Luis Gaytan and Anita Cummings of the United Business Association of Midway hold up cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes--just a few of the fruits and vegetables now growing in the community garden outside Hale School, 6140 S. Melvina. --Photo by Dermot Connolly
Hale and hearty
Community garden grows at Clearing school
By Dermot Connolly
The community garden at Hale School that was expanded through a partnership with United Business Association of Midway and other local non-profit organizations is growing in more ways than one this summer.
Besides all the vegetables and herbs planted this year that are now in full bloom outside the school, 6140 S. Melvina, several fruit trees and bushes were added in late July. Grapevines and other additions are expected to be planted soon also, so there should be even more crops to pick in 2023 and beyond.
Hale started the community garden in 2020, and it began to flourish last year with the help of volunteers led by Hector Villalobos, a Hale parent and Local School Council member who built garden boxes and does a lot of the planting and watering.
On weekends, Boy Scouts from Troop 1439, which Villalobos leads, volunteer their time to water and care for the plants. The troop is sponsored by Two Holy Martyrs Parish. The Scouts also built two wooden benches that were placed just outside the garden, but they may only be there temporarily.
UBAM plays key role
After several UBAM member organizations expressed interest in creating a community garden this year, UBAM Executive Director Anita Cummings put them in touch with Hale officials. They agreed to work together on the existing project.
“This project is a beautiful example of what dedicated community partners can accomplish. This is a ‘win-win’ for UBAM, Hale School and our entire community,” Cummings said.
Those involved include the Garfield Ridge-Clearing Community Garden, a group of residents whose plans to obtain a space for their own community garden fell through last year. Vanessa Sepcot and other members of the group have shared their knowledge of gardening with Villalobos and other leaders of the Hale project. Sepcot also provided the mulch for the garden this year.
Luis Gaytan, public health ambassador of Envision Community Services, another UBAM member, has become very involved too. His group applied for and received a $1,400 grant from Microsoft that is going, in part, toward the new plantings.
“We’re learning about gardening as we go,” said Gaytan, who recently filled in for Villalobos while he was on vacation and oversaw the delivery and planting of a dwarf apple tree and a peach tree in the garden. He pointed out two raspberry bushes that were planted at the same time, as well as a pumpkin vine.
“We should be getting strawberries and grapevines soon too,” said Gaytan, explaining that Villalobos plans to build an archway to support the grapevines and serve as an entrance to the garden, which stretches across the front lawn of the school.
“We planted the trees near the front fence, so people can pick the fruit from the sidewalk,” he explained recently, as he and fellow Envisions public health ambassador Esmeralda Anaya watered the new trees.
“I would like to get a fig tree too,” he said.
Quinn donates soil
The office of 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn donated soil in June for the garden to get started, and now tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, a few varieties of peppers, as well as basil, cilantro and other herbs are available for local residents to pick and take home. There is still some of the soil left over, and Villalobos may build another garden box so the remaining soil can be used to plant even more crops.
“The garden is growing strong and has provided lots of veggies for the community. I love seeing families walk by and engaging with the garden to see what is growing and how it is growing,” said Samantha Kyme, dean of students at Hale and leader of the culture and climate program there. She serves as point person for the community garden project.
Hale kindergarteners got involved this year by planting sunflowers, and the plan is for the garden to be used as a learning experience for students in other grades as well.
“I’m pretty excited about all the additions and how well it is doing,” said Gaytan, noting that the community garden has the potential to benefit residents from throughout the Southwest Side.
He explained that Envision staff help stock and maintain the Good Neighbor Love Fridge at 6601 S. Pulaski, and some of the produce will go there.
Love Fridges, essentially mini-food pantries, are located in neighborhoods around the city are open to anyone in need of food.
“If we see fruit and vegetables getting ripe and not being picked by neighbors, rather than letting it go to waste we will bring it to the Love Fridge,” said Gaytan.
Regarding the grant that is funding a lot of the expansion, Gaytan said the last $600 will be awarded after the project is inspected.
“I wouldn’t mind giving that money to Hale for maintaining the garden, because their hoses and other equipment are being used,” he said. Gaytan suggested that eventually adding an automatic watering system might be helpful as well.
