Columns

  Beset by never-ending winter’s woes Plans thought of, yet once again discarded askance Alas, perchance I come upon hope To plan with permanence After suffering through a long drab winter, enduring an April and May that was more winter than spring, and playing catch-up through the month of June, we’ve finally arrived at midsummer. Though our summer may lack the drama of one of Shakespeare’s plays, it’s time for us to stake a claim and make this season our own. Let’s take a trip back to earlier summers in Roseland where “The Ave” (Michigan Avenue) was the center of …

  Congratulations on purchasing a home and no longer having to pay rent! Now the fun begins, though it won’t always be inexpensive. Regardless of the cost, here are some items to handle right off the bat to prevent problems down the road. Did your home inspector go into the attic? How is the insulation up there? Is it damaged or insufficient to meet your needs? If so, the Department of Energy has a wonderful guide on attic insulation. After you’ve checked out the guide, contact your accountant since occasionally there are government incentives to reinsulate your attic. While we’re …

  The Fed raised rates a quarter point in March bringing the prime rate up to 4.75 percent. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell stated that the economy is doing well and that the increase is in line with the Fed expectations. The Fed has stated that they are expecting to increase rates a total of three times this year, at .25 percent each time, and two times in 2019. The unemployment rate in March ticked up to 4.1 percent from 4.0 percent, which is still historically low. Meanwhile, wage inflation remained tame, allowing the Fed to stay the course with its …

  Many homes are under-marketed not as a result of insufficient advertising or lack of effort on the part of the broker. The main reason is the absence of additional details on the listing sheet, and those are missing mainly because the seller doesn’t think the buyer would be interested. Most listing sheets focus on the same standard items. What you fail to mention might just give your home a leg up over the one down the street. A lot of homeowners have “gone green” in recent years. Do you clean your home using only natural or hypoallergenic products? What …

  Since last December, www.familysearch.org has been posting Cook County vital record images that were once only available for $17 through the county itself. Recently, the push has started on marriage licenses. A few columns ago, I did an entire piece of birth certificates, and another piece on death certificates, and I dismissed marriage licenses as minimally informative. I would like to amend that perspective. The Cook County marriage license is frustrating because it never lists the parents of the bride or groom. It lists the names of the happy couple and the date they applied for their license from …

  It’s that time of year to focus on summer fun. When we think back to our younger days, a lot of places come to mind. On a hot sweaty day, some Roselandites liked to swim outside at Palmer Park while others waited in line to get into the second floor pool with the overhead doors at West Pullman Park or to swim indoors at the “Pump. And for the sports-minded kids, there was always Gately’s Stadium or the Roseland Little League Fields, not to mention any open lot or school playground with an “X” in the middle of a …

  As Italians, our fast food might be pane e formaggio on the fly, but when is the last time you savored an al fresco feast in the great outdoors? Before summer escapes, take time now to plan a picnic with your cherished family and friends. One summer weekend every year, my family and I are lucky to be part of the annual PDG picnic. The PDG lodge originated in Chicago in 1925 as the Piana dei Greci (PDG) Aid Society. It was a haven for nuovi arrivati Arbereshe from Sicily and helped them get established and assimilate into life …

As children, when our parents asked us to clean up our room, we would stuff everything into a toy box, drawer or closet, deferring actual tidying for another day. Many of us have a similar approach to home maintenance, putting off until tomorrow what needs to be done today. But as you gear up to list your house, it’s important to set your lands in order. The best way to do that is with a home inspection. Issues with your home will drive down the price, whether you know about them or not. A presale inspection can add thousands of …

There are many opportunities for genealogists to expand their knowledge. You can “learn by doing” as some philosophers would say. So you trudge along and pick up new methods as you try them, but sometimes you miss records that you need because you didn’t think of other ways to look. I have advocated many times that another way of learning genealogy is to join and attend genealogy groups in your community. Your local library may have genealogy presentations, even if they don’t have a regular group that meets there. Many of the groups that exist today are worth travelling some …

When do you hear that phrase? Why, when you’re standing in front of a door, of course! And that’s the time of year we find ourselves in. The seasonal door to spring is awaiting your command! We open the door and walk in to the many events and happenings of a new season. Every spring, my outlook brightens as I look forward with excitement to coming events of man and nature: the blossoming of flowers throughout Pullman; the transformation of trees to a wildfire of green leaves; and the gathering of old friends who try to outdo each other with …