Friday, May 18, 2012
Persons with lung and heart diseases, older adults and children are advised to reduce outdoor activities due to increased risks from air pollution.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has issued a code orange air quality alert affecting the Chicago region has been issued for Saturday, May 19. Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. Sensitive groups include children, older adults and those with breathing or heart disorders, including asthma and COPD and even active adults. Those with lung diseases, older adults and children may be affected by exposure to the ozone. Persons with heat and lung disease may be impacted by particles in the air. Air quality is expected to return to code yellow or moderate level on Sunday, May 20. On moderate days, air quality levels are acceptable but may affect a small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Oak Lawn Park District plans to survey members before making "small dog" section a permanent fixture. Take the poll!
One year after the opening of Bailey’s Crossing, Oak Lawn’s dog park is about to gain a “small dog” section. For those owners whose small dogs have been overrun by larger pooches or become prey of aggressive dogs, the small dog section topped users’ list of improvements to Bailey’s Crossing. TAKE THE POLL: What improvements should be made at the dog park? The dog park opened on May 9, 2011 after six years of discussion by the Oak Lawn Park District Board of Commissioners. Last year’s ribbon cutting ceremony was one of the most well attended public dedications in recent Oak Lawn history. The park district plans to test the “small dog” concept first by installing temporary fencing around an area inside the 2-acre park. WATCH THE VIDEO of the…
41.712322
-87.774718
9901 Melvina Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
/articles/dog-park-to-pilot-small-dog-area
/locations/7029956
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Trustee Tom Duhig warns of "hidden costs" of Advocate Christ expansion to Oak Lawn taxpayers in terms of local economy and infrastructure.
Saying he wished he could have painted a “rosier” picture of Advocate Christ Medical Center’s most recent plans to expand its campus, Trustee Tom Duhig poked holes in some of the hospital’s impact studies before the rest of the Oak Lawn Village Board on May 8. Keep up with local government news. Subscribe to the O-L Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. Duhig, whose fourth district encompasses the medical center campus, hinted that some of the methodologies Advocate Christ used to conduct its traffic, economic and water impact studies for its proposed 9-story inpatient tower omitted huge parts of the big picture. Last year, the village gave its blessing for a similarly sized outpatient pavilion that is currently under construction. “…
41.720279
-87.731018
Advocate Christ Medical Center
4400 W 95th St, Oak Lawn, IL
/articles/duhig-to-village-board-be-wary-of-advocate-christ-s-expansion-plans
327895
/locations/7011119
Saturday, May 12, 2012
In light of President Barack Obama's recent announcement supporting gay marriage and a story that has generated a lot of chatter, we want to hear what you think. Take a moment to vote in our poll.
It's no secret that President Barack Obama has proclaimed his support for same-sex marriage. It was a move—one made during an interview with ABC News that aired in part on Wednesday—that conjured a mixed reaction from those in the Southland. READ: Taking Heart and Umbrage at Obama's Stance on Same-Sex Marriage Chicago Heights resident Zhenya Krassitchkova said the proclamation was like a "breath of fresh air for the gay community." The 29-year-old entered into a civil union with her longtime girlfriend, Marina Bassett, almost one year ago when Illinois became the sixth state in the United States to issue licenses joining any two non-married adults. U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. also applauded Obama's announcement. "I want to congratulate …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Use the convenient resources of Patch to plan your commute during NATO week. Cars must also be out of the Oak Lawn Metra Parking Garage one hour after the last scheduled train arrival or they will be towed.
Southland residents who take the train or drive to work in downtown Chicago should be prepared for possibly delays while world leaders convene for the 2012 NATO summit at McCormick Place from May 20 to May 21. For the first time the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be holding a summit in an American city other than Washington, D.C. In addition to global leaders, over 2,000 journalists and countless demonstrators and activists are expected to inundate the Chicago region. Use the convenience resources of Patch to monitor traffic on the roadways and find the best prices for gas. We'll also post the latest traffic, train or bus delays on the Oak Lawn Patch Facebook page, and we invite our readers to do the same. Like O-L Patch on …
41.719979
-87.747291
5100 Museum Dr, Oak Lawn, IL
/articles/your-guide-to-local-road-closures-and-transportation-restrictions
/locations/7028682
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Southland residents reacted Thursday—some positively, some negatively—to President Obama's public support for gay marriage. What do you think?
