Student slaying sparks anti-crime rally
BY HAYLEY CARLTON
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
On June 7 Uptown activists will remember slain Truman Collage student Francis Oduro, Jr. with an anti-crime rally in front of Ald. Helen Shiller’s office, 4544 N. Broadway. Oduro was shot on May 21 at 9:15 p.m. as he was walking to the Wilson Red Line station after stopping at Truman to inquire about summer classes.
He was shot twice about 9:15 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to news reports. Police have yet to make an arrest in the slaying of the 22-year-old Ghana native. Police consider him to be an innocent by stander in what they are calling a gang shooting. A second man was also shot, but survived. “It’s still an active and open investigation,” said Officer John Maribelli, of Chicago Police News Affairs.
Oduro arrived in the United States to join his father, who is also named Francis Oduro, in Chicago. He was a South Side resident, but worked in an Uptown grocery store in addition to taking classes at Truman.
“It’s seasonal,” said Pam Merema, an activist involved in Uptown. Merema says that the area where Oduro was slain is a crime hot spot and when the weather gets warmer, the crime gets worse. “I think that police are content to push it (the criminal element) into that area, because it keeps it out of 90% of the district and that keeps 90% who live in the district happy.”
Additionally, Merema says that the Wilson TIF has made things worse by adding more dead-end streets to the area, which in turn makes the area more dangerous. The activists refers to a 1999 paper written by Loyola University professor Richard Block that ranks dead end streets as one of the reason why there is crime in the area.
The article states that Wilson and Broadway is a robbery “hot spot” and is ranked fifth worst of 21,000 Chicago census tracts for street robberies. The article cites such factors as a seedy appearance to the area, an ATM in the El station, dead end streets and alleys giving robbers a place to hide and the fact that the area attracts a large amount of people.
This is not the first time this academic year that a Truman College student was slain. In November, Issac Pink, 18, was slain on the South Side. A suspect was arrested in that case.
Lynn M. Walker, Interim President of Truman College issued a statement. “We at Truman College are shocked and saddened by the death of Francis Oduro. He was a good student and a wonderful young man and he will be sorely missed by his teachers and his fellow students.” There was a memorial to Oduro on the Truman College website.
According to a flier for the rally, there has been an increase in shootings and other violent crime in Uptown. For more information about the rally visit uptownupdate.com. Shiller’s office did not respond to a request for comments about the rally.
Trumpeter swan population recovering
A female trumpeter swan at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago nuzzles her newly hatched cygnet that just emerged from the shell on May 28. This cygnet has a significant future ahead -- it is slated to be released to the wild this fall as part of swan reintroduction and recovery program. Trumpeter swans were hunted to near extinction by 1900. However, thanks to managed breeding and recovery efforts, like those at Lincoln Park Zoo, these swans are thriving again in many parts of the Midwest.
Future of
Halsted River Triangle area in the works
BY JEFF BORGARDT
EDITOR
About forty people attended a meeting last week to discuss prospective plans for a vibrant chunk of the Near North Side.
City officials discussed traffic issues, a possible parking garage, widening sidewalks, new developments and new traffic signals at a community meeting for residents Tuesday, May 27 at the Steppenwolf Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St.
At issue was the Halsted Triangle Plan which models the future for the turf bounded by North Ave., Halsted St., Division St. and the Chicago River.
Ald Vi Daley (43rd) said traffic congestion is a concern for residents in this area.
“We are looking at a traffic signal for Evergreen and Halsted, the one on Weed St. doesn’t work that well,” she said Monday.
Another concern involves lack of sidewalks, Daley said.
Methods to combat traffic congestion are thorny for residents however.
Many want increased parking and favor the construction of a parking garage. On the other hand, some residents say a parking garage would only encourage more auto traffic.
Daley said the Halsted Triangle Plan has been worked out with officials from the city planning and transportation departments, among others. The final draft of the plan is expected to be completed in September.
The non-profit Local Economic and Employment Development Council, 1866 N Marcey St., requested the plan.
Mike Holzer of LEED, said although many may consider this area primarily for retail and entertainment at first thought, it should be noted that there is also a strong office and industrial component there as well.
“This area is undergoing change. There are a significant number of jobs along the Halsted River Triangle,” Holzer said. “The city estimates 2,000 jobs are represented by businesses there. The area has got a lot of outdated infrastructure that doesn’t meet the existing business needs of residents and other people. There is significant redevelopment potential with many vacant and under-utilized sites.”
As an example of this, he cited the large C.H Robinson site near W. Evergreen Ave. and Kingsbury St.
Holzer, the Economic Development Director of LEED, said he also thinks Kingsbury St. should be reconstructed because it has an abandoned rail track down the middle of the road.
“The track should be removed and the street redesigned to promote better traffic safety and more useful parking for existing businesses,” he said.
LEED calls for ban on residential development.
As for the plan, Holzer is “hopeful” but waiting to see the final recommendations; the plan should make the area more friendly for public transportation, pedestrians and bicyclists while ensuring the health of industry along the river, he says.
Ravenswood factory converted into Hollywood production shop
BY PETER VON BUOL
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
A former theater and exhibit-set factory located at 5645 N. Ravenswood Ave. is now being converted into a state-of-the-art film editing facility by Hollywood filmmakers Larry and Andy Wachowski. The reclusive brothers are best known for their “Matrix” science-fiction thriller movie trilogy which starred Keanu Reeves and are the creative forces behind the current live-action film version of “Speed Racer,” a Japanese cartoon popular which became popular among American children in the late 1960s.
Considered today to rank among the elite filmmakers, Larry Wachowski, 42, and Andy, 40, were born and raised on Chicago’s South Side. While constructing an editing facility in the 21,500 square-foot-building will allow the brothers to work on their film projects at a facility closer to their Chicago-area homes, they will also benefit from the Illinois General Assembly’s recent renewal of a 20 percent tax credit for films produced in Illinois.
Located in the West Edgewater/Andersonville neighborhood, the facility was built more than 30 years ago and occupies a 27,800 square foot lot.
At the end of March, while lobbying the state legislature for the renewal of the film industry tax credits, Governor Rod Blagojevich said the film industry had contributed $155 million dollars to the state treasury, an 80 percent increase over the previous year.
“Since we enacted the Film Tax Credit of 2003, production in Illinois has surpassed record levels. There are over 40 states that provide film incentives, including Wisconsin and Michigan, so it’s vital that we continue to offer a tax credit to help us remain competitive, and maintain Illinois as a viable option to major production sites like Los Angeles and New York,” said Blagojevich in a written statement released on March 31, 2008.
According to Jeffrey Laird, whose real estate sales firm listed the property, the Wachowski brothers found a nice building in a good location for what they wanted.
The building does not have a flashy exterior but according to Laird, there were a few details which impressed the Wachowski brothers for their film work.
“A section inside has 4,000 square-feet of column-free space and there is another 10,000 square-foot section with 18 foot ceilings,” said Laird.
While the exterior has not undergone a lot of modifications since being sold to the Wachowski brothers, its interior is being considerably reworked.
“They are really tearing it apart. They have been rehabbing for more than a year. Most of what had been a factory building without air-conditioning is being converted into office space for film editing suites,” said Laird.
Building a Hollywood-caliber post-production facility will allow the Wachowski brothers to take advantage of the city’s burgeoning filmmaking talent as Chicago is home to Columbia College, which has the largest film school in country and also the highly-regarded film school of the School of the Art Institute.
According to Rich Moskal, who serves as the director of the City of Chicago’s Film Office, he believes the new facility being built by the Wachowski’s is a good indicator how the city has raised its visibility among those in the Hollywood film industry.
“A growing number of the Hollywood elite (including actor Vince Vaughn and actor/director Harold Ramis) consider Chicago as a place to live and work. It says a quite a bit about the level and quality of the work being done here. The city has become more than just a destination for film locales,” said Moskal.
CITY BEAT
Child, 4, father and two elderly women rescued in weekend blaze
Chicago firefighters saved four people Friday night from a home fire in Lincoln Square. Firefighters were in the process of responding to a different ambulance call when they were approached by a woman at 10 p.m. who reported the blaze on the 2900 block of W. Foster.
Once they reached the scene, they saw thick smoke enveloping the first floor of the two-story building. The fire fighters spotted a man and child hanging out the window and used their ladder to help them down; two elderly women were also helped out of the fire.
No injuries were reported, fire spokespeople say. Six people were in the building during the blaze. The cause remains under investigation.
Group plans to monitor police
On Tuesday June 3 at 10 a.m. at Clarendon Park on Wilson Ave. and Clarendon Ave. the Community of Uptown Residents for Affordability and Justice, dubbed COURAJ, held a press conference to announce the beginning of a community-based program of monitoring the police. Speakers at the press conference included Uptown residents and activists concerned about “rampant misconduct by the Chicago Police Department in Uptown.”
Also, the group began its first monitoring shift of the police in the neighborhood. COURAJ has organized their “COPWATCH” program in response to “ongoing issues of aggressiveness and harassment by the Chicago Police Department which have been experienced and observed by low-income residents of Uptown for decades,” according to group spokesperson Dave Williams. The program will entail residents walking the streets together and simply observing the police when they interact with or detain people in public, Williams said. A ramped up police presence appeared visible in Uptown on Tuesday.
