Jerry Paucek stood on the green, the familiar scent of freshly cut grass filling his nostrils. He looked across the sprawling 175 acres of the Lansing Country Club. He felt a pang of sadness. After 75 years, the “Blue Collar Country Club” was closing. Generations had enjoyed this club. Members had dined, fished, hunted, and golfed here since it first opened as the Lansing Sportsman’s Club. The Lansing Country Club proudly claimed the title of the largest privately owned recreational facility in the Calumet region. The club offered a challenging 18-hole golf course. Water graced 15 of those holes. The club also boasted two large, stocked lakes, a rarity among country clubs in the area. Sadly, the Lansing Country Club’s long history was coming to an end. The club’s 110 equity members had made the difficult decision to sell. The culprit? Cook County taxes. They had skyrocketed to an unbearable $150,000 a year. Even with dues at $100 a month for married couples, the club couldn’t survive. The Lansing Country Club wasn’t just a place for leisure. It was a landmark, hosting events like Chamber of Commerce outings and countless weddings. As Jerry took one last swing, he knew he wasn’t just saying goodbye to a golf course. He was saying goodbye to a piece of Lansing’s history.
Congregation Or Torah
Rabbi Zvi Engel’s leadership guides Congregation Or Torah. This impressive Modern Orthodox Synagogue stands proudly in Skokie Illinois. It’s one