Obama Center opening to bring Midway watch party, major road closures

The Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening next month will bring major road closures, Secret Service security and a massive public watch party to Hyde Park and Woodlawn, foundation officials said Monday. **SNIP** While the audience expressed excitement for much of the evening, the center’s impact on free street parking drew the loudest criticisms. Ronnissa Laster, a longtime Woodlawn resident and avowed Obama supporter, said living near the construction site for years had been “terrible” for parking and worried that the opening would make things worse. Yancy, whose ward encompasses the center, acknowledged the difficulties the center had created, telling the...