Today, however, he substituted his sleigh for a fire truck, and instead of elves, he was aided by firefighters and paramedics. The mission: bring Christmas to children that otherwise wouldn’t have one. This was mission of the 12th Annual Toy Parade put on by Local 2 of the Chicago Firefighters Union.

Chicago firefighters from Local 2 load donations onto a truck during their 12th annual toy parade.

“We started in 1999 and in our first year we had hopes and expectations of helping 500 children and we exceeded expectations and helped 1,000,” Tim O’Brien, director of public relations for Local 2 said. “We have increased every single year.”

O’Brien has been a firefighter in Chicago for 19 years and came up with the idea; however, he says no one man can do this. According to O’Brien, approximately 4,000 children, from newborns to age 16 will be helped this year.

“The difficult economy has stagnated our growth in the past years but we continue to grow,” he said.

This year the parade included 450 bikes, 600 toys and 200 gift baskets for girls, which included perfumes and shampoos. Around 60 wagons were also collected.

“Our goal was to show the citizens of Chicago how appreciative we are for the jobs we have and to give something back to the community,” O’Brien said. “While firefighters and paramedics have difficult jobs, one of the things we see first hand is poverty. A lot of low-income people are people who need our help the most.”

As the parade passed through Bridgeport it had to stop so firefighters could collect donations from the people. An entire fire truck was loaded with toys, many times forcing the riders to catch items as they began to slipping off the truck.

“The people of Bridgeport are amazing,” O’Brien said as he climbed back abroad the truck. “It’s always the people with the least amount of money that give the most.”

The parade continued along its route until its final destination at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, where it was met by representatives from Catholic Charities, who have partnered with the toy parade.

The toy parade is a part of Catholic Charities’ initiative to bring Christmas to some 21,000 children.

“I am speechless by the generosity of all the firemen and their families,” Anne Bergin, director of board relations for Catholic Charities said. “We are so blessed.”

The generosity of the firemen, paramedics and families for Local 2 doesn’t stop there. They also work with Toys for Troops, especially the 404th infantry brigade and also Housing Opportunities for Women.

“The support of the Chicago Fire Fighter’s Union is absolutely vital to the families we are serving,” Jen Patterson, director of development and communications for Housing Opportunities for Women said.  “These gifts are likely to go to children who would not have a christmas.”

Some 150 toys were donated to the shelter, who according to Patterson, support about 1,400 individuals a year.

“The annual Chicago Firefighters and Paramedics Toy Parade is an amazing example of how people of good faith respond generously to the call of an idea as simple as providing Christmas gifts to needy children,” said Monsignor Michael M. Boland, president of Catholic Charities.

The parade could not have been done without all the volunteers who gave their time to help load and unload all the toys. There were some 125 volunteers involved.

“We’re grateful to the men and women of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 who make extraordinary sacrifices for all of us every day that they report for work,” Boland added. “They’re to be commended for their dedication to the communities they serve and for their generosity to the poor whose families are struggling to make ends meet in these challenging times.”

One of the histories of the Christmas Ship

The arrival of the new state-of-the-art Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw at Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue, on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. will be a big time event.

First the cutter will be welcomed in grand fashion by Fire and Police boats, a live military band and hundreds of students throughout the morning. The welcome is organized by “Chicago’s Christmas Ship” Committee, International Shipmasters’ Association, Chicago Marine Heritage Society, Friends of the Marine Community, Chicago Yachting Association, Navy League of the United States, U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Navy Pier.

On Sat., Dec. 4, 2010 at 10 a.m. near the “Captain at the Helm” statue south of the Navy Pier entrance, the Mackinaw will follow  “Chicago’s Christmas Ship” tradition by bringing Christmas trees for twelve hundred deserving families in the Chicago area. Three families, representing the more than twelve hundred families who will be given trees this year, will be present to receive the first Christmas trees.

Following the Christmas tree event, will be a presentation of colors by the North Suburban Young Marines from Great Lakes, Illinois and a memorial wreath laying ceremony commemorating the Merchant Marine officers lost on the Great Lakes. There will be a dramatic fly over by a United States Coast guard helicopter carrying a memorial wreath that will be placed on the waves near the Chicago lighthouse if conditions permit.

Image via Wikipedia

Guest speakers include: Rear Admiral Michael N. Parks, Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District; Commander Scott Smith, Commanding Officer, US Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw

Honored Guests include: Commander Robert E. Bailey, Jr., USCG, Commanding Officer, Marine Safety Unit Chicago, and Lieutenant Peter J. Piaza, Commanding Officer, Marine and Helicopter Unit, Chicago Police Department.

Public Tours of the USCGC Mackinaw will be provided on Fri. Dec. 3rd and  Sat. Dec. 4, 2010 from 1:30 – 5 p.m. The ship USCGC expects to depart Chicago on Sunday, December 5, 2010.

5201960869_57772921d4.jpg (JPEG Image, 324×500 pixels).

Performers from all over southern Wisconsin serenade spectators deep underground in the beauty of the North Cave while water drips and mineral deposits slowly grow around you.

As they say at Cave of the Mound, “All music concerts are unique … but this concert series truly ROCKS!!”

Cave of the Mounds is located just 20 miles west of Madison, Wis. off Highways 18 and 151.

Each performance will last approximately one hour. There is a schedule on the Cave’s website.

The concerts cost $7 per person, and part of the proceeds benefit the performing group or their charity of choice. Santa has a workshop there, too. Tickets are available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis and seating is limited. Advance tickets are available online at www.caveofthemounds.com.

Cave of the Mounds is a constant 50° and open year-round. One hour guided tours depart daily.

Enjoying the Shedd Aquarium

On Sunday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Shedd will offer special discounts for residents of the 2nd Ward. Enter through the “Group Reception Center” entrance (south side of the building near the bus unloading area) look for the “Welcome 2nd Ward Residents.” Take the ramp to your right and walk up. You will have to prove you live in one of the selected zip codes that make up Chicago’s 2nd Ward.

