Construction Delays Force Bonfield Express Organizers to Adjust Route

The race will begin and end in downtown Downers Grove, be reversed over a large segment of the course and include a new segment through Randall Park.

Construction Delays Force Bonfield Express Organizers to Adjust Route

The race will begin and end in downtown Downers Grove, be reversed over a large segment of the course and include a new segment through Randall Park.

Downers's Grove's annual Thanksgiving race, the Bonfield Express 5K, will alter its course this year to accommodate construction delays over key segments of its traditional route, organizers announced. The race will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving, Nov. 22. As originally planned, the course will begin and end in downtown Downers Grove. This year, however, the course will make a loop around the downtown area to the west—in reverse of its usual pattern—through Denburn Woods before heading back downtown. The course will also include a new segment to the east, which passes through the Randall Park area before ending at its customary location at Curtiss Street and Mochel Drive. Bonfield Express Race Director Will Kupisch said he believes …

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Fun Facts and Trivia for Thanksgiving

Canadian Turkeys, carving the lobster and a turkey the size of a dog.

No need to worry about conversation topics around the Thanksgiving dinner table. Let your guests fill up on these Thanksgiving fun facts.

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Wal-Mart to Start 'Black Friday' Deals 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving

It will be the earliest start to Black Friday shopping for Wal-Mart ever.

Wal-Mart will open to Black Friday shoppers earlier than ever before.  The chain will open stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening. Shoppers want earlier openings, Walmart U.S. Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer Duncan Mac Naughton told the Chicago Tribune.  "'We got customer feedback that says I like to shop earlier so I can go to bed earlier,'" Naughton said. Target, Best Buy, Macy's and Kohl's all opened at midnight last year. Best Buy Co Inc, Macy's and Kohl's all plan to open at midnight again, according to the Tribune. Target has not announced its opening time yet.  The nearest Wal-Mart is located at 2189 75th St. in Darien.  Read more about Black Friday deals to be offered at Wal-Mart here.  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  …

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Deep-Frying the Holiday Bird? Here Are Some Safety Tips

A Loyola Hospital trauma and burn surgeon gives tips to keep the cook out of the harm's way.

Deep-fry is the only way to cook a turkey that is flavorable and moist, some aficionados say. But accidents can happen, and doctors at Loyola Hospital in Maywood who specialize in trauma and burns warn that caution should be taken when cooking the holiday bird. In the United States, more than 141 serious fires and hot-oil burns have been reported from the use of turkey fryers over the last decade, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Serafino Alfe of suburban Chicago knows. He was deep-frying turkeys for an annual fundraiser dinner recently and ended up at the Loyola Burn Center with third-degree burns—the worst—on his leg. “I tripped and fell right into the deep fryer,” he said in a prepared statement. “Thirty quarts …

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Mike Sandrolini

9:20 am on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I've had deep-fried turkey before, and it's delicious. I wonder how the turkey fryers advertised on those half-hour long TV infomercials work. Admittedly, I've never wanted to invest time watching an informercial on a turkey fryer, but maybe these do work and might be the safest route to go.   more ›

Patch Poll: Has Black Friday Gone too Far?

This year, Black Friday was marred by violence and crime. Is it time for retailers to dial back the hype and promotion?

Should Black Friday be renamed Bloody Friday? Insane Friday? What-Has-This-Country-Come-To Friday? For some shoppers, Black Friday is all about the hunt for a good deal, and even a fun night, or early morning, out. However, in addition to a good deal on the latest electronics, Black Friday brought incidents involving pepper spray, shootings, looting and beatings. “Instead of a nice sweater, you need a bulletproof vest and goggles," Betty Thomas, 52, told the Associated Press Saturday while shopping with her family at a mall in Raleigh, N.C. Has this sales strategy gone too far? Should retailers be encouraged to dial back Black Friday hype and promotion? In addition to Black Friday, football is part of the Thanksgiving tradition, according …

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Joe Parkmoor

12:30 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012

God bless you, gina. You have my sympathies. I would never go shopping on Thanksgiving day or evening. Nor would I stand in line to shop before the crack of dawn the following day. I refuse to participate it an event which essentially robs people like you of their holiday.   more ›

Under the Tower

Tips For A Perfect Thanksgiving (Mostly)

Did you ever host a dinner that was more foul than fowl? Read on and your holiday will be better than ever.

For Thanksgiving I always go to Casey's for my turkey. I feel like they have the freshest birds. So, it was really disappointing when one year my turkey, despite it's potential, didn’t turn out as planned. I was so upset my caruncle nearly burst. If you don’t know what that is, then it’s time to talk turkey about Thanksgiving. Here are a few steps: 1. Preparing your bird. Find a good counselor to help him cope. Farmed turkeys are flightless and have little chance for escape—especially since each year the average American eats about 10% of his own body weight in turkey. It may make you feel better to know that Big Bird’s costume was made from thousands of yellow-dyed turkey feathers. Life goes on?  2. Turkey safety. I think it’s pretty …

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Paulette Delcourt

8:25 pm on Sunday, November 27, 2011

What did you do with your leftovers?   more ›

Local Families Struggle to Put Food on the Table

Food pantries feel the pinch as more people need their help.

Families’ economic struggles continue, and nowhere are their woes more evident than at local food pantries. More and more families are relying on food pantries to stretch their budgets because there is little left for food after paying housing and utility bills. And, as Thanksgiving nears, families’ needs and pantries’ attempts to help are more poignant. “Last Thanksgiving, we thought that the economy was starting to improve a little bit. We had hit a record number but the rapid growth had slowed,” said Melissa Travis, senior director of programs—basic services for People’s Resource Center (PRC) in Wheaton. “Unfortunately, this year we are seeing another uptick in growth. There are a lot of people who are really struggling right now.” The …

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DG Guy

10:30 am on Monday, November 28, 2011

If you google Danielle's name you'll find her linked in page showing that her degrees are in art. A noble field with a 3000 year track history of unemployment that spawned the term "starving artist." Obviously she knew this going into the field but is out here anyway venting off topic that the world has wronged her. Danielle - Take ownership of your decisions and you will be a happier person.   more ›

Trot Like A Turkey at the Bonfield Express

Burn off those calories early so you can enjoy a guilt-free Thanksgiving dinner.

Editor's Note: This story has been revised due to incorrect pre-registration information. Patch regrets the error. Perhaps you've seen the signs for it in people's yards, including one on Maple Avenue with giant, attention-grabbing turkeys. It's the Bonfield Express, and for some families the annual 5K race/walk has become as much a part of their Thanksgiving routine as eating a huge dinner, watching football, taking a tryptophan-induced nap, and finally doing the dishes. For the seventh year in the row, the Bonfield Express will wind its way through the heart of Downers Grove—a USA Track and Field certified course—beginning at 8:30 am on Thanksgiving morning.  And like they do every year, Chuck Meister, his wife and five children will …

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