Pittsburg Ice Bowl Benefit Tournament set for Feb. 26
The Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department and Pittsburg Disc Golf Club are teaming up to host the Ice Bowl Benefit Tournament on Feb. 26 starting at 11 a.m. at the Schlanger Park Disc Golf Course.
Registration will take place from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the day of the event and the entry fee for the tournament is five nonperishable food items or a $10 cash donation, with all proceeds being donated to the Wesley House in Pittsburg.
For additional information regarding the Ice Bowl Tournament, contact the Pittsburg Parks & Recreation Department at 620-231-8310.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum added to U.S. Civil Rights Trail
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the third site in Missouri to be included on the trail, which highlights individuals, events, and locations in 15 states and the District of Columbia that have been vital to the advancement of civil rights in the United States.
“The fight for racial equality in our country has taken on many forms, including marches, conflicts and court cases. The inclusion of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum adds yet another layer to the history that is preserved by the U.S. Civil Rights Trail,” said Stephen Foutes, director of the Missouri Division of Tourism.
MDT nominated the museum for inclusion on the trail, which was created through a collaboration of participating states in 2018.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum opened in Kansas City in 1991. It tells the story of why the leagues were formed and how they ultimately contributed to social advancement in the United States. The Negro Leagues produced some of baseball’s greatest players including Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and James “Cool Papa” Bell.
The Negro National League — one of seven leagues nationwide — was established in Kansas City in 1920 and included the Kansas City Monarchs.
Robinson, a member of the Monarchs, was the first player to break baseball’s color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Buck O’Neil, a 2022 inductee in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was the first Black coach in Major League Baseball and was instrumental in establishing the museum.
“We are deeply honored to be part of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail,” said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “The Negro Leagues played a tremendous role in the social advancement of America. Our inclusion to the trail will undoubtedly help more people understand that the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a Civil Rights and Social Justice institution that documents a powerful story of triumph over adversity as seen through the lens of baseball.”
Missouri’s other two sites on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail are the Old Courthouse in St. Louis, where the Dred Scott trial was heard, and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence. Truman is recognized for his executive order to desegregate the military — a decision that helped pave the way for desegregation throughout society.
Learn more about Missouri’s sites on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and other civil rights history in the state at visitmo.com/in-the-spotlight/missouris- civil-rights-stories. For more information about the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, visit civilrightstrail.com.
WGU Missouri launches new scholarship
In celebration of WGU Missouri’s ninth anniversary, the nonprofit, fully accredited, online university has announced it is awarding $450,000 in scholarships to new students who are interested in furthering their education. Since its establishment in February 2013, WGU Missouri has been committed to providing high-quality, convenient and career-boosting college education to residents across the state, including working adults who have some college experience but no degree. The WGU Missouri ninth anniversary scholarships, valued at up to $9,000 each, underscore WGU’s mission of helping make higher education even more attainable for adults across Missouri, especially those looking to strengthen their skill sets as the ongoing pandemic continues to impact the local workforce.
While many universities have experienced a decline in enrollment since the onset of the pandemic, WGU Missouri’s enrollment continues to hold steady and actually managed to grow over the past 12 months. The university, which was created through a partnership with the national Western Governors University and Gov. Jay Nixon, currently has 3,340 enrolled students, an increase of 2.8% over last year, and has conferred degrees to 6,011 graduates, a fifth of whom graduated in the past 12 months. In fact, WGU Missouri has shown consistent growth since its establishment nearly a decade ago. Across the state, WGU Missouri employs 191 staff members, has awarded more than $3.4 million in scholarships and has built partnerships with more than 85 businesses, institutions and organizations in an effort to create new opportunities for their employees to pursue higher education at an even lower cost and advance their careers.
WGU Missouri has been credited with helping individuals earn their college degrees who otherwise couldn’t easily complete or afford a traditional college program. The average student age is 35, with more than 65% of attendees coming from underprivileged populations or being first-generation college students. Additionally, 72% of students work full time while pursuing their degrees. These grads are quickly seeing a difference in their lives as more career opportunities become available. As a result, students earn an average of $21,800 more within four years of graduation, which is significantly higher than the national average of $11,500.
“As we commemorate the ninth anniversary of WGU’s establishment in the state of Missouri, we want to recognize our students, many of whom have previously faced challenges in completing their degrees through traditional means,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, chancellor of WGU Missouri. “We are proud to provide the 900,000 Missourians who have some college but no degree with an alternative, affordable pathway to earning their bachelor’s and master’s degrees — and, ultimately, advancing their careers and transforming their lives. We look forward to continuing to empower many more adults to go back to school and earn their degrees in the years to come.”
WGU Missouri offers more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business, information technology, K-12 teacher education and health professions, including nursing. Unlike a traditional college program, WGU caters to adults with previous or current work experience who are looking to further their careers through education. WGU Missouri’s competency-based education model allows adult students to take advantage of prior learning and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn.
To be considered for WGU Missouri’s 9th Anniversary Scholarship, new and prospective students must be Missouri residents, be admitted to WGU Missouri, and submit a scholarship application by June 30, 2022. Scholarships will be awarded based on the student’s academic record, previous college experience, readiness for online study, current competency, and other considerations. The scholarship will be applied at the rate of $2,250 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms toward WGU’s already-low tuition of approximately $3,800 per six-month term for most programs. For more information about this scholarship, visit missouri.wgu.edu/9th.
Thank a Farmer week wraps up March 7
Farm Bureau’s presidents Lana Couch and Ben Fizette from Barry & Lawrence, join forces to co-sponsor a free-of-cost Market Outlook and State of Industry meeting featuring Kelly Smith and Sam Polly for farmers and future farmers in our area.
Following the chili dinner and dessert, we will begin the evening with Sam Polly, Missouri’s new state director of pesticide safety education with MU Extension.
“The greatest threat to modern agriculture is a negative public perception leading to over regulation. The ensuing runaway costs of regulatory compliance, lawsuits, and enforcement actions is stripping both our agricultural economy and heritage.” said Polly.
Sam will discuss the roots of this problem and what we can do about it while there is still time.
Then Missouri Farm Bureau’s senior director of marketing and commodities, Kelly Smith, will take the stage to provide an expansive summary of agriculture market outlook.
“Kelly will cover a wide range of topics that impacts our ag market including the pendulous cattle market, input costs, supply chain hiccups all the way to the impact of Russia stand-off’s on your feed grain flows,” said Ben Fizette, Lawrence County Farm Bureau president.
We hope you’ll join us for the opportunity to learn from these knowledgeable speakers on the final day of “Thank a Farmer Week” — Monday, March 7, 2022, at 6 p.m. beginning with chili dinner at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center, 14548 Hwy H, Mount Vernon, MO 65712. Please kindly RSVP by Friday, March 4, by calling Tosha at 417-466-7679.
UScellular announces $70.3 million network investment in Missouri in 2021
UScellular announced that it made a $70.3 million investment in its Missouri network in 2021. This includes $11.3 million in general network upgrades, $24 million in 5G modernizations, and $35 million in 5G spectrum that will bring additional benefits in the coming years while advancing the company’s multiyear 5G network strategy.
Additionally, in 2021 UScellular provided $38,405 in funding to nonprofit organizations, teachers and youth organizations across Missouri, including $30,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia, $4,094 to teachers through donations to DonorsChoose.org and $4,311 through its Community Connections program. Three Boys & Girls Clubs in Missouri also received $316,525 worth of hot spots and service to help their members connect to the internet at the clubs or at home as part of the company’s After School Access Project.
“Connectivity is more important than ever right now, and at UScellular we are committed to keeping our customers connected to the people and places that matter most to them,” said Joe Cabrera, director of sales for UScellular in Missouri and Kansas. “We will continue to invest in creating a great wireless experience for customers, while also ensuring we provide critical resources for youth in our local communities.”
To help ensure customers have a great shopping experience, UScellular also invested $1.15 million in its Missouri retail store environments in 2021. This includes 12 new, relocated, redesigned or upgraded stores that better showcase the variety of products and services the company provides, making it easier for customers to find what they need.
For more news and information about UScellular, please go to newsroom.uscellular.com.
Slipping into another “mild” week of trivia and beer dinners, with a new release or two. But we are coming up to Mardi Gras next Tuesday, and the weekend before, so keep an eye peeled.
