Latest news with #OneSweetDay
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Sweet animals, weather combine to boost turnout at La Grange Pet Parade
The theme for the 79th edition of the La Grange Pet Parade Saturday was 'One Sweet Day,' and it certainly was for the thousands that packed downtown La Grange to watch and enjoy the 120 entrants under sunny skies and temperatures that were just right. 'We've had more people register in the pets and owner costume contest than we've had in the last many years,' said Erin McPartlin, Pet Parade board chairperson. 'So we are just flooded with all these dogs and their trainers and their costumes. It is quite incredible here.' The parade began in 1947 as a project of the La Grange Chamber of Commerce, whose president, Ed Breen, owner of Breen's Cleaners, had the idea to create an event that would feature the village's children and family pets. The parade grew over the years to include entrees from local businesses, schools, and nonprofit organizations. This year's parade was televised by WGN-TV. Since the 1990s, the parade has been televised over local cable access on LTTV, the Lyons Township High School television station. Ed Breen's son Bob is chairman emeritus of the Pet Parade. He has attended every parade from the beginning, but this one would be his last, he said. 'One more year,' he said before the event, pointing out that his grandfather founded Breen's Cleaners in 1920. 'I feel great,' he said. 'The weather's great and I think everything will be great. Last year it rained and there were still people here … and they didn't leave right away.' Unlike last year, when a few entrants dropped out because of the weather, this year every entrant showed up. 'We usually have about 120 group entrants and we have that again this year,' said Molly Price, executive director of the parade. 'For the second year we have moved the costume contest in front of Village Hall. We have high school volunteers doing the judging and then they walk with the people in the parade.' The parade was led by the Color Honor Guard from American Legion Coulter Post 1941, followed by the Great Lakes Navy Band playing 'Anchors Away.' A contingent of antique Model A vehicles led the way for a procession of different area government entities. Fox 32 Chicago News anchor Scott Schneider did double duty, interviewing people before the parade and serving as grand marshall, riding in a Rolls Royce through the downtown area. Fiona Kennedy was the Junior Grand Marshal, an honor bestowed on her after winning a coloring contest sponsored by the La Grange Art League. St. Francis Xavier School student Monica Derus won first place in the children's costume division, with a 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' themed out fit and her guinea pig named Piggy Stardust. 'He's just a really sweet animal and he's such a treat to be with. We decided to do Willy Wonka,' she said. 'This is my second year doing this and we got him two years ago.' Area police departments and fire departments were followed by La Grange and La Grange Park village officials, including the La Grange Park District, and the La Grange and La Grange Park public libraries. Also marching were government officials from nearby municipalities like Countryside, Hodgkins, and the Township of Lyons. The business community was well-represented by the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce, the La Grange Business Association, and various restaurants and other businesses. Area schools were represented by marching bands, including Lyons Township High School, Nazareth Academy, School District 105 and Park Junior High. And as usual, the World Famous Arcola Lawn Rangers wielded their lawn mowers in precision with brooms attached signifying the Arcola's claim to being the broom corn capital of the world. After the parade, Molly Price said the event turned out as well. 'Since we had the rain last year, it was just amazing to have the sunshine, and the crowds had an amazing energy,' she said. 'We got a few more costume contest people and it's good that it's growing and growing again. It's important for us to remember the original basis of the parade, which was dressing up with your pets.' Price also stressed the importance of the volunteers. 'Many of them come year after year,' she said. 'It makes the parade run smoothly. Their commitment is amazing.'
