What do you get when you have three gallons of maple syrup, 20 gallons of fresh, donated batter and 60 pounds of sausage?

Why, second helpings for sure at the 17th Annual Boy Scout Troop 922 Pancake Breakfast at Chicago Our Lady Mother of the Church (8747 W. Lawrence Ave.)!

And if that wasn’t enough on Dec. 7, how about bagels and cream cheese plus coffee and milk to go with Santa’s cookies?

Let’s not forget the sweet table flanking a long row of windows with red velvet cupcakes and coffee cakes and more cookies than Santa could shake his beard at.

It was all you can eat pancakes and sausage, a bargain for adults at $6. Kids three and under were free.

Elly’s Pancake House (5050 N. Cumberland Ave) in Norridge was thanked for donating the batter. Generous supporters were included on paper photocopy placements, which helped to corral maple syrup spills.

Yes, Santa Claus made an appearance starting at 9 a.m. into the five-hour event in the Hayes Center.

“It’s another opportunity to spend time with my granddaughter,” said Rex Wilson of Norridge, who got to witness his granddaughter Cecilia Smith, 2, of Elmhurst sit on Santa’s lap.

Cecilia’s grandmother Sandra Wilson escorted the toddler to a decorated stage where Santa handed out goodies for all sweet kiddies. Cecilia wore a holiday party dress.

Mary Szczech of Norridge wouldn’t miss this holiday treat.

“We never hesitate to support the Boy Scouts,” she said. “The sausages are the best!”

What is the power of one pancake?

“It’s made with love from the Boy Scouts,” said Mary’s husband Tom Szczech.

“It can send scouts to camp.”

Mickey Mouse pancakes were popular and Steve Tomzik of Norridge, master flapjack flipper, was happy to accommodate special requests with a boyish smile and Disney garnishment.

“I grew up in Norridge and I grew up in scouts,” said Tomzik, who has four children with his wife Peggy.

“We’re a big fan of Boy Scouts.”

Their kids are Mark, 18, Luke, 15, Emily, 18 and Molly, 12.

“My son’s an Eagle Scout,” said their dad as he poured batter and flipped hotcakes on a griddle.

“My younger son better become an Eagle Scout!”

Mark, his eldest, did a great job rebuilding a garage at this church, said his proud father.

“The garage was a mess, he put in a new service door and new lighting,” said Mark’s dad.

“He (Mark) did all of the work and got the Scouts to help out.”

Keith Kinslow of Norridge has an estimated two decades of service in local scouting leadership.

“I started the troop,” Kinslow said, of the home location at Our Lady Mother of the Church.

“I love it,” he added of the pancake breakfast, which is a fundraiser done twice a year, once in winter and the other earlier in the year when it’s warmer.

“I actually enjoy coming here, doing this,” Kinslow said, grateful for pancake fundraisers.

The penny paper bag raffle was popular, also called a white elephant raffle featuring new items. Many of the prizes were Christmas-themed and placed on tables near a tall statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking from a corner.

Karen Geller of Harwood Heights quietly presided over the raffle and serves as troop secretary.

“This is our major fundraiser for campouts and summer camp to keep the costs down for the kids,” said Geller, who hoped to raise maybe a couple thousand dollars.

An estimated 200 diners were expected, maybe more at the breakfast with Santa.

“It’s hard for the families,” added Geller, of the cost of extra-curricular expenses for kids wanting to participate.

Being in scouting is “beneficial because I get opportunities to camp out in the wilderness,” said Tony Hoskinson, 16, a Niles Notre Dame College Prep sophomore and scout.

Trish Ramirez of Norwood Park volunteered in the kitchen.

“I have two boys who are in Scouts,” she said, talking while she cut up and arranged desserts on trays for the sweet table.

“One’s on his way to making Eagle Scout,” Ramirez said.

“I’m very proud.”

Her sons are Austin Ramirez, 16, a Maine South High School junior and Kyle Ramirez, 14, a St. Paul of the Cross School eighth-grader.

Austin, who is studying two ideas for his Eagle Scout project, summed up, during the holiday season, why he joined Boy Scout Troop 922 at Our Lady Mother of the Church.

“I want to stay close to God and help other people,” Austin said.

Interested in supporting or joining Boy Scout Troop 922? Please email oldguy922@gmail.com.

The following incidents were listed among the official reports of area 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

BURGLARY

Irvin Roman, 18, of 6229 W. Montrose Ave., and Daniel Kincaid, 20, of 5427 W. Montrose, both in Chicago, were charged with two counts each of felony burglary Nov. 29 after they allegedly left Norridge Tobacco, 7048 Forest Preserve Drive, without paying for multiple items. Court and bond information were not available.

DUI

Tadeusz Gondek, 37, of 4561 Osage Ave, Norridge, was charged Nov. 25 with driving while under the influence following a traffic stop on the 4900 block of Pontiac Avenue. Gondek received a Dec. 19 court date in Rolling Meadows. Bond was set at $1,000.

Catherine Wojoyla, 45, of 1811 W. Race St. in Chicago, was charged Nov. 30 with battery following an incident on the 4100 block of Oketo Avenue. Court and bond information were not available.

HARWOOD HEIGHTS

DUI

Theodore Walsh, 48, of 4528 Newcastle Ave. in Harwood Heights, was charged Nov. 23 with driving while under the influence following a traffic stop on the 5400 block of Harlem Avenue. Walsh received a recognizance bond and a Dec. 12 court date in Rolling Meadows.

The following incidents were listed among the official reports of area police departments.

THEFT

Two bicycles were reported stolen Dec. 2, one from outside a building on the 7300 block of Wilson Avenue and another outside a building on the 7300 block of Lawrence Avenue.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

Tires were reported damaged Dec. 2 on a vehicle parked on the 7500 block of Lawrence.

Transitioning to high school from grammar school can be a daunting task.

To reach out to families and ease the process, Ridgewood High School hosted an open house Dec. 2.

New this year was allowing parents and students to customize the tour by selecting four presentations among 14 options, explained Jen Snyder, director of student services at Ridgewood .

“We let them choose their own adventure,” she said. “That way they could customize the experience.

