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Suburbanites feel sting of Emanuel's budget
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, when introducing his first budget, declared that people who use city services need to pay for them, "even if they are not residents of Chicago."That rationale has allowed Emanuel to...
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Charles Gates Dawes: The forgotten man and his home
"Once upon a time there were two brothers. One of them went to sea, and the other became Vice President of the United States. Neither of them was ever heard of again."That's an old vaudeville joke, and...
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Skokie and the Nazis
Thirty-five years ago today, Skokie officials were in court. They were trying to prevent Nazis from holding a rally in their village.The National Socialist Party of America was a tiny group of perhaps...
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The post-recession apartment class abandons suburban office parks
Once upon a time, there were thousands of young Illinoisans actively looking for jobs in the suburbs with good schools for their kids or soon-to-be-kids, low taxes, and jobs they could drive to easily....
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2-1-1982: Chicago suburb outlaws guns!
Thirty-one years ago today, the eyes of the country were on Morton Grove, Ill. The quiet northern suburb had enacted the most restrictive handgun law in America. This was the first day under the new...
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Chicago's Rosemont Corridor
You can find a little bit of Chicago in the strangest places.In 1945 the federal government transferred 1,080 acres of land near Mannheim and Higgins to the City of Chicago. The site was to be used for...
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Forget Poles: Palestinians find a home in suburban Chicago
Chicagoans are fond of saying that there are more Poles here than anywhere outside of Poland. But ask about Palestinians and you may get a blank stare. As it turns out, there are likely more...
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Saving a New Deal mural
The New Deal is the collective name given to federal programs launched to fight the Great Depression of the 1930s. One of these was the Treasury Relief Arts Project (TRAP). The idea was to have...
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Oak Park's Continental Divide
Most of Chicago is flat as a pancake. That’s why the neighborhood I grew up in was special. We had a hill. I was so impressed that when I got my first camera, I went out and took a picture from the top...
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Berwyn relaxes towing policy that hit immigrants especially hard
A suburb west of Chicago is relaxing a tough car-towing policy because of its effects on immigrants.An order signed by Berwyn Police Chief James D. Ritz says the “towing, impounding and seizing of a...
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Underground Korean-French dinner serves up mystery and music
In mid-December I returned from vacation to find a handmade Christmas tree and card inviting me to dinner in a private suburban home hosted by “a crazy hair stylist, a crazy dancer and crazy French...
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Afternoon Shift: Spotlight on suburban living
Are 'Best Places to Live' lists accurate?With the “top 10” and “best places to live” lists popping up all over the web, we’ve been wondering which suburbs are the best to buy a house and raise a...
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Trying to avoid marathon traffic downtown? You could have Fun in the Burbs
There will be an insane mass of humanity running in or watching the marathon downtown and around the city this weekend. Add in a number of street closures before, during and after the event, and even...
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Don't believe the height! Why Chicago suburb names flat out lie about their...
Picture it. The majesty of Chicago suburbia.The ridges of Park Ridge like waves of a tumultuous sea! The grandeur of Arlington Heights and the sweeping sublime of Palos Hills. And beyond, the bold peak...
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Half Day Road and the Origins of a Semantic Slip-up
If you’ve traveled anywhere near Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, or other Chicago suburbs in Lake County, you’ve likely encountered the rush hour misery that is Half Day Road, also known as Illinois Route...
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