Oak Park - River Forest Community Calendar, Feb. 2

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Updated: March 3, 2012 8:12AM

Oak Leaves and Forest Leaves welcome items for the Community Calendar, as well as items for Business Briefs, Campus News, Community Briefs, School Digest and Your Page. Items must be received minimum of 10 days prior to publication. Fax (708) 383-3678; e-mail oakpark@pioneerlocal.com; or mail to Pioneer Press, 1010 W. Lake St., Suite 104, Oak Park, IL 60301.

Benefits

“B-flat Breakfast”: 7:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 11 at 7970 W. Lake St., (corner of Lake Street and Thatcher Avenue) in River Forest. Have some “B-flat Pancakes” and help benefit the music program at River Forest United Methodist Church. Come enjoy pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee, tea, milk; and there will also be a cookie sale. Adults $6; Kids (5-12) $3; under 5 free. Call (708) 771-3668 or e-mail rfumchurch@sbcglobal.net. Reservations appreciated but not required. For more information, call Fred Lenhoff at (708) 366-6309 or e-mail flenhoff@yahoo.com.

‘Jersey Boys’ Leading Cast Sing: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at the East Leyden High School Auditorium, 3400 Rose St., in Franklin Park. The River Grove School Education Foundation will present “Under the Streetlamp,” an intimate night of music with the recent leading cast members of the Chicago production of “Jersey Boys.” Great music from the ‘60s performed by four gentlemen who between them list Broadway, TV and feature films in their résumés. Tickets $40. Limited number of tickets available for the “VIP Meet and Greet” after the event to be held at The Underpass Restaurant and Lounge, 9400 Grand Ave., in Franklin Park. To order tickets visit www.rgsedfoundation.com and click on the “Upcoming Events” tab or call Kathie Bruce at (708) 574-1474.

St. Columbkille Alumnae: Association annual reunion luncheon begins with cocktails at noon, lunch at 1 p.m. March 25 at the Fountain Blue, 2300 S. Mannheim Road (at Touhy) in Des Plaines. Cost $35. Proceeds go toward the retirement fund of the Sisters of Providence, St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana. Call President of the St. Columbkille Alumnae Board at (847) 427-1981; Sisters of Providence Allumnae Association, 8001 W. Belmont Ave., River Grove, IL 60171.

St. Luke Dinner Dance: and Auction, Feb. 25 at Oak Park Country Club, 2001 N. Thatcher, River Grove. Celebrating “90 Years and Young at Heart.” This year’s honorees: Pat and Clarke Devereux. Donations for life and silent auctions contact Karen Stelmach (708) 771-7781 or stelmach5@comcast.net or Colleen Weiler (708) 710-8714. Suggestions, boy’s or girl’s bike; restaurant, Omaha Steak or store gift cards; spa packages; bottles of wine or liquor.

Spinal Cord Injury Association: of Illinois, invites you to “Dinner with Friends,” 6 p.m. Feb. 18 at The Lexington House, 7717 W. 95th St., Hickory Hills. Stompi’ good time with music, dancin’, food, games and raffles at the annual benefit. Dress: Casual, jeans or Western wear. Tickets: $40 per person; children 10 and younger $20; ($75 in raffle ticket sales earns a free ticket.) RSVP by Feb. 13 to Mercedes Raue (708) 352-6223.

WSSRA Golf “Par-Tee”: 7-9:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at White Pines Golf Dome, 500 W. Jefferson St. in Bensenville to raise funds for people with disabilities served in WSSRA recreation programs. Enjoy 2 1/2 hours of golf activities. Tickets are $35 each. Visit www.wssra.net.

Clubs

AT&T TelecomPioneers: Forest Life Member Club’s monthly luncheon will be held beginning with cash bar at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch at 12:30 p.m. March 8 at Bohemian Crystal, 639 N. Blackhawk Drive, Westmont. Entertainment by storyteller Genny Riddle. Cost $20. Reservations by March 1. Call Lorie Kallas at (630) 629-1633.

