Local

In and Around Park Forest Week of April 7, 2014


2014 inductees to the Park Forest Hall of Fame
The 2014 inductees to the Park Forest Hall of Fame: (seated) Ruth Henkel, Robert G. Pierce, A. Wayne Mann, Lois Navid and Jane Navid Joseph representing Robert and Ruth Navid. (Standing) James Henkel, Terry Medhurst, representing Ralph and Terry, and a rep. from Rich East High School. (ENEWSPF)

Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—April 7, 2014. If you’ve seen the wind turbines in Richton Park, Governors State University, Lynwood or the new parking structure at Midway Airport, you may be curious as to just how electricity can be generated through wind. You can learn the latest on wind energy at the Chicago Wind Council meeting that will take place on Friday, April 11 at Prairie State College, 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights. The guest presenter will be Ms. Asia Ward of The KidWind Project. Since its founding in 2003, KidWind has impacted 600,000 students through classroom curriculum, KidWind Challenges, teacher workshops, and more. They believe that working with teachers creates long-lasting change at the community level through the students they engage daily. During the KidWind presentation, you will learn about their various educational programs, and participate in a hands-on activity called “The Instant Blade Challenge.” This event is free and open to the public but pre-registration is required. Additional information about the event can be found in the ‘Green Events’ section.

If your club, organization or local business will be holding activities or events in our community during the upcoming week, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with the details. Submission deadline is noon on Friday of each week.

Village of Park Forest

Park Forest 2014 – 2015 Vehicle Stickers – Now On Sale

Park Forest vehicle stickers for 2014-2015 are now on sale. Park Forest vehicle stickers must be displayed on every vehicle registered in the Village or Park Forest before April 30, even if the vehicle is not located in the Village, to avoid late fees and fines. Vehicle stickers are available for purchase at Village Hall during normal business hours. Stickers are also available for online purchase. For additional information about purchasing a vehicle sticker, along with applicable fees, visit: http://www.villageofparkforest.com

Village Board Meeting – Monday, April 7

The Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, April 7 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive. Residents are encouraged to attend. Board meetings air live on cable access channels (Channel 4 for Comcast subscribers and Channel 99 for AT&T subscribers) as well as on the Village web site at www.villageofparkforest.com.

To view previously held Board Meetings, visit the Village’s web site at: http://www.villageofparkforest.com and click on the date of the meeting you wish to watch.

Village Commission & Advisory Boards

The following Park Forest Commissions and Advisory Boards are scheduled to meet the week of April 7:

  • Tuesday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. – Commission on Human Relations
  • Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. – Youth Commission
  • Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. – Economic Development Advisory Group

The meetings will be held at Park Forest Village Hall and residents are encouraged to attend.

Earth Month Celebrations

South Suburban College (SSC), 15800 South State Street, South Holland

Earth Awareness Day – Wednesday, April 9

The SSC’s Sustainability Committee is pleased to announce its 4th annual Earth Awareness Day & Expo to be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Main Campus in South Holland. All of the Earth Awareness Day presentations and activities are completely free of charge and open to the public. The Cook County Environmental Control will also be hosting a prescription drug take-back throughout the day in the Atrium (including: liquids, inhalers and mercury thermometers; excluding: controlled substances, needles and syringes), and there will be an e-waste collection for used electronics and computers conducted by the Keeling Family Foundation and the VetTech.US Program.

The Earth Awareness Day & Expo schedule is as follows:

  • 9:00 a.m. Urban Agriculture–Creating a garden in a limited urban space.
    Presented by: Blake Davis, Adjunct Professor of Sustainability and Urban Agriculture, Illinois Institute of Technology
  • 10:00 a.m. Converting Biosolid Waste to Fertilizer–Where it comes from, how it’s treated for safe and beneficial uses, and examples of various applications.
    Presented by: Dr. Lakwinder S. Hundal, CPSS, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
  • 11:00 a.m. The Little Calumet River–It was used for everything a river could be used for good and bad. The pollution has been stopped and nature has taken over with hardly any notice.
    Presented by: Mike Echterling, Friends of the Little Calumet River
  • 12:00 p.m. Building Deconstruction–How to recycle as much as possible from buildings that are being remodeled or razed.
    Presented by: Alex Enarson, Assistant Manager, Rebuilding Exchange
  • 1:00 p.m. Green Cleaning and Green Cleaning Products–The methods and products that are gentle on us and our environment.
    Presented by: Representative from the American Federation of Teachers
  • 2:00 p.m. SSC Trees–Weather permitting, attendees will take a campus tour and see SSC’s native trees.
    Presented by: Eric Myers and Dave Shepard, SSC faculty

For more information, please call 708-210-5757.

Thorn Creek Nature Center, 247 Monee Road, Park Forest

Earth Underfoot at Thorn Creek’s Earth Day Celebration –Saturday, April 26

Earth Day at Thorn Creek this year celebrates soil on Saturday, April 26 from noon to 4 p.m. What is soil anyway? Soil is more than just dirt, and it is always forming. More is known about stars millions of miles away than the soil right here under our feet. Creatures of all kinds live in and help form the soils under our feet. Come discover all about soils at Earth Underfoot. Is soil dirt? Join us for a presentation at 1 p.m. to find out what makes up soil and how soil is formed here in Illinois. At 2 p.m. join naturalist April Richards and Jon Mendelson on a hike to understand the story told by the layers of soil here in Thorn Creek Woods. Your guides will help you see the land formations in the preserve. And you’ll take soil samples to discover what the different soil types look and feel like. Come and view life sized dioramas from The Field Museum depicting life underground. These special displays are rare snapshots of life down in the earth. See cicadas, moles, burrowing crayfish and burying beetles. View scenes of soils beneath forests, meadows and wetlands. Find out about the insects and earthworms that populate the soil. See maps of Thorn Creek’s soils and landforms and soil profiles. Touch and feel different soils. Refresh yourself with a Soil Sundae that you build yourself. See how it is a reflection of the living organism soil. There will be lots of fun for everyone including Soils Sundae refreshments, activities, crafts, displays, a hike and the start of our Spring Raffle. Thorn Creek is known for remarkable raffles. This year features themed baskets, suncatchers fashioned by one of our volunteers, a signed numbered print of Marikay Peter Witlock’s “Prairie Chapel”, three “almost new” bicycles and more. Raffle chances are $1 and 6 for $5. Raffle tickets are available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays noon to 4 p.m.at the nature center. The Spring Raffle items will be awarded at our Picnic at Thorn Creek Woods Fundraiser on Saturday May 10. The Earth Day program is free and open to all ages. Registration is not required. Please watch for parking signs. For more information, contact Thorn Creek Nature Center, at 708-747-6320 or [email protected]. Visit our new website www.tcwoods.org. The nature center is open Friday-Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. and trails are open daily, dawn to dusk.

Arts & Entertainment

Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park

Teatro Luna’s ‘Generation SEX’ – Friday, April 11

On Friday, April 11 at 8 p.m., Teatro Luna will present ‘Generation SEX.’ In ‘Generation SEX,’ five women from Teatro Luna bare all without blushing as they explore how technology has transformed sex, love, and relationships. Using movement, episodic scenes and musical numbers the ladies explore questions like: How has the art of seduction changed in a digital world that leaves little to the imagination? Can we Instagram loneliness? From sexting to Skype to the dark streets of cyberspace, join us for a guided tour of digital dating, love and satisfaction. It’s just a touch warmer than your welcome screen. Presented in English with a sprinkle of Spanish. Teatro Luna is America’s Pan-Latina theatre dedicated to creating original devised and single-author work that honors Latina lives and showcases the talents of Latina/Hispana artists. Founded in 2000, Luna is dedicated to expanding the range of Latina roles visible on the Chicago stage and beyond. Luna is an award-winning theatre company whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, American Theatre Magazine, NBC, Univision, NPR, and other major outlets and publications on a wide spectrum ranging from scholarship to cultural, and everything in between. This performance contains mature content and is recommended for those 18 and older. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on-line at: http://purchase.tickets.com or call the Box Office at 708-235-2222.  

