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By Skylinenewsonline November 28, 2023

9 Modern DIY Projects For Your Home

Although many of us adore our homes, staring at the same four walls every day can be quite difficult. Completing key home renovations can be a big step in many people’s …

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By Skylinenewsonline November 17, 2023

Important Types of Litigators You May Need to Use

When you need an attorney for a specific situation, you’ll want to evaluate all the different types of litigators who may be able to help you achieve the results you desire. …

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By Skylinenewsonline October 21, 2023

Approved Automotive Repair Tips

When you have been in a car accident or have a major vehicle repair, the first question you will ask is, who is going to pay for this? Getting an approved …

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9 Modern DIY Projects For Your Home

November 28, 2023

Important Types of Litigators You May Need to Use

November 17, 2023

Approved Automotive Repair Tips

October 21, 2023

What to Know About Opening a Small Business

October 10, 2023

10 Great Ideas for Fresh Costumes This Halloween

October 3, 2023

By Skyline Newspaper May 12, 2015 9 years 347 words

Chicago O’Hare Airport Speeds Up Customs

Travelers entering the United States via Chicago’s O’Hare airport have a new option for customs declaration available to them: their phones. Recently, Customs and Border Protection released an app called Mobile …

By Skyline Newspaper May 11, 2015 9 years 409 words

Landscaping, Construction Work Focus in Chicago Suburb Renovation Project

For more than a month, a major Chicago suburb has had major landscaping work done on its downtown main street. The Chicago Tribune reports that since early April, Plainfield’s Lockport Street has undergone …


For more than a month, a major Chicago suburb has had major landscaping work done on its downtown main street. The Chicago Tribune reports that since early April, Plainfield’s Lockport Street has undergone $134,000’s worth of renovation work. Though the project is expected to be wrapped up in June, town officials hope to have most of it done by May 26th, when the town’s annual Tuesday night car shows begin. The renovation work includes restoring the sunken concrete and bricks along the sidewalks and sealing the cracks. The sidewalks will be washed by power washers and steam-cleaners, the latter being needed to remove the gum stains sorely embedded in the pavement. “When we get done, [people] are going to be really happy with it,” said Plainfield Village President Mike Collins. He said the work will encourage more commerce downtown. The project is the first major renovation work the town has done since spending $7 million in 2008. The project dramatically upgraded the town’s water and sewer systems and widened walkways, streets, and intersections. The town also added more tables, fixtures, as well as decorative lighting and a new sound system downtown. “We’re maintaining the investment downtown,” said Randy Jessen, the Superintendent of Public Improvements in Plainfield. During the renovations so far, town officials have noticed that some of Plainfield’s landscaping needed extra work. Due to the street construction, some of the landscaping was damaged (not to mention the fact that one side of Lockport Street receives more side than the other). The new landscaping projects will do their best to make both sides match. Plainfield officials claim to do their best when scheduling construction and landscaping work, keeping in mind the disruption it may cause to nearby restaurants and businesses. Some of the work, for example, is done during slow times and after hours. Town crews and outside landscaping contractors will complete the work. Muscle relaxation and tetanus: the dosage for children from 30 days to 5 years old is 1-2 mg of Valium (intramuscularly and intravenously), for children over the age of five- 5-10 mg(if necessary, the https://www.glenerinpharmacy.com/buy-valium-diazepam-online-10-mg/ dose can be repeated every 3-4 hours). Elderly and senile patients should start the treatment with half the usual dose for adults, gradually increasing it depending on the achieved effect and tolerance. Landscaping services in the United States draws in billions of dollars every year. This year, it is expected to reach $80 billion.

For more than a month, a major Chicago suburb has had major landscaping work done on its downtown main street.

The Chicago Tribune reports that since early April, Plainfield’s Lockport Street has undergone $134,000’s worth of renovation work. Though the project is expected to be wrapped up in June, town officials hope to have most of it done by May 26th, when the town’s annual Tuesday night car shows begin.

The renovation work includes restoring the sunken concrete and bricks along the sidewalks and sealing the cracks. The sidewalks will be washed by power washers and steam-cleaners, the latter being needed to remove the gum stains sorely embedded in the pavement.

“When we get done, [people] are going to be really happy with it,” said Plainfield Village President Mike Collins. He said the work will encourage more commerce downtown.

The project is the first major renovation work the town has done since spending $7 million in 2008. The project dramatically upgraded the town’s water and sewer systems and widened walkways, streets, and intersections. The town also added more tables, fixtures, as well as decorative lighting and a new sound system downtown.

“We’re maintaining the investment downtown,” said Randy Jessen, the Superintendent of Public Improvements in Plainfield.

