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Archive for the ‘Topics Of Interest’ Category

Time to make suburban dining plans for Father’s Day

Posted in Entertainment on June 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Shaws

Beelows

763 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich, (847) 540-0600, beelows.com/. Leave the cooking to Beelows on Father’s Day. The brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 18 features an omelet, waffle and pancake station; breakfast and entree stations; fruit and dessert stations and more. Reservations required.

Bonefish Grill

1604 Randall Road, Algonquin, (847) 658-9268, and 180 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, (847) 534-0679, bonefishgrill.com/. Treat dad to the new brunch at Bonefish, available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 18. Dine on Grand Marnier French toast sticks, caprese frittata, bacon and cheddar frittata, and crab and fontina frittata while sipping on a Bloody Mary, espresso martini, mimosa or shareable pitchers (blackberry red sangria, sparkling mango white sangria or Parker’s margarita). Reservations requested.

Pinstripes

7 Oakbrook Center Mall, Oak Brook, (630) 575-8700; 1150 Willow Road, Northbrook, (847) 480-2323; 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (847) 844-9300; pinstripes.com/. Pinstripes is hosting a Father’s Day BBQ Brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 18. Dine on Chicago-style baby back ribs, Italian sausage, pesto chicken, mini burgers, corn on the cob, watermelon slices, Parmesan chips and items from the carving and omelet stations, specialty table, sweets table (including a chocolate fountain) and more. Prices vary by location.

Shaw’s Schaumburg

1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-2722, shawscrabhouse.com/schaumburg/. Spend time with Dad over specialty dishes such as surf and turf, oysters on the half shell and more. Reservations are available from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Texas de Brazil

5 Woodfield Mall, Suite D312, Schaumburg, (847) 413-1600, texasdebrazil.com/locations/schaumburg/. The Brazilian steakhouse is opening early at 11 a.m. on Father’s Day and will be serving the dinner menu all day. Reservations recommended.

Weber Grill Restaurant

2331 Fountain Square, Lombard, (630) 953-8880, and 1010 N. Meacham Road, Schaumburg, (847) 413-0800, webergrillrestaurant.com/. For Father’s Day, Weber Grill will be serving baked stuffed clams, grilled rib-eye filet, dinosaur beef rib, Father’s Day fish fry, grilled sweet corn, and bourbon peach cobbler sundae. Reservations are recommended.

Wildfire

1300 Patriot Blvd., Glenview, (847) 657-6363; 235 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 279-7900; 232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 586-9000; 1250 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 995-0100, wildfirerestaurant.com/. On Father’s Day, treat Dad to barbecued baby back ribs, filet mignon topped with a signature crust, New York strip steak, macadamia nut-crusted halibut and more. Reservations required.

Check out more here.

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Ribs, rails, cars, art and more this weekend

Posted in Entertainment, Topics Of Interest on June 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Duke

Duke’s Blues & BBQ Fest

Friday, June 9

Duke’s Blues Festival: 5-11 p.m. Friday, June 9, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Carpenter Park, 275 Maple Ave, Carpentersville. Featuring Southern food vendors and live blues. Music from Nu Blu at 9 p.m. Friday and Big Daddy Mojo at 6:30 p.m., Bottled Blues at 8 p.m. and Luke Repass at 9:15 p.m. Saturday. Benefits Taste the Love NFP. dukes-blues-n-bbq.com/dukes-fest-2023/.

Outdoor Movie Nights: 6 p.m. Friday, June 9, at Deer Park Town Center, 20530 N. Rand Road, Deer Park. Preshow activities include face painting, balloon artist, yard games and more. Movies begin at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Free. shopdeerparktowncenter.com.

Sounds of Summer Concert Series — Main Stage Concerts: 7:30-9 p.m. Friday, June 9, at Fred P. Hall Amphitheater, 256 E. Palatine Road, Palatine. Dancing Queen will perform. (224) 219-0007, ext. 16. Free. palatineparks.org.

Saturday, June 10

Run Wild Family Fun Run: 9 a.m. Saturday, June 10, at Prairieview Education Center, Crystal Lake. Run through Silver Creek Conservation Area. Choose a half-mile or 3-mile fun run for all skill levels. Fee includes race T-shirt, bib, snacks and a medal. $15-$20; $5 extra on race day. Register at mccdistrict.org.

