Welcome to Chicago Lawn, Claudia Brand

By Kathy Headley

Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor

6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778

Today let’s welcome Claudia Brand, our new Teen Librarian at the Chicago Lawn Branch Library. A native of the South Chicago neighborhood, Claudia began her library career at the Jeffery Manor Branch. She has 15 years’ experience with the library and most recently was the children’s librarian at the Hegewisch location.

She is no stranger to Chicago Lawn, as this past summer she spent about a month working here while the Hegewisch building underwent a refresh. Claudia enjoyed her time here and when she saw an opening for a teen librarian at Chicago Lawn, she immediately applied. A current Garfield Ridge resident, she will find Chicago Lawn closer to home for her too.

Claudia started by activating the space on the shelves and improving browsability, making it easy for teens to go up to shelves and find what interests them; which of course is important but her current project is rather exciting. It is a Teen Art Studio.

“There’s so much we can do,” Claudia said. “We have some great equipment I want to teach the teens how to use, for instance a 3D printer, a Cricket, a Button Maker and more.”

She plans on starting small and building on her studio plan, going into Art Media, painting and maybe even a little crocheting. She confessed that crocheting is something she really enjoys and she thinks she can instill that in the teens once she shows them how much fun it can be. The plan is for the Art Studio to begin this coming month and meet once or twice a week.

“Our little family here at Chicago Lawn is growing, “commented Chicago Lawn Children’s Librarian Susana Garza with a smile.

No sooner did Susana make that comment, and CPL snatched Bruce Sullivan the new Adult Services Librarian from Chicago Lawn to temporarily fill a vacancy at the Wrightwood-Ashburn Branch. Fingers crossed, everything works itself out in 2023.

Tickets for the 2023 Mustang Grand Raffle at St. Rita High School are now on sale. The Grand Prize is $10,000 with 2^nd through 5^th place prizes of 1,000 each. This raffle helps to narrow the gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating the students. Tickets are $20 per single ticket or $100 for six. Tickets can be purchased online at www.stritahs.com. The drawing will take place at Winterfest on Feb. 4.

Tickets for the raffle can also be purchased next Thursday, Jan. 5, at the monthly St. Rita of Cascia Novena, held at the shrine in the high school, 7740 S. Western, at 7 p.m.

Remember at St. Adrian, the children have been practicing throughout the month of December for their play: Children’s Celebration of the Three Kings. So if you can make plans to attend their production this Tuesday, Jan. 3. The play will begin at 5:30 p.m. in St. Adrian Church.

Any kids ages 6 to 13, there’s still time to pick up your book, Ikenga by Mnedi Okorafor for the Thursday, Jan. 5, Tween Book Club meeting at the Chicago Lawn Branch Library, 6120 S. Kedzie. The monthly meeting runs from 6 to 7 p.m.

Over at Nativity BVM, a champagne brunch is coming up on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 12:30 p.m. in the parish hall, 6812 S. Washtenaw. Tickets are $75. For reservations and additional info call Audra at the parish office (773) 776-4600.

When we left 1978 last week, we were stopping for a box of Turks to have on hand as a treat for any visitors that might stop by. Bernie M. was the first to identify the shop where we would have purchased them and that was Cupid Candies. Her best memory of Cupid was the chocolate malteds. Bernie also mentioned that her dentist, Dr. Bartz was at 63^rd and Kedzie. I asked her if she thought there was any connection between the malteds and the dentist.

Now what to do on New Year’s Eve? Forty-four years ago there was a place not far from us on 53^rd and Kedzie that had a pretty good deal: champagne fountain, filet diner, hors d’oeuvres, dancing, and even a continental breakfast after the party. The price was only $25. Anyone know where we are planning on going?

Wishing you a happy and safe New Year’s!