Did you think the music ended with Christmas? Of course you didn’t. On Sunday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest (and Forest Park) will present its annual Children’s Concert–children are admitted free! A special program sure to delight all, including and especially children, will be the order of the day. Music from “Harry Potter” and “Hansel and Gretel,” with children from the Academy of Movement and Music dancing, will be featured.
The local Children’s Chorus composed of children from Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest, Elmwood Park and other nearby towns, will be directed by the Maestro of Song, Bill Chin. A talented young man from York High School who won the audition last fall will perform the Lalo cello concerto. There will be more surprises to delight you and the younger set. So please consider coming to this excellent local entertainment, no parking fees, no long drives downtown on slick expressways, no snowstorms to worry about. It’s all right here.
Sympathies to the family of May Scolire who left us after more than 90 years. May was still the most beautiful woman in the room. She lived a full life, and was loved by all. Everyone will miss this grand lady.
Speedy get well wishes to former Forest Parker, Phil Blum, much loved by all who know him. Phil has been living with non-Hodgkins lymphoma for more than 10 years. But he still plays cello with the Chicago Symphony and the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest and looks great. Recently, Phil developed pneumonia, which temporarily set him back a few paces.
Old school friends, all graduates of the Forest Park Middle School, now young matrons, raising families, still get together occasionally to reminisce and talk about their kids and life as it is now. Jackie Vince Clifton, Nancy Francis Moore, Janet Mercola Selwig, Lisa Becker Grimes and Leanna Palermo found time over the holidays to get together again.
Geri Hills has switched from alto to tenor in the Chorus of the Symphony of OPRF. She will join many others in singing the Brahm’s “German Requiem,” probably one of the most stunningly beautiful works in all of music literature. This masterpiece will be heard at First United Church of Christ, 848 Lake St., Oak Park on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m.
Congratulations to Phil Grant who now holds a degree in geology from Colorado State and is off to seek his fortune looking for oil, natural gas and/or water to help hold civilization together for the next few hundred years or more. Good luck Phil, your services are sorely needed. Besides, you may get rich.
Friends and neighbors who know me know I am an avid animal lover and sympathizer. I never mention when I lose one of my pets, probably because for many years I kept way more pets than the law allows. Last Tuesday, Jan. 8 I felt it was time to put down my almost 22-year-old cat, Peppermint, named by a young neighbor boy who is now grown, married, and gone. Peppermint and I shared a big chunk of life together. He’d been on fluids to aid his kidneys for about three years, as well as other medications. He was a real cat right up until about three days before we put him down. When he lost interest in food I knew it was time. My deepest sympathy to anyone who has lost a pet.
The world mourns the death of Sir Edmund Hillary, a humble beekeeper who conquered Mt. Everest in 1953. He and his sherpa, Norgay, were the first humans to stand on top of the world. Sir Edmund spent most of the rest of his life improving conditions of the sherpas in Nepal and the Nepalese people loved him. Hillary was honored by his native country. His likeness can be seen on one of the paper bills in New Zealand. A moving tribute by the BBC was heard on public radio, the announcer ended his memorial with the words “May his great soul rest in peace.”
Time to honor our birthday celebrants this week: On Jan. 16, Eunice Blazek, Tom Dazek, Lauren Pardun, Bob Kurash, Judy Baar Topinka; on the 17th, 1-year-old Caroline Rose Glinke also Joan Steinbach, Janet Fabiani, Margaret Flanagan, Daniel Mondragon, Marge Zwadlo; on the 18th, Judy Daniels, Ken Olson, Kirk Oliver, Kaitlyn Trage; on the 19th, Christopher Madden, and anniversary greetings to Shirley and Jack Christell; Jan. 20, Sharon Tierney, Julie Kaiser, Dale Heath; the 21st, special anniversary greetings to Sam and Anna Roti and birthday greetings to Cassidy Brown.
