Changes are abound at CTA for college students and those of you who pay cash for fare especially on the L:
CTA board members Wednesday signed off on two price hikes of more than 30 percent — one affecting college students; the other expected to impact tourists and infrequent L riders.
As of this fall, the board agreed to raise the cost of U-Passes used by full-time college students from 81-cents to $1.07 a day — a 32 percent price increase.
It also approved a $3 fare for L passengers who choose to buy one-way tickets with cash once the plastic-card-dominant Ventra payment system starts this summer. That’s 33 percent more than the $2.25 fare the same one-ride passenger would pay now — or in the future if using a plastic Ventra card with a special chip.
The U-Pass price change could affect up to 130,000 full-time students at 52 colleges who now can use the deeply-discounted transit cards for unlimited daily rides. Usually, CTA officials said, universities embed the cost of U-Passes in student fees but do not have to do so.
The price change translates into a $15 increase per U-Pass per semester, and is intended to offset “higher operational expenses,’’ but still reflects a great value, CTA officials said. U-Pass rates have not increased in three years, they noted.
...
Starting this fall, new U-Passes will be in the form of new plastic Ventra payment cards which will also feature student photos and names.
A new five-year contract agreement approved Wednesday also requires schools to pay a $5 fee per Ventra card up front, but it’s up to schools to decide if they want to pass that cost on to students, CTA officials said.
CTA President Forrest Claypool told reporters the U-Pass hike was tied to the expiration of the U-Pass contract, rather than the new Ventra system.
The new contract is for five years and, for the first time, will give students access to not only the CTA but also Pace. Plus, some certificate-granting post-secondary schools may be offering U-Passes.
Meanwhile Wednesday, CTA Board members agreed to charge riders who choose to buy a one-way rail ride with cash $3 once Ventra launches this summer. The amount reflects the cost of a $2.25 one-way rail ride, a 25-cent transfer — whether used or not, and a 50-cent “convenience fee’’ for producing a disposable paper ticket with the same special chip contained in new plastic Ventra cards.
CTA officials said they expected tourists and infrequent riders to use one-ride cash L tickets and regular riders to opt for payment by Ventra cards.
Recently Role Model Movement's Jahmal Cole alerted us that he was asked to do monthly presentations at the Whitney Young Library located at 79th & King Drive. One of the speakers for this month's event is Resident Association of Greater Englewood's Ay-Sha Butler. She will fit in with the topic of revamping our education system as Englewood is very serious about having a discussion about the schools in their neighborhood. Will you be there on Tuesday March 26th? Refer to the graphic below for more details and expect a reminder as the day of the event approaches.
BTW, the more people who attends these events at Whitney Young Library the more likely a new library can be built. I suppose doing so would be two-fold, supporting a future local leader and insuring that a more adequate facility can finally be built!
Concept of the new interior of the 95/Dan Ryan terminal
We posted about this event late last month. A hearing for the improvement project for the 95th terminal is coming up below is the date and location:
95th Street Terminal Improvement Project - Public Hearing
Thursday, March 14, 2013 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M.
Harlan High School
9652 S. Michigan Avenue
Once again feel free to refer to the document for more details about this project you can also visit the project's official CTA website. Especially if you're interested in commenting on this project expected to begin in 2014. The year after the big project to rebuild the Dan Ryan route of the Red Line expected to commence in this coming May 2013. For public comments on this project the deadline is March 21, 2013 at 4:30 PM and you can send them via e-mail or the post office.
Again refer to the document below for more details:
State Rep. Elgie Sims is sponsoring a "State of the District "on TOMORROW Monday, March 11, 2013 from 5 PM to 6 PM to take place at the branch of Urban Partnership Bank located at 7801 South State Street. Basically: "State Representative Sims will give an overview of current Springfield legislation that affect the 34th District". If you want more info this phone number is listed in the flyer below: 773-783-8800.
It's coming on March 14, 2013 meeting held at St. Mark AME Zion Church on 7358 S. Cottage Grove Ave starting at 11 AM. If you want more information please use contact information provided in the post and refer to flyer below:
This event is for those of you who own a Chicago bungalow that was built before 1940. If you own such a home then you may be able to get a $4000 grant for some weatherization work. One side of the flyer is posted below, however, you can get both parts of this flyer at this link!
You know, this crept up on me this time around. Hopefully you knew this time was coming. Worlee most certainly did.
Now is the time to set your clocks 1 hour ahead as it's now that time of year. It's Daylight Savings Time and it starts at 2 AM. Hopefully most of us don't have to get to work in the morning at least for those of us who aren't even off on Sundays.
That is if you believe the 2010 Census results. Apparently it's still being brought up even if not directly in this article:
Nine out of 10 Chicago Public School students potentially impacted by school closings are African-American because their neighborhoods suffered population losses, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Thursday.
One day after a community activist branded the disproportionate impact on black students a “lawsuit waiting to happen,” Emanuel renewed his commitment to forge ahead with a politically explosive decision that Chicago has avoided for a decade.
