Alderman Sawyers First Year Report

Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer came into office with an aggressive plan to clean up the ward, including many areas that had been long neglected.  This included many vacant lots in Englewood, as well as alleys on the east side of our ward.  The new Ward Superintendent Paul Bryson dove right in and got his hands dirty working with Streets and Sanitation. He received assistance from earn-fair workers and community volunteers to help keep our neighborhood clean.  While strides have been made, we need more community input, and we have to hold our neighbors accountable.  The high number of vacant homes makes it difficult for the city to get to every lot or overgrown yard as soon as we would like.  We need to look for some neighborhood based solutions to some of these concerns.

Alderman Sawyer has been judicious about supporting the removal of buildings, as too many demolitions result in problem vacant lots in areas.  Alderman Sawyer is working to find investors to rehab properties, and get them back into the hands of homeowners.  Alderman Sawyer has made every attempt to protect the community from unscrupulous outside investors. These investors wanted to buy homes cheaply, and place more transient renters in more of our homes, instead of looking for a long term solution to entice people back to our neighborhood.  As part of this long term solution, Alderman Sawyer addressed the pillars of our community in his first year:  safety, economic development, education, community engagement, and city’s governance.

Safety

Alderman Sawyer knows that the main characteristic of any strong neighborhood is the ability to feel safe.  As often stated, the Alderman’s goal for the 6^th Ward is to be able to walk from your home un-accosted to pick up something you need on a street near you. He wants residents to have the option of stopping to have a good, healthy meal, be entertained and return home un-accosted; all in their own neighborhood.  Safety is a major component of turning this vision into a reality.  In the first year the four districts (3^rd, 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th) have all received new commanders and the term began with the installation of a new police commissioner.  Alderman Sawyer has maintained good communication with police throughout this transition, as well as worked with the implementation of new strategies to combat individuals who refuse to follow the law.  As always this requires your help as well, whether attending your CA PS meetings, being a nosey neighbor or following the number one rule of public safety, “If you see something, say something.”   Alderman Sawyer’s focus has been more on working with neighbors to collect actionable intelligence on crimes to share with the police.  This will help them work towards producing more real convictions in troubled areas, rather than continue chasing the problems from corner to corner.

Alderman Sawyer also believes that in order to keep our neighborhood safe, we as residents need to take our neighborhood back.  Alderman Sawyer has participated in numerous prayer vigils, anti-violence marches and roll calls in troubled areas. He knows that the solution is not for the good people to hide in their homes and shut their doors.  It is important that all good neighbors get to know each other and do things outside in their neighborhood. Forming those relationships will make it easy to correctly identify outsiders and warn them to keep moving. Further, Alderman Sawyer has begun the conversation with community groups about creating residential Special Service Areas (SSAs).  This program would create an additional tax levy on residents.  The funds, which would be controlled by the neighborhood that instituted the program, could be used for private security.  As focused as he remains on safety, Alderman Sawyer knows there cannot just be a policing solution to t his problem.  He is working with faith leaders, community groups and local businesses to rebuild the sense of community throughout the ward.  This is also the main reason he has been focused on fixing the educational and economic opportunities in the area. The best form of violence prevention is job availability.

Economic Development

The first directive from Alderman Sawyer is that we need to begin to plan our neighborhoods one area at a time, rather than storefront by storefront.  Our main business thoroughfares need to have an identity, and be planned in a way that does the most for economic development and eases licensing hurdles.  Alderman Sawyer has worked with the Chatham Business Association and is organizing business groups within all of the 6^th Ward major business districts to get together to help the office address the challenges facing small business in this environment.

Alderman Sawyer also held a transportation meeting where he introduced the concept of transit oriented development into the conversation of the 6^th Ward.  As head of the ward that contained or abutted the most red line stops in the city, Alderman Sawyer felt the need to point out the glaring economic loss that was the lack of any real development around our transportation stops.  The lack of this development has contributed to the loss of jobs in the community, decreases safety and home values, and removes a large amount of potential revenue to the city, county and state.

Education

Alderman Sawyer worked to get involved with his schools. He had a goal of changing the fact that the great majority of the schools in the 6^th Ward were on probation.  Rather than jumping to conclusions Alderman Sawyer set out to find the answers because he knew that many of his schools had dedicated and talented administrators, teachers, and parents.  Therefore, the Alderman held a meeting with his principals, to discuss the issues that they were facing including our neighborhood schools, selective enrollment schools, charter schools and turnaround schools.  In his two meetings thus far, Alderman Sawyer learned that much of the cause of the probation battles were unrealistic federal standards that didn’t measure growth, which made catching up more difficult. The high mobility of families, caused by the housing crisis forced students to have to change schools multiple times in their first few years.  Finally, Alderman Sawyer was able to learn about many of the innovative programs that our schools are using, and other schools got ideas of how to better push things forward.  What became key is that much of the neighborhood, including parents and students were unaware of the work being done in our neighborhood schools. We need to address the stigma of attending a neighborhood school so that parents and students will take advantage of the opportunities that are available to them.

Community Engagement

Alderman Sawyer believes that the best way for our community to return to its former status is by rebuilding our neighborhoods, block by block and community by community.  This is why Alderman Sawyer has worked with several groups to establish block clubs, connected newer block clubs with longer serving groups and worked to empower community organizations.  Alderman Sawyer wants residents to know their neighbors and be active in their community organizations. It’s the connection of neighbors and families that make neighborhoods strong, more than political boundaries.  Along those lines, Alderman Sawyer attends the regular meetings of each community organization and many block club meetings as his schedule allows.  It is important that we first understand and feel connected to what is happening in our neighborhood; getting to know our own neighbors to help pre-build the bonds that are fundamental for a community.  Further, Alderman Sawyer has hosted meetings for Bloc k Club Presidents and the Presidents of Community Organizations so that the leadership of these groups can have a bond and share best practices and information.

