Deerfield-based Beam Inc., a leading global premium spirits company, announced this week that reported net sales for the first quarter of 2013 were $577.7 million, an increase of 8 percent.

"We're pleased with Beam's strong start to 2013," said Matt Shattock, president and chief executive officer of Beam, in a statement. "Even as we lapped our most challenging quarterly sales growth comparison of the year, our brands sustained their momentum in the marketplace and continued to outperform."

Beam states it has also benefited from strong commercial performance and the acquisition of Pinnacle Vodka, according to its website.

On Friday, analysts at Citigroup upgraded the company from "Neutral" to "Buy," as shares are expected to reach $76, according to The Dividend Daily.

Thursday’s closing price was $66.11.

As of 11:39 a.m. CST, Friday, Beam shares stood at $66.17, according to its website.

The Lake County treasurer is mailing out 264,000 tax bills that will arrive in mailboxes over the next several days. The treasurer collects and distributes taxes on behalf of all of the taxing bodies in Lake County.

The first installment due date is June 6, and the second installment due date is Sept. 6. Taxpayers receive only one bill per year.  

Lake County Treasurer Robert Skidmore reminds taxpayers that they can not appeal their taxes at this time. "When homeowners receive their tax bills, they often ask if they can appeal their taxes, and they cannot," Skidmore said. "As outlined in state law, appeals need to be filed with the Board of Review 30 days from the date the assessment rolls are published."

Treasurer Skidmore also reminds taxpayers to view their bill closely and make sure they are receiving all of the eligible exemptions because these could lower their current tax bill. 

Property tax payment options include: U.S. mail, drop box, in person at most Lake County banks, and at the Lake County Treasurer's Office, online at www.lakecountyil.gov/Treasurer, or by phone.

Payments not received in the office or postmarked by the due dates are subject to a 1.5 percent penalty per month (as required by state law). Tax payments not received by the second installment due date will be considered delinquent and subject to publication and tax sale. Partial payments will be accepted, but the remaining balances could be subject to additional penalty.  

Visit the treasurer's website at www.lakecountyil.gov/treasurer for more information, including billing history, property tax exemptions, and more.

—The Lake County Treasurer's Office submitted this information.

Cue up the mariachi band—Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching.

The celebration of Mexican heritage on May 5 is sometimes mistaken for Mexico’s Independence Day. However, Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the Battle of Puebla, a turning point in Mexican history and freedom. 

In the U.S., it is celebrated by observing Mexican culture through food, drinks and dancing. If you are looking for a fiesta with margaritas, live bands and authentic food, here's a list of top five rated Mexican restaurants on Yelp!

1. La Casa de Isaac, 431 Temple Ave., Highland Park
2. La Casa de Isaac & Moishe Restaurant, 2014 First St., Highland Park
3. Los Mogotes De Michoacan, 2069 Green Bay Rd., Highland Park
4. Hot Tamales, 493 Central Ave., Highland Park
5. Las Palmas Restaurant, 474 Central Ave., Highland Park

Do you agree with Yelp! reviewers? If not, tell us about your favorite Mexican restaurant. And, how do you plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Are you a local Boy Scout looking to earn his Traffic Safety Merit Badge?

The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) and Lake County Sheriff's Office is here to help.

See attached PDF for details.

The merit badge program will take place 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 11, at the LCDOT facility at 600 W. Winchester Rd., in Libertyville.

A $5 fee covers lunch and is payable on the day of the program.

Registration by May 8 is limited to 50 Scouts.

Call Mike Dobosiewicz at (847) 377-7416 or e-mail mdobosiewicz@lakecountyil.gov.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Springfield) made their first joint public appearance in Illinois since Kirk returned to full time duty in the Senate in January at a Great Lakes charter school they helped create which is now being hurt by the Sequester.

Durbin, Kirk and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) met with students at the Learn Public Charter School, a North Chicago public school on the Great Lakes Naval Base, to see the new institution and listen to the students.

“This is our first public appearance in Illinois since Sen. Kirk returned to the Senate (in January after suffering a stroke a year before),” Durbin said. “We wanted it to be here because it is something we worked on together.”

Sequester Reduces School Funding

The school, which opened last fall, is located in a building on the base the Navy no longer needed. It now faces funding issues because the Sequester cut impact aid to schools which educate military dependants not only in North Chicago but Township High School District 113 in Highland Park and Deerfield as well as North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park.

The cost to North Chicago is $250,000 a year, according to Durbin. Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools are down about $60,000 while District 112 will be short approximately $20,000, according to school officials.

Durbin and Schneider expressed hope the problem will be resolved soon. “When Mark Kirk was chief of staff to (former Rep.) John Porter he helped bring impact aid (here),” Durbin said. “We’re going to do everything we can to restore impact aid.”

None of the lawmakers said it would get the special attention given to air traffic delays a week ago. Schneider stressed a smart, bipartisan approach to resolving the Sequester making hard but intelligent choices.

“We all have to work together as a team and find a way to do so,” Schneider said. “We need an answer to close excesses but we can’t use a meat clever. We have to come together and nail it down where we need it.”

Schools in Highland Park and Deerfield Will Adjust

Meanwhile, District 113 Communications Director Natalie Kaplan made it clear the budget would be balanced without a dip in the quality of education at the two high schools regardless of the loss of revenue.

“Of course these cuts in funding are difficult for the District to manage,” Kaplan said. “We have worked collaboratively with surrounding districts to strongly advocate for these funds. However, regardless of what the federal or state (governments) do in regards to impact aid, we will continue to educate and support all of our military families and students.”

In his first public appearance in the Congressional District he once represented since his stroke, Kirk needed the assistance of a cane and a wheel chair to navigate his way from the car to the school and around the building. He also talked about a new mission.

“If anyone has parents who have a stroke and get depressed, don’t want to get out of bed, I want them to call me,” Kirk said. He promised to share his story of rehabilitation and offer encouragement. “I walked up the steps to the Capitol,” he added referring to his first day back Jan. 4.

Crystal Lake

Massive Fire Destroys Home, Damages Four Others

Three firefighters sustained minor injuries battling a fire on Carrington Drive near Crystal Lake.

The fire started at 3:30 p.m. The fire engulfed one home and strong winds helped spread it to four nearby homes in the 3200 block of Carrington Drive.

"Crews started a defensive attack on the fire and began protecting exposures," stated Jerry Larsen, fire prevention bureau chief for Crystal Lake Fire Rescue in a press release.

A home at 3217 Carrington was described as a "total loss," by Larsen.

No residents were injured in the incident. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marsals Office, McHenry County Sheriff's Office and Crystal Lake Fire Rescue, Larsen said.

Des Plaines

Man Tried to Abduct Girl Near Golf Road

Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart's office said the suspect grabbed a 12-year-old girl and tried to drag her into a wooded area in Maine Township on Wednesday.

She fought back. He covered her mouth with his hands, and she bit his hand and escaped.

Police searched the area south of the 9600 block of Golf Road, and enlisted a helicopter and K-9 units in the effort. They found white headphones the offender was reportedly wearing, but nothing further.

The suspect is described as a white male, 20 to 30 years-old, approximately 5’8”- 5’10” tall, and approximately 170 to 190 pounds. He wore an orange and brown hooded sweatshirt and black and white pants.

Sheriff Dart asks anyone with information to call Cook County Sheriff’s Police at 708-865-4896.

Palatine

Police: Man Sexually Assaulted Minors, Took 6 Million Photos of Assaults

A 44-year-old man has been sentenced 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting three minors and taking millions of images of the assaults, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said today. 

Daniel Sims, of Palatine Township, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child. He originally faced 72 felony counts, including predatory criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, child pornography, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and possession of child pornography. 

During the investigation, Sheriff’s Police detectives found more than 6 million images of his victims engaging in various sexual acts.

Lake Villa

Bicyclist Dies After Being Hit by Car

A woman riding her bike in unincorporated Lake Villa lost her life Thursday afternoon after she was struck by a car, reported the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The victim, whose identity is not being released pending family notification, was pronounced dead at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

Police responded to the accident scene at about 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

A white 2000 Toyota Camry was traveling south on Route 45 north of Grand Avenue in unincorporated Lake Villa and collided with a bicyclist, who was also traveling south on Route 45, according to a sheriff's press release.

The bicyclist was taken by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where she was pronounced dead.

McHenry County

Couple Charged with Stealing $27,000 Worth of Snap-On Tools

A McHenry County couple was charged with stealing more than $27,000 worth of Snap-on Tools.

Liliana Bravo and her husband, Milton Chapa, of 3207 S. Cherry Ave., McHenry (close to Island Lake), were arrested and each charged with theft over $10,000, a Class 2 felony, according to McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren.

