State senate race pits philanthropist against independent
By Jeff Borgardt
Editor
One of the more contested contests on the ballot Feb. 5 for Democratic voters is the race to represent the North Lakefront in State Senate's Seventh District.
It features the wealthy former chair of Chicago Public Radio with a long list of institutional endorsements who has dished out over $750,000 in campaign contributions versus a self-styled independent candidate from Uptown.
Heather Steans of Edgewater has her campaign office at 5539 N. Broadway Avenue while University of Chicago analyst Suzanne Elder dubs herself a "progressive Democrat" opposed to "pay to play politics" with a campaign office at 4704 N. Kenmore Avenue.
Over the past decade, Steans and her husband lawyer Leo Smith have dished out more than $750,000 in campaign contributions to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's "Friends of Blagojevich" campaign.
The Smith law office is located at 5348 N. Lakewood Avenue.
Steans has the backing of current seventh district State Senator Carol Ronen along with top local Democrats including aldermen, committeemen, state representatives and other major figures.
Elder, on the other hand, is running in the anti-machine, independent mold.
Sen. Ronen gave a very strong endorsement for Steans Jan. 28 saying Steans is "a fabulous individual, with experience dedication and commitment," who has "put together broad base of support."
Ronen served 15 years in the General Assembly. She said her top accomplishments over the years include passing civil rights legislation, increasing funding for HIV/Aids patients and expanding health care opportunities.
She is taking a position in the governor's office working as the head of human services policy.
Ronen said it was tough to leave the Senate but "knowing someone of Heather's quality and capabilities is willing to get in there and fight" made it easier for her to step down.
Steans said she has a long history of work in government and public policy including serving as a budget director in Wisconsin before moving to Chicago 14 years ago and working in the Chicago Public schools as a strategic planner.
She has worked with local non-profit organizations and is now "ready for her next challenge."
"I'm really frustrated with what's not getting done in Springfield. So I thought it is a good time for me to try to use my skills," she said.
Steans said her priority in the State Senate would be to revise school funding schemes from their current reliance on property taxes and funnel more funds through the state to schools. This would reduce the discrepancy of school spending between poor areas and rich ones while also lowering property taxes, she said.
Steans also said she would work to increase capital construction and maintenance funds for the CTA.
"Busses are outdated and breaking down on Lake Shore Drive," she said. "They are being patched together. We also need the Red Line revamped."
She said the state needs to do a better job putting up matching funds to secure federal transportation dollars.
Steans stated people should vote for her because "I have broader experience than most people in the legislature. If you name the issues, I have had experience with many of them already. I can pull people together to solve problems and see things from a variety of perspectives."
When asked about her vast campaign contributions, she said the funds were distributed as part of her philanthropic giving to support early childhood education, health care, and the candidates that would push those initiatives. She said her philanthropic giving exceeds political contributions.
Suzanne Elder is an Uptown resident of more than 25 years who operates a marketing and communications business and works as a policy analyst and legislative advocate for children with disabilities.
She is trying to get House Bill 146 the Students with Diabetes Act passed but it is stuck in the State Senate.
She said when the Senate seat opened "in a sudden way, it inspired lots of grassroots bubbling and a lot of people encouraged me to run for the seat."
She said Ronen timed her retirement to "get her hand-picked replacement in office. It was a deliberate orchestration."
Elder says she would "end pay to play politics in Illinois because it is on the verge of destroying our state. I would replace it with an open process and replace the big money, big business, big dollar government with more open participation."
She said she wants a more fair and progressive tax policy and said tax increment financing districts on the North Lakefront have "run amuck skimming tremendous amounts of money used for unintended purposes."
She described herself as thoughtful, deliberative and independent,
The seventh district stretches north along the lakefront from Montrose Avenue to the northern city limits and goes as far
west to approximately
Western Avenue.
Activists want to save Cabrini church mural
Preservations worry Strangers Home Missionary Baptists Church, home of this mural, will soon be demolished as part of Cabrini Green reconstruction. The church was built in 1901.
"This is a historic building and a historic mural that must not be destroyed," said Jon Pounds of the Chicago Public Art Group.
The Baptist church has placed the building for sale.
The photos show the painting of the mural, All of Mankind, Unity of the Human Race, in 1972 by artist William Walker at 617 W. Evergreen Ave. and the full-sized mural itself.
Residents to voice opinion of hotel development next to Wrigley Field
By Peter von Buol
Special to Inside
The Lake View Citizen’s Council, on the evening of January 25, began conducting an online survey that asks participants to give their opinion of a developer’s proposal to build two 9-story towers across the street from Wrigley Field.
If approved, one tower would be built on the south-east corner of Clark and Addison, and the other would be built the southwest side of Addison and on Sheffield. Both towers, as currently designed, would be taller than the fabled ballpark, as well as all other buildings adjacent to the planned development.
The start of the survey by the L.V.C.C., an umbrella Lakeview community group, came two days after about 300 people had attended a standing-room-only neighborhood meeting that was held at the ballpark’s Stadium Club.
At that meeting, which was hosted by Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) and his ward’s Community Directed Development Council, Chicago-based developer Preferred Properties unveiled its plans for the two buildings. One of the buildings would include an upscale 137-room Park Hyatt hotel. The other building would include 150 luxury
rental units.
In addition, plans include a 45,000 square foot health-club and 93,000 square feet of retail space. Projected retail tenants include Dominick's Finer Foods, Best Buy and CVS Pharmacy. The restaurants Goose Island, Bar Louie and Salt 'N Pepper, all of which are now on the same site, are projected to return to the location. The development would also include 502 parking spaces “allocated to the uses of the complex”.
During the meeting’s question and answer, many in attendance expressed their concerns about adding more congestion to an already congested area and about allowing structures to be built that would be taller than the venerable ball park.
“Wrigley Field is not the height standard for the neighborhood. It is an anomaly,” said resident Amy Karas at the meeting.
Towards the end of the meeting, when attendees asked for more of an opportunity to provide their opinions about the project, the chairman of the ward’s development council, Rev. David Abrahamson, said an online survey would begin soon. Abrahamson has long served as the pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in West Lakeview.
As part of the four-page, 10 question survey, Lakeview residents and those who work in the neighborhood are asked to provide input for the proposed development.
According to the organization’s website lakeviewcitizens.org, “to participate in the survey, you must provide your contact information. If you provide your email address, you will be notified about upcoming neighborhood meetings on this and other relevant topics.”
During the survey’s introduction, Rev. Abrahamson explains the reasons for the survey, “We are gathering community input on the plan as proposed and building consensus on the topics of concern before another community meeting. As of 1/23/08, nothing has been submitted to the Chicago Planning Commission, the city’s Department of Transportation, the city’s Zoning Commission or to the Chicago City Council. Before a Planned Development can be built, all the aforementioned organizations must approve the project.”
A Planned Development is a zoning classification for projects that are 75,000 square feet or larger. When implemented by the city, they require a separate zoning designation that includes additional the oversight mentioned by Abrahamson.
The first question on the survey is straight-forward. It asks the participant “based on the information you have so far, are you supportive of allowing the proposed development to be built at Clark, Addison and Sheffield?”
The next question asks, “How important are the following attributes to the proposed development in forming your opinion” and participants are asked to rank survey items on a scale of 1-10 in their order of priority. These items include the size of the buildings, traffic flow, density and the impact on the structures on existing residents and businesses.
Another asks, “Does the outcome of this property scare you regarding ‘precedent-setting’ allowances for other properties in the area?”
The survey also asks participants, “Would the following attributes make you more likely to support the proposal” and the list includes limiting the new buildings to be built within the parcel’s existing zoning. This would allow for one of the buildings to be no more than 50 feet tall and the other to be limited to 65 feet in height.
Charlotte Newfeld, former chair of Citizens United for Baseball in Sunshine, says the meeting space was not large enough to accommodate the crowd Jan. 23.
"This development would have the affect of drastically altering the neighborhood. I've lived here for 50 years. I think the neighborhood better get its act together and speak out against this," she said Jan. 28.
Results of the on-going survey will be posted at the end of February on the web sites of the L.V.C.C. and the 44th Ward.
