Whether you want to celebrate the Fourth of July in the city with the Chicago skyline as  the backdrop to a fireworks show or in the suburbs at a friendly neighborhood festival, K-Hits has you covered! Check out this list of Independence Day activities that take place all over the Chicagoland area.

• Arlington Heights (Fourth of July Activities), July 3^rd @ 7:30PM
  Arlington Park has a tradition of lighting up the northwest suburb’s skies, with an over-30-minute display planned this year. It’s part of an all-day celebration that includes racing (beginning at 4 p.m.), two stages of live music and more. Admission is $8 in advance, $10 at the gate.
• Aurora (Annual Independence Day Celebration), July 4th @ 9:15AM
  This event will begin with the Patriotic ceremony outside Paramount Theatre ( 23 E. Galena Blvd). From there the parade will begin at 10am at the corner of Benton and River streets. The fun continues with a night of entertainment at Illinois Math & Science Academy (1500 W. Sullivan Road), including food vendors, live music, moonwalks, and finishing up with a  firework show at 9:30pm
• Barrington (Barrington High School), July 4^th@ dusk
  Fireworks kick off at dusk from the Barrington High School front lawn. Before then you can explore an antique fire truck and listen to live music (it’s the culmination of a four-day fest).
• Batavia Fourth of July Celebration (Engstrom Park, Millview and West Main), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  Before the fireworks, Engstrom Park will be filled with the aroma of food vendors and the sounds of music by Automatic Fixx. The “Sky Concert” begins promptly at 9:30 p.m.
• Bensenville (Redmond Recreational Complex), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  Kick off your evening with the sounds of Sting Ray and American English (a Beatles tribute band). Fireworks begin after the music. Refreshments will be available for purchase.  Look out for K-HITS at the event around 5PM!
• Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook Golf Course & Concert Pavilion), July 4th @ 9:15p
  It’s an All American Celebration where you can enjoy live music from Josh and the Empty Pockets, Rendition, and the Gina Glocksen Band at Bolingbrook’s Budweiser Concert Pavilion. Plus, food vendors, a beer garden and outdoor activities for kids and families alike from 3pm to 9:30pm. Fireworks start promptly at 9:15pm from the Bolingbrook Golf Course.
• Buffalo Grove Golf Course, July 4^th@ 9:15PM
  The Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band will delight with a special two hour pre-fireworks concert. This large and full range band has impressed audiences and will perform a variety of classic and contemporary symphonic band pieces as well as accompany the BG Singers. The annual fireworks display will immediately follow the concert, with excellent viewing from the Rotary Village Green, the Buffalo Grove Golf Course or Willow Stream.

• Cedar Lake, Indiana (7408 Constitution Avenue), July 4th @ 10AM
  Help celebrate the 30th Birthday of the Cedar Lake Summerfest over this Fourth of July!  Four fun days filled with: live music, fun food, and the annual Land Parade at 10AM on the Fourth.  Also, make sure to stop by and check out American English, the Complete Beatles Experience, on July 2nd @ 8:30PM.
• Channahon (Community Park on McClintock Road), July 4th @ 9:15PM
  Catch the Freedom Parade starting at 6pm. The celebration permits children to decorate bikes, wagons and anything else mobile to celebrate the holiday. The event also includes a concert at the park, games, activities (like a dunk tank and face painting). It all starts at 6pm and caps off with fireworks to end the evening.
• Chicago (Chicago History Museum-1601 North Clark Street), July 4th @ 10 AM
  Enjoy festivities for the entire family at the Chicago History Museum’s 52nd annual Fourth of July event.  It features U.S. Representative Mike Quigely as guest speaker, patriotic musical performances, and a children’s costume parade led by the World’s Tallest Uncle Sam!  Free admission to all outdoor activities.
• Chicago (The Comedy Sportz Theater-929 W. Belmont), July 4th @ 7PM
  Spend your Fourth of July laughing at the Comedy Sportz Theater, where they present 13 of Chicago’s best stand-up comedians–one for each stripe on Old Glory.  Admission is $10.
• Chicago (Navy Pier), July 4th @ 9PM
  Celebrate Fourth of July at the tourist attraction in the heart of Chicago with a great display of fireworks and choreographed patriotic soundtrack!
  
