Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—February 8, 2010. Forecasts are calling for up to 10 inches of snow over a 24 hour period throughout the Chicagoland area, including Cook and Will counties, beginning Monday night.. For Park Forest, the forecast right now is less clear. The National Weather Service website is calling for snow, with a low around 21. The winds will be east southeast around 10 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches is possible. Possible hazards include heavy and drifting snow. Chance of precipitation for Park Forest Tuesday is 90% with a high near 26. The forecast for Tuesday night calls for more snow and widespread blowing snow before midnight, then widespread blowing snow and a chance of snow after midnight.
Please Note: Until February 19th e-mail information concerning your community activities or events being held during the upcoming week to Gary Kopycinski at [email protected] with the details. Submission deadline is noon on Friday of each week.
Park Forest Library, 400 Lakewood Blvd.
Temporary Closing for On-Going Renovation Project Through February 15
As part of its continuing renovations, the Park Forest Library is temporarily closed as of Sunday, January 31 to allow Phase 1 of the project to be completed. The library will remain closed until Monday, February 15 at 10 a.m. Books and other materials may be returned during this time at the library’s book drop which is located on the west side of the building near the rear entrance. During the closing, no book donations can be accepted. For more information, please call 708-748-3731, or visit the library’s website at: www.PFPL.org.
Village of Park Forest Meetings
Village Board Meeting
A Special Rules Meeting/Workshop will take place on Monday, February 8, at 7 p.m. for the purpose of meeting with the Park Forest Library Board. At this special meeting, the Library Board and Staff will update the Village Board on progress to date with the library facility renovation project and give insight on where finances stand with this project. The Village Board then has a scheduled Regular meeting at 8 p.m. Village 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.
Park Forest Commissions & Advisory Boards
The following Village Boards and Commissions will meet the week of February 8:
- Commission on Human Relations – Tuesday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m.
The meetings will be held at Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive. Residents are encouraged to attend.
Crime Free Housing Seminar – February 27th
The Park Forest Police Department will hold a crime Free Housing Seminar on Saturday February 27th, 2010 from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm at Dining on the Green. The address is 349 Main Street, Park Forest Illinois 60466. This seminar is for Landlords, Managers, and/or Owners only. Please no tenants.
Contact Natasha McElroy, [email protected], for more information.
Healthy Living
Governors State University (GSU), 1 University Parkway
Business Graduate Program Open House
Saturday, February 20, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Park Forest Health Department, 350 Victory Drive (lower level)
H1N1 Vaccine Available at Park Forest Health Department
The Park Forest Health Department has a limited supply of H1N1 vaccines available. H1N1 vaccines will be given by appointment only on Mondays and Fridays while supplies last. The fee for the vaccine is $15 and must be paid in cash at the time the vaccine is given. Medicare primary is accepted and Medicaid accepted for those 6 months through 18 years of age. No Managed Care enrollees accepted.
For additional information or to schedule an appointment, please call 708-481-1118. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Babies, Teens and Adults Immunization Clinics
Babies, teens and adult immunization and flu and pneumonia clinics will be held on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For details or to schedule an appointment, call 708-748-1118. The Health Department is a low cost provider for children and adult immunizations.
Blood Pressure Screening
A free Blood Pressure Clinic is held at the Park Forest Health Department Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Elevated blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Walk in or call ahead at 708-748-1118.
Arts and Entertainment
Park Forest Library, 400 Lakewood Boulevard – Potpourri of Lectures Continues
Even though the Library will be closed for renovations this week, the Potpourri of Lectures series will be held at Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive. This week’s lecture is, “Have You Ever Wondered How All Those Paintings Got Into the Art Institute?” The lecture will be held at Park Forest Village Hall, Thursday, February 11th, 2010 , at 10:30 am
Maureen Cribbs and Elly Frew, volunteers with the Art Insights Program of the Art Institute’s Education Department, will describe the process of acquiring art works for the Institute.
The Art Insights Program started 15 years ago with the mission of taking the museum to people in nursing homes and others who are not able to travel. Volunteers attend once per month training sessions to keep up with changes at the Art Institute.