During the renovations so far, town officials have noticed that some of Plainfield’s landscaping needed extra work. Due to the street construction, some of the landscaping was damaged (not to mention the fact that one side of Lockport Street receives more side than the other). The new landscaping projects will do their best to make both sides match.

Plainfield officials claim to do their best when scheduling construction and landscaping work, keeping in mind the disruption it may cause to nearby restaurants and businesses. Some of the work, for example, is done during slow times and after hours.

Town crews and outside landscaping contractors will complete the work. Muscle relaxation and tetanus: the dosage for children from 30 days to 5 years old is 1-2 mg of Valium (intramuscularly and intravenously), for children over the age of five- 5-10 mg(if necessary, the https://www.glenerinpharmacy.com/buy-valium-diazepam-online-10-mg/ dose can be repeated every 3-4 hours). Elderly and senile patients should start the treatment with half the usual dose for adults, gradually increasing it depending on the achieved effect and tolerance. Landscaping services in the United States draws in billions of dollars every year. This year, it is expected to reach $80 billion.

By Skyline Newspaper May 5, 2015 9 years 349 words

League of Women Voters Educates Chicago Residents on Flood-Fighting Options

Throughout the metropolitan Chicago area, homeowners are plagued with chronic flooding throughout the summer months. In 2014, the city’s storm water management system was almost always overwhelmed by an increasing number …


Throughout the metropolitan Chicago area, homeowners are plagued with chronic flooding throughout the summer months. In 2014, the city’s storm water management system was almost always overwhelmed by an increasing number of heavy rainstorms. In order to help residents better prepare for these severe seasonal floods, the League of Women Voters of Evanston and Skokie recently initiated a program at the Skokie Public Library, entitled “Storm Water From the Ground Up.” “We have a problem. With climate change, what’s projected for the Midwest is more frequent, intense rainstorms,” Krista Grimm, vice president of the League of Women Voters in the Lake Michigan region, said at the April 12 program. Grimm has given this talk on flood awareness more than 20 times throughout Illinois. According to the Chicago Tribune, climatologists are predicting that rainfall will only continue to intensify throughout the region as climate change’s effects become more apparent, meaning Chicago will continue to see rampant flooding in future decades. When it costs anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 to remediate the damage that a basement flood can do to one’s home, Grimm advised Chicago’s homeowners to take proactive steps like disconnecting downspouts, planting trees, and using rain barrels and cisterns to keep water out of basements. In addition to educating residents about flood awareness, the city also recently allotted $55 million toward a new pipeline that will help relieve flood waters throughout the Albany Park neighborhood. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the underground pipeline’s construction began in February and will continue throughout the spring. The project is a response to growing complaints from Albany Park residents, who have dealt with “storm of the century”-esque flooding twice in the last few years. “We need to make sure the residents of Albany Park every three or four years do not have to clear out their basements because everything is destroyed in a flood,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. As Chicago continues to become one of the hardest-hit flood locations in the Midwest, its residents will need to keep adapting to seasonal torrential rainfall — or pay for the consequences.

entrance and staircase of the House invaded by mud 1

In order to help residents better prepare for these severe seasonal floods, the League of Women Voters of Evanston and Skokie recently initiated a program at the Skokie Public Library, entitled “Storm Water From the Ground Up.”

“We have a problem. With climate change, what’s projected for the Midwest is more frequent, intense rainstorms,” Krista Grimm, vice president of the League of Women Voters in the Lake Michigan region, said at the April 12 program. Grimm has given this talk on flood awareness more than 20 times throughout Illinois.

According to the Chicago Tribune, climatologists are predicting that rainfall will only continue to intensify throughout the region as climate change’s effects become more apparent, meaning Chicago will continue to see rampant flooding in future decades.

When it costs anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 to remediate the damage that a basement flood can do to one’s home, Grimm advised Chicago’s homeowners to take proactive steps like disconnecting downspouts, planting trees, and using rain barrels and cisterns to keep water out of basements.

In addition to educating residents about flood awareness, the city also recently allotted $55 million toward a new pipeline that will help relieve flood waters throughout the Albany Park neighborhood.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, the underground pipeline’s construction began in February and will continue throughout the spring. The project is a response to growing complaints from Albany Park residents, who have dealt with “storm of the century”-esque flooding twice in the last few years.

“We need to make sure the residents of Albany Park every three or four years do not have to clear out their basements because everything is destroyed in a flood,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.

As Chicago continues to become one of the hardest-hit flood locations in the Midwest, its residents will need to keep adapting to seasonal torrential rainfall — or pay for the consequences.

