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Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago-based artist to complete Gary mural
Max Sansing grew up visiting Gary from the south side of Chicago. Now, he's returned to the city to create a mural for Deniece Williams, a Grammy award-winning singer and Gary native. 'It's been awesome,' Sansing said. 'I've painted all over the world, and the response here has hit deeper. I know she means a lot to the people here.' Williams is known for various songs, including 'Let's Hear it for the Boy,' which in May 1984 hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 music chart. Williams' mural is one of multiple new art pieces celebrating Gary success stories throughout the city. On Friday, the city unveiled a mural of the Jackson Five in the Miller neighborhood, which was painted by local artist Felix 'Flex' Maldonado. 'Gary has always been a city of heart and soul, and we owe so much to the Jackson family for the precious cultural heritage they've given us,' Mayor Eddie Melton said in a news release. 'My administration is strongly committed to creating opportunities for public art and supporting talented artists like Felix Maldonado who bring these visions to life. This new mural will support our local businesses along Lake Street while giving visitors another compelling reason to discover Gary as the premier beach front destination in Northwest Indiana.' The Jackson Five mural was privately funded by Gary residents, Karren and Patrick Lee and Tom and Sylvia Collins. The mural is reminiscent of another art piece that was on Lake Street before deterioration led to its removal. The city also plans to collaborate with Indiana University Northwest's School of Arts to create a mural on the former Sears building along Broadway. IUN students and alumni will help create a series of murals that shows Gary's history and most influential citizens. 'These city-funded projects represent a commitment to honor Gary's musical heritage and invite the public to experience Gary's downtown revitalization,' the news release said. The mural of Williams — which Sansing planned to finish Wednesday — is located at the corner of West 25th Avenue and Broadway. Sansing said his friend, artist Ish Muhammad, asked him to create the art. Sansing had the idea to paint Williams, and the mural is a portrait of her when she was younger with colors reflective of albums she's made. He also included flowers and a songbird on the portrait. 'I figured this was a piece where I could tell more about who she was as a person,' Sansing said. 'I wanted to tell a story with all these colors and different little images about her.' Williams visited Sansing while he worked on the mural about a week before he planned to complete it, he said, adding that one of his friends told him Williams started to tear up while she looked at the painting. Sansing grew up listening to Williams' music, so he said it's made the mural more special for him. 'It was barely finished, but it was good to see her happy,' Sansing said. 'It's nerve-racking to have someone show up when you're painting them, but people said she was happy with how it looked.' The Post-Tribune was unable to contact Williams for a comment. The city of Gary posted about Williams' visit on its Facebook page, including photos of her with Melton. 'Honoring a hometown legend,' the Facebook post said. 'A beautiful mural is going up at 25th & Broadway to celebrate the incredible Deniece Williams — the Grammy-winning artist whose soaring four-octave voice took her from local church choirs to international stardom.' Sansing is excited to see how residents throughout the city will continue to embrace his work. 'I really just want to say thank you to the city of Gary and to the people of Gary,' he said. 'I mean, it's not an easy thing to do this, and I appreciate them making me feel welcomed, and them saying hi and sharing their stories. It really helps me get this done.' The city's investment in public art is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, according to a Gary news release.