League of Women Voters: of Oak Park and River Forest, “Great Decisions 2012” begins Feb. 9. Three discussions groups: 1) 1-3 p.m. the second (Feb. 9) and fourth Thursday (Feb. 23) at Maze Branch Library. 2) 7-8:45 p.m. the second (Feb. 14) and fourth Tuesday (Feb. 28) in the main library, 834 W. Lake St., Veterans Room. 3) 1-3 p.m. the second (Feb. 14) and fourth Tuesday (Feb. 28) at Margo Clayton’s home. The Foreign Policy Association publishes the briefing books that are the basis of discussions. Cost: $20. Check made out to LWVOPRF. Available at the first session of each discussion group and by arrangement. League of Women Voters of Oak Park & River Forest, P.O. Box 3301, Oak Park, IL 60303; (708) 802-0697; lwvoprf@sbcglobal.net; lwvoprf.org. Membership $20 per year.

Oak Park Women’s Guild: annual fund-raising event March 3. “Casino Night” at the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association of Oak Park, 178 Forest Ave. Seeking companies and individuals to sponsor a casino table. Contact Jenny Baltsen (708) 514-3850; jen0021@hotmail.com.

Gathering

Valentine’s Day Dance: 2 p.m. Feb. 5 in the Grand Ballroom of the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave., with the Freenotes Big Band, an 18-piece band that plays music from 1940s through the 1960s. The public is invited. Free, however, reservations are requested. Call Jill Wagner at (708) 386-4040 or visit http://www.oakparkarms.com.

Government

Youth Services Committee: 6:45 p.m. Feb. 21 at Oak Park Township, 105 S. Oak Park Ave.

Community Mental Health: Board of Oak Park Township meets 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township offices, 1100 Lake St., Lower Level, Room 35 in Oak Park. Lisa DeVivo, executive director, (708) 358-8855; www.cmhb-oakpark.org; e-mail cmhb@cmhb-oakpark.org.

River Forest Public Library: Board meetings, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 the Board of Trustees holds its regular meeting at the library, 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest. The public is always invited to attend these meetings. Visit www.riverforestlibrary.org and “Check out the world from here!”

River Forest Village Board: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Community Room of Village Hall, 400 Park Ave. Public invited.

Health Notes

Halau i Ka Pono: is in its fourth year of Hawaiian dance classes at its new location, 38 Lake St., Oak Park. Adult Hula II for Women: 7-8 p.m.Wednesdays, hula danced to modern Hawaiian Music. Also: Hula Workshop: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 19. Fee: $45. Call (708) 297-6321; www.halauikapono.org.

Laughter Yoga Club: of Oak Park meets 7-7:45 p.m. Feb. 14 at Mills Park Tower, 1025 Pleasant Place, Oak Park. Fee free and contortion free. David Kelm (708) 975-9300; e-mail david1945@aol.com; www.laughteryoga.org.

Oak Park Meditation Group: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays at Hug the Moon Wellness Studio, 415 Harrison St., Oak Park. Visit www.chicago.shambhala.org or call (847) 743-8147.

Here’s Help

Compassionate Friends: East Suburban Chapter, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Cornerstone Community Church of Brookfield, 9008 Fairview Ave. Also: 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at Cicero Community Center, 2250 S. 49th Ave., Room 101.

Epilepsy Support Group: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Oak Park Hospital, 520 S. Maple St., Oak Park, in Conference Room A. Call Patty Martin at (708) 302-7153

GPEO: (Growing Place Empowerment Organization) 6-7 p.m. Friendship and support; 7-8 p.m. Program. Fridays at Progress Center for Independent Living, 7521 W. Madison St., Forest Park. (708) 209-1500; e-mail lucys@cyberonic.com.