U.K diplomats discuss 10-year anniversary of peace accord
BY PATRICK BUTLER
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
Ten years after the signing of the “Good Friday Agreement,” Northern Ireland is enjoying unprecedented prosperity, with foreign investment and tourism booming and the lowest jobless rate in the United Kingdom, reports James Clark, Chicago’s British Consul General.
Speaking at a Wednesday, May 29, discussion at DePaul University’s Schmitt Academic Center, 2320 N. Kenmore, marking the anniversary, Clark and his Irish counterpart, Martin Rouine, credited the change to a combination of economics and exhaustion after 30 years of the latest round of three centuries of fighting between the native Catholic Irish and the Protestant Scots and English “planted” there in the 1600s.to strengthen the English presence.
The agreement includes creation of a Northern Ireland government, adoption of new civil rights laws, recruitment of Catholics into the mostly-Protestant police department, release of both Unionist and Republican prisoners from paramilitary organizations and a cease fire.
For the first time, Ireland dropped its territorial claims on Ulster, whose future will at some point be decided by a majority vote of the province’s residents.
But while the accord - more formally known as the “Belfast Agreement” - was negotiated by representatives of the Catholic and Protestant communities, as well as the London and Dublin governments, Rouine said it would be a “mischaracterization” to call “The Troubles” a religious war.
“It’s not as simple as that,” he said, noting that some would call the conflict a class war or a fight for political control. But Clark said the turmoil that killed more than 3,000 people and wounded another 30,000 might well have been avoided with reforms such as an end to discrimination against Catholics. With such moves, “erupting mounting anger, resentment and violence became entrenched.”
Peace, he added, became a realistic prospect when both the British and Irish governments made it a top priority after Tony Blair moved into 10 Downing St. in 1997.
“Both governments took risks keeping the process in motion” despite efforts at derailment by both Irish Republican Army and Protestant Unionist extremists,” Clark said.
While even the mainstream IRA was reluctant to give up it’s weapons, which it considered tantamount to surrender, it became more willing to take the gamble as it realized the alternative was to “keep fighting with no hope of a military solution,” Clark said.
While Rouine said he’d “never say never” when asked about the possibility of a resumption of fighting, he agreed with Clark who said “there’s a consensus against it now. The hope is that public opinion would make it less likely.”
Clark and Rouine agreed that even the once-vitriolic anti-Catholic preacher and politician Ian Paisley has evolved into a valuable peacemaker as head of the Northern Ireland government, working closely with his onetime sworn enemy, Sinn Fein leader Martin McGinnis.
Another reason for the apparent success of this peace process so far is that “the people responsible for the problem were made part of the solution,” Rouine said.
Clark agreed.
Until recently, that’s been a rare occurrence in Anglo-Irish relations.
Police catch bank robber after foot chase
Fleeing man drives into tree
Chicago Police SWAT officers chased and apprehended a man after he robbed the National City Bank at 2300 North Western Avenue last Tuesday morning, said Chicago Police.
At approximately 10:05 a.m. a 28 year-old Chicago man walked into the National City Bank, handed a teller a note demanding money and implying he had a gun. The teller gave him the money and he exited the bank.
As he ran from the bank a witness saw him get into a white vehicle and speed away. The witness thought the man running looked suspicious so he wrote down the vehicles license plate number.
The first officer at the bank obtained a description of the man from bank employees and the vehicle information from the witness. He immediately relayed that information to other units via his radio. The car had been reported stolen.
Two SWAT officers working in the area noticed the offender’s car travelling westbound on North Avenue and broadcast the location of the vehicle. The offender turned northbound on Kedzie Avenue and sped up. As he attempted to turn onto Homer Street he lost control and hit a tree.
The offender ran from the vehicle and the two SWAT officers chased him on foot into an alley in the 1900 block of North Kedzie where he was taken into custody.
After his capture the offender was turned over to the FBI.
North Center man faces
charges after police standoff
A 25-year-old North Center man accused of drug violations, chasing a woman out of his apartment with a gun and threatening to “kill any cop who comes in” now has a June 3 court date.
The man, of the 2100 block of W. Fletcher Street, was in a three-hour standoff with police at his apartment the afternoon of Saturday, May 17.
He was ordered held on $100,000 bond by Judge Maura Slattery Boyle and now faces felony drug and weapons charges.
$25 million North Avenue bridge completed
Although behind schedule, the new North Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River was completed last week.
The new bridge replaces a 99-year-old, outdated bridge with a modern, architecturally significant structure that expands capacity both for vehicles and pedestrians.
The new North Avenue Bridge features two full lanes in each direction double the capacity of the old bridge helping address traffic congestion along busy North Avenue. Sidewalks flank both sides of the bridge.
The $25 million project took 22 months to complete. The new bridge is a hybrid suspension/cable-stay bridge, the first of its kind in Chicago. The center section is a suspension bridge, while the ends feature cable-stay technology.
A suspension bridge hangs from cables anchored at each end, while a cable-stay bridge supports the deck with cables from a central tower or towers.
This configuration allows for an open, airy bridge with a thin deck, or roadway platform. It provides more than 18 feet of clearance over the river, as required by the federal government. The new bridge is a fixed-span, or non-movable, bridge.
“In a city famous for its bridges, the new North Avenue Bridge is a notable addition,” Mayor Daley said at the dedication. “This project is important because it helps address the growing traffic demands in this vibrant neighborhood and it represents our commitment to investing in the City’s basic infrastructure -- roads, bridges, sewers, water systems,” the mayor said.
Funding for the project was provided by federal and state sources, and the dedication was attended by Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis.
“North Avenue is a vital artery for some of Chicago’s most popular neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park and Bucktown, and is an important link to Lake Shore Drive and Interstate 90/94,” Senator Durbin said. “The new bridge relieves congestion by doubling capacity and is essential to the area’s continued residential and economic growth.”
Daley thanked Durbin and Davis for making the project a priority and securing the funds to help make it happen. He also thanked the Illinois Department of Transportation for its participation in the project.
“I am pleased to work with Mayor Richard M. Daley and the City of Chicago, with Governor Blagojevich and the State of Illinois, and U. S. Senator Richard Durbin on this project to help make certain that Chicago’s infrastructure is among the best in the nation. It is a great project and I am indeed pleased to have been apart of bringing necessary resources back to the city,” Davis said.
Lake View Citizens Council elects new president
Lawyer Marsalek has lived in Lake View forty years
Diann Marsalek was elected President of Lake View Citizens Council at their annual meeting held on May 8. Marsalek will continue her role as President of Central Lake View Neighbors, a branch of LVCC, and as the head of the Chicago Police 23rd District Steering Committee. Marsalek has a Juris Doctorate from NIU College of Law, as well as a B.A. and M.A. from DePaul University. Marsalek has been a life-long resident of Lake View for over 40 years.
Marsalek succeeds David Winner who served as President of LVCC for three years.
She officially takes office June 1 but has already started engaging all twelve branches in the Lake View Citizens’ Council umbrella with the local elected officials, police districts, schools, businesses, local clergy and community neighbors.
She will propose six branch representatives and two institutional business members serve on the Lake View Citizens’ Council Executive Board. They say they will continue to focus on improving the quality of life in Lake View by tackling crime, green space, neighborhood beautification and development.
The group is a non-profit civic organization serving the Lakeview community bounded by 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 Chicago River, and Irving Park Road on the north - at 867 W Buckingham Place.
Political forum scheduled
The Lincoln Park Community Research Initiative presents it’s eighteenth program “The Legacies of 1968...A City Transformed” on Thursday, June 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cortelyou Commons at DePaul University, 2324 N. Fremont.
The world was watching as the city dealt with a tumultuous year of colliding events. Explore the impact of that critical year over the past 40 years. Hear eyewitnesses who helped to shape the transformation that brought us to the Chicago of 2008.
Mike Flannery of CBS 2 Chicago will be the moderator, joined by panelists Monroe Anderson, Jim Houlihan and Don Rose.
POLICE BEAT
18/20
Key left in safe
$4,700 cash, $3,000 in jewelry and 200 pills of the oxycontin worth $3,000 were taken from the safe of the JB Auctioneers Company May 27 on the 5500 blocks of N. Clark. The owner, 62, reported he left his office basement at 3 p.m. May 27 with the safe door closed and the key inside the keyhole. He returned at 5:45 p.m. and found the entrance door open and money pouches on the floor. The purse of a woman, 21, was thrown on the floor and the contents dumped on the ground in the corner of the basement with the cell phone missing. The tape of the surveillance camera could not be retrieved.
Bicyclist shoots
student in foot
A bicyclist in motion yelled “King Killer,” pulled out a gun and shot a 16-year-old student in the left foot May 28 on the 5100 block of N. Francisco. The victim related that he was walking through the park with a friend, also 16, when he saw the gun and ran. He then felt pain and hid out in an unknown backyard for five minutes. After that he wandered to the street and flagged down a police squad car saying he couldn’t walk on his foot. The officers drove him to Swedish Cov. Hospital where was treated and is in excellent condition
Safe left open at
cell phone store
A cellular phone equipment and service store on the 5100 block of N. Broadway was burglarized May 31. Police observed the front door had been damaged and the safe was open. An employee said the safe was left open and unlocked the night before, contrary to regular procedure. An orange pouch thought to contain between $4,000 and $5,000 was missing from the safe. Video surveillance tapes showed the burglar enter the store, open the safe, grab the pouch and exit.
