Park of the month: Garfield Park

Located on the West Side of Chicago, Garfield Park is a jewel in the “emerald necklace,” a ring of parks and tree-lined boulevards built around what was the western edge of the city in the middle of the 19th century. The goal of this development was to make urban living more active and healthy. Covering about 185 acres of land with recreation facilities, green space, Prairie-style buildings and its famous Conservatory, Garfield Park remains true to the vision put forth by its founders in 1869.

Garfield Park is best known for its conservatory, which has been described as “landscape architecture under glass.” The Garfield Park Conservatory is about two acres in size. It is designed to resemble a haystack, a nod to the Midwest’s agricultural tradition and connection to nature.

The month of April is the height of The Garfield Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show, a yearly exhibition that runs from mid-February to mid-May. In honor of the Chicago Cubs’ recent World Series victory, this year’s theme is “Spring Training.” The exhibition, which features azaleas, tulips, snapdragons and camellias, is decorated with homages to baseball in Chicago. The conservatory is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the exception of Wednesdays, when the conservatory stays open until 8 p.m.

With its rare plants and expert landscape design, the Conservatory has drawn people to Garfield Park since it opened in 1908, but there are numerous other attractions and amenities. Garfield Park is home to several statues and monuments, baseball fields, boxing, basketball, gymnastics and fitness facilities, football and soccer fields, multiple playgrounds, a lagoon for fishing and much more. While the conservatory closes early, the park is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.

As the weather warms and green leaves return to trees, the emerald necklace begins to take on the green hue that has made it popular for nearly 150 years. There is perhaps no better time to take advantage of all that Garfield Park has to offer.

In the news: Springfield man applauded for kind deed

To those that call the state home, it almost goes without saying that the people of Illinois are some of the kindest, most industrious people in the world. Still, when Illinoisans go above and beyond what is expected of them to help others, they deserve to be commended and thanked.

This week, Springfield resident Johann “Joe” Thomas went viral for doing the right thing while working a shift as a server at a local IHOP, where he has been taking care of his regular customers for over 11 years.

Keshia Dotson, who was eating at the IHOP one Saturday in March, witnessed Thomas helping a woman with Huntington’s disease eat her breakfast. Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder that makes ordinary tasks like eating impossible as it progresses.

The viral incident was not the first time that Thomas helped the woman. She and her husband are regulars at the Springfield IHOP. The server noticed that her husband would usually assist her as his own meal became cold. One day, Thomas sat down at their table and offered to help while the man enjoyed his meal. They have followed the same routine ever since.

Joe Thomas’ coworkers have nothing but positive things to say about his kind demeanor and willingness to go the extra mile for IHOP guests. “This is no big deal to him,” one coworker said. “He does this every time. He’s a great coworker.”

Thomas agrees that this sort of thing is second nature for him.

“I really treat people like I want to be treated,” Thomas told CBS news. “I have a soft heart. Everything I do is honestly just natural, besides the way my parents raised me. I don’t think about it. I just do it.” He hopes that people will follow his lead and “pay it forward” by doing good deeds for others.

Illinois schools ranked as some of the best for graduate programs

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• The University of Chicago
• Booth School of Business
• Northwestern University
• Kellogg School of Management

Every year, seniors in college start to weigh what their options could be if they attend a graduate program. Many factors are considered when making that decision. Illinois schools have tried to take those factors into consideration and have been ranked highly recently for offering some of the best graduate programs in the country.

Recently, the U.S. News & World Report revealed rankings for graduate school programs. The rankings are intended to help prospective students when they are looking for a graduate program of their choice. The disciplines included in the ratings are business, law, engineering, education, medicine and nursing.

Illinois was well represented throughout the rankings.

The University of Chicago Booth School of BusinessThe University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern both ranked in the top five nationwide in schools to receive a master of business administration degree.

Northwestern also received a top 10 ranking for law and education. The University of Chicago joined Northwestern as a top 10 school for a law degree as well ranking No. 3 nationwide.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign also was awarded with a top 10 ranking for those looking to get a graduate degree in engineering.

Graduate students across the country and world attend Illinois schools to get a top-notch education. With these most recent rankings, that does not look like it will end any time soon.

TBT to 1943: Bob Woodward was born in Geneva, Illinois

74 years ago this week, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Bob Woodward was born in Geneva, Illinois. Woodward grew up in Wheaton, Illinois and was the son of an Illinois judge. As a teenager, Woodward worked in his father’s law office. It was here that he first began investigating. He snooped through his father’s legal files and discovered private information about many local residents.

After graduating from high school in 1961, Woodward headed to Yale University where he studied journalism. After college, he served as a communications officer in the United States Navy for five years. In 1970, Woodward was hired by the Washington Post for a two-week trial run. After two weeks, he was let go from the Post. Woodward was disappointed, but he refused to give up on journalism. Soon he began working as a reporter at the Montgomery Sentinel, which was located in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He worked there for one year before the Washington Post gave him another chance.

In 1973, when he was just 30 years old, Woodward won his first Pulitzer Prize for his stories that broke the Watergate Scandal, which ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Woodward’s successful reporting on Watergate made him a household name and one of the most influential figures in the history of American media.

In 2002, Woodward won his second Pulitzer Prize for his work reporting on the September 11th terrorist attacks. Aside from his reporting for the Post, Woodward has authored more than fifteen books on American politics, twelve of them best sellers. Today, Woodward works as an associate editor for the Post.