• Crown Point, Indiana (Lake County Fairgrounds), July 4th @ 9:30PM
  Crown Point is hosting their annual 4th of July festival that features a great parade and a night of fireworks.  There will be several parade judges scattered around, picking winners for the best float.  Attendees also include local officials and businesses.  Make sure to drop by for a night filled with family fun!
• Darien (Hinsdale South High School to Eisenhower Jr. High School), July 4th @ 9:30AM
  Spend your 4th of July day at the Lions 4th of July Parade and Picnic.The theme for this year is “Celebrating the Independence of Our Country and the 40th Anniversary of the Darien Lions.” The parade goes throughout town and offer awards for different entry categories.
• Des Plaines (Oakton Community College), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  At 5 p.m. the grounds at Oakton Community College will be available for picnicking, children’s games, pony rides and face painting. The fireworks will get underway at 9:30PM.
• Evanston Fireworks, July 4^th@ 9:15PM
  Fireworks will be launched from Clark Street Beach, following a live music performance. If you want your summertime fun to start even earlier, check out the parade at 2 p.m.
• Evergreen Park Parade and Fireworks, Saturday July 2^nd @ dusk
  Come early for the parade, which starts at 6:30 p.m. and heads to 91st and Richmond. Then stay for the fireworks show at dusk. Main activities take place at Duffy Park.
• Forest Park (Park District of Forest Park-7501 Harrison Street), July 4th @ 1PM
  Forest Park is putting on a huge celebration including fun, food, games, music, and bingo!  Also, Forest Park’s Panda Studios will be putting on a special Fourth of July show.  Sit and enjoy all different events before the fireworks at 9:15PM.
• Highland Park’s Fourth Fest (Sunset Woods Park) @ 11AM
  Bring the whole family out to Fourth Fest. Look forward to live entertainment, food, carnival games and inflatable rides. Entry to this event is free and game tickets will be offered at 3 for $1.
• Gary, Indiana Independence Day Festival @ 9:00AM
  The event kicks off at 25th Avenue and Broadway. Parade line-up is 7 a.m. The city boasts one of the best parades in Northwest Indiana, showcasing the community and saluting the concept of freedom. Genesus Center, one Genesus Court. Free activities for all ages, including rides, food, fireworks and more.
• Glenview Fourth of July Celebration, July 4th @11:30AM
  The parade starts at 11:30AM in the Our Lady of Perpetual Hope parking lot and travels west on Glenview Road, turns left on Harlem to Central, then travels west on Central ending at Johns Park. If you miss the parade make sure you come back for the Patriotic concert and fireworks at 7:30PM. This show can be seen from Glenview Park Golf Club, 800 Shermer Road.
• Hammond, Indiana (The Pavilion at Wolf Lake-2324 Calumet Avenue), July 4th @ 6PM
  All area residents are invited to attend Hammond’s yearly Independence Day Celebration this Fourth of July.  The park is open for a day of fun enjoying food from the various vendors while observing the beautiful lake setting.  Relax and enjoy the music of the Bill Porter Orchestra, while they play during the fireworks display, beginning when it gets dark!
• Highland, Indiana (Homestead Park), July 4th @ 9PM
  Join the residents of Highland, Indiana at their Fourth of July Festival.  July 4th,the event’s  “Patriots Day,” includes tons of fun activities.  Including: Bernie Glim, Acousticats Blues Rock, and Texas Flood all performing live in the park.  Also, the fireworks begin at dark in Homestead Park.
• Hoffman Estates (Village Hall Grounds), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  The fireworks display kicks off at 10 p.m., but there’s a lot going on all week. The Independence Day carnival runs from July 1-5.
• Joliet (Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park), July 3rd @ 9:15PM
  It’s an independence celebration on the day before. Stop out at Bille Limacher Bicentennial Park, 201 w. Jefferson Street, activities include live music, food and fireworks to end the evening.
• Lake Forest (Deerpath Community Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  Plan on starting your July 4th celebration at 5 p.m., when the Lake Forest Festival and Fireworks begins. You’ll find food and beverages from local restaurants, live music and a new tweens and teens area, capped off by fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $7.50 in advance, and $10 at the gate.
• La Porte, IN (La Porte County Fairgrounds), July 4th @ Dusk
  Activities start with Indiana’s largest 4th of July parade beginning at 10AM (look for K-HITS at the parade in the mix of 50,000 people!) and continue in the evening with activities at the La Porte County Fairgrounds and fireworks at dusk!
• Lemont (Centennial Park), July 3rd @ 3PM
  Ready for the Lemont Independence Day Extravaganza? The event features activities for all ages all day. Get your exercise in with the Freedom Run at 8 a.m., relax in the Lemont Park Foundation Beer Garden mid-afternoon, followed by music from the Neverly brothers at 4 p.m. and Pipe Dream at 7 p.m. The event also features an evening bean-bag tournament. Fireworks start at dusk.
• Lincolnshire (Spring Lake Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  Red, White & Boom!, the annual two-day Fourth of July celebration, begins with lots of kid-friendly events on July 3. The big show (along with live music, a cardboard boat regatta and more) occurs on the 4th.
• Lisle Eyes to the Skies Festival, June 29th to July 43rd
  Take hot air balloon rides, make crafts, eat food and enjoy live entertainment all at Community Park (1825 Short St). Also expect a fireworks show every night at 9:45pm. For only $5 how could you miss this?
• Lombard (Madison Meadow Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  The Taste of Lombard will feature more than just fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Get your fill of tasty eats like a lobster pita, fried Twinkies, cinnamon-roasted almonds, foot-long hotdogs and funnel cakes. Tons of live music is in store as well.
• Lockport Fourth of July Celebration, Saturday July 2^nd @ dusk
  Make your way to Dellwood Park in Lockport for games, concerts and fireworks beginning around 6:15 p.m. will make the 4th a day of fun in Lockport.
• Maywood (Bushwood Golf Dome), July 4th @ 12PM
  Make your way to Maywood over the July 4th weekend for some delicious dining and entertainment.  The village is putting on its annual “Bushwood Fourth of July Ribfest.”  Admission is $5.
• Mount Prospect (Mount Prospect Public Library), July 4th @ 1PM
  This Fourth of July, Mount Prospect is putting on a parade!  The theme this year is “Mount Prospect Creates Memories.”  Make your way to the parade route with you family and friends.
• Morton Grove (Harrer Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  A Community Parade kicks off at 2:30 p.m. at Central & Dempster and moves west to Harrer Park; hang out in the park for the afternoon, and snag a prime fireworks viewing spot. Fireworks blast off at 9:30 p.m.
• Mundelein (Festival Grounds), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  After enjoying Mundelein Community Days (July 2-4), featuring kids’ activities, live music and more, take in some fireworks on the 4th.
• Naperville (Knoch Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  Taking over the sky as part of Ribfest, Naperville’s 30-minute fireworks display begins at 9:30 p.m. Also part of Ribfest are music acts like Foghat and The Charlie Daniels Band. And, of course, ribs.
• The Nightingale Theater at 1084 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Sunday, July 3^rd@ 7PM
  There will be a FREE screening of Willie Nelson’s documentary Fourth of July Picnics in honor of the Fourth of July weekend, as well as The Nightingale’s third anniversary. This film is a rarely seen documentary about one of Nelson’s epically chaotic picnic concerts in the 1970s, up the street at Cinema Borealis.
• Northbrook (Technhy Park), July 4^th@ 8:45PM
  There are plenty of ways to celebrate the stars and stripes on the 4th. A mile-long float-filled parade kicks off at 2:30. Fireworks begin at dusk.
• Oakbrook Terrace (Terrace View Park), July 4th @ 9:30pm
  Tickets are available for the Picnic area from 4pm – 7pm. It’s free for residents and $10 for non-residents. Live music at 8pm from The Moods and fireworks begin at 9:30pm. No animals, alcohol or fireworks allowed.
• Oswego (Prairie Point Community Park), July 4th @ 9:30pm
  The annual fireworks event  returns July 4.  Get the best views from the parking lots of Eastview Elementary School, Traughber Junior High School, Prairie Point Elementary School and Oswego High School.
• Palatine (Community Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  Fireworks start at dark, around 9 p.m., but before they do indulge your playful side at the Hometown Fest (July 1-5).
• Plainfield Patriotic Picnic and Fireworks (Plainfield Central High School), July 3rd @ 5PM
  Bring a blanket, chairs, a picnic basket and anything else you can think of to this event. Look forward to an inflatable obstacle course, side walk chalk, family games, and so much more.This free picnic begins at 5PM and culminates with a fireworks display at dusk.
• Portage, Indiana Fourth of July Parade @ 11:00AM
  The Pride in Portage Committee sponsor the annual Fourth of July Parade July 4 starting at 11 a.m. The evening’s festivities will begin at 4 p.m. at Trumble Field with food vendors and family activities. Featured will be Fantasy Cakes trying to build the world’s largest cupcake for the Guinness Book of World Records. There will be live music from 4 to 6 p.m. The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra will perform an outdoor concert from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and the evening will close with a fireworks display.
• Romeoville (Village Park), July 4th @ 9:15PM
  The Independance Day Celebration starts at 7pm with live entertainment at the amphitheater at Deer Crossing Park and moves to Village Park with fireworks beginning at 9:15pm.
• Skokie 3-D Fireworks (Niles West High School), July 4^th
  Skokie’s Fourth of July parade kicks off at noon and features marching bands, tumblers, live animals, drill teams, clowns, vintage automobiles, and more from Oakton Community College on Lincoln Avenue to Oakton Street, then east from downtown to Oakton Park. The fun moves to Niles WestHigh School at 5 p.m., with 3-D firework action beginning at dusk. The first 10,000 people get free pair of 3-D glasses.
• Tinley Park (McCarthy Park), July 4th @ 9:15 PM
  Bring your family for some great entertainment to celebrate this years Independence Day!  The day kicks off at 4PM with the opening ceremonies, anc continues with children’s games, clowns, face painting, live entertainment and comes to a close with the fireworks display at 9:15 PM!
  
