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I have more than 40 years in the news business and have successfully evolved into an electronic journalist. Comings & Goings and Southland Savvy track news about businesses in Chicago's Southland.

Cancer scare, stem cells and reality tv

Crestwood residents are worried the cancer cluster, apparently caused by contaminated water, will ruin property values. A local woman who was the nation's first recipient of experimental stem cell transplant for CIDP is healthy five years later. South Siders are needed for a new reality show, ala Jersey Shore. Adam Kinzinger takes a swing at Debbie Halvorson. Finally, will Oak Lawn find favor with Google?

The region's must-reads, in this week's GuidePosts.

Cancer scare in Crestwood: Frank Caldario worries the water he drank for years without knowing it was contaminated caused his kidney cancer. The 30-year-old office worker told the Chicago Tribune, which broke the Crestwood cancer story, that surgeons removed a gumball-size tumor and about 40 percent of his right kidney. "I can't help but wonder if what happened to me had something to do with the water," says Caldario. "It's just unreal for someone my age to get that." The state released a report Friday suggesting toxic chemicals in Crestwood water could have contributed to the town's cancer rates.

Stem cell transplant: On April 1, Jennifer Osman celebrates a new chance at life, reports columnist Donna Vickroy. That day marks the close of a five-year clinical trial to treat the chronic disease that brought her to death's door. In 2005, the 38-year-old Plainfield mom became the first in the nation, and second in the world, to undergo an experimental stem cell transplant for Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy, an inflammation of the nerves that leads to a loss of movement or sensation. "This was my first hope for life," she says of the groundbreaking transplant.

Go ahead, embarrass your mom: South Siders and south suburbanites who want to become reality-TV stars should be "buff, hot, sexy, crazy, fun, outgoing," and "love to make things exciting." Well, that pretty much describes the staff of Southland Savvy! If you fit this description, send an e-mail to Chicago@oconnorcasting.tv with your full name, address, phone number, three recent pictures of yourself, and "a brief description of your awesomeness." You might end up in a South Side reality TV show, just like "Jersey Shore."

Give the money back Debbie: GOP congressional candidate Adam Kinzinger wants incumbent U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson to return campaign contributions from New York Congressman Charlie Rangel, now embroiled in an ethics controversy that forced him to give up his chairmanship of the powerful House Ways and Means committee. Kinzinger, the GOP nominee for Halvorson's 11th District seat, says Halvorson should donate all tainted campaign donations, totaling $60,000, to Haitian relief.

Meanwhile, columnist Phil Kadner is wondering whether Kinzinger will stand up to the extreme elements of his party whose views Kinzinger doesn't necessarily share.

Let's Google, says Oak Lawn:
It appears Oak Lawn may be trying to get residents in on Google's project to deliver ultra-high-speed Internet service, says Casey Cora.

Greek restaurant to open in Orland Park

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

With a name like It’s Greek to Me it should come as no surprise that the new restaurant set to open Monday at 13119 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park will feature Greek cuisine.

Owner Mike Flamburis says the new eatery will feature only authentic Greek dishes. “We’ll have traditional authentic Greek dishes,” says Flamburis.
Restaurant hours will be daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 708-923-1400.

Flamburis also owns the adjoining Country Cottage Café, which he says will be opening a few weeks after It’s Greek to Me.

Flamburis says both restaurants will have some common areas but the kitchens and dining rooms for each will be separate.

“They will be distinctly different restaurants,” says Flamburis.
Country Cottage Café will be one of those breakfast/lunch restaurants serving only from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The café’s phone number is 708-923-0400.

Now open

Susan’s Accessories and Gifts has opened at 7659 W. St. Francis Road in Frankfort Square.

Closed

The Cricket Wireless store has closed at 9442 W. 191st St. in Mokena.

Coming Soon

A United Liquor store is planned for 11320 W. Lincoln Highway in Mokena. The owners also operate United Liquor stores in Joliet, New Lenox and Country Club Hills.

Deal of the weekend

Denny’s, which already has kids eat free deals (two kids eat free with each paid adult meal), now is serving up unlimited fries and pancakes, as long as they come with the meal you ordered. For more information, visit
Denny's

Dancing Spartans set to invade Oak Lawn

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Eileen Jones knows she probably will never be invited to be on “Dancing With The Stars.” That’s why the librarian at Oak Lawn Community High School did the next best thing; she is bringing the show to her. So to speak.

Jones is one of eight educators at Oak Lawn High who will be dancing for bragging rights and charity next Friday at “Dancing With The Spartans.”

Jones and her seven colleagues have been training for the past two months with dance instructors from Heart & Sole Dance in Tinley Park. They will put it all on the line at 7 p.m. March 12 at the high school, 9400 Southwest Highway.

“I wanted to be on ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ but knew that wasn’t going to happen. So I started thinking how I could bring the show to me,” says Jones.

“Someone suggested doing it as a community event and that’s how we came up ‘Dancing With The Spartans’.”

Jones says the event will mirror the TV version. “We’ll have video montages of the teachers in training. We’ll have a Green Room. We’ll even have voting and celebrity judges.

“Gina Glocksen, who was a contender on ‘American Idol,’ is going to judge. We also have Scott Blevins, who is an internationally known choreographer.”

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. with dancing to begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $10, $7 for students with ID and free for children 10 and under. Votes go for $1 and stuffing the ballot box is encouraged, says Jones.

All proceeds are going to the Parent Project for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. “That charity was chosen because a son of one of the teachers has that condition,” says Jones.

For more information, visit Dancing Spartans

Here's a video sneak peek at what you'll see next Friday. Eat your heart out "Glee."