Gunshots were heard at about 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the 5200 block of West Pensacola Avenue in Portage Park, at about the same time a stolen vehicle was read story
New Dunning sports field dedicated
by BRIAN NADIG
A May 28 dedication ceremony celebrated the new Chicago Park District sports complex near Oak Park Avenue and Irving Park Road which will be used by Taft High School and Saint Patrick High School.
“It’s an amazing thing. … You have to see it up close to see how great it is for (the community),” Alderman Nicholas Spsoato (38th) said of the multi-purpose artificial playing surface. “It’s pretty soft, too.”
In an interview after the ceremony, Spsoato said that in the past Astroturf would be installed over asphalt but that a mix of crush stone and sand was used under the artificial surface for the new field. It will accommodate baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, rugby and football.
A park district official reported that the district has 2,000 reservations for the field for the remainder for 2019, according to Sposato.
“It’s probably going to be very tight (permit) scheduling. You’re on until 2 p.m., and the next is on right at 2 p.m.,” Sposato said.
While the field and lights have been installed, the spectator stands are in the process of being installed, and plans call for a structure with a concession stand and restrooms, Sposato said. The stands will be able to seat at least 2,000 people, and there will be a 90-space parking lot.
Officials at the dedication ceremony included park district chief operating officer Patrick Levar Jr., Sposato and baseball hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr. and Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, whose foundations helped fund the project. Saint Patrick High School also invested in the project.
The field is located just to the north of the Taft Freshman Academy, 4071 N. Oak Park Ave., which is opening in September and which will include an outdoor track and a 60-space parking lot. In addition, a new sports field is being installed at the Taft varsity campus at 6530 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
(photos by William Swanson)
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story. Skip every pop-up.
Get the full weekly edition delivered to your inbox — no interruptions, no waiting. Just local news the way it was meant to be read.
Only $19.50/year — less than 38¢ a week
Subscribe Now
This is just part of today’s coverage. Get the full story - every article, every ad, every page. Subscribe now.
The Latest From Our Community
by BRIAN NADIG About a dozen smash-and-grab-style commercial burglaries in Edgebrook, Jefferson Park and Portage Park were reported to have occurred early Wednesday morning, Oct. 14, in the 16th (Jefferson read story
by BRIAN NADIG At least nine smash-and-grab-style commercial burglaries in Edgebrook, Jefferson Park and Portage Park were reported to have occurred early Wednesday morning, Oct. 14, in the 16th (Jefferson read story
by BRIAN NADIG Violent offenses reportedly are down 34 percent on the CTA from a year ago as the agency targets a section of the Red Line where criminals are read story
Two men reported that a man fired shots at them at about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, in the 5300 block of West Berteau Avenue, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police. A 25-year-old man reported that read story
The second annual “Sip and Shop” in “Jeff West” will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, running along Lawrence Avenue from Austin Avenue on the west and Major Avenue read story
Browse by Category
No Pop-Ups
Weekly Digital Edition
Read every story.
Skip every pop-up.
No pop-up ads — ever. Just stories, the way they were meant to be read
Full weekly edition delivered to your inbox every week — no waiting, no missing issues
Support local journalism and help keep our community connected
Only $19.50/year
That's less than 38¢ a week
Purchase Digital Subscription
Paypal
$19.50
/year
You can submit your payment via Paypal with a Credit Card. You DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT.. Just click the “Paypal Subscribe” button below to iniate your secure payment! You will be directed to a Secure Paypal page in which you can pay with a Paypal account if you have one, or you can select "Pay with Debit or Credit Cardt" option below and process your payment via credit card.
Venmo
$19.50
/year
You can submit payment of $19.50 for a 1 year subscription to Nadig Newspapers' Venmo account using this link. Please include the email address in the comment/note section that you would like the digital subscription sent to.