Obamarama at FitzGerald’s
“This event has come to life just within the last 24 hours,” marveled Patty Reilly-Murphy, account executive with 93XRT, about the “Barack & Roll” fundraiser being thrown together for next Tuesday evening, March 4, coinciding with the Texas and Ohio primaries, which everyone considers a crucial indicator of the campaign’s outcome.
“I am completely blown away by the grassroots support we’ve gotten from the community-the band is playing for free, FitzGerald’s and Wishbone are donating their resources, even the servers are refusing payment for the evening.”
The aforementioned band is named Tributosaurus, and apparently Paul Cebar and Tom Constanten will also make appearances.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with dinner and music beginning at 6:30. The $50 minimum donation includes a dinner buffet provided by Wishbone Restaurant. You can watch the election returns on FitzGerald’s 16×9-foot, “Texas-size” screens.
“Barack Obama’s campaign is funded by grassroots believers like you,” says Reilly-Murphy. “We’re asking you to believe.”
Testing your toys for lead
Worried what harmful materials are in your children’s toys? A toy-testing event will be held at the West Cook YMCA (225 S. Marion St.) this Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
You can bring up to four painted or plastic toys for lead testing. Attorney General Lisa Madigan will be there from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Attendees can also sign up for e-mail updates anytime a toy is recalled and pick up information on dangerous or recalled products.
No reservations are necessary. For more information, call Madigan’s product recall hotline at 888/414-7678 or visit www.IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov.
Annual affair aids Children’s Memorial
Ever since an Oak Park woman and a River Forest woman joined forces in 1964, the Children’s Memorial Guild has been dedicated to raising funds to assist Children’s Memorial Hospital in easing the suffering of diseased and injured children and their families throughout the Chicago area.
March 8 at 11 a.m., the Guild will hold its 44th annual fundraiser at the Oak Park Country Club. “Supreme Cuisine III” will feature food from an array of offerings from most of Oak Park’s top restaurants and other eateries. Gift certificates to each restaurant will be available for purchase. Binny’s Beverage Depot in Elmwood Park will host a wine tasting. Luncheon pastries will be created by Triton College’s talented pastry chef, Denise Smith-Gaborit and her students.
The silent auction will feature a wide variety of items, including vacations, wine and food, books, and art.
Those interested in helping can contact Mrs. John Kelty at 771-5264.
Barwin late on vehicle sticker?
Village Manager Tom Barwin just recently renewed his vehicle sticker. However, he’s not sure when the previous renewal took place. Villagers renew stickers in July, and Oak Park offers six-month or year-long stickers.
Barwin is still in the process of moving here from metro Detroit. His wife travels back and forth from their Michigan home, and the family car is only here 50 percent of the time, he said.
He obtained a permit when arriving here in June of 2006 and said he’s received three parking tickets in the village, which proves he isn’t getting preferential treatment.
When asked specifically when he last renewed his sticker before this month, Barwin said: “I really don’t know. Believe it or not, 99 percent of my mental energy goes to this job. I pay my tickets and try to get stickers when I’m supposed to.”
Barwin’s Michigan home is still on the market, since he moved here in 2006, but he has a purchaser lined up.
“We are very hopeful that the house will be sold by the third week in March, if nothing goes wrong,” he said.
Mother sues D97 over son’s death
The mother of Brooks Middle School student Anthony Hopkins, Jr., who died Dec. 7, has filed suit against the school district. Renita Poole filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court, Feb. 13, naming District 97, Lakeview Bus Line and the District 97 school board as defendants, charging school officials ignored “apparent” signs of serious illness.
Poole’s suit claims the school nurse and other Brooks school officials allowed the 11-year-old boy to leave school despite being so sick that he had to be carried onto a school bus. Poole took her son to West Suburban Hospital immediately upon his arrival home, but he died later that night.
Dist. 97 and Brooks school officials have provided no information concerning the boy’s death other than a Dec. 11 press release that stated Hopkins “had some medical concerns that suddenly worsened, and he passed away Friday evening.”
-Bill Dwyer