Mary Stanek
Lesson learned about importance of shredding
By Mary Stanek
Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon
3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394
Happy Arbor Day! We celebrate on the 29th of April and hopefully plant trees.
I mentioned previously that there will be a paper shred event on June 4 at Byrne Elementary School in Garfield Ridge, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. I must stress again the importance of discarding important papers based on firsthand experience.
On the weekend of April 15, as my husband and I were busily preparing our taxes, we generated a lot of paperwork with confidential information. We did shred the papers in our strip-cut shredder and discarded them in our recycling bin.
The next morning our bin was missing. Yes, it appeared someone had stolen our blue can. We walked up and down the alley and everyone’s blue cart was in place.
So, our worst fears came to mind. Someone with nothing to do is piecing our information together. Or what if we were careless and left some unshredded? Robert immediately bought a cross-cut shredder for future use, but that is like closing the barn door once the horse is out. I took the proactive approach and signed up to Life Lock and notified all three of the credit-check companies of our situation.
Identity theft can be devastating, so please make use of these shredding events. Next time I throw out sensitive material, I just might top it off with some of my used kitty litter to deter the would-be thieves! Thank you, to 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares’ office for providing us with a new blue recycle cart almost immediately.
Last week I suggested maybe filling a bird feeder to celebrate Earth Day. I will now redact that comment. A highly virulent strain of avian flu has led to mass bird deaths in areas, including Cook County. Illinois residents are being asked to avoid feeding birds in feeders through the end of May. This influenza impacts wild and domestic birds in our state.
Visit the Archer Heights Branch Library from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 4. Lions Club International will be distributing certificates for free glasses and eye exams. There are certain eligibility requirements such as being uninsured with a Social Security number and a one-person income at $25,760 or below ($9,080 for each additional family member). You couldn’t have used the program within the last 12 months.
Three birthdays are coming up in the next week. Birthday greetings go out to Cynthia Aranda, Fabiola Mejia-Motalto and Sandra Ramirez.
Local News
Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.
Neighbors
Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance
By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted for staging a hate crime against him in 2019 in a case that drew criticism for Cook County’s top prosecutor. Smollett made what turned out to be…
Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the state to ease the strain have made an impact. That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools,…
Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal
COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval. Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…
Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The longtime chair and a relatively new member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced Monday. The governor’s office announced the pair’s resignations within hours of each other nearly two weeks after Crosetti Brand was released from Stateville Correctional Center. Brand is…
Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com The night before Rebecca Hooks started at the Illinois State Police Academy in 2002, she spoke on the phone with her father and her brother – both of whom worked in law enforcement. Her father encouraged her, telling her she was strong and could get through the…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…
Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip
By PETER HANCOCK, JENNIFER FULLER & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration. Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the…