By William S. Bike

LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME
Thousands of people will participate in the second annual Chicagoland Car-Free Day. The Active Transportation Alliance, the Chicago area’s voice for alternatives to getting around by car, urges people to travel by public transit, bike, foot or any combination of those on Wednesday, Sept. 22. For information, e-mail ethan@activetrans.org or call (312) 427-3325, x 224.

HEART WALK
The American Heart Association will host its 2010 Metro Chicago Heart Walk on Friday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Grant Park starting at the corner of Balbo and Columbus Drives. For information, call (312) 346-4675 or e-mail Chicago.heartwalk@heart.org.

SOPPRESSATA CONTEST
Frank Balestri’s fourth annual soppressata (sausage) contest will be held Sunday, Sept. 26, at Park Place of Countryside Banquet Hall, 6240 Joliet Rd., Countryside, IL 60525, (708) 588-1756. Food will be available at 3 p.m., with the contest starting at 4 p.m. Each participant must bring one pre-sliced soppressata to enter. For $10 admission, enjoy dinner, cash bar, and a raffle for Italian gift baskets and a soppressata press. All profits go to the Italian American War Veterans Post #2. For more information, call (773) 370-1621.

BLUES BUS RETURNS
The Blues Bus will appear at the Maxwell Street Market on Labor Day weekend, Sunday, Sept. 5. Bluesman John Johnson sold music from this bus for years at the historic market, where it became an icon. Take a photo of the bus; see Johnson, his wife Marie, and members of the Maxwell Street Foundation restoring the bus’s artwork while you shop at the market; and listen to music by Chainsaw DuPont and the Blues Warriors. The bus will be open all day, and the Johnsons and Chainsaw DuPont will be on hand 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Maxwell Street Market runs 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday and is located at 640 W. Roosevelt Rd. at Desplaines Street. Call (312) 315-7367.

BRIDGEPORT FARMERS MARKET
The Bridgeport Farmers Market, held every Saturday morning now through Oct. 16 at 35th Street and Wallace Avenue, hosts local vendors selling fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese, salsa, and flowers. For more information, call (312) 744-3315.

FOOD DONATIONS
Charter One Bank and the Greater Chicago Food Depository are collecting food during shows at the Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island. Those who donate have the opportunity to win prizes including iPods. For more information, log onto www.chicagosfoodbank.org or call 773-247-FOOD.

CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER
Vertical farming expert Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University, New York City, will speak Monday, Sept. 13, about farming in urban highrises and its ability to lower energy costs and reduce climate change. Admission is free. The talk will be held at 6 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. in conjunction with City Is A Community Garden, a Cultural Center exhibit of photos, architectural drawings, and installations about urban gardens, vertical farming, and urban chicken keepers. Call (312) 742-2036.

CHARITY RUN
Several area non-profits will benefit from Chicago’s Day for Charity 5K, a run and walk on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Columbus and Balbo Drives in Grant Park. Start time is 10 a.m. Registrants may sign up to run or walk to support the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust, Have Dreams, ForeverSibs, Foundation for Physical Therapy, Salvation Army’s Metropolitan Division, or Toy Box Connection. Advance registration costs $35; on-site $40. Visit www.chicagocharityday.com/ or call (773) 868-3010.

LATINO GALA
The Chicago Latino Network will host its fifth annual gala at the Drake Hotel on Friday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m. to midnight, 140 E. Walton Pl. Miami attorney Stephen N. Zack is the keynote speaker; the agenda also includes a cocktail reception, dinner, awards presentations, and dancing. Call (312) 829-1009 or log on to www.chicagolatinonetwork.com.

LIGHTHOUSE BENEFIT
To help celebrate completing its building expansion and rehabilitation, the Chicago Lighthouse will present a musical benefit at Buddy Guy’s Legends, 700 S. Wabash Ave., Thursday, Sept. 30, 6 to 8 p.m. Composer and pianist Lisa Hilton and jazz singer Nikki George will headline the event, which costs $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Contact Sarah Harrington at (312) 997-3679 or sarah.harrington@chicagolighthouse.org for information and tickets.

GET MONEY SMART
The Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Federal Reserve present free financial literacy programs for people of all ages. Thursday, Sept. 16, at noon at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St., Seventh Floor Chicago Authors Room, they will offer Don’t Pay the College Sticker Price, a workshop focusing on three opportunities to reduce college education costs: maximizing need based on financial eligibility, targeting colleges for merit-based aid, and exploiting tax-saving opportunities. Call (312) 747-8184.

NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR
Chicago Sinfonietta has named Mei-Ann Chen its new music director, effective in fall 2011. Chen will succeed Paul Freeman, who founded the Chicago Sinfonietta in 1987 and will retire at the end of the 2010-2011 season. Freeman will be music director emeritus following his retirement. Chen, 37, had been assistant conductor of the Baltimore Symphony. The Sinfonietta is located at 30 E. Lake St. Call (312) 236-3681 or log on to www.chicagosinfonietta.org.