• Valparaiso, Indiana ( Thomas Jefferson Middle School), July 4th @ 7PM
  Make your way to Valparaiso for an evening of music and fireworks.  Beginning at 7PM, with the posting of the colors and Declaration of Independence, and music following by the Conservadellixs and Valparaiso High School Band.  Fireworks go off at dark!
• Vernon Hills (Century Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  You might want to take a nap after the morning parade: It’s going to be a full evening. Families will gather at Century Park at 6:30 p.m. to take in the sounds of J.P and the Cats. At approximately 9:30 p.m. the fireworks will overtake the skies over Big Bear and Little Bear Lakes.
• Warrenville Fourth of July Celebration, July 3rd and July 4th
  The excitment begins with a parade in downtown Warrenville at 4pm. It continues that night with live music at Cerny Park beginning at 5pm. That not all, on the f4th expect to see a 5k run, karaoke, fireworks and so much more.
• Waukegan Harbor, July 4^th@ 9:30PM
  Want to watch fireworks at the water’s edge? There’s no need to head all the way to Chicago. Waukegan Harbor will be ablaze at 9:30 p.m.
• Wilmette (Gillson Park), July 3^rd@ 9:30PM
  Games and rides for children, entertainment, roving performers, and a Tastefest are all part of the festivities beginning at 4 p.m. A traditional concert of patriotic music by the Palatine Concert Band is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Wallace Bowl. It will be preceded by a sneak preview of this summer’s Broadway Show Sneak Preview: “The Sound of Music.” The Grand Fireworks display lights up the sky at 9:30 p.m. There will be shuttle bus service for $3.50 round-trip.
• Winnetka (Duke Child’s Field), July 4^th@ 9:15PM
  Pack a picnic dinner and listen to kids’ music at the Fourth Fest, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. There will be face painters, a moon walk and and mini-golf as well. Fireworks with recorded musical accompaniment begins at 9:15 p.m.  If you want to start early, there will be a parade at 1 p.m. and other events beginning at 2 p.m.
• Whiting, Indiana Fourth Of July Celebration And Parade
  July 3, 4 and 5 is the Fourth Of July Celebration And Parade. July 3 is bingo, beer garden, High Noon Band. July 4 the parade steps off at 10 a.m. at Lakefront Park, followed by the beer garden, The Meteors (50′s-60′s Live Band.) July 5 is Senior Citizens Day from 2 to 5 p.m. with the Touch Of Class band, food fest, beer garden and live bands. Free admission.
• Woodridge (Castaldo Park), July 4th @ 11AM
  Join in on the fun for the 44th annual Fourth of July picnic in Woodridge. Music, food, drinks and acvities for children and family alike including rides.
• Zion (Shiloh Park), July 4^th@ 9:30PM |
  A full day of food, fun, music (from the FullScore Chamber Orchestra) and a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.

Did we miss some of the local 4th of July celebrations? Leave a comment or shoot us an e-mail at promotions@khitschicago.com

With a wind and rain storm in the area,

“Tornado warning!” was the message with instructions to head to the lower level. While it is a secret dream of mine to chase tornadoes, I didn’t particularly want to see one from the interior hallway of a motel.

John was the management on duty and he calmly gave instructions about the safest points on the lower level where we could ride out the storm. He took a head count, room-by-room and firmly told one lady to take her “Oh-so-important” cell call to the bathroom as he was giving instructions to the rest of the group.

It is easy to dismiss what John did by moving people to a safe area:

• He was just doing his job
• The motel’s insurance required such action
• He would have been fired if he had not done so.

True enough. Yet what John did was exactly what heroes do.  They do their job. They stay in command. They help people.

The morning’s light revealed numberous trees that had been toppled. The lady on the cell phone complained to us the next morning that the electrical loss caused her room’s fire detector to beep all night. (Justice served. Just eight hours earlier she was the one making all the noise). While a few guest might have begrudged having to sit in the hallway, a motel falling on one’s head is certainly a worse fate.

John’s actions may not be considered “Heroic.” Yet everyone who walked out of the Country Suites the next morning should reflect how different their next Chicago day would have been if the storm had been stronger or if John’s leadership had been weaker.

***

The Bensenville Country Inn and Suites can be found on their website and is located near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

***

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As WBBM Newsradio 780′s Regine Schlesinger reports, the bodies are being unearthed as the city demolishes St. Johannes Cemetery in Bensenville to make way for a new runway at O’Hare.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Regine Schlesinger reports

Some families of those buried at St. Johannes have said the city is being sensitive and respectful in the relocation of graves to other cemeteries. But some relatives have told the Chicago Tribune that the process is flawed.

Alice Ashley, of Florida, has 10 relatives buried at St. Johannes, but she was allowed to choose where only two of them would be reburied. Other relatives whom she’s never met decided where the other family members’ bodies would go.

Rev. Michael Kirchoff, of St. John’s United Church of Christ – which used to manage the cemetery – said it’s a painstaking and complicated challenge to relocate the bodies at St. Johannes.

