Susan DeGrane – Page 3

Anna, Eowin and Juan Hernandez, of Blue Island, take a short break while attending the Eisenhower Spooktacular on Tuesday in Blue Island. (Susan DeGrane/Daily Southtown)

Eisenhower Spooktacular brings students, community together for Halloween fun

October 30, 2024 at 1:57 p.m.

Personable pythons, costumed cops and plenty of candy combined to draw a large crowd for the annual event in Blue Island.

Marianne Kozlowski, volunteer site steward at Eggers Grove, stands amid dried native grasses there. “Touching the tops of Indian grass is like petting a soft kitten,” she said. (Susan DeGrane/Daily Southtown)

Good seeds: Stewards make sure native plants stay in Calumet area preserves

October 29, 2024 at 3:52 p.m.

At Calumet area forest preserves, seed-saving efforts ensuring native plants repopulate plots cleared of invasive species.

Robert Landuyt, deacon at St. Gianna Parish, leads a candlelight vigil Oct. 10, 2024, to recognize victims of domestic violence and spread awareness at OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park. (Susan DeGrane/for the Daily Southtown)

Catholic parishes hold domestic violence vigil at Little Company of Mary

October 11, 2024 at 4:23 p.m.

Parishes included St. Gianna, St. John Fisher, Christ the King, St. Barnabas, St. Christina and Our Lady at St. Germaine.

Fran Blake, Phyllis Tucker and Alice Keane share a moment together before a recent Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Group meeting. The group meets at 6:30 p.m., every third Tuesday of the month, at Smith Village, 2320 W. 113th Place. (Susan DeGrane/Daily Southtown)

Dementia support group helps caretakers care for themselves

June 11, 2024 at 2:32 p.m.

Monthly Alzheimer’s Association caregiver support group at Smith Village in Morgan Park helps caretakers care for themselves

Romy and Sergio Matushek play with dandelion blossoms in their Homewood yard. The Matushek family is participating in No Mow May in an effort to help pollinators by not mowing down dandelions and other early spring flowers that are a food source for bugs. (Jessica Matushek)

Pollinator effort promoted in Homewood, but May is time to mow, expert says

May 7, 2024 at 3:18 p.m.

Homewood officials gave the OK for residents to forgo mowing lawns until June to boost pollinators, but No Mow May's time might be up.

Annie Myren, a certified child life specialist, works with Emiliano Covarrubias as he plays with a virtual reality tool at Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn. Covarrubias used the device when he was undergoing chemotherapy treatments. "I felt like I wasn’t here," he said. (Susan DeGrane/Daily Southtown)

Virtual reality headsets ease treatments for young patients at Advocate Children’s Hospitals

April 26, 2024 at 5:05 a.m.

At Advocate Children's Hospitals in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge, virtual reality systems are helping young patients deal with the discomfort of invasive treatments such as chemotherapy.

High school students perform a weld in February as part of Moraine Valley Community College’s 2024 high school welding competition. The contest offers a way "to get teachers, parents and students to believe there’s more out there than the traditional college education," said MVCC welding instructor Dave Viar. (Moraine Valley Community College)

Evergreen Park students leading the charge as MVCC seeks to fill industry demand for welders

April 20, 2024 at 5:08 a.m.

Evergreen Park Community High School students "crushed it" at a recent Moraine Valley Community College welding competition, part of a program aimed at training people to work in the trades.

Givins Castle, now home to the Beverly Unitarian Church, at 10244 S Longwood Dr., in Chicago, is pictured in 2018. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/baiduhai)

Updated history of Beverly landmark offers deeper dive on Givins Castle

February 27, 2024 at 4:45 p.m.

Author Errol Magidson offers more insight into the historic Givins Castle in Beverly in the new edition of his book “Chicago’s Only Castle.”

Barb Kolenda, front, sits with members of her dance fitness class, who she refers to as "family," at the Evergreen Park Senior Center. Some of the class members have taken fitness instruction from her for more than 40 years. (Susan DeGrane)

Evergreen Park dance instructor, 79, turns fitness into ‘family’

February 9, 2024 at 5:11 a.m.

Almost 80, Barb Kolenda shares wellness for body and mind through dance classes in Evergreen Park, creating 'family' in the process

Sowing seeds of plants such as milkweed during winter with the help of clean plastic milk jugs can give the wildflowers a head start on spring weather while giving those suffering the winter blues a chance to think spring too.

Butterfly workshop at Plum Creek offers relief from winter blues

January 31, 2024 at 7:38 p.m.

"Winter sowing offers a way to kick-start gardens when the winter cold is making people wish to get out into the garden."

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