“There has been a big change in the city over the last decade ... and we need to make sure that our schools are reflective of the change in our city,” the mayor said.
“We have postponed this. It’s actually a postponement that’s adversely affected our children’s education. Now, we need to deal with it in a very sensitive way, in a compassionate way, but achieve the goal, like the longer school day, to give all our children a high-quality, valuable education so they can have a future that is worthy of those children.”
...
The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that 88 percent of the students attending the 129 schools that remain on the CPS hit list are African-American.
The newspaper also reported that 117 of the 129 schools are majority black and that 119 of them have a percentage of black students higher than the district average.
The racial breakdown of the schools does not mirror overall demographics of the district. Across the city, 41.7 percent of CPS students are African-American, 8.8 percent are white and 44.1 percent are Hispanic. The rest are Asian, Native-American or members of other racial groups.
BTW, this comment was e-mailed to the blog recently. We know that CPS wants to sell their downtown HQ and this was in response to that posting, "Just wondering. Why don't they renovate one of the schools they are about to
close?"
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Forrest Claypool were scheduled to kick off an expansion of the program that gives ex-offenders a second chance with rail and bus apprenticeships Wednesday.
Under the expanded program, bus apprenticeships will last up to a year while rail assignments will continue for nine months.
High-performing apprentices will be eligible to apply for full-time CTA positions.
As many as 200 bus positions will be included in the program along with 65 rail slots.
You can learn more about these positions via this CTA Press Release and this Q & A about the apprenticeship program. And of course our best wishes for success!
We recently got this crime alert from the GCA. They want a good turnout at the court located at the 5th District Police HQ:
4 Mar 13
Hello 006th Police District Residents:
The Chicago Police Department recently concluded a narcotics enforcement operation targeting violent street gangs in the area of 600-700 E. 79th.
Approximately, two weeks ago, during the course an inspection of a commercial establishment located on the 600 block east 79th (District 6), two investigators from the Department of Business Affairs were assaulted by employees of that same location.
One investigator was held down by three employees of the business while another unidentified individual verbally threatened to shoot the investigator in the head.
Three individuals were subsequently arrested by the Police and charged.
We are asking everyone to take time to attend court with us on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 1:00 pm at 727 E. 111th Street.
We are asking that you please meet us first at 12:30 pm at the 5th Police District in the Community Room at 727 E. 111th Street and we will walk next door.
With your presence we are letting the Judge know we are concerned about what is going on in our community.
If you cannot make court, send someone else in your place please call 312.745.3641 or e-mail me back with any questions.
There was an e-mail attached with the message Beverly.Taylor-Williams @ chicagopolice.org. Feel free to utilize that if you have an questions.
BTW I may post a reminder at least two days before this event.
Considering that CPS is seeking to close some schools, this is an interesting development:
Chicago Public Schools officials are looking at moving out of their downtown headquarters as another way to ease a projected $1 billion budget deficit.
The district has requested bids from real estate brokerage firms to help sell its building and scout for a new headquarters location. CPS says it has cut 30 percent of its staff since 2009 and with a little more than 1,000 employees has too much space at its present location, 125 S. Clark St. in the Loop. Potential savings from a move were estimated at up to $3 million annually.
The district's move to Clark Street was also made to save money. CPS purchased the 20-story building that formerly housed Commonwealth Edison in 1998 for $8.2 million. Before that, its main offices were in a former Army distribution center at 1819 W. Pershing Road. The cost of heating and cooling that massive edifice was $6.2 million a year, leading to the move downtown.
District officials hope to sell the present headquarters. If they are unable to, the building will be leased, said CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll.
If they were to sell the building, where would they go?
February has been a busy month here in the Capitol. I’ve worked on Senate Bill 26: landmark legislation that will allow Illinois to use federal money to provide health care access to uninsured, low-income adults. I’m continuing to address the foreclosure crisis from every possible angle so communities and homeowners can recover from the housing slump. And my colleagues and I observed Black History Month, drawing attention to the fact that Illinois was the first state in the union to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery. Please read on for details, plus an exciting employment opportunity with CTA.
Tomorrow Governor Quinn will deliver his budget address, and the legislature will begin to consider next year’s spending. My role in this process will be to represent the 16th District and work to allocate program cuts fairly so we do not balance our budget on the backs of those least able to bear the weight. Because the sluggish economy and rising pension payments mean money is still tight this year, the legislature will need to prioritize. As I have done throughout these lean fiscal times, I will continue to speak boldly for prioritizing the needs of “the least of these.” Only by responding justly and compassionately to the needs of our most vulnerable residents can we improve quality of life for everyone in Illinois.
As always, it is an honor to serve and represent you. I welcome your questions and ideas about the budget or any other legislative matters. Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts or if I can be of any assistance to you or your family.