“It’s time-consuming, it’s a lot of details and there’s been concerns by family members, knowing the condition of any remains of their loved ones, they’re concerned that some of those will be left behind,” he said. “Many of these people interred out at St. Johannes were buried over 160 years ago.”

The city and church have said they are doing all they can to work with families and find the proper relatives to decide about relocating bodies buried there. City officials have hired a board-certified geneaologist to analyze original church records in an effort to contact the proper next of kin.

As WBBM Newsradio 780’s Dave Berner reports, this is the first year for a Special Olympic team at Fenton, at 1000 W. Green St. in the western suburb.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Dave Berner reports

The basketball team is going to the state tournament.

“We play in the district finals; we win the district finals, so we’re district champs, and then you get a bid at the state tournament,” said Josh Payton, the team’s coach. “I can’t believe it.”

Thirteen players will go to downstate Bloomington to play two games. The first is on Friday, and if they win, they will play for the championship on Saturday.

“There are some coaches that will go their entire career trying to go to the state championship,” Payton said. “For me, and for these kids, and for the assistant coaches, I think that this opportunity at a state championship is just as important; just as meaningful, if not more, than a mainstream athletic team.”

Parents are equally excited.

“I’ve never gone to a basketball game in the past, rooting for the kids on the other team,” said Tom Krajecki, whose son, William, is on the team. But in the Special Olympic basketball games, he roots for both teams, and “it’s awesome.”

Added William, “I hope we win.”

Robert Molitor is also one of the 13 players going to Bloomington.

“It feels awesome,” he said. “I feel like an NBA player.”

The team needed to raise $2,000 to pay for the trip, and they got it from the community, including a benefit basketball game between the Bensenville police and fire departments and Fenton faculty.

Find Resthaven Cemetery

Find Saint Johannes Cemetery

The Supreme Court refused to review a lower court decision allowing the city to move about 1,000 graves from St. Johannes Cemetery in Bensenville, which is in the path of a new runway.

St. John’s United Church of Christ, which operates the 6.3-acre cemetery, argued that it would be too painful for families with loved ones buried there.

The city is working with the families to relocate the gravesites.

Late last year, the City Council approved a plan to issue $1 billion in bonds for the O’Hare expansion project. Last week, reports surfaced that Moody’s had downgraded some of the bonds, because the city has been unable to get financial support from the airlines.

The O’Hare Modernization Program calls for building one new runway, extending another runway and relocating a third. A new northern runway opened in November 2008.

In addition to the relocation of the cemetery, about 500 former homes and businesses in Bensenville are being demolished to make way for the expanded airport.

Overall, the $15 billion expansion project is less than halfway done.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

BENSENVILLE (CBS/WBBM) — Some of the people buried in St. Johannes Cemetery in Bensenville are soldiers remembered for giving their lives in service of their country.

But now, their graves are in the path of the expansion of O’Hare International Airport. The likelihood that the graves will be moved is adding a new storyline to this Veterans Day in the west suburban cemetery.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780′s Regine Schlesinger Reports

From a distance, the small gathering looked like a solemn ceremony at an ordinary cemetery. But turn and look toward the fence, and you’ll find runways with planes taxiing.

[worldnow id=5283475 width=385 height=255 type=video]

Soon, there won’t be a fence separating the cemetery from the airport. The City of Chicago won its court fight to use the land for the O’Hare Modernization Project, and the bodies must be moved.

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War were honoring some veterans of the conflict that are buried at St. Johannes.

One such veteran is the Rev. William Boerner, the fourth pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Bensenville, who fought at Gettysburg and was wounded in the battle.

Pastor Boerner died in 1889 and was buried at St. Johannes, long before there was any such thing as an airport. But the Civil War group still holds a ceremony for Boerner and the other veterans who were laid to rest at St. Johannes over the past 150 years.

“We have three of our Civil War brothers laid to rest here, and we want to pay tribute not just to them, but all of those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Steve Westlake of Willow Springs, a member of the group and a veteran himself.

They paid tribute in the small ceremony, using a bugle, prayers and song.

“You know, you do a certain number of things in your lifetime that are worthwhile. I haven’t got a whole lot of things on my list,” said Sons of the Union Veterans Chaplain Rev. Jerome Kowalski. “This is one of them that was worthwhile, because of the honor that these veterans received, possibly for the last time.”

The sons of union veterans don’t take a public stand on whether the graves should be forcibly moved to make way for the airport.

“This is not a political statement or a protest of any kind. It’s simply to honor the veterans,” Kowalski said.

But not all the veterans who came to the cemetery were taking a neutral stance. Chuck Campos believes moving the remains amounts to desecration.

“It’s a shame that money talks, and it’s interfering with this cemetery here, both where the veterans are buried here and the non-veterans – that somebody likes to take over and destroy a so-called landmark,” Campos said.

Some 20 veterans from the Civil through Korean wars are buried at St. Johannes.

The Illinois Supreme Court still must rule before any demolition goes ahead at the cemetery. But many believe it’s just a matter of time until O’Hare expansion plows ahead.

CBS 2′s Mike Puccinelli and Newsradio 780′s Regine Schlesinger contributed to this report.

About 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Bensenville police responded to the holdup at the Chase Bank branch, 133 W. Grand Ave. They were told by bank employees that a man had entered the bank alone and presented a note to a teller, demanding that the teller give him money from a teller’s drawer, Bensenville police said this afternoon in a news release.

The teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money, and the man then walked out of the bank and entered a tan or silver Chevrolet Impala that was parked in the lot, the release stated. The man was last seen driving away alone.

He is described as Hispanic, 25 to 30 years old, 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 190 to 210 pounds and is unshaven, the release stated. The man was wearing a dark knit cap with a Chicago Blackhawks emblem, sunglasses and a dark jacket.

Bensenville police and the FBI were investigating the case, along with Illinois State Police. Anyone with information about the case should Bensenville police, 630-350-3455.

Permits had been granted to start moving the first of 300 bodies from St. Johannes Cemetery in Bensenville Thursday.

DuPage County Judge Hollis Webster had ruled last year that the city could transfer the 900 graves from the 6.3-acre St. Johannes Cemetery, which is owned by St. John’s United Church of Christ.

But the State Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that no bodies can be moved, pending another hearing.

Last month, the City Council approved a plan to issue $1 billion in new bonds for the O’Hare Modernization Project, which is still less than halfway done.

The project has calls for building one new runway, extending another runway and relocating a third. A new northern runway opened in November 2008, and about 500 former homes and businesses in west suburban Bensenville are being demolished to make way for the expanded airport.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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5. 50′s Bubbler Jukebox (Indoor Activities & Arcades) : We can put together an Indoor Activities & Arcades Package for your event.  No coins, all games set to FREE play.

We Get Extreme – Team Building, Extreme Sports, Extreme Games, Extreme Rides, with The Fun Ones, you can choose how extreme you want to be: Experience the thrills of weightlessness as you achieve heights of up to 20 feet with our Euro Bungy. Try to survive the most extreme obstacle course ever made, The Survivor (with over 120 feet of obstacles, a 40 foot long suspension bridge, a steep slide and a 40 foot long Zip Line). We even have the Tallest Rock Climbing Wall In Illinois! Our State-of-the-Art 32 foot tall 4 person climbing rock wall with an extreme overhang.  If you think you are as tough as the cowboys on the PBR, try riding our mechanical bull.

Carnival Rides – Our colorful Celebration Train holds up to 26 riders with a maximum height of 42 inches, and can be setup indoors or outdoors. Our Trackless Train operates with no tracks and no electricity and can carry children and adults. Our Kiddie Ferris Wheel, with 5 safety cages & colorful lights making it stand out at any event. Our carnival chair swing has 16 chair swings, so 16 children can ride at the same time. A must for large events.

Concession Equipment – The party’s not complete without the food.  Make it a FUN ONE and serve your guests with our fun food machines including cotton candy machines, snow cone machines, popcorn machines with popcorn carts, frozen drink machines, nacho cheese machines, pretzel warmers, hot dog steamers and pucker powder pixie sticks.

Indoor Games & Casino Tables – Having an indoor event? We have a huge selection of Indoor Games & Casino Tables to choose from. Pool Tables, Pinball Machines, Dart Boards, Foosball, Cruisin’ USA Car Driving Video Game, Arcade Games, Golden Tee, Dome Table Hockey, World Class Bowling, Air Hockey, Quarterback Attack, Pop A Shot, NASCAR Pit Stop Challenge, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker, Poker Pinball, and much more!

Entertainers - Amuse and entertain at any event with a child birthday party costume character, balloon twister, clown, magician, disc jockey, face painter or puppeteer.  Our variety of entertainers will create memories that will not soon be forgotten.

Interactive Games – Interactive games provide competition at it’s “funniest”!  Battle it out and laugh it up with the mechanical bull, laser tag, joust, boxing ring, sumo suits, bungee run, dodge ball dome, pop a shot, speed pitch, wacky trikes, obstacle courses, dunk tank, 9 hole mini golf, human spheres, human rollers, money machine and the areas tallest rock climbing wall.

Carnival Packages – Our packages come with different sizes and selections for a variety of events.  Carnival Packages and Fun Fair Packages can include carnival games, prizes, entertainers, inflatables, slides, balloon twisters, face painters and concession machines.  Carnival Rides include Trackless Trains, Electric Trains, Kiddie Ferris Wheel, and Kiddie Chair Swings.  Pick your package and pick your price, we’ll put all the pieces together for you.

Inflatables - They’ve been called Bounce Houses, Moonwalks, Moon Jumps, Kids Jumpers, Spacewalks, Jumping Jacks, Castle Jumpy Things.  No matter what you call them, kids love to jump in them!  We have just about every style and theme you can think of in every shape and size.  You have a choice of jumps that include slides, basketball hoops, obstacle courses, ball pits and climbing walls.  We have the largest selection of licensed and themed Bounce Houses to accommodate any event.

And Much Much More! – To make it loud and clear…we have everything!  We also provide Sound Systems and Projectors for meetings, DJ’s, and outdoor events… And you can create Drive In Movies anywhere you like.  Our 15 x 25 foot Inflatable Movie Screen brings the theater to you and entertains and “Wows” your guests of all ages.  We’ll even bring the popcorn and the servers.  Great for late night outdoor Graduation parties.  If you want share the memories at your event with others, our photo booths will produce black and white or color photos that will last a lifetime.  For the ultimate experience in audio video fun, we have green screen karaoke.

Please also visit our partner sites:

• www.thefunones.com
• www.mechanicalbullchicago.com
• www.rentchicagophotobooth.com
• www.rockclimbingchicago.com
• www.santaclauschicago.com
• www.chicagosportsgames.com
• www.chicagojumps.com

We service the following communities in Illinois: Addison, Algonquin, Alsip, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Batavia, Bellwood, Bensenville, Berkley, Berwyn, Bloomingdale, Bolingbrook, Bridgeview, Broadview, Brookfield, Buffalo Grove, Burbank, Burr Ridge, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Cary, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Chicago Ridge, Cicero, Clarendon Hills, Crystal Lake, Darien, Deerfield, Deer Park, DeKalb, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glendale Heights, Glenview, Hanover Park, Hazel Crest, Hickory Hills, Highland Park, Hillside, Hinsdale, Hodgkins, Hoffman Estates, Homer Glen, Inverness, Itasca, Joliet, Kenosha, Kenilworth, Kildeer, LaGrange, LaGrange Highlands, Indian Head Park, Lake Forest, Lemont, Libertyville, Lincolnwood, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lockport. Lombard, Long Grove, Lyons, Maywood, Medinah, Melrose Park, Milwaukee, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Naperville, Niles, Norridge, Northbrook, Northlake, Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace, , Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Palatine, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Palos Park, Park Ridge, Plainfield, River Forest, River Grove, Riverside, Riverwoods, Rockford, Rolling Meadows, River Forest, Romeoville, Roselle, St. Charles, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Skokie, South Barrington, Villa Park, Warrenville, Waukegan, Wayne, Westchester, Western Springs, West Chicago, Westmont, Wheaton, Wheeling, Willowbrook, Willow Springs, Wilmette, Winnetka, Winfield, Wood Dale, Woodridge Illinois.  We do service additional areas on a case by case basis.

We service the following States on a case by case basis: Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana.