This has only tangentally affected the Chicago beer world, but Portland, Oregon’s Hair of the Dog brewery has announced it is closing after nearly 30 years in business. Alan Sprints started the brewery to focus on strong, bottle-conditioned ales and lagers, and was ahead of the IPA curve. Its popular beers had a picture of a dog on the label, like Fred barleywine and Adam strong ale. Most of its ingredients were sourced from farms and hop yards withing 350 miles of the brewery. They don’t seem to have made it to the Chicago market, but I’ve picked up a few in trades and in Indiana on my way to Dark Lord Day. Sprints has said he has no interest in selling to a corporation, and will keep the doors open until all his supply runs out.
Monday, February 21
3:00 – 7:00 pm • Country Grill Chicken Truck Evil Horse Brewing Co., 1338 Main St., Crete, IL (708) 304-2907 Map Country Grill Chicagoland is a food truck company offering rotisserie chicken and ribs fresh from the spit, homemade salads and pretzels.
5:30 – 8:30 pm • Indoor Disc Golf Putting League The Church Street Brewing Co., 1480 Industrial Dr. Ste. C, Itasca, IL (630) 438-5725 Map This past January we finished our first Indoor Disc Golf Putting League Tournament! Want to be a part of the next league? Join us for the next event on February 21st. Sign-up starts at 5:30 pm and the team-partner draw starts at 6:00 pm. This tournament will go from February 21st to March 28th. Come play every Monday to win! For more details come to the taproom and check it out for yourself.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Monday Night Trivia Une Année Brewery/Hubbard’s Cave, 6343 W. Gross Pointe Rd., Niles, IL (847) 635-0655 Map Free to play general trivia on the patio or in the taproom with Pub Trivia USA. Prizes to top teams! So much fun. We usually get a great turnout so reservations are always helpful!
7:00 – 10:00 pm • Weekly Trivia @ Pilot Project Pilot Project Brewing, 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (773) 270-5995 Map Join us in the Pilot Project Heated Tent for free pub trivia every Monday! Beer Special: Every player will receive one free 4oz taster of beer, booch or cider. Reservations Available on Tock
Tuesday, February 22
11:00 am – 10:00 pm • Two Brothers Fan Appreciation Day! Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, Aurora, IL 630-393-2337 Map & Two Brothers Tap House, 30W315 Calumet Ave., Warrenville, IL 630-393-2337 Map We really like 2’s here at 2 Bros, so it only makes sense that we should do something fun on 2/22/22! And we’re taking the opportunity to show our appreciation to you, our fans. With that in mind, we will be offering all year-round pints for $2.22 all day long at both Two Brothers locations on Tuesday, February 22nd. Plus, we’ll be releasing a brand-new beer: Double Domaine. Think the OG Domaine DuPage on steroids. We’ll also have a fan raffle, where you can win things like gift cards, t-shirts, signs, etc. It’s our little way to say thank you, so let’s celebrate a bunch of 2’s!
4:00 – 9:00 pm • Support Urban Farming Haymarket Pub & Brewery, 737 W. Randolph St., Chicago (312) 638-0700 Map Every Tuesday join us at the brewpub and order a Big Mick Burger + 12oz pour of Harold’s ’83 Honey Ale + a shot of Wolf Point Bourbon for $25 and we’ll donate $5 to Urban Growers Collective. Urban Growers Collective currently operates eight urban farms across 11 acres in the city of Chicago. On these farms, Urban Growers Collective’s job training and education, food access, and community engagement programs support health, economic development, healing, and creativity. The Green Era Renewable Energy and Urban Farm Campus in Auburn Gresham will serve as a centralized hub for workforce development, education, food access, and community well-being.
6:00 – 7:15 pm • Hops on Over to Flapjack Flapjack Brewery, 6833 Stanley Ave., Berwyn, IL (708) 637-4030 Map Head on over to Flapjack Brewery and learn all about brews! This upcoming Tuesday, February 22nd, Brewmaster Paul will teach you the 101 on beer pairing, and the art of craft beer. Snacks will be included! Questions? Call the Berwyn Park District at (708) 795 2892 Register Here.
6:30 pm • Tuesday Trivia: Shameless One Allegiance Brewing, 10215 S. Harlem Ave., Chicago Ridge, IL (708) 529-7067 Map Join us on Tuesdays for a night of trivia dedicated to various popular TV shows, movies, and themes! First Tuesday of every month is general knowledge trivia. Each game is free to play! First place winner will receive a $30 OAB Gift Card and other prizes include a beer to go. There is no entry fee to play trivia. Trivia starts at 7pm but come in to register at 6:30pm so you and your team can grab a couple drinks before the games start! See you soon for some fun, games and prizes!
6:30 – 8:30 pm • The Hangover Trivia Chuck’s Café Darien, 8025 S. Cass Ave., Darien, IL 331-431-4000 Map Join us on 2.22.22 for a special night of trivia all about The Hangover! This night will encompass all the Hangover films! Great prizes awarded to the Top 3 teams plus great drink specials all night long! Look out for some specialty priced margaritas as this event is happening on National Margarita Day! Reservations suggested: 331-431-4000. Drink specials: $2 Domestics | $2 PBR Drafts | $8 Flights $3 Imports | $4 Well Spirit One & One’s
7:00 – 9:30 pm • Trivia Night in Skokie Sketchbook Brewing Co. – Skokie, 4901 Main St., Skokie, IL (847) 588-0652 Map Trivia courtesy of Pub Trivia USA. No cards, teams will play on their phone apps. Prizes for the winning teams: $35 for 1st place, $25 for 2nd, $15 for 3rd. Pop up Latin American cuisine from Libertad from 5:30-8:30p!
7:00 pm • Brewery Bingo The Open Bottle Lockport, 16437 159th St., Lockport, IL (815) 293-6350 Map Brewery Bingo is back! Over the next 5 months, we’re partnering with a new brewery every Thursday at 7pm for our monthly Brewery Bingo! No more sneaking into bingo halls for you! Every week, we’ll have a draft beer on special and prizes from a variety of local breweries. Here’s who’s up: February – Half Acre Beer Co. March – Old Irving Brewing Co. April – Goose Island Beer Co. May – Mikerphone Brewing It’s Bingo with breweries you love & fantastic prizes for you to win! HOW TO PLAY: Imagine a Bingo card. Now replace the B-I-N-G-O with five breweries and the numbers replaced with their most popular beers. We’ll spin our bingo balls ’round and ’round until a random ball decides to set itself free. We call out a beer, you look at your bingo card, and then place a bottle cap on your card if you’re lucky. Get 5 in a row and win a prize! In between rounds, there will be penny pours, good music and even better times. Must be 21+ to play.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Trivia Night at Black & Gray Black & Gray Brewing Co., 311 Barrington Ave., East Dundee, IL (224) 484-8200 Map Join us for weekly trivia! Questions cover all subjects (Current Events, Geography, History, Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Science, Sports), and you play as a team. No limit to team sizes, so bring all the friends you want. The top teams will win gift certificates to be redeemed on a future trivia night.
7:00 – 10:00 pm • Movie Night Pilot Project Brewing, 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (773) 270-5995 Map Bad Boys hosted by Funkytown Brewery ($2 off FT beer)
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Trivia Night at Alter Brewing Downers Grove Alter Brewing Co., 2300 Wisconsin Ave. #213, Downers Grove, IL 630-541-9558 Map Come out for our General Knowledge trivia night and join your host as they quiz your teams through two full hours of general knowledge trivia, including awesome themed bonus rounds and music rounds! While we’re testing your wit, Alter Brewing Company will be keeping you fueled up with craft brews all night, PLUS the top teams will win bragging rights and prizes, so bring your friends, family, and even your enemies (if they’re good at trivia) to increase your chances of winning. Feel free to order in delivery from one of the awesome local restaurants (we highly recommend Dan’s Pizza!) to enjoy during the event, as well. Due to limited capacity, reservations will be taken for indoor tables the time being – simply email [email protected] to reserve a table for your team. Please follow ALL Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions put in place by the venue, and here are a few extra tips: 1) Please bring your own pen/pencil. Our host will have pencils just in case, but it would be best to use your own for everyone’s safety & comfort. 2) The questions will be read by your host over our PA system, but may not be displayed on a screen if one is not easily available. 3) Any and all rules/restrictions are subject to change.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Breaking Bad Trivia Night at Pollyanna St. Charles Pollyanna – St. Charles, 106 S. Riverside Ave., St. Charles, IL (630) 549-7372 Map Been a while since you had your last fix (of trivia)? We can help with that…at Breaking Bad Trivia Night! Sean with Baig of Tricks Entertainment will be quizzing you through four increasingly harder rounds of questions over every season of the hit show while Pollyanna keeps you fueled up with craft brews all night, PLUS the top teams will win bragging rights and prizes, so bring your friends, family, and even your enemies (if they’re good at trivia) to increase your chances of winning. Feel free to order in delivery from one of the awesome local restaurants to enjoy during the event, as well. Be sure to get there early and snag your team a spot and fuel up with some drinks, see you soon! Please follow ALL Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions put in place by the venue, and here are a few extra tips: 1) Please bring your own pen/pencil. Our host will have pencils just in case, but it would be best to use your own for everyone’s safety & comfort. 2) The questions will be read by your host over our PA system, but may not be displayed on a screen if one is not easily available. 3) Any and all rules/restrictions are subject to change.
