Wisch List

This weekend’s Wisch List column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

What you need to know about NATO in Chicago

The WISCH LIST

May 12, 2012

As you’ve likely heard, NATO is coming.

Even if it might not know exactly where it’s coming to.

Next weekend, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will roll into Chicago for its May 20-21 summit. However, if a video released last week by NATO’s in-house television news channel had its say, the international dignitaries might instead be bound for central Illinois.

Or Hawaii.

“More than 60 heads of state and government will meet to discuss matters of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area,” a narrator said during the five-minute video as images of Chicago rolled across the screen. “And so, the leaders of the member nations of the organization created by the 1949 Washington treaty will meet in the capital of Illinois this time.”

Springfield says hello.

Later, the narrator added about Chicago, “There was a good reason for this choice. The decision was made by the American president, Barack Obama, who wanted this event to take place in the city he grew up in.”

Honolulu says aloha.

Regardless of what NATO’s video might say, its summit is indeed coming to Chicago along with expected loads of controversy, traffic and protesters. Here’s a primer to get you up to speed about how NATO’s arrival will impact the Windy City.

So, what is NATO?

Described as an intergovernmental military alliance, NATO was formed following the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, in Washington, D.C.

The organization – which is based in Brussels, Belgium, and has 28 members across North America and Europe – operates as a collective in which each member agrees to help defend the others in case of attack by an external party. It’s estimated that the combined military budgets of NATO’s members constitutes more than 70 percent of the world’s defense spending.

Steer clear of city driving

If you’re planning to drive into downtown Chicago on May 19-21, transportation experts have offered the following advice: Don’t.

But, if for some reason you must, be sure to avoid the expressways that feed into the Loop and downtown on Saturday, May 19 (summit eve) and on May 20-21 when NATO leaders will meet at McCormick Place and nearby locations. According to city officials, portions of several major thoroughfares – the Stevenson Expressway, Lake Shore Drive, the Kennedy Expressway and the streets near the lakefront Museum Campus – will be closed during the summit.

The road closings are supposed to be wrapped up in time for rush hour on Monday evening, but with a motorcade of more than 50 vehicles set to drive delegates to O’Hare sometime that afternoon, don’t count on it.

Additionally, transit officials say rail commuters should expect to see a heightened level of security similar to what airline passengers face.

Tourist hotspots closed

Roadways won’t be the only Chicago closures. The Adler Planetarium, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium will all be closed from May 19-21. The Field Museum will be closed on Sunday.

Also expect the Magnificent Mile to be bottlenecked for much of the weekend. On Sunday, a protest rally and march is scheduled along Michigan Avenue, while a debate involving protesters will be held at the Pritzker Military Library near Millennium Park on Friday.

Casual Friday (through Monday)

Speaking of protestors, if you happen to be walking around downtown Chicago next weekend, it may be wise to dress down.
Some companies in the Loop are going so far as to encourage employees to ditch their business suits and instead “look like a protester” to reduce the chance that they will become targets of those involved in the protests. Might be better to work from home.

However, even with all the security, traffic and protest headaches expected for the NATO summit, there is one silver lining.

At least the G-8 Summit isn’t coming to town, too.

This week’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Get warmed up for May days in Chicago

The WISCH LIST

May 5, 2012

In Chicago, just how rare is it that the month of March turns out to be a warmer than the month of April?

Well, rare enough that the Cubs have won a World Series since the last time happened. So, you know, pretty darn rare.

According to WGN-TV weather guru Tom Skilling, this March, with an average temperature of 53.5 degrees, ended up 2.8 degrees above April’s average of 50.7 degrees, marking just the second time in 142 years of Windy City weather history that a year’s third month measured warmer than its fourth.

The only other time such it happened was in 1907, one year before the Cubs won their last championship. So, perhaps that means next year is the Cubs’ year.

Or, perhaps, not.

Either way, here’s to hoping that May is our month, weather-wise. And assuming temperatures do rise the next few weeks, the following are some suggestions about how to take advantage of the outdoors in Chicago this May.

Cinco de Mayo Parade
Sunday, Noon to 11 p.m.

