May 2019 2nd Edition

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(2nd) May 2019 ! VOLUME 02, ISSUE : 18 CHICAGO, IL-USA ! WWW.ADBHHUTMEDIA.COM PUBLISHED BY : ADBHHUT MEDIA LLC

PM MODI, 57-MEMBER TEAM OF MINISTERS BEGIN SECOND INNINGS J AMIT SHAH GETS HOME, RAJNATH SINGH DEFENCE J NIRMALA SITHARAMAN IS FINANCE MINISTER, S JAISHANKAR GETS MEA J‘TEAM IS A BLEND OF YOUTHFUL ENERGY, ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE’, PM MODI

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WORLD NEWS

PM Modi, 57-member team of ministers begin second innings New Delhi: Narendra Modi was today sworn in as India’s Prime Minister for a second term in the presence of foreign leaders, top politicians and spiritual leaders at a ceremony loaded with symbolism and grandeur. PM Modi, 68, strode into the forecourt of the majestic Presidential palace, Rashtrapati Bhawan, just a little before 7 pm to a roar of applause.

The Prime Minister, who wore a beige Nehru jacket, was sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind just before sunset. His senior-most minister Rajnath Singh took oath immediately after him, followed byAmit Shah, BJP president.

The national elections that Modi fronted along with master strategist Amit Shah delivered the Bharatiya Janata Party’s best-ever performance with 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha earlier this month. Among others who have taken oath as ministers in the 58-strong central council of ministers are BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari and DV Sadananda Gowda, ex-foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman. BJP

Center Minister’s 1.Rajnath Singh - Minister of Defence 2.Amit Shah - Minister of Home Affairs 3.Nitin Gadkari - Minister of Road Transport and Highways; and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 4.DV Sadananda Gowda - Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers 5.Nirmala Sitharaman - Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs 6.Ramvilas Paswan - Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 7.Narendra Singh Tomar - Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj 8.Ravi Shankar Prasad - Minister of Law and Justice; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology 9.Harsimrat Kaur Badal - Minister of Food Processing Industries 10.Thaawar Chand Gehlot - Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment 11. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar - Minister of External Affairs 12.Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ - Minister of Human Resource Development 13.Arjun Munda - Minister of Tribal Affairs

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14.Smriti Zubin Irani - Minister of Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles 15.Harsh Vardhan - Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of Science and Technology; and Minister of Earth Sciences 16.Prakash Javadekar - Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting 17.Piyush Goyal - Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce and Industry 18.Dharmendra Pradhan - Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Steel 19.Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi - Minister of Minority Affairs 20.Pralhad Joshi - Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines 21.Mahendra Nath Pandey - Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 22.Arvind Ganpat Sawant - Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise 23.Giriraj Singh - Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 24.Gajendra Singh Shekhawat - Minister of Jal Shakti

president and a confidant of PM Modi for two decades, Amit Shah, was the big entry in the new cabinet and is likely to be assigned the finance portfolio.Arun Jaitley, the finance minister in the outgoing government, had ruled himself out of the government due to health reasons.

Later in the evening, Modi described his team as “a blend of youthful energy and administrative experience” “Honoured to serve India!,” PM Modi said in a message on Twitter that popped up as the ceremony began. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been insistent on stepping down from the party’s top post after leading it to a crushing defeat in the national election, was also at PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. Seated next to him on the front row is mother, UPA chairpersonSoniaGandhiandleaderofopposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi werealso seated with

former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also present.

PM Modi had first moved the oath ceremony in 2014 from one of the ceremonial halls in the presidential palace to the magnificent forecourt to accommodate an audience in thousands, not a few hundred.

Today, there was an audience of more than 6,000 and included leaders of BIMSTEC countries, Prime Minister of Mauritius and President of Kyrgystan. BIMSTEC member-states are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand , Nepal and Bhutan.

PM Modi had again used his oath ceremony to signal the direction of his foreign policy whenNewDelhiinvitedleadersofBIMSTECcountries thatcoversallcountriesinIndia’sneighbourhoodminus Pakistan.

Ministers of State (Independent Charge) 1. Santosh Kumar Gangwar - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment 2. Rao Inderjit Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning 3. Shripad Yesso Naik - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence 4. Dr. Jitendra Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space 5. Kiren Rijiju - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of

Youth Affairs and Sports; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs 6. Prahalad Singh Patel - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism 7. Raj Kumar Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 8. Hardeep Singh Puri - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 9. Mansukh L Mandaviya - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MIDWEST

MAFS/UMAS Glorified “Asian Heritage Month”!