The Special 2nd Ward Shedd Aquarium Days include:

• “Buy One, Get One Free All-Access Pass” or 50 percent off a single All-AccessPass* [Full Price: Adult: $26.95; Child: $19.95."By One, Get One" 2nd Ward Day Pricing: Adult: $13.50;Child (ages 3-11) $10]
• A 10 percent discount on all food in the Shedd restaurants and gift store items
• A special wristband to identify all 2nd Ward Day guests
• The “Shedd Welcome” to 2nd Ward guests from Shedd interpreter prior to first aquatic show at 10:30 a.m.

The Shedd is a place for communities to gather, families to create memorable moments, grandparents to visit with grandkids and a place for adults to reconnect with their favorite childhood memories. A new adventure can be found each day at Shedd Aquarium.

*Note: The All-AccessPass includes Oceanarium, Wild Reef, Original Galleries. *$2 per person additional for the aquatic show. *$4/person additional for 4-D Theater Experience.

Related articles

• Shedd Aquarium Puts On An Air Show With Birds Of Prey (chicagoist.com)

Mallory Sohmer, a 2006 film studies graduate, screened her documentary “The Living Documents” at the Ferguson Memorial Theatre, 600 S. Michigan Ave., to an audience of approximately 40 people.

“The Living Documents” chronicles a Nicaraguan attorney, Maria Acosta, and the death of her husband, Frank. Acosta is involved in the privatization of land for Nicaraguan natives, thus trying to stop the selling of this land over the Internet. This controversial work is exactly what led to the death of her husband.

After the screening, hosted by the Student Alumni Association, Sohmer discussed the documentary and her reasoning behind it, while also speaking about her post-Columbia career.

According to Sohmer, she got the idea for this documentary while still a student at Columbia. This documentary started out as a project for one of Sohmer’s film classes called Indigenous Film Making.

“We had to come up with stories to write a treatment on,” said Sohmer. “I found an article on Frank’s murder. I graduated and the story stuck with me. This is the kind of work I wanted to do.”

According to Sohmer, “The Living Documents” was three years in the making. During the filming, Sohmer spent a month in Nicaragua conducting interviews and gathering footage.

“It was a great learning experience,” Sohmer said.

Sohmer’s documentary was screened at the Chicago Latino Film Festival and all throughout Nicaragua. It has also been shown numerous times on the Documentary Channel.

During the discussion, students were encouraged to ask Sohmer questions about her film career, and she had much advice to offer.

The number-one advice she shared was to meet with others in your career and to gather a team.

“Build a network of people,” Sohmer said. “Find people who want to do the same projects you want to do.”

Sohmer also said that she wished she had been better rounded in other studies, such as journalism, to help her in film making.

Sohmer has been working freelance for the past year while also building her own client-base. As of now, she has no plans to make another documentary.

The top 45 students will win a doll and the first place winner will receive a set of all 6 Hearts for Hearts Girls dolls. The winners will be announced and dolls will be distributed during a school event on November 19. Playmates Toys, in partnership with World Vision, is launching this new line of  13.5″ multicultural dolls called “Hearts for Hearts Girls.” Chicago is the first test market to offer the dolls ($24.99 each.)

CONTACT: Gardi Wilks, 708.434.5006, [email protected]
Megan Moriarity, 708.434.5006, [email protected]

via Tomorrow New Line of Charitable Dolls Debut in Chicago – Int. Opp

On  Saturday, Dec. 4 from 2 to 9 p.m., get some extra warmth at the Winter Celebration on Milwaukee Avenue. The nexus of fun will be the Logan Square Holiday Art Sale at Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Holiday art from local fine artists will include an assortment of original art and handmade items from paintings, prints, drawings, photography, letterpress, cards, buttons, collages, recycled crafts, silk-screened bags, non-denominational holiday balls, dioramas, jewelry to Mexican wrestling masks. We are all pinching pennies this year, and many items are under $50.

From there, it’s only a short walk along Milwaukee Avenue to be part of the Winter Celebration. Businesses that are participating include the Sulzen Fine Arts Studio, Revolution Brewery and Hairitics, Chicken Run and other local restaurants. Anti-Matter Studio, Threads Etc. and Cafe Mustache will be all gussied up for the event. The LIMIT Community Mural can bring back summer memories if it isn’t too cold.

The Logan Square Holiday Art Sale & Winter Celebration is organized by AnySquared Projects. For information, e-mail , call 773-862-9609 or visit the Logan Square Holiday Art Sale page at www.anysquared.com/2010_holiday/holiday10.htm.

Your key to the day:

Logan Square Holiday Art Sale & Winter Celebration: A 1-day/2-block extravaganza with a flurry of activities including art, artists, and fun!
When:
Saturday, Dec. 4, 2 – 9 p.m.
• Logan Square Holiday Art Sale: 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2nd floor (Cole’s Bar)
• Winter Celebration: California/Milwaukee Area — 2200-2300 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Visit website for details.
(Milwaukee, between St. Georges Ct. & Medill—California Blueline Stop. Off the Milwaukee, Fullerton, & California buses)

For information:
773-862-9609,  or visit www.anysquared.com

KOKO's web gallery

Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) invites the public to join in the 10^th Annual Bronze Affair Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010 at 7 p.m. at Room 43, on 1043 E. 43rd St.

There will be live music from Crosswind, dinner, dancing and a silent auction, all to benefit KOCO’s 45 years of organizing and service in the Kenwood and Oakland communities.

Call 773. 548.7500 or e-mail for ticket information.

Those critical steps require us to do what is basic and essential: voter registration, voter education, voter mobilization, voter engagement.

Political empowerment is a journey over time and not the magic of a moment. It will require of us to get out of our self-imposed isolation and build relationships with others in our neighborhoods who do not know us but who share our values and our concerns. Political influence can and does become a force to be reckoned with through the power of networks.

