gas station 2022-02-09 006
Local News

Here First | Feb. 10

The future

We predict that …

  • The Flossmoor District 161 Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14, in Normandy Villa, 41 E Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights. Check here for the agenda.
  • The Homewood District 153 Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14, in the James Hart Media Center, 18220 Morgan St. Check here for the agenda.
  • The Homewood-Flossmoor District 233 Board of Education will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the H-F High School Performing Arts Center, 999 Kedzie Ave in Flossmoor. Check here for the agenda.
  • The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District Board of Commissioners will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the Goldberg Administrative Center, 3301 Flossmoor Road. Check here for the agenda.
  • The Homewood Public Library Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at the library, 17917 Dixie Highway. Check here for the agenda.
  • Proceeds from Cooks Night Out at The Bistro on Sterling, 1040 Sterling Ave. in Flossmoor, from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, will benefit the Homewood Flossmoor Parents Association scholarship program for the H-F High class of 2022. Mention the HFPA Cooks Night Out prior to placing an order.

The past

You were there because we were there …

Mask mandates have been controversial, especially in schools. A court ruling Friday, Feb. 4, in Sangamon County placed a temporary restraining order on school mask requirements, throwing schools officials into uncertainty about whether to comply with the TRO or continue complying with state guidelines.

The Homewood District 153 board called a special meeting for Sunday, Feb. 6, to consider how to proceed. Marilyn Thomas was there, and her story reporting the board’s decision was posted by 6 p.m. that day.


Gabriel Cohn, a fifth grader at Churchill School, urged the District 153 school board to continue its mask mandate. (Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)

Virtual life

Text My Gov. On Feb. 1, Flossmoor introduced a new way to contact village staff: Send a text. Flossmoor residents can ask questions and report problems by texting the village. According to the village website, residents can text “Hi” to 708-249-3224 to get started. Featured keywords to use include potholes, tree trimming, bill pay, animal license, jobs and office hours. The more detailed the report, including photos when appropriate, the quicker staff can respond.

Biz news

Black Bread Co. loaves are available at Walt’s Food Center. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)

Black Bread Co. arrives in time for Black History Month. Charles Alexander, co-founder of Black Bread Co., which lays claim to being the first Black-owned gourmet sliced bread company in the U.S., announced on a local Facebook group that the company’s bread products are now available at Walt’s Food Center in Homewood.

Alexander said in addition to all-natural gourmet breads, the company owners believe in the power of representation and in purpose over profit, contributing to community initiatives.

Gopuff coming to 183rd and Dixie. Homewood officials announced in January that Gopuff was beginning to remodel the space at 2000 183rd St., former home of Family Video. Gopuff describes itself as a “micro-fulfillment center” that specializes in delivering daily essentials such as food, drinks, cleaning supplies, etc. As a village requirement, the company will offer in-store sales, too.



Work is going on now converting the old Family Video store into a Gopuff “mini-fulfillment center.” (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)


New gas station under development. As Noah Johnson reported in September 2021, the former Homewood Gas at the corner of Harwood Avenue and 183rd Street was purchased by Excel Investments, which planned to create a new gas station on the site. Excavation work has been going on for several weeks.

A new gas station is being created to replace the former Homewood Gas at Harwood Avenue and 183rd Street. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)



What we’re watching

Interesting issues that could have an impact on our community …

No standardized testing for young students. Newschannel 20 in Springfield reports that a bill sponsored by Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, D-Chicago, passed out of the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. Senate Bill 3986, also known as the Too Young to Test Act, would bar the state from implementing standardized tests for children in prekindergarten through second grade except for diagnostic purposes.

Federal law requires standardized testing in grades 3-8, but the Illinois State Board of Education has been considering since last spring a measure to make testing optionally available for K-2 students, too.

Newschannel 20 quotes Pacione-Zayas as saying, “Studies show that younger children are best engaged when encouraged to explore and play, and that’s not prioritized when teachers are worried about preparing students for a test.”

Illinois Families for Public Schools opposes the idea of enabling standardized testing at the K-2 level, but what do you think?

A chance to run
Most registration categories are closed for the Oct. 9 Chicago Marathons, but Glenwood Academy still has a few spots available on its team, the “Glenwood Gazelles.” The deadline to register is Friday, Feb. 18. Email Nora Sheahan at [email protected] for more information.

Loss

Joe Darguzas wrote to suggest a mention of someone he considered “a hero who has been out-of-sight for some time,” Mary Walton, former religious education director at Infant Jesus of Prague, who died recently. Services were on Feb. 5.

She was, he said, “a great person who was and still is an inspiration to many. Her lay-leadership and positive affects on the Infant Jesus of Prague Parish Community – and especially the children’s religious education – will live on for years. So many people benefited from her kindness. Would that all learn from her example.”

Her obituary suggests donations to Respond Now.

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