Lots coming up at library
.
By Patti Tyznik
Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge
(708) 496-0265 • ptyznik@gmail.com
The last time I was quick to announce that spring had sprung, I was met with snow and high winds! I’m cautiously optimistic that by the time this goes to print, we’ll be enjoying sunnier days and anxiously awaiting for the first pitch to go out at whatever ballpark makes you happy.
I know many people are eagerly counting down the days to spring break: maybe to travel or maybe to catch up on a TBR book or maybe just to sleep in! However, don’t forget to get your taxes done and remember to check out what’s going on in our little neck of the woods.
Library news
The Garfield Ridge Branch Library, 6348 S. Archer, is “egg-cited” to share our April programs, so stop by for our monthly calendars for kids, teens or adults and register online at chipublib.org for any of our programs where indicated. Or call (312) 747-6094 for more information.
- Chess Club for Kids meets on Wednesdays, April 12, 19 and 26 at 3:30 p.m. Children ages 7-13 will learn how to play chess with a more experienced player. Beginners and experienced players welcome.
- If kids ages 5 and up like to build with Legos, then join us on Mondays, April 3, 17 and 24 at 3:30 p.m. for free Lego play. Saturday Legos meets on Saturdays, April 1 and 15 at 2 p.m. Please register for these programs, as space is limited.
- Join us on Thursday, April 6 for Story Chasers story time at 6 p.m. for children ages 2-5 years. Let’s grab a book and see where it takes us. A fun activity follows the story.
- Painting 1 2 3 is a fun Saturday morning program for children ages 3-6 years on April 1 and 15 at 11:30 a.m. Let your inner artist out and have some fun painting. Be prepared to get a little messy.
- Build with Me is set for Monday, April 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for children ages 4-9 years. Children will use their creativity and engineering skills to build with Lego, Tinker Toys, wooden blocks and more.
- Tweens are needed to play Uno at the Library on Wednesday, April 5 at 3:30pm. Bring your friends and see who shouts UNO first! Ages 7 & up.
- Senior Saturdays takes place on Saturday, April 8 at 11:30 a.m. with light refreshments and stimulating conversations. We’ll be discussing our favorite books, gardening tips and binge-worthy TV shows. Come make some new friends and learn about our library services such as downloading eBooks, requesting books and DVDs and basic computer help.
- Adult Games will be held on Saturday, April 29 at 11:30 a.m. for ages 18 and up. Bring your own game or try one of ours.
- Adults, come play games on Thursdays with Games People Play from 2 to 4 p.m. Meet our weekly group who have a lot of fun yelling Yahtzee! or winning at Scrabble
Here are some of our programs for teens in April. Get it Done Tuesday is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 11. Join us for a relaxing hour where you can do homework, read a book or just hang out. Make perler beads, play video games or make some crafts. Snacks will be provided. Mini Canvas Masterpiece is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 25. Stop by to paint a mini-canvas and munch on some snacks.
Hop on over to the Clearing Branch Library, 6423 W 63rd Place, for stories about Easter on Thursday, April 6 at 4 p.m. Share some “tails” about everyone’s favorite holiday bunny, sing some songs, do the bunny hop and hunt for eggs. This is for children age birth to 13 years, with an adult. Registration is encouraged. Register at the library website.
Mark your calendar
The Garfield Ridge Civic League’s next meeting is Saturday, March 25 at 10:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 5550 S. Merrimac. Swing by to join the discussion about Chicago’s roads, as well as home loans and refinancing. For more information, email GarfieldRidgeCL@gmail.com.
The Ladies Guild of St. Faustina Parish will host its regular monthly bunco on Tuesday, April 11 in the parish center, 5201 S. McVicker. Sign in begins at 6:45 p.m., and games begin around 7. Cost to play is only $10 with cash prizes awarded at the end of the evening. Soda, water and coffee, along with individually wrapped snacks, are available. Free-will donations are graciously accepted. Get in on split the pot for a chance at some “fun” money.
St. Symphorosa School, 6148 S Mason, will be hosting a Casino Fundraising Night on Saturday, April 29 from 6 to 11 p.m. Enjoy a night of gaming, music, live DJ, raffles, 50/50, food and drinks. Play Blackjack, poker, craps and roulette.
Proceeds to benefit STEM lab equipment, security updates and scholarships. Win prizes, not cash. Tickets cost $30 and include $25 in chips, five raffle tickets and two complimentary drinks. Tickets are available to purchase at the rectory.
