Holstein Happenings, Feb. 1st

all news, below, by Friends of Holstein Park. To sign up for their monthly newsletter, click here.

Holstein Happenings
Feb 1, 2012

Love Month!
There's a lot going on at Holstein Park this February, but here's some news that will help you participate in park programs through the whole coming year.

The Chicago Park District has re-designed its website to REQUIRE users to establish a personal account before signing up for any programs or events. Before registering for Spring programs (Feb. 21), for instance, you should get your account set up in advance. With your account, you will no longer pay for programs via Paypal -- the Park District will have its own system for processing credit cards -- and you will be able to receive text and/or emails about program changes.

Starting on Feb. 6, you will also be able to search the Spring program offerings at Holstein Park more easily. The park district site is www.chicagoparkdistrict.com. Now what's happening closer to home?

Drop-In Yoga - Saturday mornings 9:30-10:30 AM
This Saturday, and every Saturday through the middle of March, adults are invited to join Zephyr Artistic Director Michelle Kranicke for an hour of yoga in the auditorium. Each session is $12. (Bring your own mat.) Call 773-489-5069 or email zephyr@zephyrdance.com for more information.
Teen Valentine Dance - Friday, Feb. 10 4 - 7 PM

Teenagers between the ages of 12 and 15 are invited to celebrate the season with dance and refreshments in the auditorium. The rumor is DJStix will be spinning. But parental permission is required, so get your sign-up form at the field house.

Family Valentine Dance - Saturday, Feb. 11 3 - 5 PM

The decorations are still up, the dance floor is still warm, so moms and dads are invited to bring their own kids (ages 3 - 8) to Holstein Park for a family Valentine Dance Saturday afternoon. Light refreshments, including a chocolate fountain, will be available.

Paper Crafts Workshop - Saturday, Feb. 11 10 AM - 2 PM
The Bucktown Arts Fest is sponsoring three arts workshops for adults and children this winter, and there are still openings for new participants.

Every Monday night, for instance, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, the Arts Fest is holding adult drawing sessions in the auditorium (preceded by drawing classes for kids ages 8 - 12 from 3:30 to 5:30 PM.)

And this Saturday, February 11, they will hold a Paper Crafts workshop for children (ages 4-5) from 10 AM to 2 PM with an advanced workshop for children ages 8-12 from 11:45 to 12:45 PM. (Younger children should be accompanied by an adult.)

And mark your calendar for another adult Jewelry Making workshop on Saturday, March 10 from noon to 4 PM. A small fee applies to each session.Learn more by calling Shannon at the fieldhouse 312-742-7554.

Friends of Holstein Park - Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7PM
Thanks to everyone who turned out for our annual elections in January. It was more exciting than a Florida primary. So now, without further ado, here are Your 2012 FOHP officers and directors:

Michelle Pennington, president; Lucy Jacobs, secretary; Sara Dudnik, treasurer; Jean Alan, Robert Allan, Scott Jacobs, Kathy Rice, Fred Schein and Dave Sundry, directors.

Stop by and see how you can join the fun.
Online Registration - Spring Programs - Tuesday, Feb. 21 9 AM
Holstein Park has a wide range of programs this Spring (starting April 6) that can only be signed up for online at the Park District site. Arts & Crafts, T-ball, Moms & Tots. Our programs are among the first to fill up, so it is important to search the offerings ahead of time, and be ready to make your selections when the buzzer sounds at 9 AM.

Please remember: Under the new park district web design, you must GET AN ACCOUNT IN ADVANCE to facilitate your sign-up. Good luck!
AND FINALLY . . .
Ain't this weather grand?

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Holstein Happenings is a monthly newsletter from Friends of Holstein Park to keep you informed of what's happening in our park. If you would like to add more names to the Holstein Happenings mailing list, send new addresses to friendsofholsteinpark@yahoo.com.
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August 2011 Edition of Holstein Happenings

Following is the latest issue of Holstein Happenings, published by Friends of Holstein Park. To sign up for the monthly FOHP newsletter, click here.

Holstein Happenings
July 30, 2011

Greetings from Camp Holstein . . . Lots to see and do this month.
Movie in The Park - Sat, July 30 at dusk (8:30 PM)

Join your neighbors tonight on the Holstein Park ball field to watch Shrek Forever After. Admission is free. Bring your own lawn chair. Some concession refreshments will be available. Sponsored by the Bucktown Arts Fest and Friends of Holstein Park.

Pool Closed - Tues, August 2 9 AM - 1 PM
The Holstein Park pool will be closed for four hours this coming Tuesday for cleaning. It will re-open at 1 PM.

Talent Show - Fri, August 5 1 PM
Summer Camp at Holstein Park ends with a bang Friday. Kids from all the park programs will hold their annual summer talent show Friday at 1 PM in the field house auditorium. Parents and others in the community are welcome to attend.