Sincerely, Senator Jacqueline Collins 16th District – Illinois
Medicaid expansion: health care access and job creation
I was proud to co-sponsor legislation, approved last week by the Senate, allowing Illinois to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults not currently eligible for the program. The federal government, under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, will fully reimburse the state for medical assistance spending on the newly eligible population.
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators featured my work on Medicaid expansionon its websitethis month. You can also visit my website to read more about this great opportunity for hospitals, communities and the medically underserved. Although the Senate voted for this legislation, the House must still approve it in order to send it to the governor for his signature. Please consider contacting state representatives in support of better health care for people who currently have few options beyond the emergency room.
Grace period foreclosure counseling: a success story for homeowners
Last week the Financial Institutions Committee approved a measure I introduced to extend protections that allow homeowners facing foreclosure to obtain counseling. Called the “30-30-30” approach, these legal safeguards require lenders to delay a foreclosure proceeding while a homeowner works with a counselor on a loan modification plan. If the bank accepts the plan, the homeowner and his or her family may be able to stay in the home while still making payments. Using financial counseling and loan modification to avoid foreclosure is a winning proposition for homeowners and lenders alike.
Since 2009, the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network has connected nearly 600,000 people to free foreclosure help. More than 48,000 homeowners have received free homeownership counseling. The Illinois Hardest Hit program has given temporary mortgage payment assistance to more than 6,500 struggling homeowners. With funding from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Program, the Illinois Housing Development Authority has facilitated at least 3,100 loan modifications, with 900 of those mortgages now reported as current.
The success of these efforts is made possible by federal funding but also provisions of Illinois law that require a lender to wait 30 days after a payment is due, send the homeowner a notice informing him or her of the availability of counseling, wait another 30 days for the homeowner to obtain assistance from a licensed counselor and then give the homeowner and counselor 30 more days to offer the bank a modification or work-out plan. Senate Bill 56 will renew these protections for three more years so we can continue fighting foreclosure and stabilizing the housing market.
Illinois and the Thirteenth Amendment
Moviegoers who saw the film “Lincoln” last year learned about the great political struggle to secure congressional approval of the Thirteenth Amendment. The other part of the story is its ratification by the states and the fact that Lincoln’s home state of Illinois led the way.
On February 23, I attended a celebration in remembrance of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, born one hundred years ago this month, and presented a resolution I sponsoreddeclaring February 2013 “Thirteenth Amendment Ratification Month.” John Paul Jones, one of my constituents and president of the Sustainable Englewood Initiatives, asked me to find a way to publicly acknowledge Illinois’ status as the first state to ratify the amendment, which outlawed slavery in the United States and formally freed all slaves still in bondage in 1865.
Illinois’ prompt ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment is something we can all be proud of today, nearly 150 years later. I sponsored this resolution because it’s important for our children to know about the significance of this moment in history – the beginning of a road that has stretched from Jim Crow to Brown v. Board to Selma to our nation’s first Black president and beyond. This part of our journey started with the legal, constitutional right to be free.
Please click here to watch me discuss the significance of the Thirteenth Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation.
New law helps neighborhoods recover from foreclosure crisis
On February 8, Governor Quinn signed a law I sponsored to address the glut of abandoned properties clogging the court system and to give communities money to clean up or demolish abandoned residential properties. Abandoned houses stuck in the foreclosure process for hundreds of days are keeping the housing market sluggish. They stay on banks’ balance sheets and become neighborhood eyesores, adversely affecting property values. They can also be safety hazards and havens for criminal activity.
Now courts can use a new, expedited foreclosure process once a lender has proven a property is abandoned and not occupied by any legitimate residents. This change in the law will shorten the foreclosure process in such cases from more than 500 days to about 100 days. An increased filing fee on the largest lenders will go into a fund for counties and municipalities involved in renovating or demolishing abandoned lots and houses. The additional money will also fund free foreclosure counseling for about 18,000 households.
I want to make sure my constituents who are seeking employment are aware that the Chicago Transit Authority is hiring customer service assistants. The position pays $12.40 per hour and offers benefits and growth potential. CTA will hold two job fairs:
Friday, February 22 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
JLM Abundant Life Community Center
2622 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago 60612
Saturday, March 23 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Roberto Clemente Community Academy
1147 North Western Ave., Chicago 60622
Military veterans in particular are encouraged to apply. CTA is an equal opportunity employer. Interviews will not be conducted at the job fairs; you will be contacted after the event if CTA selects you to interview for a position.
Job candidates must be 21 or older, pass drug and alcohol tests and a criminal background check, be able to understand and follow oral and written instructions, be able to pass a basic test of customer service skills, accurately perform basic arithmetic, communicate clearly both in writing and speaking and maintain a neat and professional appearance. Please contact my office with additional questions.
This article I just got wind about, reminded me of when close to four years ago that 75th Street had been closed down due to infrastructure work. Then that fall - we're talking 2009 - it had been reopened to regular traffic with new streets. Me and JP walked along that street after a ribbon-cutting and in fact set foot in the then open Army & Lou's restaurant. Then Ald. Lyle had her office near the corner at 75th & King Drive and so does current state Rep. Andre Thapedi.
