happiness

KOB, Inc. FEED A TEEN Thanksgiving!

Chicago Park District offers Veterans & Active Military free programs and a benefit resource fair series

CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT OFFERS FREE PROGRAMS TO U.S. VETERANS & ACTIVE MILITARY AND A VETERANS RESOURCE FAIR SERIES In the spirit of "serving those who have served" the Chicago Park District offers free programming to all U.S. Veterans and active military personnel, as well as a series of Veterans Resource Fairs that aim to connect military veterans and their families to benefits in areas such as disabilities, education, employment, family and children services, housing, legal and mental health services. "We are honored to support our veterans and active military personnel," said Michael P. Kelly, General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District, "and encourage them to explore the park district's free programming and offerings for veterans, and to offer suggestions on how we can further assist them and their families." Programs scheduled between November 2013 and April 2014 includes: Tuesdays, Nov. 5 - Dec. 3, 2013  Free Sports Night for Veterans & Active Military at Kosciuszko Park,  2732 N. Avers Ave., 312.745.1958 or 312.745.2062 Five week Tuesday night sports program at Kosciuszko Park Gym beginning Nov. 5 for veterans and active military to play a different pick-up sports game each Tuesday. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. with programs scheduled from 7 - 9 p.m. All games free of charge; veterans should bring a copy of their DD214: -        Veterans Sports Night: Basketball, Tuesday, Nov. 5 -        Veterans Sports Night: Volleyball, Tuesday, Nov. 12 -        Veterans Sports Night: Dodge Ball, Tuesday, Nov. 19 -        Veterans Sports Night: Whiffle Ball, Tuesday, Nov. 26 -        Veterans Sports Night: Floor Hockey, Tuesday, Dec. 3 Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 Free Veterans Resource Fair series: Marquette Park Auditorium,  6700 S. Kedzie Ave., 312.745.1958 The Veterans Resource Fair series aim to connect military veterans and their families to benefits in areas such as disabilities, education, employment, family and children services, housing, legal and mental health services. Veterans should bring a copy of their DD214 to the resource fairs. Event also repeats in February and April 2014. -        Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Marquette Park Auditorium, 6700 S. Kedzie Ave., 312.745.1958 -        Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Hamlin Park, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave., 312.745.1958 -        Saturday, April 12, 2014, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Armour Square Park, 3309 S. Shields Ave., 312.745.1958 Mondays & Thursdays, starting Jan. 6, 2014 - Feb. 20, 2014 Free Art Classes for Veterans & Active Military at Mount Greenwood Park,  3721 W. 111th St., 312.745.1958 Ten week Monday and Thursday afternoon art classes at Mount Greenwood Park beginning Jan. 6 for veterans and active military to develop and create with charcoal, ink, markers and paint on canvas and paper. Each art class is free of charge, and all materials will be provided for classes. Veterans should bring a copy of their DD214. Registration begins Dec. 1. Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 Free Archery Classes for Veterans & Active Military at Palmer Park,  201 W. 111th St., 312.745.1958 or 312.745.2062 Thursday evening archery class at Palmer Park for veterans and active military to learn basic archery skills in marksmanship, safety and various shooting styles. All classes take place 6-8pm and are free of charge; all equipment will be provided for this indoor program. Veterans should bring a copy of their DD214. Registration begins Dec. 1. Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 Free Veterans Resource Fair series: Hamlin Park,  3035 N. Hoyne Ave., 312.745.1958 The Veterans Resource Fair series aims to connect military veterans and their families to benefits in areas such as disabilities, education, employment, family and children services, housing, legal and mental health services. Veterans should bring a copy of their DD214 to the resource fairs. The fair takes place 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 12, 2014 Free Veterans Resource Fair series: Armour Square Park,  3309 S. Shields Ave., 312.745.1958 The Veterans Resource Fair series aims to connect military veterans and their families to benefits in areas such as disabilities, education, employment, family and children services, housing, legal and mental health services. Veterans should bring a copy of their DD214 to the resource fairs. The fair takes place 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information about veterans programing and the resource fair series, please contact Modie Lavin of the Chicago Park District at 312.745.1958 or modwene.lavin@chicagoparkdistrict.com For more information on the Chicago Park District, visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or call 312-742-7529.

