Joan Hadac
The March forecast: warmer with a strong chance of fun
By Joan Hadac
Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge
(708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com
Hi everyone. The day I wrote this column, it was an amazing 45 degrees outside. The sun was hot on my face as I drove in the car. Now it’s only the beginning of March, so I don’t expect the temperature to be in the 60s yet, but 40s are a good start.
Now that the temperatures are starting to warm up, what outside activities–or indoor activities for that matter–are you looking forward to? I’m thinking that walking my dog around the neighborhood is high on my priority list…for both of us.
Warmer weather means that parks in the area will be featuring outdoor activities. Registration for spring programs begins very soon at chicagoparkdistrict.com. Online registration begins at 9 a.m. Monday, March 14 for in-person programs at parks located west of California Avenue and for all virtual programs. Online registration will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 15 for in-person programs at parks located east of California Avenue and at noon March 15 for gymnastic centers.
In-person registration begins Saturday, March 19 at most parks. Most of the spring programs run between Monday, March 4 and Sunday, June 12.
- Speaking of gymnastics, Hale Park, 6258 W. 62nd St., will host a gym showcase featuring youths who have been working hard for this seasonal event for the past 10 weeks. The gymnasts will perform their newly acquired skills from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10 (that’s tomorrow folks) at the park.
The entrance fee is $3, with children younger than 3 entering free of charge. I urge you to come out and cheer on the local boys and girls who have been working so diligently. For more information, call, (773) 229-1032.
- The Clearing Branch Library, 6423 W. 63rd Place, is implementing some programs with young kids, tweens and teens in mind. First up, tweens and teens are invited to drop in and make a craft from 1 to 5 p.m. through Friday, March 11. This time around they’ll be making a LED bookmark. During the same time period Monday, March 14 though Friday, March 18 they can stop in and make a one-of-a-kind fabric coaster. All supplies will be provided.
Kids age 5 and younger can stop by the library with their parents or guardians at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 16 to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by listening to St. Patrick’s Day stories. It promises to be a fun evening.
For more information, call the Clearing Branch at (312) 747-5657. Thanks to Rob Bitunjac, branch manager, for letting me know about these events.
- The Garfield Ridge Branch Library hasn’t forgotten the kiddies either. They are offering programs for the young ones such as Stories and Songs at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 9, 16, 23 and 30. Youngsters 2 to 5 years old will join librarians for stories, rhymes, songs and play. If the kids come early, they can even build a puzzle or maybe make a new friend.
Another program, Stay and Play, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12 and 26. It’s just like the title of the program suggests, kids 3 and older will build, create and play with the library’s early learning toys and activities. At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 children 3 to 6 years old can wear their favorite pajamas, grab their favorite stuffed animal and head over to the library to enjoy a short story time and get a craft to go.
For more information, call (312) 747-6094. Thanks to Patti Tyznik, children’s library associate, for sending me the information.
- St. Patrick’s Day is coming early to Blessed Martyrs of Chimbote Parish (formerly St. Joseph and St. Blase Parish). The St. Joseph Holy Name Society is hosting a corned beef and cabbage dinner, a longtime tradition at St. Joseph, from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 12 in St. Joseph Centennial Hall, 5641 S. 73rd Ave., Summit.
Parishioner Tom Koran is once again cooking in the kitchen. Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 in advance by calling the parish office at (708) 458-0007. The office is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please leave a message with your request if you are calling during off hours.
I’ve been to previous corned beef and cabbage dinners and the food is astounding. Give yourself a treat, celebrate with a traditional meal and get acquainted or reacquainted with fellow parishioners.
- Do you love a good fish fry? Then head over to Café 63, 6411 W. 63rd St., from 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays during Lent, March 11, 18 and 25 and April 1, 8 and 15 for some of the tastiest fish dinners you’ll ever eat.
There will be a special weekly fish-fry menu from Chef Dale and crew. To stay up-to-date on each Friday’s offerings, visit cafe63chicago.net or follow Café 63 on Facebook.
For more information, call (872) 267-5101.
- The Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 at Ward Hall, 5157 S. McVicker. This event will also double as the March meeting of CAPS Beat 811. If you want to stand with your neighbors and police to fight crime and create a safer neighborhood, this is the meeting to attend.
- The Garfield Ridge Civic League will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 16 at Crossroads Community Church, 5433 S. Austin. The featured speaker will talk about how homeowners may take advantage of a free energy assessment that may result in utility bill savings. Plenty of off-street parking, as well as free refreshments. If you attend, please enter via the east end of the building.
Well there you have it. I hope you experience a wonderful week, and I’ll see you next time.
Local News
Offer history hike to senior citizens
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac Senior citizens are invited to take a “walk and talk” hike at the Chicago Portage National Historic Site, near 48th and Harlem, on Thursday, July 7. A mini-bus will depart at 9 a.m. from Hope Church Midway, 6059 S. Archer, and return by about 1 p.m. The one-mile hike will…
Baseball Class 4A State Finals: Brother Rice takes third with romp over McHenry
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Some view state third-place games as a waste of time. It’s usually the game nobody wants to be involved in after having their dreams of winning a state championship crushed by a loss in the semifinals. But the third-place game in the IIHSA Class 4A baseball state tournament…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars blank Orland to finish brutal stretch unscathed
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Chicago Red Stars finished the busiest stretch of their season unbeaten. The five-games-in-16-days logjam ended with a 1-0 victory over Orlando on June 11 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Mallory Pugh drilled her fifth goal of the season in the 10th minute for the Stars (4-1-3), who…
Young Roadrunners win first baseball title to cap a huge sports season at Naz
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Nazareth’s athletic class of 2024 could go down as the best in school history. The Roadrunners’ girls volleyball team finished first in the state in the fall. Two sophomores were among the eight players who were on the court during the Class 3A state championship game. The girls…
He’s a baseball player at heart
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com John Cruz-Barcenas is on his way to a career in mechanical engineering, but he’s a baseball player at heart. The photo his mom shared with me tells the tale. John recently graduated from the prestigious Milwaukee School of Engineering. But…
St. Dan’s carnival coming
Spread the love The simple childhood joys of a neighborhood carnival are just a week away at St. Daniel the Prophet Church, 54th and Natoma. The fun starts Thursday, June 16 and runs through Sunday, June 19. St. Dan’s Summerfest will feature carnival rides, games of skill and chance, food and beverages, raffles and live…
Knights of Columbus officers ready to serve
Spread the love Elected last month as officers of the Two Holy Martyrs Parish Knights of Columbus council are Darrin Bourette Deputy Grand Knight; Mike West, Treasurer; Jerry Hughes, Grand Knight; and Joe Donato, Financial Secretary. Founded on the principles of charity, unity and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus was established in 1882 by Father Michael…
Exhibit at Clearing Library honors war dead
Spread the love Former Gov. Pat Quinn talks with 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares at a recent public unveiling of Portrait of a Soldier, an exhibit that briefly visited the Clearing Branch Library, 6423 W. 63rd Place. The traveling exhibit features sketches of all Illinois soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines killed in the line of…
Pappas to host phone bank for black, Latino homeowners
Spread the loveCook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and ABC 7 Chicago will host another Black and Latino Houses Matter phone bank on June 15 to help homeowners find refunds, apply for property tax exemptions and avoid the Tax Sale. “Since I started Black and Latino Houses Matter we’ve returned nearly $200 million owed to these…
Neighbors
Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions
By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot. It’s a move that caused minority party…
After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…
Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air
Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor. “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…
Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated
By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge
By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers. The Bears…
Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …