Wearing their Garfield Ridge Strong shirts, Arlene White (right) and Michele Doherty work the most recent Sell-A-Bration event near 57th and Narragansett. --Photo by Joan Hadac

Wearing their Garfield Ridge Strong shirts, Arlene White (right) and Michele Doherty work the most recent Sell-A-Bration event near 57th and Narragansett. --Photo by Joan Hadac

I’m sold on this celebration

Spread the love

By 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 semi-annual Sell-A-Bration. She has been leading this popular event for the past nine years.

“It is the best thing. I look forward to it each time,” Arlene told over breakfast recently at Café 63, 6411 W. 63rd St. (Frankly, just about the best place around here where you can eat a delicious meal in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.)

CRRNH ArleneWhiteJoanHColumn 070622

Wearing their Garfield Ridge Strong shirts, Arlene White (right) and Michele Doherty work the most recent Sell-A-Bration event near 57th and Narragansett. –Photo by Joan Hadac

Anyway, about nine years ago, Arlene was sitting on her front porch one day, talking to family and friends, when one neighbor, Heather Rak, said she and Arlene should go to the next meeting of the GRNW.

“So we went to the meeting, and I really enjoyed the people who were there. I liked what they did,” Arlene smiled.

The GRNW’s primary focus back then was keeping Garfield Ridge safe and inviting to families. Their members patrolled the streets alleys, parks and school grounds, looking for things that were out of place like graffiti, open garage doors, as well as gangs congregating in parks and other public spaces.

They called 311 and 911 as situations warranted. The GRNW also wanted residents to know what was going on in their community, good and bad. While safety is still a goal of the group (evidenced by their joint meetings with CAPS Beat 811), they have expanded to include good works for individuals in the community, sponsoring the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at WentworthPark, participating in the community’s holiday parades and more.

Arlene’s involvement didn’t end with that one meeting. Shortly after joining the group, she was asked to become a board member. She was then asked to become chairperson of the Sell-A-Bration.

The goal of the event was two-fold. The first was to raise money for the GRNW to fund their other events. The second and maybe more important was to get folks out of their houses and into a friendly, safe public space to meet each other and build bonds of neighborliness.

The process began (from scratch, I might add) with Arlene and fellow board members scoping out prospective locations to hold the event.

The idea of the Kennedy High School parking lot happened when they were driving through the neighborhood. After talking to the principal and the Board of Education, they had their location.

The GRNW board and Arlene wanted to name their event something unique, something that would attract attention.

joanhadac

Joan Hadac

“We didn’t want to call it a garage sale or a rummage sale, because it was different from those,” Arlene explained.

Different it is. First of all, each vendor rents a parking-lot space for just $20. “I won’t raise the price,” Arlene promised.

On the day of the event, each vendor sets up their space as they want. They bring awnings, tents, chairs, tables and the goods they are selling. Each vendor keeps what the cash they make from selling their goods.

Before the day of the Sell-A-Bration, much has been going on behind the scenes. Arlene stressed that she is hard to get ahold of a month before the event. Her telephone landline is ringing off the hook, vendors calling her instead of her calling them.

“Sometimes I can be on the phone 45 minutes with one vendor. There is one woman who started out with us. She was the first vendor to sign on. We’ve become friends,” Arlene told me.

Once the event is advertised, she can get 5 to 20 calls a day from vendors.

“There are a lot of repeat vendors,” Arlene explained.

The next Sell-A-Bration is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10, so don’t be surprised if you can’t reach Arlene via phone in August. You may get a busy signal.

Arlene said that the vendors, who were strangers to one another in the beginning, ended up as friends, going out together and hanging out with one another.

“There is so much camaraderie,” Arlene exclaimed.

There are also signs to put up to let everyone know the Sell-A-Bration is coming, fees to collect, gathering donations from businesses who Arlene calls “generous,” and getting donations for the Trash to Treasure table. Keep that in mind and start gathering your former treasures you want to donate.

Now when the “Queen of the Celebration,” a nickname Arlene earned from friends, walks down the street in Garfield Ridge, she may be greeted with, “I know you,” a direct result from her time leading the Sell-A-Bration.

Arlene recently celebrated her 80th birthday and will celebrate her 18th Sell-A-Bration event in September.

“I will keep heading up the Sell-A-Bration until I physically cannot, but I will still help out by staying at home and taking calls,” Arlene told me.

Arlene has a philosophy, “The more you do, the more you get to know your neighbors,” which is one reason she keeps busy with the GRNW and the Sell-A-Bration.

The other reason is “It is so much fun.”

Arlene has lived in her Garfield Ridge home for 43 years. For someone who retired 14 years ago, she seems busier than ever.

Thanks for the delightful conversation, Arlene. It was great to sit down and talk. I will give readers more information about the September Sell-A-Bration when the date draws near.

See you next week.