Alderman Sawyer has promoted protesting particularly when businesses in our neighborhood do not treat us appropriately.  As a former licensing attorney, Alderman Sawyer knows the difference between a good business that needs to come into some compliance, and a problem institution that does not belong in a community.  The constant refrain with some of the problem stores—possessing general business licenses—is that we must put our money where our mouth is and stop supporting these businesses.  As long as you give money to businesses that do not respect you, more disrespectful businesses will follow.  Alderman Sawyer has worked on “stop the violence” marches with the SEIU and demands for community investment with Action Now.  The Alderman is currently standing with Congressman Bobby Rush in the fight for fair jobs from Metra on the Englewood Flyover project.  Alderman Sawyer is determined to do more than just meet on problems; he is ready to stand on the front l ine with the community.  He just asks that the community stands up with him.

City Hall

With the arrival of Mayor Rahm Emanuel this has been a time for rapid change and a serious discussion about the direction of this city. Alderman Sawyer has been a major figure in these discussions.   He took the fact that he was elected to be independent very seriously, and has been judicious about when he has sided with the Mayor and when he has not.  When it comes to addressing the fiscal challenges, Alderman Sawyer has been guided by the principles that the brunt of the burden cannot strictly be placed on those who can least afford it.  Alderman Sawyer has also fought for investment and the expansion of services in the communities in his ward.  After experiencing a summer of very slow response times by the Bureau of Electricity and the Department of Forestry, Alderman Sawyer worked within the budget process to secure more trucks for each department to get that work completed. 

Alderman Sawyer voted against allowing the city of confiscate income taxes for money owed to the city, as well as the speed camera ordinance because they seemed regressive ways to increase revenue.  He supported the overall budget and the infrastructure trust, because those seemed like well-intentioned vehicles to fund the sorts of major improvements that are desperately needed in the 6^thWard.  Even with those votes it was a deliberative process where he earned the respect of the Mayor’s office, and often receives individual briefings when he requires more information.  Alderman Sawyer voted against the ward remap, as it has separated communities. His attempt in the process was to maintain single representation of as many middle class wards as possible. However, it was clear that due to a reduction of population, according to the census, there was going to have to be some shifts in ward boundaries.  The balance between protecting overall black representat ion in the 6^th Ward was difficult, but the best idea would have been to maintain full communities.  As the interests of residents where being ignored for political reasons, Alderman Sawyer could not support the map.  Alderman Sawyer was a co-sponsor of the Clean Air Ordinance, stood against the library cuts, and served on the Mayor’s Aldermanic Sign Task Force. He is also in the working group to increase regulations on metal yards, that have been accepting stolen goods.

In all it has been an excited first year including thousands of service requests accepted through every form of current technology as well as better getting to know our 6^th Ward Neighbors.

Progress IL: Community activists to show the world a different side of Chicago

I hope that RAGE is getting in on this action!

Grassroots Collaborative, an association of 11 community organizations, including SEIU* Local 73 and SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana, will guide visiting journalists on two “Chicago 99% Tours” this week. With reporters from Reuters, the BBC, and various local publications already signed on, the tours will take the press via charter bus through Chicago’s Englewood, Brighton Park, Little Village, and Back of the Yards neighborhoods.

“We want the visiting journalists to get outside of downtown, to hear the real stories from Chicagoans who live in different parts of the city who are dealing with issues like foreclosures, violence, and school safety,” said Amisha Patel, executive director for Grassroots Collaborative.

One of the issues Patel and her organization have been most vocal about is the millions of dollars World Business Chicago raised to support the NATO summit. In a press release, the community activists said about $14 million will go towards paying for “NATO parties.”

Patel said she’d like to see some of that money redirected to help Chicago’s poorest residents repair their neighborhoods by setting up safety watches for school children, or use to prevent the closures more local mental health facilities.

These tours are scheduled to take place the mornings of Thursday May 17 & Friday May 18!

Via Capitol Fax morning shorts!

House listing from 90th Street...

This is one of the many houses or properties that one may find using the EveryBlock widget on our Blotter page. It's located at 312 East 90th Street and as you see in that picture it's boarded up. It's priced at $80,500 and is listed as having 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom along with a basement! It was built between 1951 & 1954, well actually the Trulia page lists two different years for initial construction. Click the Trulia link for more external or internal pictures within this home. Would this be a home you're interested in?

Sun-Times: City to give $2 million to companies that hire City Colleges grads

Sounds great but then where is this money coming from?

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a $2 million stipend for companies willing to hire City Colleges of Chicago graduates.

“You hire one of our community college kids, we’ll pay their stipend for the first four weeks of work,” Emanuel said Saturday during his commencement address to 3,300 graduates at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion. “. . . I want the rest of the country and all the people to know we got great community colleges with great kids who are ready to go to work.”

He also told the graduates — a record number for City Colleges, which granted only half that number of associates degrees a decade ago — about the importance of battling adversity.

I hope the students at our nearby city colleges, Olive-Harvey and Kennedy-King take advantage of this in the future!

Tribune: Pickup truck crashes into CTA station entrance

87th Street auxilliary entrance via Chicago-L.org

This incident occurred Sunday night:

The collision happened just before 9 p.m. at the 87th Street station's auxilliary entrance that sits on the north side of the 87th Street overpass, according to CTA officials.

The westbound pickup truck jumped the curb and collided with the glass double doors, officials said.

Chicago police confirmed the crash, adding that Illinois State police were handling the incidwent because the pickup's driver was suspected of a previous offense minutes before the collision.

The pickup's driver was being held pending DUI charges, state police said.

Two people from the crash were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Chicago Fire Department officials said.

One was transported in serious-to-critical condition and the second patient was in fair-to-serious condition, a spokesman said. It was unclear whether they were CTA passengers or were inside the pickup truck.

Also in another report from the Sun-Times

CTA spokesman Brian Steele said the vehicle “made contact” with glass double doors at the auxiliary entrance, which is located on the north side of 87th Street across from the station’s main entrance. The station remained open, and service on the Red Line was not affected, Steele said.

Does anyone know the story of this house?

Located at the intersection of 90th & Prairie, it appears to be a large house that could be called a "McMansion". A case could be made for it to be a rental property with various floors to be rented out. It's close to being completed and has been sitting like this for approximately 3 to 5 years.

I'm posting this for one main reason. Some of my assumptions about this property could surely be challenged. Therefore, it would be curious to know some of the history of this home? Who built it and why is it in its current state?

