By William S. Bike
FREE DAYS
Free admission is available at the:
Adler Planetarium,1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., every Wednesday after 4 p.m.
DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center,740 E. 56th Pl., every Wednesday.
Field Museum,1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr., every Wednesday.
Shedd Aquarium,1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.,Tuesday evenings through June 25.
BALBO REMEMBERED
In an era when transatlantic travel was still dangerous, Italy caused a sensation by announcing its participation in the upcoming 1933 Chicago Century of Progress World’s Fair would include an unprecedented formation flight from Rome to Chicago led by renowned aviator Italo Balbo. A new book, Italo Balbo’s Flight to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fai rby Don Fiore has been published by Arcadia Publishing. To obtain the book, log on to www.arcadiapublishing.com.
ARTS CLASSES
Donovan Park,3620 S. Lituanica Ave., hosts arts classes for both youngsters and adults. Call (312) 747-6111.
GRANT FOR YOUNGSTERS
The Bronzeville National Heritage Area has received a $25,000 Federal grant, the Open OutDoors for Kids grant, from the National Park Foundation to fund educational field trip programs for elementary school students.
CANARYVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE
The Canaryville Little League seeks coaches and volunteers. Registration to play is open for boys and girls ages three through 13 for baseball, softball, tee ball, and peewees. To get involved, log on to https://www.facebook.com/TheLittleLeague or https://www.cvillell.com. For any questions, email [email protected].
POLAR PLUNGE
The Chicago Polar Plunge,in which participants take a winter swim in Lake Michigan,is scheduled for Sunday, March 3, and registration is open. Log on to chicagopolarplunge.org.
HEATING REPAIR PROGRAM
The City of Chicago Emergency Heating Repair Program provides grants to assist owner-occupants of properties with emergency heating system repair or replacement. Call (312) 744-3653 to request an application.
HIP-HOP AND STREET DANCE
Columbia College Chicago Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., will host the B-Series Tenth Anniversary Festival of hip-hop and street dance. Tickets are free with registration at https://dance.colum.edu/events/2024/3/1/b-series-b-long. The festival kicks off Friday, March 1, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Workshops, panels, and sessions will run Saturday, March 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Music and dance battles and jam will follow from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 3, offers workshops and conference sessions from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Red Bull Dance Your Style Chicago Audition will be noon to 9 p.m. Call (312) 369-8330.
VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
The Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community is seeking volunteers for digital literacy, voting, and translation projects. Contact [email protected]. CBCAC is located at 311 W. 23rd St.
$500,000 PRIZE
Cristo Rey Network,a national faith-based independent school network headquartered at 11 E. Adams St., won a $500,000 STOP Award for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding and Permissionless education at the 2023 Yass Prize Celebration and Gala. The Yass Prize seeks, rewards, and celebrates innovative organizations trying to assure effective education. Cristo Rey Network received its award to accelerate its mission of providing opportunity for youth through academics and work experience. For more information call (312) 784-7200 or log on to cristoreynetwork.org.
DE LA SALLE NEWS
De La Salle Institute will host Incoming Freshmen Family Night Thursday, Feb. 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. De La Salle is at 3434 S. Michigan Ave. Call (312) 842-7355 or log on to dls.org.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
The Encompassing Center provides services including counseling, psychiatric and substance abuse services, anger management, and parent coaching. Call (773) 638-5703 or (312) 723-8679 or log on to encompassingcenter.org. The center is located at 3019 W. Harrison St.
GLESSNER HOUSE NEWS
Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Ave., offers docent-led 75-minute tours on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 1 and 2:30 p.m. Tours are $20 for adults and $17 for seniors and students. For more information, visit glessnerhouse.org.
ART TOURS
The Heritage Museum of Asian Art,3500 S. Morgan St., offers third Friday tours at 6:30 p.m. This month’s tour will be Friday, Feb. 16. Log on to www.heritageasianart.org.
SPIRITUAL RETREAT
The Rev. J. Michael Sparough, S.J., will conduct a spiritual retreat on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 10:30 a.m. in the Abramowicz Hall of Five Holy Martyrs Catholic Church, 4327 S. Richmond St. as the guest of the Five Holy Martyrs Holy Name of Jesus Society. Open to all, the retreat will prepare participants for the Lenten journey. The event will run 90 minutes with an intermission for lunch. Call (773) 470-5502.
HIRE36O RECEIVES DONATION
HIRE360,a nonprofit that connects underserved minority businesses and communities to contracts and careers in unionized construction across the region, has received a $3 million donation from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. HIRE360 is directing this donation toward the first phase of constructing its Training and Business Development Center, which provide a hub for industry leaders, contractors, sub-contractors, developers, organized labor, and apprentices to converge. Hire 360 is located at 2301 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr. For information, log on to www.hire360chicago.com/.
RUN FOR LSC POSITIONS
Parents of current students as well as community members can run for Local School Councils.Visit cps.edu/lsc and submit an application by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8. Elections will be Wednesday and Thursday, April 10 and 11.
HELP FOR HEATING BILLS
Families may apply for the State of Illinois Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to receive assistance with natural gas, propane, and electricity bills. LIHEAP provides one-time payments directly to energy service providers on behalf of recipients. All income-eligible households can apply for assistance through Thursday, Aug. 15, or until funds are exhausted. For more information or to apply to the program, visit HelpIllinoisFamilies.com.
WEST LOOP RESIDENT PERFORMS
West Loop resident Sophia Maekawa is playing the role of Tisbe, one of the stepsisters, in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s performance of Cinderella, which runs through Saturday, Feb. 10, at Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr. Maekawa performs both comedy and song in the production. For information and tickets, call (312) 827-5600 or log on to lyricopera.org/Cinderella.
HELP FOR SENIORS
Morning Star Baptist Church, 3993 S. King Dr. recently held a meeting about helping seniors get financial assistance through government grants and other programs. The coalition sponsoring the meeting included Mothers Opposed to Violence Everywhere; Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly; and the Rev. Robin Hood and the Illinois Anti Foreclosure Coalition. For information, contact the Rev. Henry Barlow of Morning Star Baptist Church at (773) 285-8111.
ICE SKATING
The McKinley Park Ice Rink,2210 W. Pershing Rd., will be open through Monday, Feb. 19. Preregistration is required on Mondays for upcoming skating dates. Call (312) 747-5992.
EXHIBIT EXTENDED
The National Hellenic Museum
has extended the exhibit Gather Together: Chicago Street Photography by Diane Alexander White, a series of more than 80 historic photographs showcasing Chicago’s Greek American celebrations alongside other ethnic and cultural festivals and parades, through Sunday, Feb. 18. The museum is at 333 S. Halsted St. For more information, log on to nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call (312) 655-1234.
MONASTERY EVENTS
Monastery of the Holy Cross, 3111 S. Aberdeen St., will celebrate Solemn Vespers for the Feast of Saint Scholastica onSaturday, Feb. 10, at 5:15 p.m., featuring Gregorian chant by the monastic community; works of Palestrina and Lassus sung by Schola Laudis; and the premiere performance of a composition by Prior Peter Funk. The monastery will present Resurrecting the Catholic Funeral onSaturday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. Free and open to all. For more information and to register, see: http://tinyurl.com/3t7p32ez or call (773) 927-7424.
CHICAGO LEADERS AWARDS
The News School at St. Agatha, 3147 W. Douglas Blvd., which helps students improve communication skills, and Sinai Chicago, 2653 W. Ogden Ave., a local health system, recently provided Chicago Leaders Awards for leadership in non-violence, health equity, and public policy initiatives, to State Senator Lakesia Collins (D-9th); Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-7th); Dennis Deer, Cook County Commissioner (D-2nd); Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-8th); Mayor Brandon Johnson; Alderwoman Julia Ramirez (12th Ward); Tina Sanders, CEO, Phalanx Family Services; Sankofa Safe Child Initiative; Tara Stamps, Cook County Commissioner (D-1st); the Support Group; and Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Illinois Speaker of the House (D-7th). For information, call (708) 769-1768.