By : MAFS Naperville, IL - A wonderful kaleidoscope of events, dance and musical drama were well showcased by our very own seniorparticipants along with our staff to celebrate the “Asian Heritage Month” and the 27th Mini Fundraiser dinner of Metropolitan Asian Family Services a preeminent and pioneer social organization, who has elevated social services to an efficacious platform. The event was held on May 4th, 2019 at our Naperville Location, 1032 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville, IL. A beautiful evening of celebration started with the weather on our favor as the staff and the senior participants gathered and socialized outside under the sun, while they snacked on the delicious appetizers. The traditional lighting of the lamp was performed by Swami Mukundananda of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Aurora IL, along with Ms. Santosh Kumar, Executive Director, founder of MAFS/UMAS, Dr. Firdaus JafriPresident of Board of Directors, Prashant Kumar – Secretary of Board of Directors, Sagar KumarTreasurer, our prominent dignitaries, Congressman Raja WWW.ADBHHUTMEDIA.COM

Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Bill Foster, Representative Michelle Mussman, Representative Diane Pappas, Phillip Lanier of AgeOptions, Ms. Malini Vaidyanathan, Manager - Air India Limited, Chairman for Indian Community Outreach Krishna Bansal and Dr. Vijaya Prabhakar.

Also present were our Board Members, Dr. Rakesh Asthana, Ms. Sumitra Patel, Mr. Harish Kolasani, Mr. Nikunj Baxi and Mr. James D’Mello. Following the Deep Lighting, Ganesh Stuti was well performed by Rina’s Rockers. The guests were honored with plaques and flowers. Extolling speeches were given by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Bill Foster, Representative Michelle Mussman and Representative Diane Pappas, where they applauded MAFS/ UMAS for its commending effort to service the seniors of the community. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi encouraged people to support MAFS by donating generously in order to sustain their community social service. He was presented with an award as “Ambassador Of Asians” to Advocate on their behalf in the government of USA.

They praised Ms. Kumar for her tireless determination to help the needy seniors of the Chicagoland area and wished her to soon spread her services nationwide.

The entertainment that the seniors staged, was jaw-dropping and flamboyant. A serene Prayersong performed by the students and Tutors of our English Literacy Program was conducted by staff Eva Contractor. Taal, a Fusion Dance was performed By Esha Modi. Our Niles Seniors performed a dance sequence - Khatti Meethi Vaangi. Incredible India – a Folk Fusion Dance was wellperformed by our Naperville Seniors, followed by Down the Memory Lane performed by our Schaumburg Seniors. Much enjoyed were, Yeh Des Rangeela which was performed by Chicago Seniors and the Jhankar Dance

by Orland Park Seniors. A special performance by Schaumburg and Naperville Seniors and staff Sandese Aate Hain, which depicts the life story of a military man’s hardship. This skit brought tears to eyes of the audience. All were at awe with such an extraordinary performance of our seniors.

The hard work and perseverance of our staff portrayed excellent

choreography. Congratulations and Kudos to all the senior dancers and staff for their incredible performance.

Ms. Santosh Kumar welcomed and thanked the distinguished guests, Board members and the seniors in her thought stimulating speech. She spoke about the history of the organization as to how she left her legal career to help the elderly community with righteousness. She explained that many fake organizations were being formed in a very wrongful manner to trap the innocent people and to stirr them in the wrong direction. She praised the performers for their unbelievable and flawless performance.

She applauded the seniors for their energy and spirit. She congratulated the staff, board members and Dr. Fidaus Jafri, President of MAFS, for being the backbone to MAFS. She thanked her staff individually for their contribution to move MAFS to a higher pedestal to serve the senior community. She explained how important it was to raise funds to sustain this well-known program and continue it for generations.

After a scrumptious dinner from Jigar’s Kitchen which was en-

joyed by all, there was a special performance by Naperville ADS staff, followed by a Skit in English orchestrated by our very own Literacy students and tutors. Everyone was pleasantly surprised to see the non-English speaking seniors perform the skit in English! This was due to our Adult Literacy Program which educated and tutored our seniors to learn, speak and write in English! Kudos to our team! Uma Nauth, our volunteer senior performed a beautiful and graceful dance. To conclude the program, The Bollywood Musical Team by our UMAS talented staff was a treat to listen. A special thanks to DJ Mixu Patel for his first-rate contribution. Very importantly, a special gesture of respect, care and talent was shown by very own ADS staff member Mr. Rajinder Singh, by presenting a beautiful life-like painting of Mr. Kumar to Mrs. Kumar. Everybody was touched by the kind gesture of respect for Mr and Mrs Kumar by presenting this lively portrait on this occasion. Both our emcees, Neelam Desai and Jahnavi Bavisi did a fantastic job! Lastly, the vote of thanks was presented by Dr. Rakesh Asthana.

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MIDWEST

Celebrated Mother's Day Recognition Night 2019

By : Staff writer - Arlington Heights, IL - Mona Bhalla Productions and FarhanaAltafBukhari with support from AltafBukhari and Manjeet Singh Bhalla presented Mother's Day Recognition Night 2019 on May 11, 2019 at Atlantis Banquets in Arlington Heights, IL. The evening started with social hour where an over sold out crowd was able to shop at and visit over 20 booths for local businesses.

The booths were provided free of charge to moms with start up business and home based businesses. "I had been contacted by several ladies over the past 6 months that were asking if I can somehow help them with their startup businesses as they were single moms trying to make ends meet.

I thought this would be a great opportunity to give them a jump start and more exposure for their businesses by providing them free of charge.", said Mona Bhalla.