Shooting on 75th Street last night..

Found this Tribune report via Blotter. One of a number of violent incidents throughout the city within the past day:

A 36-year-old man was shot in the Chatham neighborhood about 1:30 a.m. He was in the 300 block of East 75th Street when someone shot him in the foot, police said. He turned up at the University of Chicago Hospital, police said.

City business plan competition extended to July

For those of you with business plans and hopefully seek the opportunity to win some cash money in the process. The deadline has been extended to July 6, 2012 at 4:30 PM:

Do you have a great business idea? The City wants to hear it.

The Chicago City Treasurer’s Office is proud to announce the launch of the annual Business Plan Competition. The competition is open to start-up and existing small businesses throughout the city.

To compete for a chance to win cash for your small business, submit your two-page executive summary (official executive summary template can be found at www.jvschicago.org/duman) detailing your business and what makes it unique. Ten finalists will then be selected to submit a full business plan. Three winners will be selected based on their ability to clearly and concisely articulate their business idea, the creativity and practicability of their marketing and sales strategy, and the overall viability of their business.

The winners will be announced on October 5 at the Chicago City Treasurer’s Small Business Expo – 725 W. Roosevelt Road - 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. In addition, the winners will present their winning business plans at the Expo.

On June 27th there will be a business plan workshop at the Chatham Business Association located at 806 E. 78th Street from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.

Metal theft prevention tips...

Found this over at EveryBlock posted by Worlee and consider this a follow-up to these to recent stories posted to the blog:

• Tribune: Metal thefts putting homeowners on edge 
• VIDEO: Thieves Target Brass Mailbox Covers In Avalon Park 

Ward Room: City council approves slashing city business licenses

According to this article it should save small businesses more than $2 milllion and result in fewer fines for business people and entrepreneurs:

The City Council on Wednesday approved an ordinance to reduce the number of Chicago business licenses from 117 to 49 and make it easier for dogs to accompany their owners to restaurant patios.

The move takes Chicago from one of the most heavily licensed cities to one of least, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. It cuts unnecessary red tape and decreases bureaucracy for local businesses, especially small businesses.

It also consolidates business licenses so restaurants won't need to apply for the separate $125 "dog-friendly" license.

Aldermen overwhelmingly supported the proposal, saying businesses "deserve to have the red carpet, not red tape."

Ward Room: First Lady to Host NATO South Side Tour

This is a cool thing for Michelle Obama to orchestrate in connection with the coming NATO summit here. There's more to Chicago than either the north side or the downtown area of town:

The First Lady has invited spouses of NATO leaders on a tour of the Gary Comer Youth Center on Chicago's south side, followed by a private dinner at the Chicago Art Institute.

The visit to the youth center will include performances by the South Shore Dance Drill Team, dancers from the Muntu Dance Theater and musicians from the Soul Children of Chicago. Following the performance, Mrs. Obama and the other spouses will sit down for a private lunch created by Chef Paul Kahan. Kahn will work with Gary Comer Youth Center youth members in preparing the meal.

The Gary Comer Youth Center is about two blocks from the apartment where the First Lady grew up, the White House said in March.

Examiner: Replacing Chicago business not an easy task

Here's some news on the site of the former Chatham Pancake House it was demolished within the past month and as you see above it is now a vacant lot! Now the plans for this lot by the developer of the nearby Chatham Village Square:

“If I could purchase the land behind the car wash occupied by a tennis field no one uses, I could combine that space with the pancake house and that would allow me to offer potential developers enough space to build,” [Musa Tadros] said. “But until then I needed to demolish the building to keep it from being taxed as an operating business. And besides, it was starting to deteriorate so there was also a liability issue.”

One business Chatham residents can rest assures will not be built on the site is another liquor store.

“I hate that there is a liquor store across the street now so I know I would not accept any proposals for a liquor store. There will be no pawnshop there either,” he explained. “And whatever goes up there the community will have a say.”

The Chatham Business Association already has a few ideas for the location.

“There are numerous fits in the community. I would love to see a WiFi coffee, breakfast type establishment to replace the pancake house,” said Melinda Kelly, executive director of the Chatham Business Association, a non-profit Chicago organization.. And Alderman Roderick Sawyer, whose sixth ward includes the pancake house site, said he supports redevelopment of the land and is excited about the possibilities for it.

“I am pleased there is a plan to redevelop the old Chatham Pancake location, while I regret the loss of that business I look forward to a new vibrant business on 87th Street,” Sawyer said. Local, black business owners are pushing for another Black business to move into the space.

“I hope that whatever is put there it is a black-owned business,” said Milton Moses, president and chief executive officer of Community Insurance Center, a 50 year-old, black-owned agency at 526 E. 87th St. “That’s what wrong with black neighborhoods now. As soon as a black business goes under or relocates a non-black business moves in.”

Tadros added he would not discriminate and is open to all proposals regardless of race.

Tadros had purchased the lot of the former pancake house pledged to only find a development that would make "good business sense". Also noted that the limited space on that lot could cause any attempt at development to take much longer. The article noted it could take as much as two years to develop the pancake house lot.

Also I'm sure taking away the tennis courts of Brown Park will raise some eyebrows even if they are rarely used!

The old Wendy's and the store next door...

I took this shot near 95th & King Drive this past Thursday. Wendy's has been closed for about a month already the establishment boarded up and Wendy's sign removed. What would you like to see here to replace them?

BTW, this is old news that was noted on our FB page last month. A reader chimed in that the owners of this franchise sold the business and moved on.

ALSO at the time I took this picture a group of young people were loitering just outside of the store next door to the former Wendy's. The store formerly was home very briefly to a Quench Fresh Family Foods store. There was a big group no more than 10 young people standing outside. I know that a lot of people are at odds with this store, but to their credit someone came out to shoo the loiterers away from their door. They didn't move along right away but eventually they did.

I did attempt to get a shot of the loitering but hey can't always get the perfect shot. I took a shot of some young loiterers at a gas station near the 95th Street terminal on Tuesday. When it's dismissal time -with Harlan and Gillespie nearby - there is normally a police car present however on this day there wasn't.

It makes you wonder what's the appeal of just standing around near a place of business with no intention of doing any business?

