Joan Hadac
‘City of Stories’ fun at local libraries
By Joan Hadac
Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge
(708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com
Hi everyone. Many children are out of school for the summer and I hope they enjoy it to the fullest. I also hope that their parents enjoy it as well. What are your plans for the summer? Are you looking forward to a special vacation or going somewhere that you visit every summer?
My special stay-cation will happen in the beginning of August when my older daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren come from out of state to visit. Until then I will be spending time in the wonderful summer warmth, enjoying iced tea on my deck.
- One way for kids to enjoy summer is to take part in the annual summer reading program sponsored by the Chicago Public Library. The Garfield Ridge Branch Library, 6348 S. Archer, will be kicking off its summer reading program at 11 a.m. Monday, June 27 and it continues through Sunday, Aug. 14 during library hours.
The theme is City of Stories and children up to age 13 may participate and earn a T-shirt for completing the program. Kids can participate in fun programs, weekly raffles, crafts, Chess Club, a young author’s writing program and two kid yoga sessions. Teens and adults haven’t been forgotten and may participate in their own version of the summer reading program. For more information, call (312) 747-6094.
Thanks to Patti Tyznik for sharing this information with me.
- Registration closes Wednesday, June 29 and there are five spots remaining for the Teen Painting Challenge being held from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, June 30 at the Clearing Branch Public Library, 6423 W. 63rd Place. Teens 13 through 18 can create their own painting to take home. No experience is needed and all supplies will be provided. Registration is required and can be made by visiting chipublib.org. For more information, call (312) 747-5657.
- Congratulations to the recently elected officers of the Rhine VFW Post 2729. Serving the post in 2022-2023 will be Commander – Charlie Johnson, Senior Vice – Bob Kozak, Junior Vice – Joe Wiencak, Quartermaster – Rich Aguinaga, Chaplain – Ray Chrostek, Service Officer – Ken Koss, Adjutant – Mike Morrell. Congratulations again to Rich Aguinga, who will also serve as junior vice of the third district.
Congratulations are also extended to the recently elected officers of the Rhine VFW Post 2729 Auxiliary. They also will be serving from 2022-2023 and include President – Michael Maruszak, Senior Vice President – Laura Hogan, Junior Vice President – Jan Swinarski, Secretary – Joanne York, Treasurer – Diane Pencak, Chaplain – Henrietta Mazurowski, Conductress – Janet George, Guard – Carmella Discianno and Three-Year Trustee – Sarah Kwiatkowski.
- Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 30 when the Patriot’s Day Parade, hosted by the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce kicks off at 7 p.m. The parade route runs from Central Avenue to Merrimac. If you want to participate in the parade, social groups such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League, marching bands as well as chamber members are invited to register for free. Non-member businesses and political groups will pay $50. Registration is available by visiting the Garfield Ridge Chamber website, garfieldridgecc.com/events. For more information, call (773) 767-0014.
- Last week I told you that wristbands for Family Fest, coming to Two Holy Martyrs Parish Thursday, July 14 through Sunday, July 17, will be sold at Masses during the weekends of June 25 and 26, July 2 and 3 and July 6 and 10. For those who can’t make it on those days, the $50 wristbands will also be sold in the rectory office, 6135 S. Austin during rectory hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, beginning Monday, June 27.
By the way, the Family Fest Grand Raffle tickets are also on sale for $20 each or six for $100. For more information, call (773) 767-1523, visit twoholymartyrs.org or the parish’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I used to help set up the St. Joseph Carnival and I did it for seven years. I know what hard work it is to run a successful carnival. I wish Two Holy Martyrs the best of luck for their Family Fest.
- In my column that ran in the June 1 edition of the Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound, I wrote about Stephanie Smock, a young mom in serious need of a financial boost. Back then, I wrote, “If you will, please visit gofund.me/b6ef4d3a. When I wrote this, the effort to help Stephanie was nearly $2,000 short of its $5,000 goal. If we all pull together, we can close that gap fairly quickly.”
Well, thanks to your generosity, that gap has been closed. Last I checked, $5,018 has been raised. Thanks to all who donated!