For more information on this event, please call 708-748-3731.
Grande Prairie Choral Arts, 200 Somonauk, Park Forest
Love Songs from Across the Ages
On Saturday, February 14 at 4 p.m. enjoy Valentines Day with the Grande Prairie Singers and your favorite Valentine listening to Madrigals from the High Renaissance and Early Baroque periods, Brahms’ waltzes, and Romantic Part Songs, a beautiful genre that American singers rarely get to sing. The event will be held at Rich South High School Auditorium, 500 Sauk Trail, Richton Park. Concert tickets are $20. Treat your Valentine to a pre-concert dinner – ask about our optional combination ticket! Tickets can be purchased on-line at: http://www.grandeprairiechoral.org/ or call 708-481-8684.
Illinois Theatre Center, 371 Artists Way, Park Forest
“Crumbs From the Table of Joy” – Through February 14
From the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama (“Ruined”) comes the tale of a recently widowed Black man who moves with his two teenaged daughters from Florida to Brooklyn in the turbulent 1950s. The New York Post described this unique theatre piece this way: “Imagine a pairing between Tennessee Williams and Lorraine Hansberry – a glass menagerie in the sun…a small window into the past – and this almost voyeuristic view is worth attention.” The play will run through February 14.
Tickets range from $19 – $21. There is a $1 discount for students and senior citizens at all performances. For more information, call 708-481-3510.
Tall Grass Arts Association, 467 Artists Way, Park Forest
“Something Jazzy” – Opening Reception February 12
The Tall Grass Arts Association will host an exhibit entitled “Something Jazzy” 2010 Invitational. There is something jazzy in all of us. It is our rhythm, our muse, our passion. It is the interpretation of the sounds of jazz and a reflection of our soul. Opening reception will be held on Friday, February 12 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Exhibit dates are February 12 to April 11. The gallery is open to the public, free of charge. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For additional information, call 708-748-3377 or visit the website at www.tallgrassarts.org
Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, 1 University Parkway
A Tribute to Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens Saturday February 13, 8 p.m.
A perfect cure to the winter blues, it’s the Winter Dance Party!
This is the official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper’s final tour and the only show endorsed by the Holly, Valens, and Richardson estates.
The concert includes over two hours of unbridled, high-voltage entertainment, featuring classic 50s hits:
- That’ll Be The Day
- Peggy Sue
- Oh, Boy
- Rave on
- La Bamba
- Chantilly Lace
- and many, many more
Rachael Price – Tickets Now On Sale
As part of the Center’s Cabaret Series, on Saturday, February 27 at 8 p.m., 23 year-old jazz vocalist, Rachael Price will perform. With command performance for legends Sir Elton John at the Society of Singers and Robert Goulet for the famed Schubert Organization among others, Ms. Price is making her mark on today’s jazz scene. During the Cabaret Series, guests can enjoy bar service in a cabaret setting. Tickets are $37 and include your first drink. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 708-235-2222 or email [email protected].
Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Blvd, Park Forest
Banjo Buddies Dixieland Jazz Band – February 2
As part of its Senior Series, Banjo Buddies Dixieland Jazz Band will perform on Tuesday, February 2, at 11:00 a.m. at Freedom Hall’s Nathan Manilow Theatre. With eight albums and over two decades performing around the world, this high-energy Dixieland show band has a unique style of music with a contemporary feel that appeals to all ages. Dixieland jazz to swing, blues, big band tunes presented in a most entertaining fashion. Tickets are $8.00. For more information or to order tickets, please call 708-747-0580.
Funkadesi – Tickets Now On Sale
Five time winner of the Chicago Music Awards, Funkadesi will take the stage at Freedom Hall’s Nathan Manilow Theatre on Saturday, February 20 at 8 p.m. Funkadesi is a blend of Latin, African and contemporary funk in an uplifting show. Tickets are $23. For more information or to order tickets, please call 708-747-0580.
