Southwest Chicago Post

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Garfield Ridge Goes Green!

Archer Avenue is 'Irish for a day'

By Tim Hadac
Managing Editor
Southwest Chicago Post

Garfield Ridge has once again gone green--if only for a day--as Archer Avenue was the scene of a merry, festive St. Patrick's Day parade.

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150's parade stepped off at noon Saturday, March 15 at Archer and Oak Park, marched east on Archer to Narragansett and then south to the Kennedy High School parking lot. All under mild temperatures and no rain.

Thanks to International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 President-Business Manager James M. Sweeney and his team; and everyone else (including Al Cacciottolo and the Clear-Ridge Men’s Social Athletic Club) and all else who helped make the parade a fun, family-focused event.

A big tip of the cap, as well, to CPD 8th District Police for leading the effort to ensure safety at this fun annual celebration.

Proceeds of the parade will benefit the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation's Get Behind the Vest Program, which purchases protective vests for Chicago Police officers--as well as the Ende, Menzer, Walsh & Quinn Retirees’ Widows’ and Children’s’ Assistance Fund, which provides financial assistance to qualifying children of a firefighter or paramedic who died while in active service, and the neediest widows of members of the Chicago Fire Department.

The honorary grand marshals of the parade were an assortment of CPD and CFD heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for the people of Chicago.

Kelly White of the Southwest Chicago Post shot a number of photos of the parade. Here are the best of the shots she took (along with a few shots by our friends), in no particular order. This snapshot of the parade will serve as a living history of the event, for years to come. So if you have a few good photos you'd like to share for inclusion here, please email to editor@swchicagopost.com.

Enjoy!

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Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Let's All Take a Few Minutes to Make Greater Ashburn's Streets Safer for All

By Tim Hadac
Managing Editor
Southwest Chicago Post

If you live in the Ashburn, Wrightwood, Parkview or Scottsdale neighborhood--or if you work there, go to school there or have any other interest in the city (from 75th Street to 87th Street, Western to Cicero), here's something you may want to participate in.

The Greater Ashburn Development Association (GADA) is working with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to create a safety action plan for the Greater Ashburn community area. The goal of the plan is to eliminate deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic crashes in Greater Ashburn. The plan’s recommendations for achieving this goal will be informed by data analysis, community input and best practices.

The Greater Ashburn Safety Action Plan aims to improve traffic safety for all road users. The project team wants to learn about your experience getting around the area and what traffic safety concerns you have.

Visit the project website to take the survey, add comments to the interactive map, and share your ideas: engage.cmap.illinois.gov/greater-ashburn.

This matters. As a Southwest Side news reporter who started out way back in 1984, I've seen more traffic related crashes, injuries and even fatalities than I can recall--right here in the Ashburn area.

Many of them were due, at least in part, to poorly designed roadways.

• I think of the fender-benders at 83rd and Cicero, right next to ALDI.

• I think of the chronically dangerous intersection where Southwest Highway meets 83rd Place and Lawndale--a hazard to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike.

• I think of how city government made a confusing mess out of 79th Street with their sudden designation of "bus only" lanes.

• I think of the chronically dangerous intersection where Southwest Highway meets Pulaski and 87th Street.

• I think of the summertime hazards posed by drag racers and drifters--enabled in part by road designs that could be changed fairly easily with low-tech solutions like bollards anchored in certain places, as has been done in other parts of the Southwest Side.

That's my two cents. I'm sure you have yours, too. It matters that you share yours at engage.cmap.illinois.gov/greater-ashburn. It's easy to do. Just takes a few minutes.

I hope this study results in constructive changes that make the streets of Ashburn/Wrightwood/Parkview/Scottsdale safer for motorists and everyone else.

I thank the Greater Ashburn Development Association and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and I encourage everyone to head over to engage.cmap.illinois.gov/greater-ashburn in the next day or so and participate.

Granted, this is hardly the first time that folks in the Ashburn area have tried to make the streets safer. The Scottsdale Neighborhood Watch has done quite a bit of commendable advocacy work in recent years to work with government to improve our streets--and they continue to help lead the way in that regard.

Finally, a tip of my cap to Katherine Nickele, a senior transportation planner with TYLin, a global engineering and advisory firm dedicated to improving the quality of life by planning and designing infrastructure solutions. She made me aware of this study, so that I may share it with you.

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Tuesday, March 11, 2025

DuPage Judge Keeps West Lawn Man Locked Up on Attempted Robbery Rap

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Deputy Chief of Police Robert Christopherson have announced that Judge Anthony Coco has granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for a West Lawn man accused of attempting to rob a man whom he had arranged with to sell two pairs of shoes.

Tajuan Brassel, 18, of the 6300 block of South Kildare, appeared in First Appearance Court, charged with one count of Attempt Armed Robbery (Class 1 Felony).

