HAMMOND | Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.'s College Bound scholarship program is among the 2007 City Livability Program award winners.

Top honors in the Small Cities category went to a waterfront development plan in Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Ill., but Hammond's College Bound netted the city the next best thing: an Outstanding Achievement Award.

Awards were announced Monday in Los Angeles during the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The prestigious City Livability Program is co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Waste Management Inc.

The program recognizes mayoral leadership for developing and implementing programs that improve the quality of life in American cities.

Funded by casino dollars, College Bound offers the children of Hammond homeowners annual college scholarships of up to $7,500.

In 2005, the city was named a contest finalist for its Legal Aid Clinic, also supported by gaming dollars.