Tag Archives: Oak Park Memories

08

Apr. ’15

CONTEST WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND THE WINNER IS………………………………………………

Congratulations to Larry Melton, winner of the March Oak Park Connections contest!!!  He will receive a copy of THE HILL THAT GREW children’s picture book by Esther K. Meeks, about the hill in the park!!

THE CONTEST WAS EXTENDED DUE TO THE HOLIDAYS THIS TIME

I had planned to announce the winner on Monday, April 6, 2015, but at the end of last week, a few people emailed me to ask if I would consider extending the contest because they were super busy with preparations for the holidays (Passover and Easter), and wanted to enter, but needed more time.  As I was involved in more holiday preparations myself than I had planned, I totally understood, and I did not draw the winner until today.

SECOND CHANCE CONTEST THROUGH APRIL – DON’T MISS IT!!!!

If you are disappointed because you did not win, guess what?!?!   You have a SECOND CHANCE!!!  🙂  🙂  🙂  Yes, I have purchased another copy of THE HILL THAT GREW, so keep sending in your memories through the end of April 2015!  🙂  I will draw one person’s submission (random drawing again) on May 1, 2015.  Please send them to oakparkconnections@gmail.com and include a statement giving your permission to publish your entry on this blog.

MORE TO COME – KEEP READING, SUBSCRIBING, AND FOLLOWING!

I have more contests planned, and more activities planned for this year, hopefully you will love it and want to be an active part of our community here!  If you haven’t subscribed to this blog or if you aren’t following it yet, please do!  That will guarantee you are notified when there is a new post on the blog, and you won’t miss anything.  Now that the holidays are over, I will return to posting 2-3 times a week (sometimes more!)

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06

Mar. ’15

Rest in peace, Mrs. Grace Naftaly

Today many Oak Parkers gathered to say goodbye to Grace Naftaly.  She was the mother of former Mayor Jerry Naftaly, and well known and very much loved by the community.  At 101, nearly 102 years of age, Mrs. Naftaly was Oak Park’s oldest resident and was affectionately known as the “First Mother” of Oak Park.

Many years ago, my grandmother went to the Oak Park Senior Center nearly every day, and met Grace there.  They would play bingo there, chat, and often went on the Senior Trips, especially to the casinos.  My grandmother would tell me that Grace was so proud of “my son, the Mayor” and loved talking about her family, and how proud she was of her children and grandchildren.

In 2013, Grace Naftaly was honored in the Oak Park Independence Day Parade as a Centenarian.300

My thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with the Naftaly family.  May her memory be a blessing.

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03

Mar. ’15

Oak Park Winterfest Was Fun For Everyone!

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     If you know me, you  know that I am not a fan of winter.  Not.  One.  Bit.  It’s cold, there’s ice, there’s snow, driving is a  pain, and pretty much all I like about it is that it gives me an excuse to stay home and write, read, play with the dogs, or clean the house.   However, I knew Winterfest would be a great day filled with fun activities and great people, so on January 25, 2015, I bundled up and went.  It was the best decision ever!!

IF ONLY WE HAD WINTERFEST 30 YEARS AGO!

We had lots of great activities when I was a kid, growing up in Oak Park.  The pool, miniature golf, the ice arena, Tot-Lot, the playgrounds, the park, and so much more.  But did I do anything during the winter except sled on the hill and check out books from the library?  Probably, but not that I can remember.  If we had Winterfest back then, it would definitely have been memorable!  There was something for everyone, every age, every interest. 

.193      Kids and adults gathered to enjoy toasting marshmallows

169Watching the ice carving was fascinating; how does he DO that?

166           There were even horse-drawn carriage rides!

200  Everyone loves the llamas…but I’m not so sure that llama loved me.  Is it just me, or does that llama look suspicious?  Maybe if I had given him some food, he would have been friendlier..

164     There were bunnies to hold, and other animals to feed and visit.

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Winterfest participants were also invited to skate at the ice arena for free, and of course the hill was a busy place all day!