Today, of course, is the Cinco de Mayo. But Chicago’s festivities honoring the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, will be going strong through the Seis de Mayo, as well. And all for free.

From noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, the city’s Cinco de Mayo parade will be held along Cermak Road on Chicago’s Southwest Side, beginning at Wood St. and ending at Kedzie Ave.

Then, from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., the third annual Cinco de Mayo Festival, located at 26th St. and Kostner Ave., in the heart of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, will feature live music, authentic foods, arts and crafts and activities for the entire family.

For more information, visit chicagoevents.com.

Chicago Mayfest
May 18-20

Billing itself as the first great event of Chicago’s renowned summer festival season, Mayfest is a three-day extravaganza that features some of Chicago’s premier cover bands, along with plenty of food and drinks.

At the very least, it’s the first great Mayfest event of the season (more on that later).

Staged beneath a giant tent at the corner of Ashland and Barry avenues in Lakeview, Mayfest’s music lineup includes the popular “16 Candles” (on Friday), followed by “Too White Crew” and “Hairbangers Ball” (Saturday) and finally “Rod Tuffcurls” and “Mike and Joe” (Sunday).

For a full schedule and more information, visit starevents.com.

Randolph Street Market Festival
May 26-27

On Memorial Day weekend, more than 200 antiques, vintage collectibles and indie designer apparel dealers will set up shop along Randolph St. between Ada St. and Ogden Ave. for the ninth annual Randolph Street Market Festival on the near West Side.

The “European-style” fair – which also offers shopping inside the air-conditioned Journeymen Plumbers Hall (1340 W. Washington Blvd.) – is known for its themed mini-markets that offer such items as rare vinyl recording, international goods and fancy foods, as well as beer and wine vendors.

Tickets are $8 to $10 for adults, with kids 12 entering for free. For more information, visit randolphstreetmarket.com.

Mayfest Chicago
May 31 to June 3

Far different from Chicago Mayfest – no, really – Mayfest Chicago is a free four-day, German-themed event held at the intersection of Lincoln and Leland avenues in Lincoln Square, the heart of the city’s German community.

Spelled Maifest in German, the festival is the traditional German celebration of the arrival of spring – think of it as an Oktoberfest in May – with live music, maypole dancing and, on Friday night, a traditional keg tapping and crowing of the May Queen.

Or is that Mai Queen?

For more information, visit mayfestchicago.com.

This weekend’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Thoughts on perfection … and the Cubs

The WISCH LIST

April 28, 2012

This past Monday on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Chicago White Sox perfectionist Philip Humber shared a Top 10 list of “thoughts” that crossed his mind while on the mound Sunday afternoon.

But, really, to understand Humber’s perfect game there’s only one thing that you truly need to know: There have been more people to orbit the moon than pitch a perfecto.

And the moon men are still leading by three.

During NASA’s Apollo missions, just 24 men circled the moon, the last one in 1972. However, despite being given four uncontested decades to catch up to Apollo’s lead, the number of major leaguers to toss a perfect game still stands at a mere 21.

Pitching perfect is one of the most difficult feats to accomplish in sports. And although you need only to know that piece of moon trivia to understand its magnitude, I still wanted to help, well, perfect your knowledge with my own Top 5 list of facts about the perfect game, as well as its more common cousin, the no-hitter. So, here’s the windup …

The Perfect Club

During baseball’s modern era, only 19 pitchers have tossed perfect games and they can be placed into four categories.

There are the “Greats” with Hall of Famers Cy Young, Addie Joss, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax and Catfish Hunter, as well as HOF shoo-in Randy Johnson. There are the “Very Goods” with Roy Halladay, David Cone, Dennis Martinez, Kenny Rogers, David Wells and Mark Buehrle. And there are the “Solids” with Mike Witt and Tom Browning.

Then there are the “Say Whats?” which has to include Humber, who had only an 11-10 record in 30 career starts. Humber’s perfect peers include the Yankees’ Don Larsen, the White Sox’s Charlie Robertson, Cleveland’s Len Barker and Oakland’s Dallas Braden, who each had sub-.500 career marks at their moments of greatness.