Swimming Meet - Sun, August 14 11:45 AM - 5 PM
The Holstein Pool will again be closed to the public when the Holstein Hurricanes swim team hosts 13 other north side park teams in a Swim Challenge. Come cheer on our young competitors.

Friends of Holstein Park - Tues, August 16 6:30 PM
With the Bucktown Arts Fest on the horizon, the Friends of Holstein Park are looking for volunteers to spend a few hours during the fest publicizing the upcoming Circus in the Park and Apple Pie Contest. Please stop by to see how you can get involved.

And thanks to everyone who participated in the Clean-Up Day around the playground. It looks great!

Softball Championships - Tues-Wed-Thurs, Aug 16, 17, 18 6:30 PM

A summer of fun comes to a head during Playoff Week for teams who participated in the Holstein Park 16" softball league. Playoff Week starts Tuesday, August 16. The Final and Semi-Final game will be Tuesday, August 23, and Thursday, August 25th at 6:30 PM.

Teen Beach Bash - Thurs, August 25 4 - 8 PM
Teenagers willing to venture over to the Lakefront are invited to Loyola Park at 1230 W. Greenleaf for a FREE afternoon and evening of music, games and food. Beach volleyball and soccer, Swimming, Frisbee Golf, DJ Music and Dancing, and food are all part of the event. For teenagers ages 13 to 18.

Arts Fest Kick-Off Party - Thurs, August 25 6-9 PM
Get the inside track on some great art bargains at the Bucktown Arts Fest kick-off party August 25 from 6 to 9 PM in the Jackson Junge Gallery (corner of Milwaukee and Wood).

Wander the gallery while the Lollapalooza-featured band Kids These Days provides background jazz, mingle with the artists, dine of the fanciful treats of J & L catering, and pick up some great art at the silent auction. Tickets are $30 in advance via Paypal or $40 at the door. To volunteer at the fest or kick-off party call 312-409-8305 or email inquiries@bucktownartsfest.com. Get online tickets at www.bucktownartsfest.com.

Bucktown Arts Fest - Sat-Sun, August 27 & 28 11 AM - 7 PM

The 26th annual Bucktown Arts Fest promises to be bigger and better than ever with more artists, bands and performances than ever. The fest is held in Senior Citizens Park and along the neighboring streets of Lyndale and Oakley. See you there.

Yoga in the Fall - Sign up Now

Michelle Kranicke of Zephyr Dance will be leading a weekly yoga starting Wednesday, September 19, from 6:30 to 7:30 for neighborhood adults. Classes will run until December 7. The cost is $10 a class or 12 classes for $100. Learn more by emailing zephyr@zephyrdance.com. Bring you own mat.

AND FINALLY . . .
Can you spare a little time to get involved in your community? Friends of Holstein Park is looking for a few more volunteers to help with our Circus in The Park, September 24 & 25, and The 7th Annual Bucktown Apple Pie Contest, Sunday, October 16. Contact Michelle Pennington (mrwerle[at sign]gmail.com) or Lucy Jacobs (lucydomino[at sign]aol.com) if you can help.

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Holstein Happenings is a monthly newsletter from Friends of Holstein Park to keep you informed of what's happening in our park. If you would like to add more names to the Holstein Happenings mailing list, send new addresses to friendsofholsteinpark@yahoo.com.
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Images from the Bucktown Arts Fest Kickoff Party at Jackson Junge

A fun time was reportedly had by all at the 25th Annual Bucktown Arts Fest Kickoff Party, held this past Thursday evening at Jackson Junge, 1389 N. Milw.

Note: Due to being under the weather, we were not able to attend. All images are courtesy of Sarah of the Bucktown Arts Fest.

Ilene and Pam Visit the Bucktown Arts Fest

It's day 2.5 of penicillin. Though I'm no longer contagious, being out and about in the community with a 'communicable' thing like strep is not the best idea.

So, I called in my mom, and her friend, Pam, to cover the 25th Anniversary Bucktown Arts Fest.

I told the cub reporters they can feel free to dictate their experiences to me post fest, but Pam took the reins with the steno notebook, and said that she will try to write something. I gave her one of my favorite pens, so I hope she goes to town with it. My mom is toting around my camera.

Their assignment is to just have fun, and to select a few artists that they enjoyed, and why. They are under instructions to not take portrait pictures without permission and to wait until an artist is free to chat and not while they could be in the process of selling something, which would be awesome because I hope that all of the artists sell a lot of art... speaking of which, in the background of this video is a mixed media photo painting by an artist named Ralph Jumbeck that I purchased at the Bucktown Arts Fest in 2006. (Also pictured behind them is a piece by Gary Marr, another local artist and founder of the Sapere Gallery in the Flat Iron Building)

Anyhoo, that's all the news for now, but I am looking forward to including Ilene and Pam's take on the Bucktown Arts fest in the next Pipeline. There will be lots of other local news too, like a new cooking school, a popular bodega that just changed ownership after a 30-year-run, some exciting times in the lagoon at Humboldt Park, a few new spaces, up close with a fashion designer who is on board with the event that doesn't totally exist yet, and a few off-the-beaten path places to catch some cool treats to beat the late summer heat. And oh yeah, a packed event listings calendar and links to other blogs and stories. Corrections will get its own section again this week.

