Moraine Valley officials, governor celebrate community colleges
Moraine Valley Community College President Emeritus Sylvia M. Jenkins, alum Jason Knade and Gov. JB Pritzker were among speakers who talked about the past 60 years of Illinois community colleges during a media conference held during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.
Jenkins was named to lead the Illinois Community College Board in July, having served as MVCC’s fifth president, from July 2012 to June 2023. She highlighted the role community colleges can play in shaping the community and noted that since the system began in 1965, it’s led to 2.3 million certificates and degrees. “Community colleges fuel economic growth, supporting over 43,000 jobs and contributing billions [of dollars] to the Illinois economy,” she noted in a news release.
Knade, co-recipient of the 2024 Illinois Community College Trustees Association Distinguished Alumnus Award, who also has been an adjunct faculty member at the college, explained MVCC’s impact on his life. “As a student, I experienced firsthand the transformative power of a community college education, and when I returned years later as an adjunct faculty member, that appreciation only deepened,” he shared via the release.
Pritzker praised community colleges for their access and affordability. “For the past 60 years, the ICCB has worked to build the best community college system in the nation, brick by brick, student by student. It was formed with the mission of bringing a quality education to Illinoisans of all backgrounds, regions and interests,” the release shared.
Palos Park emergency team receives grant
Illinois Heart Rescue has awarded a grant to the Palos Park Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT.
The money will be used to buy an AED and five CPR training mannequins – four adults and one child – for CERT community and training programs.
Volunteers in CERT are trained to support their communities in nonemergencies as well as emergency situations, preparing for disasters the community might face.
A state-funded project, the Illinois Heart Rescue program pairs experts in public health, emergency medical services, neurology, emergency medicine, cardiology and community engagement to improve the odds of survival for people who have a cardiac arrest while not in a hospital..
Charcoal artist highlighted at Orland Park library
Local artist Jennifer Medema’s charcoal portrait will be highlighted in a solo exhibition Drawn From Darkness displayed through September on the second floor of the Orland Park Public Library, 14921 S. Ravinia Ave.
The public can meet the artist during a free reception at 7 p.m. Sept. 5 at the library. Participants can hear Medma speak about her inspiration, process and career as a fine artist and as senior graphic designer for the Village of Orland Park. She has a bachelor’s degree in illustration and fine arts from Columbia College Chicago and studied at Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy.
Medema creates charcoal reduction portraits. “Identity intrigues me,” she said via a news release. “I choose not to create traditional portraits but rather narrow my focus with up-close compositions. This tight cropping creates visual tension or an intimate moment that pulls the viewer in.”
D230 students earn perfect score on ACT
Four students at Consolidated High School District 230 schools earned a perfect score – 36 – on the ACT, an honor achieved by less than one-fourth of 1% of students who take the test each year.
They are Victor J. Andrew High School seniors Ashton Zipf, Kenny Peters and Hunter Boyle and Carl Sandburg High School senior Neel Patel.
The standardized college entrance test is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with the average ACT score 24.5 in Illinois in 2024, according to a district press release. This year’s average has not yet been released.
Area mayors join for League of Women Voters panel
The League of Women Voters of Palos Orland Area hosts a talk featuring local mayors discussing ethics in government at 10 a.m. Sept. 13 at the Palos Heights Public Library, 12501 S. 71st Ave.
Coffee and conversation start at 9:30 a.m. Nicki Kastellorizio-Lee will moderate the talk, which is free.
Panelists are Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters, Palos Heights Mayor Robert Straz, Palos Hills Mayor Jerry Benntt and Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge. Information is at 708-204-1473.
The league is a “nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy,” according to its website, LWV.org.
Golf tournament in Lemont benefits health foundation
UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Foundation hosts its annual golf tournamentSept. 15 at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, 122954 Archer Ave. in Lemont.
Proceeds from the event will go toward initiatives across UChicago medicine AdventHealth hospitals in Hinsdale, LaGrange, Glendale Heights and Bolingbrook.
Golfing, which is a scramble format, tees off with a shotgun start at noon following registration and lunch at 10 a.m. A dinner and awards ceremony that recognizes the top foursomes begins at 5 p.m. Supporters also can choose to just join the dinner.
A helicopter ball drop, which costs $25 per entry, allows participants to receive a numbered golf ball that will be dropped over a designated hole. The ball closest to the hall, including in it, wins half the pot. The winner need not be present to win.
To register for a foursome, enter the ball drop or join the dinner, visit www.golfinvite.net/UCM_AdventHealth.
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