Yard sale sign for Saturday...

Took a snapshot of this sign advertising a yard sale at the corner of 89th Street and King Drive Thursday afternoon. It's coming May 5th from 6 AM to 6 PM. Does anyone plan to participate as either a seller or a buyer this weekend?

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?

Chicago 311 requests to get tracking numbers...

It seems as if the crew at the 6th ward service office was ahead of the curve. Soon we won't have to ask for a service request number, soon they will just give it to us to track the progress of our requests. From NBC Chicago:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Thursday that Chicago is enhancing its 311 system to assign tracking numbers to requests so callers can see a request's progress.

“Taxpayers who call 311 for a City service should be able to quickly and easily find out when that service has been completed,” Emanuel said in a statement. “This new system will reassure the public that their requests are not falling into a black hole and make it easier for taxpayers to hold City departments accountable.”

Emanuel said the new system, to be operational by the fall, will provide more information to calling residents and "ensure greater accountability" for departments that respond to service requests.

Each request will get a tracking number similar to one given for a Fed Ex package. City officials can more easily monitor the request, Emanuel said, and the caller will be notified when it's completed.

LSC Election results

The results are available for the Chicago LSC Elections.
To find your school via a map, go to -->  http://cps.edu/Pages/LSC_Map.aspx

Some results were horrendous.

Dixon had at most 12 parents voting. I'm not sure how big it is, but doing the math of 2 classrooms times 1st - 6th grade = 12. So it seems like ONLY 1 parent per classroom bothered voting, even though the election was on Report Card Pick Day (with teacher conferences).

Gillispie only had 2 parents to run (for up to 6 open slots), with 15 voting

Pirie several parents running, and but only one received 16 votes; a community member garnered 14 votes.

Neil had 24 voting.

Mcdade, despite being a Classical school (and one of the top 2% in the state) only had up to 48 vote. (This is a school I would expectr to have high parent involvement, as well as interest of neighbors).

Ruggles had at least 73 parents & community members voting

Burnside had at least 86
Harlan High had 37, including it looks like former State Rep. candidate Sandra Worthem.

Hirsch High had 27.

Deneen, being now a charter school, did not have any elections listed.



The database can be found at https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?snapid=S470929CFCw



A supplementary election is planned later this year. 
 
Disclaimer: The Sixth Ward blog writer, JP Paulus, ran for Burnside's LSC, and won as a parent representative.

Harlan High School student missing!!!

The date of this missing person alert  for Sasha Clemons was from April 23, 2012. She had been last observed leaving Harlan located at 9652 S. Michigan Avenue at around 1PM (listed as 1300 hrs on the alert). As of today's publishing there has been no further updates on this case. If you have any information with regards to this young lady the number for Chicago Police area central is 773.747.8380. The alert itself is posted below!

Newsalert: Rahm Emanuel Considers Closing 100 Chicago Public Schools

Speaking of the schools...

Rahm Emanuel Considers Closing 100 Chicago Public Schools via Newsalert!

A source with close ties to Chicago's public education establishment has confirmed that Rahm Emanuel may close 100 Chicago public schools. Along with the closures will come a vast expansion of charter schools. Emanuel has 150 half empty public schools that are a drain on tax dollars. With Chicago, having lost 200,000 people in the last Census: change is in the air....Can Rahm go to war with the teachers unions and win? Stay tuned.

Steve Bartin the blogmaster of Newsalert made sure to note that Mayor Emanuel will not make any such announcement in San Francisco.

Is anyone concerned this could affect many of our neigborhood schools?

CPS announces ‘coordinated’ opening and closing bells for schools - Chicago Sun-Times

CPS announces ‘coordinated’ opening and closing bells for schools - Chicago Sun-Times

Under a plan announced Friday, the often-popular 9 a.m. opening bell will be a thing of the past next school year, when all elementary schools will be assigned an opening time between 7:45 and 8:45 a.m. and an end time between 2:45 and 3:45 p.m.

High school students will have to get up even earlier, with all high schools opening between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. and ending between 3 and 4 p.m., district officials said in a news release.

Schools may appeal their bell times through May 9. To do so they must “demonstrate a significant safety and/or instructional issue with their school’s proposed start and end times,’’ according to the district news release. Schools must win the approval of their network chief as well as other district officials to change an assigned bell schedule.

“Never before has the District given such consideration to safety precautions in regards to the start and end times at our schools,’’ Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said in a news release. “The choice to adopt coordinated bell schedules is a new safeguard that we know will have a direct and lasting impact on all CPS students.’’

Charter schools do not have to follow the new bell schedules.

Anyone out there concerned about this proposal?

Revised Infrastructure Trust Vote | Chicago Tonight | WTTW

Revised Infrastructure Trust Vote | Chicago Tonight | WTTW

I've had my eye on the infrastructure trust plan proposed by Mayor Emanuel. You can see how all 50 alderman voted and note the ones who were absent. Ald. Sawyer voted in favor of this proposal on April 24, 2012.

Three Shot Outside Bar On South Side « CBS Chicago

Three Shot Outside Bar On South Side « CBS Chicago

The three people were standing outside bar in the 500 block of East 75th Street about 3:23 a.m. when they were shot, police said.

A man was shot in the abdomen area and taken to John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, and another man was shot in the hand and taken to Jackson Park Hospital, police said.

Detail were sketchy on a third person wounded in the shooting, but police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer confirmed three people were hit.

Conditions of the shooting victims and other details were not immediately available.

No one in is in custody, and Area Central detectives are investigating.

Another example of stories you may find on the Sixth Ward Blotter!

Chatham: It's Time to Save Brown Park

 

Last year I wrote a blog post about the parks in the 6th ward and one was Brown Memorial Park.

Brown Memorial Park was established as the last parcel of a large lot of land formerly owned by the Nation of Islam. The land was foreclosed and sold in parcels. The Chicago Park District purchased nearly 7 acres of a 14 acre for the playground in 1967. When park development began the following year, the site was picketed by angry residents, who had expected a park double the size. Though the park district was unable to acquire the additional land, improvements went forward. In 1990, the park district named the site for Sidney Brown (1951-1983), the first African-American firefighter to die in the line of duty in Chicago. Brown, who began his career as a firefighter in 1978, served with Engine Company 75 on the city's south side. As a "hydrant man" who connected hoses to fire hydrants, he was often the last firefighter to enter an engulfed building. Brown died on August 9, 1983, when he rushed into a burning house, hoping to save three children believed to be trapped there.

