By William S. Bike

CLEAR SIDEWALKS
Walking in a winter wonderland is a lot easier with clear sidewalks. The Active Transportation Alliance has launched a snow shoveling campaign, complete with flyers that can be provided to local residents and businesses to encourage shoveling to make walking safe and convenient this winter. Also, the Chicago Department of Transportation is rewarding businesses that clear their sidewalks; residents can nominate local businesses for their efforts at www.cityofchicago.org/transportation. For more information, call (312) 427-3325.

NEW BOOK ON CHURCHES
Author Kevin Eatinger has written Art in the Architecture, a photographic tour through 16 Chicago churches showing architectural details, artwork, and different perspectives. The book contains 120 pages and mostly color photos. To order, log on to www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/948207.

HEALTHCARE FOR VETS
The Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 820 S. Damen Ave., is reaching out to inform military veterans of healthcare services available to them. Veterans, even those denied care in the past because their income was considered too high, should contact JoAnn Wooley at (312) 569-6278. The Obama Administration changed the rules to allow more veterans to be eligible for healthcare.

SUICIDE LOSS
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago invites those who have lost a loved one to suicide to participate in its Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) program meetings. Call the LOSS office for an initial intake before your first meeting at (312) 655-7283. The program meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Catholic Charities Near North Office, 721 N. LaSalle St., from 6 to 8 p.m.

CCT TO GIVE GRANTS
The Chicago Community Trust has announced Unity Challenge 2010, a philanthropic partnership to expand nonprofit agencies’ capacity to meet basic human needs such as food and shelter by matching all new donor contributions. Last year, the inaugural Unity Fund provided $4 million to support agencies meeting basic human needs. The first round of grants from the Unity Challenge 2010 will be announced in February. To donate or learn more about how an organization can receive funds, log on to www.cct.org. Or, write or mail a check to the Unity Challenge, Chicago Community Trust, 111 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60601.

POLAR ADVENTURE DAYS
The Chicago Park District will present the fifth annual Polar Adventure Days from noon to 4 p.m. on the Saturdays of Dec. 12 and Feb. 20 at Northerly Island, 1400 S. Lynn White Dr. Participants will pet Siberian huskies, engage in winter activities, watch ice sculptors in action, create nature-inspired crafts, and enjoy an Arctic camping demonstration. Admission is free. Call to confirm scheduled activities at (312) 742-PLAY.

LIBRARY ROUNDUP
During January the Chicago Public Library will host free author presentations and books signings at the Harold Washington Library Center (HWLC), 400 S. State St., (312) 747-4050, and another author event at the McKinley Park Branch, 1915 W. 35th St., (312) 747-6082.

On Monday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m., at the McKinley Park Branch, (312) 747-6082, Billy Lombardo will talk about and sign his new book, How to Hold a Woman.

On Thursday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. at the HWLC, Chinese-American writer Ha Jin will discuss with host Victoria Lautman his latest collection of short stories, A Good Fall, in a Writers on the Record with Victoria program to be broadcast on Sunday, Jan. 17, on WFMT Radio at noon.

Animal scientist Temple Grandin will speak about and sign her new book, Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. at the HWLC.

Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, will talk about and sign All Things At Once, her book about balancing work and home life, at HWLC on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m. Her co-host, Joe Scarborough, will join her on stage for a conversation moderated by Christie Hefner, former chair and CEO of Playboy Enterprises.

The HWLC will present a free premiere screening of the first hour of the new Masterpiece Classic adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 6 p.m. in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium.

RUN FOR LSC
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) urges parents, community members, teachers, and students to sign up as candidates for local school councils (LSCs) before nominations close on Thursday, March 11. LSCs are the site-based elected management teams at most of Chicago’s public schools. An LSC’s primary responsibilities are selecting the school’s principal and examining its improvement plan and budget. LSCs began in 1989 as a way to allow more community involvement in schools. Call (773) 553-1620 or log on to www.cps.edu.

NEW LOCATION
The not-for-profit Confederation of Spanish American Families has a new location, 2150 S. Canalport Ave., Suite 2A-1. The organization helps youths and families build skills with tutoring and information on finances, parenting, and English as a second language. Call (312) 243-4600 or log on to www.csafchicago.org.

DE LA SALLE ROUNDUP
Five members of the De La Salle Institute boys varsity soccer team have been chosen to the 2009 All-Chicago Catholic League (CCL) team: Luis Calvillo, Genaro Delgado, Gabriel Garcia, Nate Jacobson, and Luis Perez. Cavillo lives in Back of the Yards, and Jacobson lives on the Near West Side. Perez also won the CCL award for best senior soccer player.

Eight of De La Salle’s student athletes have been chosen to the 2009 All-CCL football team: D.J. Bland, Mark Kasper, Ed Keating, Bob Kerwin, Josh Lisenby, Juwan Martin, T.J. Rodriguez, and Troy Torrence. Bland also was chosen for the 2009 Class 6A Illinois High School Football Coaches Association All-State Team. Coach Dan O’Keefe won the Tony Lawless Award.

Eleven female De La Salle students recently gave their hair to Locks of Love, an organization providing hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada experiencing long-term medical hair loss. Participating were students Taylor Castro, Madeleine Coatar, Maria Gonzalez, Ersilia Melchiorre, Lea Moravec, Daniela Porraz, Nicole Reyes, Cecilia Rumppe, Reyna Salazar, Sandra Tobias, and Mercedes Zapata. Seven of the students live in Bridgeport; Coatar lives in Canaryville; Gonzales in Back of the Yards; Porraz in East Side; and Zapata in Brighton Park.

Student Samantha Sheppard took second place in the Archdiocese of Chicago Task Force for Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Use by Youths’ 2009 Drug and Alcohol Prevention Contest.

