Wednesday, May 22, 2013
As our armed forces come home from the Middle East, the local Veterans Affairs benefits office is being stretched.
Returning veterans are now facing a new enemy at home--long wait times for their disability claims. The waiting times started increasing in 2010 when U.S. troops were withdrawn from Iraq causing a dramatic uptick in first-time filers, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting. The data found that in most regional VA offices, not only did waiting times increase, but they vary dramatically with location: about a year and five months in Baltimore, Maryland compared to four months in Fargo, North Dakota. The national average now stands at about a year and one month, which is dramatically higher than in 2009 when it was four months. According to the data for the Chicago VA Regional Office, 2122 W. Taylor St., 19,712 veterans were …
Who’s NOT planning a BBQ this weekend? If the weather holds and you’ve got propane or charcoal, chances are you’re grilling something with your friends and family. Here, new ideas for keeping your costs down. Sponsored by Home Depot.
Here at Patch, we like to be thrifty, so we talked to two barbeque experts and uncovered some really good ideas to help you save money on your next outdoor party. 1. Start with a marinade. This means planning ahead -- say, Friday. But it’s worth it, says Rick Browne, host of Barbeque America on PBS, because you can pass up that well-marbled ribeye steak and buy a less tender and less expensive choice to grill like a flank steak or chuck steak. Just marinate it or brine for one or two days and then cook long and slow on the barbeque grill to break down tissues but maintain moisture. “You need to include an acid in the marinade, perhaps juice, vinegar or soy sauce, but avoid cola which is so acidic it can turn meat into a soggy mess.” Try …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Maybe my bad day wasn't so bad after all. A look at the meaning of Memorial Day puts life in perspective.
Tuesday morning, my boss forwarded me an email about a co-worker. I responded to the email, when suddenly I realized the reply went to my co-worker—not my boss. My dilated pupils stared in disbelief at the screen. My eyes, impaired by a pair of crunchy contact lenses and a hyperactive “fight or flight” response struggled to grasp what I had done. Within seconds I sent a retraction with a smiley face emoticon, but the cold-hearted recipient seemed to relish in her reply—“Was this intended for me?” she inquired. She knew full well it was not. It was an embarrassing, mood-altering mistake. There I was without even a stale piece of Halloween candy to soothe me, left to sit in the stew of my careless error. A few hours later, my son came home …
Monday, May 28, 2012
La Grange cancels Village Board meeting tonight; no regular mail will be delivered.
Municipal and federal government buildings in La Grange and La Grange Park will be closed on Monday, May 28, for Memorial Day. A La Grange Village Board meeting that had been scheduled for Monday has been cancelled and not rescheduled. Also closed will be the La Grange and La Grange Park village halls, and the La Grange Park and La Grange public libraries. The offices of the Community Park District of La Grange Park and the Park District of La Grange will be closed that day and no programs are scheduled. No mail will be delivered Monday except for express mail. The La Grange Post Office and La Grange Park branch will be closed.
Crystal Deters chaired recent Poppy Days for Coulter Legion Post Auxiliary, says Memorial Day remembers veterans, 'who gave everything for our freedom.'
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Ken Manson
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Monday, May 28, 2012
While many families are having parties this Memorial Day weekend, a La Grange Park woman knows how important it is remember those who served in the military - and often were left disabled and hospitalized - or still are deployed overseas. Crystal Deters has just finished chairing the 2012 Poppy Days for the La Grange-based Robert E. Coulter Jr. Post, American Legion Auxiliary, that was held May 24 to 26. She said honoring Memorial Day is important because it is, “remembering those veterans who gave everything for our freedom.” She added, “For (some) people it’s one more holiday; do they really remember the reason for the holiday and why they’re getting off work?” She will be at the post home, 900 S. LaGrange Road, today for The Legion’s …
Sunday, May 27, 2012
The last Monday in May is the day for America to honored the sacrifices of its military. Oh, yeah, and it's time to barbecue.
- NEWS
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Sunday, May 27, 2012
Say Memorial Day, and many Americans’ thoughts turn to barbecuing. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, it is the second most popular day to grill (sandwiched between the Fourth of July and Labor Day). And, it is the unofficial beginning of summer. Our weekend weather forecast is a testment to that. History.com recounts the real purpose of the last Monday of May: to honor men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military dating back to the Civil War. It did not become a federal holiday as we know it until 1971. The Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history, requiring the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s Americans in various towns and cities had …
Robert E. Counter Jr. Post plans services at 7 locations.
The La Grange-based Robert E. Coulter Jr. Post 1941, American Legion, will conduct seven Memorial Day services on Monday, May 28. The first service will be at Lyons Township High School North Campus, 100 S. Brainard Ave., at 8:30 a.m. A bell ceremony will honor La Grange area residents who gave their lives in service to America from the Civil War to the present time. Following this service, there will brief memorial services at the following locations: · Parkholm Cemetery, 2501 N. LaGrange Road, La Grange Park – 9:15 a.m. · Lyonsville Cemetery, 6871 Joliet Road, Indian Head Park, – 10 a.m. · St. John’s Cemetery, Weeping Willdow Road and LaGrange Road, Hodgkins – 10:45 a.m. · Hodgkins Memorial Site, …
Taste of Home cooking magazine annually selects best recipes for the holiday.
- AWARENESS
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Sunday, May 27, 2012
Kick-off the Memorial Day weekend with simple yet delicious recipes from Taste of Home, the cooking magazine read by 16 million people nationwide each month. Whether you are looking for the perfect picnic dip, firing up the grill for finger lickin’ ribs, or searching for a crowd-pleasing summer dessert, Taste of Home offers great recipes from people who cook at home as a way to bring family and friends together, and they can all be prepared with easy to find ingredients. Check out the Taste of Home Memorial Day menu must-haves; click on a recipe name for details on how to make it : All of these recipes and more are available at http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Memorial-Day-Recipes. Taste of Home is America’…
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
La Grange police will be conducting saturation patrols during the last two weeks of May in the village and ticketing for seat belt enforcement.
If you don't wear your seat belt while you drive in La Grange, you'd better start, or risk getting hit with a ticket. Of course, the fact that wearing a seat belt could save your life in an accident should probably be a motivating factor as well. The La Grange Police Department announced today that they'll be stepping up ticketing for drivers who drive and don't wear a seat belt in the last two weeks of May. Increased enforcement from La Grange police is tied to a Highway Safety Memorial grant through the Illinois Department of Transportation that requires increased enforcement during a national Memorial Day "Click It or Ticket" mobilization. La Grange police said in a press release that the goal is to educate drivers that seat belts save …
Monday, April 2, 2012
The community of Indian Head Park has issued a proclamation that her birthday will be celebrated every year as a memorial day to the slain teen starting today.
At 3 p.m. today, residents of the community of Indian Head Park will observe one minute of silence in memory of Kelli O'Laughlin, who was brutally murdered in her own home last October. On what would have been her 15th birthday, the community has designated today and every April 2 going forward, Kelli Joy O'Laughlin Memorial Day. A proclamation dated March 8 and signed by Indian Head Park Mayor Richard S. Andrews stated in part, "Whereas Kelli Joy exhibited a vivacious personality, love of life and concern for others as exemplifiied by her infectious joy and sparkling smile, and had dreams of using her God-given talents someday as a pediatrician or school teacher; and whereas Kelli Joy was lost to us before she could achieve the promise of…
Shari Hrabec
12:22 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Really???? No no horses and no coyote as they have the pups in their dens right now..let's be respectful...how bout you start raising chickens in the backyard???? more ›