Man found unconscious
on the ground
An officer on patrol May 22 saw an individual laying on the ground unconscious on the 1000 block of Lawrence at 10 p.m. When the man, 35, awoke, he stated that he was standing on the corner when a group of males and females approached. One of them punched him several times in the head, took his money and ran away. He was treated for head trauma at Illinois Masonic Hospital.
Meter taken from taxi
A cab driver from Berwyn, 24, parked his yellow 2003 taxi cab on the 5200 block of Western Avenue May 21 at 1 p.m. When he returned to the vehicle at 3 p.m. he found the taxi cab meter, worth about $250, was gone.
$80 in quarters taken from washing machine
Theft was reported May 23. This theft from a coin-operated machine device occurred in the basement of a building on the 1400 block of W. Winnemac Avenue. In this case, $80 in quarters were taken from the coin box of a washing machine.
Another separate theft of $300 and under was reported May 26 on park property. It happened at 1 p.m. near the 5200 block of N. Lake Shore Drive.
Five computers
stolen at school
A total of five laptop computers were reported stolen in a burglary at St. Philip School on the 2500 block of W. Bryn Mawr May 27. Four of the computers were taken from a computer cart in the hallway while another was removed from a seventh grade classroom. A set of school keys have been missing for several months.
Senior’s bag snatched
at dollar store
At 2:30 p.m. on May 22, a woman, 76, shopping in the Dollar Tree Store on the 5200 block of N. Broadway noticed her wallet and a smaller pouch were missing from inside her purse. She called for help and a store manager then located the pouch in the aisle. The manager then approached a woman in her 30s and the woman ran out of the store and jumped into a getaway car which zoomed off. The senior lost many of her possessions and was “very shaken up” by the incident.
Burglar gets nothing
A burglar broke into the Sister Salon store on the 5000 block of N. Lincoln Avenue May 26 but took nothing. An employee said there was no money in the store at the time. Several items were “tossed around” but nothing was missing.
Attorney’s
house burglarized
The home of two attorney’s on the 5800 block of N. Virginia was burglarized May 27. $4,400 in jewelry and also electronics were taken.
Wallet taken from car
The vehicle of a Kentucky man parked on the 100 block of W. Ainsle was broken into May 25 and his wallet with $110 inside was taken from the glove box
19/23
Truman College student beaten, robbed
A student, 20, of the 1900 block of W. Farwell Avenue, was walking on college grounds on the 1200 block of W. Sunnyside May 20 at 3:11 p.m. when he was approached by five males and asked “what are you?” He responded by saying “I’m nothing. I’m a Truman College student.” One of the robbers swore at him and he ran. However, one of the robbers then caught up to him and knocked him to the ground. Several of them then started striking the student with their hands and feet. They took his book bag and he managed to get up and escape. Five minutes later, two of the five attackers were apprehended by police. One is 15 years-old from the 4400 block of N. Racine Ave. and the other is 19 of the 900 block of Montrose Ave.
Burglar: stuff in
burned building
there for the taking
Police received a call May 26 at 4:40 p.m. saying that unknown people were inside an abandoned rear coach house that was recently in fire on the 800 block of Buckingham Place. A person was observed leaving the rear door with a large TV and other items. The man, 52, was then spotted on the 3400 block of N. Halsted St. with the $2,000, 61-inch projection screen TV and a woman, 50, was caught with an XBox, BBQ utensils, subwoofer and a flat iron in her shopping cart. After being taken into custody, the woman told police “the stuff inside the burned building was abandoned by the owner, so it was there for the taking. The people abandoned their stuff so the homeless take it. That’s how they live,” according to the police report. Both claimed the items belonged to them.
13-year-old robbed
A boy waiting for his mother on the 1300 block of W. Wilson Avenue May 20 at 6:50 p.m. was robbed by a man in a baseball cap. The boy, 13, was walking east on Wilson and saw a man sitting on the bus stop bench. The man then came from behind, grabbed the boy and told him to hand over all his money. The man then took $7 and also grabbed the child’s bookbag. The boy then met up with his mother and police received a description of the robber. The robber, 21, of the 5400 block of S. Bishop St., was then spotted on the 4400 block of N. Broadway and arrested.
Phone loan leads to punch in the face
A day laborer who lives in a shelter, 26, loaned a cell phone to a man, 31, on May 26. The man then returned the phone but it did not have the phone’s “sim card.” The victim confronted the man on the 4700 block of N. Sheridan Rd. at 8:45 a.m. and got punched in the face.
Scooter,
motorcycle stolen
A 1992 red Honda scooter was reported stolen from the street May 25 on the 2700 block of N. Hampden Court. Also, a 2006 black Harley Davidson motorcycle was stolen from the street May 24 on the 2400 block of Lakeview Avenue.
Man and woman rob
Two people were arrested for a May 31 robbery on the 700 block of Cornelia Ave. A woman, 33, of the 900 block of Wilson Ave., and a man, 43, of the 4000 block of N. Kenmore Ave., approached a man, 28, and the woman flashed a knife and they demanded money. He handed over $40 and the robbers went through his pockets, took his passport and demanded more money. He resisted and they knocked him to the ground and punched and kicked him. Witnesses intervened, knocked the knife from the woman’s hand and police arrived and arrested the two. They have June 6 court dates; felony charges have been approved. The victim was treated at Illinois Masonic Hospital for numerous lacerations to the head and face. One of the witnesses who assisted sustained cuts to the nose and face.
Man robbed
leaving nightclub
A waiter, 30, was leaving the nightclub Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted St., at 2:25 a.m May 30 when a black hatchback vehicle pulled up to him, a person exited, showed a handgun and took his wallet and cell phone.
Theft at Wrigley
On May 12, a theft of under $300 was reported at Wrigley Field at 8:30 p.m.
Man attacks
with fists, car
A laborer, 26, of the 4500 block of N. Albany Ave., was beaten May 22 on the 1000 block of W. Leland Ave. at 2 p.m. The victim was crossing the street when a man, 29, of the 800 block of W. Lakeside Place pulled up in a Green Honda, jumped out of the car and attacked the man hitting him in the head and face. The attacker then jumped back into the car and “struck the victim with the vehicle before fleeing the scene,” the police report says. The victim suffered injuries to the eye, nose, lip and chin. The attacker was apprehended and has a June 17 court date. He has a tattoo on his left wrist that says “Love Laura.”
Gang member arrested
An alleged member of the Latin Kings street gang was arrested for loitering and refusing to leave a business May 18 on the 1300 block of W. Wilson Ave.
Male nurse
stabbed in face
On May 18 on the 4500 block of Magnolia Ave., a male nurse, 46, of the 900 block of E. 86th Street, was attacked by five men wearing black and red clothing at 5:30 a.m. The victim said the men were yelling gang slogans but he couldn’t remember what they were.
Robbery at bus stop
A man, 36, of the Chateau Hotel on 3800 block of N. Broadway was robbed at a CTA bus stop on the 800 block of W. Sheridan May 15 at 9:15 p.m.
Come on out,
we just want to talk
A man, 29, of the 4000 block of N. Kenmore, was approached while working at a liquor store on the 4100 block of N. Sheridan by two men, 18, and 26, who intended to attack him. One was his brother-in-law. They threatened the man, the said “Let’s do it outside,” walked out the door and taunted the man saying “Come on out! We just want to talk! Ha Ha!”
State treasurer: military medals shouldn’t be sold
As the Memorial Day holiday passed, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias pushed a bill that would prohibit lost or abandoned military medals from being sold by the state under future administrations.
Banks and other financial institutions are required to turn over military medals found in lost and abandoned safe deposit boxes to the Unclaimed Property Division of the Treasurer’s Office if the owners cannot be located for five years. The state holds the valuables in its vault at the Capitol in Springfield while it attempts to find the rightful owners or heirs.
Unlike other types of unclaimed property, the Treasurer’s Office never sends the medals to auction. Instead, the medals are displayed at events throughout the state including at veteran’s events through the Operation Search and Restore program, in an attempt to find their proper homes. House Bill 5904 codifies the program and makes certain that Operation Search and Restore is etched into Illinois law for future generations of military members and their families.
“It is important that we make every effort to reunite these military medals with the heroes who dedicated their lives to protect our freedom.” North Sider Giannoulias said. “We want to make sure that they are never sold in the future, according to Illinois law.”
State Rep. Ron Stephens (R- Highland) is a sponsor of this legislation in the Illinois House of Representatives. The downstate Republican was also awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam.
“These awards are symbols of outstanding service to our country that are kept in military families for generations,” Stephens said. “We need to make sure that there is a procedure in Illinois law to get those medals back to those families if they come to the state as abandoned property.”
This is a bipartisan effort to keep Illinois residents’ military medals safe. State Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) sponsored the legislation in the Illinois Senate.
“This piece of legislation is very important, especially during war time,” Martinez said. “It will benefit many Illinois families in the future.”
HB 5904 has passed the Illinois House and the Senate and awaits the Governor’s signature.
Waters Elementary School
undergoes summer construction
Work will be commencing this summer to beautify and increase the capacity of Waters Elementary School, 4540 N. Campbell Avenue.
