trial Services and Department of Public Health.
JOFFREY NEWS
Joffrey Ballet will perform the Nutcracker Saturday, Dec. 3, through Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr. Call (312) 386-8905.
PARK FUNDED
Touhy Herbert Park, at 2106 W. Adams St., will receive up to $3.5 million from the Central West TIF district to support ballfield and landscape improvements, playground upgrades, a new water feature and entry plaza, and removing an outmoded comfort station. The City also will add new lighting, benches, and paved pathways throughout the park.
FRANCE HONORS FUNDRAISER
The Republic of France on Oct. 8 promoted Carla Knorowski, chief development officer for the Naval War College Foundation, to the rank of Officer in its National Order of Merit. France recognized Knorowski for raising funds for arts, culture, and education, particularly for her body of work and efforts to restore and rebuild historic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Knorowski serves on the board of directors of the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris (FoND), which she joined in 2019. Knorowski’s mother, Mary Mastrantonio, grew up in the Polk and Carpenter Streets area. For more information, email [email protected]
NEW NURSING OPTIONS
Malcolm X College (MXC) and Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN) have entered into an academic partnership to provide more options for MXC students to pursue their BSN degrees. The Dual Enrollment option allows students to take MCN’s online RN to BSN classes while taking their MXC nursing courses. The Pathways option provides pre-admission into MCN’s RN to BSN program, saving students a spot for up to two years after graduation. MXC is at 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. Call (312) 850-7000.
MORNING STAR NEWS
Rev. Henry A. Barlow will celebrate his 43 rd year of preaching at different churches in the Baptist Church community and will celebrate his seventh year as pastor at Morning Star Baptist Church of Chicago at 3993 S. King Dr. on Sunday, Nov. 27, all day. Call (773) 285-8111.
FREE CONCERT
Music of the Baroque will present Reginald Mobley Sings in a free concert at the Kehrein Center, 5628 W. Washington Blvd, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17. For information, log on to https://www.baroque.org/Seasons/2022-2023/mobleysings.
NATIONAL HELLENIC NEWS
See three art shows at the National Hellenic Museum. Resilience presents photography and a multisensory installation by Greece’s Prince Nikolaos through Friday, Dec. 30. Gather Together: Chicago Street Photography by Diane Alexander White runs through Saturday, April 30, and offers photos of ethnic and cultural festivals and parades. Storytelling in Cloth and Light presents a series of textiles and photographs. The museum is at 333 S. Halsted St. Call (312) 655-1234 or visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org.
OPEN HOUSES
Francis W. Parker School, 330 W. Webster Ave., will hold an admissions open house for the Upper School (grades nine through 12) Saturday, Nov. 12. RSVP to fwparker.org/admission-events or call (773) 353-3000. The school is at 330 W. Webster Ave.
INNOVATION HUB
Rush University System for Health and Medtronic will partner to create an innovation hub designed to bring together people from industry and academic medicine to lead research and develop technology and treatments for patients with complex digestive diseases, along with enhanced fellowship training. Rush is at 600 S. Paulina St. Call (312) 942-7100.
SAINT IGNATIUS NEWS
Saint Ignatius College Prep hosts eighth grade shadow days. It will have an open House on Sunday, Nov. 13, and hold its entrance exam on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 8 a.m. to noon.
The school is at 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd. Call (312) 421-5900 or log on to www.ignatius.org.
ST. LAURENCE SCHOLARSHIP
St. Laurence High School announced a new scholarship for first responder and military families. Beginning with the Class of 2027, sons and daughters of active police officers, firefighters, nurses, paramedics, and military members will receive a $1,000 award for their freshman year. The school is at 5556 W. 77th St. in Burbank, IL. Call (708) 458-6900.
WEDDING BELLS
Longtime Gazette Chicago reporter Ivette Sandoval married Felipe Charry on Oct. 8.
SHRINE EVENTS
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii will host Finding Your Heart Through Grief and Loss, an In-Person Pilgrimage at the shrine at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.
It will commemorate military veterans at the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Nov. 13. After the Mass, the Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association will provide refreshments and show the movie 5,000 Miles from Home in the shrine hall; the movie, produced by the Italian-American Veterans Museum, documents experiences of Italian-American World War II veterans in Chicago. The museum’s executive vice president, Paul Basile, will speak at the event.
The Shrine will hold a Mass of thanksgiving for first responders on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 11 a.m., followed by coffee in the shrine hall.
On Sunday, Dec. 3, it will host its Mary and Christmas concert, followed by a buffet dinner.
The shrine is at 1224 W. Lexington St. Call (312) 421-3757.
NEW PRINCIPAL
San Miguel School has named Grant Gorman its new principal. Gorman has worked as a bilingual teacher, instructional coach, and administrator at San Miguel and elsewhere. The school is at 1954 W. 48th St. Log on to www.sanmiguelchicago.org. Call (773) 890-1481.
MENTAL HEALTH
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago offers support groups and other resources for individuals who may need help. Call (833) 626-4244 or visit www.namichicago.org.
PROMOTION
Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez has promoted Lucia Calderon to chief of staff. She formerly had served as director of community relations. For Sigcho-Lopez’s office, log on to www.25thward.org.
JEWISH NETWORKING NIGHT
Spertus Institute will host a Jewish Community Networking Night for business and personal networking at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 610 S. Michigan Ave. The evening includes food and improv entertainment by Becca Barish. Log on to www.spertus.edu/programs-events/networking-night.
FREE MBA
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business Scholars Program is designed for people who work in a nonprofit or government organization. Scholarships are available covering up to 100% of tuition. Civic Scholars participate in specialized programming. Apply at www.chicagobooth.edu/mba/civic-scholars.
HELP FOR VETERANS
Veterans Guide helps veterans obtain proper disability compensation, financial assistance, information on the GI bill, and other government services. See veteransguide.org/.
READING, WRITING COMPETITION
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White encourages students in grades four through 12 to enter the Letters About Literature in Illinois reading and writing competition, offered by the Illinois State Library’s Illinois Center for the Book. The competition invites students to read a book of their choice and write a letter to the author about how the work changed their life or view of the world. The deadline for submission is Thursday, Dec. 15. For more information, call (217) 558-2065 or email [email protected], or log on to ilsos.gov/departments/library/center_for_the_book/.
Send news of events held “around the neighborhood” by the 15th of the month before the month they are to occur to William S. Bike, Around the Neighborhood, Gazette Chicago, 1335 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607-3318, fax (312) 243-4270, or email [email protected]