WGN: Reports on early voting at Deneen Elementary School

 

[VIDEO] Yesterday WGN news was at the Ward 6 early voting site at Deneen Elementary School located at 7257 S. State St. BTW, did Julian Crews pronounce Deneen correctly? Can someone who has attended that school say for certain?

Anyway Crews noted in his report that while things were moving smoothly for the most part throughout the city, there were technical issues at Deneen and as a result there were lines as you saw in this report. People were getting out here and one person Crews spoke to was correct to say we had to fight for our right to vote.

And as another man stated in this report, it doesn't matter who you vote for just vote. He's right. Early voting continues through Nov. 3rd.

If you want to vote early I blogged about it on Tuesday.

The Aftermath: Who’s Staying and Who’s Going

Worlee Glover at Concerned Citizens of Chatham has been doing a great job keeping everyone updated on the aftermath of the George Floyd unrest from over a month ago at the end of May. Many of us are concerned about some of our retail establishments reopening after the vandalism and looting of that time.

Many of us were concerned about being able to shop in our communities for groceries. Also some of us are concerned about where to pick-up our prescriptions. Those are the main things of great concern to many as we take Jewel, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc for granted until they got hit by looting & vandalism.

Some of these establishments are returning to operations for our convenience. I was honestly shocked to see the Rothschild's Liquor (717 E 87th St) appeared to be closed one day I went up to 87th Street. From Worlee Rothchild's other locations throughout the city and their downtown offices were looted so they may not reopen at all. He even addressed the idea that with the disappearance of our local liquor stores - including Kenwood Liquors per their website is permanently closed - alcoholism will suddenly disappear.

We see the Walmart 8331 S. Steward or on 83rd Street and the Walgreens 11 E. 75th Street or on 75th & State Streets will take at least 2 to 6 months to reopen as they took extensive damage due to the looting. If I recall the 83rd Street Walmart was said to be on fire that last weekend in May due to the civil unrest. Also the Walgreens on 75th & State still had issues with looters even after the unrest.

Those among other updates and information you will see in the Concerned Citizen's of Chatham posting below.

Store owner shot & killed during robbery in Park Manor

[VIDEO] A store clerk was killed in a shooting Friday afternoon when his store on the first block of 71st Street was robbed. As always be careful out there thankfully four suspects have been arrested. Two of those suspects are in the hospital for gun shot wounds.

More from Chicago Sun-Times.

And as always be careful out there. 

Rant: Community Organizations and the 6th Ward

Worlee Glover shared this rant on Concerned Citizens of Chatham yesterday. Is there truly a disconnect in the 6th Ward between say the western part of the 6th Ward and the eastern part? Basically between say Englewood & Chatham?

Al Capone's former house on Prairie Ave has been sold!

We've occasionally followed the stories revolving around this home which was once where infamous Prohibition-era mobster Al Capone once resided. When it had been in the news often it was for sale and now during this past week it had found a buyer.

According to the Tribune

The red brick two-flat in the South Side Park Manor neighborhood that legendary mobster Al Capone once lived in sold April 5 for $226,000.

The 2,820-square-foot two-flat, at 7244 S. Prairie Avenue, sold for more than double its $109,900 asking price.

“We had like 80 offers on it,” listing agent Ryan Smith of Re/Max Properties told Elite Street. “We had a lot of press on it, so I think that helped it out.”

Capone moved into the two-flat with his mother and sister in 1923 after moving to Chicago from New York. Although Capone's name was never actually on the purchase deed, his mother's and wife’s names were on it, and the family owned the two-flat until the 1950s, when his mother died. After Capone got out of prison in 1939, he lived in Florida until his death in 1947.

Built about 1909, the two-flat, which sits on an extra-wide lot, has had several owners since the Capones, and in 1989, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council both rejected bids to make the house an official landmark.

Also Curbed Chicago picked up on the sale of Capone's old hime.

Just last night I looked for any YouTube video regarding this house. Some tourists came to Park Manor to check this home out and shot some video outside. It was uploaded to YouTube in June 2018 [VIDEO]

Runoff #6WardChicago

From Block Club Chicago, Ald. Roderick Sawyer gives his thoughts on being forced into next month's runoff election for Ward 6 Alderman. He claims not to know much about his opponent Deborah Foster-Bonner. As we know he beat another incumbent Alderman of the 6th Ward in a runoff, however, do you all believe he can pull off a victory on April 2nd?

