Strange

 I got this message from Blogger which is owned by Google last night.

A decade old post from this blog had gotten flagged. Here's how I have tried to operate, I usually like to find news stories to share. It's not often that I tried to do the footwork to be a journalist, I used to pretend and failed. :P

Anyway, someone or something flagged a legit news story from a local TV station deemed as sensitive content. The video itself probably is no longer available online. According to computer there's just a puzzle piece in the middle where the video was - in fact I presume the video was rendered in a flash player. Who uses flash these days anyway?

Anyway I found this odd and intend to appeal meanwhile you will see this message asking if you want to proceed to the page in question or not proceed. Almost as if you're being redirected to somewhere else.

Was this an AI or is this related to the mayoral race?

Our Instagram nametag

We have a small badge that at one point in time was provided by ig only for it to no longer be available. We also have the ability to photoshop some of ig's brand resources and with them you could use those to promote - within reasonable guidelines of course - to promote your ig page(s).

Then ig finally unveiled their nametag where with your camera - through the ig app of course - you can scan the code and then you will be sent to that ig page. This is what we present to you below and expect the name tag to be seen in the sidebar in the near future.

BTW, some facts about our ig. Our account was first active according to ig on July 26, 2014 so we just celebrated our 4th anniversary officially on July 26, 2018. Most of our posts are regrams or even flyers about local events however occasionally you might see some original photographs. As I write this our page has over 800 followers and with our nametag it's easier to get more.

Feel free to let us know what you would like to see on our page. Also if you have any events you would like to share and have an ig ready deliverable to share tag us or email us at blog @ thesixthward.us. We would be happy to hear your suggestions or even about any event you would like for us to share.

Applying for a CPS school

There is a streamlined process for parents & students to apply for Chicago Public Schools and programs. Whether for elementary or high school students or non-selective enrollment programs or selective enrollment programs.

• Visit go.cps.edu
• Also watch the video below regarding usage of this site [VIDEO] 

Blogmaster updates

Yesterday I finally was able to correct issues with our domain which at one point was through BlueHost and they are better for doing more than as a registrar for domains. BlueHost is more for websites and web storage than it might be for any domains.

Besides The Sixth Ward blog is a website or a blog that seeks a registrar for a domain. So as a result of the episode of the past few days where the blog was redirected to its original url http://thesixthward.blogspot.com it was necessary to change registrars to that of GoDaddy. It seems fairly common for websites to utilize that service.

As a result of this change, guess what? Now the comments widget is back. How long has it been since we saw the latest comments in the sidebar to the right on this blog?

 This blog has always been about dialogue - especially since we respect and observe the 1st amendment. Regardless always bear in mind we do have a moderation policy. We DO NOT discourage anoymous comments although we will ask you to give yourself a handle or name so that we can easily identify you if we choose to reply. Of course always be respectful and refrain from using any profanity!

Again apologies for any inconvenience these changes may have caused. And now you can always visit this blog at www.sixthward.us.

Had a brief interuption with sixthward.us domain

With the domain at http://www.sixthward.us. Well the domain is back up and running. As always of course you can always access this blog via http://www.thesixthward.us or http://thesixthward.blogspot.com. Those addresses will redirect you to sixthward.us.

Sorry about any inconvenience the domain disruption may have been as I - the "blogmaster" at The Sixth Ward blog - attempted to settle this issue.

At 95th an unused disconnected phone #gogreyhound

On Tuesday I noticed the remnants of a phone which about where Greyhound buses used to stop for pick-ups and drop-offs. It's been a few years since I've taken a Greyhound from 95th Street and remember Greyhound personnel perhaps the drivers using the phone. The station where you can buy your tickets was actually in the terminal near the fare controls, however, that changed in the late 90s.

By 1999 at least one of the last few times I took a bus from 95th the actual ticket office was moved to the back where the 29 State bus starts its journey. Sometime after an overhaul which had been in 2002-03 Greyhound began drop-offs and pick-ups at their ticket office in the back of the CTA terminal.

Sometime during the past decade this phone was disassembled and then the line cut. Funny part is that I knew it was there but hadn't thought about it in years until seeing this recently. Whenever CTA finish the new 95th terminal this ancient device will be history.

CapitolFax: It’s more than just body cams

What you see above is an example what we could see on those police officers who choose to wear these body cameras. Rich Miller let's us know that some legislation regarding body cams recently passed by the General Assembly in Springfield. The law requires officers to record any incident with the public although there are some moments where police are allowed to turn them off. Do you think there will be benefits with body cameras on police?