The program is open to both seventh- and eighth-graders so parents can come both years.

Ewa Baran brought her son to the open house to see what the school had to offer in the way of technology.

“There’s always something new, and your future depends on knowing how (technology) works,” she said.

Her son, Bart, was impressed by the offerings, especially for preparation into the job world.

“It seems like whatever I want, I can find here,” he said.

Future student Jimmy Spanda called the introduction to high school “pretty cool.”

“They have some very good college prep classes,” he noted.

His father, Jim, was impressed with the depth of knowledge of the faculty.

“There are some very informative teachers here,” he said.
Both were quick to praise the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum. Part of the school’s five-year renovation project included a wing for STEM classes.

Julie (Marbach) Due, an alumna of Ridgewood, now serves as principal at St. Mary, Seat of Wisdom in Park Ridge.

“I now have a lot of parents from Norridge asking me for recommendations for high school,” she said. “Since my niece attends St. Eugene’s, I thought it would be worth a trip” to check out her alma mater.

Her take on the school was that it was very inclusive, having classes that address all students’ needs, from advanced placement to special education, and the capability to help those who want to thrive but need a boost.

“They don’t teach religion, but they do stress what it takes to be a good citizen,” Due said. “I was very impressed.”

With two children already at the high school and two in junior high at Union Ridge School, one parent said the event was a great opportunity for her to know what’s going on in school.

“The tour was great, but too short,” she said.

“It’s just a taste to get kids excited,” explained bi-lingual teacher Renee Rudnicki. “If this gives families a feel for our involvement, then it’s ‘mission accomplished.’”

Anthony Pipitone noted a big difference since 1985, when he was a student.

“It’s a lot better,” he said as he toured the school with his son, Michael. “I want him to succeed academically and in sports.

The younger Pipitone said, “I just like all the help you get from teachers.”

Snyder said 90 percent of the kids know they are coming to Ridgewood.

“It’s that 10 percent we want to see what the school has to offer, our investment in curricular needs.”

That includes new formats and an expanded science, math and extra curricular schedule.

“Some of our graduates make it to upper echelon schools,” she said, seeking to dispel a myth that RHS grads are not accepted in prestigious colleges.

She noted parents are extremely involved in the public school systems that feed into Ridgewood, which has an enrollment of 800.

“We’re small, but we take pride in that the kids get that personal attention,” she said. “That’s what sets Ridgewood apart.

The After-Thanksgiving holiday. OK, it’s not an actual holiday, but almost.

After-Thanksgiving is the day, or days, immediately following Thanksgiving. They are special and holiday-like because they are the
days we get to savor and devour Thanksgiving leftovers.

Our after-dinner vow on Thanksgiving never to eat again dissolves the day after into an irresistible craving to heat up the remaining
turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls… And if we are lucky, for a day or two after that there may be enough left for turkey sandwiches on toast.

Ahhh, After-Thanksgiving.

Alas, though, the joys of the After-Thanksgiving holiday are denied to me, my family and to thousands of otherwise worthy Americans. We are the ones who – for a variety of reasons -– eat out on Thanksgiving.

My family ate at a Thanksgiving buffet this year. The food was plentiful and delicious. As did those of you who dined at home, we ate until we were so full we too vowed to never eat again.

Predictably, on the day after Thanksgiving we also had an irresistible craving to heat up the turkey, et al. But what we heated up was a box of frozen macaroni and cheese. We had no leftovers.

Those who dine out on Thanksgiving forgo one of that holiday’s great pleasures – the After-Thanksgiving feast(s).

Something should be done to rectify this situation. We Thanksgiving diner-outers are not bad people, just victims of circumstance,
I have a couple of suggestions, based on the single premise that restaurants that serve Thanksgiving buffets must have leftovers.

Here are two possible solutions:

1. For an additional fee to the dinner, provide diners with the opportunity (and a box)  to take home leftovers. Like a doggie bag.
But in this case a Turkey Bag.

2. Restaurants could heat up their leftovers on the day after Thanksgiving and serve them to diners at lesser charge than on
Thanksgiving day.

Lots of folks are off the day after Thanksgiving. And having a second nice turkey dinner with the family certainly beats
battling bargain-berserk shoppers over a 55-inch TV for $1.38.

Junior midfielder Olivia Pappalardo scored the opening goal just 6:17 into Colorado’s game against Brigham Young in the first round of the NCAA Division I women’s soccer tournament.

Colorado won the Nov. 15 game 2-0 in Boulder, Colorado, and Pappalardo, who hails from Maine South, played 76 minutes.

The Buffaloes fell to North Carolina in the second round, and finished the season 14-7-1.

Pappalardo finished the season with two goals and two assists. She played in 20 of the team’s 22 games.

•••

Another NCAA women’s soccer first-round game on Nov. 15 was filled with area athletes. Wisconsin, with Alexandra Heller of Deerfield and Sydney McGinnis of Maine South, earned a 2-0 home victory over DePaul, which featured Nina Kodros of Glenbrook South, Lucy Edwards of Lake Forest, Jessica Schmidt of Maine South and Jessica Weaver of New Trier. Heller, Kodros and Edwards each played all 90 minutes.

Heller, a redshirt senior defender, started and played in each of the Badgers’ 23 games, helping the team finish 19-2-2. Wisconsin lost to Central Florida 3-2 in the tournament’s second round on Nov. 21. McGinnis played in 15 games and recorded four shots on goal as a freshman forward.

Kodros, a senior defender, and Edwards, a freshman midfielder and defender, played in every game for DePaul (16-1-4). Kodros finished the season with three assists, and Edwards recorded three shots on goal. Weaver played in 19 games, tallying four shots on goal, and Schmidt played in six games, registering an assist.

•••

Lyons alumna Katie Dougherty and Hinsdale Central alumna Melissa Trofa helped their Swarthmore women’s soccer team win its first Centennial Conference championship on Nov. 9 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Swarthmore captured the title by beating Johns Hopkins in penalty kicks 5-4. Trofa, who missed her penalty kick, was the second of her team’s seven shooters.

The win gave the Garnet an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament.

