Local magician entertains, mystifies
On a recent summer day, “Mr. Ash” held court with two customers inside his Lincoln Square magic shop.
“What is your name?” he asks a dark-haired young lady. “Maria,” she responds. “Can I call you Maria?” She nodded in reply.
“What time can I call you, Maria?” he joked.
While Maria Santos and Eric Smith of Budlong Woods watched, Mr. Ash then entertained with a rope trick. “Watch,” he said. “We will cut the rope right in half. And then we will put it back together.”
Mr. Ash is a magician, shop owner and salesman. He has sold magic tricks since the 1960s. “Originally, I started as a school of magic on Lincoln and Lawrence,” he said.
As various Chicago magic shops went out of business, he began buying up their stock. Then he bought a television mail-order business called Marshall Brodien’s Magic Cards. With a ready supply of merchandise, he opened Ash’s Magic Shop at 4955 N. Western Ave near Lincoln Square. He has been at that location since 1980.
As a performer, Mr. Ash has been doing magic tricks in Chicago since 1972. He entertained at George Ryan’s 65th birthday party. He has performed on Channels 2, 5, 7, 11, and 26, and at fundraisers, telethons, charity events. Mr. Ash worked at the former Schulien’s restaurant, and “when they reopened it as O’Donovan’s, and they wanted to do magic, I was the first guy they called,” he said. “I went and I worked that first night.”
Mr. Ash had regular gigs at Dennis Rodman’s now defunct Illusions restaurant.
“I used to do a stage show, and then I would go and work the tables. I was there for nine months, but I only saw Dennis Rodman four times. People would say, ‘Can you tell Dennis to come by and say hi to us?’ and I’d say ‘Lady, they are playing in Milwaukee tonight.’ ”
He appeared a dozen times on the television show Bozo’s Circus, and still enjoys performing for children. “I am one of the only guys (magicians) who won a Golden Apple Award, which is for teachers,” he said. “We did a bunch of shows on nutritional safety…for example, the guy is going to eat cookies, and I say ‘Don’t eat cookies, drink milk.’ You have an empty bottle, you say the magic word, and milk comes out. The kids loved it. The teachers loved it better,” he says.
One of Mr. Ash’s favorite places to perform was Chicago’s New York Lounge. He described it as a mecca for magicians, and he relished the decade he spent performing there three times a week. “Five to seven magicians did magic all night, from 8 at night to 4 or 5 in the morning. It was very popular; people used to come from Europe; they knew what the New York Lounge was because they read the magazines over there, you know.”
Today, he performs magic tricks at private parties up to four times a week. For adult parties, he does a 1-hour show that focuses on mind-reading and joke-telling. His fee is around $225, “but if it’s a Dr. Robinson, I go $250,” he jokes. For children’s birthday parties in Chicago, he charges $150 for a 45-minute performance that includes pulling a rabbit out of a hat, yanking coins out of ears, and ‘accidentally’ pouring water on himself.
Mr. Ash, whose given name is Ashod Barborian, emigrated to the U.S. from Armenia in 1960. He returns to his native country every two years to perform for free for children, and to donate money, supplies, and furniture to underprivileged schools. In America, he said every Armenian knows every other famous Armenian. “But they took me to visit John Belushi’s uncle. And I said ‘Is it true you are Armenian?’ And he said ‘No, we’re not, we’re Albanian.’ People confuse Romanians with Armenians too. Armenians, Albanians, Romanians.”
For five years, Mr. Ash passed himself off as Irish. First, he shortened his first and last name and became a country singer called Ash Rian. However, people had trouble spelling that, so by the time his second 45 RPM record was released, he changed his stage name to Ash Ryan. “I had so much fun with that name,” he said. “And then when I decided to do magic, I just said I’ll be Mr. Ash. It’s easier for people.”
The annual sales at Ash’s Magic Shop are a mystery to him. His wife, who also calls him Mr. Ash, handles that. He merely writes out checks to pay the bills. While chatting with me, he opened his mail and glanced at his bank statement. “This month I notice I got $1700 (in the account). So I’m gonna write checks for $1500,” he said. He gives a 20% discount on any book that costs over $20. He offers 48% off many other items, since he is currently celebrating his 48th year in the U.S.
Mr Ash says he has over 12,000 magic tricks at his store. For beginning magicians, he has the heavily requested penny-in-a-box, which changes into a dime. The stink bomb is his second best seller. He carries a popular card trick deck for $8.
“I have the silk-scarf-out-of-the-egg, and just to show them it is a real egg, you crack the egg and a real yolk comes out. Why? Because you put it there,” he said. “I have the airborne glass – you pour a coke in it, then someone calls and you let your hand go, and you say ‘Did you want me or something?’ and the glass is floating in the air.”
Ash’s Magic Shop carries fractured spoons, squirting cameras, fart sprays, lipstick shocks, fake cigarette burns, nerd glasses, and exploding ink. His shop carries hundreds of books, DVDs and videos on magic. He sells many magic sets and joke books.
“An average person doesn’t know how much magic I got. Even magicians or magic shop owners - they walk in here, they go ‘Oh my God,’ ” he said. “I got so much stuff, I amaze myself.”
It is likely that when he performs, he amazes his audience even more.
FlavorFest still uncertain as Whole foods pays up
Park District plays hardball to recapture contested funds
With time ticking down, a scheduled festival for the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce and Whole Foods Market, FlavorFest, is now up in the air despite months of planning.
The upscale foodie festival had been slated for Aug. 23 and Aug. 24 at Wrightwood Park, 2534 N. Greenview Avenue.
However, Park District permits now may not be forthcoming.
FlavorFest is hosted by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, managed by Chicago Special Events Management and sponsored by Whole Foods Market.
The family event features natural foods, cooking and music.
The story of the festival location goes back to last summer when FlavorFest was held at Jonquil Park, 1023 W. Wrightwood Ave.
At that time, rainy conditions, foot traffic, park sprinklers and heavy equipment led to damage of park grounds.
The Jonquil Park Advisory Council issued a $13,500 bill of damage which led to a protracted struggle with festival sponsor Whole Foods.
Meetings were held with Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) as liability for the park damage was assessed.
Wrightwood Neighbors Assoc. Parks Chair Chuck Sherline was among those pushing for Whole Foods to pay up.
Whole Foods donated $1,000 to the park but Sherline and the Jonquil Park Advisory Council remained irked over the year as the $13,500 bill went unpaid.
In the meantime, FlavorFest was moved from Jonquil Park to nearby Wrightwood Park, Wrightwood and Ashland avenues, for this summer.
Whole Foods then began promoting the festival when stunningly they were told by the Park District that the permits to hold the fest were denied because of the $13,500 bill in question.
Festival organizers maintained there was preexisting damage to the park and it was no simple task to assign blame for the damage to any particular party involved.
The Park District, however, said they could not discuss the permits until the $13,500 was paid up.
Faced with this conundrum, they decided to pay the bill.
“It was almost like blackmail,” said Hank Zemola, president of Special Events Management. “They said they can’t talk about anything until the bill was resolved. We had our back to the wall so we just decided to pay it.”
Yet, even after this occurred, it did not solve the dilemma. After forking over the cash, FlavorFest was then informed that Wrightwood Park had already been booked that weekend for a softball tournament and birthday parties.
They were offered Trebes Park, 2250 N. Clifton Ave., by The Park District as a replacement venue.
Now Zemola, who lives in Lincoln Park, says moving the fest mere days in advance is extremely unappetizing.
He said it would be more logical to move the softball tournament and birthday parties, given that they and Whole Foods Market had been promoting the location for a year and the fest involves nearly 80 vendors, trucks, musicians and heavy logistics.
As of Tuesday, Aug. 12, there was still no word from The Park District as to the final decision.
Kim Schilf, President of the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce Chamber, said the site of the festival remains unknown.
“We are working to finalize the location and other details,” she said.
