On Aug. 31, 1955, thoroughbred horseracing was the top spectator sport in the United States and on that date a two-horse race known as “The Great Match Race” put Homewood and its Washington Park Racetrack in the winner’s circle. The match-up was between Swaps, a West Coast horse that won[Read More…]
Author: Karen Torme Olson
New president brings historic Homewood to life
A chance meeting at Homewood’s 2024 Fourth of July parade launched Homewood native Robert (Bob) L. Anderson Jr.’s journey to become president of the village’s historical society. “I parked close to where I grew up, and my wife Tammy and I were setting up our bag chairs when this lady[Read More…]
A hero’s salute for the uncle they never knew
A military historian’s deep dive into the details of what happened to a single plane lost in 1944 during the Allied invasion of Normandy instantly changed the significance of D-Day for Nancy Baran Voll and her husband, Gregory Voll, of Homewood. Growing up, Nancy and her brother, Bob Baran, heard[Read More…]
GoodSpeed to celebrate 15 years of keeping Homewood rolling
GoodSpeed Cycles owner Graham Bolkema will celebrate his shop’s 15-year anniversary May 24 with family, friends, bike enthusiasts, and anyone who stops by the store at 2125 W. 183rd St. in Homewood that day. To mark the store’s opening in 2010, Graham and his operations manager, Steve Buchtel, are organizing[Read More…]
When your chickens come home to roost … in Homewood
Why did the chicken cross the road? If you ask anyone who attended Homewood Library’s May 10 event featuring urban chicken consultant Jennifer Murtoff, the answer to that question might be “to get to Homewood.” Homewood is one of the few villages in the South Suburbs where it is legal[Read More…]
Former South Suburban Humane Society space provides homeless dogs with a new leash on life
Thanks to a group of dedicated leaders and volunteers, the South Suburban Humane Society’s former adoption center at 2207 W. 183rd Street in Homewood re-opened its doors with new owners, a new name (Fido’s Landing) and a new mission (finding foster homes for homeless dogs to prepare them for adoption).[Read More…]
Maple Tree Inn at 50: A family recipe for success
In the volatile restaurant industry, few places attract a following that lasts for more than a few years, much less generations, but Maple Tree Inn in Homewood has earned that distinction, despite having to face challenges that would force many chefs to hang up their toques and close their doors[Read More…]
Homewood artist paints a watercolor world
For Homewood artist Tom Francesconi, the seed that grew and blossomed into his career as a watercolor artist was planted long ago and without his realizing it. “I was introduced to watercolor by my uncle, who was from California,” Francesconi said. “Every year, he would send my mother, his sister,[Read More…]
St. Veronica’s women gather to gab, gift, and get ready for Christmas
For the second year in a row since COVID 19 interrupted their tradition of hosting an Advent dinner, a crowd of more than 170 women from St. Veronica’s parish attended a candlelight dinner at Olympia Fields Country Club to mark the four-week season of remembering and celebrating Christmas and the[Read More…]
Column: A Tribute to Homewood Stories’ Karen O’Donnell: Love was in the room
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, friends and family members of Homewood Stories’ creator Dr. Karen O’Donnell gathered in the main room of the Flossmoor Community Center to pay tribute to the woman who had enticed many of them to plow through a polar vortex in January 2014 to attend the show’s[Read More…]
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