Rails to Victory: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 10-11, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 365 S. La Fox St., South Elgin. A living history re-enactment of World War II, including battles, resistance, the home front and more. Adventure Trolley Tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. $23. Buy tickets at foxtrolley.org/rails-to-victory.

Woodstock PrideFest: Saturday and Sunday, June 10-11, in Woodstock Square, 121 W. Van Buren St., Woodstock. Second annual Rainbow Run from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Emricson Park, 1313 Kishwaukee Valley Road. Pub crawl at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Square. Pride Parade at 11 a.m. Sunday in the Square, followed by the festival from noon to 5 p.m. For Pride Promenade from noon to 5 p.m. both days: walk, drive or bike through Woodstock to see participating celebratory displays. facebook.com/woodstockpride.

Arts in Bartlett Global Arts Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 10-11, at the Jim Jensen Pavilion, 620 W. Stearns Road, Bartlett. Family-oriented lawn games, crafts and activities, vendor booths filled with diverse wares and artists representing world cultures, performances of cultural dance and music, and ethnic foods and beverages. Authors in the Park offers attendees the chance to interact with more than 10 local authors with book signings, prize drawings and more. artsinbartlett.org/global-arts-festival.

Bluesmobile Cruise Nights: 3-9 p.m. Saturday. June 10, at the Metra parking lot, near the intersection of Route 83 and Northwest Highway, Mount Prospect. Classic cars, entertainment and more. mplions.org/cruise-nights.

Sunday, June 11

Ride for Hope 2023: 8 a.m. Sunday, June 11, at Moretti’s Ristorante and Pizzeria, 1175 W. Lake St., Bartlett. Eighth annual ovarian cancer awareness motorcycle ride and celebration fundraiser. A 50-mile, fully escorted ride begins at 10:30 a.m., with registration at 8:30 a.m. After-party with silent auction, box drawings and raffles from 1-4 p.m. $35. rideforhope2023.eventbrite.com.

More entertainment opportunities can be found here.

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Batter up: Why South Barrington could get two more cricket fields

Posted in Entertainment, South Barrington, Topics Of Interest on June 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

cricket

South Barrington Park District officials want to create a pair of cricket pitches, like the one here. (Courtesy of Vernon Township)

With cricket’s popularity growing in the Northwest suburbs, the South Barrington Park District wants to get into the game.

District officials have proposed creating two cricket pitches for young players on land south of Community Park, off Bridges Drive.

The park district has been working with the Chicago Youth Cricket Academy on a plan for more than a year, documents indicate.

“We’re very excited to be able to bring youth cricket (to town),” Park District Executive Director Jay Morgan said.

A public presentation is scheduled for Thursday night’s village board meeting. Board approval is needed.

Cricket is a centuries-old, bat-and-ball game developed in England. The sport spread globally over the past 200 years or so as the British Empire expanded; it’s especially popular in South Asian countries such as India and Pakistan.

More here.

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Congress tries to save AM radio as automakers threaten to pull the plug. Chicago listeners may have a lot riding on the outcome.

Posted in Entertainment, Politics, Topics Of Interest on June 7, 2023| 1 Comment »

WGN

News anchor Steve Bertrand reports the news live on air in the WGN Radio newsroom on June 6, 2023. Congress is weighing legislation to force automakers to keep AM radio in cars. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

When Ford announced it would stop installing AM radios in its vehicles this spring, it generated so much static among station owners, listeners and legislators that the automaker quickly reversed course.

But with Tesla and a growing number of EV manufacturers banishing the original car radio from their high-tech digital dashboards and into the audio graveyard occupied by eight-track players and CD changers, a congressional subcommittee Tuesday began debating the merits of proposed legislation to make AM receivers standard equipment in all new vehicles.

In Chicago, where AM stations including WGN, WBBM, WLS and WSCR still command nearly half of radio listenership, there may be a lot riding on the outcome.

“It’s an issue for the listeners, because you should be able to choose how you want to get your content,” said Mary Sandberg Boyle, a veteran radio executive who became the first female general manager at WGN Radio in 2019. “I don’t want listeners cut off.”

Removing AM radios from cars could dramatically reduce the audience, with 74% of AM listening happening in the car, a Nielsen spokesperson said Tuesday. While the percentage of radio listenership in the car declined during the pandemic, it has returned to pre-pandemic levels, Nielsen said.

Automakers cite audio interference with electric motors and the ability to stream stations as justification for phasing out AM radios, but the communications and technology subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee heard nearly three hours of testimony as to why AM should be saved.

More here.