After falling in the first round of the tournament to Connecticut College, Swarthmore finished the season 13-7-1.

Dougherty, a freshman forward, finished the season ranked fourth on her team in points with 15. She collected six goals and three assists while playing in 19 games. Trofa, a junior midfielder and forward, finished the season ranked seventh on the team in points with eight. She recorded eight assists while starting in each of the team’s 21 games.

Have a suggestion for the College Roundup? Email Nick Bullock at bullockpioneerpress@gmail.com.

Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka died early Wednesday from complications of a stroke she suffered the day before.

Topinka, 70, was pronounced dead shortly after 2 a.m. at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, according to a statement from her office.

She had suffered a stroke less than 24 hours earlier and was being observed early Wednesday when she lost consciousness, according to the statement. Efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.

A moderate Republican who supported gay marriage, Topinka was elected to the office of Illinois State Comptroller in 2010. In her reelection bid on Nov. 4, she edged out her challenger, Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, with 49.56 percent of the vote.

Born in Riverside, Topinka was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1980 as a state representative for the western suburbs. She held that post until 1984, when she was elected to the state senate, where she served for ten years.

In 1994, she was the first woman elected as Illinois State Treasurer, an office she held until 2007. She was the 2006 Republican nominee for governor, but lost to incumbent Democrat Rod Blagojevich.

Kids will get a rare treat if they and their parents attend the Mark Toland Magic performance at the Second Sunday Family Program, 2-2:45 p.m. Dec. 14 at Niles Public Library, 6960 Oakton St.

“Typically, I make my living as a mind reader so I do mostly adult shows,” Toland said. “I love working with kids even though I don’t do that as much anymore as I used to back in university days. The kids keep you on your toes.”

A former mainstay at Disney theme parks, Toland is accustomed to astonishing young people.

He said that the Niles show will include “mostly comedic magic, maybe a little mind reading. It’s all about bringing the youth up and letting them become the stars of the show. They bring as much energy as I hope to. Because of that, we have this happy accident.”

Pick up free tickets in KidSpace starting at 1:30 p.m. on show day.

For details, call (847) 663-1234 or go to www.nileslibrary.org.

TAKE NOTE

The sounds of the season will fill the Baxter Room at Morton Grove Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15 for the Top Note Holiday Musical Showcase. The program features local students and teachers from Top Note Music Academy.

For details, call (847) 965-4220 or go to www.mgpl.org.

COME TO CLAUS CABARET

Daniel Johnson looks a little like Mr. Claus so families should be fascinated by “Santa Songs: A Christmas Cabaret,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18 at Grand Piano Haus, 3640 W. Dempster St., Skokie. Tickets are $20, $10 for kids 12-18. Proceeds benefit the Chicago Food Depository and West Suburban PADS.

For details, call (800) 838-3006 or go to www.brownpapertickets.com/event/886955.

BALLET ON ICE

Over 150 skaters of all ages will present the magical tale of “The Nutcracker on Ice,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12-14, at the Robert Crown Community Center and Ice Complex, 1701 Main St., Evanston. Tickets are $9, $10 for reserved seating.

For details, call (847) 448-8258 or go to www.cityofevanston.org.

SEE SHOW FOR PEANUTS

Families have got to love a musical that features favorite holiday songs and Snoopy. There are two performances left for ATC Repertory Company’s “It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown,” 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 14 at Wilmette Theatre, 1122 Central Ave. Tickets are $18.

For details, call (847) 251-7424 or go to www.wilmettetheatre.com.

Tommy Hagerty had some of the top times in the state in the 500-yard freestyle last season, according to Glenbrook South boys swimming coach Keith MacDonald.

Yet, he was only the third-best distance freestyler on the Titans and he wasn’t able to swim at the state meet because schools can enter just two individuals per event at the sectional. Kevin Benson and Sam Iida finished fifth and sixth at state in the event, respectively. Benson was a senior, and Iida was a freshman.

Now that Benson has graduated, MacDonald said Hagerty is next in line for the state lineup.

“It’s his turn now,” MacDonald said of the junior. “There was a logjam in front of him. I’m really excited for him to break through.”

Hagerty should be a big reason why the Titans are contenders for their first state trophy since 2008. Trophies are awarded to teams that earn a top-three finish. Glenbrook South finished fifth in the state last season for the fifth time in MacDonald’s nine seasons.

“We have our sights set on that, and I think it’s a realistic goal for us,” MacDonald said.

Joining Iida as a returning state qualifier are senior Jon Salomon, senior Aaron Ach and junior Sam Salganik.

Salomon, who has signed to swim at Wisconsin, finished fourth in the state in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 free a year ago. Ach was seventh in diving, and Salganik qualified in the 100 butterfly.

New Trier

Senior Murphy McQuet gives Josh Runkle reason to believe his first season in charge of the New Trier program could be a good one.

McQuet returns to the Trevians after taking third at the state meet in the 200 free and eighth in the 100 fly last season. He also swam on the 400 free relay team that placed sixth in the state.

“He’s a special talent,” Runkle said. “He’s everything you want in a senior captain and athlete. All I have to do is tell the others to do what he does.”

Runkle took the New Trier job following 11 seasons at Glenbrook North.

He replaces Mark Onstott, who retired and was one of the most successful coaches in state history. The Trevians won the Central Suburban South title and the Glenbrook North Sectional championship last season.

Seniors Drew Keenan and Tomo Sharpee are the two other swimmers back who competed in the state finals last season. Keenan was part of the fifth-place 200 medley relay team, while Sharpee was on the 400 free relay. Keenan, an Indiana commit, is a backstroker, and Sharpee is a freestyler and breaststroker.

“Tomo was thrust into a spot last year that I don’t think he was expecting,” Runkle said. “But the experience helped him. This could be a breakout year for him, and he is a huge key to our success.”

Other varsity veterans Runkle said he expects to contribute include senior Drew Parkinson (diving), junior Maxwell Roberston (individual medley, freestyle, breaststroke), junior Willie Kinsella (freestyle) and sophomore Jack Walter (IM, freestyle).

Evanston

The Wildkits welcome back five state qualifiers from last season’s club, including two who swam on the second-place 400 free relay team.

