The Lansing Police Department holds its annual Citizen's Police Academy starting at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the police station, 2710 170th St.

The 10-week course concludes April 30 and covers such topics as criminal investigations, community policing programs, criminal law, crime scene investigations, 9-1-1 center operations, Internet predators, gang and drug education, K-9 demonstrations and mock traffic stops.

This is the program's seventh year. It is open to Lansing residents 18 or older. Class size is limited and advance registration is required.

Lansing Lion recognized

At a recent meeting of the Lansing Lions Club, Lion Norm Abbott received the prestigious Life Membership Award. It is one of the Lions Club International's highest honors.

The lengthy nomination process doesn't guarantee an award and it is not easy to obtain. The criteria includes active membership for at least 20 years and showing outstanding service to one's club and community. Abbott's award was presented by the Chicago Area District Governor of Lions Clubs International. Congratulations to Abbott on his achievement!

Lions Club is an international network of 1.3 million members in about 45,000 clubs in 202 countries. The group is known for its work to prevent blindness and aid victims of natural disasters.

The local club is part of many service projects and scholarship programs within the community. It recently worked with the Give the Gift of Sight program in cooperation with Pearle Vision center. Several students in Lansing received free eye exams and glasses.

Lion Jim Janssen emphasized the project was made possible by Pearl Vision in Calumet City, which also helped children from Chicago Height's Gavin School and the PACE Program in Riverdale. A total of 72 needy children were helped.

A snow day

As I'm typing this, what would normally be a quiet day in my house has been busy. It started with cheers and applause. All four of my older kids are home for a snow day. It's lunchtime and we've already been outside shoveling, sipped on hot chocolate, watched a movie, gone through grapes, a box of fruit snacks and a half pound of cheese, built spaceships, baked two batches of cookies and put brownies and cupcakes in the oven.

It was certainly nice not to have to maneuver the snow-covered roads to get them to school, but it has been quite exhausting. The kids have no intentions of slowing down, but I am definitely ready for a nap.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. Carrie Steinweg can be reached at csteinw@yahoo.com.