CIRCUIT COURT ROUNDUP
Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans has announced free housing counseling and legal services available through the Circuit Court of Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program. Owners in foreclosure who wish to begin the mediation process may visit www.CookCountyForeclosureHelp.org to fill out an online form to request an appointment with a housing counselor or call (877) 895-2444.

Evans also announced the Italian Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. Co-sponsors are the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Justinian Society of Lawyers. To sign up, call (312) 603-1927 before Friday, Oct. 1.

FOR SEX ABUSE VICTIMS
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, through its Office of Assistance Ministry, will sponsor therapy groups for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Licensed professionals will conduct group sessions for women and men at no cost for twelve consecutive weeks beginning Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 6:30 until 8 p.m. downtown. Call or e-mail Matt Hunnicutt at (312) 534-8267, mhunnicutt@archchicago.org, or Ruth Robinson at (312) 534-8256, rurobinson@archchicago.org, or log on to www.archchicago.org.

LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS FUNDED
Senator Richard Durbin recently obtained federal funding for several local organizations: $500,000 for the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention to expand Ceasefire, a program at the University of Illinois at Chicago; $2,200,000 for the Chicago Transit Authority Green Line; and $500,000 for the Red Line. For more information, call (202) 228-5643.

COUNTY FAIR
Come to the Garfield Park Conservatory County Fair Saturday, Sept. 18, 11a.m. to 4 p.m., 300 N. Central Park Ave. Admission is $5; free for those three and younger. Learn about traditional harvest practices and new possibilities in urban agriculture. Families can enjoy hands-on activities, games, a petting zoo, pony rides for $1, compost demonstrations, a harvest showcase, beekeeping demonstrations, live music, food, and a farmer’s market. Bring your gardening tools to get them sharpened and bring your favorite recipe for the recipe swap. Go to www.garfield-conservatory.org/ or call (773) 638-1766, ext. 18.

BASH ON WABASH
The Greater South Loop Association Bash on Wabash will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4 and 5, on Wabash Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets from noon to 10 p.m. Local artisans will display crafts, restaurants will offer food, and the bash will provide live music and a kids area. For information e-mail info@greatersouthloop.org or log on to http://bashonwabash.org.

HAYMARKET ROUNDUP
Five workshops for professionals in the addictions, recovery, and counseling fields will be offered at Haymarket Center conference center, 20 N. Sangamon St., on five Saturdays in September and October. Workshops meet 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Dates, speakers, and topics are: Sept. 4, Ronald Potter-Efron, PhD, Anger, Aggression, and Substance Abuse; Sept. 18, Sherry Bryant, Counseling Suicidal Persons; Sept. 25, Ronald Webber, Prescription Drug Abuse; Oct. 9, Leo Miller, Understanding the Addict in Recovery; Oct. 23, the Rev. William E. Miller, Shyness and its Relationship to Substance Abuse. Cost per workshops is $105, which includes continental breakfast, lunch, and continuing education credit. Discounts available for multiple workshops, groups, seniors, and students. Call (312) 226-7984, ext. 314.

Haymarket Center is airing new programs on Chicago Cable Access Channel 21 at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays this month. Haymarket Center staff discuss topics such as addiction treatment and recovery, returning to a useful place in society, and continued counseling after rehabilitation. Viewers can participate by calling (312) 738-1060. For information on individual programs, contact Barbara Clarke at (312) 208-6304.

IACC HONORS
The Italian-American Chamber of Commerce-Midwest will honor individuals for community achievements during its 103rd anniversary gala and awards dinner on Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel, 17 E. Monroe St., at 6:30 p.m. Honorees will be Patrick Quinn, governor of Illinois, and Francesco Bettoni, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Brescia, Italy. Call (312) 553-9137.

WALK TO FIGHT LUPUS
The Lupus Foundation of America, Illinois Chapter (LFAI) will host its Downtown Chicago Walk on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Grant Park, Columbus and Balbo Drives. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. and the walk steps off at 11:30 a.m. Walkers can choose one- or three- mile routes for both walks. The family-friendly event includes activities for children, entertainment, and a raffle. Advance registration is $25; $30 on-site; and $10 for children 12 and younger. Register online at www.2010lupuswalk.kintera.org or call (312) 542-0002.

SURGERY FOR OBESITY
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center surgeons offer a minimally invasive surgery for obesity called Lap-Band and a new technique, Less, that leaves no visible scarring. Learn about the procedure at a free information session Friday, Sept. 17, 2525 S. Michigan Ave., Joyce Auditorium. No charge, but registration required; call (312) 567-2263 or e-mail lapband@mercy-chicago.org to schedule.

CHEF INSTRUCTOR HONORED
Laurette Stefani, instructor at the Robert Morris University Institute of Culinary Arts at 401 S. State St., won a $1,500 grant from Olson Communications’ Chefs of Tomorrow initiative, which she will use to fund her food and wine education in California. For information, call (312) 280-4573.

JOB FAIR
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and PSI will host the Professional and Executive Diversity Job Fair at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., on Tuesday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants must have a four-year degree. No registration required. Call (800) 390-5561, ext. 107, or e-mail contact@psijobfair.com.

