Author: Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland. His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing. Email Ray Hanania at [email protected]. Follow RayHanania at Twitter

Are handicap parking privileges being abused?

May 22, 2015November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania 1 Comment

Too often, I see people briskly step out of their vehicles parked in handicapped parking zones and displaying handicapped licenses plates or handicapped rear view mirror tags. They just don’t look like they need the plates, but who in government is courageous enough to set this abuse straight? By Ray Hanania Three times in the past…

Baby Boomers, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Have a Halal of a time at Pete’s Market, and meet women too

May 13, 2015November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Pete’s Fresh Market opened a new store in Bridgeview recently that offers the widest range of fresh deli salads and buffets, the largest I have ever seen. And I love grocery stores. By Ray Hanania I love food, especially from the Middle East. That’s one reason why I spend so much time meandering around grocery stores…

Features, food, Opinion, rayhanania, Recipes, Suburban Chicagoland

Chicagoland stores battle for growing Middle Eastern market

May 13, 2015November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

This week, another major grocery retailer entered the battle for the growing Middle Eastern food market in Chicagoland offering a wide range of Arab food products. The past half century has seen Arab food migrate from the shelves of small ethnic neighborhood food stores to the premium shelves of the largest national chains. Chicagoland has been no exception, just…

Features, food, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Gorman gives Rauner some added ‘Big Mo’

December 29, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Gorman gives Rauner some added ‘Big Mo’ By RAY HANANIA Southwest News-Herald Newspaper Friday, December 27, 2013 Winnetka Businessman Bruce Rauner may be new to politics, but he apparently knows more about Republican politics than his rivals. Rauner won the endorsement of the Cook County Republican Party over GOP rivals State Sen. Kirk Dillard and Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford,…

elections, Opinion, Orland Park, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

What’s Peotone’s Impact On Midway Airport?

October 24, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

What’s Peotone’s Impact On Midway Airport? By RAY HANANIA Southwest News-Herald Newspaper, Friday, October 25, 2013 We hear a lot about the third airport that everyone wants to build in the “South Suburbs.” But we don’t hear enough about Midway Airport. I have been a Southwest Sider almost all of my life, migrating with my…

Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

David Orr and Making Voting Just So ‘Easy’

June 20, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

David Orr and Making Voting Just So ‘Easy’ By RAY HANANIA Southwest News-Herald Friday, June 21, 2013 Despite the low voter turnout, voting is already easy. But not everyone wants to take the time to vote. In fact, the vast majority of residences who could vote don’t even register to vote. They don’t want to….

elections, Opinion, Politics, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Local governments not responsible for flooding

April 25, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Local governments not responsible for flooding By Ray Hanania Southwest News-Herald Friday April 25, 2013 When my home flooded in 1997, the Village of Orland Park provided large garbage canisters for each group of homes that had been damaged. They also provided dozens of crates of bottled bleach to kill mold and bacteria, that one…

Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland

Low turnout in Chicagoland elections reflects hypocritical monitoring systems

April 9, 2013November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania 1 Comment

Low turnout reflects hypocritical monitoring systems By Ray Hanania Southwest News-Herald Newspaper Friday April 12, 2013 Everyone likes to blame the low voter turnout each year on the “low quality” or the “corruption” of elected officials in government, but I like to blame it on something else, the hypocrisy of the monitoring systems. Those “monitoring…