This was her way of giving back to the community.After the social hour, the evening entertainment began with a heart-melting video dedicated to all mothers. Mona Bhalla started the evening entertainment with a rocking WWW.ADBHHUTMEDIA.COM

performance of her latest superhit "Sajjana" which crossed over 1 Million views on youtube in less than a week and has been aired on PTC Punjabi. The crowd was totally submersed in the performance and could be heard singing along with Mona Bhalla.

Following this energized performance, the organizing team was introduced, sponsors and guest of honors were recognized, and the guests enjoyed very well choreographed dance performances. After this, Mona Bhalla came back and rocked the audience again with a medley of hits that had the crowd on their feet with little visible space left on the dance

floor.The guests were able to catch their breath for a little bit after that as team members, senior moms, singer moms, and all mothers that were present were recognized and brought up on stage and awarded with trophies. "Best attempt was made to honor each and every mother at the event, but we appoligize if anyone was mistakenly left out", said FarhanaAltafBukhari. All the efforts for this team in putting together this first time ever event was clearly visible and appreciated by all in attendance. Smiles were seen across the whole banquet hall thoughout the evening as everyone thoroughly enjoyed the gala

where over 150 beautiful trophies and plaques were awarded. A few non-profit organizations and guests (requested to stay unidentified for privacy) were invited free of charge and given time to speak about their organiztions and what they do.

To add to this, there were giveaways throughout the event where items were given away including a diamond ring, bracelets, jewelry, Indian suits, real silver coins, gift certificates, gift hampers, and so much more.

Mona Bhalla Productions has been working hard to bring the community and cultures to the forefront and this was just

another such instance following the first ever celebration of Diwali and the South Asian Festival at Six Flags Great America last year. While leaving, guests were heard repeatedly saying "This was an unbelievable first time ever event that honored all mothers. Please continue this and make it an annual event!"

Mona Bhalla said, "We are so happy that everyone enjoyed so much and was able to join us to celebrate Mother's Day together.

I am thankful that my team and I were able to do something to help the ladies that are trying to get back up on their feet and all the mothers on their very special day!

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MIDWEST

Celebrated Mother's Day Recognition Night 2019

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MID WEST

THE GRAND PLAN FOR FIA 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ANNOUNCED IN THE PRESENCE OF CONSUL GENERAL HON. SUDHAKARDALELA

By: Prachi Jaitly Oakbrook, IL: Sunday 5/19/2019 Federation of Indian Associations, Chicago, (FIA) under the guidance of founding president Sunil Shah, Founder, OnkarSangha, Past President Neil Khot, President NinadDaftariand all the board members and executive members hosted a kickoff event as a curtain raiser for its 10th anniversary Gala Night and Independence Day celebration.

FIA will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary Awards Gala Night & India's 73rd Independence Day on

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August 16th at The Meadows Club, Rolling Meadows, IL. Sunil Shah along with his wife Rita Shah set the stage for the event with a welcome note to the Hon. Consul General SudhakarDalela. Rita Shah made the evening melodious with a beautiful inspirational song. The song set the perfect tone for the evening. Executive Vice President Hitesh Gandhi introduced the distinguished guests that included, GopalLamalani, Mayor, Village of Oakbrook, Tom Dailly, Mayor, Village of Schaumburg. Deepak Kant Vyas, CEO Redberri Corporation, Anil and

AshaOroskar of Orochem, Brij Sharma of Powervolt and many more. NinadDaftari talked about events hosted by FIA in the past that included both community events as well as philanthropic projects. The nominations categories were announced by Neil Khot along with the details about the nominations process. The wide span of nominations categories aims at inviting nominations from people from all walks of life. Nominations will be accepted at www.fia-il.org and the results will be announced on August 16th. One pivotal part of the

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MID WEST

celebration would be to recognize people from various walks of life who have excelled in their respective fields.

Media coverage was done by Adbhhut Media. Adbhhut Media Founder President and Vice President FIA Gurmeet Singh Dhalwan, on behalf ofAdbhhut Media assured his

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full support to FIA's future projects. All the dignitaries who graced the event poured in their commendable support for both FIA and the awards night nominees. Many well-known organizations extended their support to help FIA achieve its mission. Midwest Punjabi Association was represented by the Director Public Relations, Phani Krishna and other members of the organization. Talking to the Adbhhut Media C h i e f E d i t o r P r a c h i J a i t l y, S u n i l S h a h explained the unique vision behind the Gala Awards night and invited people to participate in the nominations process. Consulate General Hon. SudhakarDalela wished grand success to FIA for all the work it has done in the past and the upcoming projects. Dr. Vyas

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MIDWEST

mentioned that he has been associated with FIA with many years and has witnessed the great work done by the organization under his very good friend Sunil Shah's leadership and guidance. T h e guests enjoyed beautiful performances by various dance groups that incl u d e d

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Alokita Dhar and Sindh u N a i d u , D i y a Ta l a t i a n d M e Marathi Group. Event emcees, SaurinThakkar and Jassi Parmar steered the entire event followed by FIA Secretary, Harsh Shah presenting the vote of thanks and theevent ended with a sumptuous meal.