Lately we're hearing more about this fabled Renaissance Row. Been a while since we have heard of this place which is billed to have the largest concentration of black-owned businesses in Chicago. Then we found out about not only a live broadcast from our local public radio affiliate but also this article from the Tribune.
Rick Kogan hosted that live broadcast from the Brown Sugar Bakery and the Tribune published a column from March 1st. He talked about the bakery and other businesses located on that street:
Some neighborhoods have it all, and some neighborhoods have very little, but only one Chicago neighborhood, Greater Grand Crossing, has Stephanie Hart and her Brown Sugar Bakery.
There, every day you can get cupcakes the size of small children's heads and cakes that look like something out of their sweet dreams.
And on many evenings — such as this Thursday at 7 p.m. — you can also experience salonlike entertainment events featuring local poets and musicians.
“It is such a vibrant neighborhood filled with so many talented people,” says Hart. “I started meeting them when they came in to buy things and just got to talking, and thought what a wonderful thing it would be to host live performances, to showcase them and this area.”
A smart and ebullient personality, Hart holds forth at 328 E. 75th St. “This has been a great addition to the street,” says Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th, a son of a Chicago mayor (Eugene), lifelong resident of the neighborhood and, to hear Hart tell it, an aficionado of the bakery's “carmel” cake.
“There are certain Chicago neighborhoods that unfairly have been given a bad image, and part of my job is to transform that image,” says Sawyer, whose ward also includes the Park Manor, Chatham and West Chesterfield neighborhoods. “This street had been stagnant for so long, and this is all part of its reinvention. There is vitality here that is easy to see.”
He is right. The 300 block of E. 75th St., for nearly 60 years home to Lem's Bar-B-Q (“BBQ as God meant it to be,” commented one Zagat reviewer), has seen businesses come and go, but there is now a palpable and heartening sense of stability, a neighborhood binding through creativity, commerce and community.
“It is the street that drew me here,” Hart says. “The history here. I was made to feel so welcome.”
The title of this article helped me remember how this street was branded and thanks to this blog we remember, that 75th Street was once "Renaissance Row". People in our community were excited in 2009 and it seems the rest of the city is noticing once again. What will the future have in store for this street?
On Saturday, morning I was on my way to meet up with a friend and I walked by this building on 87th & Vernon. It has been used as a parking lot of sort over the years and it was recently reported that cars were towed from former gas station/auto shop that has fallen into disrepair and ultimately abandoned.
The snapshot that I took of this building caused a bit of a stir on the blog's FB page. This building is marked with a red X which denotes demolition or condemnation Worlee chimed in that this building is expected to be demolished in the future and Dunkin Donuts is possibly eyeing this spot for a location for their chain. For some even this was a bad idea as one commenter noted their objection to a Dunkin Donuts coming to this spot. Another comment suggest a children's activity center.
As a matter of fact Worlee had on his blog talked about this building as being one of the eyesores that is expected to be cleared in Chatham. Still when an eyesore is cleared the question should pop into anyone's head. What should be located there?
So that's the question for the lot you see above. What would you like to see at the corner of 87th & Vernon?
I had been considering bouncing off of Worlee's recent post over at Concerned Citizens of Chatham entitled "How well do we communicate Chatham". Then it leads me to the question having been considered here over time. That question being, where is this blog going?
The original vision was to have somewhat matched the activity of other neighborhood blogs around the city such as Uptown Update, Sloopin' or even The Broken Heart of Roger's Park. It certainly appears that we haven't quite gotten to that level of activity just yet.
I wondered if the people in our communities aren't quite open to using the various technologies available to talk about whats going on in our neck of the woods. If they're not doing it on this blog perhaps they're using FB or twitter. Still one wonders if there's a lack of comfort discussing neighborhood issues online.
And at that here's another thought, whether or not people in our communities know we exist. This has been a concern from the day this blog was started in 2007. It seems more people around the city know about our existence but how many people in the community knows about this blog?
For now the concern isn't about about matching Uptown Update's traffic which one year came to 3 million hits. We will continue to discuss the issues that affect our communities. And in the process show how engaged many of our neighbors are in this community.
BTW, Worlee noted that many of our neighborhood organizations utilize various means to communicate in a given area. Not only with blogs, websites, or even social networking sites but e-mail as well. We hope that with whatever method you may choose to use that there will continue to be vital information shared between neighbors!
[VIDEO] I didn't find out about this until I saw it in the FB group Chicago's Chatham Connection. It contained the photo below originally from the Ald. Sawyer's 6th Ward Chicago FB page and this caption:
Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer being interviewed about the attack of a Senior citizen on 95th street. He said that his neighbors should have known his schedule enough to help escort her to him morning dialysis. We must be neighbors again.
[VIDEO] According to the Chicago Tribune Paul McKinley had only 955 votes and about 23 votes separated him from his closest challenger Eric Wallace. The conservative publication National Review even used this as the time for a piece to talk about the 2nd Congressional District race.
