Southpaw and the children pay close attention to a baseball story read by library employee Lizette Williams. (Photos by Steve Metsch)
Southpaw slides into Lyons, visits kids at public library
The White Sox mascot led the children dancing to what was called the “Southpaw Slide.”
By Steve Metsch
A tall, furry and green creature who loves baseball visited the Lyons Public Library the morning of July 18.
Southpaw, the mascot of the Chicago White Sox, received a hero’s welcome from about 45 children gathered on the patio south of the building.
It was a fun way to spend a summer morning, Lyons resident Karina Cardona said.
Cardona brought her three sons – Emiliano, 9, Leo, 6, and Sebastian, 1 – to visit with the White Sox’ mascot.
“We live a couple houses down and they’re having really nice events this summer. The kids are big White Sox fans,” she said.
“We knew he was going to come here and the kids were so excited,” she said of her sons.
Karina Cardona brought her three sons — Sebastian, 1, Emiliano, 9, and Leo, 6 — to visit with White Sox mascot Southpaw at the Lyons Public Library on July 18.
Leo, evidently a boy of few words, said “good” when asked for his thoughts about hanging out with Southpaw.
His chatty older brother Emiliano — who enjoys playing third base and, like Leo, wore White Sox gear, — was happy he had his photo taken with Southpaw.
“He’s cool and the best,” said Emiliano who added that he’s attended a White Sox game this season.
“And they won,” his mom said.
During Southpaw’s visit, library employee Lizette Williams, 17, read a book called “The Adventures of Left and Righty” to the children.
It told of two friends as they journey across Chicago, eventually winding up at Guaranteed Rate Field for a White Sox game.
Southpaw – who does not speak – was happy to pantomime along to the words.
After that, Williams, other library workers and the children joined Southpaw as he led them dancing to “Cha-Cha Slide,” which was renamed “Southpaw Slide.”
The kids and their parents had a blast judging by their laughter and smiles.
Library Director Dan Hilker was pleased with another visit by Southpaw, who has been to the library in previous summers.
“They are good people to deal with,” he said of the White Sox employees.
Local News
Comings & Goings: New business offers fresh and healthy smoothies
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Rosa Prieto had been considering opening a business that provides refreshing drinks and food but was waiting for the right time. For Rosa and her husband, Jaime Prieto, that time has arrived. The Healthy and Delicious Smoothie Spot, 10408 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn, officially opened on March 10. Since…
Stagg Athletic Director earns advanced certification
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Amos Alonzo Stagg High School Athletic Director Jennifer Doede has been recognized by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association as a Certified Master Athletic Administrator. To earn this distinction, Doede has demonstrated exemplary knowledge, contributions, and on-going professional development in the field of interscholastic athletic administration. The voluntary certification process…
Baseball | Providence edges Mount Carmel in extras to punch ticket to state
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After a stirring upset of unbeaten Nazareth to win the Class 4A Reavis Sectional championship, Mount Carmel’s bid for a trip to the state finals ended with a 3-2 extra-inning loss to Providence in the supersectional round. Celtics shortstop Jackson Smith’s single off Matt Murphy drove in Eddie Olszta…
Baseball Class 4A Sectionals | Third straight state title eludes history-making Nazareth
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After back-to-back Class 3A state titles in 2022 and 2023, Nazareth jumped to Class 4A this season and did not miss a beat. The Roadrunners cruised to 37 straight victories heading into their sectional championship matchup with Mount Carmel. The Caravan scored two late runs in a tight contest…
Mount Carmel dethrones unbeaten, two-time defending champ Nazareth for sectional title
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Mount Carmel came into its Class 4A sectional matchup against Nazareth viewed as the underdog. The favored Roadrunners did, after all, enter the game 37-0 and were gunning for a third consecutive state championship. The Caravan have respect for the Roadrunners, but they would never call themselves an underdog;…
Marist tops York for its fourth boys volleyball state title
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent What does it take to make a state champion? “We had guys that I’ve been hard on for nine months,” Marist boys volleyball coach Jordan Vidovic said. “All for a five-point stretch. “None of them ran away from the challenge.” How big were some of those five-point stretches? The…
Boys Volleyball State Finals | Hilltoppers prove to be thorn in Lions’ paw
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent After finishing state runner-up in 2023, Lyons knew it had the potential to be in position for another run at a state championship this season. The Lions did that, advancing to the state tournament for a second straight season. But they ran into an old foe in a rematch of…