Crain's: Here is how you rebuild Bronzeville

Via The Chicago Neighborhoods

An application (app.)/game to rebuild a neighborhood? Interesting idea:

Here's how to have fun and an impact while you're at it: By playing a game on your smartphone, you could bring retailers and public spaces to a blighted swath of Chicago's South Side.

A new FarmVille-esque app called Build It! Bronzeville allows players to earn points by creating a new and improved Bronzeville (virtually, of course) by building a playground here and a police station there, a sandwich shop on this corner and offices on that one. Players can spend those points on other new amenities. They also can earn points by scanning receipts from real-life shopping in the neighborhood or wherever.

The game could guide the city on economic development and yield data that retailers might buy: How much money Bronzeville residents spend and on what, providing store owners a better idea of the kind of retail that would be viable.

For now, the Build It! Bronzevlille app lives on a developer's phone. Like the community it's designed to serve, the game needs investors so it can move from test product to market.

Read the whole thing - this article is from Crain's you might have to get beyond a paywall. Also check out their official website @ Team Build It!

Do you think an app. such as this could help revitalize other communities such as Englewood, Chatham, and Roseland?

Englewood Tech Hub Aims to Fight Unemployment, Empower South Siders - Englewood - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Via DNA Info

Englewood Tech Hub Aims to Fight Unemployment, Empower South Siders - Englewood - DNAinfo.com Chicago

This story highlights another way to turn Englewood around. To make Englewood friendlier to technology. Perhaps that long struggling neighborhood can be another branch of "Sillicone Valley". So Englewood could be a place of great commercial activity again with retail and perhaps some entertainment and then some technology to boot. And it will also be near Kennedy-King College.

Think about this if the Whole Foods will provide jobs to students at Kennedy-King at least, this tech center could also provide jobs to this tech hub.

And let's not forget Congressman Bobby Rush attempted to bring a tech hub to Englewood and that failed effort was the result of a Sun-Times probe!

A couple of announcements

Sixth Ward Blog on Instagram

In addition to our FB & Twitter presence now we have an Instagram (IG) account. Please follow us at instagram.com/thesixthward. Also if you have any pictures for us to share on IG feel free to send them to our e-mail address or post them to our FB and Twitter pages.


Also since early July the blog's address (URL) is now sixthward.us. Our other URLs thesixthward.us and thesixthward.blogspot.com will redirect to sixthward.us. Now this won't preclude us from making further tweaks to our url address, however that's the main change so far.

DNA Info: Wi-Fi Hot Spots, Laptops to Be Loaned by Libraries Under Pilot Program

What do you guys think of this idea? Is this workable in the longterm?

The Chicago Public Library is planning to lend out wireless hot spots and laptops in one of the first programs of its kind in the country.

"Wi-Fi lending is a pilot program that we are interested in exploring in order to make the Internet available to people without this technology at home," said Brian Bannon, commissioner of the library system.

The system's "Hotspot at Home" initiative has been in planning stages for a while, but received a boost when the library decided to apply for funding through the Knight News Challenge grant competition earlier this month.

The details of the pilot program are still being hashed out, but will likely start out at 12 branches that are in communities where home broadband usage rates are the lowest.

As with checking out books, DVDs or fishing poles, anyone with a library card in good standing would be able to take home the devices.

We've brought back the Sixth Ward Blotter!

EveryBlock.com

If you couldn't tell the writers of The Sixth Ward are very glad that the website EveryBlock have made their grand return after a nearly one-year hiatus. You know what this means, the Sixth Ward Blotter has made it's grand return. Not long after the notification that the site is now live again, the Blotter page was brought back from its own hiatus.

The Blotter has been at times a great hit since if people have city services issues they would leave a comment. That hasn't changed and that's why I also included important phone numbers to call if you have an issue on your block.

What wasn't accounted for, however, in the return of the Blotter is the fact that while currently it was set for the 6th Ward as it was drawn in the past as the boundaries have changed - see the about page for the original boundaries. Sooner or later the widget would have to be tweaked, however, we can only worry about that in the future.

Hopefully while EveryBlock does have a widget function I'm also hoping that in the future the functionality that it had when that tool was first unveiled will be brought back as well. It seems that if any grassroots internet publisher wanted to utilize the widget there are only three choices for the moment - crime reports, upcoming events, and food inspections.

Even if you don't live in the confines of the 6th Ward there is a box in the widget that allows you to select you own location in the city. Just type an address, neighborhood or a zip code and while you'll be sent to the website itself you'll at least will see data in your community.

