Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced that customers can now use MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit or debit cards to pay driver’s license and identification card fees, as well as vehicle renewals and registrations.

White initiated this project as part of his effort to continue to provide the public with additional, more convenient services.

“Customer service continues to be one of my top priorities,” White said.  “We are constantly looking at ways to offer customers more options when it comes to serving their driving and identification needs.  We believe that offering the public this additional payment option will enhance their experience with our office.  We are very pleased to work with Treasurer Giannoulias to give customers the opportunity to pay for their transactions with their credit and debit cards.”

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Cindy Bischof Law allows courts to order that abuser wear GPS tracking device as condition of bail in stalking situations

CHICAGO – Joined by a bipartisan group of state legislators, domestic violence prevention advocates and the family of domestic abuse victim Cindy Bischof, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today signed legislation to strengthen protections for domestic violence victims from their abusers. Senate Bill 2719, sponsored by State Senator Susan Garrett (D-Highwood) and State Representative Suzanne Bassi (R-Palatine), allows the courts to order an abuser to wear a GPS tracking device as a condition of bail in instances when a restraining order has been violated.

The legislation was sparked by the tragic event surrounding the death of Cindy Bischof whose ex-boyfriend was able to obtain a gun and shoot her in the parking lot of her real estate business, even after he had been arrested and prosecuted for violating a restraining order on two occasions.

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(Chicago) – Rush University Medical Center has once again achieved recognition on the list of the “100 Most Wired Hospitals” according to the results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study, published in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks. This is the seventh year Rush has been named to the list.

Rush was also named among the Most Wireless Hospitals, a list of the 25 organizations that scored highest on the survey questions focused on wireless applications.

Since 1999, Hospitals & Health Networks, a publication of the American Hospital Association, ha surveyed the nation’s hospitals on their use of information technology to accomplish key goals, including safety and quality objectives. Based on a detailed scoring process, the magazine annually names the 100 Most Wired Hospitals and Health Systems. This year, 556 hospitals and health systems completed the survey, representing 1,327 hospitals.

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To była wyjątkowa noc, 26 lipca, 2008 w Chicago. Ponad 35 łodzi (jachtow i motorówek) przystrojonych według tegorocznego motywu przewodniego : „Summer’s Favorite City” – „Chicago – Ulubione Miasto Sezonu Letniego,” przepłynęło od Shedd Aquarium do ChicagoYacht Club przy Monroe.

Około 665,000 tyś widzów stojąc na linii nabrzeża jeziora Michigan podziwiało  tę  paradę pięknie przybranych, bajecznie rozświetlonych,  roztańczonych, rozśpiewanych łodzi, kóre swym urokiem uwodziły tak miłośników morza jak i szczury lądowe…

Noc Wenecka  jest  najstarszą imprezą w Chicago. W roku 1959, Chicago Yachting Association na prośbę  ówczesnego  burmistrza  Richarda J. Daley’ego  zorganizowało  pierwszą Noc Wenecką tak już pozostało do dnia dzisiejszczego. W tym roku przypadła 51 rocznica tej imprezy, której  głównymi sponsorami byli: Chicago Yachting Association i The Mayor’s Office of Special Events.  

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Chicago, IL – The 28th Annual Summer Ball of the Polish Museum of America was held on June 20, 2008 at the Wyndham O’Hare Hotel Ballroom in Rosemont, IL. This is the Museum’s main fundraiser of the year, which included a Silent Auction as well as several raffles.

The Ballroom was an array of color with white cloth-covered chairs tied with red bows and  tables beautifully decorated with Polish-themed centerpieces of wild poppies with sheaves of wheat.

The Silent Auction and reception began at 6:30 pm. Jenny Crissey was Chair-person of the Silent Auction, which offered an assortment of jewelry, paintings, tickets to sporting events, resorts and restaurants and themed baskets of goodies.

Hot appetizers were served during the reception and the Pulaski Investment Corporation sponsored a Sobieski Vodka Tasting all evening.

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CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that the Illinois Department of Employment Security has made initial payments to more than half of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC 08) benefits applicants.  In the first two weeks of the program, IDES processed 62,583 claims for EUC 08 coverage, out of which 32,284 claimants have begun receiving benefits.  Thus far, IDES has made payments totaling $21,701,148.36 to statewide EUC benefits recipients.  On July 1, the Governor signed an agreement to allow the state to implement a federal extension of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits by up to 13 weeks, paving the way for the extension to take effect on July 6, 2008, the earliest possible date.

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CHICAGO, IL (July 20, 2008) –The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation  on July 15^th awarded $325,000 in new grants to help diverse Chicago organizations increase their international connections with 16 countries.  The grants are the first from the Foundation’s International Connections Fund, which will provide a total of $1 million in grants over the next year. 

“These eight organizations plan international projects ranging from artistic collaborations to improved cross-cultural understanding through community development,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. 

 “Their work covers many fields and many countries.  What they share is a commitment to building international connections and advancing Chicago’s growing role as a global city.” 

The following organizations will receive grants from MacArthur’s International Connections Fund:

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Już od dwóch lat  trwają bardzo intensywne przygotowania do zorganizowania Olimpiady w 2016 roku, Chicago jest jednym z czterech finalistów do organizacji Olimpiady Letniej w 2016 roku. Głównymi kandydatami obok Chicago jest Tokio w Japonii, Madryd w Europie, Rio de Janeiro w Brazylii.

W poniedziałek, 14 lipca zorganizowano specjalne spotkanie “Chicago Wierzy” (Chicago Believes”) na którym zbierano fundusze na organizacje Olimpiady w 2016 roku.  Zebrano ponad $12 milionów dolarów od ponad 2,000 uczestników. Potrzebnych jest dodatkwo $37 milionów na realizację kolejnych etapów związanych z organizacją olimpiady w Chicago.

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Jan Kochanowski z Czarnolasu w pięknych strofach “Pieśni Świętojańskiej o Sobótce”  tak przypominał o obowiązku podtrzymywania i przekazywania naszych tradycji związanych z dniem Św. Jana : “Tak to matki nam podały Same znowu z drugich miały, Że na dzień Świętego Jana, Zawżdy Sobótka polana”.

Swietojańskie wianki to prastare, jeszcze przedchrześcijańskie obrzędy kultowe, które zachowały się do dnia dzisiejszego.  Swymi korzeniami sięgają pradawnych świąt powitania lata, miłości i płodności połączonych  z obrzędami ognia i wody.

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1-go lipca rozpoczęły się zdjęcia do drugiego sezonu serialu „Teraz albo nigdy!”. Grupa przyjaciół, pełnych wiary i optymizmu, w dalszym ciągu dąży do spełnienia swoich marzeń…

Zdjęcia do nowej serii serialu rozpoczęły się w Warszawie. Aktorzy zaczęli jednak pracę już 22 i 23 czerwca. W towarzystwie producentów, reżysera i scenarzystów wzięli udział w próbach czytanych scenariuszy w zabytkowych wnętrzach pałacu w Oborach.

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