The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and two hours prior to performances.

Dee Alexander in Concert – Tickets Now on Sale

On Saturday, April 26 at 8 p.m., the Center will present Dee Alexander in concert. Chicago’s Best Singer (2009 Chicago Magazine) Dee Alexander celebrates the music of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Nina Simone and Dinah Washington, highlighting her versatility as a jazz, gospel, soul and world music vocalist. Dee Alexander is among the premier vocalists and songwriters in American music today, and one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected artists. Her performances span virtually every music genre including gospel, blues, neo-soul, rhythm-and-blues, and world music. But her true heart belongs to jazz, the one idiom that can encompass all her influences. Her 2007 “Sirens of Song” tribute to Nina Simone and Dinah Washington at Chicago’s Pritzker Pavilion (commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago) attracted world recognition. Ms. Alexander is known by Chicago’s jazz elite (including Ramsey Lewis, Orbert Davis, and Nicole Mitchell), and leads two of her own bands: the Dee Alexander Quartet and the Evolution Ensemble, which emphasizes her original compositions. Her accolades include “Chicagoan of the Year” (Chicago Tribune, 2008) and “Jazz Entertainer of the Year” (Chicago Music Awards), and her 2009 album Wild Is The Wind received five stars (highest honor) from Downbeat Magazine, which named it among the Top Ten recordings of the new millennium.  Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on-line at: http://purchase.tickets.com or call the Box Office at 708-235-2222.

The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and two hours prior to performances.

‘Still Life’ – Tickets Now on Sale

 On Thursday, April 17 and Friday, April 18 GSU’s Theatre and Performance Studies program will present ‘Still Life.’ Performances will begin at 8 p.m. each night in GSU’s Sherman Recital Hall. Based on real life experiences, ‘Still Life’ explores the way that Vietnam has affected three lives: a Marine veteran, his estranged wife, and his mistress. This docudrama explores the way that Vietnam has affected three lives: a Marine veteran, his estranged wife, and his mistress. The man confesses that he killed a Vietnamese family in cold blood and, carrying the seeds of violence with him, returns home to brutalize his pregnant wife. The wife, disillusioned and unhappy, wants to ignore the terrors that haunt her husband, believing that in time the awful memories will fade, while the mistress, an angry feminist, blames the man’s destructiveness on the forces that conditioned him before he went to Vietnam. In the end, these three become a metaphor for the nation as a whole—still trying to understand, and overcome, the lingering trauma that is the bitter legacy of the Vietnam experience. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on-line at: http://purchase.tickets.com or call the Box Office at 708-235-2222.  The box office is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and two hours prior to performances.

DePaul University Art Museum, 935 West Fullerton, Chicago

Quilt Show ‘From Heart to Hand’ – Opens April 10

DePaul University’s Art Museum will unveil a new exhibition, “From Heart to Hand,” on April 10 featuring 23 quilts produced by African-American women. Originally organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Alabama, the exhibition demonstrates that quilts are not just household goods, but are also a means of personal expression. While quilting has been around in various forms for centuries, Louise Lincoln, Museum Director, explains that it was approximately 15 years ago that the contemporary art world “discovered” the distinctive work of the women in the town of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, who created quilts with intricate patterns that resembled abstract paintings. As the Gee’s Bend artists have become famous, quilt exhibitions have grown in popularity and have been featured in major museums, including the Whitney Museum in New York. The collection on display at DePaul Art Museum will include examples from Gee’s Bend, as well as other styles and subjects from the region of western Alabama, giving viewers rich insight on tradition and community. A series of programs will accompany the exhibition. Carolyn Ducey, curator of collections at the International Quilt Studies Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will give an introduction to the history of quilting in the South on April 12 at 2 p.m. Celebrated quilter and one of the featured exhibition artists, Yvonne Wells, will give a lecture on April 26 at 1 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. For more information on these events, visit http://bit.ly/PUx4cp. The exhibition will be featured at the DePaul Art Museum from April 10 – June 22. The DePaul Art Museum at 935 W. Fullerton, just east of the CTA’s Fullerton ‘L’ stop, is open Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information, call 773-325-7506 or visit www.depaul.edu/museum.

DePaul University Theatre School, 60 East Balbo, Chicago

‘Jackie & Me’ – Tickets Now on Sale

The Theatre School at DePaul University will present ‘Jackie & Me,’ by Steven Dietz, adapted from the novel by Dan Gutman, and directed by John Jenkins, as the final production of the 2013-2014 Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences season. This production opens April 8 and runs through May 10 at DePaul’s historic Merle Reskin Theatre. Performances are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. Friday performances will be held on May 2 and May 9 at 10 a.m. A special Sunday performance at 2 p.m. will be held on May 4. There will be no Saturday performance on May 3. Joey Stoshack has a talent that many kids dream of: the ability to travel through time. When Joey is assigned to write a report on an African American role model, he uses his powers to travel back to 1947 and meet Jackie Robinson, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Through their adventures, Joey learns about real courage and what it feels like to walk in someone else’s shoes. This production is recommended for ages 8 and older. Educational themes include: baseball, courage, facing prejudice, family, history, thinking of others and overcoming adversity. For more information about pre-show and post-show educational activities and highlighted curriculum connections, please visit www.theatre.depaul.edu to download our free teacher guide. You can also request a teacher guide by calling the box office. For patrons who are blind or have low vision, the performance will be audio described on Saturday, April 19 at 2 p.m. with a pre-performance touch tour. Call 312-922-1999. The performances on May 2 at 10 a.m. and May 4 at 2 p.m. will be interpreted in American Sign Language. Call TTY: 773-325-7975. April 12 at 2 p.m. is USO of Illinois Day. U.S. Armed Forces personnel and their families, with a valid military ID, can attend the performance for free. Visit www.tixfortroops.org to reserve tickets, or call 312-922-1999 for more information. In addition, a wide range of events will be held in conjunction with this production including community partner days, an ice cream social, opening day autographs, post show discussions and more. For details visit the website or call the box office. Tickets are $10. Subscriptions and group rates (15 or more people) are available. DePaul employees, alumni and college students receive a discount (with ID). Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 312-922-1999. DePaul’s Merle Reskin Theatre is located at 60 E. Balbo Drive at Michigan Avenue in Chicago. For information about parking, please contact the box office. The theatre is accessible via CTA busses (3-King Drive, 29-State Street, 146-Michigan/Museums and others) and CTA ‘L’ stops (Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Purple and Pink).

The Drama Group Studio Theatre, 330 West 202nd Street, Chicago Heights

The Tale of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ – Opens April 9

The Drama Group’s Daytime Children’s Theatre will present the tale of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Performances will be held Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, April 9, 10 and 11 at 9:30 a.m.; Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and Sunday, April 13 at 1 p.m. Enjoy the traditional tale of the selfish prince who has been transformed into a beast. Only true love can reverse the spell. Tickets are $6 in advance, 45 for groups of 25 of more and $7 at the door. For additional information or to purchase tickets, call 708-755-3444.

