Sandy is all fired up about the new 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame museum in Forest Park. Sixteen-inch softball has been played in parks and school playgrounds for 80 years. A national tournament has been held here in Forest Park for as long as I can remember (I confess I am not much of a sports enthusiast, however). A portion of the west end of the park district will have a ground-breaking ceremony April 4 at 10 a.m. for the museum.

You can be a part of history by attending and purchasing a personalized brick. Mail orders are being taken by Landon, Farrey & Associates, 1601 Bond St. Ste. 101 Naperville, Ill., 60563.

Sandy Boy is also a big supporter of her husband's bid to be re-elected as park commissioner. He's been working with the park for 28 years and done a lot for Forest Park in that time.

June Orland Kiburz is a substitute teacher in Downers Grove. Last week, she complimented one of her young students on the lovely green St. Patrick's Day beads the young lady was wearing. "Thank you," said the young student, "they're from the Forest Park St. Patrick's Day parade."

"Oh really," said June. "I grew up in Forest Park!"

The young girl replied that her grandmother was the mayor of Forest Park. So, June looked on the room roster and saw that indeed her student did have a famous Forest Park name. Robin Popelka is the daughter of Barbara and Scott Popelka, and granddaughter of former mayor Lorraine Popelka.

Get ready to sing happy birthday to Victoria McKenzie and Barbara Popelka on March 25; on the 26th, happy birthday to Michael O'Malley, Tom Giers, Doris Bartek, Jim Papa, Maeve Eloise White and Dan Haley; March 27, Lisa Bothie, Kathryn Greskoviak, Sherry Maughm and Frank Pyotyr; on the 28th, Nancy Becker, Jim Whalen, Dolores Peterson, Grant Harrison Wojtas; on the 29th, Shirley Zapfel, Patrick White, Rosetta Hall, Ronald Moravec, Geri Grant, and especially Ed Huebner who will be 90 years old this year. On March 30, happy birthday to JoAnn Grant, Doris Knapp, Debbie Scolero, Marcy Dufkis Gleason and Horacio Munoz; March 31, Josef Haydn, Dan Tucker and Debbie Jargstorff. Erin and Jim Watts celebrate their third anniversary on March 31 as well.

On March 26, we celebrate the birthday of Robert Frost, who was born in 1874. There's also Tennessee Williams, Alan Arkin, Sandra Day O'Connor and Nancy Pelosi.

On March 28, the worst aviation disaster in history occurred in the Canary Islands when two 747s collided on the ground. The death toll was 570.

The second greatest earthquake on record occurred in Alaska in 1964 on March 26.

The Cherry Blossom festival begins in D.C. on March 26 and lasts until April 12. Some 6,000 cherry trees, a gift from Japan, will be blooming on the streets of the nation's capital.