Irene O’Shea and all the O’Shea’s are looking forward to Easter Sunday when daughter and sister Maggie Hillman returns for the holiday. Maggie works for the State Department in D.C. but has spent the last several weeks in Afghanistan – under fire part of the time. It will be a very happy reunion.
The Ed O’Shea dedication at Hannah and Madison will be held on May 15 at 2:30 p.m. Ed contributed much to Forest Park. Ed had an office above the Forest Park National Bank on Madison Street for many years; and to many of us that office will always say “Ed O’Shea.”
Richard Scafidi is a familiar sight around town. You see him with his big, brown dog Sean just about everywhere. Mr. Scafidi had a knee replacement problem but that never stopped him from going everywhere. A lifelong Forest Parker, he graduated from St. Bernardine’s, attended St. Mel’s High School and Proviso East, and then graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. He is a man with a great spirit.
Belated happy birthday wishes to Evelyn Wirkiowski who turned five on April 13. Little Miss Wirkiowski was all dressed in pink at her birthday party at Pilgrim Congregational School.
Evelyn’s neighbor LaBelle Jones also had a birthday recently: he turned three on March 31.
Cooper David Novak was born on March 28 and he is the Novak’s sixth grandchild.
About a year ago, producer Eric Battersby’s film Fool’s Gold previewed at the Lake Theatre in Oak Park. The name has been changed to Pyrite. Pyrite is the story of a white youth raised in a family that is racially bigoted. During the film, he encounters a young Cabrini-Green mother who is trying to raise two sons. One scene takes place in the Buzz Café in Oak Park, the rest is all shot on location in Chicago. Eric wrote and directed this thought-provoking thriller for his company Hollywood 27 Productions. He is also the son of Carol Byars Smith and a product of our Forest Park schools.
Happy birthday this week to: Christina Li, Bob Farrow, Kate Leinweber, McKenna Mintz, Ruth Mayer, Regan Doolin, Peggy Hughes, Daniel Hawkins, Rich Dales, Joe Dornecker, Katie Kelly, April Moroney, Anne Childs, Art Grams, Annette Pardun, Jon Olmsted, Cindy Fischer and Luke Boher.
And happy anniversary to: Drew and Nicole Carter, Sue and Rich Bothie, andWayne and Sandra Schauer.
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.