The video above will show in a nutshell who Mr. McKinley is running against - the "Chicago machine". I've seen various videos of him debating and being interviewed and it seems very consistent with what he discusses. Even I was like listen to this man, he's outspoken and he could stand out in a race.
At the same time when you stand out - I say this whether positively or negatively - then you might run into pieces like this from FOX Chicago. It looks like Mike Flannery has done some research on McKinley:
McKinley--who has been convicted of 6 felony counts and served nearly 20 years behind bars for armed robberies, aggravated battery, and burglaries--refers to himself as an "ex-offender" who wants to get other ex-offenders to work.
McKinley was also arrested 11 times from 2003 to 2007, mostly for protesting. Records show he also owes $14,147 in federal taxes.
There are dozens of districts where very few voters bother to participate in Republican primaries, setting the stage for ugly surprises. Remember entertainer "Spanky the Clown?" He won the GOP nomination to face Mayor Daley in 1995. That may have been good for a laugh. But those who dream of rebuilding the Republican Party in Chicago aren't laughing at the apparent nomination of convicted armed robber Paul McKinley.
"He's not a Republican, obviously, and he doesn't represent the Republican Party," says GOP activist Chris Robling.
As one who's helped lead public and private conversations about rebuilding the GOP in Illinois, Chris Robling said he knows this much: former burglar and armed robber Paul McKinley is not the sort of new leader the party needs. In a series of campaign videos, McKinley said he cared little for Democrats or Republicans.
BTW, I should note you have some citizen journalists such as Rebel Pundit who have made the charge that Chicago's mainstream media ignored Republicans in this race. As a matter of fact not long before the special primary election Rebel Pundit reported how the local FOX affiliate for whom Flannery is employed had largely ignored the Republican contest.
Of course the reason is mainly that they're not expected to succeed in this case in a district that hasn't elected a Republican to Congress in over 50 years. And in the piece above expect McKinley to not get a lot of support from his party for his run, Flannery even compared him to a former clown who ran against Richard M. Daley for Mayor back in 1995.
On April 9th it will be Robin Kelly v. Paul McKinley. Can we expect a different result in about one month from now?
Dr. Wayne Watson, President of Chicago State University, had sent this statement to the university community about the news that broke this week about him stepping down from his post. It seems he doesn't plan to leave his post beyond his sabbatical.
TO THE CHICAGO
STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY:
“There have been
some statements in the media regarding my position at Chicago State University
that I wish to correct.
Several days ago,
I requested approval of an administrative sabbatical by the CSU Board of
Trustees. During the proposed sabbatical, I would first and foremost, be able to
better help my 96 year old dad whom I feel has suffered most from my current
24-7 commitment to the University. I would also have more time for the level of
academic research and writing I wish to achieve as president of a major American
University. I have not resigned as CSU's President and no date is set for the
sabbatical to begin, if approved. Even though press reports have included some
inaccuracies, I am grateful for the thoughtful remarks about our turnaround at
the University and my part in it. Clearly, our work continues.”
Yesterday Robin Kelly won the primary election against former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson and Ald. Anthony Beale.
Former state Rep. Robin Kelly easily won the special Democratic
primary Tuesday night in the race to replace the disgraced Jesse Jackson
Jr. in Congress, helped by millions of dollars in pro-gun control ads
from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's political fund.
A snowstorm and lack of voter interest kept turnout low as Kelly had
52 percent to 25 percent for former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson and 11
percent for Chicago 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale with 99 percent of
precincts counted.
...
Kelly framed her win as a victory for gun control forces.
"You sent a message that was heard around our state and across the nation," Kelly told supporters in a Matteson hotel ballroom. "A message that tells the NRA that their days of holding our country hostage are coming to an end.
"To every leader in the fight for gun control ready to work with President (Barack) Obama and Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel to stop this senseless violence, thank you for your leadership and thank you for your courage," she said.
I would like to talk about the Republican primary now granted the 2nd district is solidly Democratic but we're still supposed to live in a two-party democracy even in this state. At this moment no seems to be able to call the race for any of the Republican candidates so I'm going to hold off here. We'll just focus on Robin Kelly.
She had been a member of the Illinois General Assembly and worked in the state treasurer office under former Treasurer Alexis Giannoulias. She attempted to run statewide for the Treasurer's office but lost against current office holder Dan Rutherford.
It's very likely that she'll win the election, but let's not forget that there are others who are running againts here in the general election on April 9th.
When we get more news on the Republican primary we'll share it here on this blog as well.
[AUDIO] JP Paulus mentioned this last week and now we can share some audio of this WBEZ program on this blog. The audio embedded above features not only 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer but also Brown Sugar Bakery owner Stephanie Hart and Park Manor Neighborhood Association President Darlene Tribue.