The Golden Age of Perfection

Since just July 2009, there have been a whopping four perfect games thrown. How remarkable is that? By comparison, there previously have been spans of 23 and 33 consecutive seasons pass without a single perfect game.

Now, that’s Old Style

Lee Richmond of the Worcester Ruby Legs and John Montgomery Ward of the Providence Grays were the first two men throw perfect games, both in 1880. But baseball’s rules back then were, well, a tad different than today.

In 1880, pitchers were only allowed to pitch underhand from a flat, marked-out box located 45 feet from home plate. It took eight balls to draw a walk, and batters hit by a pitch didn’t get first base.

Sounds more like beer league than big league.

No-No comparison

Since 1876, there have been just 273 no-hitters with only 7.7 percent of them being perfect games, as well.

The most no-hitters thrown in one season during the modern era is seven (1990 and 1991), while the longest stretch between any two was the three years, 44 days between Bobby Burke’s no-no on August 8, 1931, and Paul “Daffy” Dean’s on September 21, 1934.

The hit kings

It often seems as if the Cubs can’t hit at all. But the team actually owns the record for the longest streak without being no-hit in a game – and it’s still ongoing.
Since falling victim to Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965, the Cubs have scratched out at least a single in every contest since. That’s a run of more than 46 years and 7,350 games, including the postseason, which broke the Yankees’ 44-year, 263-day streak from Sept. 21, 1958, to June 10, 2003.

A nice notch in the Cubs’ belt. But don’t compare the rings on their fingers.

This weekend’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

It’s a funny week in ‘The Funniest City in the World’

The WISCH LIST

April 21, 2012

Across the country, Chicago is known for a lot of things.

Its pizza … Its skyscrapers … Its bad baseball.

And also its comedy.

Recently billed by Chicago Magazine as “the funniest city in the world,” Chicago saw comedic roots first sprout on Dec. 16, 1959, when The Second City Theatre opened its doors at 1616 N. Wells St. and proceeded to launch a laugh-out-loud revolution.

Since that debut evening, the legendary improvisational venue in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood has gone on to spawn the careers of countless comedians. In fact, the list of Second City alumni composes a veritable “Who’s Who” of American comedy during the past half century.

Among its list of notable names in those early years, you’ll find Alan Arkin (Class of 1960), Fred Willard (’65), John Belushi (’71) and John Candy (’73). In 1974, a star-studded class brought us Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy and Gilda Radner, who were immediately followed by George Wendt in ’75 and Shelley Long in ’76.

Cheers to that.

Two years later, in 1978, the Second City introduced us to Jim Belushi. I’ll forgive the theatre for that one, but only because in the 1980s it also gave the world Mike Myers (’88) and Chris Farley (’89). During that decade, Bonnie Hunt (’86) and Tim Meadows (’89) also graced its stage.

In the ’90s, future stars just kept rolling through The Second City with Steve Carrell (’91), Amy Sedaris (’92), Stephen Colbert (’93), Rachel Dratch (’95) and Tina Fey (’96) all joking their way to fame.

Today, aspiring comics continue to launch their careers at the Second City and other clubs throughout Chicago. But the city never features more of them at once that next week when the 15th annual Chicago Improv Festival (April 23-29) assumes control of venues across the city, and at Laugh Out Loud in Schaumburg.

This year’s festival – which says its mission is to “celebrate the present, honor the past, and showcase the future of improvisational theatre” – features more than 80 groups from five countries. Tickets are $10 to $20 per show, with the festival’s busiest (and reportedly best) nights expected to be Friday and Saturday. A full schedule of show times, along with more info, can be found at chicagoimprovfestival.org.

Among the shows that sound most entertaining is “Bassprov,” an act featuring two men from a small town in Indiana who fish, drink beer and talk about how to fix the world. The entire show features them on a fishing trip.

“Border Patrol,” meanwhile, features a six-man team – made up of Americans from Bellingham, Wash., and Canadians from Edmonton – who surely crack plenty of regional jokes about each other. And “Improptop,” hailing from Mexico City, has apparently earned standing ovations for their last two Chicago Improv Festival performances as they poke fun at Mexican folklore and, interestingly, the Broadway musical.