Wednesday, February 23
11:00 am – 9:00 pm • Give Back Fundraiser for Footlight Players Theater Zorn Brew Works Co., 605 E. 9th St., Michigan City, IN (219) 243-7157 Map Wednesday, February 23rd, Zorn Brew Works Co. will be giving back to Footlight Players Theater. Zorn Brew Works will be donating 20% of all food sales during Open Mic Night. The Footlight Players are an innovative group of actors from across the region presenting musicals, plays, concerts and special events year-round.
12:00 – 4:00 pm • Work From Here Weekdays Riverlands Brewing Co., 1860 Dean St. Unit A, St. Charles, IL (630) 549-6293 Map Wednesdays…the half way point to the weekend. Let us help make the work week a bit better with our Work From HERE Wednesday special! Each week, come by with your work team, laptop, paper work….or just your self…and enjoy $2.00 off full pours of any of our 16 taps. On occasion, we’ll have food trucks or pop-ups to supply your mid-day hunger cravings. Otherwise, bring lunch or order delivery from one of our local St. Charles neighbors.
5:30 pm • Abita Pint Night Chuck’s Café Burbank, 6501 W. 79th St., Burbank, IL 708-229-8700 Map Join us for Abita Pint night. Order a Pint of Abita and get to keep the glass! While Supplies Last, One per Customer.
6:00 pm • Church Street Brewing Tap Takeover at Shooter’s Taproom Shooter’s Bar Grill, 4007 E State St., Rockford, IL 815-399-0683 Map Join Shooter’s Taproom, above Don Carter Lanes, as we welcome Church Street Brewing Co. to our next Tap Takeover. Peace
6:00 – 8:00 pm • Ale Trail Night Rt 66 Old School Brewing, 110 Bridge St., Wilmington, IL (815) 476-2220 Map Join the heritage Corridor Ale Trail from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. for special giveaways and learn how to use the 2022 Heritage Corridor Ale Trail passport to win exclusive prizes by visiting local breweries.
6:00 – 8:00 pm • Brews Brushes and Besties – Sew Hop’d -St.Patrick’s Day Sew Hop’d Brewery & Taproom, One Union Special Plaza, Ste. 113, Huntley, IL (815) 701-8819 Map Your ticket includes a beverage, tax and tip. Click on event photo for all options to paint 12” Wood Tray- handles provided $45 Gnome on canvas or Wood choose Any design from St. Patrick’s Day, Easter or Spring $40 To register email [email protected] Various payment options availability
7:00 – 10:00 pm • Half Acre Beer Pairing Dinner Sidecar Supper Club & Beer Garden, 12 N. River St., Batavia, IL (630) 406-9200 Map 5-course beer dinner featuring Chicago-style street food. $75 includes tax and Half Acre swag to take home. Tickets through Eventbrite at the Facebook event page. Join us for our 4th beer dinner of the season with one of our favorites! 5-course beer dinner with Half Acre Beer Co. featuring Chicago-style street food. $75 includes tax and Half Acre swag to take home. 1st Course – 12 oz can of Fader Elote – Fire roasted corn, taking, house crema, cojita cheese, lime, and a little bit of heat. 2nd Course – Tend IPA Classic Beef Pastie – Root vegetables, carrots, potatoes, rutabaga in a hand pie with house curry ketchup and truffle aioli. 3rd Course – Double Daisy Cutter Chicago Dog – Housemade Chicago Hot Dog inspired Crunch Wrap – SUPREME! 4th Course – Orin Italian Bao – 48hr Sous-vid short rib and gairdinera. Served in a boa bun with more gairdinera Dessert – Parfait Hut Bananabread Cake Shake( It is national banana bread day) made with Kimmers Chocolate ice cream
7:00 pm • SNL Alumni Movie Trivia The Brass Tap, 14225 95th Ave. Ste. 400, Orland Park, IL 708-226-1827 Map Saturday Night Live produced lot of funny and amazing actors. Join us for a night of SNL Alumni Movie Trivia. It’s free to play and prizes are awarded to the top teams. Call the bar now to reserve your table.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • The Office Trivia at Brothership Brewing Brothership Brewing, 18781 S. 90th Ave., Unit E, Mokena, IL 708-995-7014 Map We’re looking for Dunder Mifflin experts to join the fun in Mokena! Try to outwit other teams while enjoying a night out, beer, and trivia … sounds like a fun Wednesday night. Top teams win prizes.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Trivia & Tacos @ the LV Taproom! Harbor Brewing Co., Lake Villa, 136 Cedar Ave., Lake Villa, IL Map General Trivia hosted by Chicago Trivia Guys starts at 7pm! Authentic Mexican Food from Mijo’s will be served starting at 5pm!
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Trivia Wednesdays at Black Lung! Black Lung Brewing Co., 2217 N. Illinois 83, Round Lake Beach, IL (224) 643-7204 Map We have trivia every wednesday with Dancing in the Rain DJ! Come have a tasty craft beer and win a cool prize, if you’re good enough;) This is free trivia!
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Stump Trivia Quiz Ten Ninety Brewing Co., 1025 Waukegan Rd., Glenview, IL 224-432-5472 Map IN-PERSON trivia is back at Ten Ninety Brewing Company! Wednesday nights have never been better! Join us for two free, fun, rounds of trivia beginning at 7pm & 8pm. We will be using our new digital scoring system. Each team will designate one person to submit answers on your team’s behalf. No need to write anything down by hand, no need to stand up, and no need to turn in a paper answer slip! Remember – venue capacity may be limited, so please call ahead to RSVP! More info: here.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Trivia at Lo Rez Brewery Lo Rez Brewing and Taproom, 2101 S. Carpenter St., Chicago (888) 404-2262 Map Hosted by Paul Durica from the Newberry Library 1st place – case [ yes that’s 6 four packs ] of rotating beer 2nd place – gift certificate to share with your team next round 3rd place – round of drinks for your team! $5/pp to compete! Max of four per team. Trivia begins on March 23rd and will be every 4th Wednesday of the month. Brainstorm those team names to impress Lo Rez!
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Sneak Preview Beer Dinner Old Town Pour House, 1419 N. Wells St., Chicago 312-477-2800 Map In preparation for Friday’s Goose Island tap takeover, Old Town Pour House will be offering a 5-course beer dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, February 23 & 24. Guests will enjoy a dynamic menu paired with exclusive brews, and the chance to hear from Goose Island brewers directly. Tickets are limited to 40 people. Seating is at 7:00 pm. Beer Dinner Menu: Welcome Beer – Sofie First Course – 2020 Bourbon County Old Forrester Birthday Bourbon Stout Pork Belly: Bourbon County Stout braised, crispy pork belly, sunny side up egg, berry jam, brioche toast points Second Course – Matilda Baked Oysters: jumbo lump crabmeat, leeks, pancetta, pine nut breadcrumb Third Course – 2017 Gillian Wagyu New York Strip Carpaccio: egg, capers, red onion, baby arugula, mustard horseradish sauce, fresh cracked black pepper, Parmigiano-Reggiano, grilled ciabatta bread Fourth Course – 2021 Double Barrel BCS Braised Elk Short Rib: Bourbon County Stout braised, creamy Parmesan grits, fingerling potatoes, baby carrots, shallots, turnips, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, Bourbon County Stout au jus glaze Fifth Course – 2021 Fine Old Rum Barrel Stout Chocolate Stout Cake: Fine Old Rum Barrel Stout cake, peanut butter mousse, bananas, walnut crumb Tickets for the Tap Takeover and Beer Dinner are sold separately here.