Subjects that came up during this segment the history of Park Manor, 75th Street as a commercial street, also the issues of living in an area such as Park Manor or the 6th Ward in general. Also host Rick Kogan had Hart make a case for people from the suburbs to come down to 75th Street and the 6th Ward for a visit. This was a very interesting segment and lots of stuff said about the area and its history.
You can hear more clips from last Friday's The Afternoon Shifthere.
Also the pic below was taken at Brown Sugar Bakery last Friday for the live WBEZ broadcast. In the pic from left to right is Darlene Tribue, Ald. Sawyer and Rick Kogan. This was posted on 6th Ward Chicago - the Alderman's office official website - as the pic for last week.
As we enter into spring and the temperature starts to rise our young people will start to come into the parks in our community. Our Chicago Park District parks supervisor, Gene Morgan, has done a yeoman's task of creating opportunities for our young people to engage in positive activities. He has created tumbling, gymnastics and soccer teams that compete in citywide events and is planning more for the spring and summer. Gene and his staff have gathered young men from 13-18 to play in Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's basketball tournament.
Unfortunately, because of budgetary constraints the current staff cannot accompany the teams to play in the tournament that will be held at Jackson Park on Thursday and Friday evenings. The teams need coaches who can commit to working the entire 47 week schedule. Coaches must be Chicago Park District certified volunteers. Individuals interested can obtain a volunteer form from the Chicago Park District website http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/assets/1/7/Volunteer_Application_for_Adults.pdf and for information on the basketball program or other volunteer opportunities contact Gene Morgan at 312.747.6063.
Over the last year, many residents have expressed their displeasure with the condition of Brown Memorial Park http://www.chicagonow.com/concerned-citizens-of-chatham/2012/05/the-fight-to-save-brown-memorial-park-is-race-a-factor/ . The park needs an overhaul as the playground equipment, tennis courts and grounds in general are in disrepair. The Friends of the Parks, a non for profit organization that supports the parks is accepting applications from community groups to be selected for one of 35 playgrounds they will build this summer. A copy of the application is below. Any group(block club, community based organization, church, etc.) can apply
This information was provided to us by the West Chesterfield Community Association. I do plan to post reminders in the future as we get closer to March 14th.
The meeting's location as well as date & time:
95th Street Terminal Improvement Project - Public Hearing
Thursday, March 14, 2013 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M.
Harlan High School
9652 S. Michigan Avenue
The first public hearings for this project occurred last September. Nearby neighborhoods such as not only West Chesterfield but Roseland Heights expressed their expectations for this project. This project is expected to start in 2014 and not long after the reconstruction of the Dan Ryan route of the CTA Red Line is finally completed and re-opened.
There's been some controversy over this project namely concerns that neighborhood residents weren't get jobs on this project or at least Blacks were getting jobs in a predominantly Black community. So it looks like residents have something to look forward too in the near future:
Owner Azam Kham plans to reopen his Shell gas station at 8659 S. State St. on March 16 after it closed two years ago. The renovated station will be open 24 hours a day and will have four additional pumps, bringing the total to 10. In addition, Kham has doubled the size of a convenience store at the site, to 2,000 square feet, and plans to sell more food as well as household items like soap, toilet tissue and paper plates.
"Customers can come inside to pay for their purchases and not stand outside as they did before," Kham said. "They can buy household products, snacks and other items."
But the convenience store will not be selling lottery tickets, he said.
"I do not plan on getting a lottery machine unless it is something the community later says it wants," Kham said. "I want to offer services the community needs."
Additionally, he plans to house two retail tenants at the site.
"I expect to have a restaurant and a bakery," added Kham, who also owns another Shell gas station in Bridgeport at 215 W. 31st St.
Kham said he had hoped to reopen the station last year, but was slowed by the permitting process and city inspections.
We can name the politician we can from President to Governor to Congress to Mayor and even Alderman. If we did a poll on any such politicians we may find if you continue to monitor the data that at some point the people aren't very happy with them.
Today however we're focusing on Mayor Emanuel. He's not looking so good right now.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's image in Chicago is taking a turn.
A new poll by Crain’s Chicago Business notes the mayor’s job-approval rating “has taken a big hit in recent months.”
According to 600 voters in Illinois, only 19 percent somewhat or strongly approve of the mayor’s performance. When Crain’s polled a similar group back in September, 34 percent approved of the job Emanuel was doing.
Crain’s points to the Chicago Teachers Union strike as well as the spike in murders and the push for government workers pension reform as possible reasons for his poor poll numbers.
He hit the ground running and now the people aren't happy. Then again we're two years away from electing the next Mayor, Clerk, Treasurer and City Council. A lot could happen by then.
[VIDEO] Well this video which aired on ABC 7 yesterday says 87 days it's now 86 days. The Dan Ryan portion of the Red Line will be shut down for reconstruction. Will you be ready by May 19th to either seek alternatives or to take shuttle buses to take you where you need to go?
