Simple treats along Milwaukee Avenue, Lincolnshire to Libertyville

Heather Leszczewicz/ Triblocal.com staff reporter 02/23/10 10:28 AM 102 hits

Traveling north on Milwaukee Avenue, from Lincolnshire to Libertyville, there are plenty of eateries, shopping centers and corporate offices. There area surrounding Milwaukee Avenue offers plenty of activities.

There’s the picturesque landscape of Half Day Forest Preserve, which is a winter wonderland at this time of year. In spring, bright and sunny skies bring out flocks of birds and bullfrogs can be heard calling to one another.

The area surrounding Westfield Hawthorn Mall is always a flurry of activity, as Vernon Hills residents and other locals shop to their heart’s content.

And a tribute to the past, in the form of Cook Mansion, sits in the middle of downtown Libertyville. Cook Memorial librarian Sonia Schoenfield said the museum is a “hidden gem inside with wonderful artifacts.”

But of all Milwaukee Avenue’s features, a simple treat would be bingo at the American Legion Post No. 329.

Walk through the doors of the Legion building on a Wednesday night at 7 p.m., there’s veritable silence. Game play commences on two floors with the bingo caller announcing numbers through a microphone and speaker system.

The only sounds on floor come from the clinking of the bingo chips as players cover the numbers being called and the groans of disgust when someone calls out “bingo.”

The players, primarily from Lake County and all over the age of 18, watch their cards like hawks. Some are playing only few cards while others are juggling as many as 32 at one time. Regulars have their tables set up with their lucky charms—pictures of their families, stuffed animals and other lucky items—and plenty of snacks and beverages.

Legion adjunct Norm Arnswald said the average number of participants is about 90 people.

“We used to have 200 a night only playing six cards at a time, now there are less people but they play more cards,” Arnswald said. “We’ve been hosting bingo for at least 50 years.”

Lindenhurst’s Cherie Neave has been coming to Post 329’s bingo nights for 36 years.

“I like the people and the game play,” she said. “And I like that we play with chips, we actually play real bingo.”

Neave said many places have changed over to using stamps versus the chips. Post 329 uses chips for all regular game play, so participants can use the same cards throughout the night. Stampers are used on the one-time use cards, only during special rounds.

Ana Alfaro of Vernon Hills is also regular to bingo night.

“I’ve been coming for four years,” she said. “I learned about it at my job from a friend. We’ve [she and her friends] been coming every Wednesday.”

Alfaro said she likes playing, plus it’s nice to win every once in awhile.

The night is spent playing 18 games of bingo—ranging from covering the four corners of the card to a coverall—plus a few special games. The monetary prizes range from $10 to $500 depending on the game.

Bingo is held at from 7 to 10 p.m. every Wednesday. Bingo cards cost $1 per sheet of three cards for early birds or $5 for six cards. For every six cards purchased, one bonus card is available at $1.

For more information, call 847-367-9880.

By Heather Leszczewicz, Triblocal.com reporter



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