Senn High School plan fuels controversy
BY SARAH KLOSE
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
Some community leaders and residents on the North Side are upset about a proposed plan to revitalize Senn High School. They believe a new plan to break up the school, which was presented to the CPS by Ald. Mary Ann Smith, 48th Ward, and protested by rivals with a candlelight vigil at the alderman’s house June 2, is at odds with a separate plan developed over the past 18 months.
In late 2006, teachers, parents, students, and neighbors formed a committee to address revamping Senn High school, located at 5900 N. Glenwood Avenue in Edgewater. Nancy Myerson, Education Aide for Alderman Smith, joined the committee as the Alderman’s representative. The group secured funding from State Representative Harry Osterman and hired Executive Service Corps to help write a strategic plan.
“It cost over $10,000,” said Richard Norman, Principal of Senn High School. “We had professional people, students, parents, faculty members - everyone giving up a couple of hours every Saturday morning to work on the plan. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone showed so much commitment.” In Spring 2007, the plan was shared at community meetings, presented to focus groups, and tweaked further.
The final plan was presented to the community in March 2008. It addressed four areas: Curriculum, Student Communication, Safety and Security, and PR/Community Outreach. Some parts of the plan began to be implemented in September 2007.
“Things are already starting to happen. AVID was put in place just this year,” said Luci Salinas, a committee member who graduated from Senn this June. AVID is a program designed to provide academic support, and prepare minority and poverty students for college eligibility and success. One hundred students enrolled this year, and the plan is to increase that to 175 students next year.
Among other improvements, twelve security cameras and ten mirrors were installed to improve safety, printed school materials were reformatted to include the image of the Senn Bulldog mascot to give a college-focused look, and the student council will soon be reestablished. “I hope she sees that our plan is the way to go,” Salinas added.
On the Senn campus, Principal Norman oversees 1,600 students. Senn High School has 1,200, Rickover Naval Academy has 325, and Senn Achievement Academy (AVID) has 100 students. “About 95 percent of the student population is minority and poor. Two-thirds speak English as a second language. About 5 percent are homeless,” he said. “We have our challenges. But we have a lot of successes too. Senn seniors were awarded $850,000 in scholarships last year. We doubled the number of students who scored above 20 on their ACTs. And we have the second most successful IB (International Baccaleurate) Program in the state.”
Alderman Smith’s aide Nancy Myerson responded to these statistics. “Yes, there are people who are poor, as evidenced by requests at our food pantries. But 52 percent of the people in the neighborhood are middle class or upper middle class. And 87 percent of Senn’s students do not meet the state standards for the Prairie State Achievement Exam.” She also mentioned a drop in enrollment, stating that Senn had 1,750 students five years ago, but has only 1,250 students today.
In an overview document titled “A Proposal for Change,” Alderman Smith makes the case that “Senn is not serving my community at large, and it is not serving the students who do attend in the way that it should. Without significant change, we will see fewer and fewer students attend Senn.” To remedy this, she outlines a plan to create four Chicago Public High Schools on the Senn campus: Senn Language Arts High School (a general enrollment school that would include the IB and AVID programs), a “Selective Enrollment” college prep high school, a technical/education-to-careers school, and Rickover Naval Academy.
ONE (Organization of the Northeast) is a community group that advocates for social change and justice in the multi-ethnic neighborhoods of Edgewater, Uptown, Rogers Park and Ravenswood. Sandi Gutstein is the media point person for ONE, and works out of their office. She expressed concern about students being displaced by Selective Enrollment. “If they don’t go to Senn, where should they go?” she said. “Mather is too far, Sullivan has too much violence and Amundsen is in Uptown.” She expressed dismay that in October 2007, Alderman Smith abruptly departed the committee.
“That is not true,” countered Myerson. She said Smith supported the group and originally believed the plan looked like a fit, but then realized it was merely a set of goals. She said the Alderman then focused on a different plan. Since then, she has not been invited back to the Senn Strategic Plan meetings – and she definitely views them as invitation only.
Myerson is troubled by bad blood over the two different plans. “Let me clear up a misconception,” she said. “This is not the Alderman’s plan. It was presented to her in 2004 by teachers who live in Edgewater. These teachers do not teach at Senn, but wanted to make Senn a school they would want to send their students to.”
She added “We would like to see a plan that works. The goal is to come up with a solution. That might make some people uncomfortable. But we feel we need to do whatever we can to improve the school.”
Rev. Monte Johnson of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Edgewater has been on the planning committee since its inception. He said his response to the separate plan was “shock and outrage followed by a sense of urgency.” He is aware that the Alderman was upset by a candlelight vigil held by protesters at her house on June 2, and that she viewed it as a confrontational approach. But he is more concerned that Arne Duncan, the CEO of the CPS, will view the Senn groups as a fractured voice. “Time and attention of the CPS is a precious thing,” he said. “We are afraid we will squander it if we don’t come together.”
Annual walk raises money for city’s elders
DePaul University basketball player, 7’2” Kene Obi and 82-year-old long-time volunteer Willie Mae Brown crossed the finish line together at Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly’s second annual Walk in the Park, held Sunday, June 8. The walk helped raise funds for programs that promote intergenerational friendships and relieve isolation and loneliness among the city’s elders.
Construction begins at Wilson Yard
BY MIRIAM Y. CINTRON
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
The redevelopment of Wilson Yard has been a project plagued by delays, setbacks and false starts, but work is finally underway. Earlier this month, construction crews began clearing debris and doing site preparation on the former rail yard, which is the Uptown Neighborhood’s largest undeveloped site.
“It’s good to have the project underway and in earnest,” said Peter Scales, communications director for the Office of Planning and Development.
Heavy machinery has been moved to the site and a new concrete median has been built next to the site. There are also new signs advertising the site and it’s potential space for lease.
The five-acre piece of land located on the corner of Montrose and Broadway avenues is slated to become a mixed-use development that will feature a two-story 180,000-sq.ft. Target store, family and senior housing, retail and office space, and 700 parking spaces.
The massive project has a pricetag of $150 million.
Target, which recently confirmed interest an opening a new store at Wilson Yard, is still in negotiations with developer Holsten Real Estate Development Corp., according to Delia McLinden, a Target spokesperson.
“At this time we aren’t able to provide additional details on the project as we are currently still working through the agreements,” she writes to Inside.
Residents, however, continue to be frustrated by the lack of information and status updates from the developer and 46th Ward Alderman Helen Shiller, they say.
“Residents are demanding more transparency,” said James Cappleman, vice president of neighborhood group, the Uptown Chicago Commission. “In the past, residents have been discouraged by not being more fully included in the forming of the development plans and strove to understand the uncertainty that once surrounded Target’s involvement in the project.” Holsten Real Estate Development Corp. and Ald. Shiller did not return calls seeking comment.
The Commission now is concerned about the affordable housing aspect of the development.
“The cost to build each of the affordable units in Wilson Yard far exceeds the price of market-rate condos in the area, and go way beyond the cost of affordable units built in Edgewater,” Cappleman wrote in an e-mail. “The price of each affordable unit is within the ‘luxury condo’ price range. It’s not being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Chicago.”