Senior Ryan Knohl and junior Adrian Lafont-Mueller were members of the relay that helped carry Evanston to a 10th-place finish in the team standings. Knohl also swims the IM and butterfly events.

Others who swam at the 2014 state meet include senior Christian Stankovic (freestyle, backstroke, butterfly), senior Jake Girard (IM, breaststroke, freestyle) and junior Axel Lafont-Mueller (freestyle), Adrian’s twin brother.

Last season, Evanston took third in the CSL South and won the Niles North Sectional.

Evanston coach Kevin Auger said junior Quinn Tucker, a newcomer to the lineup, should be a contributor in the freestyle and backstroke events.

Loyola

The Ramblers had two divers make the state finals last season, and both are back.

Christopher Canning finished fourth as a freshman, while Ryan Nash was 11th as a junior.

Christopher Kearney was the team’s other state finalist, placing eighth in the 100 free.

Glenbrook North

Kirk Ziemke takes over the program from Runkle.

Junior Mark Schneider, a freestyler, is the only returning swimmer with state experience. He was part of the 200 and 400 free relay teams at state as a sophomore.

Juniors Arshad Baxamusa and Brendon Johnson also swam in the varsity lineup last season. Baxamusa swims the butterfly, and Johnson is a backstroker.

Maine South

Coach Don Kura’s challenge at Maine South this season will be to find swimmers who can score points behind seniors Jonathan Ramoska and Philip Wachowski.

At least right now, the Hawks aren’t as deep as they were last season when they took third at the Niles North Sectional and fourth in the always-competitive Central Suburban South. The big loss was the graduation of sprinter Makai Deneve-Arnam.

Ramoska and Wachowski both swam on the 200 and 400 free relays at state last season. In addition to the freestyle events, both also swim the backstroke, although freestyle races will be the main focus for each, according to Kura.

“They are our two most accomplished guys,” Kura said. “There’s a decent drop-off after that. We will see who will step up, but it will be a significant step up for some of the younger guys.”

One senior Kura said he’s excited about is freestyler Sam Frey, who’s in the program for his fourth season.

“He’s improved steadily,” Kura said. “I’m curious to see where he’s at in meets, though. You never really know until they swim meets, but we hope he can contribute to some of our relays.”

Niles North

The only returning state qualifier for the Vikings doesn’t swim.

Diver Maxim Royzen placed 10th at the state meet last season, becoming the first Niles North diver to make the finals since Arsen Sarkisian took third as a senior in 2010.

“Max is a focused guy, and he definitely wants to take that next step,” Niles North coach Seth Orlove said. “He’s picking up right where he left off.”

A year-round diver, Royzen is learning some new dives as well as adding difficulty to his existing ones, according to Orlove.

“He’s really honed his craft, and he’s only getting better,” Orlove said.

Royzen, a sophomore, is part of talented group of underclassmen, which includes returning sophomore swimmers Ethan Lee and Patrick Cox. Lee is a sprinter, while Cox swims the individual medley and butterfly.

Maine East

At 6-4, Mateo Kozomara always intrigued Maine East coach Peter Przekota.

Until now, Przekota said the senior hadn’t really tapped into his potential.

“He came into high school without a lot of swimming experience, but he’s put in the time during the offseasons and really improved,” Przekota said.

Kozomara, a backstroker, already is faster than he was at the end of last season. Przekota said he hopes Kozomara can swim the 100-yard backstroke in 57 seconds by February.

“He’s much more efficient in the water,” Przekota said. “He’s definitely more of a swimmer now. He’s thinking more about what he’s doing, rather than just racing.”

Kozomara will share the team spotlight with senior breaststroker Tyler Vonderheide.

“It’s been fun to see Mateo and Tyler work,” Przekota said. “They set great examples for our kids. They are positive influences and good reflections of Maine East wherever they go.”

Notre Dame

The Dons must replace a strong group of senior leaders from last season’s small squad, according to second-year coach Maureen Targosz.

But she said she believes senior Kevin Kukla and junior Travis Martin are up to the task of leading Notre Dame. Kukla is a breaststroker and Martin’s main event is the IM.

Junior freestyler Thomas Wrenn is someone who Targosz said is ready to have a strong season.

Niles West

Senior Matt Lefler, senior Kohler Mohr and sophomore Freddy Oribello all are back for coach Dan Vander Jeugdt, whose Wolves were fifth in the CSL South last season.

Sophomore Jacob Bobiles is expected to contribute in his first varsity season, according to Vander Jeugdt.

FRANKLIN PARK — Stan Dubicki’s mission was pretty simple when he started forming a club team for girls high school hockey players this year: Give them an opportunity to play.

Dubicki, who is the Chicago Wolves goaltending coach, coaches girls youth hockey in Franklin Park. That’s where he first noticed the problem.

“It would get to the point with girls aging out and they would have nowhere to go,” Dubicki said. “Travel hockey is so hard to make in Illinois and it’s so expensive. We wanted to give these girls an opportunity to keep playing, so we put a team together.”

That’s how Maine Girls Hockey was formed. The team has 18 players with half the girls coming from Maine South. The rest come from other area high schools that have no team, including Leyden, Fremd, Rolling Meadows, Maine West and Prospect.

“We knew a lot of the girls because they played in our park district programs,” Dubicki said. “We had a lot of kids left out and the girls were dying for a place to play.”

According to Dubicki, playing travel hockey can cost anywhere from $5,000-$15,000 a year. And shelling out that kind of money doesn’t even guarantee playing time.

That’s why Dubicki has worked hard to do things differently. He’s kept costs down — the annual fee is around $2,000 — and he makes sure every girl gets ice time.

“I see coaches on other teams and they just put their top kids on the ice,” Dubicki said. “I would never do that. I want everyone to get playing time.”

Nicole Dubicki makes a pad save during the Maine Girls Hockey team’s practice on Friday. | Rob Valentin/for Chicago Tribune Media Group

When he began putting the team together, he didn’t need to look far for his goalie. His daughter, Nicole Dubicki, is a sophomore at Maine South and has been playing hockey for the last six years.