Thursday, February 24
Monk’s Pub Tap Takeover Monk’s Pub, 205 W. Lake St., Chicago 312-357-6665 Map Join Funkytown Brewery at Monk’s Pub for a Tap Takeover.
2:00 – 6:00 pm • Twisted Hippo Taproom & Eatery Blood Drive Twisted Hippo, 2925 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago (708) 844-7768 Map Next Thursday (February 24th), our collective toil and trouble with the good people of Chaos Brewclub coalesce as a Chaotic Fantasy. The winners of a homebrew competition judged by the Hippo, Chaotic Fantasy is a new-fangled Cold IPA shining with all the alchemic intertwining of Vic Secret, Citra, & Cluster hops. Assertive bitterness, bright tropical citrus, and a tempered malt bill are all given the stage by a classically clean lager yeast. Thanks to the sweethearts at CHOAS for letting us scale and share this beer with you. It’s a true glass of gold. Available on draft and in cans.
3:00 pm • Revolution Tap Takeover RESCHEDULED Prestige 6249 Tap Room, 6249 S. Cass Ave., Westmont, IL (630) 963-9733 Map Update: We are rescheduling our Feb. 17 Revolution Deep Wood Series Tap Takeover to today at 3pm. Beers are enjoyed more when everyone had the confidence to get home safely. The Prestige 6249 Tap Room crew apologizes for this inconvenience. Come by and enjoy some of these amazing barrel-aged brews. Draft beer menu will include: 2020 Ten Year Beer 2020 Mineshaft Gap 2021 Blackberry Finn 2021 Dark Mode If you need a breather, we’ll also have Rev Pils Chicago Pilsner.
3:00 – 9:00 pm • Nashville Hot Chicken Thursday! Wildrose Brewing Co., 1104 E. Main St., Griffith, IN (219) 595-5054 Map It’s Thursday…..you know what that means. Due to popular demand we’re serving up Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches every Thursday. Topped with Chef Mike’s homemade slaw and pickles and paired with a side of fries for just $10! We are now also offering up a less spicy version for those who can’t handle all the heat. Both the spicy and less spicy will be available only while supplies last. These have been extremely popular the last few weeks so you don”t wanna miss out!
5:00 – 7:00 pm • Keep The Pint Night at Main Street Pub Main Street Pub, 466 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, IL 630-790-1734 Map Swing through Main Street Pub on Thursday, grab yourself a pint of Maplewood’s finest and take the glass home!
5:00 pm • Barrel Aged Mania Half Day Brewing Co., 200 Village Green, Lincolnshire, IL 847-821-6933 Map Join us at 5pm for Barrel Aged Mania! Try our 2021 Barrel Aged Beer On Tap Or Take Home a 2-Pack! Featuring our 2021 Limited Release Warrior Paint, 2021 Double Coffee Warrior Paint & 2021 Barrel Aged Cake Double Pastry Stout. Available in 5 & 10 oz pours while supplies last.
6:00 – 8:00 pm • Rhythm n’ Brews Music Bingo On Tour Brewing Co., 1725 W. Hubbard St., Chicago 312-796-3119 Map MUSIC BINGO NIGHT, ANYONE? Test your music knowledge at our first ever “Rhythm n’ Brews” music bingo night Thursdays through February from 6 – 8 PM! From behind-the-scenes tour tickets to 4-packs of our delicious beers, there are a ton of prizes to be won. Grab a bingo-loving buddy, a beer and escape the cold weather for a guaranteed fun night. HOW TO PLAY: No sign-up necessary. If you’re itching to play, let a bartender know when you arrive and they’ll give you a bingo sheet. Rhythm n’ Brews Music Bingo is on a come-and-go basis but the longer you stay, the better the chance you have of winning!
6:00 pm • Cruz Blanca Tap Takeover Roots Handmade Pizza, 1924 W Chicago Ave., Chicago (773) 645-4949 Map Join us at Roots West Town for a tap takeover with Cruz Blanca on Thursday, 2/24 at 6pm featuring the following beers: Rey Gordo– Heaven Hill barrel-aged Imperial Stout El Train– American IPA Palm Shade– Tropical IPA Vamos– Vienna Lager We will also be raffling off a Cruz Blanca gift basket to lucky winner!
6:00 – 9:00 pm • Arts & Drafts: Justin Bickus Riverlands Brewing Co., 1860 Dean St. Unit A, St. Charles, IL (630) 549-6293 Map Arts & Drafts, our monthly local artist showcase and exhibit, finally makes its return this February with local artist and educator, Justin Bickus. Throughout the month of February, an exhibit of Justin’s work will be on display all over our St. Charles brewery. Come by, view his work, and get info on purchasing the pieces you like. On Thursday, Feb 24, stop by for a meet and greet with Justin here at the taproom from 6 to 9pm. He’ll be creating custom coaster art and discussing his work one-on-one with visitor as time allows. Attendees of ALL artistic levels are highly encouraged to bring their own art supplies and create coaster art while they’re here. We’ll include our favorites on our social media channels and perhaps even pick a few for a new collage we’re creating. We’ll also have live music by the New Vintage Strings Quartet and fresh Kayak Pils on draft and in can to-go.
6:00 – 8:00 pm • Dry City Trivia Dry City Brew Works, 120B N. Main St., Wheaton, IL (630) 456-4787 Map Trivia at Dry City! Themed trivia every Thursday!
6:00 – 9:00 pm • Take Flight Thursdays Riverlands Brewing Co., 1860 Dean St. Unit A, St. Charles, IL (630) 549-6293 Map Thursdays seem lame until you realize they’re really FRIDAY EVE. To celebrate come sample some of St. Charles’ hometown beers and SAVE. Every Thursday*, from 6pm to close, we’ll take $2.00 off flights of four 5oz pours. This is the PERFECT date night opportunity, or a chance to just try out some of our 16 taps all at once. We also have a rotating calendar of pub games each Thursday, including our monthly trivia nights, shuffleboard tournies, and (weather permitting) patio disc golf putting. Check our weekly events for more details. *Excludes holidays or other special events
6:00 – 9:00 pm • Revolution Tap Takeover Mackey’s Hideout, 2601 S. River Rd., McHenry, IL (815) 363-7040 Map Come out to Mackey’s Hideout to enjoy some Revolution Brews! You can find our classic styles on tap with several Deep Woods variations as well.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Sneak Preview Beer Dinner Old Town Pour House, 1419 N. Wells St., Chicago 312-477-2800 Map In preparation for Friday’s Goose Island tap takeover, Old Town Pour House will be offering a 5-course beer dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, February 23 & 24. Check the event listing for Wednesday for full details.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Schitt’s Creek Trivia Night Miskatonic Brewing Co., 1000 N. Frontage Rd, Darien, IL (630) 541-9414 Map Hello bebes…now is not the time for pettifogging! Hide your diamonds, hide your exes…Schitt’s Creek trivia is coming to Miskatonic! Joeyfrom Baig of Tricks Entertainment will be quizzing you through four increasingly harder rounds over every season of the hit show while Miskatonic keeps you fueled up with their fantastic selection of craft brews! Trivia is always free to play, but we’re not just playing for fun – the top teams each night take home some awesome prizes! Please follow ALL Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions put in place by the venue.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • The Office Trivia at Buckledown Brewing BuckleDown Brewing, 8700 W. 47th St., Lyons, IL 708-777-1842 Map We’re looking for Dunder Mifflin experts to join the fun in Lyons! Try to outwit other teams while enjoying a night out with beer and trivia … sounds like a fun Thursday night. Top teams win prizes. If you can’t make it to The Office trivia night. join us weekly on Tuesday nights for General Knowledge trivia. Emceed by Chicago Trivia Guys.
