By Hayley Carlton 

ALUMNI DINNER DANCE
St. Barbara School, 2830 S. Quinn St. will hold an alumni and family dinner dance from 5 to 9 p.m. at Polonia Banquets, 4604 S. Archer Ave., on Sunday, Jan. 28. This fundraiser is a chance to reconnect with friends and support the school. Ticket prices are $30 for adults, $15 for children, and free for kids under four. Call (312) 842-7979

CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING
The City of Chicago announced that Chicagoans will be able to recycle their Christmas tree or a bag of recyclables on Saturday, Jan. 6. Residents and families will be able to take their trees to one of 23 participating locations, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The trees accepted at these locations are converted to mulch, which is then given to families for their contribution. Participating Chicagoans will be given a year’s supply of blue bags. Residents may also bring a large bag of recyclable material or other shrubbery to be eligible for the free blue bags and mulch. No wreathes with wire will be accepted. For more information about the “Turn Green into Blue” program or any of the City’s other recycling opportunities, visit the City’s website at www.cityofchicago.com and click on “I want to…Recycle My Christmas Tree,” or call 311.

BUILDING NOMINATED

The Hilliard Towers Apartments of the Chicago Housing Authority were nominated for the prominent Chicago Architectural Foundation’s 2006 Patron of the Year Award. The award recognizes Chicago-area projects that show excellence and innovation. The nomination was in the governmental category, and although Hilliard did not win, the nomination is considered quite prestigious. The Hilliard Towers Apartments, which provide 654 housing units for both senior and low-income families, are located on the city’s Near South Side. For more information, call (312) 742-9948. 

 

LAW IN THE LIBRARY
"Cleaning Up Your Credit" will be the topic of the January Law at the Library series. It will be held on Monday, Jan. 22, at 12:15 p.m. at the Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Branch, 400 S. State St., on the seventh floor. For more information call (312) 747-4300 or visit www.chicagopubliclibrary.org. 

DE LA SALLE ROUND-UP
De La Salle Institute, which recently implemented a "Tablet PC" environment on both of its campuses, is featured in a success story on the website of the Epson Corporation. The article, entitled "Chicago's De La Salle Institute Brightens Young Minds with Tablet PCs and Epson Wireless Projectors," talks about how De La Salle successfully uses the latest in wireless technology in educating its students.

Four De La Salle athletes have been chosen to the 2006 All-Catholic League Soccer Team.

Lauded for their excellence were junior midfielder Adrian Guzman, junior sweeper Nico Marchetti, senior forward Edwin Sotelo and sophomore forward Victor Trujillo.

Senior student-athlete William Colletti has been chosen to the Chicago Fire's All-State All-Academic Team for the 2006 season. Colletti, a defender, helped the Meteors' soccer team finish with an overall record of 10-9-1 this season. In the classroom, Colletti is ranked No. 1 in the 157-member Class of 2007 at De La Salle's Institute Campus.

Story Time, designed for children six months to four years of age, is a free program which will consist of De La Salle students leading the children through a variety of educational and fun activities, such as reading stories, sing-alongs and arts and crafts. The program is slated to run on Wednesday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. through Wednesday, March 28 and will take place in Bansley Hall and the Parmer Activity Center at De La Salle’s Institute Campus, located at 3434 S. Michigan Ave. Monthly themes include January’s Winter Wonderland, February’s Valentine’s Day party and March’s visit from the Easter Bunny. Refreshments and snacks will be available For more information or to make a reservation, contact John F. Brogan at (312)842-7355, ext. 114, or by email at broganj@dls.org. 

REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS CLASSES
Malcolm X College's Business and Industry Services Department, 1900 W. Van Buren  St., will be offer a 45-hour Real Estate Transaction course on Mondays and Fridays, Jan. 22 through March 19, 6 to 9 p.m. or Saturday, Jan. 27, through Saturday, March 17, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $295 plus books. The Own Your Own Business course will be taught on Tuesday and Thursday, Jan. 23 through March 15, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $175 plus books. The Starting a Nonprofit Organization course will be taught on Tuesday and Thursday, Feb. 13 and 15, 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $75. For more information, call (312) 850-7310 or 7181 or e-mail dburton@ccc.edu. 