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Fawning over fawns…

Posted in Animal Welfare on June 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Fawn

“It’s that time of year again when white-tailed fawns begin popping up in and around our preserves. While out on our trails, you may encounter a fawn lying low to the ground, commonly in an area of tall grass or brush; or, in this case, in the middle of a trail.

Right after they are born, fawns aren’t quite strong enough to keep up with the activity level of their mother, so while mom forages and develops milk for her young, the fawn stays put. To escape predation, newborn fawns exhibit what is called “hider” behavior and can spend up to 95 percent of their infancy hiding in solitaire. Lone fawns are not abandoned and do not require help from humans.

If you find yourself fawning over fawns, just remember that while these baby animals are undeniably adorable, any unnecessary disturbance can induce capture myopathy and/or immense stress that can be detrimental, if not deadly, to wild animals. Please remember to keep pets on a leash at all times unless posted otherwise and maintain an appropriate viewing distance.

If you encounter an injured animal in one of our preserves that appears to need medical attention, please call our Main Office at 630-232-5980. Thank you!”

Source

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Google users to get about $95 each in Illinois biometric privacy settlement

Posted in Community Alerts, Springfield, Topics Of Interest on June 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Google-Headquarters

More than 687,000 current and former Illinois residents who filed claims for a cut of Google’s $100 million biometric privacy class-action settlement can expect to see payouts of about $95 each.

Any person who appeared in a photograph in Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and April 25, 2022, while they were an Illinois resident was eligible to submit a claim for a piece of the settlement. The deadline to file a claim was last September.

In a May 31 court filing, attorneys for the class said payouts would be around $95 per person. At a hearing Friday, Cook County Circuit Judge Anna Loftus said the process of verifying claims filed in the case had been completed to her satisfaction and that the class had been identified in its entirety.

The Google settlement is one of a number of high-profile settlements in recent years over alleged violations of Illinois’ strict biometric privacy law; other companies that have been caught in the law’s crosshairs include Facebook and Snapchat parent Snap Inc. The law prohibits companies from collecting or saving biometric information without prior consent.

The Google case centered around the company’s face grouping tool, which sorts faces in the Google Photos app by similarity.

“We’re pleased to resolve this matter relating to specific laws in Illinois, and we remain committed to building easy-to-use controls for our users,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement.

Google did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which it reached more than a year ago. At the time, attorneys for class members estimated that payouts could be as high as $200 to $400 per person.

More here.

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District 220 Board of Education meets tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, District 220 referendum, Ethics, His Master's Voice, New Normal?, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, TMI, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on June 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

220 Admin

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 7:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Topics on their agenda include:

  • Consideration to Approve BHS Athletic Program Donation Agreement
  • Consideration to Approve Strategic Plan, and
  • Consideration to Approve BSEO Job Reclassification

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be livestreamed on the district YouTube channel.

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Some of the dumb new laws from the Illinois General Assembly

Posted in FUBAR, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on June 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Indoor shot of handsome stressful overworked man covers face with palm, has displeased expression, dressed in casual clothes, poses against white background with copy space for your promotional textHave mercy if this list is woefully incomplete. The recently concluded session of the Illinois General Assembly sent a blizzard of some 560 bills to Gov. JB Pritzker for signature, so we certainly don’t know what all is in them (and most lawmakers don’t, either.)

Below, however, are some of the more foolish bills that caught our attention. Keep in mind that each will require Pritzker’s signature before becoming law.

What’s clear from the session is that progressives were unrestrained, passing laws supposedly providing government answers to whatever they see in the world that they don’t like. Take just the output of lawmakers from my area, for example, who are all progressives. Rep. Robin Gabel sponsored 65 bills and resolutions, 44 of which passed. Sen. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz sponsored 92, 61 of which passed. But Rep. Laura Fine beat them both – 203 of which 92 passed. That’s according to a compilation by the Daily Northwestern.

We’d like to hear from you if you know of others we missed:

Converting deserts to oases – at taxpayer expense. Don’t have a decent grocery store near your home? SB 0850 directs the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity to establish the “Grocery Initiative” to study “food deserts” in Illinois and give grants to grocery stores in those areas. This bill is a nice illustration of the statist mentality prevailing in the General Assembly. Illinois, being mostly rural or empty, is covered with deserts of all kinds – areas lacking a nearby pharmacy, dentist, car mechanic, public transit, healthcare specialists and countless other goods and services. Is it now the taxpayers’ obligation to assure that these are conveniently in reach for everybody?

