"...and the mother wasn't home."

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It has been long time since this phrase has been a staple in our lives, but even nowadays I can say to my mother "...and the mother wasn't home" and she'll know it is a reference to her caution and especially her annoyance at a certain kind of news report. When we were kids, even well into our teens, she'd not let us do much in the house when she was gone, because she was sure that if there were to be an accident, that broadcast news reports would end with "...and the mother wasn't home".

Today another broadcast news story was delivered similarly. If she heard it I'm sure she again replied as I did with this: And where was the father?

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Help Neighbors: Food Drive Volunteers Needed April 17

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This in from Cathy Struzynski...

Volunteers are still needed for the 12:30 - 2:00 shift for the April 17 Niles Township Food Pantry Food Drive. We will be requesting donations from shoppers at the Dominick's in Morton Grove, located on Dempster, just west of Waukegan.

Anyone available to help our neighbors in Niles Township during that time, please let me know.

Thanks for your help.

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Cathy is reachable at cathystruzynski@yahoo.com.

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Joel's favorite 2009 pictures for Skokie

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Annually Pioneer Press' photographers are asked to selects some of their favorite picture of the year for a year-in-review section. Here's some of Joel Lerner's picks from the Skokie Review.


Max Holtz, a kindergartener at Madison School, won a trip to the school on a Skokie fire truck. His parents, Scott and Felicia Holtz, calm Max's nerves as Skokie firefighters Kevin Carver (left) and Steve Jagman patiently wait in May.


In October, Joel spent time with Richard Fallucca, owner and chief mechanic at Antique Engine Rebuilding, the shop at Louise and LaCrosse. Fallucca has been rebuilding engines since 1975, but now primarily rebuilds Model A Ford engines. Here he's preparing Model A engine block to have its cylinders honed.


Arie Crown Herbrew Day School's Link into Reading Program had students make paper links for each book they read. Third grader Yisroel Plswang holds down his yamaka as he runs with some of the reading links in June.


Urban Beat Dance's Shannon Murray leads a group of UBD students down Oakton St. during Skokie's July 4th Parade.


Joe Clemens (left) of the CTA and Skokie resident Paula Harris use the map of the proposed CTA Yellow Line Extension to explain their very different viewpoints during the open house portion of the community meeting held at Oakton Park in September. Harris lives two blocks from the proposed elevated tracks and has concerns about the influence on Niles North High School.


Libertyville H.S. science teacher Sherri Rukes holds up a string of stuffed animal lemurs--all named Paul E. Mer--to demonstrate how polymers string together to attain different properties. Niles West H.S. hosted the Girls Empowered by Math and Science Conference for the third year in November 2009.


Niles West's Danny Lohan clears 6'4" to win the high jump at the Dan Phillips Relays at Evanston Township H.S. in March.

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Santa's Express rides the Skokie Swift

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I caught these images while covering Santa's Express train action on the CTA's Yellow line Wednesday, December 23, 2009. Joel Lerner posted his take on Pioneer Press' site.


Skokie's Irene London makes a snapshot of her granddaughter Jada Thomson with Santa.


While Santa rode a sleigh on the other CTA lines, on the Yellow line, he walk through the cars, up close and personal.




Niles' Tiffany Brooks poses with Santa.




Naughty or Nice?: Niles North alum Allie Rothchild picks naughty when Santa asked.


The Yellow line was the last of the CTA routes to host Santa's Express for the year. It was a unique ride. Not only did Santa ride inside with passengers rather than outside in his sleigh, the train was divided into three trains with one leaving the Howard St and Skokie Swift stations every 10 minutes. Each train had its own Santa. Rumor had it that the cars that make up Santa's Express actually run all year long and get transformed just before it is time to host Santa and families again.


Stacey Weckstein (left) with Kim Moldofsky at the Skokie Swift Starbucks. Kim organized a kid-friendly tweet-up at the Starbucks, which included taking a ride on the Santa Train.

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Two Chicago Diners

by Eliette Soler

Edgebrook Coffee Shop
The lemonade was very good, but sour. If you go to the Edgebrook Coffee Shop and you don't like sour stuff, don't get the lemonade. The pancakes were very tasty. The chef made my five silver dollar pancakes into a pancake guy with M&M eyes (red) and M&M mouth (orange)! It was good! Oliver (my brother) got the Tropical Belgium Waffle. It had pecans, bananas, toasted coconut and a light caramel drizzle, all on top of two waffles. The placed was filled with old, old posters. It was cool!

Pat's Place
It's yellow and as nice as a tulip. I got three chocolate chip pancakes, bacon and toast. To drink I had hot chocolate with whipped cream (a lot of whipped cream and it has red and green sprinkles for Christmas!). I just tasted my hot cocoa and it was good. In a minute I will tell you how my pancakes taste...my pancakes are really good. They have whipped cream too, with rainbow colored sprinkles. This place is pretty. It is yellow and believe it or not, even the blinds are yellow. It is hard to say which place is better but... Pat's Place wins! Wait! She just gave me an extra bowl of whipped cream just for me. Yeah, Pat wins.

P.S. I like food!!!

In the photo: That's my brother Oliver not sharing the Tropical Belgium Waffle with me.
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Eliette Soler is a 4th grader at Marquette Elementary, in Madison, WI, where lives with her mom and brother and longs for a dog.
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