Garfield Ridge resident Stephanie Smock. --Supplied photo
A young mom who really needs our help
By Joan Hadac
Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge
(708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com
Again and again over the 29 years I’ve lived in Garfield Ridge, I’ve seen examples of the neighborhood pulling together to help its own, especially in time of great need.
As a news reporter and columnist in these pages and online, it has been my privilege to help spread the word about and muster support for folks in need—and then later report the good news of neighbors helping neighbors.
This week, I’m writing about Stephanie Smock, a young mom in Garfield Ridge who could really use a hand from all of us.
Stephanie grew up in the neighborhood. She attended Byrne School and then went on to Kennedy High School, where she graduated in 2006.
In recent years, she has worked at Triano’s Pizza, where she has been said to be an exemplary employee.
She has long been known as someone who is “very outgoing, fun-loving and sweet,” according to her classmate and friend, Mary Spalla.
As Mary tells it, Stephanie was working at Triano’s to support her 18-month-old son, Cody; her mom, Rita (who has diabetes and severe rheumatoid arthritis); and her older brother, Kenny, who has severe diabetes with heart complications and can’t work.
Stephanie was the sole breadwinner for her family, especially since her father passed away in 2018.
Quite a load for a young mom to carry, right?
But things went from bad to worse in January, when Stephanie was involved in a car crash, which “caused Stephanie to suffer an embolism/stroke, resulting in complete loss of feeling on the right side of her body,” Mary reports. “As a result, she needs constant care and help with every aspect of daily living. Stephanie can no longer work and it is unknown if she will ever regain the use of her right side.”
Over the past few months, Stephanie has made some progress. Her memory has improved, and she is walking a bit.
But her road to recovery is still long and uncertain.
She needs help.
If you will, please visit gofund.me/b6ef4d3a. When I wrote this, the effort to help Stephanie was nearly $2,000 short of its $5,000 goal. If we all pull together, we can close that gap fairly quickly.
So let’s do it. And thanks to Mary Spalla for organizing the fundraiser and to Megan Heurich for alerting me to the situation in the first place.
More news of note
- Belated happy birthday wishes to Father Al Adamich, said to be the Archrdiocese’s oldest priest. Father Al recently turned 100 years old. He was an associate pastor at St. Symphorosa in 1970-71. There’s a nice article about him posted at chicagocatholic.com. My thanks to my colleague, Kathy Headley (the Chicago Lawn/Marquette Manor correspondent for the Greater Southwest News-Herald), for alerting me to Father Al’s celebration.
- Cub Scout Pack 3475 and the St. Daniel the Prophet Holy Name Society are preparing a tasty treat for you at their pancake breakfast set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 5 in the St. Daniel School Hall, 5337 S. Natoma. Adults eat for $7; kids 12 and younger for $6. This Sunday, grab your family or a group of friends, eat a delicious breakfast and support these two wonderful organizations.
- There is a lot of excitement coming to St. Daniel the Prophet Parish in mid-June when their Summerfest returns Thursday, June 16 through Sunday, June 19 on parish grounds. So mark your calendar for these dates and prepare to have a great time. This is a wonderful way to welcome in summer. I’ll give you more details about the event next week.
- Congratulations to all members of the class of 2022. Whether you’re graduating grade school, high school, trade school or college, you deserve a tip of the cap for working hard and getting the job done. Cheers to you!
- Summer begins on Tuesday, June 21, according to the calendar. Of course, this is Chicago, so you never know. I know my highlight of the season will come in early August when the grandkids come in for a week to enjoy the place where their mother grew up. I hope you have some special plans as well this summer. Take care and have a great week.
Local News
‘Sister Act’ coming to Hale Park
Spread the loveFrom staff reports The Hale Theatre Company of the Chicago Park District will present the musical “Sister Act” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 3-4; and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 5 at Hale Park, 6258 W. 62nd St. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens. Seating is limited.…
‘The right gig’: Marist alum Renee Chimino to succeed Mary Pat Connolly
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Renee Chimino was like many people who thought Mary Pat Connolly was going to coach at Marist forever. But Connolly recently announced her retirement, and Chimino was hired to take her place last week. Chimino is a Marist graduate who played on Connolly’s best squad, the 2007-08 team…
Postseason Roundup: Chicago Christian’s Jelderks is state high jump champ; Sandburg 3200 relay takes title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer It was as easy as 1-2-3. Actually, it was more like it was easy as 1A-2A-3A. Two area individuals and a relay team emerged from the IHSA state boys track meet over the weekend as champions — one in each classification. Luke Jelderks of Chicago Christian won the…
Isabella Nuño, a woman of achievement on her way up
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com As usual, there’s no shortage of bright, energetic young people among us here in Clearing and Garfield Ridge—young men and women clearly on the way up. This week I have the pleasure to congratulate Clearing resident Isabella Nuño, who recently…
Seeking soles for souls
Spread the loveBig shoe drive underway at St. Faustina By Tim Hadac A drive to collect 6,000 shoes is underway at St. Faustina Kowalska Parish in Garfield Ridge. Now through June 30, parish leaders are asking everyone to donate new or gently worn pairs of shoes. A goal of 3,000 pairs has been set,…
Kennedy students named Illinois State Scholars
Spread the love Nineteen Kennedy High School students have been recognized as Illinois State Scholars. The prestigious award is given annually by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to high-achieving high school students from across the state. Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top 10 percent of high school seniors from high schools across…
Midway bouncing back
Spread the loveUBAM hears update from airport chief By Dermot Connolly Midway International Airport is bouncing back from the pandemic, and the $333 million Midway Modernization program is nearing completion, Chicago Department of Aviation officials told local business leaders earlier this month. Elizabeth Granados-Perez, managing deputy commissioner of Midway, and Alex Leon, deputy commissioner in…
Neighbors
With 1 week left in session, Pritzker admin says all revenue options remain on the table
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com While the governor’s office instructed its agency directors to prepare for $800 million in potential budget cuts last week, all facets of his plan to raise $1.1 billion in revenue to avoid those cuts remain under consideration. Read more: ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to…
Illinois launches summer food assistance program
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state is launching a new program to provide food assistance during the summer for families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school. Gov. JB Pritzker joined other state officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday to announce that Illinois will…
Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ. The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…
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…
As vacated Centralia funeral home prepares for new tenant, owner makes a startling find
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com In the basement of a Centralia funeral home in a dark hallway off the embalming room, tucked inside a nook behind two steel plates and a door, a visitor found three disembodied, neatly wrapped human legs, two of them marked with names and dated to the 1960s. The…
Illinois Supreme Court considers expectation of privacy in hospitals
By DILPREET RAJU & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – While Cortez Turner was in a hospital room being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg in 2016, police took his clothes. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court is weighing whether that action violated Turner’s expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. The…
Capitol Briefs: House OKs program for student teacher stipends – but not the funding for it
By PETER HANCOCK & ANDREW CAMPBELL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House approved a bill Tuesday to allow student teachers to receive stipends while earning their education degree, even though the money needed to fund those stipends is unlikely to be included in next year’s budget. House Bill 4652, by Rep. Barbara…
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…