9 minute read
Big Week
April 20-27 BIG WEEK
Earth Day art
Chicago-based artist Bryan Northup will be working on his latest piece throughout the day on Friday, April 22 beginning at 10 a.m., in conjunction with a spring studio sale on both Friday and Saturday. For Friday’s work of art, Northup will be transforming single-use plastic using techniques that originated with his art practice. He will be creating a themed installation and demonstrating for whoever wants to stop by, or even may want to join in on creating. The spring studio sale, meanwhile, features nished art and sculpture, stained glass and tableware, with plants and seeds also available for purchase. A lineup of plant and garden-related workshops is also planned for Saturday.
Northup’s studio is located at 400 N. Humphrey Ave. in Oak Park. More information is available at bryannorthup.com/workshops.
Community cleanup
The Village of Forest Park’s second-annual community cleanup event is on tap for Sunday,
April 24, starting at 9 a.m.
For the second year in a row, volunteers are asked to gather outside the Roos Recreation Center, 7329 Harrison St., and sign up to beautify a set zone of Forest Park, designed to maximize the volunteers’ time and e orts. Organizers will provide bags, gloves and longhandled pickers to those who want them, and say the event is designed to get the village beautiful by the start of summer.
As an added bonus, attendees will be rewarded with a post-cleanup treat from The Brown Cow ice cream parlor, which is expecting to meet volunteers outside the Roos between noon at 1 p.m.
Pre-registration is strongly recommended and can be completed by visiting the village’s website at forestpark.net, clicking on the event on the village calendar, and scanning the QR code on the attached yer.
Contemporary art in Ukraine
The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association’s Monday enrichment series continues with a collection of artwork from Ukraine at an event Monday, April
25 at 1:15 p.m.
According to organizers, art in Ukraine often escapes attention in the United States, especially contemporary art, perhaps because of the area’s history of political unrest, economic challenges and social issues.
This presentation will showcase some of the nation’s leading artists, including Volodymyr Budnikov, Vlada Ralko, Nikita Kadan, Andriy
Sahaidakovsky and others.
The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association’s ballroom, which is hosting the event, is located on the second oor at 178 Forest Ave. in Oak Park. There is a $15 suggested donation for non-members. More information is available at nineteenthcentury.org.
Music for autism
Attend this virtual concert hosted by the Forest Park Public Library on Saturday, April 23 from 1 to 2 p.m. to hear from violinist Ariel Horowitz in a show designed for autistic individuals and their families.
Horowitz is known for her performance of classics along with a wide representation of composers from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Horowitz is also the founder and artistic director at The Heartbeat Music Project, which o ers tuition-free cultural learning for K-12 students in the Navajo Nation.
Pre-registration can be completed at fppl.org and must be completed to receive a link to the virtual performance.
The show is part of the Music for Autism series. For more information and a complete concert schedule, visit musicforautism.org.
Tea and tour
Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave. in Oak Park, ushers in the season with a special spring high tea on
Sunday, April 24 at 2 p.m.
Tours of the historic grounds will be o ered in addition to traditional tea service, savories, sweets and ra es. Pre- and post-tour teas are both available.
Reservations are requested by emailing info@pleasanthome.org with the number in your party and your preference for pre- or post-tour tea. Pre-tour teas will begin as early as 1 p.m. with admission o ered beginning at 12:45 p.m.
Tickets are $50 per person or $40 per member.
Triton College Automotive Car show
Take in the annual Triton College Automotive Car show on Sunday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show features more than 300 cars, including hot rods, classic cars, military vehicles and big rigs. And after you’re done browsing the lineup, take a tour of the school’s automotive technology facilities. Concessions will also be available from three award-winning Chicago food trucks and there’s live music, too. Admission and parking are free. Triton College is located at 2000 Fifth Ave. in River Grove. If you’re interested in showing o your car, register now at triton.edu/carshow.
Je Tweedy and Nick O erman
Illinois Libraries Present is proudly bringing together legendary musician Je Tweedy along with humorist and author Nick O erman for a virtual event hosted by the Forest Park Public Library on Wednesday, April 27 from 7 to
8 p.m.
Tweedy is the man behind the Grammy Award winning rock band Wilco and has recently released three solo albums along with two books: Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back) and How to Write One Song.
O erman, a who grew up in Minooka, is the bestselling author of three books of his own and one of the breakout stars of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, where he played the inimitable Ron Swanson. In addition to writing and acting, O erman is also an accomplished woodworker.