According to its website, “the L.V.C.C. is a non-profit civic organization serving the Lakeview community on the North Side. Its boundaries are Lake Michigan on the east, the North Branch of the Chicago River on the west, Diversey Parkway on the south, going south on Lakewood Avenue until it meets the river, and Irving Park Road on the north. [The boundaries] are approximately those of the original township of Lake View, [which was] founded in the early 1800's and annexed by the City of Chicago in 1903.”
Internal memo describes Wrigley hotel media strategy
An internal public-relations document left behind in the Wrigley Field Stadium Club Jan. 23 and forwarded to Inside Publications provides insight into how some developers present themselves before neighborhood meetings intended to explain facts to neighbors.
“Our goal is to not send the 'big developer' message. We need to look and behave as part of the community. We need to present ourselves as professional, yet casual. In our choice of words and in the way we dress (no blue suits),” said the unsigned memo from the Chempetitive Group, the public-relations firm that managed the evening’s event Jan. 23 at the Stadium Club to explain the new hotel development proposed to neighbor Wrigley Field. The author of the memo realized the project would not necessarily be an easy sales pitch to the community and also knew television cameras would be present at the event. “When asked to speak on camera, [architect] John [Lahey] will identify a quiet area with a wall as a backdrop. We need to avoid picketers, angry neighbors, etc. as the camera backdrop. If media do not comply to this request, refuse the interview,” continued the memo. While multiple people involved with the project gave presentations at the event, most were instructed to leave immediately without drawing attention. “All presenters should make their presentations then quietly leave immediately afterward. This limits our exposure to potentially awkward situations in the media,” continued the memo. Except for an artist’s rendition of what the development would look like if it were actually built, no printed material was available at the event and access has been strictly controlled. “We will not distribute printed material about the project. Slides from the presentation will be available upon request. [The Chempetitive Group’s] Jeff Bergau will be the point person on the distribution of the slides and will notify the entire Clark and Addison project team when a request is made,” continued the memo.
Parents react to dismissal of Ravenswood principal
Parents at the 500-student Ravenswood Elementary School, 4332 N. Paulina Street, are gathering at several meetings this month to debate the Local School Council's 6-4 vote last week not to renew the contract of Principal Erin Roche.
Parents are expected to voice their views on the controversial vote at the next school council meeting Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
Parent Dennis Frank of Friends of Ravenswood School said he is outraged by the decision not to renew the principal's contract.
"Myself and other parents don't understand this," he stated.
The school serves grades pre-k to 8.
Number of Green Party candidates rise
By Miriam Y. Cintron
Special to Inside
The current election cycle has seen a rise in the number of Green Party candidates.
In fact, more than 30 Green Party candidates are running for public office on Election Day Feb. 5, making it a rapidly growing political party.
Of Chicago’s 50 wards, nearly half have a Green candidate for committeemen, including the Northside wards of 40, 46, 47 and 48.
Locally, Greens are also running for congressional district and water reclamation commission offices.
Rich Whitney, who ran for Illinois governor against Democrat Rod Blagojevich and Republican Judy Baar Topinka in 2006, helped pave the way for the Green Party in Illinois when he garnered 10 percent of the votes—twice as many as were needed to establish the Green Party in Illinois, according to the Illinois Green Party (IGP).
As a result, Greens have to collect fewer signatures than in previous years in order to get on the ballot.
With Greens having to spend less time and energy on collecting and verifying signatures, the party can now focus on increasing the number and resources put into local campaigns, explained Patrick Kelly, an IGP spokesman. The party is still seeking more candidates for the November elections.
So, why the significant turnout for Whitney in 2006?
“More and more people are recognizing that Democrats and Republicans are essentially the same party,” Kelly said. “The two-party system we have doesn’t work.”
Kelly explained people are turning to the Greens because they want a grassroots government and “expect a government to spend wisely, protect our assets, expand healthcare and improve education.”
In 2006, from ward to ward votes for Greens ranged from three to 24 percent.
Nadine Bopp, who is running for Metropolitan Water Reclamation Commissioner, agrees. “People are fed up with the status quo,” she said.
Bopp added that people are tired of candidates who are merely interested in being a politician, not serving the public.
She said the Greens are “people who are really concerned” about the responsibilities of public office.
The Green Party has “completely different values” and are genuinely “concerned about the demise of community,” she said.
Bopp, who is an environmental science teacher at the Art Institute, DePaul University and Columbia College, has previous experience working for the Cook County Forest Preserve and Park District. She is endorsed by the Illinois League of Conservation Voters.
Kelly believes the Greens have a good chance to get elected come November and start making those changes.
“Our candidates are all very impressive,” Kelly said, referring to candidates that include a software engineer, an author and University of Chicago economist Alan Augustson, who is running for the U.S House of Representatives representing the 5th district of Illinois, which includes the city’s North Side.
The Green Party’s National Nominating Convention will be held in Chicago July 10 to 13.
CHA to vacate Cabrini Green building
Low occupancy and heating system concerns create safety and security issues
Due to low occupancy and because of safety concerns, the CHA has issued 30-day notices to its remaining 11 leaseholders at the 65-unit Cabrini-Green Mid-Rise building at 862 N. Sedgwick Street.
With most of the families who previously lived in the building already relocated, the moves are necessary for the safety of the few remaining residents in the sparsely populated building.
The building will be closed by the end of February.
“Low occupancy places families at risk,” said Amy Wells, Managing Director of CHA’s Office of Operations Management. “It is nearly impossible to prevent vandalism, theft and other crimes when so few families remain in a large building. Further, because this building’s heating system is connected to several additional vacated structures, there is the increased threat of a heating system failure, which adds to the safety risk.”
The CHA has identified on-site units for families, and will provide leaseholder relocation assistance, packing materials and moving services.
“We have met one-on-one with residents who recognize the importance and immediacy of the concern,” said Charles Hillman, Assistant Director of Asset Management. “We have identified available units on-site for all families, and Housing Choice Vouchers are also available for leaseholders who wish to move into the private market. Further, families who wish to remain in public housing will be offered one of several sites.”
Train riders get a lift
New escalators funded for two stations
By Jeff Borgardt
Editor
As the enormous Brown Line renovation project continues, two aldermen have agreed to kick-in funds needed to secure new escalators at the Fullerton and Belmont stations.
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) and Ald. Vi Daley (43rd) jointly agreed to contribute $200,000 apiece from their aldermanic "menu funds" to make the escalators a reality.
The escalators cost $1.2 million per station. The CTA will foot the remainder of the escalator costs through their Brown Line renovation funds.
"Historically, the Brown Line stations at Fullerton and Belmont were engineered and designed to have escalators," said Ald. Tunney.
"During the reconstruction, the bids were too high and they had to rebid. It was too expensive so they took the escalators out. Now they are putting them back in with the additional money from the aldermen. It was ridiculous. We have been waiting five years for a new station and it was not even going to have an escalator."
Tunney said elevators are one thing, but escalators are better for many people. They are efficient and safer than stairs. They are more comfortable and will likely get more use than the elevators do.
43rd ward aldermanic aide Barb Guttmann said people with luggage, parents and those with a broken leg are among the beneficiaries of escalators at the train stops.
The escalators are part of the work on the $530 million Brown Line expansion project anticipated to be concluded in 2010.
"We'll be very happy when it's all over," she said of the Brown line upgrades. "It's such a major construction project. It's been hard on businesses and residents when you are closing stations like this."
Ald. Tunney seemed to agree with this assessment.
"It has been basically less disruptive than what people had anticipated. Any particular station has been shut down 10 to 11 months. That has caused a serious impact on the retail around these stations. But everything is on schedule and I think we will be happy with the finished project," he said, adding that the projects include many upgrades such as public art. Hundreds of artists have submitted applications to have their work displayed.
Tunney said the escalators have been approved by the CTA as well therefore they should be a "done deal."
The new escalators were announced at a recent Brown Line Task Force meeting.
The CTA was going to upgrade the stations, but not install the escalators due to a fund shortage. Instead, they would have build-out the stations with an area that the escalators could be installed in the future.