None of this will be done by others; the burden is ours to bear. The knowledge is ours to seek. The experience is ours to have. Some of us, no doubt, will have to make a commitment to this cause. But all of us need to play our part. If we are to conquer this final frontier, it will occur from the collective commitment of those on the right and those on the left , those who are conservative and those who are liberal, the red and the blues of the political spectrum. There are no shortcuts here. The work is not easy, either. The demands on our time are unfailingly severe. We are a very young community and we have a lot in our plates already. We are building careers, we are growing families, we are setting up businesses, we are establishing institutions and we are wishing to enjoy the fruits of our hard earned successes. Making the sacrifices that are needed to build political power are definitely not easy. But if we want to become empowered and go beyond the complaints rooted in complacency, we will have to move out of our comfort zones and experience the pain.

At Community Builders we remain committed to the empowerment of our community through education. Four educational workshops are being offered in various locations, to provide information on the major issues separating the candidates running for state wide offices. Representatives of the candidates have been invited to attend and be available to answer questions. Posted below is the schedule for these remaining workshops. We owe a debt of gratitude to all the panelists and moderators, for taking the time from their busy schedules and volunteer in these workshops. We invite you to join and become informed.

We also encourage all to use the convenience of early voting and avoid the lines and delays of Election Day. For Early Voting sites in Chicago, click here. For Suburban Cook County, click here The period for early voting is from October 11 to October 28. There are plenty of sites to choose from.

Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Voter Registration deadline was October 5 and passed. Some may qualify for grace period registration. Visit http://www.elections.il.gov. to find out how. If you are a citizen and 18 or older and have resided in Illinois for 30 days, you can vote.

Voter Education Workshops 2010

In DesPlaines: Sunday, Oct. 24
2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
DesPlaines Mosque
480 Potter Road, DesPlaines, IL 60016

http://www.googlemaps.com

The Issues:
The Economy
Education
Immigration
Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan & Palestine
Ground Zero Mosque

The Panelists
Ali Khan, Latitude Investments
Jenny Arwade, Albany Park Neighborhood Council (www.apnc.org)
Ahlam Jbarra, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (www.icirr.org)
Abdul Malik Mujahid, Parliament of World Religions (www.parliamentofreligions.org)
Mazen Asbahi, Institute for Social Policy & Understading (www.ispu.org )

Moderator: Azam Nizamuddin Esq. Loyola University, Chicago

In Villa Park: Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010
2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Islamic Foundation ( to be confirmed)
300 W. High Ridge, IL 60181

http://www.googlemaps.com

The Issues:
The Economy
Healthcare Reform
Immigration
Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan & Palestine
Ground Zero Mosque

The Panelists
Ali Khan, Latitude Investments
Jonathen Vanderbrug, Campaign for Better Healtcare (www.cbhconline.org)
Fred Tsao, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights (www.icirr.org)
Abdul Malik Mujahid, Parliament of World Religions (www.parliamentofreligions.org
Mazen Asbahi, Institute for Social Policy & Understading (www.ispu.org )

Moderator: Ali Ahmed, MD. Phd. Islamic Foundation, Villa Park

More info on the Museum of Contemporary Art
More info on Redmoon Theatre

An enthusiastic crowd dancing with Ajanta at World Music Festival, 2010

My personal journey as a Bollywood dancer started at age 5. Living in India, it was a little difficult to escape it. Mom sent me to classical Indian dance training and, despising every moment of it as a 10-year-old, I still learned the fundamentals of dance, movement and technique that comes handy every dancing moment of my life.

As I grew older, dance took a backstep as, like every other Indian kid, I immersed myself into an attempt to become a doctor or an engineer, the two favorite professions of middle-class India.

Years later, after coming to California, an instructor surprised me by offering me a teaching position. “Teach dance? Me?” I was terrified! I showed up in class without any training and showed a bunch of moves to a semi-beginner class. They stared at me as if I was from a different planet and I knew I was in trouble. However, eight weeks and one stage show later, I not only learned the concept of “breaking down the moves” but also discovered my biggest passion, teaching Bollywood dance!

From there, there was no stopping.  I continued to teach and perform for various companies in Bay Area where Bollywood is so available that it has become a commodity. I still continued with my effort to sneak in a little more quality, a little more meaning to my content. In 2008, I decided to start my own dance company. The goal was to provide an environment where dancers of all dance styles from around globe had a platform to work together. The company, while it did not make me any richer, provided unlimited experiences both good and bad and in some ways were life changing.

Earlier this year, I left all of that behind to move to Evanston. I even managed to not dance for a whole month and then realized the futility of fighting destiny. I re-started my classes and was overwhelmed with the warmth and support of Chicagoland people. I was most impressed by their desire to experience India and Indian culture through my dance classes and performances and everywhere I went, people danced with me – irrespective of their background, ethnicity, prior experience with Indian dances and so on.

So here I am, few months into my new endeavor, Bollywood Groove, and hoping to increase awareness about Indian dances in a way that is accessible to all. I have been blessed by many fantastic performance and teaching opportunities and I hope I continue to receive the same Chicago love for years to come!

From a California transplant who is loving every moment of dancing in Chicago!

- Ajanta (www.bollygroove.com)

But Wanjiru wasn’t the only winner this weekend. So was the city of Chicago.

Due to its national and international draw, the marathon helped raise $10 million for various charities and gave a $150 million boost to the economy of its host city, according to a report by the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign’s Regional Economics Applications Laboratory.

Approximately 10,000 of the 45,000 marathon participants are raising money for more than 150 nonprofit organizations. These organizations include local, national and global causes.

At the opening press conference Thursday, Bank of America announced a $500,000 contribution to the Chicago Youth Fitness Initiative, a fitness program located throughout the city aimed at keeping kids safe and active after school.