Now, if you can’t make it to any of the shows in Chicago this week, don’t fret. This city will still be busting guts for the rest of the spring – and well beyond. In fact, Los Angeles’ famous Laugh Factory just opened in the newly renovated Lakeshore Theater (3175 N. Broadway) with its owner promising such acts as Tim Allen, Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia and Bob Saget will be taking its stage. Just down the street from Second City, Zanies (1548 N. Wells St.) is the best place to find a classic stand-up act.

And lesser-known venues such as The Annoyance Theatre & Bar (annoyanceproductions.com), Chicago Underground Comedy (chicagoundergroundcomedy.com), IO (ioimprov.com/Chicago) and ComedySportz (comedysportzchicago.com) are also always good for a laugh.

Or, you know, a dozen.

This weekend’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Will Castro controversy finally force Ozzie to clam up?

By Dave Wischnowsky

The WISCH LIST

April 14, 2012

During his tempestuous tenure with the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie Guillen could often be quite difficult to fully understand. But the problem with the controversial comments that Guillen made about as regularly as pitching changes was rarely the translation from Spanish to English.

Rather, it Ozzie’s own translation from dumb to stupid.

Last week, just a few days after being introduced to their baseball team’s new manager, the residents of Miami officially met Ozzie Guillen.

With his dumb – and stupid – “I love Fidel Castro” comments published in Time Magazine, Floridians quickly discovered just what the Mouth of the South (Side or Beach) is really all about.

Bienvenidos a Miami, Ozzie.

And Miami? Bienvenidos a Ozzie.

But as Guillen sits out a five-game suspension for his remarks, the most intriguing question as we move forward is whether this incident will finally force the Miami Sound Machine to change his tune and actually watch his mouth.

Beyond that, is he even capable?

This past Monday, Chicago Tribune baseball writer Phil Rogers pointed out that Guillen’s Castro comments were really nothing out of the ordinary for the fiery Venezuelan.

“A Time Magazine reporter simply didn’t do Guillen the favor that so many of us have done on an almost daily basis around the ballpark, letting his stream-of-consciousness rambling go in one ear and out the other,” Rogers explained.

Nor was this instance even the first time that Guillen had publicly professed his admiration for the Cuban strongman. In September 2008, while interviewing Guillen for a Q&A that ran in Men’s Journal, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander asked, “Who’s the toughest man you know?”

Guillen replied: “Fidel Castro.” And when asked why, the White Sox manager elaborated, “He’s a (expletive) dictator and everybody’s against him, and he still survives, has power. Still has a country behind him. Everywhere he goes, they roll out the red carpet. I don’t admire his philosophy; I admire him.’’

Guillen’s own carpet wasn’t pulled out from under him with those comments because he was managing in Chicago at the time. But for him to echo those same sentiments while now managing for the Marlins – who built their new ballpark in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood – is almost beyond comprehension.

More than 850,000 Cuban-Americans live in the Miami area, and for Guillen to praise the brutal dictator who drove many of them from their homeland and killed countless others is about as bright as Penn State’s new football coach announcing after a week on the job how he, in fact, has great admiration for Jerry Sandusky.

That’s not going to go over well.

With a World Series ring on his finger, Guillen may be a talented baseball manager. But throughout his career he’s never proven himself to be particularly bright, although his right-hand man, Joey Cora, who will manage the Marlins during Guillen’s absence, believes this verbal misstep will change him.

“I think he learned a lesson on this one,” said Cora, who added that he sensed a difference in Ozzie’s demeanor after the Castro story broke. “I’m pretty sure he’s a better man today than he was yesterday. He learned from this one …

“I’m pretty sure he won’t get into this kind of trouble anymore. This was big, and he felt it from the beginning. … Hopefully he makes amends with the community, and he will.”

Guillen, who has always done his share of charitable work, no doubt will try to make amends in South Florida. But there’s only one surefire way for us to know if Ozzie truly has changed.

And that’s if we don’t hear from him at all.