Construction set to begin on Lake View grocer
by Peter von Buol
Special to Inside
Nearly three years after a spectacular Father’s Day fire destroyed the building that housed a Dominick's Finer Foods located 3012 N. Broadway Ave., construction is slated to begin on its replacement sometime in the near future.
In addition to a nearly 40,000 sq. ft. new grocery store, the five-story development will be joined by additional retail-stores and 45 condominium units. While a Mid-America Bank branch had been on the site before the extra-alarm Father’s Day conflagration that had brought over 150 firefighters and 15 trucks to the scene, the bank has will relocate to another nearby location.
According to co-developer Michael O’Connor, the project is now having its plans and permits reviewed by the City of Chicago.
“Construction should begin in the late Spring. Right now, we are in the plans and permits phase. It is always difficult to predict when the city will finish the review process,” said O’Connor, whose company Dionysus Enterprises is co-developer of the project along with Jon Zitzman of JFJ Development. Both have built numerous buildings in the area.
O’Connor said the company’s on-site sales center is slated to open on April 1. He invites residents to look at the project in more detail.
“There will be extensive videos and plans of the project, as well as related materials. They’ll see we how have tweaked the building’s façade. It will look like the plans the neighbors reviewed at the neighborhood meetings, only better,” said O’Connor.
Plans for the project were unveiled at neighborhood meetings last fall and according to Bennett Lawson, a spokesperson for Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), many residents felt it was important that Dominick’s return to the neighborhood.
The new Dominick’s will somewhat resemble the Dominick’s located on the DePaul Campus near the Fullerton train station but unlike that location, it won’t be two stories. It will be quite different from the previous store, which at the time of its demise was housed in a 34-year-old building that had not undergone any major renovations. Major grocery stores are now built on a larger scale than they were in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Another problem will be traffic back-ups caused by truck loading and unloading. Only two truck bays are proposed, causing a potentially major safety hazard. In addition, there is also a possibility that the number of condos could exceed 45 and reach as high as 100.
While Dominick’s will return to the site, Safeway, its California-based parent corporation is not the property owner.
According to O’Connor, whose joint-venture company acquired the site last January, previously Safeway had been interested in purchasing the land
“We have not had the property all that long and Dominick’s/Safeway initially tried to buy the property,” said O’Connor.
The site has not been without controversy. About eight years ago, as reported in Inside, the previous property owners had wanted to demolish the old store to replace it with a 45-unit condominium complex with a Dominick’s on the first floor. The proposed building was not built because former Ald. Bernie Hansen (44th) objected to the scale of the project and down-zoned the property.
O’Connor, whose own project somewhat resembles the previously proposed project but otherwise has no connection, said Dominick’s is anxious to return to the neighborhood and believes residents will be pleased with the quality and design of his building.
“It will be a great looking building that will blend in with the neighborhood,” added O’Connor.
One of those affected by the loss of the old Dominick’s Finer Foods building store said he is looking forward to the return of the grocery store but wishes construction would have already started.
“We, the community, have been the losers as we have no grocery store nearby, particularly for our seniors,” said David Winner, president of the Lakeview Citizens Council. “If they are indeed building, this is news to us.”
Art Institute gets new hand-crafted tree
The Art Institute of Chicago has announced a new acquisition in their Department of Contemporary Art.
Charles Ray’s "Hinoki" has been recently added to the museum’s permanent collection of contemporary art.
Chicago-born sculptor Charles Ray has spent the past ten years creating "Hinoki," a 38-foot-long, 2,100-pound rendering of a felled oak tree.
This sculpture is assembled from six, large wooden tubular sections, which are in turn constructed from hundreds of rectangular blocks carved by Japanese craftsmen as a direct copy of an original fallen tree.
Possessed by the idea to make a sculpture of a felled tree, Ray searched for years for a prototype.
In 1998 he discovered his source material: a coastal oak in California that had come down decades earlier.
Fascinated by the complex weathered surface of the log, Ray set out to reconstruct the object in exacting detail.
Ray began the process by taking silicon molds of the log to create a fiberglass model, which was then cut into five barrel-like sections and sent to Osaka, Japan, where a team of six craftsman under the direction of woodcarver Yoboku Mukoyshi set to work, using the model as a sort of drawing and carving from the inside out to render the tree in Japanese cypress (Hinoki, in Japanese).
The most minute attributes of the original tree—including worm holes, termite trails, even the marks of the chainsaw used to dismantle the oak—are reproduced.
The result is a sculptural and philosophical conundrum: a full-sized recreation of a fallen tree, made by hand from wood.
Artists say "Hinoki" achieves its effects on many, at times contradictory, levels.
The replication of an element of the natural world by human hand draws viewers into a meditation on the role of man’s intervention in the landscape and questions about reality and replication.
"Hinoki" speaks to the attempts to make permanent that which is ephemeral—one of the fundamental propositions or conventions of much of modern art.
"Hinoki" also challenges and complicates our sense of time; Ray has at once prolonged and slowed the natural process of the original tree’s decay by reconstructing the log outside of time, in exactly the same form, destined to decompose hundreds of years later.
Local student saddened by tribal warfare in Kenya
North Park University first-year student Aaron Mead lived in Kenya during his high school years and says the recent violence in that country is heartbreaking.
"My heart is in Kenya," Mead says. "I love the country and the people there. It really burns me up inside to see such a great place doing this to themselves."
"It is just really hard to see Kenya going through this when they had so much going for them," said the student at the Evangelical University, 3225 West Foster Avenue.
The violence that erupted since a disputed presidential election has driven a quarter of a million of people from their homes and killed nearly 600.
Although there has been no rioting in Kijabe, refugees from the cities have been coming to the area.
Much of the violence has been among different tribes since Mwai Kibaki was re-elected as president last December in balloting the opposition claims was marred by extensive fraud.
Kibaki defeated opponent Raila Odinga by roughly 268,000 votes, the government said.
Kibaki is from the largest tribe, the Kukuyu, and Odinga is a Luo, one of roughly 40 smaller tribes.
The tribes have tended to live peacefully, but the Kukuyu also have been the object of resentment because they are seen as controlling most of the political and economic power.
"I have been reading the news, and they said there will be no peace until Odinga is president," Mead says.
Police Beat
18/23
Armed robber calls would-be victim dirty
A student, 16, was nearly relieved of his mp3 player while walking to school by a gunman on Jan. 18.
As the student reached the McDonalds restaurant on the 4500 block of Sheridan Road, a man with a tattoo on his neck brandished a handgun and demanded the student turn over his music player.
He refused and the robber called him dirty and walked away.
The offender's identity is known.
Shop-lifter pepper sprays security
A thief placed four plastic bottles of Tasters Choice coffee worth $50 in a plastic bag Jan. 21 and walked out of a store at 3460 N. Broadway without paying.
The woman was then confronted by a security officer. In a bid to escape, she sprayed the officer with pepper spray in the face and eyes.
A witness, 18, was overcome by the fumes and transported to the hospital.
The offender, 37, is from the 3700 block of N. Cicero Avenue.
Hair stylist robbed
A woman, 23, of the 3700 block of Fremont Street was the victim of a strong-arm robbery on Jan. 16.
She was walking on Wilson Avenue when she was approached from behind by a 16 to 20 year-old man who had been hiding in the bushes and was wearing a hoodie.
He grabbed for her leather handbag but she resisted and fell to the ground clasping the bag.
He said "let go" and she complied. He ran away down an alley where a second offender joined the robber running away with him.
A little later, the woman then called her credit card company who advised her the card had just been used at Van Buren and Ashland. She suffered a scraped right wrist and forearm.
She had gift cards from Express, GAP, Nordstrom, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Bath and Body Works and Starbucks, plus credit cards, checks, ids and a camera in
the bag.
Catalytic converters taken
Two more catalytic converters were sawn off cars in two separate incidents on Jan. 7 and Jan. 24, adding to the rash of this crime on the Northside.
A catalytic converter auto part was first taken on the 700 block of W. Melrose Street Jan. 7 from a 1999 Toyota parked in front of a home. The second case of same thing was
reported Jan. 24 at 809 W
Lawrence Avenue.
When the driver of a 2001 Chevy Lumina started his car Jan. 24, he discovered the auto emission piece was missing.