The doctor asked if I had been 'run down.' After pulling an all-nighter to put out the Aug. 24 issue, only with the aid of Pat's editing to which I'm indebted, and then working at the caffe that night on no sleep (even the tarot regulars said I seemed off), and then covering stuff on Thursday before falling ill on Friday, I think the answer is "yes."

Thus, it's been a great few days of respite and I'm ready to hit the streets again soon, but not too soon. And this time I'll try to slow down too.

Boredom is a Function of Not Knowing What to Do: Here's a Few Weekend Picks

With a fever and sore throat keeping me from 'walking the streets,' as I'm usually doing around this time of day on Friday, mining content for the next Pipeline weekly e-newsletter, perhaps there's no better time to turn off Anger Management--is it just me, or is it a really sucky movie and tough to see an actor of Jack Nicholson's caliber make fart jokes?--and abandon the comfort of couch and blankie for a computer screen, definitely second fiddle to the great outdoors.

Moving on, the following are just a few events that I am aware of taking place this fine weekend. Full disclosure: A few of these happenings are sponsors of my weekly e-newsletter. Anything which is sponsored will have a "PS" at the end of it, for Pipeline Sponsor.

1) For those who love the Weather Channel app, or see the beauty in a bolt of lightening, or sun breaking through clouds, there will be an opening reception tonight for Storm Chaser: Drama in the High Skies, from 6-9PM at the Jackson Junge Gallery, 1389 N. Milw. Photographer David Mayhew is the 'storm chaser,' and his work is pretty darn cool... In fact, I own a Mayhew photo purchased from an art fair in Evanston back in 2006. Pictured is "Rain Dance" by Mayhew. (PS)

2) Did you miss the St. Hedwig Church Carnival and the Pipeline issue where we chatted up carnies from Midway Amusements? There's still a chance to meet carnies as well as ride the ferris wheel in the Sixth Annual St. Helen's Carnival, which kicks off tonight at 6:30PM on Augusta Blvd. between Western and Oakley and closes Sunday at 9PM. Circus juggling, ragtime guitar, Polish dancing, Eastern European, Latin, and American music are all on tap, along with concessions and a beer garden. Pictured is the ferris wheel from last year's carnival and, yes, we were there!

3) Covered in this past week's Pipeline, the 25th Annual Bucktown Arts Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday (Noon to 7PM both days) in Senior Citizen's Park, just north of the Holstein Park Fieldhouse and swimming pool. 300 artists submitted applications to the juried festival, and 180 were invited to exhibit. The all volunteer staffed festival will also include theater, dance, and live music. Pictured is this year's festival poster, by artist Jill Lanza, and a feline collage that I spotted (and lusted after) at the 2009 BAF. Apologies to the collage artist whose name I forgot to jot down. Last year we covered the fest in our Aug. 31, 2009 Pipeline, and featured photographer Mary Economidy with a photo snapped inside the long closed White Castle at Armitage and Western. (PS)

4) In the mood to shop? There are lots of end-of-season clearance deals to be found inside area shops, thus the impetus for the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce's Annual 'Last Call' Summer Sidewalk Sale. Click here to see which stores are participating in the two day weekend sale (Sat. from Noon to 6PM, and Sun. from Noon to 5PM.) Pictured is Jana of Mulberry & Me with a polk-a-dot top that we included in this week's Pipeline.

5) It's always time for ice cream, especially when the ice cream is from longtime neighborhood staple, Margie's Candies. The Wicker Park Committee is hosting an ice cream social this Saturday August 28 from 2-5pm at the Cloisters Courtyard (2114 W. North Avenue). There will also be music by Marsha's Music, and games for children.

6) Also on Saturday, the 2nd Annual Mo'Rockin Fashion Fest is slated for 11AM to 10PM at 1824 W. Division, in the gated parking lot alongside Moonshine.

Okay, well that is all I know about at the moment, and it's likely for every five things mentioned, I missed five more, thus apologies on stuff I missed.

In other news, with the help of Brad Flora and a guy named Ben, I just established a blog on Windy Citizen. I've been a user and fan of Windy Citizen for about a year now. It's a great site for sharing and commenting on local news stories as well as hob nobbing with other news junkies.

At this nascent stage, the plan for the blog on WC is to create more interaction between readers and The Pipeline, as well as spread all the good neighborhood news happening here to other parts of the city.
It will also be easier to share videos, links, and photos.

Okay, time to gargle salt water...