Mary Stanek
Lesson learned about importance of shredding
By Mary Stanek
Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon
3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394
Happy Arbor Day! We celebrate on the 29th of April and hopefully plant trees.
I mentioned previously that there will be a paper shred event on June 4 at Byrne Elementary School in Garfield Ridge, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. I must stress again the importance of discarding important papers based on firsthand experience.
On the weekend of April 15, as my husband and I were busily preparing our taxes, we generated a lot of paperwork with confidential information. We did shred the papers in our strip-cut shredder and discarded them in our recycling bin.
The next morning our bin was missing. Yes, it appeared someone had stolen our blue can. We walked up and down the alley and everyone’s blue cart was in place.
So, our worst fears came to mind. Someone with nothing to do is piecing our information together. Or what if we were careless and left some unshredded? Robert immediately bought a cross-cut shredder for future use, but that is like closing the barn door once the horse is out. I took the proactive approach and signed up to Life Lock and notified all three of the credit-check companies of our situation.
Identity theft can be devastating, so please make use of these shredding events. Next time I throw out sensitive material, I just might top it off with some of my used kitty litter to deter the would-be thieves! Thank you, to 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares’ office for providing us with a new blue recycle cart almost immediately.
Last week I suggested maybe filling a bird feeder to celebrate Earth Day. I will now redact that comment. A highly virulent strain of avian flu has led to mass bird deaths in areas, including Cook County. Illinois residents are being asked to avoid feeding birds in feeders through the end of May. This influenza impacts wild and domestic birds in our state.
Visit the Archer Heights Branch Library from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 4. Lions Club International will be distributing certificates for free glasses and eye exams. There are certain eligibility requirements such as being uninsured with a Social Security number and a one-person income at $25,760 or below ($9,080 for each additional family member). You couldn’t have used the program within the last 12 months.
Three birthdays are coming up in the next week. Birthday greetings go out to Cynthia Aranda, Fabiola Mejia-Motalto and Sandra Ramirez.
Local News
Catholic kids ditch school masks
Spread the lovePublic schools stick with pandemic regs By Tim Hadac Reports of local Catholic school children rejoicing over the lifting of mask mandates were widespread this week, while their parents reacted with a mix of opinions. “I’ve seen kids jubilant over this—some so much so that they appeared to be crying tears of joy,”…
Say man shot 3 in Back of the Yards
Spread the loveAccused trio of plotting to have him killed By Tim Hadac A 59-year-old man has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with the shooting of three men in his Back of the Yards home. Jesus Hernandez has confessed to the slayings, according to published…
Standing with Ukraine
Spread the love While the Southwest Side’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine appeared to be limited to prayers in churches last weekend, one Southwest Side elected official, 15th Ward Raymond Lopez, joined retired 11th Ward Ald. James A. Balcer and a handful of military veterans in a display of solidarity in the Loop.…
Rush anti-lynching bill passes House
Spread the loveInspired by Emmett Till’s 1955 murder From staff reports A bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-1st) that would — for the first time in history — designate lynching as a federal hate crime passed the House of Representatives earlier this week by a 422-3 vote. The bill (H.R. 55) is…
Head in the stars, feet on the ground
Spread the love‘Astro Joe’ brings astronomy to the people By Kelly White When Joseph Guzman was a child, he used to swipe his father’s binoculars and lie out in the backyard, exploring the urban skies with great fascination. The young boy did not know what he was observing, but he felt a strong attraction…
Don’t get sidelined by sports scams, BBB warns
Spread the loveBy Better Business Bureau staff When shopping for a team jersey or other sports memorabilia, watch out for fakes. Scammers know that authentic game-used and/or autographed items can fetch big bucks – especially for items commemorating big games. When shopping online, it can be hard to trust that a seller or product is…
St. Bede girls are volleyball champions
Spread the love Members of the St. Bede School’s varsity girls volleyball team pose for a photo after their triumph last month as champions of the Scottsdale Park volleyball league. In a nine-team league, the Blue and White went 7-1 and prevailed in the championship match over St. Richard, 23-8 16-14. In recent years, St.…
St. Rita tops Homewood-Flossmoor, vying for first sectional title
Spread the loveBy Steve Millar Correspondent St. Rita’s Morez Johnson knows how deflating it is for an opponent when it plays strong defense and forces the Mustangs into a missed shot, only for Johnson to grab the rebound and score. “Those second-chance points hurt the other team a lot,” Johnson said after St. Rita defeated…
Snow brought out the best neighbors
Spread the loveBy Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 I am not sure if we are officially done with the snow yet, or if it is just wishful thinking; but in either case I’d like to give a shout out and many thanks to my…
Library has an offer you can’t refuse
Spread the loveBy 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.…
Neighbors
As Medicaid redeterminations restart, about 73% of state’s recipients remain enrolled
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com About 73 percent of Illinois’ Medicaid recipients remain on the rolls after the first redetermination cycle following the COVID-19 pandemic, while approximately 660,000 recipients have been disenrolled. Speaking at a news conference in Chicago, Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated the fact that 2.6 million Illinoisans remained on the rolls…
Capitol Briefs: Republicans sue over law banning legislative candidate slating
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com One week after Gov. JB Pritzker signed an elections-related measure that his fellow Democrats quickly muscled through the General Assembly, Republicans sued over the new law, alleging the majority party is blocking ballot access to would-be legislative candidates. The law , passed early this month as the legislature’s…
For Many Illinoisans in Flood-Prone Areas, Buyouts Are the Only Way Out
By Laura Stewart, Illinois Answers Project April 23, 2024 DIETERICH, Ill. – Every day, Berdeena Leturno checks her email for an update on when the state of Illinois will finally pay her $80,000. It’s been over two months since she signed the paperwork to sell her flood-damaged home as part of a buyout program, and…
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…
Stateville may close as early as September under Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Stateville Correctional Center could close as early as September under a plan laid out by Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Friday. Top officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections testified in front of a key panel of state lawmakers. The 12 members on the General Assembly’s…
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
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
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
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State officials kicked off the private renovation of the building which once served as the state government’s Chicago headquarters. The James R. Thompson Center, as it was known under state ownership, was sold in 2022 to a development firm that is renovating the building for its…
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…