De La Salle held its Meteors Brighten 3000 Lives food drive, which collected 2,143 food items and donated them to the St. James Food Pantry.

De La Salle is located at 3455 S. Wabash Ave. and 1040 W. 32nd Pl. Call (312) 842-7355 or log on to www.dls.org.

$126 MILLION FOR ILLINOIS
Senator Dick Durbin recently announced the final Omnibus Appropriations Act, which includes more than $126 million for several Illinois projects, including several local ones:

The Chicago Transit Authority got $1.5 million to advance the Circle Line, which will connect the Orange Line near Ashland Ave. with the Pink Line near 18th Street.

Haymarket Center received $700,000 for a workforce development initiative.

The Illinois Institute of Technology received $600,000 to expand its University Technology Park.

Erie Neighborhood House got $250,000 for its facility and for the Sunshine Initiative, which helps low-income children with emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Ceasefire at the University of Illinois at Chicago received $500,000 to expand a violence prevention project.

Call (202) 228-5643.

HAYMARKET ON TV
Haymarket Center returns to Chicago Access Cable in January. Haymarket staff and their guests will discuss topics related to recovery and rehabilitation for adults who are addicted to alcohol or drugs or both. The programs will be telecast on Cable Channel 21 each Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 through the end of March. Viewers may participate by calling (312) 738–1060.

PARISH GETS ENERGY EXAM
The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers/Local 17 and Chicago Bear Tommie Harris visited the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels at 3808 W. Iowa St. recently to perform a free assessment of the parish’s mechanical insulation system prior to conducting a thorough insulation energy appraisal that will recommend options to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases. Afterward, Harris and Local 17 leaders accompanied the Rev. Bob Lombardo to the newly renovated Kelly Hall YMCA to greet area schoolchildren participating in an after school program. Harris spoke to the children about the value of education. For more information, log on to www.Local17Insulators.com or www.OurLadyOfTheAngelsMission.com or call (708) 305-6418.

ICE SKATING
The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park, located on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Madison Streets, will remain open through Sunday, March 14, weather permitting. Admission is free and open to the public; skate rental costs $10. Log on to www.millenniumpark.org for more information.

POWER WHEELCHAIRS
Seniors and others with debilitating conditions may obtain a power wheelchair at little or no cost due to Medicare assistance regulations. Call Miracle on Wheels at (800) 400-4201 for more information.

MT. CARMEL EXAM SET
Mount Carmel will hold its high-school entrance exam on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 8 a.m. at the school, 6410 S. Dante Ave. Participants should bring two #2 penclis, a calculator, and a $25 fee. Scholarships are available to students testing well on the exam. For more information, call (773) 324-1020 or e-mail bnolan@mchs.org.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
The South Loop/Near South area’s Park 550 Advisory Council board of directors seeks community members to serve on various task forces and committees. To get involved, e-mail park550advisorycouncil@gmail.com.

SHRINE ROUNDUP
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii will host the La Befana children’s pilgrimage on Sunday, Jan. 3, during the 11 a.m. Mass. The shrine is located at 1224 W. Lexington St. Call (312) 421-3757 or log on to www.ourladyofpompeii.org.

DEBATE TEAM WINS AGAIN
The South Loop Elementary School debate team won the novice division championship for the second tournament in a row, taking top honors at the Chicago Urban Debate League for Middle Schools at Kelvyn Park High School. The team of Judson Smith and Kevin Johnson went undefeated and had the highest team speaker rankings to place first overall. Smith also took the top speaker award. Nicholas Jackson and Renee Jacoby also won speaker awards, placing ninth and tenth respectively. Sammy Cousino and Keiyala Hill took third place overall, and Nicholas Jackson and Donald Rapier finished in sixth place. South Loop School is located at 1212 S. Plymouth Ct. For more information about the debate team, call (312) 307-5363.

JOBS AVAILABLE
The United States Census Bureau’s Chicago Regional Census Center is recruiting people to work as census takers through June. For testing times and locations, call (866) 861-2010. For more information, including an application, log on to www.2010censusjobs.gov.

FOOD AND SHELTER DOLLARS
The federal government will make almost $5 million in Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) grants available to area nonprofit organizations and government agencies. United Way of Metropolitan Chicago administers local EFSP dollars. To receive funding, health and human service agencies must submit completed applications and supporting documents by Thursday, Jan. 7. For applications, contact Thomas Galassini at tom.galassini@uw-mc.org or (312) 906-2360.

UIC ROUNDUP
Martha L. Gutierrez, formerly executive director of the Rauner Family YMCA, has been named associate director of community relations at the University of Illinois at Chicago, pending approval of the board of trustees. She will focus on the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago and UIC’s six health sciences colleges on the west side of its campus.

The University of Illinois at Chicago Flames men’s basketball team plays home games against Wright State, Saturday, Jan. 2, at 3 p.m.; Loyola, Friday, Jan. 15, 8 p.m.; Valparaiso, Thursday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m.; and Butler, Saturday, Jan. 23, 1 p.m., at the UIC Pavilion, 525 S. Racine Ave. Call (312) 413- 5700.

PEOPLE
Alderman Daniel S. Solis (25th) introduced a resolution to City Council honoring the late Suzanne Dalesandro, a lifelong Near West Sider who passed away in 2009.

Navy Seaman Shakeeta M. Williams, a 2005 graduate of Best Practice High School, along with sailors and marines from the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, Norfolk, VA, and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, NC, recently departed the 5th Fleet and entered 6th Fleet’s area of operations after traveling through the Suez Canal and entering the Mediterranean Sea.

Send news of events to be 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, 1335 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607-3318, fax (312) 243-4270, or email pr@gazettechicago.com.