Cook County News Briefs

Chronicle Media

Lights Around Wheeling, the community’s annual lighting ceremony to mark the beginning of the holiday season, will be held at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at Friendship Park.

Deerfield

Village program seeks donations to aid veterans 

The village and Deerfield American Legion Post 738 are seeking donations for the Give Where You Live: Deerfield service campaign, a program designed to make a difference in the lives of area veterans. Items being sought include nonperishable food, clothing, sweatsuits, socks, underwear, small appliances and household items, toiletries, gift cards to popular chain restaurants (McDonald’s, Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, etc.) and monetary donations. Donated items can be dropped off (up to Nov. 12) at Village Hall or the Deerfield Police Department, both located at 850 Waukegan Road. Once collection has concluded, Mayor Harriet Rosenthal will host an all-ages service activity from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at Village Hall, where volunteers will gather to make no-sew fleece blankets, assemble care packages and write letters of thanks and encouragement to veterans. The donations are earmarked for Midwest Veterans Closet, VA Federal Health Care Center and COOL Ministries. In addition, Rosenthal and American Legion Post 738 will host a Veterans Day service at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Veterans Memorial, located at the corner of Jewett Park and Park Avenue. For more information, contact Communications Director Mary Anne Glowacz at 847-794-7501 or via email at mglowacz@deerfield.il.us — or visit www.deerfield.il.us.

Wheeling

Annual Lights Around Wheeling event on tap

Lights Around Wheeling, the community’s annual lighting ceremony to mark the beginning of the holiday season, will be held at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at Friendship Park, located at the northeast corner of Dundee Road and Milwaukee Avenue. The family-friendly event includes hot cocoa, a visit from Santa Claus and other festivities. For more information, call 847-459-2600 or visit www.wheelingil.gov.

Palatine

Harper earns award for commitment to diversity

Harper College announced that it recently received the 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. As a recipient of the annual HEED award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — Harper is featured, along with 95 other recipients, in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the second consecutive year Harper has been named a HEED Award recipient. The magazine selected Harper for recruiting junior faculty, creating a Social Justice Leadership Certificate, expanding the college’s Diversity and Inclusion Dialogue sessions, holding an annual Diversity Symposium and implementing effective programs to respond to free speech issues on campus. In addition, the college’s work in international education was recognized with the 2018 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. For more information, call 847-925-6000 or visit www.harpercollege.edu.

Skokie

Village seeks funds for Assist-A-Family Program

The village announced that the 2018 Skokie Assist-A-Family Program is underway. The program helps Skokie families struggling with limited financial resources celebrate the winter holidays — or even just purchase household necessities. Through the program, families receive gift cards from area businesses that can be used to purchase food, household necessities and other items specific to each family member’s needs and wants. In 2017, nearly 200 families received gift cards through the program. Those looking to donate are asked to do so before Nov. 30. Checks can made payable to the Village of Skokie — with Assist-A-Family noted on the memo line — and mailed to: Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton St., Skokie, Ill. 60077 (Attn: Human Services Department). For more information, call 847-933-8208 or visit www.skokie.org.

Tinley Park

Tinley Park High student Hartman pens first book

Tinley Park High School reported that senior Joshua Hartman has written and published his first book, “Isolation, Hospitality,” a fictional story about a detective named Theodore Hawkins. Hartman’s self-published novel is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle form. Hartman, who is currently working on a second novel, is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as the Tinley Park High School chess team and science club. He also serves as a Titan Tutor, and is a captain of the Titans boys cross country and track teams. Upon graduation, Hartman plans to continue his education at the collegiate level and pursue a career in medicine as an anesthesiologist. For more information, call 708-532-1900 or visit www.tinley.bhsd228.com.

Oak Park

Village names annual Public Health Award winners

The village announced that five individuals and one local nonprofit organization have been honored with the Dr. William Fitzsimmons Public Health Award for their contributions to the health and well-being of Oak Park residents. The award is named in honor of Fitzsimmons, an Oak Park physician and humanitarian who served as the Oak Park Health Department’s medical consultant from 1976 to 1992. The 2018 winners are: Dr. Mary Anne Bender, Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce Health & Wellness; Dr. Sanjeed Dwivedi, Presence Behavioral Health; Harriet Hawkins, Housing Forward Medical Clinic; Candice Martin, Strive For Success; Andrea Rossi, Hatch Elementary School; and West Cook YMCA. The awards are presented by the Board of Health and the Department of Public Health. For more information, call 708-383-6400 or visit www.oak-park.us/healthawards.

 

 

–Cook County News Briefs–