Since it was a cold January day, however, we needed to warm up inside from time to time.  When I went in the Community Center, I was amazed at the wide variety of activities there.  And, just like the events going on outside, everything at Winterfest was FREE!

We were treated to entertainment by the extremely talented students in the Oak Park School District at all levels.  Take a look:

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161       There was also free chili and hot chocolate for everyone!

157        Dawn Sketch of the Oak Park Arts and Cultural Commission prepared some fun art activities for the kids.

170                   The balloon lady was super popular all day.

180        Representatives from the Recycling Committee were also available to provide information and materials to residents.

205202          It was a great day for Oak Park families.

If you missed it this year, you won’t want to miss it next year!  And Summerfest is coming August 8-9, 2015 – I hope to see everyone there!!

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02

Mar. ’15

Welcome to Oak Park Connections!

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW INTERACTIVE BLOG COMMUNITY

Oak Park Connections is an idea I’ve had for a long time… you know how whenever two or more Oak Parkers meet, no matter where we are, we always find a connection?  We might have a mutual friend, we might have both gone to the Pepper Playground as kids, we might have lived a couple blocks away from each other 30 years ago, we might have both been in the Summer Reading Program at the Oak Park Library, or we might have both loved the whitefish on Sunday nights at Hoa Kow…but there is always a connection. Always!

JUST LIKE THE WONDER YEARS?!

My best friend lives in Toronto, and she always says that Oak Park is like living in The Wonder Years; it’s this idyllic place that everyone who grew up here loves, a small town in which it feels like everyone knows everyone else, and we are  very sentimental about our childhood.   I laughed when she first told me this, but I think she’s right…I wouldn’t trade my life here for anything in the world.  (Okay, a little warm weather right now would be nice, but…!)

Many of the people we knew years ago have moved to other (warmer!) places now, but the memories of Oak Park and the connections remain.    And for those of us who still live here, it’s still a phenomenal place to live, to work, to learn, to shop, to eat, and to meet new people.

That’s why I started this blog.

WHAT IS THIS BLOG ABOUT?

I just retired, and for the first time since I was a teenager, I have the time and the opportunity to be a part of activities in Oak Park again.   I am learning so much and having so much fun!  The Oak Park School District is filled with talented kids, supportive parents, amazing teachers, and excellent leadership.  I want to share that with you.

The City of Oak Park has an amazing variety of events every week, and most of them are free!  Just in the last week, I learned about stations in this area along the Underground Railroad, about Coretta Scott King’s life, and how all of us could be a part of improving our community.  It begins with the children, and it begins with us, but I will share more about that later.

ART CLASSES, LIBRARY EVENTS, AND SO MUCH MORE!

I signed up for a free two-session art workshop to create a mosaic at Universal Stained Glass, along with my mom, a friend, and the Mayor of Oak Park.  How cool will that be?!  Come and join us – I think there are still some spaces available!

This week kids can go to the Oak Park Library and read with a cute canine for company.  And there’s so much more!  Did you go to Winterfest?  It was awesome, and I’ll share that in an upcoming post.  Summerfest is coming in August – you won’t want to miss it!!

YOUR TURN! 

Now it’s your turn…………….I am hoping this blog will grow into an interactive community, beginning today.  What is your favorite memory of Oak Park?  What did you like best about growing up here or living here?  What do you like best about Oak Park now, whether you still live here or moved away but visit occasionally.

What do you want to know more about?  My plan is to write about the great things happening in the schools, in the city, and in the businesses of Oak Park.  Do you know of a business in Oak Park that is awesome?  Especially one that many of us might not know about?  I also want to spotlight residents of Oak Park.  Do you know someone who has lived here a long time and would be willing to be interviewed for Oak Park Connections?

PLEASE BOOKMARK ME!

I will be adding a new post every day for the next week or so, and then 2-4 posts each week, so please bookmark this page and check in every day.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

Share your comments with me (please keep in mind that kids will be reading this blog too) here or email me at oakparkconnections@gmail.com

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