Whole Foods spokesman Scott Curcio said the grocer has worked with The Park District on other initiatives in the past.
“After last year’s festival, repairs were made to the park due to wear and tear from a very, very rainy week and a higher-than-expected attendance. We worked very closely with The Park District to ensure all lawn damages were assessed and paid for in a fair and accurate agreement. However, additional fees were brought to our attention.” he said. “We continued our dialogue with The Park District to review the damages and have settled this in a manner that we feel is best for everyone. We look forward to another wonderful festival this year on August 23-24.”
Curcio was asked if he thought the fest will be held at Wrightwood Park or Trebes Park.
“At this point, we are still in discussion with The Park District so I don’t have an answer,” he replied.
Ald. Waguespack and Park District President Tim Mitchell were also contacted but did not respond.
Sherline, for his part, said he wants to ensure the monies paid find their way to Jonquil Park and do not end up in a general park district fund.
“I think it’s great if they’ve done it [paid the $13,500] but I still need more information,” Sherline said.
History of Navy Pier excites
By Laura Burns
Special to Inside
As millions of locals and tourists trek to Navy Pier this summer for water rides, views, fireworks, Cirque Shanghai, Ferris wheel rides, “Batman: The Dark Knight” shows and the Shakespeare Theater, the history of the downtown super pier looms large on the lakefront.
The history of Navy Pier begins on the drawing board of the famous architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham. Any history of the city usually requires mention of Burnham’s “Master Plan of Chicago.” Navy Pier was the only one of five piers envisioned by Burnham to actually be commissioned and built. In the design, the pier would have been a mile and a half long compared to the 5/8 of a mile or 3,300 feet it is today. Construction, which cost a total of $4.5 million, began in 1914 under the direction of Charles Sumner Frost.
The pier was originally called Municipal Pier #2 even though #1 was never built. The pier was constructed to serve as a multi-purpose public infrastructure. The main intention was to deal with the traffic of goods and people from the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Warehouses were built along the dock for the freighter’s cargo. In addition to accommodating Chicago’s water traffic, the pier was designed to be a gathering place for Chicagoans’ entertainment and leisure. When the pier opened in 1916, this idea was innovative and the Municipal Pier was one of the few structures combined business and pleasure in such a way.
During the first World War, the U.S. Navy utilized the pier. Several regiments were housed in the facility along with new recruits and members of the Red Cross. Once the war ended, the pier was again popular as a leisure site. In 1927, it was renamed Navy Pier in honor of the veterans of the war. The so-called “Golden Age” of the Pier was during the early 1920s when it was the center of recreational activity for the city. In 1921 and 1922, Chicago Mayor William Thompson organized two Pageants of Progress, which were similar to the world fairs and featured 2,000 exhibits in 17 general categories. The pier received almost a million visitors during 15 days of events. However, as the nation and the world spiraled into the Great Depression use of the pier declined as freight and passenger traffic waned.
The pier once again became a hub of naval activity when the United States entered World War II. Beginning in 1941, the pier was officially closed to the public. It served as a training ground for pilots and a school for naval aircraft mechanics. Around 15,000 pilots trained at Navy Pier including former president George H.W. Bush. Remnants of the war still exist at the pier today. The wreckage of as many as 200 planes from training accidents still sit in the beneath the waters of Lake Michigan. An 8-ton anchor from the USS Chicago rests at the east end of Navy Pier to commemorate all those who served.
At the end of WW II, thousands of soldiers returned from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific to begin their lives again. With the help of the GI bill, many of these veterans went to college. Due to this flood of new students, the classrooms where mechanics had learned to work on Navy planes become the halls of the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1946. The U of I Chicago Undergraduate Division, which became known as the “Harvard on the Rocks,” began as a two year program and mainly consisted of young men just out of the service. It continued to serve as a commuter campus for Chicagoans for many years to come. Members of the alumni hall of fame include Illinois’ longest serving governor James R. Thompson and former NBC-TV anchor and Chicago Sun-Times journalist John Chancellor. Over 100,000 other students called the halls of Navy Pier their university at some point.
A former student remembers “the shark dissection lab that smelled like a combination of formaldehyde and rotting fish and fighting my way through spider webs in the summer on the ‘second’ floor.” The campus had social groups, athletic teams, a radio station and many normal college activities despite their unusual location. The school didn’t move from Navy Pier until the Circle Campus in the Near West Side of Chicago in 1965.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, the pier still served as one of the busiest inland ports in the world sometimes handling over 250 vessels annually. Before McCormick Place was built in 1960 and during its reconstruction after a fire destroyed the original structure, Navy Pier was the site of many trade shows and exhibitions.
From the time the University of Illinois moved throughout the early 1970s, the pier fell into disuse as shipping declined. It was an under utilized piece of property until the Daley administration decided to renovate and use the facility for the nation’s bicentennial celebrations in 1976.
The next year Navy Pier was designated a Chicago landmark and it was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1979. In 1978, the Pier again took center stage in Chicagoland for the Chicago Fest, a summer musical festival that also featured a food, crafts, and other entertainment. Millions visited the event over the five consecutive years that it was held at Navy Pier.
“The Pier became a tourist attraction as far as most Chicagoans were concerned once Chicago Fest was hosted there,” Mary Thompson, a former Chicago resident who was married on the pier in 1983 said.
When Mayor Harold Washington ended Chicago Fest in 1984, there was already a lot of discussion about what to do with the now 70-year-old pier. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority was created by the state legislature to take control over Navy Pier and McCormick Place, the city’s largest convention center. Over the next few years, plans are drawn up and state funds are secured for a complete overhaul of the Pier.
The ground breaking took place in August 1992 and the nearly $200 million were spent on the pier’s renovation. The main entrance to the pier known as the Headhouse was restored, a 170,000 square-foot exhibition hall, a 48,000 square-foot meeting room area, parking garages, Skyline Stage, a carousel and the 148-foot Ferris wheel were all constructed. Also, the pier was widened by 50 feet and a roadway was built on the North Dock. The pier stayed open throughout the repairs but the initial reconstruction was not completed until 1995.
Since then, Navy Pier has become the number one tourist attraction in the Midwest. The pier has continued to add attractions to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the six story high, 80-foot-wide IMAX theater, the Chicago Children’s Museum and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. In 2008, Navy Pier received over 8 million visitors.
Since its inception over 90 years ago the pier has served many important function as a part of the city. So what does the future hold for one of Chicago’s most well-known landmark? Two years ago, a Canadian firm was commissioned to draft a plan for the pier’s future, which included a floating hotel, a rollercoaster, a 290-foot Ferris wheel, and a Great Lakes themed water park. However, these plans are no longer being considered and there are no official plans for the pier in the near future other than to continue offering a variety of experiences for tourist and Chicagoans alike.
“We strive to maintain an exciting mix of cultural events and entertainment that appeal to all ages,” Delores Robinson, Navy Pier’s assistant director of public relations, said. “In the future, we will continue to provide something new and exciting for our visitors.”
Honor Flight Chicago brings local WW2 vets to DC memorial
After the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. was completed in 2004, many of the war’s veterans made their own pilgrimage to the monument which honors their service and that of deceased comrades. However, because the monument was dedicated nearly 59 years after the end of the conflict, for many older veterans it seemed as if it would no longer be possible to visit the nation’s capital.
At the time, Ohio resident Earl Morse, a retired U.S. Air Force Captain and pilot who was working as a physician’s assistant for the Department of Veteran Affairs, polled his patients to see if they would be interested in visiting the new monument. Unfortunately, Morse was dismayed by most of their responses. While many told him they would have loved the opportunity to visit, they added they believed it was no longer possible for them to make the 3-4 day trip for health and financial reasons. Undeterred, Morse believed there had to be a way to bring veterans free of charge to the monument and soon laid the groundwork for a nationwide program known as the Honor Flight Network www.Honorflight.org. By the end of 2005, Morse’s group had flown 137 veterans free of charge to the monument.
