THE WEEK >
Meetings
Flossmoor Community Relations Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, in the committee room at village hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road.
- Find the agenda here.
Homewood Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, in village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road.
- Find the agenda here.
- Attend remotely here or dial 312-626-6799. ID 980 4907 6232, passcode 830183.
- Contact the board at [email protected] or by placing written comments in the drop box outside village hall. Comments submitted before 4 p.m. on the meeting date will be distributed to all village board members prior to the meeting.
- Highlights: The board will consider a resolution declaring the village’s intent to reimburse expenditures for the proposed 183rd Street West Tax Increment Financing District, which would include the former Brunswick Zone/Big Lots site. The property currently is in the Kedzie Gateway TIF District, but the village is considering forming a new TIF in order to benefit from a lower equalized assessed valuation. The village has a letter of intent to redevelop the property with Dave Bossy of Mid-America Development.
The board will also consider an ordinance asserting its existing paid leave policies in accordance with Illinois Municipal League recommendations. Municipalities that have established paid leave policies do not have to comply with the requirements of the state’s paid leave law that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024. The ordinance states that “the village recognizes the importance of paid leave and currently provides reasonable paid leave benefits to its employees; and the village has determined that applying the act to its own employees will negatively affect the village and will place an undue financial and operational burden on the village’s ability to provide uninterrupted services to its residents.”
Homewood Ethics Commission will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, in village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road.
- No agenda available online.
Stuff to do
(Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
Wednesday, Nov. 29
23 Miles South Auditions. The community theater will hold auditions in the lower level of Abundant Grace United Church of God, 18200 Dixie Highway in Homewood, from 6 to 6:45 p.m. for the children’s ensemble in a production of “The Book of Everything.” There are roles for five girls and three boys aged 5 to 14. Auditions for the teen ensemble production of “Lost Girl” will be from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. There are roles for six girls and six boys aged 14 to 18.
Tarot 101. Barbara C. Meyer will provide an introduction to the practice of tarot from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway.
Holiday Lights Festival each year.
(Chronicle file photo)
Friday, Dec. 1
Homewood Holiday Lights. Shopping, music, activities for kids downtown from 5 to 9 p.m. Santa will light the community Christmas tree at 7 p.m. in Irwin Park, 18120 Highland Ave. Children will be able to visit with Santa following the tree lighting ceremony.
Toy drive. Specialty Physicians of Illinois, 3700 W. 203rd St., Olympia Fields, will host a Toys for Tots toy drive from noon to 4 p.m.
Seasonal affective disorder workshop. Nexus Counseling Services will present symptoms and effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway. The presentation will include resources and techniques from trained professionals that can help people who experience the disorder.
Saturday, Dec. 2
Homewood Holiday Market. From 8 a.m. to noon in the Homewood Auditorium, 2010 Chestnut Road.
Gingerbread House Extravaganza. From 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Helen Wilson Meeting Room, Flossmoor Public Library, 1000 Sterling Ave. Celebrate the season by building gingerbread houses with peppermints, frosting and gumdrops. Children under 9 years old must have an adult caregiver stay with them at the program.
Holiday Spirits Market. The Cancer Support Center will sponsor the fundraiser, which will start at 7 p.m. at Wiley’s Grill, 800 Kedzie Ave., Flossmoor. The evening will include local artisans and shops, light appetizers, holiday cocktails, raffles and more. All proceeds from this event will directly benefit the Cancer Support Center. Tickets are available at holidayspirits.funraise.org.
“It’s a Wonderful Life — A Radio Play.” The Drama Group will offer a free staged reading at 7:30 p.m. at the Milord Studio Theatre at 330 W. 202nd St. in Chicago Heights. Donations will be accepted for the South Suburban Humane Society.
A Very Grande Prairie Christmas. Grand Prairie Singers will present a wide array of contemporary and classical music, both sacred and secular, to welcome the Christmas season at 3 p.m. in Flossmoor Community Church, 2218 Hutchison Road, Flossmoor.
Taylor Swift Karaoke. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host an evening of Taylor Swift songs, friendship bracelets and fun from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Participants should feel free to wear their Eras outfits and spend the night singing.
Roller derby minor league bout. Chicago Knockouts youth players will face off at 6 p.m. in Homewood Auditorium, 2010 Chestnut Road. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets will be $10, online and at the door. Accessible seating available at no extra charge.
Pictures with Santa. Thomas Photographic, 18676 Dixie Highway in Homewood, will host its annual Pictures with Santa sessions from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Prices start at $22. More info here.
