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Week in Review: Candidates for April and Holiday Helping

In the last week, you may have missed stories about Buddy Guy, a pledge not to text while driving, local football players, lottery scams and others regarding Orland Park and nearby.

MONDAY Providence Catholic Students, Staff Take Anti-Texting Pledge Students, including those from Orland Park and nearby, and staff from the Catholic school recently took a pledge to ignore an increasingly common distraction while driving. Business Comings & Goings: Ross Dress for Less Coming to Tinley Park Salon superstore leasing space in Orland Park • New kids store to open soon in Brookside Marketplace • Firehouse Subs coming to Lakeview Plaza • Subway opens new location in Park Hill Towne Center. TUESDAY D135 Students Stuff Stockings for Children Spending Christmas in Hospital A class of 5th graders at Meadow Ridge School in Orland Park made sure that patients at Hope Children’s Hospital would have fun on the holiday during their …

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D135 Students Stuff Stockings for Children Spending Christmas in Hospital

A class of 5th graders at Meadow Ridge School in Orland Park made sure that patients at Hope Children’s Hospital would have fun on the holiday during their stays.

Hailey Farrell and Jack Pavlis can relate to children their age who will spend the Christmas holiday in a hospital. The two 5th graders in Kim Frew’s homeroom at Meadow Ridge School both have stayed in hospitals, and wanted to help those facing a stay during the holidays. When Hailey’s mother Jennifer Farrell decided for the fourth year to collect toys, games, books and other items to help make a child’s time at Hope Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn pass a little more quickly, Hailey and Jack were ready to help. “They can’t help that they are sick,” said Pavlis. “We can still help them have a Christmas like they usually do when they’re not sick. I felt like it’d be a great experience for everyone involved.” With Frew’s thumbs up, Jennifer …

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Make Your Own Marbleized Ornaments

A step-by-step guide on how to make your own elegant additions to the Christmas tree, and avoid expensive manufactured ornaments.

This past holiday season, I set out to look for new decorations for my Christmas tree. My living room was newly decorated with items from Thailand, accented with warm blues, greens, and browns. I hoped to find ornaments that would compliment the color additions to my home. Unfortunately, most of the holiday decorations were bright green, red, and white, and none of them matched my decor. I eventually discovered a glass ornament stand on the upper-level of the mall filled with a spectrum of swirling tones in warm rich colors. I selected a few that I loved the most and checked the price tags - $35 each! Disappointed but not defeated, I sought out a less expensive way to decorate my tree and still keep a sophisticated look. Using a little bit…

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Robert Morgansfield

12:48 pm on Monday, January 24, 2011

My grandson and I followed the steps, he was excited because of all the colors were swirled. On the glass as well as him self. It was fun   more ›

Add a Punchline to Our Rudolph and Santa Cartoon

If you've got wit, add your punchline to Patch's weekly comic and win a personalized print.

Are you blessed with insight and good humor? Or just bored today? Share your wit with your south suburban neighbors by entering Patch's comic caption challenge. Just add your dialogue for today's comic in the comment section of this post. Our only requirement is that you keep it clean! At week's end, we'll pick the winning punchline based on how many of us here at Patch giggle and smile at your contribution. The user who produces the winning punchline will get a personalized proof of the comic, with the winning words and a credit line, from cartoonist Chuck Ingwersen and Patch. Congratulations to Sclarey, who provided the winning punchline to last week's Doctor and Bear comic: Whew!?! Its only terminal cancer. I thought you were gonna tell…

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Enter Patch's “Deck the House” Contest For a Chance to Win $100,000 for Local Schools

Did you decorate your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for your local school district and $500 to pay your electric bills!

Together We Cope Provides Christmas for Local Kids in Need

The organization which serves families across the southwest suburbs says need is increasing.

Together We Cope and its Adopt a Child program hopes to create Christmas smiles for nearly 1,800 local children this holiday season. Instead of empty stockings, these children will be able to unwrap gifts given to them by strangers who care. In these ongoing difficult economic times, Together We Cope turns to the communities it serves and asks for help. In turn they help individuals and families in need in four townships: Bremen, Orland, Palos and Worth. The communities they serve include Orland Park, Orland Hills and 24 other nearby towns. When it comes to the annual gift drive the sponsors have been generous, according to Margaret Seltzner, communications manager at Together We Cope. The Adopt a Child program brings together children who…

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Song, Dance and Santa at Orland Park's Tree Lighting Ceremony

Orland Park ushered in the holiday season with music, face painting, sleigh rides, visits with Santa Claus and more, all culminating in the tree lighting outside Frederick T. Owens Village Hall.

The Village of Orland Park kicked off the holiday season with an afternoon of fun at the Civic Center Sunday. Children and their families enjoyed face painting, singing, dancing and special Christmas music at the Village of Orland Park's recreational center. Sleigh rides and visits wth Santa were among the favorite events. The entertainment was capped with carols and the tree lighting ceremony, which also marked the lighting of displays around the village center. Check out our photo gallery to see highlights from the event. Sign up for Orland Park Patch breaking news alerts. Like us on Facebook  and follow us on Twitter. Looking for more holiday stories?

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Enter Patch's “Deck the House” Contest For a Chance to Win $100,000

Did you decorate your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for your local school district and $500 to pay your electric bills!

We’re launching our annual Deck the House Contest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in America—the best “decked” house in the country—the one home so spectacularly decorated that everyone in town jokes your holiday decorations could rival Rockefeller Center’s. If this sounds like your house, upload a photo or video of your home to our contest page from Nov. 26 to Dec. 16. CLICK HERE FOR THE CONTEST PAGE Only residents of Patch towns are eligible to enter. We’ll select 24 regional finalists, and from them, pick one grand prize winner. Patch will pay up to $500 of the utility bill for each finalist, while our national winner will have $100,000 donated to his or her local school district. Our contest is right around the corner…

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Watch: Make Your Own Holiday Memories

Jodi Klusacek, an officer with the Oak Forest Green Steps Commission and distributor of eco-friendly Shaklee products, shows how you can turn old tin canisters and empty mason jars into new holiday keepsakes in a Patch video.

The idea of going green for the holidays is one Oak Forest Green Steps Commission officer Jodi Klusacek embraced long ago. She now shares green tips and healthy lifestyle choices regularly on her Nature's Resources Facebook page. And she shares a couple of tips here in a Patch video to help you prepare of the holidays. Why not turn an old tin canister into a Christmas gift box? Or illuminate a bathroom with a scented mason jar light?

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