Joan Hadac
Plenty of news in Greater Ashburn
By Joan Hadac
Greater Southwest News-Herald correspondent-at-large
(708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com
This week, I’m filling in for Laura Ortega, the Greater Southwest News-Herald’s correspondent for Greater Ashburn (the Wrightwood, Ashburn, Parkview and Scottsdale neighborhoods). So let’s get right to it.
- A friendly game of 16-inch softball (Scottsdale Neighborhood Watch versus Chicago Police) is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 4 at Rainey Park, 4350 W. 79th St. Should be quite a bit of fun, assuming the weather cooperates. Stop by and cheer on the players! Thanks to RE/MAX Mi Casa and Nisreen Salman-Hernandez for sponsoring the game.
- The next flea market at St. Bede Parish is set for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4 at the west end of the church parking lot at 83rd and Kostner. If you are selling, you must bring your own table and chairs.
Joan Hadac
- If you want to sign up your children for Religious Education at St. Bede Church for the 2022-23 school year, registration begins Monday, June 6. For details, call (773) 884-2000.
- Recently baptized at St. Bede are Mason Brown, Madelyn Rose Brown, Yareth Álvarez, Felipe Sánchez, Joziah García, Julián Benjamín Figueroa, Juan Vargas, Bruno De Anda, Lucas López and Nuvia Álvarez. Congratulations!
- The Scottsdale Neighborhood Watch’s next general meeting is set for 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 16. It will be held via Zoom. Go to tinyurl.com/SNWJune2022Meeting to join.
- Eighteenth Ward Ald. Derrick G. Curtis will present his annual pet health fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 25 at his ward office, 8359 S. Pulaski. Staff from Chicago Animal Care and Control will provide such services as vaccinations and micro-chipping. Dogs must be leashed, and cats must be in secure carriers. Services are available to 18th Ward residents, who must present an ID. For details, call the ward office at (773) 284-5057.
- Congratulations to the winning student government candidates for 2022-23 at St. Rita High School. Sophomore class officers are Thomas Healy, Francisco Juarez, Marty McMullin, Aidan O’Brien and Tommy Perry. Junior class officers are Owen Cooney, Sean Larkin, Richie Lippert, Liam Nolan, Dom Polselli and Raymone Saffold. Senior class officers are Charlie Armbruster, Collin Gerger and Joey Larkin.
Senior Student Government Secretary is Noah Robinson. Senior Student Government Vice President is Owen Manning, and Senior Student Government President is Joey Kuska. Many all of you serve with wisdom and humility.
- Save the date! The Scottsdale Neighborhood Watch is having a fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 15 at Angie’s Sports Bar & Pizzeria, 8352 S. Pulaski. Headlining the event will be Ed Hill & The Unusuals, an outstanding classic-rock cover band. Free admission. Angie’s owner Robbie Corso is generously donating a portion of all food/beverage sales to the SNW. Plus, I hear there will be a friendly dance contest, so sharpen your moves and get ready to groove!
- Well, that’s all for this week. Time for dinner, and rest assured I’ll keep it local. I never understand why some folks reflexively rush off to the suburbs to eat when we have good choices right here in the neighborhood. So tonight, it’s carryout from Caribbean Jerk Palace, 3792 W. 79th St. I think I’ll order the jerk tilapia with a side order or rice and peas. My husband is going with the beef short ribs and a side of candied yams, and my younger daughter chooses the jerk tacos with a side of fried plantains. All three of us will have the peach cobbler for dessert. Check out Caribbean Jerk Palace online.
Local News
Bingo at St. Clare was something to yell about
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…
One thing is certain: life goes on
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…
Biz groups battle over names, logos
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…
Chicago Lawn native’s book is ‘off the hook’
Spread the love. Longtime journalist shares humor columns . By Tim Hadac Nancy (Emerson) Besonen has made a career as a news reporter and humor columnist for a weekly paper in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But her roots are in Chicago Lawn, and it showed during a recent conversation. Like most true Southwest Siders, she didn’t…
Softball | Oak Lawn’s Kasey Jackson fans 5 in loss to Shepard
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Oak Lawn entered its South Suburban Conference matchup with Shepard having won six of its last seven games. The Astros — even hotter with seven straight victories after beginning the season with three consecutive losses — cooled off the Spartans (8-5, 4-2 SSC) for a day, winning 3-0 behind…
Softball | Shepard blanks Oak Lawn behind CG from Kailey Selvage, 2 RBI from Madison Scapardine
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Temperatures are not the only thing starting to warm up in the Southwest Suburbs. Shepard, which began the season with three consecutive losses, defeated Oak Lawn, 3-0, on April 15 to run its winning streak to seven games. Astros junior pitcher Kailey Selvage tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out…
‘Horrific and unacceptable’
Spread the love. Police, neighbors decry shooting at family party . By Tim Hadac Drive-by shootings have become not at all unusual in recent years in Back of the Yards. Some might even call them common. What is still uncommon is for drive-by crimes to injure or even kill young children. But that is exactly…
A blue salute in Scottsdale
Spread the love. Family, friends, co-workers and neighbors of the late CPD Officer James R. Svec Jr. –as well as elected and appointed officials– gathered at 77th and Kolmar last Saturday to unveil an honorary street sign saluting him for his sacrifice. Officer Svec died at age 59 in December 2021 from causes related to…
County vets offer reduced-price vax clinics
Spread the love. From staff reports The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control is running its annual Partners in Prevention clinics now through mid-October. ARC is partnering with local animal organizations to offer reduced-cost or free one-year rabies vaccinations, as well as microchips. The partnerships are designed to link pet owners to organizations…
Twisted Shamrock hosts Masters-inspired fun
Spread the love. The drive from Chicago to Augusta, Ga. (home of the 2024 Masters professional golf tournament) is more than 800 miles, but those unwilling to make the trek recently had the option of simply heading over to Twisted Shamrock Pub, 6462 S. Central, for some Masters-inspired fun on Sunday, April 14. Both golfers…
Neighbors
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…
Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. “The time is now for legislators to act to…
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
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
NEWS TEAM Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com On Wednesday, April 17, the Springfield, Illinois Capitol and journalism communities lost a devoted friend and advocate when Lee Milner passed away. As Dean Olsen wrote in his piece in the Illinois Times earlier this month, “Readers of Illinois Times often have seen Milner’s work as a freelance photojournalist. But…
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…
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…
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
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…