CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS – PORTAGE PARK, WRIGLEYVILLE, LOOP, OLD TOWN, EVANSTON
PORTAGE PARK Local daughter-and-mother team, Dobra Bielinski and Stasia Hawyrszczuk, have become a local gem of a bakery in the Portage Park neighborhood. Their homemade style of cooking, using real ingredients, are what make their desserts so special. Not only do they offer desserts, but also there's a wonderful choice of breads and, reputedly, some of the best paczki (Polish doughnuts) in Chicago. Be sure to see Delightful Pastries at the Chicago French Market if you can't make it north.
WRIGLEYVILLE
Baseball great, Andre Dawson, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame recently. Dawson's speech was the highlight of the day and his recollection of the game both as an Expo and a Cub were quite endearing. What most captured the essence of the speech, his acknowledgement that he found a home and felt loved by a city when he came to Chicago. Go Cubs Go!!
LOOP
Next Tuesday is sure to be a great day at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park when Chicago hosts the Carbon Nation Celebration. The Celebration is free and open to the public. This event is to celebrate the city's commitment to environmental leadership and tackling climate change. There are lots of things to do during this great day, so plan ahead and bring the family.
OLD TOWN
On July 9, stock majority holder Hugh Hefner made a bid to purchase the remaining 30 percent stock shares of Playboy Enterprises to take the company private. A few days later FriendFinder Networks Inc. made a competing bid that would require Hefner to relinquish his holdings. As of this past Tuesday, the committee formed to weigh the bids has yet to make a decision. Hefner is concerned about the legacy of the magazine.
EVANSTON
About two years ago Bethesda Home and Retirement Center started a revolution. They changed the rules and instituted a culture change that has created greater resident and worker satisfaction. By empowering residents to take control of their schedules, choose their activities and creating a "household" environment not only has morale boosted but cost savings have as well. It's a new shift in caregiving that advocates say will be ready for widespread dissemination.
CATHY MALLERS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