Kids’ Stuff

Oak Park Youth Baseball Softball: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 4 at Longfellow Center, 610 S. Ridgeland in Oak Park, register for the 2012 season. Boys age 6 to 12 can register for baseball and girls currently in kindergarten and who were at least five years old by Dec. 31, 2011, to age 14, may register for softball. Players who were in the program last year need only bring proof of Oak Park residency or proof of enrollment at an Oak Park school. New players must bring a copy of the child’s birth certificate and proof of Oak Park residency or enrollment at an Oak Park school. More information on Oak Park Youth Baseball softball can be found at www.opybs.org.

Legacy Sports Camp: Intro to T-Ball, 2-3 p.m. Feb. 12, 19, 26 and March 4 at the ARC. This camp is appropriate for boys and girls ages 5-7. T-Ball fundamentals. Fee: $65. Also: T-Ball Phase 2: 3-4 p.m. Feb. 12, 19, 26 and March 4. This camp is appropriate for boys and girls ages 6-8 and will build on the training on skills from Intro to T-Ball. www.legacysportscamp.com.

Learning

Job Readiness Program: 3:15-4:30 p.m. Feb. 8 (Wednesdays) at Oak Park-River Forest High School, 201 N. Scoville Ave., Oak Park, in Computer Lab 364. Sponsored by Youth Services of Oak Park and River Forest townships, 105 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park; (708) 445-2727.

Knitting Classes: at main Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. By reference librarian and experienced knitter Helen Blinder with local knitting instructor Sue Jaffee, an accomplished knitter and knitting instructor from the Tangled Web and Knit Just Knits, in Oak Park. “Ewe Need a Headband?”: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28. Also: “Novel Knitters 101”: 7 p.m. March 20 for beginning knitters. Learn the basic concepts of knitting, including casting on, binding off, the knit stitch, the purl stitch and more.

Religion Notes

Faith Introduction: Unitarian Universalism, 1-3 p.m. Feb. 5 at Unity Temple, 875 Lake St., Oak Park. This two-hour class is offered once a month and is taught by Unity Temple’s senior minister the Rev. Alan Taylor. Unitarian Universalim’s principles, values, beliefs and practices will be addressed. In addition, learn more about the history of Unitarian Universalism’s faith tradition, the history of the congregation and congregational life today. To register for this free class e-mail tlewis@unitytemple.org.

Zen Life & Meditation Center: New location at 38 Lake St., in Oak Park. The Center helps individuals live a Zen-inspired life of openness, empathy and clarity. A variety of offerings, private counseling, reiki and retreats. Intro Primer Series: 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 4. This series of four Saturday classes will ground you in the fundamentals of living a Zen-inspired life. Also: Fridays with Roshi: 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 3. Once a month, Zen teacher Robert Joshin Althouse Roshi gathers with friends and students to facilitate a public exploration of how to live a Zen-inspired life. The theme for February is “Connecting with Heart.” Cost: $15; free for members. Also: Day of Mindfulness: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 11. Retreat conducted in silence. Talk, optional private interviews with teacher, work practice, light body work, homemade Zen lunch and a closing council circle. Informal and open retreat for beginners wanting to strengthen their mindfulness practice. Cost: $65; $50 for members. Call (708) 689-1220 or www.zlmc.org.

Trailside Museum

Trailside Museum of Natural History is at 738 Thatcher Ave., River Forest (Chicago and Thatcher avenues) and is run by Cook County Forest Preserve District. Registration is required for all programs unless otherwise stated. Call (708) 366-6530. Most programs are free.

A Closer Look: 1-3 p.m. Feb. 5. View nature up close using microscopes and hand lenses. Study the amazing, intricate patterns and details of insects, plants and fungi. Family drop-in program.

Darwin Day Celebration: Noon-3 p.m. Feb. 12. It’s Charles Darwin’s Birthday! Celebrate this naturalist’s birthday with Trailside naturalists, and explore adaptations, fitness, selection and survival of species through educational activities and displays. Drop-in program for adults and children.

Volunteers

Send news of volunteer opportunities for Community Calendars, to oakpark@pioneerlocal.com or call (708) 524-4417.