According to the web site of Morse’s group, the flights are a race against the clock as “we are losing 1,200 of them daily.”
The local chapter of Honor Flight was formed earlier this year and immediately made an impact.
Nancy Kapp, one of the founders of Honor Flight Chicago www.honorflightchicago.org, told Inside her group wanted to act quickly in order to facilitate flying as many veterans as possible to the monument. Her group was incorporated in early March and three months later, with the help of Southwest Airlines, brought its first group to Washington D.C.
“It’s pretty amazing. To hear where all these guys have been is amazing but we need to reach [more] vets and we need to get guardians and donations to continue to make this happen,” added Kapp, whose father, Staff Sergeant Calvin Turkington, died in 1944 while serving with the 359th Bomb Squadron and is buried in Europe.
While two flights from Chicago have already taken place and the ones scheduled for August 20 and September 17 have been completely filled, Kapp said her group wants to continue its mission but will only be able to continue to do so with additional help. Her group would like to add a flight in October and afterwards resume its flights next spring.
“It’s a huge endeavor but we have a bunch of professional people on the board who knows how to get things done,” said Kapp, who is the president and chief executive officer of the Renaissance Companies, a commercial and residential real estate company.
“On the first flight, we had a total of 99 seats on the plane with Southwest. 60 were veterans and the rest are guardians. [Our ratio] is one guardian for every three that are mobile and one to one when they are not mobile. Our primary concern is their safety as many are in their mid-80s to mid-90s,” said Kapp.
Former Chicago Ald. Ted Matlak (32nd) is a member of the group’s board of directors and was on a recent flight as a guardian. He told Inside he found the experience especially moving and is looking forward to participating in future flights.
“The person I was with, when he talked about all the places he served during the War in the Pacific, it was very inspirational,” said Matlak.
While at the monument, each group participates in a flag ceremony and places a wreath at the memorial. Retired U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, who is himself a veteran of the war and who was instrumental in getting the monument built, is among those who greet each group of visiting veterans.
CITY BEAT: Old Town pizza manager slain
Reward offered
Jason Mueller, 29, manager of Nonna’s Italian Pizza, 1543 N. Sedgwick, died after being shot Aug. 10.
A $10,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the arrest of the killer.
Mueller was shot getting into a taxicab at 6 a.m. near Wolcott and Grand avenues.
Mueller got his MBA from DePaul University last year and then opened the pizza shop with a friend.
His 30th birthday would have been on Saturday.
Police continue to investigate.
Orr warns voters about registration rip-offs
Cook County Clerk David Orr issued a warning to the public today to steer clear of any websites or organizations which offer to register them to vote and require a payment.
“Voting is a right in this country,” Orr emphasized. “You do not have to pay one red cent to register to vote.”
Orr strongly warned voters against a specific Internet site called “iwanttovote.com” which claims to register voters for a $9.95 fee. The site requires a voter to turn over a credit card number and personal information-including part of a social security number or driver’s license number. However, the ‘iwanttovote’ website lists no staff, no phone number or street address.
“In an age of Internet crime and identity theft, the last thing to do is pay for something online that is free from your local county clerk,” added Orr.
Illinois voters can register to vote between now and October 7 for the November 4 presidential election at a variety of local government offices including city clerks and township clerks.
The Cook County Clerk has offices where residents of suburban Cook County can register to vote at 69 W. Washington, Suite 500, in downtown Chicago and at five suburban courthouse mini-centers.
Orr reminded voters to sign up to vote soon. “The presidential election will be here before you know it. Early Voting starts on October 13.”
Helpful information on how to vote, polling place locations and addresses is also available on voterinfonet, the Cook County Clerk’s award-winning website. Residents of other counties can find links to their local clerks at the Illinois State Board of Elections’ website: www.elections.state.il.us.
Obama Rally Draws Chicagoans to Iowa
By Carrie Jackson
Special to Inside
Favorite son Barack Obama’s presidential campaign gained momentum July 27, when over 400 people showed up for a rally at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway St.
The event, organized by 9th District Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and former state senator Carol Ronen, seemed to excite the crowd that showed up on a Sunday afternoon.
“The goal was to educate people about the state of the presidential race nationally and in Iowa, get people interested and get them helping out,” said Sean Tenner, a representative for the Obama campaign.
According to Tenner, at least 300 people signed up to volunteer for the campaign - they are slated to work in Iowa.
Speakers at the rally included Jon Carson, National Field Director for the Obama staff, Tenner and Ken Bennett from the Obama campaign, and Ronan and Schakowsky, who have both pledged their support.
Iowa has long been a focus of the campaign because it is considered a swing state, and is one of two states that voted for Al Gore in 2000 and then voted for George Bush in 2008. President Bush won the election in Iowa by less than 1% point, and the Obama campaign believes Iowa is a key state in winning the national election.
“If there’s any state to look at, it’s Iowa,” said Carson in his speech.
Obama won the Illinois primary by a landslide in February, and has been a dominant voice for Illinois since he was elected senator in 2004.
“Illinois has a really important role to play in the election because we’re surrounded by swing states, and our support could really make a difference,” stressed Tenner, of the 46th ward Democratic organization.
Part of the reason the Armory was chosen is because Obama gave a speech there in 2004, while running for the Senate.
The campaign is planning a similar event targeting the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, and is working with AAPI leaders in the same area.
They are hosting trips to Iowa biweekly, and are focusing on a big Get Out The Vote push on November 1-4.
Schakowsky, for her part, was an early supporter of the Ill. Senator in 2004 who considering running for the U.S. Senate but bowed out opting to support Obama instead, according to the respected biography “Obama: From Promise to Power,” by local reporter David Mendell.
For those who missed this rally, another event is slated for 7 p.m. Aug. 16 in Lincoln Park where a silent auction will benefit the Obama campaign at 1809 W. Webster Ave.
New exhibit presented
Johnson – Morrison: Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary Textile
Art on display features the collaboration between two weavers of Swedish descent. David Johnson and Vivian Morrison both attended North Park University, both currently reside in the area, and both began weaving in the mid-1970s.
David Johnson started out weaving tapestries using traditional techniques and designs inspired by tapestries and rugs from various cultures, with a strong Swedish influence. Over time his work expanded to include digital imaging on inkjet canvases and a variety of surface embellishments including beads, both commercial and handmade, waxed linen knotting, crocheted elements, paint, and wire. Most of his current work is mounted on painted industrial felt and painted stretched canvas or faux-finished wire screen. Johnson also creates fiberbased jewelry and Origami boxes.
Vivian Morrison’s work pays homage to traditional Swedish textiles. She weaves with fine yarns on a multiple harness loom creating complex woven structures for the home and as clothing. Morrison uses a Glimåkra – Ten Harness Swedish floor loom. She uses natural yarns such as cotton, linen, silk and wool and often dyes her ownyarns to produce unique colors. Her pieces include wall hangings, curtains, table and stair runners, rugs, jackets, dresses, and scarves. Morrison’s work has been published in such magazines as Better Homes & Gardens and Handwoven.
Johnson – Morrison: Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary Textile Art will include work focused around Swedish tradition and nature including wall pieces by each artist, a display of Morrison’s jackets on free-standing clothing displays, pedestals with Morrison’s runners, a display case of Johnson’s fiber jewelry and Origami boxes, and text and photographs documenting some of the artists’ tools and processes. Johnson – Morrison: Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary Textile Art will be on display at the Swedish American Museum, Sept. 26 through Nov. 30, 2008. Please, join the Museum for several events centered around Johnson – Morrison: Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary Textile Art, including: the Exhibit opening from p.m. – 8 p.m. on Sept. 26, a Gallery walk at 11 a.m. on Sept. 27, and Start with Art from 7:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Oct. 1.
Mayor issues budget order
Property taxes won’t increase
The City of Chicago July 30 announced that it will delay the release of the 2009 preliminary budget, postponing the first step in the City’s formal annual budget process.
