🗓️ Outdoor dining, community cookbooks, and AAPI eateries
By Sidney Madden | @sidney_madden_
Friends, we’re kicking off this weekend on a Friday the 13th.
No matter what you believe, you have to admit there are some weird, uh, coincidences on the date in Chicago. According to the Tribune:
▪️ Al Capone was indicted March 13, 1931.
▪️ Scottie Pippen sat out the last seconds of a playoff game May 13, 1994.
▪️ The messy parking meter privatization deal was finalized Feb. 13, 2009.
If you’re like, “Sid, do YOU buy into all this superstition?” I don’t know if I do. My mom was born on a Friday the 13th, and all seems well with her 🤷♀️
📰 Newsfeed
What is going on with Illinois’ child welfare agency? An audit reveals the Department of Child and Family Services has failed to conduct home safety checks, provide medical care, or track abuse and neglect cases. [Tribune]
More households are eligible for lead service line removal thanks to federal funds, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. But since launching in fall 2020, the city has only replaced 30% of requests. [WTTW]
Another mayoral challenger? South Side state Rep. Kam Buckner announced his candidacy Thursday. Appointed to the Illinois General Assembly in 2019, he’s been critical of Lightfoot’s leadership and has doubts about the Invest South/West Initiative. [Block Club]
Naperville teen climbed Mount Everest! Lucy Westlake is the youngest American woman to summit the tallest mountain above sea level. [City Cast]
This week’s must-read.
🗓️ Weekend Plans
Friday
South Shore community cookbook deadline. Submit your recipes to help preserve the culinary legacy of the South Side neighborhood. (Free)
North Lawndale bike ride. Start the weekend biking with community members and exploring the neighborhood. Meet at BON Gym at 6 p.m. (Free)
AAPI Restaurant Week kickoff. Through May 22, support Asian American and Pacific Islander–owned restaurants during the inaugural event. (Varies)
Saturday
Chicago River Day cleanups across Chicagoland. Volunteer at sites from Lake County to Calumet from 9 a.m. to noon. Kids 8 and up can join. (Free)
Sunday
American Writers Fest downtown. Head to the fest to see writers like Ashley C. Ford and Kosoko Jackson, the latter of whom is being interviewed by City Cast’s Jacoby Cochran at the American Writers Museum at 2 p.m. (Free)
All Weekend
Pullman Railroad Days. Take a trip to the railroad company’s past with virtual reality goggles and locomotive simulator at the Historic Pullman Foundation Exhibit Hall Saturday and Sunday from 9–5 p.m. (Free, $25)
Dine Out on Broadway in Lakeview. Eat on Broadway from Belmont to Wellington through Sunday with this new Summertime Chi monthly tradition. (Varies)
Astronomy at the 606, Museum Campus. Bring the kids for stargazing near Humboldt Park today from 7–9 p.m. Catch the lunar eclipse at the Adler Planetarium Sunday from 9 p.m. to midnight. (Free)
💵 City Casters on Student Loans
This week, we explored student loan debt in Illinois and asked readers how much you had. Half of respondents said more than $50,000 😬
As for resuming payments in September, about half of you are ready and the other half aren’t. Here’s what City Casters said:
🩺 Ben: “I am still in medical school where we take out over $50K per year. The cost is too high to turn around and make a difference for the disenfranchised, and there is little relief outside of being in a high-paying specialty or joining coveted positions of loan reimbursement in some hospitals.”
🏥 Daniella: “I’ll have the money come September, but the hindrance of the payments will stress my bank account and slow any future savings plans, especially in a year where I’ve had major medical costs incurred.”
There are other options besides incurring debt at expensive four-year schools, especially in Chicago from city colleges and trade schools to jobs through One Summer Chicago and the Cook County Forest Preserve.
⏪ This Week on the Podcast
Missed an episode? Catch up.
TODAY: New Improv Leaders, Chicagwa Takes, and What’s a Lumpsucker?
THU: Primary Prep: Who’s Running in IL 3rd District? And Where Is It?
WED: Pinball, Gyms, and now a Casino? Bally’s Chicago History
TUE: Sky’s the Limit: The Quest for Back-to-Back Titles
MON: CPS Leader on Budget: ‘Equitable Doesn’t Mean Enough’