Cappleman added that resources for affordable housing are limited, making it all the more important to ensure TIF funding is being used in the best possible way. The City Council voted in April to increase the project’s TIF funding to $52 million.
County offers vaccinations and microchipping for pets
Program to vaccinate, help find lost animals
The Cook County Department of Animal & Rabies Control has announced a series of community clinics to be held from June through September that will allow pet owners in Cook County to receive discounts on rabies vaccinations and micro-chipping for their dogs, cats and ferrets through mobile medical units.
“This program is designed to protect the health of people’s pets and the public,” said County Board President Todd Stroger, whose office oversees the County’s Department of Animal and Rabies Control. “We are able to ensure that pets whose owners might not otherwise be able to afford rabies vaccinations get their shots -- and that the larger community can be ensured that one less animal is at risk of transmitting this deadly disease. Plus, with the microchip option, we’re giving people affordable access to cutting-edge technology that can help immensely in locating lost pets.”
Rabies vaccines will cost $7 for a shot that is good for a single year and $21 for a shot good for three years. Pet owners can have their pets microchipped for $10. Both fee schedules are below the cost that veterinarians typically charge for these procedures. The shots and microchips are available to all dogs, cats and ferrets three months old and greater owned by Cook County residents with a valid ID. Residents must pay for the services by check or cash only. No credit or debit cards are accepted.
“We’re committed to getting the word out to pet owners about their legal obligations to comply with regulations for important initiatives like rabies control,” says Dr. Donna Alexander, Administrator of the Department of Animal & Rabies Control. “That includes making sure your pet’s rabies shots are up-to-date. Compliance goes up when we help people connect with affordable access to services.”
Cook County’s low-cost clinic services will be offered throughout the County over the next four months from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on designated days. The schedule is posted at local Jewel Food Stores and is accessible via the County’s web site. The Cook County Department of Animal & Rabies Control provides rabies vaccination and stray animal control, a spay and neuter program, a variety of community partnership, education and assistance programs, a pet return service and the County’s pet registration program, which includes rabies tags.
The Department is responsible for administering the County’s Animal Control Ordinance, which serves as the law in all municipalities within Cook County and is designed to protect both animals and humans in animal/human interactions. That includes protecting animals from improper use, abuse, neglect, inhumane treatment and health hazards, particularly rabies; providing security to residents from annoyance, intimidation, and injury from cats, dogs, and other animals; encouraging responsible pet ownership; and providing for the assessment of penalties for violators and for the enforcement and administration of the ordinance, which was last amended in October 2007.
Hancock Center eatery, observation deck and retail space for sale
The owners of the 100-story John Hancock Center, the largest building on the North Side and the third largest in the city, are once again making moves on the real estate market.
After buying a large chunk of the building last year, managers Golub & Company are now looking to unload the landmark building’s observation deck, airiel restaurant and retail space.
The 94th floor observation deck draws a reported 600,000 guest per year with an admission of $15.
The Signature Room restaurant and bar is housed on the 95th and 96th floors.
The building, completed in 1970, also includes 49-floors of condominiums as well as the other amenities run by Golub.
One possible price for the observation deck, eatery and retail space has been pegged at $200 million.
According to their website, the building was “Designed by renowned architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, John Hancock Center has won numerous awards for its innovative and iconic style, including the Distinguished Architects 25-Year Award from the American Institute of Architects. The building’s distinctive exterior cross-bracing eliminates the need for support beams, greatly increasing the amount of usable floor space. The interior incorporates rich travertine and marble surfaces with textured limestone. The elliptical-shaped outdoor plaza has become a favorite meeting spot for North Michigan Avenue office workers, shoppers and tourists. This community oasis is enlivened with plantings, a 12-foot waterfall and seasonal outdoor dining.”
There is also a 710-spot parking garage.
$6.1 million upgrade proposed for single-room rental site
BY JEFF BORGARDT
EDITOR
An ordinance was introduced June 11 by Mayor Richard Daley that calls for a new $6.1 million public housing project revamp in Uptown. The four-story, 83-unit single room occupancy building is located at 4727 N. Malden Street in the 46th Ward.
Spokeswoman Molly Sullivan of the City Department of Housing told Inside the scope of the restoration work will include upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms.
A rooftop air conditioning system and energy efficient boilers and water heaters will also be added.
Units range from 225 to 380 square feet in size there.
The building serves formerly homeless individuals with a variety of support services designed to assist in the transition from homelessness and “demonstrates a commitment to permanent supportive housing.”
Sullivan said she was aware of problems with single room sites throughout the city, but “this building is an exception. It is really well run.”
The Malden Arms Apartments will be rehabbed by the Mercy Housing Lakefront company. The city will issue $1.2 million in loans for the project, if approved.
Sullivan said the building is privately-owned and the single rooms are rented out. The city is helping the company now to preserve these kind of low-income housing units to stem the flow of homelessness.
“We will continue to work collectively to provide affordable housing opportunities citywide,” Daley said in a statement.
The apartments are reserved for people with “very low incomes.” Additional funding provided by the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Lisa Kuklinski is the contact of Mercy Homes which runs the site but could not be reached.
Officials detail new high school plan
Lincoln Park school would focus on humanities
BY PATRICK BUTLER
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
“Tonight is all about you – and your children,” Alcott principal David Domovic told more than 100 parents, teachers and concerned neighborhood residents as school officials took what they hope is a first step toward adding a humanities-based high school to the pre-K through 8th grade elementary school at 2625 N. Orchard.
If Chicago Public School honchos approve, Alcott will have a college prep program for no more than 600 students, “where faculty will have a close relationship with the students and DePaul University will continue as an Alcott partner,” Domovic said.
In keeping with Alcott’s tradition, “teachers will not be giving answers. They will be asking questions” and expecting students to come with the answers on their own,” Domovic said.
It’s all part of the Socratic tradition in which students have to figure things out for themselves rather than memorize and regurgitate, said Domovic and Cheryl Gold, head of Alcott’s Fine Arts Department and a member of the team that has been working for the expansion go-ahead.
According to Gold, everything at Alcott is already humanities-oriented, geared toward development of critical-thinking skills. “Students will have to write a thesis every year and defend that thesis orally, so they’re really going to work on their communication skills,” she said.
In short, Gold promised, “we’ll have everything your child needs to get into college. And we’ll continue with the Chinese-language program. We harken back to the Greeks, the aim is to have our graduates competitive in today’s global economy.”
According to Local School Council members Rebakah Persaud and Jeanne Lamore, Alcott grade school grads will have first crack at places in the new high school, with the remaining slots going to students picked by both a citywide and “attendance area” lottery.
But since it has yet to be determined where the new school would be located, nobody knows exactly where that attendance area’s boundaries will be, consultant Matt Shaw and Angie Alleman of the CPS Office of New Schools admitted.