Chicago Tribune
12-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
IUN Kids College helps NWI students discover careers
For Kyra Shannon, the best part of Indiana University Northwest's Kids College is the bond she creates with students and fellow instructors. 'I like teaching,' said Shannon, a civic leadership instructor and ambassador. 'I like leadership, and I like getting kids in the mindset of (making change).' Kids College is a two-week summer camp for Northwest Indiana's middle school students. The camp simulates a college experience for children who would typically be first-generation college students or qualify for Indiana's 21st Century Scholars program. Students can participate in different career paths, including performing arts, technology and medical programs. Sarah Morris, director of IUN's Kids College, said about 65 students are participating in the camp this year, up from about 50 the year before. Throughout the state, Indiana University hosts six Kids Colleges at its satellite campuses. 'The students can choose a major, and they get to meet faculty, community partners and professionals,' Morris said. 'Then they get to learn what it's like in that major … and learn what different career paths that major could lead them to.' On Thursday, Best Buy's Geek Squad was at Kids College, helping students who are interested in technology careers. Community partners are important for Kids College, Morris said, because it can get participants more excited about their careers. Campers Kenyon Workman and Kenneth Suncin both learned about technology careers at this year's Kids College. This week, both Workman and Suncin have worked on coding, which they both said they're interested in. Both kids have liked coding more as Kids Camp has gone on. 'We're doing this (program) where we had to get a robot out of a maze,' Suncin said. 'After a while, I got focused on decorating (the characters).' This year was Workman's second year at Kids College, but it was Suncin's first. He joined because his sister had done the camp before, Suncin said. Aniyah Kelly is going into eighth grade, so this is her final year at Kids College. This year, Kelly participated in the performing arts program, but before, she'd done the medical track. Kelly is interested in a nursing career, which she said she learned at Kids College. 'I really want to work in a hospital,' Kelly said. Jaclyn Calvillo is a medical health careers program instructor at Kids College. Throughout the camp, Calvillo said students in the medical program learn about health problems that affect children in their age group. 'For instance, we look at teen suicide, counseling, those types of things,' Calvillo said. 'Is there enough access to health care or not? And what can we do to improve these numbers? How can we create a new system that might work better?' Calvillo said it's powerful to watch children grow throughout Kids Camp, and she's watched participants become more confident and come out of their shell. For Morris, it's heartwarming to watch students come back year after year and continue to grow. 'College isn't just about learning,' Morris said. 'I can imagine a lot of these students have a negative experience at their schools, unfortunately, which is so unfair to them. But, at Kids College, we get to provide them with a better learning experience.'
Chicago Tribune
02-06-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
NWI Summer Learning Labs ready for second year of diminishing learning loss
Bolstered by last year's success, the Northwest Indiana Summer Reading Labs state-funded program aimed at preventing learning loss has expanded from 22 to 30 sites and expects to enroll 900 to 1,000 students. Deborah H. Black, of the education nonprofit DHB and Associates and the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, saw their program funding increase from $1.2 million to $1.5 million, Black said Monday. The enrollment deadline is June 16. Information is available at The five-week, free academic and enrichment summer program for children in grades 1-9 runs from June 23 to July 25 with sites primarily in Gary, but also Hammond and East Chicago. The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit developed the program and launched it in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Education last year. Children in Northwest's program saw double-digit gains in English/language arts and math in post-tests, Black said. The program is interviewing and still hiring teachers for the 4-1/2-week classes, Monday-Thursday. Training is available at Indiana University Northwest and online. Black agrees with the Summer Labs' core philosophy that stresses achievement over remediation. 'I think we have to stop defining our students' learning needs as remediation,' she said. 'Just see what they need and go.' She said the paradigm of micro classes of five students to one teacher encourages social and emotional support along with academic needs. Black said students enjoyed last year's program which included field trips and college visits. 