Peggy Zabicki

Peggy Zabicki

Rats are on the run, thank goodness

Spread the love

By Peggy Zabicki

Your correspondent in West Lawn

3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327

As I drive around our West Lawn neighborhood, I have noticed a decrease in rodent activity. I still see rats running up and down the alleys, but not as bad as it was a year ago. I thank all my neighbors who called their aldermen to report the rodent sightings. Your calls bring attention to this problem.

I also thank 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn and 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares for seeing that rat poison was placed in alleys and other locations where rats gather. I hope this action will continue.

Here’s something else we can do. Please do not throw bread crumbs on the ground with the intention of feeding squirrels and birds. I have noticed that well meaning but misguided neighbors do this. Any food on the ground will attract rodents.

PeggyZabicki

Peggy Zabicki

Also, bird feeders present a problem. People want to feed birds, but what they do not understand is that birds leave their droppings, which are a favorite of rodents. If you have a bird feeder in your yard, you will have rats in your yard.

I love birds and want them to be fed and happy; but at this time of year, there is an abundance of natural foods for birds. Plants and shrubbery are drying up and they are producing seeds galore for birds. There is also a lot of autumn insect activity, and birds do love to eat those as well.

If you see feral cats in the neighborhood and feel that you’d like to feed them, go ahead; but I strongly suggest you put their food on a paper plate and remove the plate immediately after the cat has eaten. Cats are the number one rodent deterrent. We do want to encourage their presence in our neighborhood because they provide such a great service to us.

Continue to call your alderman to report rodents. Call Ald. Quinn at (773) 581-8000 and Ald. Tabares at (773) 582-4444. Please let nature provide food for birds.

This was just some seasonal animal information I wanted to share. I learned a lot about animals when I worked at Lincoln Park Zoo during my younger years.

Now I’m retired and enjoying my free time. One thing I love to do is attend the Calvary Lutheran Church Senior Club. This lively group meets once a month at 6149 S. Kenneth. They welcome all seniors.

Their next meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at noon. Bring a sandwich and a few dollars for bingo. Call Elaine at (773) 424-3031 to let her know you’re coming.

There is no CAPS meeting for Beats 823 and 825 this month, but there will be a meeting for Beats 813 and 833 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 at West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St.

The West Lawn Branch Library, 4020 W. 63rd St., will be having a book discussion for adults. The book is Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk.  The discussion will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at Palermo’s Restaurant, 3751 W. 63rd St., from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Call the library for more information at (312) 747-7381.

The Hubbard High School Class of 1972 used their recent reunion to make a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project. Congratulations!

Did you know the school was named after Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard?  He was born in Vermont on Aug. 22, 1802 and later moved to the Chicago area. Hubbard was an insurance underwriter, land speculator, fur trader, stockyard builder and meat packer. He was a member of the military and helped defend Fort Dearborn. He was a friend to Native Americans, an adopted son of Chief Waba and the husband of Watseka, who was the niece of Chief Tamin of Kankakee.

Thank you for your newsy calls and texts last week. I’m always happy to hear from you.

Local News

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Neighbors

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A panel of federal appellate judges on Thursday seemed skeptical of legal arguments made on behalf of Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, who claims Illinois’ law allowing counting of mail-in ballots for two weeks after an election is in violation of federal law. Bost’s late 2022…

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

By BETH HUNDSDORFER  Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com Cyrenthia Threat spent Wednesday morning at a hiring event in Fairview Heights waiting for word on whether she was hired by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.  Threat wants to move to Illinois from Georgia where she works as a social worker. She has 20 years…

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…