Asked by one concerned parent if the presence of so many students from outside the area might dumb down Alcott’s already-demanding culture, Gold and Alleman said students will learn what will be expected of them in entrance interviews, if not before.
And counselors will be spending as much time with students struggling to keep up as with those trying to get into more challenging accelerated programs, Damovic said.
Alcott’s proposal is one of 100 schools that have applied - with 85 already cleared for the Renaissance 2010 program, according to Angie Alleman of the Chicago Public Schools Office of New Schools.
If Alcott gets through the hoops, starting with a “rigorous evaluation” the following week, there will be another community forum in September, followed by a school board vote in October, Alleman said.
While the grade school would continue having staff salaries and utilities paid for by the Board of Education, the high school would get about $7,300 per student “all thrown in a big bucket, and we’d have to decide how it gets spent,” Domovic said.
And while Domovic would be principal of both the elementary and high school, “he’s going to need two strong assistant principals for this to work,” Persaud said.
But even if Alcott is allowed to add a high school, “we’re not counting on anything starting until a year from September,” he said, warning that the same kind of parental involvement that made the grade school so successful will be needed to insure the high school’s survival.
And that will mean plenty of fundraisers and volunteer work, he said.
But not to worry, said Gold, who said she’s been around Alcott long enough to have learned that “really, anything is possible here.”
Western Ave. busses to gain power to change traffic lights green
Test system planned for winter
The Chicago Transit Authority announced plans June 11 to test a Transit Signal Prioritization system on two segments of Western Avenue. These test studies, conducted with the City of Chicago and funded by a grant from the RTA, are scheduled to begin this winter pending approval by the City Council.
The CTA will receive $652,000 from an RTA grant to conduct the studies. Initially, a total of 10 intersections along Western Avenue will be used to test the Transit Signal Prioritization (TSP) system. TSP equipment will be installed at five intersections between Armitage and Diversey and five intersections between 59th and 63rd Streets during the pilot program. Up to 30 buses operating on the #X49 Western Express route will be equipped with optical emitters to activate the TSP equipment installed at the intersections.
“The CTA is continually looking for innovative technologies that can enhance the service we provide our riders,” said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown. “Traffic has a major impact on bus reliability so technologies that can help improve the speed and consistency of service promise to be very valuable tools.”
The TSP system will extend a green traffic light or shorten a red traffic light when it senses a CTA bus approaching an intersection and conditions at the intersection meet a set of parameters (including safety and efficiency) programmed into the TSP equipment. During the test study, before and after conditions will be monitored at cross streets on Western Avenue and be analyzed for future projects at the CTA.
“The #X49 that operates on Western Avenue is one of the longest routes on CTA’s system, providing an ideal location to test Transit Signal Prioritization,” said CTA President Ron Huberman. “This study gives us the opportunity to increase the efficiency and reliability on a busy route while at the same time we can test-drive the use of Transit Signal Prioritization for our upcoming Bus Rapid Transit pilot.”
The CTA has been working with Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication to organize the studies and to choose the best equipment for the project. The same TSP technology is anticipated to be used to improve service as part of the Bus Rapid Transit Program, announced earlier this year by the CTA.
POLICE BEAT
Woman hit with tennis racquet by robber
Attacker himself then held up by man with crack pipe
A woman, 50, was walking in an alley on the 4900 block of N. Sheridan June 6 at 8 a.m. when a man in his late 30s with a mustache wearing a yellow vertical striped shirt yelled “Hey, give me a lighter.” She replied she had no lighter.
But he continued to demand a lighter and swore at her. She then walked away through a parking lot as he kept shouting. Then, he caught up to her on the sidewalk and struck her on the right arm with a tennis racquet.
The woman fled to 1024 W. Argyle where she found a police officer.
She told him what happened and then told the officer that after she was hit by the racquet, she saw the attacker himself getting “jumped” in the parking lot while standing by a two-door grey vehicle at 4945 N. Sheridan; the stickup man was in a Silver Cherokee holding a crack pipe.
Police went to the lot and found a silver 1997 Lincoln Coupe with a tennis racquet in the rear seat registered to a man from the 900 block of W. 33rd Place.
The building management for the lot said the vehicle does not belong in the lot and they want it towed out of there.
The victim was treated at Weiss Hospital for injury to her lower arm but was released without any broken bones.
Districts 18 & 20
Man shot, paralyzed
A 21-year-old from Oak Park was shot in the chest on the 1100 block of Berwyn June 15 at 11:39 p.m. Witnesses saw the gunman, who was in his 20s, run away. The victim was treated at Illinois Masonic Hospital. A trauma room doctor told police the victim was in critical condition and paralyzed from the waist down.
Laundry machines looted of quarters
A woman, 72, went to do her laundry in the laundry room at 5200 N. Winthrop at 10:30 a.m. June 12.
When she unlocked the laundry room door, she noticed all the machines had been turned over and their hoses had been cut. Police observed no forced entry. Two washers and two dryers were turned over and the washer hose lines were cut.
It was then observed that the coin boxes were missing from all four machines. The machines took quarters.
Police then knocked on doors in the building.
One woman, 45, said she saw a man in his 30s leave the buildings through the side gate at 5:15 a.m. and walk west on Foster. He was carrying a black shoulder bag and wearing black jeans and a black jacket. She thought this was strange.
The value of the quarters is unknown.
Man beaten with board
A 46-year-old laborer who went to visit his friend, 45, June 15 on the 5500 block of Magnolia was beaten with a board by her boyfriend. The boyfriend hit the man several times and took his bicycle. He was treated at Weiss Hospital.
Disc jockey quits bar, takes cds
A dj employed at Loeffer’s Bar on the 2600 block of Lawrence had an argument with the boss and quit June 8 at 1:30 a.m. The dj departed the workplace with the bar’s 350 cds.
Apartment ransacked
Retired residents of an apartment on the 5200 block of N. Rockwell reported their home had been burglarized June 9 and $4,000 cash, jewelry and other items were missing.
Bike robber taped
A man taking a bicycle was videotaped in the act June 9 at 7:21 p.m. at 4950 N. Marine Drive. The camera shows the offender enter the building, walk to the bicycle storage area, look at the bikes, open the door, put on a helmet and drive off on a bike that was not his. The lock to the room was later found damaged.
Motorcycle stolen from street
A 2008 Suzuki motorcycle was stolen June 8 on the 5000 block of Marine Drive.
$50 lost and found at laundermat
A customer asked a laundermat worker for permission to use their office phone June 7 at 6 p.m. on the 4900 block of N. Damen. $200 was in a box on a desk in the office. When the person left the office, $50 was missing. The money was then found outside of the box.
Taxi stolen
A 2005 Ford Crown Victoria taxi cab was reported stolen June 11 from the Edgewater Beach Auto repair shop on the 1100 block of W. Foster. The last person to drive the cab had recently left the country.
