Posts Tagged ‘Oak Park Arms’

Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 2003 British Romantic Comedy film “Love Actually” will be viewed and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.

With over a dozen main characters, the movie follows eight couples that are all at different stages of relationships and dealing with different relationship issues. Some couples are right for each other, some are not. The audience is taken along for the ride as each couple navigates a unique set of challenging waters.

Filmed in London during Christmastime, the characters are all linked in one way or another. The plot depicts the sometimes tricky situations of life and love.

The majority of the cast was comprised of British actors. Although the film was well received in Britain, it was given mixed reviews in the U.S. Regardless, it received several nominations, including Best Screenplay and Best Motion Picture and won an Empire Award for Best British Film.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

A professional from Interim Health Care will present a talk titled, “Alzheimer’s Awareness” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11 at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is invited to this free program.

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the only case in the top 10 list that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed down. There are currently 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills.
Though it is the most common cause of dementia (loss of intellectual function) among people aged 65 and older, Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging.
Typical warning signs include:
•    Memory loss, especially of recent events, names, placement of objects, and other new information
•    Confusion about time and place
•    Struggling to complete familiar actions, such as brushing teeth or getting dressed
•    Trouble finding the appropriate words, completing sentences, and following directions and conversations
•    Poor judgment when making decisions
•    Changes in mood and personality, such as increased suspicion, rapid and persistent mood swings, withdrawal, and disinterest in usual activities
•    Difficulty with complex mental assignments, such as balancing a checkbook or other tasks involving numbers

What causes the onset of Alzheimer’s is still a mystery, but research indicates that it may be triggered by factors including age, genetic makeup, damage to neurons from overproduction of toxic free radicals, serious head injuries, brain inflammation and environmental factors.
Age is the most important known risk factor of the disease. In fact, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease doubles every five years beyond the age of 65.
While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are several approved medications which may provide relief from some symptoms and slow the decline in mental function to some extent.
The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Roberta Kulik, will present a special dance program titled “Christmas around the World” at 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

The program will feature dances from many different countries. Background, dance history, a presentation of dances and some audience participation will be included. A reception is to follow.

Kulik teaches a monthly dance class at the Arms that focuses on a different form of dance each time. She also presents a monthly tap dance workshop.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Visitors are welcome at the next meeting of the Mills Investment Club at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. New members are always welcome to join or visit.

For more than 30 years the investment club has come together to learn how to follow economic trends and use that information to expand its portfolio. With guidance from club President Pat Koko, club members jointly purchase stocks and make decisions as a group.

The club provides a fun and easy way to learn about investing by combining camaraderie, education, buying power and confidence.

“Our year-to-date is 9.7 percent right now, which puts us ahead of the Dow,” Koko said. “We’ve got a variety of stocks, and we’re doing really well.”

To make the best financial choices, a special presentation is given by a different group member each month. In addition, each member is in charge of following one stock throughout the month and presenting a report of the stock’s activity.

There are currently 15 members. To formally join, attendance to at least three meetings is required, and the final decision is voted on by the group. However, anyone can attend as often as they like without becoming a member.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Vivan Maier Photography

The public is invited to a special presentation of Vivian Maier’s photographs by Mike Bullis at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Oak Park Arms Retirement Community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Maier was born in New York City in 1926 and grew up in France. She returned to Chicago in the 1950s, where she was a nanny for 40 years.

Maier strolled the city streets taking photographs of everything and everyone she came across. Maier had an eye for capturing the essence of all walks of life, from
women in pearls and lace on Michigan Avenue to the city’s gritty Maxwell Street Market. She also took photos in Europe and New York City, some of which are part of the collection.

Although Maier created more than 100,000 negatives, she rarely showed her work to others. Her body of work remained largely unknown and stowed away for years in a storage unit. After Maier stopped making payment, the unit was sold at auction in 2007 to Chicago historian John Maloof. He was the first to discover the photographs, but he knew nothing about who took them.

Maier passed away in 2009 — just days before Maloof learned her name and started looking for her. She was a resident of Oak Park.

Since then Chicago art collector Jeffrey Goldstein also has acquired a portion of the Maier collection.  Champions of Maier’s photography have been managing her archives and organizing exhibitions across the country and around the world.

She is now recognized as an amateur American street photographer and her work has gained critical acclaim.