Burglary
The home of a woman, 22, was burglarized Dec. 15 and reported Jan. 6. The door frame of the residence on the 500 block of W. Friar was damaged and a digital camera and cash were taken.
ATM robber demands $500, gets $40
A robber approached a woman, 24, at an ATM on Jan. 19 on the 0-100 block of East Chicago Avenue.
The robber stood behind the woman and pressed a sharp object, possibly a gun, to her back and demanded she withdraw $500 and give it to him.
However, the robber then looked at her recent withdrawal slip that showed she did not have that much money in her account so he grabbed $40 from her and ran away.
News vendor robbed
A man working the cash register at a news stand on the 1200 block of North State Prk. was robbed of $100 around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19.
The man, 70, was working when a robber requested change.
The cashier refused and the robber knocked him down and grabbed the cash from the register.
Gang robs woman together
Six men robbed a middle-aged woman at Friday, Jan. 18 at 1:30 p.m.,
The woman, 49, was approached by the six men and they pushed her up against a fence and grabbed money from her pocket.
She suffered scratches on her arms. The six robbers got a total of $40.
The robbery occurred on the 1200 block of North Sedgwick Street.
19/20
Man allows homeless to work odd jobs in apartment
A real estate broker and landlord, 28, routinely allows homeless men to make repairs to his apartment in order to help them out.
He did this again at 1426 W Berwyn Avenue on Jan. 26 only to find his flat screen TV, DVD player, car stereo, clothing, check books and cologne missing when he returned.
$2,000 missing from hospital gift shop
An employee of Swedish Covenant Hospital, 5145 N. California Avenue, reported on Jan. 18 that an employee of a gift shop discovered $2,000 missing from a money bag that was located in an office.
Man to beggar: I don't have any money
A painter, 48, of the 3900 block of Mozart Street, was approached by a man approximately 45 year-of-age who asked him for fifty cents at 1200 W. Lawrence Avenue.
The painter replied that he didn't have any money.
The beggar then grabbed the man by the coat, threw him to the ground and checked his coat and pockets only to find the man was telling the truth and he really didn't have any money.
The beggar then ran away; the man suffered minor bruises.
Corpse frozen in car
A dead man was found virtually frozen in his car on the 2900 block of W. Argyle St., Jan. 15. The man, 47, was discovered by police and pronounced dead soon thereafter. No cause of death was available. The man, Ozferatu Von Walters, of the 6200 block of N. Lawndale, did not have any visible wounds.
Woman attacked with bottle, screams "no!"
A retail manager, 24, was walking on the 1300 block of W. Winnemac Avenue Jan. 26 when a man in a Grey hoodie and a goatee about 25 years old grabbed her from behind and started hitting her on the head with a bottle.
She screamed "no" and yelled and hollered.
This scared him and he ran away. A nearby person called 911.
She was treated for a laceration to the forehead and a broken finger.
Burglar probably entered through window
A forced-entry burglary occurred on the 5400 block of N Paulina Street Jan. 23.
A designer, 42, came home through her garage and then saw her back door was unlocked and the window was pushed in.
Cash, an iPod and video game system were missing. The drawers were all open as well.
Police suspect the burglar entered through the window and left through the back door leaving it unlocked.
Spare tire, rims taken from parked car
The spare-tire and tire rims of a vehicle parked on the 5000 block of N. Marine Drive were taken Jan. 23.
The victim, a project coordinator, said the theft was greater than $300 in value and the car was also scratched.
Girl loses purse in Mather High School bathroom
A student, 17, left her purse in the school bathroom Jan. 23 at 5835 N. Lincoln Avenue. When she returned, it was gone.
Man jumps out of car and punches woman in head
A state employee, 48, was robbed Jan. 16 at 8:08 p.m.
She was walking at 5669 N. Lincoln Avenue when she observed a black sedan with two men and a woman, all about 20-years-old, inside the vehicle.
The men exited the vehicle and one put an envelope inside a mailbox.
The woman then walked across the street intersection as the sedan waited at a stop sign for her to cross.
A man then jumped out of the vehicle approached her and hit her with a closed fist in the back of the head.
He said "give me that" and grabbed the leather wallet she was carrying in her hand.
He then jumped back in the car and it sped off. Police are following several leads investigating the case.
Jogger snatches purse of senior citizen without stopping
A retired woman, 73, was walking down the 5600 block of N. Lincoln Avenue after leaving church on her way to Walgreens last week when a running man zoomed past her and grabbed her purse in midstream without stopping.
She said "it happened so fast" that it was difficult to describe the purse-snatcher.
Victim's bag found, returned after robbery
On Jan. 27, a man, 64, of the 2000 block of W. Farragut Avenue was robbed at 5249 N. Hoyne Avenue. It happened at 3:15 a.m.
He was walking home when three people approached him from behind.
They knocked him down and took his duffel bag and another second bag with a black canvas shoulder strap.
The man, whose occupation is a mason, said the bags had items inside such as a cell phone, mp3 player, credit cards, ids and $55 cash.
After the man notified police, an officer found one of the bags at Virginia and Thorndale Avenues and it still had his original items in it.
Road rage sparks man to jump out of vehicle, pull gun
A man, 37, was driving and he dropped off his son at Damen and Winnemac Jan. 26.
The driver, who works as a glass glazier, noticed another vehicle was following very closely behind his.
He said he was forced to keep braking rapidly on several occasions due to poor weather conditions.
He then parked his car at 5357 Damen.
The car that was following then parked across the street and a man, approximately 40-years-old, wearing a beige jacket approached his vehicle pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the drivers chest and said that he was a police officer and could kill him.
He also called the man a racial slur and then returned to his car and drove away.
City employee robbed after cashing paycheck
A city laborer, 49, walked out of the bank at 2410 Foster Avenue last week after cashing his paycheck.
He was then approached by two offenders who displayed a gun, patted him down and took $530 cash.
Robber gets $1,000 cash, 20 phones from store
A gun-touting robber struck a cell phone store at 8 p.m. Jan. 14 on the 3100 block of N. Lincoln Avenue.
The robber approached the store as it was closing for the days business.
The man showed a gun to the store's employees to told them to empty the cash register. They handed over $350.
Then, he made them take him to the safe where he garnered another $600 cash.
He also grabbed about two dozen cell phones before running off and telling the three workers not to move people because another accomplice was outside watching them.
Pizza man robbed
A pizza delivery man, 18, reported he was robbed of about $100 on Jan. 14 after getting hit on the head from behind.
He was robbed by approximately five men on the 2600 block of North Orchard Street. The robbers also grabbed the pizza man's cell phone before jumping into a car and
speeding away.
Lincoln Square Idol scheduled
Cheer on Old Town School of Folk Music student and teacher bands as they battle it out for a spot in the Lincoln Square Summer Concert Series line-up at the "Lincoln Square Idol" competition.
Bands are pre-selected and judges will pick the ultimate winners.
Audience applause will make a difference so come to support your favorite local bands.
Lincoln Square Idol will take place Thursday, February 21, from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the historic D.A.N.K Haus, 4740 N. Western Avenue.
Admission is free but a small donation is requested.
All proceeds will support the bands at the Lincoln Square Summer Concert Series.
A cash bar will be available.
For more information contact Christie Hahn at the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce at (773) 728-3890 or visit the website lincolnsquare.org.
Eminent domain in Lincoln Square is battle of public policy
Dear Editor,
Regarding your article “Ald. Schulter protests mischaracterizations in Lincoln Square eminent domain case” (Inside January 23-29), it is difficult to counter the alderman’s position since his call to your office was “off the record” and you “would not quote him directly.” This is precisely the problem behind the Lincoln Square controversy – so much is being said behind closed doors, off the record, and hidden from public scrutiny.
Taking private land for private development is the crux of the issue. While testifying before the Committee on Housing and Development, I was questioned if I was previously aware of the Lincoln Square Master Plan. I was. The “plan” is not my issue. The use of eminent domain for its implementation is.
What is at stake goes far beyond Lincoln Square. It is a battle of good public policy. Is it good public policy to take private property simply because the City can make better use of it, i.e. generate more tax revenue? The Supreme Court says we can. Many of our residents say, and I agree, we shouldn’t.
