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The Weeks | April 21: Downtown Homewood master plan, reptiles & bugs at Flossmoor library, last debate, improv, poker night, choir concert, Nellie McKay

Your government

Flossmoor District 161 Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, April 22, in Normandy Villa, 41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights. Find the agenda here.

Highlights: The board will hold a public hearing and vote on the 2024-25 budget.

Flossmoor Community Relations Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, April 22, in village hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road. Find the agenda here.

Thornton Township Board of Trustees will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in township hall,  333 E 162nd St. in South Holland. Find the agenda here.

Homewood Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road. Find the agenda here. Attend remotely here or call 312-626-6799, ID 980 4907 6232, passcode 830183.

Highlights: The board will consider approving the 2024-25 budget, a five-year capital project plan, the new Transit-Oriented Development Plan, an amendment to the class 16 brew pub liquor license to accommodate a request from Homewood Brewing Company. The board will hear a presentation on the Homewood Science Center annual report and will honor retiring Public Works Department employee Douglas Hank Jr.

Flossmoor Green Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, in village hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road. Find the agenda here.

Homewood Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road. Find the agenda here.

Stuff to do

Tuesday, April 23

Art in the Park. The H-F Park District program will be at Millennium Park, 18600 Harwood Ave., from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Self-Care Spa Day. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host a spa day at 6 p.m. for anyone aged 18 and up. Participants will get to make their own citrus salt scrub.

Wednesday, April 24

New Food Pantry. Calvary Assembly food pantry at 18620 Governors Highway will be open Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. Open to anyone from Homewood, Flossmoor, Hazel Crest or Chicago Heights, or anyone who is unhoused. Affiliated with the Chicago Food Depository.

Reptiles, bugs and amphibians. Crosstown Exotics will bring reptiles, bugs and amphibians to the Flossmoor Library, 1000 Sterling Ave., from 7 to 8 p.m. Families will be educated and entertained by animal experts and have a chance to get a hands-on experience with critter friends. Children under 9 years old must have an adult caregiver stay with them at the program.

The Senior Debate at H-F. Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s state champion debate team seniors will conduct their last public debate of the year at 7 p.m. in the North Building cafeteria, 800 Governors Highway. The topic will be “Resolved: The United States federal government should repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.” Section 230 prevents social media companies like Facebook from being held liable for things like hate speech and violent rhetoric. Admission is $3 per person and the audience will submit their ballot to decide the winner.

Night Out with iLoveLuLu. Karaoke at Copper Still Martini Lounge, 1961 Ridge Road, from 7 to 11 p.m.

Improv Night. Thornton Distilling, 400 E. Margaret St., will host improv by South of Chi at 7 p.m. Improvisers will make up scenes, games and jokes with help from the audience. PG-13 material. Tickets are $10

Thursday, April 25

Women’s Poker Night at the Station. Flossmoor Station Restaurant and Brewery, 1035 Sterling Ave., will host Texas Hold ‘Em poker from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Beginners and seasoned players welcome as local poker guru A.J. Rudolph will offers tips and strategies. Registration is $20 per person. RSVP in person at the Station or by calling 708-957-2739.

A.J. Rudolph of Flossmoor is at a poker table in Las Vegas. Rudolph is a program manager and instructor with Powher Poker, an organization that uses the game to help women develop life skills. (Provided photo)

Brotherhood Banquet. The 36th annual event sponsored by the Jones Memorial Community Center will begin at 6 p.m. with social hour followed by dinner at 7 p.m. at Balagio Ristorante, 17501 Dixie Highway in Homewood. The Golden Heart Award and Archie Amos Scholarship awards will be presented and there will be raffles, a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. Tickets are $50 per person. Contact Cheryl at [email protected] for more information.

Friday, April 26

Trail Mix Concert featuring Nellie McKay. The Molly Rose Trio will open for Nellie McKay in Cooper’s Hall at Thornton Distilling Company, 400 E. Margaret St. Doors open at 6 p.m. Concert at 7 p.m.

Bourbon Nights. Wiley’s Grill, 800 Kedzie Ave., will host a bourbon history and sipping event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Along with tasting notes from a certified bourbon steward participants will also receive a Homewood-Flossmoor Park District exclusive rocks glass. For anyone aged 21 and up. Fee is $69 for district residents, $84 for non-residents. Click here to register.

Saturday, April 27

Homewood Indoor Farmers Market. The last indoor market of the season will be from 8 a.m. to noon in Homewood Auditorium, 2010 Chestnut Road. Vendors will be selling books, teas, baked goods, microgreens, apparel, mushrooms and personal care products.

