Dispatches from Chicago's south side.
Trotter announced Saturday he will not seek the 2nd congressional district seat, which includes parts of Chicago's South Side and nearby suburbs.As many already speculate, Trotter does cite his arrest earlier this month as one reason why he will not continue his race for Congress.
"Today I formally announce my intention to end my candidacy for that position," he told an audience of district constituents, local officials and journalists in suburban Lynwood. "The people of the second Congressional district have critical needs that must be met."
For weeks after his arrest, Trotter insisted he would still seek the seat and touted his achievements during 24 years in state politics, even as his attorney, Thomas Durkin, acknowledged that the charges left a "cloud hanging over his head." Trotter maintained the backing of an influential suburban township leader, but missed out on the Cook County Democratic Party's endorsement, as its slating committee opted for an open primary among the dozen or so Democratic candidates.
On Saturday, Trotter said he'd had a change of heart, noting that the district faces big challenges in creating jobs, improving education and reversing a home foreclosure rate that he said was the highest of the state's congressional districts.
"The stakes are too high and the debate is too important," he said. "... Nothing must be allowed to eclipse this debate. My commitment to these and other quality-of-life issues runs too deep to allow myself or my situation to detract from what needs to be front and center."
Trotter said he would not endorse any of the other candidates.
State Sen. Donne Trotter, once considered the front-runner in the race to replace Jesse Jackson Jr., has decided not to run for the seat, sources tell NBC Chicago.Soooo, is he out because of his unfortunate arrest earlier this month for possessing a gun at O'Hare Airport? Or are there other factors at play here?
Trotter has released his pollster and begun notifying supporters of his decision, sources say.
Calls to Trotter's office and to his attorney, Thomas Durkin, for comment on Thursday were unsuccessful.
As federal investigators dug into his conduct, Jackson resigned from Congress on Wednesday. The end of his once-promising career left Chicago’s black political scene with a void: Who can claim not only the fallen reformer’s spot in Washington, but also become the avatar for a new generation and style of African-American leadership here?Please read the whole thing, but you may need to register with the Sun-Times to see the whole article.
Jackson’s demise means virtually all of the highest-ranking black politicians are senior citizens. The 48-year-old Jackson was one of three black congressmen in the Illinois delegation, but by far the youngest: Danny Davis is 71 and Bobby Rush is 66.
The most powerful African-American in local government, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, is 65, while Secretary of State Jesse White — the only black state-wide office holder — is 78.
The younger Jackson’s resignation, combined with the aging of many other African-American elected officials, is hastening the search for fresh faces who might restore or even enhance the community’s clout. Younger African-American leaders in lower-level positions said they believe a new generation is ready to come of age.
“I think you’ll see something new,” said Kwame Raoul, 48, who replaced Barack Obama in the Illinois Senate after Obama became a U.S. senator eight years ago. “You will begin to see, as a result of the rapid rise of Obama, more and more African-American candidates who have crossover appeal and come from different professional backgrounds than we’ve historically seen.”
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Deborah Foster-Bonner is part of a Chatham community patrol.
(WBEZ/Natalie Moore)
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Deborah Foster-Bonner stops in front of a boarded-up corner store near 83rd and Eberhart. It’s shut down now, in part, because of pressure from the community patrol she’s a part of.
It’s a gray, dreary, rainy Saturday morning. But a patrol of six trudges along with their umbrellas. They wear neon yellow security vests and whistles around their necks. They do wellness checks on neighbors they haven’t seen in days. They monitor apartment buildings that have caused havoc in their Chatham community. They follow up with absentee landlords. They are a presence.
"We’re trying to do something that a block club can’t. There’s 12 blocks that are coming together. By that, we’ve got numbers. We’re seeking issues that will affect our lives across the lines of individual block clubs," Foster-Bonner said.