Tribune: Hyperlocal website EveryBlock to be resurrected

EveryBlock.com

We wrote about them last month and as it turns out its return will come much sooner than at least I had thought. They were coming just had little idea when.

EveryBlock, the hyperlocal website shut down last February amid financial losses, is returning from internet limbo.

Comcast, which had seemingly pulled the plug on the neighborhood news site for good, is relaunching it Thursday in Chicago, hoping to reconnect with its users and revive its fortunes in the challenging hyperlocal space.

For nearly a year, the Chicago-based site has offered a static apology/eulogy to former users and the curious alike: “We’re sorry to report that EveryBlock has closed its doors.” Soon it will be crackling with blurbs about restaurant closings, building break-ins and community events, sating the need to know on a block-by-block basis, ending what executives are now calling a “hiatus.”

“It was extremely popular,” said Comcast spokesman Jack Segal.

“Chicago is a city of neighborhoods and each neighborhood is unique, and people want to know what is happening down the street.”

The site’s resurrection comes six years to the date of EveryBlock’s original launch, a propitious coincidence, according to Comcast executives.

Naperville native Adrian Holovaty founded EveryBlock in 2007 with the help of a $1.1 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation designed to encourage the development of digital news. The website went live in January 2008 in Chicago, San Francisco and New York, eventually expanding to 19 markets.

Interesting ownership history in this article. EveryBlock was a startup and began I believe as the website ChicagoCrime.org. In 2009 the site was acquired by NBC Universal and overseen by their property MSNBC.com and then ultimately NBCNews.com until finally that division shut EveryBlock down last February. Now Comcast - who owns all NBC properties - will now operate the site.

BTW, click the link to their website under the EveryBlock logo now it's to a teaser page. The last time I visited that site when it was initially announced that the site will be revived, there was still the noticed that the site was shut down.

In any event I look forward to bring back the Blotter page to this blog which contained the nifty EveryBlock widget. Hopefully they will consider bringing that tool back and it was much better than having a simple feed in the sidebar. In a post on their official blog where they initially introduced the widget there is a page for widget control which doesn't appear much different than the tease page, but hopefully that means the widget is back!

Hat-tip Curbed Chicago!

So EveryBlock is coming back?

EveryBlock.com coming back?

EveryBlock was shutdown back in February of this year by NBC News for whom they were a subsidiary. Now, NBC News' parent company Comcast is considering bringing it back and Chicago Grid even had the opportunity to see a non-public version of the site. It appears the site might be revived in Chicago first and then ulitmately expanded to other cities around the nation.

In light of it's abrupt closure earlier this year, there have been a number of sites who sought to fill the void EveryBlock left. Many have chosen this site, Nextdoor which is a lot more hyperlocal than EveryBlock was thanks to this idea of wanting more information out of the user when they join the site.

Well when EveryBlock returns I look forward to bring back the old Sixth Ward Blotter even if in the future it might need some tweaks for more coverage areas.

Find them on social media and let them know you're glad they're coming back in the near future.

Twitter

• EveryBlock @everyblock
• EveryBlock Chicago @ebchicago

Sun-Times - Rahm Emanuel’s next Ventra headache: minority contracting

Ventra Machines at 95th/Dan Ryan

Well as if there aren't enough headaches with the botched roll-out of the new CTA Ventra system:

The disastrous rollout of the CTA’s new Ventra fare payment system already has a heavy potential for political fallout for Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Now, the mayor has a new headache: minority contracting.

Only 7.2 percent of the $329 million base contract with Cubic Transportation, the Ventra vendor — minus financing costs — is shared by black contractors.

Chicago firms are getting a 9.6 percent piece of the pie.

Twenty-six percent of that 9.6 percent is going to a white woman who once served as former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s campaign manager for “marketing and outreach.” Carolyn Grisko, who started her own firm after running Daley’s 1995 campaign, said she has been working on the Ventra contract “since Day One”— not just since the rollout went south.

Ms. Grisko's firm has only the second-largest share among the 8 subcontractors with Cubic. Here's the largest piece of the pie:

The biggest piece of the pie — 6.98 percent — went to Saunte Corp., a Chicago firm owned by an African-American woman hired to provide “staffing services to support administrative and technical . . . back-office functions.”

The Cubic team also includes two other black contractors. Chicago-based Inter-City Supply Co. will be paid $600,000 over 12 years — or 0.18 percent — to provide office supplies. Atlanta-based F.M. Shelton Inc. gets $155,000 — or 0.05 percent — to supply electronic components.

Stephen Mayberry, a CTA spokesman, said Cubic is meeting the 12 percent “disadvantaged business enterprise” set-aside established for the massive fare collection contract.