 Brown Memorial Park(636 E. 86th St) has been in a state of disrepair, the basketball courts were removed, the tennis courts are beat and the only major improvement the Chicago Park District has planned is to build a playlot that is fully funded at this point. The playlot is woefully insufficient as the park has no fieldhouse and no bathroom facilities. The community has had enough and is planning a meeting to address the current situation of Brown Memorial Park. The meeting information: May 2, 2012 Wednesday 6:30 pm Cole Park Fieldhouse 361 E. 85th For more information contact Rev. Dr. Marc Robertson at upliftsomeone@sbcglobal.net

Troubled building in Park Manor demolished...

These images were sent to us by Ald. Sawyer's Chief of Staff Brian Sleet with this message:

This is a before and after picture of the building on 439 E. 74th St. was torn down on April 25, 2012. It has been vacant for years and has often housed a lot of drug users and the like. The residents in that area had been trying to get something done with that building for years.

The picture above is of the 6-unit apartment building before it's demolition when it was boarded up. Click both pics for a larger resolution!

The picture below is of this building being torn down and with Ald. Sawyer himself at the site of the demolition.

It looks like it was a nice building once an now it will no longer be a nuisance to the community!

Shooting in Chatham!

Got wind of this via Greater Chatham Alliance e-mail blast:

In the most recent shooting, a 49-year-old man sitting in a car with two others was shot and wounded during an attempted holdup just before 2:30 a.m. this morning in the 8000 block of South Michigan Avenue in the city's Chatham neighborhood.

The victim was struck in the back and forearm and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in "stable condition," police said, citing early reports.

The gunman fled and hadn't been apprehended, police said.

Happy Birthday, Worlee!

Happy Birthday, Worlee!

You may not agree with him some (or even most) of the time, but Worlee has been a longtime contributor to this blog, as well as writing his own blog, Concerned Citizens of Chatham on Blogger as well as the Chicago Tribune's set of blogs at ChicagoNow.

He also posts regularly on Everyblock - Chicago as well.

Thanks for all your contributions, and stirring some debate!

Benji- The Ben Wilson Story

The story of Ben Wilson is now complete. "Benji", a documentary is now playing at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, New York. The documentary was produced for ESPN but we need it to be shown on the big screen here.

For those who do not know the story,

In 1984, 17-year-old Ben Wilson was a symbol of everything promising about Chicago: a sweet-natured youngster from the city's fabled South Side, and America's top high school basketball prospect. Nicknamed "Magic Johnson with a jump shot," Wilson's natural talents and drive assured his best years were yet to come. Then, in November of his senior year, the career of this exceptional youngster was abruptly and tragically cut short. Ben's grim fate sent ripples of horror through the city and the country. 

Today, in 2012 , consensus number 1 high school basketball player in the country again comes from Simeon High School. As a community, city and nation we cannot allow history to repeat itself. Please contact ICE Chatham 14 Theater @ Ice.info@icetheaters.com or your local theater and let them know you want to view this film

Flossmoor man charged in South Side murder - Southtown Star

Flossmoor man charged in South Side murder - Southtown Star

An update to a recent story posted on Friday!

Michael T. Jones, 30, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said. He was being held in the Cook County Jail without bond awaiting a May 9 court date, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s office’s website.

Police officers saw Jones shooting at a man just before 11 p.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of East 87th Place and arrested him after a short foot chase, police said.

Jones is accused of shooting James Reddick, 58, near his home on the same block. Reddick was dead on the scene with a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A source said the shooting was not random.

Park Manor Candlelight Vigil

Fr. Mike Knotek, Pastor & Fr. Vanecko, with Park Manor Neighbors' are sponsoring  
A prayer vigil outside of St Columbanus Catholic Church  
331 E. 71st St. Chicago, IL 60619 .
 Phone: (773) 224-1022 Fax: (773) 224-1477
SATURDAY, 
APRIL 21, 2012 
6:00PM.

THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTINGS THAT ARE  OCCURRING IN THE AREA (YOUNG MAN THAT GOT SHOT IN HIS CAR OUTSIDE DAY CARE TUESDAY, THE SHOOTINGS IN MEYERING PLAYGROUND, THE SCHOOL AND OTHER VIOLENCE IN THE AREA.)

Tribune: Officers witness slaying, chase down gunman

Scene on the 700 block E. 87th Street from WGN-TV

 Oh this is plain unbelievable!

Gresham District officers were on patrol when they heard gunshots in the 700 block of East 87th Place just before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and went to investigate, police said.

As the officers arrived, they saw a man fire three shots into the head of a man on the ground, authorities said.

The officers chased down the 30-year-old suspect and took him into custody, according to authorities. The suspect, who lives across the street from the victim, has a street gang affiliation but police didn't offer a motive.

The victim, identified as James Reddick, 58, of the 87th Place address, was dead at the scene, police said.

Reddick's girlfriend, Brenda Acklin, called him a "typical working man" who did rehab work such as brick-laying and roofing on homes.

"James did work all over Chicago," she said. "He'd knock them (houses) down and build them up."

Acklin was playing solitaire on the second floor of the warehouse Wednesday night when she heard about five or six gunshots, she said. She immediately looked out outside and saw a Chicago police car speeding west through an alley across the street, its siren blaring.

You should read the whole article there was more to be said about the victim than what's provided in the excerpt above!

VIDEO: Thieves Target Brass Mailbox Covers In Avalon Park

[VIDEO] On Tuesday WBBM-TV took at look at the string of mailbox metal thefts plaguing the south side. Ald. Sawyer is quoted in the story:

Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th)says it is all about money, and he is right. The average current scrap price for brass is a $1.25 per pound. Given the 3-pound weight of each mailbox cover, a dozen of them could bring $45.

Sawyer wants to tighten up the laws governing scrap metal companies, to make it more risky for them to buy stolen goods.