This neighborhood, long an oasis of the middle class, has seen its share of an uptick in crime across Chicago. And this year, in the 6th District, murders and theft are up from last year. Narcotic sales top the list of recorded community concerns. These residents are fed up.
As we come closer to the actually holidays, the season has officially begun. While the season puts most of us in a good mood, it also makes some of us careless and brings out those who do not have good intentions.
Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the holiday season
The holiday season is the the busiest season for package delivery and its a pain when you miss your delivery and disheartening if someone steals your package from your property. Now that UPS has closed the Avalon Park station, you have to either go to the South Holland or Roosevelt Street station. You can avoid this frustration by signing up for UPS My Choice.
- Use a Tracking Service for Expected Packages
The service is FREE and alerts you by either phone,text or email when your package is close to delivery. You choose the method and when a package is enroute, you will get a delivery date and an expected delivery window. Won't be home? Have them reschedule the delivery or hold at the station. There are other options but they come at a cost. US Postal Service has a similar service and FEDEX is working on one. Have your shipper give you the tracking number and you can track them on your own.
2. Creating a Routine
It’s long been known that burglars scoping out a neighborhood will look for victims who tend to not pay attention to things. In other words, they are looking for carelessness. Signs of a careless homeowner include an unkempt lawn, overgrown bushes and children’s toys scattered around the yard.When a burglar spots a house possibly inhabited by a careless homeowner he will watch that house to see what the typical daily behavior is. If he’s really good he may observe a homeowner rushing out the door without setting alarm system. In such a case that home is just as vulnerable as one with no security system installed.In most cases setting a routine is not good from a security standpoint. But in terms of remembering to set your alarm system before you leave your home, a routine is a good thing. Creating a routine you can follow every day will make it less likely you’ll forget to set your alarm.Consider gathering your things for work the last part of your morning routine. Hang a hook for your keys right next to your control center, forcing yourself to see it them as you head out the door. It acts as a constant reminder to arm your system on your way out.
3. Don’t Advertise Holiday Plans Homeowners and businesses should never advertise holiday plans using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Today’s criminals are very media savvy and have taken to trolling such sites to find out when properties will be unoccupied. Keep your plans to yourself.
4. Ask Someone to Watch Your HomeAsk someone to watch your home while you’re away. If you can find a friend or family member willing to actually occupy your house in your absence, that’s the best option. If not, at least find someone willing to get your mail and newspaper, open and close your draperies and take out your garbage. This makes it harder for burglars to decide whether or not you’re away.
5. Carbon Monoxide is Something Not To Be Played WithCarbon monoxide is a naturally occurring gas that is both manufactured and utilized by the human body. For this reason, many people don’t understand how dangerous it can be in excessive amounts. Trust us when we say it can be deadly.As a tasteless and odorless gas, carbon monoxide could be present in your home without anyone knowing. It is also lighter than air so it tends to move to the lowest places of a home, including the ground floor or the basement. If carbon monoxide makes it to the upper floors it’s already at high enough levels to be fatal.When humans inhale carbon monoxide it binds with hemoglobin, thus interfering with how well the hemoglobin functions. One of the main tasks of hemoglobin is to carry oxygen cells to various parts of the body. When it’s bound with carbon monoxide it can no longer perform that function. In essence, excessive levels of carbon monoxide in the blood can literally suffocate a person from the inside out.Carbon monoxide is not something that should be taken lightly. If your home is equipped with a gas or oil furnace, a gas or oil-fired water heater, or gas appliances in the kitchen, the potential exists for carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s imperative you have your appliances carbon monoxide detector and heating/water systems checked on a regular basis to make sure they are function properly.These tips along with your normal safety regiment should ensure a safe and happy holiday season.
6. Don't Let Your Garbage Speak Christmas time is a time when many homes are purchasing high end electronics. Do not place the boxes out behind your garbage. The day after Christmas the scavengers and criminals will be trolling the alleys to see what they can find. Breakdown large boxes or cut them down in strips and if possible wait until recycle pickup day to place in alley.