Faith United Protestant Church, 10 Hemlock, Park Forest

Northern Illinois Steel Drum Band Performance – Friday, April 11

On Friday, April 11 at 7 p.m. at Faith United Protestant Church, the nationally famous steel drum band from Northern Illinois State University will perform. This is an experience no one should miss. They nearly raise the roof off the church. There is dancing in the aisles because of the energy these young people bring to our community. Tickets may be purchased at Faith Church Monday -Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., or at the door Friday evening. Admission price is $12.00 for Adults and $8.00 for Students. 

For additional information, call Brenda Kinder at 708-747-1330, extension 15 or visit www.faithchurchpf.org.

First Baptist Church, 80 North Orchard, Park Forest

Voice of Triumph Concert to Benefit Leukemia Research Foundation – Saturday, April 19

The Voices of Triumph of the First Baptist Church will host a benefit concert in honor of Phillip “Poppie” Gaston on Saturday, April 19, at 4 p.m., at First Baptist Church. Admission is free for the concert. A freewill offering will be gathered during the event and forwarded to the Leukemia Research Foundation (LRF). The concert features the Voices of Triumph gospel choir, a skit performed by the First Baptist Church Kingdom Seekers, Reverend Bryan O. Davis & Songs of Deliverance, Mama Africa & Company Dance for Jesus, Minister Denine L. Webb, guest Gospel Saxophonist Justin Smith, Tracey Worth Serenity Entertainment, and Mrs. Kimberly Riddle-Howard honors the chapter’s namesake, Mr. Phillip Gaston, with a book signing of ‘Grandma Can I.’ Phillip Gaston was diagnosed in March, 2011 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although he did have a bone marrow transplant, his body would not regroup from it. He died in March, 2012, a year to the day the CLL was discovered. Learn more about the Phillip (Poppie) Gaston Chapter and the LRF at www.allbloodcancers.org.

About The Leukemia Research Foundation (LRF)

The Leukemia Research Foundation, headquartered in Wilmette, Ill., is committed to funding research and providing support to people affected by blood cancers. The Leukemia Research Foundation is dedicated to conquering all blood cancers by funding research into their causes and cures, and enriching the quality of life of those touched by these diseases. For 67 years, thousands of volunteers and 23 chapters have helped the Foundation raise more than $56 million to help fund research specifically targeting aspiring, eager, and innovative scientists and physicians around the world, provide patient financial assistance, and offer educational and emotional support for patients and their families. Leukemia Research Foundation information is available at www.allbloodcancers.org, or by calling 847-424-0600.

Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest

‘Frankly HANK’ – Tuesday, April 8

Freedom Hall’s Matinee/Theatre will present ‘Frankly HANK’ on Tuesday, April 8 at 11 a.m. Jason Petty, the Obie-Award winning actor from the Off Broadway hit “Hank Williams: Lost Highway”, brings you an intimate show with legendary singer/songwriter Hank Williams. Williams is one of the founding fathers of country music with legendary hits such as: “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’, “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, “Hey Good Lookin”, “I Saw The Light”, “Move It On Over”, “Lovesick Blues”, “Kawliga”, “Cold Cold Heart” and dozens more. Jason has spent almost 20 years researching Hank’s life and speaking personally with friends, family members, musicians and Grand Ol’ Opry stars who knew and worked with Hank. The stories he has gathered offer insight into Hank’s glorious, and often dark, life and musical career. Hank died at the young age of 29, but his impact is still felt to this very day. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jason Petty has entertained audiences all over the world using his humorous and charming storytelling style, as well as his incredible vocal talents, to pay homage to the legendary Williams. Now, he brings the one-on-one feel that listeners enjoy so much with his one-man show, “Frankly Hank”. It’s a performance of timeless classic hits and wonderful storytelling from Hank’s life as well as stories from Jason’s career portraying Hank. Frankly HANK will be an intimate day of music and stories that you will never forget. Tickets are $13 and can be purchased at the box office, on-line at www.freedomhall.org or by phone by calling 708-747-0580. For additional information, call 708-747-0580.

Governors State University (GSU), 1 University Parkway, University Park

‘Inner Sight/Insight: Driven to Dare’ – Through April 8

‘Inner Sight/Insight: Driven to Dare,’ depicting work inspired from Helen Keller’s energy, drive and fortitude will be exhibited in GSU’s Visual Arts Gallery. The exhibit will run through April 8. Artists participating in the exhibit are: Margot Bergman, Julie Farstad, Linda Robinson Gordon, Nathan Keay, Linda Kramer, Claire Wolf Krantz, Joe Perz, C. J. Pyle, Michelle Stone, Maria Tomasula, Susan Smith Trees. The event is free and open to the public. For additional information or gallery hours, call 708-534-4021 or visit: http://www.govst.edu/gallery/

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, 377 Artists Walk, Park Forest

Bus to Harris Theatre with the IPO – Tickets Now on Sale

Enjoy a special evening downtown with the IPO and leave the driving to someone else. Board a chartered bus at 6:30 p.m. in Frankfort, at the Lincoln-Way North Performing Arts Center, 19900 S. Harlem Ave., on Saturday, April 26, 2014 and relax with friends as we head downtown for the Orchestra’s high profile concert with the Avalon Quartet at the Harris Theater. Following the concert, the bus will depart Harris Theater at 10:30pm. Purchase your round-trip bus ticket here for $20 at https://secure.ticketsage.net

NOTE: Tickets for the concert must be purchased through the Harris Theater directly. For more information on the concert, and to purchase tickets, click HERE or call 312-334-7777.

National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM), 4041 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago

Espirit de Corps Exhibition – Through August 1, 2014

NVAM is celebrating its first anniversary in its Milwaukee Avenue location with its art exhibition, Esprit de Corps, an exhibition highlighting the spirit of creative resilience. Esprit de Corps features art by nine veterans of Vietnam, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terror. The NVAM will be free and open to the public through August 1, 2014. Esprit de Corps is sponsored by Omicron, Bank of America and Paratech Incorporated. Drawing on breakthroughs in using art to assist with reintegration of veterans and for therapeutic expression, Esprit de Corps traces the process and roles of therapeutic art from the act of initial perception through expression of experience to an ultimate communal sharing and understanding of the real impact of war. Featured artists include Joseph Fornelli, Jerry Frech, Jonathan Hancock, Peter Sullivan, Benjamin Suarez, Thomas Gilbertson, Theodore Gostas, Richard Williams and Erica Slone. High resolution images of work in the show are available through the NVAM’s Dropbox. For additional information and hours, visit the museum’s website at www.nvam.org

Park Forest Public Library, 400 Lakewood Boulevard, Park Forest

This Week’s Events at the Park Forest Public Library

The following events will be held this week at the Park Forest Public Library:

  • Monday, April 7 at 4 p.m. – Ductigami — Learn to use duct tape to make crafts.
  • Tuesday, April 8 at 10:30 a.m. – Movement and Music — Develop large motor skills, increase coordination and instill an appreciation for music of all genres in this weekly class designed for children ages 2-5 and their parents or caregivers.
  • Tuesday, April 8 at 6 p.m. — Dreamscapes – During the month of April we will read a story and create a scene on the floor for the kids to pretend they are acting out a scene from the story in their dream! We will give each child a chance to be in the scene and take a picture that will be printed for the following week.
  • Wednesday, April 9 at 10:30 a.m. – Masters of Art — Children will have the opportunity to listen to a story and complete an art project related to the story.
  • Wednesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. — Teen Advisory Board — The Park Forest Public Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is for young adults who would like a more active role in decisions regarding book selection and programming for their age group. Young adults in grades 7 through 12 may participate, Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, April 10 at 10:30 a.m. — We <3 Lapsit — Babies and their parents or caregivers are invited to read, sing and grow in this weekly story time featuring books by authors Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr. This program is geared toward babies 0 – 24 with an accompanying adult.
  • Thursday, April 10 at 5 p.m. – Let’s Go Lego — Play and learn with LEGOs at the Park Forest Public Library! The creations the children make will be on display in kids’ zone.
  • Friday, April 11 at 3 p.m. – Friday Funday – Join us for an assortment of after-school activities! Each week we’ll have a new fun topic!

