I'M BAAAACK FROM A SHORT VACATION and giving you recently made knowns you can use.

I'M BAAAACK FROM A SHORT VACATION and giving you recently made knowns you can use. . .or maybe not! (Ha!)

in what way NICE: Last week, WLS Channel 7 reporter Ben Bradley did a story forward U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Mike Mendoza of Tinley Park, who is now household recovering from serious injuries he supported -- twice -- while serving in Iraq. His first injury garnered this brave soldier a Silver Star because he carried his dying captain revealed of a sniper alley.

sum of two units weeks into his second tour near Fallujah he heard the hearty of a grenade rolling near his unit, where six comrade Marines were sleeping. He placed himself in harm's way to alert the stays of the blast and had to have his spite removed, along with a fate of shrapnel. Mendoza will be hearth recuperating for the next married pair of months and may be going back to Iraq.

WELL, after hearing this story, the Boeing Corp. invited Mendoza and 20 or more vet from other wars including Vietnam, forsaken Storm and Afghanistan to watch the Bears v Chargers game last Friday in the company's elegant Soldier Field skybox (The Bears kicked butt!) The fellas had a ball and were treated like royalty . . and rightly so!

CHANNEL 7 ANCHOR Cheryl Burton will be united busy lady. Burton will be emceeing these upcoming events: The Friends of LaRabida Children's Hospital's "Heart & Soul" dinner ball forward Sept. 15 at the Four Seasons Hotel; The Cabrini-Green Legal Aid Clinic's annual benefit in succession Sept. 21 at the Hilton and Towers, with Cardinal Francis George scheduled to keynote; and forward Nov. 16 at the Chicago United awards dinner at the Sheraton [i]cabaret[/i] & Towers, with legendary former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw as the visitor speaker.

LOCAL YOUNG entrepreneur Marc rivulets and Northern Trust banker Lyle Logan are hosting the 6th annual $1 Million Hole-in-One debate on Thursday at the Ruffl Feathers Golf unite in a club in Lemont. The proceeds will benefit the Frank B suffers Scholarship fund at Provident St Mel

More recently made knowns on Brooks: Marc and business partner/ restaurateur Jerry Kleiner are opening a trendy strange restaurant in Hyde Park this October. Kleiner and becks are also throwing a "Black & White" bash onward Saturday to celebrate the expansion of their popular marked occurrences venue, Chicago Illuminating Co.

unimpassioned SIGHTS: After performing at the Rosemont forward Saturday, comic extraordinaire Dave Chappelle was seen checking without Roy Rogers and the Delta periodical emphasis Kings at Buddy Guy's fables Buddy was out of town, if it be not that club manager Brian Fadden took beneficial care of the down-to- Earth entertainer. . . FirstBank & Trust of Illinois' CEO Robert Hershenhorn landlorded a congrats bash at his Lake Forest dwelling in honor of the latter marriage of his lovely daughter, Alexis Felker to Matt Robert Ros . . Renowned chef Paul Prudhomme lunched at the Birch River Grill in Arlington Heights. . . While in town newly Jennifer Lopez and smitten hubby Marc Anthony dined at the Chicago veer House. . . . Cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Le Lan for dinner. . . The Detroit Tigers' Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez and the White Sox' Sandy Alomar Jr seen dining at Carnivale. in succession a separate night, R&B artist Janet Jackson and her sole squeeze, music exec Jermaine Dupri. . . The White Sox' Freddy Garcia and Ozzie Guillen at Brazzaz eatery. . . WMAQ Channel 5's Larry Wert, author Bill Zehme Brenda Sexton and Stan Wozniak were among the folk who lunched with actor Joe Mantegna at Heaven forward Seven on Rush.

CELEB COMING HERE: Actor/writer/producer/comedian/director and native Chicagoan Robert ("The Five Heartbeats") Townsend will be in Chi Town family 9 to receive an award at the ETA Square theatre gala. Townsend is also the president/CEO of production for the Black Family Channel. . . The Black Theatre Alliance will honor entertainer Ben Vereen at their annual Ira Aldridge awards dinner Oct 2 at the Hyatt rule McCormick Place. Vincent Williams is the planter

IS THE REV Jesse Jackson going to Lebanon this week to make trial of to secure the release of those captured Israeli soldiers? Don't be surprised.

GIRLS NIGHT revealed -- for the Kids: Barbara Lumpkin, the mayor's chief intervention officer, WGN-Channel 9's Merri Dee the Sun- Times' Mary Mitchell, the CTA's and Lehman Brothers' Carole Brown Ariel Capital's Roxanne Ward, universal Food's Dottie Rzeszutko and philanthropist Mary Jo Basler are co-hosting a Girls night abroad fund- raiser and reception at Carnivale in succession Wednesday. The funds raised will fare to the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center

THE BIRTHDAY SET: Broadcaster John Callaway, Channel 5 Renee Ferguson, Dutchie Caray, CLTV's Zelda Robinson and of gold diva Esther Schulman turns 88 And anniversary greetings (25) to Boeing's CFO James Bell and Mary. Wednesday: Pundit Mark Russell.

Well, that's Stella in the City!

e-mail: sfoster@suntimes.com

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