The Chicago Heights Police Department will hold its annual community dinner Saturday, hoping to raise thousands of dollars for needy children and cash-strapped area schools and programs.
In the last two years, the annual police gala has raised nearly $20,000. That money has been used to send hundreds of students to day camps, pay for golf uniforms for a local church’s junior team and buy textbooks for a high school remedial reading group.
“It’s just a wonderful thing for the police department to do because kids and police departments haven’t had the best relationship recently,” said Karla Osantowski, the former Chicago Heights police chief who initiated the dinner and continues to organize the event. “When we can help provide them with opportunities to go to camps they can’t afford, we open those lines of communication.”
Police officials say they hope to raise more than $10,000 this year. They expect to decide by June how to divide the money.
The sold-out dinner is simply an extension of the police department’s efforts to reach out to children, officials said. The department already sponsors a cadet program to teach youngsters about police work. Officers also have extended the DARE program to 1st and 2nd graders and opened community policing offices around the community.
Something in the water: Residents in South Chicago Heights soon will get Lake Michigan water under an agreement recently reached with neighboring Chicago Heights.
The Chicago Heights City Council gave Mayor Angelo A. Ciambrone permission last week to administer an agreement to supply lake water to South Chicago Heights.
Under the agreement, Chicago Heights–which already acquires lake water through a contract with Hammond–will sell water to South Chicago Heights, as well as to other communities. South Chicago Heights residents now get their drinking water from area wells.
“It’s definitely the right move,” said South Chicago Heights Mayor David Owen. “I’m excited to finally offer our people clean, safe and rust-free water.”
The two municipalities will share the $1 million expense of constructing a booster station and a water main to deliver lake water to about 3,500 residents. South Chicago Heights officials also will have to finance construction of a pumping station. Village officials plan to sell $2.1 million in bonds to finance the project.
Family violence: Officials of Cook County Circuit Court will be co-hosts of a training conference next month on domestic violence, challenging participants to focus on the root causes of such violence and its effect on families, communities and, especially, the work environment.
The conference, to be held May 8 and 11, is free to the public, but preregistration is required.
“Domestic violence in the workplace crosses all fields, whether it be construction work, factory jobs, fast-food restaurants or large corporate offices–it can strike anywhere,” said Lois Mayer, who is organizing the event for Cook County Circuit Court. “We want to help prepare employees and employers for how to handle the issue and how to help prevent domestic abuse.”
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The conference marks the three-year anniversary of the 6th Municipal District Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council. The group–Cook County’s first domestic violence council–aims to reduce family violence by emphasizing prevention.
The conference, funded and also hosted by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, will be held at the Country Club Hills Village Hall. For more information, or to register, call Mayer at 708-210-4092.