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Community news: Hospitals in Hinsdale, La Grange lauded for patient care
For the 24th consecutive grading period, the UChicago Medicine AdventHealth hospitals in La Grange and Hinsdale have received an A safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, which ranks hospitals in the nation based on preventing things that harm patients. The national nonprofit watchdog Leapfrog assigns grades from A to F to general hospitals 'based on more than 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems that hospitals have implemented to prevent patient harm,' a news release notes. The latest grades came out in the spring 2025 edition of Leapfrog's semiannual Hospital Safety Grade report. Dr. Monica Reed, president and chief executive officer of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth, praised the medical teams at the hospitals. 'With their expertise, dedication and compassion, they drive our efforts to provide the highest-quality whole-person care, focusing not only on patients' physical health, but also on their mental and spiritual well-being,' she shared in the release. The 79th annual La Grange Pet Parade steps off at 9:30 a.m. and continues until 11:30 a.m. May 31 at Cossitt Avenue and La Grand Road. This year's theme is 'One Sweet Day.' Fiona K will be the junior grand marshall, chosen from her entry in the coloring contest judged by the La Grange Art League, which will honor her with an art show. Six floats will be chosen to receive trophies; judging is at 9 a.m. in the line-up area. Points are given for theme, effort and homemade elements. Registration still is available for individuals, small groups and families until noon May 30. The pet and owner costume contests include prizes. Youths compete for an Apple iPad and $200 and $100 Amazon gift cards. Adults can win a pet parade swag bag, T-shirt and hate or T-shirt. Groups/families will vie for an Apple iPad and $200and $100 in Aurelio's Pizza gift certificates. Register online at The parade attracts thousands of spectators and participants every year and costs up to $100,000 to present, which includes payment for some of the acts that perform. The Darien Garden Club's National Garden Week Program features Leslie Goddard portraying Lady Bird Johnson at 6:30 p.m. June 2 at Indian Prairie Public library, 401 Plainfield Road, Darien. Attendees can learn more about the late first lady's passion work as an advocate for the environment and her passion for wildflowers during this poignant, humorous portrayal by Goddard, an actress and historian. Socializing starts at 6:30 with the presentation from 7 to 8 p.m. This program is available in person or online; registration is required in person at the library or online at A man is calling himself 'Fateful 56' after winning $1 million on a $10 Jumbo Bucks scratch-off Illinois Lottery Ticket he bought at a Shell gas station in River Grove earlier this month, giving himself the nickname because the winning number on the ticket was 56 and his wife is 56 years old. 'I actually picked the ticket because I saw the name 'Bucks' on it. I'm a hunter, and I thought it was a hunting-themed ticket – turns out I was wrong,' the winner shared, via a news release. He was at the gas station to buy his wife a soda and impulsively decided to buy a few scratch-off tickets. 'When I scratched the ticket at home and realized I won a million dollars, I was in total shock – but my wife was even more stunned,' he noted in the release. 'I had to scan the ticket on my app to prove it, and even then, she still thought I was playing a prank on her.' The gas station earns $10,000 for selling the ticket. So far this year, 25 scratch-off tickets worth $1 million or more have been won by Illinois Lottery players Menagerie and Tabulae students at Lyons Township High School in La Grange won awards earlier this month at the Journalism Education Association's convention in Seattle. Earning four superior awards for Meagerie, the literary magazine, and Tabulae, the yearbook, ties the most in a single convention in program history. The 2024 Menagerie also earned a fourth place Best in Show trophy. Superior marks went to yearbook editor-in-chief Erin Higney for yearbook copy/caption: academics; literary magazine editor-in-chief Will Madigan for literary magazine: layout; Patrick Smith, yearbook copy/caption: sports; and Keira Geraghty for yearbook layout: theme. Awards for excellent and honorable mention also went to both publications. In celebration of the acquisition of its first permanent home, Bam Theatre hosts a ribbon-cutting block party from 4 to 7 p.m. May 30 at 520 N. Cass Ave., Westmont. Bam Theatre, founded in 2001 by Artistic Director Melanie Lamoureaux, is an educational theater organization based in the western suburbs of Chicago. It engages nearly 3,000 students every year. The new 15,000-square-foot building will host productions, private instruction and group classes as well as being a gathering place for students, families and artists. The community celebration is free and open to all ages. Food and a cash bar will be available, as well as outdoor activities and games. Guided tours will be offered. Information is at