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Holzlager Trivia Holzlager Brewing Co., 150 S. Eastwood Dr., Woodstock, IL (815) 308-5901 Map Come test your knowledge with our weekly Holzlager Trivia Nights! Our Trivial Pursuit-inspired game focuses on 5 topics: Entertainment, History & Geography, Science & Nature, Art & Literature and Sports & Leisure. Stay tuned for our monthly special-themed trivia nights!
7:00 – 9:00 pm • Ted Lasso Trivia One Lake Brewing Co., 1 Lake St., Oak Park, IL (708) 434-5232 Map “Futbal is LIFE!” Come show off your knowledge of everything Ted Lasso! Join Sean with Baig of Tricks Entertainment as he quizzes your teams through two full hours of trivia over both seasons of the hit show! Top teams will win bragging rights and prizes, so bring your friends, family, and even your enemies (if they’re good at trivia) to increase your chances of winning. Gather your team and reserve your spot here.
7:00 – 10:00 pm • FeBREWary with Rock 95.5 Empirical Brewery, 1801 W. Foster Ave., Chicago (773) 654-1565 Map Join us in the taproom on Feb. 24th for a live broadcast with Maria Palmer of 95.5 Chicago Rock Station! There will be giveaways all night, including FREE BEER! It’ll be a night full of music, prizes, and a damn good time. Show starts at 7pm and will go until 10pm. Mark your calendars, folks. This will be a night you won’t wanna miss.
7:30 – 9:00 pm • Thursty Thursday Elephino Trivia Side Lot Brewery, 110 Slocum Lake Rd., Wauconda, IL 847-714-2584 Map Join M.C. Hill & Elephino Trivia every Thursday night at Side Lot Brewery for Team Trivia. Free to play & fabulous prizes to win.
The Pro Tour also unveiled the location and dates for the 2022 Match Play Championship.
February 18, 2022 by Charlie Eisenhood in News with comments
The 2021 Disc Golf Pro Tour Championship. From left: Missy Gannon, Jeff Spring, Nathan Queen. Photo: DGPT.
At long last, the Disc Golf Pro Tour announced the points-earning structure for the 2022 season that players will navigate as they seek to earn a spot — and possibly a bye — at the DGPT Championship in October.
For the first time, major championships will offer DGPT points, and they will be worth 1.5 times as much as a DGPT Elite Series event. The final two events of the year prior to the DGPT Championship — the Green Mountain Championships and MVP Open — will serve as DGPT playoff events with a reduced field size and 1.25x points available for players.
Here is the basic points structure in 2022:
DGPT Elite Series (regular season): 100%
DGPT Playoffs: 125%
PDGA MPO/FPO Majors: 150%
DGPT Silver Series: 25%
The top 100 MPO and top 50 FPO players in the DGPT standings will gain entry in to the Green Mountain Championships, the first playoff event. The top 64 MPO and top 32 FPO will get into MVP Open. Tour Director Jeff Spring has said that there will still be regional qualifying opportunities for the events for players not inside the cutoffs.
The DGPT Championship, like in 2021, will host 32 MPO and 16 FPO players. This year, though, only the top 30 MPO and 14 FPO get in automatically. The final two spots in each division will be contested in a play-in event featuring the next two finishers in the standings along with four additional players, reserved for those who won an Elite Series event or Major but did not qualify directly for the Tour Championship.
This is the first year of a new unified Tour after the PDGA National Tour folded into the DGPT. Previously, there were multiple points-earning pathways, and Majors didn’t impact standings in any of the season-long points structures.
Match Play Championship Info
As a part of the points structure announcement, the DGPT also unveiled the dates and location for the second annual Match Play Championship: June 16-19 in Bailey, Colorado, a town near Denver nestled in the Rockies at 7,700 feet. The Bailey Disc Golf Course will play host to the event, which falls between the Portland Open (Portland, OR) and the Preserve (Clearwater, MN).
16 players in both MPO and FPO will qualify to play in the Match Play Championship. All Elite Series tournament winners will get an automatic invitation, with remaining spots going to the top players in the standings following the OTB Open in mid-May.
The 2022 DGPT season begins next Thursday, February 24th, at the Las Vegas Challenge.
7 Monks Taproom, Burger Mondays: $9 Greasy Spoon with fries, $12 bacon jam burger with fries or a weekly featured burger. Wednesdays: Pierogi and pilsner special. Happy hour from 3-5:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday. Order at 7monkstaproom.square.site. 231-421-8410
Acoustic Tap Room, Monday: All-day happy hour. Happy hour from 5-7 p.m. every other day. 231-275-2041; drinkacoustic.com
Amical, Takeout or dine in from 4-9 p.m. daily. Fixed price menu for $24 each from 4-5 p.m. daily. Reservations through Resy. 231-941-8888; amical.com
Apache Trout Grill, No reservations. Carryout available; delivery via DoorDash. 231-947-7079; apachetroutgrill.com
Bayview Inn Bar & Grill, Closed Sundays. Daily happy hour from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Prime rib dinner for $23.99 Fridays and Saturdays. 231-938-1610; franksbayviewinn.com
Blue Tractor, Dinner starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and Sundays and noon Saturdays. Kids eat free Sundays. DoorDash delivery and takeout continue. 231-922-9515; bluetractorcookshop.com
Brady’s Bar, Drink specials from 4-7 p.m. daily. Friday fish fry. 231-946-8153; bradystc.com
Brasserie Amie, Dinner from 5-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Thursday: Half-off appetizers. Sundays: 25 percent off any wine bottle. Takeout available. 231-753-3161; BrasserieAmie.com
Bubba’s, Open until 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Half-off appetizers from 3-5:30 p.m. daily. Order takeout with the TC Food app. Free delivery (within 5 miles). 231-995-0570; tcbubbas.com
The Cooks’ House, Dinner from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations accepted for up to six guests. 231-946-8700; cookshousetc.com
Dillinger’s Pub/Bootleggers, Thursday Night Trivia starting at 7 p.m. 231-941-2276; dillingerspubtc.com
The Dish Cafe, Takeout/curbside pickup or dine in until 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and until 4 p.m. Saturdays. Online ordering available. 231-932-2333; thedishcafetc.com
The Filling Station Microbrewery, Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Delivery and pickup available. 231-946-8168; thefillingstationmicrobrewery.com
Firefly, pickup, dining or DoorDash delivery (within city limits) till 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, till 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-932-1310; tcfirefly.com
The Flying Noodle, closed Sunday and Monday. Daily happy hour from 3-5:30 p.m. Takeout for two is $16. Order carryout by phone starting at noon. 231-943-1178; flyingnoodletc.com
The Good Bowl, takeout or dine in Wednesday through Sunday. Delivery via RingDinnerBell.com. 231-252-2662; goodbowleatery.com
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Aerie Restaurant and Lounge dinner from 5-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-534-6000; grandtraverseresort.com
Harrington’s By the Bay, Happy Hour all day. Reservations accepted. 231-421-9393; harringtonsbythebay.com
The Hayloft Inn, dine in starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Tuesday wing specials. Live music Friday and Saturday nights. 231-941-0832; restaurantji.com/mi/traverse-city/hayloft-inn-/
Hofbrau, dine in, curbside or delivery (within 5 miles) begins at 4 p.m. daily. 231-276-6979; hofbrausteakhouse.com
Jolly Pumpkin, open 4-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4-9 p.m. Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. Tuesday Mug Club. Takeout half-baked pizzas and family-style dinners. Kids eat free Sundays. 231-223-4333; jollypumpkin.com/traversecity
The Kitchen, Mondays: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn for $5.99 starting at 4 p.m. Thursdays: Turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing for $5.99 from 4 p.m. to close. Pickup or free DoorDash delivery (within 3 miles). 231-947-8646; thekitchentc.com
Left Foot Charley, Mondays: $2 off wine and cider for service industry and front-line workers from 3-7 p.m. Mondays in the Barrel Room: 25 percent off wine, cider and appetizers from 4-9 p.m. and Barrels and Beats (open mic night) with Rob Coonrod from 6-9 p.m. 231-995-0500; leftfootcharley.com
Lil Bo, open until 2 a.m. daily. Happy hour specials from 4-6 p.m., including $1 off house wine, draft beer and well drinks. Late night menu: nachos, hot dogs, cheese curds and more. 231-421-3100; lilbotc.com
Mama Lu’s, pickup, dine in or delivery from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Taco Tuesdays: $2 in house or takeout all day. Taco kits and margaritas to go. 231-943-2793; mamalustc.com
