Happy New Year - 2021

Longtime no see everyone. Again I didn't allow myself a usual wrap up of what happened in 2020. This has been without a doubt a wild year and we hope 2021 will prove to be better for many of us.

We suffered the shock of lockdowns due to this pandemic. We also suffered from unrest which went downtown and sadly affected our neighborhoods with looting and destruction of businesses. We're still trying to figure out the 2020 presidential race which resulted in President Barack Obama's Vice President - Joe Biden being elected the 46th President of the United States.

However, the 45th President Donald Trump is still contesting the results and there will be objections filed once Congress counts the electoral votes. Seven states filed dueling electoral votes, it's a long shot without a doubt and perhaps we can expect that as most hail mary passes go it not going to work. I would say rest easy on January 20th when we should know for sure who'll take the Presidential Oath.

As for this coronavirus pandemic thankfully there is a vaccine, so here's hoping things will open up more in 2021. No more restrictions, lockdowns, and hopefully no more masks because I'm tired of them. 

Regardless I hate to bring up that the coronavirus has mutated with cases in England and some states such as California and Colorado are reporting cases of this mutated virus. Regardless what's out there in the news is that the vaccine that has been developed should be effective with this new strain and it's to be expected that the coronavirus that has shut things down around the world will likely mutate.

Also if you're concerned about the vaccine, I urge you all to ask someone in the healthcare field especially a doctor all the questions you can about it. We're in the times where you're hearing a lot of dire things about taking the vaccine. Be as knowledgeable and certain as you can about this vaccine, and this is true for those of you at the most risk for coronavirus.

I also want to add that there is a new spin-off blog - Ninth Ward Chicago. Unlike this blog it might have a shelf life, but one goal with that is to be able to do some of the things that this blog was known for at least earlier on in its life.

Either way I hope you all have a safe and happy new year. Hoping for the best in 2021!

CTA Holiday Train on the Green Line

 

[VIDEO] I'm sorry I missed this video from YouTuber msibnsf Harrison showing the CTA Holiday Train terming this the 2020 version of this tradition running on the CTA Green Line especially on the Englewood/Ashland branch from 59th street west side of the Dan Ryan which was uploaded on November 28. The Holiday Train ran on the Green on Nov. 27, 28 and Dec. 1.

Here's a schedule for when and where you will see the Holiday Train & Holiday Bus on the CTA.

CBS Chicago: Two Chatham restaurants could close due to pandemic

 

[VIDEO] This report features the owners of two Chatham restaurants both located on 75th Street. Mabe's Deli and 5 Loaves - I've yet to visit them and I hear a lot about their chicken - who are struggling thanks to this pandemic. Dine-in is difficult because of mitigation efforts that either prohibited dine-in service or limits the capacity of dine-in service. Indeed the talk before the weather got colder was to allow tents to allow people to dine-in, however, they'd do so outside of the establishment.

Either way this pandemic has been painful for small businesses across the nation for sure.

Ever seen these Kim Foxx is a crook flyers around?

 Over the summer, actually back in July I actually did see a flyer like this on a bus shelter on 95th Street. 

There was not a lot of context to that. Perhaps a random flyer with an unfair charge. Of course on social media it was noted that these were seen throughout the south side. I may have seen a bus shelter with a flyer like this on Cottage Grove over the summer.

And then in December I found a similar flyer at a bus shelter in the Sloop at Roosevelt & State.

CBS Chicago: Large Crowds Show Up In Chicago Loop, Prompting Police Response

 

[VIDEO] I got caught up in this on Saturday night. Thankfully I was away from the action as I saw a line of Chicago Police vehicles along Washington Blvd from State to Wabash and then to Michigan Avenue at least. It appeared the focus was near the Christmas tree in Millenium Park.

The CTA Holiday Train 2020

 JP Paulus used to talk a lot about catching up with the CTA Holiday Train. He hasn't really shared anything about it in the last few years. However, I figure you the audience can use some holiday cheer.

With this pandemic and the challenges to the presidential election still ongoing, I think we could use it.

Of course because we're still in a pandemic we can't board the holiday train or bus as we usually would in normal times. Still I saw the holiday bus on a run one night recently and to see a vehicle decorated with Christmas lights and blaring Christmas much raised my spirits a lot!

Here is the CTA Holiday Bus & Train Schedule for 2020.

• Green Line: November 27-28, December 1
• Brown Line: December 2-5
• Orange Line: December 2-5
• Red Line: December 8, 10 and 12
• Purple Line: December 9, 11 and 12
• Pink Line: December 15, 16 and 19
• Blue Line: December 17-19
• Yellow Line: December 21

And the buses

• December 1-2: #56 Milwaukee
• December 3: #91 Austin/#92 Foster
• December 4: #22 Clark
• December 5: #22 Clark/#97 Skokie
• December 8-9: #66 Chicago
• December 10: #126 Jackson
• December 11-12: #12 Roosevelt
• December 15-16: #62 Archer
• December 17: #49 Western/#X49 Western Express
• December 18: #79 79th
• December 19: #3 King Drive
• December 22: #28 Stony Island
• December 23: #29 State
• December 24: #J14 Jeffery Jump

I made bold the dates where the holiday buses and trains will come through our part of the south side. So if you want the Holiday Train we'll see it on the Red Line on the 8th, 10th, and 12th...

Also great applause to CTA for their charity food delivery

The CTA family continues its decades tradition of supporting Chicago communities. Each year our employees donate their time and money to purchase groceries and assemble food baskets for delivery to community organizations across the city. This year, we'll donate approximately 600 food baskets to local community organizations.

Each food basket contains all the ingredients for a complete meal including a canned ham, potatoes, mixed vegetables, muffin mix, macaroni and cheese, fruit cocktail, green beans, corn and dessert.

Either way I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season this year.

h/t Sloopin 

Red light tickets

 I recall that the media hit former Mayor Rahm Emanuel for getting caught by red light cams and then we see Mayor Lightfoot evidently has the same issue. She had some tickets for this dismissed.

NEWS: Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s police security detail has received at least 13 speed/red light camera tickets, including at times times when she was scheduled for personal/non-city events. The city dismissed most of the tickets.https://t.co/cw43wXGqlJ

— Gregory Pratt (@royalpratt) November 30, 2020

h/t Newsalert