I hope you have a delightful week. I’ll see you next week.
Local News
It doesn’t have to be this way
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Today I begin on a note of profound sadness. One of our own, a Garfield Ridge police officer, took her own life recently. I normally don’t name suicide victims, but CPD Officer Patricia “Patsy” Swank left a young son behind,…
Patriot’s Day Parade a success
Spread the love Red, white and blue were the colors of the day, as several thousand men, women and children lined Archer Avenue late last month to enjoy the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s annual Patriot’s Day Parade. The GRCC’s next large public event is its Back to School Extravaganza, set for August. Details are…
Quinn touts ‘get tough’ ordinance on reckless drivers
Spread the loveNew law gives CPD authority to seize, impound vehicles By Tim Hadac Thirteenth Ward Ald. Marty Quinn and a number of his City Council colleagues this week fired the latest salvo in the ongoing battle against those who use vehicles to engage in drag racing, drifting and other car stunts that create a…
Pro Soccer Report: Houston’s hat trick too much for Red Stars; Bezerra hat trick not enough for Fire II
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Bad things came in threes for the Chicago Red Stars. Houston’s Ebony Salmon scored three goals against the Red Stars’ defense and Chicago lost by three, 4-1, in an NWSL match July 16 at PNC Stadium. It snapped the Red Stars nine-game unbeaten streak. The loss dropped the…
IHSA releases 2022 football schedule
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer It’s that time of year. The IHSA has released the 2022 football schedule. So, from now until Aug. 26, one can go on the IHSA website, look at the schedules and see all of the blanks where the results and scores will be. It’s a clean sheet for…
Clearing, Garfield Ridge residents to talk about crime
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac Clearing and Garfield Ridge residents interested in preventing crime and building a safer neighborhood are invited to two CAPS meetings. Clearing residents living west of Central Avenue are invited to the CAPS Beat 812 meeting, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 at the Clearing Branch Library, 6423 W. 63rd…
Retro video game expo coming to Clearing
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac The community is invited to discover (or re-discover, as the case may be) video games of yesteryear at an event coming up later this month at the Clearing Branch Library, 6423 W. 63rd Place. The Retro Video Game Expo is set for 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30…
Ballet performance coming to Clearing
Spread the loveBoitsov students, guest artists to perform By Joan Hadac The community is invited to enjoy a live ballet performance by students of the Boitsov Classical Ballet School, set for 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 23 at the Clearing Branch Library, 6423 W. 63rd Place. The school, currently located in a storefront studio…
Pirates take CRRL 10u softball crown
Spread the love The Pirates recently won the right to say they are the 10u softball champions of Clear Ridge Little League. The Bucs amassed a 13-4-1 record this season and won the championship game by a score of 6-3. Members of the championship team are Alaina Nolan, Isabella Lehman, Gianna Whalen, Ava Verdin, Juliana…
I’m sold on this celebration
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com It’s not just a Sell-A-Bration of goods and services, but a celebration of this neighborhood and its people. That is the sentiment shared by Arlene White, a key member of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch and director of the group’s…
Neighbors
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…
Lawmakers pitch sweeping changes to energy industry and Chicagoland transit system
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com A group of lawmakers and influential environmental advocates are calling for broad changes to the state’s energy industry and a massive increase in state oversight of Chicagoland’s transit system – which faces a projected $730 million budget shortfall. Advocates for the policy platform, which is broken up into…
Democrats flex muscle to kick off final month of session as revenues remain on track
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With about three weeks to go before the Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its spring legislative session, supermajority Democrats showed their strength this week as fiscal forecasters noted state revenues remain on track. April is typically a make-or-break month for state coffers, as income…
Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The former Illinois State Trooper who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter of two sisters in 2007 has abandoned his efforts to have a hearing into the restoration of his driving privileges – for now. Matt Mitchell, 45, requested at least two delays in the hearing after he failed…
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…
Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Six fallen police officers were honored at an annual memorial service outside the State Capitol Thursday. The Illinois Police Officers Memorial occurs annually on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to support their families. “No one…
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…