The bank also announced The Mayor Richard M. Daley and Maggie Daley Award, given annually to the marathon participant who raises the most funds for charity through the marathon.

“Bank of America is pleased to build upon Mayor Daley’s and his wife Maggie’s commitment to Chicago’s youth, and we thank them for their partnership in this and so many activities,” said Bank of America Chief Executive Officer Brian T. Moynihan.  “Through our everyday lending, investing and giving, we are helping set opportunity in motion across this great city.”

This contribution adds to the $324,000 donation Bank of America made to the initiative in March.

“I particularly appreciate what Bank of America has built with the Chicago Youth Fitness Initiative,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “This program provides innovative and constructive ways to improve the quality of life for our city’s young people and future leaders.”

Daley added, “In my two decades in office, I have watched the marathon continue to contribute in a positive way to this city — both in economic growth and support for the nonprofit sector.”

This year’s event drew participants from all 50 states and over 120 countries. The 45,000 participant capacity was filled in a record 51 days.

In addition to those running for charity and other causes, the marathon also attracted some of the best runners in the world.

“The depth of talent in the marathon was at an all-time high at the national and international levels,” said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “These athletes were hungry to compete against one another and this year’s field brought a new level of excitement to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.”

However, this doesn’t mean the strenuous course didn’t have a negative effect on the world’s elite.

“I’m not sure if I’ll compete next month at the New York City Marathon,” said men’s second place finisher Tsegaye Kebede. “I’m a little tired.”

Image via Wikipedia

Tired of the same old thing? October is Chicago Artists Month so there are exhibits, open studios, screenings and more.

There are 30 or so events or galleries open every day. A sample of Sunday ‘s includes a walk with artists who will make souvenirs along the way and an eclectic video screening. Search the events calendar to create your custom art itinerary by the day or week.

Here are a couple of today’s events that caught our eye:

Tonight, join Cinema Minima Film/Video, part of the Life in Progress series, to see some short videos and film that include video art, performance and documentary from 10-15 artists/filmmakers/videographers.  Called AnyVision, the video screening on Sunday, Oct. 3 from 7:30 – 10 p.m. will be at Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Logan Square.

The shorts are a mix of styles, from Joy Whalen’s work in my loneliness is a lazy prostitute, to Ines Sommers’ informative short documentary on participatory budgeting in Chicago’s 49th Ward, to Michael Bolsinga’s time-lapse videos of his progress of creating Americanadia. Part of AnySquared Projects’ LIP (Life in Progress) art and video series for Chicago Artists Month, AnyVision highlights the personal, the political, the atmospheric, and the emotional with answers to the question “What is progress.”

• When: Sunday October 3, 7:30 – 10 p.m.
• Where: Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee Ave.
• For information: www.anysquared.com, , 773.862.9609

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• Albany Park Art Project Continues, 1st North Park Art Walk (windycitizen.com)

Kate McGroarty of Chicago was revealed as the winner live at the Museum the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 6—with the help of a fun chemistry experiment. All five  finalists performed a seemingly identical experiment in front of the packed Museum Rotunda—but only McGroarty’s experiment, mixing hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and sodium iodide, elicited a giant chemical reaction (and a lot of foam), revealing her as the Month at the Museum winner.

Two Chicago residents — a Flash developer/blogger and an aspiring comedy writer — are in the running to spend a month inside the Museum of Science and Industry.

After weeding through more than 1,500 applications, MSI leaders announced five finalists this week for their Month at the Museum contest.

Now, the decision rests with the voters. The public can vote online at monthaththemuseum.org from now until 5 p.m. on Oct. 4. The website contains applicant’s entry video, bios and an excerpt from his or her entry essay. The public’s vote will be taken into consideration by the MSI panel of judges, and the winner will be announced live at the museum on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

“We were blown away by the overwhelming worldwide response to this contest,” said Rob Gallas, the museum’s vice president and chief marketing officer. “The entrants were so creative—and so enthusiastic about science and this Museum—we decided we had to go out to the public with five finalists, two more than we originally planned.”

The finalists include a musician, a Flash developer, biology major, a window display artist and a theatre artist. All five candidates have agreed to give up an entire month of their lives to eat and sleep science at the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.

The finalists are:

• Alexandra Dainis, a biology major from Mansfield, Mass., who plans to prove that you can be both a rock star and researcher.
• Felix Jung, a Flash developer from Chicago, Ill., who is recently married and enjoys documenting the world around him on his blog.
• Krispijn Larrison, a window display artist from Seattle, Wash., who has dreams to be a children’s book illustrator.
• Kate McGroarty, most recently a high school theater teacher from Chicago, Ill., who aspires to write television comedies.
• Johnathan Wilson, a musician from Lake Charles, La., who plans to get a degree in biology and later work to eradicate land mines.

The winner will keep a blog during their month at the museum and will take home $10,000.

from Columbia College Chicago. Emily Watson, alum.

Ready or not, Fat Bitch is back as a benefit show for the Alumni Scholarship Fund at Columbia College Chicago. Putting the culture of her time up to the light for a look at society’s obsession with weight, race and class, Erica riffs on her interactions with men, from the boardroom to the bedroom.

The production runs about 90 minutes without intermission, and is for ages 18 and up (some limited profanity in show). You can see iton September 25 at Columbia College’s Getz Theater, 72 E. 11th Ave. The show runs from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

The show is part of a Columbia Day of Comedy for its alumni, with the Business of Being Funny: Comedy Panel scheduled for 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. The guarantee you’ll laugh, when you hear from special panel of entertainment industry alumni that includes:
Karyn Bosnak (B.A. ’96) – author/screenwriter, What’s Your Number?, Save Karyn
Chris McKay (B.A. ’91) director/writer/editor, Robot Chicken
Steve Pink (’89) writer/director, Hot Tub Time Machine
Andy Richter (’90) actor, Conan O’Brien Show
Peter Teschner (’80) editor, Borat, Going the Distance
Erica Watson (B.A. ’98, M.A. ’05) comedienne, Fat Bitch

Contact Cyn Vargas [email protected] 312-369-8640 for more information.