Local News

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound November 30, 2022

Spread the love

Spread the love

CRRNH_SweetSaluteRhineVFW_112322

A sweet salute to veterans

Spread the love

Spread the love Rhine VFW Post 2729 members William Haas and Jerry Dipasquale survey some of the bags of candy, pastries and other treats given to the post earlier this month by the students of Sahs School in Central Stickney. The Sahs boys and girls also wrote personal letters and made patriotic posters expressing their…

Runners get off to a fast start at the Orland Park Turkey Trot, where a record 1,000 runners signed up. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Orland Park man wins Turkey Trot; St. Laurence runner takes women’s title

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The number 19 meant good things on Thanksgiving morning. The top two finishers in the 34th running of the Orland Park Turkey Trot had “19” as part of the number on their bibs. Brandon Lukas, 25, of Orland Park, wore No. 7519 and took first place with a…

The varsity Orland Park Pioneers team had a huge 2022 season. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Area Sports Roundup: Orland Park Pioneers honored; local hoops teams win Thanksgiving tourney titles

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Two youth football teams teams were honored by the Orland Park Village Board for winning Super Bowl championships in their respective divisions. The Orland Park Pioneers’ varsity and super lightweight players received awards and recognition Nov. 21 from the board and Mayor Keith Pekau, who has the distinction…

cook county helicopter

Cook County Board approve Aguilar’s proposal for a sheriff’s helicopter 

Spread the love

Spread the loveThe Cook County Board of Commissioners voted overwhelmingly last week to approve Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar’s proposal to lease a helicopter to the Cook County Sheriff’s office. While Cook County is among the largest metropolitan areas in the nation, its helicopter fleet lags far behind other large urban areas. The Los Angeles metropolitan…

Nazareth players celebrate winning the fourth football championship in the school's history on Nov. 26 in Champaign. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Football Class 5A State Championship: Roadrunners win shootout for fourth state title

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Nazareth opened the season in August with a 2-0 win over Kankakee. It closed the season the afternoon of Nov. 26 with a 45-44 win over Peoria at Memorial Stadium in Champaign to take the IHSA Class 5A state championship. In between was a rollercoaster of wins and…

Brookfield Zoo’s ring-tailed lemurs—Skinner (left) and Moses—were treated to an early Thanksgiving feast that featured all the trimmings. This annual tradition, now in its ninth year, takes place the day before the holiday. (Photo by Jim Schulz/Brookfield Zoo) 

Ring-tailed Lemurs at Brookfield Zoo enjoy 9th annual Thanksgiving feast

Spread the love

Spread the loveThe annual tradition of Brookfield Zoo’s ring-tailed lemurs receiving an early Thanksgiving feast took place today, November 23. Now, in its ninth year, the animal care staff prepared the meal for the primates that featured all the trimmings laid out on a fall-themed table setting. This year, the menu for the lemurs—15-year-old Moses…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound November 23, 2022

Spread the love

Spread the love

mount carmel logo

Strong second half lifts Mount Carmel over St. Rita for trip to 7A title game

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Millar  Correspondent After the Mount Carmel offense was shut out in the first half by St. Rita in the teams’ IHSA Class 7A semifinal, Caravan coach Jordan Lynch remained confident his offense would get going on a cold, windy night. “It was just a matter of time,” Lynch said. “Penalties were…

Nazareth coach Tim Racki is taking his sixth team to a state championship football game at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Vorva.

Area Sports Report: Nazareth finishes run to Class 5A state title game

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Nazareth has played in five state championship football games. But the Roadrunners never took a road this bumpy to get there. After opening the season 1-3 and at one point being 2-4, they had to run the table just to make it to the playoffs. Mission accomplished. They…

Neighbors

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A panel of federal appellate judges on Thursday seemed skeptical of legal arguments made on behalf of Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, who claims Illinois’ law allowing counting of mail-in ballots for two weeks after an election is in violation of federal law. Bost’s late 2022…

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

By BETH HUNDSDORFER  Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com Cyrenthia Threat spent Wednesday morning at a hiring event in Fairview Heights waiting for word on whether she was hired by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.  Threat wants to move to Illinois from Georgia where she works as a social worker. She has 20 years…

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted for staging a hate crime against him in 2019 in a case that drew criticism for Cook County’s top prosecutor. Smollett made what turned out to be…

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

By PETER HANCOCK  Capitol News Illinois  phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the state to ease the strain have made an impact.  That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools,…

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval.   Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The longtime chair and a relatively new member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced Monday. The governor’s office announced the pair’s resignations within hours of each other nearly two weeks after Crosetti Brand was released from Stateville Correctional Center. Brand is…

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

By ALEX ABBEDUTO   Capitol News Illinois  abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com  The night before Rebecca Hooks started at the Illinois State Police Academy in 2002, she spoke on the phone with her father and her brother – both of whom worked in law enforcement.  Her father encouraged her, telling her she was strong and could get through the…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…