For additional information or to register for certain events, please call 708-748-3731 or visit www.pfpl.org/

Potpourri of Lectures – Thursday, April 10

The Potpourri of Lectures will feature “News from the Supreme Court” with Professor Carl Stover. The lecture will be held on Thursday, April 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Ringering Room.

Park Forest Historical Society, Park Forest

Step Back Into the 1950s Easter at the Park Forest House Museum – Through April 30

The 1950s Park Forest House Museum at 141 Forest Blvd, Park Forest, will have up its spring exhibit, “Step Back into a 1950s Easter,” from March 15 through April 30, 2014. Open Wednesday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the museum can also be open for groups by appointment, at other times. Donation is Adults $5; Children12 & under free with an adult. Scout and school tours are priced individually. Decorations include Easter die cuts, honeycomb rabbits and baskets, plastic and tin decorations, children’s books and Easter baskets with candy available in the 1950s. There is a very special display of hand blown, hand-painted eggs brought back from World War II. For details, to arrange a special group tour, or to volunteer, visit the Park Forest Historical Society website, www.parkforesthistory.org, or call Jane Nicoll at 708-481-4252.

Park Forest Plaza Print for Sale

Annabelle Gould’s print of the Park Forest Plaza is available for sale at the Park Forest House Museum, 141 Forest Boulevard. The vibrant print is from an original watercolor, showing kids and their moms in the Park Forest Plaza, in front of the old Holiday Theatre and Golden Hanger Shop. The print can be purchased at the House Museum during normal hours of operation on Wednesdays and Saturdays or through the Society’s online store on their website at www.parkforesthistory.org. Prints are $15 each. Online purchases also required an additional $6 fee for postage and handling. For additional information on other items for sale by the Society, visit www.parkforesthistory.org.

Prairie State College (PSC), 202 South Halsted Street, Chicago Heights

Star Violinist to Return for Southland Performance – Tickets Now on Sale

Violinist Jasmine Lin, a distinguished graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, will return to the area for a performance with the ensemble, Trio Voce, at 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 21, in the PSC Auditorium. Trio Voce is composed of Lin, cellist Marina Hoover, and pianist Patricia Tao. Hailed by Fanfare magazine for its “deeply committed and passionate” performances, the ensemble has garnered acclaim for its concerts in New York, Chicago, the north Midwest, California, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. Lin was age 12 when she was named the 1985 winner of the senior division of the WTTW/Illinois Bell Illinois Young Performers Competition. Since her 1985 triumph, Lin has soloed as a teenage prodigy with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. She also has appeared with many orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of Brazil, and in recital in such cities as Chicago, New York, Nova Scotia, Rio de Janeiro, and Montevideo. The New York Times describes her as having “electrifying assertiveness” and “virtuosic abandon.” She is on the faculty at Roosevelt University and a member of the Chicago Chamber Musicians. The April 21 performance will benefit the Friends of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and the Prairie State College Foundation. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $5 for students and are available at the door. For more information, call 708-799-5520 or email [email protected].

Representative Robin Kelly, 600 Holiday Plaza Drive, Suite 505, Matteson

Congressional Art Contest for High School Students – Submissions by Appointment Only Through April 19

Representative Robin Kelly has launched her annual Congressional Art Competition open to high school students residing or attending a school within the Second Congressional District. The winner’s artwork will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol for one year. Students can submit their artwork at either of Rep. Kelly’s district offices, located at 1000 E. 111th St., 11th Floor, Chicago, or at 600 Holiday Plaza Drive, Suite 505, Matteson. Submissions will be accepted by appointment only, April 14-19, from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling the Matteson office at 708-679-0078, the Kankakee office at 815-933-0437 or the Chicago office at 773-568-2623. Artwork must be two dimensional, framed no larger than 28” x 28” x 4” and can include paintings, drawings, collages, prints, photographs, computer generated art, or mixed media (use of two or more mediums: pencils, ink, watercolor, etc.) All artwork must be original. Representative Kelly will host a reception where she will announce the winner and runners-up on April 26, beginning at 9 a.m., in the Lee E. Dulgar Gallery, located at South Suburban College in South Holland. The high school art competition was established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 to acknowledge and support the artistic talent of America’s young adults. For more information, call Danielle Echols at 708-679-0078. Contest entry rules can be found at www.robinkelly.house.gov.

Roosevelt University College of Performing Arts, 430 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

VIVID 2014 at the Auditorium Theatre – Tuesday, April 8

Chicagoland will get a preview of new songs from the Broadway-bound show, Ever After, by Deerfield native Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, as well as experience some of the best in opera as Roosevelt’s Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) presents VIVID 2014 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 at the Auditorium Theatre. Forty-eight graduate voice students and members of the CCPA-Chicago Opera Theater Professional Diploma in Opera Program will present selections from four popular operas during the first half of the show. Eleven musical theatre students from CCPA’s Theatre Conservatory will take the stage for the second half of the show to present “Sing Your Own Song: The Music of Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich” in a program that includes selections from the pair’s new 2015 Broadway-bound show Ever After. Selections from Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata and Falstaff, Gioachino Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Georges Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles will be performed with piano accompaniment during the annual VIVID event, which is the largest and most celebrated student performance of the academic year for CCPA. The musical theatre portion of the show will feature performances by Roosevelt’s sophomore, junior and senior musical theatre students who hail from all over the country. Their performances will be a tribute to celebrated songwriting partners, lyricist Heisler and composer Goldrich. Selections will be sung for the first time from the pair’s upcoming Broadway show, Ever After, which is based on a film by the same name starring Drew Barrymore and Angelica Huston. The new musical is expected to set the record straight on the fable of Cinderella, showing how a strong-willed independent girl can make dreams come true without help from fairy godmothers, talking mice or magic pumpkins. VIVID 2014 is free and open to the public but tickets are required and may be picked up from noon to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Auditorium. Theatre Box Office, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago. Tickets also can be reserved at www.ticketmaster.com. There will be a $1 service fee per ticket for reservations made online. For more information, visit www.roosevelt.edu/ccpa or call 312-341-2238.

Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery, 18 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago.

Photo Exhibit on Southeast Ohio’s Post-industrial Landscape – Through May 10

An exhibition by award-winning photo essayist Matt Eich, who tells the story through his photographs of an Ohio community abandoned by major industry, runs through May 10 in Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery. Featuring images of southeastern Ohio from 2006-12, Carry Me Ohio is a catalog of working-class issues and people who were forced to adapt after industry, including mining for coal, salt and clay and the cutting of timber, left the region approximately 40 years ago. One of the nation’s most promising young documentary photographers, Eich began taking pictures in southeast Ohio while he was a photojournalism student at Ohio State University. He has worked as a freelancer for GQ, Esquire, Mother Jones, Time, Fader, Harper’s and National Geographic, among others. Free and open to the public, Roosevelt’s Gage Gallery has hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit www.roosevelt.edu/gagegallery or call 312-341-6458.

Salon Artists Gallery, 294 Main Street, Park Forest

‘Mudd’—Through April 30

Join us at the Gallery for ‘Mudd’ which runs through the end of April. What do artists do with ‘Mudd’? Come take part in art fun on Friday, April 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 pm. where you can meet the artists and enjoy refreshments and music. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. For additional information and Gallery hours, call 708-833-5108.