OUR LADY OF THE HOLY FAMILY NEWS
Our Lady of the Holy Family, 1334 W. Flournoy St., holds Sunday Masses at 9 a.m. in English and 11:30 a.m. in Spanish, as well as a Saturday evening Anticipatory Mass at 5 p.m. in English.
Mass is held at 6 p.m. in the church on Mondays followed by the Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m. and Confessions. Tuesday through Thursday Masses are at 8 a.m. in the chapel at 1335 W. Harrison St. On Friday, Mass is held in the church at 6 p.m., followed by Adoration and Confessions.
OLHF offers a Friday Food Pantry for area residents facing food shortages. Contact the parish office or just come to the pantry, located behind the church at 1334 W. Flournoy St., from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Call (312) 243-7400, email [email protected], or log on to www.olhfchi.org.
PETERS NEWS
Financial penalties for civil rights violations increased under the new Civil Rights Remedies Restoration Act that State Senator Robert Peters (D- 13th) introduced in the Senate. Peters’s new law allows state claims for violations of federal civil rights laws to be heard in any court with jurisdiction. The measure also allows Illinois courts to award no less than $4,000 in damages or other relief for violations, including damages for past, current, and future monetary losses; emotional pain; suffering; inconvenience; mental anguish; loss of enjoyment of life; and other non-monetary losses.
Peters is spreading Valentine’s Day compassion by encouraging residents to send cards to seniors in the community. Cards can be delivered in person via the mail slot at Peters’ Chicago office or mailed to 1304 E. 47th St., Suite 205, Chicago, IL 60653. Valentine’s Day cards will be collected through Monday, Feb. 12. They will be delivered to senior housing facilities in the city.
For more information, call (773) 363-1996 or log on to www.senatorrobertpeters.com/.
SAINT IGNATIUS NEWS
Saint Ignatius College Prep will host a sixth and seventh grade boys’ basketball shootout on Sunday, Feb. 4, from noon to 7 p.m. For more information, log on to www.ignatius.org or call (312) 421-5900.
FOOD DRIVE
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii will host a food drive after both the 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses on Sunday, Feb. 11. The shrine is located at 1224 W. Lexington St. Call (312) 421-3757 or log on to ourladyofpompeii.org.
PAGLEES ART EXHIBIT
The South Asia Institute, 1925 S. Michigan Ave., is hosting an art exhibition of the work of the Paglees, a feminist collective of artists of South Asian origin, in The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness through Saturday, April 27. For information, log on to www.saichicago.org or call (312) 929-3911.
FARMERS MARKET
The South Loop Indoor Farmers Market will be held Saturdays through March 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 150 W. Roosevelt Rd. Log on to www.SouthLoopFarmersMarket.com.
DEFINE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Researchers at the University of Chicago are doing a survey of how City of Chicago residents define their neighborhoods. Any Chicago resident can participate at https://chicago-neighborhoods.com/. The survey takes only three minutes, and respondents who provide contact information will be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card for participating. The survey also is available in Spanish, Polish, and Traditional Chinese.
GALLERY MOVES
Woman Made Gallery has moved from its former location on Blue Island Avenue to 1332 S. Halsted St. Log on to www.womanmade.org or call (312) 738-0400.
PEOPLE
Local resident Lily Bechina has been named to the Dean’s List at Ohio Wesleyan University.
Gazette Chicago reporter Ava O’Malley also works for DePaul University and recently received a DePaul Staff Recognition Award.
Local resident Drew Payton was named to the Southern New Hampshire University President’s List.
Jennifer Rosato Perea, who has served as dean of the DePaul University College of Law since 2015, will be the new managing director of accreditation and legal education for the American Bar Association effective June 1.
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].