"Necrophilia!" Brookins says when we sit down for an interview. "I don't think they forced you into saying that. It's where your mindset is, and it's one of the reasons we have a credibility gap in the community. Or were they beating you with a rubber hose?"The article concludes with Brookins starting to talk about alternatives to Alvarez, assuming that she will run for re-election again in 2016. In fact might Brookins be interesting in the slot four years from now?
Brookins has been a foe of Alvarez's since 2008, when he was one of five men who lost to her in the Democratic primary for state's attorney.
Alvarez likes to point out that since winning the seat she's set up neighborhood offices, earned national recognition for fighting human trafficking and prostitution, and launched a "deferred prosecution" program that's helped a handful of nonviolent offenders avoid felony charges and prison time.
You could say Brookins hasn't been impressed. "Who would have known she would end up being unlikable and doing nothing for the African-American community?"
Like other critics, Brookins blasts Alvarez for failing to diversify her staff, investigating student journalists who examined wrongful convictions, and doing little to seek justice in what looks like a cover-up of a 2004 death involving a nephew of former mayor Richard M. Daley. After relentless reporting by the Sun-Times, a special prosecutor was appointed to the case, and the Daley nephew, R.J. Vanecko, was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
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| Photo by James Brigham |
According to some recent survey results, Americans have become rather unneighborly. A mere 30 percent of us socialize with our neighbors more than once a month (down from 44 percent in the mid-1970s). And a shocking 28 percent of us know none of our neighbors by name. We may keep in touch with faraway friends on Facebook, but when it comes to hanging out in our own communities we are bowling alone.Well perhaps nothing could replace going over to your next door neighbor and introducing yourself or generating interest in a block club. I could imagine this would be just a new school way of being able to connect with neighbors and ultimately connecting on common concerns?
Tech entrepreneur Nirav Tolia noticed that we increasingly seem to prefer rubbing elbows online—instead of in real places where real elbows might really rub—and saw a business opportunity. In late 2010, he created a service called Nextdoor. It's a social network that attempts to webify the original social network: the neighborhood. There are now Nextdoor sites in more than 6,500 communities in 49 states (not clear what's up with those anti-communitarian South Dakotans). All of them were launched by regular folks who sought a way to connect with their neighbors, but didn't want to ring doorbells or make small talk in the elevator.
To start a Nextdoor site for your own 'hood, you first define the physical boundaries of neighbordom. Who do you consider your fellow villagers? They could be spread out over a vast open realm if you live in a rural area where the houses are far apart; or might mingle around a few leafy blocks if you inhabit an inner-ring suburb; or could be smooshed together within a single high-rise building if you're a city dweller. Nextdoor prefers that each of its neighborhoods contain at least 75 households. So far the median number hovers somewhere around 200 to 300.
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning completed a report that says an extension would improve the liveability for nearby residents.BTW, you can listen to the audio version here [AUDIO]
Currently, the Chicago Transit Authority stops at 95th Street; an extension would go to 130th Street. Highlights from the report say expanding the Red Line would: provide more transportation choices, shorten commutes and create local jobs.
Randy Blankenhorn, executive director of CMAP, said it wasn’t enough for the agency to just say the extension was needed.
“It’s incumbent on us to keep moving this forward and keep putting pressure on not only the federal government but our state and local resources as ways to fund this project,” Blankenhorn said.
CMAP has also invested $1 million in engineering on the project. CTA is working on an environmental study. The Red Line extension would cost $1.5 billion.
This past Monday, I attended a meeting of the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council. It was an interesting meeting as members discussed issues with representatives of the Chicago Housing Authority. Also three of our local politicians spoke from Ald. Roderick Sawyer 6th Ward to State Sen. Donne Trotter to finally State Rep. Elgie Sims. Finally before they served some food a presentation from representatives of Seaway Bank & Trust Co. |
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