Norridge Harwood-Heights News

Bottigliero emphasizes serving others

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:54:43 -0500

Being in a military hospital during World War II, Frank Bottigliero said gave him insights into the realities and humanity of military service. However, at Sunday’s Norridge Veterans Memorial Program, which starts at noon at the Veterans Memorial, he predicts the tears will not well in his eyes. “I don’t get emotional (at such events),” he said. “My entire life has been spent helping veterans and their families ... So I know what it means too.” Bottigliero is director of veterans affairs for both Norridge and Harwood Heights. A Chicago kid, he started volunteering with the Veterans Affairs office in …

1.5 million people to use Midway, O’Hare this holiday weekend

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:24:01 -0500

About 1.5 million people are expected to pass through Chicago’s two airports this Memorial Day weekend, city aviation officials say.

Show of support for buddy reveals disease

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:55:15 -0500

Last spring Marco Di Silvestro of Norridge had the idea to shave his head. A second-grade classmate of his at Mary, Seat of Wisdom School in Park Ridge had cancer and he wanted to show his support. So parents Steve and Jenny gave Marco the OK to buzz off his hair. And that’s when they noticed for the first time a dime-sized bald spot on his head. By the end of May 2011, four more hairless spots appeared. Marco lost all his hair in June and, at the end of July, his eyebrows and eyelashes were gone, too. A dermatologist …

First cases of 2012 West Nile reported in the area

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:45:57 -0500

The West Nile virus has been detected in birds and mosquitoes in several western suburbs for the first time this year, state health officials announced Tuesday. The virus was found in towns including Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, and Norridge.

Norridge man charged with DUI after allegedly smashing into Oak Park tree

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:07:21 -0500

A Norridge man was arrested in Oak Park for allegedly driving into a tree while under the influence of heroin. Damian Tarnowski, 29, of the 4900 block of N. Overhill, was found unconscious at 2:30 a.m. May 20 in a car that was smashed against a tree in the parkway on the 1000 block of North Linden Avenue in Oak Park. Police said they observed four clear plastic baggies and two foil wrappers containing white powder that field tested positive for heroin. Tarnowski was treated at West Suburban Medical Center, where blood was taken for drug and alcohol testing. He …

Study says Chicago traffic congestion actually got better

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:50:34 -0500

Drivers in the Chicago area were stuck in traffic an average of 36 hours in 2011, 12 fewer than the 48 wasted in traffic in 2010, according to INRIX, a company that studies traffic patterns.

From Maine South kid to Jersey Boy

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:14:16 -0500

Nick Cosgrove’s entry into the world of musical theater began on stage — and in the classroom — at Maine South High School. Six years after graduation the Park Ridge native is putting the skills he learned as a teenager into his career as a professional actor. Cosgrove is now starring as Frankie Valli in a national touring company’s production of “Jersey Boys.” Cosgrove’s twice-weekly performances in the award-winning musical are taking place through June 3 at Bank of America Theatre in downtown Chicago. It was “Jersey Boys,” which Cosgrove first saw at age 17, that cemented his desire to …

Police blotter for May 21

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:58:34 -0500

The following incidents were listed among the official reports of the Norridge and Harwood Heights police departments. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Only a court of law can make that determination Norridge DUI Jesse Holland, 30, 8012 W. Courtland Ave., Norridge, was charged May 8 with driving while under the influence following an accident in which he allegedly drove onto a lawn, through a fence and into the chimney of a home on the 4500 block of Oak Street. Holland received a $3,000 bond and a June 1 court date in Rolling …

Ridgewood building war memorial garden

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:10:30 -0500

All gave some. Some gave all. Ridgewood High School now aims to make those legacies last. The Norridge school is in the process of creating its first permanent memorial to honor alumni who served in the U.S. military. “We had the opportunity to do some new ground and landscape work,” said Superintendent Robert Lupo. “We’re hoping to bring some of the outside world into the experience of students.” Lupo enlisted the help of village historian Myron Petrakis, who oversees the veteran’s museum at 7774 W. Irving Park Road, to convert the campus’ unused courtyard into a memorial garden. Together they …