This project is the result of a partnership between Alderman Gene Schulter (47th), Chicago Public Schools and the Waters Elementary Local School Council.
Improvements to the campus exterior include permeable paving in parking lot stalls, the removal of over 49,000 square feet of impermeable surfaces, rain barrels, introduction of native plant species, sight lighting powered by solar panels, on-site recycling stations, benches made from recycled materials and an expanded community garden space.
To expand capacity, an addition to Waters Elementary School will be constructed.
The Thomas J. Waters School serves Ravenswood Manor, Ravenswood Gardens and Lincoln Square; the principal is Titia Kipp.
Sustainable features to this new addition will include the use of recycled materials in construction, a roof a high efficiency HVAC system and low V.O.C. finish materials.
A rainwater collection system will be installed that will include clear piping visible to students from inside the building.
This water will be used to irrigate plantings throughout the campus.
“Allowing the students to see the collected rainwater being used to water the plantings around the school will be an incredible learning opportunity,” said Schulter. “In so many ways, children in Chicago are ahead of many adults in green thinking. All of these improvements are going to be a great way to teach students and the surrounding community about more ways that they can be environmentally friendly.”
NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES
Lake View Lincoln Square Ravenswood Uptown
Historical society
exhibit focuses on
1893 World Fair
The Edgewater Historical Society is bringing back their exhibit of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. It opens June and stays up all summer, at the Edgewater Historical Society Museum, 5358 North Ashland Avenue. The museum is open every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The core of the exhibit is the 80-photo portfolio of pictures by William Henry Jackson about this fair and White City. Along with this exhibit will be the showing of the two-hour DVD of our Chicago World’s Fair, narrated by Gene Wilder, starting at 1:30 pm. For more information, call 773-506-4849.
Fundraiser for
Uptown Theater group
Pegasus Players will celebrate 29 years of theatre and community outreach at this year’s Annual Spring Benefit. Featuring select scenes from “Golda’s Balcony” and special guest Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, the benefit will be held at Pegasus Players, 1145 W. Wilson Avenue at Truman College, Monday, June 16, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The evening will also include cocktails, a light supper and dessert and a silent auction. The cost per ticket is $75. Tables are also available for purchase. For more information contact Pegasus Players at (773) 878-9761. All proceeds from this year’s benefit will support Pegasus Players’ renowned and multifaceted outreach programs including the award-winning Young Playwrights Festival, Global Voices Initiative, Senior & Disabled Tours, and ARTS.
Event for
Obama volunteers
Join 46th ward Democrats for a special update on the Obama campaign and instructions on how supporters may help in the next phase of the campaign from national Obama campaign staff.
The event will be held Wednesday, June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Club, 4000 North Sheridan Road at the Intersection of Sheridan and Irving Park, One block north of the Sheridan Road Red Line CTA stop.
Enjoy free food and drink specials, and the opportunity to meet other local Democrats. RSVP to Sean Tenner at Sean@the46thward.org.
Free city nature fest
The North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski Road, is celebrating the biodiversity of Chicago’s backyard with its annual “City Wilds Festival” Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The two-day festival will feature guided tours of the Nature Center’s natural habitat garden and 46-acre preserve. The festival is an opportunity to learn about landscaping with native plants and how they attract wildlife. The North Park Village Nature Center will also educate guests about worms through its composting education program.
“The City Wilds festival is a wonderful opportunity for families to learn about the relationship between wildlife and plants through activities in backyard biodiversity,” said Timothy Mitchell, general superintendent of the Chicago Park District.
The festival is free to the public and no registration is required. For more information, call the North Park Village Nature Center at 312.744.5472.
North Park Village Nature Center is the City of Chicago’s first nature center, and just one of the Chicago Park District’s 56 nature areas. Visitors to these special places will discover a variety of opportunities to explore nature with its vast array of lagoons, wetlands, prairies, woodlands, river edges, bird sanctuaries, dunes and wildlife gardens. The North Park Village Nature Center’s nature preserve is open seven days a week, year round. Admission is free.
Gold Coast Lincoln Park Loop Near North
Humor writer
speaks June 6
Memoirist and blogger Stephanie Klein, author of the newly released book “Moose,” will discuss issues involving work-life balance during an author talk and book signing at DePaul University on June 6.
Sponsored by DePaul’s Department of Management, the free, public event begins at 11 a.m. in Room 241 of DePaul’s Lewis Center, 25 E. Jackson Blvd.
“Moose,” published in May, humorously relates Klein’s adolescent experiences at a summer weight loss camp, where she eventually shed 30 pounds and the nickname “Moose.” Her previous work, “Straight Up and Dirty,” chronicled her return to single life after her first marriage ended.
Klein, of Austin, Texas, left a job as an advertising art director to write full time. She has remarried and is the mother of twins.
At the DePaul event, titled “Blurred Boundaries,” Klein will discuss balancing work and family and the public’s reactions to her personal choices. Since 2004, she has been writing about her life on a popular blog called Greek Tragedy, which was named for her failed attempt to be accepted into a sorority during college. The blog is posted on stephanieklein.blogs.com.
For more information about the event, contact Erin Espeland, Department of Management: 312/362-5202.
Tennis tournament
Midtown Tennis Club will host their 1 NTRP & Open Singles Championship from Friday, June 13 to Sunday, June 15.
Entry to this tournament is open to all USTA members. Entries must be submitted by Sunday, June 8. For more information contact Aaron Grant at aaron.grant@midtownclubs.com. Midtown Tennis Club is located at 2020 West Fullerton Avenue and the event is open to the public.
Walk in the park
The second annual walk in the park for Little Brothers and the Friends of the Elderly is expecting hundreds of participants at Lincoln Park for the second annual Walk in the Park, a 3.5 mile walk to raise awareness for Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, Chicago Chapter.
The group is committed to relieving loneliness and isolation among the city’s elderly, many of whom have no other family members.
The event will feature entertainment, family fun, activities and awards, including the opportunity to win airline tickets. Participants are encouraged to form teams of walkers and runners. Teams are invited, but not required, to raise funds for their efforts.
It will be held Sunday, June 8. Registration opens at 8 a.m.
Walk in the Park steps off at 9:30 a.m. at Lincoln Park, Stockton and LaSalle Drives. It is free.
Youth orchestra
to perform
The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra will be featured as part of Millennium Park’s Rising Stars Series with special guests Garry Clarke and David Schrader on Sunday, June 15 at 3:00 pm
This special performance features Igor Stravinsky’s thunderous “The Rite of Spring” and “Spring” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” showcasing the virtuosic playing of violinist and Baroque Band founder Garry Clarke. The orchestra will also be joined by renowned harpsichordist David Schrader. The program concludes with the celebrated Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky/Ravel.
Under the direction of Maestro Allen Tinkham, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra is an ensemble consisting of high school-age musicians from the greater Chicago area. The orchestra performs annually at Symphony Center’s Orchestra Hall, is featured at top performance venues such as Ravinia and Leipzig’s Gewandhaus and participates in educational programs and collaborations with the region’s top cultural institutions and ensembles.
British violinist and conductor Garry Clarke has recently come to attention.
Since moving to the United States in 2004, Clarke has concentrated on conducting, chamber music, and solo engagements, working in a duo with American harpsichordist Michelle Roy and serving as principal conductor of the Garth Newel Music Festival in Virginia in 2005 and 2006. He is also a member of the early music faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit millenniumpark.org/parkevents/.
The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras was created in 1946, when “a group of talented young musicians dreamed of a place where they could come together and perform the greatest orchestral works with other students who shared a love of music. Over sixty years and thousands of students later, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras is where the Chicago area’s best 7 to 18 year-old musicians begin their journey to become the classical musicians and leaders of tomorrow.”
Lincoln Avenue
SSA #35
Commission Meeting
The Lincoln Avenue Special Service Area (SSA) #35 commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday, June 12 at 8:30 a.m. This meeting will be held at the offices of Koenig & Strey, 2626 N. Lincoln.
A Special Service Area (SSA) is an economic development tool created by state statute and city ordinance that allows additional real estate property taxes to be levied to fund added services for a defined area. The services funded through the SSA tax are in addition to services generally provided by the City and benefit those properties located within SSA boundaries.
The Lincoln Avenue SSA was established in the fall of 2005. Five commissioners, selected from within the SSA boundaries (Lincoln Avenue between Webster and Diversey) manage Lincoln Avenue SSA #35. Commission members were nominated by the community and then reviewed and approved by the aldermen and mayor.
For more information about the Lincoln Avenue SSA or the upcoming meeting, please contact Sarah Gallagher at (773) 880-5200
Conference
for block clubs
Mayor Daley and Police Superintendent Jody Weis invite people and groups to the 2008 Block Club University and Neighborhood Assembly at McCormick Place, on Saturday, June 7 from 7:30 a.m until 1 pm.
Free transportation will be provided, along with free breakfast and lunch.
Register groups quickly, as space is limited. Learn from professionals and each other how to create and sustain safer communities. Workshop topics will include What Is Mayor Daley’s Block Club University, How to Beautify your Neighborhood,Tackling Community Problems, Creating New Community Organizations, Battling Problem Buildings on your Block, How Block Clubs and Faith Institutions can make Safer Streets, Safeguarding our Senior Citizens, Preventing Foreclosure in your Community and Youth Safety Programs that Your Child Should Not Miss.