North Peak Brewing Company, dine in, carryout and delivery until 10 p.m. Monday to Sunday. Kilkenny’s Irish Public House: Trivia from 7-9 p.m. Mondays, $3 well liquor drinks and draft beers Tuesday nights and Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. Fridays. Live music Fridays and Saturdays starting at 9:30 p.m. 231-941-7325; pub.northpeak.net
The Parlor, half off cocktails, beer and wine from 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Two for Tuesdays: two beers for the price of one. Signature Sundays: 25 percent off signature cocktails and food. 231-753-3131; theparlortc.com
PepeNero, reserve seats or carryout from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-929-1960; pepenerotc.com
Rare Bird Brewpub, Takeout or dine in from noon to 10 p.m. daily. Specials: Happy Hour Small Plates for $5 every Monday and from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Kick the Keg Wednesday and Ramen Thursday. 231-943-2053; rarebirdbrewpub.com
Red Ginger, Dine in from 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Order online for curbside. 231-944-1733; eatatginger.com
Red Mesa Grill, daily Happy Hour from 3-5 p.m. Monday: buy-one-get-one free entrée. Tuesday: $3 house margaritas. Wednesday: $8 burritos. Family meals, $40. DoorDash delivery. Order through the Toast app. 231-938-2773; magnumhospitality.com/redmesa/traversecity
Right Brain Brewery, Happy hour from 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday. All-day happy hour Wednesdays and Sundays. Tuesday cornhole league at 6 p.m. Wednesday disc golf league at 6:30 p.m. Thursday pinball wars from 6-8 p.m. 231-944-1239; rightbrainbrewery.com
Robby’s Mexican & Spanish Cuisine, Margaritas to go. Online ordering available. 231-252-3700 or 231-252-4532; robbystaqueriatc.com
Sleder’s Family Tavern, dining or carryout until 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Friday: Cod, smelt or perch with fries and coleslaw or cottage cheese for $16.95. 231-947-9213; sleders.com
Smoke and Porter Public House, Dinner until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Delivery through RingDinnerBell.com. 231-642-5020; smokeandporter.com
Taproot Cider House, dine in or carryout every day. Catering available. 231-943-2500; taproottc.com
Thirsty Fish Sports Grille, closed Wednesdays. Tuesdays: Happy Hour from 3-6 p.m. and trivia from 7-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays: live music starting at 6:30 p.m. 231-252-4157; thirstyfishsportsgrille.com
Trattoria Stella, eat in or carryout from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. Pizza Friday: pickup from 4-8 p.m. Online ordering and family meals available. Reservations through OpenTable. 231-929-8989; stellatc.com
U & I Lounge, open until 2 a.m. daily. 231-946-8932; uandilounge.com
Union Street Station, open until 2 a.m. daily. Monday: $5 martinis, $5 domestic beer pitcher, $10 craft beer pitcher. Tuesday: $2 well drinks and shots and open mic comedy. Wednesday: $2 domestic and $3 craft drafts. Fridays and Saturdays: live music. Sunday: $1 off drinks for service industry workers and karaoke. 231-941-1931; unionstreetstationtc.net
West End Tavern, daily Happy Hour from 2-6 p.m. Pickup and family meals available. 231-943-2922; westendtaverntc.com
ANTRIM COUNTY
Blue Pelican Inn and Restaurant, takeout or dine in starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Wednesday: Mexican specials. Thursday: pizza and drinks for two. Friday fish fry and karaoke at 9 p.m. Saturday: steak and shrimp. Online ordering available. 231-544-2583; thebluepelican.com
Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen, Wednesday: half off po’ boy sandwiches. Friday: $13.99 shrimp boil with sides until Memorial Day. Family meals available. 231-264-0530; magnumhospitality.com/pearls
Short’s Brewing Company, Specials: 25 percent off for service industry workers on Sundays; 25 percent off for Antrim County residents on Tuesdays; 25 percent off daily for medical professionals, veterans, teachers and first responders. 231-498-2300; shortsbrewing.com
Terrain Restaurant, takeout or dine in from 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. 231-350-7301; terrain-restaurant.com
BENZIE COUNTY
A&W Restaurant and Drive-In, dining room and carhop open until 8 p.m. daily. Chicken tender family pack for $24.99. 231-352-9021; aw.mobilebytes.com
The Cabbage Shed, closed during winter. Expected to reopen April 19. 231-352-9843; cabbageshed.com
Dinghy’s Restaurant & Bar, dine in and carryout from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Specials: chili or potato soup and salad Tuesdays, hot turkey Wednesdays, meatloaf Thursdays, fish Fridays and beef or pork burritos Saturdays. 231-651-0257; dinghysrestaurant.com
Geno’s Sports Bar and Grill, noon to 10 p.m. daily. 231-378-2554; genossportsbar.com
Jodi’s Tangled Antler, open at 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon Saturdays. 231-325-2480; jodisantler.com
Lake Ann Brewing Company, open 2-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Team Trivia Night at 7 p.m. Thursdays. 231-640-2327; lakeannbrewing.com
Lucky Dog Bar & Grille, dine in from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 231-383-4499; luckydogbarandgrille.com
Platte River Inn, open from 4:30-7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Euchre for $10 Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. 231-227-1200; theplatteriverinn.com
The Roadhouse Mexican Bar & Grill, Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 231-882-9631; roadhousesalsa.com
St. Ambrose Cellars, food truck open daily, closes one hour before the bar. Weekday happy hour from 4-6 p.m. Music from 6-9 p.m. Thursdays. 231-383-4262; stambrose-mead-wine.com
LEELANAU COUNTY
Art’s Tavern, dine in or takeout until 9 p.m. daily. Monday burger special. Five percent of Tuesday food sales donated to Empire Area Food Pantry through April 30. Thursday meatloaf dinner. Cash or check only. 231-334-3754; artsglenarbor.com
Fischer’s Happy Hour Tavern, closed until April 15. 231-386-9923; fischershappyhourtavern.com
Hop Lot Brewing Co., Beer Garden, heated igloo or taproom seating. Taco Tuesdays: $3 off taco sets. Sundays: Free s’mores and hot chocolate. Order takeout online. 231-866-4445; hoplotbrewing.com
VI Grill, takeout or dine in until 9 p.m. daily. Tuesday trivia at 6:30 p.m. 231-271-3300; vigrill.com
ARPA money, bond funds, other revenues come together for list after months of study
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – After months of debate and discussion, community input and surveys, the Lexington Fayette County Urban County Council has unanimously approved a plan to spend millions of dollars on everything from affordable housing to police cars and fire trucks and improved parks and roads
The plan includes $120 million in federal rescue plan funds, $15 million from a bond issue and another $1 million in general operations. More than $25 million remains in the city’s budget stabilization account and more projects could be added later.
While this is the initial phase, the Urban Council will finalize approvals through amendments to the budget and spending plans in the coming weeks and months as details come together.
The list of newly approved items below and in this spreadsheet (COW_Approved_2-17-22). The darker highlighted cells in the spreadsheet indicate amended items from the original Administration proposal.
New items funded out of Budget Stabilization:
· 1,000,000 – Coldstream Disc Golf
· 1,500,000 – Tree Canopy
· $25,000 – Eureka Springs
· $25,184,827 – Remaining in Budget Stabilization
New ARPA funded items:
· $200,000 FY23 Emergency Financial Assistance
· $200,000 FY23 Recovery Supportive Living Assistance
· $200,000 FY23 Code Enforcement Grants
· $750,000 FY23 OHPI
· $170,000 FY23 NAMI
· Additional $150,000 Workforce Development Grants in FY22
· $400,000 Workforce Development Grants in FY23
· $200,000 FY24 Code Enforcement Grants
· $750,000 FY24 OHPI
· $170,000 FY24 NAMI
· $200,000 FY24 Workforce Development
· $325,000 LexArts FY24
· $991,000 Minority Business Accelerator
· $240,000 It Takes a Village Mentoring
· $1,040,000 Black & Williams Rehabilitation
· $6,000,000 Non-Profit Capital Grants
· $2,000,000 Hope Center
· $2,000,000 Salvation Army
· $400,000 Greenhouse 17
· $1,000,000 OHPI Contracts
· $4,000,000 Additional Homeless Funding (HACD)
· $10,000,000 Parks Masterplan
· $10,100,000 Cardinal Run North
· Removal of $1,000,000 for vaccination and testing
· $78,000 Radio Lex
· $350,000 Safety Net
· $960,000 Summer Youth Program
· $9,500,000 Coldstream Infrastructure
· $6,000,000 Social Services Personnel
· $3,100,000 Fire SCBA
· $1,240,000 Bike Ped Initiatives
· $1,500,000 Police Fleet
· $2,000,000 BCTC Dental Hygiene Program
· $4,000,000 Farmer’s Market (pending match)
· $2,500,000 Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center (pending ownership)
The Wednesday, Feb. 9, meeting of the Portola City Council opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a roll call with all present.