Park Forest House Museum, 141 Forest Boulevard (Corner of Forest & Fir)
Experience 1950s Valentines Day
During February, the 1950s Park Forest House Museum has a Valentines Day theme. The classroom is decorated for a Valentines Day party with vintage valentines and crepe paper candy baskets, and construction paper heart-shaped valentine “mailboxes” on each desk. Red honey comb and puffy hearts are hung around the room. Vintage valentines are on display throughout the house. The Museum is open on Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Group tours are by appointment. Call 708-748-3731.
Prairie State College (PSC) Christopher Art Gallery, 202 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights
“We the People Who Are Blacker than Blue” – Through February 19
“We the People Who Are Blacker than Blue” featuring new works by Floyd Atkins will be held from January 19 through February 19 in PSC’s Christopher Art Gallery. This exhibit is one of a number of events being held on campus to celebrate Black History Month. An artists’ reception will take place on Thursday, February 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visits can be made by appointment. For more information about the exhibit, or to make an appointment for a visit, contact the PSC Foundation at 708-709-3636.
Tall Grass Arts Association, 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest
"Something Jazzy" 2010 Invitational – February 12 through April 11, 2010
Tall Grass Arts Association will present an invitational exhibit entitled "Something Jazzy,” beginning Friday, February 12 and running through April 11, 2010. The exhibit was designed to showcase artists whose work interprets the spirit of jazz. Michéle P. Owens, one of the exhibit’s curators, notes, “There is something jazzy in all of us. It is our rhythm, our muse, our passion. It is the interpretation of the sounds of jazz and a reflection of our soul.” A portion of the show will be in honor of Jeanne Paris.
Opening Reception: Friday, February 12, 2010, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Exhibit Dates: February 12 to April 11. Admission is FREE to the public.
Gallery Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
Union Street Gallery, 1527 Otto Blvd., Chicago Heights, IL
The Positive Image – Through February 26
An exhibit of regional contemporary photography will demonstrate that photographers are magicians, invoking dreams, memories and strange, invented realms all through the camera’s lens. The exhibit runs through February 26. A reception will be held on February 12 from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. For more information or to hear gallery hours, call 708-754-2601.
Educational Lectures & Opportunities
Thorn Creek Nature Preserve, 247 Monee Road, Park Forest
Junior Ecologists Club – February 20
On the third Saturday of each month, 10 a.m.–noon, age 11–15, $5 per child per month. Discover the woods
in a new way and join naturalists to explore the woods and track seasonal changes.
Governors State University (GSU), 1 University Parkway
Substitute Teacher Academy with Resources Workshop – February 20
GSU is hosting a one-day Substitute Teacher Academy with Resources workshop on February 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The workshop teaches new subs what to expect, what to do in an emergency, how to maintain classroom control, and how to follow the teacher’s lesson plans. Registration is limited to 40 participants.
The State of Illinois offers substitute teacher certification to those with a bachelor’s degree in any subject. Instruction on how to apply for the certificate is also included in the presentation. Participants must hold a bachelor’s degree and register by February 15. The $50 registration fee includes lunch and materials. For more information or to register, call 708-534-4024.
2010 General Assembly Scholarship Programs
State Rep. Al Riley
State Representative Al Riley will award eight individual one-year tuition waivers to students residing in the 38th District. Waivers are available for attendance at the University of Illinois (any campus), and any other Illinois public universities including Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Governors State, Illinois State, Northern Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, Southern Illinois (both campuses) and Western Illinois University.
Each waiver is good for one full year of tuition, including summer sessions. This scholarship does not waive student fees, housing, or book expenses.
All applications must be postmarked or delivered to the district office by 4:00 p.m. on March 19th, 2010.
Click to download the following attachments:
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca
State Representative Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights) is accepting applications for the 2010 General Assembly Scholarship Program. The scholarships are available to residents of the 80th district and will cover one year of tuition for the following universities:
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, Chicago & Springfield)
- Chicago State University
- Eastern Illinois University
- Governors State University
- Northern Illinois University
- Northeastern Illinois University
- Southern Illinois University
- Western Illinois University
All applications must be returned to Representative DeLuca’s District office by Friday, March 19. For more information or to receive an application, please call 708-672-0200 or visit www.housedem.state.il.us/members/delucaa.