Nygren said his department received anonymous information from Snap-On that Liliana Bravo, an employee of the tool company located at 3009 Route 176 in Crystal Lake, had been facilitating thefts through her position at the company, Nygren said.

Bravo's husband, Milton Chapa, received the stolen items and then sold them.

We've all seen them - people so engrossed in their texting that they are oblivious to the world around them. Bumping into others, tripping over low curbs, falling down...on a busy city street, the dangers are everywhere.  

In this week's YouTube viral video, ImprovEverywhere posted what they called "a solution to the texting and walking epidemic!" 

Check out the group walkers at 1:07. 

We love Craigslist. The online classified is easy to use, localized and discreet. Whether you're looking for collectables, furniture or a passive-aggressive gift for your in-laws, there's a good chance you could find it on Craiglist for cheap. 

In this weekly feature, we highlight some of the stranger items that appear on the website from around the North Shore. Share your Craiglist success and horror stories in the comments section below.

The Illinois House approved a pension reform bill that could eliminate the state's $96.8 billion funding shortfall over the next 30 years, Reuters reported.

The legislation was approved by a vote of 62-51 and would impact Illinois teachers outside of the Chicago Public School system, state university employees and the Illinois General Assembly, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The bill still must be approved by the Senate.

The Chicago Tribune reported that the bill would increase the retirement age for employees 44 and younger. Employees also would contribute 2 percent more of their paychecks to their retirements.

The state would no longer give out compounded 3 percent bumps on the entire pension amount every year, the newspaper reported. Instead, increases would be based on $1,000 for every year service – so an employee working 20 years could get an increase based on the first $20,000 of their pension, the Tribune reported.

The Sun-Times reported that the current system of giving raises on the entire pension amount had exceeded inflation 13 times in the last 20 years. The newspaper stated that an employee who had worked 20 years and had a $35,000 annuity would get about $1,050 increase under the current forumla, but only $600 under the plan.

Reuters noted that no acturial anaylsis of the plan has been presented, but that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said the plan would fully fund the pension system by 2044.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers called the legislation "pension-slashing" and that the measure could"dismantle the modest pensions earned by thousands of workers and retirees."

The union issued this statement:

"Senate Bill 1 is unfair to the active and retired teachers, nurses, police, and other employees who paid out of every paycheck to fund their pensions, even as the state shorted its share. On top of that, it is blatantly unconstitutional and thus saves nothing. It simply exacerbates Illinois' fiscal problems. In contrast, our coalition had a productive meeting today with President John Cullerton, and we hope to be able to continue the dialogue."

I'll Put $50 On Him Finishing Last in the Trifecta

A Chicago man was charged with felony retail theft after he tried leaving Golf Mill Mall with two boxes of cologne under his jacket. Security guards tried to stop the man, but he swung a fist at the security guard's face, trying to strike, but missed. 

He ran out of the mall, pursued by security guards, and dropped his jacket with the cologne in the parking lot while running. He ran into the front doors of the off-track betting facility located in a mall outlot, and then ran out the back doors near the kitchen. A security agent grabbed him but he struggled free and took off running again, but gave up from exhaustion outside the mall.

When police arrived, he complained of shortness of breath and chest pain and was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, where he was treated and released, then taken to the police station for booking.

PETA Probably Wasn't Behind This Crime

Someone stole a sausage press and meat processor in a Lake Zurich burglary. 

The Real Crime is $75 Hats

A Glenview man was charged with retail theft after stealing two baseball caps worth $75 from a store at the Golf Mill Shopping Center.

Save a Trip to Indiana With this Simple and Dangerous Fireworks Recipe!

Wood chips were placed on top of two light fixtures at Old Orchard Mall, causing the light bulbs to spark and break. 

Lake Forest Book Store Bestsellers

Four years ago, Marek Stefanisyzn and his wife, Teresa, were looking for a home.

The couple had been living in a small apartment in Chicago after arriving in America from Poland about six years earlier. They lived next to a church on Fullerton, which they thought would make it a safe place to be. But late one night, when Marek was approaching his building after a long shift at O'Hare Airport, he heard a shooting.

He was scared.

"We have to do something," he told Teresa the next day. "I don't want to live anymore in Chicago."

Teresa makes her living cleaning homes in Highland Park, so the couple started looking at homes in the area. Everything was way out of their price range. Anything they could afford needed so much work that it would still end up being too expensive.

They expanded the search all the way to Palatine, with the same results. Discouraged, Marek thought about buying a small apartment somewhere else in the city. Teresa wouldn't have it. They kept looking.

