W E D N E S D A Y
December 28, 2022 Vol. 43, No. 22
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JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
2022 YEAR IN REVIEW
Fenwick defeats Farragut in Proviso West Holiday Tourney Page 18
A year to remember
As we head into 2023, let’s remind ourselves what happened in 2022 By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
FACE TIME: Betty White was the virtual guest of honor during the Be Like Betty celebration at the Lake Theatre on Jan. 15, honoring the Oak Park native’s centennial.
You are not alone if you have found yourself scratching your head, wondering, “What even happened this year?” With the back-to-back-to-back holidays, it’s hard to think of much else this time of year but the next celebration. Memories from the previous months seem to fall from the brain like snowflakes from the sky, leaving vague confusion in their place. A lot did transpire in 2022, however, and for those trying to piece together all that happened, Wednesday Journal has made it easy for you. Let’s revisit some of the year’s top stories, beginning, of course, with the year’s beginning: Oak Park found itself in the national spotlight in January, as the world mourned the death of beloved icon Betty White, who was born at West Suburban Medical Center on Jan. 17, 1922 and died Dec. 31, 2021. To celebrate her life on what would have been her centennial birthday, roughly 500 fans of the comedic actress flocked to downtown Oak Park for a special event in White’s honor sponsored by Growing Community Media, Wednesday Journal’s parent company. The “Be Like Betty” event included a pop-up pet adoption by the Animal Care League and a rendition of “Thank You for Being a Friend” by River Forest resident See NEWS IN REVIEW on page 6
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