Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
And Happy Earth Day.
In today’s newsletter, we’re looking into one big way some locals are being environmentally conscious — eco-friendly “green” burials.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the first federally recognized tribal nation in Illinois, historically low voter turnout in Illinois and more community news you need to know below. 👇
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Eco-friendly burials — a ‘grassroots movement’ on the rise
Reporting by David Struett
‘Green burials’ grow: As traditional burials increasingly fall out of favor — 60% of interments are now cremations — more people are considering “green” funerals than at any time in recent memory.
What makes it ‘green’?Green burial is a catchall term for many new, far-out interment options, including human composting and aquamation, also called water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis. For many, a green burial option could simply be placing a body directly into the ground, according to Sam Perry, a mortuary science professor at Southern Illinois University.
One woman’s story: Before Ruth Laskowski died of skin cancer, she asked to be buried as naturally as possible. “She didn’t want her body filled with a chemical that would preserve her,” said her husband, Erwin. “She just wanted to be in the ground and for us to plant flowers and say a Hail Mary.” Her husband fulfilled that wish when she died in August 2021 at age 75, burying her in a newly opened green burial section of a Chicago-area cemetery.
Calling on history: The process, also called natural burial, means skipping many of the environmentally unfriendly practices of modern burial culture and returning to the type of burial practiced for centuries by our ancestors. Before the age of modern burial practices, people were simply placed into the ground wrapped in cloth or inside a wooden box. Jewish and Muslim traditions still follow rules that closely align with natural burials.
Key quote: “It’s interesting, because the majority of the world buries this way, and our ancestors did, but it’s an ironic modern problem that we’re concerned now with being environmentally friendly,” Perry said.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- A first for Illinois: Prairie Band Potawatomi, the first federally recognized tribal nation in Illinois, has been established after a federal decision placed 130 acres into trust, giving the tribal nation sovereignty over the land.
- Low voter turnout statewide: The March 19 election will go down in Illinois history as having the lowest voter turnout for a presidential primary since at least 1960.
- $70M for migrant crisis: City Council members on Friday approved $70 million in surplus spending that, with assistance from the county and state, is expected to cover expenses through the end of the year to care for asylum-seekers sent to Chicago from the Southern U.S. border.
- Who’s throwing Democratic convention parties? Five event production companies, nearly all based in Chicago, will be throwing the official parties for the Democratic National Convention in August.
- What are the most popular dog breeds in Chicago? WBEZ analyzed data on more than 84,000 dogs registered with the city to find Chicago’s top dogs, as well as which breeds are most common in which neighborhoods.
- 3 stars for ‘Brooklyn Laundry’: Mark Montgomery and Cassidy Slaughter-Mason display great chemistry in John Patrick Shanley’s love story about hurt people, writes Sheri Flanders in a review for the Sun-Times.
SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS 🌱
Explore Northerly Island Park
Today’s suggestion comes from Sun-Times reporter Kaitlin Washburn, who recommends enjoying the great outdoors at Northerly Island Park, near the museum campus.
Storied strip of land: “Northerly Island Park is a hidden gem and a storied strip of Chicago history,” Kaitlin says. “Daniel Burnham once envisioned it as the northernmost point in a series of man-made islands stretching between Grant and Jackson parks, according to the Chicago Park District. The park was also the site of the Century of Progress World Fair in 1933.
It also was once Meigs Field, the city’s downtown airport Mayor Richard M. Daley had bulldozed overnight in 2003.”
Beauty reborn: “Today, the park offers a winding walking path among tall prairie grasses, native plants, a 5-acre pond and a killer view of downtown,” Kaitlin says. “The sanctuary also makes for good bird-watching just in time for the spring migration, if you’re into that.”
Get involved “The park district also offers youth nature programs, guided nature field trips and tours, camping, fishing, paddling and other annual seasonal festivals,” Kaitlin tells me.
📍Northerly Island Park, 1521 S. Linn White Drive.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Chicagoans build community while seeking special vinyl on Record Store Day
Reporting by Erica Thompson
For some Dusty Groove customers, Record Store Day began with coffee, doughnut holes and a magician.
On Saturday, dozens lined up outside the record store at 1120 N. Ashland Ave., which provided free refreshments and entertainment before opening its doors at 7 a.m.
By 10 a.m., the store was still humming with activity as vinyl lovers sought out their favorites from the more than 380 exclusive releases, which included popular projects from Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan, Pearl Jam, David Bowie, the Beatles and Record Store Day ambassador Paramore.
But for many customers, the 17th annual celebration of independent record stores was more about community-building and nostalgia rather than the special titles. Several mentioned the joy of spending time with loved ones, meeting new people and reminiscing about the past.
Jay Williams and his friends, for example, created a ritual around visiting Dusty Groove, Shuga Records and Reckless Records each Record Store Day.
“It’s like a religious thing,” said Williams, 54, of Glenview, who purchased several jazz records and CDs. “We may not get together any other time of the year, but we always get together on this day.”
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Where in the city is your favorite place to see springtime flowers bloom?
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!
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
