Meeting those new year’s challenges

By Peggy Zabicki

Your correspondent in West Lawn

3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327

Hi neighbors!  I hope everyone is enjoying January. This is a good time to stay inside and organize your home. Start with a room or a closet or even a drawer. I decided to start with the cabinet that I keep plastic storage items in. I had polished off the last of the Christmas cookies and started to put the clean container away.

I opened the cabinet, and a Tupperware lid flew out and hit me in the head. This knocked some sense into me. I decided to do some serious organizing. I ended up with four containers and sixteen lids. Some of the lids can be recycled, but most cannot. Now I must find a space for useless Tupperware lids. New year, new challenges.

Peggy Zabicki

Last week I talked about the tradition of starting a new year’s exercise program. These days it’s hard to find fitness places that are open to all people.

I asked the good people at Midway Baseball Softball Association for advice on what type of indoor exercise would be good for keeping in shape, not only for kids in baseball leagues, but for everyone.  They said, “The best is to do strength training that would involve a variety of movements that exercise large muscle groups. Some may include standing, grasping, pushing, etc. These exercises are often performed rhythmically with minimal equipment as body weight exercises. They are intended to increase strength, fitness and flexibility.”

I was also told that movements such as bending,  jumping, using stretchy resistance bands and jump roping are good as well. Pick what works for you. Perhaps parents can exercise with their kids.

Midway Baseball Softball Association will be announcing their registration date for the spring season in the next few weeks. Their baseball games are held at Madigan Park, 4701 W. Marquette Road. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

Envision Community Services is once again offering their Snow Angels shoveling services for seniors and disabled. Call them at (773) 899-2897 or visit their Facebook page for more information.

Thank you to 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn for his recent efforts in trying to persuade Mayor Lightfoot to find solutions to get CPS students permanently back in the classroom. He wrote a letter to her and offered to help in any way he can. It truly is all about the children.

Twenty-third Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares reminds us to call her office at (773) 582-4444 for problems with potholes, water leaks, garbage carts, rodents, lights out in alleys and streets, and abandoned cars. Thank you, Alderman Tabares!

Do you still have a live Christmas tree? You may bring it to Wentworth Park, 5701 S. Narragansett, or Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie, for recycling until Jan. 22.

CAPS Beats 813 and 833 meetings are starting up. For the time being, the meetings will be held online. The next meeting is scheduled 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25. Call the Chicago Lawn (8^th) District police at (312) 747-8724 for registration information. There are no meetings scheduled for beat 823 at this time.

Here’s some follow up news for the Bank of America branch located at 61st and Pulaski. After many calls and emails, I have had no luck in getting information as to how long they will be closed. I received several calls from readers last week, wanting to know when they will be open.

Neighbors Ken and Lorry Spiwak called me and let me know that they visited the Bank of America branch at Archer and Narragansett recently. They asked a bank employee about the 61st Street branch and were told that this branch is permanently closed.  This is sad news for their customers who live nearby and have depended on being able to do in-person banking. Thank you to Ken and Lorry for letting me know. I appreciate your sharing this news and really enjoyed talking with you.

Parishioners at St. Mary Star of the Sea wish a very happy birthday to Father Jesus and want to thank him for all he does for their church. May our Lord bless Father Jesus with health and happiness today and for the coming year.

As we all begin 2022, may all our efforts in self improvement, diet, exercise, reaching out to friends and family, and serving our community be done in joy.

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” –Nelson Mandela