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billboard Hot 100: Every No. 1 song of 2025
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Billboard Hot 100 singles chart measures the top songs every week during the tracking week of Friday through Thursday based on their combination of sales, online streams (audio and video), and radio airplay. Scroll down for the list of every song that came out on top in 2024, updated weekly. The Beatles have had the most No. 1 hits ever with 20 different chart-toppers. They're followed closely by Mariah Carey, who has led the tally with 19 songs; she also holds the record for the most cumulative weeks spent at the top spot. Carey's 1995 duet with Boyz II Men, "One Sweet Day," once held the record for the longest run on top with 16 weeks at No. 1. But that was eventually tied by "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber in 2017, and then finally bested by Lil Nas X, whose "Old Town Road" featuring Billy Ray Cyrus commanded the chart for 19 weeks in 2019. And in 2024 another country crossover track matched that with 19 weeks of its own: "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey. But Carey may take back her record at the end of 2025. Her holiday staple "All I Want for Christmas Is You" accumulated 18 weeks at No. 1 going into the new year. More from GoldDerby However, the song named by Billboard as the No. 1 of all time was The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights," which spent only four weeks leading the way but shattered the record for the most weeks in the top 10 with more than a year in the upper reaches of the chart. How much history will be made on the Hot 100 in 2025? Come back every week for more. SIGN UPfor Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA, "Luther" 10 weeks at No. 1 March 1 - May 3 Lamar and SZA have held the top slot for 10 consecutive weeks. He replaced himself in the No. 1 spot, knocking his diss track "Not Like Us" to No. 2 for the tracking week that ended Feb. 20. It's the sixth chart-topper of his career and SZA's third. His nemesis Drake released a new album in the same week, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, resulting in two top-10 debuts: "Gimme a Hug" at No. 6 and "Nokia" at No. 10. But he wasn't able to challenge Lamar for the top spots. Kendrick Lamar, "Not Like Us" One week at No. 1 in 2025 (three weeks total) Feb. 22 Kendrick Lamar is coming off a blazing two weeks. On Feb. 2 he won five Grammys for his Drake-demolishing diss track "Not Like Us," including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Then on Feb. 9 he headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, where he performed the song again, with a vengeance. All that success and publicity shot the song up 14 spots back to No. 1. He actually had the top three songs in the country for the week dated Feb. 22. Travis Scott, "4x4" One week at No. 1 Feb. 8 Travis Scott released his latest single on Jan. 24, and it debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, making it the fifth chart-topping single of his career, following "Franchise" featuring Young Thug and M.I.A., "The Scotts" with Kid Cudi," "Highest in the Room," and "Sicko Mode." They all spent one week on top. Proceeds from "4x4" go to benefit Direct Relief's California Wildfire Response Fund. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, "Die With a Smile" Five weeks at No. 1 Jan. 11 - Feb. 1; Feb. 15 This is the sixth No. 1 song of Lady Gaga's career and the ninth of Bruno Mars'. It surged to the top spot from No. 17 thanks to the Christmas singles dropping off the chart after the holiday season. The song was released in August and previously spent four weeks stuck at No. 2 behind Shaboozey's record-tying "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." Overall it took "Die With a Smile" 20 weeks to reach the pinnacle. It won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys, where it was also nominated for Song of the Year. Mariah Carey, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" One week at No. 1 in 2025 (18 weeks total) Jan. 4 Carey has returned to the top spot for six straight holiday seasons. This time around "All I Want for Christmas" spent four straight weeks at No. 1, bringing its total to 18 weeks at atop the list. That places it third on the list of the longest-running chart-toppers in Hot 100 history, behind Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus's "Old Town Road" and Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," both of which spent 19 weeks at the head of the pack. Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article.