Voterama in Congress, week ending May 18, 2012

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:02:01 -0500

House Violence Against Women Act: Voting 222 for and 205 against, the House on May 16 approved a Republican bill (HR 4970) to renew the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) through fiscal 2016 on a budget of $680 million annually. The bill was disputed mainly because it omits provisions in a bi-partisan Senate-passed bill to expand protections for battered women who are illegal immigrants, Native American women who are assaulted on reservations by non-Indians and gays, lesbians and transsexuals. A conference committee will reconcile the competing House and Senate bills. Since it was enacted in 1994, the VAWA has funneled …

Frosty Penguin in Park Ridge: Not ‘Happy Feet’ ... frozen treats

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:16:17 -0500

Residents on the south end of Park Ridge have their Dairy Queen, but now north siders are getting the chance to enjoy their own neighborhood spot for cold, summer treats. Armen and Melina Ovassapian are the owners of Frosty Penguin Grill, set to open Memorial Day weekend at 1056 Busse Highway. Soft-serve ice cream and sundaes are the primary draws on the menu, sharing space alongside hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, soft drinks and a selection of salads. “We want it to be a fun atmosphere — family-friendly, good food and very happy,” Melina Ovassapian said. Ovassapian’s family previously operated …

Teen bands from across area compete in Park Ridge

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:15:08 -0500

The return of Park Ridge’s annual teen band night, Bobbapalooza, was smaller than past events but still considered a success, according to its new organizer. “It went great,” said Jared Skiba, who managed the event. “It got nothing but positive feedback. The bands went extremely, extremely well.” Eleven high school bands performed during the May 12 concert and competition, which took place at the Park Ridge Community Center and drew an audience of roughly 350, Skiba said. This is about one-third the draw of the past several Bobbapalooza events at South Park Church in Park Ridge. Seven awards were presented …

Suburbs on alert, but so far little impact from NATO

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:46:02 -0500

This weekend’s NATO Summit in downtown Chicago may seem worlds away from the suburbs, but authorities throughout the region are preparing for any problems that could spill out of the city. So far, though, police departments haven’t reported any problems like the rallies that have taken place this week in the city. And many suburban hotel managers said their rooms are mainly booked to tourists and wedding parties and even factory workers — and not protesters.

Petrakis helps Norridge remember

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:27:16 -0500

At 90 years old, Norridge resident Myron Petrakis is naturally impressed by wonders of the World Wide Web. “It is such a wonderful tool for information,” he said. “I am so amazed by the things I can find.” As Norridge’s first historian, Petrakis has an appreciation and knack for digging for information — and stuff. Originally a Chicagoan, he moved to the village in 1955 to raised a family with wife, Catherine, whom he married six decades ago this year. Petrakis worked as a mechanical engineer in the plastics industry before returning to one of his first lines of work: …

Top fundraising class reaps its reward

Thu, 10 May 2012 05:22:47 -0500

The James Giles Elementary School auditorium was filled with excitement and clamor on the afternoon of April 30, as students waited to see their principal, Kerry Leiby, get hit with whipped cream pies. The assembly was a celebration of the funds raised last February, when the Norridge school held a contest of which class could sell the most pies for Market Day, a grocery program that raises funds for schools and other organizations. Eileen Hoban’s second-grade students sold the most pies. In order for the whole class to celebrate, each student got their own chance at throwing a pie at …

Suit: Let disabled athletes go to IHSA state meet

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:56:38 -0500

The Illinois High School Association girls state track and field meet will be held this weekend — and Fenwick’s Mary Kate Callahan won’t be taking part. But a lawsuit to be filed Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in federal court aims to make it possible for student-athletes with disabilities, like Callahan who is paralyzed from the waist down, to compete in future IHSA state meets.