Joan Hadac

Joan Hadac

Don’t take senior center for granted

Spread the love

By Joan Hadac

Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge

(708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com

I’m back. Thank you, Patti Tyznik, for filling in and giving me a week off. I hope this becomes a regular thing!

  • Nominations are now open for officers to serve on the board of directors of the Southwest Side Senior Service Organization, which

operates the Garfield Ridge Satellite Senior Center. Needed are a new president, vice president and treasurer, as well as board members in general. If you want to get involved, please stop by the center, 5674-B S. Archer (barely west of Archer and Laramie) or call (312) 745-4255. Do it this week, because the time to step forward and join the board is almost over.

Years ago, senior citizens in Clearing and Garfield Ridge worked hard to pressure city government to establish a senior center west of the airport, because older folks out this way were tired of driving all the way to 61st and Kedzie to go to a City of Chicago senior center. So let’s honor their work by supporting the satellite center. May no one take its existence for granted.

joanhadac

Joan Hadac

  • The next meeting of the Clearing Civic League is set for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the Clearing Branch Library, 6423 W. 63rd Place. If you live in Clearing and care about the neighborhood, please attend and consider joining. Since 1960,
the CCL has served as a non-profit, non-partisan group of Clearing residents dedicated to improving the community. At its best, it serves as an important counterweight to the power of elected officials and the business community. My thanks to longtime CCL officer Marie Zilka for sharing this information.
  • If you live in Clearing, west of Central Avenue, you are welcome to attend the next CAPS Beat 812 meeting, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 at the Clearing Branch Library. Meet your local police officers and talk about crime prevention in the neighborhood. This meeting also serves as the October meeting of the Clearing Night Force neighborhood watch, who are always looking for new members.
  • Well, it’s almost here: 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares’ annual Get Behind the Vest Pancake Breakfast. Bring a hearty appetite and your cash to Brennan Hall at St. Dan’s, 54th and Natoma, from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 16. A plate of pancakes and sausage costs $10 and includes a beverage (coffee, orange juice or water). Dine in at Brennan Hall with your neighbors or get your breakfast to go.

All proceeds benefit the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s Get Behind the Vest initiative, which purchases protective vests for CPD officers. The CPMF will have a table or two at the event to sell some pretty cool merch, as the kids say.

If you see me there with a camera, please smile!

  • Two Holy Martyrs Parish will host a “super bingo” on Sunday, Oct. 16 at the St. Rene Goupil hall, 6340 S. New England. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., and games start at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $20. Food and beverages will be on sale. For details, call (773) 767-1523.
  • If you live in Garfield Ridge, west of Central Avenue, you are welcome to attend the next CAPS Beat 811 meeting, set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 at Ward Hall, 5157 S. McVicker. Meet your local police officers and talk about crime prevention in the neighborhood. This meeting also serves as the October meeting of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch, who are always looking for new members. Thanks to Marilyn Koperniak for sharing this information.
  • If you are age 60 or older, there are indoor activities just for you at Wentworth Park, 5625 S. Mobile. All are offered at no charge.

Start your week off right with a stretching class, set for 1:15 to 2 p.m. Mondays through Dec. 5. Keep those muscles limber and improve your breathing and circulation.

Want to meet other seniors and play bingo, board games or cards—or just talk? A senior club meets from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Thursdays through Dec. 8.

If you want to build physical strength, a conditioning class runs from 1:15 to 2 p.m. Fridays through Dec. 9. Train with weights and other fitness tools.

For more information, call the park at (312) 747-6993. My thanks to Tricia Orszula for sharing this information.

  • At the September meeting of the Garfield Ridge Civic League, a speaker from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago talked briefly about what people can do to help monarch butterflies thrive. That matters because butterflies have an important role to play, as pollinators.

One easy thing to do is to plant milkweed in your garden. If you want free milkweed seeds you can plant in 2023, visit mwrd.org/save-monarchs. The seeds will be mailed to you.

