Niles Township Food Pantry Foundation board members (from left) Donald Gelfund, Bonnie Kahn Ognisanti, Lisa Hanley and Mark Collins. The Niles Township Food Pantry Foundation has unveiled a new program, “Fill the Pantry,” an all-out initiative encouraging residents, schools, government entities, businesses and clubs to donate items that are in critical need.

Deerfield

Construction of new senior living facility underway

The village reported that construction work on the foundation and first floor has begun at CJE-Deerfield Senior Residences, an independent living facility consisting of six stories and 240 units located on a 5.2-acre property at 1627 Lake Cook Road. In late 2017, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Facilities Corporation and Banner Development, LLC were approved to develop the facility. The JFMC Facilities Corporation also owns the Weinberg Community for Senior Living Campus, which is adjacent to the new development and consists of Gidwitz Place (assisted living) and Friends Center (memory care). The CJE-Deerfield Senior Residences facility will be the latest addition to the Weinberg Community Campus and will become part of the continuum-of-care provided by CJE Senior Life. For more information, call 847-945-5000 or visit www.deerfield.il.us.

Barrington

Lukowicz hired as new Director of Public Works

The village announced that Jeremie Lukowicz has been hired as Barrington’s new Director of Public Works following the recent retirement of Mark Werksman. Lukowicz comes to Barrington from Villa Park, where he served as Assistant Village Engineer. Previous to that position, he worked as a design/construction engineer for Edwin Hancock Engineering Company. Lukowicz holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Illinois. For more information, call 847-304-3400 or visit www.barrington-il.gov.

Skokie

Items needed to aid new ‘Fill the Pantry’ campaign

The Niles Township Food Pantry Foundation has unveiled a new program, “Fill the Pantry,” an all-out initiative encouraging residents, schools, government entities, businesses and clubs to donate items that are in critical need. While monetary donations continue to make the greatest impact at the food pantry, the foundation has compiled a monthly wish-list for 2019, as follows: February (peanut butter and jelly); March (rice and pasta); April (salt and pepper); May (oils, including olive, vegetable and canola); June (boxed cereal); July (school supplies); August (back-to-school snacks); September (juice); October (toilet paper and diapers); November (soap, including dish, laundry, body, shampoo and conditioner); and December (canned tuna, salmon, chicken and chili). The Niles Township Food Pantry, 8341 Lockwood Ave., is open from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, with extended hours (4:30-6:30 p.m.) offered on Tuesdays. For more information, call 847-983-0073 or visit www.nilestownshipgov.com.

Des Plaines

Oakton volleyball star Alic nets student-athlete honor

Oakton Community College announced that sophomore Elmina Alic (Skokie, Niles West High School), an outside hitter on the women’s volleyball team, has been named student-athlete of the month for January. The award is presented nine months during the year to one male and one female student-athlete displaying excellence in the areas of academics, athletics and campus involvement or service. Alic helped the Owls finish 20-12 and advance to the district semifinals in 2018, and she was selected to the NJCAA Region IV All-Region Team and the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) All-Conference Team. She also earned a 4.0 grade-point average and President’s Scholar recognition for the 2018 fall semester in pursuit of an Associate of Arts degree. Upon graduation from Oakton, Alic plans to transfer to a four-year college and pursue a degree in accounting. For more information, call 847-635-1600 or visit www.oakton.edu.

Tinley Park

Hoban awarded as rising economic development star

The village announced that Tinley Park Economic Development Manager Patrick Hoban recently was selected as a winner in the economic development profession’s “40 Under 40” awards, a program designed to identify the economic development profession’s rising stars. The program is managed by Development Counsellors International (DCI), a New York-based firm that specializes in economic development marketing, and Jorgenson Consulting, a leading national executive search firm serving organizations in economic and community development industries. An independent five-member selection committee chose the winners from a pool of more than 170 qualified candidates based on their exceptional accomplishments and contributions to the economic development industry. Hoban started his economic development career in 2007 as an IT professional for EDC of Decatur and Macon County, and was promoted to Vice President of Business Development in 2010. In 2013, he accepted the economic development officer position for the City of Decatur. Hoban accepted the position of Economic Development Manager in Tinley Park in 2017. For more information, call 708-444-5000 or visit www.tinleypark.org.

Palos Hills

Moraine Valley to stage original theater production

Moraine Valley Community College will present “American Griot,” an original Academic Theater production exploring Muslim influence on the American music genre known as the blues, from Feb. 21 through March 3 at the John and Angeline Oremus Theater, located inside the Fine and Performing Arts Center, 9000 W. College Parkway. The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sundays. “American Griot” was written by area resident Ronnie Malley, a professional playwright and former Moraine Valley student, and Reginald Edmund, a resident playwright of Chicago Dramatists. Directed by Dr. Craig Rosen, Theater professor and Academic theater coordinator, the production features Moraine Valley students in the bulk of the roles. Tickets are $15, $12 for seniors, and $10 for students (with ID) and children (ages 12 and under). To buy tickets, call 708-974-5500 or stop by the box office, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and one hour prior to scheduled performances. For more information, visit www.morainevalley.edu.   

–Cook County News Briefs–