“Every city and state is experiencing a slowdown in their economies and their revenues because of the nation’s economic recession. Unfortunately, things are predicted to get worse before they get better and even with the management improvements we’ve already mandated this year, there is likely to be a major shortfall in our budget for next year. To act responsibly we need to have the latest revenue data in order to craft a responsible budget for next year,” Daley said.
Mayor Richard M. Daley submitted Executive Order 2008-1, which supersedes a previous order that required submission of the preliminary budget to the Office of the City Clerk on or before July 31 of each year. The new order stipulates that the 2009 preliminary budget be submitted to the City Clerk no later than September 30, 2008. This is the first time the City of Chicago has delayed the release of the preliminary budget since Mayor Daley took office in 1989.
“With this step we’ll be able to implement management improvements and cuts in spending more responsibly,” he said, adding that “the worse the economy becomes, the tougher the choices will be to balance our budget.”
The Mayor said that to “protect our city’s taxpayers and assure we’re doing all we can to keep our city’s progress going”, the city needs more time to collect, review and analyze the very latest expenditure and revenue data to ensure estimates for the 2009 budget are as accurate as they can be.
Mayor Daley also reiterated his pledge that the City of Chicago would not increase property taxes in the 2009 City budget.
“Because I understand that many families are struggling to make ends meet, especially our homeowners, the City will not raise property taxes next year,” Daley said. “Like every family in our nation during these tough times, government must make tough choices. Our families must set spending priorities and cut back and so must we,” he said.”
Daley also announced another round of management improvements that will reduce personnel costs by more than $6 million before the end of the year.
The reductions include the elimination of the non-union employee wage increases scheduled for July 1, 2007 and January 1, 2008; and a voluntary severance program whereby a severance payment will be provided to all non-union employees who resign from their positions between August 15 and August 31.
This is in addition to the furlough days the Mayor proposed earlier this week, which will save the City $3.3 million in 2008.
Elimination of the wage increases for non-union employees will save approximately $2 million. The voluntary severance program will save an estimated $4 million before the end of the year depending on participation.
The severance program, which is designed to further reduce the size of the City’s workforce, will be offered to all non-union employees. It will provide a single payment of $12,000 to $20,000, based on years of service, to employees who resign from City employment between August 15, 2008 and August 31, 2008
The payment will be substantially offset by what the City would otherwise pay in unemployment insurance for each employee. To achieve sustained savings, the City does not plan to rehire the vast majority of the vacated positions. For those critical positions that must be filled, the City will aim to hire at a lower, entry-level salary for each position.
400 attend Uptown crime meeting
On July 30, Sen. Heather Steans and I hosted a Town Hall meeting on public safety in Uptown.
Having attended numerous CAPS and block club meetings in recent weeks and after hearing from the Uptown business community as well as individual concerned citizens, Sen. Steans and I decided we had to come together as an entire community to address the recent spikes in crime in Uptown.
The meeting was attended by well over 400 people from every walk of life in Uptown. It was an impressive crowd representing the diversity of Uptown: young and old, lifelong residents and new arrivals, gay and straight, rich and low income folks, owners and renters, businesspeople and social service providers..in short, the entire rainbow that makes Uptown a desirable neighborhood to live and work in.
Everyone was concerned about the recent shooting incidents and the apparent uptick in gang activity. Everyone was also concerned about pulling together as a community to increase enforcement, assist the police, provide better alternatives for youth, enhance the business environment and make all residents feel safer on the streets and in our parks.
Sen. Steans and I chaired the meeting. Participating in the panel were 23rd District Commander Kathy Boehmer, 23rd District Tactical Lieutenant Robert Stasch, Deputy Chief of Patrol Bruce Rottner, Deputy Police Superintendent Bea Cuello and Ald. Schulter’s Chief of Staff Dan Luna. Attending the meeting were 46th Ward Ald. Helen Shiller, Ald. Smith’s Chief of Staff Doug Fraser and 46th Ward Streets and San Superintendent Don Nowotny.
After two hours of compelling testimony including business owners, building managers, moms whose children had been lured into gangs, parents whose children and grandchildren have been exposed to violence, service providers and dozens of others, it was clear that people learned a lot, wanted to learn more and wanted to work together on community-wide solutions to problems. Broad themes of the areas identified to address include:
·Better communication within the community
·Increased participation in CAPS beat meetings to identify crime hotspots
·Increased police presence, including saturation presence following incidents
·More positive activities for area youth
·Focus on eliminating negative activities like public drinking/drugging, gang loitering, etc.
·More cameras on the streets, buildings and in the parks to deter criminal activities
·Police presence on foot, bicycling or using Segways in the area
·Closer working relationships between major neighborhood organizations, elected officials, public and private institutions
·Focus on securing schools, parks and playlots
As a next step, Sen. Steans and I will be convening a meeting of leaders of key stakeholders in the Uptown community including elected officials, community and business organizations, social service providers, youth service agencies, the Chicago Police Department and others.
We will go through the pages of notes and recommendations made at the Town Hall meeting and begin to develop strategies and plans for moving forward.
Following the Uptown leadership meetings, we will convene another Town Hall meeting to present ideas and strategies for discussion by the community, and seek support and participation from the entire neighborhood.
Many, many thanks to the hundreds of people who attended and participated in last night’s meeting. Heather and I look forward to working with the community to continue to make Uptown one of the City’s most desirable and safest neighborhoods.
State Rep. Greg Harris
City encourages residents to use porches safely
With summer well underway, the Department of Buildings is reminding residents to continue to use porches safely during the warm months and to also visually inspect porches, balconies, decks and stairs for any needed repairs.
“Like any part of a building that is exposed to the varied weather conditions experienced in Chicago, porches should be checked on an annual basis for any wear and tear,” said Acting Buildings Commissioner Richard Monocchio. “Any poor conditions should be addressed immediately by property owners. Residents are also encouraged to call 311 to report any concerns about porches.”
If problems are identified, stop using the porch, balcony, deck or stair immediately and report it to the building owner, manager or condominium association. If the problem is not addressed, please call 311 and request a porch inspection.
Building owners are required by law to maintain their property in a safe condition.
Residents should check for split or rotting wood, or evidence of water damage, loose, missing or rusting hardware, such as bolts, loose or missing anchors where the porch attaches to a house or building, missing, damaged or loose support beams and planking, excessive movement of the structure when walked on and wobbly handrails or guardrails.
The Department of Buildings reminds residents to limit the number of people on these structures, as even the most well-maintained porch, balcony or deck can be unsafe under the weight of too many people.
“Residents should check porches for issues before entertaining guests, and hosts should make sure that guests do not gather on the porch and stair structure,” added Monocchio.
As a service to property owners, pre-approved designs for porch structures are readily available through the City of Chicago’s web site from the Department of Buildings. Please visit www.cityofchicago.org/buildings for more information.
Also, when building or repairing a porch, balcony, deck or stair, residents are required to obtain a building permit.
The Department of Buildings expects to complete more than 7,500 porch inspections in 2008. More than 1,600 porch permits have already been issued, and we have received 750 calls regarding porches.
In 2007, Buildings inspected 1,305 new construction and 1,948 existing porches. Buildings responded to 2,433 resident requests for inspection in 2006 and 3,586 in 2005. Inspectors also check approximately 5,000 existing porches each year as part of building inspections.
Most porches should be used only for entering and exiting buildings, not as gathering places.
Downtown hotels revamped
The Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago, 163 E. Walton Place, has completed the first phase of their $27 million restoration, and all guest rooms, one-bedroom suites and “guest corridors have a luxurious new look.”