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• Erica Watson: Let’s Have Sex on TV! (huffingtonpost.com)

Second- and third-graders from the Academy for Global Citizenship brought giant peace doves to the festivities in downtown’s Daley Plaza, while McCutcheon’s choir sang “This Day of Peace” and “Make a Difference” for the lunchtime crowd in Daley Plaza.

Peace Day in Chicago has been celebrated annually since 1978 and focuses on building peace in ourselves, our families, schools, communities, cities, nations and the world.

Here are images from the event.

A student from the Academy for Global Citizenship holds up a wing of one of the giant doves they created for Chicago's Peace Day event. Photo/Sarah Ostman

Flags are presented during the ceremony at Daley Plaza. Photo/Sarah Ostman

Academy for Global Citizenship students attend Peace Day. Photo/Sarah Ostman

McCutcheon Elementary students get ready to perform. Photo/Sarah Ostman

McCutcheon students sing at Peace Day. Photo/Sarah Ostman

A student from Holmes Junior High School hold up the wing of a dove. Photo/Sarah Ostman

A dancer performs at the Peace Day event in Daley Plaza. Photo/Sarah Ostman

A dove head is left behind after the crowd disperses. Photo/Sarah Ostman

Yes Men preparing for an event in New York City. Photo by Barbara K. Iverson

Considered among the most important political artists of the last dozen years, The Yes Men are a group of culture-jamming activists who practice what they call “Identity Correction.” By posing as spokespersons for prominent organizations and powerful entities, The Yes Men create spoof websites and appear in conferences and TV shows to highlight how corporations and government organizations often act in dehumanizing ways toward the public.

They will be at Columbia College Chicago‘s Glass Curtain Gallery, 1104 S. Wabash, for a reception and appearance on Sept. 23 from 5-8 p.m. The Yes Men presentation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

This is the first solo exhibition of The Yes Men. And KEEP IT SLICK presents The Yes Men’s body of work, including elaborate costumes, videos and PowerPoint presentations made for their bold interventions, outrageous posters and props, scripts, sketches, research materials and selected publications and ephemera from their personal collections.

View a sample of what the Yes Men do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO6Oi3XUYgg&feature=related

via Columbia College Chicago: Glass Curtain Exhibition Archive.

This is a grass roots community effort by the local park advisory councils to raise much needed funds for their parks improvements.  All ticket proceeds from Circus in the Parks will be equally split between all participating parks. The Circus will move into the Park Field House in the case of rain, and there’s limited seating available for pre-sale. To purchase tickets on-line www.CircusintheParks.com

This collaborative approach to community fundraising is brought to you by the participating parks advisory councils. These are the Chase Park Advisory Council, Grow with Gompers, Friends of Holstein Park, Friends of Portage Park, and Welles Park Advisory Council with help from  Chicago Park District, Parkways Foundation, The Midnight Circus and some aldermen, of course. Thanks to  Alderman Gene Schulter  (47th), Alderman Tom Allen (38th), Alderman Margaret Laurino (39th), and Alderman Scott Waguespack (32nd.)

• Gompers Park – 4222 W. Foster – 773-685-3270
  • September 11th – 2pm & 5pm
  • September 12th – 1pm & 4pm
• Welles Park – 2333 W.Sunnyside– 312-742-7511
  • September 18th – 2pm & 5pm
  • September 19th – 1pm & 4pm
• Holstein Park – 2200 N. Oakley – 312-742-7554
  • September 25th – 2pm & 5pm
  • September 26th – 1pm & 4pm
• Portage Park – 4100 N. Long – 773-685-7235
  • October – 9th – 2pm & 5pm
  • October – 10th – 1pm & 4pm

• Chase Park – 4701 N. Ashland – 312-742-7518
  • October 16th – 2pm & 5pm
  • October 17th – 1pm & 4pm

Founded in 2005, AREA Chicago comprises both a biannual magazine and a series of sponsored events. Its publications and events serve the double mission of researching art, education, and activist practices within the city of Chicago and producing and strengthening networks among grassroots practitioners. They publish Chicago Radicalendar as well.

Live music by Band Practice & Simon Strikeback (from Actor Slash Model) from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will also be map making and snacks.

Artists include: Charlie Vinz, DiDi Grim, Mary Patten, Mathias Regan and Amy Partridge, Jayne Hileman, Claire Pentecost, Mary Sea, Marian Hayes, Rachel Wallis, Robin Hewlett, Annie Siegler, Laura Szumowski, Csilla Kosa, Frank Rico, Nicole Marroquin, Rebecca Zorach, Claudia Garcia-Rojas, Kolektif Atis Jakmel, Josephine Ferorelli, Jhonathan F. Gómez, Neil Brideau, Alex Guzman and more.

For more information, email Rachel at . See more info at: Facebook Event.

Take on Lance, on your own terms

Admit it, when you are pedaling away down any Chicago street the bike lanes fade and in your imagination it’s just you and Lance Armstrong leading the peloton.

This year, cycling site MapMyRide is offering you a chance to map your ride miles, and times against Lance Armstrong and the riders in the Tour de France. You can win prizes, but mostly it’s about the enjoyment and competition of comparing your best times with the best cyclists in the world.

If you haven’t seen MapMyRide, be sure top check out this program and its other features. Including, an ID bracelet you can buy (with or without a RFID chip) that will identify your location at all times. An application to track your map your rides and track your progress. You can also share your “secret routes” with the world.

See you on the trails, and don’t forget your helmet.