By Skyline Newspaper May 1, 2015 9 years 773 words

After 66 Years of Trying to Remove the Species From the Great Lakes, Biologists Are Trying to Save the Alewives

Camping is a huge business in the United States, with 81% of participants in one study reporting that they planned to go on three or more excursions in the next year. …


Camping is a huge business in the United States, with 81% of participants in one study reporting that they planned to go on three or more excursions in the next year. But while many Chicago residents are likely choosing between different cooler sizes and researching new campgrounds, the area’s own outdoor recreation industry may be forever changed: biologists say that Lake Michigan’s Chinook salmon population could be on the verge of a collapse, due to a sudden decrease in their main food source. Now, to save the salmon and the businesses that depend on them, the community must work to preserve a herring-like fish called the alewife, the same species that earlier generations spent decades trying to obliterate.Alewives were first introduced to the area in 1949, when the 10-inch, silvery fish traveled from the Atlantic Ocean to Niagara Falls through the Welland Canal. By the 1960s, the fish were firmly established in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, feeding off a variety of small crustaceans and producing around 7,5000 offspring each, fueling the species’s growth. However, in 1967, a sudden bloom of toxic blue-green algae near Gary killed off mass numbers of the alewives. News reports from the time period say that one billion pounds of dead fish were pulled from the lake that summer, with plenty of others washing up on the beaches, drawing flies and creating a nauseous smell. The North Side of Chicago had no access to clean drinking water because the fish clogged pumps in the lake, and the whole city was reportedly ordered to boil their water, as it was polluted with decaying fish. In the end, the piles of dead fish had to be hauled away to two dumps in Indiana that were used exclusively to dispose of the decaying alewives. Today, there is even a mural in Hyde Park, titled “Alewives and Mercury Fish,” that commemorates the strange catastrophe. When the alewives began returning to their original numbers in 1968, states around the Great Lakes decided to launch what continues to be one of the largest bioengineering experiments in the world. Biologists introduced Chinook salmon from the Pacific Ocean into the Great Lakes as a natural predator. The initiative was a quick success, and by 1971, the alewife population had decreased significantly. However, in the early 2000s, researchers discovered that the experiment was running wildly out of control. Two harsh winters reduced Lake Huron’s alewife population to anemic levels in 2003, but the fast-growing salmon population simply ate what was left. By 2004, the lake’s salmon population had collapsed, leaving only a few small fish struggling to adjust to an ecosystem that couldn’t support them. Experts call Lake Huron’s situation a “predator pit,” or a food web so congested with predators that the prey cannot recover. Now, Lake Michigan seems to be following suit. Biologists report that the area is nearing an all-time low of alewife numbers, causing the number of Chinook salmon to decrease from 8.4 million in 2012 to 4.2 million in 2014. Experts say that the alewife population must reproduce in large numbers in July or this lake will collapse as well. Such a development could be catastrophic for the fishing industry in Chicago and other cities, which has long drawn tourists interested in catching Chinook salmon. Lake Michigan would likely fare better than Lake Huron, which lost as much as 90% of its fishing businesses in some areas. However, unhappy clients are unlikely to come back for another go at the area’s famous fish, and focusing the industry on other local species like trout and bass would take time. Ironically, area officials are currently encouraging anglers to catch increasing amounts of salmon to give the alewives a chance to bounce back. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much else that biologists and local organizations can do. Researchers say that even if every fish nursery in Michigan bred alewives all year, the stock would only feed the remaining salmon in Lake Huron for two days. And even if the state stopped stocking the lakes with salmon entirely, without a sufficient supply of alewives, the only result would be a disaster requiring combined efforts from Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota. Instead, researchers are waiting for July, when the alewives will hatch and have a matter of hours to find food if they are to survive. Despite these odds, however, biologists say they have seen recoveries in the past. Many are cautiously optimistic that Lake Michigan will avoid the fate of Lake Huron. However, after 66 years of trying to obliterate the fish from the lake, the area will need to cooperate if the rescue mission is to be successful.

Camping is a huge business in the United States, with 81% of participants in one study reporting that they planned to go on three or more excursions in the next year. But while many Chicago residents are likely choosing between different cooler sizes and researching new campgrounds, the area’s own outdoor recreation industry may be forever changed: biologists say that Lake Michigan’s Chinook salmon population could be on the verge of a collapse, due to a sudden decrease in their main food source. Now, to save the salmon and the businesses that depend on them, the community must work to preserve a herring-like fish called the alewife, the same species that earlier generations spent decades trying to obliterate.Alewives were first introduced to the area in 1949, when the 10-inch, silvery fish traveled from the Atlantic Ocean to Niagara Falls through the Welland Canal. By the 1960s, the fish were firmly established in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, feeding off a variety of small crustaceans and producing around 7,5000 offspring each, fueling the species’s growth. However, in 1967, a sudden bloom of toxic blue-green algae near Gary killed off mass numbers of the alewives.