Also, the former Chicago City Centre Hotel & Sports Club, 300 E. Ohio St., was renamed the Doubletree Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile. The hotel’s $21 million redesign is well underway, and all 500 guest rooms, meeting rooms, a new outdoor pool deck and H2O pool side snack bar were completed. “Rooms feature high speed internet access, a large work desk and ergonomic chairs, 27 inch televisions, Sweet Dreams by Doubletree sleep experience and a well-stocked mini bar.” The full project is expected to be completed by early fall and will include a brand new urban dining destination and lobby bar.
POLICE BEAT
Brutal car-jackers escape in high-speed chase
A travel consultant, 41, and a Des Plaines restaurant worker, 37, were driving on the 3100 block of N. Cambridge July 21 at 9:15 p.m. when the couple were approached by two men on foot who asked for directions. According to a police report, while discussing the directions, the men “proceeded to strike the driver on the face several times with closed fist and asking him/ demanding the keys to the vehicle he had just exited.”
The woman passenger, however, refused to hand over the keys and they asked her if they could use her cell phone and she said no.
They then said “Give me your purse b--tch” and dragged her out of the car and struck her on the face and body. One of the attackers also bit the woman on the face above the right eye “causing several lacerations.”
Both victims were also hit on the head with glass bottles. They were treated at Ill. Masonic Hospital and the tan 1993 Mercury Sable was added to the police hot desk. Three witnesses observed the brutal attack.
The vehicle was then spotted traveling eastbound on Fullerton at Cannon Drive. Squad car sirens sounded and the offenders “fled southbound through the closed Lincoln Park Zoo parking lot.” Officers gave chase and the pursuit continued across North Avenue and continued south on State Street but the high speed chase was cancelled at 1300 N. State when the area became too congested and officers could not continue safely. Police believe the offenders then crashed at 1141 N. State and fled once again in a hit and run.
18/23
Robber answers stolen cell phone
A consultant, 23, was walking North on the 3100 block of Inner Lake Shore Drive when a man walked past her, looked around, then walked back fifty feet to her and said “give me your purse.” She refused and the man pushed her to the ground and punched her in the left eye. He then grabbed the purse and ran. Two witnesses observed this. One chased the robber but couldn’t catch him and the other called police. Once police arrived, the victim’s cell phone was called and the robber answered the phone. The robber refused to return the phone and claimed he was in a southbound vehicle on Lake Shore Drive. The woman did not require medical attention and had swollen eye.
Man throws bottle at police car
A 49-year-old from the 700 block of N. Springfield Avenue was arrested Aug. 6 at 3:40 a.m for throwing a glass bottle at a moving police car on the 3500 block of N. Halsted. The squad almost crashed as a result. The man was arrested and issued a court date.
Woman carjacked, vehicle recovered
A manager, 23, was sitting in her car Aug. 4 on the 800 block of W. Addison when a man walked up to the car, opened the door, pulled the woman out of the vehicle, got inside and drove away in the red two-door mini-cooper. Two men observed the carjacking which occurred about 3 a.m. The woman told police “I am not injured from this incident.” The vehicle was then recovered one-hour later on the 700 block of W. Brompton.
Mover gets into fight
A mover, 21, got into a “very heated argument” with a 20-year-old July 31 on the 900 block of Cornelia. The 20-year-old threatened to attack the man and seemed on the verge of trying to run him over with a truck as he “revved the engine” threateningly. Police were called and the 20-year-old fled.
Woman robbed
A saleswoman, 33, was walking on the 3100 block of N. Sheridan Aug. 1 at 12:15 a.m. when a man approached her from around the corner, pulled out a kitchen knife from his waistband and said “Give me your purse.” She handed over the purse and he ran around the corner and jumped into a waiting Jeep Cherokee which drove off.
Girlfriend attacks with stick, smashes up apartment
A Schaumburg woman, 39, became infuriated at her boyfriend, a 44-year-old truck driver, July 26 at 11 p.m. so she grabbed a stick and started swinging it at his head in his apartment on the 400 block of W. Wellington. She then went on a rampage grabbing his possessions and smashing them to pieces. Items broken include Cubs memorabilia and a kitchen light.
Men maced in face
A government processor, 23, was asked for a cigarette at 5:20 a.m. on the 3400 block of N. Halsted. He said he did not have one. The asker became enraged and sprayed the man in the face with mace. The mace also hit the face of a store manager, 32, who was standing next to him.
Chef robbed
A 27-year-old chef was mugged July 15 on the 3000 block of N. Sheffield at 3:30 a.m. As he was walking, two men approached him, displayed a blue steel .38 revolver and said “Give me your sh-t.” The robbers got his Ipod, blackberry, $200 cash and then ran North on Sheffield, North on Clark, East on Addison and then entered the Red Line train station.
German’s rental car burglarized
The rental car of two German’s, 23, and 21, was parked on the 3100 block of Lake Shore Drive the night of Aug. 5. When they went to the vehicle the next morning, the German students discovered someone had smashed the car window and taken their belongings.
Robber gets nothing from dog walker
A 24-year-old computer worker was walking his dog July 12 on the 700 block of W. Briar Place when a robber approached and reached into his shirt pocket and said “give me what you got” and the man kept walking. The robber then reached into his pants pocket and the man said “I’m only walking my dog, I haven’t got anything.”
The robber responded by saying “keep your voice down” and then said “keep walking or else I’ll knock the --- out of you.”
Man threatens to shoot police
A 20-year-old was arrested July 20. A squad car was driving on the 800 block of W. Buckingham Place July 20 at 2:40 a.m. and observed the man hiding from view in a doorway. The police shone a spotlight and he tried to hide from view further in the doorway. The officer knew the man from prior contact and knew he did not live there so he told him to leave. He refused and said “Man f-- you, I’m gonna shoot your punk asses.”
19/20
Bomb threat at library, high school
The Budlong Woods Library, 5630 N. Lincoln Avenue was threatened Aug. 4. A library employee, 48, took three phone calls from a man with a Middle Eastern accent. The first call occurred at 11:20 a.m. and the man said “I’m from the Al Quada party and I understand you’re having a party today. I just wanted to let you know I’m going to blow your s-t to hell.” Then, two minutes later, the man called again and the woman told him to stop calling. The man said he was a member of Al Quada. He then called a third time and she transferred the call to another library worker, 43. The caller said “I’m Kahisha Zrkowi. There’s a bomb in the boy’s bathroom. I want to know what’s going on with your building. Is it blown up yet?” The caller then hung up. Both witnesses said the caller was an adult with a Middle Eastern accent. The building was searched with negative results, according to a police report.
In addition, Senn High School, 5400 N. Greenwood, also received a threat Aug. 4 around 11:20 a.m. The school secretary answered a call at 11:23 a.m and the caller said “I am going to blow up the school..We don’t want you in the neighborhood.” The secretary left her desk and alerted the principal and vice principal. A second threat was then left on the school voicemail. This threat said “I’m Kahlid, you have a bomb in your school. I’m not lying about this. You have a bomb and everybody in the world will be free.” The grounds were then evacuated. A search yielded negative results.
Robbery on Red Line, Pants Pocket Cut
A student, 21, was on the Red Line Aug. 3 at 3:30 a.m. when a man walked up to him and said “give me your wallet.” He said no and the man pulled out a knife/ switch blade and said “Stand up, give me your f--n wallet.” The attacker then cut the victims back pants pocket with the knife and took the wallet.
Teen: where’s the juice?
Two teens stole booze Aug. 9 at a liquor store on the 2700 block of W. Lawrence. They entered the store and one asked “Where’s the juice?” As a cashier showed the location of the juice, the other opened a cooler, grabbed three bottles of vodka and ran. As he departed, a clerk, 45, tried to stop him. But he pushed her to ground causing a “visible abrasion to her left arm and finders” a police report says. The robbers were about 15 or 16 years-old.
Guitar taken from vehicle
A Fender guitar worth an estimated $600 was stolen from Jeep Aug. 10 on the 5200 block of N. Broadway. The window was shattered.
Table taken from yard
An ornamental table worth about $500 was snatched from the backyard of a residence on the 1000 block of W. Catalpa Aug. 10. The wooden table has iron legs.
