Skokie photojournalist reveals Oakton's stories

So...who knew there was a violin making school on Oakton Street in Skokie? It's called the Chicago School of Violin Making. Pioneer Press photojournalist Joel Lerner and his story partner, writer Andy Schneider, have their text and photos about it up at http://www.pioneerlocal.com/parkridge/news/848921,g1-oakton-032008-s1.ar... and the video is up at http://video.ap.org/v/Default.aspx?partner=en-ap&g=762478fc-f95c-4868-9e... . Joel and Andy are working on a series called "Ode to Oakton", a collection of stories, rendered in text, photos and video, about some of the noteworthy happenings on Oakton. I asked Joel about it. Q. What inspired the idea to produce a series on Oakton St. for your newspapers? A. When driving down my new home street, I was flabbergasted at the amazing and varied businesses and organizations on the street just in Skokie. This inspired me to propose the story to my editors. Q. What kind of stories are you focusing on there? A. Unusual stories like the rabbinical school for the hard of hearing in Skokie, the hula dancing school in Des Plaines, the CTA garage for all the trains on the north side of the city and a school for violin making and that's only the beginning. Q. What surprises have you found besides the Chicago School of Violin Making and Seman Violins? A. Just today I discovered a home in Elk Grove Village that has a turkey, many chickens and sells brown eggs and there is a goat, and they rent out space for boats and large recreational vehilces. I can't wait to meet the owner and tell the story. Pioneer Press intends on running "Ode to Oakton" stories every three weeks in the Skokie Review and the weeklies for the other towns that Oakton runs through. If you have any questions for Joel about this series, or have an idea or lead to offer, contact him at joel@joellerner.com. Disclosure: Joel Lerner is my husband.