The Department of Planning and Development lists on its Citywide TIF map located on the City of Chicago’s website 143 individual TIFs (as of July 2006). Look at that map and you can see the huge potential for incremental private property TIF land grabs escalating throughout the City.
Take TIF #84 out from behind closed doors. Establish a Western Avenue North TIF Advisory Council to be made up of local residents, business owners, and the alderman to hold regular, scheduled, publicly announced, and publicly open meetings.
TIF Advisory Councils are meeting in other wards, why not the 47th?
Les Kniskern
President,
Greater Rockwell
Organization
Neighborhood Notes
Chamber party on Feb. 13
Save the date for Edgewater Chamber of Commerce's 2008 "Sweet Heart of Edgewater" Party, Wednesday, February 13 at Ole St. Andrew's Pub, 5938 N. Broadway.
Who will receive the coveted "Spirit of Edgewater" Award this year? $25 donation includes buffet dinner, drinks and door prizes.
Motivational workshop in Lincoln Square
The motivational workshop "Ideas Into Action" will take place Saturday, Feb. 9 at 9 a.m, at Dank Haus, 4740 N. Lincoln Ave.
Music author speaks
Author Dan Kennedy will speak at Quimby's Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue., on Friday, February 15 at 7:00 p.m. as part of his 15-city coast-to-coast tour for his memoir, "Rock on: An Office Power Ballad." Want to know why the music business is currently flailing? Read this insider's account and you'll find out why--and laugh out loud along the way.
Journalism talk
Reporter Michele Weldon will offer her perspective on the state of the modern American newspaper with her book "Everyman News: The Changing American Front Page" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 at the Women and Children First bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St. Weldon is a professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism
Film fest screens comedy in East Lakeview
The Midwest Independent Film Festival will launch its 2008 season with the World Premiere of the Chicago-produced comedy Osso Bucco on Tuesday, February 5. The feature stars Illeana Douglas (Ghost World, ABC's Ugly Betty), Mike Starr (The Black Dahlia, Goodfellas) and features a supporting cast of Chicago talent. Co-directors Gary Taylor and Fred Blurton will be in attendance for this premiere along with representative cast and crew.
The Midwest Independent Film Festival is the nation's only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, presenting audiences with regionally produced independent cinema every first Tuesday of the month from 6 p.m. to 9:30 pm at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark St. This year-round film festival sits proudly at the center of the independent film scene in Chicago and the Midwest and is dedicated to celebrating and strengthening that community.
Free Yoga at the park Feb. 12-18
Discover the benefits of a centuries-old practice during the Chicago Park District’s Free Yoga Week, Monday to Sunday, Feb. 12-18 at 23 neighborhood parks throughout the city. The initiative is part of the Park District’s effort to encourage Chicagoans to incorporate exercise and other healthy activities into their lifestyles.
The term “yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “to unite.” The system of exercises focuses on uniting or harmonizing the mind, body and spirit.
Regular yoga practice promotes energy enhancement, increased flexibility and muscular toning.
The Chicago Park District currently offers yoga at various locations in addition to other programs.
The Chicago Park District encourages residents to enjoy free yoga classes at the following locations. Contact the individual sites for the schedule. Some of the parks offering free yoga are:
-Berger Park Cultural Center, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd.,
-Clarendon Community Center, 4501 N. Clarendon Ave.,
-Hamlin Park, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave.,
-Sheil Park, 3505 N. Southport,
-North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski Road,
Association meets
Ald. Vi Daley (43rd) is slated to make remarks, awards will be presented and the board of directors will be elected for the Mid-North Association, 2038 N. Clark St., on at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at John Barleycorn, 658 W. Belden Ave. The association's boundaries are bordered by bounded by the lakefront park, Fullerton Parkway, Lincoln Avenue and the Ogden Right-of-Way.
Fullerton bridge reconstruction to be discussed
The Chicago Department of Transportation and Ald. Vi Daley (43rd) will host a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum 2430 N. Canon Drive to discuss the Fullerton Avenue the reconstruction of the Fullerton bridge which crosses over the park lagoon
Diplomats ball
The Chicago Consular Corps Ball is a five-decade tradition honoring the 79 consular generals stationed in Chicago from across the world. The 2008 Chicago Consular Ball will be held Friday, Feb. 8 at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Jerome McDonnell, host of Chicago Public Radio's "Worldview" program will host the festivities. Artist Gordon Halloran whose ice installation is on display will also be on hand. The honorary co-chair are Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and El Salvador Consular General Patricia Maza-Pittsford, Dean of the Chicago Consular Corps. The consular generals will wear their native dress or formal attire.
Candidate forum
The Park West Community Association is sponsoring a forum with the candidates in the 43rd ward Democratic Committeeman race on Sat. Feb., 10 a.m. at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum 2430 N. Canon Drive.
Chicago Maritime Festival at History Museum
The Chicago Maritime Festival, now sailing into its 6th year, continues to offer the most diverse maritime program in the Great Lakes. This indoor festival held in Chicago's “off season,” is a wonderful way to meet maritime minded (or nautically curious) folks from all around the region and across the sea. The festival is organized by the Chicago Maritime Society, the Chicago History Museum, and Common Times. It will be held Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St.
The seminars are presented by individuals and organizations including the Underwater Archaeological Society, US Coast Guard Auxiliary, National Weather Service, International Shipmasters Association, Chicago Maritime Society, Friends of the Chicago River, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Michigan Maritime Museum, and others from the maritime community of Chicago, the Great Lakes, and the World.
The performers are among the best in the World and have hailed from all across the United States as well as England, France, Scotland, Canada, and the Netherlands.
Activities for kids have included model boat building, lakeside biology, knot tying, seeking maritime careers, and “How to Become a Shipwreck Detective.” In 2007, the Chicago Maritime Festival presented outreach programs to over 3,900 people in schools, libraries, and senior facilities.
Death row discussion
Exonerated Death Row inmate Delbert Tibbs will be joined by several panelists to discuss "Living and Dying in Prison: The Story of Michael Lambert" at the DePaul University Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31.
Champaign tasting
"Wine Down" will be held Feb. 1 at 835 N. Michigan Avenue. "Check, Please!" host Alpana Singh leads a Moet & Chandon champagne tasting. Call 312-335-3663
Reception for art exhibitions opening at the Surgery Museum
The International Museum of Surgical Science, 1516 N. Lake Shore Drive, is presenting the exhibit “Warsong: Iliad Cenotaphs,” an exhibition of sculptures by Jonathan Gabel and “Marked,” a mixed-media installation by Joseph Kohnke, as part of its ongoing “Anatomy in the Gallery” contemporary art program. The exhibitions will run concurrently, opening on February 1 with a free, public reception for the artists from 5 p.m to 8 p.m., and remaining on view through April 18.
“Warsong: Iliad Cenotaphs” comprises painted wood sculptures representing the fatal wounds suffered by warriors in Homer’s Iliad.
Throughout the ancient Greek epic poem, more than 250 warriors are introduced by name only to be slaughtered on the battleground, the description of their injuries so precise that Gabel has been able to create detailed anatomical models of the flesh displaced by spears and arrows.
In sculpting what is literally lost during these soldiers’ deaths, Gabel asks viewers to consider what else war takes from humanity.
The other new exhibit, “Marked” consists of a faux medical device that continuously scans a conveyer belt of skin images from which Kohnke has excised every marking. “In nature, markings and spots on the body’s surface are used to increase the chances of survival, whereas on humans they are looked upon as flaws or the markings of death,” Kohnke says.
Inspired by a good friend’s death from melanoma, “Marked” reflects Kohnke’s meditation on the fragility of all life, whose fate can be determined by a seemingly insignificant mark.
He says, “The idea that something so small and overlooked on the skin can consume your entire body both frightens and intrigues me.”
Martini mix class in hotel
200 East Supper Club, located on the main level of the Seneca Hotel at 200 East Chestnut Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast area, will be hosting classes on the second Monday of each month where attendees will learn how to make today’s most popular martinis just like the professionals. The next class "Mix and Mingle with Martinis" will be on Monday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level party room of the hotel. Anthony Navarro, a certified, licensed mixologist will be the instructor. Cost is $35.
