Last night's aldermanic meeting

Let me start off by saying next time I go, I need to have a notebook and a pen to rely the information that was relayed at the meeting. If you've never gone to Ald. Lyle's meetings you may well be missing out on some important information. A lot of it may well affect the ward at large even if for instance a real estate development only impacts one particular neighborhood.

Our ward is large encompassing many neighborhoods. If you go on the north side for instances well the wards may well encompass one neighborhood. For instance Joe Moore's 49th Ward is almost certainly considered synonomous with Roger's Park.

Anyway if not have a notebook to write notes about the information given at the meetings I'm almost tempted to find a way to record it myself. Of course I will do it with permission and I hope that perhaps I can connect those who can't make it to the meetings. If it was done I would hope that turnout for such meetings would not drop off. Someone commented last night that there is always good turnout at these meetings which is certainly a good thing!

It was interesting to see two development ideas for a building near 78 & Cottage Grove. It was a building that had a lot of use once upon a time. Someone speculated that it was owned by Muslims or perhaps The Nation of Islam and then it fell into neglect.

Personally the proposal by the principals at the Leak & Sons Funeral Home (namely father and son with the grandchildren and the wife) proposed tearing it down in favor of a dining room (or banquet hall). Which is a great idea I must say especially if there is to be a repass after a funeral service at the Leak Chapel across the street. However I must be honest when I say that I often recoil at the thought of tearing down a building unless it can otherwise be salvaged and saved. To be sure, I do think in its current condition this building is certainly an eyesore and it needs to be fixed quick!

The other proposal doesn't tear it down but I'll have to fund a way to scan it and provide that information to you. This proposal was put forward by a columnist for the Citizen Newspapers. She writes a real estate column and she wants to make this building environmentally friendly.

Also the representative from the Attorney General office, who alluded to the fact that he hopes that Lisa Madigan is able to continue in her role as our state Attorney General introduced us to a lady who will be involved with mortgage and foreclosure cases. Unfortunately I neither have her name or number, but if you need help the Attorney General is there for you!

Also advertised is the police commander for the 6th Police District who talked about the events of the past weekend. He mentioned successes especially a drug bust in the area. Crime was down 12% from last year so there is certainly some progress on this issue, and I hope there will continue to be.

If you would like to expand on any of the points made at this meeting then let's have at it.

Also I wanted to scan some of the information I got at the meeting. Especially this month's newsletter that hasn't been distributed yet via e-mail. Unfortunately I have to figure out how to make a single PDF file with those pages, I may just wait for the newsletter to come out via e-mail. Other than that expect a flyer for the 6th Ward Jr. Dems fundraiser and the information on the second proposal for the building at 78th & Cottage Grove.

Side note: Spencer Leak, Jr noted last night (oh he was the eldest of the Leak Family who spoke regarding their proposal for the property at 78th & Cottage) that he bought a funeral home and noted the white flight taking place in about 1959. The whites left behind a beautiful area and by all accounts it remains a beautiful area, although 79th and Cottage may in some respects leave a lot to be desired.

Anyway he noted that this funeral home he bought hosted the services of Clarence Darrow. Darrow was a famed attorney who took part in the Scopes Trial in 1925 with another famous attorney, William Jennings Bryan. I saw this film a few months ago on the many channels provided by the holding company of WCIU-TV, and it was based on the Scopes Trial called, Inherit the Wind released in 1960 starring Spencer Tracy who himself starred with Sidney Portier in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

Just a quick neighborhood history lesson although it probably entailed more than neighborhood history.