South Suburban College (SSC), 15800 South State Street, South Holland

‘News That Stays News’ –Through Monday, April 21

SSC’s Art & Design Department is pleased to present a new exhibition titled “News That Stays News” in the Dorothea Thiel Gallery on SSC’s Main Campus in South Holland. The art works–created separately by Burleigh Kronquist and Jenny Roberts–are on display through the closing reception with the artists on Monday, April 21st at 12:30 p.m. Taking magazines and newspapers as both material and subject, artists Kronquist and Roberts make work that reflects on, plays with, and “reads” these materials, rearranging or altering layers of visual and textual information to reveal dormant beauty and explore latent meanings. Through his process-based practice, Kronquist paints on newspaper pages or takes pages from magazines and alters them using markers, pens, pencils and paint thinner, creating poetic abstractions and metaphoric scenes that still retain traces of the original text and images. Roberts takes a more conceptual approach, tracing, copying and appropriating found visual and textual information and reconfiguring it to make it visible and legible in new ways. The public is welcome to visit art exhibitions and receptions at no charge. The Thiel Gallery is on the 4th floor in the Art & Design hallway. SSC Galleries are open at minimum Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The galleries are closed on weekends and holidays. For more information, please call 708-596-2000, extension 2445 or extension 2300, or visit www.ssc.edu/art.

Tall Grass Arts Association, 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest

‘Near and Far’ by Nikkole Huss & Richard Schmidt – Through May 10

Tall Grass Arts Association invites everyone to visit our newest exhibit, ‘Near and Far,’ consisting of nearly 70 works by Nikkole Huss and Richard Schmidt. The exhibit will run through May 10. In ‘Near and Far,’ Huss and Schmidt follow the centuries-old tradition of finding inspiration in nature – natural forms, organic growth and decay, light and weather, time and space. But their methods of discovery and interpretation have taken them on two very different paths. Richard Schmidt works from environments he actually visits in Illinois, New York, New Hampshire and Maine to gather information for his very literal, highly-detailed oil and watercolor paintings. Nikkole Huss studies landscape from a distance, documented through satellite images and telescope records from hundreds of miles above the earth. She redefines and recreates nature in encaustic, often viewing from great distances the same kinds of places Richard studies from a few yards away. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For additional information and Gallery hours, please visit the Tall Grass website (www.tallgrassarts.org), or call the Gallery 708-748-3377.

Unitarian Universalist Community Church (UUCC), 70 Sycamore Drive, Park Forest

Edgar’s Place Coffee House to Host Songwriter Heather Styka – Saturday, April 12

Edgar’s Place Coffee House will proudly present Heather Styka on Saturday, April 12 at 8 p.m. Edgar’s Place Coffee House is located in the Unitarian Universalist Community Church. Chicago-bred, Maine-based songwriter Heather Styka’s tunes have a vintage familiarity, but her image-heavy lyrics are as smart and unexpected as they are hummable, delivered with distinctive guitar style and pure, soulful voice. In addition to numerous songwriting awards, Styka’s 2011 release Lifeboats for Atlantis received critical praise, hitting #3 on the national FOLK-DJ charts. To learn more about Heather Styka, visit www.heatherstyka.com.  Tickets are $15. Edgar’s Place is a fundraiser for the UUCC. For additional information, call 708-481-5399 or visit www.uuccpf.org.

Educational Lectures & Opportunities

Governors State University (GSU), 1 University Parkway, University Park

Job Search Assistance Every Tuesday at GSU

The Mobile Workforce Center’s mobile unit will be at GSU every Tuesday, from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., parked near the university’s front entrance. Center services include resume development, access to online job boards and websites, instruction in how to conduct an online job search and improve keyboarding skills, and assistance of staff. The center is equipped with 11 computer stations with Internet access, printer, and copy machines, and is wheelchair accessible. Services are free and available to residents in all counties. For additional information, contact the Workforce Services Division of Will County at 815-727-4980.

Park Forest Area League of Women Voters

Regional Cooperation in the Southland – Wednesday, April 16

The League of Women Voters of the Park Forest Area will host an educational meeting on Regional Cooperation in the Southland on Wednesday, April 16, at 7:00 PM at the Park Forest Public Library, 400 Lakewood Boulevard. Ed Paesel, Executive Director of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers, will provide an update on current activities to foster regional cooperation among the municipalities in the southland. SSMA provides leadership in the areas of economic development, housing, transportation, technology and quality of life for Southland communities. He will talk about SSMA activities in economic development, workforce development and sustainable green infrastructure planning using the regional GIS system, and will highlight the development of the regional high speed broadband network to assist in economic development as well as the creation of the South Suburban Land Bank and South Suburban Development Loan Fund. The meeting is open to the public and anyone interested in the topic is encouraged to attend to learn more about how the Southland communities are cooperating to improve our area. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization which encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Anyone interested in promoting responsible government is invited to be a member. For more information about the program or membership in the League, please contact Mary Lubertozzi, 708-747-1359.

Prairie State College (PSC), 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights

Veterans Services Fair – Wednesday, April 9

PSC’s Student Veterans Center is hosting a Veterans Services Fair from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, April 9, in the Conference Center on the college’s main campus. The event features a VA Mobile Medical Unit and representatives from the Cook County and Illinois Departments of Veterans Affairs, as well as housing, legal, and educational information, including résumé writing guides and more. Veterans of any period and their families are welcome to attend the day of education, networking, and service. For more information, contact Georges Sanon at 708-709-3740 extension 4110 or email [email protected].

PSC Job Fair – Wednesday, April 16

PSC invites job seekers to attend the 2014 Spring Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 16, in the Conference Center of the college. The fair is co-sponsored with UPS and The Chicagoland Regional College Program. The job fair is free and open to the public, and will feature employers from various industries looking for employees with a range of education and experience levels. Company representatives will recruit for both full- and part-time positions, as well as internship opportunities. Several companies already are scheduled to participate, including Federal Aviation Administration, Matteson Police Department, Indian Oaks Academy, ArcelorMittal, Chicago Heights Steel, ManorCare Health Services, and Helsel-Jepperson Electrical, Inc. Employer registration is available until April 1, and new employers regularly are added. A complete, up-to-date listing of companies and the positions they are hiring for is available at www.prairiestate.edu/jobfair. Attendees are required to dress in professional business attire and encouraged to bring plenty of résumés. Pre-registration for the job fair is encouraged, and is available at www.prairiestate.edu/jobfair. For more information about the job fair, contact Norfleet at 708-709-3755 or Ramien Manson, career advisor, at 708-709-3922, or email Career Development Services at [email protected].

Opt In to Technology at PSC

You can bridge the gap between technology and a new you at PSC’s new Opt In program that consists of two computer training centers and free classes to teach basic technological skills. One location is at the Adult Training and outreach Center in Room A145 at PSC’s main campus. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The other location is at the Matteson Area Center’s Computer Training Lab located at 4821 Southwick Dr., Matteson. Hours for this location are Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. No matter what skill level you have or want to have, Opt In can help. Both computer labs and on-site tutors are free and open to the public. For additional information, call Lisa Zeigler at 708-709-3548 or e-mail [email protected].

