Blue Sky Times: Gun Violence Prevention, Beyoncé Concert and Coffee 

Chicagoans are approaching their last glimpse of warm weather this week. In the spirit of sunshine and 80 degrees Fahrenheit days, our weekly news column aims to bring readers of The Phoenix some peaceful news that feels the same. 

Office of Gun Violence Prevention 

President Biden announced the creation of the first ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention which will aim to reduce gun violence by implementing and expanding on existing   executive and legislative action, according to the White House website. 

The office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been a key leader in the Biden Administration’s efforts to address gun violence in America. Biden’s policy advisor Stefanie Feldman will serve as director of the office alongside gun violence prevention advocates Greg Jackson and Rob Wilcox, who will serve as deputy directors. 

Firearms have been the number one cause of death among children over the last three years, according to CNN.

“The Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart,” Biden wrote in a statement.

Un-bear-able Temptation

It turns out donuts have a universal appeal, which isn’t limited to just humans. After a Krispy Kreme delivery driver parked their van at a gas station on a military base in Alaska and left the back doors open, a family of opportunistic black bears climbed in and feasted, The Washington Post reported.

For around 20 minutes, the mother bear and one of her cubs treated themselves to around 36 donuts and 100 donut holes while growling to keep their horde to themselves. Eventually, after base security arrived and drove the pair off using sirens, they still tried to linger close to the van until finally being shooed into the woods by the sirens.

Rogers Park Greenery

Four gardens in the 49th ward were recognized by The Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards which honors the time and effort which goes into making Chicago greener and healthier, according to Maria Hadden’s 49th Ward Sept. 16 newsletter.

Two of the gardens recognized were given the highest award — The Chicago Excellence in Gardening Award. The awards were given to Bob Acres and Mary’s Garden with honorable mentions given to Gnome Hollow Gardens and Pottawatomie Community Garden, according to the newsletter. 

The Power of the BeyHive

After Jon Hetherington was forced to miss Beyoncé’s Sept. 13 show in Seattle because his airline couldn’t accommodate his electric wheelchair, he took to social media to express his frustrations, The New York Times reported. Hetherington has cerebral palsy and utilizes a wheelchair to get around, so despite efforts from gate attendants to fold the chair up, it was still four inches too large for his flight and the best they could do was offer a refund.

Luckily, Beyoncé’s loyal fanbase – affectionately known as the Beyhive – sprung into action and attempted to contact the singer or her management to try and rectify the situation. By the end of their campaign, representatives for the singer had reached out to Hetherington and he found himself with a new ticket for a different stop of the Renaissance Tour Sept. 21 in Arlington, Texas with transportation and flights included.

Hetherington uses his social media to raise awareness for disabilities and ableism while finding comfort in music. He has seen Lady Gaga in concert six times and met her in person in 2014. Now, thanks to the might of the Beyhive, he not only has seen Beyoncé perform in-person for the first time but met her face to face as well.

Pouring Sustainability 

Engineers in Australia have found a way to use coffee grounds in concrete and make it 30% stronger, giving the grounds another shot at life and reducing waste in landfills, according to The Good News Network. 

Approximately 11 million tons of coffee grounds are generated globally every year, according to the article. This causes an environmental challenge because it emits large amounts of greenhouse gasses. 

The use of concrete in construction projects requires 50 billion tons of natural sand to be mined every year, according to the article. The use of coffee grounds in the concrete mixture would reduce the amount of sand needed and increase the strength of the concrete after setting. 

Have a beautiful week everyone and remember, as John Lennon once sang, “Imagine all the people / Living life in peace.”

Featured image by Lilli Malone / The Phoenix