Gun flashed, threat issued
A 230-pound man of the 2000 block of W. Wesley Terrace was arrested on the 4800 block of N. Lake Shore Drive Aug. 10 at 10 p.m. for flashing a gun at his x-wife and a child and threatening to kill.
The man, 32, allegedly flashed a gun at his 46-year-old x-wife and an 11-year-old girl, his granddaughter, and said “You b--tch, I kill you” and then ran.
The victim flagged down an officer at Lawrence and Lake Shore. The man was found and police discovered he had a black starter pistol in a holster. He had allegedly said in the past “I have lots of guns and will kill you” to his x-wife.
Hit in head at bar
A 22-year-old from the 6300 block of N. Sheridan was hit in the head with a glass at a bar on the 5700 block of N. Western Avenue Aug. 10 at 7:15 p.m. The man was at the tavern with his fiancé when he got into an argument with a Des Plaines man in his 30s. That man then smashed the 22-year-old in the head with a drinking glass. The victim passed out and the owner of the Memories Inn Tavern took him to Swedish Covenant Hospital where he was in serious condition and had 45 stitches to his face.
The argument apparently began when the attacker took a digital camera and walked away. The victim asked for it back, the man walked away, someone yelled “look out” and the head-smash occurred. The next thing the victim knew, he woke up in the emergency room.
Car at Foster Ave. Beach broken into
A 2004 Chevy four-door parked at the Foster Avenue Beach on the 5100 block of Simonds Drive was burglarized Aug. 10 and an Ipod, wallet with $45 cash and a back-pack with clothing inside were taken.
Witness watches burglary
A 37-year-old man waved down an officer Aug. 11 on the 5600 block of N. Winthrop at 11:50 p.m. and reported he saw a man shatter a car window, grab something and run away. It was later learned a GPS worth about $400 was taken.
Sex assault
A woman was sexually assaulted Aug. 10 at 3:15 a.m. on the 2400 block of W. Bryn Mawr. The woman, 42, was walking home from work at a bar when a man in his mid-30s grabbed her and pushed her up against a wall. She yelled for help and struggled with the man. Someone heard the screams and called 911. The man then reached his hand up her skirt and assaulted her with his finger and then ran away through an alley. The woman went to her boyfriend’s home and called police. The attacker was in his mid 30s and weighed about 185 pounds and was about 5 foot 8 inches tall.
French-speaker takes $45 from sleeping lawyer
A lawyer, 39, told police Aug. 3 that he went to Charley’s Bar on the 5200 block of N. Sheridan Aug. 3 where he met a man in his 30s who spoke both French and English. He went home with the man and when he woke up the man was gone and $45 was missing from his wallet.
Patient at nursing home attacks
A psych patient, 42, at Balmoral Nursing home, 2055 W. Balmoral, attacked several patients and staff Aug. 5 at 1:30 p.m. stabbing one man in the neck with a pen and punching another. The attacker and the stabbed man were treated at Swedish Covenant Hospital while the punched man did not require additional treatment.bike from the rear seat.
Cabbie beaten at elevator
A cab driver, 34, was getting out of an elevator July 11 on the 5800 block of N. Sheridan when three men attacked him at 1:35 a.m. punching him about the face. They took his wallet and fled.
Property ordinance passed
Stricter requirements for owners of vacant properties
The Chicago City Council July 30 approved an ordinance that strengthens the maintenance requirements of vacant properties and increases the responsibilities of owners.
“This ordinance will help improve the quality of life in neighborhoods by holding vacant property owners responsible for their properties,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “Vacant properties pose public safety problems and can be havens for crime. Neighborhoods should not suffer the blight of these buildings because of irresponsible property owners.”
The new ordinance only allows the use of plywood to cover doors and windows for the first six months that a property is vacant. Vacant properties with all windows and doors in place do not need the extra protection of plywood.
Properties that have been broken into or damaged during the first six months that are vacant will be required to be secured with steel panels, or have all windows and doors installed and a working theft-prevention system with an active account with a third-party security company.
Also, all property vacant for at least six months will be required to have lighting at entrances and exits from dusk until dawn.
To enforce the ordinance, Buildings inspectors will also be allowed to complete an interior and exterior inspection of vacant properties every six months.
“If homes are abandoned and left unsecured, the building is at risk of damage from the elements or by vandals, thereby leading to deteriorating conditions,” said Richard Monocchio, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Buildings. “This ordinance will require owners to maintain homes so that viable housing stock is not allowed to deteriorate and the value of adjacent properties is not adversely impacted.”
City officials believe that a consequence of the heightened standards is that owners of such buildings will work to improve them and have them occupied.
Under the amended ordinance, fees to register with the Department of Buildings will rise from $100 per year to $250 for the first six months and can escalate by $250 for each six-month period thereafter. Buildings owners can avoid the increased fee by keeping their properties in compliance with the building code.
Officials estimate that the city spends between $5,000 to $14,000 a year to monitor and maintain vacant buildings.
Chicago Cubs submit proposal to lift night game ban
By Stacy Jeziorowski
Special to Inside
Twenty years ago, the Chicago Cubs played their first game under the lights at Wrigley Field. Now, the team is facing a new battle as they request Chicago’s City Council to lift ordinance prohibiting night games on weekends.
The original 1988 agreement with the City Council allowed for 18 night games. In 2004, the Cubs and Alderman Tom Tunney (44th) worked together to arrive at an agreement, increasing the number of games to 30. Both agreements forbid night games of Friday and Saturday evenings.
Citing player fatigue from road trips, the Cubs are looking for the flexibility to play a night game on Fridays and Saturdays following late night flights. But will combating player fatigue tax an already bustling Wrigleyville?
Alderman Tom Tunney was unavailable for comment, but told another newspaper, “The burden of bringing 40,000 people into the neighborhood is a burden on the community.”
How much of a burden is what the Lake View Citizens’ Council is trying to find out.
The organization is conducting a survey of local residents and business owners to gather input on the proposal. Questions include area satisfaction in terms of congestion and security. Results from the survey will be available on the Lake View Citizens’ Council website (www.lakeviewcitizens.org) later this month. To participate in this survey, sign up for the organization’s newsletter at their website.
The Lake View Citizens’ Council is reporting that there is a possibility that the City Council will allow the Cubs to test night games on Friday and Saturday evenings during the 2009 season to gauge the potential impacts. There is no proposal for these test games at this time. In the past, the organization has been working to move Friday games to an earlier start time.
This is not the first time the Chicago Cubs have faced night game opposition. The team first expressed interest in night games in 1941, but the materials were not available because of World War II. When the Tribune Company bought the team and Wrigley Field in 1981, they had every intention of installing the lights.
It was the late Mayor Harold Washington who helped lift the ordinance forbidding the lights. Despite groups including the Citizens for Baseball in the Sunshine, the first night game was held on August 8, 1988. They believed the neighborhood couldn’t handle the congestion.
Twenty years later is the organization is fighting the same battler, with new foes. With Clark and Addison at full capacity, the team is up for another long, hard battle. Player fatigue may not be enough to warrant a lift on the city council ordinance. It isn’t enough for Alderman Tunney to support either.
“It might benefit the Cubs, but I don’t think it would benefit the community,” Alderman Tunney told the Chicago Sun Times, “We’re at capacity on Friday and Saturday evenings.” Without the support of a big player, the Chicago Cubs are going to take another loss. This time it will be the neighborhood who hits the winning home run.
NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES
Lake View Lincoln Square Ravenswood Uptown
Wilson Yard meeting
A meeting will be held to discuss the $150 million Wilson Yard development at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Buena Pointe, 4350 N. Broadway.
The meeting is intended to raise funds and consider legal action regarding the $150 million mixed-use development at Montrose and Broadway. For more information, visit fixwilsonyard.org on the web.
