THE WEEK >

Your government

The meetings listed here area open to the public, and some are accessible via livestream.

Monday, Jan. 26

Flossmoor School District 161 Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. at Normandy Villa, 41 E. Elmwood Drive, Chicago Heights.  The agenda is available here. The livestream of the meeting will be available here.

Highlight: 

• Discussion of school construction bids.

Flossmoor Community Relations Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. in village hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road. The agenda is available here.

Tuesday, Jan. 27

Homewood Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. in village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road. The agenda is available here. The livestream of the meeting will be available here. Meeting ID 980 4907 6232, passcode 830183.

Highlights:

• New Police Chief Thomas Johnson will be sworn in.
• Hear an update on the redevelopment proposals for 2066 Ridge Road and 2024 Chestnut Road.
• Hear a presentation of the 2025 Communications Report.
• Consider a special use permit for a vehicle rental business at 1149 175th St.
• Consider awarding a contract for renovations to the train viewing platform on Harwood Avenue.

Stuff to do

Monday, Jan. 26

For Reel! Book & Movie Club. Meet in The Fort at Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to discuss whether the book is better than the movie. For the January meeting, consider “Everything, Everything” by Nicola Yoon.

Tuesday, Jan. 27

Rising Readers. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host story time from 10:30 to 11 a.m. in Rauch Reading Room for ages newborn to 6 years old with stories, songs, bubbles and more. Register here.

Myths and Magic Book Club. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host a discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. of “The North Wind” by Alexandra Warwick. Books will be available for checkout at Circulation Services.

Bedtime Storytime. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host story time from 6:30 to 7 p.m. in the Rauch Reading Room. Feel free to wear your pajamas and bring your favorite stuffed animal. Register here.

Retirement Planning. Learn to define specific retirement goals, review current financial situations and explore steps to meet specific goals from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway.

Books Without Borders: Caste. The community book club will meet at 6:45 p.m. in Flossmoor Public Library, 1000 Sterling Ave., to discuss “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson.

Wednesday, Jan. 28

Read, Rock, n’ Rhyme. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host story time for kids age birth to 7 years old. Kids will be able to dance, shake and wiggle as we share stories, songs, rhymes, and more from 10:30 to 11 a.m. in the Rauch Reading Room. Register here.

Read, Play, & Grow!: A Storytime for Babies and Toddlers. Meet in the Helen Wilson Meeting Room at Flossmoor Public Library, 1000 Sterling Ave., from 10:30 to 11 a.m. for fun activities that help develop early literacy skills for babies and toddlers. Register here.

Cheers and Charity. Glenwood Academy will host an informational event from 5 to 7 p.m. in Thornton Distillery, 400 E. Margaret St. in Thornton. Learn about the private residential school that serves 150 disadvantaged students. Appetizers will be provided. RSVP to Joelle Beranek at [email protected].

Winter Seed Sowing. Irons Oaks, 20000 Western Ave., will host a session from 6 to 7 p.m. on how to start a spring garden in the middle of winter. Participants will go home with their own planted winter sowing container, ready to sprout with the season. Perfect for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike. For anyone age 8 or older. Fee is $7 for H-F Park District residents, $12 for non-residents.

Thursday, Jan. 29

KinderCamp. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host the session from noon to 1 p.m. in the meeting room for kids as they prepare to start school. KinderCamp hopes to ease the transition with new topics each time through stories, video, crafts and simple lessons. Register here.

Self Defense for Seniors. Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, will host a self-defense workshop for seniors from 1 to 3 p.m. with Lindsey Daehnke from Strictly Self Defense. Registration and a signed waiver are required for this program.

Community Art Swap. Homewood Creative Alliance and Gaia Market & Refillery will host an art swap from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in Homewood Public Library’s meeting room, 17917 Dixie Highway. Swap a piece (or a few). Only hangable wall art this time around. Framed or unframed, original or store bought. No mirrors, clocks, decorative shelves, candle holders, knick knacks, etc. Bring your art to the event, get a ticket to swap, or drop off art at Gaia Market & Refillery, 1948 Ridge Road in Homewood, before Jan. 28.

Bedtime Snack & Story. Meet in The Attic at Flossmoor Public Library, 1000 Sterling Ave., from 6:30 to 7 p.m. for a pajama story time. This event is for registrants age 6 and younger. Register here.