This week’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Chicago’s oldest churches fan flames of worship

The WISCH LIST

April 7, 2012

Come Sunday morning, Christians far, wide and reading this column will flock to churches to celebrate the greatest resurrection story of all-time.

Coincidentally – or perhaps not at all – when The Great Fire swept through Chicago in 1871 and ultimately sparked the city’s own remarkable resurrection, three of the mere handful of public buildings to “survive” in the vicinity of the inferno’s disaster zone were churches.

One of them, Holy Family Church, located at 1080 W. Roosevelt Road, stood just a few blocks from the barn of congregants Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, whose cow went to be blamed for starting the Great Fire.

By surviving the blaze, Holy Family went on to become known as “The Miracle of Roosevelt Road” thanks to the tale that the church’s Father Arnold Damen invoked the aid of Our Lady of Perpetual Help by promising to light seven candles before her statue if the building was spared. Soon, the winds shifted and the church indeed was saved. To this day, seven electric lights still burn at Our Lady’s shrine located in the eastern wing of the church.

Founded in 1857, Holy Family stands as one of the oldest churches in Chicago and here on Easter Eve, I thought I’d share with you some additional facts about some of the Windy City’s most historic churches.

Holy Family Church

The Great Chicago Fire survivor story isn’t the only interesting thing about the story of Holy Family. Last October, the church enjoyed another unique chapter when its 12-foot-high, 600-pound wooden front doors were renovated after 151 years of withstanding harsh Midwestern elements.

In February 2011, when the notorious “Snowmageddon” blizzard struck Chicago, the doors at Holy Family couldn’t be closed completely, allowing three feet of snow to pile up inside the entrance of the church.

“They’re the oldest working doors on a public building in the city,” Holy Family’s Rev. Jeremiah Boland told the Chicago Sun-Times as the doors reinstalled after having been re-stained and outfitted with new brass fittings that he said should last for another 150 years.

“Our doors will always be wide open,” Boland added, before quipping, “But now we’ll also be able to close them.”

Old St. Patrick’s Church

Commonly known as “Old St. Pat’s,” the historic church located at 700 W. Adams St. was founded on Easter Sunday, April 12, 1846, as the first English-speaking parish in the city.

On May 23, 1853, the cornerstone for the Old St. Pat’s current Romanesque building was laid. The church was officially dedicated on Christmas Day 1856, and 15 years later it would dodge the Great Chicago Fire’s path of flames by just two blocks.

Today, the church stands as the oldest public building in Chicago and each summer plays host to a fundraiser known as “Old St. Pat’s Block Party,” which it also bills as the world’s largest.

Fourth Presbyterian Church

Founded on June 26, 1833, and located at 6400 S. Kimbark Ave. on the South Side since 1926, First Presbyterian Church is Chicago’s oldest Protestant church. But with its high-profile location at 190 E. Delaware Place just off North Michigan Avenue, Fourth Presbyterian is perhaps the city’s most recognizable Protestant cathedral.

Ironically, Fourth Presbyterian dedicated its original church on Sunday, Oct. 8, 1871 – the same day as the beginning of the Great Chicago Fire.

The blaze promptly destroyed the new building, but by 1874 the congregation had built a new church. In 1912, it then opened its current location along what is now the Magnificent Mile, and with the exception of the Chicago Water Tower, the church is the oldest structure on Michigan Avenue.

 

This weekend’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

As we enter April, Chicago is in full bloom

The WISCH LIST

March 31, 2012

Earlier this week, a friend of mine said he’s tired of March.

Let’s proceed into April.

Come Sunday, the calendar will grant his wishes as we flip the page to April 1 and thus enter the first full month of spring for 2012.

Considering that another friend said this week that springtime in Chicago is better than springtime in most other places, I thought I’d give you a variety of reasons to visit over the next few weeks as the Windy City as reaches full bloom.

Cubs and White Sox home openers
April 5 & April 8

At 1:20 p.m. on Thursday, the Cubs will begin their 136th season of baseball in Chicago, and they’ll be doing so at 1800s prices.

Well, not really, but you’d be shocked at how cheap Cubs tickets – not long ago the hottest item in the city – are selling online right now.

