FOX Chicago: `Shop Talk` series hopes to spark solutions in Englewood

Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

[VIDEO] I really wanted to post this before the post that had been in the works featuring the Southtown Theater that once stood near 63rd/Halsted. This story from FOX Chicago had aired Friday night and feature an event hosted by the Resident Association of Greater Englewood. Basically RAGE hosted a forum inside of a barbershop.

Let me thrown this out there, if any of you are familiar with the film Barbershop you may already know what the idea behind this event. At a barbershop people like to talk and why not have a forum where people talking and where politicians sit in such as 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer in this video.

While, I'm sure there will be other events such as this hosted by RAGE going forward. What you see above was discussing Whole Foods Market coming to neighborhood in 2016. That store recently got the go ahead from a city planning commission recently.

Here's hoping other neighborhood organizations are looking into hosting events such as this in their neighborhood barbershops/salons in the future. No matter what neighborhood you reside in there are important issues worth discussing in your area.

VIDEO: Special Call In Show with RAGE - Whole Foods in Englewood

[VIDEO] Not long after the news about Whole Foods Market coming to Englewood, RAGE recently aired the latest edition of their live call in show Englewood Call. It usually airs every Wednesday at 7:30 - you can always watch the program live on the CAN-TV website - and the first edition aired last month. This program talks about Whole Foods and aside from one disrespectful call it recorded callers who definitely had feelings both positive and negative about this development. Run time is about 25 minutes.

Also Whole Foods donated $100,000 to Growing Home's urban farm at 58th/Honore according to DNA Info: 

The executives' donation will go toward building a new greenhouse and hiring eight more interns, according to a statement from the mayor's office.
...
While none of the farm's produce ends up at Whole Foods now, the mayor's office said the Englewood grocery store could be a buyer once it opens in 2016.

"We would, of course, be elated if Whole Foods wanted our produce," Harper said. "We're very appreciative to see how Whole Foods will partner and work with the community."

What are your thoughts on the Chick-fil-A story?

It's been in the news, in the 1st Ward Ald. Joe Moreno wants to block permits for a Chick-fil-A restaurant from opening in his ward. The main reason is because of a statement by their CEO with regards to gay marriage.

YoChicago commented on this story on whether or not Ald. Moreno was wrong to deny this permit because a CEO exercises his 1st Amendment right. Even going to a law blog - The Volokh Conspiracy - for clarification. If Chick-fil-A wants to pursue a lawsuit, case precedent could help their case.

The controversy was featured on last nights edition of Politics Tonight on CLTV. There was poll that at the end of the night was supportive of Chick-fil-A expanding to Chicago's 1st Ward and certainly against Ald. Moreno's effort to block their expansion using "Aldermanic privilege" on permits.

Mary Mitchell even gets into this fight saying that the government shouldn't attack a business because of the views of their owners or management.

For instance, Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno’s threat to stop Chick-fil-A from opening a fast-food restaurant in his ward is not only ridiculous; it’s dangerous.

In a body as corrupt as the Chicago City Council has proven to be, we don’t need to give aldermen another excuse to open a bag of tricks.

You know, this causes me to want Chick-fil-A to open a shop down this way. I wonder what many of you think of any statement made by the CEO of that restaurant chain? Do you agree with his statement? Do you think any Alderman has the right to block a business from opening due to the views or political activities of the ownership or management?