• NIHIL NISI OPTIMUM! Nothing but the best at Proviso Township, as the drumlines for Proviso East and West took top honors at the Proviso East sponsored state-wide competition earlier this month.

Other schools involved in the competition, included Calumet, Julian, Gage Park, Harper, Morgan Park, and the Gary Indiana All-Stars; but it was Proviso that stood alone and outshone the competition as the Proviso West drumline won first place in the cymbals and best bass drumline categories and Proviso East won in the best snare drum and best quintet categories. Here is a picture of the winning spirit drum and first place trophies. Congratulations.

• Summerfest 2005 is not around the corner anymore, it is here. It is on Friday, June 10 from 5 to 11 p.m. and Saturday, June 11 from noon to 10 p.m. Come out, have a beer, ride a pony and support our local businesses. It should be a fun-filled weekend, so make sure and make some time for it.

• B-I-N-G-O: Also at Summerfest, don’t forget to stop by as Mayor Anthony Calderone and all local elected officials invite senior citizens to a Senior Square, June 11, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., located at Madison and Hannah. There will be bingo with great prizes … raffle prizes every 30 minutes … a cash grand prize … snacks and beverages. The event will be co-sponsored by Altenheim Apartments.

• Meetings, meetings, meetings For those of you who want to jump on the civic action bandwagon, the Board of Education for School District 91 will be meeting on June 9 at 7 p.m. at 424 Desplaines Ave. Also coming up, the Board of Park Commissioners will be meeting on June 16, 7 p.m. at the Administrative Building for the Park District, 7501 Harrison St. Finally, the Village Council will meet on June 13, 7 p.m. at Village Hall in the lower level.

• Meanwhile, in those other towns:

Windy City String Ensemble, conducted by Michael Hining, presents a concert Saturday June 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Concordia University’s Chapel of Our Lord, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest. The 20th century program includes arrangements of Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Ned Rorem’s 4th String Quartet, the Adagio from Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, the Philip Glass score from the motion picture The Hours, and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven with electric guitars, bass and drums. $10/$5 students. Tickets available at the door or call Patti Stone at 383-6869.

See Jane Run Productions presents their inaugural production, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. This comedy by Alan Ball (American Beauty, Six Feet Under) examines what happens when five very different women, each with her own reason for not wanting to be part of the bridal party, hide out in an upstairs bedroom rather than take part in the festivities below. At Village Players Theatre, 1010 Madison St., opening June 10 and running Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through June 25, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, June 12. $15. Not recommended for children under age 13. E-mail seejanerunproductions

• Progressive dinner: Loosen those pant waists … Main Street’s Progressive Dinner is scheduled for Sunday, July 17 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. More details to come later.

• Speaking of the Youth Commission: The Youth Commission 3 on 3 Basketball will be going on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Middle School playground, starting June 14 and going through July 28. Get out for some exercise and show off why you should be considered the next Michael Jordan, Dickey Simpkins or Scotty Pippen. Or maybe you’d rather be a Harlem Globetrotter, doesn’t matter, just show up ready to have some fun. They are also looking for volunteers to help coach and referee. Anyone who is interested can contract Mary Win Connor at 334-2678 or just show up at 6 p.m.

Carpe Diem, Forest Park!