Steve Goodman said it best in the song “Lincoln Park Pirates”: “Way, hey, tow them away!” Yep, Lincoln Towing Service is back in business after the decision revoking its license was reversed. The ghost of Ross Cascio has risen. For those of you who don’t remember Ross, he was the founder of Lincoln Towing Service, the most ruthless hook and drag car towers in Chicago. Cascio owned and ran the shop for over 20 years, and the sight of his trucks struck terror into the hearts of any driver who even thought about parking illegally. If you parked in a grocery store lot and ran across the street to pick up your dry cleaning, chances are your car would be gone before you returned and you’d have to pay a hefty fee to reclaim it.
Chicagoland’s other towing services have adopted Lincoln Towing’s modus operandi as a sort of badge of honor, or dishonor. So beware Chicago drivers, and especially out-of-town visitors, look carefully for any signage prohibiting parking. By law the parking restrictions must be posted, but they might be hard to spot.
— Michael Oakes, Chicago
Obama center will bring a positive light
Regarding the Obama Presidential Center, whose construction is delayed: The center would provide great resources and opportunities to the South Shore community and its people, and it will help bring a positive light to Chicago’s South Side. Jackson Park is a great location for the center, whose presence will help increase the population of people who visit this historic park daily.
The Obama Presidential Center is a representation of positive change for some and a fresh start for others.
— Safiya James, co-chairwoman, health and wellness team, South Shore Works, Chicago
Putting center in park threatens birds
Applause to those helping make Chicago more friendly to migrating birds. We must stop Chicago from being the most dangerous of all U.S. cities to the millions of migrating birds. New York City passed a bird-friendly ordinance, and it also protects its Frederick Law Olmsted-designed, tree-filled Central Park. Chicago should pass a bird-friendly ordinance, and it should also protect its Olmsted-designed park, with carbon dioxide-sequestering trees, which are located in a world-famous migrating bird flight path.
Construction of the Obama Presidential Center, featuring a 23-story, glass-clad building, should not be in Jackson Park. Chicago should not permit the center to inevitably exacerbate migrating bird mortality. The Chicago Ornithological and Audubon societies and bird collision monitors should work with Mayor Lori Lightfoot to help the Obama Foundation locate a South Side neighborhood that doesn’t involve a park. The location of the center should replace weedy lots and derelict buildings, not migrating bird-friendly mature trees.
— Charlotte Adelman, Wilmette
Coyotes a problem for small animals
I have to disagree with the current trend of defending the coyote. In my experience of over 40 years roaming the woods of suburban Cook County, it is my opinion that coyotes have decimated other species that used to exist in these woods. Compared to what I used to see, the woods are pretty sterile — devoid of fox and mink, and I can’t recall when I last saw a pheasant or rabbit. Raccoons and opossums are diminished. Even squirrels seem fewer.
The naturalists I’ve spoken to about this say my observations are “anecdotal.” I only know what I see (or don’t see). We have coyotes in our neighborhood regularly, and a few small dogs have been taken by them.
As far as I can tell, they kill anything they can handle, resulting in a decline in animals available to breed and keep the numbers up.
— Barry Blackmore, Thornton
Real feel? Let me determine that
I am so tired of hearing the TV weather people joyfully telling me what the wind chill temperatures will be. Just tell me what the real temperature is and let me decide how cold I will feel.
— Andy Weiss, Wheaton
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