What's going on in Roseland (9th Ward)?

Check out this EveryBlock discussion that was started with the statement below on May 1st with regards to Ald. Anthony Beale's administration of the 9th Ward:

Alderman Anthony Beale's plans for 9th Ward Roseland posted by DMC

 Does anyone know of any plans for the Roseland community? I drive around and see nothing but senior housing going up. The lot at 115th State has been torn apart a year ago yet nothing has been done to it, where's the Aldi and why do we need another when there's one just a mile west? There's nothing more than urban wear and hair supply stores on Michigan than blend quite well with the storefronts that are closed; such as the former Rent-a-Center lot on 115th Michigan behind Curtis School. Lastly, how many more churches can one ward have, like we haven't lost enough tax revenue in our community already? have Can anyone share any information on ANY worthwhile project in the 9th ward???? I'm lost here...

Check out the comments a number of things being said the main things mentioned is

Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep - we found out here that Ald. Beale had been elected to the LSC there. That is an issue because Brooks is a selective enrollment school and it is thought to be a conflict of interest. Also another potential issue is an attempt by Ald. Beale to use his "clout" to remove the sitting principal at Brooks. To be fair Ald. Sawyer himself had served on an LSC for McDade Classical School although I'm not certain if he remains on the LSC at current moment he didn't run to retain his seat in the recent LSC elections. Refer to JP's post for a link about LSC election results!

Development -  The comments appear to be not so thrilled with Wal-Mart coming to the area or do not believe it to be the savior while other commercial developments are being neglected. Especially the area of Michigan Avenue between roughly 107th and 115th Streets. Also they complain about the types of businesses that have set up shop in the 9th ward and the lack of development especially of the lot that was largely razed for an Aldi's at the corner of 115th & Michigan.

Constituent services - Many of the comments complain about Beale's lack of responsiveness to his residents. As the 9th Ward will take in a new constituency within the next few years this will prove to be key as it has been said that the areas located currently in the southernmost portion of the 6th Ward votes much more heavily than all of the 9th Ward. Some of the residents will seek out Ald. Beale at his office on Monday nights when he usually will be available talk to his constituents.

9th Warders are more than welcome to talk here about their communities and how their ward is faring currently. Do you think Ald. Beale is doing a good job as your Alderman? Why or why not? Well what say you?

Apology To Our Readers: We Will Not Let The Trolls Takeover

I would like to take the time out to apologize to the regular readers and contributors of  "The 6th Ward Blog" for some of the unnecessary back and forth comments that have been going on as of late. I allowed myself to get caught up in the cyber babble and I know better and apologize for my behavior.

The blog is a place to discuss community issues and whether you agree or disagree is fine, but as of late several individuals who are Internet trolls and have decided to attack this blog and the bloggers. These individuals are internet trolls who go all over the internet(i.e. Facebook, Everyblock, Twitter, etc) and stir up trouble. The cowardly acts are the result of individuals being warned that their comments violate the TOS agreements the blog has with their host. In one case, it has resulted in one individual having to be banned. This individual has decided to retaliate here and on other sites. Fortunately, the other sites know of this individual and have taken appropriate action, such as removing their comments and threatening to block them.

In the case of the personal attacks against me, I shake them off and continue because I know that these individuals do not have the courage to say these things to me personally. They only have internet courage and  that's all. I work by the motto "Haters only make you better".

I'm not a journalist and have no intentions of being one. You want journalism go read the damn Tribune and Sun Times and get all the journalism you want. I voice my opinion, you like or loathe it makes me no difference. I will speak out on and not get caught up in unsubstantiated, unnecessary personal attacks on business and property owners
http://chicago.everyblock.com/announcements/feb01-pepers-lounge-owner-tina-strikes-again-4705853/ . I will not shill for any candidate http://thesixthward.blogspot.com/2012/03/flyer-and-audio-sixth-ward-democratic.html. The 6th ward business does not stop because of elections. Application deadlines do not stop and criminals do not stop and say" I'm not going to commit a crime because it's election season". I find speaking negatively of someone's late parent cowardly and when they call you out on it you disappear.

So to all the trolls, Casey Thomas, Tina Dawson, Carmel Cutie, Stand Up Speak Up, Tayiah and all the other people with catchy psedonyms your crap has become tiring and frankly unimportant. if you haven't learned from the last two elections, personal attack ads don't work.

Insuring Regional Transit Equity: Extend the CTA Red Line

This information was found on EveryBlock today:

Join your neighbors in support of the CTA Red Line Extension Project. Click and sign on the petition below and help us bring mass transit to the City limits of Chicago - 95th to 130th Street (Doty Road). Four Stations are planned along the Union Pacific Railroad route (103rd, 111th, 115-16th, and 130th Street). For more information and opportunities to exercise your leadership in the community, call Developing Communities Project (DCP) at (773) 928-2500 ext.15. Please do share with others.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/extend-the-cta-red-line/

Happy New Year!

Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader

Via EveryBlock. A teacher at Deneen Elementary located at 7240 S. Wabash is seeking donations to provide her students with books to read.

My Students: Imagine 25 first graders sprawled across a classroom, each curled into a comfy spot with a book they can read all by themselves. The quiet hum of learning takes over as whisper voices read new stories, sound out words, and practice all the things good readers do. This is my dream for my classroom.

My students are curious, enthusiastic six and seven- year-olds who cannot wait to explore the world of books and reading. They live in a high-poverty neighborhood and have experienced many difficult challenges already in their young lives. However, each day they come to school with smiles on, eager to learn and grow.