‘I did need a toothbrush and socks’
A woman, 47, was arrested for shoplifting at Walgreens, 5625 N. Ridge, June 5. A witness spotted her putting items in her coat and told a store employee, who then observed the shoplifting on the store camera. As she was leaving, she was taken into the store office. She returned a Crest spin brush and two fun dream ladies socks worth $27 to the store. When asked why she did it, she replied, “I did need a toothbrush and socks.”
Districts 19 & 23
‘Gimme your watch’
A 51-year-old was walking June 12 at 5:30 p.m. on the sidewalk on the 900 block of W. Sunnyside when he was approached by a group of five men. One asked “Are you straight?” and then the men started punching and kicking him in the head and body and one yelled “Gimme your watch” before they ran away. The victim was treated and released at Weiss Hospital.
Burglar chased off
A burglar cutting a screen door was confronted and ran off June 4 on the 3500 block of N. Wilton. The man wearing a red long sleeve shirt was trying to gain entry to a basement unit when approached by the 25-year-old resident.
Man, 28, spray paints building, goes into bar for drink
While watching the surveillance camera at 1140 W. Wilson, Nick’s Uptown Bar, observed a man spraying down a building with a can of spray paint. The man then threw the spray bottle into a flower pot at 1136 W. Wilson and went into Nick’s Bar for a drink. Witnesses observed this, called police and the man, 28, of the 4400 block of N. Racine, was arrested. His hands and pants had red paint on them at the time of his arrest.
Battery
A 24-year-old from the 1000 block of W. Lawrence was arrested for punching a 31-year-old several times in the face June 10 on the 800 block of W. Waveland. A gang affiliation to the Spanish Cobras street gang was cited. The victim was treated and released at Thorek Hospital. The attacker has a July 28 court date.
Mother punches daughter in face twice
A 50-year-old mother of the 4600 block of N. Sheridan became enraged June 6 at 8:40 a.m. when she learned her daughter, 13, had borrowed $5 from a McDonald’s security guard, 1004 W. Wilson, in order to take the bus home to get to school and retrieve her house keys.
She then punched the girl in the face twice with a closed fist. She tried to punch a third time but the girl and her stepfather, 58, exited their vehicle and the woman drove away.
A police officer was flagged down at 1050 W. Wilson and the child was taken to Ravenswood School, 4232 N. Paulina. The mother then came to the school where she was arrested for domestic battery and issued a June 16 court date.
The mother made an excited utterance to officers saying, “I was just trying to teach her a lesson.”
Driver flashes gun in traffic dispute
A business owner, 38, was driving June 8 on the 4600 block of Broadway when he became involved in a traffic altercation with a man driving a Nissan. The driver, who was in his 20s and had a large Afro haircut, flashed a gun and then drove away when the owner pulled out cell phone and called 911.
Teens arrested for taking GPS
A 13-year-old from the 6400 block of S. Ingleside and a 17-year-old from the 6600 block of S. Champlain were arrested for taking a GPS system from an unlocked car in a garage on the 300 block of N. Fremont June 10 at 8 p.m.
Scooters stolen
A blue 2003 Yamaha parked on the street was stolen on the 900 block of Lakeside Place June 9. Also, a 1998 Kawasaki was stolen June 9 also on the 900 block of W. Lakeside Place.
Girlfriend’s father
pulls out gun
A man, 33, got into an argument June 8 at 11:30 p.m. with his girlfriend’s father, 48, when the father pulled out a blue steel handgun and pointed it in the victim’s direction.
Retail theft over $300
On June 7, a small retail store at 3927 N. Sheridan Road reported a theft greater than $300 occurred at 4:17 p.m. The unknown offenders included a black woman and man.
Drunken boyfriend punches woman
A CTA bus driver observed a man punch a woman in the face at 7:49 a.m. June 9 on park property on the 4500 block of N. Simmons Drive. The boyfriend, 29, possibly of Berwyn, punched the woman in the face after an argument then grabbed her by the hair pulling her to the ground and started kicking her.
He then fled in a red BMW and she ran north on Simmons bleeding from the face with her eight-month old daughter. She was transported to Weiss Hospital for lacerations to her hip and contusions to the face and body.
Girlfriend steals $500
A 64-year-old disabled man of the 4500 block of N. Sheridan Road said that on June 4, his occasional girlfriend, 50, who stays with him sometimes, took $500 cash from his drawer as he slept and departed before he woke up the next morning.
Financial dispute leads to choking
An argument about the finances of a grandmother occurred June 9 at 7:53 p.m. on the 900 block of W. Montrose Ave. During the argument, a man, 42, who allegedly took the grandmother’s bankcard and ID, became angered then put his hands around the neck of a woman, 35, and said, “I’m going to choke the sh-t out of you.”
The victim called 911 and left an open line. The dispatcher heard a loud man’s voice in the background and sent out emergency responders. The woman suffered an asthma attack during the choking and was treated at Weiss Hospital.
Woman punched
An 18-year-old woman was walking home June 8 on the 4500 block of N. Clarendon when her boyfriend, 19, drove up, rolled down the window and started yelling at her. She ignored him and kept walking, then he jumped out of the car, ran towards her and punched her in the face, and grabbed her hair and tried to pull her towards him. She escaped and ran into a building and he drove away. The two have a child together.
Mechanic attacked at Hotel Chateau
A mechanic, 41, was walking down the hallway of Hotel Chateau, 3838 N. Broadway, June 1 at 3 a.m. when he was stopped by two known offenders who punched him, knocked him down, kicked him and then removed $200 from his pocket. The attackers, of 3838 N. Broadway, 45, and 24, are related.
Man reports attack
There were conflicting stories offered by a man, 76, of the 600 block of N. Wells, interviewed by police in Weiss Hospital June 8. The man stated he was on a bus, but couldn’t recall which one, when he was pushed down by two people on the 2800 block of N. Clark St., who removed $120 from him. He then passed out, woke up in Rogers Park and went to church, he said. At this time, he thought he was having a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.
Gun pulled
on taxi driver
A taxi driver, 28, picked up a fare in Evanston June 8 at 2:20 a.m. and drove the man to 4200 N. Broadway. Then, instead of paying, the rider pulled out a gun and told the driver to hand over his money. The driver instead jumped out of the cab and ran away. The rider also ran away then.
Public health director warns of increasing number of people getting sick from swimming
As swimming pools, water parks and beaches opened this month, Dr. Damon Arnold, Illinois Department of Public Health Director is encouraging healthy swimming behaviors to prevent related illnesses.
“This summer, swimming pools will be filled with millions of people having fun and staying cool. But germs may be in the water, even if it’s treated with chlorine. That’s why it is important to learn about recreational water illnesses, how they are spread and what you can do to protect yourself,” said Dr. Arnold.
Swimming is the second most popular recreational activity in the United States according do the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it is the most popular activity for children. An average of five Cryptosporidium outbreaks were reported in 1995–2004. In 2006, 22 outbreaks were reported in the U.S. – three in Illinois.