Then something surprising happened. On the internet, Teresa found a home in Highland Park that looked great and was within their limited price range. It seemed too good to be true.

"She found a beautiful house here in Highland Park," Marek said. "I didn't believe it. How is it possible?"

It was possible because of Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH), a 10-year-old non-profit based in Highland Park designed to maintain permanently affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households.

'Tried and true'

CPAH currently has more than 40 homes in the North Shore. Most of them are in Highland Park, with two in Lake Forest. More are being planned in Evanston.

Managing those homes and finding news ones are two full-time employees: Highland Park resident Amy Kaufman and Evanston resident Rob Anthony. The two are responsible for sifting through applications to find households that qualify, applying for grants and funding and checking in on the people who live in the program's housing.

In short, they've got their hands full.

"It's a little bit of a 24/7 job," Kaufman said from CPAH's office in downtown Highland Park. "You have to be flexible."

To qualify for a home through CPAH, a household needs to earn less annually than the median income of the Chicagoland area. That number is around $60,000, though it might be higher if the household is more people.

Once you can prove your income is below the median, you need to prove you can still afford the price of a CPAH home. Paycheck stubs, a W2 and a recent, completed tax return help Anthony, Kaufman, and the banks determine who makes the cut.

"We're concerned that they're not earning too much," Anthony said, "and the bank makes sure they're earning enough."

If you qualify, CPAH will sell you a home. These are blighted properties that CPAH has bought at affordable prices and rehabbed, typically by installing energy efficient windows, repainting the walls and making necessary structural and mechanical adjustments.

Marek and Teresa saw their home before it was remodeled. It needed a lot of work. They got nervous about how much it would cost them, and they couldn't believe it when Kaufman and Anthony told them the remodeling was included in the purchasing price.

"We saved a lot of money," Stefanisyzn said.

Buy the house, not the land

An interesting facet of the purchase is that the applicant buys the home, but not the land.

"After we do the rehab, we sell the house only to a buyer," Anthony explained. "The land trust retains the property."

The homeowners get a 99-year renewable lease for the land, which ensures that the homeowner can stay there for as long as they would like but also ensures that the home remains affordable forever. This prevents someone from buying the home and then reselling it.

"It's pretty tried and true," Kaufman said. "It doesn't change their experience of home ownership at all."

In addition to giving families the stability that comes with living in a home, CPAH gives them the ability to accrue a piece of the home's appreciation. This allows people to build some equity, which is a big deal for those who until then have always rented.

"It's a substantial thing," Anthony explained. "That's how a lot of people build wealth over time."

A close relationship with residents

There are other land trusts throughout the country of varying sizes. CPAH is technically a mid-sized land trust, though it operates as something significantly more intimate.

"Most of the residents have our cell phone numbers," Kaufman said.

She explained that residents will sometimes call her or Anthony to check on something in the house before calling a professional service. It's not uncharacteristic for Kaufman or Anthony to stop at a CPAH house on a weekend to check on a pipe or pump water out of a basement.

"Some people draw a box around their lives and other people don't," Kaufman said. "We don't."

The two also host info sessions for prospective CPAH home buyers and organize seminars for current CPAH homeowners so they can learn valuable skills like gardening and get tips on managing finances.

"We're small enough so we have a much closer relationship," Kaufman said.

CPAH also works with First Bank of Highland Park so that CPAH homeowners can borrow at low interest rates for home repairs.

Priority for CPAH homes goes to people with a connection to the community in which they're looking to buy a home. A teacher at Elm Place has an affordable home in Highland Park, for example.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time it's families already here in the community," Anthony said. "It's a way for them to stay in the community."

When the program began, most of its funding came largely from the Highland Park House and Trust Fund. Now that only accounts for half of its funding. And as Kaufman and Anthony continue to apply for grants and alternative forms of funding, they remain confident that the program will continue to grow.

"It's not going to be another 10 years before we get to a hundred," Kaufman said.

'I thank God'

Marek and Teresa couldn't be happier in their Green Bay Road home.

As Marek lead a tour of the home, he pointed out the framed paintings and immaculately clean surfaces (all his wife's doing, he insists). He paused often to explain how lucky he is.

"When I wake up everyday I thank God," he said. "I would never move anywhere else."

Since arriving in Highland Park, the couple has made friends with a group of Polish neighbors who coincidentally are from Teresa's native village. Every Sunday, they play cards and drink together.