She spent a lot of time tagging along to her dad’s work with the Wolves, watching future NHL goalies including the St. Louis Blues’ Jake Allen and the Vancouver Canucks’ Eddie Lack.

“I’ve learned most of the things I know just from watching them,” Nicole Dubicki said. “I learned positioning and playing the puck, whether to go down or stand up.”

But she wasn’t sure if she was going to put all that knowledge to use this year until her dad put the team together.

“We had a U-16 team [Pink Panthers] last year and there are a lot of girls from Maine South and we all needed a place to play,” Nicole Dubicki said. “I was hoping we’d eventually have a high school team, I just didn’t know when things would fall into place.”

Leyden’s Cassidy Schukat makes a pass during Friday’s practice for the Maine Girls Hockey team. | Rob Valentin/for Chicago Tribune Media Group

Defenseman Cassidy Schukat, a junior at Leyden, began playing hockey eight years ago and getting an opportunity to keep playing this year means a lot to her.

“I just wanted a place to play so I was so excited,” Schukat said. “If I couldn’t play here I don’t know where I would be playing. Playing hockey is something I love and there just aren’t many places for girls my age to play so I’m so glad [coach Dubicki] put this together.

The team is 0-8-2 this season, but Stan Dubicki isn’t too worried about the team’s record.

“I don’t care about the wins and losses right now,” he said. “For us as a coaching staff, we just want every kid to get better every day. You can already see the kids who haven’t been playing long are getting caught up. They’re learning team concepts. A year from now this team will be a powerhouse in women’s hockey.”

The other players from Maine South are seniors Lindsey Anderson, Alyssa Sinatra and Karlie Daniels, junior Michelle Cottrell, sophomore Victoria Odarczenko and freshmen Sarah Hudak, Samantha Szapielak and Amy Gulliksen.

The other two girls from Leyden are senior Brittany Aiello and sophomore Carolyn Chrastka.

A list of safety-driven improvements is set to get underway next summer at Union Ridge School in Harwood Heights thanks to the Illinois Safe Routes to School Grant, which was awarded to School District 86 last week.

The $141,800 grant will fund improvements to the pedestrian passageways near the school, including a makeover of the aging brick walkway in front of the school on Carl Cassata Sr. Lane and Oak Park Avenues.

The safety makeover, which is planned to start next summer, will also include the installation of modern signage in compliance with a new state mandate taking effect next year that requires municipalities to start posting more reflective signs for motorists.

Superintendent John Kosirog said he hoped the improvements would include new signs that alert drivers to their speed as they drive by the school. Detailed plans for the project are expected to be released next year.

“Speeding is a problem on Oak Park Avenue,” Kosirog said. “We have speed limit signs posted, but people often don’t realize they’re driving by a school.”

Other improvements planned under the grant include the restriping of the pedestrian walkways leading to the school and plans to reconfigure the sidewalk ramps around the school to make them more accessible.

Arlene Jezierny, village president of Harwood Heights, said next summer’s improvements would also help address congestion issues that arise during pick-up and drop-off times.

“The grant will help us make the sidewalks and intersections around the school safer,” Jezierny said. “Once the school reaches the end of the school year it will be a perfect time to begin the work.”

Kosirog said he was grateful to have additional funds available to pay for safety improvements.

“We’re very excited by it,” Kosirog said. “Any time we can work to improve the safety of the school for the kids—that’s our first priority.”

A tax levy for 2014 of about $8.6 million was approved by the Norridge District 80 school board on Tuesday.

The levy was approved during the Dec. 9 school board meeting. It is estimated to be 3.5 percent higher than the previous year’s levy of about $8.15 million, according to information from the school board.

The 2014 levy will include property tax revenue from the new Mariano’s store on Lawrence Avenue.

Breaking down the levy, the largest portion of tax dollars received by the district—about $7.3 million—will fund the school district’s education fund, which includes teacher salaries and benefits, according to information from the school district.

About $672,000 of the levy will fund District 80’s operations and maintenance fund. Close to $135,000 will go toward the transportation fund, and about $400,000 will fund the municipal retirement fund and the social security fund.

The rest of the levied taxes will fund special education programming and fire prevention and safety.

Although the opening of the new Mariano’s store is expected to contribute to a 1.9 percent boost in new property tax dollars for the school district, overall property values fell this year by about 7.75 percent, or $26.3 million, according to information from the school district.  The total EAV in 2013 was about $339 million, and the estimated total for 2014 is just short of $313 million.

New construction for 2014 is expected to total nearly $6 million, according to the school district’s information.

There were no comments made by taxpayers or school board members regarding the levy during the Dec. 9 board meeting.

WINNETKA — In his seven seasons as head coach, Scott Fricke said he had never heard so many people wonder what was wrong with the New Trier boys basketball team.

Coming into Thursday’s game against two-time defending Central Suburban South champion Maine South, the Trevians were on a four-game losing streak. Their most recent loss was a 22-point setback to rival Evanston on Tuesday.

“We were having a little tough stretch, but I knew we would put it together,” Fricke said. “We had to shut out what everybody was saying about us. It came down to us sticking together.”

It took three overtimes, but New Trier finally got the win it needed, earning a 47-45 victory over the Hawks on senior guard Robbie Abuls’ offensive rebound and layup with 4.2 seconds to go.

The winning basket came after junior guard Mike Hurley found senior forward Ryan Haak on the right wing for an open look at a 3-pointer. Haak’s shot bounced off the rim. Abuls found the ball on the weak side and powered through defenders for the layup and foul. He missed the free throw, but the Hawks last-second 3-point attempt was off the mark.

“This was absolutely huge for us,” Haak said. “Our confidence was shot. I mean, 2-5 is not a record a New Trier basketball team should have. I think this win will hurdle us to much bigger and better things this year.”

New Trier senior forward Sean Boyd scored consecutive baskets with less than three minutes remaining in regulation to give the Trevians (3-5, 1-1) a 39-32 lead. But the Hawks (6-1, 1-1) sent the game to overtime on senior forward George Sargeant’s 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds on the clock.

“When he hit that contested 3, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, no, here we go again,’ ” Fricke said. “Lately, it seemed like everything that could go against us, went against us.