Recreational water illnesses are caused by germs like Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, E. coli 0157:H7, and Shigella, and are spread by accidentally swallowing water that has been contaminated with fecal matter. People share the water with everyone in the pool. If someone with diarrhea contaminates the water, swallowing the water can make people sick. Most germs are killed by chlorine, but some germs, like Crypto, are resistant to chlorine and can live in pools for days. That is why even the best maintained pools can spread illnesses. Therefore, healthy swimming behaviors are needed to protect swimmers from illness and will help stop germs from getting in the pool in the first place. Don’t swim when you have diarrhea. This is especially important for kids in diapers. Swimmers can spread germs in the water and make other people sick. Don’t swallow the pool water. In fact, avoid getting water in your mouth. Practice good hygiene. Take a shower before swimming and wash hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on the body end up in the water. Take kids on bathroom breaks or change diapers often. Waiting to hear “I have to go” may mean that it’s too late. Change diapers in a bathroom and not at poolside. Germs can spread to surfaces and objects in and around the pool and spread illness. Wash children thoroughly, especially the rear end, with soap and water before swimming. Everyone has invisible amounts of fecal matter on their bottoms that ends up in the pool.
Improper chemical balance in pools, water parks and spas can also cause illness and are often identified by burning eyes, nose and lungs. Look for clean and clear pool water; swimmers should be able to clearly see any painted stripes and the bottom of the pool. Smooth pool sides; tiles should not be sticky or slippery. A well-chlorinated pool has little odor. A strong chemical smell indicates a maintenance problem. Swimmers should hear pool pumps and filtration running and feel water coming into the pool from submerged inlets. Skimmers or gutters should not be flooded, but have a thin layer of water running over the edge.
Ask for water quality readings or check the pool water yourself for adequate chlorine (1-4 parts per million) and pH (7.2-7.8) levels. Chlorine and pH test strips are available at local home improvement stores, discount retailers and pool supply stores.
General safety precautions should also be taken when swimming such as wearing sunscreen and using caution on slick decks or near diving boards and water slides.
In order to minimize these risks, the Illinois Department of Public Health requires the state’s 3,500 licensed swimming facilities to meet water quality and safety standards, including engineering design standards that apply to pools, spas, beaches, water supplies, bather preparation areas, and water treatment systems. The Department enforces these rules and regulations through plan approvals
and inspections.
NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES
Lake View Lincoln Square Ravenswood Uptown
Activity club meets
The Lakeshore Ski and Sports Club meets Wednesday, June 18 at Dapper’s East, 2901 W Addison at 7 p.m. This summer, they are planning a quad cities bike trip June 20 to 22, sailing on July 12, a golf outing on July 19 and an arctitectual tour July 26. For more information, call 708-786-3992.
Women’s tackle
football game
The Chicago Force earned home field advantage throughout the playoffs and hosts the Detroit Demolition Saturday, June 28. Game time is 3 pm. “We seem to be peaking at just the right time,” said Coach Rich Bradford. “The playoffs are what you work for all season. We need to get it down.”
Game at Holmgren Athletic Complex, North Park University, at the Corner of Foster and Albany.
Fest on June 28
The first annual Uptown Shop Around & Family Fest; an event meant to showcase Uptown’s businesses and create a fun, safe and free event for the locals takes place Saturday, June 28 “and is really two great events in one,” according to Christie Hahn, Executive Director Business Partners, the Chamber for Uptown. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. a neighborhood wide sidewalk sale will feature local businesses setting up shop on the sidewalks and offering great sales all day. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. a free Family Fest will take place in the parking lot at 1100 W. Lawrence Avenue featuring a petting zoo, jumping jacks, performances, vendors and a a safety fair. Attendees can shop for great deals, register to vote, get a blood pressure screening, watch a musical performance, obtain information on local social services and feed baby barnyard animals. The event, organized by Business Partners, the Chamber for Uptown and Uptown United, is sponsored by Aragon Entertainment and Combined Insurance.
“The idea is to give our businesses and local social service agencies an opportunity to showcase the best of what they offer while at the same time giving the community a fun and safe way to spend the day in Uptown,” says Hahn, “We are looking forward to a successful event that will hopefully become an annual neighborhood favorite.”
For more information on the Uptown Shop Around & Family Fest call the chamber at (773) 878-1184.
Gold Coast Lincoln Park Loop Near North
DePaul hosts
panel discussion
on multicultural
marketing June 25
Marketing executives from McDonalds Corp., ConAgra Foods and Latin Force Group will join professors from DePaul University’s multicultural marketing program to present a panel discussion, “Emerging Segmentation Models in Multicultural Marketing,” on June 25. Geared to marketing professionals and business executives, the discussion will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. at DePaul’s Cortelyou Commons, 2342 N. Freemont St., Chicago.
Panelists will be Tony Suarez, vice president of multicultural marketing for McDonald’s Corp.; Giuseppe D’Alessandro, vice president of strategic marketing for the food conglomerate ConAgra Foods; David G. Perez, CEO of Latin Force Group LLC, which supplies multicultural market intelligence to business clients; and Loida Rosario, marketing faculty member and co-founder of DePaul’s multicultural marketing program.
Rosario, an entrepreneur and former marketing executive for Fortune 100 companies, will present a model for cross multicultural marketing segmentation from her studies conducted at DePaul during the past three years.
“The goal of the event is to provide several perspectives on how marketers are identifying, targeting and tailoring their marketing strategies and messages to African American, Hispanics and Asian consumer segments in the United States and to explore new models to market across these segments,” Rosario said.
The program is free, but registration is required by June 20. To register, contact Justin Lall, DePaul marketing department, at (312) 362-6181 or jlall@depaul.edu
Fundraiser
Join Cook County GOP Chairman Lee Roupas and special guest former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert for a Republican fundraiser Wednesday, June 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Fulton’s on the River, 315 N. La Salle Dr. $100 per person. For more information call (708) 204-7951.
Shakespeare
gets funky
Chicago Shakespeare Theater, recent recipient of the 2008 Regional Theatre Tony Award, kicks off the summer with the world premiere of Funk It Up About Nothin’. The “ad-rap-tation” of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing comes from the minds and rhymes behind the international success The Bomb-itty of Errors. GQ and JQ (aka the Q Brothers) transform the Bard’s romantic comedy into a hip-hop extravaganza, rapped to the rhythm of six MCs and a live DJ. Performances are scheduled June 25 to August 3, Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare. Visit the theater’s website at www.chicagoshakes.com/funkitup. After its summer run on Navy Pier, the show will be featured at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland...
Activists meet
June 26 to battle
new soccer field
The Committee to Keep Lincoln Park Public, which is fighting against the new Latin School soccer field near the Lincoln Park lakefront, is holding a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 26 at First St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1301 N. LaSalle Drive. The public meeting will include a legal update, a discussion of the hazards of artificial turf by a university professor of Environmental science, a question and answer session and guest speakers. The local residents have been battling the soccer field in the media and courts since last fall.
“You might as well put a soccer field smack in the middle of Daley Plaza” said Tom Tresser, president of Protect Our Parks. “There is space there, too. It just so happens that a few hundred thousand people use it for other things. Same thing in South Field. It is the wrong structure in the wrong place”
For more information, visit cklpp.org or call 312-276-5165.
