Carver Family Celebrates 119 Years in Same House
By Brian Marchetti Villager Contributor In 1907, Frederick B. Carver had a house built at 9557 S. Vanderpoel Ave. The two-story four-bedroom home came into existence as Beverly/Morgan Park transitioned out of its rural roots into an early iteration of its present-day form. More than a century later, the Carver family still owns the property […]
‘Everything We Need is Right Here’: Mike and Debbie Barnum Celebrate 50 Years in the Same Beverly/Morgan Park Home
By Brian Marchetti Villager Contributor On Sept. 11, 1976, Mike and Debbie Barnum purchased a home at 98th and Hamilton in the Beverly neighborhood. They thought the brick bungalow might serve as a temporary residence until their next move, but 50 years later, their love for the house and the neighborhood gave them more than […]
Marathoner Plans to Run Every Street in 19th Ward in Training For Chicago’s Big 26.2 Mile Race
BAPA staff reports Mike Hurley never left the 19th Ward to get his education. He attended St. John Fisher Elementary School, Brother Rice High School and Saint Xavier University. Now, he’s not planning to leave the ward while training for his fourth marathon this fall. In fact, Hurley plans to run along every single street […]
Garden Club Helping Lead Clean and Green at Beverly Arts Center
By Tim Moran Villager Editor Among the most impressive public gardens in Beverly/Morgan Park is the Roy Diblik Garden of Living Art outside the Beverly Arts Center. Impeccably maintained year in and year out by the Garden Club of Morgan Park-Beverly Hills, that garden and its surrounding area is one of the most visible locations set for the community-wide […]
Local Author Celebrates Friendship, Handmade Gifts in New Children’s Book
By Nuha Abdessalam Villager Contributor At bedtime in the DeSmit house, there’s one rule: Josie gets a story. It has to be pretend. It has to be new. And it has to be good enough to pull a four-year-old toward sleep after a long day. One night, out of ideas and out of steam, Olivia DeSmit made something up about a rabbit learning to […]
Joys, Sorrows, Wine and Words: Beverly/Morgan Park Women Share Life’s Moments at Book Club with 25-Year History
By Terri Colby For The Villager Memories are a bit faded of our first gathering in 2000 at a now-defunct coffee shop on 107th Street where we planned to set aside time from our busy lives to focus on literature and book discussions. What’s clear, though, is that six of the women at that original […]
Our Own St. Cajetan Warrior Wins Jimmy V Award for Perseverance
BAPA staff reports One of the most prestigious awards in all of sports now belongs to Beverly/Morgan Park’s very own Katie Schumacher-Cawley. Schumacher-Cawley, a neighborhood native and 1993 St. Cajetan Elementary School alum received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2025 ESPY awards held on July 16 at the Dolby Theatre in Los […]
Passion for Earth Becomes Business for Beverly/Morgan Park Resident
By Brian Marchetti Villager Contributor A woman living in Beverly/Morgan Park has turned her passion for a cleaner, more sustainable environment into a successful business. By offering plastic-free packaging and biodegradable products, she hopes to do her part and help others achieve their aims in her eco-friendly space. Randi Alexander and her business partner, Todd […]
Fruit Tree Growers Encouraged to Join Regional Group Led by Beverly/Morgan Park Gardener
By Tim Moran Villager Editor The Midwest Fruit Explorers, MidFex for short, is a group of gardening enthusiasts across the city and suburbs who show a particular interest in growing fruit trees. The group, which has been around since the 1970s and originated on the Northwest Side of Chicago, is now led by a Beverly/Morgan […]
BAPA New Neighbor Program – Meet Michael and German of Central Beverly
By Brian Marchetti Beverly/Morgan Park’s newest residents include a woman returning to her home neighborhood and her significant other who hails from Milan, Italy. Please welcome Michael and German. The couple recently moved into their new home near 107th and Hoyne at the beginning of October along with their dog, a German Spitz named Lux. […]