“The biggest thing for us was to stick together and play confident as a team.”

Senior guard David Hammes scored eight of his game-high 14 points in the third quarter. His buzzer-beating layup in the third quarter put the Trevians up 35-29. Haak finished with nine points, and Boyd added six points.

Abuls said the short turnaround after losing to Evanston wasn’t easy, but the Trevians prepared well for the Hawks, who had won the previous four meetings between the teams.

“We kept our heads up and had a great practice [Wednesday],” said Abuls, who scored five of his 10 points in the second and third overtimes. “We had to get out of this losing streak, and this will fuel us for at least the next week.”

New Trier next plays Dec. 19 on the road against Niles West. Stewing over another loss would not have been ideal for team morale, according to Abuls.

“This was huge,” he said. “This changes our whole mindset going forward, and it probably takes a little pressure off of us.”

Maine South notes

• The Hawks came into the game averaging 64.5 points and shooting 58 percent from the field, but they went 15-for-47 (31.9 percent) and 7-for-17 on free throws to finish with their lowest point total of the season. Their previous low was in a 59-53 win over Niles North on Dec. 2.

• Sargeant, the team’s leading scorer, had all 13 of his points after halftime. Junior guard Jon Arenas followed with 12 points. Senior guard Nick Ruben added nine points, and senior guard Caleb deMarigny finished with eight points.

• The loss ended Maine South’s 17-game conference win streak, which dated back to a 45-44 defeat to Waukegan on Dec. 21, 2012.

Night has fallen in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. A group of students from Ridgewood High School gingerly head out into the cold December evening to help feed the neighborhood’s impoverished residents.

The students, many of them freshmen, ride in a car driven by an older mentor as they trail close behind a Salvation Army Mobile Feeding Unit.

When the Salvation Army driver stops alongside a group of hungry people who have gathered on the sidewalk to meet the truck, the teenagers jump out and grab a bunch of brown paper-bagged dinners to hand off to the hungry recipients.

The paper lunch sacks are decorated with bows and holiday images drawn in magic marker by their classmates earlier during the school day.

Inside each bag are a few simple food items including a ham and cheese sandwich, pretzels, chocolate cookies, and an apple.

About 200 Ridgewood students made 900 “supper sacks” between Dec.  5 and Dec. 9 that will help feed the hundreds of homeless and struggling residents of the crime-ridden South Side neighborhood.

Infamous for shootings and gang activity, Englewood is an area of the city that mostly-white suburban teenagers would usually avoid, but senior Julia Przepiora said her fears dissipated after her first visit two years ago.

Przepiora is one of 40 upperclassmen at Ridgewood who work with the freshmen class of 180 students as part of a mentoring program at the school.

“I was nervous to go out there at first, but when I handed the food and a pair of gloves to a little girl who approached the truck it felt rewarding to help people who need it,” Przepiora said.

The mentor program, led by the school’s communications director Carol Valentino-Barry, pairs freshman students with an adult and older-student mentors, who work together to complete a different service project each month. The activities focus on skills like goal-setting, time management, and how to manage limited resources—time and money, for example.

“December mentoring is pretty much about service—making the sandwiches and delivering them,” Valentino-Barry said.” This is our fourth year making the trip to deliver the sandwiches, and we continue to realize how important it is to connect the students to those in need.”

All the freshman pitch in to put together the bagged dinners during a class period, but only a handful of students like Przepiora volunteer to stay late and go to Englewood for the in-person deliveries.

“Service is on the students’ own time,” Valentino-Barry said. “Because it’s not required, nor is it a ‘get-out-of-school’ field trip, it’s a bit of a risk and the students need some encouragement.”

Last week, even the students who choose not to take the trip out to Englewood had the chance to see a face of the homeless who has benefited by their work.

Henry Williams had lived on the street for eight years in the same spot across from the Ogilvie Transportation Center until one night last January when he was approached by a Salvation Army volunteer who spotted him under a mound of tattered sheets and blankets.

A year later, Williams is in Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center for adults recovering from homelessness, and is working hard to get his GED and find employment.

Williams, who was brought to safety on a night when the thermometer had dipped to negative 18 degrees, came to Ridgewood on Dec. 2 to talk to the kids about the importance of their service project.

Valentino-Barry said Williams talked about how the simple act of making a sandwich can have a huge impact on one person’s day.

“I think they’re getting the idea that they’re fortunate and blessed to have what they do, and that connecting to the greater good gives them a greater sense of purpose,” Valentino-Barry said.

Freshman Riana Go, 14, said she started volunteering for Toys for Tots while she was in junior high, and the experience helped her see that helping people “works both ways,” she said.

“You’re doing something good for someone else, but you’re getting a sense of accomplishment in return,” Go said. “One little thing you do can brighten a person’s day.”

In this “Love Essentially” podcast, I am joined by my sister, Dr. Susan Pilossoph, an ER doc turned functional medicine physician who shares how chocolate and other foods can have a positive affect not only on health and wellness, but on your romantic relationships.

‘The Imitation Game’
★★★ 1/2

When was the last time you said to yourself, “I think I’ll go out and catch a good movie about a certified scientific genius”?

Well, you might feel that way every week but, if so, you’re out of luck most of the time, aren’t you? Now though, you have two to choose from: the Stephen Hawking biopic “The Theory of Everything” and “The Imitation Game,” a highly enjoyable intellectual thriller about English mathematician Alan Turing who cracked a Nazi code that shortened World War II by years and saved countless lives. And contributed much to the development of today’s computer age in the process.

Enjoy this opportunity, because unless one of them earns a billion dollars worldwide there won’t be this much IQ on display at your neighborhood multiplex again for a good long time. That’s a pity, though, since these movies prove smart and entertaining aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Especially the sadder, darker, more intellectually exciting “Imitation Game,” where lives are at stake in addition to world-changing ideas.

“Imitation Game” is sad, in part, because Turing is depicted as a man who has grown accustomed to lonely isolation. Partly because casual human interactions constitute an unbreakable code for him and partly because of his homosexuality — and English laws that force him to remain closeted. The film opens in 1952 after his arrest for “gross indecency,” —a persecution that led to his suicide two years later.