Science event
A “Science Teaching Network: Urban Ecology Educator Workshop” will be held July 1-3 and July 8-10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 North Cannon Drive
Explore plant and animal life cycles, animal adaptations, and urban
habitats including parks, backyards and schoolyards.
Learn how to integrate urban ecology in the classroom with an easy, hands-on approach. Lessons are designed to engage your students in inquiry learning and support Illinois State Learning Standards. Geared for teachers in grades 3 through 8. Cost: Free with $25 registration fee returned upon completion of program.
Free Spanish
music June 19
Spanish artist Miquel Gil and the Arab Orchestra of Barcelona perform with another one of Spain’s most celebrated voices, Maria del Mar Bonet Thursday, June 19 from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park Michigan at Randolph.
Gil has been a fixture in Catalonian music for decades. The Valencian singer started his career immersed in rock, but traditional roots music quickly won him over. He’s now one of the biggest voices of the Spanish Mediterranean seaside bringing its landscapes and sensations to life through his music.
Bonet popularized the songs from the island of Mallorca through her countless collaborations with flamenco, jazz, and Arabic music. Her warm melodies entrance audiences.
Visuals inlcude Gil, Bonet, and the Arab Orchestra of Barcelona performing live onstage at the Pritzker Pavilion. Gil’s ensemble plays many traditional Spanish instruments, as does the Arab Orchestra.
This is part of Chicago’s ongoing year-round celebration of international music, the Music Without Borders series.
Wicked, Jersey Boys perform in free
park performance
Broadway in Chicago, in partnership with the city, is presenting the Broadway in Chicago Concert in the Park, a free event featuring Broadway’s hottest shows during the city’s Taste of Chicago festival.
Performers will include the Chicago casts of Jersey Boys, and Wicked. Other performers include cast members from the recently announced Spring Awakening, Legally Blonde The Musical and Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, which kicks of its pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago this September. Audiences will also be able to preview Broadway in Chicago’s upcoming 2009 season with performances by A Chorus Line and Grease.
The Broadway in Chicago Concert in the Park will be held at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park Monday, June 30 at 6 p.m. The concert is produced in partnership with the City of Chicago and hosted by ABC-7’s Janet Davies and Wicked’s Gene Weygandt. Admission is free.
Clark Street
SSA meeting
The Clark Street Special Service Area #23 commission is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, June 25 at 4 p.m. This meeting will be held at the offices of the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, 1925 N. Clybourn, Suite 301.
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 Clark Street SSA was established in the fall of 2002. Nine commissioners, selected from within the SSA boundaries (Clark Street between Armitage and Diversey) manage the Clark Street SSA.
Soaring gas prices hit North Siders Hard
Some trade cars for fuel-efficient scooters
BY MAJA RAMIREZ
SPECIAL TO INSIDE
Chicago now has the most expensive gasoline in the country and economists predict prices will continue to rise throughout the summer.
And the soaring gas prices have led to a surge in local scooter use.
Sean Cummings, Manager of Sales at Scooter Works USA, 5410 N. Damen Avenue, says his company had been seeing business expand by about 40 percent a year, but “this year so far it’s been more like 140 percent.”
Scooter Works sells Kymco, Genuine, and Sym brands, all made in Taiwan and Vespas.
According to their website, most of the scooters cost about $2,200.
He and other scooter companies are finding “It’s hard to keep them in stock!” Scooter Works’ bikes get between 85 and 125 miles to the gallon, depending on cubic centimeters of engine size.
Bearing witness to this trend is Marla Mendoza, of the Northwest Side, who in 2006 bought a Yamaha scooter on which to commute. When she got a promotion the next year that involved carting a fair quantity of work materials to and from home, she then sold the scooter and bought a hybrid car.
But scooters are not for everyone.
Lisa Klobuchar, an East Lakeview resident, visits her family in northwest Indiana about once every couple weeks by auto and always goes there with a near-empty tank to fill it up with cheaper gas across the border. She says “It saves $5 or even $6 a tank, which is great if I’m going there anyway” although “it doesn’t make economic sense to drive there just to fill up.”
Emily Miller of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group offers several thoughts on the high price of gas saying consumers are being held hostage. “As consumers, we can’t force OPEC to lower the price they set for crude oil.”
She says that while California has the highest gas taxes in the country at 63.9 cents per gallon, Chicago actually has the highest total taxes, because the city adds 12.75 cents per gallon on top of the state’s 57.9 cents a gallon. She represents Illinois PIRG in saying that “the appropriate money and time need to be put into real solution,” and calling for no gas tax holiday at all, not even as a Band-Aid solution, because a gas tax holiday “is only an incentive to use more” gas. She hopes “now since prices so high, that people will pay attention.”
Illinois PIRG estimates one billion dollars was saved and 269 million gallons of oil kept out of the air and water, in the general six-county area, by a relatively simple measure: transit. The group and State Representative Marlow Colvin (Chicago) reject the proposal of a gas tax holiday in favor of medium-range and long-term answers, including increased ridesharing, ensuring communities’ design does not promote urban sprawl, better access to and funding for current transit, shifting intercity freight movement and trips away from air and vehicular travel in favor of railways, and determining whether oil companies are receiving windfall profits from higher priced gas and oil.
According to the Energy Information Administration, an arm of the federal government, average gas taxes have trended down in the past eight years, from a high of 38.7 percent in December 2001 to an average of 11 percent last month.
David Sykuta, Executive Director of the Illinois Petroleum Council, says the federal gas, or excise, tax is currently 18.4 cents per gallon, and the Illinois Motor Fuel Tax is 19 cents a gallon, “but it gets weird after that” in part due to Cook County’s 10.25 percent sales tax on gasoline, with the CTA, RTA, and Metra all getting a portion of that.
“Units of local government are getting windfalls on sales taxes from higher gas prices, which motorists believe are going into road repairs.” He cautions that the money isn’t necessarily used for that purpose.
The Eight-county area around Chicago has to sell a different blend of gas in the summer to comply with the federal Clean Air Act, but Sykuta says no portion of current gas taxes are specifically designated for renewable energy research or pollution abatement, although “It all goes into the general revenue, so some pennies on the dollar might.” Sykuta drives a Ford Sport Trek that uses E85, and said “It’s horrible. Fewer than 200 pumps in the state have E85, and this car gets about 9 mpg.”
The approximate and apparent dollar-a-gallon price advantage is also illusory, due to lack of taxes on E85. Gas City, 4070 N. Clark, offers E85 locally on the North Side.
Dr. Edward Stuart, a professor of economics at Northeastern Illinois University, says predictions of $8 per gallon next year are too extreme, though he does foresee $5 a gallon by next year or later this year. “This situation is no longer just a question of the supply of oil, but of the economies of India and China, which are going from bicycles to cars,” he says.
Jason Toews, co-founder of gasbuddies.com, says “We still have to get to work, and for many people, mass transit is not an option...it’s not convenient, it can take longer. We’re basically forced to pay for gas. People can’t quit their jobs.”