Of course shuttle buses are only one leg of the trip as you can also take the shuttles to the CTA Green Line stop at Garfield. In the ABC 7 write-up, ridership is expected to go from 1,300 passengers a day to 13,000 passengers during the reconstruction. It will get more busy there for the next five months starting in May.
Also, according to the Chicago Sun-Times the rides on the Shuttle buses and the transfer from the buses to the trains at Garfield are free. Furthermore:
The CTA and Metra also will offer a discounted combined fare card during construction that should run until Oct. 19.
Dan Ryan drivers also could face some inconvenience
during track rebuilding. One lane of the Dan Ryan on each side of the
Red Line tracks will be shut down between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. near work
sites, CTA spokesman Brian Steele.
The CTA estimates it will lose $7.3 million in revenue during the $425 million project.
CTA today also launched a new project website — www.redlinesouth.com — with extensive project information and history, as well as a project Twitter account, @redlinesouth.
CTA previously announced the multiple alternative travel options and discounts the agency will provide, including:
FREE shuttle buses from Red Line stations south of 63rd Street to connect customers with the Garfield Green Line rail station
FREE entry at Garfield Green Line station for bus shuttle passengers
Red Line train service running on Green Line tracks from Roosevelt to Ashland/63rd
Expanded bus service on numerous nearby bus routes
50-cent discount on bus rides south of 63rd Street
Also noted in the press release is more service on the Metra Electric. So we might need another look at the 95th Street Metra State near Chicago State. In addition there are also fare options if you are utilizing Metra to get downtown.
Are you ready for May and the five months after that?
At the news conference at the Chicago Military Academy in the Bronzeville neighborhood, [former US Army Lt. General Russel L. Honore] spoke out against the gun violence that affects the lives of so many of the students.
Honore was mild in his tone and fell short of demanding action. Instead he suggested a strategy he thinks could work.
To tackle the violence here, Honore said, the state police and other law enforcement agencies could lend a hand to local police. And the National Guard could take over routine duties, patrolling the streets and handling traffic, while police concentrate their efforts on solving crimes and increasing their presence in troubled neighborhoods.
...
"Trust me, we can tap this down," Honore said of the shootings. "It would take a commitment, and it's not going to be popular. Many people are going to say why are you bringing that to my community? (But) do you want law enforcement or do you want people shooting day and night and destroying the lives of innocent people like the little girl who lost her life here a few weeks ago?"
...
"We should do whatever it takes to end the violence, so we won't have to feel scared," he said. "These kids have guns. We need experienced people that can stop them."
BTW, even Police Officer and former Aldermanic Candidate Richard Wooten has something to say:
When he's not working as a Chicago police officer, Richard Wooten said
he's in the neighborhoods — Auburn Gresham, West Chesterfield and
Chatham — helping residents develop neighborhood watch groups.
"Crime in Chicago is just running rampant," said Wooten, who does
community work as part of his own organization, the Gathering Point
Community Council. He attended Honore's news conference.
"This is going to require more than just the Chicago Police Department,"
he said. "We are in a state right now where we need not only to get the
community activated and mobilized and dealing with the issues in their
community, but somewhere along the way, we're going to have to tap into
some federal funding."
Still, I would say the last thing we would want is to get the National Guard on our streets. Hopefully what the city is facing at the moment doesn't even warrant that. But what say you on this subject?
I recognize this is very last minute but it's worth sharing. If you're not able to make this one Friday morning - tomorrow - you certainly have time to make the other scheduled job fair one month later at Clemente High School. According to a Press Release from CTA, they expect to create at least 700 customer service assistant posts for L stops around the city.
Please refer to flyer below for more details. It was provided by the people at the Greater Chatham Alliance.
UPDATE Expect a reminder when the one for March comes near!
Come out and enjoy The Afternoon Shift with Rick Kogan at Brown Sugar Bakery! (328 E. 75th Street) this Thursday 2/21 from 2:00pm-4:00pm.
Rick will talk with WBEZ's Richard Steele and V103's Herb Kent ("The Cool Gent") about Chicago's Black radio legacy and history; famed Chicago author, Lowell Thompson about Chicago's "Black" History; 6th ward Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer about changes in the neighborhood; and Harper High School Principal, Leonetta Sanders. Her school is now featured on This American Life.
Please post a comment if you can make it. (We will NOT be able to read questions or comments to the guests)
[VIDEO] This has been a concern for RAGE since they brought this to our attention almost two years ago. The section affected is in the northwest corner of Englewood.
I got wind of this mini-documentary by Gaper Block's David Schalliol - who is not only the managing editor there but also a PhD sociology student at University of Chicago - via Lee Bey. This doc is part of Gaper Block's The Grid series that also shown a fishmarket located near 71st & State Street a while back.
In any case this video shows how the community has come together since the effort by the Norfolk Southern railroad have come to light. There was a community forum about this and we see the residents who getting active in order to oppose the efforts of the railroad for their inter-modal facility.
Five years ago the city announced plans to expand the Whitney M. Young Library branch, but residents wonder if they will have to wait another few years before the project is done.