Quite remarkably, scads of bleacher tickets for the Cubs’ season opener vs. the Milwaukee Brewers were still available for at cubs.com as of late this week. Meanwhile, at stubhub.com, tickets for mid-week April games at Wrigley are selling for as low as $2.

Yes, two bucks.

Meanwhile, on the South Side of town, at 1:10 p.m. on Friday, April 13, the White Sox will hold their home opener at U.S. Cellular Field on against the powerhouse Detroit Tigers.

Tickets are still available for that game at whitesox.com and at stubhub.com other April Sox games are selling for as low as $4 – twice as much as the cheapest Cubs ticket.

That’s certainly something new.

Skating in the Sky
Through April 8

For those who want to look at a springtime Chicago while still pretending its winter have one week left to do so via “Skating in the Sky” at the John Hancock Center on Michigan Avenue, where the flowers boxes are beginning to bloom.

Through April 8, visitors to the skyscraper’s 94th floor observatory can skate on the synthetic indoor rink offering sweeping views of the city and Lake Michigan from more than 1,000 feet above street level.

The venue, billed as the “highest skating rink in the world,” offers 25-minute skating session for $5, on top Hancock’s general $15 admission for ages 12 and up and $10 for ages 3 to 11. Skate rental is available for $1.

For hours and additional information, visit jhochicago.com.

Chicago Golden Gloves
April 11-14

Since 1923, the Windy City has hosted the Chicago Golden Gloves boxing tournament with the intent of instilling discipline and self-respect among impressionable youth.

During that time, the event has crowned champions such as Cassius Clay, Joe Louis and Sonny Liston, as well as former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett, Baltimore Ravens’ safety Tommy Zbikowski and Michael Flatley.

Yes, the “Lord of the Dance.”

This year’s Golden Gloves Championships are held at Gordon Tech College Prep, located at 3533 N. California Ave. For more information, visit chicagogoldengloves.com.

Chicago International Movies and Music Festival
April 14-17

Promoting itself as “where movies and music meet,” the fourth annual CIMMfest is a four-day showcase of films, concerts, Q&A’s and a variety of other performances that “show just what movies and music mean to each other.”

Held at a variety of theaters, bars, galleries and other venues in Chicago’s eclectic Wicker Park and Logan Square neighborhoods, the festival shows films by day and features live music at night. The films come from countries across the map and range from documentaries to fiction and more. The musical performances are inspired by film or feature visual accompaniment.

For more information and a full lineup of events, visit cimmfest.org.

Today’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

This spring in Chicago, the race is on

The WISCH LIST

March 24, 2012

If you’ve stepped outside during the past couple of weeks, you’ve surely noticed that spring has, you know, sprung a bit early this year.

Or has that been summer?

Either way, along Chicago’s lakefront, spring doesn’t usually seem to arrive until summertime most years. So, the recent balmy temps have been a wildly pleasant exception.

Every year, however – no matter the weather – the city’s outdoor running season arrives with the official kickoff that is the Shamrock Shuffle. On Sunday morning, the Shuffle, which bills itself as the largest 8K in the world with as many as 36,000 participants, will begin in Grant Park.

And for the fourth straight year, I’ll be running the Shuffle, during which I’ve raced through rain, sleet and snow (I’m like a mailman), as well as heat. This year’s forecast of partly sunny and 63 degrees sounds ideal.

The Shuffle is only the beginning of Chicago’s running season, so I thought I’d tell let the fitness-minded among you know about some of the city’s other fun races coming up on the calendar.

Bunny Rock 5K and Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 7, 9 a.m.

For the second straight year, Montrose Harbor on Chicago’s North Side will play host to the Bunny Rock 5K. With Easter Sunday the next day, the race also includes an egg hunt with more than 3,000 candy-filled eggs for kids ages 2 to 8 years old to track down. A petting zoo and photos with the Easter Bunny are also on tap.

As for the race itself, it winds along the lakefront while some of the Windy City’s talented ’80s rock cover bands belt out tunes (hence, the Bunny “Rock”). All participants will also receive bunny ears, sunglasses and a custom Bunny Rock Dri-FIT T-shirt.