Sailing expo at Navy Pier
The Strictly Sail show will be held at Navy Pier Jan. 31 to Feb. 3. The 13th annual show features the newest sailboats, gear and accessories, plus seminars, celebrity speakers and kids' activities. Visit the new, SAIL Magazine's Innovation Station featuring award-winning sailing products. Hosted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Free for kids ages 15 and younger.
Speed dating
A singles night speed dating event will be held from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, January 31 at Bar Chicago, 9 W. Division St.
“Enjoy our fun and comfortable atmosphere, while participating in our very structured Speed Dating Event.”
Free music
Radio One: Chicago & WLUW 88.7 Presents The Strange Young Lovers, Jonny Rumble and Mt. St. Helens at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave on Feb. 4 starting at 9 p.m.
Shakespeare Theater's World Stage Series through Feb. 9
Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s international programming initiative, The World's Stage Series, concludes its season with "Fragments," marking the return of director Peter Brook’s work to the stage.
"Fragments" is based on texts of playwright Samuel Beckett.
Bringing the texts to life is an international cast, featuring artists whose credits include one thing in common—their association with the United Kingdom’s Théâtre de la Complicité. The American premiere and only U.S. engagement of "Fragments" is Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare for 12 performances, Wednesday, January 30 through Saturday, February 9. The play was presented in French in October 2006 at Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, and was redirected in English at the Young Vic Theatre in London in September 2007. "Fragments" becomes the 20th international production in the World’s Stage Series—connecting with international artists and developing ongoing relationships with Chicago artists.
Sharing the World’s Stage concludes with two programs specifically designed to bring together guest artists and Chicago artists. “Acting Modern Theater,” a conversation with cast members Houben, Hunter and Magni will be held at the Theatre School at DePaul University on Friday, February 1, at 12 p.m. with the actors. The play begins its limited engagement on Wednesday, January 30, with performances scheduled through Saturday, February 9.
Free academic symposium at DePaul
In light of the controversial tenure denials of Middle East scholar Norman G. Finkelstein and International Studies professor Mehrene Larudee earlier last year at DePaul University, prominent scholars from across the country are coming together for a two-day conference at DePaul, on February 1-2, to lecture about the threats facing academic freedom and Middle Eastern studies at universities. In addition to DePaul's cases, the efforts to silence scholars such as John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago) and Stephen Walt (Harvard University), and the tenure controversies of Nadia Abu El-Haj (Barnard College) and Joseph Massad (Columbia University) have all inspired the conference, which seeks to protect as well as preserve academic freedom through honest and informed debate.
The event is hosted by the DePaul Academic Freedom Committee, and co-sponsored by the DePaul University International Studies Program, the Peace Studies Program, the History Department, and the Department of Philosophy. DePaul University is not sponsoring this event, only the listed departments and programs The Academic Freedom Committee is still accepting a call for papers to be submitted by professors or students for the two-day conference.
The event is to be held at the Lincoln Park Student Center 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., at
DePaul University.
State: Don't eat your green beans; They could be contaminated
State public health director Dr. Damon Arnold is warning consumers not to eat cans of green beans and garbanzo beans recalled by New Era Canning Company because they may cause botulism.
New Era Canning Company is recalling all cans of #10 green beans and garbanzo beans which are large cans containing between six and seven pounds because they may have been processed under conditions which could have led to production of botulinum toxin, which may cause life-threatening illness or death.
"The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed the recalled green beans have been distributed in Illinois. I want to make sure every school, restaurant, hospital, nursing home and any place that serves food, as well as individual consumers who may buy in bulk, check for the recalled cans of green beans and garbanzo beans and return them to the store where they bought them. Botulism can be fatal and is not something to be taken lightly," said Dr. Arnold.
Symptoms of botulism poisoning in humans usually begins six to 36 hours after consumption of contaminated food but occasionally can appear up to two weeks later.
Symptoms include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body.
Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing muscles, which can result in death.
If a person has consumed the recalled beans and develops any of the symptoms above, contact your physician immediately.
These cans of recalled green beans and garbanzo beans should be returned to the store of purchase.
At this time there have been no botulism cases associated with consumption of this product and no Clostridium botulinum toxin has been identified in any products.
Silent film with Orchestra Feb. 17
The Silent Film Society of Chicago in collaboration with Lake Forest College presents the Chicago debut of the new film score for Alfred Hitchcock's 1927 silent thriller "The Lodger" at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17 at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Avenue.
"The Lodger" is Hitchcock's first-ever thriller, often referred to as "a story of the London fog."
This film would establish a style for Hitchcock, as he would employ and develop many of his nuances and plot patterns for his prolific career and even includes his first on-screen cameo.
The story is tried-and-true Hitchcock throughout - starting with mysterious Jack-the-Ripper style murders that prey on beautiful blond women.
The murderer has baffled London police, who characterize the misdeeds as the works of "the avenger."
The film will be accompanied by the 40-piece Lake Forest College Orchestra under the direction of David Amrein.
The new 'Lodger' film score was composed by Amrein, Meg Goboliewski and Don Meyer, working through the summer of 2007 on the project.
The orchestra photoplay is a rare example of silent film accompaniment, with the projection and film speed in exact sync with the musical score - resulting in an art form in itself.
The Portage Theater is a throwback to the silent film era. Opened by the Ascher Brothers theater chain in 1920, it pre-dates many of Chicago's downtown movie palaces and is an elegant Beaux-arts example of a silent-era motion picture.
Grant Park advisory council meets Feb. 11
On Monday, Feb. 11, the Grant Park Advisory Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on Grant Park to discuss "Parkitecture 2008: Grant Park's rapidly-changing Michigan Avenue Streetwall and Historic Michigan Boulevard District."
There will be a thorough presentation about the streetwall and the many new plans and changes as well as the progress of those projects under construction, including new Wabash Avenue high-rises.
Six years ago, the City of Chicago designated Grant Park's Michigan Avenue streetwall a Chicago Landmark.
It comprises buildings designed by such great architects as Adler & Sullivan, Burnham, Holabird & Roche, Marshall & Fox, Cobb, Beman, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, and Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge.
It is one of the world's most-recognized architecture walls framing the increasingly rejuvenated and world-class Grant Park.
There have been many positive changes to the streetwall but there are also deteriorating buildings or those not realizing their potential, even an empty lot and a large, but closed, historic theater, officials say.
The events will address the question of what can be done to encourage and support more adaptive re-use and other development in this slower real estate market to create a more lively, energized district and thus Grant Park.
For more information, contact Bob O'Neill at 312-829-8015.
Residents thank alderman for donating party food
Alden Lincoln Park Rehabilitation and Health Care Center residents John Marshall, 56, Mary Escriva, 85, and Stanley Russell, 64, showed off a giant “Thank You” card for Tom Tunney, 44th Ward Alderman.
Residents worked together to hand-make the note for Alderman Tunney, who donated nearly $1,000 in food from Ann Sather’s restaurant to the facility’s annual Christmas celebration. More than 50 people gathered at Alden Lincoln Park Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, 504 W. Wellington Ave., to celebrate the holidays.
Congressman's Great Lakes testimony transcribed
In advance of last week's hearing before the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment on “Progress Toward Improving Water Quality in the Great Lakes,” Northside Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-5th) released the following testimony, as prepared for delivery.
Subcommittee Chairwoman Johnson, Ranking Member Baker, Chairman Oberstar, members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to testify here today. Being from Chicago, the Great Lakes have been an important part of my life for a very long time.
I remember very distinctly that my brothers and I would go swimming in Lake Michigan, and we would literally have to hold our breath to swim under the dead fish until we could come up where the water was clean enough to swim and play.
We have made long strides in cleaning up Lake Michigan and the rest of the Lakes, but we still have a long way to go.
I am proud that since our Democratic majority has taken the helm over the past year, this Congress has been able to achieve some significant gains for the Great Lakes under the leadership of Chairman Oberstar, Chairwoman Johnson, and this committee.