Unknown cost of unfunded kindergarten mandate means unknown property tax increase. House Bill 2396 will require school districts around the state to provide full-day kindergarten by the 2027-2028 school year. Nice idea, provided the schools don’t extend their political indoctrination down to that level. But the bigger problem is the legislature didn’t bother to tell taxpayers or anybody else how much that will cost local school districts. Why bother when they can just impose another unfunded mandate? The Illinois Principal’s Association opposed the bill because of those unknown, unfunded costs.

Another mandate on schools – to enforce antiracism and anti-harassment. SB 0090 will make school districts liable for a civil rights violation if they “fail to take appropriate corrective action to stop harassment” or fail to comply with reporting requirements imposed by the bill. Along with the onerous reporting requirements, the bill lays out lengthy details on required anti-harassment and anti-racism training. The state will be required to produce a model training program.

Find more here.

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Spongy moth menacing? It’s the caterpillar that ravages our trees’ leaves: What’s being done

Posted in Topics Of Interest on June 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Spong Moth

Say hello to a male spongy moth, aka Lymantria dispar, with its remarkable bat-like antennae. – Getty Images

As a caterpillar, the invasive spongy moth consumes as much leaf tissue as it can, as fast as it can, threatening the lives of whole forests across the upper Midwest.

But Illinois continues to stand on the front lines when it comes to slowing the westward spread of this insect with a voracious appetite.

To protect our trees and contain the insect’s migration, county forest preserve districts are working with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to treat various natural areas in the greater Chicago region, including in Aurora, Lemont and Naperville.

Historically known as the “gypsy moth,” spongy moth caterpillars have a feeding period that lasts seven to 10 weeks through the spring and summer. A single spongy moth caterpillar can eat 11 square feet of vegetation during its lifetime, and its host plants include more than 300 tree and shrub species.

With the ability to completely strip trees bare year after year, spongy moths have the potential to severely affect trees and forests. But since an Illinois county was quarantined first — Lake County in 2000 — two types of prevention treatments have proved successful at holding the line, or least slowing it down.

The yearly treatments involve low-flying helicopters or yellow agricultural planes that release either a pesticide or a mating disruption agent.

Spraying of the insecticide, known as BTK or Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, took place last month in areas in Aurora, Galena, Lemont and West Chicago. BTK solely affects caterpillars and is not toxic to people, animals or other insects. The insecticide has been used in the greater Chicago area since 1980.

While that means BTK kills all caterpillars and not just spongy moths, studies show the agent does not have long-lasting effects on native species, said Scott Schirmer, a plant regulatory official with the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

“We’re basically dumping a bucket of water on the spongy moth campfire. That area is going to be eliminated of spongy moths, but there’s going to be all the natives in the surrounding area that can basically backfill into that hole relatively quickly,” Shirmer said. “Studies show that the natives will repopulate or recolonize an area that’s been treated with BTK in a matter of a couple of years.”

Read more here.

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Lack of rain means driest May in almost 30 years.

Posted in Going green, Topics Of Interest on June 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

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Anthea Halpryn pulls her kayak through the mud at Oak Spring Road Canoe Launch in Libertyville and into the shallow Des Plaines River on May 18, 2023. “We ended up placing plywood over the mud the day before the (Des Plaines River Canoe & Kayak Marathon),” said Jim Pechous, who scouted the water level for safety concerns. (Jim Pechous)

April showers brought the flowers, but May was parched.

Until Wednesday’s downpour at O’Hare International Airport, the city’s official observation site, Chicago was on track to record its second driest May ever. Instead it finished fourth.

Yet, the brief thunderstorm was isolated, which means many near the lakefront didn’t see a drop of rain.

Brett Borchardt, acting senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Chicago office, says it had been almost two months since O’Hare experienced a soaking rainfall. He noted that meteorological spring, which runs from March through May, was the ninth consecutive season with above normal temperatures. Borchardt likens the weather pattern with one we normally experience in midsummer due to the jet stream positioned “really far north in Canada, leaving us high and dry without weather systems,” he said.

Normally, Chicago gets about 4.5 inches of rain in May.

“Drought conditions are quickly developing,” he said. “Exasperating the quick drought development is the spring ‘green-up’ when plants suck up moisture from the ground to grow. We’ve started to notice that a real 4- and 8-inch soil moisture measurements are dropping fast, with corresponding drops in river streamflow rates.”

More here.

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