Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
As kids all over the Chicago area went trick-or-treating last night, Sun-Times reporter Mohammad Samra joined one family making the rounds with one special Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
Seven-year-old Zayden Garrett was in the hospital just weeks ago, recovering from a gunshot wound — making every moment he laughed, jumped and ran with excitement Thursday all the more remarkable as he defied doctors’ expectations.
In today’s newsletter, we learn more about Zayden’s journey.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the growing popularity of Dia de Muertos marigolds for local flower sellers, the very Chicago story behind the city’s next Christmas tree and more community news you need to know below.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
From hospital bed to Halloween haunts, 7-year-old gunshot victim just thrilled to be a Ninja Turtle
Reporting by Mohammad Samra
Zayden’s story: He may have dressed as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Halloween, but second grader Zayden Garrett’s speed in recovering from gunshot wounds more resembles Wolverine.
The timeline: Doctors and family members didn’t expect Zayden to be released from Comer Children’s Hospital by Halloween, let alone be able to go trick-or-treating, after he was struck by gunfire at his West Pullman home a little over three weeks ago.
The shooting: Zayden and his 27-year-old uncle were both critically wounded in the shooting at his home just after 9 p.m. Oct. 7, relatives and Chicago police said. Gunmen outside in two cars fired into the home, with bullets ripping through several rooms and into the bodies of the boy and his uncle, who was outside.
‘God said otherwise’: In the days after the attack, doctors at Comer removed half of Zayden’s right lung, the top part of his left lung and part of a bullet from his chest. Rosie Liggins, Zayden’s grandmother, said doctors had expected Zayden to be in the hospital for about four weeks. “But God said otherwise,” Liggins said the night her grandson was released, a little over a week after the shooting.
Hospital to Halloween: On Thursday, the 7-year-old was running, jumping and strutting — as a Ninja Turtle would — with relatives on southwest suburban blocks filled with dozens of pint-sized princesses, Elmos, witches and Cookie Monsters. He showed no signs of his wounds Thursday as he collected candy with his twin brother and cousins.
Key quote: As her 7-year-old Ninja Turtle bolted from house to house in search of his next treat, Liggins reflected on how far Zayden had come. “I actually thought he wouldn’t have made it to this day,” Liggins said. “Just seeing him, being out here, being able to trick-or-treat and it’s a nice day, all of that [makes me] very happy.”
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Dia de los Muertos blooms: Cempasúchil, Day of the Dead’s iconic flower, adorns altars to departed loved ones. Flower shops in Chicago are selling more marigolds than ever in recent years due to the holiday going mainstream.
Blue Island sued: Two Blue Island property owners are suing the south suburb over late fees for unpaid water bills they say were illegally designed to bring in more money.
Remembering Arthur ‘Art’ Albores: When Mr. Albores died, his three sons looked back at his life and came up with a list of life lessons they would share in his obituary. The blueprint included “Buy flowers for your wife,” “Never miss a parade” and much more. He died Oct. 12 at age 94.
Cubs’ consent decree: The Chicago Cubs have agreed to fix alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act at Wrigley Field in a proposed consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department.
Goodbye ‘Boo Bash’: Thousands of costumed trick-or-treaters flocked to the Mars Wrigley factory in Galewood Thursday for the company’s final “Boo Bash” event. The factory is set to close at the end of the year.
2 stars for ‘Here’: Tom Hanks and Robin Wright reunite as one of several couples dwelling over the years in a particular corner of the Earth in this ambitious and disappointing film, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper.
WEEKEND PLANS 🎉
📸 Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright
Through Jan. 5
📍Driehaus Museum, 50 E. Erie St.
This exhibit explores the architect’s early photography and images by the photographers who documented his work.
Admission: $10+
❤️ Dia de los Muertos celebration
Friday, 4–6 p.m.
📍Marquette Park Cultural Center, 6743 S. Kedzie Ave.
Visit this family-friendly gathering to honor deceased loved ones and enjoy performances, games and community resources.
Admission: Free
🛍️ Sauced Night Market
Friday and Saturday, 5–10 p.m.
📍Half Acre Beer Co., 2050 W Balmoral Ave.
Grab a drink and shop from more than 50 vendors selling everything from clothes to art, vintage home goods and more.
Admission: Free
🎶 National Cuatro Festival
Saturday, 7–10 p.m.
📍Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St.
Celebrate Puerto Rico’s cuatro music in the 26th iteration of this showcase of skilled musicians and vocalists.
Admission: $61+
🥧 South Side Pie Challenge
Saturday, 2–5 p.m.
📍Ray Elementary School, 5631 S. Kimbark Ave.
One of the city’s longest-running juried amateur pie-baking events returns, raising money for Hyde Park and Kenwood hunger programs.
Admission: $30
👟 Hot Chocolate Run
Sunday, 7:30 a.m.
📍Grant Park 301 S. Columbus Drive
Hit a 5K, 10K or 15K run, or a 2-mile walk, then enjoy a postrun party with live music, food, and of course, hot chocolate.
Admission: $64+
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Planted with love nearly 50 years ago, 54-foot blue spruce to become Chicago’s official Christmas tree
Reporting by Mitch Dudek
If the tree that’s been selected to be the city’s official Christmas tree this year was any more Chicago it would have an accent and maybe say “tree” instead of three.
The 54-foot tree will be plucked from the front yard of a Logan Square home in the 2500 block of North Kimball Avenue that has a new family moving in.
Sarah Holden and her husband, Dave Shaddick, their daughters, Hazel and Pearl, as well as three cats and three lizards, are about to move a few blocks from their current home and into the historic Victorian — their dream home — after three years of renovations.
The tree, a blue spruce, was planted when the previous owner, Jim Mulligan, moved into the home in 1976. Mulligan, whose family came to the U.S. from Ireland, worked for the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation and hosted near-weekly summer yard sales — more for conversation than commerce.
For Sarah Holden, offering the spruce to the city seemed a natural fit. She wrote to the city as part of an annual contest in which residents pitch their trees for consideration. Her letter explained how Mulligan planted it and how he was a beloved character. She was surprised when she got a call saying the tree had been chosen.
She has been given VIP seats for the tree-lighting ceremony Nov. 22 in Millennium Park and has offered a number of them to the Mulligan family.
“My dad got that tree when it was just a little shrub in a pot as a gift from my grandmother,” said Mulligan’s daughter, Gerrie Mulligan, a school bus driver who lives in Romeoville.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
Starting today, Lite FM is playing Christmas music nonstop.
How early do you start listening to Christmas music? Tell us why. 🎄
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Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Esther Bergdahl
Copy editor: Angie Myers