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BUSINESS

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WORLD

AIR INDIA is pleased to announce changes to their schedule from June 01 to June 30, 2019.

Effective June 01, 2019 our daily NONSTOP flight AI126 departs from Chicago at 12:00 pm and arrives into New Delhi at 2:15 pm the following day and continues onward to Hyderabad. This schedule offers the fastest service from Chicago to Delhi with immediate connections to a host of cities in India. In the return direction, flight AI 127 departs Delhi at 10:05 pm and arrives into Chicago at 7:25 am the following day. Passengers have the entire day to take connecting flights to all US interior cities. AI 127 will take a longer route, making a technical stop in Stockholm for refu-

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eling, due to the airspace closure. Passengers will remain on board the flight during this halt in Stockholm. This flight offers international connections from Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Amritsar, and Kolkata. The flights are operated daily with the latest Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, between Terminal 5 at O’Hare airport in Chicago and Terminal 3 at Delhi. Air India offers wider seats and ample legroom space with the latest in-flight entertainment to make the long-haul flight comfortable. On board, a multi cuisine treat awaits passengers with

a wide range of meals and beverages.

Passengers can choose from a variety of dietary options and special meals as per their individual tastes and requirements with an advance notice.

AIR INDIA requests all passengers, holding bookings to contact their Travel

Consultant or the nearest AIR INDIA office for updated information on their reservation and for rebooking their itinerary in case of misconnection due to advanced departure from Chicago and Delhi.

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WORLD

Memories of World War II

New exhibit at Lincoln Presidential Library will spotlight the memories of the Greatest Generation

SPRINGFIELD – The voices of the World War II generation will take visitors from Pearl Harbor to the beaches of Normandy and from Nazi death camps to a Japanese prison in a stunning new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

“In This Great Struggle: The Greatest Generation Remembers World War II” opens June 6, the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

The heart of the exhibit is a series of interviews with the men and women who served and fought inWorld War II. These interviewshave been woven into a series of short videos about the war, from the home front to the front lines.

The videos are accompanied by fascinating artifacts from the war: Gen. Eisenhower’s helmet, a motorcycle, a doll carried by a young girl in a Japanese prison camp, and much more.

The exhibit also includes World War II propaganda posters from the presidential library’s collection. The colorful posters urge people to buy war bonds, avoid unnecessary travel and, most important of all, keep quiet about military secrets.

“Creating this exhibit has been an honor,” said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and WWW.ADBHHUTMEDIA.COM

Museum. “For the first time, we’ve brought together World War II material from different parts of the library’s collection, borrowed wonderful items from other institutions and put it all together in a package that I’m sure people will love.”

Visitors will enter “In This Great Struggle” through a replica of a D-Day landing craft. Inside, they’ll find videos documenting World War II through the stories of the Illinoisans who endured it.

The people featured in the videos include Charles Sehe, a sailor on the U.S.S. Nevada when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor; Arthur Betts, one of the few African-Americans to fight in a largely white unit, and Harold Steele, among the first Americans to encounter a Nazi death camp. Betty Wrigley describes what it was like to be a real-life “Rosie the Riveter” making military vehicles. Mary Ann Koucky explains life as a child in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines.

Most of the interviews were conducted by the presidential library’s Oral H i s t o r y Program.”I’m excited that this exhibit will include the voices of 23 Americans from the Greatest Generation who we’ve interviewed over the years.

They were average people

who were thrust into the midst of war, and who lived extraordinary lives,” said the program’s director, Dr. Mark DePue. The exhibit includes many smaller items that tell individual stories of the war. Those stories can be joyful, tragic and inspiring – sometimes all at once.

There are telegrams to a mother.

One says her son has been taken prisoner, and another brings the joyous news that he has been released. There’s also a set of French work papers – forgeries given to a downed American pilot by the French Resistance. Another letter seems unremarkable, until you realize it was a soldier’s last letter home.

Veterans and military personnel always get a $5 discount to the presidential museum. That discount is being expanded during the run of “In This Great Struggle.” Spouses of active-duty troops will also get $5 off, and veterans, military personnel and spouses with military ID can bring up to three family members at $5 off the standard adult ticket price or $1 off the youth price. A series of special events will accompany the World War II exhibit. · D-Day: Dr.

Mark DePue analyzes the day that the largest armada in history brought 152,000 Allied troops to the hostile shores of Normandy.

May 30, 6:30 p.m., Union Theater, free. · A ceremony on the morning of June 6 to raise U.S. and French flags that recently flew at the Utah Beach landing site in Normandy. · Curators of ‘In This Great

their depictions of war with what really happened. Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m., Union Theater, free. · Rosie the Riveter: Through games and activities, children learn about Rosie the Riveter, the icon of women in the workplace during World War II. Oct. 26, 10 a.m.-noon, museum plaza, free with regular admission.

Struggle’: Hear from the team that created this one-of-a-kind exhibit. June 12, 5:30 p.m., library, free. · Superheroes Boot Camp: In partnership with the Illinois State Military Museum, this event offers climbing and racing activities, map reading and a bouncehouse obstacle course.