He noted that federal and state law requires the CTA to use a DBE designation that’s far more restrictive than the city’s minority set-aside requirements. It’s confined to companies whose owners have a net worth of $1.32 million or less.

Looking for the response of Black Aldermen look no further:

Still, the 7.2 percent share is not sitting well with black elected officials, whose constituents have born the brunt of the Ventra headaches.

“The majority of the ridership is African American. To see that amount of money go to people other than people of color is troubling, especially in today’s times,” said Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), chairman of the City Council’s Transportation Committee.

“We addressed the Englewood Flyover when those numbers came out. They re-bid it and the numbers did go up,” he said. “A low percentage going to African Americans on this contract . . . is uncalled for . . . I’m not happy. We’re going to do everything we can to address it.”

Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), chairman of the City Council’s Black Caucus, called the 7.2 percent share for black contractors “outrageous” and demanded a “full investigation” to determine how and why African Americans were shortchanged.

“I need to see what the explanation is. Were [services required] so proprietary in nature that there were few African Americans in that space? What was left out other than the work performed by Cubic themselves?” Brookins said.

“One of the things we’ve been charged to do is to make sure African-American companies in this town get a fair shake,” Brookins said. “This is not going to sit well with the African-American business community, our constituents or the Black Caucus.”

Brookins noted that the Ventra disappointment comes at a time when Emanuel’s standing among black voters has already plummeted because of the teachers strike, a record number of school closings and persistent crime.
...
U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., said he’s “surprised” that a CTA that “impressed” him by rewarding black contractors on the Red Line modernization project has fallen so short when it comes to implementing the Ventra system.

“I am absolutely disappointed that African Americans did not get a larger piece of the opportunity and especially that there are no African-American males awarded anything on this contract,” Davis said by phone.

Asked if the minority participation represented a hot potato for the CTA and the mayor, Davis said: “It is and the transit authority should have the opportunity to delve into it and review it. I’m not sure I can ever say enough is enough is enough when you’re not getting very much.’’

Congressman Bobby Rush was mentioned however he was never quoted on the Ventra issues, he was mentioned as far as the Englewood Flyover project and his role in the continuing scandal over the musical chairs with Metra. :/

SUN-TIMES: CTA suspends switchover deadlines for problem-plagued Ventra

A Ventra machine

If you're frustrated with the Ventra system here's some good news:

The CTA is suspending all deadlines for switching over to problem-plagued Ventra — a new fare payment system that has left too many customers “confused and frustrated,’’ CTA President Forrest Claypool told the City Club on Tuesday.

Claypool said he won’t pay the Ventra contractor a dime until it meets three new benchmarks: 99 percent of calls to Ventra must be answered in no more than five minutes; 99 percent of vending machines and readers must work, and 99 percent of payment taps on readers must register in no more than in 2.5 seconds.

“Our promise to our customers is that this system will be fixed,’’ Claypool said one day after the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that two alderman were calling for a City Council hearing on Ventra. One called the Ventra rollout a “debacle.’’

Being a holder of a Ventra card myself, the differences between this system and the good old Chicago Card were obvious. I'm sure they're throwing a lot of people for a loop, but this is supposed to be better than what was already in place. I can only imagine the complaints when CTA started doing the transit card.

Ward Room: Rahm, Comcast to Offer Internet Centers Near Some CPS Schools

While a great idea, why not provide this to more schools around the city not just the welcoming schools (this is referring to those schools who are taking in students from the schools that are closed).

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Comcast announced Monday that they will provide Internet facilities around some city schools for students in low-income families.

The city and Comcast, in partnership with the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, will provide “learning zones,” which will be centered around five Chicago Public Schools “welcoming” schools.

(Comcast is the parent company of NBC)

The centers that will be placed around Mayo Elementary in Bronzeville, Bass Elementary and Nicholson Elementary in Englewood and West Englewood, and Hughes Elementary and Johnson Elementary in North Lawndale.

Students in these schools will have access to computers and mobile devices, which will provide electronic access to textbooks and information.

To explain what's in parenthesis in the quote, Comcast in fact owns our local NBC affiliate NBC 5 and those owns the content of the Ward Room on the NBC Chicago website.

Anyway, here's more information on the Comcast Internet Essentials program assuming that your school doesn't have it yet. This is the third year for this program according to the article linked above.

I just to find some more information and found it from the Tribune:

Comcast partnered with United Way to set up the five local "learning zones," which will feature technology training programs and events, as well as enhanced Internet access in the schools and public Wi-Fi service at neighboring community organizations. The learning zones pilot is part of Comcast’s Internet Essentials, a nationwide program that provides discounted residential broadband Internet access to low-income households. Chicago is the only city in the U.S. testing out the learning zones, which are expected to be announced by Comcast and Mayor Rahm Emanuel at a Monday event.