STUDENTS WIN AWARDS IN PARIS
 Students from Francis W. Parker School were awarded two of the 16 Outstanding Delegate Awards offered at the Paris Model United Nations (PAMUN) conference held in from Dec. 2 to 4. As the only delegation from the United States to attend the conference, Parker's 12 students joined 800 peers from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa to deliberate on global affairs. Brian Levin, Parker senior and team captain for the past three years, won an award for his solutions regarding renewable energy and sustainable consumption issues and Jeremy von Halle, also a senior, received an award for his recommendations on the economic development and social issues facing small landlocked nations and island states.

ROOSEVELT  ROUNDUP
 In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Golin Harris, one of the nation's largest public relations firms, announced that it is making a $50,000 contribution to Roosevelt University in the name of its founder, Al Golin, a 1950 Roosevelt graduate and a trustee of the University. The gift will be used to support undergraduate and graduate students who will be known as Al Golin Scholars in Communication.  Scholarships of $5,000 or more will be awarded to full-time students studying public relations, advertising, integrated communications, professional communications, or integrated marketing communications. Part-time students may receive awards on a pro-rated basis. Students must demonstrate some level of financial need and be in good academic standing. The scholarship program begins in the fall 2007 semester.  For more information, visit www.roosevelt.edu .

Kyong Mee Choi, an assistant professor of musical composition in Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts, has been awarded the $10,000 Robert Helps Composition Prize for a 12-minute piece she wrote for two pianos and percussion. 

RUSH HONORED
Rush University Medical Center, 1653 W. Congress Pkwy.,  was again ranked among the top ten academic medical centers in the country by the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) in its annual Quality and Accountability Performance Ranking. The UHC is an alliance of 96 academic medical centers and 149 of their affiliated hospitals representing nearly 90% percent of the nation's non-profit academic medical centers.  

FAMILY FUN AND MUSIC TOO
Sherwood Conservatory of Music, 1312 S. Michigan Ave., will hold its free annual family open house event, which will include demonstration classes and musical instruments "petting zoo," CD exchange, and Eli's cheesecake. Featured will be a panel discussion on the many styles of American music: jazz, gospel, classical, and musical theater. It will be held on Sat., Jan. 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (312) 427-6267, ext. 100 

OUR LADY OF POMPEII ROUND UP
The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, 1224 W. Lexington St., will hold a Mass for the Epiphany of Our Lord on Sunday, Jan. 7. The 11 a.m. Mass will include the traditional “La Befana” Children’s Pilgrimage.

A married couples pilgrimage will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10, beginning at 6 p.m. Couples will renew their wedding vows and then take part in a reception at 7 p.m. For more information or to receive a ticket call Carl Wachsmann at (312) 421-3757 x 115. 

SAVE THE DATE
Alderman Danny Solis will present the fifth annual Unity Through Comedy event on Thursday, Jan. 11, at Joe’s Sports Bar, 940 W. Weed St. from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. For more information call (773) 523-4100.

UIC ROUND-UP 

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers are comparing two drugs commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to determine if genetic factors predict which children will respond to either or both drugs.

 

A total of 160 children and adolescents between ages 7 and 17 will take part in the study. Participants will undergo psychiatric evaluations, IQ and achievement tests, a blood test, an electrocardiogram, and a physical exam. They will then receive several doses of atomoxetine (a non-stimulant medication), melthylphenidate (a stimulant medication), and a placebo, during a carefully monitored blinded dosing sequence to determine their optimal response to each medication. During the 12 to 15-week study, researchers will assess the children’s ADHD symptoms, social functioning, problem-solving skills and sleep patterns to determine the efficacy and tolerability of each medication.

For more information about the study, call (312) 996-2389. The UIC Flames men’s soccer team was named the best defensive squad in the country when the year’s final Division I statistical rankings listed the Flames at no. 1
in both goals-against average and save percentage. UIC allowed just eight goals in over 1,993 minutes of play during 21 matches this season for a goals-against average of 0.36.