Theatre auditions
The Stage Center Theatre at Northeastern Illinois University is holding auditions for its upcoming fall season productions of “Charley’s Aunt” by Brendon Thomas and “Electra” by Sophocles. There are also Black Box productions that will be under consideration from this audition including the new Hispanic play “Sangre de Atole” by Michael Villarreal and two one-act plays by Anton Chekhov.
Prepare a one-minute monologue and call (773) 442-5975 to reserve audition time. Bring a head shot and resume to the audition at Stage Center Theatre, Building F, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. on Tuesday, August 26 and Wednesday, August 27 from 1:30 - 3 p.m. and 6 - 9 p.m.
For more information and to reserve audition times, call Anna Antaramian at (773) 442-5975.
Summerfest
North Side Summerfest will be held Aug. 15-17 at 4050 N. Lincoln Ave. $5 admission. The third annual fest features music, food and arts and crafts. Benefit
for charities.
Bar Nintendo
“Wii Wars” will be held at Harry Caray’s Tavern from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Aug. 26. Play Nintendo on a 10-foot high TV against local celebrities to win prizes.
Pub crawl
Teams compete for prizes in beer pong, darts, baggo, quarters in a five-bar pub crawl starting at Rebel Bar & grill at 3642 N. Clark St. Aug. 16. From Noon to 6 p.m. $50 per team.
Gold Coast Lincoln Park Loop Near North
Monthly mixer
The River North Association monthly mixer will be held at La Madia Restaurant, 59 W Grand Ave., Wednesday, August 20 from 5:30 to 7 pm. $15 for Non-Members. Send RSVP to rsvp@rivernorthassociation.com by August 15. Include Name and Company.
Stand up comedy
with a variety of special events this August including political satirist Will Durst (August 23 & 24), the fourth competition in the year-long search for the Zaniest Person in Chicago (August 25), and a performance by Zanies’ original Emo Phillips (August 30). All events will be held at Zanies’ 1548 North Wells Street location.
In anticipation of one of the most significant presidential elections of all time, Zanies Chicago presents a politically charged night by famed comedian Will Durst. A Midwestern baby boomer, Durst is known for being an equal opportunity offender when it comes to his political humor. Aside from performing hundreds of comedy shows every year, he is a regular commentator for audible.com, Air America, CNN, and NPR. He also writes a syndicated op-ed column and daily jokes for his website. A five-time Emmy nominee and a seven-time nominee for the American Comedy Awards Stand Up of the Year, Durst will grace Chicago audiences with his stand up routine, courtesy of the 1st Amendment, on Saturday, August 23 at 7, 9, and 11:15pm and Sunday, August 24 at 8:30pm. Tickets are $25.
Zanies then continues its search for the “Zaniest Person in Chicago,” inviting financial professionals and students to compete in a live stand-up competition to find the Zaniest Accountant. Hosted by Chicago-native and Zanies regular, Patti Vasquez, up to ten entrants will perform a three to five minute stand-up routine before a live audience on Monday, August 25 at 8pm. Tickets are only $5.
Two finalists will be chosen to advance to the Grand Finale on Sunday, November 30, 2008 (the actual date of Zanies’ 30th Anniversary), where the “Zaniest Person in Chicago” will be crowned. The “Zaniest Person in Chicago” contest features head-to-head competition in a total of five categories - Zaniest Attorney (held February 25 – winners were Brian Stephenson of Cummins and Associates, LTD and Erika Edwards from Empire Today LLC); Zaniest Medical Professional (held Monday, April 28 – winner was Dr. Bill Miller); Zaniest Educator (held Monday, June 23 — winners were Paul Digiulio and Dobie Maxwell); Zaniest Accountant (Monday, August 25); and an Open Call (Monday, October 27).
Rounding out the month at Zanies Chicago will be Emo Philips, who was a part of Zanies very first show in November of 1978. Since performing at Zanies 30 years ago, Emo has been featured on HBO, Leno, Letterman, and more. His big break came on Late Night with David Letterman in 1984, which was followed by an award-winning comedy album (E=MO Squared), a half-hour Cinemax Comedy Experiment, an hour HBO special with a second comedy album (Emo Phillips Live at the Hasty Pudding Theatre), and several more Letterman appearances. Additionally, he has performed across America, England, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and France. Emo brings his international stand-up routine back to Zanies Chicago on August 28 & 29 with a special 30th Anniversary performance on Saturday, August 30 at 7, 9, & 11:15pm. Tickets are $25.
Film series
1968 was a year of worldwide unrest, with antiwar fervor, student movements and backlashes happening all at once. The meaning of these events as well as their origins and consequences have long been subjects for discussion, and this program, 40 Years After: Filming the ‘68 Revolution, will illustrate through free-form experimentation, documentaries and newsreels the profound impact of those tumultuous times, which continue to resonate today.
Beginning on Friday, August 22, the Facets Cinémathèque will host a week-long series of films from and about that turbulent time in history. And on Saturday, August 23, they will present a seminar, Filming the Revolution, with a panel of filmmakers and participants who experienced the mayhem surrounding the 1968 Democratic Convention here in Chicago at Facets Cinémathèque, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave.
Panel
An artist panel discussion will be held Thursday, August 21 at 6 pm.
Jeff Zimmerman, Lynn Basa, and Joe Miller host a discussion about what is gained and lost in corporate and artist collaborations. The event is free and open to the public.
Panelist Lynn Basa uses fiber, mosaic, terrezzo, stone, steel, glass, and light in both her studio work and large-scale projects for transportation, healthcare, and hospitality clients. She draws inspiration from each site, the people who inhabit it, and tying her work to the meaning of their work. She is represented by Flatefile Galleries, authored the book “The Artist’s Guide to Public Art”, and just completed a 6300 sq. ft. project for the new Indianapolis Airport.
Panelist Jeff Zimmerman works with communities to conceptualize the large-scale murals that he has completed throughout Chicago and other sites both nationally and internationally. Using a photo-realist approach to portraiture, he balances the demands of public art, corporate commissions, and a thriving studio practice. He is represented by LindaWarren Gallery, and his work can be seen all around the city, on the sides of buildings and inside various businesses.
Panelist Joe Miller works outside the established dictates of corporate sponsorships. A former visual merchandiser for Akira Chicago, he has chosen a decidedly anti-commercial stance for his interactive, participatory painting projects. His current work appropriates and manipulates the signs of graffiti artists through public intervention and redirection. He recently received his MFA from the University of Chicago and can be seen on self-created Free Walls throughout the city and at the Empty Bottle.
Co-presented by Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Chicago Artists CoalitionEvent at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington St.
Catholic Charities Gala of the Arts Fundraiser
A musical revue of Broadway show tunes and an Art Invitational will highlight the 7th Annual Gala of the Arts of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago set to open Friday, September 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of Navy Pier.
“We’re grateful to the benefactors and artists who join us in this premier event to help Catholic Charities’ Emergency Assistance programs provide more than 160,000 individuals and families in Cook and Lake counties with shelter, food and clothing,” said Rev. Michael M. Boland, Administrator, President, and CEO of Catholic Charities. The Emergency Services are operated through eight main service centers in the region.
“Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago is pleased to present the 2008 Mandatum Award to the DeSantis Family Foundation for their family tradition of exemplifying Christ’s mandate to serve the poor at this year’s Gala of the Arts,” added Father Boland.
The Mandatum Award will be accepted by Kyle DeSantis on behalf of his grandfather, the late Tony DeSantis, founder of the Drury Lane Theaters. DeSantis was active with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago for many years up until his death in 2007.
The award is inspired by the Latin mandatum, the first word in Jesus’ statement on Holy Thursday in the Gospel of John (13:34): “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you,” by which he explained to the Apostles the significance of his selfless act of washing their feet. The DeSantis Family Foundation will receive a bas relief plaque created by Wild Goose Studios, Kinsale, Ireland of Jesus washing the Apostles feet at the Last Supper.