The Public Building Commission this week approved a $1.2 million federal grant to perform an environmental cleanup on the expansion site next to the library, but that isn't expected to be done until toward the end of this year. And officials say they haven't secured the funds to actually complete the expansion.
Residents are growing impatient.
City officials "make promises all the time to the black community and do not keep them," said Doris White, 51, who grew up in Chatham. "If this library was in Lincoln Park or downtown they would have been finished expanding it, but because it is in the black neighborhood they figure we can wait."
The vacant lot adjacent to the 11,000 square-foot library at 7901 S. King Drive was previously occupied by a dry cleaners. Expansion plans include expanding the library to 16,500 square feet.
A cleanup "is necessary due to pockets of contamination from a cleaning establishment which occupied one of the lots," said Ruth Lednicer, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Public Library.
But while the environmental cleanup is expected to be finished later this year, Lednicer said there is still no timetable on when the expansion would begin. That's because the commission, which is overseeing the project, has not yet secured money to pay for it.
This is a very unfortunate development and apparently months if not years in the making. It's very unbelievable but at some point we knew this day would come!
Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife Sandi intend to plead guilty to federal charges alleging the former congressman misused $750,000 in campaign funds while she understated their income on tax returns for six years, their lawyers say.
Jackson Jr., 47, a Democrat from Chicago, was charged in a criminal information Friday with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and false statements. He faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and other penalties.
Sandi Jackson was charged with one count of filing false tax returns. She faces up to three years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and other penalties.
Jackson Jr. is accused of diverting $750,000 in campaign funds for personal use.
Federal authorities allege that Jackson Jr. used campaign funds to purchase a $43,350 men’s gold-plated Rolex watch, $5,150 worth of fur capes and parkas, and $9,588 in children’s furniture. The purchases were made between 2007 and 2009, according to the criminal information, which authorities noted is not evidence of guilt.
Other expenditures listed by prosecutors include $10,105 on Bruce Lee memorabilia, $11,130 on Martin Luther King memorabilia and $22,700 on Michael Jackson items, including $4,600 for a "Michael Jackson fedora."
The government also alleged that Jackson Jr. made false statements to the House of Representatives because he did not report approximately $28,500 in loans and gifts he received.
"He has accepted responsibility for his actions and I can confirm that he intends to plead guilty to the charge in the information," Jackson Jr.'s attorney Brian Heberlig said.
Sandi Jackson is accused of filing incorrect joint tax returns with her husband for calendar years 2006 through 2011, reporting income “substantially less than the amount of income she and her husband received in each of the calendar years,” with a substantial additional tax due.
Her attorneys released a statement saying she has "reached an agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office to plead guilty to one count of tax fraud."
It's very unfortunate that two promising political careers in Chicago has come to an abrupt end. In fact they were going to be the next best "political machine" in Chicago and they had defeated a rival machine in the form of the organization for current Cook County Commissioner Bill Beavers. Unfortunately, even the feds have him under indictment.
For now we have many aspirants to succeed Jesse Jackson Jr. who had resigned not long after his successful re-election bid although he hadn't been in the public eye since June. Also Sandi Jackson's replacement on the Chicago City Council has already been appointed.
Federal regulators late Friday shut down Covenant Bank on the West Side, which has been losing money since its 2008 founding by megachurch pastor Bill Winston.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. sold the bank’s assets to Liberty Bank and Trust Co. of New Orleans. Liberty will continue to operate Covenant’s only office at 1111 S. Homan.
The sale will protect account holders, who are insured up to the $250,000 per-account maximum. But it will wipe out the bank’s owners, including members of Winston’s Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park who provided cash for the purchase.
The FDIC estimated the closure will cost its insurance fund $21.8 million. It said that as of year-end 2012, Covenant had $58.4 million in assets.
Many of the bank’s owners, who provided Winston at least $1,000 each, are people of modest means. Winston did not return a call Friday.
He purchased the former Community Bank of Lawndale for a reported $3 million, preaching the need to put religious faith into practice by supporting revitalization of the West Side. But FDIC records show the bank’s losses have been heavy, especially in the last couple of years.
Liberty Bank appears to be a Black-owned bank so such an institution will be continuing to serve the West Side of Chicago. The official website for Covenant Bank is still up! Usually such websites of failed financial institutions are often shut down with a notice that it had been shut down by the FDIC.
Changes are abound at CTA for college students and those of you who pay cash for fare especially on the L:
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators featured my work on Medicaid expansion
On February 23, I attended a celebration in remembrance of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, born one hundred years ago this month, and presented 
Now courts can use a new, expedited foreclosure process once a lender has proven a property is abandoned and not occupied by any legitimate residents. This change in the law will shorten the foreclosure process in such cases from more than 500 days to about 100 days. An increased filing fee on the largest lenders will go into a fund for counties and municipalities involved in renovating or demolishing abandoned lots and houses. The additional money will also fund free foreclosure counseling for about 18,000 households.
