Laura Ortega
Easter is a joyful season
By Laura Ortega
Your correspondent in Greater Ashburn
4214 W. 82nd Place • (773) 627-6679
Ladies and gentlemen, Easter is around the corner.
What is Easter? Easter is a holiday that celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. After his crucifixion, death, and burial, three days later, he arose from the grave. In doing so, he conquered death and redeemed us from sin, if we believe in Him.
I’m looking forward to reading during the 8 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, April 16 at St. Bede the Venerable Church, 83rd and Kostner. Please stop by and say hello.
I love this time of year. There is nothing like the smell of spring in the air. I enjoy listening to the birds, hearing their excitement that another season has dawned. They’re busy finding a mate, building nests, and laying eggs.
There is so much life emerging all around us, including my tulips and daffodils, which have started sprouting. I really enjoy gardening and can’t wait to head to a local nursery to select my flowers that will bloom until the end of summer.
Laura Ortega
I want to wish a most wonderful 36th birthday to Abraham Toro on April 2, Angello Gonzalez (who turns 11) on April 3, his sister Ashley Gonzalez (who turns 14) on April 10, and Gaby Escalante (who turns 23) on April 18.
Ashburn Baptist Church, 3647 W. 83rd St., would like you to celebrate Easter with them on April 17 at 10 a.m. After the service, there will be an Easter egg hunt, a family photo booth and Easter treats.
The Wrightwood-Ashburn Branch Library, 8530 S. Kedzie, hosts Family Game Time from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays. This is a great way to learn how to win and lose with grace – not to mention the value of spending quality time with loved ones.
The Bogan High School Class of 1976 is holding a reunion at 7 p.m. Friday, April 29 at Georgios Banquets, 8800 W. 159th St. Only a small number of tickets remain at $65. Tickets at the door will be $85. If you are a member of the class and wish to purchase tickets or for more information, go to the Unofficial Bogan Reunion Facebook page.
Looking for a great find or want to start your spring cleaning? Then head over to St. Bede’s Flea Market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2 at 83rd and Kostner. The flea market will run the first Saturday of the month until November (except in May due to First Communions). Vendor pays $10 per space, bring your own tables, vendors may not sell food. Call the rectory at (773) 884-2000 or email suedemas@yahoo.com.
The following events are for 18th Ward residents only. For more information, please call Ald. Derrick Curtis’s office at (773) 284-5057 or visit derrickgcurtis.com/events.
- An Easter egg hunt is set for noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at Rainey Park, 4350 W. 79th St. There will be games, snacks, and an Easter basket giveaway.
- Come and celebrate Earth Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 14 in the north parking lot of 8329 S. Pulaski. Sponsors may include Lowe’s, ComEd, Peoples Gas, ITI Intermodal, Oak Street Health, the Chicago Department of Streets & Sanitation, United Fidelity Bank and more.
- A paper shredding and electronics recycling event is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at the parking lot of Oak Street Health, 3348 W. 87th St.
- A pet health-fair is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 25 in the north parking lot at 8359 S. Pulaski. Staff from Chicago Animal Care & Control will be on hand with 100 free vaccines (rabies, FVRP, DA2PPL). There also will be free microchipping, ID tags, pet food & supplies. Sign up to receive a “curb your dog” lawn sign.
If you have any news you’d like to see in this column, please call me or send an email to editor@swnewsherald.com.
All this writing makes me hungry; I think I’ll head over to Taco Sabroso, 8346 S. Pulaski, for some chorizo tacos topped with cilantro, onion, and green salsa… hmmm hmm delicious! Readers, it’s been fun, I wish you and your loved ones a joyful April month.