Debut screenwriter Graham Moore’s appropriately intelligent script begins with Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) saying “Pay close attention, I will not pause, I will not repeat myself” to an unsuspecting detective before flashing back to his top-secret work during the war. Most of the film takes place in England’s Government Code & Cypher School, where Turing worked with a small team to decipher Germany’s indecipherable Enigma Code. Seemingly indecipherable, in any case, since it involved millions of millions of possible solutions, which were all reset every 18 hours. While the rest of the team wracked their brains, though, Turing set about creating a machine that would run through all those calculations in seconds —despite resistance from his fellow team members and a hostile project supervisor (Charles Dance of “Game of Thrones”).

Uniformly strong performances are key to the enjoyment of “Imitiation Game,” compensating for weak points in the plot such as the lack of emphasis on the theory and development of the Turing Machine and an odd, distracting subplot involving suspected espionage. Cumberbatch, in particular, is at his best, portraying Turing as a lifelong outsider whose arrogance is matched by his vulnerability. Keira Knightley is also at excellent as Joan Clarke, the only woman on the team and his only real friend, whose personal involvement with him included plans to marry as a matter of convenience.

It also helps that director Morten Tyldum (who also directed the top-grossing Norwegian thriller “Headhunters”) has imbued “The Imitation Game” with considerable suspense. Every day for two years, the team works on Enigma solutions up to the 18th hour as the Allies lose battles — and every night a bell rings at deadline, meaning they have to begin again from scratch the next day. Meanwhile, Turing labors away on designs for a machine that no one understands or has faith in. An “electronic brain,” he calls it. A “digital computer.”

Then, when he finally perfects the device, he has to face an even more tense problem: how often the Allies can act on their secret knowledge without making the Germans suspicious —in effect allowing them to decide who lives and who dies during the war. But that’s another story.

‘Tis the season of overconsumption. At seemingly every holiday gathering, the most savory of dishes and artfully decorated treats are there for the eating.

More than just a dent in your diet, these indulgences can trigger significant discomfort in the form of acid reflux and heartburn, more commonly known as GERD.

Many people experience the occasional bout of heartburn which is often treated with over the counter medications for immediate relief. However, if heartburn symptoms – a burning sensation rising up in the mid chest – occur more often and especially three or more times a week, other more potent chronic medications that block the stomach’s production of acid may be needed to prevent heartburn and the associated damage repeated acid reflux can cause in the esophagus.

GERD is the result of stomach contents (including stomach acid) that rise up into the esophagus. A one-way muscular valve between the esophagus and the stomach — called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES — allows food to move from the esophagus into the stomach but not in reverse. When the stomach expands, pressure may overcome the LES and stomach contents move into the esophagus. In patients with recurrent heartburn, the LES may not function well and lead to repeated bouts.

On the bright side, a few lifestyle changes can reduce GERD symptoms.

Life style changes:

• Avoid tight-fitting clothing. Believe it or not, the age-old trick of loosening your belt or unbuttoning your jeans relieves pressure on your abdomen.

• Lose weight, stop smoking and cut back on alcohol. Obesity is the leading cause of GERD, and nicotine and alcohol cause the LES to relax.

While you eat:

• Eat smaller meals. This can be tough during the holidays or year-round for some but it’s a tip that can substantially reduce GERD. Eating smaller meals means less pressure to push acid up into the esophagus.

• Don’t plow through your meals too quickly, either. Slow down and enjoy catching up with loved ones during the holidays.

• Avoid foods that you know trigger heartburn. If you’ve been diagnosed with GERD, you likely know that fatty, fried and spicy foods, alcohol, high fat dairy products, sodas and caffeine are all GERD offenders.

• Don’t drink too many fluids while eating. Liquid adds to the volume in your stomach, making it easier for acid to reach your esophageal sphincter.

• Contrarily, there are a variety of foods that help to reduce acid reflux—a big one being poultry. Chicken and turkey actually help fight GERD symptoms. Seafood, roots and greens, rice and oats are also helpful.

After you eat:

• Whatever you do, avoid the calorie-induced doze at least for a few hours. Lying down after a meal makes it easier for stomach acid to rise. If you must, elevate the head of your bed and let gravity work for you.

Always:

• If you’re on medication for GERD, take it at the same time daily. It’s important not to skip your medication, so make it a routine by placing it near your toothbrush or on the counter when you eat breakfast.

• Get enough sleep. Some studies show that poor sleep actually increases GERD symptoms during the day, which can lead to another night of restlessness. Make sure you plan for seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
The holiday season is a time of celebration. Make sure you are present and happy – before, during and after the meal.

Dr. Jay Goldstein is Division Head of Gastroenterology at NorthShore University HealthSystem. For more information, visit northshore.org/gi.

Sometimes it feels like the hectic holiday season provides few opportunities for merry elves to take a breath let alone enjoy a quiet moment sipping cider by the fire.

Hokey made-for-TV movies make it seem like stringing lights, wrapping gifts and hanging wreaths magically happens overnight, but savvy decorators know all about the real work involved in setting the stage for a divine holiday. Sweeping rogue pine needles, hammering countless nails and carefully stowing all of the ugliest ornaments on the back of the tree is a time consuming task. And just when the 8-foot ladder is tucked safely back in the garage the real entertaining begins.

Tradition compels holiday cooks to churn out dozens of bakery-quality cookies, pounds of perfect potluck appetizers and a Norman Rockwell worthy Christmas roast. Washing dishes and soothing occasional burns comes with the territory when you are busy creating a sense of wonder and awe in others. While December can be a daunting and busy month, the effort to bring out the spirit of the season is well worth it.

Being an elf is magical work and taking a brief moment to appreciate the holiday feeling you’ve created should be an essential gift you give yourself every year. As a rule I take one evening for myself during this festive time of year. I simmer a batch of spicy mulled wine and whip up a rustic tart brimming with sweet pears and savory cheese. Knowing every bauble is in place, I happily put my feet up and enjoy the glow from my Christmas tree while savoring a holiday treat made just for me.

Happy holidays!