  • Finally, if you’re thinking ahead to Halloween and buying some candy for the wee ones who come in costume to your door, I encourage you to shop local and shop independent. See what places like Continental Sales, 6333 S. Cicero, have to offer. You may also order online at shop.tootsie.com if you want to spend your dollars with a local candy maker that has provided employment to generations of Southwest Side men and women.

That’s all for now. Have a great week.

Local News

CRR_NH

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound March 27, 2024

Spread the love

Spread the love

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Thome sweet Thome: Nazareth baseball defeats Hall of Famer Jim Thome’s alma mater

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Nazareth baseball team took a road trip to the middle of Illinois and improved its record to 7-0 on March 23 by beating Limestone, 6-0. Limestone is the alma mater of former White Sox player and Baseball Hall of Fame member Jim Thome, who is an assistant coach…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Chicago Catholic League greats headed to Hall of Fame

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent A handful of area stars will be inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The list features Kevin Bracken (St. Laurence, wrestling), Kevin Carberry (St. Rita, football), Matt Macievic (De La Salle, cross county and track), Mike McGrew (Mount Carmel, football), Dan Nicholson (Brother Rice,…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Fire II tops Chicago City, advances to to second round of Hunt Open Cup

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Fire II picked up a late invitation to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and beat Chicago City, 6-0, on March 20 in front of an announced crowd of 810 at SeatGeek Stadium. Defender Giovanni Granda and midfielder Vitaliy Hlyut each made their professional debut and scored…

Julia Bianchi heads back on defense shortly after delivering a first-half goal for the Chicago Red Stars on March 23 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars top Seattle, open season with two wins for first time in franchise history

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Last year’s last-place finish notwithstanding, the Chicago Red Stars have had a pretty rich history of success. The franchise has seven NWSL playoff appearances and has finished runner-up twice (2019, 2021), and prior to 2022 had finished no lower than fourth in the league ‘s regular season standings for…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

College Football | Marian (Indiana) and St. Francis highlight Saint Xavier 2024 home slate

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Saint Xavier has released its 2024 football schedule, which has the Cougars opening the season in Michigan. SXU will travel to the Detroit suburb of Southfield to play Lawrence Tech on Sept. 7 in a Mid-States Football Association crossover. The Cougars’ home opener kicks off at noon on Sept.…

Morton's Nariah Clay was named to the NCJAA Division II all-tournament team as the Panthers finished fifth in the nation. Photo courtesy of Morton College Department of Athletics

Morton College women’s hoops takes fifth in nation

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent For the second year in a row, the Morton College women’s basketball team finished fifth in the country. The Panthers closed out the 2023-24 campaign in Joplin, Missouri, with a 75-67 victory over Iowa Western on March 23 in the consolation championship game at the NJCAA Division II National…

Marist's Jack Meader (left) and Nathen Toth face each other during a block attempt against Downers Grove North in the semifinals of the Marist Invitational on March 23. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Volleyball | Marist tops Lockport for Gold at RedHawks Invite

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent Marist enjoys getting its season going by hosting a tournament that is now in its 20th year. They had a good time again this season, going unbeaten over five matches in two days to win the Marist RedHawks Invitational for the sixth consecutive time. The RedHawks ended the tournament…

CRRNH_CosmoPhotoMDWArmory_032724

City wants to buy armory at MDW

Spread the love

Spread the love. Has been vacant since 2017 .  By Tim Hadac For decades, it served military purposes, as well as Chicago’s gateway for Presidents stopping off in the city. But the Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., has been mostly vacant since 2017, when the Illinois Army National Guard ceased operations…

Mary Ellen Fox --Photo by Cosmo Hadac

A successful career serving thousands

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound (708)-496-0265 . Most folks work for years at their jobs, expecting and receiving little fanfare, then retire quietly. Garfield Ridge resident Mary Ellen Fox planned to retire from her 30-year job in the City Clerk’s Office quietly; and she did, earlier this year. But…

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…