It's not often we have a Chicago radio station do a live broadcast here in the region, especially a radio show sharing free tickets to be part of the audience.

National Public Radio aka NPR, the broadcast greats responsible for such radio claim-to-fames as Garrison Keillor and his "Prairie Home Companion" and Boston brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi aka automotive experts Click and Clack, is coming to Hammond on Tuesday.

Our own Chicago Public Radio WBEZ 91.5 FM, which broadcasts from studios at Navy Pier, is bringing the popular show "Chicago Matters: Growing Forward" to the Calumet Conference Center at Purdue University Calumet, 2300 173rd St. Hammond, for a live broadcast from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 28, which is free and open to the public.

The show will feature a community forum discussing energy policies, and the broadcast will be shared live with listeners.

A prebroadcast reception will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. before the show starts.

Chicago Public Radio's Gabriel Spitzer and Northwest Indiana reporter Michael Puente will discuss Indiana's energy needs with local policy makers, business leaders and environmentalists.

This is a chance for the public to weigh in about what local and national policy makers need to do to meet future energy needs.

Anyone interested in attending MUST arrive by 5:30 p.m. and MUST go online to RSVP at chicagopublicradio.org/EnergyForum.aspx or call Alexandra Salomon at (312) 893-2929.

Joining hosts Spitzer and Puente for the broadcast will be panelists Otto Doering; Purdue professor of agricultural economics, Celina Weatherwax, director for Sen. Richard Lugar's Northwest Indiana office; Marty Irwin, director of the Indiana Center for Coal Technology Research; and Jesse Kharbanda, executive director for Hoosier Environmental Council.

Puente was kind enough to remind me about Tuesday's exciting radio opportunity for readers/listeners.

"Our station, WBEZ, is hosting this live broadcast next Tuesday at PUC," Puente wrote me in a note.

"The subject is on energy issues facing Indiana and how it relates to the presidential race. I'm hoping maybe you can mention it in your column? You like writing about local celebs. I think our host Gab Spitzer and Steve Edwards might qualify for that. Gab is hosting the show, and I'll be helping out. Steve is the former host of our show '848' and is now vice president of programming at the station. He'll be at the forum as well in case people would like to meet him."

"Chicago Matters" is a multimedia public affairs series funded by the Chicago Community Trust. This latest installment, themed "Growing Forward," examines how the choices society makes today affect the environment and the future. For more information, chicagomatters.org.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

celebBirthdays

Actress Shelley Morrison ("Will and Grace") is 72. Actor Bob Hoskins is 66. Author Pat Conroy ("The Prince of Tides") and actress Jaclyn Smith ("Charlie's Angels") are 63. "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak and guitarist Keith Hopwood of Herman's Hermits are 62. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and singer Tom Osmond of the Osmond Brothers are 61. Musician Bootsy Collins and singer Maggie Roche of The Roches are 57. Actor James Pickens Jr. ("Grey's Anatomy") is 56. Guitarist Keith Strickland of The B-52's is 55. Actress Rita Wilson is 52. Actor Dylan McDermott ("The Practice") is 47. Actor Cary Elwes is 46. Singer Natalie Merchant is 45. Country singer Keith Urban is 41. Actor Tom Cavanagh ("Ed") is 40. Identical twin brother actors Jon Heder ("Blades of Glory," "Napoleon Dynamite") and Dan Heder ("Funky Town") are 31. Singer Mark Barry of BBMak

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