Mary Stanek

Mary Stanek

Can May flowers be far behind?

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By Mary Stanek

Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon

3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 284-7394

April showers bring May flowers, or so the saying goes. One could only wish. It seems it’s been a cold, rainy, slow start to spring. But Palm Sunday will soon be here. That usually is a nice day.

Congratulations are in order to St. Turibius’ very own Sister Mary Beth Bromer. She was named one of the 22 extraordinary women in the 22nd district for Women’s History Month. I have the pleasure to personally know her, to have worked with her and to be her friend. She truly is a dedicated worker serving the West Elsdon community. Thank you, Sister.

MaryStanek 1

Mary Stanek

Pursuant to any new pandemic restrictions, the Easter egg hunt is on. For more than 50 years, the Archer Heights Civic Association has conducted an Easter egg hunt in Archer Park for the children of Archer Heights.

After a two-year break (thank you, COVID-19) it is scheduled for Saturday, April 16. Festivities start at 10 a.m., but the park fieldhouse opens at 9:30 a.m. Free chocolate bunnies will be given to the children.

Adult volunteers are still needed, so please call (773) 843-2232 if you can help. Bear in mind, the hunt may be canceled at the last minute if new pandemic mandates develop; but let’s hope for the best.

The Archer Heights Civic Association is still busy cleaning up the neighborhood. A group of volunteers recently worked on the area by 43rd and Keeler. The pictures of the clean up look great – if only it could stay that way.

My husband is still doing his daily clean-up walks around the neighborhood. He says if he had a nickel for every facemask he has found, he would be a millionaire. That is really a shame.

A Holy Thursday bus pilgrimage will be leaving St. Turibius Church at 8:30 p.m. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children. Please register at the rectory at (773) 581-2730, ext. 110. There will be limited seating.

Happy Birthday to local artist Penny Burns on April 13.

Finally, whether you subscribe to the Greater Southwest News-Herald by mail or whether you buy it on a newsstand, thank you. Please remember, there is a third option. Subscribe to this paper online by visiting southwestregionalpublishing.com/news-herald. If you want 24/7 access to the paper (as well as several other newspapers serving the Southwest Side and nearby suburbs), click the Subscribe tab and get started for as little as pennies a day.

Local News

Peggy Zabicki

Paczki Day ahead, not behind

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Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 If you read my column online last week, you might remember my reference to Paczki Day. I thought it took place on Feb. 9. I was shopping at a Jewel outside our neighborhood around that date, and I asked…

U.S. Rep. Marie Newman

Campaign 2020: 11 elected officials endorse Newman in primary 

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Spread the loveBy Bob Bong   Marie Newman’s bid to win the Democratic nomination in the new 6th Congressional District picked up steam Tuesday when 11 elected officials in Cook and DuPage counties announced they were endorsing her in the June primary over fellow incumbent Sean Casten. “Congresswoman Marie Newman has been a very strong and effective…

Among those at the Valentine Small Business Vender Pop-Up at the Monarca Event Room, 3300 W. 63rd St., were Brian and Alma Cabrales from Velia Bath Bombs, St. Nick’s Girl Scouts Lia Garcia and Layla Burns, Scout Mom Jennifer Burns, and Adriana Cardona from D Colores Accessories. --Greater Southwest News-Herald photo by Kathy Headley

Things were poppin’ at Valentine’s event

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Spread the loveBy Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last Saturday I stopped in at the Valentine Small Business Pop-Up at Monarca, on the northwest corner of 63rd and Spaulding. I really enjoy these events. I always walk out spending more than I planned, this…

Joan Hadac

The next correspondent could be you

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Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac GSWNH Columnist At-Large This week, it’s my privilege and pleasure to write the Greater Southwest News-Herald’s column for Greater Ashburn (the Wrightwood, Ashburn, Parkview and Scottsdale neighborhoods). Greater Ashburn has not had a correspondent in this newspaper since Carolina Franco stepped away from writing this column back in late 2019. Anyway,…

Kathy Headley

Bridget Ferriter, you will be missed

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Spread the loveBy Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last week I had the sad experience of attending the funeral of a good friend, Bridget Ferriter. We were neighbors for more than 30 years. We did things long-time neighbors do, like pop over for coffee…

Mary Stanek

To receive City services, you must ask

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Spread the loveBy Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 284-7394 The CHI311 website is the way to go, or a simple 311 phone call can help keep our neighborhoods clean and safe! To quote from an article written by Mike Kovac in the Archer Heights…

Peggy Zabicki

Winter Olympics bring back fun memories

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Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? My favorite sport is figure skating. It is beautiful and athletic. The athletes are so inspiring. I love to watch all the sports. I remember my family gathering around the TV, watching the Olympics in the early…

GSWNH_KeithThornton_021122

Mayor ‘out of control,’ hero says

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Spread the lovePolice ranks ‘thousands’ short, dispatcher tells Scottsdale  By Tim Hadac It’s not every day that a City worker has the courage to attend a public meeting and call a mayor “out of control.” But Keith A. Thornton Jr. did exactly that earlier this week on the Southwest Side. A 911 dispatcher hailed as…

GSWNH_FrontPageBottom_021122

Rockie is the new kid on the block

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Spread the love While some folks see heavy snowfall and curse the skies, children across the Southwest Side seemed thrilled with last week’s winter windfall. Schools cancelled classes, and kids like 9-year-old Rosie Arroyo showed her creativity by working with her father, Raul, to build a snowman in front of their home near 49th and…

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi

Kaegi, legislators, advocates unveil affordable housing initiative

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Spread the loveFrom staff reports Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi was joined by state legislators and affordable housing advocates earlier this week to launch the Affordable Housing Special Assessment Program, a new form of property tax relief recently signed into law. Kaegi worked with legislative partners who passed the law last spring, including State Sens.…

Neighbors

Stateville may close as early as September under Pritzker’s prison plan

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Labor-backed bill banning 'captive audience' meetings awaits House action

Labor-backed bill banning ‘captive audience’ meetings awaits House action

By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With two weeks left before the General Assembly’s spring session is set to adjourn, negotiations continue on a labor union-backed initiative that would allow Illinoisans to skip religious and political work meetings without reprimand.  Dubbed the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act,” Senate Bill 3649 advanced out…

House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs

House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs

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ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to call for cuts

ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to call for cuts

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com When Gov. JB Pritzker proposed his budget for the upcoming fiscal year in February, he sought authority from lawmakers to raise more than $1 billion in revenue through various changes to the state tax code.  Among other things, he sought to raise $526 million through extending an expiring…

State officials offer last goodbye to former Thompson Center as renovations begin

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Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen

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Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs

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Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers

Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Rampant sexual abuse occurred unchecked for decades at Illinois’ juvenile detention centers, a new lawsuit filed on behalf of 95 former detainees alleges, citing hundreds of incidents over more than two decades. The plaintiffs were boys between 12 and 17 years old when the alleged abuse occurred and…

House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo

House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo

By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…

Remembering Lee Milner

Remembering Lee Milner

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