Also early voting in next month's runoff for some alderman, city treasurer, and mayor races began yesterday.

Crain's: Al Capone's two-flat, a recent foreclosure, for sale #6WardChicago

Pic via Chicago Historical Society

Al Capone - an infamous 1920s prohibition-era gangster - formerly had his home in the Park Manor area at 7244 S. Prairie Ave. is on sale again. We've seen this property on this blog before over the years. And Dennis Rodkin of Crain's writes:

August 7, 2018 Meyering Park National Night Out

Presented by the 3rd Chicago Police District

National Night Out
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Meyering Park
7140 S. King Drive

Refer to flyer below!

WGN: Shop owners threaten to close over uptick in violence in Park Manor

Earlier this week WGN did a story which quoted Haim Brody of Market Fisheries, 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer, and Park Manor neighbors Pres. Darlene Tribue over shooting incidents near 71st/State. The concern, the businesses are losing money because their customers are often afraid of their safety. It's hard to have a thriving business sector if business owners are losing money because the areas where they set up shop are unsafe.

Let's allow Mr. Brody to explain:

Haim Brody, the president of Market Fisheries, says his family has owned the popular fish market on 71st and State since 1957. But now he fears he may have to leave because of escalating violence, drug dealing and harassment of customers.

"We've had four shootings here in the last four days," Brody said. "It's just impossible to do business. We have open drug dealing on the street, open drug dealing, many numerous transactions here; we have little children walking to school have to go through all this stuff."

In scenes captured on tape, shoppers and community members walking near 71st St. are forced to take shelter or run away when shots ring out. Brody says 16 people have been shot on this block alone since the beginning of the year, and it's starting to take a toll on the businesses around him. He and other business owners along 71st St. are fed up.

And Ald. Sawyer let's us know what's being done about it:

"I want answers, but I know one thing: there's a cancer over there that we need to get cut out real fast" Ald. Sawyer said. "We're adding, beefing up patrols in the area and let's just say we do have ongoing, undercover operations consistently."

Here's hoping for some solutions soon! 

You might have seen something here on this blog about Market Fisheries before.

5Loaves on WGN's "Chicago's Best" next Thursday

Actually what I'm taking from this recent Instagram post from the eatery located on 405 E. 75th Street, they want a packed restaurant when the crew from Chicago's Best arrives on Nov. 16, 2017. The show itself airs on Sundays at 10 PM on WGN. Hopefully we can share the program itself if it's available online.

Join us next Thursday 11/16 We’re going to be featured on WGNs 📺Chicago’s Best!! #5Loaves #Chicago #SmallBusinesses #BlackBusinesses #CountryCooking #Family #Love #HotnFresh #75thStreet #wgnnews BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS 🙌🏾

A post shared by Constance Simms-Kincaid (@5loaveseatery) on Nov 10, 2017 at 10:06am PST

Are you going to Lem's on the Fourth?

If you attempted to pay Lem's Bar-B-Q (@ 311 E. 75th Street) a visit the evening before the 4th of July there was a line wrapped around the establishment. It seems a lot of people want to get that quick Lem's fix in time for the holidays. Bear in mind however that the long-time bbq restaurant will be open on the Fourth and will be closed Wednesday. Normally Lem's is closed on Tuesday.

I'll even post the ig post from the official Lem's profile below:

A post shared by Lem's BarBQ (@lemsbarbq) on Jul 2, 2017 at 2:13pm PDT

What do we do about the 50 Yard Line?

The 50 Yard Line is a lounge on 75th Street and it was in the news at the end of last month that a fatal shooting occurred there. It has started a community discussion which occurred at a recent Park Manor neighborhood meeting. Over at the Concerned Citizen's of Chatham FB page Worlee Glover writes a report on this meeting.

My two cents is that as a person who generally doesn't visit bars, it would be sad to see such an institution goes. My belief is that better a bar that's dedicated to protecting people either keeping them from getting into their vehicles and driving while intoxicated or keeping a patron from drinking too much be in a community. I also figure there are those elements who believe alcohol is bad regardless sees this as one more excuse to close down another lounge.