To register call the CAPS Office at (312) 744 4742 or send an e-mail to Irma.Perres@chicagopolice.org
Sponsored by the Chicago Police Department, the CAPS Implementation Office, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, and 311/City Services.
Garden District of Chicago Seeks “Greenest Thumbs”
The Sheffield Garden Walk and Festival will hold its first ever- gardening contest in conjunction with this year’s Garden Walk, July 19 to 20. The contest is open to any Sheffield neighborhood resident. All entries must be submitted by June 16 and finalists will be determined by July 11.
To find out more call 773-929-9255 or go to sheffieldgarden
walk.com
Pond walk
Stroller Strut at North Pond will be held June 12 at 10 a.m. at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 North Cannon Drive.
These guided walks are geared toward caregivers and their wee ones, ages 3 and under, who’d like to explore parks and learn something new about natural areas right here in the city. In collaboration with the Chicago Park District.
Short film fest
Siskel Film Center
The 20th Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival, a production of Chicago Filmmakers will be screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street on Thursday, June 19 at 8 pm.
The opening night program includes many short movies.
One movie played will be The Rabbit Hunters (2007, 23 mins., video, Portugal): In this coda to his feature Colossal Youth, Pedro Costa continues his incisive look at the lives of the downtrodden Cape Verdians living on the outskirts of Lisbon.
Also showing will be Last Days in a Lonely Place (2007, 20 mins., video, US): Using material taken entirely from the Grand Theft Auto video game, Phil Solomon creates a haunting and moody world teetering at the edge of apocalypse.
In addition, there will be Observando El Cielo (2007, 19 mins., 16mm, US): In this, Jeanne Liotta shows heaven and earth though seven years of time-lapse recordings of the night sky in this “visually lush and magical film.”
Easter Morning (2008, 10 mins., video, US) will also be shown. This is called “a lyrical delight” by the great Bruce Conner, featuring music by Terry Riley.
In addition, the movie The Dike of Transience (2005, 13 mins., 35mm, Hungary) will be played. This is about the inhabitants of a small village live under the threat of the destruction of a nearby dam, in “this charming and beautifully photographed” film by Gyula Nemes.
Also to be played is Our Lady of the Sphere (1969, 10 mins., 35mm, US) called a wonderful and strange animated classic by Larry Jordan, showing in a new 35mm blow-up.
Finally, The Hyrcynium Wood (2007, 3 mins., video, UK) will be screened and so will be We the People (2007, 1 min., video, UK): These two atmospheric shorts by Ben Rivers explore tropes from classic horror films.
Park district: 20 million to visit beaches this summer
The Chicago Park District welcomes summer with the opening of the 2008 beach season that runs from to Labor Day weekend on Monday, Sept. 1. Hours at all beaches are 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. This summer, beach goers will find a variety of amenities, from bike rentals to concessions. Admission to Chicago’s beaches is free.
“We have more than 20 million people hitting the beach during the season,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Tim Mitchell. “Keeping our beaches and water safe is our top priority. We will be enforcing the smoking ban we announced last fall and will continue to monitor water quality through the three-tier alert system.”
Last October, the Park District board of commissioners passed a measure that prohibits smoking at beaches, playgrounds, and playlots. Smoking endangers children and others by exposing them to second-hand smoke, they said. Additionally, children and youth who observe smoking and tobacco use in public beaches, playlots and playgrounds may model the behavior. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified second-hand smoke as a group A carcinogen, the most dangerous class of carcinogen.
Additionally, the Chicago Park District will continue to monitor water quality with the same three-tier alert system used by surrounding Lake Michigan communities to issue swim bans and inform beach goers of bacteria levels. This summer, beach visitors can call the Chicago Park District Beach Hotline at 312-74-BEACH or check online for the swim status at each beach.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency support the notification system that calls for a swim advisory to be issued when readings fall between 235 and 1,000, which are counts of the bacterial colonies that have formed per 100 milliliters of water. A swim ban is issued if the Escherichia coli (E. Coli) levels reach over 1,000. The advisory or swim ban will remain in place until bacteria levels fall below 235.
The flag notification system tells patrons the current status of beaches.
A green flag means swimming is permitted. Water is calm and quality is safe based on current monitoring for E.coli bacteria.
A yellow flag symbolizes that an advisory is in effect. Caution is advised. Water and weather conditions are unpredictable. Restrictions may be implemented. Increased risk of illness may be present based on current monitoring for E.coli bacteria.
A red flag means a swim ban in effect due to severe weather or water conditions, which may be hazardous. Serious risk of illness may be present based on recent monitoring for E.coli bacteria.
There are several theories on the causes of high E.coli bacteria counts in the lake water, which include high temperatures, heavy rainfall, low lake levels, and gull waste.
Initiatives are currently in place to reduce probable bacteria sources.
Chicagoans will see “BigBelly” trash containers – solar powered trash compactors that support fuel conservation and decreased emissions – at select beaches.
A waste recycling program providing covered and weighted recycling and waste containers along the lakefront will help minimize the food sources that attract gulls to the beaches.
Daily maintenance includes beach combing, a procedure that collects debris and sifts through the sand, allowing the sun to bleach it.
“The Great Lakes are the lifeblood of the City for both drinking water and recreation,” said Suzanne Malec-McKenna, Department of Environment Commissioner. “We will continue to work with the Chicago Park District and take the necessary steps to protect and enhance our beach environment through gull population management and other strategies.”
The Chicago Park District has more than 100 public pools, 51 of which are outdoor pools that open for the season Friday, June 13 - Monday, Sept. 1. Outdoor pool hours are 11 a.m. – 7:15 p.m. Admission is free to Park District pools, but fees vary for lap swim and instructional classes.
Electric company moves to rural Iowa
120 jobs slashed
The Bodine Electric Company is leaving their factory three blocks from the corner of Western Avenue and Addison Street, cutting 120 jobs and moving 190 miles west to Peostra, Iowa, population 1,052.
The company makes electrical parts and motors. It plans to maintain it’s office headquarters in Chicago, but is shifting manufacturing to the rural Iowa location on the outskirts of Dubuque, population 57,696.
The company had been leasing 130,168 square feet at the 367,055-square-foot 2500 W. Bradley Place plant.
As Bodine Electric departs, the 2500 W. Bradley Place plant is being sold for $21.7 million jointly to the Wrightwood Capital and Saxony Capital real estate investment firms of Chicago who teamed up and paid $59 per square foot for the building.
Mosquito pond in Ravenswood
A Ravenswood resident of 26-years has raised fears about safety hazards on a dormant construction site on the 4800 block of N. Damen Avenue, on the east side of the street.
The basement of the commercial building that was once there became over the winter a generous basin for snow, ice, then melted water.
As the weather wared up resident Larry Duncan noticed this “swimming-pool-size pond” started breeding thousands of mosquitos which could spread West Nile Virus.
“One could also add that this long-standing water could incubate disease and become a drowning hazard for curious children who can easily sneak through the makeshift fence. In early April I phone Ald. Schulter’s office and told them about the various hazards of this pond and they said they would look into it. After seeing nothing happening for a few weeks, I then called the city about it. Still nothing,” Duncan writes.
Cubs to play Wrigley Field’s first throwback game
The Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves will play the first-ever throwback game at Wrigley Field on Thursday, June 12 at 1:20 p.m. The Cubs will take the field in replica 1948 uniforms while the Braves will take part by wearing uniforms resembling those of the 1948 Boston Braves. WGN-TV will participate by presenting a special broadcast of the game to commemorate their 60th anniversary and the first throwback game in Cubs history.
The throwback game will include additional themes and festivities reminiscent of 1948. “The Cubs and WGN have a tremendous history and have enjoyed a special relationship for the past 60 years,” said Crane Kenney, Chairman of the Cubs. “We can think of no better way to honor more than a half-century of partnership by reflecting upon and celebrating the season during which this connection began.”
“We’re excited to be a part of what we know will be a memorable day at Wrigley Field and look forward to celebrating 60 years of the Cubs and WGN-TV during our telecast,” said Bob Vorwald, Executive Producer, WGN Sports. Fans will enjoy select ballpark food and beverages at prices comparable to that year. For the first hour the gates are open, Kelly Eisenberg smokey links will be brought back to Wrigley Field for $1 a piece, while Pepsi will have designated vendors selling soft drinks in the stands for $0.75.
Fans attending this game are encouraged to participate by dressing in 1948-style attire and will experience what a game at Wrigley Field was like in that era - from music to scorecards from that year. They will also have the opportunity to take part in activities dating back to that time. For example, five kids 14-years-and-younger will be chosen at random for Seat Flipper duty after the game. Those picked will receive four tickets to an upcoming Cubs home game for their post-game assistance.
Police use car as bait to catch auto thieves
A partnership of the Chicago Police Department, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and MetLife, known as the Bait-Car Program, has led to 81 vehicle theft-related arrests since its implementation in August 2007.
The Bait-Car Program began when MetLife donated a vehicle and equipment to the Chicago Police Department as part of an initiative to counter auto theft incidents in the City. The bait-car, a vehicle likely to attract an auto thief’s attention, is a covert vehicle electronically fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS), global mapping software and audiovisual equipment.
