A few days back, as Chicago braced for a brutal heat wave, I listened intently to city officials discuss our preparedness. As a member of a small volunteer outreach group, we needed clear guidance on where to direct our unsheltered neighbors. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Simbo Ige rightly identified the city’s most vulnerable demographics: men, individuals over 65 and those who are already sick or patients with complex medical needs.
The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications website boasts 288 “cooling centers.” However, a closer look reveals a perilous disconnect between official pronouncements and on-the-ground reality. A staggering 110 of these “sites” are merely park district spray features — hardly a realistic solution for adults, seniors and individuals with chronic or severe health conditions, especially when signs at these sites indicate they are for children under 12. Even more alarming, many designated cooling centers were inaccessible over the recent weekend. Not a single senior center was open, leaving one of our most at-risk groups, senior citizens, dangerously exposed.
Our direct experience highlighted further critical failures. On the far Northwest Side, only three park field houses were open as cooling centers. One lacked central air conditioning, offering only a box fan in sweltering humidity. Crucially, none of these field houses were genuinely accessible for individuals with mobility disabilities. Wright Community College, an ideal cooling location, was inexplicably closed on that Sunday, one of the hottest days of the heat streak. Compounding these issues, none of the cooling centers we visited had clear signs indicating their status or hours of operation.
While five libraries were open for four hours and served as a much-appreciated refuge for our unsheltered neighbors, these isolated successes cannot mask systemic failures.
Chicago must do far more than simply list locations. We must dismantle the barriers to our designated cooling sites, ensuring they are truly accessible, welcoming and consistently open — especially during peak heat hours and on weekends. The lives of our most vulnerable residents depend on immediate and decisive action.
Monica Dillon, registered nurse, Northwest Side Outreach Volunteers, Norwood Park
Reducing special ed assistants is unfair to students
I have been a special education classroom assistant at Chicago Public Schools for 19 years, serving students with special needs. I can say that it is very difficult to serve a number of students at one time, especially with children who have high needs. Each student has an Individualized Education Program, which has to be followed to meet their specific needs.
With CPS’ plan to reduce these assistants, the students will definitely be affected negatively. I can say that even when colleagues are out sick for a day, it can create a complete schedule change for some assistants, which can result in them spending less time with their own student/students so they can be temporarily reassigned to a higher-risk student/students. If this happens regularly due to fewer of these assistants, it will not be fair to the students who require help, but who are now being prioritized less because of students with greater needs.
I realize that CPS has a big deficit and Chicago is still on the fence about giving CPS tax increment financing money to cover its budget shortfalls. I hope that the state Legislature can come up with a solution to the funding shortfall, so that students’ IEPs can be properly met without losing special education classroom assistants in the process.
Mary Hobaugh, Dunning
‘Underground Chicago’ story captures the magic of print
Shout-out to the team behind the recent Sun-Times piece on “Underground Chicago.”
The article hit home on the value of local newspapers. It appropriately addressed an internet sensation that created misconceptions, interviewed credible sources and educated me and my son about the fascinating history of the tunnels under the city.
My favorite part? I get the printed paper because I’m a big believer in the physical. Having the paper on the table invites others to read with you, easily share and pulls us out of our cellphone wormholes. As I was sitting there with my coffee, my 8-year-old Minecraft-loving son noticed the headline and pictures. “Tunnels in Chicago?” he asked.
It led to me reading the local article with him, an absolute WOW! of wonder when we turned the page to see the extensive tunnel map on Page 8, truth coming from papers — not fake social media — and his curiosity sparked. Yes, newspapers are cool.
Chris Liang-Vergara, North Center
Barraged with review requests
What’s with customer reviews? Everybody seems to want one. Phone providers, insurance agents, real estate agents, furniture salespeople, etc. I reviewed the gentleman who sold me my cellphone, and when I saw my published review, it was one of a few dozen he had within that past week. Same with the guy I bought my table from, and the friendly U.S. Postal Service clerk who weighed a parcel I mailed. I receive emails requesting reviews following customer service calls I make to my doctors, retailers and utility companies. Are employers pressuring their employees for these? Are they using them when it comes time for evaluations?
Just wondering what’s up with this influx of requests for reviews.
Gary Charles Metz, LaGrange Park