After clarifying which items should be commented upon by the public and noting that all commenters must identify themselves for an accurate record of the meeting, Mayor Pat Morton noted, “If you do not identify yourself, you may not be able to comment.”
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This follows several recent meetings of city hall in which attendees have spoken during public comment via Zoom, refusing to identify themselves.
Resident Ashlee Sims then gave her public comment, saying that she would like to congratulate Mr. Kennedy on his new position. “Hopefully he will be part of the solution in this community,” she said.
Council member communications
Mayor Pro Tem Tom Cooley attended a meeting of the infrastructure committee, stating that results would come before council at a future date.
“I also attended the unveiling of new signage at the disc golf course,” Cooley reported. “I would also like to report on the interim city management pre-employment background check of financial, criminal and DMV records, which has come back clean on Jon Kennedy.”
Councilmember Phil Oels has also attended the recent disc golf course sign presentation.
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Councilmember Stan Peiler commented that he had recently had residents of Portola ask him about standardizing the colors of buildings throughout the city of Portola. “Another resident brought up the possibility of a mural on the new Hub gym wall,” Peiler added.
Councilmember Bill Powers said, “It is the season to start booking bands for the summer concerts. This year the plan is to break up the series a bit, starting after the July 4th weekend, with a break for the fair which will be early this year.”
Powers went on to note, “The organizer of the Portola Swim Team and I spoke, and the team will sell drinks and snacks again as well. This year we plan to have a food truck, so we can advertise having food and a bar there.”
Gay Miller with Beckwourth Fire District (BFD) reported that the fire chief was currently at a three-day seminar for fire arson.
She also noted that BFD received $10,000 for a water tender that was surplus equipment and sold.
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“To improve response time, a number of take-home vehicles have been issued,” Miller also noted. “Also, from here on out, I will be reporting out at the first meeting of each month only.”
City Manager Lauren Knox first reported that there had been a water main break in area of Portola Heights, west of West Street on Tuesday, Feb. 8. “Noticing went door-to-door to residents in the affected area, and testing showed no contamination,” Knox said. “We did have a boil water notice go out.”
Knox also reported recent discussion with the Infrastructure committee and Intermountain Disposal regarding some issues in addition to details of the new side loader.
“Jon and I are now working through transition pieces, and we made our way through my very long list, so welcome Jon. I am excited for Jon to be here a breath of fresh air. It’s going very smoothly,” Knox said.
The city presented Knox with a certificate of appreciation and small gift to Knox for all of her work for the city. “Thank you all for your support, you have been an amazing council to work with,” Knox said.
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Council then adopted the budget and consent calendar after a brief correction in regard to a voided check in accounts payable.
Authorizing Submittal of a Notice of Intent to Comply with SB 1383
In 2016, the California legislature approved, and Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 1383.
The legislation seeks to reduce emissions of methane from dairy and livestock operations and solid waste landfills as a means of combating climate change. SB 1383 tasked the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to write and enforce regulations.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, SB 1383 regulations require cities and counties to collect organic wastes from all residential and commercial generators in California and deliver those wastes to a composting facility, thus avoiding landfill disposal. There is a carve-out for rural jurisdictions to waive the organic waste collection requirement for up to five years.
On Nov. 10, 2021 the city council approved Resolution No. 2490, which exempted the city from the organic waste collection requirement through Dec. 31, 2026.
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The exemption was approved by CalRecycle on January 13 of this year.
“There are other requirements of the SB 1383 legislation from which the city is not exempt,” Knox explained. “This year, the city needs to establish an edible food recovery program, amend building code and outdoor water use ordinances, purchase post-consumer content recycled paper, establish an education and outreach program and routinely document all of the above to the satisfaction of the state. We also need to amend our Solid Waste Ordinance and prepare a report of our progress implementing the above by April 1.”
There is a grant fund program available from CalRecycle to subsidize the city to help meet the regulatory requirements. Staff has applied for $20,000 in grant funds. If approved, the city may receive the funds in April.
In recent discussions at city hall, it was made clear that the SB 1383 regulations are complex and burdensome on most California jurisdictions to implement. Failure to meet the requirements can result in substantial administrative fines.
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Through lobbying from cities and counties both large and small, Senate Bill 619 was passed. That legislation allows jurisdictions to apply for a waiver of administrative fines in 2022 for failure to meet SB 1383 regulatory deadlines. To obtain a waiver from administrative fines in 2022, the city council needs to approve a resolution establishing the city’s intent to comply with the SB 1383 regulations. Once approved, the resolution, number 2498, must be submitted to CalRecycle by March 1.
Powers asked Knox about anything as far as “water concerns that might also be coming down the pipeline.” City solid waste consultant Tom Valentino answered that there was nothing regarding water in SB 1383 at this time.
“The state just finalized these regulations in December of last year, and this waiver protects us from administrative fines and gives us more time to comply with solid waste procedures,” Valentino explained.
Without further discussion, council went on to unanimously approve the resolution by roll call vote.
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Budget Amendment – CSG contract
At this time, council entered into a review and discussion of an increase in the contract amount for CSG Consultants for code enforcement services. In June of 2021, Council approved of a contract with CSG consultants for Code Enforcement Services.
“Irma Gowin has been providing this service to the city with favorable results,” Knox said. “At the time of the initial contract, we were unsure what it would take to get the Code Enforcement program reorganized. The initial figure included in the contract was for an amount not to exceed $45,000. At the time, it was discussed that the figure may be low. Staff is requesting that the figure be raised an additional $20,000.”
Knox went on to state that it was important to note that the previous Code Compliance Officer (CCO) position, which was eliminated during a restructuring of positions in exchange for a more traditional Code Enforcement role, would have needed a budgeted amount of approximately $73,791 factoring in administrative overhead costs and benefits.
The additional amount requested for the CSG Contract brings the total to approximately $65,000, which is still under the amount that would need to be budgeted for the previous CCO position. “Another item to note is that the $73,791 figure does not include the other expenses that would be associated with the CCO position, such as training, vehicle maintenance and repair, materials and supplies, and fuel, all of which are no longer expenses to the city when we contracted with CSG Consultants,” Knox went on. Staff estimates that these costs would typically be around $5,000 to $10,000 annually, bringing the total for the previous CCO position closer to $80,000, as a conservative figure. “Staff recommends the approval of the amended contract,” Knox concluded.
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Resident Ashlee Sims opened public comment with questions on Gowin’s work schedule, and a request to see complete records and a year over year comparison of what had been done in the area of code compliance before and after engaging in the contract with CSG Consultants.
Another woman stated that she felt the contract was a “short-term solution for a long-term situation.”
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City Clerk Tara Kindall then read a letter from city resident Leah Turner, which raised concerns around the proposed contract increase and asked what had been accomplished with the funds spent thus far.
Councilmember Stan Peiler asked if Gowin was efficient with her time, and Knox responded that she had done some case comparisons between previous Code Compliance Officer Kevin Sankey and current Code Enforcement Officer Irma Gowin, noting that “Irma has 54 cases, equivalent to code enforcement related issues.”
Knox went on to highlight, “These are two different types of positions, the former CCO was tasked with more, including assisting fire, which Irma does not deal with.” Knox stated that in terms of cases over an eight-month period, they do compare.
Leah Turner then asked if Gowin is doing “reactive rather than proactive work.”
“The role is complaint driven,” Knox responded.
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“I would like to meet with Gowin and see what she has done,” Turner said.
Cooley noted that the city has gained a “very positive organization of the position, and standardized reporting which will allow the job to be passed off in future if needed.”
