To a happy 2012

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 13: Singer Janelle Monae arrives at The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 13, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) R:\Merlin\Getty_Photos\GYI0063462830.jpg

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Updated: February 6, 2012 8:45AM

H APPY NEW YEAR! I am back on my beat after spending vacation time with my precious family and some close friends.

Hopefully 2012 will bring about a better economy, creation of more jobs, fewer senseless murders, fewer home foreclosures, less bullying in cyberspace and in real life situations, less hunger, fewer burglaries, less domestic and child abuse, less racial hatred and hatin’ in general, less fighting over merchandise in stores, less infidelity, fewer carjackings, less fighting on the so-called reality shows, less profanity, less road rage, less alcohol and drug abuse, less sexual exploitation and trafficking, etc. (You get the picture!) . . . And that there will be MORE love, compassion, understanding, unity, generosity, worshiping, sharing, caring, and protecting each other and our precious children to make 2012 a more peaceful year.

Hey, don’t laugh! I know this is wishful thinking and maybe not realistic, especially since more than a million homes are expected to go into foreclosure around the country and the job situation is still so bleak that males are now applying for retail jobs usually filled by females and violent crimes are still making front page news . . . but I can dream, right? Yeah, I said it!

THE NEW YEAR has also brought new owners of the Sun-Times. Kudos to the smart and savvy investment group led by Michael Ferro Jr., chairman of Merrick Ventures, on having the foresight (like the late Mesirow boss Jim Tyree) to keep this mighty paper moving forward. And best wishes to outgoing Sun-Times chairman/CEO Jeremy L. Halbreich for a job well done.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (as I hinted in my Dec. 20 column) will definitely be in town next Wednesday for a fund-raiser concert/reception at the UIC Forum with special guest, actor Hill Harper, and pop singer Janelle Monae entertaining the crowd. A reception/dinner for big-shot donors is planned for that same evening in Hyde Park.

THE PRIVATE screening of George (“Star Wars”) Lucas’ upcoming movie, “Red Tails” — about the legendary World War II all-African-American fighter pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen — is Friday at a downtown theater. The red carpet will be ablaze with some of the stellar cast members including Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Nate Parker and David Oyelowo, as well as Lucas, who is the executive producer/financier, and director Anthony Hemingway. The movie opens nationwide Jan. 20.

A STELLAR reminder: The Chicago Film Critics awards co-hosted by Roe Conn and my fellow Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper is Saturday at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. The honorees are noted actors Dennis Farina, James Earl Jones, Shirley MacLaine and Jason Segel.

NICE NEWS: Congrats to Cong. Bobby Rush on receiving the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation’s “Champion of African Diaspora Economic Growth Award” in Washington, D.C. . . . Civic leader Pauline Montgomery is the new chairperson of the Loretto Hospital Foundation board. . . . Former WGN-Channel 9 anchor Allison Payne has signed on to work in communications for Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown’s upcoming re-election campaign. . . . The Keshet “Pearl Anniversary” celebration is Feb. 26 at the Chicago Hilton with Neil Sedaka performing.

AROUND TOWN: Some of the rookie Bears were feted at Sunda by teammates Roberto Garza and Chris Williams and former Bears Olin Kreutz and Big Cat Williams. The group included Jordan Miller, Gabe Carimi, Andre Smith and Ricky Henry. . . . “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’” Taylor Armstrong partied at the Hard Rock Hotel’s New Year’s Eve bash and listened to DJ Timbuck2. Also, the Hawks’ Corey Crawford celebrated his NY’s Eve birthday at the Hard Rock. . . . The Hawks’ Patrick Kane dined at Harry Caray’s. . . . Actress Kristin Cavallari was spinning at Flywheel.

BIRTHDAYS: Joe Perillo, Mary Van DeVelde and a belated to WLS-Channel 7’s Cheryl Burton, Ken Bedford, Steve Starr, Kim Martin, Tim Fong, Sherren Leigh and belated anniversary wishes (49) to the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jackie and to Anthony and Michelle Welch. On Friday: Richard Steel and Paula Cooper. On Saturday: David Bowie, WBBM-Channel 2’s Dave Savini, Jerry Maskevich and R. Kelly. On Monday: WCIU-Channel 26’s Jeanne Sparrow, Dr. Linda O’Bannon, and George Bliss.