The decoy is strategically placed where it is likely to be the target on an auto thief’s efforts, and monitored by a team of nine officers and a sergeant. Once the thief steals the vehicle, a laptop computer in a remote location disables the vehicle’s engine, and the doors lock to lower the chances of the offender’s escape.
Officers place the criminal into custody and contact the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for felony approval of charges and subsequent indictment. The surveillance tape is evidence that leads to an exceptional conviction rate. Sixteen felonies have a 100 percent conviction rate, with another 35 felonies pending disposition.
“Due to the cooperation of all agencies, we have been able to use technology to deter auto thefts throughout the City,” Deputy Chief Michael J. McCotter said about the bait-car program. “The most impressive fact is just how many offenders the team has arrested in the short time the program has been in effect, and that they have been able to do so safely and with a high rate of prosecution,” he added.
MetLife plans to donate additional vehicles and equipment to the Chicago Police Department.
Hospital nurses pampered
Taking an extended break in her day gave, Linda Barton, R.N.C., Saint Joseph Hospital, the opportunity to enjoy a manicure from Kelly Salatino at the hospital’s annual Nurses’ Spa Day, which is held to pamper nurses for their commitment and dedication year-round. Nurses received manicures, healing touch massage, facials, foot reflexology, eyebrow and facial waxing, deep-breathing exercises and make-up consultations at the hospital, 2900 N. Lake Shore Drive.
Single sex, boarding schools among new public school proposals
Chicago Public Schools officials are putting out a call for proposals aimed at opening new single sex, residential/boarding, career prep and turnaround schools for the fall of 2009 and 2010, specifically focusing on creating educational options in underserved communities.
The Request For Proposals asks that national and local school operators, community leaders, teachers, and non-profit organizations submit proposals for new schools. All new schools would be part of Renaissance 2010, Mayor Richard M. Daley’s strategy to create new schools in underserved communities, turnaround underperforming schools, and relieve overcrowding in rapidly growing neighborhoods.
“From the moment Mayor Daley first announced Renaissance 2010, we’ve been determined to provide unique new schools that serve all the learning styles, interests, and needs of every child in every neighborhood,” said CPS Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan at a press conference at the Englewood High School Campus, 6201 S. Stewart, which includes Urban Prep Academy for Young Men, the district’s first all-boys high school. “That’s why we continue to seek innovative ways to create high-quality schools.
“We know that not every child learns the same way,’’ Duncan added. “Some children learn better in a classroom surrounded by all boys or all girls. Some learn better when they can take classroom material and immediately apply it to real-world situations. Other children need a residential school that allows them to better focus on academics. We want to provide all of these education options and more.”
Design teams will have the opportunity to submit full proposals for single-sex schools and single-sex classrooms, and design frameworks for residential schools and community boarding programs.
This is the fifth round of RFPs since Renaissance 2010 was launched in 2004. This is the third time design teams are able to apply in one of two categories: an Open RFP application process and an Invited RFP application process.
The Open RFP is available for all groups interested in creating new schools, especially first-time design teams. The Invited RFP is available for experienced operators with the proven capacity to operate multiple schools that can serve up to 2,400 students over the next four years.
The past two RFP processes resulted in one magnet, four contract, 11 charter, two performance, and three turnaround schools opening this fall, for a total of 21 new education options for students.
Both pre-qualified and new RFP applicants can also submit proposals for turnaround schools closed for performance reasons. Students attending turnaround schools are not reassigned to other schools in the area, but stay in the school while the principal and staff change. Operators submitting proposals for turnaround schools must also provide new teachers and staff.
A committee of CPS officials, funders and educators will evaluate all proposals and make recommendations to Duncan in September, who in turn will submit his final recommendations to the Board of Education in October. Schools selected under Renaissance 2010 receive startup funds from public and private sources, including the Renaissance Schools Fund.
“We are at a critical moment in our city’s history when educators, universities, neighborhood organizations, business and civic leaders have aligned to forge a new system that offers every family a choice and every child the opportunity to access a high quality public education, ” said Phyllis Lockett, president and CEO, The Renaissance Schools Fund.
Brown line tracks to be replaced
Beginning in June, the Chicago Transit Authority will kick-off a project along the Brown Line to replace deteriorated track elements so that existing slow zones are eliminated, future slow zones are prevented and track safety is maintained. This work will include the renewal of approximately 21,000 track feet on the Brown Line.
In the Ravenswood community, the affected area includes the North Side of Cornelia through the south side of Cuyler, the Montrose Station area, and the west side of Winchester to the alley west of Western, said Ald. Gene Schulter (47th).
In connection with this work, there will be some temporary lane closures and both night and weekend work. As this progresses, the CTA will provide ample notification to affected residents.
“I would like to thank 47th Ward residents in advance for their patience in this matter. The elimination of slow zones along the Ravenswood portion of the Brown Line, along with the redevelopment of the local stations, will be a huge benefit for the entire community,” Schulter writes in an email.
Veggie power to fuel school bus
Faculty member Charlie Pierce of St. Gregory the Great High School, 1677 W. Bryn Mawr, is leading a project to convert a school bus to run on vegetable oil.
Waste Vegetable Oil vehicle conversions allow diesel vehicles to run on vegetable oil that has not been chemically altered.The oil is thinned by heating it. The vehicle must be started and shut down on petroleum diesel or biodiesel. Once it reaches operating temperature it can be switched to run on the Waste Vegetable Oil, supplied by a separate tank installed in the trunk. Student volunteers are helping with the 35-hour conversion project slated to be completed before June 5.
Blue Cart program to expand to 92,000 more households
Schedule accelerated to make Blue Cart recycling citywide by 2011
After a successful pilot program increased recycling in seven wards across Chicago in 2007, the City of Chicago announced last month that it will expand the program to encompass the entire city by 2011, with an additional 88,000 households to be added this year.
At a press conference, Commissioners Michael J. Picardi of the Department of Streets and Sanitation and Suzanne Malec-McKenna of the Department of Environment were joined by Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, several key aldermen and the heads of major area recycling and environmental organizations in announcing the shift to Blue Cart recycling. During the transition to citywide Blue Cart recycling, people in areas without blue carts can bring recyclables to even more drop-off locations; the number of locations will be doubled this spring. The City hopes soon to have a recycling drop-off location within one mile of every residence in Chicago.
Commissioner Picardi noted that the initial success of the Blue Cart program led the City to accelerate the switch to blue carts.
“Over the past two years, we have brought blue cart recycling to more 84,000 homes and have been extremely pleased with the results and enthusiasm of our residential participants,” said Streets & Sanitation Commissioner Michael J. Picardi. “With this success in mind we have decided to continue expansion on an accelerated basis, bringing the program to another 92,000 homes this year and approximately 140,000 homes each year until the end of 2011, when the Blue Cart will be in place in all of the 600,000 homes serviced by Streets & Sanitation.”
Blue cart recycling currently allows residents in single-family homes or buildings of up to four units to put all recyclables, either bagged or loose, in the blue carts without pre-sorting. The City’s Department of Streets and Sanitation collects the recyclables from those carts every other week using a truck dedicated solely to recyclables.
Commissioner Malec-McKenna also noted Chicagoans’ enthusiasm for blue carts.
“By adopting a system that people are enthusiastic about we are more likely to see it succeed because more people will incorporate recycling into their day to day routines,” she said. She added that while the blue bag program kept millions of tons of material out of landfills, better recycling technology and the increased value of recycled materials made the Blue Cart program a viable option.
Chicago’s move towards the Blue Cart began in April of 2005 with a field test of 700 homes on the far Southwest Side. “We actively sought to be the first test area because we felt that we could show the rest of the city that the Blue Cart was easy to use and the best choice for all Chicagoans,” noted Virginia Rugai, 19th Ward Alderman who is also the Chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Energy and the Environment. “Three years and 84,000 households later we have proven our case.”
The City’s announcement received broad support from environmental groups across Chicago, including the Natural Resource Defense Council, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Environment Illinois, the Resource Center, the Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Illinois Recycling Association, officials said.
“In addition to the citywide shift to the Blue Cart we commend their expansion of drop off centers which will facilitate the greatest amount of recycling during the transition period,” said the Illinois Recycling Association’s Executive Director Mike Mitchell. “We feel that the most important reason to recycle is that the various types of paper, metal, plastics and glass are valuable resources and commodities with strong markets.”
To offset the costs of the Blue Cart program, the City will discontinue the process of mechanically sorting waste, which will save taxpayers $10.5 million per year. Once the program is fully underway, the City will also gain an estimated $7.5 million a year in reduced landfill fees and $8 million a year in the sale of recyclables. In addition, the State of Illinois pledged $8 million in 2006 to allow for the purchase of new blue carts.
“Strategically investing in recycling is both an environmentally and economically sound decision. Programs like Chicago’s Blue Cart initiative are helping to turn what could have become our trash into a reusable commodity that is spurring private investment and putting more and more people to work,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Jack Lavin. “These types of progressive partnerships and investments are good for our state, our economy and our people.”
Information on the Blue Cart program, including refrigerator magnets with acceptable materials and pick-up schedules, will be distributed to all households affected by this phase of the program. The Department of Environment is also recruiting Recycling Block Club Captains, who will try to engage fellow neighbors with useful instruction and ideas of how best to recycle in their neighborhoods. There are currently over 200 Recycling Block Club Captains in areas with Blue Cart recycling.