The House passed legislation to increase funding for State Revolving Funds and the Combined Sewer Overflow program, both of which were long overdue.
We finally passed into law a Water Resources Development Act that invests in our waterways and in American jobs and that finally funds outstanding projects like the Asian Carp barrier that will protect the Great Lakes from invasive species.
But last year highlighted additional threats facing the Great Lakes. Last spring, the state of Indiana issued a permit to a BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana.
This action was met with public outrage and incredulity among those of us who have fought for years to protect the Great Lakes.
As you know, BP’s new permit will enable their Whiting plant to increase the amount of “total suspended solids” and ammonia discharged into Lake Michigan. After a series of meetings with BP America President Bob Malone and a great deal of public pressure, including tens of thousands of signatories on petitions to BP and the state of Indiana, BP publicly declared that they would not increase their effluent levels beyond their previous permit.
Unfortunately, though, the problems were not over. Later in the year, the state of Indiana issued another permit threatening Lake Michigan, this time to US Steel.
Fortunately, the EPA objected to the permit, and revisions to the permit are still being discussed. But the US Steel permit highlighted, in my mind, the three biggest questions currently surrounding the Great Lakes-
1) What are the states doing to implement the GLI (Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative) and how are they complying with the agreements they made over a decade ago;
2) What can be done to encourage an economic partnership that links the mutual interests of the environmental health of the Great Lakes and the economic development of industries in the region; and
3) How can we move beyond “protecting” the status quo by preserving the status quo of pollution levels and instead move to improve the conditions of the Lakes?
On the first issue, I want to commend Chairman Oberstar for his leadership and thank him for requesting a GAO report on the issue of state compliance with the GLI.
But judging by the BP and US Steel permits and particularly the issue of variances for mercury emissions, it is clear that we must be more vigilant about state compliance with the GLI.
I was pleased to learn that EPA Region Five objected to US Steel’s permit, but I also had to stop and ask if it took the public outcry over BP to force them to act on US Steel. If that was indeed the case, then vigorous Congressional oversight will continue to be necessary to make sure that the EPA is keeping a close eye on the states when it comes to what they allow industry to discharge into the Great Lakes.
As for the second question, if the BP experience taught us anything, it’s that environmental stewardship and economic development can--and should--go hand in hand.
In the many discussions Senator Durbin and I had with Bob Malone, we talked about how BP had earned its green reputation by going above and beyond the call environmentally--and how they needed to be especially sensitive to the Great Lakes to maintain that green reputation.
BP needs the Great Lakes, and the Great Lakes need companies like BP. But neither industry nor the Lakes will be happy if we don’t take care of the Lakes and ensure that they are there for generations to come.
Brookings came out with a study in 2007 that said what we have been arguing for a long time--investing in the Great Lakes will yield great dividends. The Brookings Study found that investing $26 billion into the restoration of the Great Lakes would result in over $50 billion in economic development for the region.
All of us--environmentalists, industrialists, politicians, and so on--should be pushing for implementation of the recommendations of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration for the economic and environmental health of the economic engine that drives the Midwest.
Which leads us to question number three. We’ve done a lot of work through the Legacy Act and other initiatives to clean up polluted areas of the Great Lakes.
But the Great Lakes need more than a series of band-aids, they need serious injections of resources and manpower. Despite all of our hard work, we still see record beach closures, fish consumption advisories, new invasive species like VHS and other major issues.
The Great Lakes are--and will continue to be--the economic engine of the Midwest. There are a lot of us in Congress who represent Great Lakes states, and we need to continue to put this tremendous resource at the top of our list of our priorities.
This is our Grand Canyon, our Yellowstone, and we need to stop trying to patch it up, and start trying to make it flourish.
I look forward to working with the subcommittee and the committee on addressing the challenges facing the Great Lakes in the year to come.
I thank you for convening this hearing on Water Quality in the Great Lakes, and thank you for inviting me to testify today.”
Historic dairy buildings for sale
by Peter von Buol
Special to Inside
Two architecturally-significant buildings on the 3600 block of North Broadway are being offered for sale and some preservationists are worried a new owner may demolish them instead of restoring them, a move that may be possible because of what seems to be a clerical error by the City of Chicago.
Located at 3636-38 North Broadway, both buildings are on the 2007-08 Chicagoland Watch List of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, a local architectural preservation advocacy group.
“They are both incredible examples of high-style, elegant, commercial buildings that were built in the early part of the 20th Century. A lot of their history remains a mystery. We are still trying to understand them and we have never been allowed inside. What was the company that built them trying to say about themselves when they built the buildings? My hope is that we will get more research,” said Lisa DiChiera, director of advocacy at the L.P.C.I.
Built in 1909, the two-story office building at 3638 N. Broadway, is of a neo-classical Greco-Roman design and is coded as Orange on the City of Chicago’s Historic Resources Survey. With an Orange designation, the city automatically imposes a 90-day hold on its demolition if an owner files for a demolition permit.
According to DiChiera, the original purpose of the building, which has Corinthian-style columns, has been misidentified by the city.
“The city describes the building as having been a library, which it never was,” said DiChiera.
The adjacent building, at 3636 N. Broadway, was built in 1927-28, shortly before the company was purchased by Borden Dairy. While the terra-cotta covered three-story building is on the watch list of the Landmarks Preservation Council, for some unexplained reason, it was never listed on the city’s historic resources survey and could easily be demolished.
The exteriors of both buildings have been well-maintained but DiChiera laments no preservationist has ever been allowed inside their interiors.
“We have never been allowed inside of them to take a look,” said DiChiera.
The owners likely never allowed preservationists into the building for fear that a landmark designation would cause the commercial property value to plummet.
According to the L.P.C.I., the best way to preserve both buildings would be to have the City of Chicago designate both buildings as historical landmarks.
“While some interest exists from developers in rehabbing the buildings, the prominent commercial block is vulnerable to demolition without Chicago Landmark designation,” said the advocacy group on its web site.
“We have heard potential developers have expressed an interest in either demolishing them or [hopefully] reusing them or demolishing them. A large parking lot is available and the buildings could be converted into residences," said DiChiera.
Both buildings were eventually sold by the Borden Dairy to serve as the corporate headquarters of the Curtiss Candy Company. At the beginning of the 1960s, Curtiss was among the top 10 firms in the American candy industry, in large part due to its Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars, which are now owned by Swiss-based Nestle. The buildings were eventually purchased by the Recycled Paper Greetings Company in 1981.
While architectural preservationists are concerned about the possible sale of the buildings, which are located in the city’s 46th Ward, an aide to Ald. Helen Shiller (46th), said the alderman is aware that the buildings are for sale but said he has heard “nothing concrete” about any potential buyers.
“No one has contacted us. A potential developer could not do anything without a zoning change and a zoning change requires a community meeting,” said George Atkins, who works on special projects for the alderman.
According to Atkins, if such a meeting takes place in the future, the community would be able to discuss the architectural significance of the properties and would have the opportunity to vote on their preservation.
C.A.P.S. meetings schedule for February
All community police beat meetings at 7 p.m. unless noted otherwise.
