The Chamber of Commerce and Development’s annual get together at McAdam’s Landscaping was another happy celebration. It is one of the best events in Forest Park. Congratulations to this year’s PRIDE Award winners and thanks to them for helping to make Forest Park a desirable place to live.
The party was enhanced by the lovely strains of a string quartet, compliments of the Gasse School of Music. Members of the quartet are Emily Rose Cannon on first violin; Clair Schroeder, second violin; Sarah Macey, viola; and Sylvie Fraunhar on cello.
Forest Park musicians who performed in the Fenwick band’s spring concert last week were Angel D’Souza, percussion; Samantha Rekas, clarinet and Paul Fitzgerald on trumpet.
Remember, you can play an instrument into your nineties. You can’t run with a football or swing a bat that long.
Congratulations to newlyweds James and Heather (Reese) Collis who were married April 5, 2008, in Necedah, Wis. James grew up in Forest Park and is the son of Andy and Virginia Collis, who both still live here. You may have seen Andy driving the school bus. Heather is the daughter of Cathy and Lenny Jacobson and the granddaughter of Evelyn Jacobson, all of Necedah. A reception was held at Anjero’s in Mauston, Wis. Jim has been the owner of The Buckthorn Store in Neceda for six years. Heather will get her nursing degree in December. Her two children are Danielle, 11, and Dylon, 8.
Congratulations to “Les Filles a Zeno,” our champ spellers from the Friends of the Forest Park Library. This year “Zeno’s Filles” took first place in the annual spelling bee for the Literacy Volunteers. The spell-off took place May 7 at Holley Court. This year’s killer words that separated the spellers from the guessers were “aerophore” and “nicety,” which did not stump Marge Zwadlo, Nancy Robinson or Ruth Loyd. Give Zeno Jacquat credit for being a great coach, too.
The friends of the library will meet on the second Saturday of June this year; that would be June 14, at the library in the downstairs meeting room.
There was a snafu in last week’s Review. Maggie Smith and Judy Jilek traded faces for names. Maggie was pictured, Judy was identified. Sorry for the mix up.
Former school bus driver Harry Kayser sends his greetings to all his old Forest Park friends, especially to Andy Collis and to retiring bus driver, Cindy Fischer. Cindy will be leaving us at the end of this school year. Does anyone have Harry’s address? Andy Collis said they would like to invite him to Cindy’s retirement party, since Harry gets the credit for teaching Cindy how to drive the school bus.
Jerry Vainisi, who owns the Forest Park National Bank, sent all the bank employees over to The Brown Cow for ice cream on the opening day at their new location at 7347 Madison St. (Vainisi also owns the building where the ice cream parlor relocated, so maybe he’s just making sure he gets his rent. I’m kidding, I’m kidding.) You loved their “new address” promo didn’t you? “Where now Brown Cow?” Good luck to Connie Brown and her staff.
Connie is also searching for photos of the old Lil Theater, which used operated in that space until the 1940s. If you have any, please contact her.
On May 14 happy birthday to Andy Madden, Yvette Manaois, Pauline Grippando; May 15, Nedra Wentland, Vicki Kaup, Daniell Boy, and 6-year-old Molly Adams; May 16, Audrey Kaczmarek, Sara Neubeiser, Lisa Novak, Sue Lyons and happy anniversary to Bob and Lisa Kowalski; on the 17th of May, Jason Webb has a birthday; on the 18th, Carl Schwebl, Mikela Brown, Peg O’Connell; May 19, Jonas Wojtas; May 20, Phyllis DeVilbiss, Janet Fink, Pam Bower; May 21, Tyler Robert Fink, Shirley Stange.
Jackie is a former Chicago and Elmwood Park schoolteacher with an undying love for music, friendly pets and a host of life’s other treasures too numerous to list. She was born on the far southwest side of Chicago in a great neighborhood when it was a great time to be young.
If you have any local nuggets to pass along to Jackie, please contact her at (708) 366-4685.
