VIDEO: Bob Mariano Comes To Town

Ground broken for new Mariano's Fresh Market at 111th Street and Cicero Avenue. Watch the video of famed grocery store CEO's message to Oak Lawn residents.

Although the skies were gray, Oak Lawn’s future couldn’t have shone brighter as village officials and Bob Mariano pitched shovels into a ceremonial pile of dirt last Friday. Mr. Mariano, chairman and CEO of Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc., came to town for the groundbreaking of his self-named Mariano’s Fresh Market of 111th Street and Cicero Avenue. Sign up for the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and follow us on Facebook. After eight long years of TIF battles and drawn-out litigation, village officials are hoping that Mariano will bring his Midas touch to the blighted corner and that other upscale retailers will follow Before the current and newly elected village board members, including the mayor-elect, Trustee Carol Quinlan (Dist. 5) invoked the …

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How to Advertise on Patch And Promote Your Business or Group

Reach the customers you want to attract: Neighbors who care about their community and like to shop and dine locally.

Patch is continuosly updated throghout the day, delivering news, events and more to a diverse cross-section of local readers. It's a trusted local news and information source, making it a great spot to advertise. You can pick and choose the right custom ad in the towns you want, as well as when and where you want it to run.  The Patch advertising team will provide you with your ad performance results on a monthly basis, and will make recommendations that will enhance your campaign. Furthermore, all packages are custom designed for your advertising needs, based on your goals and objectives. But why advertise online with Patch? You can reach local residents and increase customer satisfaction through a positive branding campaign. You can …

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D123 Kindergarten Registration

Dist. 123 is accepting appointments for kindergarten registration for the 2013-14.

Take the 95th Street Corridor Planning Survey

Oak Lawn-residents are encouraged to take a 10-minute survey that will help shape and improve the 95th Street corridor from Pulaski to Harlem.

Thomas Hacker Victims and Acquaintances Speak Out

Former colleagues, scouts and youth baseball league players recount the missed cues of the Boy Scouts' most prolific serial pedophile.

Among the many red flags that stood out about convicted child sex predator Thomas Hacker were the shorts he wore coaching games and running the concession stand at Westside Baseball in the early 1980s. Connect with Patch: Oak Lawn / Beverly-Mt. Greenwood / Evergreen Park He liked to wear them pulled high over his waist so that they barely covered his thighs, recalled Bill Olsen, who was 12 years old when he played for Hacker on the Westside's all-star team, circa 1980. “I found him odd, just the way he presented himself,” Olsen said. “Just hearing the name gives me chills. Even talking about it right now I get a little angry.” Hacker was convicted in 1989 on multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault against three Boy Scouts, ages 11 and…

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Congressman Lipinski Visits St. Gerald School

Congressman Dan Lipinski marked National Catholic Schools Week by visiting St. Gerald School and Parish.

Old, New Traditions Mark Arrival of Oak Lawn Holiday Season

Santa brings early Christmas spirit to annual holiday celebration and Oak Lawn business owners. Share your pictures in our photo gallery.

There was plenty of fresh air at this year’s Santa On the Green, one of the coldest in recent past. Families flocked to Oak Lawn’s annual holiday celebration on Saturday. Sign up for the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus arrived on a village fire truck. Waiting to greet the North Pole power couple were dozens of kids and Frosty the Snowman, who seems to have acquired a girlfriend since last year. Santa took orders in the gazebo and posed for pictures while inside the hospitality tent families lined up for hot chocolate and listened to the Kolmar and Sward Elementary School choirs. Mayor Dave Heilmann and wife, Erica, were strolling the hospitality tent with their youngest daughter, Brook, 2. The …

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We're Thankful for Our Community

Our annual Thanksgiving greeting card to Oak Lawn.

Here are three minues and four seconds of life affirming moments in a year in the life of Oak Lawn. I've covered a lot of neighborhoods and a lot of towns, and no matter where I go in my career, I'll never cover a community as special as Oak Lawn. Happy Thanksgiving!

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You Better Watch Out, Santa Arrives On Village Green This Saturday

Everything you need to know about Oak Lawn's annual Santa On the Green. The free, family holiday festival kicks off from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24.

The most wonderful time of the year officially starts this Saturday (Nov. 24) when the boss man from the North Pole is due to land for Oak Lawn’s annual Santa On the Green. The free, family, holiday fun-fest kicks off at 1 p.m. as Santa arrives in style atop an Oak Lawn fire engine. Santa, accompanied by Mrs. Claus (Santa's numero uno lady), and their pal Frosty the Snowman, will be escorted by Oak Lawn’s finest and bravest in a mini-parade that winds from the police station to the gazebo at Cook and Dumke. Download the Santa On the Green flier and Google Earth map. Brought to you by the Village of Oak Lawn and the Oak Lawn Special Events Commission, this popular holiday event is entirely free and features children’s rides, refreshments …

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