Fact is there aren't too many places in our communities where we could have a good time with friends or family. If not a lounge there aren't many sit down restaurants. I'm hoping that the 50 Yard Line owners and the community are able to get together in the hopes that we won't have many violent and deadly incidents such as this one recently.

Last year on "Political Forum" #Aldertrack

[VIDEO] Recently over at the "Shedd School" blog, I posted a year old video from 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale who made his case for another term on Chicago's City Council. Today this year old video shows 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer - who had been successful in his bid for re-election in 2015 - on CAN-TV's political forum.

Topics of interest discussed on this program the large lot program in Englewood, the re-entry center on the east side of Cottage Grove, helping ex-cons return to work, more locally owned businesses that will not only add to tax base also hire from the community, an elected school board, development of the State Street corridor in the 6th Ward, snow removal, and concerns over standardized testing for CPS students. Whew...a lot of issues are discussed on these shows I know.

Ald. Sawyer noted how in his second term as 6th Ward Alderman he wanted to really work on further developing 6th Ward communities such as Chatham, Park Manor and Englewood. When he got elected in 2011 those communities were stagnating. He stated that he started his first term planning his areas and then start his second term implenting the plan. I hope he's successful.

Let's see what else I have missed from Political Form for the past year.

Murder and a missing child

In our Facebook newsfeed, we saw two stories we felt the need to share.

Today a tow truck driver was shot   in the 6800 block of South Anthony about 9 a.m

ABC 7 Chicago has the story details.

Also from Greater Grand Crossing (thanks Fatimah Macklin for having this on your newsfeed):

A 14-year-old girl has been missing since Monday from the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side.

Samaria Banks was last seen 10:30 p.m. Monday, according to a missing person alert from Chicago Police. Her family told police that this is the first time she has been missing and that she frequents the area around the 200 block of East 69th Street.

  

She is described as a black girl with black hair and brown eyes, standing 5-foot-5 and weighing 135 pounds.

Anyone with information about Banks’ whereabouts should call the Area Central Special Victims Unit at (312) 747-8380.




See the full story from Fox 32 Chicago.

Make your own "Straight Outta Compton" signs....

Straight Outta Compton is a film scheduled to premeir in theaters everywhere August 18, 2015. It's a film about the rise and fall of the rap group N.W.A. This is one film I am looking forward to.

On FB, this link has been getting circulated amongst fb friends and allows anyone to do our own version of the Straight Outta Compton signs. Many have decided to take advantage to rep their own Chicago neighborhoods. I've done it not only for the many neighborhoods of Chicago, but also my old high school as well. In addition to streets and slang names for areas of the south side.

You're more than free to add your take to this as well. The more the merrier no matter where you're from!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Park Manor Inn: What's Really Going On

Park Manor Inn: What is Really Going On

On Friday, May 15, attorneys for Mr. Herb Hedgeman and Hedgeman Development filed an application for a special use permit to develop the Park Manor Inn at 76th State Street.

The process of applying for a special use permit is a requirement to build a hotel in the City of Chicago. In addition, the hotel would also have to receive City of Chicago City Council approval.

First, Alderman Roderick Sawyer has stated he has not endorsed this project and this action is strictly initiated by Mr. Hedgeman,. Alderman Sawyer's main issue is that Mr. Hedgeman refuses to place a flag(national brand) on the property. Also, no community organization has endorsed this project as many questions have not been answered. Some of the community resident concerns that have not been addressed that include but not limited to
1. The lot stays filthy and he refuses to clean. Neighbors want lot clean and free of weeds and debris.
2. Rendering looks like a State Street project building. Want architectural elements added to exterior to make property attractive.
3. Parking is inadequate, current plan only includes 45 parking spaces. Residents want one to one parking to rooms.
4. Clarification of management. Residents want clarification as to who is going to manage. Preference is for management company currently managing South Loop Hotel to manage this one and Mr Hedgeman have no day to day involvement.
5.Branding- current proposal includes no branding. Residents want a flag on the hotel.
6. Economic Benefit- presentation gave vague answers. Residents want reports from City of Chicago office of tourism and McPier Authority as to the economic impact this hotel might or might not have.
7. Community Benefit- presentation skirted issue. Who will be the builders and what percentage of construction jobs will go to community residents and African Americans in general.
8. Development Team- Mr. Hedgeman stated he and Mr. Higginbottom are the principals. Residents want to know and meet all parties who allege they are part of development team.
9. Barbara Ann/Sportsman Motels- residents want clarification on the status of a sale of the Sportsman and Barbara Ann.