“Give them heavy disincentives for those that are illegally obtaining these items and those that are illegally accepting them,” he says.

Sawyer agrees that arresting the thieves ”would be a wonderful thing, but you’ve got to catch them.”

Here are some earlier posts on this subject to check out!

• Tribune: Metal thefts putting homeowners on edge 
• Ald. Sawyer calls for stronger regulations on metal yards

Remember that infrastructure trust plan by the Mayor...

[VIDEO] This past Monday, Aldermen Beale & Sawyer were quoted by ABC 7 on this infrastructure trust proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Beale actually is a member of the city council finance committee that we see meeting in this story!

[Chicago Chief Financial Officer Lois] Scott reminded the aldermen that the Chicago Federation is already on board.

"Labor leadership understands that the trust offers a rare opportunity for a win-win: Building critical infrastructure and creating union jobs around the city," said Scott.

"I think it's a good thing, but it's also something that we need to proceed with caution," said Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th Ward. "It could benefit us but it also could backfire."

Several aldermen, however, said they need more information before voting on the ordinance as soon as Wednesday.

"I'd like to have more questions answered, and I don't think we're going to get those answered in the next two days, that's my only concern," said Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th Ward.

New activity at the squatter house...

Surely someone who reads this blog either knows what the deal is at this house near the intersection of 95th & Michigan. They either know or they know someone who knows.

I took this pic on my cell phone and immediately posted it to the FB page on Wednesday afternoon. The plywood that covered the door has been removed and the house was wide open. I also saw a child go into the house through the side door.

The link below was the last update on this house and that posting has some other links regarding this house.

• The "squatter" house is back!

Tomorrow is LSC election day for high schools...

Click image for a larger resolution

The above flyer are for community representatives Sharon Banks-Pincham and Sandra J. Wortham for the John Marshall Harlan High School Local School Council. Wortham just came off a bid for 34th district state representative and is currently serving on Harlan's LSC.

Anyway Tomorrow is election day for high school LSCs hopefully you can make some time to vote for LSC representatives at your neighborhood high school. In this case if you live in Harlan's neighborhood at least you know what room to go to to cast your ballot!

Again if you're for voting for an LSC candidate or have run for an LSC or are serving on an LSC please give us a note at blog [@] thesixthward.us

Ruggles LSC candidates...

Today is election day at CPS elementary schools. Today and Thursday are elections for Local School Councils at individual CPS schools. Thursday are election to high school LSCs.

I've been sitting on this for a while so here are some materials if you're to vote at Rugggles Elementary School located at 7831 S. Prairie Avenue. One flyer for an LSC candidate was already shown here, a flyer for Jahmal Cole author of Torch of Decency!

Knowing this is late notice, where ever your neighborhood elementary school is today please go out and cast a vote today! And leave a comment here to let us know at which school did you vote!

Tribune: Roseland churches vow to take to streets to fight violence

This is the obligatory what's going on in the 9th Ward/Roseland post. A lot of people's hearts were aflutter with the idea of some neighborhoods of the 6th Ward being drawn into the 9th Ward. It's time to show what the people of Roseland is up to and here's one example (hat-tip YoChicago):

Services at more than 50 Roseland churches ended with a prayer vigil against violence Sunday, and local ministers have pledged their flocks will take to the streets each weekend this summer to quell violence on the South Side.

The congregation of Mount Calvary Baptist Church sang "I Am on the Battlefield for My Lord" after services Sunday afternoon, and church members may soon be putting themselves in harm's way, said the Rev. Phillip Cusic. On Thursday night alone, Cusic said, a half-dozen shooting victims arrived at Roseland Community Hospital, where Cusic is chaplain.

The hospital has helped form Arms Around Roseland, a coalition of 56 churches and community groups that will walk neighborhood streets from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. each week until October, Cusic said. Participants also will distribute anti-violence literature, fliers and other information and act as human shields during the warm-weather months that tend to be the city's most violent.

"People have unrealistic fear of violence on the street," Cusic said Sunday. "When people are out in the streets, when their pastors are out, they don't shoot. They stand down. We want to give them a peaceful way to stand down."

Cusic said the hospital has been working with community groups and churches for months and had planned to roll out Arms Around Roseland later this year, when the weather grows warmer and violence in the city traditionally increases.

I sincerely hope this volunteer effort succeeds!

The end of the old Chatham Pancake House...

Worlee called it in one of his recent postings at Concerned Citizens of Chatham:

Finally, the residents of Chatham will not have to worry about anything being EZ or EZ Pawn as the former Chatham Pancake House (700 E 87th) will be torn down by the new owner. The new owner Crown Properties is actively marketing the property to several national restaurant chains.

So the old Chatham Pancake House is to be torn down and that's what the set up is in the above photograph taken Monday afternoon.

What would you like to see come to this lot on 87th Street?

Tribune: Metal thefts putting homeowners on edge

Consider this a follow-up of sorts from that press release courtesy of Ald. Roderick Sawyer's office from earlier this week:

Gregory Edwards knows the four video cameras monitoring his South Side home are no guarantee it won't be targeted yet again by thieves trying to steal copper or aluminum to trade for quick money at scrap yards.

"No matter what, I'm never comfortable," said Edwards, 31, who installed the cameras after his home in West Chesterfield was vandalized twice in the last year by people trying to get metal to trade for cash. "I'm not paranoid or anything, but it's just best to be prepared (instead of) upset."

Thefts of valuable metal — from gutters and downspouts to cemetery plaques and catalytic converters — have long plagued city neighborhoods and suburbs. State legislators passed a law nearly five years ago tightening regulations on scrap dealers. But high metal prices and the sputtering economy have continued to motivate criminals trying to turn someone else's property into their profit.

Now, state lawmakers are trying to toughen the law again to force scrap dealers to keep better records and to make it more difficult for people to sell stolen goods.

Also:

Current state law requires scrap dealers to record details of purchases worth $100 or more, including making a copy of the seller's government-issued identification card and recording the make, model and license plate number of the car the seller was driving.

A bill that passed the House last month and is now in the Senate would require those steps for all sales at scrap yards, regardless of price. It also would require that dealers pay by check instead of cash for some of the most popular items, including some air conditioner parts worth more than $100.

