Splash!

COMMUNITY NEWS | OCTOBER 2010

Reminders
• For information about this newsletter contact
Cristina Gomez at cgomez@tcbinc.org or
773-967-9211

• For work orders call: 773-967-9207

• For emergency maintenance after hours call:

708-237-6153

• Parking permits are required to park in

building parking lots. Unauthorized vehicles
will be towed at the owner’s expense.

• Cable or phone installation service is done

between 9am and 4pm, Monday through
Friday

photo by Cristina Gomez

• Maintenance hours are Monday through
Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

• If your kids need something to do during

after school time, contact Rachel Faulkner at
773-967-9201 at our Community Center for
ideas and referrals. Diamond Cumbo is a natural behind the camera.

Digital Connectors Go
Behind the Scenes at NBC 5
Members of the after school program, Digital Connectors, visited NBC 5 Studios this August for
an in-depth look at how the news is made. Traveling together from Oakwood Shores Community
Center, the teens arrived in downtown Chicago eager to meet newscasters and get behind the
camera themselves. At NBC 5 Studios, the Digital Connectors received tours of the entire studio,
met extensively with the Brant Miller of the weather team, and even visited the studio set for Judge
Mathis.
After the general tour, the teens got to sit behind the news desk in Studio 5 and test their skills
with equipment and sets. Many of the Digital Connectors have an interest in jobs in media and
entertainment so the tour helped introduce them to unknown aspects of the profession. After a
Children and Youth 2 question and answer session with NBC 5 college interns, the students shopped in the gift shop, and
inside

Neighborhood News 3
Resident Programming 4
In the Community 5
Community Calendar 6
took pictures to commemorate their experience. For more photos of the Digital Connectors at NBC
5 Studios, please turn to page two.
Oakwood Shores is grateful to Deborah O. Brown, NBC 5 Director of Station Relations, and the
entire NBC staff for allowing the Digital Connectors this special opportunity.
Digital Connectors is an after school program organized in partnership with One Economy.
Program participants learn about internet safety, writing, blog creation, web design, and financial
literacy. Digital Connectors II will launch this fall and will be a stipend-based program for teens
particularly interested in digital literacy and advertising. For more information contact Rachel
Faulkner at 773-967-9201 or rfaulkner@tcbinc.org.
 Children and Youth
photo by Cristina Gomez
Curnisha Kelly, 14 years old
2010 Girl Scout
Dates to Note
• October 2 - Fall Product Sale Begins
• October 16 - Investiture Ceremony
• October 30 - Orange Party
• November 11 - Talent Show Fundraiser
• December 4 - Troop Dues Payment
• December 18 - Parent Cookie Meeting,
4:30 pm, Holiday Party
• January 8 - Troop Dues Payment, Urban
Adventure Field Trip
• March 5 - Troop Dues Payment
• March 19 - Fashion Show Fundraiser
• April 9 & 10 - Troop Overnight Camping
Trip
• May 7 - Mother and Daughter Tea
• June 4 - Bridge Ceremony
• June 17 - Father and Daughter Dance
• June 18 - Year End Celebration and Award
Ceremony
All events are held at the Oakwood
Shores Community Center at 3711
S. Vincennes Avenue on the second
floor, unless otherwise notified.
Events begin at 2:30pm unless
otherwise noted.
2 The Oakwood Shores Newsletter
Scout’s Honor
Spotlight on Girl Scout Curnisha Kelly
Curnisha Kelly is an example citizen and student
to the Oakwood Shores community. A Girl
Scout for more than a year now, she has earned
many patches and points for her respectful,
responsible, and friendly nature.
Last year, Curnisha unleashed her great
leadership and creativity skills when she helped
choreograph a dance routine for the Girl Scout
troop’s first Fashion Show Fundraiser. As
Curnisha graduates to become a Senior Girl
Scout she will work to address community issues.
Curnisha is also an ace student. She has
received numerous awards for her academic
prowess such as the Principal Scholar award,
‘A’ Honor Roll, and the High Achievement
distinction in Science and History. Her strong
academic record has even been recognized by
State Representative Jacqueline Y. Collins.
At the age of 14, Curnisha has already
planned her future. She wants to own her own
business, a full service beauty salon and spa.
Oakwood Shores Teens Tour
NBC 5 Studios
Abrille Dodd, Whitney Cumbo, and Diamond
Cumbo get comfortable behind the newsdesk.
Since Oakwood Shores started the Girl Scout
troop a year ago, Curnisha and her fellow scouts
have not stopped. They have learned important
life skills like how to open a bank account
and buy healthy food. They have attended an
overnight camping trip, participated in a Micro
Society field trip, marched in the July 4th Parade,
plunged into the city on an Urban Adventure
field trip, and made Girl Scout Build-a-Bears.
Leading the Girl Scouts is Oakwood Shores
resident Sonia Gallaspy. Oakwood Shores would
like to sincerely thank Sonia for all her hard
work and congratulate her on the success of the
Oakwood Shores Girl Scout troop. The troop is
looking forward to another successful year under
Sonia’s leadership and is always looking for new
members.
If your child is between the ages of five and
18 and is interested in becoming a Girl Scout
or Boy Scout please contact Rachel Faulkner at
773-967-9201 or rfaulkner@tcbinc.org.
photos by Cristina Gomez
Troy Stewart and John Wallace pose for their
close-ups.
 Neighborhood News
SeniorFest 2010
by Aaron Beswick

