DevCorp encouraging outdoor dining

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By Kathy Headley

Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor

6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778

Over the years Greater Southwest Development Corp. has put together some wonderful ideas in and around our main corridors. As recently as the end of March, we talked about their plan to begin a tenant in-place rehab for the Churchview Manor Senior Complex, which sits between Rockwell and Washtenaw.

Another new idea that caught my eye is their Greater Together Dining Program, which encourages restaurants to take advantage of the warm summer months coming up by offering them assistance in providing their customers with an outdoor dining experience. So we’ll see how that goes. I am looking forward to it.

If you own a restaurant and are interested in the idea, contact Betty at Greater Southwest by calling (773) 922-6414 or email her at [email protected].

Registration for the Marquette Park Kids Soccer Summer League takes place this Friday, April 14 and again next Friday, April 21, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Marquette Park, 6734 S. Kedzie. Play is open to children ages 5 to 14. The cost of $120 includes practices, games and a uniform. For more information, call (773) 780-1361.

This Saturday, April 15, the Sisters of St. Casimir invite all to a Mass praying for the beatification of Venerable Maria Kaupas, foundress of the Sisters of St. Casimir, on the 83^rd anniversary of her death. Mass begins at 9:30 a.m. in the St. Casimir Center Chapel, 2601 W. Marquette Road. After Mass join in the re-dedication of the outside statue of Father Anthony Staniukynas, spiritual guide and teacher for the Sisters of St. Casimir and co-founder of Lithuanian Roman Catholic Charities of America. Light refreshments will be served afterward.

This Sunday, April 16, the Symphony of Spring Concert performed by the renowned Lithuanian quartet Ciiurlionis will be held at Nativity BVM Church beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 and available at the rectory. For more information, call Audra at (773) 776-4800.

A couple of interesting seminars coming up next week at the Southwest Regional Senior Center, 6117 S. Kedzie. The first one is on Monday, April 17, when a Cook County Assessor seminar takes place at 10 a.m. Then on Wednesday, April 19, a legal aid and advance planning seminar will begin at 10:15 a.m.

Next Saturday, April 22, the Chicago Lawn Branch Library. 6120 S. Kedzie, will begin hosting a Family Project Hour from 1 to 2 p.m. Suitable for children ages 6 to 13, the group will be working on a different project every month. For April, there will be a discussion of how plants grow and then everyone will be able to make plastic bottle planters. Space is limited so prior registration is required. For more information call the branch at (312) 747-0639.

The Annual Unofficial Bogan Reunion is scheduled for Saturday, April 22, at the Irish Rebel, 9953 Southwest Highway, Oak Lawn, at 7 p.m. The get together features a DJ and pizza. For more information go to the Unofficial Bogan Reunion 2023 Facebook page.

Next Sunday, April 23, the Lithuanian Center, 5620 S. Claremont, brings Tragic Magic to the stage. Developed and directed by Beth Bornstein Dunnington, official winner of the Hollywood Encore Producer Award, Tragic Magic is a story of recovery, billed as “ultimately a story of hope, redemption and triumph.” The show begins at 1 p.m. Tickets with lunch included are $30. A cash bar will be available. For reservations and more information email to [email protected].

When we left 1973 last week, since there was still a bit of a nip in the air, we wanted to stop somewhere for a bowl of hot chili. Hearing good things about their chili, we decided to check out the grill on 63^rd Street, just east of Kedzie, south side of the street, where we could sit at the counter and order what we heard would be some pretty tasty chili.

Jim S. was the first to recall many times stopping in at Gossage Grill. He tells us they used to have another convenient location for him on 63^rd and Western where he would stop on occasion.

“They made some darn good hamburgers too,” Jim said. “I remember one called the Big Guy Burger. I could feast on that burger and a malt for about $1, I think.”

Now in 1973 we could still enjoy a nice cold Pepsi or Coca Cola in a glass bottle. It just tasted so much better in the glass bottle, didn’t it? Fifty years ago this week, the liquor store over by the Zayre on Southwest Highway was running a sale on an 8-pack of Pepsi Cola for just 75 cents, plus deposit of course. They also were advertising a 12-pack Hamm’s Beer in cans for just $2.09. Maybe we should zip over there and take advantage of the prices. Remember the name of that place?