Much like the Riverview Park of yore, Kiddieland is almost nothing more than memories now. This will be the final weekend for the decades-old amusement park in Melrose Park, and rather than dig back through old newspapers we thought we'd take a look at the place that will very soon be history. more ›

Riverview. Old Chicago. Kiddie Kingdom. Santa's Village. All bygone Chicago-area amusement parks that exist only as nostalgic memories. And after this year, Kiddieland in Melrose Park will be added to the list. Owners of the historic site that has entertained kids for 80 years have announced that this summer season will be their final one. more ›

Prosecutors yesterday detailed the case against former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo, accused of extorting the historic Kiddieland Amusement Park. Not for cotton candy and lifetime rides on the Tornado, but rather using "strong-arm tactics" to force the park to use security guards from Scavo's firm. Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephen Andersson also says that Scavo ran the security firm out of police headquarters and used on-duty Melrose Park police officers to patrol the firm's clients, leading to some "double dipping" -- they allegedly collected salaries from both Scavo and the village. Besides Kiddieland, feds say Scavo also shook down Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, truck engine manufacturer Navistar, and local bars and restaurants. more ›

Three men were busted this weekend for unloading $25 million worth of cocaine in Melrose Park. The Cook County Sheriffs High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team, in addition to demonstrating that fancyschmancy names for police units are not just made up for television, "observed three men picking through a full load of cattle hooves" packed on a truck. The men were apparently pulling out specific pallets that authorities say contained drugs. The hooves were just a cover, but man, what a weird thing to have a truckful of. Hooves. [AP]
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Eeeeheeeheeehehehe. More snow is on the way tonight--maybe another four inches. Anybody got some good boot recommendations? Mama needs a new pair of shoes. Speaking of shoe shopping, Anthropolgie? We vehemently disapprove of the term "shootie." Please join us in this protest. "Shooties" appears to be catching on, so the time to act is now. No to shooties! The term and the shoes, now that we think about it. Loyola is buying Gottlieb Memorial... more ›

Fuckin’ finally! Chicagoist was beginning to think it was a great week for shitty news, but then we read this. Joe Francis, our best friend and maker of Girls Gone Wild, pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting minors in his videos and now must pay fines totaling $2.1 million. He will pay $500,000 out of his own pocket. His production company, Mantra Films, must pay an additional $1.6 million to settle charges from a similar but... more ›

to-the-stomach piece on Joe Francis, creator of the Girls Gone Wild empire. When a tipster sent us the link to the article this weekend, we hastily passed it over without even opening the link, thinking it was some fluff piece on foam parties and topless girls gyrating to 120 bpms. Once we sat down and gave the article our full attention, we were sickened beyond belief and plagued with a number of thoughts on the state of our society. We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though … more ›

The local news is buzzing about the newborn boy found abandoned in a backyard in the suburbs. Melrose Park police report that neighbors found the child on Tuesday evening after the poor kid had been out in the cold for ten to twenty minutes, wrapped in nothing more than a woman's bathrobe. While the child (named Jesus Noel) is being cared for at Loyola University Medical Center, the police are looking for clues regarding the identity of the child's parents. more ›