F. Amanda Tugade

Chicago brothers, Lucas Charles, 7, and his younger brother, Cyrus, 4, look through a glass case and try to figure out what toys to purchase from Midwest Magic.

Magic man: Franklin Park store’s owner boasts collection of toys, tricks and supplies

May 11, 2019 at 4:55 a.m.

On a Saturday afternoon, Annette Charles and her sons, Lucas and Cyrus, wandered around Midwest Magic in downtown Franklin Park. In the midst of a massive collection packed with toys,...

Mike Olijnyk and Nancy Swider-Peltz Sr. emcee the 50th anniversary party, which spotlighted many of the clubs' athletes.

Fifty years of speed skating: Park Ridge club members embrace memories

May 23, 2019 at 10:04 a.m.

Inside the Olympic Room at the Oakton Ice Arena, Melissa Kolssak immediately spotted a black-and-white portrait of herself posted on a mirrored wall. Kolssak, now 48, laughed at the sight...

Mia Bernal, of Leyden Township, uses "invisible" ink to color in her noisemaker at the Leyden Township Parks and Recreation's annual New Year's Eve Drop and Pop Glow Party.

A glowing start to 2019: Families flock to Leyden Township New Year’s Eve party

May 11, 2019 at 4:55 a.m.

It’s 11:58 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, and for the children who gathered at the Leyden Township Community Center, it was time to celebrate. This was their party, and they...

Sean Brown, of River Grove, admires the Christmas tree at the Hammill Square Gazebo. Sean was one of my children, accompanied by their families, who attended the annual Winterfest and tree lighting ceremony in Franklin Park.

Santa helps Franklin Park kick off the holiday season

May 11, 2019 at 4:54 a.m.

Sophia Ortiz and her younger brother Liam already knew what they wanted for Christmas. They memorized their lists, which included an assortment of toys and fun bedroom accessories. The siblings...

Students and community members walk east along Lake Street during a Unite Against Hate March on Nov. 11, 2018 in Oak Park.

‘Let’s grieve together’: OPRF students march with community members to stand against racist messages

May 8, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

Students and community members gathered at Oak Park and River Forest High School on Sunday afternoon, beginning a march through the streets of Oak Park after what school officials called...

Students line up to speak at the "Community Conversation Around Hate Crimes: Coming Together for Change" event at Oak Park River Forest High School on Nov. 7.

‘We are all in fear’: Oak Park and River Forest students pack forum to discuss hate speech, racist graffiti

May 8, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

Grace Gunn refuses to say that she is tired, but she is frustrated. As a member of an Oak Park and River Forest High School student organization, the Black Leaders...

In light of the recent shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the West Suburban Temple Har Zion in River Forest and Oak Park Temple B'nai Abraham Zion came together Nov. 2 for Shabbat of Solidarity.

‘An American trauma’: Oak Park, River Forest communities come together after Pittsburgh synagogue attack

May 8, 2019 at 5:29 p.m.

Minutes before the 6 p.m. Shabbat service began at a temple in River Forest, a rabbi called out to those seated and asked if they could make room for more...

Melanie Berry and Scott Kelley, who respectively play Lily St. Regis and Rooster, rehearse a scene in "Annie" for the Franklin Park-based Rising Stars Theatre.

Rising Stars Theatre to bring ‘Annie’ to West Leyden stage

May 11, 2019 at 4:54 a.m.

It’s a Thursday in early November, and the Rising Stars Theatre Co. has gathered at Edison Park Lutheran Church in Chicago for rehearsal. The fall production of “Annie” is a...

The Paranormal Moms Society of Northlake plans to investigate the Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows and Orphans on Sept. 29, which is known as National Ghost Hunting Day.

Ghost hunters: Northlake-based Paranormal Moms group on a mission at Maywood landmark

May 11, 2019 at 4:53 a.m.

In 2013, Liz Mason stepped inside the Maywood Home for Soldiers’ Widows and Orphans for the first time. When she had been a child wandering through her neighborhood, she thought...

Steve Coyne plays the bagpipes Sept. 11 at the Leyden Fire Protection District.

In Leyden Township, 12-year-old continues 9/11 feast to honor first responders

May 11, 2019 at 4:53 a.m.

Dan Schultz, a paramedic at the Leyden Fire Protection District, and Tim Lisowski, a battalion chief for the Elmhurst Fire Department, said they could still recall the day the Sept....

All Stories