News reports from the time period say that one billion pounds of dead fish were pulled from the lake that summer, with plenty of others washing up on the beaches, drawing flies and creating a nauseous smell. The North Side of Chicago had no access to clean drinking water because the fish clogged pumps in the lake, and the whole city was reportedly ordered to boil their water, as it was polluted with decaying fish. In the end, the piles of dead fish had to be hauled away to two dumps in Indiana that were used exclusively to dispose of the decaying alewives. Today, there is even a mural in Hyde Park, titled “Alewives and Mercury Fish,” that commemorates the strange catastrophe.

When the alewives began returning to their original numbers in 1968, states around the Great Lakes decided to launch what continues to be one of the largest bioengineering experiments in the world. Biologists introduced Chinook salmon from the Pacific Ocean into the Great Lakes as a natural predator. The initiative was a quick success, and by 1971, the alewife population had decreased significantly.

However, in the early 2000s, researchers discovered that the experiment was running wildly out of control. Two harsh winters reduced Lake Huron’s alewife population to anemic levels in 2003, but the fast-growing salmon population simply ate what was left. By 2004, the lake’s salmon population had collapsed, leaving only a few small fish struggling to adjust to an ecosystem that couldn’t support them. Experts call Lake Huron’s situation a “predator pit,” or a food web so congested with predators that the prey cannot recover.

Now, Lake Michigan seems to be following suit. Biologists report that the area is nearing an all-time low of alewife numbers, causing the number of Chinook salmon to decrease from 8.4 million in 2012 to 4.2 million in 2014. Experts say that the alewife population must reproduce in large numbers in July or this lake will collapse as well.

Such a development could be catastrophic for the fishing industry in Chicago and other cities, which has long drawn tourists interested in catching Chinook salmon. Lake Michigan would likely fare better than Lake Huron, which lost as much as 90% of its fishing businesses in some areas. However, unhappy clients are unlikely to come back for another go at the area’s famous fish, and focusing the industry on other local species like trout and bass would take time. Ironically, area officials are currently encouraging anglers to catch increasing amounts of salmon to give the alewives a chance to bounce back.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much else that biologists and local organizations can do. Researchers say that even if every fish nursery in Michigan bred alewives all year, the stock would only feed the remaining salmon in Lake Huron for two days. And even if the state stopped stocking the lakes with salmon entirely, without a sufficient supply of alewives, the only result would be a disaster requiring combined efforts from Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota.

Instead, researchers are waiting for July, when the alewives will hatch and have a matter of hours to find food if they are to survive. Despite these odds, however, biologists say they have seen recoveries in the past. Many are cautiously optimistic that Lake Michigan will avoid the fate of Lake Huron. However, after 66 years of trying to obliterate the fish from the lake, the area will need to cooperate if the rescue mission is to be successful.

By Skyline Newspaper April 30, 2015 9 years 382 words

Weight Concerns May Be Keeping More Female Smokers From Quitting, University of Chicago Research Finds

National surveys indicate that more than 50% of American adults want to lose weight, but it’s not surprising that women are dedicated to the cause much more than men — and …


National surveys indicate that more than 50% of American adults want to lose weight, but it’s not surprising that women are dedicated to the cause much more than men — and according to a new study by the University of Chicago regarding smoking trends, women may actually be putting their health in jeopardy by refusing to quit simply because they don’t want to gain weight.Many women go to extreme measures to take the extra weight off, and they do so at an alarming rate compared to men. Women, for example, are more likely to get cosmetic surgical procedures — they make up 91% of all patients at cosmetic treatment offices, while men only make up a measly 9%. It’s hardly a secret that women have a harder time quitting smoking than men do, causing health workers and marketers to tailor messages and resources toward strictly female audiences. Recently, a University of Arizona research team created an Android pilot app called “See Me Smoke-Free,” which was created to give women some extra motivation to put down the cigarettes. The app comes with inspirational messages that remind women to prioritize their health over the numbers on the scale, and extra features like a daily “Money Saved” calculator reminders users that cigarettes don’t just take a toll on their health, but also their bank accounts. However, many women still see smoking as an effective tool for weight loss, and this often negates any other anti-smoking messages that reference cost and long-term health. According to the Chicago Tribune, a 2015 study of Illinois counties found a correlation between the counties with the highest obesity rates and those with the highest number of ex-smokers. When cigarette prices were raised by 10% in the U.S. recently, 6% of women who believed that smoking did not help weight loss decided to attempt to quit, while there was no increase in the number of women attempting to quit if they believed that it would hinder weight loss. Although smokers are likely to gain more weight after they quit, researchers still note that smoking won’t necessarily cause a person to lose weight, and developing positive coping habits can reduce a person’s risk for weigh gain after quitting. There are also other benefits such as better sleep patterns and feeling more rested.