How'd they find them? Again, Marek credits his wife.

Just like the house, she found them on the internet.

Sara Feigenholtz changed one law so people could know more about their history, and now she's working to change another to help people achieve the future they've always wanted.

As an advocate for adoption reform, she helped adopted people win the right to see their original birth certificate. "As an adopted person, I was prevented by the government the right to my original birth certificate," Feigenholtz said. “This law I changed in Illinois, changed the lives of so many people and continues to do so. In the last 18 months in the state, 8,600 people have gotten their original birth certificate."

The representative for the 12th Illinois House District now has her sights set on helping the LGBT community secure the right to marry. She has been a staunch advocate on this issue.

"For me, the most precious thing I do as a lawmaker is giving people rights. We have a powerful opportunity as elected officials to do this.”

Feigenholtz knows how hatred can grow and destroy people.  

"Many years ago, I had an aunt who was packed in a synagogue with a lot of relatives. Doors were locked and the synagogue was ignited. I had family that was incinerated by hatred."

Rep. Feigenholtz is proud to stand up for equal marriage rights.

"It’s been an honor to work with a community that is spirited and vibrant and committed to social justice as the LGBT community," she said. "There is amazing progress being made on marriage equality."

She looks forward to her vote on the issue.

“When you stand up on the floor of the House and talk about family values and what this means to push a green button, this will be the most meaningful vote I’ll take in my tenure in the General Assembly on a personal and professional level.”

Q. What inspired you to take this challenge?

A. My friends and constituents. For years I have represented one of the largest populations of LGBT people in the state, and for them to be denied a fundamental civil right, I knew it was my duty as their state representative to fight for them. And to be truthful, I feel this one in my heart. 

Q. What's the biggest challenge you've taken on?

A. Trying to change public opinion. Getting one person at a time to broaden their views and foster more inclusive mindsets makes all the difference. It does not happen overnight, but what is notable is that when we look around, we have done an amazing job. We have finally reached the point where we have a majority of support statewide. It was only a few years back where we were at just 30 percent in support of marriage equality and now we are around 60 percent. The wind is at our back.

Q. What will you do when you succeed?

A. Although I will go broke buying wedding presents, this is going to be a great summer. I look forward to many weddings where couples and their children will finally have the right to have their love for each other recognized like everyone else under the law in this state.

This story is posted throughout the Chicago-area Patch network.

Related Story: Read more about Sara Feigenholtz's work on this issue in an original story on Lake View Patch in Chicago.

A Deerfield college student driving home from Indiana University escaped serious injury in a fatal crash when the Ford Explorer he was operating blew a tire causing it to roll three times Saturday on Interstate 65 approximately 60 miles from Chicago, according to WISH television.

Mario L. Guagliardo, 20, of Deerfield was taken to the hospital with injuries to his hands, elbow and face, according to an article in the Oak Park-River Forest edition of Trib Local. One of the rear seat passengers was killed and another sustained life threatening injuries. Neither was wearing a seat belt. A third back seat passenger was hurt and the front seat passenger was uninjured. Other than Guagliardo, none of the men were from the Deerfield area.

According to WISH, Guagliardo’s was driving northbound in the right lane when a right tire blew causing him to lose control. The Explorer veered right, came back left and rolled approximately three times before coming to rest upright in the left land.

The crash caused a backup on the highway which led to a second fatal crash, according to the Tribune. The deceased was not from the area. Neither alcohol nor drugs were considered a factor in the crash.

For complete Highland Park news and updates, sign up for our free newsletter, "like" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

When Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) led a mission of 25 people to Israel last week for the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF), the group expected to get a special look at the country others do not often see.

What none of them expected was to observe was a battle in the Syrian civil war but that is exactly what happened when the group visited an Israeli observation point atop Mt. Hermon on the Golan Heights only 25 miles from Damascus.

Earlier: Schneider Experiences Role Reversal

Three Syrian towns were in clear view not too far from the Israeli border. “We were standing there as a battle broke out,” Schneider said.

“No one in our group had ever experienced live fire before in a military conflict,” David Golder of Glencoe, one of the people on the mission, said. “It was like people from Glencoe and Deerfield having a shootout,” he added referring to the proximity of the villages.

Watching three different groups fight below him highlighted the complexity of the Syrian conflict to Schneider, a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

“It’s a Gordian Knot,” Schneider said. “They (the rebels) are fighting the government and each other. Some of the rebel groups are affiliated with Al-Qaeda. This is a very complex situation.”

