Mary Stanek

Mary Stanek

Thanksgiving is coming, already?

Spread the love

By Mary Stanek

Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon

3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 284-7394

I can’t believe I am already wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I still love a quote from Kevin James: “Thanksgiving man, not a good day to be my pants.”

It was great that Halloween was a mild, nice day. Our afternoon started off quite well. While sitting on the porch, we were able to watch the children from Peck Elementary School parade around the block in their costumes. The costumes were quite nice and even the teachers dressed for the occasion. Trick-or-treating was a hit, too, with respectful families visiting. All my candy went.

MaryStanek 1

Mary Stanek

Sorry I missed you all last week, but I had a small situation that needed a little resolving. It also needed help from my favorite 8th District, beat 822. Please…nothing to be alarmed about at all, but I would like to thank CPD Officer Guerrero for coming out, on his own with no partner. The wait time took a bit, but no complaints from me.

Per the Archer Heights Civic Association newsletter, calling 911 does help. They list some instances were calls made really helped. Examples included eliminating prostitution along some parts of Cicero Avenue and the recent rash of “drifting” (or cars doing donuts), causing extensive damage to pavement and threatening lives. To quote AHCA President Thomas S. Baliga, “Coming together, being persistent and working with the police can bring about positive results for Archer Heights.”

There has been some talk of a cannabis dispensary opening on the 5200 block of South Pulaski, the old bank building. If you have concerns about this type of business opening in West Elsdon, a petition can be signed. For more information, please call 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares’ office at (773) 582-4444.

I haven’t written about the Archer Heights Branch Library in some time. But I recently heard there will be some winter programs of interest. One is on short notice: “A Beaded Snowflake” craft night for adults, this Monday, Nov. 21 from 6 to 7 p.m. All material will be provided to make the snowflakes.

A CircEsteem workshop will be held on Dec. 3 from 2-3 p.m. for children ages 6 to 16. Two performing artists will be on hand to teach all about the circus arts. Please visit the library or chipublib.org for more information.

Mark your calendars for Dec. 18 because something is happening at Sts. Bruno and Richard School. All I know is that Santa is coming and more details will be revealed soon.

The evening of Dec. 18 also marks the beginning of the Jewish festival Hannukkah. Hanukkah is the winter “festival of lights,” celebrated by nightly candle lighting, special blessings and eating tasty foods.

Local News

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Badminton players from Reavis and Lyons going to state

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Reavis singles player Dania Amjad finished third in the Bolingbrook Sectional on May 2 to qualify for the IHSA state tournament. The Lyons doubles team of Simone Brown and Mia Graziano finished fourth in the York Sectional to qualify for state. The state finals are May 10-11 at DeKalb…

Brother Rice will have a pair of two-man teams compete in the state bass fishing tournament. Photo courtesy of Brother Rice

Brother Rice, Sandburg sending boats to bass fishing state tourney

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Brother Rice is sending two boats to the IHSA state bass fishing tournament. The Crusaders had first- and third-place finishes at the Des Plaines River Big Basin Marina Sectional on May 2. Sandwiched in between the Brother Rice boats was a group from Sandburg in second place. The Crusaders’…

Arley Carrillo Mendez

Man charged with child abduction in Stickney Township

Spread the love

Spread the loveFrom staff reports A Chicago man was charged last week with child abduction and luring of a minor after Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives found he attempted to lure a minor into his vehicle, said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. According to police, about 4:43 p.m. on Monday, April 22, officers responded…

GSWNH_HuescaCasket_050324

‘A man of honor, a beacon of kindness’

Spread the love

Spread the love. Chicago weeps for Officer Luis Huesca  . By Tim Hadac People across the Southwest Side shed tears earlier this week, as throngs of police officers and other filled the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel at 77th and Western for a funeral Mass for CPD Officer Luis M. Huesca. Officer Huesca was…

GSWNH_AMLL11_050324

Archer Manor Little League starts its 2024 season

Spread the love

Spread the love. Sunny skies and mild temperatures greeted the boys and girls, moms and dads, umpires and coaches, and everyone else participating in Archer Manor Little League’s Opening Day parade and ceremonies at Archer Park. Since 1952, AMLL has provided athletic opportunities for thousands of boys and girls in Archer Heights, West Elsdon, Central…

In a screenshot from a video showing drifting in a Southwest Side parking lot, Smoke billows from both a muscle car's wheels and the asphalt below. --Supplied photo

Dread over car drifters on streets

Spread the love

Spread the love. Reckless drivers take over SW Side intersections  . By Tim Hadac At the April meeting of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch, a police officer admitted that the drag racing/drifting phenomenon seen and heard in the Midway area in recent years “probably will increase, but we hope not.” The admission was triggered by…

U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" García (D-4th)

Don’t raise pilots’ retirement age, García says

Spread the love

Spread the love. From staff reports U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th), senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently led a letter joined by 121 Members of Congress urging House Democratic leadership to reject any changes to the pilot retirement age in a final version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill.…

CTAlogo

CTA launches ‘chat’ feature on website

Spread the love

Spread the love. From staff reports Artificial Intelligence has made another step forward at the Chicago Transit Authority. CTA officials recently launched the “Chat with CTA” chatbot, a new virtual automated service featured on transitchicago.com. The communication tool allows riders to report issues, provide feedback and receive answers in real-time. Additionally, it provides the CTA with customer…

ChicagoCitySeal

New effort to aid kids with disabilities

Spread the love

Spread the love. From staff reports A new grant program aimed at providing financial assistance to families of children with disabilities was launched recently by Mayor Brandon Johnson, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and Ada S. McKinley Community Services. Children with disabilities is a population disproportionately affected by the pandemic,…

Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart

Dart warns of Sheriff’s Office imposters

Spread the love

Spread the love. From staff reports Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart recently alerted the public of an uptick in telephone and email phishing scams in which scammers identify themselves as a Sheriff’s Office employee in an attempt to defraud victims. Scammers are using the actual names and respective titles of Sheriff’s Office employees to…

Neighbors

Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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…

Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored

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…