WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Chicago truly only has two seasons: hot and cold. To live here is to know this. Chicago exists in a binary and to escape the months of cold feels like a triumph over the adversity of snow and ice.

John Fountain, a longtime Chicago journalist, has lived through and reported on the city's gang violence and crime.  He says the faith community remains a vital part of the black community. “In some ways,” he explained, “it is an overweight, cumbersome, sleeping giant that needs to get fit…and return to the business of doing good work.”

Now that summer has officially begun, Afternoon Shift thought it was high time to plan a few weekend getaways.

Google "mommy wars" and you'll get about 18.5 million results. Google "mommy wars playground" and you'll get about 1.9 million -- significantly less to fuss about, but still plenty of topics to fuel the fire of a long hot summer surrounded by other parents and their progeny.

The Chicago Botanic Garden just held its annual Heirloom Tomato Weekend, showing visitors how to grow and use the jewel-like treasures through chef demos and tastings, garden tours, a farmers market, and expert-led talks that ranged from seed saving to canning to even shopping for all things tomato.

World Music Day has been around for about three decades. The Fête de la Musique got its start and original name in France. Now, it's a global celebration, taking place in over 400 cities around the world.