Pear, Goat Cheese and Asiago Galette
(Makes 6 servings)
For the crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
1/4-1/2 cup ice water
For the topping:
2 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture to combine. Dice 8 Tablespoons of the cold butter and add to the processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in just enough water to allow the dough to come together. Press the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and sprinkle with cornmeal. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap and roll out into a circle on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Toss the sliced pears with the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Sprinkle the 1 cup of the Asiago cheese in the center of the rolled dough leaving a 2-inch edge uncovered. Sprinkle with half of the thyme leaves and arrange the pears on top of the cheese. Leave the 2-inch edge uncovered. Sprinkle the pears with the remaining Asiago, all of the goat cheese, the remaining thyme and the pepper. Fold the edges of the crust up over the filling and pinch to form rustic crust.

Transfer the galette to the baking sheet using a large spatula or a pizza peel. Bake the galette in the lower 1/3 of the oven for about 40 minutes (begin checking at 30 minutes), or until goat cheese is beginning to brown and crust is golden and firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve at once.

Rosemary-Scented Mulled Wine
(makes 4 servings)
1 cup sugar
3 strips lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
3 allspice berries
1 vanilla bean, split
1, 5 1/2-ounce can pear nectar
1 bottle Pinot Noir
1 clementine studded with 3 cloves
1 large sprig rosemary
1 star anise

Pour the sugar into a 4-quart saucepan. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon and allspice. Pour the pear nectar over the sugar. Heat the sugar mixture to a boil and cook until a syrup forms (about 10 minutes). Pour the wine into the pot and reduce heat to low. Add the clementine, rosemary and star anise. Heat through for 20 minutes, but do not boil. Ladle the wine through a fine mesh strainer into coffee cups garnished with clementine slices and cinnamon sticks. Serve warm.

Most Norridge residents don’t know of online-based firearms dealer Tony Kole, who operates Norridge’s only gun retail center in an unmarked building at 7601 W. Montrose Ave.

Kole’s business, Ghost Industries, LLC, has been shipping firearms to online buyers since 2010 from an indiscreet office building that was banned from displaying signage when the village allowed it to open.

Village officials were reluctant to allow Ghost Industries to open in Norridge four years ago, with or without signage, but were mandated to do so because of an older ordinance that was enacted years ago to allow K-Mart to sell firearms before the store ended gun sales in 2010.

Kole turned around in 2011 and sued the village less than a year after opening, after trustees sought to change their firearms ordinance to ban gun stores altogether starting in late 2013.

Confronted with the lawsuit from Kole and his lawyer, Walter Maksym (the same Chicago-based attorney who represented famed murder suspect and ex-cop Drew Peterson), Norridge in December 2013 decided to allow gun retailers, but only in areas that meet specific zoning requirements.

Among the requirements of that version of the ordinance was a stipulation that said gun stores had to be at least 1,000 feet away from schools, parks, and churches.

But village trustees this month caved to the mounting financial pressure threatened in the ongoing lawsuit (which also alleges Second Amendment violations) and slackened existing regulations even further.

The more liberal new law means gun sales could become more than an online business in Norridge  with village trustees on Dec. 10 unanimously approving another revised firearms ordinance that makes it legal for a gun shop to open even closer to schools, parks, and churches — just 500 feet away.

Brian Gaseor, building commissioner for Norridge, said Kole and other firearms shops could now technically open along any of Norridge’s main areas, including along Cumberland and Harlem avenues and along Irving Park Road.

“This ordinance expands the areas where he could open,” Gaseor said. “We don’t know where he wants to open yet, and he still has to find a storefront to rent.”

Kole, who has openly expressed his wishes to expand his online shop to a walk-in style business, didn’t answer the phone number listed on Ghost Industries’ web site on Thursday. It’s unclear whether Maksym is still representing Kole, and the number listed for his practice on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago wasn’t in service.

Gaseor said the village couldn’t confirm whether Kole was still operating his online gun business in the office on Montrose Avenue, but the Ghost Industries web site is still active and lists hundreds of different gun models for sale.

Kole now has until Jan. 12 to file for a public hearing with the zoning board, a required step before he could open his shop. That hearing wouldn’t be scheduled until at least March, Gaseor said.

Village President James Chmura said it was in the best interest of the village to avoid Second Amendment battles.

“We’re trying to accommodate him,” Chmura said. “It’s all about constitutional rights—we don’t want problems with the village with constitutional rights.”

The Ridgewood High School and Norridge District 80 superintendents didn’t return calls Dec 11.

Village lowers fees charged for garage sales

Norridge Trustees on Dec. 10 approved an ordinance reducing the village’s garage sale fee to $10.

All village residents hosting a garage sale are required to pay a fee, which was previously $15.

The fees help cover administrative costs incurred by the village, including sign removal, according to Norridge Village President James Chmura.

The village decided to lower the fee after several residents complained that it was too high, Chmura said.

Water meter reading contract renewed

 Norridge entered into a $9,863 one-year contract for water meter readings and transmissions with Aclara Technologies, LLC.

The Hazelwood, Mo.-based company provides electronic infrastructure technologies to municipalities and water, gas, and electric utilities.

Village taps Comcast for internet service

Trustees approved a three-year contract with Comcast to provide internet access to various village departments.

The contract will cost Norridge $2,418 per month, or about $29,000 annually, according to information from the village.

The agreement covers internet service for the police department and its garage, the public works department, and village hall.

Public Works employee promoted

 Thomas Slonski, an employee with the Norridge Public Works Department, was promoted to the position of “artisan,” working under public works director Mark Lymperopulos.

Slonski will earn an annual salary of $89,438, according to information from the village board.

New crossing guard hired

Retired Norridge police officer Michael Ribaudo was hired as a crossing guard last month.

Village Trustees approved his hourly pay rate of $55.96.

It was not immediately clear which intersections Ribaudo would be stationed.

Snow shovelers ready for first snow

 Norridge’s annual list of people willing to plow and shovel snow from residential areas is now available on the Village of Norridge web site at http://www.villageofnorridge.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=270.

This year’s list includes 15 residents.

Next village board meeting scheduled

The next village board meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 4000 N. Olcott Ave., Norridge.