Shop Locally
Park Forest Holiday Coupons
Even though the holidays are over, your Park Forest Holiday shopping coupons are still valid. Park Forest residents should have received coupons in the mail from eleven Park Forest businesses for specials, offers and promotions – some of which will be honored through mid 2010. Participating businesses include: Lifetime Automotive Repair, 7-Eleven, Taco Bell, Tower Cleaners, The Children’s House, Cricket, Quality Classic Health & Fitness Center, Cedarwood Cooperative, Park Forest Auto Service, Inc., State Farm Insurance – Michael Jordan, Agent and Remedy Salon. Resolve to shop first in Park Forest during 2010.
Last Minute Printing & Copy Center, 301 Liberty Dr. – Now Open
Last Minute Copy Shop of Steger has now expanded to Last Minute Printing & Copy Center and has opened in DownTown Park Forest. They are a one-stop shop to serve all their customer’s needs. Last Minute Printing & Copy Center uses high-speed color and black-and-white digital technology to complement traditional offset printing services and offer a more complete range of services to their customers including: graphic design, corporate branding, marketing, full color UV Gloss and silk laminated product lines, short–run digital printing, wide-format printing, specialty items, full color plaques, screen printing, embroidery and more. The owners, Michiel and Shon Burnett are Park Forest residents.
Shrimp Max, 347 Liberty Dr. — Now Open
Looking for alternatives to burgers and fries? Visit Park Forest’s newest fast food restaurant, Shrimp Max. Shrimp Max offers a wide range of food including shrimp, catfish, perch, salmon, chicken, Italian beef, an assortment of sides and desserts. Shrimp Max can also cater your next party. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call 708-283-9503.
Park Forest Subway, 22301 Central Park Ave.
Renovations Planned to Better Serve Customers
The Park Forest Subway Restaurant is closed temporarily as they undergo an interior renovation. The renovation is to provide better service to residents by adding two brand new handicap-accessible bathrooms for public use. If you haven’t been to the Park Forest Subway, please be sure to stop by at 22301 Central Park Avenues (near Taco Bell, &-Eleven and Cricket).
Garden Club of Park Forest
“A Gardener’s Cookbook”
To celebrate their 55th anniversary, the Park Forest Garden Club offers this cookbook filled with memories, gardening tips, flowery sayings and of course recipes. Makes a great gift. All proceeds go to the club and are used toward community contributions. Cookbooks are $9 and are available at the Park Forest Recreation and Parks Department, 350 Victory Drive. Call 708-748-2005 for additional information.
Greening of Park Forest
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.
Safe Disposal Program – Bio-waste
The Park Forest Health Department and Environment Commission have partnered to provide information on the proper disposal of bio-waste such as used syringes or lancets (medical sharps). Begin by purchasing a Sharps container to dispose of your medical sharps for $10 at the Park Forest Health Department. Return the filled container to the Park Forest Health Department and purchase a new container. Call Brenda Walker at 708-748-1118 for more information.
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.
Go Green with a Free Tote Bag
The Village of Park Forest encourages residents to visit Village Hall to pick up an environmentally friendly canvas bag that can be used for your day-to-day shopping needs. These bags are free while supplies last with only two expectations: 1) that residents have a valid email address so that future environmentally conscious concepts can be shared by the Village’s Environment Commission; and 2) that bags are limited to one per household. For more information on this program, visit the Village Manager’s Office on the second floor of Village Hall of call 708-748-1129.
This & That
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.
Sources: Village of Park Forest Weekly Manager’s Report, Park Forest Discovery Magazine, 2010 Winter/Spring Recreation Programs, Park Forest Fall/Winter 2009 Calendar of Events, Rep. A. DeLuca, Park Forest Library, Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, Prairie State College, Freedom Hall, Illinois Theatre Center, Tall Grass Arts Association, Union Street Gallery, Park Forest Rotary Club, South Suburban Family Shelter, and Park Forest Historical Society websites.