 

Not only was the Flames’ GAA the best in the nation this season, but it ranked fifth all-time in NCAA history and served as the best mark in 16 years. The Flames posted a school-record 13 shutouts and never allowed more than a single goal in a match. UIC allowed just two goals after intermission in the entire season. Along with the goals-against average mark, UIC also posted the nation’s best save percentage with a .908 rate. It ranks as the best save percentage in Division I history since the NCAA added the category in 2005. The two final No. 1 rankings are the first two NCAA statistical titles in UIC soccer history.

One day after earning All-Great Lakes Region recognition, UIC senior forward Tonci Skroce was named to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s NSCAA/Adidas All-America Second Team. Skroce, the 2006 Horizon League Player of the Year, is the second All-American in the UIC soccer program’s 25-year Division I history.

The UIC Men’s Flames basketball team will play four games this month at the UIC Pavilion, at Harrison St. and Racine Ave. On Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. they will play Butler; they will play at a time to be determined against Loyola, on Saturday, Jan. 13; they will play at 3 p.m. against Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 20th; and on Saturday, Jan. 27 they will play Cleveland State at 2 p.m. Call (312)

HELP UNITED WAY
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago is looking for site review volunteers to help decide which programs are selected to receive United Way support.  Site reviewers work closely with Impact Panels, which are responsible for recommending the Chicago program funding plan prepared for the United Way board of directors.  Site reviewers influence United Way community investments across Chicago and provide
valuable analysis and insight on the network of programs and services affecting diverse Chicago communities. Volunteers oversee various aspects of United Way community research and investment activities. Annual program reviews ensure financial integrity, program effectiveness, and community impact.   The time commitment for participating as a site reviewer is minimal. Site reviewers must  participate in a three-hour training session and  conduct at least two site reviews. To become a United Way site review volunteer, contact Gwendolyn Sims at GSims@uw-mc.org or at (312) 906-2496. 

WEST LOOP BUILDING SELLS FOR $178 MILLION
Chicago  real estate developer Fitfeld Companies sold the USG Building, an 18-story office tower with 479,000 square feet of rentable Class A space in Chicago’s West Loop, to German real estate fund manager SEB Immobilien-Investment GmbH for $178 million. As part of the deal, GMbH receives free rent and tenant incentives of approximately $12 from Fitfeld. 

VALENTINE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ROUND-UP
Starting the week of Jan. 7 the Valentine Boys and Girls Club, 3400 S. Emerald St., will be offering a College Bound Program.  Within this program, teens will learn about the college admissions process, receive assistance in filling out  applications, prepare for ACT tests, and also visit college campuses. The program is offered to teens from ninth to 12th grade and space is limited. There is an annual $20 club membership fee, which includes the College Bound Program. Call (773) 927-7373.

On Sat., Jan. 27, at noon, the club is hosting a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament.  First prize is a $10,000 Visa gift card, and all participants are entered in a drawing to win a 32” flat screen TV.  Participants also will receive a free t-shirt and enjoy all you can eat and drink during the tournament.  The entry fee to reserve a seat is $275, and all money must be paid in full by Friday, Jan. 19.  All proceeds benefit Valentine Boys and Girls Club. Call (773) 927-7373.  

WEST CENTRAL MEETING
The West Central Association will hold its January general membership meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 11:30 a.m. For more information call (312) 902-4922. 

WEST LOOP MIXER
The West Loop Community Organization holds a social mixer for residents and businesses in the West Loop on the third Thursday of every month. This event is hosted by a restaurants or gallery and is an enjoyable way to see friends and meet neighbors. Complimentary for West Loop Organization members.  For more information on this event and other business networking mixers, visit  www.westloop.org

WOMEN’S BUSINESS
The Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) will hold various events in January. Among these will be a free wine and cheese introduction to the services that the WBDC offers. It will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Reservations are requested. Seminars offered this month include Developing Your Child Care Business on Tuesday, Jan. 16 , Before You Start Your Business also on Jan 16 and also on Wednesday, Jan. 17, and Market Research For the Entrepreneur on Tuesday, Jan. 23, or Wednesday, Jan. 24. Call (312) 853-3477, ext. 0.

Send news of events to be held “around the neighborhood” by the 15th of the month before the month they are to occur to Hayley Carlton, Around the Neighborhood, Gazette, 1335 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607-3318, fax (312) 243-4270, or e-mail pr@nearwestgazette.com.