Friday, Jan. 30

Gaming Night. Stop by The Fort at Homewood Public Library, 17917 Dixie Highway, from 6 to 8 p.m. and enjoy gaming and pizza. Xbox One, Wii, Nintendo Switch, board games, card games, and more. Registration is preferred. For anyone in grades 7-12.

Saturday, Jan. 31

Homewood Indoor Farmers Market. The first indoor market of the year will be open from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Homewood Auditorium, 2010 Chestnut Road. Food, crafts and community organizations will fill the auditorium.

STEM Saturdays. Homewood Science Center, 18022 Dixie Highway, will host free science learning play from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nordson Green Earth Youth Board will be on hand this week.

KJ Blattenbauer Book Signing. Beyond the Book, 18063 Dixie Highway, will host a book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. with KJ Blattenbauer, a veteran publicist and author who turns media strategies into real-world results. Her latest book is “Pitchworthy: The No-Fluff Playbook to Publicity That Pays Off.”

Jeanne Sparrow Book Signing. Beyond the Book, 18063 Dixie Highway, will host a book signing from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. with Jeanne Sparrow, an Emmy-winning broadcaster and leadership expert. Her latest book is “Fearless Authenticity: Lead Better, Sell More, and Speak Sensationally.”

Sunday, Feb. 1

Dream It. Write It. Share It.: A Children’s Book Writing & Publishing Masterclass. Beyond the Book, 18063 Dixie Highway, will host a writing workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Plan ahead

Monday, Feb. 2

Songs of Resistance Auditions. Spotlight Performance Academy invites performers of all styles and backgrounds to audition from 7 to 9 p.m. at Homewood Science Center, 18022 Dixie Highway, for Songs of Resistance, a benefit concert celebrating resilience, voice and the power of music to bring people together. Selected performers will be featured in a concert benefiting the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights on April 11. Guidelines: Prepare one song in any genre that showcases your style, artistry and vocal range. No accompaniment will be provided (a cappella or self-accompanied performances are welcome). Performers of all experience levels are encouraged to audition.

Saturday, Feb. 7

Texas Hold ‘Em. The 22nd annual Texas Hold ’em Tournament at Balagio Ristorante, 17500 Dixie Highway in Homewood will benefit the Cancer Support Center. Registration is $175 in advance or $200 at the door. The fee covers tournament entry, food and open bar. Spectators are also welcome and can register for $50. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and play begins at 5:30 p.m. The center will award $5,000 or more in cash and prizes to the final eight players. For details on how to register, visit cancersupportcenter.org, or contact the Cancer Support Center at 708-798-9171 or Brent Bachus at 708-267-4660 or via email at [email protected].

Thursday, Feb. 26

Thornton Distillery Tour. Participants will meet at Irwin Center, 18120 Highland Ave. in Homewood, at 6 p.m. For anyone age 21 or older. This will be a chance to step inside Illinois’ oldest standing brewery. Trip will include distillery tour, a meal and transportation to and from Irwin Center. Fee is $60 for H-F Park District residents, $75 for non-residents. Click here to register.

Friday, May 22

Walk Through Our Mission. You Matter 2 will host an immersive evening at Flossmoor Community Church, that introduces the organization’s work with youth through storytelling, creativity and connection. Guests will journey through interactive stations led by students, alumni and volunteers, experiencing firsthand how You Matter 2 supports youth from middle school through career readiness. The evening will conclude with a Spotlight Program featuring student stories, a live auction, and a collective paddle raise to support our programs. Tickets Go on sale Monday, Feb. 2. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

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• H-F board pledges continued work to strengthen security (Jan. 21).
• Metra to operate reduced schedules on Friday due to severe cold (Jan. 21).
• H-F’s Green named ITCCCA 3A coach of the year (Jan. 21).
• Hart girls basketball wins fourth place in state tourney (Jan. 20). 
• Robinson named sprinter of the year by state track coaches (Jan. 20).
•  Hawkins, host H-F top Mount Carmel in MLK event (Jan. 20).
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• Illinois unveils plan to address needs of older adults (Jan. 18).
• Pratt doing it all for Vikings (Jan. 18).