Walk through downtown Chicago and you’d be lucky to make it a block or two without noticing the all-too familiar brown and white honorary street signs.
Matter of fact, since they were introduced, close to two thousand of the things have been dedicated to the people who, seemingly, make the Windy City tick. Some are named after famous residents past and present (Hugh M. Hefner Way, Oprah Winfrey Way), sports stars (Sammy Sosa Avenue, Walter Payton Place) and, of course, some are head scratchers (Diana Princess of Wales Place).
One of the latest to be celebrated is a little bit of the former…a lot of the latter.
Thursday, the city honored Dutchie Caray, longtime wife of famed Chicago Cubs (and White Sox, for that matter) broadcaster Harry Caray with a block of her own. Pearson Street, between Michigan Avenue and Mies van der Rohe Way was dedicated as Honorary Dutchie Caray Way, in honor of the “First Lady of Chicago Baseball”.
“What did I do? I don’t even know what I did, but I’m so honored. I’m just flabbergasted,” the 86-year-old said. “Do I have to get up every morning and check to see if the street’s cleaned? If it isn’t, I got to sweep it?”
Here’s the thing…no one is really all that sure since the city doesn’t even keep track of its honorary streets any more. That’s a true statement by the way.
Oh, among the well wishers…Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, former White Sox slugger Ron Kittle and, for some reason, longtime Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy.
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