The nation’s demand for oil could be slashed 9 percent in just one year by aggressively adopting measures put forth by Amory Lovins, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, an energy think tank.
Lovins would extend federal tax credits for electric, AFV, and hybrid vehicles to far more that the current limit of 60,000 per manufacturer, encourage mass transit by permitting all citizens to take a deduction for the cost from their taxes, and reduce speed limits to 55 mph for heavy trucks and 60 mph for light vehicles.
A perennially popular email encourages consumers to boycott certain oil companies on certain days, to send a message that lower gas prices should return. While there’s no harm to the consumer, there’s also no benefit, officials say. Snopes.com has this caveat on oil boycotts: “A boycott of a couple brands of gasoline won’t result in lower overall prices. Prices at all the non-boycotted outlets would rise due to the temporarily limited supply and increased demand...the non-boycotted companies will need the extra supply to meet demand.”
ComEd completes $350 million Goose Island station
Seeks to avoid summer blackouts
ComEd announced June 10 the completion of a new power station, called “the largest and most complex initiative of its kind ever undertaken by the company.”
The project accomplishes two main objectives. The eight-year, $350 million initiative converts the city’s electric transmission system from a “hub and spoke” to a network model, providing Chicago substations multiple sources of supply - substantially reducing the likelihood of a significant loss of power downtown and in Chicago neighborhoods. Secondly, it adds the equivalent of a 400 MW power plant to the power available in the heart of the city.
“This marks a fundamental change in the way ComEd serves Chicago,” said ComEd Chairman and CEO Frank M. Clark. “We are greatly enhancing reliability in the city by adding redundancies to our high voltage transmission grid - the backbone of our energy delivery system. Customers depend on us to deliver electricity to run their businesses and enhance their quality of life, and this is central to our ability to fulfill our promise of reliable service.”
Since 2001, ComEd has invested $5 billion overall to expand and upgrade its transmission and delivery systems, and since 2003, the company has invested nearly $1 billion the network of 200 substations and 5,800 miles of high-voltage power lines that deliver power across the region which comprise its transmission system, officials say.
There are several major features of the new station, called the West Loop Project, including the construction of the high voltage 345,000 volt (345 kV) substation, the installation of two new 345 kV transmission lines across the city,
One line, approximately 10 miles long, connects the ComEd Crawford substation on the south side to the new 345 kV West Loop substation the second 345 kV line, approximately three miles long, connects West Loop to the existing Taylor Substation, the installation of new 138,000 volt (138 kV) transmission lines adding another layer of redundancy among Chicago substations, and; new equipment at 11 new and existing ComEd substations throughout Chicago.
Previously, failure at a “hub” substation would put service at risk because of a lack of redundant supply to the system’s “spoke” substations. A single higher voltage hub used to feed several spokes. If there were a problem at the hub, all the spokes could have been out of service. West Loop connects those spokes by adding 138 kV transmission lines, providing multiple supply routes to serve the former “spoke” substations. And the new 345 kV transmission lines also are networked among existing 345 kV substations to produce a larger and more redundant high voltage grid in central Chicago.
The enormous 345 kV substation at Goose Island, known as West Loop, links other high voltage ComEd substations in Chicago. 345 kV lines routed through tunnels beneath the Chicago River deliver power for this facility, where it is transformed to lower voltages and sent into the grid. The substation relies on massive, state of the art gas-insulated switchgear, which operates like a giant fuse box directing power to substations and circuits across the city. Enormous transformers delivered by barge to the site earlier this year do the work of reducing voltages at this multi-million dollar facility.
The central features of the project are two 345 kV transmission lines which cross the city on overhead poles, beneath some of the city’s busiest streets, and through two 300 ft. long tunnels beneath the North Branch of the Chicago River, to reach into the basement of the new West Loop substation on Goose Island. From there, lower voltage power will be disbursed to neighborhood and downtown substations, providing critical alternative routes for power to travel in the event of trouble at any substation in the network.
The new 138 kV transmission lines add to the high-voltage power “highway” that delivers power to and from several Chicago substations.
“A global city like Chicago demands this degree of capacity and system redundancies,” said Clark. “I congratulate the entire ComEd team whose hard work over several years enabled us to complete this project on time and under budget. We greatly appreciate the patience shown by residents and businesses that tolerated the inconveniences of having their streets torn up while we installed portions of the system. The significant cooperation were received from City of Chicago agencies who oversaw much of the construction, including the tunnel we built beneath the river contributed to the success of this effort.”
Executive indicted again in Edgewater Hospital case
C.E.O owes government $64.2 million, hasn’t made any payments
The former owner and chief executive of the bankrupt Edgewater Hospital and Medical Center, 5700 N. Ashland Ave., is facing federal perjury and obstruction of justice charges here relating to Government efforts to collect a $64.2 million civil health-care fraud judgment against him. The defendant, Peter G. Rogan, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint that was filed in U.S. District Court on May 23 and unsealed last week, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced.
Rogan, 62, formerly of Valparaiso, Ind., who has been living in Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2006, was detained on Monday by the Canada Border Services Agency upon returning to Vancouver from a trip to China. Rogan was denied admission to Canada based on Canadian immigration law, and he is now facing Canadian immigration proceedings to determine whether or not he may be admitted into Canada.
Rogan at one time owned Edgewater Hospital and later sold it, but continued to control the hospital and medical center through various management companies he owned. The hospital, located at 5700 North Ashland, closed in December 2001 and entered bankruptcy in 2002, when four doctors, a vice president and the management company pleaded guilty to federal criminal health-care fraud charges involving the payment of kickbacks for patient referrals and medically unnecessary hospital admissions, tests, and services.
Rogan was not charged criminally at that time, but in 2002, the United States filed a civil lawsuit against him alleging that was responsible for Edgewater’s submission of millions of dollars of false claims for reimbursement under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In September 2006, following a bench trial, U.S. District Judge John Darrah entered a judgment against Rogan for $64,259,032.50, and found that Rogan had testified falsely, destroyed documents and obstructed justice. The judgment was upheld on appeal earlier this year.
After the September 2006 judgment, the Government began efforts to collect from Rogan, using post-judgment procedures including depositions, citations and subpoenas to discover the nature, extent and location of any assets he owned or controlled. To date, Rogan has made no payments toward the debt, according to the new charges against him.
In late 2006, the Government filed a motion in the civil proceedings asserting that Rogan had access to many millions of dollars that were being held in offshore accounts. Specifically, court documents alleged that Rogan was the discretionary beneficiary of the Peter G. Rogan Irrevocable Trust, which was established in 1996 in the Bahamas. The Government alleged that there was between $30 and $35 million in this and other trusts in the names of his children, and that the trustin Rogan’s name alone generated dividend and/or interest income of approximately $760,000 a year.
