Peggy Zabicki

Peggy Zabicki

Library has an offer you can’t refuse

Spread the love

By Peggy Zabicki

Your correspondent in West Lawn

3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327

Here’s some good news for movie lovers. Monday night movies are back at West Lawn Branch Library, 4020 W. 63rd St. On March 14, The Godfather will be shown at 4:45 p.m. Call ahead at (312) 747-7381 to reserve your spot.

It’s not too late to register your sons and daughters for the 2022 baseball and softball season at Midway Baseball Association. There are seven baseball divisions and six softball divisions for kids ages 5-18.  Games are played at Madigan Park, 4701 W. Marquette Road, and are open to all neighborhood kids. Visit their website at midway-baseball.com for more details.

PeggyZabicki

Peggy Zabicki

The ASTRRONGU Southwest Youth Council is now having after school activities every school day, Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be arts and crafts, games, life skill classes and volunteer opportunities. All activities will take place at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, 6500 S. Pulaski. Send them an email for more information at astrrongu@gmail.com.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine School recently had their stairwells painted, thanks to the Big Shoulders Fund. This organization was inspired by Cardinal Bernardin and founded by a group of business and civic leaders in 1986. Their mission is to provide support to Catholic schools. Thank you to Joshua Hale and volunteers from Big Shoulders for doing such a nice job in painting the stairwells.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine will be having their annual scholarship dinner-dance (called Spring Fling) on Saturday, March 12. All are invited to join the celebration of the 2021-2022 Spirit of St. Nick Award, which will be held at European Chalet, 5445 S. Harlem. There will be dinner, drinks, dancing and raffle prizes. Tickets are $70 per person. Call (773) 735-0772 for more information.

At the February meeting of CAPS Beats 813 and 833, police reported that the number one crime in West Lawn is motor vehicle theft. In one month (Jan. 25 to Feb. 21 there were 15 car thefts reported). The number two crime is battery. In one month, sesven cases were reported. There were 19 arrests. Reported crimes are up 3% from last year. Thank you to our police for all they do to serve and protect.

Here’s some happy news. I recently received two wedding announcements in the mail. One is from my nephew, Joe, and his fiancé, Jamie. The second is from my nephew, Joel, and his fiancé, Alayne. Both weddings are scheduled for the upcoming fall season. Such good news! Congratulations to both couples.

Here’s a joke from my friend, Jo. Two little boys were at a wedding when one leaned over to the other and asked, “How many wives can a man have?”

His friend answered, “Sixteen: four better, four worse, four richer, four poorer.”

Thanks, Jo, and thank you to all for reading my column.

Local News

St. Rita's David Lyle won honors from the Chicago Bears. St. Rita photo

Chicago Bears recognize St. Rita senior with All-Star award

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Chances are good that few outside of St. Rita football circles know who David Lyle is. With good reason. Lyle missed his senior season for the Mustangs last fall after sustaining a serious knee injury. He even postponed having knee surgery so that he could take care of his…

CRRNH_CosmoPhotoMDWArmory_032724

Pols want 63rd St. armory for new police HQ

Spread the love

Spread the love. Porfirio, Guerrero-Cuellar push plan in Springfield . By Tim Hadac Any plans the Chicago Department of Aviation may have had for the vacant Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., may be grounded, at least for now. Several elected officials are eyeing the parcel as the headquarters of a new…

CRRNH_OLS3rdGradersWinPizzaParty_042424

It’s (pizza) party time at OLS

Spread the love

Spread the love. Third graders at Our Lady of the Snows School break into cheers as they learn they’ve won a pizza party for selling more raffle booklets than any other class. The recent Grand Raffle fundraiser brought in about $6,000. Parents looking for a grade school for their sons and daughters for 2024-25 are…

Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart

Dart wants free mental health care for first responders

Spread the love

Spread the love. From staff reports The Illinois Senate has passed legislation proposed by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart that eliminates out-of-pocket expenses for first responders seeking mental health treatment. “We ask first responders to be constantly exposed to traumatic and dangerous situations to protect us,” Dart said. “This legislation is a solid step…

A security-camera image of the man wanted for the crimes. --Supplied photo

Hunt man who tried to rob Chase Bank

Spread the love

Spread the love. FBI looking for tips from public .  From staff reports FBI officials are appealing to the public for help in finding a man who attempted to rob a Southwest Side bank branch. The bandit tried to rob the Chase Bank branch at 5687 S. Archer (just west of Laramie) at about 11…

Giannoulias

E-Notary makes things easier, Giannoulias says

Spread the love

Spread the love. From staff reports Illinois residents will no longer have to notarize documents in person under a new Electronic-Notary system administered by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office. Electronic Notarization, or “E-Notary,” will radically change the way people and use notary services, Giannoulias predicted. Without leaving the home or office, an individual or…

Mary Stanek

A simple idea for Earth Day

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 517-7796 . Moving right along through April, as the days get longer and nicer, time will start to go by faster. We have Earth Day on April 22 and the start of Passover at sunset.…

Kathy Headley

Bingo at St. Clare was something to yell about

Spread the love

Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . Recently I mentioned a bingo fundraiser the Augustinian Young Adults of St. Rita of Cascia Parish were holding. This was their first attempt at a bingo and they put on a really nice event. Held…

Peggy Zabicki

One thing is certain: life goes on

Spread the love

Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 . I get a lot of calls from residents who are discouraged about our neighborhood. There are so many car accidents, shootings and violent crimes being committed in West Lawn and surrounding areas. It certainly is challenging to stay hopeful and positive. Here is a paragraph…

The logosof the United Business Association of Midway. --Supplied image

Biz groups battle over names, logos

Spread the love

Spread the love. UBAM, MCC trade barbs . By Dermot Connolly and Tim Hadac The leader of one Midway-area business association is accusing the other of bad faith, and the leader of the other is scratching her head over the dustup. United Business Association of Midway Executive Director Anita Cummings recently claimed that a rival…

Neighbors

Lawmakers pitch sweeping changes to energy industry and Chicagoland transit system

Lawmakers pitch sweeping changes to energy industry and Chicagoland transit system

By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com A group of lawmakers and influential environmental advocates are calling for broad changes to the state’s energy industry and a massive increase in state oversight of Chicagoland’s transit system – which faces a projected $730 million budget shortfall.  Advocates for the policy platform, which is broken up into…

Democrats flex muscle to kick off final month of session as revenues remain on track

Democrats flex muscle to kick off final month of session as revenues remain on track

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With about three weeks to go before the Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its spring legislative session, supermajority Democrats showed their strength this week as fiscal forecasters noted state revenues remain on track. April is typically a make-or-break month for state coffers, as income…

Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored

Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The former Illinois State Trooper who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter of two sisters in 2007 has abandoned his efforts to have a hearing into the restoration of his driving privileges – for now.  Matt Mitchell, 45, requested at least two delays in the hearing after he failed…

Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending

Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending

By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…

Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol

Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol

By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Six fallen police officers were honored at an annual memorial service outside the State Capitol Thursday. The Illinois Police Officers Memorial occurs annually on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to support their families.  “No one…

Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions

Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions

By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot.  It’s a move that caused minority party…

After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination

After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…

Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air

Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air

Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor.  “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…

Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated

Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated

By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…

Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans

Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans

By PETER HANCOCK  and JERRY NOWICKI  Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…