Sunday, Dec. 3
Holiday Joy and Fanfare. The South Holland Master Chorale will perform at 4 p.m. in St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 17951 Dixie Highway in Homewood. The singers will be joined by Chicago Gargoyle Brass and organist Mark Sudeith.
News & Notices
Giving Tuesday. Local non-profit organizations urge supporters to pitch in on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
- Flossmoor Veterans Memorial hopes to raise $5,000 by selling commemorative bricks that will be installed as part of the Wall of Honor memorial next year.
- Spotlight Performance Academy is a third of the way to its $10,000 campaign goal. Donate here.
- Support community theater by donating to 23 Miles South Theatre.
- Homewood Science Center provides STEM and STEAM learning opportunities.
- Cancer Support Center provides support and hope for cancer patients.
- South Suburban Humane Society cares for pets and finds them homes.
- The Foundation for the Preservation of Flossmoor History is raising money to refurbish the Wagner Building as the future home of Flossmoor history materials and events.
- Support the Homewood Historical Society by joining the organization here.
- Contribute to Anew: Building Beyond Violence and Abuse (formerly South Suburban Family Shelter) helping individuals and families who experience domestic violence to heal and be safe.
- Keep the orchestra thriving by giving to the Illinois Philharmonic.
- Help You Matter 2, the youth leadership and empowerment organization.
- Flossmoor Baseball and Softball is accepting donations here.
- Sponsor a Homewood baseball or softball team.
Flossmoor seeks candle lighters. The village of Flossmoor is seeking volunteers to help light the community menorah during Chanukah and the kinara during Kwanzaa. Anyone who is interested in helping should email [email protected].
Homewood Chevy Cares contest open. The Chevrolet of Homewood holiday car giveaway contest is open. To be considered for a free car to be given away on Christmas Eve, submit an application here explaining how a car would change the life of the person being nominated. The deadline is Dec. 8. To see stories about past winners, click here.
< THE WEEK
- Homewood District 153 proposes $24.1M tax levy (Nov. 19).
- District 153 gets commendable ranking on state report card (Nov. 20).
- Drama Group’s December presentation is ‘Harvey’ (Nov. 21).
- SD161 schools earn commendable designation on 2022-23 report card (Nov. 22).
- 4 juveniles apprehended after allegedly fleeing crash in Flossmoor (Nov. 22).
- Homewood debt free after paying off bond (Nov. 23).
- D161 approves preliminary 2023 tax levy (Nov. 23).
DEMOCRACY WATCH
‘Reporting from Flossmoor, Ill.’
Flossmoor got some national exposure last week when H-F High grad Astead Herndon Jr. produced an episode of his New York Times podcast, “The Run-up,” from his family’s home in the village.
“The Run-up” focuses on the 2024 election, so Herndon recruited his family and friends to serve as a focus group to respond to issues raised by recent polls indicating Black allegiance to the Democratic Party is weakening.
“Are Black Voters Leaving Democrats Behind?” includes interviews with groups consisting of men and women, young and old, to get a sense for what’s behind the poll results.
The discussion revealed generational differences, with older participants continuing to more firmly identify with the Democratic Party. Younger participants, not so much. Both generations admitted to disappointments with results from the political process.
One man said, “I wish I could be an independent but we don’t have any representation.”
Herndon’s family and friends are not alone in growing frustration with the system.
The Chicago Tribune published an opinion piece on Nov. 8 by Rachel Leven, “How do we shake American democracy out of complacency?” She cites a Pew Research Center study that found 60% of Americans have little to no confidence in the future of the political system.
“At the root of this dysfunction is a political system that exists to sustain the status quo, not build toward the future. The Democratic and Republican parties play the political game so well that only a handful of places in the U.S. experience truly competitive elections,” she said.
She said her research suggests alternative election models would help disrupt the status quo and give voters more reason to participate and a better chance to have their voices heard.
One example she mentioned is Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system in which the top four vote-getters advance to the general election, and if no one receives a majority there, an instant runoff decides the winner.
“Alaska voters also had the freedom to express a diversity of ideological opinions, which was not possible under the old system. In the primary election, across multiple races, they could choose a combination of Democrats, independents and Republicans,” she said. “Candidates in Alaska had to do more than wear a red or blue pin; they had to make the case to all voters from all parties why they personally were better for the job.”
Has anybody lived in a state with ranked-choice voting? What did you think? Even if you haven’t participated in a ranked-choice election, what do you think about the idea? What questions do you have? We’ll share some of your observations and concerns.
WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times also are interested in views on how to improve democracy. Take their survey here.