“On the Day of Judgement, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; not how eloquently we have spoken, but how holy our lives have been.” – Thomas à Kempis
1 Comment
Local News
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
Spread the loveFrom staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at…
Donate teddy bears to our local police
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . Have you ever seen the 1955 movie The Night of the Hunter? The children in this movie show such bravery and acceptance in what life has thrown at them. They have to deal with unimaginable events and sadness. …
Boy Scouts collecting tattered flags for disposal
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Goodbye April, hello May. Our American Flag, the symbol of our country, should always be treated with respect. But after bearing Chicago’s brutal winters and hot blazing summers along with being in the…
Boys Volleyball | Richards weathering struggles after run of success
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After a tough weekend at the Smack Attack tournament, Richards got back into the win column with a two-set victory over Eisenhower in a South Suburban Red match. The Bulldogs made quick work of the Cardinals, winning 25-16, 25-15 on April 23 in Oak Lawn to snap a five-match…
Year of growth | Evergreen Park enjoying inaugural boys volleyball season
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent After almost 70 years of existence as a high school, Evergreen Park finally has a boys volleyball team. The Mustangs are playing their inaugural season with a junior varsity squad, with some matches being played at the varsity level. Head coach Brian Zofkie is leading this group with assistant…
‘Brazen and cowardly’: Police, community outraged by officer’s slaying
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Police and others across the Southwest Side reacted with outrage this week over the slaying of a Chicago Police officer in the early morning hours on Sunday. Officer Luis M. Huesca was shot to death on the street in the 3100 block of West 56th Street at 2:53 a.m.…
Boys Volleyball | Brother Rice falls to Glenbard West and York, takes 4th at Smack Attack
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent It was a busy weekend in the area for boys volleyball as Brother Rice hosted its 14th annual Smack Attack tournament. The 24-team event played April 19-20 featured area teams Brother Rice, Marist and Richards, along with defending Class 4A champion Glenbard West and two highly rated teams from…
Swanson scores, assists in Red Stars’ win over Reign
Spread the loveThe Red Stars improved to 3-1-1 by beating the Seattle Reign, 2-1, on the road on April 21. Mallory Swanson had an assist on an Ali Schlegel goal in the fourth minute and added a goal of her own in the 31st minute. Swanson missed last season after sustaining a knee injury on…
Red Stars’ Tatumn Milazzo has top Save of the Week
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Tatumn Milazzo called her achievement “funny.” The Chicago Red Stars defender and Orland Park native was awarded the NWSL’s Save of the Week after chasing down a ball in a loss to Angel City on April 13. The Save of the Week usually goes to a goalie. Milazzo laughed…
Men’s College Volleyball | Saint Xavier captures fifth straight conference tourney title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The SXU men’s volleyball team won its fifth straight Chicagoland Christian Athletic Conference tournament championship after a 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 sweep of Calumet College of St. Joseph on April 20 at the Shannon Center. Jan Lopuch had 10 kills and nine digs for the Cougars. With the win, the…
Neighbors
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
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…
Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge
By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers. The Bears…
Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …
Komatsu mining truck named 2024 ‘coolest thing made in Illinois’
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A mining truck manufactured by Komatsu was crowned the winner of the 2024 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of “the coolest thing made in Illinois” at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The truck was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest hosted…
Giannoulias calls for disclosure of lobbyist contracts
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For decades, lobbyists in the Illinois Statehouse have been required to report how much they spend wining, dining and entertaining lawmakers. Currently, though, there is no law requiring lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by corporations, industry groups or other special interest organizations. That…
Illinois Senate advances changes to state’s biometric privacy law after business groups split
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – It’s been more than a year since the Illinois Supreme Court “respectfully suggest(ed)” state lawmakers clarify a law that’s led to several multi-million-dollar settlements with tech companies over the collection of Illinoisans’ biometric data. On Thursday, a bipartisan majority in the Illinois Senate did just that,…
Illinoisans can now get documents notarized online
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new “E-Notary” portal launched by the secretary of state’s office. This process is one of the latest initiatives of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ ongoing effort to modernize the office and its services. Notaries…
Hi! Welcome to the neighborhood newspaper. Your column is so informative and friendly. Thanks for all the information on Ashburn events and also for the inspirational and religious thoughts. I look forward to reading your column every week.