State Rep. Fritchey leads the charge against governor
BY PETER VON BUOL
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
While a federal jury is still deliberating the outcome of the trial of Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who once was Governor Rod Blagojevich’s most successful fundraiser, State Representative John Fritchey (11th) has told Inside he has not yet made a decision as to whether or not he will pursue forming a special committee in the General Assembly to impeach the governor.
“The issue is still under review by myself and other colleagues [in the House],” Fritchey told Inside last week. “Nothing yet [has been decided].”
Most political experts in Illinois believe impeachment proceedings would not begin without the approval of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who signaled willingness to further study the legal matter this week. While impeachment proceedings begin in the House, an impeachment trial actually takes place in the State Senate, which is headed by State Sen. Emil Jones, who is considered a staunch ally of the governor.
The call for Blagojevich’s impeachment increased during the trial of Rezko when references were made to an individual named as Public Official A who benefited from the fundraiser’s allegedly illegal tactics. It is generally believed the governor is Public Official A.
Posts written by Fritchey on his personal web log have been highly critical of the governor’s overall policies and a post on June 2 called for the governor to sign into law ethics legislation recently passed by the General Assembly.
Democrat Fritchey represents the governor’s hometown Ravenswood Manor legislative district and his name has been mentioned as a possible future Illinois Attorney General.
In an exchange of emails, Fritchey wrote on Tuesday, May 13 “The issue is still under review by myself and other colleagues.” Then, in another email sent Thursday, May 29 he wrote
“nothing yet.”
Jewelist to hold birthday bash
Stanley Brown Jewelist, 4751 N. Lincoln Avenue, will host a 96th year anniversary birthday party Saturday, June 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a raffle drawing at 3 p.m.
“We feel Stanley Brown Jewelist is a goldmine because it combines traditional craftsmanship, knowledge and service of old with the latest styles, techniques and expertise of today,” said Debbie Ekstrom, of Stanley Brown Jewelist. “Knowledge of gems and of how to make jewelry from sketch to finished piece allow us to provide the ultimate in professional guidance to each customer. Regardless of whether it is designing your engagement rings, a repair, or re-setting your stones into something new, we can give our clients all the facts and choices available to make the decision that is best.”
The store has been in the Lincoln Square neighborhood since 1912 and owned by the same family since 1945. They were named the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce Member of the month in June, 2007.
Rep. Harris passes firearm legislation
Following extensive debate, state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) passed legislation out of the Illinois House permitting the State Police to revoke the Firearm Owners Identification cards of parents who do not prevent their children with mental disorders from getting hold of guns.
“This legislation is about protecting the public from gun violence due to irresponsible gun owners,” Harris said. “There is not a day that goes by that we do not hear or read about another shooting in our neighborhoods that should have been prevented. It is vital to the safety of our communities that we continue to fight for common sense gun-control measures that protect our children and families from harm.”
House Bill 5191 allows the State Police to deny an application for a Firearm Owners Identification card or revoke the card of certain parents or guardians of children under the age of 21 with a history of aggressiveness or severe mental illness, where the child has had unauthorized possession of the parent’s firearm on at least two occasions, as documented through an arrest record, DCFS investigation, school record, juvenile court record or any other public record.
“When firearms fall into the wrong hands, we are all at risk of finding ourselves in harm’s way,” Harris said. “It is important that we clean up our current legislation to make sure that we eliminate any loophole that may put a firearm into the hands of someone who is a threat to themselves and others.”
House Bill 5191 passed by a vote of 74-36. The bill is supported by the City of Chicago, Illinois State Police and the Cook County State’s Attorney After House approval, the bill then moved to the Senate where it awaited further discussion.
Armitage Brown Line Station Reopens
Renovations to the Armitage Brown Line station are complete and the newly renovated main station entrance will open to customers on Thursday, June 5. The station will be newly accessible to customers with disabilities. The temporary station located on the south side of Armitage will be closed and demolished over the next few weeks.
Construction crews will continue to work in the weeks ahead to complete construction even after the main station entrance opens for service. Additional work includes landscaping and adding rotogates to the auxiliary exits at platform level.
The Armitage station is the 10th station out of 18 to be renovated as part of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion project. Major improvements include longer platforms to accommodate eight-car trains, elevators and accessible turnstiles, wider stairways to improve platform access, more turnstiles to ease congestion, and additional exits and entrances to improve the flow of customer traffic, according to the CTA.
Armitage station remained open to rail customers during construction.
Work has been completed at Kimball, Kedzie, Rockwell, Francisco, Western, Sedgwick, Montrose, Addison, Southport and Armitage. A temporary station is open at Diversey and work continues at other stations.
Businesses respond to condo
development on Lincoln Square Mall
BY SARAH KLOSE
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
Fountain View, an 18-unit condo development on the 4700 block of North Lincoln Avenue, is being criticized for its size but lauded for its aesthetics. The four-story development at 2326 W. Giddings in Lincoln Square will house two and three-bedroom units with private balconies and underground parking on the site of the shuttered Martin’s Big & Tall Men’s Wear. The building will overlook the fountain at Giddings Plaza.
Bruce Ekstrom, owner of Stanley Brown Jewelist, Ltd. at 4751 N. Lincoln Avenue, said the development “might make the fountain area feel a little confined. I’ve been here 25 years, and I normally resist change, but if this brings in more young families, there will be more business for all of our stores in the long run. So I can see the good and the bad.”
Merz Apothecary has been at 4716 N. Lincoln Avenue for 30 years, and is one of the long-time German shops in the area. Co-owner Michael Winter wondered if construction was to blame for a recent power outage on the block. He remarked on Fountain View, “I don’t think it fits size-wise...I’m tired of seeing more condos.” The upscale condo units will range in size from 1250 to 1540 square feet, with prices starting at $400,000.
Café Selmarie, a pastry shop and restaurant at 4729 N. Lincoln Avenue, is located just south of the development. Birgit Kobayashi, co-owner of the café, said of Fountain View, “It will be a beautiful building. It’s a little bit noisy right now, but worse things could have come in here.”
Local residents often indulge in the café’s sweets while sitting on benches outside, surrounded by trees, planters, and a tiered fountain. But that may change. Business owners expressed concern because they heard Café Selmarie may lose its lease due to soaring rents. Residents are upset about the possible loss of the café and rumored replacement with a Banana Republic store. Kobayashi declined to comment on this subject.
Lincoln Square resident Jane Doyle is incensed about the topic. “The fountain is the central meeting point for kids, families,” she said. “So everyone is up in arms about (Café) Selmarie. People want to move out of the neighborhood just to make a point.”
Doyle feels that 47th Ward Alderman “Gene Schulter unfairly favors private developers, and that this is destroying the historic character of the Lincoln Square neighborhood.”
Suzy Takacs is more comfortable with the recent changes. She notes that the development “is consistent with other buildings on the street” since it will feature retail on the first floor (in the amount of 8000 square feet) and living units above that. Takacs, owner of the Book Cellar at 4736 N. Lincoln Avenue, finds that Fountain View’s construction can be bothersome and street parking is reduced when the crane is in use. However, she said the builders “are considerate and keep communication open.” She is pleased that the new building is a green one.
Alderman Gene Schulter said, “Promoting green buildings is a very important step in protecting our environment. I always try to encourage aspects of green development, such as green roofs, in the 47th Ward.” Fountain View will be one of the first developments of its kind to achieve certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
One notable feature of this is that the original owner’s of Martin’s Big & Tall the Kraus family did not sell the property, but remain invested in the development instead.
Jennifer Mills, who is marketing the Lincoln Square building for Koenig & Strey GMAC, mentioned its rooftop vegetation and bamboo flooring. Terra Firma, a Chicago-based real estate developer, designed Fountain View to include a green roof, Energy Star appliances, low V.O.C. paints, and lumber from managed forests. Terra Firma’s co-founder G. Benjamin Ranney previously developed Praire Crossing, a conservation community in Lake County, Illinois that includes residences, an organic farm, a restored barn, and horse stables.
America’s first Shochu lounge brings pleasure to Lakeview
BY SHEILA SWANN
THE RELUCTANT CRITIC
“Without shochu, there would be no pleasure in life,” proclaims Shigechiyo Izumi reverently speaking of the distilled spirit that is the namesake of Lakeview’s newest Asian small plate restaurant and lounge, 3313 N. Clark St. Izumi lived to be 120 years-old, which he firmly attributed to his daily drink of six parts warm water to one part shochu. Visit Shochu’s lounge and raise your glass to Izumi, his photo hangs near the bar. “We frequently toast to Izumi,” says chef Josh Hansen.
Shochu is Japan’s most popular drink, a subtle and sophisticated beverage, similar to vodka. At only 15-20 calories per ounce, as opposed to typical vodkas which have 60 calories, shochu is a smooth spirit which blends well with muddled blackberries, fresh ginger or blood orange. It is also lower in alcohol, measuring 25 -30 percent in alcohol content. This makes it metabolize in the body a bit easier and is less likely to cause to a hangover. Another benefit to this drink is it’s higher amount of the enzyme urokinase, which aids in the natural breakdown of blood clots.
So, you’ve got that going for you when visiting Shochu. Along with a comfortable lounge dressed in black slate, dark wood and lime green fabrics. Lynn Wallack and her husband John Handler have partnered with chef Hansen for another tasting experience. After 13 years serving Chicago’s North Side with their comforting dishes at the consistently popular Deleece, 4004 N. Southport Ave., they have opened America’s first shochu lounge, right here on Clark St.