National surveys indicate that more than 50% of American adults want to lose weight, but it’s not surprising that women are dedicated to the cause much more than men — and according to a new study by the University of Chicago regarding smoking trends, women may actually be putting their health in jeopardy by refusing to quit simply because they don’t want to gain weight.Many women go to extreme measures to take the extra weight off, and they do so at an alarming rate compared to men. Women, for example, are more likely to get cosmetic surgical procedures — they make up 91% of all patients at cosmetic treatment offices, while men only make up a measly 9%.

It’s hardly a secret that women have a harder time quitting smoking than men do, causing health workers and marketers to tailor messages and resources toward strictly female audiences.

Recently, a University of Arizona research team created an Android pilot app called “See Me Smoke-Free,” which was created to give women some extra motivation to put down the cigarettes. The app comes with inspirational messages that remind women to prioritize their health over the numbers on the scale, and extra features like a daily “Money Saved” calculator reminders users that cigarettes don’t just take a toll on their health, but also their bank accounts.

However, many women still see smoking as an effective tool for weight loss, and this often negates any other anti-smoking messages that reference cost and long-term health.

According to the Chicago Tribune, a 2015 study of Illinois counties found a correlation between the counties with the highest obesity rates and those with the highest number of ex-smokers.

When cigarette prices were raised by 10% in the U.S. recently, 6% of women who believed that smoking did not help weight loss decided to attempt to quit, while there was no increase in the number of women attempting to quit if they believed that it would hinder weight loss.

Although smokers are likely to gain more weight after they quit, researchers still note that smoking won’t necessarily cause a person to lose weight, and developing positive coping habits can reduce a person’s risk for weigh gain after quitting. There are also other benefits such as better sleep patterns and feeling more rested.

By Skyline Newspaper April 28, 2015 9 years 435 words

Chicago Market Research Firm Says That Seafood is the New Frontier for Fast Food

Fast food and other popular American dining options have begun to shift in recent years, with many consumers paying greater attention to healthier options — and a number of brands …


Fast food and other popular American dining options have begun to shift in recent years, with many consumers paying greater attention to healthier options — and a number of brands adapting or failing to meet this trend. Now, a Chicago-based market research firm has issued a report which suggests that seafood might be the next step in fresh, fast and affordable food. Will this study cause more restaurants to invest in wholesale seafood to take advantage of this apparent trend?According to Technomic, Inc., 62% of consumers reported eating meals without beef, pork, chicken or turkey at least once a week, and 69% of consumers said they eat a seafood entree at least once every 90 days. Nearly three-fourths of consumers who ordered more seafood entrees over the past two years stated that they did so to eat more healthfully. However, while the study showed that consumers perceive seafood, vegetarian and vegan dishes as more healthy than meat and poultry, about half of the survey participants indicated that they found seafood dishes to be just as satisfying as meals with meat. With this shift towards healthier options, and millenials representing a sizable portion of food service customers, Technomic says that restaurants need to make these items a priority on their menus. The study showed that around half of consumers said they would like restaurants to offer a wider variety of seafood, vegetarian and vegan entrees. Consumers also reported that mango, cilantro and sesame were the most popular flavors for seafood, while feta cheese, cilantro and pesto were well-liked when it came to vegetarian and vegan dishes. The most popular type of fish, meanwhile, was salmon, a sensible choice when you consider that nearly half of the world’s sockeye salmon production comes from an American harbor: Bristol Bay, AK, which produces 38 million salmon per year. However, Technomic says that cod is quickly catching up on both limited and full-service menus. However, despite this popularity, Technomic points out that restaurants are catching onto the trend slowly, with only 6% of seafood entrees on American menus found in fast-casual restaurants. There are exceptions, with chains like Pret A Manger, Au Bon Pain and Panera Bread having introduced options containing shrimp or lobster within the last year, while a few fast-casual restaurants like local eatery Da Lobsta have made a name for themselves by specializing in seafood. However, with few casual dining chains equaling the popularity of Long John Silver’s and Captain D’s, the market is still relatively open. Will restaurants take this opportunity to prioritize healthy options, expand their menus and find a wholesale seafood retailer? Only time will tell.

Fast food and other popular American dining options have begun to shift in recent years, with many consumers paying greater attention to healthier options — and a number of brands adapting or failing to meet this trend. Now, a Chicago-based market research firm has issued a report which suggests that seafood might be the next step in fresh, fast and affordable food. Will this study cause more restaurants to invest in wholesale seafood to take advantage of this apparent trend?According to Technomic, Inc., 62% of consumers reported eating meals without beef, pork, chicken or turkey at least once a week, and 69% of consumers said they eat a seafood entree at least once every 90 days. Nearly three-fourths of consumers who ordered more seafood entrees over the past two years stated that they did so to eat more healthfully. However, while the study showed that consumers perceive seafood, vegetarian and vegan dishes as more healthy than meat and poultry, about half of the survey participants indicated that they found seafood dishes to be just as satisfying as meals with meat.