Southland High School Seniors Hiring Event. Rich High School STEM Campus gym, 3600 203rd St., Olympia Fields, will be the place for a hiring event from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. sponsored by Cook County Workforce Partnership.

Barb and Dan’s Road Ride. Weekly bike ride start at 8 a.m. Saturday from GoodSpeed Cycle, 2125 W. 183rd St. in Homewood. There are two groups. One is a no-one-gets-dropped group that follows a 20-mile route. Another group is goes on a longer ride. Helmets required. Lights encouraged. Riders of all experience levels are welcome.

Off-Leash Bike Ride. A nine-mile ride every Saturday starting at 8:30 a.m. at GoodSpeed Cycle, 2125 W. 183rd St. in Homewood. The route includes Butterfield Creek bike path, past Rover’s Run and through Izaak Walton Preserve. No registration. Donuts upon return.

Homewood Public Library 100th Anniversary. HPL will host a ticketed event that will feature live music, dancing, themed games, food and drinks. Tickets are $20, which include two tickets for non-alcoholic drinks, or $30, which include two tickets for alcoholic drinks. 

Sunday, April 28

Bel Canto Choir Spring Concert. The community choir spring concert will feature four ensembles of the Bel Canto Choir program. The concert at 3 p.m. at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, 999 Kedzie Ave. in Flossmoor, sponsored by Orthodontic Associates of Flossmoor and New Lenox, will include folk songs, childhood favorites, musical theater numbers and more. Tickets are available here.

A Bel Canto choir performs at the organization’s

Save the date

Park Pride. On Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to noon, area residents will have a chance to help spruce up local parks in H-F Park District’s annual spring cleanup event. 

Coffee with a Cop. A chance to get to know Flossmoor police officers, 10 a.m. to noon on May 10 at Starbuck’s, 3760 Vollmer Road.

Bike Rodeo. The Flossmoor Fire Department, Police Department and the Illinois State Police Department will host a bike rodeo on Saturday, May 11, at the fire department, 2800 Flossmoor Road. The event will include safety tips and bike and helmet checks. There will be a chance to test cycling skills.

SSHS Spotlight Gala. The South Suburban Humane Society will hold a fundraising gala at Tinley Park Convention Center, 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11. Tickets are available here 

Homewood Public Works Open House. 
Kids who love big machines love the Public Works Open House. The event this year will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at 17755 Ashland Ave. For more information call 708-206-2906.

Homewood Farmers Market. The first outdoor market of the season will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 25.

FYI

Contractor applying fertilizer, herbicide in Flossmoor. Flossmoor officials announced that the village landscape contractor, Allscape, will be applying fertilizer and herbicide to village-owned properties from Monday, April 22, to Friday, April 26. No fertilizer or herbicide will be applied to private property, according to the village. Notification flags will be placed at village properties. Officials urge residents to stay off the grass until it is dry. Contact the Flossmoor Public Works Department at 708-957-4100 for more information.

PSC Lavender Graduation. The PEACE Center (Pride Equity Access Cultural Exchange) is holding a ceremony for graduating Prairie State College students to the school’s inaugural Lavender Graduation from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 16. The ceremony will honor LGBTQIA+ students. 

Registration for Lavender Celebration is open to all graduating students and the event is open to all PSC community members and friends and families of those graduating to attend. Learn more here.

County assessor announces April 29 deadline for property tax exemption applications (April 21).
Homewood village trustee makes artwork for better focus and catharsis (April 20).
State invites residents to participate in health survey (April 20).
$500,000 grant helps Prairie State College start a paramedic training program (April 19).
Homewood Planning and Zoning Commission recommends new downtown master plan, comments on parking, traffic issues (April 19).
Park board agrees to sell property to Flossmoor for flood control (April 18).
South Suburban Humane Society gala is May 11 (April 18).
H-F board rejects school bus contract renewal (April 17).
Thornton Township residents approve financial reports, ask for better access to information (April 17).
Flossmoor trustees agree to buy land for storm water detention basin (April 16).
Crowd at PSC watches astronomical dance (April 16).
Obituary: Don ‘Coach’ Laketa, Aug. 5, 1932 – April 11, 2024 (April 16).
H-F senior Nelson Speaks aiming for repeat as state champs (April 15).
Flossmoor metal musician believes music can change the world (April 14).
Volunteers gather to give Flossmoor a spring cleaning (April 14).

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