Services we provide: Company Picnics, Post Prom, After Prom, School Lock In, Picnic Games, Obstacle Courses, Team Building, Team Bonding, Teambuilding, School Carnival, Carnival Prizes, Redemption Booth, Birthday Party Jumps, Game Shows, DJ’s, Costume Entertainer, Magician, Clown, Face Painter, Air Brush Tattoos, Balloon Twister, Trade Booth Attractions, Master of Ceremony, Fraternity and Sorority Rush Games, Bar Mitzvah Entertainment, Bat Mitzvah Entertainment, Holiday Party, Santa Visit, Casino Night, Las Vegas Night, Casino Party, Bar Mitzvah Entertainment, Bat Mitzvah Entertainment, Holiday Party, Santa Visit, Casino Night, Las Vegas Night, Casino Party

Local zip codes we deliver to: 60101, 60502, 60503, 60504, 60572, 60598, 60103, 60105, 60106, 60399, 60108, 60117, 60527, 60116, 60122, 60128, 60132, 60188, 60197, 60199, 60514, 60514, 60561, 60515, 60516, 60517, 60126, 60519, 60572, 60599, 60137, 60138, 60137, 60139, 60137, 60139, 60521, 60522, 60523, 60143, 60532, 60148, 60157, 60540, 60563, 60565, 60566, 60567, 60185, 60521, 60521, 60522, 60523, 60521, 60181, 60181, 60103, 60172, 60181, 60555, 60184, 60185, 60186, 60559, 60187, 60189, 60527, 60190, 60191, 60399, 60517, 60803, 60501, 60004, 60005, 60006, 60004, 60005, 60006, 60133, 60455, 60458, 60459, 60499, 60501, 60629, 60638, 60104, 60163, 60402, 60406, 60455, 60153, 60155, 60513, 60459, 60633, 60409, 60643, 60827, 60290, 60601, 60602, 60603, 60604, 60605, 60606, 60607, 60608, 60609, 60610, 60611, 60612, 60613, 60614, 60615, 60616, 60617, 60618, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60622, 60623, 60624, 60625, 60626, 60628, 60629, 60630, 60631, 60632, 60633, 60634, 60636, 60637, 60638, 60639, 60640, 60641, 60642, 60643, 60644, 60645, 60646, 60647, 60649, 60651, 60652, 60653, 60654, 60655, 60656, 60657, 60659, 60660, 60661, 60664, 60666, 60668, 60669, 60670, 60673, 60674, 60675, 60677, 60678, 60680, 60681, 60682, 60684, 60685, 60686, 60687, 60688, 60689, 60690, 60691, 60693, 60694, 60695, 60696, 60697, 60699, 60701, 60706, 60707, 60803, 60804, 60805, 60827, 60411, 60412, 60411, 60412, 60415, 60804, 60478, 60478, 60525, 60445, 60478, 60016, 60017, 60018, 60019, 60426, 60419, 60007, 60009, 60007, 60009, 60707, 60201, 60202, 60203, 60204, 60208, 60209, 60805, 60805, 60422, 60411, 60130, 60402, 60131, 60022, 60025, 60026, 60425, 60029, 60133, 60426, 60428, 60656, 60706, 60630, 60634, 60656, 60706, 60429, 60457, 60162, 60163, 60141, 60525, 60067, 60169, 60179, 60192, 60195, 60196, 60067, 60169, 60179, 60192, 60195, 60196, 60456, 60422, 60430, 60525, 60525, 60525, 60525, 60067, 60630, 60630, 60458, 60043, 60074, 60525, 60525, 60526, 60526, 60525, 60438, 60439, 60645, 60646, 60659, 60712, 60411, 60534, 60426, 60428, 60443, 60153, 60155, 60525, 60160, 60161, 60163, 60164, 60165, 60655, 60803, 60655, 60803, 60445, 60053, 60655, 60056, 60655, 60056, 60546, 60714, 60634, 60656, 60706, 60546, 60062, 60065, 60093, 60164, 60452, 60453, 60454, 60455, 60456, 60457, 60458, 60459, 60301, 60302, 60303, 60304, 60461, 60461, 60477, 60487, 60462, 60467, 60038, 60055, 60067, 60074, 60078, 60094, 60095, 60463, 60465, 60464, 60466, 60068, 60426, 60469, 60070, 60070, 60471, 60305, 60171, 60827, 60546, 60472, 60008, 60008, 60018, 60019, 60411, 60411, 60411, 60411, 60159, 60168, 60173, 60179, 60193, 60194, 60195, 60196, 60131, 60176, 60076, 60077, 60411, 60473, 60499, 60499, 60475, 60402, 60165, 60107, 60501, 60501, 60082, 60476, 60477, 60478, 60487, 60466, 60466, 60154, 60558, 60558, 60090, 60642, 60480, 60480, 60091, 60093, 60482, 60505, 60506, 60507, 60568, 60510, 60539, 60511, 60109, 60119, 60124, 60140, 60174, 60175, 60110, 60110, 60118, 60118, 60119, 60120, 60121, 60123, 60124, 60134, 60136, 60140, 60120, 60144, 60147, 60151, 60539, 60542, 60140, 60124, 60170, 60174, 60175, 60118, 60177, 60174, 60410, 60175, 60554, 60151, 60183, 60118, 60064, 60002, 60015, 60010, 60011, 60083, 60087, 60099, 60089, 60010, 60015, 60064, 60037, 60020, 60010, 60010, 60030, 60030, 60088, 60031, 60030, 60073, 60047, 60047, 60035, 60037, 60040, 60010, 60010, 60061, 60041, 60010, 60042, 60010, 60047, 60010, 60084, 60044, 60045, 60046, 60047, 60049, 60048, 60092, 60069, 60046, 60010, 60084, 60047, 60049, 60060, 60045, 60060, 60010, 60010, 60064, 60086, 60088, 60002, 60083, 60002, 60083, 60085, 60010, 60069, 60069, 60010, 60015, 60073, 60073, 60073, 60073, 60073, 60073, 60073, 60075, 60010, 60010, 60030, 60010, 60061, 60020, 60030, 60041, 60073, 60083, 60084, 60079, 60085, 60087, 60096, 60096, 60099, 60512, 60536, 60537, 60538, 60538, 60541, 60543, 60545, 60560

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Bring supplies.

Most people who went there had their own Sharpies to hand to players, and some even had jerseys put up on cardboard or flat panels so that players didn’t have to worry about finding a hard surface to write on. Myself, I only had with me two Sharpies, my Keith jersey, and two caps– one for me, and the other for @carolineduda.

Know where to go.

The best way to get to the arena is by driving there, but it is accessible by commute. Take the Metra’s Milwaukee District – West line headed to Elgin from the Union Station and get off at Bensenville. It’s 30 minutes away by train, and another 25 minutes on foot. (You can probably call for a cab from the station though. I would have if I didn’t end up with plenty of time to make the trek to and from the arena.) It isn’t very far from O’Hare either, so you can also probably pick up a taxi from the airport if that’s easier.

Come early, leave late. 