Complete with “oh baby, I like it raw” oysters, Kampachi Tartare and Ono with avocado poke served on a crispy rice paper, similar to a tortilla but much finer, this menu takes your taste buds on a delicate adventure. Curries served on jasmine rice, such as the yellow curry lobster, will melt in your mouth. On top of three kobe beef preparations, the marinated grilled skirt steak on butter lettuce with kimchee, pickled daikon and miso garlic puree will captivate big meat eaters while diners learn that a daikon is a Japanese radish from the knowledgeable and attentive staff.
Yakitoris (grilled) and Kara-ages (fried) are small dishes served with a choice of seven sauces. Dip bacon wrapped quail breast, octopus shiitake or Wasabi fries into miso lychee aioli or sansho bokoujou, Japan’s ranch dressing equivalent. You won’t be disappointed, each sauce is unique with a flavor all it’s own. Choosing your favorite will not be easy. Another great pairing with these sauces are the chicken wings. Yes, chicken wings. These generous, succulent chicken wings are offered five ways. Togarashi buffalo or habanero curry wings dipped into the blueberry teriyaki are flavorful. The Ginger shochu glazed wings are so moist with a surprising, delicate taste of honey eaten plain or after wading them through a persimmon hoison sauce, brings the concept of the chicken wing to a higher level. Makis are also on the menu, be it smoked salmon, avocado and cilantro or lobster and mizuna with truffle mayonnaise. Plates range in price from $2 to $12.
The sipping of shochu, whether straight or mixed with kiwi and lemon (the Izumi), compliments the chef’s enticing array of dishes, including such sweet endings as purple rice pudding with a coconut creme anglaise or the green tea cheesecake with a honey caramel sauce.
Shochu is located at 3313 N. Clark Street. Valet parking is available. For reservations, call the restaurant at (773) 348-3313. Visit shochuchicago.com for more information.
Art Institute extends summer hours
Free admission after 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays
The Art Institute of Chicago announces the return of its Free Summer Evenings program which means that throughout June, July, and August, the museum will offer extended evening hours--until 9 p.m.--on Thursdays and Fridays, with free admission after 5 p.m. on those evenings.
The museum’s Garden Restaurant will join in the summer celebration and feature live music on Thursday and Friday evenings. On select Saturdays, the front steps of the museum will host musicians and performers to entertain visitors and pedestrians alike, according to spokesperson Chai Lee.
To complement its extended hours on these evenings, the museum has added to its schedule lectures and gallery walks, family activities and live music al fresco in their McKinlock Court.
On May 29, Japanese scholar and culture expert Shozo Sato kicked off the Art Institute’s summer celebration with an evening of Japanese floral arranging. Sato created several flower arrangements and taught the philosophy underlying that ancient and contemporary practice.
Hawaiian Chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Tour stops by Gold Coast Restaurant
BY PETER VON BUOL
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
On May 22, Hawaii-based Master Chef Roy Yamaguchi hosted a $100 all-inclusive five-course dinner at his Chicago restaurant to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of his first Roy’s restaurant on Oahu.
Located in the Cathedral district at 720 N. State Street, the restaurant serves Yamaguchi’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, which combines elements of Asian, European, Pacific Island and American Cuisine.
On June 1, Roy’s started serving its Hawaiian Regional Cuisine Sunday Brunch. The breakfast menu includes Yamaguchi’s versions of Hawaiian breakfast favorites including Hawaiian sweet bread french toast, macadamia nut pancakes and his Eggs Benedict made with Portuguese Sausage. Included on the menu is his signature dessert, the Roy’s Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle.
Yamaguchi told Inside he enjoys having a restaurant in the city because he says Chicago is a great restaurant city with many outstanding restaurants.
Yamaguchi said the secret to the success of his 34 restaurants, which are located around the United States and Japan, is to “make sure every guest who comes into our restaurant is given the best food and service that we can possibly deliver in our category. For our price, and for what we deliver to our guests, we have to make sure that we are on top of our game each and every day”.
Lawmakers urge EPA to fight gas company discharge
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (IL) and Representatives Rahm Emanuel, Melissa Bean, and Jan Schakowsky (IL), urged the Region 5 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator, Bharat Mathur to object to a permit that will allow BP to increase the levels of carbon dioxide and other emissions above previous levels recently. The permit for the BP Whiting, Indiana refinery expansion was issued on May 1 by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to BP.
“Increased carbon dioxide emissions at Whiting remain a major concern for us. Comments submitted by environmental organizations and others have raised this issue and ways in which it should be addressed in the permitting process,” the Illinois members wrote. “In particular, we have concerns regarding the issues of flaring and the increase of carbon dioxide and other emissions above the previous permit levels. We strongly encourage you to revisit those issues and object to the permit until IDEM and BP have rectified these problems.”
The Illinois members are primarily concerned with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management position that unplanned flaring does not have to be taken into account when issuing permits under the Clean Air Act. The permit allows BP to operate three new flares and increase the use of some existing flares. Refinery flaring is an enormous source of carbon dioxide and other emissions and there is little doubt that flaring events will occur in emergency and other situations at the expanded refinery site in Whiting. Yet, the permit issued by IDEM earlier this month essentially assumes that the new flares will, for the most part, never be used.
City wins snow removal prize
While most would rather forget the cold Winter of 2007-2008, the American Public Works Association recently looked back nonetheless.
At a Tuesday 10 a.m. press conference Chicago Streets & Sanitation Commissioner Michael Picardi, and his Chief of Snow Operations Deputy Commissioner Bobby Richardson of Streets & San’s Bureau of Street Operations were joined by American Public Works Association Representative Mark DeVries who helped them to celebrate Chicago’s “Best in Snow” award.
“We are proud to have the City of Chicago as an inaugural winner of this award and the model they provide for other agencies,” said DeVries.
Craftsmobileschedules North Side parks stops
Chicago children can create colorful craft projects outdoors when the Chicago Park District drives its Craftmobile into local playlots. The traveling workshop will begin its six-week tour the week of June 23 and continues through August 1 at neighborhood playlots. Craftmobile activities are free and all supplies are provided.
This free drop-in workshop on wheels stops weekly at locations for one-hour. Children ages 4 and up should be able to complete entire projects and take them home at the end of each session, according to Judy Molloy of the Park District.
In the event of rain, the Craftmobile will stop at the nearest park field house. For more information call 773.262.8658. On Mondays the craftmobile will be at Ravenswood Manor Park, 4604 N. Manor, 10:00 - 11:30 am; ParkView, 3823 W. School St., 12:00 - 1:30 pm; and Jacob Park, 4674 N. Virginia Ave., 2:30 - 4:00.
On Tuesdays people may “catch the fun” at Dickinson Park, 4101 N. Lavergne Ave., 9:30 to 10:30 am; Roberts Square Park, 5200 W. Argyle, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm; Forest Glen Park, 5069 W. Berwyn, 1:00 - 2:00 pm; and Jeffrey S. Green Park, 6500 N. Algonquin Ave., 2:30 - 3:30 pm.
On Wednesdays join the Craftsmobile at Wendt Park, 667 W. Roscoe St., 10:00 - 11:30 am; Fellger Park, 2000 W. Belmont Ave., 12:30 - 2:00 pm; and Park West Playground, 745
W. Wrightwood, 2:30 - 4:00 pm.
On Thursdays the craftmobile rolls into Senn Park, 5887 N. Ridge Ave., 10:00 to 11:00 am; Cedar Playlot, 5311 N. Winthrop Ave., 11:30 - 12:30 pm; Harold Washington Memorial Park, 7701 N. Paulina, 1:00 - 2:00 pm; and Matanky Playlot, 6925 N. Ridge Ave., 2:30 - 3:30 pm.
On Fridays the mobile is at Kolmar Park, 4143 N. Kolmar Ave., 10:00 to 11:00 am; North Mayfair Park, 4533 W. Carmen Ave., 11:30 - 12:30 pm; Aiello Park, 2133 N. McVicker Ave., 1:30 - 2:30 pm; and Greenbaum Park, 4300 W. Wabansia Ave., 3:00 - 4:00 pm.
Free Concert set for Buena Park
Buena Park neighbors and their families will come together under the stars to listen to blues performed by the Reunion Blues Band. Additionally, Dr. Looney the Clown will be on hand making balloon animals for the children at a free concert on Thursday, June 26, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Buena Circle Park concert series is organized by Buena Park Neighbors in conjunction with the Chicago Park District. All neighbors and families are welcome.
Buena Circle Park is located at the intersection of North Kenmore Ave and West Buena Ave. The Reunion Blues Band concert is sponsored by Nick Novich, of Nick’s Uptown Chicago - 4015 N. Sheridan, Nick’s on Wilson - 1140 W. Wilson Ave. and Nick’s Beer Garden - 1516 N. Milwaukee Ave, according to spokesperson Ellen Sue Feinberg.
Buena Park Neighbors was founded in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit resident-based organization. It is dedicated to bringing together residents and working together to improve the quality of life in the area generally bounded by Montrose Avenue on the north, Irving Park Road on the south, Clark Street on the west and Marine Drive on the east.
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