Terrorists Are Fighting Each Other

Two groups labeled terrorist organizations by the United States—Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah—are fighting each other on Syrian soil, according to a report on CBS News.  These complicated circumstances are one reason Schneider urges caution for the United States.

“We have to be aware of radical involvement and (the difficulties) of arming either of the sides,” Schneider said referring to different rebel groups. “We should work with our allies in the region; Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel.” He will be giving a firsthand account when he returns to Washington this week.

Though they did not know it, while the group was there Israel fired missiles into Syria Thursday and again Saturday to destroy weapons being shipped from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to reports in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

“As the President says, ‘Israel has a right to defend itself by itself,’” Schneider said about the attacks. “I (understand) it will keep game changing weapons from Hezbollah,” he added referring to the air strikes.

Trip Was Unique for Group

This was Schneider’s 10^th JUF mission as well as a number of other trips starting with a job he took on a kibbutz his first year out of college. Those experiences gave a unique dimension to the trip both for Schneider the other members of the group.

“A lot of unique doors open on a Congressional mission that are not there on a normal tour,” Golder, who also took a visit with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) two years ago, said. “It’s a unique opportunity. The tone of the conversation is different.”

Other parts of the trip left Schneider and his group with hope. He had the opportunity to go to Ramallah and meet with former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a trip he took without the group.

“He is a partner for peace,” Schneider said. “I hope he stays involved in some way.” Schneider talked about the economic progress of the Palestinians under Fayyad and believes that can help lead toward peace.

Schneider also found hope when his group toured Tel Hai College in northern Israel where classrooms double as bomb shelters. “The doors are heavier, the walls thicker and there are no windows,” Schneider said. “This is the foundation of Israel’s unbelievable belief in its future.”

In addition to Golder, some of those joining Schneider were Andy Hochberg, Dana Gordon, Naomi Senser, Rabbi Michael Schwab, Janna Berk, Arnie Harris and John Supera of Highland Park; Stephanie and Steve Victor of Lake Forest; Harry Pascal of Winnetka; Elliot Robinson and Rinni Robinson of Skokie; Linda Fisher, Buzz Ruttenberg and Dana Hirt of Chicago; Scott Happ of Milwaukee along with Jeff Kopin and Beth Kopin.

We had several captions submitted for the photo of a chipmunk on top of a mountain in last week's Caption This contest.

The Patch judges awarded title of best caption to John L for "I can't believe they have me folding the laundry!"

Both John L and Jennifer Fisher, who submitted the photo, will get a digital copy of the photo with the caption affixed. You can click on the thumbnail above to see what it looks like.

For next week, we’ve got a photo of cat looking scared in a hamper. You can start submitting your funniest caption ideas now.

Here’s how it works:

* In the comments section below, write in your best idea for a funny caption for this photo. Comments must be in by noon Friday.

* The esteemed Patch judges will pick our favorite and announce it Monday, along with a new photo to caption.

* Both the caption writer and the reader who submitted the photo will get an emailed copy of the captioned photo.

Want to upload your own funny pet photos for future caption consideration? Please do by clicking through to this article.

A new martial arts studio is opening in downtown Highland Park with programs for all ages.

Kung Fu Power, located at 1770 First St., Suite 100, invites the community to a grand opening party at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 8. The event will include a Kung Fu demonstration and complimentary classes for ages six and older.

Regular classes begin May 9 for children and adults. Times will expanding as classes fill. Instructors also offer private lessons.

Instructors at Kung Fu Power have been teaching martial arts in Highland Park for more than 17 years and teach 19 styles of Kung Fu and Chinese Healing, according to a press release posted on the Chicago Tribune.

Offerings include Splashing Hands Street Fighting, Hsing-I Internal Chinese Boxing, Chen style Tai Chi Chuan, a variety of styles of Qigong, Police and Military armed and unarmed combat training and defensive tactics, Taoist and Buddhist Styles of Meditation, Youth Kung Fu, Women's Self Defense, Chinese Weapons, as well as other rare and exotic styles of Chinese Kung Fu. For a complete list of offerings, visit www.kungfupower.com.

"I am proud to bring the art of Kung Fu and our ancient storied lineage to the vibrant community of downtown Highland Park," said Sifu Baron, founder of Kung Fu Power.

Kung Fu Power also operates a studio at  122 Hawthorn Center in Vernon Hills, inside Westifeld Hawthorn mall.