Chicago Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

 Chicago Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) 

                     - Fall Basic Training Class Announcement

 

 

 

Greetings from the Chicago Community Emergency Response Team (CERT),

We have the top CERT program in the State of Illinois which is also part of the #1 Citizens Corp program in the United States.

 

We are always seeking additional qualified CERT volunteers and are quickly expanding in our roles and responsibilities  

within the City of Chicago.

This is the announcement for the upcoming Fall Chicago CERT course.  It will cover the 22 hours of basic training  

required for city, state and federal certification.

The class will be taught by Illinois State Certified CERT Instructors from Chicago CERT, Chicago OEMC,  

Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and Emergency Physicians from the Northwestern  

University Memorial Hospital.

You must attend all segments to graduate.  However if you miss a class you can make up the segment at the  

next training class which are held three- four times yearly.

Classes will be Mondays and Thursdays, from 6:00PM - 9:00 p.m.  beginning Thursday, October 31st  

and concluding with a final exercise on Tuesday, November 26th.

There will be one class held on Tuesday, November 12th because of the Veterans Day Holiday  

on Monday, November 11th.

Location: Malcolm X College  

Address:1900 West Van Buren, Room #2628  

Parking: Large Lot on the north side of Jackson.   

Street parking also available.

Please confirm your availability by replying to <dac18cert@aol.com>   with your name, address, phone number and email address.

Once your email is received you will receive an enrollment confirmation.

Questions?

Please do not hesitate to call Director, Sheldon Ross - 773-230-0884.

Thanks and We Hope to See You Thursday, November 31st 

Sheldon Ross, Rich Frizelis and Dana Motley  

Chicago CERT Leadership Team   

Are All Americans Criminals?

"One of the Best Speeches  of the 21st Century" "Are All Americans Criminals  Because of the Way We Treat  Black Men in America?" "This speech by Professor Michelle Alexander is one of the best speeches of the 21st century.  This speech is in the dynamic tradition of speeches by Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  This is a speech that should be studied by every student in America for content, form, delivery, historical research and political veracity.   Additionally, Professor Alexander's book is a bible for understanding the actions and policies of America in relationship to race and incarceration over the past 50 years.  Every high school and college student in America must read the great American book--The New Jim Crow!  And every adult in America should watch this video!!   Michelle Alexander reminds us of "Harriet Tubman, Ella Baker and Ida B. Wells"!  She is a freedom fighter and a movement builder!  Watch this videoand then call The Black Star Project (773.285.9600) to do something."

job fair

flesh-eating crocodile...

 Please read the below SouthTown Star article and pass on to OTHERS in the community.

 

JOLIET —The flesh-eating crocodile is here, a local doctor said.

 

Three patients have been treated this week at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center for using a synthetic opiate that doctors say rots the skin from the inside out.

 

“If you want to kill yourself, (using) this is the way to do it,” said Dr. Abhin Singla, director of addiction services.

 

Crocodile, which also is spelled Krokodil, started being manufactured about a decade ago in Russia, where heroin is harder to find, Singla said.

 

Codeine tablets are mixed with gasoline, paint thinner, butane and other chemicals to create an injectable drug, he said.

 

“It’s about three times more potent than heroin, but the ‘high’ lasts only for a few hours,” Singla said. And a hit of crocodile costs about $8, while users pay $25 to $30 for heroin.

 

But the chemicals destroy the blood vessels and begin killing tissue near the injection.

 

“You literally start rotting from the inside out,” Singla said.

The first warning sign users will see are redness and blackness around the needle mark. They’d probably be hurting too if they hadn’t just taken a painkiller.

 

Gangrene develops and gives the dead skin a scaly green appearance, which provided the name of the drug.

 

“This has been an epidemic in Russia. The average life expectancy of someone using crocodile is less than two years,” Singla said.

 

Singla said he spoke about his cases with Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Chicago Wednesday morning. Joliet Police narcotics officers and agents from the Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad, however, said Wednesday they were unaware of crocodile.

 

“I’m not surprised,” Singla said. “Last week the first cases in this country were reported in Arizona and Utah and I’m startled how quickly it came east to our area.”

 

Singla felt the convergence of interstates in the area fast-tracked crocodile, just as it’s kept heroin supplied here.