For more information, visit bunnyrock5K.com.

Race to Wrigley 5K Run
Saturday, April 14, 8 a.m.

A little over a week after the Chicago Cubs start the 2012 baseball season (Opening Day: April 5), runners can help break in the ballpark with the Race to Wrigley 5K.

The seventh annual race, which benefits Chicago Cubs Charities, is a fun jaunt that begins at the corner of Clark & Addison with Ernie Banks singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” After weaving through the Wrigleyville neighborhood, the race enters the Wrigley Field ground-level concourse before exiting at the finish line beneath the ballpark’s famed marquee.
For more information, visit chicagoevents.com.

Cinco de Miler
Sunday, May 6, 9 a.m.

Billing itself as Chicago’s only five-mile race – an 8K is actually 4.97 miles – the 2nd annual Cinco de Miler returns Montrose Harbor this May.

This festive event, featuring a Mexican theme built around the “Cinco de Mayo” holiday, includes Mariachi bands along the course’s path. The post-race party is quite a fiesta with piñatas, live music and dancing, as well as an array of breakfast burritos, churros and nacho chips.

The race’s top three male and female overall finishers will also receive an official Cinco de Miler sombrero. Olé!
For more information, visit cincodemiler.com.

Fleet Feet Sports Soldier Field 10-Miler
Saturday, May 26, 7 a.m.

Baseball fans get a chance to run through the home of the Cubs during the Race to Wrigley 5K. Football fans, meanwhile, can hustle through the home of the Bears during the Soldier Field 10-Miler.

Beginning with a starting point outside Soldier Field, the race winds along Chicago’s scenic lakefront path before returning to the stadium, where runners emerge through the Bears players’ entrance onto the field and finish at the 50-yard line.
Which is the same place the Bears’ offense often seems to finish at, too.

For more information, visit soldierfield10.com.

Today’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

How Swede it is on St. Patrick’s Day

The WISCH LIST

March 17, 2012

Today, of course, is St. Patrick’s Day.

But since I expect everyone else to write about Guinness, Jameson and any number of other Irish drinks, I thought I’d go against the grain and introduce you to a Swedish one instead.

“Glögg?” Brian Yarka, the bartender at Simon’s Tavern in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, said last Sunday while shooting me a look that could have withered tree buds. “Seriously? You know it’s almost out of season, right?”

“I know it’s a winter drink,” I replied with a chuckle. “But, yes, glögg. I want to write about it.”

“What are you writing about next,” a Simon’s Tavern regular named Richard shot back from his barstool, “the Super Bowl?

And with that, I was welcomed to Simon’s Tavern (5210 N. Clark St.), a cozy bar that’s anchored the Swedish enclave of Andersonville since 1934. The place bills itself as “Your home for glögg in Chicago,” and much like the drink itself, both Bryan and Richard warmed up after giving my brother and I a good-natured hard time for ordering it just six days before St. Patrick’s Day.

Most commonly served around Christmastime – although Simon’s winter batch isn’t exhausted just yet – glögg is a traditional Swedish drink that dates back centuries. It’s served hot with a side of ginger snap cookies and made from a combination of port wine blended with aquavit (Swedish brandy), raisins, orange peel and other spices. The drink is delicious and worth a trip Simon’s itself, although it might be best to wait until June when you can sample its summertime cousin.

“A few years ago, we actually started making glögg slushies for Midsommarfest,” Yarka explained. “Now it outsells frozen margaritas and everything else. Actually, that’s something that no one has written about before. You should write about that.”

And so I am. Andersonville’s 47th Annual Midsommarfest Festival will be held June 9-10 on Clark Street between Foster and Catalpa avenues. I suggest marking your calendar, not only because of glögg slushies, but also because of everything else that Andersonville has to offer.

However, there’s no need to wait three months to visit the neighborhood, which is also a great springtime city destination.

The neighborhood

As a community, Andersonville’s roots extend all the way back to 19th century when immigrant Swedish farmers started moving into the area which was then a distant suburb of Chicago.