Bullis is a digital artist and freelance designer. His specialties include photography, short film production and website. A graduate of the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa, FL., Bullis studied under digital and film masters Win Wollof, Joseph Gamble and Chris Collins. He is currently a member of Goldstein’s team, responsible for the construction and ongoing development of the Vivian Maier Prints Inc. website www.vivianmaierphotography.com.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The public is invited to a performance of “Hymn of Praise” at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Formally titled “The Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, op. 52,” called the “Lobgesang,” and known as the “Hymn of Praise,” this piece was created in 1840 by composer Felix Mendelssohn.

Mendelssohn was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor. Recognized early as a musical prodigy, he is remembered as one of the most popular composers of the Romantic Era.

His best-known pieces include incidental music for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “The Italian Symphony” and the “Scottish Symphony.”

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Monday Night Concert Series continues with a performance titled, “Celtic Soul American Roots,” performed by Irish duo Switchback at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

For more than 20 years, Brian FitzGerald and Martin McCormack have been entertaining audiences around the world with their unique American Roots music blended with Celtic Soul. FitzGerald plays guitar and mandolin, and McCormack plays bass and guitar. They both perform the vocals.

In 1986, FitzGerald was a mandolin student of Jethro Burns and had already been touring with Clifton Chenier when he met McCormack, an award-winning voice student of Whelma Oshiem at the American Conservatory of Chicago and a member of the Star Search-selected band, Beyond Blue.

Both were chosen by legendary County Kerry composer and concertina master Terrence ‘Cuz’ Teahan to join his traditional Irish group. Teahan taught FitzGerald and McCormack the old country techniques of Irish musical entertainment making them one of the last generations to be directly influenced by a master of this musical genre.

Teahan, and the power of seeing such Texan greats as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Ely and Rodney Crowell, fueled FitzGerald and McCormack’s songwriting which led to the formation of Switchback in 1993.

Their first album was a commercial success with Chevrolet using one of the songs to promote its Chevy Blazer. Switchback has shared the stage with such notable Celtic musicians and groups as Cherish the Ladies, Gaelic Storm, Liz Carroll and John Williams.

FitzGerald and McCormack annually tour Ireland and frequently perform at the County Mayo’s Westport pub owned by The Chieftain’s Matt Malloy.

Switchback also conducts educational programs and songwriting workshops for school and community organizations. The duo has developed several instructional sessions, and they can customize programs to fit the curriculum or concepts of the clients. Many of these seminars are held in elementary and high schools and libraries, but have been conducted in settings as far-ranging as juvenile detention centers and church camps.

Wherever they play, no matter the size or age of audience, Switchback always captivates and charms folks with their energy and creativity.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The public is invited to an afternoon of movement-based learning with Brain Gym® with Aimee Edwards at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Brain Gym movements, exercises or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements, sometimes abbreviated as “The 26.” These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when one is learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands and whole body. There are four categories: midline, energy, deepening attitudes and lengthening.

The 26, along with a program for “learning through movement,” were developed by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife and colleague, Gail E. Dennison.

For more than two decades, clients, teachers and students have reported the effectiveness of these simple activities. Although it’s not yet clear why these movements work so well, they often bring about dramatic improvements in areas such as:

•    concentration and focus
•    memory
•    academics: reading, writing, math, test taking
•    physical coordination
•    relationships
•    self-responsibility
•    organization skills
•    attitude

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The public is invited to a performance by the Clyde Park Dancers at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The Clyde Park dancers, ranging from ages two to nine years old, will perform ballet for the residents and the public in honor of Veterans Day.

Taught by Roberta Kulik, the dancers belong to the Clyde Park District. She has been teaching ballet at the district for more than eight years. Each spring her students put on a recital. For the past three years they have taken part of that recital to residents and the public at the Arms.

This year’s spring recital was titled, “New Crown for the Royal Princess,” with each dance number representing a gem on the crown. At the Arms there will be seven gems performed to modern music.

“To dance is to live,” said Kulik, “and these girls really love to dance.”

Kulik has also been teaching monthly dance workshops at the Arms for over five years.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 1960 film “The Alamo” will be viewed and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.

Directed by John Wayne, who also starred in the film as Colonel Davy Crockett, the Alamo is a war film about the Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal event during the Texas Revolution.

When General Santa Anna and his Mexican army were sweeping through Texas in 1836, General Sam Houston (Richard Boone) bought time to arrange his troops by asking Colonel William Travis (Laurence Harvey) to defend a mission against the Mexican army at all costs. Davy Crockett and Colonel Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) also joined the fight.

Mixed reviews have touted the film for its battle scenes and criticized it for its historical inaccuracies. The film’s production costs kept it from becoming an immediate success, despite a large box office take. The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound, and was nominated several times, including for Best Music, Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.