Everyone is welcome to wear their favorite superhero costume. June 15, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Union Square Park, free. · Victory Garden for Kids: Discover the importance of victory gardens during World War II and create a mini-garden to take home.

July 13, 10 a.m.-noon, Union Square Park, registration required, $15 ($12.50 for members) · Movies of World War II: Dr. Mark DePue presents highlights from some of the greatest World War II movies and compares

The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech show m a n s h i p t o i m m e r s e visitors in the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.

Visitors can see ghos t s come to life on stage, watch TV coverage of the 1860 presidential election, roam through t h e L i n c o l n White House, experience booming cannons in a Civil War battle and come face to face with priceless original Lincoln artifacts.

The library h o l d s a n u n p a r a l l e l e d collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history.

For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.

You can follow the ALPLM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MIDWEST

Illinois History Day honors research, creativity Hundreds of students compete for special awards, chance to move forward to national event

SPRINGFIELD – Dozens of Illinois students advanced to the national competition or won special awards after presenting research papers, exhibits, documentaries and more at the annual Illinois History Day event.

Their research topics ranged from Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train to little-known female codebreakers to the Black Panther Party.

Roughly 20,000 students took part in history competitions around Illinois, and 850 reached the state finals. More than 60 Illinois students at the May 2 event qualified for the national competition, which begins June 13 just outside Washington, D.C. Students weren’t the only ones recognized for their hard work.

PORTA High School and teacher Patricia Woods received the Governor’s Award for excellence in history education. And the National History Day program honored two other teachers, Sophia Logothetis of Chicago’s DeWitt Clinton Elementary School and Bryanne Roemer from Maine West High School in Des Plaines. They are now eligible for awards at the National History Day event.

“The creativity and hard work of these competitors never ceases to amaze me,” said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “Each year, they come up with surprising new topics, new details and new ways to present their work.”

The students qualifying for National History Day were: Junior Paper · Perry Hingsbergen, Catherine Cook School, Chicago; Triumph & Tragedy on the Yellow Brick Road: A Century of Success and Censorship of L. Frank Baum's Wonderful Wizard of Oz WWW.ADBHHUTMEDIA.COM

· D'Shanti Williams, Locke Charter School, Chicago; The Helping and Hindering Factors of Chicago's Highways in the 1950's Senior Paper · Audrey Kim, University of Chicago Lab High School, Chicago; Coloring Inside the Line: Urban Renewal in Chicago · Ananya Asthana, University of Chicago Lab High School, Chicago; The AAPL: A Tragic Defeat Junior Individual Website · Ella Saputra, Mead Junior High, Elk Grove Village; The Radium Girls: Ottawa's Shining Women · Aaron Howe. Quest Academy, Palatine; The Tylenol Murders of 1982: How it Changed Consumer Products Forever Junior Group Website · Stella Chilton, Sunshine Pang, Yanchen Liu, Katelynn Luu, Whitney Young Academic Center, Chicago; A Step Towards Integration: The Chicago Public School Boycott of 1963 · Nikita Agrawal, Ada Liberzon, Vanessa Lowder, Stella Rhodes, Victoria Velazquez, Whitney Young Academic Center, Chicago; The Young Lords of Chicago Senior Individual Website · Krishna Patel, Stevenson High, Lincolnshire; Chicago Pile 1: A Scientific Triumph Transforms into a Tragedy · Rishika Chikoti, Stevenson High, Lincolnshire; The Tylenol Murders and a Triumph in Drug Safety Senior Group Website · Ishani Pidara, Grace Sawin, Lincoln Park High, Chicago; Burnham's Plan · Liliana Munoz, Braulio Puente, Jr., Von Steuben High, Evanston; Road to Refuge Junior Individual Exhibit · Michelle Walsh, Immanuel Lutheran School,

Elmhurst; The Great Depression in Chicago and its Lasting Legacy · Mia Fritsch-Anderson, Pritzker Elementary, Chicago; Smashing Codes But not the Glass Ceiling Junior Group Exhibit · Soham Gupta, Abhay Paidipalli, Sean Yang, Mead Junior High, Elk Grove Village; 1963 Game of Change · Amber Cheng, Mercy Herron, Olivia Ide, Lincoln Elementary, Chicago; Chicago Flood of 1992: A Devastating Disaster Deluging Senior Individual Exhibit · Stephen Thomas, De La Salle Institute, Chicago; Black Heroes on Fire! Engine Co. 21: The Men and their Mission · Keeley Flynn, Maine South High School, Park Ridge; The Races of Mankind Senior Group Exhibit · Matthew Li, Govinda Prabhakar, Erin Yuan, Bridget Zhu, Stevenson High, Lincolnshire; Reversing the Flow of History: Triumph and Tragedy of the Chicago River · Luciana Costanzo, Sofia Penglase, Payton College Prep High School, Chicago; The Social Evil Junior Individual Documentary · Evan Howe, Quest Academy, Palatine; The Riot that Changed America: The 1908 Springfield Race Riot and the Formation of the NAACP · Megha Khemka, Lincoln Elementary, Chicago; Building Castles in the Air: How America's Largest Housing Project was Made to Fail Junior Group Documentary · Anirudh Chari, Akhilraj Chennamadhavuni, Mead Junior High, Elk Grove Village; The Chicago Typhoid Fever Epidemic of the 19th Century: How Sickness & Death Can Lead to Change · Abigail Eason, Madeline Rosofsky, Lincoln Elementary, Chicago; The Final Act: The Iroquois Theater Tragedy Senior Individual Documentary · Anne Berg, Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette; The WPA School Mural Project: A Missed Educational Opportunity · Claudia Morrison, Maine West High School, Des Plaines; Art Shay: Through the Lens of an Activist Senior Group Documentary · Isabella Rigatos, Mia Rogers, Benjamin Sebastian, Harley Walton, Raven Walton, Meliora High, Naperville; Colleen