'Students didn't want to leave,' she said. Because her business is a small nonprofit, Black praised the Urban League for stepping up as a co-sponsor. Academically Yours — 5696 Broadway, Gary, 219-282-8105, Grades 1-4 Spark Steam Ahead — 8438 Indiana St., Merrillville, 219-384-4630, Grades 1-6 Apostle Church of God's Love — 5549 Sohl Ave., Hammond, 219-256-0127, Grades 3, 5, 7, 8 ASW Foundation — 650 S. Lake St., Gary, 219-238-9996, Grades 1-5 Christ Center Church — 719 Clark Road, Gary, 219-805-1108, Grades 1-9 Circle of Love Family — 1802 Columbus Dr., East Chicago, 219- 794-5290, Grades 1-6 City of Gary — 455 Massachusetts St., Gary, 219-886-7099, ext. 36900, Grades 1-3 Flourish Church — 3935 Cleveland St., Gary, 773-217-3368, Grades 1-4 Glen Park Academy — 5002 Madison St., Gary, ctreadwell@ Grades 1-6 (GPA students only) H.O.M.E. Mentoring and Tutoring — 3637 Grant St., 219-613-4837, Grades 1-5 House of God Church — 3545 W. 20th Place, Gary, 219-381-5635, Grades 1, 5-8 Institute for Leadership and Performance Improvement — 3401 W. 5th Ave., Gary, 219-730-6903, Grades 2-5 Israel Metropolitan CME Church — 2301 Washington St., Gary, 219-883-3859, Grades 2-7 Indiana University Northwest — 3400 Broadway, Gary, 219-985-5553, Grades 1-9 Lake Ridge Schools — 3601 W. 41st Ave., Gary, 219-718-2885, Grades 5-8 (LR students only) New Hope Church — 2307 Rhode Island, Gary, 219-318-7184, Grades 1-9 New Mount Olive — 427 W. 23rd Ave., Gary, 219-427-8058, Grades 5-8 New Seasons Church of Gary — 2281-2289 Taney St. Gary, 219-225-6448, Grades 1-5 New Shiloh Baptist Church — 1727 W. 15th Ave., Gary, 219-944-7670, Grades 4-7 Oak Knoll Renaissance Apartments — 4200 W. 23rd Court, Gary, 219-262-8105, Grades 1-9 Peace of Mind Academy — 3948 Georgia St., Gary, 219-455-9096, Grades 3, 4, 8 Peter's Rock COGIC — 2765 Van Buren St. – Gary, 847-561-4290, Grades 1-4 Project Rebuild — 411 Montgomery St., Gary, 219-808-0106, Grades 1-6 Rising Stars Academy — 5201 Broadway, Gary, 219-201-0770, Grades 2-4 St. John — 2457 Massachusetts St., Gary, 219-886-7769, Grades 3, 4 St. Timothy — 1600 W. 25th Ave., Gary, 219-718-1112, Grades 1-9 Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church — 3634 W. 11th Ave., Gary, 219-810-3900, Grades 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 The Mustard Seed Center — 1947 W. 15th Ave., Gary, 219-716-3071, Grades 1-3 YWCA of Gary — 150 W. 15th Ave., Gary, 219-881-9922, Grades 1-5
Chicago Tribune
14-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Special day for hundreds of IU Northwest grads, families
The youngest of nine children and the third to earn a college degree, Cindy Torres stood before hundreds of fellow graduates and their families Wednesday to share her insight. Indiana University Northwest officials selected Torres, 21, a business major, to deliver the student address at the university's 59th commencement ceremony held outside on the campus' north side. The Lake Central graduate, who lives in Schererville, talked about meeting academic goals, personal loss, and staying focused on the future ahead. She concluded her speech in Spanish, offering thanks to her family for their support. Torres has already lined up a job in the human resources department at grocery store Strack & Van Til, based in Highland. Torres, who graduated with high distinction, said she stayed close to home because she was nervous to try a new environment. What sealed the deal were several scholarships she earned at IU Northwest. 'With all the scholarships I received, I had my entire tuition covered so I will be graduating debt-free.' Navy veteran Bronson Bigbie, 28, of Lowell, served as a mass communications specialist, including his last post on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier. He finished his degree in three years, taking an extra course load. Bigbie graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and a degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He's heading to the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University. IU Northwest made sense for Bigbie. 'I wanted to stay close to home and it was affordable. It had the degree that I thought was best for me – public affairs.' His busy schedule continues in October when he marries Haley Feiler, of Highland Park, Illinois, who is graduating from IUN with a master's degree in the fall. Destinee Winger, 22, of Portage, has already launched a dessert business for showers and special occasions. Her dream is to open her own bakery in Portage. 'It would be tough, but it's just in my heart,' she said. Winger is president of her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority where she received its 'Entrepreneur of the Year' award last year. Meanwhile, Jodi Garcia, of Hobart, held roses and a teddy bear for her daughter Ella Garcia who received a degree in biology. Jodi Garcia, dean at Longfellow New Tech Elementary in the Lake Ridge Schools, said her daughter will soon take the exam for admission into medical school. Nearby, Apples Cullum Knapp, of Hobart, anxiously searched the lines of gowned students trying to find her daughter, Sierra Vasquez, 29. A brass quintet played 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' as Knapp talked about her daughter. 'She's getting a BS in nursing and is already working at the hospital in Hobart,' she said. What she couldn't quite grasp was Sierra's decision to marry her long-time boyfriend Michael Carpenter at 2 p.m. at the courthouse in Crown Point, just a few hours after graduation. 'I can't believe she's getting married,' Knapp said. 'It's such a wonderful day! I couldn't be more proud of the woman she has become. She's my rock.' IUN officials said the Class of 2025 received 24 associate, 472 bachelor and 90 master's degrees. The youngest graduate was 20, while the oldest was 66 with women making up 76% percent of the graduates. Of all the IU campuses, IU Northwest has the highest percentage of first-generation college students at nearly 30%. It also has the most underrepresented students of color at 46%.