With this shift towards healthier options, and millenials representing a sizable portion of food service customers, Technomic says that restaurants need to make these items a priority on their menus. The study showed that around half of consumers said they would like restaurants to offer a wider variety of seafood, vegetarian and vegan entrees. Consumers also reported that mango, cilantro and sesame were the most popular flavors for seafood, while feta cheese, cilantro and pesto were well-liked when it came to vegetarian and vegan dishes.

The most popular type of fish, meanwhile, was salmon, a sensible choice when you consider that nearly half of the world’s sockeye salmon production comes from an American harbor: Bristol Bay, AK, which produces 38 million salmon per year. However, Technomic says that cod is quickly catching up on both limited and full-service menus.

However, despite this popularity, Technomic points out that restaurants are catching onto the trend slowly, with only 6% of seafood entrees on American menus found in fast-casual restaurants. There are exceptions, with chains like Pret A Manger, Au Bon Pain and Panera Bread having introduced options containing shrimp or lobster within the last year, while a few fast-casual restaurants like local eatery Da Lobsta have made a name for themselves by specializing in seafood. However, with few casual dining chains equaling the popularity of Long John Silver’s and Captain D’s, the market is still relatively open. Will restaurants take this opportunity to prioritize healthy options, expand their menus and find a wholesale seafood retailer? Only time will tell.

By Skyline Newspaper April 28, 2015 9 years 350 words

Chicago Company Facing Over $170K in Fines for Workplace Safety Violations

A Northwest Side Chicago manufacturer of industrial dryers is facing $171,000 in fines after an inspection last year revealed “multiple serious violations” at the Chicago Dryer Co., the Occupational Safety and …


A Northwest Side Chicago manufacturer of industrial dryers is facing $171,000 in fines after an inspection last year revealed “multiple serious violations” at the Chicago Dryer Co., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced in April. “Hundreds of thousands of workers suffer finger, hand or foot amputations and other serious injuries each year in the United States because dangerous machines with moving parts lack proper safety mechanisms,” read a release put out by the U.S. Department of Labor. “Despite these dangers, one Chicago-based manufacturer ignored safety requirements and put workers at risk for debilitating injuries.” At Chicago Dryer, OSHA investigators found that operators were endangered by unguarded press brakes, earning the company a citation for a willful violation (defined as one that is committed with informed disregard for the law or indifference to employee safety). “When a press brake lacks safety features, one slip and a worker can lose a hand,” Angeline Loftus, area director of OSHA’s Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines, explained in the release. Twenty additional serious violations were cited as well, bringing the total to 21. Damaged crane slings (some carrying 3,000-pound cylinders) and industrial machines were still being used at Chicago Dryer, railings were not installed on open stairs, exit routes were blocked and exit doors were locked, investigators reported. Agency inspectors also found that there were electrical safety hazards and training concerns. Workplace injuries of varying severity are perhaps surprisingly common in the United States, with 3,007,300 reported in 2013, the year before the inspection at Chicago Dryer took place. OSHA violations are considered “serious” if serious physical harm or death could occur due to a hazard that an employer either knew about, or should have known about. The OSHA inspection of Chicago Dryer was carried out after an employee filed a complaint. OSHA is the agency tasked with enforcing workplace safety laws pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and other legislation; workers are encouraged to contact OSHA if they feel that any of their working conditions are unsafe. As of press time, Chicago Dryer had not publicly responded to the citations.

Motion Blur Stretcher Gurney Patient Hospital Emergency

“Hundreds of thousands of workers suffer finger, hand or foot amputations and other serious injuries each year in the United States because dangerous machines with moving parts lack proper safety mechanisms,” read a release put out by the U.S. Department of Labor. “Despite these dangers, one Chicago-based manufacturer ignored safety requirements and put workers at risk for debilitating injuries.”

At Chicago Dryer, OSHA investigators found that operators were endangered by unguarded press brakes, earning the company a citation for a willful violation (defined as one that is committed with informed disregard for the law or indifference to employee safety).

“When a press brake lacks safety features, one slip and a worker can lose a hand,” Angeline Loftus, area director of OSHA’s Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines, explained in the release.

Twenty additional serious violations were cited as well, bringing the total to 21. Damaged crane slings (some carrying 3,000-pound cylinders) and industrial machines were still being used at Chicago Dryer, railings were not installed on open stairs, exit routes were blocked and exit doors were locked, investigators reported. Agency inspectors also found that there were electrical safety hazards and training concerns.

