During the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, as Park Ridge native Hillary Clinton formerly accepted her party’s presidential nomination to fight Republican nominee Donald Trump, bar patrons who were gathered at a watering hole down the street from Clinton’s childhood home chose to watch a different rivalry play out.
As the former first lady made history, with the biggest moment of her political career played out on every major TV network Thursday night, the big-screen TVs that line the walls of Holt’s Kitchen and Bar in downtown Park Ridge were tuned to the Cubs vs. Sox game instead.
The restaurant is just around the corner from Clinton’s childhood home on North Wisner Street, but the bar attracted baseball fans during the popular Crosstown Classic series instead of throngs of politicos. Those who were interested in the convention might have decided their living rooms would make a better setting to take in Clinton’s proud moment, but the bar’s employees said they would have been happy to change the channel if someone had requested it.
“We would gladly do it, but no one has asked all night,” bartender Rachel Olinger said.
Overall, the lack of a large showing of public local pride about the country’s first female presidential nominee being from Park Ridge has surprised some lifelong residents, including Matt Ranalli.
Ranalli, the owner of Holt’s, said he feels proud that his three young daughters are learning in the same public school classrooms where Clinton attended school in her younger years.
“Normally, you’d associate someone running for president with being educated in private schools, and I think in a way it gives kids a sense that they can do anything they want in life,” Ranalli said. “With it being baseball season and the middle of summer, I just don’t think people are as interested now as they will be later.”
Among the crowd gathered at Holt’s on Thursday was Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney and Alderman Marc Mazzuca, who said they stopped in for a drink after a meeting at City Hall. Maloney, who said he hoped Clinton would make a repeat visit to Park Ridge before the election (her last appearance was in May for a fundraiser) said he welcomed any publicity Clinton’s run for president could bring to the community.
“I think public interest in the election will pick up, and the political debate that will start in this town will be spirited,” Maloney said.
Bill Clinton’s Tuesday night speech at the Convention included his thoughts on getting to know his wife and her hometown.
“After the first month and that first walk, I actually drove her home to Park Ridge, Ill.,” he said to applause. He described the experience, “to meet her family and see the town where she grew up, a perfect example of post World War II middle class America, street after street of nice houses, great schools, good parks, a big public swimming pool, and almost all white.”
Maloney reacted to Clinton’s comment about Park Ridge being “almost all white” by saying the town was much different from both a political standpoint and demographically when Bill Clinton last visited the community years ago.
“The town was historically conservative, but it’s changed over the years to be more independent,” Maloney said. “It’s been an ideological shift that’s taken shape here. It’s something I’m proud of.”
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