Eleven Chicago-area artists who work in oils, paintings, drawings, portraits, landscapes and photography will be featured in the Art Invitational segment of the Gala evening.
Works from a special photography exhibit, “After Supper:Visions of My Life,” for sale by clients of the private, not-for-profit social service agency’s Tuesday Night Supper program, will also be featured.
Event chaircouple for the Gala of the Arts is Susanne and Mark Tunney of Oak Park.
“We’re thrilled to continue our involvement in Catholic Charities’ Gala of the Arts,” said Susanne Tunney. “Our energetic and creative committee has assembled some of the finest artists in the Midwest who will exhibit and sell their works at this event,” she said.
The Art Invitational will feature the works of: Carol Nies Bilder, who works in oils, acrylics and transparent watercolor; Jacqui Blatchford, landscape artist; William Chambers, portrait artist; Sergei V. Chernikov, portrait and still life artist; Tom DeMint, who paints Door County landscape and Chicago scenes; Gordon France, watercolorist; Peggy MacNamara, museum artifacts watercolorist; Mark McMahon, well known ceramic tile artist of public art; Theresa Theiler Morton, landscape, portrait and still life artist; Mary Jo O’Gara, who paints in oil and acrylic, and John Reilly, portrait photographer.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each piece will benefit the agency’s Emergency Services programs.
Beach barber
Come by North Avenue Beach and visit the WAHL Let It Grow Charity Tour’s 38-foot long mobile barber shop that serves as a mobile facial hair trimming station with barber stations and expert trimming stylists onsite to offer free trims, trimming tips and style trends Aug. 15, 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Bring your razors, scissors, or out-of-date trimmers - and for each item that WAHL collects, the company will donate $10 to YMCA, a non-profit organization that supports strong kids, strong families and strong communities. The WAHL Let It Grow Charity Tour is making the pit stop in Chicago to sort through the thousands of Chicago area men sporting Fu Manchus, goatee greatness, unbelievable beards and mustache mania in search of the WAHL Men of the Year best beard, mustache, and goatee national competition.
Adoption meeting
Chicago Lifelink Adoption Orientation Meeting will be held Thursday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 2335 N. Orchard St.
Lifelink is an agency for international adoptions with programs in 11 countries. Our adoption experts will provide information from application to finalization, including policies, guidelines and restrictions on adoptions from specific countries. Lifelink’s International Adoption program is fully accredited by the State Department and the Council on Accreditation. For more information, e-mail us at alladopt@lifelink.org or contact Pat Radley at 630-521-8031.
Millennium Park sculpture extended
Mark di Suvero/Millennium Park is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Millennium Park, in cooperation with Millennium Park, Inc., and is sponsored by the Boeing Company with support from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. The sculpture is available for all to enjoy free of charge. It has been extended through October 12.
Emanuel bill simplifies student loan paperwork
Rep. Rahm Emanuel announced July 30 that his legislation to simplify the form that students and parents must fill out to receive college financial aid is on the brink of becoming law. Emanuel fist began working on this issue in 2001 after meeting with Chicago firefighter Pat Kehoe, who told Emanuel about the difficulty he faced when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid when his daughter was preparing to attend college. Emanuel’s legislation to simplify the paperwork is included in the final version of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which was expected to pass the House of Representatives July 31 and be signed into law by President Bush.
“I’ll never forget meeting Rahm for the first time back in 2001 – he dropped into the firehouse while he was walking the neighborhoods. I told him about what a hassle it was just to see if my daughter was eligible for financial aid for college –page after page that might make sense to a CPA but to no one else,” said Kehoe. “Rahm told me that he’d fight to make it easier for parents to send their kids to school, and he did it. I’m so happy that more kids will be able to go to college, and less parents will have to go through the struggle that my wife and I did.”
In its current state, the form – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is excessively complicated and can prevent many students from applying for and receiving the financial aid they need to attend college. The current form contains over one hundred questions and can take an average family several days and sometimes several tries to fill out the questionnaire. In contrast, the Export-Import bank requires loan applicants to answer thirteen questions when applying for a loan.
“It shouldn’t be easier to get a loan from the Export-Import bank than to get financial aid to attend college,” said Emanuel. “In America today, you earn what you learn and making college more affordable and accessible is one of my top priorities.”
Emanuel was one of the architects of the Financial Aid Simplification Act of 2003, which led to the Advisory Committee for Student Financial Assistance study whose recommendations shaped Emanuel’s College Aid Made EZ Act, which was first introduced in 2005. The College Aid Made EZ Act of 2007 has now been included in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.
The legislation enables the U.S. Education Secretary to reduce the number of questions on the form over the next five years.
It also simplifies the re-application process so that an applicant can update information in subsequent years, rather than re-filing a new form.
It enables the U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service to work together to use information the government already has from applicants’ federal tax forms, such as income and asset information.
It also provides families with early estimates of college aid packages and allows students and families to enter information and receive estimates of their Expected Family Contribution as well as their estimated federal student aid packages in the years before they fill out the form. The bill also creates a two-age “FAFSA-EZ” form for low-income students and families who qualify for the “auto-zero” family contribution.
New hospital center opens
Children’s Memorial Hospital will celebrate the opening of a Jeffrey Modell Foundation Diagnostic Center for Primary Immunodeficiences, one of only 39 of its kind in the world and only 22 in North America, in ceremonies to be held at Wolfson Lecture Hall in the Children’s Memorial Research Center on July 31. The diagnostic center aims to focus on the diagnosis, care, and treatment of children suffering with primary immunodeficiency disorders (PID). Primary immunodeficiency is a term that encompasses more than 120 inherited diseases caused by an immune system that does not function properly.
The goal of the new center is to raise awareness of PID and ensure that children in the Chicago region and beyond have access to the highest levels of treatment. The center will be led by Ramsay Fuleihan, MD, a renowned expert in the field of primary immunodeficiency research and care. Fuleihan is an attending physician, Allergy and Immunology; and director, Primary Immunodeficiency Clinical Services at Children’s Memorial Hospital.
“We are truly grateful for the generous gift that will allow us to continue researching the genetic causes of primary deficiency diseases and promoting the early diagnosis and treatment,” said Ramsay Fuleihan, MD. “The educational and diagnostic programs made possible through this support will be vital to furthering Children’s Memorial Hospital’s reputation as a center of excellence for diagnosis and treatment of patients with PID.” Jacqueline Pongracic, MD, head of the Allergy and Immunology division at Children’s Memorial also shared that there is great excitement within the hospital to work with the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, “because the collaboration will strengthen our ability to diagnose and treat more children with PID.”
PID can often present in the form of recurring common illnesses such as sinus infections, pneumonia, ear infections and bronchitis. For this reason, families and doctors are often unaware that the troubling conditions that they are dealing with are actually rooted in a defect in the immune system and treat the symptoms rather than addressing the underlying cause. Failure to diagnose and treat PID can lead to serious chronic illness, permanent organ damage or even death.
In attendance at the ceremonies will be the center’s benefactors, Vicki and Fred Modell, co-founders of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation,
Council approves camera initiative
The Chicago City Council approved an ordinance that would allow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) to enter into agreements with the private sector to obtain its camera feeds.
“In 2004, Chicago began building a fiber network that would give us the ability to expand our system over the years without putting an extra cost on taxpayers, “ said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “Today, we are moving into this next phase of evolution with the private sector camera initiative.”
The Private Sector Camera Initiative will link Chicago-based organizations, companies and non-for-profit cameras systems into the Office of Emergency Management’s state-of-the-art unified video surveillance network known as Operation Virtual Shield (OVS).
Under the OVS network, Chicago has integrated more than 600 miles of fiber and wireless systems from City departments and sister agencies back into OEMC’s Operations Center (OC).
Current city partners include the Police, Fire, Aviation and Transportation Departments. City Agencies include the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Park District, Millennium Park and Solider Field.
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