Dealers also would have to keep the sales records for three years instead of two, in case police need to review them.

Under the new bill, people caught trying to sell stolen metal could also be forced to pay for the damages caused by the theft.

"There are people who are afraid to put a for-sale sign or a for-rent sign in front of their house," said Rep. Mike Unes, R-East Peoria, one of the chief sponsors of the bill. "This (bill) is for them."

Finally another quote from another West Chesterfield resident:

But Charles Patton, 59, whose gate was stolen last month from his home in West Chesterfield, welcomed the proposed regulations, which he hoped would prevent future thefts.

"It wasn't nothing fabulous," Patton said of his gate. "It was just a regular chain-link fence, but it belonged to me."

Everyone is out to make a quick easy buck any way that can! Let's hope anything we can do to cut this activity down.

Neighborhood Pride on a Poster - Gapers Block Chicago

Neighborhood Pride on a Poster - Gapers Block Chicago

Check out http://studiochris.com/ for some examples of neighborhood posters. I look forward to seeing a Chatham poster although I'm sure there are some graphic artists in the neighborhood that can produce something similar to allow residents to show their pride in their neighborhoods.

Over the history of this blog we have shown neighborhood logos for both Englewood and Chatham. We even wondered why Chatham doesn't have at least neighborhood markers for the neighborhood although apparently Park Manor and Grand Crossing do have markers on opposite sides of the expressway.

What other ways do you show pride in the neighborhoods where you live?

Best Buy to close 6 Chicago-area stores

And one of those six stores include the one located in our neighborhood near 87th & Lafayette (or Dan Ryan):

Best Buy announced today that six Chicago-area stores will be among the 50 nationwide that the retailer plans to close.

The locations for the six stores are: 1038, N. Rohlwing Rd. in Addison, 8900 S. Lafayette Ave. in Chicago, 200 S. Waukegan Rd. in Deerfield, 4707 Lincoln Mall Dr. in Matteson, 1100 N. Route 83 in Mundelein, and 979 W. Main St. in West Dundee.

The Chicago, Matteson, Mundelein and West Dundee stores will be closed today but will re-open Sunday for final sales before closing for good May 12, according to the release. The Addison and Deerfield stores will both be open today, with no specific date set for their final closing.

In the release, the company said, "This was not an easy decision to make. We chose these stores carefully, and are working to ensure the impact to our employees will be as minimal as possible, while serving all customers in a convenient and satisfying way. But we also recognize the impact this news has on the people who deserve respect for contributions they have made to our business."

In the release, the company said customers that are doing business with these stores are also being contacted today.

Do People Just Want to Live in Segregation? Not in Chicago

Chicago Magazine is talking about Chatham again:

It's not a simple matter of black people being way more egalitarian than white people. Everyone wants to live in a safe environment with good housing stock and good civic resources, which is often not the case in black-majority neighborhoods in Chicago, as Robert Sampson writes in his paper "Social Anatomy of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Violence":

"Racial/ethnic differences in neighborhood characteristics are pronounced. For example, a typical Black in Chicago lives in a neighborhood that is 78% Black, whereas Whites and Mexican Americans live in neighborhoods that are more mixed but that are still predominantly (over 85%) non-Black. Blacks are also more likely than Whites or Mexican Americans to live in neighborhoods characterized by concentrated disadvantage, high legal/ moral cynicism, and low collective efficacy."

Advantage and collective efficacy can stabilize a neighborhood, as it did for Chatham, long an enclave of the black middle-class on the South Side. Sampson, in his recent book Great American City, found that the neighborhood has the second highest collective efficacy among predominantly black neigborhoods (behind Avalon Park, nicknamed Pill Hill for its concentration of medical professionals). But it borders on some of the city's poorest neighborhoods—such as Wentworth Gardens, where the men who killed police officer and Chatham resident Thomas Wortham IV lived. Over the past two decades, Chatham has lost 15 percent of its residents while seeing greater poverty and unemployment, which is one reason Sampson calls it out in his book as an area of concern. If people can, they move to places like Chatham over places like Englewood and West Englewood (which each lost nearly twice as many people in half the time). If places like Chatham become too unsafe and isolated, they move out of the city:

"In addition to migrating down South, black Chicagoans are also heading for the suburbs, including Cook County's Dolton, Ill. Over the last decade, blacks who achieved a certain amount of success before the economic decline began moving to the suburbs from the city in search of safer communities and better housing. They also spread to University Park and Orland Park, both in Will County, with Orland Park straddling Cook County. Will County, with a population of 677,560, saw its overall population increase 34.9 percent, according to the Census Bureau."

So what can we do to keep Chatham and other similar areas a safe area to live?

Concerned Citizens of Chatham: Restaurants and Politics - Why is There Such a Disconnect

Worlee wrote this post at his blog it raises some good points:

While I had some issues with the answer, I recently came to understand that the owners did not have too many options and what would seem to be the obvious place to go for help wasn't really interested. The most obvious place Washburne Culinary Institute at Kennedy King College. I've criticized Kennedy King College as being nothing more than a glorified high school and a waste of taxpayers money especially the building of a restaurant and state of the art wine cellar and tasting room. The Sekia restaurant and the wine cellar tasting room are in a dry community meaning no alcohol can be served. This makes it a hard sell to entice someone to spend an evening in that area and not be able to have a drink unless you go out to the local liquor store. In a recent New York Times article, a former student eluded that the southside of Chicago was a dead zone for fine dining.

After reading the article and looking at the restaurant the subject of the article wrote I questioned what was being taught at the school. Most recently another article http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/BLACKCHEFS_7534567/BLACKCHEFS_7534567/ basically answered the question, it appeared that the school was running with no clear defined plan and not offering a competitive curriculum. So this is why restaurants like Army & Lou's had to close versus if they were on the northside schools such as CHIC and Kendall College would have been available to offer technical assistance. But, what is more bothersome is that both Army & Lou's and Izola's were hangouts for top African American politicians and no one was ever able to connect the dots. A mediocre culinary arts school and failing restaurants could help each other. So while the City Colleges of Chicago throws more taxpayers money trying to fix Washburne the restaurants are still closed.

