Ladybug lady
Since waging her annual campaign 12 years ago to furnish every household in Worth with containers filled with 50 ladybugs, specially imported from California, Ruth Cantwell has learned lots of lessons about living with the creepy, crawly creatures.
For instance, she says, it`s best to store them on ice. (”That way they`ll hybernate briefly; otherwise they`ll get in your hair, in your bed, everywhere.”) Don`t leave them on people`s doorsteps. (”They`ll cook in the hot sun.”) And please don`t leave them unattended in the refrigerator. (”A husband once took a container of the bugs . . . out of the refrigerator, thinking it was cole slaw. He turned around for a minute, and when he looked back, he had a plate full of bugs.”)
At first considered an oddity, Cantwell, 73, is now in great demand in Worth and several neighboring communities for her unique solution to the insidious maple scale bugs, which attack maple trees. ”I did not mean to get popular, it just happened,” she said. ”At my age, I was going to quit this year. But I guess I just want to help everybody.”
Swine savior
Barbara Chadwick is having second thoughts about moving from downtown Chicago to Schaumburg, now that she`s learned the village, which prides itself on being progressive and thoughtful, is sponsoring its first pig roast and pig race next month.
Chadwick says the event, held by the Park District to raise money for Spring Valley Heritage Farm, is insensitive. Furthermore, she says, it`s appalling to force the hogs to chase one another in 95-degree heat and to watch the poor porkers rotate in a rotisserie.
”Pigs are regarded as being more intellegent than dogs and make better pets than dogs,” she said. ”This is just one more form of animal
exploitation.”
Chadwick just happens to be director of Animal Rights Mobilization, the group that annually stages the Fur Free Friday protest against Michigan Avenue furriers the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year.
She has complained to Park District officials about stopping the swine show, but so far, she says, they have been pig-headed. ”They haven`t gotten enough complaints to call things off,” she said. ”So we`re getting dozens and dozens of our people to write letters and call to complain, and we are meeting to decide whether to stage a protest.”
Trolley trauma
Officials at the Illinois Railway Museum and nearly 100 volunteers who spent countless hours restoring 30 antique streetcars, some toiling for almost 15 years, were heartbroken about a power failure that forced the cancellation of a run along the 4th of July parade route in Hoffman Estates.
”We had all the cars lined up and were going to start in 10 minutes when the power went out,” said Greg Heier, the museum`s superintendent of operations, noting that a featured attraction was to be the unveiling of the turquoise-and-salmon Electroliner, which made its last run between Milwaukee and Chicago in 1963. ”Most are stored in barns and never come out until the 4th of July.”
But Heier is hoping the disappointment over the cancellation can motivate volunteers to raise money so the museum can replace its faulty electrical substation, which caused the power outage.
Road accessory
The next time you cruise through Orland Park and spot all the trendy-looking silver armbands being modeled by those outdoorsy, athletic types, realize they`re more than a fashion statement.
Police Chief Charles Rabideau started the fad, hoping the bright, reflective accessory will curb traffic accidents, which have been escalating in recent years with the number of joggers, bikers and walkers invading the roadways.
For just $1, residents can pick up a safety armband at the police station. ”Our goal is to provide the public with preventive measures so that they may enjoy their activities as safely as possible,” Rabideau said.
The blurbs
Chris Nelson, 11, of Hoffman Estates was recently awarded a $500 scholarship from the village`s Fire Department to attend Camp Duncan, a burn camp in Ingleside. Firefighters also gave Chris a duffel bag, a jacket and T- shirt. . . . Chicago, home of the World`s Largest Office Party, has nothing on Joliet, which recently held the World`s Largest Office Party (in a Parking Deck). The event benefited the homeless.