Two Holy Martyrs Parish’s monthly bingo occurs on Sunday, April 16 at the St. Rene Goupil campus (6340 S. New England). Doors open at 12:30 p.m. Games begin at 1. Admission is $20 at the door. Try your luck!
Wentworth Park, 5625 S Mobile, presents, “You’ve Been Egged” on Saturday, April 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required, and the fee is $15. “Egg” your house, a neighbor or a family member with a surprise at-home egg hunt. Each registered house will receive 20 eggs hidden in the front yard by the Easter Bunny himself. A “You’ve Been Egged” sign will also be placed in each family’s front yard.
The next CAPS Beat 812 meeting will be held at the Clearing Branch Library on Wednesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. Find out what’s going on in the neighborhood.
Garage sale permit applications will be available at your alderman’s office beginning April 10. ID is required. Two permits are allowed each year.
Until next time, keep being nice to one another and share a smile!
Local News
Postseason Sports Report: Area stars ready for state bowling and dancing
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The first two IHSA state tournaments for winter sports will take place this weekend, and an army of area athletes will be competing in both. The boys bowling and competitive dance championships will be held Friday and Saturday, with the bowlers heading to St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon…
‘These bruises won’t heal’
Spread the loveCPS kids back in school, but bitterness remains By Tim Hadac Teachers who walked off the job in the new year returned last week after the Chicago Teachers Union rank and file voted to accept Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s offer of increased safety measures at schools. But it was a divided vote, with just…
Smooch from a pooch
Spread the loveMutts of the Midway volunteer John Shaker smiles as he gets a smooch from Burt, a 5-year-old American Pit Bull/Boston Terrier mix. Shaker works as a transporter, driving dogs to and from veterinarian appointments. The 37-pound Burt was rescued by the non-profit Mutts of the Midway from a shelter in Texas. For several…
Here’s a sure sign of spring
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. How have you been surviving January? This is one month I always hope flies by. If the sun is out, the temperatures are, or feel like they are in the subzero range. If it’s cloudy, which is most…
College Report: McAuley grad Swiatek plays hero for St. Francis
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Hannah Swiatek comes off the bench for the University of St. Francis and is averaging 3.1 points per game. But when called on for the biggest shot of her college career, the 5-foot-8 junior guard from Oak Lawn delivered. Swiatek scored the winning basket in a wild 99-97…
Stagg’s Laila Barakat and McAuley’s Bella Finnegan hit 1K career points; Richards’ Kortz gets 300th win
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Look what Laila Barakat started. The Stagg senior basketball star hit a milestone when she scored her 1,000th career point against Richards on Jan. 8. That was the first of three notable career accomplishments achieved the following week. It was followed by Mother McAuley senior Bella Finnegan scoring…
Tax exemptions will be automatic, Kaegi says
Spread the loveFrom staff reports In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office will continue the automatic renewal of the Senior Freeze, Veterans with Disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions. The Homeowner and Senior Exemptions will continue to auto-renew every year. If a homeowner received any of these five exemptions…
Ailing eagle on the mend
Spread the loveSeveral blocks northwest of Garfield Ridge—just west of 47th and Harlem–motorists late last month noticed an eagle flying low and acting erratically. The Villa Park-based Chicago Bird Collision Monitors was contacted, and its volunteers found and captured the majestic bird. It was transported to a facility owned and operated by Glen Ellyn-based Willowbrook…
Can’t we just fast-forward to spring?
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. Is it spring yet? Is the pandemic over yet? Not that I’m impatient or anything. I want to move forward past all the negative COVID-19 has brought to my life and everyone else’s life. I want to see…
Neighbors
Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. “The time is now for legislators to act to…
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Rampant sexual abuse occurred unchecked for decades at Illinois’ juvenile detention centers, a new lawsuit filed on behalf of 95 former detainees alleges, citing hundreds of incidents over more than two decades. The plaintiffs were boys between 12 and 17 years old when the alleged abuse occurred and…
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Remembering Lee Milner
NEWS TEAM Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com On Wednesday, April 17, the Springfield, Illinois Capitol and journalism communities lost a devoted friend and advocate when Lee Milner passed away. As Dean Olsen wrote in his piece in the Illinois Times earlier this month, “Readers of Illinois Times often have seen Milner’s work as a freelance photojournalist. But…
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…
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…