A recap of the previous meeting is as follows http://concernedcitizensofchatham.blogspot.com/…/recap-of-t…

Because the application has been filed it will require another community meeting. Per the city requirements residents who live within 500-100 ft have to be notified by mail. Also, there will be a hearing with the zoning board. Based on previous decisions the board takes community input seriously. The zoning change for EZ Pawn was denied after the community stated it was not wanted.

Since the first meeting there has been quite a bit of activity surrounding hotels on the southside that question the viability of this project. There are two new developments being built/renovated north of this development. Those developments are:

1. The former Lakeshore Inn (49th Lake Shore Drive) is going through a multi million dolaare renovation and now flying the Laquinta flag.
2. Rumors that the Hilton Corp will develop a property under one of their flags at 59th Cottage Grove.

These two developments which are closer to McCormick Place make it difficult for the Park Manor Inn to garner any overflow business from conventions and trade shows.

While these developments are in the works, the political climate has changed as well. With the remap taking place, Mr. Hedgeman faces new opposition from a new alderman over his controversial Sportman Motel property. The Sportsman property is now in Alderman Ariel E. Reboyras(30th). The property was an issue in that recent aldermanic race. Alderman Reboyras and other southwest side alderman can use various parliamentary procedures to block a city council vote and testify at any hearings.

With all these issues it makes some question why is Mr. Hedgeman pushing the issue? Per sources, it may be because it is alleged that a Chatham resident who alleged that he was an emissary for a political candidate and could deliver community support if Mr. Hedgeman supported his candidate and gave construction contracts to certain companies/individuals.

There are a lot of questions that need to asked at the meeting and hearing. So what do you think?

Alderman Ariel E. Reboyras 6th Ward Chicago ‪#‎chicity‬ ‪#‎parkmanor‬‪#‎chatham‬

Can Old World Churches Survive in "New" Black Communities

Can Old World Churches Survive in "New" Black Communities

In approximately 30 days St. Dorothy Catholic Elementary School, at 450 E 78th Street, will close its doors after graduating several thousand students and operating 98 years. In October 2014 the Chicago Archdiocese announced that St. Dorothy would close and merge with St. Coumbanus to create Augustus Tolton Academy. The Tolton Academy will be housed at the former St. Columbanus School building. Also, it was recently announced that Salem Lutheran Church, 318 E. 74th, who recently celebrated their 145th anniversary, has been placed under receivership. The church is under the receivership of the Northern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The receiver attempting to shore up the church finances sold "Salem House". Salem House, which is a brick bungalow adjacent to the church, was used for meeting space, social services and other uses. The house was donated to the church over 30 years ago.

Both of these churches have survived racial and ethnic changes over the years but with the recent major changes the question has to be asked. Can these churches survive? 

Both Salem and St. Dorothy have dwindling congregations as well as dwindling contributions. Both churches hosted boy and girl scouts and teen clubs. Some in this community were exposed to sports such as skiing with their involvement in these churches.

Fast forward to today and boy and girl scouts are considered out of touch with today's youth and many have changed their views on assimilation. Many African Americans who moved to Chatham and Park Manor started to attend catholic and Lutheran churches in the community to get along with their non African American neighbors. Today many believe that philosophy was flawed and prefer to attend traditional "Black churches" or "Mega" churches.

What happened and why are these churches in the condition they face today? Do we have "black churches" in the community that will soon face the same predicament?

What do you think?

End of Campaign Mailers for Alderman Roderick Sawyer

Back to Back mailers came from Alderman Roderick Sawyer this week.

Alderman Sawyer Mailer #4

Alderman Sawyer mailer #4 courtesy of SEIU.

Alderman Sawyer New Video

Alderman Sawyer released a new video