By Adam Verwymeren
Medill Reports - Chicago

With Mayor Daley poised to slash 1,000 government jobs to plug a $400 million deficit, the city's TIF budget continues to do booming business.

The Beverly Theatre Guild has announced the cast for the first production of its 2008-2009 Season, "Dancing at Lughnasa." The first of six perofrmances begins Oct. 17 at Morgan Park Academy Arts Center, 2153 West 111th St. The play is set in fictional Ballybeg, Ireland, where Michael, raised by his unmarried mother and four spinster aunts in 1930’s Ireland, recounts the story from when he was 7 years old. Their lives are interrupted by the arrival the boy’s long-lost father and his uncle, returned after 25 years as a missionary in Africa. The cast includes Linda Roberts, Eileen Casey, Kara Ewinger, Kay Capasso and Tobi Lowrance, all pictured above.

Welcome to the Southwest Observer's new feature - iWitnessed. Every week or so we'll post a close-up photo of local importance ranging from schools to churches to businesses to historical landmarks.

In return, we'll be asking our registered users to try to figure our just what the heck it is that they're looking at. At the end of each contest we will reveal the full photo along with a couple tidbits (just to let ya know that we're up on our neighborhood history as well as the next guy).

After reading a piece in the Southtown Monday about 27-year-old Beverly resident and chainsaw artist Ben Schlitz, we figured we'd offer curious neighbors the chance for a self-guided tour of his local carvings.

The Southwest Observer is commemorating its one-year anniversary, kicked off by the annual South Side Irish Parade.

West Beverly native and professional journalist Michael Fielding and Web designer Steve Delmont joined nearly 120 other entrants in the 30th annual South Side Irish Parade, marching proudly down Western Avenue before more than 250,000 onlookers March 9.

The Bagpipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department's Emerald Society - which participates annually at the South Side Irish Parade - stopped by TR's Pub in Mount Greenwood a few hours after the 30th annual parade concluded March 9. This is a clip of the group's moving performance for the hometown crowd.

The Beverly Arts Center (BAC) presented its 2007 Annual Awards Nov. 29. Through the awards, the BAC recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the Center and the arts in the South and Southwest sides as well as suburban communities.

Meditative. Aloft. Inspired. Intimate. Utilitarian.