After a long hiatus, the Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans is bringing back the Italian Heritage Ball and Cotillion. Slated for Dec. 8 at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village, the event formally introduces young Italian-American women to the community. Debutantes will participate in events throughout the year, culminating in the cotillion. The event is open to young women from high school sophomores to the age of 23. Applications are due by June 1. For more, click here.  

The Arcolian Dental Arts Society and the Dental Arts Club will host a Lilac Mass and brunch on May 5. A 9 a.m. Mass at St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Chicago will be followed by a brunch at Cucina Biagio in Harwood Heights. The Mass, convened for decades by the Loyola University School of Dentistry to gather students and graduates in prayer, was name for the lilac color of the school’s graduation robes. The tradition was revived last year by the Arcolians, a group of Italian-American dentists, and the DAC, a group of dentists of Polish and Eastern European descent. …

The Italian American Executives of Transportation will honor Jamie Rhee as Woman of the Year and Sergio Serritella as Humanitarian of the Year at its awards dinner and celebration on Nov. 16 at Ashton Place in Willowbrook. Rhee is Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation. Named to the post in 2018, she oversees operations at O’Hare and Midway International Airports, one of the largest airport systems in the world. Over the course of a 28-year career with the city of Chicago, Rhee has served in multiple positions at the airports, from customer-service foreign-language assistant while in law school, to …

A host of perks and an attractive price tag await those who sign up as members of the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago. Members can download two e-books per month from the institute’s digital library, access Italian newspapers through a digital newsstand, borrow books and DVDs from the institute’s physical library, and receive discounted parking to institute events and discounted tickets to external events held in collaboration with the institute. A stylish tote bag reflecting the institute’s 2024 theme, In Futuro, is included. General membership is $40, with ItalCultura students paying only $25. For more, click here.  

  Longtime Fra Noi correspondent Dr. Kathryn Occhipinti has released an audiobook titled “Conversational Italian for Travelers: Just the Important Phrases,” with the same phrases found in her popular pocket phrase book of the same title. Recorded with native Italian and American speakers, the audiobook makes it possible to read and then listen to “all the Italian you need in order to enjoy your trip to Italy,” according to Occhipinti. The audiobook is available on Spotify and most streaming platforms, and the print version is available on Amazon.com and LearnTravelItalian.com. A radiologist of Italian descent, Occhipinti has been leading Italian-language …

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is seeking North American families who are willing to host girls and boys, ages 15 to 18, from Italy and more than 50 other countries. The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance, and are carefully selected based upon academics and personality, according to ASSE Midwest Regional Director Saphia Lesch. ASSE also offers qualified American students the opportunity to spend a school year, semester or summer with a host family in another country. (800-736-1760)  

The Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago has reopened its library after upgrading its catalog, adding hundreds of new titles and creating several new sections. The institute’s library contains 4,000 titles, including books and DVDs. The collection now boasts sections dedicated to Italian fiction, children and young readers, and other specialized themes. The library is open to the public Monday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by making an appointment at iicchicago@esteri.it.  

Our Good Vibes feature spotlights websites, blogs, videos and podcast from around the world that celebrate Italy’s inimitable spirit. If you have a favorite online offering you’d like to share, send it to info@franoi.com. For more, follow us on Facebook. Crosara’s mellow track features catchy melody The title track to jazz pianist Francesco Crosara’s latest recording, “Circular Motion,” represents a practically perfect combination of jazzy improvisation and a recurring melody line. This mellow tune is like a cool spring day, with bass and drums doubling as a clear blue sky and the piano riffs playing the part of puffy clouds …

Conte Di Savoia in Chicago’s Little Italy has sold Italian specialties and gourmet foods since 1948, and now can boast a major celebrity endorsement. Chef Jeff Mauro, the host of the TV show “Sandwich King” on the Food Network, told the BBC that Conte Di Savoia makes his favorite vegetarian sandwich. “This three-generations-old Italian deli makes its own mozzarella and its own sun-dried tomatoes, which makes this light and bright sandwich like consuming a gooey bite of sunshine with each bite,” Mauro said. Other vegetarian options include grilled eggplant and egg-salad sandwiches. Meat lovers, fear not, because Conte Di Savoia’s …

Paisans Pizzeria has opened a 10th location in the Chicago area, in the suburb of Oak Lawn. The original location in Cicero was launched in 1985 by Luigi Fejzuloski. Then came Chicago (three locations), Brookfield, Berwyn, Lisle and Morton College. Luigi’s son and three grandsons also became involved in the business, Food Industry News reported. Giving back “is at the core” of Paisans, according to its website. For example, Paisans donates pizza to the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual Muscle Walk in May, and serves Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless through the nonprofit Street Samaritans. For more, click here.