On August 18, McCormick Place became the largest senior center in the city. Sponsored by the
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Mayor Daley’s Senior Fest 2010 hosted an
estimated 8,000 of Chicago’s elder residents for a morning of excitement and activity.
Anticipating the fun and free prizes, Oakwood Shores senior residents joined the celebration.
Every year, Senior Fest offers Chicago residents aged 60 and better a variety of social activities and
access to information and resources. The Healthy Aging Pavilion and city service fair catered to those
eager to learn, while an entire floor of interactive programs entertained the masses.
During the festivities, Mayor Daley himself stopped by to share a few words with Chicago’s most
experienced residents. In his absence, live musicians enlivened the crowd, providing an animated
soundtrack for the game area, arts activities, and dance pavilion. After working up an appetite, seniors

FREE FOR
were treated to a picnic lunch, compliments of the Mayor.
Jacqueline Thompson, attending her first Senior Fest this year, was impressed by the City’s effort.
“They really successfully planned a well-rounded day. They had every avenue of interest that one
would want.”
An avid and talented artist herself, Ms. Thompson enjoyed the arts pavilion where she added a
personal poem to a tree crafted from the poems of attending elders. For Ms. Thompson, Senior Fest
RESIDENTS!
proved itself “supremely prepared to entertain and satisfy the seniors.” Stop by the Community
First-time guest Naomi Sharif appreciated the warm and friendly atmosphere of the Fest. “The Center on the second
people were very hospitable. Anything they thought you might need or might want to go, they steered
you in the right direction.” floor at 3711 South
In addition to the mood of the event, the unexpected and spectacular caliber of prizes thrilled Vincennes to get your free
residents. Playing bingo in the game area, seniors competed for CD players, boom boxes, and 15-inch
flat screen televisions. Though they left empty-handed, the chance to win was enough to satisfy. As reusable bag. Supplies are
a veteran guest of the Senior Fest, June Smith is well-accustomed to the prizes and ambiance of the limited. Limit three per
event. When looking forward to the event every year, however, Ms. Smith most anticipates meeting
new friends and catching up with those of old. “You see old people your age that you haven’t seen in household.
a long time, people from all over the city.”
For all its fun and activities, Senior Fest most offers elder Chicagoans the chance to meet one
another and form friendships. As Ms. Sharif said, “I enjoyed seeing so many seniors in a setting
where they were having fun. I would go again.”