Moore's Influence on American Women · Claire Duncan, Nikhil Patel, University of Chicago Lab High School, Chicago; The Tragedy of a Promise Unfulfilled: The Story of SDS Junior Individual Performance · Nathaniel Gao, Unity Point School, Carbondale; Elijah Lovejoy and the Antislavery Movement · Audrey Jayne, Lakeview Junior High, Downers Grove; Spreading Hope throughout Chicago: The Story of D.L. Moody Junior Group Performance · Michelle Wang, Elaina Xiao, Unity Point School, Carbondale; Jane Addams and Ellen Starr: Voices of Change · Brice Anderson, Isis ElHarris, Chito Emechebe, Madison Leathers, Makayla Taylor, Parker Junior High, Flossmoor; The Black Panther Party: Violence or Justice?

Senior Individual Performance · Brandon Tulban, Maine South High School, Park Ridge; The Story of the Chicago River Reversal through Time Senior Group Performance · Gabriel Benyas, Rose Kippenbrock, Kylee Korando, Carbondale Community High, Carbondale; Barbed Wire: A Twisted Legacy · Grace Langfels, Kayla Smith, Maggie Stutz, Mia Touhy, Regina Dominican High, Wilmette; The Our Lady of Angels School Fire: The Tragedy that Sparked the Improvement of Fire Codes Projects Selected but Unable to Attend NHD 2019 · Benjamin Schacter, Lincoln Park High School, Chicago; The Black Panther Party: Illinois chapter · Mary Welenc, Nazareth Academy, La Grange; Underwriters Laboratories: Blazing a Path for a Safer World · Isabelle Ravanas, Lincoln Elementary, Chicago; Ask for Jane The special awards and the winners are: Labor History Society Awards · Stephen C. Thomas, De La Salle Institute, Chicago; Black Heroes on Fire! Engine Co. 21: The Men and their Mission · Annie Gaughan, Maine South High School, Park Ridge; Feminism and Unionism in Chicago · Chase Heyen, Lincoln Magnet School, Springfield; I&M Canal: Born, Built & Grown

· Miah Buckley, Waltham Elementary, Utica; Radium Girls Abraham Lincoln Association · Luke Hockenyos, Lincoln Magnet School, Springfield; Mourning Across America: Lincoln’s Funeral Train Illinois College – Outstanding Exhibit 1.

Isabella Andrews, Waltham Elementary, Utica; Special Olympics 2.

Anabella Lau, Edison Regional Gifted Center, Chicago; Big Movement for Small Class Size 3.

Jonah Rodman, Gavan Dick, Timothy Keller, Cole Klauzer, PORTA High School, Petersburg; ISU Beer Riots of 1984 Illinois College – Outstanding Website · Nadia Hernandez, Grayslake North High School, Grayslake; Chicago Bilingual Education Millikin University · Jacinth Valera, Maine West High School, Des Plaines; The Day Chicago Cried: Our Lady of Angels Fire · Mahir Hassan, Carbondale Community High, Carbondale; Black Hawk: The Sauk Chief · Gabby Watson, Murphysboro High, Murphysboro; Mother Jones: The Hellraiser · Dakota Kuehl, PORTA High, Petersburg; Triumph and Tragedy Are Not Black and White · Olivia Pound, Grayslake High, Grayslake; Environmentalism Old State Capitol Foundation – African-American History · Ethan Heinzel, Lincoln Magnet School, Springfield; Merciless Bloodshed of Springfield: 1908 Race Riot Old State Capitol Foundation – Women’s History · Darcy Conder, Carbondale Community High, Carbondale; The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks Canal Corridor Association 1.

Chase Heyen, Lincoln Magnet School, Springfield; I&M Canal: Born, Built & Grown 2.

Madison Kenyon, St. Mary Catholic School, Woodstock; Illinois and Michigan Canal Illinois Press Association Elijah Lovejoy Award · Nathaniel Gao, Unity Point High School, Carbondale; Elijah P. Lovejoy and the Antislavery Movement

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MIDWEST

Giant Lincoln arrives in Lincoln’s hometown ‘Return Visit’ sculpture installed at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Seward Johnson’s monumental sculpture of Abraham Lincoln was installed at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on Wednesday in a joint initiative by the presidential library and the City of Springfield.

