Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
It’s a big day for holidays here in Chicago.
March 4 marks the city’s 187th birthday and Casimir Pulaski Day. 🎂
In today’s newsletter, we’re celebrating by listing 187 reasons why we love Chicago — just kidding! Our reasons are too many to name.
What we do have below is reporting on community efforts to save a Logan Square skate park, the future of the Chicago Spire hole, this year’s primary election and more community news you need to know this afternoon. 👇
Thanks for spending a little bit of your afternoon with us.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
Fans of battered but beloved Logan Boulevard Skate Park want to rebuild it: ‘Skateboarding saved my life’
Reporting by Audrey Hettleman
A park in need: When Caden Slovacek moved to Chicago from Colorado in 2021, he immediately looked for a skate park to keep up with his longtime hobby — and find community. When he went to Logan Boulevard Skate Park in Logan Square, Slovacek, 21, was surprised by what he saw. Parts of the wooden ramps were rotting. The metal lips of the ramps were pulled dangerously out of place. And then there was the pigeon poop all over the park.
Key quote: “The whole goal when you go to Logan — and falling is a part of skateboarding — is to never fall,” said Logan Laurie, founder of Logan Square Skate, a group of local skaters and community organizers trying to renovate the park. These days, if you skate there, “you have to throw out your clothes,” Laurie said.
Park rehab efforts: Logan Square Skate hopes to transform the park near Western Avenue and Logan Boulevard into a place where anyone can connect over their shared passion. Fans of the park say a full renovation is long overdue. The organization has raised $710,000 toward renovation efforts, well short of the estimated $2 million required to rehabilitate the park. If Logan Square Skate can secure the rest of its needed funding, the group hopes to break ground in the spring of next year. The group hired Los Angeles skate park design firm Spohn Ranch to devise the plans.
Will the park district step in?: “No park district funds have been committed to the project at this time,” a Chicago Park District spokesperson told the Sun-Times. The park’s location under the Kennedy Expressway means it falls under the Illinois Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction — and any changes in park design must get IDOT approval. Spohn Ranch provided plans at the beginning of February, which are now in the hands of the city and IDOT. It’s unclear when any action will be taken on the plans.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Old Chicago Spire site’s future: Construction has started on a pair of tapering, faceted towers designed by architecture firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill.
- Cook County state’s attorney race: Conservative donors in finance are supplying six-figure political donations to Cook County state’s attorney candidate Eileen O’Neill Burke, helping her open a gaping lead in fundraising over Clayton Harris III for the March 19 Democratic primary.
- Trump stays on ballot: The U.S. Supreme Court ended efforts to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the ballot in Illinois under the 14th Amendment with its reversal Monday of a decision by the Colorado Supreme Court.
- Dr. John Phair remembered: The father of musician Liz Phair, Dr. Phair was a professor and leading AIDS researcher who advocated for the compassionate care of patients. He died Feb. 19 at age 89.
- Tornado drill set for Wednesday: City agencies are urging Chicagoans to participate in a statewide tornado drill at 11 a.m. Wednesday, part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week.
- Joffrey Ballet preview: Joffrey’s 69th season and its fourth at the Lyric Opera House will feature productions “Atonement,” “Alice in Wonderland” and more.
ELECTIONS 2024 🗳️
Early voting sites opened Monday morning in each of the city’s 50 wards. Before you cast your vote, we’ve got some tools to help you this year.
- Find your polling place: We’ve got the full list of early voting sites here. They’ll be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
- Requesting a mail ballot: Residents have until March 14 to request a mail ballot, which must be postmarked by March 19. You can also drop your ballot off at a secure drop box located at all of the early voting sites. The request form is here.
- Who’s on the ballot?: Enter your address here and see what your ballot will look like, so that you can step into the booth feeling prepared.
- Meet your candidates: The Sun-Times and WBEZ checked in with the candidates running for office this year via a questionnaire that lays out where they stand on key issues.
- 2024 Voter Guide: We’ve got even more voting resources in our guide here.
- Follow along: Every day, our reporters are sharing the latest reporting on the election here — all available without a paywall, thanks to the generous support of our members.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Unseasonably warm weather greets thousands taking the annual Polar Plunge
Reporting by Kaitlin Washburn
The Polar Plunge into Lake Michigan is usually an annual demonstration of true grit for Chicagoans.
And while outdoor temperatures rose to the low 60s for Sunday’s plunge, participants said the 37-degree water made it a shivery experience.
“At first it was cold, and then you get in, and it’s still cold,” said Oscar Gutierrez, who wore an inflatable dinosaur. “But it was totally worth it.”
Over 5,000 people took a dip for the yearly benefit for Special Olympics Chicago and Special Children’s Charities programs. Organizers said it was the largest turnout in the event’s 24-year history, raising $1.9 million.
Some longtime participants said it was one of the warmest plunges in the event’s history.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, in his first plunge, collapsed into his son Owen’s arms and the incoming waves, without completely going underwater. The cast of TV’s “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” ran into the water. Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) fully committed and fell backward into a wave.
Else Kelly, a drummer with the Shannon Rovers who has taken the plunge for the last 17 years, said the warm weather made for an enjoyable day, but it was not as challenging as in years past.
“It’s not a true Polar Plunge if they’re not breaking ice off the shoreline,” Kelly said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
In honor of Chicago’s 187th birthday today, we want to know: What’s one thing you love about Chicago?
Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!
Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Afternoon Edition.
Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
