Now reporters and hosts don’t drink on the job – I swear.  But occasionally we don’t mind a little shopping trip.  I find a dusty record or book store is a great escape, and a great place to find stories.

A favorite escape of many music lovers was Val’s Halla record store, located on South Boulevard in Oak Park.

Or I should say – still is a favorite escape.

Though redevelopment forced Val to close the doors to her store late last July after 30 years in business, she reopened Val’s Halla in a new location, on Harrison Street in Oak Park’s arts district

Let’s re-visit independent producer Daniel Costello’s piece on the final days of the original Val's Halla.