“Return Visit” – which stands 31 feet tall and weighs 37,000 pounds – depicts Lincoln discussing the Gettysburg Address with a modern man. It will be displayed in Springfield until September of next year.

“The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is home to one of the five copies of the Gettysburg Address written in Lincoln’s own hand. It’s also dedicated to helping ordinary people understand Lincoln’s extraordinary life and legacy. I think that makes us the perfect place for a sculpture featuring both the speech and Lincoln talking to a citizen,” said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The sculpture is being brought to Springfield thanks to a partnership between the presidential library and the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“What an incredible opportunity to host Seward Johnson’s “Return Visit” monumental Abraham Lincoln statue for two summers.

The City of Springfield is beyond thrilled for this opportunity to draw tourists to our city with this unique experience,” said Scott Dahl, executive director of Visit Springfield.

This piece is the enlarged version of Johnson’s original work of art commissioned for Gettysburg Plaza in Pennsylvania. The lifescale sculpture stands near the historic Wills House in Gettysburg and depicts President Lincoln gesturing with his famous hat to the bedroom in the Wills House WWW.ADBHHUTMEDIA.COM

where he finished writing the Gettysburg Address before delivering the speech at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery, Nov. 19, 1863.

Beside him stands a “modern man” representing all of us. He holds a gigantic bronze copy of the address in his hands, indicating that these words are as valid to our contemporary

life as they were in Lincoln’s time.

On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumner referred to the most famous speech ever given

by President Lincoln. In his eulogy for the slain president, he called the Gettysburg Address a “monumental act” and said Lincoln was mistaken that “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.” Rather, the Bostonian remarked, “The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it.

The battle itself was less important than the speech.”

Artist Seward Johnson is a world-renowned sculptor who has had more than 450 life-size cast bronze figures featured in private collections and museums in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as on public view at prominent locales such as Times Square and Rockefeller Center in New York City, Pacific

Place of Hong Kong, Les Halles in Paris and Via Condotti in Rome. Johnson’s spectacular monumental-scale works have been on public view or been permanently sited in Australia, Normandy, Brussels, New York City, San Diego, Palm Springs, Washington, D.C., and Rome.

Regionally, people may be most familiar with Johnson’s works on display in downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Over the years, these displays included the giant Marilyn Monroe with her skirt blowing aloft, and the farmers with the pitchfork in homage to painter Grant Wood. Even a rendition of Shakespeare’s King Lear has awed the human-scale population and delighted passersby. The Lincoln sculpture has been on view in Chicago and in Troy, Ohio, before most recently travelling to Peoria, Ill. Sculptor Seward Johnson notes: “President Lincoln’s character and accomplishments are imprinted forever on the nation he loved and served so well. He has been a hero

to millions of people and certainly has inspired me throughout my life.”

The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc., was incorporated to promote the appreciation of, and education about, sculpture and public art in general, primarily through the creation, maintenance, sales and public placement of Seward Johnson’s artwork.The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship to immerse visitors in the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. Visitors can see ghosts come to life on stage, watch TV coverage of the 1860 presidential election, roam through the Lincoln White House, experience booming cannons in a Civil War battle and come face to face with priceless original Lincoln artifacts.

The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history.

After his own loss, a Gold Star father helps others cope with tragedy Memorial Day 2019

By Dr. Mark DePue For most Americans, Memorial Day is little more than a three-day weekend and a chance to fire up the grill. Some of us will take time out to remember our loved ones who have passed away, often decorating their graves with flowers or keepsakes. Many of us will take a moment to honor our veterans in some way.

For Jim Frazier, however, Memorial Day has a much deeper meaning, one closer to what its founders intended. Jim Frazier is a Gold Star father. His son Jacob was killed in action while serving with a Special Forces 'A' Team in Afghanistan on March 9, 2003.

Jim is intensely proud of his son, and of his service to this country.

He vividly remembers their last faceto-face conversation when Jake dropped by the house to say goodbye in January 2003. Jake was sitting in his car, ready to depart for Peoria to catch his flight overseas when he told his father, "I want to go hunt down and catch the people

responsible for killing three thousand of our citizens."

That comment surprised and deeply impressed Jim. "I'm like, wow! Holy cow," he recalls.

Jim, a Marine from the Vietnam era, then felt compelled to offer up some fatherly advice. "Being the thickheaded old Marine that I am, I said, hey, a couple of things, pal. Keep your weapon clean, cover your buddies' backs, always have good socks, and keep your head down. I want you to come home safe."

Then came the comment that Jim will never forget. "Okay, Pops, I will," Jake said, "but if I don't, I'll see you on the other side." In recounting the story, Jim repeated that phrase. "'I'll see you on the other side' - I'll never forget that," he said.

There were a lot of emails and phone calls over the next couple of months.

Jake enjoyed telling his dad about what he was doing, about being the new guy on the team. "I love this job," Jake once said in a matter-offact way.

"He loved who he was with, the fact that he was with those ALPHA teams, the Special Forces teams," Jim said.

Then came the fateful day when Jim received a phone call at 9:15 a.m. from an Air Force officer informing him that Jake had been wounded.

