Off duty Chicago police officer assaulted working security-1 arrested www.privateofficer.com

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Chicago IL May 2 2012 A Cicero man was charged Monday with allegedly knocking out the tooth of an off-duty police officer during a fight at a west suburban strip club.


Martin Mendoza, 28, of the 1500 block of South 51st Court in Cicero, was arrested early Monday and charged with aggravated battery, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin said.

Cook County Judge Carmen Aguilar ordered Mendoza held on $50,000 bond at a Monday hearing in Maywood, Conklin said. He will next appear in court on May 7.

Mendoza was arrested after a fight broke out during which he allegedly knocked out a tooth of an off-duty Stone Park police officer working security at Scores Chicago in Stone Park, Conklin said.

The gentleman’s club, in the 4000 block of West Lake Street in Stone Park, says it’s the only gentleman’s club open until 5 a.m. every day, according to its website.

source-chicago sun times

Melt Bar and Grilled - Lakewood

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The original location of Melt is on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, and it got so popular that they built one on the East side as well.

Let me warn you: it's always busy. Go here for innovation and creativity, not gourmet-ness. The decor is interesting, and I love their menu/branding art. This restaurant is recieving national attention and while most people are just ga-ga over it, there are some who walk in with great expectations and leave without them having been met.


Anyways, my friend and I got our sandwich to go, took it to the park and split it. It was plenty of food for both of us. The Monte Cristo is DELICIOUS! The fries are just OK. You can check out the full menu here.

Mama Santa's - Little Italy

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People in Cleveland think that the Little Italy area is lovely and romantic, but having lived there for three years, I think it's kind of overpriced and bigoted. There's definitely a dark side to Little Italy, including but not limited to a racist mob and some super gentrification going on.

Most of the restaurants in Little Italy are overpriced and vermin-infested. One of the cheaper places to get something to eat is Mama Santa's; and it's where we got pizza from while we were in college.

I went with my friend to Mama Santa's for a walk down memory lane, and both of us being visibly queer, we were treated with some condescension (weird looks, snippy remarks) from the waitress. The food was the same ordinary food we enjoyed during college; nothing special.


Note well that they don't serve pineapple on pizzas here... the waitress made it clear to us that we'd need to go up to Hippie Coventry to get something so outlandish as that.

Academy Tavern - Larchmere

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Unpretentious and Old School, we went there on a Thursday night when there just happens to be live jazz! The Academy Burger was delicious, and rumor has it this place hasn't changed in ages.

 
Our waitress had a hairstyle that I've never seen in person before - only in 1960s movies. The overall aura of the place is ancient and dive-y... they have after-dinner drinks like Brandy Alexanders and beers served in frosty mugs.


I really enjoyed my food but let me warn you: if you come here seeking gourmet, you've missed the point.

Antiquing in Lakewood - Vintage Faire Antiques

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The thing about Vintage Faire Antiques is that the lady there is very very friendly. She told me some things about some of the items; and my friend brought me in because she remembered the kindness of this shopkeeper.



The items are all very lovely and beautifully laid out. It's easy to walk between this store and the others nearby; the Lakewood Antique Mall and Rose and Sons.

Everyone has a Vera Bradley story to share

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Throughout my summer as an intern with Vera Bradley, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet quite a few dedicated Vera Bradley fans. At my sister’s wedding, I bonded with a few ladies over the gorgeous new fall colors, and at the store opening in Cleveland at Beachwood Place Mall, some families shared their Outlet Sale stories with me. It seems that everywhere I go, I meet someone who has some connection to the brand, which has made for some very fun conversations. Many of the women whom I have met have shared their special memories or significance associated with their Vera Bradley, whether they carried the bag with them to work every day, or they received it as a birthday gift. To them, their Vera Bradley is more than a cotton-quilted bag in a fun, colorful print, it is representative of a cherished memory.

As I have been reflecting on my amazing summer here at Vera Bradley, I have started thinking about my own Vera Bradley story. I was first introduced to the brand when I went to college. Everyone, and I mean everyone, at Butler University carries Vera Bradley, which makes for a very colorful campus! It is so popular that they even sell it at our campus bookstore (making it even easier for us to always have something in one of the newest prints). I started off small, buying just a Zip ID Case and Wristlet in Kensington. Before I knew it, I was hooked. Next up … a Messenger Bag in Blue Rhapsody. I’ve carried it almost daily ever since, and it has been the perfect bag to take to class and to the library—it fits my laptop, binders and books. My collection has continued to grow, with Large Duffels, a Vera, a few Totes, and my newest favorite, the Clutch Wallet. I’m sure that having an internship here at Vera Bradley has nothing to do with how many new things I have gotten in the last few months …

This bag will always hold a special place in my heart ... and in my closet.

What’s your Vera Bradley story? Or what was your very first bag? Comment and share with us!

Grand Traveling

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This summer, even though I have been technically been living and working in Fort Wayne, I have been so busy with other commitments at home or at Butler that I have done an awful lot of traveling as well. Throughout the summer I have been on eight mini trips including visiting friends at Butler, traveling to the new store opening in Cleveland, going to my sister’s wedding, and even attending a national convention in Nashville, TN. With all of this driving I have been doing, I have also had to do an awful lot of packing. Normally I do not enjoy picking out my clothes ahead of time or making sure that I have everything that I could possibly need, but being able to put to use all of my Vera Bradley has actually made this tedious task enjoyable. I have a couple of Large Duffels (in Poppy Fields and Caffè Latte), a Vera (in Pinwheel Pink) and a Garment Bag (in Cupcakes Green) that have come in handy this summer, however, my new favorite bag to travel with is my Grand Traveler in Happy Snails. Now that I am a Vera Bradley packing pro, I kept track of how I put all of my things together as I prepared for my Nashville trip to share a few tips with all of you!

My Grand Traveler and everything I placed inside – an All Wrapped Up in Boysenberry, a Mini-Hanging Organizer in Happy Snails, 3 Curling Iron Covers, a Travel Cosmetic in Happy Snails and a Ditty Bag in Caffè Latte.

My Curling Iron Covers are quite possibly my favorite travel items, especially since I have them in one of the newest patterns (Happy Snails) and a couple of classics (Peacock and Mesa Red)!

Previously, I used two different makeup bags to organize my makeup and brushes, which was confusing and made it easy to lose things. Since I got my Travel Cosmetic in Happy Snails, I have been able to keep everything in the same place tucked into the very convenient pockets on the inside.

The Mini-Hanging Organizer in Happy Snails is the perfect size for holding my hair accessories and contacts, while still being small and compact.

My Grand Traveler and Tote (both in Happy Snails) all packed and ready to make the trip to the Music City!

Even though I will always love my Large Duffels and other bags, I do believe that my Grand Traveler will be my new go-to bag for awhile. Not only is it in my new favorite color (Happy Snails), I also love that it has one long strap that makes it easy to wear crossbody style, plus a trolley sleeve that lets it sit conveniently on top of your rolling luggage. For my next trip, however, I will definitely be enlisting the help of all of my Vera Bradley. I will be moving all of my things from my apartment in Fort Wayne to my sorority house at Butler, and then going home to enjoy my last few days of freedom before I begin my senior year. What happened to the summer, and why is it time for school to start already?