"It's a pilot that’s being implemented in Chicago," said Bret Perkins, Comcast's vice president of external and government affairs. "We're watching it closely and if it works, we'll look at whether there are other places we can implement it."

Internet Essentials is in its third year and has more than 220,000 families signed up nationwide. More than 14,000 Chicago households are participating, up from 7,000 at this time last year. The 14,000 represent roughly 15 percent of eligible households, said Matt Summy, Comcast’s regional vice president of external and government affairs. Families qualify for Internet Essentials if their children are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches at CPS. The service provides high-speed residential broadband Internet for $9.95 a month, locked in for as long as the child remains in school and eligible. Comcast waives its activation and equipment rental fees and offers the option to purchase a computer for $150.

I look forward to knowing where this learning zones pilot program would be expanded.

Speed cameras coming to Abbott Park near end of September

According to the Chicago Tribune with an explanation of this program:

Just as most Chicagoans were heading into the holiday weekend and tuning out the news, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the full list of 50 locations where the city will put up ticket-issuing speed cameras near parks and schools by the end of the year.

The Emanuel administration previously had announced 12 of the locations where one or more of the cops in a box will be keeping an eye on motorists during school and park hours. A news release issued Friday afternoon includes the other 38 sites. Each camera, like those already up, will trigger warning tickets during the first 30 days. After that, drivers exceeding the speed limit by between 6 and 10 mph will get $35 tickets in the mail. Those exceeding the limit by more than 10 mph will get $100 tickets.

Near parks, the cameras will be active when the parks are open, generally from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. The speed limits near parks is 30 mph.

Near schools, the cameras will be active from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on school days. From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the speed limit in those areas is 20 mph when children are present and 30 mph when they are not. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the limit is 30 mph.

Under state law, the city can install the cameras at up to 300 schools and parks in designated safety zones. A Tribune analysis showed they could cover nearly half the city.

The article contains the full listing of all locations where these cameras are expected to be installed.

Hat-tip Uptown Update.

Crain's: CTA sets complex schedule for Ventra card

I wrote about this over the weekend and now we know more about the rollout for Ventra. If you attend a Chicago-area university and CPS you will recieve a Ventra card first in the form of the CTA U-Pass, however, if you possess a Chicago Card or Chicago Card Plus will be the next group.

If you continue to use those old style transit cards and passes (or magnetic strip cards, such as the 1day, 3day, 7day or 30day passes), they won't be accepted by December although any value left on the cards can be transferred to a Ventra card by March of next year.

Sun-Times: CPS cuts into schools’ cellphone tower cash deals

My old elementary school, Bennett-Shedd, were beneficiaries of such an arrangement. Now I wonder how many other schools have such arrangements and if there are any concerns over this move by CPS:

It was a way for a number of cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools to generate a little extra income on their own: leasing roof space to cellular phone companies looking for a place to erect their towers.

But now CPS is putting the arm on the schools, allowing them to keep only a third of the money they raise.

The change was quietly slipped through, surprising school administrators in an already tumultuous budget year.

The district told them, via their new budgets for the year, that the schools could have just a third of that money and the other two-thirds would be distributed to the rest of CPS schools.

In a $5 billion budget for the district of about 400,000 children, the $4.2 million generated by about 140 cellphone leases at some 95 schools could run a CPS elementary school.

There are other revenue streams for a school to exploit. For example:

Other kinds of leases have not been touched — fields and auditoriums and parking spaces leased to Zipcar — according to the district and several LSCs.

Not yet, anyway, said Tony Porfirio, LSC chair of Blaine Elementary School in Lake View, which abuts a particularly congested segment of Southport Avenue near the Music Box Theater and half a mile west of Wrigley Field.

The Lake View school doesn’t have a cell tower agreement anymore, but it does lease its auditorium and some classrooms to a church on Sundays, and its parking lot is frequently used during Cubs games on nights and weekends. The church deal yields it about $34,000 a year, according to the lease documents; the parking deal is worth another $60,000.

Last year, Porfirio said, that extra money paid for a long list of goods: printer supplies, field trip buses, professional development on using technology, refurbished iPads and part of a learning program used during study hall for enrichment. And this year, Blaine stands to lose about $600,000 overall over last year, threatening the school’s arts programs.

 How else will our neighborhood schools - especially those in low income communities - be able to raise funds for our youth to educate them?