The Blackhawks practice anywhere between 10am to 11am, but players come in earlier than that, and your best bet is to meet them as they enter The Edge. Some of them come in super early, and some of them leave super late, and really it’s up to you to decide how long you would want to wait. Nothing is set, to be honest, and it’s a combination of luck and effort, in the end.

Alternate. 

The Edge has three parking lots– one at the back (which has been roped off to avoid cars accidentally backing into people), one at the front across the street, and another to the side. There are two entrances as well– the back door and the front entrance. Players used to park out front but since more fans have been watching them practice, it’s gotten harder to enter that way without signing for a few minutes, so most of them park in the back. It may be advisable to stay in the back, because when people like Kris Versteeg, Jonathan Toews, or Cristobal Huet come in through the front you’ll be able to tell by the crowd that starts gathering there, and you can always catch up to them.

Talk to the fans. 

Some of the fans out there will know infinitely more about what’s going on than I ever will–talk to them! Make friends! They’ll tell you which cars the players drive (You know Tazer and Kaner have Tahoes, and Versteeg apparently drives a Hummer), which ones usually sign autographs (Huet and Toews, hands down; Patrick Sharp used to but not as often anymore), and so on.

One woman told me about the time her daughter and her friends went out with the boys one time, and one of the girlfriends, who knew absolutely nothing about hockey, turned to Patrick Kane and asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Ready? Get set. Go!

Notice the St Patrick's Day Cubs cap.

Jonathan Toews was not the first player to come in, but somehow I’d forgotten to take photos when David Bolland entered (through the back, and looking rather grumpy– at being up so early in the morning, I hope) nor when Kris Versteeg walked in. (Should have told him I had Glamorous stuck in my head thanks to him.)

Toews, however, did stay long enough that I gathered my senses soon enough to snap a couple of photos. He posed with the kiddies, but I was rather unable to say anything so all I got was of his cap. Sorry. :\

Huet came in after and I was hardly able to get the autograph, let alone a photo. Some guy asked him about his son being a goalie and Huet said, “Well, only if he wants to.” D’awww.

Practice happened, and I was even worse at taking photos.

So then the team started practicing, and I went to grab lunch–for $5 I had a disgusting pork BBQ sandwich, chips, and a soda– and tried to snap photos from where I can. The lines were Sharp-Toews-Brouwer, Kane-Pahlsson-Versteeg, the regular Ladd-Bolland-Havlat, and Eager-Fraser-Burish. Now that Eager has been suspended for three games I’m not sure if Byfuglien is gonna end up out of defense again or not. I guess we’ll see. Practice ended fairly quickly afterward, though. It started at 11:45 and was done about an hour later.

I went out to the back parking lot, figuring I’d already gotten the front-entrance players, and managed to get Soupy and Burish, as well as my ability to make small talk. “Nice hit!” “Great goal!” I missed Havlat because of the crowd, sadly, and Patrick Kane went out to sign only for the kiddies before his dad drove them out, running two red lights in the process. (Or so reported the boy who ran after their car. Um.)

Awkward, but sweet.

Khabibulin drove off, and Seabrook also snuck out, and I waited around for a bit. I’d been told some players could stay out as late as 3pm or 4pm, and it was only close to about 1pm, so there was plenty of time to wait, but I really had my heart set on getting both Keith (jersey!) and Sharp (since I missed his signing). 

Finally, they were outside. Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith came out at the same time (look at that, how lucky) and were both signing autographs for the fans in the back.

I walked up to the crowd, finally managing to get my way up to the front. A little awkwardly, I managed to snap a photo of Patrick Sharp. (I would have asked him to look up and pose for Caroline’s benefit, but as I had to ask him to sign the caps twice I felt like I was asking for too much already, haha.)

Well, he's a hell of a player.

Both players were basically going back and forth signing things that hadn’t been signed yet, and for Keith I held out the jersey and caps.

“Hell of a jersey!” said he. (I have quoted this too many times. I cannot help it. It pleased me.)

“I know!” said I, rather lamely. (Half an hour later, my lightning wit finally struck, and I realize I should said something more along the lines of the caption under his photo. Tragic, the things left unsaid.)

And he signed my jersey and the caps. (“I have two nephews!” I blurted out. “Oh really?” he said. Not that either of my nephews were even hockey fans, but I figured it sounded less creepy than “My BFF and I think you’re the best and your minutes are insane and you’ll get your +/- back will you stay a Blackhawks forever pretty please?”)

After a few minutes, both of them drove off (same car, yes; Sharpie on the wheel, if anyone wanted to know). It was about 1:15pm by then, and I’d gotten autographs from Bolland, Versteeg, Toews, Huet, Campbell, Burish, Sharp and Keith. It kind of felt like Christmas, and I figured it was a good last autograph note to end on, so I made my way back to the train station.

Which autograph is whose?

I used a Metallic Silver Sharpie, so the light reflected off it. Oops.

Here's a better view.

“Hell of a jersey,” he said.

It was a hell of a day, I decided.

Chicago Illinois Euro Bungy Euro Bungee Eurobungy Eurobungy Trampoline Rental

 

If you are looking for eXtreme fun and something unique, the Euro Bungy is it.   A super trampoline system, that enables the participant to jump over two stories high accomplishing gravity defying maneuvers.  Multiple bungee cords are attached to a harness (in which the jumper is safely secured) which super boost the traditional trampoline experience, giving a gravity defying ride that has all the adrenaline of bungee jumping, but none of the risk.  Anyone from 30 pounds to 200 pounds can Bungy jump and bounce.  Each person is safely in a harness that allows them to bounce over 20 feet high!!!  If you are daring, you can do front flips and back flips.  The Eurobungy accommodates up to four bungy jumpers at once.  We can also setup half the jumping stations for events with limited space.  

Chicago Illinois Euro Bungy Euro Bungee Eurobungee Eurobungy Rental Trampoline

“Popejoy, who last week ruled that Chicago could begin demolition of the properties, said that he was issuing the order to allow attorneys for Bensenville to file an appeal with the 2nd District Illinois Appellate Court of his ruling.”

Mayor Daley, reacting from Beijing, ordered city workers to demolish Popejoy’s home and carve a giant X in his driveway.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Popejoy prohibited any work from occurring at properties in the 300 acres that the city of Chicago has acquiried to enhance O’Hare International Airport. This will give Bensenville attorneys time to craft an appeal of a ruling last week that gave Chicago the green light to move ahead with the project.