My Project: My students are incredibly motivated to read, but unfortunately my classroom library is lacking in high quality books at the students' independent reading level. As emergent readers, my students have a wide range of abilities and previous experiences with books. They need access to books they can read on their own in order to build good reading habits and become strong readers.

The leveled books I am asking for support students as they make their way from highly patterned, beginning readers to books with more complex stories, plots, and dialogue. Finding these high-quality, engaging books in a wide range of first grade reading levels is often difficult and expensive. However, the benefits these leveled readers provide are numerous and valuable. Students' confidence grows as they read books they understand and enjoy, and over time, a love of reading emerges!

As a first year teacher, I am working to build a strong classroom library which truly supports ALL students in their journey to becoming lifelong readers and learners. This project will create a solid foundation for my leveled library that will grow and enrich student literacy for years to come! My students need 21 sets of leveled, "good-fit" books to read independently.

My students need 21 sets of leveled, "good-fit" books to read independently. 

What can we do to help? :)

Community Alert- Central Air Unit Theft Spree

Post over at EveryBlock by Concerned Citizens of Chatham (Worlee) I believe:

Please survey your property as there have been a number of central air unit stolen from the grounds of properties in the area of 79-83 state to king drive and 95-99 state to king drive.

We might need to keep an eye on our air conditioning units.

Found this Trulia listing via EveryBlock

For the Park Manor Bowl @ 100 East 75th Street. Blogged about this place and their licensing posting from EveryBlock this past November which apparently was under "THE NEW PARK MANOR INC". Now it appears listed for $850,000 and strangely enough it's considered a single-family home on Trulia.

So who wants to own a bowling alley?

BTW, want more real estate listings look no further than the Blotter.

Lost Yorkshire terrier

Just found this craigslist posting via Everyblock

5 pound male yorkie. Black with shades of brown and gray facial hair. His name is Friday. Friday has been microchipped. He was last seen on 73rd and Maryland. 

If you have no idea what a "yorkie" dog looks like click this link from Wikipedia. I'm not going to post an example pic because well I don't want anyone thinking the pic of a "yorkie" is Friday himself. :P

That being said let's find this little doggie. :)

Two blotter reports of interest....

This homicide report should raise our collective eyebrows. Well I know that there have been homicides in our community, but this is the first I have seen reported on EveryBlock (who just so happen to provide a widget for the Blotter):

• 8200 block S. Langley Ave
  Homicide: First degree murder
  Place: Residence.
  Reported at 8:58 p.m. on February 4, 2011.

Then a carjacking:

• 00 block E. 91st St
  Robbery: Aggravated vehicular hijacking
  Place: Street.
  Reported at 1:05 p.m. on February 4, 2011. 

I hope someone knows something about this homicide and I hope that every stays careful out there. Don't want to see anymore carjackings out there! 

BLIZZARD 2011: Please plow the side street on 70th place (Calumet Ave) and the alley

Found this report via our Blotter on the website Ask for help, lend a hand: Blizzard 2011 which is a service of the Chicago Tribune, WGN, and the Chicago Weather Center:

Please, we need assistance with the side street of 70th place and the alleys down the entire block of 7000 S. Calumet. All are still covered completely in snow. We have quite a few elderly and handicapped people who reside on this particular block, your prompt assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Here's hoping they got a response for their troubles.

BTW, I have some photos in an album at the FB page which shows my own alley still largely unplowed a day after the snow storm ended. Here's an example near 98th & Michigan:

Looking at the alley south from 98th Street

The side streets at least look much better but I'm sure there are those of us who want to get our automobiles out of our garages. :P

BTW, if you have photographs that you would like to share of your neighborhood in the aftermath or even during the recent blizzard share them with us. Post them on our FB page or send them to an e-mail address JP had set up at blog+web@thesixthward.us.

I just heard this today, it was said that clearing the alleys of snow is the responsibility of the neighborhood. Is that true?

UPDATED:Does Harlan students get some unfortunate press?

UPDATE 11:13 AM One of the teen boys who were shot in this incident (he was shot in the heat) has died of his wounds. It's unclear in this if he went to Harlan however.

I just got to say this story was difficult to follow. You may have seen this story through our Blotter. And this article made special mention of two young people who were shot, a brother and sister, were students at Harlan. They weren't the only young people involved in this story but yet the nearby high school was mentioned.

BTW, this story took place at 100th & Michigan. Either way not sure what the point of this being brought up in this piece was.

It was easy for me to have a knee jerk reaction seeing a brief blurb about this piece especially reading a brief at EveryBlock. I could've just assumed there was another shooting near Harlan only to find that well this shooting took place down the street. Even worse the Harlan students were victims. The way this article was written it doesn't appear that they initiated anything.

Either way what was said by Ald. Lyle may well be correct, although surely she wasn't the only one saying this. That Harlan gets some unfortunate flack for anything bad that happens in the area.

Every Block items

Looks like one neighborhood Walgreen's will be allowed to sell liquor according to info from Every Block 

• 11 E. 75th St. WALGREENS #03539 
• License for Package goods (liquor) issued on July 7, 2010.

Refer to this post about Walgreen's wishing to sell liquor at their locations once again.

Here are some crimes

• 6900 block S. Prairie Ave Aggravated battery: Handgun 
• Place: Street. Reported at 11 a.m. on June 28, 2010.
  
  7500 block S. Rhodes Ave Robbery: Strongarm: no weapon
  Place: Street. Reported at 5 p.m. on June 28, 2010.
  
  00 block W. 69th St Theft: Purse-snatching
  Place: CTA train. Reported at 6 a.m. on June 28, 2010.
  

I saw an old posting for 87th Street on the Red Line for Domestic battery. May we be very careful out there!