18th District - 1160 North Larrabee Street - (312) 742-5778
1811 February 20 - 1711 N. Cleveland - St. Michael’s Church
1812 February 13 - 550 W. Webster -Lincoln Park Hospital
1813 February 20 - 1711 N. Cleveland - St. Michael’s Church
1814 February 28 - 1765 N. North Park - Old Town Triangle
1821 February 5 - 6:30 p.m. - 310 W. Division - Near North Library
1822 February 12 - 6:30 p.m. - 1160 N. Larrabee - 18th District Police Station
1823 February 19 - 6:00 p.m. - 1119 N. Cleveland - Jenner School
1831 February 7 - 615 N. Kingsbury - Admiral’s Point Condo
1832 February 14 - 860 N. LaSalle - Moody Bible Institute
1833 February 21 - 126 E. Chestnut - Fourth Presbyterian Church
1834 February 27 - 400 N. McClurg Ct. - City Front Place
Youth February 20 - 4:00 p.m. - 1160 N. Larrabee - 18th District Police Station
19th District - 2452 West Belmont - (312) 744-5574
1912 February 20 - 2509 W. Irving Park - Paul Revere Park
1922 February 13 - 4701 N. Ashland - Chase Park
1932 February 14 - 836 W. Wellington - Illinois Masonic, Olson Auditorium
20th District - 5400 North Lincoln - (312) 742-8770
2011 February 4 - 5400 N. Lincoln - 20th District Police Station - CAPS for Kids.
2012 February 13 - 1609 W. Gregory - St. Gregory Gym
2013 February 20 - 5437 N. Clark - Philadelphia Church
2022 February 12 - 5917 N. Broadway - Broadway Armory
2024 February 21 - 4921 N. Marine Dr. - Margate Park
2033 February 5 - 5917 N. Broadway - Broadway Armory
23rd District - 3608 North Halsted - (312) 744-0064
2311 February 5 - 1145 W. Wilson - Truman College, Cafeteria
2312 February 19 - 4715 N. Sheridan - Inspirational Cafe
2313 February 13 - 4501 N. Clarendon - Clarendon Park Field House
2322 February 7 - 929 W. Buena - Uptown Branch Library
2333 February 21 - 601 W. Diversey - Inn at Lincoln Park
Youth February 12 - 3:00 p.m. - 3608 N. Halsted, 23rd Dist., Community Room
Cultural Center holds February weekend events
Free public programs and family activities will be offered each weekend at the Chicago Cultural Center in conjunction with the "Hot Spot" for Museum of Modern Ice, a new winter celebration in Millennium Park this February.
All programs are free, reservations are not required, and the phone number for more information is 312.744.2400.
The Chicago Cultural Center is located at 78 E. Washington Street.
Additional Museum of Modern Ice public programs will take place in Millennium Park in a heated tent between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive at Washington Street.
The centerpiece of Museum of Modern Ice will be Paintings Below Zero, a 95 feet long by 12 feet tall wall made of boldly colored, abstract paintings in ice by Canadian artist Gordon Halloran at Chase Promenade behind Cloud Gate in Millennium Park.
On Saturdays, there will be Music in the Randolph Cafe at Noon to 1 p.m.
Slated for performances on February 2 “Red, Hot & Cole with Bradford Newquist" February 9 "Heart's on Fire with Joan Curto and Beckie Menzie," February 16 “Jazz Hot with Paul Marinaro" and February 23 “Steam Heat, A Broadway Concert with Kat Taylor."
Also on Saturdays in Feb., Color Your Winter with Crafts will be held in the 1st Floor Garland Room where the Windy City Knitting Guild will teach new techniques in painting on fabric, knitting with color, and spinning and dyeing yarn.
Toasty Tours will also be set for Saturdays at 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. and there will be Films in the Claudia Cassidy Theater at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The family-friendly movies with winter themes include Ice Age and Happy Feet.
There are also tours, music and cooking classes at the Cultural Center on Sundays
in February.
Candidate picks up endorsement
Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn on Sunday endorsed Cook County Prosecutor Anita Alzarez in her bid for the top job in the State's Attorney's Office.
"Anita Alzarez is the most independent and qualified candidate in the race for Cook County State's Attorney," Quinn said. "She will be a strong prosecutor who will crack down on street crime and official corruption in Cook County."
A native of Pilsen, she is now the Chief Deputy State's Attorney running in a crowded field of candidates that includes Ald. Tom Allen (38th) and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin.
Annual Helping Hands program deemed a success
Service organizations to help the needy
State Representative John Fritchey (D-11) today applauded the overwhelming success of his 6th Annual Helping Hands Campaign.
Working in collaboration with local community groups, Rep. Fritchey collected new hats, gloves, scarves and other clothing, as well as a significant amount of hygiene products for those who are in need this winter.
“I am very proud to continue the tradition of the Helping Hands Campaign,” Fritchey said. “While helping those in need is a year-round responsibility, the holiday season in particular reminds us of how fortunate we are and inspires the spirit of giving.”
Numerous neighborhood organizations as well as local merchants helped make this year’s drive
a success.
Participants included the Bucktown Community Organization, Greater Rockwell Organization, Lakeview Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Belmont Branch Library, Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce, Roscoe Village Neighbors, Sheil Park and the Sulzer Regional Library.
“I sincerely appreciate the help of all the groups to try to improve life for some of the less fortunate individuals in our community,” said Rep. Fritchey. “We are able to assist more and more families each year, and couldn’t be as successful without the efforts of neighborhood organizations.”
This year, the Campaign was able to assist several groups including Common Pantry at 3744 N. Damen Ave. and Lakeview YMCA at 3333 N. Marshfield Ave.
Comedy premiers at Victory Gardens
Chicago’s Flaxen Theater will be staging the world premier of "Pitching Penguins" from Feb. 7 to March 16 at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse main floor theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue.
The comedy finds PR agency owner Bud Brooks desperate to get back on toap as the number one agency in town.
He’s pulling out all the stops, so he's overloading his people with any client he can find.
From penguin frittatas to talking silverware, nothing is off limits in the race to regain his agency’s top position.
As Bud drives his staff over the edge, the deadline approaches for the new business pitch that could put the agency back on top. Unfortunately, Bud has tempted fate by assigning that pitch to his inept son and heir, Billy.
Written by Michael Rosenbaum and David Brimm, the two act comedy is directed by Karin Shook.
Featured players are Larry Carpenter, Scott Cupper, Thom Goodwin, Jennifer Davis Johnson, and Jules Lambert.
Art Institute offers free admission every day during February
The Art Institute of Chicago is ready to welcome visitors to enjoy its February Free Days—in which the museum will offer free general admission every day from February 1 to 29.
While the winter weather is at its worst, visitors are welcome to stay nice and toasty, wandering the halls of the museum's extensive collection or attending many of the scheduled lectures, screenings, or family events at absolutely no cost.
The museum said it wanted to offer free admission for every day during an entire month this year. It selected Feb. because that is the shortest month of the year.
Select highlights during February Free Days include a special "Behind the Lions Day" for families on Feb. 2 where visitors may discover American heroes in the Art Institute's galleries through art-making activities and gallery walks.
Question and answer discussions with Art Institute curators will be held every weekend in February where visitors get a chance to talk art history with some of the Art Institute's scholars and experts.
"Conservation Conversations" will take place every Saturday in February when people can learn how an art museum preserves its art and artifacts. During these times, Art Institute scientists will explain the most cutting-edge conservation techniques during these sessions.
Also, the Chicago premiere of the HBO documentary "The Gates" will be screened on February 23 and 24.
This film by Antonio Ferrera, Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Matthew Prinzing chronicles the decades-long struggle of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude to realize their famous Central Park project.
Daley calls on other mayors to support Chicago's Olympic bid
Last week, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley asked other mayors from around the country to help Chicago bring the Olympic Games back to the United States in 2016.
In a presentation made at a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C., Daley said the Olympics represent a chance for the United States to portray itself as it truly is: a place where people from different backgrounds and ethnicities can come together to pursue their dreams.
"The Olympics presents our city, the Midwest region and the entire country with a unique opportunity not only to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors but also to place ourselves through the media in the homes of millions of people all around the world. The Olympic and Paralympic Games would attract new visitors from around the globe, generate international good will and create new businesses and jobs for the hard-working people of our city and our country. And the Olympic Games would leave a legacy that strengthens the Olympic Movement by building passion for sport, culture, education and the environment for future generations around the world," Daley told the mayors.
He said a big part of Chicago's job in the coming months is to engage elected officials from all over the country in its efforts so they can carry the message of an Olympic Games in the United States with honest enthusiasm.
He characterized Chicago's bid proposal plan as "fiscally responsible, sustainable, and one that will leave a positive legacy for the city, the nation and the Olympic Movement."
For the athletes, Chicago is planning to create an once-in-a-lifetime Olympic experience that magnifies the power, passion and joy of sport and integrates the full array of the city's cultural attractions.
"Over the last two years, I've traveled to Athens, Barcelona, London and Beijing, and I've seen what the Olympic Games can do for a city. The Olympic Games would leave a legacy that strengthens the Olympic Movement by building passion for sport, culture, education and the environment for future generations around the world," the mayor said.
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