Staff Spotlights
Special Thanks Go to Oakwood Shores Facilities
Management and Maintence Staff
photos by Cristina Gomez

From left to right: Manny Amaro (Director of Facilities), Edgar Matute (Facilities Services Manager), Michael Day (Groundskeeper), Charles Murry (Maintenance Technician),
Roberto Sevilla (Maintenance Technician), Johnny Bunch (Maintenance Technician), Theotis Coker (Maintenance Technician), Not Pictured: Velma Parker (Administrative Assistant)

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 Resident Programming
Bulletin
•
Have some time to volunteer?
Contact Aaron Beswick at 773-967-9213 or
abeswick@tcbinc.org to setup your
assignment.
• Want to form your own group?
Contact Emily Vaughan at 773-967-9210 or
evaughan@tcbinc.org to start planning.
• File for Life: In Case of Emergency
Contact Aaron Beswick at 773-967-9213 or
abeswick@tcbinc.org to get your FREE
File for Life. The File for Life keeps all your
medical information in one spot.
• Need Help Filing for Social Security?
If you are aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled
contact Aaron Beswick at 773-967-9213 or
abeswick@tcbinc.org for help filing for Social
Security.
• Seniors, How Are You Doing?
Seniors should expect a call from Aaron
Beswick to complete their Senior Assessment.
Oakwood Shores staff member, Aaron
Beswick enjoys his second serving of
Dump Cake.
Parents Group:
Babies and
Toddlers Session
4 The Oakwood Shores Newsletter
Sophisticated Seniors Get
Cooking
Success never tasted so sweet. Or Delicious! The
Oakwood Shores Sophisticated Seniors hosted
their second Cooking Class last month and not
only did they come away with a full stomach,
but they also left with new recipes and new
techniques for cooking on a budget. In fact the
day’s dessert, called Dump Cake, only costs $3.50
to make and serves eight people.
Oakwood Shores Facilities Manager,
Manny Amaro, led the class through a cooking
demonstration of  Breaded Italian Style Chicken
Thighs, Summer Salad with Strawberries, Feta
Cheese and Pecans, and a dessert called Dump
Cake, for which the recipe can be found on page
five of this newsletter.
Manny taught to the Sophisticated Seniors
what ingredients they would need and where
they could buy them – cheap.  After a review of
Members of the Sophisticated Seniors take
notes during the cooking presentation.
Join staff from Erikson Institute on November
10 for a parent-baby group at Oakwood Shores.
Parents with children up to 18 months old are
invited to join for an opportunity to talk with
specialists in child development about how their
baby is learning and growing.
The new initiative, called Fussy Baby, will
meet every second Wednesday of the month
from 10-11:30am and provide parents an
the ingredients, Manny prepared the cake, then
the chicken, and finally the salad.
When the meal was complete the entire
Community Center smelled delicious. The
Oakwood Shores Sophisticated Seniors and
Oakwood Shores staff enjoyed the meal
Manny prepared so much that they came back
for seconds and thirds.  In the first cooking
demonstration class, Manny even received a
marriage proposal!
Ms. Peebles, long time resident of Oakwood
Shores, leads the Sophisticated Seniors in a
monthly check-in and special events like the
demonstration cooking class.
If you are interested in starting your own
group or having resident events like the Cooking
Class contact Emily Vaughan at 773-967-9210 or
evaughan@tcbinc.org.
photos by Cristina Gomez
Ms. Peebles adds a new recipe to her
repertoire.
opportunity to share parenting techniques and
consult with specialists while their children play
with other babies and toddlers. Snacks for both
parents and babies will be provided.
For more information or to sign up,
interested parents should contact Rachel
Faulkner at rfaulkner@tcbinc.org or call
773-967-9201.
 In the Community
About Oakwood Shores Yoga
Instructor: Shalise Nicols
Oakwood Shores is excited to offer a free yoga
class every Monday from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Taught by instructor Shalise Nichols, this yoga
class is meant to encourage adults of all ages and
abilities to become more actively engaged in their
health and wellness.
Shalise began yoga with the quest to find
an exercise that she could grow old with. This