For the next several hours Jim scoured the internet and checked the news channels to find out more information, slowly collecting facts that led him to conclude the worst Jake had been killed. By the time his fears were confirmed, the whole family had gathered. The next few days were a blur, a very painful blur.

Jim took some comfort when three of Jake's teammates came to visit the family after they returned to the states. Jim cherished his time with them, learning how they embraced Jake into their brotherhood. "They trusted him with their lives, like he trusted his life to them," Jim said during an interview with the Oral History Program at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. "To hear them talk about his professionalism and his eagerness. They all said the same thing. They said he was eager to learn anything we would teach him. … He wanted to do more and more and more. He

loved that. That was his thing.

That warms your heart. I could see, hear and feel sincerity coming from them." In the months following Jake's death, Jim attended several funerals for other Illinoisans killed in combat, often meeting Lt. Governor Pat Quinn there as well.

For the next few years, he went through a very dark time in his own life, a deep funk from which he did not emerge until 2009. Since then, Jim has worked with other Gold Star families. He finds great satisfaction in helping others cope with their own loss and pain. He's been there.

He knows their pain. He understands their deep-seated need to talk about their son or daughter. "I'm able to help people every day, and I'm with the people that I care about," said Jim, who is now the northern Illinois coordinator for Survivor Outreach Services. "I'm with survivors."

His work will never bring his son back, but he knows Jake would appreciate what he is doing.

Finally, he is comforted by the knowledge that someday he'll meet Jake again "on the other side." DePue is the Director of Oral History at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

You can listen to Jim's entire story at www.oralhistory.illinois.gov.

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COMMUNITY ROUNDUP MIDWEST

HINDI CLUB OF ILLINOIS CELEBRATES “EK KESARIYA SHAM, HINDI BHASHA KE NAM”

By Preeti Gupta Hindu Club of Illinois held a fundraising event, “Ek Kesariya Sham, Hindi Bhasha Ke Nam” on May 19, 2019 in Villa Park, IL. The club secretary, Anica Dubey, introduced the board of directors. President and Founder Gurbachan Kaur welcomed and invited the Chief Guest, Consul G e n e r a l o f I n d i a , M r. S u d h a k a r Dalela, and distinguished guests including Sunil Shah, Hari Bhai Patel, Moon Khan, Kishore Mehta, Vinita Gulabani, Ramkrishna Shah, Onkar Singh Sangha, Gurmeet Singh Dhalwan, and Madhu Patel to the stage for diya lighting ceremony. After this, Mr. Dalela congratulated the club for its contribution and dedication. He talked about Hindi bhasha and literature being medium to connect us to our culture and country.

He was happy to know that various Hindi teaching programs are already

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being done all over USA and people are actively involved in various activities, and he extended full support to this organization.

The program started with a beautiful Ganesh Vandana prayer dance by Alokita Dhar and Sindhu Naidu, followed up by mesmerizing performances: Rang de Basanti by ADS group. Mannat Raheja spoke in Hindi about Mother’s Day, whereas Nishika Dubey shared her “nibandh” on Holi. This was followed by a patriotic theme dance by Aabeer Awasthi, Anjika Awasthi, Agrim Malik, and Shreshth Malik.

Rakesh Malhotra led the “Kavi Darbar” with local poets Vijay Chopra, Sanjay Sharma, Chander Verma, and Savita Bhatia. After this, Gurmeet Singh Dhalwan and Sunil Shah took the stage to say few words.

After a short snack break the second half of the program started with short

speech by Malini Vaidyanathan from Air India Limited. As afternoon rolled on, Mrs. Padma Mehta entertained the audience with beautiful Bollywood songs interspersed with jokes and shayari. She was ably accompanied by Anil Jha and Madhu Trivedi. In between, there were raffles and silent auction for Air India ticket. Hindi Club would like to thank the audience for their donations and sponsorship by Chhabria Law LLC, Adbhhut Media, Air India, Regal Jewelers, Vinni’s Salon, Shree Ganesh

Temple, and Sunil Shah of FIA as well as participation to make the evening a great success. Special thanks to Sanjana (Shonga) Das and her wonderful volunteer team [Nilabh D u b e y, S a t i s h B h a t i a , P r e r n a Awasthi, Aruna Raval, Minakshi, Anjali, Ashwini Kumar and Anurag Awasthi for Facebook Live Feed (www.facebook.com/HINDICLUBIL/) as well as Murad Studio for recording the event. Please mark your calendars for our next program “Hindi Divas” on September 14, 2019

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TERM 5 YEARS 3 YEARS 2 YEARS 1 YEAR

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APY* 3.30% 3.09% 3.04% 2.78%

INTEREST RATE 3.25% 3.05% 3.00% 2.75%

*APYs are accurate as of April 01, 2019 and subject to change anytime. Contact your banker at 312-621-1200 for current APYs. Minimum balance required to open CD and to earn the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is $2,500. Penalty will be imposed for early withdrawal. We offer additional 10 bps interest for CDs of senior citizens (aged 60 years and above) for tenor of 1 year and above.

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