Roosevelt University, 501 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago

Career/Internship Fair – Thursday, April 10

Roosevelt University will hold its annual spring career and internship fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 10 at the University’s Lillian and Larry Goodman Center, 501 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago. Roosevelt students, alumni and members of the public are invited to attend the fair where dozens of representatives of local, national and international companies, government entities and organizations will be on hand to discuss potential career/internship opportunities. This event offers participants the chance to network and become connected with prospective employers. The fair is expected to draw as many as 500 job seekers. As many as 35 employers are expected to be on hand including the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities of the Chicago Archdiocese, the City of Chicago, Live Nation Entertainment, Hilton Worldwide, the U.S. Department of State-Bureau of Diplomatic Security, to name just a few. The fair is free to all students and alumni with Roosevelt ID cards. Cost is $10 for all others. A photographer will be on hand to take professional head shots of job seekers. Photos are free to students and alumni. Cost is $5 for all others. For more information, visit www.roosevelt.edu, email [email protected] or call Roosevelt’s Office of Career Development at 312-341-3560.

Rich Township Free Basic Computer Classes for Adults

Rich Township is offering free basic computer skill classes for adults every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Leonard Robinson Family Services Center, 22013 Governors Highway, Richton Park. Participants will learn Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet skills, résumé building skills, and more. Classes are open only to residents of Rich Township. For additional information, call Mark Mason or Joe Moran at 708-748-6722.

South Suburban College (SSC), 15800 South State Street, South Holland

Program Specific Open Houses at SSC – Now in Progress

SSC will be hosting several upcoming program specific Open Houses to assist prospective and current students with preparing their academic plan for the Summer 2014 Semester. The current Open House schedule at both the Main Campus in South Holland and the Oak Forest Center is as follows:

  • Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Medical Services
    Tuesday, April 8, 2014, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Main Campus Atrium, [email protected]
  • Community Health Worker, Coding Specialist, Phlebotomy, Medical Assistant
    Wednesday, April 16, 2014, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Main Campus Atrium, [email protected]
  • Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy
    Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Main Campus Atrium, [email protected]
  • Court Reporting
    Thursday, May 8, 2014, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Room 5190, Oak Forest Center, [email protected]
  • Non-Credit CNA/Basic Nurse Assistant Training
    Thursday, May 1, 2014, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Main Campus Cafeteria, [email protected]

Registration for the Summer 2014 Semester is now in progress. Summer class sessions begin Monday, June 2nd and Monday, June 9th. Contact the Office of Admissions at 708-210-5718 for enrollment information, or visit www.ssc.edu. SSC’s Main Campus is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The Oak Forest Center is located at 16333 South Kilbourn Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois.

Holocaust Survivor, Dr. Alexander White to Lecture – Thursday, April 10

Dr. Alexander White, Holocaust survivor and member of “Schindler’s List,” will speak at SSC on Thursday, April 10th at 12 noon in the Performing Arts Center. Dr. White has also authored a book of his memoirs titled, Be a Mensch: A Legacy of the Holocaust, which will be available for purchase following his lecture. Alexander Bialylwos-White (Weiss) was born in June 1923 in the shtetl of Krosno, in Galicia (an area in Poland). Most of Dr. White’s family was killed following the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. Of the 34 members of his extended family, only Dr. White and two of his cousins survived. After living through the liquidation of the Krosno Ghetto, Dr. White spent a year in the Luftwaffe Labor Camp and six months in the concentration camp at Krakow-Plassow before surviving the last months at Oskar Schindler’s camp in Bruennlitz, Sudetenland. The latter camp was the subject of Steven Spielberg’s film, “Schindler’s List.” After the war and time spent in a displaced persons camp, Dr. White served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, became an associate professor of medicine at the Chicago Medical School, and later practiced medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona for 40 years before retiring. He kept his story quiet for many years; today Dr. White gives talks about his experiences, primarily to high school and college students. The public is cordially invited to attend at no charge. For more information, please call 708-596-2000, extension 2697.

Free Adult Education Registration Days

SSC’s Division of Adult Education is offering a wide range of opportunities for adults to build the basic skills required for success. Adult Basic Education (ABE) helps men and women whose skill levels are below the ninth grade. ABE students improve their skills in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Many adults choose to further build on these skills and pursue a high school education through the High School Equivalency (HSE) program. The HSE program will develop the skills required to pass the GED exams. Studies will include Reasoning through Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, and the US and Illinois Constitutions. Additionally, English as a Second Language (ESL) allows non-native students to improve their English skills from beginning to advanced levels. Most of the Adult Education programs are offered both full and part-time at the Main Campus in South Holland or the Oak Forest Center. At the time of registration, all students will take a Placement Test. The registration and testing days are starting up the third week of April. The complete schedule of registrations and classes at the Main Campus are as follows:

  • Part Time ABE/ASE/HSE, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21 – June 18
    Register: Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15 in Lecture Hall A at 6:00 pm
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 21 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm in Room L233
  • Part Time ABE/ASE/HSE, Monday through Friday, April 21 – June 19
    Register: Monday, April 14 in Lecture Hall A & Tuesday, April 15 in Room 1243 at 9:00 am
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 21 from 9:00 am and 12:00 pm in Room 1243B
  • Online High School Equivalency Preparation i-Pathways, April 21 – June 19
    Register: Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15 in Lecture Hall A at 9:00 am or 6:00 pm
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 21
  • High School Equivalency (GED) for ESL Students
    Full Time ABE/ASE/HSE, Monday through Friday, April 28 – June 19
    Register: Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15 in Room 2452 at 9:00 am
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 28 from 9:00 am – 2:30 pm in Room 2452
  • Bridge to Manufacturing Careers Adult Education Class, Monday through Thursday April 21 – June 19
    Register: Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15 in Lecture Hall A at 6:00 pm
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 21 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm in Room L233
  • Full Time ESL, Monday through Friday, April 28 – June 19
    Register: Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15 in Room L233 at 9:00 am
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 28 from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm in Room L233
  • Part Time ESL, Monday through Friday, April 28 – June 19
    Register: Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15 in Room L233 at 9:00 am
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 28 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am in Room L233
    The complete schedule of registrations and classes at the Oak Forest Center are as follows:
    Oak Forest ABE/ASE/GED Program:
  • Full Time ABE/ASE/HSE, April 21 – June 19
    Monday through Friday
    Register: Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15 at 10:00 am
    Classes Begin: Monday, April 21 from 9:00 am – 2:30 pm in Room 5240

Please Note: An Adult education student enrolling for the first time at an SSC Adult Education Center must have:

  • CURRENT STATE I.D. or DRIVERS LICENSE INDICATING ILLINOIS RESIDENCE (MUST BE AN ILLINOIS RESIDENT)
  • UNDER AGE 18–WITHDRAWAL FORM FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL OF CURRENT RESIDENCE
  • PROOF OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

All courses are offered free of charge. For the purpose of compliance with Section 511 of Public Law 101-166 (the Stevens Amendment) Federal funds of $292,809 provides approximately 35.9% of the support of these programs. For enrollment and class information, please call 708-596-2000, extension 2385 or extension 2240, or visit www.ssc.edu under “Non-Credit Offerings, Adult Education.” The Main Campus is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The Oak Forest Center is located at 16333 S. Kilbourn, Oak Forest, Illinois.

Online Educational Resources

Online college programs are a great way for today’s busy people to complete or earn a degree. To find an online college program in Illinois, visit http://www.onlineschools.org/guides/Illinois/ where you will find a compilation of every college program offered online in Illinois offered on a full or part-time basis.

Top U.S. Universities

Choosing what college or university to attend can be a very daunting experience. With educational costs continually increasing, it’s more important than ever to choose a university that meets your specific educational needs. At http://www.topschools.com/, you will find a comprehensive resource that ranks each university throughout the nation by size, degrees offered, tuition costs, admission, graduation and retention rates.