Update from the scene, but Patti MacKenzie:

I was in this location today just yards from the barricade in the top photo from 12:15 to 12:35. People were sad that they could not create an image of an oil slick in black umbrellas across the BP Bridge.  However, whistles blew at 12:15 which instigated the opening of umbrellas and sitting down on hot pavement near the barricade.   Snacks were shared, conversation ensued and the crowd waited under the hot sun smiling and sweating.  At 12:35, whistles blew again and the crowd stood, lowered umbrellas, and proceeded on their way.

BP bridge access blocked. Photo by mailorderandie

BP Flash Mob in Chicago. Photo by P. MacKenzie

The success of a flash mob rests on secrecy, but it wasn’t a flash mob that blocked the BP Bridge on Friday, it was the Chicago Blackhawks ticker-tape parade and rally.

The idea was to converge on the BP Bridge in Millenium Park, open black umbrellas and sit down, thus simulating in a view from above an oil spill on the bridge. The mob was to last about 12 minutes, and then as all good flash mobs do, it would disperse. A silent, quiet, symbolic kind of protest over an environmental catastrophe that will mark us and our ocean for years.

Was it planned to coincide with the Blackhawks’ long-awaited Stanley Cup win? Whether or not the flash mob initiators thought of that, that’s what happened.

When the protesters, including some Hawks fans, arrived on Friday at 12:15 p.m. they found access to the bridge was blocked by a barricade, but some of them found a place to open their umbrellas anyway.

BP bridge flash mob. Photo by Mary Rachel Fanning

Most of the protesters attributed the bridge closure to BP, the police, or the City, as a measure to stop the protest.

A call to 311 revealed the official reason the bridge was closed was because of the Blackhawks parade and rally. The bridge department confirmed that the closure was in response to the celebration, not the flash mob protest.

Here is the tweet stream about the BP Bridge flash mob including  Foursquare, Twitter, Gowalla and even HuffPo. TimeOut Chicago has a great photo gallery from the protest and flash mob.

Related articles by Zemanta

• BP ‘Flash Mob’ Protest Gets Sidelined By Blackhawks Parade (huffingtonpost.com)
• BP Flash Mob to Take Place at Millennium Park Friday (chicagotalks.org)

This story was edited after it was initially posted to include the photo of the protesters with their umbrellas open.

All these answers and many more await you in a new, permanent exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry titled “Science Storms.” Patrons can learn about the natural processes that define their world in a new, novel and extremely interactive way.

“I absolutely love it,” said Angela Patnode, a 26-year-old engineer. “I like the scale of everything.”

The sense of scale is a large part of the exhibit, and it makes the interactivity that much more intriguing.

The exhibit, which opened to rave reviews in March, is dominated by a large, floor-to-ceiling tornado and a large wave pool in which patrons can set the size and frequency of waves and observe how they react with different shorelines.

Further into the exhibit, one can attempt to control a large flame through the use of mist, controlling everything from the size of the flame to the size and density of the water droplets falling on it. Illuminate the mist with lasers for extra fun and insight!

The exhibit offers an activity for everyone, even those who are less interested in the “fire and ice” aspects of nature.

Kids will love learning about parabolas by firing tennis balls clear across the exhibit, setting the power and angle of each shot.

“It’s good to see lots of interactive exhibits for the kids, gets them interested in science and technology,” said Australian tourist Matthew Dunwoodie, 45.

The range and amount of interactivity associated with “Science Storms” is revolutionary. There is hardly an activity in the exhibit that cannot be manipulated, and every station is likely to be filled with excited people learning about things they have previously only witnessed.

It’s not often that an institution, even the renowned Science and Industry Museum of Chicago, is able to get so many people interested in and learning about basic processes of nature.

The use of thermal imaging cameras, prevalent throughout the exhibit, is also new and exciting to many patrons.

You can heat and release your own hot air balloon while watching the air change temperature and swirl about within through the use of thermal imaging.

Witness the sunlight’s effect on water molecules, as you control the intensity and angle of a sun lamp and view the water in the thermal wavelength.

“I really enjoy it,” raved Steven Osborne, 18. “I think it’s fantastic. I really enjoy the physics stuff.”

All the freshness and novelty of this exhibit has led to some problems, however. With such large focus on public interaction, combined with the very large crowds in the opening weeks, several activity stations have had to undergo repairs.

“It’s good when it works, but there are a couple exhibits that aren’t working that are kind of frustrating,” said Patnode.

Even with the minor technical difficulties, the exhibit still shines. A match for nearly any other permanent installment at the museum, it is certain to draw in museum-goers with its sleek and flashy style, grandiose exhibits and a touchy-feely aspect rivaled by very few other exhibits, either in or out of the Science and Industry.

Youth Guidance Resource Coordinator Ben White said he was inspired to create this condensed version based on the popular African-American play “The Wiz” because he wanted to stress the importance of believing in yourself for his students.

“As the kids learn it and they understand it, even if it’s subliminal, they’re saying it over and over and over again,” said White.

Youth Guidance works with students in 50 Chicago Public Schools, providing after-school programs for at-risk youth. White said while the two-year old program at Parker has been successful, it has faced a few challenges with keeping some students enrolled.

White said when many of the students join the Youth Guidance program, they are introverted and “living in a box.”

“They don’t know if they are going to get laughed at or ostracized because they are doing something a little different,” said White. “We’re getting them out of that box.”

Playing the role of the “Wicked Witch Eveline” has been “life changing” for seventh-grader Briana Johnson. Johnson said prior to joining Youth Guidance, her life was unstable.  However, the program has allowed her to make friends and let her personality shine.

“When I came here, I got all excited and stuff and … started showing what I can really do with my life,” said Johnson.  “I felt like I got it. I can do this and it kept building and building up. So it’s a great level of confidence I have right now.”

During practice, Johnson dominated the stage as much as she was engrossed in her role as “Evaline.”

The demand of performing an hour-long play and his students’ response to that demand has encouraged White. He said he has noticed his students are able to focus more and apply recently learned memorization skills to their studies.

