Archive for June 2017

Waxing eloquent-- or not-- about public speaking

In the spring of 2016, I learned that a local chapter of Toastmasters International would be forming in my community.  I had heard of the organization before.  If I hadn’t been familiar with it, I would have thought it had something to do with toast, or perhaps wine-tasting, and wouldn’t even have considered joining.  But... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 28, 2017 at 10:00 pm • 

Starbucks lunches give dignity to Chicago's homeless, but the buck doesn't have to stop there

Seared steak.  Za’atar chicken.  Avocado salad.  Not the standard fare you’d expect to find on a lunch menu for the  homeless, but items like this are being served up at three of Chicago’s largest shelters– Franciscan House, Pacific Garden Mission, and the shelter run by Olive Branch Mission in West Pullman. These places have regularly... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 27, 2017 at 1:03 pm • 

Lawsuit against Elmhurst hospital over blackbirds will likely ruffle some feathers

-Chicago Tribune A red-winged blackbird dives from a street lamp. When you see signs warning you that lands are protected, that animals living there are not to be disturbed, it’s usually because of some EPA regulation or similar legislation.  At Elmhurst Hospital, however, the scenario is a little different. A walking path there is marked... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 23, 2017 at 12:42 pm • 
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Elder abuse can take many forms besides the obvious

As waves of baby-boomers reach retirement age, it seems there has been more media coverage lately about issues that affect seniors.  One of these is the prevalence of elder abuse.  I’m not sure if it’s on the rise or it’s just being publicized more than it once was, due to shifting demographics. We often think... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 22, 2017 at 7:33 am • 

It's the first day of summer-- make the most of the season

-Pixabay When winter’s snows melt and the sun comes out, it’s like a present has been unwrapped, leaving Chicago’s beautiful landscape unobscured for all to enjoy. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again.  Late spring and summer are my favorite times of the year in Chicago.  The days are long, the weather is warm,... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 21, 2017 at 10:43 am • 

My question for Amazon: When is enough enough?

Yesterday, Amazon and Whole Foods made an announcement that’s sending shock waves through the grocery industry…and it’s a surprise for the rest of us, too.  The online retail giant is buying the Texas-based grocery chain for a whopping $13.7 billion, a figure few of us can truly fathom. Whole Foods has seen a decline in... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 17, 2017 at 7:24 pm • 
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The mayor has more important things to attend to than promoting anti-Trump sentiments

Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently advanced a measure to ensure that the city won’t comply with efforts to establish a federal registry of Muslims, should the Trump administration move to create one. President Trump hasn’t even taken steps to do it, though he floated the idea during his campaign.  I doubt he’ll get around to it.... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 13, 2017 at 8:59 am • 

Ode to the "L"

A Green Line train approaches the 35th Street stop.   -John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune With 224.1 miles of track and more than a million riders every day, the “L” celebrates 125 years of operation this week. The initial train line that opened on June 6, 1892 only ran from State Street and Congress Parkway to... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 6, 2017 at 6:50 pm • 

Call the 911 tax what it really is, or better yet, stop nickeling and diming Chicago taxpayers

They say you can’t fight City Hall, but if the government keeps up with its current trend of taxing everything possible, Chicago taxpayers may need to declare war– through the press, the ballot box, and every other channel guaranteed by the Constitution. In case you missed it, Mayor Rahm Emanuel (can I call him Sir... Read more »
By April Leachman,
June 2, 2017 at 11:46 am • 
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