On Dec. 21, 2006, Rogan responded to the Government’s motion by filing an affidavit with the Court in which he denied that he exercised any control over the trust and its income or assets, that he had no control over distributions from the trust, and that he did not have ready access to the assets of the trust. The new criminal charges allege that those statements were false, and that, in fact, Rogan controlled the trust and its income and assets, and that he had ready access to its funds.
According to the criminal complaint, in 2007 and 2008, Oceanic Bank and Trust Ltd., Bahamas, which served as trustee of Rogan’s trust until 2006, produced trust records to the Government in response to a subpoena. According to the records, the complaint alleges, between 1996 and 2004, Rogan directly or indirectly directed the trustee to make distributions totaling approximately $8.15 million to himself or to others he specified. Those distributions are detailed in the complaint affidavit – ranging in amounts from $50,000 to $3.4 million – and included funds that Rogan directed to be paid to his wife for personal expenses; for service and maintenance on his 48-foot boat named “Fringe Benefit;” for legal fees; and $2.9 million that he testified he used to pay restitution owed by Bainbridge Management L.P., resulting from its guilty plea in the Edgewater criminal fraud case.
Between July 2004 and November 2006, the new charges allege that Rogan’s wife or agent – instead of Rogan himself – communicated directly with Oceanic to cause the distribution of at least $6.5 million in additional trust funds to accounts in his wife’s name, which she then used to make payments to her husband and his creditors.
The United States is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gillogly and Andrew Boutros. If convicted, perjury carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and obstruction of justice carries a maximum of 10 years, and both counts carry a maximum fine of $250,000. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Chamber backs alderman in Edgewater Hospital redevelopment controversy
On behalf of the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce we would like to comment on the Chicago Tribune’s recent article of Sunday June 1st regarding the development of the Edgewater Hospital vacated property.
As you are aware from your own reporting the Edgewater Hospital was closed by the Federal Government. There is a very large amount of money possibly many millions of dollars involved and many different parcels of property owned by different entities. Alderman O’Connor has been working tirelessly to untangle the mess. In the opinion of many community leaders including the Alderman it was important to get some of this property back on the tax rolls and occupied without waiting for the years of litigation involved in the hospital itself.
The particular parcels discussed were developed into a community of single family homes like many of the other homes in the area. There were not many developers interested in taking the risk of building this type of development. Community organizations visited other developments built by CA and supported their coming to Edgewater. Several public community meetings were held and there never was any suggestion of any other use of the property.
The Edgewater Hospital building, whatever it’s future use, has a parking structure which will serve it, once legal issues are resolved. In the meantime part of the vacant land is back on the tax rolls.
We belive that it is also important to point out that Alderman O’Connor has an excellent record of supporting park development including obtaining support for a nature preserve on the site of Rosehill Cemetery, development of Legion Park and expansion of Schrieber Park.
As for Barbara O’Connor, she is a highly competent real estate agent and an important part of the Edgewater team. She worked hard to sell this development and the fact that she succeeded made Edgewater more attractive to other businesses and developers. The success of this development was not a slam-dunk. It was (pardon the pun) breaking new ground by offering high quality houses at a new level of pricing for this community. It took quite a skilled team to make it happen.
James McHale, Chairman
Diane Otteman, President
Sheli Lulkin, Director
Edgewater
Chamber of Commerce
CTA busses get 3 miles per gallon
The Chicago Transit Authority’s use of measures to combat rising fuel costs and improve fuel efficiency across its bus fleet are already proving to be successful for the agency. Despite an increase in the miles traveled, strategic adjustments have lowered the amount of fuel used and increased the average miles per gallon (mpg) for the bus fleet.
CTA is aggressively seeking ways to manage rising fuel costs and mitigate their impact on the CTA’s budget. CTA’s Budget Office calculates that every $0.10 change in the price per gallon of fuel increases expenses by $2.4 million. With fuel prices at $4.53 per gallon as of May 26, the CTA could potentially accrue fuel expenses of $25 million over what was budgeted this year.
In May 2007, the CTA bus fleet averaged 2.76 mpg, accumulated more than 6.17 million miles and used nearly 2.23 million gallons of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. Despite an increase in mileage of nearly 35,000, for a total of 6.20 million miles in May 2008, the fleet’s average miles per gallon improved to 3.27 and fuel consumption decreased by 335,500 gallons to 1.89 million gallons.
“Through simple measures such as relocating where some of our buses begin their routes; redesigning our newer buses to be lighter in weight; and limiting the use of our older, less efficient buses, the CTA saved 335,500 gallons of gas in May 2008 versus May of last year,” said CTA President Ron Huberman. “With the rising cost of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, this equates to approximately $1.2 million in savings for the CTA in one month. We’re eager to see the continued improvement in these areas as more of our aging buses are retired and replaced with more fuel efficient, low emission buses and hybrid buses that will begin arriving late this summer.”
“This study will provide us with useful tools of analysis as we continue to aggressively look for ways to manage our costs and improve our performance,” said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown. “With the growing demand for public transit, this study is important in continuing to offer our customers affordable and reliable service.”
On Wednesday, the Chicago Transit Board also approved a $113,000 contract for a transportation energy study to identify short-term solutions to reduce bus energy costs and long-term strategies to improve fuel efficiency.
The study will also include recommendations on new technologies and alternate power sources, as well as other measures to reduce fuel consumption and provide options for sustainable energy.
“The efficient use of energy, whether fuel for buses or electricity for trains, is critical for our operations as well as the impact it has on the environment,” added Huberman. “Fuel costs are certainly the immediate focus today, but this study will also allow us to better plan for the future.”
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Inc. will conduct the transportation energy study. Funding for the study is provided by federal funds allocated by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
Other energy efficiency measures already in progress at the CTA include accelerating the purchase of 150 articulated hybrid buses manufactured by New Flyer Industries. By assuming the last contract option from King County Metro, Seattle’s public transit agency, the CTA was able to lock in savings of $60,000 on the purchase price of each hybrid bus.
The CTA estimates that the hybrid technology will save the agency nearly $7 million annually in maintenance, parts and labor costs over buses currently in service including more than $900,000 annually in fuel costs. The CTA will begin receiving the buses this summer and have all 150 by spring 2009 instead of the original schedule of late 2010.
In addition, before completing its order for 400 low-emission 40-foot buses from New Flyer of America, Inc., the CTA was able to reduce the weight of these new buses by approximately 1,000 lbs. By switching from a stainless steel chassis to carbon steel and by using a smaller, more efficient engine, the gas mileage increased from 3.18 mpg to 3.28 mpg.
Each of the 400 buses is expected to average 40,000 miles per year in travel making the annual savings in fuel costs more than $565,000, just by operating a lighter vehicle. Furthermore, because the newer buses are 38% more fuel efficient than the buses they are replacing, the total savings to the CTA over the anticipated 12-year life span of the buses is nearly $80 million. The CTA began taking delivery of the new low emission buses earlier this year, with 110 currently in service, and expects to have all 400 by spring 2009.
Combined, the CTA expects that these steps will save $ 91.5 million over the 12-year average life of the buses compared to the costs to operate the current fleet of buses.
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