President Barack Obama's public backing of gay marriage met a mixed reaction Thursday in the south suburbs. Obama said during a recent ABC news interview that he personally supports same-sex marriage, noting that he "already made a decision that we were going to take this position before the election and before the convention." In doing so, he became the first sitting president to publicly support the union. "I've just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama told ABC's Good Morning America. Chicago Heights resident Zhenya Krassitchkova said the proclamation was like a "breath of fresh air for the gay community." "It's obviously …
Highlights of the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting from May 8, 2012.
It was a thin agenda for the Oak Lawn Village Board during their Tuesday meeting. Mayor Dave Heilmann was out of town so Trustee Bob Streit (Dist. 3) served as president pro tem. Sign up for the O-L Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. On a scale of 1 to 10 for village board tension, this meeting scored at five on the tension scale. Here are some of the highlights. Trustee Cindy Trautsch (Dist. 1) reported that “dog litter” signs have been installed on 93rd Street between Oak Park and Natchez Avenues, running parallel to Centennial Park. Trautsch said that her constituents have complained of people walking their dogs in the park, which is illegal in all Oak Lawn parks except for Bailey’s Crossing Dog Park. Leashed dogs are also …
41.720505
-87.752695
Village of Oak Lawn
9446 Raymond Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
/articles/the-rundown-the-poop-on-dog-poop-new-chamber-digs-liquor-licenses
327793
/locations/6980567
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Village wants medical center to pay for independent review of plans for new 9-story patient tower before approving Advocate Christ's zoning variances.
The Oak Lawn Planning and Development Commission want Advocate Christ Medical Center to vet some of its plans for a 9-story patient tower because there are still too many “unknowns” about traffic, flood control and economic impact on the village. Steve Radice, chair of the plan commission, told hospital officials on Monday that commissioners still don’t have enough information to recommend the medical center’s nine zoning variances for approval by the Oak Lawn Village Board. “We want to get it right,” Radice said. “I can’t go through with this and feel 100 percent comfortable. It’s bigger than anything [the village] has ever dealt with.” The latest addition to the medical center campus is part of a $600 million expansion plan to increase …
41.720279
-87.731018
Advocate Christ Medical Center
4400 W 95th St, Oak Lawn, IL
/articles/christ-hospital-president-disappointed-by-request-for-additional-impact-study
327895
/locations/6987107
The Oak Lawn Planning and Development Commission asked Advocate Christ officials for more time to vet plans addressing residents' concerns for traffic and flood control.
The Oak Lawn Planning and Development Commission dolled out some harsh medicine to Advocate Christ Medical Center, tabling its zoning change requests for a new 9-story patient tower. Medical center officials and their consultants met with commissioners on Monday evening before a packed village hall to discuss “Phase II” of Advocate Christ’s $600 million expansion plan—the largest construction project in village history. The village asked for more time to vet specific areas of the medical center's plans to address residents' concerns about traffic and flood control. Advocate Christ President Ken Lukhard said the hospital is full 93 percent of time and turns away between 5,000 to 8,000 patients annually. The medical center’s emergency …
41.60627
-87.660373
Advocate Christ Medical Center
71 W 156th St Ste 110, Harvey, IL
/articles/village-tables-medical-center-s-zoning-requests-for-new-patient-tower
327318
/locations/6971249
Monday, May 7, 2012
Medical center has nine petitions before Oak Lawn Planning and Development Commission for a 9-story patient tower. If you've never gone to a meeting at Village Hall, you might want to catch Monday's public hearing.
Oak Lawn’s Planning and Development Commission will deliberate on a proposed 9-story patient tower on the Advocate Christ Medical Center Campus during its regular monthly meeting tonight (Monday) at Oak Lawn Village Hall. Advocate Christ has submitted nine petitions for a 9-story building to built at 4440 W. 95th St. The medical center wants to build the tower on the site of an existing parking garage on the east side of the hospital along Kostner Avenue. The medical center’s six-phase expansion over the next decade is the “largest construction project” in Oak Lawn’s history and is part of a $600 million investment in the community. The proposed patient tower is in addition to the medical center's new ambulatory pavilion that is currently …
41.720279
-87.731018
Advocate Christ Medical Center
4400 W 95th St, Oak Lawn, IL
/articles/planning-commissioners-to-deliberate-on-advocate-christ-s-plans-for-new-patient-tower
327895
/locations/6948956
tom gillilan
6:29 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
"On moderate days, air quality levels are acceptable" Acceptable for whom? Attitude is everything. The attitude of those who think it is acceptable for people with "normal" lungs to breathe polluted air exhibit low health literacy and are usually in charge of local air boards. It is important to recognize that the authorities in charge of air quality are NOT on the side of those who desire clean … more ›