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Boyz II Men to Capitol Hill: R&B group leads effort to improve pay for artists on the radio
Boyz II Men to Capitol Hill: R&B group leads effort to improve pay for artists on the radio Show Caption Hide Caption Chazz Palminteri shows up at 2025 Grammys Actor Chazz Palminteri showed up to the 2025 Grammys to support not just a friend but also the L.A. first responders who recently battled wildfires. Entertain This! WASHINGTON − Musicians are asking on bended knee for AM and FM radio stations to start paying for the rights to play their music. The celebrated '90s R&B group Boyz II Men were on Capitol Hill Thursday asking Congress to make it happen. The group, known for their slow jams and heartfelt ballads, met with lawmakers on Valentines Day eve to deliver a letter signed by more than 300 artists calling for swift passage of the American Music Fairness Act. The legislation would require that terrestrial stations not only pay royalties to music publishers and songwriters, as is currently required, but performers as well. Among the letters' signers are top music industry names like Céline Dion, James Taylor and Jelly Roll, according to NBC News, as well as Mariah Carey, who collaborated with Boyz II Men on the 1995 single "One Sweet Day." '90s stars to Masked Singer victors: Facts to know about Boyz II Men House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he "truly enjoyed hosting" Boyz II Men Thursday, posting a photo together with the now-trio. "Since the band's formation in 1985, these guys have sold over 60 million albums and created a large part of the soundtrack of our lives," Johnson said in his post. "Nathan Morris, Wanyá Morris and Shawn Stockman have still got it!" Morris, Morris (no relation) and Stockman are three of the four original members of the band, formed in the late 1980s by a group of high school friends in Philadelphia. Bass singer Michael McCary left the then-quartet in 2003 due to health issues. He was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Boyz II Men talk death of the love song, why they've endured: 'Love is lengthy'
Boyz II Men talk death of the love song, why they've endured: 'Love is lengthy' With hits like "I'll Make Love to You," and "End of the Road," Boyz II Men made earnest confessionals into a career. Now they're back to school the kids today on how to make love (and love songs.) Show Caption Hide Caption Grammys 2020: Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato top best performances From Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men to Demi Lovato, performances at the 62nd Grammy Awards tugged at our heartstrings. Entertain This!, USA TODAY New York − Young musicians don't make love songs like they used to. At least that's what Nathan Morris, one-third of Boyz II Men, tells me. He's sitting backstage squeezing in a quick dinner before a Tuesday concert in Great Neck, a wealthy enclave on Long Island. I bring up a recent study I saw examining the supposed death of the love song. Before I finish, he interjects with, "I believe that." Seated next to bandmates Wanya Morris (no relation) and Shawn Stockman, he embarks on a soliloquy that is one part "kids these days" and one part earnest concern for the state of modern romance − and its soundtrack. The alleged death of the love song is "why most people don't fall in love anymore, don't want to be in love, or whatever the deal is," Nathan says. "You also have to think about the way the climate of the industry is, and the way that everything is coupled with social media," Wanya adds. "Everything is short, you know what I mean? It's a minute to 30 seconds (on social media). So expressing love in that time, it's kind of hard." "Love is lengthy," Nathan agrees. "Love is looong," Stockman quips, elongating the vowel and dropping his register to demonstrate a sort of cosmic knowingness. The exchange hints at the three (once four) part harmony that forms the backbone of the group's enduring success. Over thirty years after they broke onto the scene and captured hearts with songs like "One Sweet Day," and "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men still make fans swoon. Rising to fame in their early 20s, both Morrises and Stockman were irrefutably boyz at the start. Now, rounding out the predictive metaphor at the heart of their name, they are men. Concertgoers are just as excited to see them as ever. The venues may be more modest than the arenas of their past, but tonight, midway through "On Bended Knee," one of the group's more famous ballads, you'd never know it. Stockman's voice struggles to be heard over a scream-singing crowd and the audience remains on their feet for most of the 90-minute show. In all white with diamond-encrusted accessories, the men offer attendees a version of time travel. Pulling off the same dance moves (Stockman spent much of our interview stretching) and nailing those signature gravity-defying vocal riffs, the group's swagger and "love you down" appeal remains intact. Only now it is adorned with a well-earned wisdom. Once fresh-faced crooners reviving the Motown record label, they are the elder statesmen of R&B. "Intention and articulation of that intention," that's what makes a great love song, Stockman says. "Putting it together in melody and music … It's just one big recipe. But the intention has to be there first. That's why there are certain songs that will last forever." Wanya adds, "It's very important to make sure that with our songs, that we tell stories that invoke thought because those are the types of songs that actually last longer in the hearts of people." They would know. With tracks like "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men have proved themselves capable architects of a timeless tune. Both songs spent over 10 weeks in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts and continue to rake in streams on Spotify. When they appear onstage during this concert, the feeling of communal elation is palpable. Couples who secured a sitter for date night sway back and forth and girl groups a few drinks deep grab each other's arms in excitement. Garrett Meacham 39, and Evay Richardson, 40, had never been to a Boyz show before but were eager to fix that. "I'm very excited to be here," Richardson said. "It's a group that I grew up on, I love their music." "It's timeless," Meacham added. In one sense that's true, but in another, the Boyz might argue they're very much of their time. Could a near-six-minute track as misty-eyed and slow-grooving as "End of the Road" dominate the charts today? "It's hard to cultivate something like love in a world that breeds instant gratification. How can love exist?" Stockman says. "When everything is about now and about fast and about quick … love is not that. It never has been that," he says. "Yet somehow we have managed to beguile the masses that yes, love can come in 90 seconds. Just put it in the microwave and hit. That's crazy. That's why there are no love songs because no one really understands what it is to write a love song. How can you believe in love without love songs?" The love song lives. But the ballad? Not so much There are actually are love songs still. They just look different. It turns out that data I referenced earlier is a bit more complicated than it appeared. The statisticians behind it argue that the "serenade" love songs that hit music charts in the past – the ones that drip with devotion for someone else – are only one type of love song. They argue shifting generational attitudes toward love created subgenres like "it's complicated" ( songs saying "We haven't put a label on it. I wish you would!") and "self-love" (lyrics saying "Forget you, I can buy my own flowers!"), which need to be considered alongside serenades. In actuality, more love songs are topping charts than ever before, the study found. So what actually died? The ballad. Using data spanning from 1958 to September 2023, the model tracked how many Billboard Top 10 hits were ballads or "serenades". The proportion fell from 23% in the 1960s to 12% in the 2020s. When it factored in the new kinds of love songs, the proportion jumped from 62% to 69% over the 65 years. Boyz II Men are balladeers if there ever were any. Singing in the first-person, they lean heavily on the love letter format − making it impossible to tell where they as individuals begin and where their musical personas take over. That narrative structure is part of why they've remained heartthrobs among a loyal fanbase. But the magic trick lies in making that highly individualized format adaptable so would-be-Romeos listening can easily purchase it right off the rack. "Love is one of those things that we all try to find all the answers to, but we're never going to know because everybody's love is personal," Nathan says. "Eventually you get the gist of it, but you got to figure out what really makes you tick in the love that you have… love has always been difficult to pinpoint, but if you can shoot broad enough, you cover enough people that, you know, it works out." For Meacham, that's the allure. "Classics, you know like from back in the day… making songs that relate, making songs that hit you in the heart," he says. But it's buyer beware. "It could be a double-edged sword, you know what I mean? Because the music is so endearing and it embodies so much of a connection that if a man plays it, they don't really have to mean it, it just works for the woman," Wanya says. "So a woman has to be careful. You understand?" "The guy may never be able to live up to that," Nathan jokes. It's in the name: Boyz II Men's lasting impact on masculinity Good guys, bad guys, the ones who haven't yet decided − the Boyz like to think that they've had an impact on the whole bunch. Throughout our conversation, all three members make a point to remind me that Valentine's Day (the timely plug for our interview) and love itself are not just about what a woman wants. "A lot of times, women think that men don't desire to be desired," Wanya says. Centering that desire in their music has given listeners permission to do the same in their own lives, he explains. "We can bear witness to it," Wanya says of the group's larger impact on masculinity. "It's men, manly men, I'm talking about MAGA-supporting men. We've been in barns where we performed for an audience that you would never think that Boyz II Men would be at. We do meet and greets for these things and you see people walk up and those men say, 'Thank you. Thank you because when I couldn't say it, you said it for me. When I couldn't express it, your music expressed it.'" Boyz II Men babies: Music to make love to The live show is rife with sexuality. Wanya's hip thrusting alone is enough to elicit a warning from the FCC. But it's fitting, nay, essential for a group known not just for making love music, but love-making music. "It really with helped with population, you know what I'm saying?" Wanya says of their chart-topping success in the '90s. "We call them Boyz II Men babies. There's a lot of Boyz II Men babies out there," Nathan adds. Then they tell me a story I have to fact-check in the hallway, just to make sure they're not pulling my leg. In 2013, the group was hired by Vladimir Putin to perform a pre-Valentine's Day concert as part of a campaign to boost the country's declining birthrate. While Putin never confirmed the news, leading to doubts about the claim, the group stands by the story. "No bull, that's the reason why," Wanya says. Either way, it seems like it could be true. That's the nature of their music: just hot and heavy enough to warm even the coldest of tundras. Certainly enough to warm a Long Island theater mid-week, as girlz now women and boyz now men embrace their love songs.