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Community news: Kids College registration and cancer counselor training
Indiana University Northwest will host Kids College, a free two-week, on-campus summer enrichment program from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 9 through 20 at 3400 Broadway, Gary. With the theme 'My Story. My Voice,' the program is designed to inspire and empower middle school students—especially those from historically underrepresented and low-income backgrounds. Participants will choose one of six 'majors,' led by Northwest faculty, staff, students and local community partners: medicine; visual arts; performing arts; technology; civic leadership; or business. Capacity is limited to 70 students on a first-come, first-serve basis who meet the eligibility requirements: students receiving free/reduced lunch who are enrolling in the sixth, seventh or eighth grades at the start of the fall 2025 academic year. Registration deadline is Thursday. Register at For more information, contact the IU Northwest Kids College team at kciun@ or 219-980-7299. Franciscan Health Breast Care Center Crown Point will host Pink Ribbon Connection, a free peer counselor training for breast cancer survivors. The goal of the new program is to connect patients and survivors. Training will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday at Franciscan Health Breast Care Center Crown Point on the third floor of the Burrell Professional Center, 1205 S. Main St., Crown Point. Enter through Door D. A complimentary pizza and salad dinner with soft drinks will be served. Peer counselors offer emotional support and a source of comfort for anyone undergoing breast cancer treatment. Participants in the peer counseling program need not be Franciscan Health patients. To register and for more information, call 219-757-5741. The Gary Public Library will host a variety of upcoming programs for the community. MakerSpace sessions at the Main Library, 220 W. Fifth Ave., include: 3-D printing from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday and on May 21; Arts from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and on May 19 and 21; Cricut from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and on May 22; Open Lab Noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and on May 23; Sewing 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday and on May 20 and 22; and Small circuits from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 20. Registration is required at 219-886-2484, Ext. 332. Check the library's website, for a list of exact dates or changes to the schedule. The public is invited to attend the final concert of the library's Sunday Jazz Concert Series from 3 to 5 p.m. on May 18 at the Main Library. Co-sponsored by the Greater Gary American Jazz Association, special guest will be the Thomas A F Matecki Band featuring Thomas Matecki, keyboard and flute; Di Kobe Berry, vibes; Ronald Dennis, drums; and Reginald Johnson, bass. Free Sunday Jazz Concerts are presented the third Sunday of each month, September through May. Entrance is on the north side only, free parking in the north parking lot. The library will be closed, no library service will be available. Seating is limited. The Woodson Branch, 501 S. Lake St., will host local author Ben Clement from 5 to 6 p.m. May 22. The longtime Gary resident will share one of his children's books in a live reading and a Q&A session. Call 219-938-3941 for more information. Valpo Shows will launch their newest event: The Memorial Day Market Craft and Vendor Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 24 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 25 at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division Road, Valparaiso. More than 140 vendors will showcase their unique crafts and artisanal goods, from handmade treasures to one-of-a-kind finds. The event will include a dedicated children's activity corner, entertainment, food trucks and a HDTV giveaway, with the drawing to be held at 2 p.m. on the 25th. Winner need not be present to win. General admission is $5; seniors and U.S. veterans $3; and children younger than 12 are free. More information is with Mark Halliar at ValpoShows@ The annual Dunes Dash 5K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. on May 31 on the trails of the Indiana Dunes National Park at West Beach, 376 North County Line Road, Gary. An Indiana Dunes National Park pass will be required to enter the parking lot. A park pass may be purchased at the gate, in advance on the registration page, or in-person at the Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center, 1215 N. State Road 49, Porter. All funds raised will be used to support Save the Dunes mission to enhance and protect the biodiversity of our natural spaces through advocacy, conservation and community engagement. Race registration is now open at