Pre-registration is required and open now. Visit fppl.org for a link to the registration page hosted by Illinois Libraries Present.
SUBMIT YOUR EVENT
■ Have an event we should feature in the Big Week? Email event details (photo, time, place, cost & a brief description) to Andy@forestparkreview.com. The deadline for submissions is Friday at noon.
Retirement is great in the Great Retirement
We’re in the midst of the Great Retirement. About three million extra workers retired due to COVID. Their main motive, though, is not health-related. Most are looking for more time with family and friends and more opportunities to travel.
I can relate. I spend a lot of time with kids and grandsons. I keep the 4-year-old and the 1-year-old alive for two hours every Wednesday. I also dipped my toes in the Atlantic and the Pacific in the space of two weeks.
Many, though, have fears about retiring. Their biggest fear is running out of money. They’re also afraid of losing their health insurance. As a result, I have friends who come out of retirement as frequently as prizefighters.
Just as they finish one career, they embark on another. Some simply miss the structure and camaraderie of the workplace. Others have turned an artistic outlet into a source of income. Besides money worries, people fear they will become bored and isolated. I’m rarely bored and never feel isolated. Every time I make a purchase online, or visit a Walgreen’s, I’m bombarded with friendly emails. I also receive phone calls from all over the country. Most come with a warning, “Potential Spam.” One of the perks of retirement is that you can get up whenever you want. I’m usually awake by 8:30. At this ungodly hour, it takes two cups of coffee to get me going. Then I eat a hearty breakfast. Having bacon, eggs and toast helps me reach my daily cholesterol requirement.
Then I make the bed. I make the covers so tight, you could bounce a quarter off the bed, if we still carried quarters. Now that the bed is made, it’s a comfy place to read a book. I’m currently reading one by a guy from Oak Park.
He became an ambulance driver during World War I and was wounded. He stayed on in Paris and joined a “lost generation” of writers, artists and musicians. We have
much in common as writers. He penciled his stories in Paris cafes. I type my stories in a laundry room. The only time I’m truly disturbed is when the washer starts rocking during the spin cycle. Speaking of which, I’m now an expert at washing clothes. After I finish a few loads, you’d think I’d be tired from the breakneck pace of my day. But it’s dangerous to nap during the day because it could JOHN disrupt my sleep schedule. I prefer siestas. These are also brief periods of sleep but RICE only take place after satisfying meals. After the siesta, it’s time to prepare a satisfying dinner. I purchase fresh ingredients and cook like we’re still feeding four kids. After cleaning up the kitchen, it’s time for another siesta. Evenings are spent watching a healthy dose of sports on TV. Another fear people have of retiring is their health will decline. As long as I stick to an unhealthy diet and avoid exercise, I’ll remain in good shape. There’s going to be a new wrinkle, though, to my retirement. My wife will soon be joining me. I hope she still lets me make the bed.
A L OOK BA CK IN TIME
Road from Forest Park
Nominated for five Academy Awards, the depression era gangster movie “Road to Perdition” had a local tie to Forest Park.
The local craftsmanship was found in the set in recreating the molding in the historical Hotel Florence, which was part of the 1881 planned community of George Pullman.In order to recreate the historic molding on the baseboards and ceiling inside the hotel, Bob Mitchell and his crew at Mitchell Moulding on Circle Avenue. were hired by DreamWorks Studio.
Creating the orate pieces of molding could require as many as 20 knives clamped into the molding machines which had been crafting specialty molding for generations.
The Mitchell family purchased the farmland at 15th and Circle Avenue in 1919, after outgrowing their original location. Owner Bob Mitchell stands before a wall of molding and equipment.
FOREST P ARK REVIEW
Editor Andy Viano Senior Editor Bob Uphues Equity Editor/Ombudsman Michael Romain Digital Publishing & Technology Manager Briana Higgins Contributing Reporters Tom Holmes, John Rice, Bob Skolnik, Jackie Glosniak, Robert J. Li a Columnists Alan Brouilette, Jill Wagner, Tom Holmes, John Rice Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Sales and Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Development & Sales Coordinator Stacy Coleman Circulation Manager Jill Wagner
Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich
Board of Directors Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer
HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-366-0600 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 EMAIL forestpark@wjinc.com CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com ONLINE ForestParkReview.com TWITTER @FP_Review Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Forest Park Review,141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302-2901. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS No 0205-160) In-county subscriptions: $30 per year. $44 for two years, $60 for three years. Out-of-county subscriptions: $38 per year. Forest Park Review is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. © 2022 Growing Community Media NFP.
