| Five for frying
The debate over school lunches attracts celebrity chefs, angry parents and expert dieticians, many of whom vilify lunch ladies and school administrators while taking a "my way or the highway" approach to nutrition reform. But last year, local conscious caterer and professional chef Greg Christian founded the Organic School Project to work with parents, administrators and the food-service provider for Chicago Public Schools. Through the program, Christian planted vegetable gardens with students and oversaw the implementation of a health and wellness program in three pilot schools. In April, he rolled out a lunch program that focuses on organic foods, whole grains, local produce and hand-preparation (think organic cheese and sausage pizza with a mixed green salad) at Lincoln Park's Alcott School.
Allergy vigilance
Kim Fitzpatrick's 5-year-old daughter is thrilled at the prospect of kindergarten starting Tuesday at the Carlisle Public School. She, however, is apprehensive. It's not that she doesn't think her gregarious daughter will fit in well and make new friends; it's the fear that one of them will innocently offer the child a snack that could send her into anaphylactic shock. Fitzpatrick, of course, is not the only parent who sees the start of school as a potentially frightening situation. According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, a worldwide nonprofit organization dedicated to education on the topic of food allergies, the incidence of food allergy has doubled in the past 10 years and now affects approximately 2.2 million school-age children nationwide. But rather than simply worrying, Fitzpatrick took a proactive approach over the summer.
Communities mourn the loss of Michael Zapletal
Hundreds of people attended the Requiem Mass for Michael Zapletal at the Saint John Vianney Church in Maple Hill Saturday. And though his body hasn't been found, mourners are glad to know that Michael is in a better place. There were songs of grief - and words of distress... “We cannot say that there is no sorrow in the death of Michael, there is sorrow indeed. There is a great sorrow. There's a great loss," said Father Angelo VanderPutten during the service. .
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