Healthy Living

Congresswoman Robin Kelly, 600 Holiday Plaza Drive, Suite 505, Matteson

Health and Wellness Resource Fair – Saturday, April 12

Congresswoman Robin Kelly will host a Health and Wellness Resource Fair on Saturday, April 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Corliss Early College STEM High School, 821 E 103rd St, Chicago. The “Let’s Move 2 Wellness” fair will offer health screenings, including glucose testing and blood pressure checks, Zumba fitness classes, healthy cooking demonstrations, stress management sessions and information on mental health services. The goal is to promote preventive health care and early detection, as well as encourage residents of the 2nd Congressional District to live healthier and more active lives. Resources for women’s health, senior care and veterans will also be available. Participants are encouraged to pre-register at reprobinkellyhealthfair.eventbrite.com. For more information, call 773-568-2623, or visit www.robinkelly.house.gov.

Governors State University (GSU), 1 University Parkway, University Park

Free Psychotherapy Available from GSU’s Psychology Program

GSU’s Psychology Department is offering free psychotherapy services to members of the community. Conversations with a psychotherapist can help people cope with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, stress, and life transition problems. Confidential, one-on-one sessions are held with a GSU graduate student in psychology under the supervision of a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Individuals and couples, 18 years and older, are eligible. All sessions are conducted in Matteson, IL. The number of sessions is determined by the client’s needs. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, call 708-235-2841.

Sertoma Centre, 4343 West 123rd Street, Alsip

Free Community Education and Prevention Programs about Mental Health

Sertoma Centre’s Mental Health Services facility is offering community mental health seminars, free of charge to community groups, schools, law enforcement agencies, religious organizations, and other community groups at their location in Matteson or facility. Education Programs will include: Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) which increases public awareness of suicide and improves one’s ability to identify and refer those at risk for suicide. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a public education course that helps participants identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance disorders. Also included is Mental Health First Aid for Youth and Anxiety/Depression Screenings. Thanks to a grant, these educational opportunities are available at no cost to you or your organization. To arrange a free educational opportunity for your club, group, workplace, organization, or church, call Gia Washington at 708-748-1951, Ext. 418 or email at [email protected].

Park Forest Fire Department, 156 Indianwood Boulevard, Park Forest

CPR Classes

CPR classes are available at the Park Forest Fire Department. Click on the following link for more details: http://pffd.vopf.com/cpr-classes.html

Shirley J. Green Senior Center, 297 Liberty Drive, Park Forest

Senior Citizen Weekday Lunch at the Senior Café

Senior citizens of all income levels are invited to lunch weekdays at the Community Nutrition Network (CNN) site located inside the Rich Township’s Shirley J. Green Senior Center. The CNN site is open to all south suburban residents, including those living outside of Rich Township. Participants must be 60 years of age or older. The suggested donation for lunch is $2.50. Lunch is served Monday through Friday at noon. Bingo begins at 11 a.m. For additional information or to make a reservation for lunch, call 708-747-2700.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA)

Assistance With Medications & Health Services

If you, or someone you know, are struggling to pay for medications every month, they may be able to get the medicines they need for free or almost free through the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. If you live in Illinois, you can get access to more than 475 public and private program available to help you pay for your medicines. Simply visit http://www.pparx.org/en/click_illinois to find out if you can apply to any of these great programs and to get connected with 10,000 free clinics and doctors.

Unitarian Universalist Community Church (UUCC), 70 Sycamore Drive, Park Forest

Healthy Living Group to Discuss Stress Reduction – Thursday, April 10

UUCC will host its Health Living Group on Thursday, April 10. This month’s discussion will relate to stress reduction. We all want to be happy and healthy. So let’s share our knowledge and experience, and the wisdom of experts, to help each other and ourselves in our ongoing quest for health and happiness. The event will begin at noon with an optional bring your own brown bag lunch. Our speaker, Lynn Lidbury, LCPC will lead the discussion beginning at 1 p.m. Free coffee and tea will be provided. Bring a snack to share if you wish. The event is free and open to the public. UUCC is located just east of Western and south of Steger Road. For additional information, call 708-481-5339 or visit www.uuccpf.org.

Green Events

Park Forest Environment Commission

Rain Gardens – Saturday, April 19

On Saturday, April 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Park Forest Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive, University of Illinois Master Gardener, Marva King will discuss rain gardens. Learn how to capture the rain runoff in a garden to improve water quality, and enjoy nature in your yard.

Prairie State College (PSC), 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights

Series of Energy Demand Reduction & Behavior Training Programs – Registration Now in Progress – Limited Seating

PSC will be offering a series of energy demand reduction and behavior change trainings this semester FREE of charge for employees and members of our community. The Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN)’s Illinois Community College Targeted Energy Management Training (ICCTEMT) Program provides a coordinated approach to offering behavior change and energy efficiency/reduction opportunities to Illinois community colleges. The program is targeted toward community college employees, as well as community members from all sectors, especially commercial and non-profit organizations. Funding is provided through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Building Industry Training Education (BITE) program.

Learn from experts:

  • Produce measurable electricity and gas savings (and save money at the same time)
  • Create a culture of energy awareness by making energy efficiency a top-level priority
  • Raise the level of energy efficiency literacy

Who should attend:

Local professionals, including: business owners, energy managers, facility operators, industry and manufacturing building owners, contractors, building officials, and municipal representatives
Community college faculty, staff, and students

What PSC is offering:

The Path To Sustainable Change, April 17, 2014 — 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This is a skills-based workshop that trains participants in a process for creating sustainable change. This workshop will provide participants with:

    • An in-depth understanding of the Path to Sustainable Change
    • Skills to achieve sustainable behavior change in energy efficiency within organizations
    • Knowledge of how to start a movement

This training focuses on how to use the Path to Sustainable Change and connect the few and the many. There are four steps in creating sustainable change. This training explains these steps, provides examples of each, and lets participants practice creating sustainable behavior change for energy efficiency that can be translated into their organizations.
SPACE LIMITED. ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
Facilitating Employee Engagement in Sustainability Initiatives, April 17, 2014 — 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
In this training, participants will come together to focus on employee engagement strategies, and the resulting behavior change, as a means by which to increase awareness and participation in sustainability (specifically, energy efficiency) efforts. Drawing upon experiential and conversational techniques, the trainers will leverage proprietary tools created and applied within broad public and private social change initiatives to create an interactive and thought-provoking learning environment.
SPACE LIMITED. ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
All events are FREE and open to the public. Seats are limited. Advance registration is required for each event. For additional information, contact Allessandra A. Cairo, Sustainability Coordinator at 708-709-3764, e-mail [email protected] or visit: www.prairiestate.edu/sustainability.

Additional Energy Demand Reduction Trainings – Limited Seating

Additional Energy Demand Reduction Trainings will be offered at Prairie State College (PSC), 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights. The training programs will be offered at no cost. Advance registration is required and seating is limited. Training Programs being offered are:
The Path to Sustainable Change
April 17, 2014, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
This is a skills-based workshop that trains participants in a process for creating sustainable change. This training will provide participants with the following: an in-depth understanding of the Path to Sustainable Change, skills to achieve sustainable behavior change in energy efficiency within organizations, and knowledge of how to start a movement. REGISTER NOW!
Facilitating Employee Engagement in Sustainability Initiatives
April 17, 2014, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
In this training, participants will come together to focus on employee engagement strategies, and the resulting behavior change, as a means by which to increase awareness and participation in sustainability (specifically, energy efficiency) efforts. REGISTER NOW!
These training programs will be offered in PSC’s Conference Center, Heritage Room.
Note: Separate registration is required for each training.
Who should attend:

  • Local professionals including: business owners, energy managers, facility operators, industry and manufacturing building owners, contractors, building officials, and
  • municipal representatives
  • Community college faculty, staff, and students

The Illinois Community College Targeted Energy Management Training (ICCTEMT) Program is hosted by the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) with support from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). For additional information, contact Allessandra Cairo, Sustainability Coordinator, at 708-709-3764 or e-mail [email protected] or visit www.igencc.org/energyefficiencytraining.