Local News
Mount Carmel drops regular-season finale to Loyola
For all its years of excellence, one team has recently proven to be the bane of Mount Carmel’s existence: Loyola. In a Week 9 CCL/ESCC Blue matchup on Oct. 25 on the South Side, the Ramblers continued their mastery over the Caravan, winning 31-7. It was Loyola’s fourth win over Mount Carmel in the last…
From Olympic silver to Halloween spirit, Kennedy Blades shines in Garfield Ridge
A small-town girl turned national hero; Kennedy Blades returned to Garfield Ridge just in time for Halloween. Blades, a wrestler who took the silver medal in the women’s 76-kilogram event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, served as grand marshal of the Midway Chamber of Commerce’s annual Halloween Pumpkin Jamboree Parade on Saturday, Oct.…
Area football teams learn postseason paths
One of the facts of life in Class 6A football has been that the road to the IHSA title runs through East St. Louis. Few know that better than Richards, whose season was ended by the Flyers in the 2019 quarterfinals, the 2021 second round and the 2022 first round. There were no playoffs in…
Wolniak Funeral Home to celebrate Day of the Dead
The 102-year-old Wolniak Funeral Home has served generations of families throughout the years. Sitting on the southwest corner of 57th and Pulaski, the Polish Funeral Home is reaching out with what they are calling a “legacy of love to the community.” Respecting the traditions and heritage of the Hispanic members of the community, the folks…
Postseason roundup: Nazareth boys golf finishes seventh in Class 2A
NORMAL – Nazareth was in a position to win a trophy after the first round of the IHSA Class 2A boys golf championship at Illinois State’s Weibring Golf Course. Then golf happened. The Roadrunners’ team total jumped 17 strokes higher in Saturday’s near-windless second round, and that was enough for them to tumble from second…
Mike Walsh’s Football Top 10, Week 9
1. MARIST (7-1) Last week: Beat Marmion 42-0 This week: vs. Notre Dame Comment: After missing out on state playoffs last season, RedHawks appear ready for a deep run. 2. LYONS (8-0) Last week: Beat York 24-7 This week: vs. Proviso East Comment: Snapped six-game losing streak to Dukes and earned first outright conference title…
Football notebook: Kennedy finishes unbeaten in conference
Kennedy went into its Week 8 game against Hansberry minus some of its usual leaders on defense. But despite missing four starters on that side of the ball for various reasons, the Crusaders wrapped up a perfect conference season with a 47-12 win over Hansberry at Stagg Stadium. “A lot of guys had to step…
Soccer report: SeatGeek Stadium to host Big Ten tourney games
Not so fast … It appeared that the soccer season at SeatGeek Stadium was going to be shut down after the Chicago Red Stars played their final regular-season home game Nov. 3 at the Bridgeview facility. But the Big Ten Conference recently announced its men’s soccer tournament quarterfinals and semifinals will be played at SeatGeek…
Gabriel Taylor Jr., Curie move closer to state playoff berth
Gabriel Taylor Jr. played Pop Warner football growing up in New Jersey, but his focus shifted when he moved to Chicago before his freshman year. Taylor was part of the Curie boys basketball program, consistently one of the best in the Public League and the state. Football wasn’t on his radar until another basketball player…
Neighbors
Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in case of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza bribed longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via a no-work contract for the speaker’s political ally. After nearly 15 hours of deliberation…
High court: Smell of burnt cannabis is not cause for warrantless vehicle search
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Law enforcement officers in Illinois cannot rely on the smell of burnt cannabis alone to justify searching a vehicle without a warrant, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision was unanimous, though Justice Lisa Holder White did not take part in it. Writing for the court,…
State wraps up case in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A federal judge invoked images from the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Thursday at the end of a trial in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines. Judge Steven McGlynn, who has…
Gun expert says assault weapons ban ‘describes the most popular firearms I’m involved with’
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A firearms expert testified Wednesday that the weapons restricted under Illinois’ assault weapons ban include many of the most common firearms that American consumers use for self-defense. Steven Randall Watt, a combat veteran and retired law enforcement officer who now owns a private firearms…
Case of former AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan heads to jury
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On Valentine’s Day in 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza got some good news: After years of trying to push for legislation in Springfield that would save the company hundreds of millions of dollars annually, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan had agreed to a…
State Supreme Court hears arguments in Jussie Smollett’s effort to overturn conviction
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in actor Jussie Smollett’s appeal to overturn his conviction on disorderly conduct charges for falsifying a hate crime. Smollett, who was an actor on the TV show “Empire,” was improperly charged with the same crime twice, his legal team…
Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms. James Ronkainen, a former engineer…
Contractor’s unsecured databases exposed sensitive voter data in over a dozen Illinois counties
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Around 4.6 million records associated with Illinoisans in over a dozen counties – including voting records, registrations and death certificates – were temporarily available on the open internet, according to a security researcher who identified the vulnerability in July. The documents were available through an unsecured cloud storage…
Prosecutors rest case against former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – After years of pushing in Springfield, AT&T Illinois’ executive team was thrilled when the Illinois General Assembly in 2017 passed legislation that would get the company out from under expensive obligations to maintain its aging copper landline wires in Illinois. “Game over. We win,” AT&T Illinois…
Trial begins in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – The owner of a gun store testified Monday that Illinois’ ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and large capacity magazines has had a significant impact on his business and prevented his customers from buying items they would normally use for self-defense, hunting, target…