Through performing drama, White said, the students could face challenges in their lives and gain necessary tools to overcome them.

“It’s about the message. It’s about what the Wiz says,” said White. “If you believe in yourself, then that’s the key. It’s all about believing in your heart the things that you can do.”

“The Wiz that Wuz”

Thursday, May 20 at 4:30 p.m. at Parker Elementary Academy, 6800 S. Stewart St.

Tickets are $2

For more information, call 773-535-3375

This is the usual scene at Studio Be’s weekly college night show, which features Columbia College’s Drop in $cience and DePaul University’s Cosby Sweaters improvisation groups. On this evening, April 22, the performance also featured an independent adult group, the Shock T’s.

The show runs from 10:30 to midnight every Thursday during the school year. The theater is BYOB and promotes itself on its Web site as “Chicago’s best BYOB venue.” Tickets are $5, and according to fans and actors alike, the show is a blast and is always packed.

“We’re the big money-maker for Studio Be,” bragged Ryan Barton, 20, of Chicago, who is an actor for Drop in $cience. “We almost always sell out the show.”

“It’s very hard to be this popular; we can’t even go to the grocery store without someone coming up to us and asking, ‘Would you like paper or plastic?’” joked Kenny Metroff, 27, of Chicago. Metroff is the head coach of Columbia’s Drop in $cience. He has been the head coach for two years, and has recently graduated from the Second City Conservatory.

Studio Be, located at 3110 N. Sheffield Ave, hosts many comedy events throughout the weekend. It is a small theater, seating less than 100 people on folding chairs, which are set up in three sections around the stage. The stage is on the same floor as the seats, only a few feet away, giving it a very personal feeling.

“I think it really works,” said Sachiko Yoshitsugu, 21, of Chicago. Yoshitsugu is a DePaul student and frequenter of college night. “You don’t expect it, walking behind those black curtains after you come in. I was surprised at how intimate the audience is with the stage. It really adds to the whole experience.”

The show’s setup changes from week to week. This time, the Shock T’s went first. This team was comprised of three actors improvising comical songs, with one playing guitar. They started off the show with a song called “Two Guys Tryin’ to Bang One Girl,” where the two males would trade off hitting on the female actress while singing.

Next was DePaul’s Cosby Sweaters. They performed a longer skit about a dysfunctional family’s Thanksgiving dinner.

“Now what does everyone want from Taco Bell?” the male actor playing the mother said in a mock feminine voice. “MOM! Why can’t you put the bottle down and just learn to cook!” said another actor playing the disgruntled son, who was obviously older and still living at home.

Drop in $cience went last, performing a series of skits where cast members were tagged in and out of the scenes. At the beginning, one of the actors asks for a topic. The audience shouted things ranging from “Madonna” to “breast implants,” but the topic chosen tonight was “waffles.”

The actor knelt down, put his jazz hands up in the air and said, “Blueberry!” The others join in one at a time, pretending to be a pile of waffles. “Chocolate chip!” said another. “Plain!” “Artichoke!” “Vodka!” All the while, one actor ran around the group saying “syrup” over and over again. All three groups were a hit with the audience.

After the show, many of the audience members and actors lingered in the theater, talking and laughing with each other. The energy in the room was strong, and almost everyone was finishing off their remaining liquor. Most of Columbia’s team went to a house party later, inviting members of the audience to come.

“They are a pretty tight group of friends now,” Metroff said. He added that working with such a large group of personalities can at times be difficult, but is extremely rewarding.

It took more than a half hour for the managers of Studio Be to get the last remaining actors and patrons to leave the theater.

Five of Chicago’s master floral designers brought their floral flair to the show. Each one’s designs were featured for three days on the main aisle of the first floor near the make-up and accessories sections. Evergreens, perennials, roses, shrubs, trees and tropical flowers are just a few of the different flowers that were on display, according to the Macy’s Spring Flower Show brochure.

The first floor was packed with a variety of assorted flowers, gigantic butterflies hanging from the ceiling, water fountains and trees. There were 20 displays of over 100 exotic trees, such as green cascade full moon maple trees and weeping willows and colorful flowers. There was a long blue carpet with birds and flowers on it that stretched across the first floor.

The most extraordinary display was the “Flight of Fancy Garden” that featured a massive hot air balloon that was being hung from the ceiling. It was surrounded by countless flowers with diverse colors such as pink, yellow, orange and purple along with shrubs and small butterflies hanging all around the display.

Meghan Curry, 20, a Chicago college student, was wandering around with a camera capturing the hot air balloon. “I heard about the show and thought ‘Ooh, I should check it out’ and I have enjoyed it,” Curry said.

In addition to the gardens, there were culinary demonstrations and food tasting in the kitchen department, wedding events in which brides could talk to designers about what florals to have at their weddings, entertainment, and many sales going on promoting old and new designers. The events included a magician, family activities, musical performances, a new fragrance by Chloé, a Martha Stewart expert offering several home tips and advice, and many other special events scheduled for different days.

After enjoying a stroll around the gardens and taking advantage of the fashion sales, visiting The Walnut Room restaurant on the seventh floor was a must. It was a fun way to unwind and munch on some special cuisine prepared by the chef specifically for the flower show. Some of the special items on the menu were a farmer’s market salad, asparagus frites and a crab cake BLT. A large golden-yellow birdcage with imitation birds in it surrounded by elegant flowers was located in the middle of the restaurant.

Pam Zerega, 65, a homemaker, said, “I have an appointment across the street but I have time before it so I came here.” Zerega said she was shocked by the “strong smell of flowers on the first floor.”

The first floor was packed with people viewing the flowers and shopping. Many families were there enjoying the gardens and scrumptious food available and many girlfriends were out together taking advantage of the sales of clothes and purses while enjoying the scent of the many flowers in the air.

