Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Lyons buys new fire engine Village board welcomes new police officer By Steve Metsch A new fire engine is being purchased by Lyons. It’s one of three vehicles being purchased by the village. The village board, at its Sept. 18 meeting, unanimously approved buying the three vehicles with the biggest being a new fire engine….
Lyons honors employees Four have a combined 111 years service By Steve Metsch The Lyons Village Board honored four employees with plaques recognizing their longtime service. The four have a combined 111 years working for the village. Rich Vabro has worked 30 years with the water department, is the foreman. Vabro “is very vital to…
Glenn Hughes rocks St. Charles Former Deep Purple bassist/singer an ageless wonder By Steve Metsch Please forgive the delay for this review. Life gets busy. But when you catch yourself still thinking about a concert nearly three weeks later, it’s worth writing about. I journeyed out to the lovely and intimate 900-seat Arcada Theatre in…
Railroad “flyover” discussed Proposal would cut risks, move Summit businesses By Steve Metsch Reducing the risk of potential accidents, along with ending delays in commuter railroad service, are goals of a proposed “flyover” that could be built west of Summit Park. It’s all part of sweeping rail improvements proposed by the Illinois Department of Transportation…
Blues hit it big in Lyons First-ever festival draws 3,000 music lovers By Steve Metsch The first-ever Windy City Blues Fest in Lyons was deemed a success by organizers, performers and fans. Larger than expected crowds were seen Saturday and Sunday at Cermak Park on Ogden Avenue, Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty said Monday. Getty said…
Leyden dominates Lyons, 31-3 Senior lineman Cushing injured as team falls to 1-4 By Steve Metsch Here’s hoping the dance went better than the football game. Leyden, with three touchdowns by junior running back Vincent Fredrickson, pounded Lyons Township 31-3 Saturday, spoiling the Lions’ homecoming. To make matters worse, lineman Emmett Cushing suffered what appeared…
Brew Moon Fest gets grant Township of Lyons backs Oct. 20 festival in McCook By Steve Metsch The annual Brew Moon Beer & Band Festival, set for next month, is getting some assistance from the Township of Lyons. The township’s board of trustees, by unanimous vote, approved giving the organizers $750 to help make the…
Birthday girl has the blues Tomiko Dixon excited for first Blues Fest in Lyons By Steve Metsch There’s no better way for Tomiko Dixon to celebrate her birthday than to play the blues music she loves at a new festival. Dixon is playing Saturday at the first-ever Windy City Blues Fest, hosted by the Windy…
Democratic faithful rally Fall Festers told “get out the vote” By Steve Metsch A well-attended Fall Fest, hosted by Citizens for Steve Landek, attracted some big names in the Democratic Party as they rallied the troops. The fest was held Sept. 8 on the sidewalk in front of the Lyons Township Democratic Organization, 7678 W….
Pritzker packs ’em in Candidate for governor visits Brookfield By Steve Metsch It’s doubtful the Brookfield Ale House has ever been so packed at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday. But it was standing room only Aug. 28 when J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic nominee for governor, paid a visit. The Lyons Township Democratic Organization hosted. “We…
The Great Marijuana Debate Experts discuss ramifications of legalized pot By Steve Metsch Billed as “The Great Marijuana Debate,” a discussion by a panel of experts drew a standing room only crowd to the La Grange Village Hall. Those in attendance were flooded with a steady flow of statistics and medical opinions which left some…
Summit remembers Sept. 11th Fire lieutenant calls for day of healing By Steve Metsch On the 17thanniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9-11, about 30 people gathered outside the Summit Fire House on 59thStreet Tuesday morning. The American and POW-MIA flags were lowered to half-staff. A wreath was placed at the base of the flagpole…
Lyons football seeks answers Team is 0-3, and loses starting QB By Steve Metsch Lyons Township’s football team finds itself in an unenviable situation. The Lions are winless in three games after being blanked 28-0 at home Sept. 7 by York. And, starting quarterback J.J. Dutton is out with a broken wrist on his throwing…
Cheap Trick perseveres Weather vocal woes, deliver solid show By Steve Metsch Several times during Sunday night’s concert at Naperville’s Last Fling, held on Rotary Hill. something didn’t sound quite right. The normally impressive, soaring vocals of Robin Zander were seemingly stuck in neutral. There was a flatness and grittiness to his vocals that, frankly,…
New ambulance in Summit Automated lift among many improvements By Steve Metsch It took a few moments, but Summit firefighters were able to figure out how to operate an automated, self-loading stretcher during a demonstration to a visitor. Hey, it takes a while to learn all the bells and whistles in their new ambulance. They…
Bandits swept in title bid Despite success, pro softball ignored in Chicago By Steve Metsch Sitting in the stands at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont on Saturday evening, I caught myself wondering a few things as I watched the Chicago Bandits play the USSSA Pride in a do-or-die game. One, why wasn’t it…
Summer reading succeeds in Lyons Director: Best turnout in the past three years By Steve Metsch “Reading on the Railroad,” the summer reading program at the Lyons Public Library, has been deemed a success. Library Director Dan Hiker said the program was the most successful in his three years at the helm. “We’re pleased with…
National Night Out in Lyons Annual event links residents with village police, fire By Steve Metsch Residents of Lyons got to know their village departments, specifically police and fire, a bit better on Aug. 7. That’s when Lyons, for the third straight year, participated in National Night Out, which was being held in widespread communities…