Brassel

Officials said that at 6:34 p.m. Thursday, March 6, Oak Brook police officers responded to a call of an armed robbery in a parking lot in the 2100 block of West 22nd Street. Following an investigation into the matter, they said a man and Brassel arranged to meet in the parking lot--so the man could buy a pair of Balenciaga shoes and a pair of Lavin shoes from Brassel for $350.

Police said the would-be buyer approached Brassel, who was in the driver’s seat of a 2016 Nissan Altima. Once at the car, Brassel allegedly showed him both sets of shoes that were sitting on the passenger seat. Officials said Brassel told the man he would give him the shoes once he received the money and that when the victim had the cash in his hand, Brassel reached inside his jacket with his right hand and pulled out a black handgun with an extended magazine, later determined to be a BB gun, and pointed the gun at the man.

The would-be buyer told police he ran away and called 911 from a nearby store.

At approximately 9:16 p.m., Brassell was located traveling south on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 52nd Street. He was taken into custody by the Illinois State Police and Chicago Police Department near 63rd and the Ryan.

Brassel’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 24 in front of Judge Margaret O’Connell.

“While buying and selling items with someone you met online is increasingly commonplace, there are still risks involved,” Berlin said. “There are simple steps you can take to protect yourself when conducting such transactions such as always meet in a public place during daylight hours, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return, and keep your cell phone charged and nearby, just to name a few. We are all thankful that the victim in this case was not physically harmed. I thank the Oak Brook Police Department for their outstanding work in identifying the defendant in this case as well as the Illinois State Police and the Chicago Police Department for their work in apprehending Mr. Brassel. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Kevin Kosman and Anna Derkacz for their efforts in preparing charges against Mr. Brassel.”

“This was a very serious incident that will not be tolerated in here in Oak Brook,” Christopherson said. “Our message is clear, if you come to Oak Brook to commit a crime you will be arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law. We have a motivated team of highly-trained officers working toward keeping Oak Brook safe. I want to commend the responding officers, and detectives for their dedication and hard work in quickly identifying the offender and getting him into custody. I’d also like to thank the agencies that assisted us with this incident, especially the Chicago Police Department. Finally, I’d like to thank State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his team for their assistance and guidance on this case.”

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Monday, March 3, 2025

MWRD Calls For Cooperation as Forecasters Predict Heavy Rain

Just released by officials at the MWRD:

Heavy rain is expected in the Chicagoland area. Reduce your use of water before, during and after the storm to help prevent flooding and protect water quality:

• Delay showers and baths.
• Flush less frequently.
• Wait to run the dishwasher or clothes washing machine.

Flooding and sewer backups can happen for a variety of reasons, ranging from conveyance of water flow in local pipes, the groundwater table, undersized drainage designs and roof loads, and sump pumps attached to house lines.

To help prevent flooding inside or around your home, there are actions you and your family can take before and during rainfall. Learn more about how to prepare for stormwater at this link: https://mwrd.org/community-action/you-can-help-prevent-flooding-and-protect-water-quality.

MWRD staff work 24/7 protecting the water environment, mitigating flooding, managing waterway elevations, and keeping operations moving at its seven water reclamation plants. The MWRD treats an average of 1.47 billion gallons of wastewater per day, but that number can soar above 2 billion with intensive rainstorms. After consecutive days of rain, there is less capacity for the MWRD to hold and treat the additional water. Learn more about Combined Sewer Overflow prevention here: https://mwrd.org/community-action/overflow-action.

Learn what you should do during flooding:
https://mwrd.org/community-action/what-you-should-do-during-flooding

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For more information and explanations about how the MWRD’s infrastructure and waterway system operate, visit these links:

Learn about the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP)
https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/tunnel-and-reservoir-plan-tarp

Understand how the Chicago Area Waterway System works
https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/reducing-flooding/chicago-area-waterway-system-caws

Learn about the types of sewer systems in Cook County
https://mwrd.org/community-action/understanding-your-sewer

Request a presentation for your community
https://mwrd.org/education/speakers-and-outreach

Tour our facilities
https://mwrd.org/education/tours

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About Us

The Southwest Chicago Post is an independent news service delivering news and opinion to the people of Chicago's Southwest Side.

We promote prosperity, progress and peace in the neighborhoods we serve.

We intend to champion homeowners, locally owned and operated small businesses and professional practices, schools, libraries, parks, houses of worship and more.

We also strongly support efforts to prevent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

We cheerfully assist and promote members of our business and professional community, particularly those that are independent, locally owned and which hire local residents.

This online news service is owned and operated by lifelong Southwest Siders Joan Hadac (Editor and Publisher) and Tim Hadac (Managing Editor), both of whom have worked as local newspaper reporters and editors for over 25 years each.

Do you have a news tip, big or small? A letter to the editor? Want us to come out and cover your event? Let us know: editor@swchicagopost.com.