After just a year of rescuing and finding forever homes for stray and abandoned dogs in Homewood, Fido’s Landing is closing the doors of its physical shelter — forced out not by a lack of dedication, but by a building that no longer could support its mission. One year ago,[Read More…]
Author: Karen Torme Olson
The Obama Presidential Center: A study in community values
When I was offered the opportunity to preview the new Barack Obama Presidential Center, I jumped at it. I knew the nature of some parts of the complex — a basketball court, a new library branch, a raised-bed, food-producing garden, artifacts from the Obamas’ eight years in the White House[Read More…]
Parker, IJP students ride into history on Flossmoor’s ‘Time Machine’
Flossmoor Veterans Memorial Inc.’s “Time Machine” doesn’t need flashing lights or a stainless-steel DeLorean to transport students through history. Instead, it relies on something more powerful: the real stories of local men and women who served. Now in its second year, the immersive program invites seventh and eighth graders to[Read More…]
Singing the songs that carry a tune for women’s equality
Most of the women who attended troubadour Clarence Goodman’s presentation, “As We Go Marching, Marching: Songs of the Women’s Movement,” at the Flossmoor Library on March 25 already were well-acquainted with the long struggle for women’s equality in the United States and beyond. Many had lived through key decades of[Read More…]
Melody Mart marks 70 years of making beautiful music
The colorful Richard Haas trompe-l’oeil murals adorning the exterior of Homewood’s Melody Mart pay homage to the village’s past — from its first air-conditioned movie theater to its early Dixie Highway charm. The nostalgic vibe isn’t accidental, said owner James “Jim” Donnelly, who’s planning a two-month series of events in[Read More…]
Elaine Egdorf: The ‘grande dame’ of Homewood’s history
Growing up in the 1930s and ‘40s in Harvey, Illinois, Elaine Wolf Egdorf didn’t love history. There was no History Channel — and, as she readily admits, she wasn’t much interested in the past. But over time, one project after another, her devotion to service, community, and family led her[Read More…]
‘1619’ playwright guides audience through captivating history lesson
Educator, civic leader, playwright, minister, actor, and family man — Ted Williams III plays many roles in life. On Feb. 18 his ability to use all of his talents in his one-man signature work, “1619: The Journey of a People,” mesmerized the audience at the Helen Wilson Meeting Room at[Read More…]
Flossmoor entrepreneurs turn the page with a new chapter for Gypsy Fix
After a January hiatus, the reimagined Gypsy Fix at the corner of Sterling Avenue and Flossmoor Road opened its doors Feb. 7 to a crowd of curious and enthusiastic shoppers, who browsed the merchandise displays with celebratory mimosas and snacks in hand. “This space has been a real labor of[Read More…]
Remembering Washington Park: 2 years of concerts add to Washington Park’s aura
When Washington Park Racetrack opened in Homewood in 1926, it was a premiere venue for thoroughbred racing in the Midwest and a popular destination for the region’s sports and social scene.Horseracing was hot, and Washington Park was just one of 15 large racetracks (including Arlington Park) built in that decade.[Read More…]
If walls could talk: Two volunteers help preserve Homewood’s history
“If walls could talk” is a familiar phrase that suggests buildings bear silent witness to the lives unfolding within them. In Homewood, thanks to local history advocates and volunteers, the walls of the 1891 Dorband-Howe House at 2305 W. 183rd Street are telling the vibrant story of Homewood’s past to[Read More…]
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