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Serving Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills and Worth
Volume LVII, No. 13
USPS 118-690
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Thursday, June 16, 2016
EP mayor: Marketplace construction to begin soon By Joe Boyle Construction plans for the new Evergreen Marketplace, which is replacing the demolished Plaza shopping center, will begin sometime this summer, according to Evergreen Park Mayor James Sexton. “All of the buildings are mostly down except for Carson’s,” Sexton said on Friday. “In a month or so, plans are scheduled to begin for construction of the MarSexton ketplace. Everything is going well. It’s ahead of schedule. All of us are very excited.” Sexton delivered the first blow with a sledgehammer to the old Montgomery Ward’s building during the demolition proceedings of The Plaza last fall. The beginning of the demolition drew a large crowd to witness the event. The Evergreen Plaza opened in 1952 as an open-air shopping center developed by Arthur Rubloff. The shopping center grew in popularity and became one of the first enclosed malls in the country in 1966. The mall at its peak in the 1970s had Carson Pirie Scott, Montgomery Ward,
Photos by Joe Boyle
Above: Slabs of concrete are what remains of what was once The Plaza at 95th Street and Western Avenue in Evergreen Park. The lone structure from The Plaza’s history is the Carson’s building that can be seen in the background. Right: The Plaza sign, a bit battered and weathered, still towers over the parking lot at 95th Street and Western Avenue. Editorial: The Marketplace project symbolizes a new era for Evergreen Park. Page 6
Woolworths, Lytton’s and Walgreens. While The Plaza was still profitable in the 1980s, the opening of Chicago Ridge Mall in 1981 — and to a degree
the expansion of Orland Square in Orland Park — led to the Plaza’s demise. After Montgomery Ward closed in 2001, the Plaza suffered through numerous more
vacancies, escalated by the recession in 2008. By 2013, The Plaza was virtually closed with the exception of Carson’s and a couple of other businesses. Sexton said he had fond memories See MARKETPLACE, Page 7
MASS SHOOTING IN ORLANDO
Repairs over Cal-Sag bridge on Harlem set to begin on Monday
Shooter’s wife had lived in Oak Lawn
By Dermot Connolly
By Joe Boyle The 30-year-old wife of the man who killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., lived in Oak Lawn several years ago, according to reports, and she is now being considered for INSIDE: possible criminal More charges in conthoughts nection with the on the mass Orlando massacre. shooting in Noor Mateen — Orlando then Noor Zahi on pages Salman — lived 3 and 6. in an Oak Lawn apartment prior to her marriage to Orlando shooter Omar Mateen, reports said. Before that, she had lived in a Berwyn apartment, according to the reports. Noor and Omar Mateen were married for about 3 1/2 years, according to reports. Officials are trying to determine whether Noor Mateen knew about her husband’s plans to wage an assault on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Reports say she drove her husband to the gay nightclub at least once before the mass shooting and was with him when he bought ammo and a holster. At press time, a Fox News report said that federal prosecutors have convened a grand jury to investigate whether to charge Noor Mateen as an accessory. Her husband was killed during a shootout with police at the nightclub in the early-morning hours Sunday. Officials from the Chicago area and throughout the state are unanimous in their disbelief and shock over the mass shooting in Orlando. “The horrific massacre in Orlando is another unfortunate example of how hate and intolerance
Photo by Dermot Connolly
Chicago Ridge Trustee Sally Durkin (from left), Donna Betsanes and Debbie Badon led the group of walkers coming from Chicago Ridge to Palos Heights in support of the Special Olympics Torch Run.
Chicago Ridge carries and runs with torch for Special Olympics By Dermot Connolly The Chicago Ridge and Palos Heights police departments sponsored legs of the annual Special Olympics Torch Run across Illinois on June 8, and crowds came out to support them in both communities, despite the early hour. For the past three years, the Chicago Ridge Police Department dedicated its torch run to the memory of Illinois State Trooper James Sauter, who grew up in Chicago Ridge. He was killed on duty March 28, 2013 when a truck driver fell asleep and collided with Sauter’s vehicle on Interstate 294 near Northbrook. The event, organized with the help of Trustees Bruce Quintos and Sally Durkin, began at 7 a.m. with an opening ceremony in front of the police department at 10425 S. Ridgeland Ave. to honor Sauter. Deb Pyznarski, wife of Chicago Ridge Police Chief Robert Pyznarski, also was involved in the planning. After members of Boy Scout Troop 668 participated in the ceremonial lowering and replacing of the U.S. flag in front of the building, they folded the flag, took it down and presented it to Sauter’s parents, Donald and Eileen. Village officials also gave them a plaque and a framed proclamation.
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INSIDE: SIZZLING SUMMER FUN: Oak Lawn’s annual Spring Into Summer Festival kicks off ith Pet Parade. Page 4 BRAIN GAMES: Richards High School students test their skills at ‘Brain Camp’. Page 5 HANANIA: Baby boomers, red meat and a growing obsession with weight. Page 6 SCHOOL NEWS: Reports and photos from our area schools. Pages 8 and 9 CONSUMER NEWS: A visit to Sal’s Famous Cheesesteak, plus business comings and goings, and some savvy financial advice. Page 10
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Rebecca Von Bruchhaeuser then led the crowd in singing ”The Star-Spangled Banner,” while Hannah Bartlett interpreted the national anthem in American Sign Language. “It is really gratifying to see so many people here so early for such a great organization,” said Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar. Quintos, a retired police officer himself, has been involved in the Torch Run since 1993. He said a lot of money has been raised for Special Olympics over the years in Chicago Ridge. “I think we’ve already raised about $3,000 in donations for this event this year,” he said on Tuesday. The assembled crowd lined Ridgeland Avenue and cheered as the runners took off with the torch and a state and county police escort, followed by a group of walkers that included Durkin and other village officials. They made their way south to 111th Street and then west to Harlem Avenue, where they ran south, over the Cal-Sag Bridge to the Tiffany Square shopping plaza at Route 83 in Palos Heights. There they met up with Palos Heights Police Chief Larry Yott, and the runners who would carry the torch the 12 miles to Mokena, in Will
The bridge over the Cal-Sag Channel on Harlem Avenue, connecting Palos Heights and Worth, is about to become a construction zone for the summer. The Illinois Department of Transportation project is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 20, according to signage on Harlem. The construction originally was scheduled to begin on June 1, according to an IDOT press release, which said the work should be completed during the summer, weather permitting. It will include bridge repairs “necessary for safety,” as well as painting, according to an IDOT press release. Daily lane closures are going be imposed for the duration, and traffic will be reduced to one lane, with flaggers directing traffic. However, according to IDOT, the closure times will not occur during the peak traffic volume hours between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists who use the section of Harlem Avenue between 115th
and 119th streets are being advised to expect delays and look for alternate routes to get where they’re going quicker. Drivers are also urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the lookout for workers and equipment. Updates on this and other IDOT projects in the southwest suburban region, District 1, may be obtained online at gettingaroundillinois.com under the road construction tab. Information about traffic caused by construction are also available at travelmidwest.com. Because Harlem Avenue is considered a state road, neither Worth or Palos Heights governments are directly involved in the IDOT project. Palos Heights police officials said that, similar to when work was done on Ridgeland Avenue, they do not anticipate that any need for special police assistance to assist with traffic control during the construction period. “But if we’re needed, we will be there,” said Police Chief Larry Yott.
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