Alora Leonard, 22, a Chicago college student, walked around the first floor with a camera in her hand. “I heard there were many flowers here so I am here for the displays,” she said.

The 2010 Macy’s Spring Flower show ended April 11, but visit macys.com and be sure to keep an eye out for the 2011 show.

via Welcome to Chicago Fair Trade

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The center, located at 3656 N. Halsted St., will host four speed dating soirees throughout April and June 2010. Two of the four get-togethers will focus on lesbians while the other two are geared toward men.

The programs cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The second women’s event is scheduled to take place June 17 — the first was held April 8 — and men will have an opportunity to speed date on April 29 and June 10. All four will begin at 6:45 p.m. and end at 8:45 p.m. Proceeds will go toward general funding and programming for the Center on Halsted.

“We like doing the speed dating events because a lot of people [who come] don’t want to try to meet people through the bar or club scene,” said Christine Forster, intern for transgender and women’s programming at the Center on Halsted and a senior at Loyola University. “It’s a nice alternative for people who are a little more shy, who aren’t into heavy drinking and who aren’t into that sort of scene.”

Many people think it’s easier for heterosexual men and women to find dates than it is for homosexual men and women. Even though society has come a long way since the days of Anita Bryant and the unforgettable Christian-based slogan, “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve,” many cultures still don’t accept same-sex relationships.

“I definitely think dating is 10 times easier for heterosexual men and women,” said Donté Rogers, 21, a resident of the Greektown neighborhood. “I feel like our history and our traditions have been shaped around a heterosexual view. There’s more straight bars than there are gay bars, there’s more areas where you’re going to have heterosexuals living in because there aren’t necessarily that many gay communities. It’s based around the way our society’s governed.”

Since blind dates can sometimes be a potential formula for disaster and online dating services attempt to create chemistry based on profile pictures, regular, old-fashioned dating seems like a thing of the past.

“I absolutely think homosexual men resort to online dating much more than heterosexual men,” said Alex Johnson, 22, of Old Town. “It’s harder to ascertain a man’s sexual preference, and it’s more dangerous to go up to a man in public.”

Santay Powell, 24, of downtown Chicago, on the other hand, feels that “heterosexual women prefer online dating more over lesbian women because most women don’t like to make the first move.

“If no one is making moves on them, going online gives them more opportunities,” Powell said.

Supporters say that speed dating serves as a fun and social alternative that takes men and women out of uncomfortable situations and encourages them to meet a large number of people. Instead of going on one long date with one person, participants go on a number of quick mini-dates.

“It offers a low pressure, low awkwardness moment to just meet people,” Forster said. “It’s quick, it’s fun, and there aren’t many queer-identified spaces that aren’t bars or clubs where people feel very comfortable going to.”

Forster also said that it’s quieter at the Center on Halsted than it is in bars, allowing speed daters the chance to really talk to one another.

The Center on Halsted has not yet conducted a bisexual speed dating event, but Forster said it is something she might consider. “There’s no point in having gay men and lesbians in the same room together because then it would be like straight speed dating,” she said. “Men expect to meet men and women expect to meet women.”

“I don’t think I would go to a bisexual speed dating get-together,” Johnson said. “It might be fun if I was looking for maybe some new female friends, but if I’m serious about it and I actually do go looking for a date, I’m going to want to be surrounded by gorgeous men, not women.”

The meaning of the word “date” has changed drastically in recent years; people nowadays can be described as a “friend with benefits” or even a “cuddle buddy.” Countless online dating Web sites are misconstrued and used for hook-ups and random sex, and some are precautious or suspicious that a speed dating rendezvous would offer the same.

“No matter what, your hormones are there,” Rogers said. “Some people are better at hiding them, but others are like,‘I need it,’ and if there is a quick way to meet somebody else who feels the same way, then why not? It’s really a personal thing and it can go either way.”

According to Forster, past events have had very high satisfaction rates for both the men and women, and there hasn’t been a situation where things have gotten too risqué.

“I’ve never actually been to one, because I’ve already got someone,” Powell said. “It would be interesting to mingle, get to know new people and see what happens. I might have to go see what they’re all about.”

With poetry, storytelling and performance in common, all five women use the arts to convey passionate messages from their personal experiences and what they’ve seen around them, in their countries and in the world.

Each panelist described how they share responsibility in delivering these messages to a worldwide audience in hopes of changing things for the better. Through art, they said, they are able to express their pain.

Hope Azeda, the founder, artistic director and choreographer of Mashirika Creative and Performing Arts – one of the major theater companies in Rwanda – said her primary audience is youth. Her artistic work is part of her deep love for her country and her goal of unmasking the hidden truths of Rwanda, including the effects of mass genocide.

Mshai Mwangola spoke of the importance of storytelling through oral literature — literature that is not written but rather conveyed through spoken or body language and facial gestures. It is vital to pass down these stories before they are forgotten, Mwangola said. Performing not only her own work, but also the works of other African women, makes the world more aware of their shared struggles.

Chantal Snyman, a writer, director, theater-maker, storyteller, actor and trainer, says she mainly writes for herself, but she feels that many women from Africa and around the world share her stories, so in writing for herself she also writes for others. She said she bases much of her work on HIV/AIDS awareness and how to prevent its rapid spread in South Africa.

Malika Lueen Ndlovu, a poet, playwright, performer, arts project manager and mother of three sons, explained the hardships of having a stillborn daughter and the self-doubt and depression the experience provoked. Her eldest son still keeps her stillborn daughter’s memory alive in visual pictures and story telling, she said.

Ndlovu said that after her performances, women often approach her with stories of their own struggles with miscarriage.

Amandina Lihamba, the self-proclaimed “last born” in her large family, is a writer, performer and professor in theatre arts. With more than three decades in the performing arts, Lihamba provided much wisdom on the arts in general.

With deep and profound stories, these women shed light on many topics and provided much information that the audience was eager to receive.