Brak grafiki
Chicago

Blagojevich Administration Announces Boost in Temporary Assistance Benefits for Low-Income Families

First Increase in Six Years will Give Needy (TANF) Families a Nine Percent Hike

Seal of the State IllinoisCHICAGO – Low income families finding it hard to make ends meet got some good news today when the Blagojevich Administration announced a nine-percent increase in the benefit amount for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.  TANF provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children.

The increase in the TANF benefit amount was announced today by Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Secretary Carol L. Adams, Ph.D. at a press conference at the IDHS Family Community Resource Center in Wicker Park.

“The grant increase could not have come at a better time as many families are feeling the pinch of the struggling economy,” said Governor Rod R. Blagojevich.  “The extra monthly amount will help families deal with the rising cost of living.”

[…]

Bikes
Chicago

Sunday Parkways transform streets into physical activity utopia

BikesResidents poured onto Chicago streets today to dance, play, bike, walk and run for the first Sunday Parkways event in the city. The streets transformed into parks as car traffic was limited and Chicagoans temporarily reclaimed the streets.

Participants engaged in every kind of physical activity — from running and biking along the route to yoga, salsa dancing and basketball at activity stations in Palmer Square, Humboldt Park and Garfield Park.

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University of Illinois
Chicago

UIC Receives $10 Million Gift for Polish Studies

A $10 million gift to the University of Illinois at Chicago to enhance studies in Polish history, language and literature will transform the study of that country and its culture in the city with the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw.

The donation, a bequest from the late Romuald Hejna, is the second-largest gift from an individual that UIC has ever received and the biggest single gift to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Hejna’s bequest will create two chairs in the history of Poland and one chair in Polish language and literature.

[…]

Seal of the State of Illinois
Chicago

Governor Blagojevich Urges Notification of Voting Rights to Illinoisans Displaced by Foreclosure

Letter sent to Illinois State Board of Elections, urges action and public notice to residents who have filed for a change of address

Seal of the State of IllinoisCHICAGO – In a push to make sure no citizen loses their vote in November, Governor Rod Blagojevich today urged the Illinois Board of Elections to seek out and notify eligible Illinoisans of their voting rights if they have lost their homes through foreclosure.  According to the New York Times more than one million Americans have lost their homes through foreclosure in the last two years, and many of them are still registered to vote at the address of their previous home.

“The foreclosure crisis in our state has many devastating consequences, which is why we need to do everything possible to lessen and ease the impact on families.  Proactive steps are needed, such as informing these Illinoisans of their options with respect to voting,” wrote Gov. Blagojevich.  “I urge the Board of Elections take appropriate, but quick, steps to ensure that those Illinoisans who have regrettably been uprooted due to a foreclosure action on their homes be apprised of their voting rights, and advised on the steps they should step to make sure they can vote in the upcoming election.”

[…]

Brak grafiki
Chicago

Skokie Public Library to Receive National Medal for Museum and Library Service at White House Ceremony

Skokie, IL First Lady Laura Bush will award Skokie Public Library the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries, at a White House ceremony on October 7. Each year, the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in coordination with the White House, awards the national medal to five libraries and five museums that have helped make their communities better places to live. Each winner also receives a $10,000 award.

Skokie Public Library received the medal for:

– Founding and continuing cosponsor ship of the annual Skokie Festival of Cultures, which provides two days of ethnic foods, music, dance, crafts, fun cultural activities for kids, and a chance for integral community development

– The Library’s multilingual Web site and reading, visual, and audio materials

– Presenting the Young Steinway Concert Series, now in its 27th year, which provides valuable performing experience for exceptionally talented youth and free concerts for the community 

[…]

Chicago

Chicago Public Library Celebrates Polish American Heritage Month with Free Programs and Events

The Chicago Public Library’s “Celebrating Diversity” campaign continues with the observance of Polish American Heritage Heritage Month, October 1 to October 31, 2008. Throughout the month, the Chicago Public Library will feature a variety of programs that focus on Polish culture, traditions and the contributions Polish people have made to society.

The Chicago Public Library’s opening program for Polish American Heritage Month will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., at the

Austin-Irving Branch

6100 W. Irving Park Rd.

(312) 744-6222.

[…]

Polish Eagle
Chicago

Obchody 400. rocznicy przybycia pierwszych Polaków do Ameryki

Polish Eagle Komunikat Konsulatu Generalnego Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w Chicago w związku z obchodami 400. rocznicy przybycia pierwszych Polaków do Ameryki oraz 90. rocznicy odzyskania przez Polskę niepodległości.

Uprzejmie informujemy, iż w ramach chicagowskich obchodów 400-lecia obecności Polaków w Ameryce oraz 90. rocznicy odzyskania przez Polskę niepodległości, w sobotę 4 października 2008 roku, w Rosemont Theatre (5400 N. River Road, Rosemont) odbędą się dwa wielkie, multimedialne spektakle „Pieśni Wolności – Songs of Freedom”, które przygotowane zostały przez The Paderewski Symphony Orchestra of Chicago (PaSO), we współpracy z Konsulatem Generalnym RP w Chicago.

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Tadeusz Seidel
Chicago

Chicago Artist Tadeusz Seidel Supports Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Chicago Chapter Benefit

Tadeusz Seidel
Chicago
, IL
(PRWEB) Tadeusz Seidel, Chicago fine artist, announced his donation of a painting to the silent auction during Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s Chicago Chapter Benefit.

The event will be hosted by Chelsea Handler of E!’s Chelsea Lately and will take place on Sunday, October 26, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at House of Blues Chicago.

This benefit celebrates the launch of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s Chicago Chapter and all proceeds from the event will go towards fulfilling the Reeve Foundation’s mission. In addition to Chelsea Handler’s comedic performance, the event will also feature a buffet dinner, premium bar, a silent auction, and a brief update on the state of spinal cord injury research.

[…]

Chicago

Governor Blagojevich Reminds Motorists that Task Force is Inspecting Gas Stations to Ensure Fair Practices

Consumers are Encouraged to Report Complaints if They Feel They Have Been Cheated

Seal of the State of IllinoisCHICAGO – As gas prices rise in the wake of Hurricane Ike, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today reminded motorists that the Illinois Department of Agriculture and its SWAT (State Wide Action Team) are inspecting gas pumps to make sure that motorists aren’t shorted at the pump. Illinoisans are also encouraged to file complaints if they believe they are not getting the gas that they are paying for. 

“With gas prices reflecting the destruction of Hurricane Ike in the Gulf Coast, I want to remind Illinoisans that we have inspectors hard at work to make sure everyone gets every ounce of gas they paid for,” said Governor Blagojevich, “During the unstable economic times we live in, I want to ensure that every dollar goes as far as possible.”

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