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  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 …

Just when you thought Italian Americans were free to move about the country without being dogged by stereotypes of criminality and buffoonery, the creators of “The Sopranos” and “Jersey Shore” have us running for cover again. According to Deadline.com, New Line has purchased the screenplay to a “Sopranos” prequel penned by the series creators. Set against the backdrop of the Newark riots in the 1960s, the film is expected to pit younger versions of the HBO show’s older generation of mobsters against their African-American counterparts in a gangland bloodfest. Meanwhile, MTV is doubling down on its commitment to casting Italian …

50 years have passed since I first sailed the waters of New York Harbor, coming from Italy. When my father, Luigi Savaglio, heard that a person could make his fortune in America, my parents gathered their four children, packed every earthly possession they could into two large cases and several bags, and departed for the Promised Land. Like others, we left behind all we knew, hoping to trade hardship and uncertainty for prosperity, safety and security. Above all, my father prayed that we would always remain together as a family. As we pulled into the Port of New York, we …

Since the passage of the new tax bill, which cut corporate and individual tax rates, it was feared that inflation would rear its ugly head and put the Fed on alert. Those fears were confirmed in early February when the jobs report revealed that wage inflation came in higher than expected. Later that month, it was reported that the Consumer Price Index was also heating up. These surprise jumps in inflation sent mortgage and treasury rates higher. Mortgage rates moved up approximately a 1/2 percent from 4 percent on the 30-year fixed to 4.5 percent. That is a huge move …

You have some extra funds and decide you’re going to invest it in the real estate market and become a landlord, but who actually pays when items break and your tenant is calling you to fix it? As the owner of the property, you are usually responsible for major repairs, especially when it comes to health and safety issues. Let’s start with one of the most expensive items on your property: your heating and cooling systems, also known as HVAC. This is an area that landlords must watch like a hawk. Almost all towns have ordinances regarding heat that favor …