Chicago’s forgotten neighborhood names – Chicago Tribune

Good morning, Chicago.

On this Memorial Day weekend as veterans from across the armed services are remembered, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden went to Uvalde, Texas, Sunday to comfort a city grieving the killings of 19 elementary school students and two teachers at the hands of a lone gunman.

The visit to Uvalde was Biden’s second trip in as many weeks to console a community mourning a staggering loss after a shooting. He traveled to Buffalo, New York, on May 17 to meet with victims’ families and condemn white supremacy after a shooter espousing the racist “replacement theory” killed 10 Black people at a supermarket.

At Robb Elementary School, Biden stopped at a memorial of 21 white crosses — one for each of those killed — and the first lady added a bouquet of white flowers to a pile in front of the school sign. They viewed individual altars erected in memory of each student, and the first lady touched the children’s photos as the couple moved along the row.

Also on Sunday, the Justice Department announced an investigation into the police response to the Texas school shooting. It is an unusual federal look back, prompted by questions about the shifting — and at times contradictory — information from authorities that have enraged a community in shock and sorrow.

Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the review would be conducted in a fair, impartial and independent manner and the findings would be made public.

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The Chicago Transit Authority has long been a shelter of last resort for homeless riders, especially in cold weather and especially on the Red and Blue lines, which offer 24-hour service.

But passengers sheltering on trains have become more visible during the COVID-19 pandemic as the number of office commuters dropped and as finding space in shelters or other typically reliable options became challenging. Homeless passengers have drawn heightened attention from the city, CTA and other riders over the past two years.

Each time a police siren wailed or an airplane whirred overhead, Olena Raczkiewycz would relive the terror of her last few days in Ukraine, when Russian tanks and bombs besieged her country.

This sensation lasted for the first month or so after her late February escape from Kyiv. The everyday innocuous sounds that might mimic an air raid alert or rockets launching could plunge her into a state of turmoil.

Although she’s now in Chicago and safe, the trauma of fleeing her home amid war still lingers.

The city’s current map of 77 communities and neighborhoods was created by the University of Chicago’s Social Science Research Committee in the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to create order and identity and ease the census-taking process. But some old neighborhoods pop up in online maps, revealing glimpses into former lives.

Experts say every corner of the city is awash in defunct names and neighborhoods that disappeared. The names come from old settlements that preceded modern Chicago. Some were communities built on commuter transit lines in the rapidly expanding city. Others were the creations of real estate agents eager to create branding for new housing construction.

The Chicago Cubs’ process to creating another World Series contender requires again overhauling the major-league roster, writes the Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro.

There is nothing disputable about the statement. Whether this is called a rebuild depends on the perspective. Don’t expect any Cubs personnel to refer to the organization’s current undertaking as such, but ultimately, it’s semantics. The Cubs clearly have major work to do to compete for a division title — or even a postseason appearance.

Sueños Music Festival in Grant Park brought Chicago its first two-day Latin reggaeton festival, highlighted by a sunny sky and perfect breeze.

A fest-reported 45,000 attendees came Saturday to celebrate community and get down to reggaeton, dembow, corridos and Latin trap delivered by a roster of major acts and rising stars on the festival stage. Ozuna and El Alfa topped the night’s bill, stepping out on the extended stage walkway with mics in hand, pyrotechnic flames shooting up behind them and fans cheering to their front, left and right.