When officials in January to ask for help, no one responded. But over the weekend, made possible by a number of donations from local businesses.
Last week, , and much of the talk was focused on the positive: encouraging residents to volunteer and get to know their kids better. At that meeting, scores of attendees signed up to get more information about . A high school booster club , and volunteers have spent hours .
All this was brought up by a horrific tragedy, but does that mean it will fade away once the homicide of 13-year-old Jessica Funk-Haslam no longer makes headlines? There are plenty of other issues in the area that could use pairs of eyes and hands: Rosemont's schools are again being hammered by , and the owners of Rosemont's most prominent shopping center are in the middle of a .
can be found all over Rosemont, but this tragic incident has–at least for the time being–united the neighborhood. Will it stay that way, and will this killing be a catalyst for lasting change, or will the feeling around town revert back to the way it was a few weeks ago?
Rosemont, what do you think? Will Jessica Funk-Haslam's death bring about a lasting change in Rosemont, or is the strong sense of community only a temporary effect? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.