Rain can’t stop West Lawn fun
By Peggy Zabicki
Your correspondent in West Lawn
3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327
Even though the weather has been cold and rainy, there’s always something going on in West Lawn. Last week, the Envision organization held its Market Day at the St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish Center. There were lovely homemade arts and crafts for sale. I hope this is just the beginning of Market Days in West Lawn and that there will be many more to come.
Movie nights continue at West Lawn Branch Library, 4020 W. 63rd St. On Monday, April 11 the library will be showing the movie Dead Poets Society at 5 p.m. Call (312) 747-7381 to reserve your spot.
The library will be hosting a family fun event called “Become a Paleontologist” at noon Saturday, April 9. You and the children in your life can learn about dinosaurs and how they lived. There will be “hands on” activities. Kids will have the opportunity to examine cases of dinosaur bones. Sounds like fun!
Here’s a thought: what if the library put all their mystery books on the shelves with the title of the book facing inward instead of outward? The books would really be a mystery!
West Lawn Little League is back. Registration is officially open for the 2022 season. Take your kids to West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St., to sign up. Registration will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays, April 9, 16 and 23. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, West Lawn Little League is looking for coaches. Best wishes to all for a great season.
I mentioned Queen of the Universe School, 7130 S. Hamlin, last week. I am very impressed with their science program. Their rigorous overall curriculum gives students opportunities to think outside the box. Recently, the seventh grade class constructed interesting three-dimensional shapes, using a variety of materials. We may have some future engineers and architects in West Lawn.
There are four young artists currently competing for a chance to paint a mural at the underpass at 59th and Central Park Avenue. They recently presented their ideas online. I am looking forward to seeing the winning mural. I’m sure it will beautify the area.
I am hoping the rest of the viaducts along Central Park, between 59th and 63rd streets, will get some long overdue repairs. The street along Central Park has been resurfaced, but the viaducts continue to be an eyesore with peeling paint and worn-out structures.
In addition, there is a lot of garbage along Central Park. It is a shame that people feel this street is their personal garbage can. My suggestion is that West Lawn’s Hubbard High School could offer a Central Park Avenue clean-up program for their students looking to complete their required volunteer hours.
Speaking of 59th Street, does anyone know when construction will begin at the Walgreens store at 59th and Pulaski? I have called their main office and was told that the information isn’t available. I sent an email to them about two weeks ago and haven’t heard back.
Here’s some good news. The staff at Windy City Hot Dogs, 4205 W. 63rd St., wants everyone to know their popcorn chicken is back in stock.
Have a great week, everybody!
Local News
Boys Volleyball | Richards weathering struggles after run of success
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After a tough weekend at the Smack Attack tournament, Richards got back into the win column with a two-set victory over Eisenhower in a South Suburban Red match. The Bulldogs made quick work of the Cardinals, winning 25-16, 25-15 on April 23 in Oak Lawn to snap a five-match…
Year of growth | Evergreen Park enjoying inaugural boys volleyball season
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After almost 70 years of existence as a high school, Evergreen Park finally has a boys volleyball team. The Mustangs are playing their inaugural season with a junior varsity squad, with some matches being played at the varsity level. Head coach Brian Zofkie is leading this group with assistant…
‘Brazen and cowardly’: Police, community outraged by officer’s slaying
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Police and others across the Southwest Side reacted with outrage this week over the slaying of a Chicago Police officer in the early morning hours on Sunday. Officer Luis M. Huesca was shot to death on the street in the 3100 block of West 56th Street at 2:53 a.m.…
Swanson scores, assists in Red Stars’ win over Reign
Spread the loveThe Red Stars improved to 3-1-1 by beating the Seattle Reign, 2-1, on the road on April 21. Mallory Swanson had an assist on an Ali Schlegel goal in the fourth minute and added a goal of her own in the 31st minute. Swanson missed last season after sustaining a knee injury on…
Red Stars’ Tatumn Milazzo has top Save of the Week
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Tatumn Milazzo called her achievement “funny.” The Chicago Red Stars defender and Orland Park native was awarded the NWSL’s Save of the Week after chasing down a ball in a loss to Angel City on April 13. The Save of the Week usually goes to a goalie. Milazzo laughed…
Men’s College Volleyball | Saint Xavier captures fifth straight conference tourney title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The SXU men’s volleyball team won its fifth straight Chicagoland Christian Athletic Conference tournament championship after a 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 sweep of Calumet College of St. Joseph on April 20 at the Shannon Center. Jan Lopuch had 10 kills and nine digs for the Cougars. With the win, the…
College Baseball | Saint Xavier upsets Eastern Illinois
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier baseball team picked up a win that its players are going to remember for a long time. The Cougars stunned Eastern Illinois, 4-2, on April 17 in Charleston. It was the Cougars’ first win over the Panthers, a Division I program, since 2005. Lyons grad Troy…
St. Laurence hoops teams top honor roll
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area basketball teams proved to be strong on the court and in the classroom this season, and St. Laurence was the leader of the pack. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association compiled a list of the top academic teams, and the area did well. In Division 3 girls, St. Laurence…
Neighbors
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
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
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
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 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
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
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…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…