Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
State honors Bridgeview man twice Randy Carben gets awards from fire marshal’s office By Steve Metsch Bridgeview resident Randy Carben has been honored twice in the past year by the Illinois Fire Marshal’s office. Carben, 57, has lived in the village more than 30 years, and is a part-time police officer for Bridgeview, too. But…
One week into Lent, sweet reminder Paczki Day was very popular in Chicago and the suburbs By Steve Metsch Visiting a bakery at 6 a.m. is not something Carlos Medina ordinarily does. But Feb. 13 was no ordinary day. “It’s Fat Tuesday. It’s to celebrate the start of Lent,” Medina said as he stood in…
Lisle Journal publishes essays from Middle East writers Fifth Wednesday Journal, a twice yearly publication, released its latest issue which focuses on the experiences and writings of authors whose origins trace to the Middle East and North Africa. The Journal features the submissions of 33 authors and photographers and is now available for purchase. Issue…
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Who are the Arabs of the Southwest Suburbs? The recent personal attacks against a trustee in Palos Township has sparked a discussion about who are the Arabs of Chicagoland. I have spent most of my life studying and writing about the American Arab community, authoring dissertations and studies on them at Northern Illinois and the…
Arab Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Remembering back to the 1960s when Arab Americans had hope for freedom and racism in America was focused elsewhere. Thanksgiving was a feast in Arab American homes in the 1960s and 1970s before politics, hatred, racism and Israeli violence created a refugee crisis By Ray Hanania Thanksgiving is a special holiday…
Chicago unveils Millennium Park Holiday activities CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON AT MILLENNIUM PARK CAMPUS, WITH HOLIDAY TRADITIONS INCLUDING THE CITY OF CHICAGO CHRISTMAS TREE, ICE SKATING AND MORE. The holiday season kicks off November 17 with the 104th Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting and the openings of McCormick Tribune Ice Rink and the Maggie Daley Park Ice…
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Video: Sandburg inducts National Honor Society students Full video of the ceremony is presented below. Carl Sandburg High school inducted 87 Juniors and Seniors into the National Honor Society at ceremonies on Tuesday Oct. 24, 2017 at Sandburg High school at 131st Street and LaGrange Road in the Performing Arts Center. The program included remarks…
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Biding time while waiting for my favorite TV programs The latest trend as cable TV programs rise in popularity and quality is that their seasons are shortened to only a few episodes. For those of us used to 25 to 30 episode seasons, it’s disappointing that we’re seeing fewer episodes for originally programming on HBO,…
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Cable and subscription TV are cheating the consumer We pay a lot for subscriptions to Hulu, Netflix and cable TV providers like Xfinity and DirecTV, so why can’t we get what we were promised? Access to great basic programming and a commercial free experience? By Ray Hanania One of the appeals of subscription television is…
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Why did Blade Runner 2049 do so bad at theaters? Movie Review: Blade Runner is a science fiction film based on the 1968 novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by SciFi author Philip K. Dick. The lead character is Rick Deckard whose job as a “Blade Runner” is to terminate (retire) old replicants (bio-robotic…
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Local pizzeria, a long time favorite Known for one of the best deep dish pizza’s on the Southwest side By Steve Neuhaus @newsshooter56 At the age of 19, Mike Guerra came to America in search of a better life and opportunities. In the mid 1970’s as a pizza cook at Giordano’s Restaurant on 63rd Street….
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Oak Lawn Restaurant Puts Unique Spin on Menu A local favorite since 2011 By Steve Neuhaus Businesses come and go these days mostly due to the economy and competition, but for one local owner business is booming. I was told that I should visit the Stacked Pancake House in Oak Lawn, so I headed out…
Czech & Bohemian culture showcased in Houby Day tradition For many years, the Czech community was Chicagoland’s most recognized cultural presence. As Chicagoland’s immigration makeup has expanded, the Czech community identity continues each year with the popular Houby Day Festival and Parade in Chicago’s West suburbs By Ray Hanania Much is made by the mainstream…
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Smashburger is the ultimate best tasting burger ever I grew up on hamburgers and I consider myself a hamburger connoisseur. Until recently, though I enjoyed burgers everywhere. But a few weeks ago, I happened across a place called Smashburgers and I am hooked. They are the best tasting hamburgers in the world By Ray Hanania…
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Leah Remini knocks it out of the park in Kevin Can Wait One of my all time favorite comedy series on Television was “King of Queens” starring Kevin James and Leah Remini. I watch the reruns over and over again because the comedy of the two talented actors is phenomenal. When James launched his latest…
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GM, Chevrolet offer tips for young job hunters Staying On Trax: Job Finding Tips From Chevrolet. Chevrolet’s talent team provides job-finding advice and tips as well as ways to use your vehicle to help while searching for jobs. Whether you’re a recent grad in pursuit of your first job, looking to make the next move in…
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Orland First responders honored by cardiac arrest survivor Five members of the Orland Fire Protection District were recognized Tuesday for their fast action in saving the life of a suburban man who was suffering from cardiac arrest. Michael Owens of Orland Park and his sister Patricia said that they called 9/11 on July 17 when…
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Tech Review: Don’t buy Studio Beats headset Beats by Dr Dre are inconsistent and poorly constructed. You almost think that they are made to intentionally break to force users to go out and buy another set at the over-priced price tag of $299. The sound is poor quality and they are just not worth it….