
Peggy Zabicki
We need real solutions to crime
By Peggy Zabicki
Your correspondent in West Lawn
3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327
Crime and safety concerns are the number one topic of all the calls and texts I receive. It seems that many politicians offer no solutions except the usual lists of ways to keep safe. I think everyone knows about locking their cars and not opening their doors to strangers. We need real solutions.
Thirteenth Ward Ald. Marty Quinn wrote a letter to Police Superintendent David Brown on Jan. 11. He requested that Superintendent Brown reconsider reversing his decision to reassign tactical officers. Quinn stated, “This is a time when we should be adding officers to our streets and not removing them.”
Quinn also asked Brown to consider splitting the Chicago Lawn (8th) Police District into smaller districts to better protect residents.

Peggy Zabicki
I appreciate Marty Quinn’s efforts in offering common sense solutions. If you would like more information on Alderman Quinn’s ideas on enabling our police officers to effectively deal with crime or would like to comment on his efforts, call his office at (773) 581-8000.
We are all in this together. If you’d like to get involved, plan on attending the next CAPS Beat 813/833 meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25 online. This is unfortunate for those who do not have internet access and need to meet in person. For those who do have access, email Barb Ziegler for a link at [email protected]
Midway Airport has full-time job openings in concessions. They will be holding a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Go to the second-floor mezzanine at 57th and Cicero and bring your resume, state ID or driver’s license, birth certificate and Social Security card.
Continental Sales, 6333 S. Cicero, is currently hiring. You may go to their service desk and ask for a job application.
West Lawn Baptist Church, 6401 S. Komensky, is conducting in-person services again. Sunday services are held at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday school takes place at 10 a.m. All are welcome.
The Calvary Lutheran Church Senior Club would like to express get-well wishes to Katherine. May our Lord bless you with a quick recovery and good health for the coming year.
The other day I was making bookmarks out of the Christmas cards I received. They make a nice accompaniment to books given as gifts. As I was doing this, I received a text from a reader of this column. He shared this amusing thought: “I was going to cook alligator for dinner, but realized that I only had a croc pot.”
I then thought of a terrific recipe that Gage Park correspondent Karen Sala shared with me a while back, for sweet and sour chicken made in a crockpot. I think I’ll make that this week. Thanks, Karen. Thanks to all of you who left messages and texts last week.
Local News

Finish line in sight
Spread the love. With mayoral race close, turnout is everything By Tim Hadac With polls predicting an extremely close mayoral runoff on Tuesday, April 4, both Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson had their campaigns in high gear this week, rolling out final endorsements and exhorting voters to cast ballots. For the first time in his…

Sweet surprise for police
Spread the love Everyone likes cookies, especially when they’re Girl Scout cookies delivered by a sweet, smiling Scout–as illustrated by police at the Eighth District station last week. Officers, detectives and sergeants were delighted to grab one of 20 boxes of Thin Mints, S’mores, Do-si-dos, Samoas and other varieties from Charlotte Caughey of Brownie Troop…

Egg prices drive chicken interest
Spread the loveSome becoming backyard farmers By Kelly White Complaints about the price of eggs have been so common in recent months, some folks who have never considered backyard farming are now thinking of buying a hen or two. To help educate people about the matter, The Feed Store, 5408 S. Harlem, is also hosting…

Pro Sports Report | Alex Morgan converts PK and Wave tops Red Stars in opener
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Two of the best scorers in the NWSL made great first impressions to begin the 2023 season. The Chicago Red Stars’ Mallory Swanson, coming off a scoring explosion in the SheBelieves Cup earlier in the year, scored a tying goal on a penalty kick in extra time in…

Area Sports Roundup | Morton College takes 5th in nation
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For three quarters, Janiah Jones’ stats were bland. The Richard Bland College guard had just two points. But she lit things up in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of her team’s 18 points to help Bland stun Morton College, 69-63, in the quarterfinals of the National Junior College…

Track and Field | Oak Lawn’s Robert Wagner gets jump on season with highest leap at Top Times
Spread the loveBy Tim Cronin Correspondent BLOOMINGTON — Robert Wagner, with a name straight out of Hollywood, starred in the high jump at the Illinois Top Times meet, held March 25 at Illinois Wesleyan University. The only thing missing for the Oak Lawn senior was a spotlight — and, from Wagner’s viewpoint — breaking his…

College Notebook | Richards grad Abby Mallo swinging a hot stick for Billikens
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent Welcome to Division I softball, Abby Mallo. Mallo, a Richards graduate playing at Saint Louis University, was chosen the Rookie of the Week by the Atlantic 10 Conference for the week ending March 19. Mallo, a freshman, hit safely in all four games that week, recording a .429 batting…

Baseball | Brother Rice seeking spark after two-loss week
Spread the loveBy Steve Millar Correspondent Brother Rice is missing some big pieces from the team that finished third in the state in Class 4A last season. Multi-sport superstar Jack Lausch graduated and moved on to play quarterback at Northwestern. Catching star Zion Rose, a potential high Major League Baseball draft pick this summer, transferred…

Choosing sides in mayoral race
Spread the love. SW Side endorsements start to emerge By Tim Hadac While neither Paul Vallas nor Brandon Johnson has campaigned on the Southwest Side to any significant degree, their supporters in this area are starting to go public. The latest endorsement to be snagged occurred last Friday, when U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th),…

Crime spree in Back of the Yards
Spread the loveArmed bandits commit 10 robberies in less than two hours By Tim Hadac A burst of armed robberies in the Back of the Yards area has prompted police to issue a community warning. The 10 stickups occurred in less than two hours on Wednesday, March 15. Crime scenes include: 4600 block of South…
Neighbors

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…

Senate approves measure to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois. The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the state’s attorney general explicit authority to…