Maple Tree Inn in Homewood celebrated a huge milestone in 2025 that many restaurants don’t reach: 50 years in business. The restaurant serves Cajun/Creole staples such as shrimp and grits and chicken, sausage and seafood jambalaya. But for current owners Katie and Erich Wennberg, the Maple Tree Inn is more than a restaurant; it’s their life. Born into it Only two years after … [Read more...] about Homewood’s Maple Tree Inn faced a fire and three location changes. Last year, it celebrated 50 years.
Fire
Review: In ‘Mary Jane’ at Northlight Theatre, the mother of a sick child searches for answers
Amy Herzog’s “Mary Jane,” an excellent play now at Northlight Theatre about a single mother coping with a seriously ill child with cerebral palsy, is at its core a tribute to human resilience. Its titular character, a New Yorker, fights for her child with every fiber of her being, batting away her own needs to ensure that her very young child remains front and center as she … [Read more...] about Review: In ‘Mary Jane’ at Northlight Theatre, the mother of a sick child searches for answers
George Saunders comes home to talk about his new book ‘Vigils’: ‘I could never not be a South Side of Chicago guy’
George Saunders stood listening for an encouraging word to crackle in the receiver of a payphone on Stony Island Avenue. It was 1984, decades before his ascension to the literary heights of best-selling books, national awards and presidential interviews. He was working as a roofer and dialing from a public phone once a week to the Field Museum, looking for a career change of … [Read more...] about George Saunders comes home to talk about his new book ‘Vigils’: ‘I could never not be a South Side of Chicago guy’
Letters: Illinois families can’t keep paying the bill for climate change damages
Across Illinois, people are making hard decisions about what they can afford and what they cannot. A public works director weighs whether to repave a street or replace a storm drain after another heavy rain. A homeowner opens the mail and braces for an insurance premium increase that pushes a family budget over the edge. These moments are becoming more common, and they point to … [Read more...] about Letters: Illinois families can’t keep paying the bill for climate change damages
Hometown author’s labor of love showcases community spirit of Flossmoor via book and film
“Volunteerism is a superpower here,” Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson declares in Tom Dobrez’s documentary film, “Flossmoor: A More Perfect Place.” Commitment to volunteering and community service is a dominant theme of the film, so what better way to celebrate a town known for volunteerism than to further drive that spirit. To that end, people at a recent screening of the … [Read more...] about Hometown author’s labor of love showcases community spirit of Flossmoor via book and film