Wire Opens in Berwyn, IDOT Meeting Planned: Community Contributions in Oak Park

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This week, our most active blogger was Jim Bowman, on the Oak Park Newspapers blog. Jim provided a comprehensive recap of District 97's CLAIM legislative forum.

Check out his posts here:

• At Julian Oct. 9, continued: District 97 ladies press their points: We left our worthies at the starting line, the baton handed to the first CLAIM questioner. Let's listen. First lady sailed a softball, asking the legislator-panelists how their records demonstrated them to be in line with President Obama's program for education.
• Julian Middle Schl, Oak Park, Oct 9, Parents quiz legislators, Part 4: Cost of College, school lunch, federal shutdown, pensions
• At Julian Oct. 9 — superintendent, citizens with questions, four lawmakers: At Julian middle school on Oct. 9, the district superintendent greeted the assembled “citizenry,” come for “tonight’s festivities,” which was putting too fine a glow to it in my book. But this was nothing compared to his effusive welcome “to our legislators,” two state senators and two state representatives, who had come to be grilled, more or less, by three schools-connected ladies, probably each a mother of a district student.
• At Julian Oct 9, Part 3: Unfunded mandates, state aid, the TIF: Cutting to the chase (cliche alert), consider the telling (tell-tale?) points made by the four legislators at Julian Oct. 9, for not quite a closing to this tale of citizen involvement. (For Part One of the tale, go here. For Part two, here.)
• Oak Park Republicans open the 2014 cycle: Save the date: Oak Park Republicans meet Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7 pm at the Oak Park Library, 834 Lake St., small meeting room, 2nd floor, to talk strategy for 2014 and in general meet up with one another and share keen insights into the political scene. 

What Does the Maid of Honor Do? (Camille Victoria Weddings, LLC): When planning your wedding, one of the biggest decisions a bride can make is choosing who will get the coveted Maid of Honor position. But what does the Maid of Honor actually do? There are many responsibilities that a good Maid of Honor (“MOH”) will handle. The MOH is a role that, when successfully done, can take immense pressure off the bride. So when choosing who you want for the job, consider the responsibilities she will be tackling.

New Music Addition on Berwyn's Roosevelt Road: A top-flight live music venue, education center, and full service music recording facility just opened in Berwyn. Wire, Berwyn’s newest music complex, is located at 6815 W. Roosevelt Road. The venue is the brainchild of managing partners Christopher Neville, Jon Smith, Paul Bolger and Tracey Dear.

Top IDOT official to talk Ike expansion in Oak Park: 

20 Designer Accessories to Score at Trends Right Now: Thinking about spending $1,000+ on that perfect Fendi (or Prada, or Louis, or Versace…) handbag? Keep that credit card tight for just a minute. Trends is here to save the day – and some major $$$.

October 20th Open Houses: There is a Gloor Realtor just waiting to help you with your real estate needs, so stop by one or more of our open houses this Sunday. 

CAST on Tour Presents: The Hundred Dresses: A powerful, timeless story performed by middle schoolers and adapted from the 1944 Newberry-honored children's book by Eleanor Estes. A Polish girl named Wanda Petronski goes to a school in an American town where the other children see her as "different" and mock her. 

All Halloween decor 25% Off: All Halloween decorations at Tulipia Floral Design, 7617 W. Lake St., River Forest, is now 25 percent off. 

Win $100 gift certificate in Lilies and Spikes: Lilies and Spikes is a salon and spa for kids and teens, which opened in Oak Park earlier this year. The salon provides more than just hair cuts for kids, offering a range of hair and beauty services including haircuts and color, hair treatments, make-up, prom & formal styling, kids’ manicures and pedicures, mom and me manicures & pedicures, birthday party packages, and more. 

River Forest Resident, James E. Norman, Joins ESC Board of Directors: James E. Norman, a resident of River Forest, IL, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Executive Service Corps of Chicago.