marked the beginning of her journey on a
healthy and full life through yoga.
With seven years of yoga experience, Shalise
began training through Global Family Yoga in
August 2008 and attained the 200 hour
Oakwood Shores Recycles
Residents can help to green Oakwood Shores
and reduce their carbon footprint by taking part
in the Oakwood Shores recycling program.
Similar to the City’s Blue Cart program,
Oakwood Shores has contracted a waste hauler
to provide recycling hauling services for all
residents. The contracted hauling service picks
up recycling every Wednesday and takes it to
recycling sites.
The recycling recepticles, called Blue Carts,
are located throughout the property next to the
dumpsters. Please bring your recyclables to any
of the locations listed.
Residents do not need to seperate their
recycling into seperate bins as Oakwood Shores
is practicing single stream recycling. Single
stream recycling allows newspapers, junk mail,
plastic bags and paper bags, and magazines and
catalogs to be mixed together.
Make Your Own Dump Cake
Ingredients: 1 box of yellow cake mix,
1 can of pie filling, 1 can of crushed
pineapple, 1 stick of butter
Supplies: baking pan, cooking spray,
butter knife, fork, can opener
certification from Hatha Yoga Children and
Family in May 2009.
She created her studio blissfolds to empower
and strengthen family and community through
the practice of yoga. Shalise teaches yoga to all ages at her
Shalise vows to leave the planet in better studio. At Oakwood Shores she teaches an
shape than she found it and encourages all yoga adult class on Monday nights at 3711 S.
participants to join her in this endeavor. Vincennes in the Community Center.
For more information on Shalise Nichols and
blissfolds please visit http://blissfolds.com.
To sign-up for Shalise’s class at Oakwood
Shores please call Emily Vaughan at
(773) 967-9210. Recycling Blue
Carts Near You
• S. Ellis
3804, 3822, 3845, 3848, 3852
You can help by:
• S. Cottage Grove
1.  Taking another look at your trash – if 3816, 3825, 3851, 3867
you have newspapers, junk mail, plastic
and paper bags, and magazines and • S. Langley
catalogs put it in a plastic or paper bag 3751, 3755
and bring it to the closest Blue Cart. • S. Vincennes
2.  Educating your neighbors - talk to 3711, 3737, 3741, 3754,
them about the Oakwood Shores recycling 3758, 3838, 3842, 3846
program when you see them, especially
• E. Pershing
when they are taking out the trash. 638, 860
3.  Being a smart shopper - look for
products with recyclable packaging or the
• E. 37th Street
649, 653, 657, 661
least amount of packaging.
• E. 38th Place
Please start collecting your recyclables and
633, 707
placing them in one of the blue carts located
across Oakwood Shores. Working together, our • E. 38th Street
community can increase our recycling rate and 529, 533, 835
help protect our planet.
• E. 39th Street
554, 558
Steps: Prepare your baking pan by spraying it
with cooking spray. Dump the yellow cake mix,
pie filling, and pineapple in the baking pan and
mix with fork. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch slices.
Place slices on top of the cake mix. Bake in oven
for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
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 Chicago, IL 60653
3711 S. Vincennes Avenue
Oakwood Shores

October 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2
American Diabetes BCM 8am-1pm
Association - Walk
to Fight Diabetes
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Cinema Minima: Yoga 6pm FD at Shedd BCM 8am-1pm
Logan Square Aquarium Girl Scouts

10 11Columbus Day 12 13 14 15 16
Yoga 6pm FD at Museum of FD at Field Book Club 6pm BCM 8am-1pm
Contemporary Art Museum
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Yoga 6pm FD at Int’l Museum FD at Field Sophisticated BCM 8am-1pm
of Surgical Science Museum Seniors 12pm Girl Scouts

24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Yoga 6pm FD at Loyola Univ. Hyde Park Farmer’s BCM 8am-1pm
Museum of Art Market

31
Halloween

For information about this newsletter or to add events to the calendar e-mail Cristina Gomez at
cgomez@tcbinc.org or call 773-967-9211. All events are free.
FD= Free Day BCM = Bronzeville Community Market, 4400 Cottage Grove Avenue

6 The Oakwood Shores Newsletter