He also recognized that there is a significant difference to overseeing the work of an employee and the work of an independent contractor before recommending the council approve the contract amendment. This was passed by unanimous roll call vote.
Discussion of goals for the fiscal year 2022-2023 budget
Knox turned the meeting over to Interim City Manager Jon Kennedy at this time.
“I am looking forward to coming up to budget goals for the city, and I was pleased to have the opportunity for this transitional period with Lauren,” Kennedy said.
“I did ask to review the last budget goals from February 2021, along with the general plan update. I would like to ask that instead of listing more goals at this time, maybe we can revisit this in a few months after we have addressed some previous goals that have already been set in the past.”
Without any further public comment, Powers agreed with Kennedy on clarifying goals that are yet to be met before making new ones.
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“I agree with the idea to take stock of what needs to be done and revisit,” Cooley said.
The Portola City Council welcomes residents to its meetings which are regularly held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. Interest and participation is encouraged and welcome.
For additional information visit the City of Portola Web Page: www.cityofportola.com.
Derby parks were feeling the love last week, as the parks department and PROS Consulting held a kickoff event Feb. 15 (at Derby’s Madison Avenue Central Park) to launch the community engagement portion in forming the new Parks Master Plan.
The crowd on hand was not shy in giving input, either, which is exactly what PROS representatives said they are looking for throughout the planning process.
PROS assisted Derby with its previous master plan and President Leon Younger commended the community’s reputation as a “can-do city.” Considering that, Younger said his company is looking forward to engaging the community once again to form a plan that will be embraced in Derby.
“We have a great team of people that are here to help you really kind of create the vision for the next 10 or 15 years, whatever it ends up being,” Younger said. “We’re all here to do our best job for you.”
“Essentially what we’re doing is building a level of service and financial preparedness around being able to not just have a great plan, but to be able to implement a great plan – something that is dynamic,” said PROS Principal Brian Trusty.
At the onset, both Younger and Trusty noted there will be plenty of opportunities for community engagement. The kickoff event was the start of a nine-month process, Trusty noted, with PROS looking to gain insight for the master plan through public forums, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, a community survey and more.
That goal for PROS is to understand exactly what the Derby community is looking for in the parks system.
Among the frontrunners for parks features at the kickoff event were pickleball courts and baseball/softball fields, along with some other favorites.
KELLY BRECKUNITCH/INFORMER
“Obviously this is your park system, so this is your plan,” Trusty said. “The input that we receive from you is really the heart of this process, so there’s a number of ways through which we are trying to make sure that we collect input and engagement from the community throughout the process.”
“This is the very beginning of this entire process and so we really want to try and engage people at every possible moment in time,” said Director of Parks Steve White.
City staff have noted one of their goals is to reinvest in neighborhood parks. Some of the crowd on hand agreed, while also suggesting a number of other additions to PROS Consulting at the kickoff event. Among the features suggested were a BMX track, additional disc golf course, more connected trails (with the advent of e-bikes), easily accessible parks, year-round restroom facilities, etc. – wanting Derby to stay on the “cutting edge.”
PROS also had a number of its own ideas for attendees to vote on regarding new design ideas for the Derby parks. The top vote-getters at the kickoff event were (in no particular order) pickleball courts, softball/baseball fields, trails and a natural water feature. Attendees could also vote on features they did not want, with hammocks, way finding and interactive panels among the least popular.
More opportunity for input remains, as Trusty noted PROS and parks staff will not start review for the final master plan until September. Along with more public events, Derby residents also have the opportunity to provide input at derbyparksplan.com and see updates throughout the Parks Master Plan process.
A natural water feature (like the one shown) was another design idea members of the public noted they would like to see added to the parks system.
COURTESY/PROS CONSULTING
Kelly Breckunitch is the managing editor for the Derby Informer. Contact him at [email protected] for questions and news tips.
We’re no strangers to winter weather in Syracuse, and no amount of cold and snow can keep us from enjoying our city this time of year. There are plenty of indoor and outdoor winter activities to brighten your day, and here are some of the best.
Go Ice Skating at Clinton Square or Sunnycrest Ice Rink
Clinton Square is located in the heart of downtown Syracuse, where the waters of the historic Erie Canal once flowed. From the last week of November until mid-March, the trickling fountain in the square is replaced by a picturesque ice rink framed by quintessential Syracuse architecture. Adults can skate for only $5, while children and seniors can for just $3. The rink is open everyday of the week, starting at 11am on Sunday through Friday and 10am on Saturdays. Skate rentals are also available for $5.
Another option for ice skating in the city is Sunnycrest Ice Rink, an enclosed rink located on the Eastside. Open through March 31, the rink offers weekly specials, including Wednesday free skate, a lunch special, Skate & Shoot Wednesdays, and Senior Skate.
Plan your next skating excursion here!
Try the Food at Salt City Market
Opening its doors January 2021, Salt City Market is Downtown Syracuse’s exciting new culinary and communal destination. Providing international cuisine and a sense of civic pride in one place, the food court is truly unique. Talented cooks from the diverse Syracuse community have come together under one roof to offer up cuisines from Burma, Iraq, Jamaica, Vietnam, and more. Visiting the food court feels like a thrilling trip around the world – without ever having to leave Syracuse.
The market also offers cooking classes, demos, and a food-history series, along with other events for wellness, entertainment, crafting, and gaming are also offered at the market. Make sure to check out all the upcoming events!
Salt City Market is located at the southern end of Downtown Syracuse, where the multicultural neighborhoods of Southside and Westside meet. Open every day of the week, the market offers information on hours of operation and ways to get there on their site.
See the Indoor and Snow-Loving Species at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
The summer might seem like the best time to visit the zoo, but the winter is just as great! This time of year, the zoo offers half-price admission for “Snow Leopard Days” through February 28, where guests can catch glimpses of all the snow-loving animals like red pandas, elephants, wolves, and penguins frollicking in the outdoor exhibits. A large number of exhibits are also located indoors, where you don’t have to worry about the cold. Plan your visit to the zoo here!
Enjoy Winter Sports at a City Park
Syracuse is home to many hills and parks, which bodes well for winter recreation! Head to one of the City’s parks for sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. All activities are offered weather permitting, so check out the Syracuse Rec Desk or Parks & Rec Facebook page to plan your winter recreation day.
Even when the winter weather isn’t cooperating, other free recreation activities, including cornhole, disc golf, and indoor yoga, are offered at the City’s winter lodges. The lodges at Burnet and Sunnycrest Parks are open for winter activities on Saturdays and Sundays, and on weekdays during December and February school breaks between 10am and 4pm. Both ski lodges have bathrooms and provide a comfortable space to warm up!
Syracuse Orange Basketball & Syracuse Crunch Games
In this town, winter time means it’s college basketball time. There is arguably no bigger force of Syracuse pride than congregating in the Dome to cheer on the Orange. Wintertime events like Manny Breland Day make attending SU basketball games even more special for Syracusans.
And those looking to watch some fun winter sporting indoors can get their fix by attending a Syracuse Crunch hockey game downtown at the OnCenter!
Spend the Day at a Museum
Looking to get out of the house but stay indoors? Syracuse has plenty of museums to enjoy when the winter weather is less than ideal. The Erie Canal Museum is a wonderful option that offers an immersive look back at the history of Syracuse and the Erie Canal. The museum is housed in the historic 1850 Weighlock building, where canal boats were once weighed for tolls. The only remaining structure of its kind in the world, the building itself is a treasured artifact that houses . Don’t forget to check out the murals, statutes, and Locktender’s Garden outside before escaping from the cold. Visit the museum’s site to check out the special exhibits and hours of operation.
The Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in the heart of Armory Square is another year-round family destination. And it’s not just for kids! With numerous exhibits, the IMAX theater, and the planetarium, it’s easy to spend several hours at the MOST. Loads of interactive displays let you have fun and learn at the same time.
The Everson Museum of Art offers exciting social activities for both families (like the free Winterfest on Sunday, February 20) and adults, so make sure to check the museum’s events page. And of course, don’t forget to check out the museum’s permanent and rotating fine art exhibitions.
Check all websites for current operating hours before you plan your day.
If you’re looking for more winter fun in Syracuse, check out Visit Syracuse! You can also keep up with the latest Syracuse content on Instagram by following @Experiencesyrproject.
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