McKinley Park News - Neighborhood News

Mah Lauded for Supporting Illinois Agriculture

Illinois 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah, center, accepts her Friend of Agriculture award from Bona Heinsohn, Director of Governmental Affairs and Public Relations at Cook County Farm Bureau, and McDonough County Farm Bureau Manager Sarah Grant on October 5 in a ceremony at the 2nd District office.

Published October 10, 2018

Illinois 2nd District State Representative Theresa Mah received a Friend of Agriculture award and an endorsement from an Illinois farmers advocacy group in a ceremony on Friday, October 5, at her public service office in the McKinley Park neighborhood. The award and endorsement come from her strong support for Illinois farmers, thanks to lessons she's learned about agriculture through the Illinois Farm Bureau's Adopt-a-Legislator initiative.

"I am proud to support legislation that benefits farmers and small businesses," Mah said, adding that she was honored to be named a Friend of Agriculture. "I enjoyed being part of the Adopt-a-Legislator program."

Nightlife, Hackers, Arts and Volunteering Top This Week's Neighborhood Events

Published October 8, 2018

Need help locking down your cyber security? Want to protect your online privacy? Hackers from THOTCON are partnering with the McKinley Park public library to host Cyber Security Action Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 13. Learn the best practices for protecting yourself online via one-on-one sessions with top cyber security experts.

Create art and learn about community environmental health at #Create #Collaborate #Mobilize on Monday, October 8, at the McKinley Community Play Garden. The Mobilize Creative Collaborative joins members from Neighbors for Environmental Justice and local kids, friends and community members to create visual art, music, toys and signs.

Eviction Drives Alleged Gang Members from Troubled McKinley Park House

12th Ward Chief of Staff Samie Martinez, left, speaks with landlord Julio Zamudio on October 1 as social services and police personnel await the start of the eviction.

Published October 5, 2018

Alleged gang members were cleared out of an illegal basement apartment at 3629 S. Wood St. on Monday, October 1, as part of an official eviction process shepherded by the 12th Ward office. The culmination of many months of work, the eviction brought 12th Ward representatives, police, social services personnel and property owner Julio Zamudio together to remove tenants and their belongings from the basement apartment, and to board up the unit.

The eviction comes after the 12th Ward and the City of Chicago took Zamudio to court to compel him to address problems at the property, which the 12th Ward had requested the city officially designate as a troubled building. 12th Ward Chief of Staff Samie Martinez said the property had been associated with numerous local gang crime problems, including shootings, gang graffiti and attacks on civic infrastructure such as cutting power to the street lights for the entire block.

MAT Asphalt Reaches Out to Community with Website, Video

Plant co-owner Joe Haughey looks over automated and manual plant controls in the control tower at MAT Asphalt.

Published October 4, 2018

MAT Asphalt LLC, the owner and operator of the recently constructed asphalt plant off Pershing Road and Damen Avenue, has announced two new elements of community outreach: its new website at https://matasphalt.com and an online video that explains its product, business and operations.

"Launching our website and reaching out to our neighbors to tell our story are just two ways we are demonstrating our openness to McKinley Park and our pride in the cleanliness and safety of our operations," said plant co-owner Michael Tadin Jr. "We have an open-door policy with the community."

Coalition Tallies, Analyzes Teen Substance Abuse in McKinley Park

McKinley Park Underage Drinking and Other Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition members gather after their September 13 meeting at the Midwest Asian Health Association.

Published October 3, 2018

The McKinley Park Underage Drinking and Other Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (McK-UDOS) has completed its analysis of the latest Illinois Youth Survey data, resulting in a snapshot of teen alcohol and drug use in the McKinley Park neighborhood. Key findings include some statistically significant spikes in alcohol and cannabis use among teen girls, as well as a general perception among youth that their peers consume alcohol and pot much more than they actually do.

Substance Abuse Prevention Program Coordinator Vernalynne De La Rosa spelled out the analysis at the coalition's regular meeting on September 13 at the offices of the Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA), the sponsoring organization for the coalition. De La Rosa also related program updates to the attending coalition members, who comprised a wide range of community stakeholders and representatives from social services, law enforcement, academia, media and local non-profits.