This is a small victory in a long war with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. But Bensenville officials should be aware that Daley has the patience and clout to eventually get what he wants.

Five years ago, he ordered demolition crews to start ripping up Meigs Field on the city’s lakefront in the middle of the night. This followed a protracted battle over Meigs with Govs. Jim Edgar, George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich. Daley didn’t even bother telling officials with the Chicago Fire Department that Meigs Field was being demolished that night, and they had an air and sea rescue team stationed there.

Daley also recently prevailed in his quest to cram the Chicago Children’s Museum underneath Grant Park. This was despite substantial opposition to the plan.

So Bensenville gets an A for sticking to its guns, but Daley’s resources are enough to wear down just about any opponent. It has already proven to be a lengthy and costly battle. Village President John Geils should realize that it’s highly doubtful Bensenville will prevail against Chicago, cut his losses and move on.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

A) That’s what happens now when you don’t pay your parking tickets.

B) The city offered to move the homeowners to the Midway neighborhood as compensation.

C) The Bensenville Liberation Army issued a statement over Radio Free Bensenville vowing to resist imperial Chicago forces.

“There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it.”

- From The Handmaid’s Tale

I read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time when I was still a teenager and it had a profound effect on me. I have read it several times since. The above bit of dialogue is what comes to mind first whenever I think of the book and its relevance to our current society. Which do we want? Freedom to do as we please as long as we’re not causing harm to others (or maybe even if we are, according to the judgment of some), or freedom from a subjective list of harms that could befall us? Obviously there is a very messy line between the two, and potential for a lot of overlap, but in my mind the conceptual difference between them is vast.

I live in Chicago, a city that recently has gotten some attention for its infamous and failed ban on foie gras, and also for its recent designation by Reason Magazine as the country’s worst nanny state:

Chicago reigns supreme when it comes to treating its citizens like children (Las Vegas topped our rankings as America’s freest city). Chicagoans pay the second-highest cigarette tax in the country, and the sixth-highest tax on alcohol. Chicago has more traffic-light cameras than any city in America (despite studies questioning their effectiveness), restricts cell phone use while driving, and it’s quickly moving toward a creepy public surveillance system similar to London’s.

Chicago also has banned handgun ownership (and has made no move to reexamine said ban in light of the recent Supreme Court decision), limits trans fats in restaurants, has only 1,300 bars (compared with over 7,000 in the 1940s). I will also include in this category the unfortunate city of Bensenville, which has the tragic honor of being adjacent to O’Hare airport, and atop the new expansion site. It is now a ghost town of boarded up houses and businesses, awaiting its final and inevitable fate at the hands of the courts (let’s call this one “freedom from property”). I should also mention the ban on cell phone use, but not cosmetics application, newspaper reading or picking one’s nose, while driving (“freedom from distraction by cellular communication”), and Mayor Emperor Richard Daley’s approval and support of relocating the Chicago Children’s Museum from Navy Pier to Grant Park. Grant Park’s 1836 mandate describes it as “a common to remain forever open, clear and free of any buildings, or other obstruction whatever” (“freedom from open public space”). Chicago is even considering a ban on text messaging while walking in intersections (“freedom from death by idiocy, OMFG, LOL”).

Nationally, to this list I’ll add our expensive misadventure in Iraq (“freedom from the presence of Islamic dictatorships in strategic oil-rich regions”), the likewise expensive and ultimately ill-fated border fence (“freedom from feeling like the government isn’t doing anything about the immigration problem”), the war on drugs (“freedom from mind altering chemicals without a prescription excluding caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and chocolate”), the government bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with other bailouts and corporate subsidy programs including the Farm Bill (“freedom from capitalism”), and some dubious social programs and “incentives” (“freedom from personal responsibility”).

Add to this a plethora of local and municipal fees and regulations, vehicle and pet registration dues, sin taxes, bottled water taxes and taxes to fund mismanaged, woefully inadequate prisons and public school systems (“freedom from liquidity”).

Personally, I would like to live in a nation where “freedom to” is the guiding principle. I would like to live in a city where owners of private businesses are free to allow their customers to smoke cigarettes, with thanks to those who, thinking like entrepreneurs, also offer well-ventilated, smoke-free areas. I would like to live in a city where, in accordance with the Second Amendment, I am free to legally own a hand gun, just like city officials currently are. I would like to live in a state where I am free to decide if my child is tall enough or weighs enough to safely ride in the car without a car seat. I would like to live in a city where, while driving, I am free to take or make an important phone call. I would like to live in a state where I am free to send my child to private school using my un-property tax money. I would like the freedom, as a law abiding citizen, to talk on the phone with confidence, knowing that the government respects my right to privacy. I would like the freedom, here where I live, to breathe unpolluted outdoor air, to drink pharmaceutical and chemical-free water and to have access to a renewable energy grid. Most importantly, though, I would like my country to preserve my freedom to live under a faithfully observed Constitution, and likewise to preserve my freedom from tyranny, including from laws that attempt to protect me from myself. I’m doin’ just fine, thanks.

We drove up Wednesday morning in time to catch the crit in Bensenville, IL, which is on the west side of Chicago. The ride was decent, though HOT. By the time we got to Bensenville it was a whopping 85 degrees and pretty miserable even in the shade.

The race went “well” considering the drive, the heat, etc. The Womens 1/2/3 race was 55km (!!!) which translated into 48 loops on the crit course. It had three turns, two straightaways and then a winding section. There were 70 ladies registered, but I would guess closer to 50 started. I started about halfway back on the line but managed to move up into the first 20 pretty quickly. I was comfortable, but the pace was faster than anything I’ve done yet this year. The course was pretty wide open, so each lap it was an all out fight to stay up front. I was able to manage all the corners without braking in warm up, but there were so many ladies hitting their brakes that the screeching sound started to get to me and I eventually fell into the braking trap as well.

With 30ish laps to go, I hit my brakes too hard on the tightest turn, coming into the winding, headwind section. I was in too hard of a gear and couldn’t jump to keep my place up front. Struggling through the headwind, I ended up in the back of the pack, which had dwindled to about 40 ladies at that point. I came unglued with the next acceleration and just wasn’t able to chase on. I pulled out, thinking it was better to save the legs for the next day.

In the end, 36 ladies finished our race. For me, the day ended in a super race hangover even though I drank as much water as I could.

After the race, we drove up to Milwaukee. Chicago traffic is awful! We’re staying up here with Jon Royal, a friend from collegiate days. He and his roommates have been awesome to have us this week. Thanks Jon!