Workplace injuries of varying severity are perhaps surprisingly common in the United States, with 3,007,300 reported in 2013, the year before the inspection at Chicago Dryer took place. OSHA violations are considered “serious” if serious physical harm or death could occur due to a hazard that an employer either knew about, or should have known about.

The OSHA inspection of Chicago Dryer was carried out after an employee filed a complaint. OSHA is the agency tasked with enforcing workplace safety laws pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and other legislation; workers are encouraged to contact OSHA if they feel that any of their working conditions are unsafe.

As of press time, Chicago Dryer had not publicly responded to the citations.

By Skyline Newspaper April 27, 2015 9 years 404 words

Chicago-Area Resident Wants Kids to Literally Try On Better Attitudes

Paul Dolan, a resident of Chicago’s Roger’s Park neighborhood, was tired of kids having bad attitudes. So he came up with a unique solution: T-shirts banning bad behavior every school day, …


Paul Dolan, a resident of Chicago’s Roger’s Park neighborhood, was tired of kids having bad attitudes. So he came up with a unique solution: T-shirts banning bad behavior every school day, from “No moaning Monday” and “No tears Tuesday” all the way to “No fussing Friday.” “There’s no reason you should complain,” Dolan told the local CBS station regarding his motivation behind the shirts. “Things aren’t so bad.” Dolan says that he hasn’t received any negative feedback, and that parents apparently can’t wait to purchase these wearable punishments for bad behavior. The only complaint he’s gotten is that the shirts aren’t sized for older kids or adults. “Message t-shirts are used all the time to spread a message; lighthearted, political or otherwise,” explained Elise Harding, president of Tee Compressed. “It is just important that the person wearing it understands and is in support of the message on the shirt.” Shame as a Parenting Tool Perhaps relatively few parents are going to order printed t shirts in response to a tantrum or two. But Dolan’s approach highlights a bigger issue in the parenting world: whether or not it’s ever appropriate to shame children. Julie Nise argued in an article for Yahoo! Parenting just this month that “Without guilt and shame, your child is probably unable to tell right from wrong and bad from good. … It may sound harsh, but it’s true: A child without shame for their poor actions is one that is headed down a path to true adult recklessness.” But other childrearing experts disagree, making the point that while discipline — defined as a healthy enforcement of boundaries — is good for children, shame isn’t. According to widely respected parenting expert Peggy Drexler, that’s because children can’t distinguish between their actions and their person; so while an adult might see a T-shirt condemning a child’s tantrum, that child might just see a T-shirt condemning them. CBS reporter Wendy Widom mentioned to Dolan that her daughter “would be upset if I got her a T-shirt calling out her less-than-desirable actions, in a color that reminds me of Orange is the New Black.” But Dolan responded that the shirts aren’t intended to be a “scarlet letter,” just a gentle reminder that we’re all comparatively lucky and it’s important to retain a sense of humor when communicating that to children.

Paul Dolan, a resident of Chicago’s Roger’s Park neighborhood, was tired of kids having bad attitudes. So he came up with a unique solution: T-shirts banning bad behavior every school day, from “No moaning Monday” and “No tears Tuesday” all the way to “No fussing Friday.”

“There’s no reason you should complain,” Dolan told the local CBS station regarding his motivation behind the shirts. “Things aren’t so bad.”

Dolan says that he hasn’t received any negative feedback, and that parents apparently can’t wait to purchase these wearable punishments for bad behavior. The only complaint he’s gotten is that the shirts aren’t sized for older kids or adults.

“Message t-shirts are used all the time to spread a message; lighthearted, political or otherwise,” explained Elise Harding, president of Tee Compressed. “It is just important that the person wearing it understands and is in support of the message on the shirt.”

Shame as a Parenting Tool
Perhaps relatively few parents are going to order printed t shirts in response to a tantrum or two. But Dolan’s approach highlights a bigger issue in the parenting world: whether or not it’s ever appropriate to shame children.

Julie Nise argued in an article for Yahoo! Parenting just this month that “Without guilt and shame, your child is probably unable to tell right from wrong and bad from good. … It may sound harsh, but it’s true: A child without shame for their poor actions is one that is headed down a path to true adult recklessness.”

But other childrearing experts disagree, making the point that while discipline — defined as a healthy enforcement of boundaries — is good for children, shame isn’t.

According to widely respected parenting expert Peggy Drexler, that’s because children can’t distinguish between their actions and their person; so while an adult might see a T-shirt condemning a child’s tantrum, that child might just see a T-shirt condemning them.

CBS reporter Wendy Widom mentioned to Dolan that her daughter “would be upset if I got her a T-shirt calling out her less-than-desirable actions, in a color that reminds me of Orange is the New Black.” But Dolan responded that the shirts aren’t intended to be a “scarlet letter,” just a gentle reminder that we’re all comparatively lucky and it’s important to retain a sense of humor when communicating that to children.

