Plenty of ideas from West Lawn ‘mayors’

By Peggy Zabicki

Your correspondent in West Lawn

3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327

Do you remember last week’s column in which I posed the question: What would you do if you were the mayor of Chicago?

I just want you to know that I got a lot of responses from you, my dear readers. I mean a lot!

I would need a full page to share all of them, so I decided to sum up and share them in categories. The majority of you are concerned about crime. Most said that they wanted the punishment to fit the crime, with longer jail sentences, hefty fines and community service.

The second on the list was to not defund the Chicago Police Department, but to actually increase their budget. The third on the list had to do with re-naming our streets. Residents want a say in this or perhaps a voting opportunity at the next local election.

I have lots more to add, but I am still getting some calls about it; so I will share more in a future column. I must say, many of the texts were laced with profanity, but these same texts were also quite hilarious.

I’d like to share these, but I don’t think the editor of the Greater Southwest News-Herald would approve–even though I know he has a great sense of humor!

Here’s an opportunity to voice your opinion and find out about what’s going on in our neighborhood. The next CAPS meeting for Beats 813 and 833 will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 27 at West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St. It will be great to meet in person once again.

The next CAPS meeting for Beat 823 will not be taking place in person. The meeting will be held online at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 21. If you want the link to join the webinar, send an email to [email protected]

Chicago Lawn (8^th) District Police are starting a weekly running club for young people age 12-18. Contact CAPS Officers Sepulveda or Officer De La Torre at (312) 747-8724 for registration information.

I am not much of a runner, but I will be running to St. Mary Star of the Sea School for their 2021 Rummage Sale on Saturday, July 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You never know what treasures you might find. The sale will be sponsored by the Class of 2022. If you are interested in selling or have questions, call the school at (773) 767-6160 or email them at [email protected]

A paper-shredding event and a prescription drug drop-off is set for 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, 62^nd and Lawndale. This will be a great opportunity to safely and securely dispose of unwanted paper documents and unused/expired drugs. The drop-off will be in a drive-through format, where volunteers take the items from your vehicle. This useful service comes to us courtesy of 23^rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares, in partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Chicago Lawn (8^th) District Police. If you have any questions, please call (773) 582-4444.

Queen of the Universe School, 7130 S. Hamlin, invites all parents interested in visiting their school to call and schedule a tour. Enrollment for the 2021/2022 school year is now taking place. Call them at (773) 582-4266 or send an email to [email protected]

Enrollment for Midway Baseball Association’s fall ball at Madigan Park, 4701 W. Marquette Road, is now taking place. Baseball and softball teams for ages 3-18 are forming. The last day to register is July 31. Register online at midway-baseball.com or send an email to [email protected]

The Quinn and Guerrero-Cuellar Service office, 6500 S. Pulaski, will hold a job fair from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 21. Some of the participating businesses include Midway Motels, Mariano’s, Tony’s Fresh Market, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Stunod’s Pizzeria, Continental Sales, Chicago Police Department, Target and Wal-Mart. Call the service office for more information at (773) 581-8000.

Congratulations to West Lawn residents Mireya Robledo and Rebecca Ann Romero. They will be running in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 10! We will be cheering for both of you. Good luck and best wishes!

Congratulations to Palermo’s Restaurant, 3751 W. 63rd St., as they celebrate 60 years in business! On July 19 and 26 Palermo’s will be offering pizza slices for only a dollar. Yay!

Thank you for all your calls and texts last week. I enjoyed each one.