Southland Wind Council to Meet at PSC – Friday, April 11

The Chicago Wind Council (CWC) will meet on Friday, April 11 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Prairie State College, 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights. The meeting will be held in the Heritage Room in the BCEC building. The guest presenter will be Ms. Asia Ward of The KidWind Project (KidWind Outreach and Product Specialist). Since its founding in 2003, KidWind has impacted 600,000 students through classroom curriculum, KidWind Challenges, teacher workshops, and more. They believe that working with teachers creates long-lasting change at the community level through the students they engage daily. During the KidWind presentation, you will learn about their various educational programs, and participate in a hands-on activity called “The Instant Blade Challenge.” During the Challenge, teams will design and build blades in order to generate the most electricity from our tabletop turbines. The Challenge is a quick sample demonstration on how KidWind engages students around the world using wind education as a lens to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Seating is limited and we are expecting a big crowd so reserve your spot today! RSVP at [email protected]. For additional information about the Chicago Wind Council, visit: www.chicagolandwindcouncil.com

Thorn Creek Nature Preserve, 247 Monee Road, Park Forest

Wednesday Morning Walkers – April 9 – Start Time Changed This Week

On Wednesday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., enjoy light exercise and experience nature firsthand on Thorn Creek’s winding trails. Trails can be wet or muddy, so please wear sturdy shoes. Terrain is moderator. The Wednesday morning walks will continue each week through April and walkers new to the program must register two days before they first hike. For additional information, please call 708-747-6320 or e-mail [email protected].

Junior Ecologists Club – Registration Required by Thursday, April 10

Calling all young people age 9 to 12. Thorn Creek’s Junior Ecologists Club offers fun-filled nature activities each month for young people. They will explore the woods, track seasonal changes and discover woodland plants and animals. The Junior Ecologists Club will meet on Saturday, April 12 from noon to 3 p.m. Registration is required by Thursday, April 10. For additional information or to register, please call 708-747-6320 or e-mail [email protected].

Hidden Ponds Hike – Registration Required by Friday, April 11

Travel off-trail with a naturalist and discover the hidden ponds of Thorn Creek Woods on our Hidden Ponds Hike which will take place on Sunday April 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Experience the wetlands and learn how they are an integral part of the Thorn Creek ecosystem. The hike is free and for those 10 years and up. Registration is required by Friday, April 11. For additional information or to register, please call 708-747-6320 or e-mail [email protected].

Experience the Thorn Creek Nature Center

Thorn Creek Nature Center is housed in a historic building, originally Immanuel Lutheran Church of Matteson, Illinois built in 1862, and later Village Bible Church of Park Forest. A gothic frame country church, its notable architectural features include curved ceiling, tongue-and-groove paneling and a raised pulpit. Its current attractions are displays of the preserve’s flora and fauna, a bird feeder viewing area, Eugene E. Schwartz reference library and an expanded children’s section. The Nature Center is open Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Trails are open daily year-round, dawn to dusk. For additional information, call 708-747-6320.

This & That

Congresswoman Robin Kelly, 600 Holiday Plaza Drive, Suite 505, Matteson

Financial Empowerment Fair – Pre-registration Required

Congresswoman Robin Kelly will host a Financial Empowerment Fair on Wednesday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at New Faith Baptist Church, 25 S. Central Ave., Matteson. The fair will offer sessions on managing a budget in today’s economy, strategies for making a major career change, retirement planning and identity theft. Exhibitors include the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Illinois Bright Start, Neighborhood Housing Services, and American Portfolio Mortgage Corp. Programs are women-focused, but men are welcome to attend. Participants are required to pre-register at http://repkellyfinanceworkshop.eventbrite.com. For more information, call 708-679-0078, or visit www.robinkelly.house.gov.

Knights of Columbus Nina Council 3602, Park Forest

Lenten Fish Fry –Friday, April 11

The Knights of Columbus Nina Council 3602 will sponsor a Lenten Fish Fry each Friday during Lent 2014. The Lenten Fish Fry will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will be held at the St. Irenaeus Parish Gym, 78 Cherry Street, Park Forest (located at the corner of Indianwood and Orchard). There is a donation of $8 per person.

Park Forest American Legion Post 1198, 1631 Western Ave., Chicago Heights

Friday Fish Fry

Join Park Forest’s American Legion Post 1198 for fish, shrimp, wings, beef and appetizers on Friday, April 11 beginning at 6 p.m. Carry outs are available. For additional information, call Jesse Rodriguez at 708-481-3055.

Donate Unused Air Miles to Support Families of Wounded Servicemembers

“Operation Hero Miles” collects unused frequent flyer miles to help military families visit service members who were injured in Iraq or Afghanistan and are recovering in military hospitals around the world. Airline partners are: AirTran, Alaska Airlines, American, Frontier, Midwest, Northwest, United, and US Airways. To donate airline miles, visit www.FisherHouse.org.

Donate to Troops Serving Abroad

The Village of Park Forest is currently seeking the names and addresses of local military personnel currently serving overseas so that they may receive packaged donations from Park Forest residents. If you are a Park Forest resident and have a family member from your household currently deployed or if you have recently returned from a tour of duty, please call Judi Lancaster at 708-283-5608 or stop by the Manager’s Office at Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive.

Greening of Park Forest

Sertoma Centre, Inc., 4343 W. 123rd St., Alsip

Recycle Unused Wheelchairs

If you have a used motorized wheelchair that you no longer need and would like to help a person with a disability, the Sertoma Centre will accept your donation. Contact Melanie Jones at 708-730-6206 for additional information.

South Suburban Family Shelter Used Cell Phone Collection Drive

South Suburban Family Shelter (SSFS) is seeking cell phone donations for their ongoing fundraising program. Proceeds from the collection fund the critical programs and services provided to families who experience domestic violence. All victim services are provided free of charge and are available in English and Spanish. Cell phone collection sites currently include:

  • SSFS Administrative Office, 18139 Harwood, Homewood, IL
  • Bergstein’s NY Deli, 200 Dixie Highway, Chicago Heights, IL
  • Doyle Designed Salon, 2630 Flossmoor Rd., Flossmoor, IL

All donations are tax deductible and receipts are available at collection sites. For more information about SSFS or the fundraising drive, please contact Ms. Meilach at 708-794-2140, extension 303.

Local Recycling Resources and Proper Disposal of Unused Medicine

Do you have old televisions, computers, video games or other electronics or household appliances that need to be recycled? Want to know how to properly dispose of old or unused medication? Click on the “Recycling” icon found on the top of eNews Park Forest and you will find useful information on proper recycling/disposal that will not only be good for the environment, but in some cases, earn you a few dollars as well.

Recycle Used Cell Phones and Cell Phone Accessories

The Rotary Club of Park Forest is conducting a used cell phone and accessory collection drive to benefit the families and programs of the South Suburban Family Shelter. Donated items can be placed in the collection box located in the lobby of Village Hall. For more information, call Denyse Carreras at 708-283-5603.

Sources:

eNews Park Forest, Park Forest Historical Society, Village of Park Forest, Governors State University, Prairie State College, South Suburban College, DePaul University, Roosevelt University, National Veterans Art Museum, Center for Performing Arts, Freedom Hall, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Illinois Theatre Center, Sertoma Centre, Inc., Union Street Gallery, Thorn Creek Audubon Society, and Tall Grass Arts Association websites.


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