Neighborhood News
Library Events for Kids, 1st District Town Hall Meeting Stand Out This Week in McKinley Park
The McKinley Park public library presents some great kids activities and performances this week, including the Improv Playhouse's Ranger Tales: True Stories from America's National Parks at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 9. Mad Science of Chicago presents STEM-focused ecological education with Spaceship Earth, 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, and kids 9 to 11 can solve environmental engineering puzzles at Enviro Mystery with Project Syncere, 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 12. The gamers will again keep the dice rolling at the library during the recurrence of Games Day this Saturday, July 14.
Illinois 1st District State Senator Antonio "Tony" Muñoz hosts a 1st District Town Hall Meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, at Blessed Sacrament Parish church. This meeting, the first in a series, will focus on topics like the State of Illinois budget, pending and passed legislation, local crime, and the recently opened MAT Asphalt plant.
Luau Lands at the Farmers Market This Week in McKinley Park
Get out your grass skirts and tropical prints for the Farmers Market Concert: Aloha Center Chicago, noon to 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, at the William McKinley memorial in McKinley Park. The concert runs in conjunction with the McKinley Park Farmers Market, which offers a variety of goods and fresh foods from local vendors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday through October.
Fans of tabletop and board games can get their fix this Saturday afternoon, July 7, at Games Day at the McKinley Park public library. From 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., join other local gamers for a selection of six new games to try each month, plus many tried-and-true classics. Although all ages are welcome, kids 11 and younger need to be accompanied by an adult.
Read more: Luau Lands at the Farmers Market This Week in McKinley Park
Tribune Focuses on Asphalt Plant Development, New Neighborhood Environmental Group
The Chicago Tribune newspaper has published an article by reporter Tony Briscoe that examines the MAT Asphalt plant at 4010 S. Damen Ave. and the new Neighbors for Environmental Justice group formed to bring attention to the project. The article outlines the scope of the the issues surrounding the new plant, including pollution concerns, examples of existing asphalt plant installations, the equipment at MAT Asphalt and the potential influence of Chicago politics.
Read more: Tribune Focuses on Asphalt Plant Development, New Neighborhood Environmental Group
State of Illinois Resolution Lauds Masterchef Junior Winner Beni Cwiakala
Illinois 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah presents MasterChef Junior winner Beni Cwikala with a copy of the State of Illinois resolution honoring her achievement.
Beni Cwiakala, an honor roll student at Namaste Charter School and the winner of the sixth season of the MasterChef Junior televised cooking contest, received a special surprise from Illinois 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah at a school assembly on Tuesday, June 26. To honor Cwiakala's achievement, Mah presented her with HR 1159, an Illinois House resolution that details Cwiakala's accomplishments and provides congratulations and well-wishes for future endeavors.
Cwiakala has said she plans to use the $100,000 she won in the contest to fund organizations focusing on child nutrition and to set up a food truck that will show kids how to cook healthy food. As previously reported here, she has been a cooking fan all her life and plans to continue to be engaged with the culinary arts.
Cwiakala was a fifth grader at Namaste at the time of the competition, and has continued to attend the school while residing with her family in the nearby Pilsen neighborhood.
Read more: State of Illinois Resolution Lauds Masterchef Junior Winner Beni Cwiakala
Advisory, Development Councils Land $5K Grant for McKinley Park Programs
A frame from the award-winning video submission shows council leaders Veronica O’Malley, Dayna Calderon and Katie Flores pitching their Amplify Our Impact! project for McKinley Park.
Working in collaboration, the McKinley Park Advisory Council and the McKinley Park Development Council have successfully won a $5,000 grant to fund specific improvements to park and community programs. Top of the list is a battery-powered PA system to be used at farmers market concerts and other park performances, funded by the Acting Up award from the Chicago Community Trust.
Other initiatives to receive funding from the grant include the project to beautify McKinley Park's bathhouse with murals designed by community youth and an initiative to provide Spanish and Chinese language translation services at key community meetings. The grant is a result of a neighborhood On the Table session held May 8 that connected residents and community stakeholders to conceive projects and then pitch them for funding via video submissions.
Read more: Advisory, Development Councils Land $5K Grant for McKinley Park Programs