Coyne Schofield continues to make hockey history
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Kendall Coyne Schofield has earned numerous significant accolades during her hockey career, including an Olympic gold medal and a pair of Olympic silver medals. The Sandburg graduate and Palos Heights native added to that collection by helping PWHL Minnesota win the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League championship on May…
Red Stars ready for Wrigley
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent After weeks of hype and anticipation, the Chicago Red Stars are finally ready to invade Wrigley Field. While the Red Stars may not draw the NWSL record of 34,130 spectators they were hoping for on June 8, they do have a shot to surpass the franchise record 23,951, which…
Area Sports Roundup | New coaches named at Richards and Stagg
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent A few area high school coaching vacancies have been filled, including those for Richards boys basketball and Stagg football. Jamal Thompson takes over at Richards for Kyle Rathbun. Thompson has experience coaching at Seton, Leo and St. Rita. Jacob O’Connor will lead Stagg football, where he takes the reins…
Neighbors
Pritzker signs bill creating new Department of Early Childhood
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday creating a new cabinet-level state agency dedicated to early childhood education and development. The new Department of Early Childhood, which will become operational in July 2026, will take over programs currently housed across three state agencies, including funding for preschool…
Speaker Welch rebuffs lawsuit from would-be staff union as ‘forum shopping’
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is urging a Cook County judge to dismiss a lawsuit members of his staff filed against him last month seeking to force recognition of their union. In a new filing Monday, attorneys for Welch argued the Illinois Legislative Staff Association has no…
Advocates say SCOTUS ruling paves way for law ensuring abusers have guns confiscated
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com After the U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld a federal law that bars those under domestic violence-related restraining orders from owning guns, victim advocates say Illinois lawmakers should pass a measure to ensure firearms are actually confiscated in those situations. The legislation has been stalled for more than…
Communities, commission push Pritzker admin for more prison plan details
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Jimmy Soto spent more than 42 years wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities. In 2020, he was moved to the “F-House” at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, a condemned unit, not because he was being punished, but because it was where the facility was housing individuals…
Elections board urged to dismiss complaint that Bailey illegally coordinated in 2022 campaign
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor. Proft, a one-time gubernatorial candidate himself, is behind an…
State highway shootings decline as critics sue over ‘dragnet surveillance’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois State Police say an automated license plate reader program has helped the agency identify witnesses or suspects in 82 percent of highway shooting cases this year, including all eight that resulted in a death. But as the state looks to further expand its network of more than…
Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Halfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party. Tracy, who’d held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in…
As Illinois session ends, lawmakers’ attempt to reinstate wetland protections fails
by JENNIFER BAMBERG Investigate Midwest jennifer.bamberg@investigatemidwest.org In 2006, 19-year-old Jessica Whinston inherited 20 acres of land that her grandparents once farmed in Quincy, Illinois. The land had sat dormant since the 1980s and was overgrown, but Whinston and her husband Bradley worked to turn it into a productive farm. The couple were eventually able to…
Elections board dismisses illegal campaign coordination complaint, declines to clarify law
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – State elections officials on Tuesday indicated they were unlikely to step in to clarify what constitutes illegal campaign coordination after voting to dismiss a complaint alleging such coordination in the 2022 campaign for governor. At their monthly meeting in Chicago, Illinois State Board of Elections members…
Illinois’ ban on ‘bump stocks’ remains in place despite U.S. Supreme Court decision
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois law banning the sale and use of “bump stocks” and other devices that increase the firing power of semiautomatic weapons remains in place, at least for now, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday striking down a federal ban on such items. “Illinois law…