NATIVITY ROUNDUP
Nativity of Our Lord parish, 653 W. 37th St., will host a fundraising party Saturday, Oct. 23, to support its window restoration campaign and to celebrate Fr. Dan Brand’s birthday. The event begins with a 5 p.m. Mass, with the party immediately following. Ticket price of $25 in advance or $30 at the door provides food, a live band, entertainment, games, raffles, and a silent auction. Cash bar available.

Religious education registration for public school children will be held Sunday, Sept. 12, after the 11 a.m. Mass, and Tuesday, Sept. 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the school. Classes run Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 21.

Nativity offers a program for adults converting to Catholicism or who are Catholic but never received Communion and Confirmation. The program runs from September through Easter, meeting one hour every other Thursday evening.

Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 8 and 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

To make it easy for civilly married couples to have their marriages blessed in the Catholic Church, Nativity of Our Lord Parish will host a New Year’s Eve communal marriage celebration on Friday, Dec. 31, at 6 p.m. Participants are asked to register by Tuesday, Nov. 30, to complete required paperwork.

For information, call (773) 927-6263 or log on to www.Pennies4Panes.com or www.natativitybridgeport.org.

HOST FAMILIES NEEDED
Pacific Intercultural Exchange needs local host families for foreign students arriving in August. Students are between the ages of 15 and 18, speak English, have their own spending money, carry accident and health insurance; in exchange for a place to live, they will share their cultural experiences with their new American families. Host families can claim a monthly charitable contribution deduction on their tax returns. For more information, call (888) 743-8721 or visit www.pieusa.org. The agency also offers travel/study programs for American high school students.

BRONZEVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET
The Quad Communities Development Corporation presents the Bronzeville Community Market every Saturday through Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4400 S. Cottage Grove Ave. For more information, e-mail bronzevillemarket@gmail.com, call (773) 268-7232, or visit www.qcdc.org/calendar.aspx?pointer=9690.

NEW PRINCIPAL
Queen of Peace High School named Mary Kay Nickels principal. A former president/principal of St. Benedict High School in Chicago, Nickels has extensive experience in Catholic education and in leadership positions. Queen of Peace is located at 7659 S. Linder Ave. Call (708) 458-7600.

RESTAURANTS FIGHT BREAST CANCER
Dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer, the Lynn Sage Foundation, 141 W. Jackson Blvd., will host its third annual Chicago’s In Good Taste campaign in conjunction with breast cancer awareness month. Beginning Friday, Oct. 1, when dining at participating restaurants and frequenting local businesses, patrons can choose to donate money to the Lynn Sage Foundation by adding one dollar or more to their bill. For a list of participating restaurants or more information, log on to www.lynnsagefoundation.org or call (312) 347-1706.

LOSS OF A CHILD
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii will host its tenth annual Lost Child Pilgrimage Saturday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The workshop of healing and hope is for adults who have lost a child. The Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, shrine rector, will preside; Maggie Kast, an expert on loss whose three-year-old daughter died in a car crash, will speak. Cost is $20 before Tuesday, Oct. 12, or $25 after. Call (312) 4231-3757. The shrine is located at 1224 W. Lexington St.

SLN ROUNDUP
South Loop Neighbors (SLN) members can tour the new Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center at 16th and State Streets on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 4:30 p.m.

Do you have a loft you would like to share for a few hours on Saturday, Oct. 30? The SLN needs lofts located between Congress and 22nd Streets to show off in its annual Loft Walk. A trolley will ensure visitors will have plenty of time to get from the north to south ends of the event. Trained volunteers are available to loft sit. If you share your loft or volunteer to loft sit, you may tour all the other lofts free and participate in the after party. Sponsors still are needed. Call (312) 409-1700, e-mail membership@southllpneighbors.org, or log on to www.southloopneighbors.org for more information.

STATE FARM YOUTH BOARD
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board, made up of students 17 through 20, is accepting applications for board membership in a grant program that empowers youth to be involved in service learning. Board members must design and implement a $5 million per year service-learning initiative by administering grants of up to $100,000. The initiative addresses issues such as financial education, disaster preparedness, driver safety, environmental responsibility, and access to higher education. For information, visit http://www.statefarmyab.com or call (312) 914-0857. The deadline for applications is Friday, Sept. 10.

ENTREPRENEURIAL CONFERENCE
The Women’s Business Development Center will host its 24th annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference at McCormick Place West, 2301 S. Indiana Ave., Wednesday, Sept. 22. Topics will include launching a business, marketing, branding, licensing, selling, financing, government contracts, legal issues, negotiating, and technical challenges. For information, call (312) 853-3477.

PEOPLE
Taylor Street/Little Italy native and Gazette staff writer Julie Sammarco, daughter of Ralph and Julia “Cissy” Sammarco, was engaged to Anthony LaPorte, a University of Illinois at Chicago dental student and son of Anthony “Tony” and Lina LaPorte of Itasca, IL, on Aug. 6.

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.