South Chicago Does Green in a Big Way

Lots of communities and individuals talk about "being green," but few can show as much actual green activity as the former steel mill community of South Chicago, which in May will host 80 green-oriented events from habitat restoration and urban farming to tours, youth programs, cycling events and health activities. It's a structured month-long calendar put together by community organizations involved in the South Chicago Green Summit. That's a now-annual event that grew out of the local strategy to turn the "steel town into green town."

And so it shouldn't be a surprise that one of the leaders of all this activity, Claretian Associates Executive Director Angela Hurlock, was honored as one of Chicago Magazine's 2010 Green Awards. Hurlock lives in one of the energy-conserving and solar-electricity-generating houses that Claretian builds, and she leads a broad range of community-building programs that, alongside the green strategies, will help South Chicago reconnect to the mainstream economy after many years as a depressed post-steel neighborhood.

Congrats to Angela Hurlock and her colleagues. On the video, her segment runs from 3:20 to 6:00.

Chicago magazine's 2010 Green Awards from Chicago magazine on Vimeo.

Plenty to Laugh About and Celebrate at CNDA

The 15th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards takes place next Monday, Feb. 9, and it's bound to have a special frisson this year, for a few reasons:

1. Second City will be back for a 3 p.m. performance in which they will make fun of our community development field. I'd be very surprised if they don't take the opportunity to mock our recent political shenanigans, since they've just launched a new Blago-inspired show.

2. A community organizer is running the country and the people in the room helped put him there.

3. Some of the city's best organizations, businesses and individuals will be honored with awards.

Every time I've been there I learn new things or renew old ties because the room is jammed with the cream of the city's community leadership. If you haven't been and enjoyed a cocktail or two, you should check it out. Learn more here.

Three things I like about CNDA

Every February in Chicago, community development practitioners and developers and bankers and city officials come together for a giant awards ceremony and cocktail party known as the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards.

I'll be there this year, on Thursday, Feb. 7, for three very good reasons:

1. The awards honor six individuals or groups for the work they've done, ranging from bricks-and-mortar developments to outstanding leadership or strategy. Short videos stir up the emotions and the applause is heartfelt. Those are good people on that stage.

2. This 14th awards ceremony is doing away with the usual pre-awards panel discussion and going instead with Second City. The comedy troupe will perform "an original and comical retrospective of the people, places, events, and issues that have shaped community development in Chicago over the last four decades. It's a humorous mirror of our victories, our foibles and just how we appear to the world around us."

3. I enjoy having drinks with 1,400 of my closest friends.

The improv starts at 3 p.m., awards at 4:30 and reception at 6 p.m., all at the Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker Drive. Tickets are $50 and you can register on-line here. Or purchase at the door for $55.

I'll see you there.