 

“Will County’s already burgeoning heroin epidemic may have created a tolerance level to the point where users are now looking for cheaper and better highs,” he said.

 

Singla’s patients are three local women, all under 25-years old. Two of the women are acquainted, so it’s possible they all got the drug from the same place. None of them would say where they obtained it, Singla said.

 

Their arms and legs are significantly maimed from gangrene. Singla said one patient will likely face years of surgeries to recover her ability to walk.

 

“It’s a horrific way to get sick. The smell of rotten flesh permeates the room,” Singla said. “Intensive treatment and skin grafts are required, but they are often not enough to save limbs or lives.”

Stay Alert and Safe!!!

Later, Leroy Duncan

Beat Facilitator

25th District Police Department

education...

calcium myths

We were always told by our parents to drink at least a glass of milk a day when we were kids. They told us to drink milk so that we can get our daily recommended daily dose of calcium to help our bones grow big and strong. What our parents didn’t know is that calcium is a key mineral that affects other parts of your body; that we can get calcium from foods other than dairy-based foods; and how having a calcium-rich diet at an early age can carry us through to our elderly years. Myth #1 – Calcium is Only Good for Your Bones Yes, calcium is a key building block for healthy bones. But calcium is also a key mineral that positively affects how your nerve cells function with your muscles. Normal calcium levels allow your muscle cells to harmoniously interact with nerves, allowing the nerves to tell the muscle cells when to contract.   The balanced levels of calcium inside and outside of nerve cells regulate how the nerve cells transmit signals to the brain and muscles. However, when calcium levels are either too high or too low and are out of balance, the process of nerve cells transmitting to the brain may become interrupted, resulting in muscle spasms. Thus, it is important to get 1,000 mg of calcium for a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Myth #2 – Milk & Dairy foods are the Best Source of Calcium Milk (and dairy foods) is not the best source for calcium. Actually, milk products can be harmful to many of us. By the time we reach the age of 5, many of us stop producing the “lactase” enzyme, which helps us digest the main sugar “lactose” found in milk. As a result, the undigested sugars in milk end up sitting in our stomach, specifically our colon, and begin to ferment. This fermentation process creates gas which results in cramping, bloating, nausea, flatulence and diarrhea.  And if you’ve experienced these effects, you’re not alone. National Digestive Diseases Information Report cites that 75% of adult have a decrease in lactase.  And according to a USA Today article, there are approx. 60% of adults that are not able to digest milk.  However, there’s hope as greens are a great source of calcium! Following the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s “Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling”, a recent study listed that a serving of Tofu, Collard Greens, Spinach, Turnip Greens and Mustard Greens having higher calcium levels than a serving of Yogurt. Another study validated that 1 cup of steamed collards has nearly the identical amount of calcium in 1 cup of cow’s milk – 266 milligrams vs. 276 milligrams of calcium in cow’s milk. Also, many types of fish and scallops also have high levels of calcium. Thus, it is entirely possible to get your calcium needs from non-dairy foods! Myth #3 – Osteoporosis Is a Disease that Affects the Elderly 40% of total adult bone mass is formed between the ages of 10 and 15 years old. Consequently, your teenage years are some of the most important times to get adequate calcium levels. Osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density, is a disease that causes the bones to be brittle and susceptible to breaks.  And osteoporosis is typically found to affect the elderly. However, it is believed that the foundation starts at a very early age.  It is believed that many of those affected with osteoporosis can trace back to their poor food and dietary choices leading back to their adolescent years. Although it is a disease that affects the elderly, making a concerted effort to have a calcium-rich diet in your pre-teen years can have a positive effect on your bone mineral density when you get older. Calcium is also a key nutrient to helping regulate your acid/alkaline balance. If your blood pH levels become unbalanced and decreases from your baseline of 7.4, your body releases calcium from your bones to help bring your acid/base levels back into balance. Thus, it is important to continue to have a calcium-rich diet so that you have adequate calcium reserves should your body need to continue to recruit calcium from your bones to help offset the results of your body being too acidic. Calcium is a key mineral beyond helping your bones and teeth stay strong.  It plays an important role in other parts of your body throughout your lifetime, and you should continue to have a conscious effort in having a calcium-rich diet. To Your Balanced pH, The pHion Balance Team