By 1910, Chicago’s city limits had crept far enough north to make it the world’s second largest Swedish city, trailing only Stockholm. And a that time, the center of all that was Swedish in Chicago was located in the neighborhood now known as Andersonville.

Back then, its business district, located on Clark Street between Foster and Bryn Mawr avenues, was filled with Johannsens, Sandburgs and Nilssons. Today, it’s still home to the Swedish-American Museum, as well Swedish institutions such as Wikstrom’s Gourmet Foods and Ann Sather’s diner.

However, Andersonville now also features other attractions such as Hopleaf Bar (offering the largest beer selection in Chicago) and Great Lake Pizza (offering the best pie in the nation, according to GQ magazine), as well as popular restaurants like Tapas Las Ramblas (Spanish) and Reza’s (Mediterranean).

The travel tips

Traveling to Andersonville is easy. From Kankakee, take I-57 North to I-90/I-94 Westbound and get off at Armitage Avenue, Exit 48A. Take a right on Armitage to Ashland Avenue, where you’ll turn left and and head north to Foster Avenue. At Foster, simply turn right to Clark Street and you’ll find yourself in the heart of the neighborhood.

Metered parking is plentiful in Andersonville ($3.50 for two hours), particularly on the side streets off of Clark.

Today’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Marching toward St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago

The WISCH LIST

March 10, 2012

They say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. But we should hardly forget to mention that in between there’s a whole lot of St. Patrick’s Day celebrating going on.

Especially in a city like Chicago, which happens to boast more than 200,000 citizens of Irish descent – and almost as many Irish bars – and has also elected a dozen Irish mayors since the town’s incorporation 175 years ago.

As luck would have it, this year St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday – one week from today – making it all the more magically delicious for revelers. And to help you make plans for enjoying the holiday, I thought I’d offer tips about some of the Irish-themed events taking place in the Windy City both this weekend and next.

So, go ahead and get your green on …

South Side Irish Parade

Shut down three years ago due to repeated outbreaks of drunken violence and a string of bad publicity, Chicago’s South Side Irish Parade (est. 1979) has risen from the ashes in 2012.

At 11 a.m. on Sunday (that’s tomorrow), what’s supposed to be a kinder and gentler parade will kick off at 10400 Western Avenue in the city’s Beverly neighborhood.

The event is free of charge, and parade organizers say that, “In the past few months, we have worked extensively with our private security firm, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Police Department creating a plan we feel will bring this great neighborhood tradition back as the family friendly event it was meant to be.”

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel has given a green light to the green-laden parade, but as of last month the administration was still expressing concerns about its new security measures. To decide for yourself, visit southsideirishparade.org for the full security outline and additional details.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Each year, Chicago’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place downtown on the Saturday prior to March 17. This year, the city is lucky enough to be able to hold the parade on the actual holiday.

The 57th annual event is free of charge and will kick off at noon next Saturday at 300 E. Balbo Drive. But if you’re heading up for the day, you’ll want to get downtown earlier than that as the annual ritual of dyeing the Chicago River green will commence at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Columbus Drive and the river.

For more information about the parade, visit chicagostpatsparade.com.

St. Patrick’s Festival

Up on Chicago’s Northwest Side in the Avondale neighborhood, this family-friendly post-parade will kick off at 1 p.m. on March 17 at the Irish American Heritage Center (4626 N. Knox Avenue). The event features traditional and contemporary Irish music, dance, food and plenty of children’s activities.

Tickets can be ordered in advance for $12 through irish-american.org or be purchased for $15 at the door. Kids under 13 are admitted for free.

St. Paddy’s 5K and 8K Run/Walk

For those looking to burn calories rather than ingest them next weekend – or to do a bit of both – the Windy City offers this race benefiting Special Olympics Chicago.

At 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 18, the starting gun will fire at 2430 N. Cannon Drive, and race participants are encouraged to wear festive green running gear or costumes.

Awards are given out for the most innovative garb, and this year a new post-run/walk party will be held at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum with live music, prizes and a complimentary beer for each participant, age 21 or older.
To register for the race, visit chicagoevents.com.