2012 Holiday Guide: All You Need to Know is on Patch!

From Thanksgiving through New Year's, Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Patch is keeping you informed on all the holiday season's deals and events.

Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills Give Thanks: Readers Share The Reasons They're Thankful This Year

Share your gratitude with your friends and neighbors on this day of thanks.

Thanksgiving. A holiday steeped in American tradition. A day not only to test the limits of what should and should not be deep fried in a vat of boiling oil, but to also give thanks. At Patch, we’re most thankful for our readers and the communities we serve. Without you there would be no Patch, and we’re truly grateful for the opportunity to serve you.  But we want to know what you’re most thankful for this Thanksgiving. We asked our Facebook friends last week the same question and below are some of their responses. We’d like to hear from you, too. So, please leave your thoughts of gratitude in the comments section below.  Lorena: I am thankful for my family, our wonderful kids, my amazing husband and most of all life. Linda: My family and…

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Add the Punchline to Our Talking Turkey Cartoon

If you've got wit, add your caption to Patch's weekly comic challenge and win a personalized print.

Are you blessed with insight and good humor? Or just bored today? Share your wit with your neighbors by entering Patch's comic caption challenge. Just add your dialogue for today's comic in the comment section of this post. Our only requirement is that you keep it clean! At week's end, we'll pick the winning punchline based on how many of us here at Patch giggle and smile at your contribution. The user who produces the winning punchline will get a personalized proof of the comic, with the winning words and a credit line, from cartoonist Chuck Ingwersen and Patch. Congratulations to LW Sagan, who provided the winning punchline to last week's Thirsty Horse cartoon: I don't think going dancing later is such a good idea. I really do have 2 …

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10 Million Drivers Expected on Illinois Tollways over Thanksgiving Weekend

The heaviest travel is expected Wednesday, when 1.7 million vehicles are projected to be on the road, according to tollway officials.

Drivers hitting the tollways in Illinois this Thanksgiving will not be alone, by any means. The Illinois Tollway expects 10 million drivers to be on the toll roads throughout the state between Monday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 25. Wednesday is expected to be the busiest travel day, with 1.7 million drivers projected to be on the road. On an average day, about 1.4 million vehicles use the tollway, officials said. "The Illinois Tollway is expected to be busier than usual this holiday season," said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur in a press release. "We urge our customers to focus on the road by putting their cell phones away, and more importantly, remember that it is always illegal to text while driving in Illinois." …

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Sunday Cartoon: Forget the Turkey?

While he gets his fill of Patch, a gobbler gets out of dodge.

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Thanksgiving DUI, Seatbelt Enforcement Period Underway

From Nov. 12 to Nov. 25, the Hinsdale Police Department will have increased enforcement between midnight and 3 a.m.

The following is a release from the Hinsdale Police Department: During the Thanksgiving holiday period between Nov. 12 and Nov. 25, the Hinsdale Police Department will be focusing on the most deadly time of day for motor vehicle fatalities. The intensified enforcement effort against the overwhelming number of late-night impaired drivers and safety belt violators underscores the disproportionate number of traffic deaths occurring during late-night hours.  According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the midnight to 3 a.m. timeframe is the deadliest time on Illinois roads.  Not coincidentally, the data also shows this time of day has the highest …

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Fun Facts and Trivia for Thanksgiving

Canadian Turkeys, carving the lobster and a turkey the size of a dog.

No need to worry about conversation topics around the Thanksgiving dinner table. Let your guests fill up on these Thanksgiving fun facts.

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Deep-Frying the Holiday Bird? Here Are Some Safety Tips

A Loyola Hospital trauma and burn surgeon gives tips to keep the cook out of the harm's way.

Deep-fry is the only way to cook a turkey that is flavorable and moist, some aficionados say. But accidents can happen, and doctors at Loyola Hospital in Maywood who specialize in trauma and burns warn that caution should be taken when cooking the holiday bird. In the United States, more than 141 serious fires and hot-oil burns have been reported from the use of turkey fryers over the last decade, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Serafino Alfe of suburban Chicago knows. He was deep-frying turkeys for an annual fundraiser dinner recently and ended up at the Loyola Burn Center with third-degree burns—the worst—on his leg. “I tripped and fell right into the deep fryer,” he said in a prepared statement. “Thirty quarts …

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Mike Sandrolini

9:20 am on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I've had deep-fried turkey before, and it's delicious. I wonder how the turkey fryers advertised on those half-hour long TV infomercials work. Admittedly, I've never wanted to invest time watching an informercial on a turkey fryer, but maybe these do work and might be the safest route to go.   more ›