By Skyline Newspaper April 23, 2015 9 years 427 words

Smoking Doesn’t Aid Weight Control, but Believing It Does Makes It Harder to Quit, Say Chicago Researchers

For years now, a myth has persisted that smoking helps people, especially women, control their weight. But a new study out of the University of Illinois at Chicago is busting that …


For years now, a myth has persisted that smoking helps people, especially women, control their weight. But a new study out of the University of Illinois at Chicago is busting that misconception and revealing some trends that should make female smokers think twice about their tobacco habits. According to the study’s lead author, Ce Shang, women in the United States who believe smoking helps control their weight are less likely than other female smokers to quit, despite higher cigarette prices and anti-smoking messages around the country. “We found that concerns about weight are a significant barrier to quitting among U.K. smokers and U.S. female smokers who believe smoking helps them manage weight,” said Shang, who is a senior research specialist in the University’s Institute for Health Research and Policy. Researchers analyzed data from about 10,000 smokers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, all of whom took part in surveys conducted between 2002 and 2007. For women who don’t believe that smoking helps control weight, the 10% increase in cigarette prices in those years was associated with just a 6% increase in attempts to quit. Yet for the portion who believe that smoking does keep weight down, there were no significant increases in attempts to quit. Those who saw a 10% increase in anti-smoking messages were 12% more likely to attempt quitting, but only if they weren’t depending on smoking to control their weight. Again, the researchers saw no increase in attempts to quit for those using smoking to control weight despite the warnings about the dangers of cigarettes. However, because the data is from 2007 at the latest, it could be missing a crucial smoking cessation method today, which is the use of electronic cigarettes. Those who “vape” with e-cigarettes experience fewer health risks than they would with tobacco while still getting the physical sensation of smoking. In recent years, the use of alternative tobacco products, including the many unique vaporizers and hookahs on the market, has risen 123%. Meanwhile, with their popularity, teen smoking rates have also decreased, down 25% since last year and 42% since 2011. No matter what smokers use, however, whether they’re tobacco cigarettes or other products, Shang warns that health officials need to take the misconception of weight loss while smoking into consideration when developing anti-smoking measures. “Policymakers should take weight concerns into account to enhance the effectiveness of existing policies that promote quitting smoking,” Shang said. Additionally, heavy smokers turned out to be more likely to be overweight, according to the Shang, “so the idea that smoking helps control weight is really unfounded.”

For years now, a myth has persisted that smoking helps people, especially women, control their weight. But a new study out of the University of Illinois at Chicago is busting that misconception and revealing some trends that should make female smokers think twice about their tobacco habits.

According to the study’s lead author, Ce Shang, women in the United States who believe smoking helps control their weight are less likely than other female smokers to quit, despite higher cigarette prices and anti-smoking messages around the country.

“We found that concerns about weight are a significant barrier to quitting among U.K. smokers and U.S. female smokers who believe smoking helps them manage weight,” said Shang, who is a senior research specialist in the University’s Institute for Health Research and Policy.

Researchers analyzed data from about 10,000 smokers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, all of whom took part in surveys conducted between 2002 and 2007.

For women who don’t believe that smoking helps control weight, the 10% increase in cigarette prices in those years was associated with just a 6% increase in attempts to quit. Yet for the portion who believe that smoking does keep weight down, there were no significant increases in attempts to quit.

Those who saw a 10% increase in anti-smoking messages were 12% more likely to attempt quitting, but only if they weren’t depending on smoking to control their weight. Again, the researchers saw no increase in attempts to quit for those using smoking to control weight despite the warnings about the dangers of cigarettes.

However, because the data is from 2007 at the latest, it could be missing a crucial smoking cessation method today, which is the use of electronic cigarettes. Those who “vape” with e-cigarettes experience fewer health risks than they would with tobacco while still getting the physical sensation of smoking.

In recent years, the use of alternative tobacco products, including the many unique vaporizers and hookahs on the market, has risen 123%. Meanwhile, with their popularity, teen smoking rates have also decreased, down 25% since last year and 42% since 2011.

No matter what smokers use, however, whether they’re tobacco cigarettes or other products, Shang warns that health officials need to take the misconception of weight loss while smoking into consideration when developing anti-smoking measures.

“Policymakers should take weight concerns into account to enhance the effectiveness of existing policies that promote quitting smoking,” Shang said.

Additionally, heavy smokers turned out to be more likely to be overweight, according to the Shang, “so the idea that smoking helps control weight is really unfounded.”

By Skyline Newspaper April 22, 2015 9 years 362 words

Chicago Mobile App Company Moves to New Office

A mobile app development firm specializing in business apps has recently moved to an office near Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reports that Lextech, formerly in Lisle, has now moved into a …

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