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
Area Sports Roundup: Brother Rice riding in style; Evergreen Park’s Lily Strand fans 27
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For some games, Brother Rice arrives in style. On March 22, the Crusaders opened a few eyes when they arrived in Orland Park on a charter bus for a non-conference game against Sandburg. “We’ve had problems with the timing of getting a bus and sometimes 3:45 is the…
Boys Volleyball: Marist beats Lincoln-Way East in battle of national powers
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer High rankings do not mean a whole lot to Kellen O’Keefe. The Marist senior hitter was well aware the RedHawks were recently ranked 14th in the nation in a USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll in mid-March. But minutes after the RedHawks won their own 24-team tournament with…
Harlem Avenue resurfacing from 62nd to 111th to resume April 4
Spread the loveFrom staff reports The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a resurfacing of Harlem Avenue, from 62nd Street, in Chicago and Summit, to 111th Street, in Worth, passing through Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Burbank, Chicago Ridge and Palos Hills, will resume, weather permitting, Monday, April 4. The $5 million project, which consists of resurfacing the…
Tug of war over masks
Spread the loveCTU fights in court to stay covered By Tim Hadac Masks became optional last week at public schools across the city, but the Chicago Teachers Union still vowed a fight to keep everyone covered. In the wake of a decision against their position by a labor board, the CTU issued this statement: “By…
Aleah Radojevich headed north on a gymnastics scholarship
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. I’d like to share a lovely email with you I received from Garfield Ridge resident Danielle Radojevich, a 23-year employee of the Chicago Park District, sharing the accomplishments of her daughter, Aleah. Danielle told me that Aleah, whose…
400 motorists get free gas at Hickory Hill station as police chief pitches in
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Shirley Jenkins wasn’t about to miss her chance to get $50 worth of gasoline for free, even it meant getting in line around 6 a.m. The Justice woman, 63, waited three hours to pump free gas into her SUV Thursday morning at Falcon Fuel in Hickory Hills. “I need the…
Area Sports Roundup: South Suburban College wins national title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Now for some March Madness that was not as heavily publicized over the weekend … Area athletes participated in three national championship basketball games on Saturday, and a couple of them can lay claim to being national champs. St. Rita grad Cameron Bartmann and Catalyst Maria alum Jonathan…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars seek title after back-to-back runner-up finishes
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer It’s an obvious goal. Win it all. The Chicago Red Stars, who make their 2022 home debut in the Challenge Cup at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Kansas City at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, finished runner-up in each of the past two NWSL seasons in 2019 and 2021. There…
Madigan hits feds
Spread the loveActions routine, ‘not illegal’ By Peter Hancock Capitol News Illinois Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and former lobbyist Michael McClain have pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of racketeering, bribery, fraud and extortion. Both were arraigned on those charges last week during a teleconference hearing before U.S. District Judge…
Neighbors
Stateville may close as early as September under Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Stateville Correctional Center could close as early as September under a plan laid out by Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Friday. Top officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections testified in front of a key panel of state lawmakers. The 12 members on the General Assembly’s…
Labor-backed bill banning ‘captive audience’ meetings awaits House action
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With two weeks left before the General Assembly’s spring session is set to adjourn, negotiations continue on a labor union-backed initiative that would allow Illinoisans to skip religious and political work meetings without reprimand. Dubbed the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act,” Senate Bill 3649 advanced out…
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to call for cuts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com When Gov. JB Pritzker proposed his budget for the upcoming fiscal year in February, he sought authority from lawmakers to raise more than $1 billion in revenue through various changes to the state tax code. Among other things, he sought to raise $526 million through extending an expiring…
State officials offer last goodbye to former Thompson Center as renovations begin
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State officials kicked off the private renovation of the building which once served as the state government’s Chicago headquarters. The James R. Thompson Center, as it was known under state ownership, was sold in 2022 to a development firm that is renovating the building for its…
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…
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…