This part should be emphasized:

My purpose was not to be sarcastic but rather understand the issue. Chatham is only a couple of miles away from one of the best Business Schools in the country University of Chicago, a stones throw away from the Small Business Development Center at Chicago State University and a couple of miles away from one of the oldest culinary schools in the country Washburne Culinary.

Perhaps the need is there to reach out to those institutions to help out our businesses. The focus here is food services but there are other products and services that could use some support behind the scenes just as Army & Lou's and Izola's could've used some assistance in saving their struggling businesses.

ALDERMAN SAWYER CALLS FOR STRONGER REGULATIONS ON METAL YARDS

Sawyer Metal Yard Press Release

Summer Jobs for Youth (Teens & College)

From the Greater Chatham Alliance:

The City of Chicago and Cook County have developed a central office for summer youth jobs and summer kid programs.

But like anything, there's not enough jobs and programs to go around for every kid, teen and young adult living in Chicago.

So we had to make sure we got this info to you as fast as we got it!

Please download the attached GCA Announcement that provides links to the youth jobs and summer kid programs.

Unfortunately, everything has to be done online.

So if you know of families with kids, teens and young adults who don't have computer access, this is the time to extend a helping hand.

Or suggest they hurry on down to the nearest public library and sign-up!

 Refer to the document that is posted below for MORE information!

Did the Destruction of Chicago's Public Housing Decrease Violent Crime, Or Just Move It Elsewhere?

This Chicago Magazine article takes aim at any correlation (and/or causation) with regards to crime and public housing projects. The question here is wether or not tearing down CHA housing has either reduced crime or merely dispersed crime throughout the Chicago area.

On the other hand, crime in the former public-housing neighborhoods declined precipitously between 2000 and 2008: violent crime by 60 percent, property crime by 49 percent, and gun crime by 70 percent, compared to 13 and nine percent between 2002 and 2009 in similar neighborhoods in Atlanta (gun crime stats weren't available for that city). But spread out citywide across Chicago, the results are small: a one percent net decrease in violent crime, and a 0.3 percent decrease in property crime, although gun crime, a particular problem in public housing, declined by 4.4 percent, while accounting for the overall drop in crime across the city.

There's probably more to this however:

But it's likely a more complicated relationship than former public-housing residents simply bringing crime with them, as suggested by a study from NYU's Law School and Wagner School of Public Service from last year, which covered ten U.S. cities. What the authors found was that voucher recipients chose, or were guided to, neighborhoods that were in decline:

"While crime tends to be higher in census tracts with more voucher households, that positive relationship disappears after we control for unobserved characteristics of the census tract and crime trends in the broader sub-city area. We do find evidence to support a reverse causal story, however. That is, the number of voucher holders in a neighborhood tends to increase in tracts with rising crime, suggesting that voucher holders are more likely to move into neighborhoods where crime rates are increasing."

This article has already sparked a good discussion on our FB page. There's also a good discussion brewing at Worlee's Concerned Citizens of Chatham FB page. I would like to provide a taste of what's being said or at least those comments I thought were very good. We already know that at least within the 6th Ward there have been debates and certainly many have concluded that the destruction of the housing projects around the city have been disastrous for neighborhoods such as Chatham.

ABC7: Spoken word artists Imagine Englewood If . . .

[VIDEO] I believe this event had just passed, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Check out the full video above from our local ABC affiliate:

The youth-lead campaign called Pocket Change 4 Youth is an initiative of the non-profit organization Imagine Englewood If. It is primarily funded by the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority.

"We also have homework and tutoring help. We also do a lot of field trips so young people can get out of the neighborhood and see another part of the world and it transforms their lives," Brown-El said.

One child at a time, the group hopes their efforts will ripple through the community and inspire other youth toward positive change.

The Open Mic Youth Summit takes place on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Find out more at imagineengelewoodif.org.

I hope positive events such as this will continue to get notice from our local media outlets!

3 women injured in beating at South Side Burger King

This incident is utterly shameful. Shameful, shameful, shameful:

Police responded to a battery in progress at about 8 p.m. Friday at the Burger King, 28 E.87th St., said Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak, citing information from a police report.

According to the preliminary police report, the victims were ordering their food when a male told one of the women he was going to beat them if they didn't leave the restaurant.

When they didn't leave, a group of males and females they did not know ran toward the victims and began beating and kicking them before fleeing the scene, according to the preliminary report.

One of the victims, Michelle Pearson, 18, said she and her cousins, Markiesha Tyler, 19, and Sierra Montgomery, 20, went to the Burger King about 6 p.m. Friday to get dinner for their children and family.

Pearson said the altercation started when a female accused her of "looking at her." That female went outside but returned with a group of about 15 males and 5 females.

"I tried to talk to them but no one was listening," she said, thinking that someone in the group would be able to defuse the situation.

She said the group then cornered her and her cousins by a pop machine and started attacking them.

"They bashed our heads, stomped us, beat us, everything," Pearson said.

She described one of the attackers as at least 200 pounds. "I could feel her stomping me."

The Enduring Effect of Neighborhoods

The Enduring Effect of Neighborhoods - The Atlantic Cities

The late Peter Drucker used to say that voluntary organizations and non-profits would increasingly drive the knowledge economy. Your focus on non-profits has helped to provide the social, civic and economic organizing glue of neighborhoods and cities. Lots of urbanists and Cities readers work in non-profits, I'm sure they'd like to hear more about this.

We live in an increasingly organizational society, and this reality plays out in neighborhoods as well. The density of nonprofit organizations leads to enhanced collective efficacy (for example neighbors watching out for others), collective civic engagement, and cohesion among community leaders. What’s important is not so much the existence of any specific type of organization but the overall organizational infrastructure of a community. Sometimes a disproportionate reliance on any one type of organization, such as the church, can be a problem. Surprisingly, for example, mistrust and cynicism in Chicago communities are highest in the well-churched communities. Although a fount of the civil rights movement, the church alone is clearly not enough to overcome the needs of African American communities, or any community for that matter. Communities with a diversity and density of many types of organizations seem to do better, creating collective spillover or “knock on” effects.

Nonprofit organizations can make a significant difference in how vulnerable neighborhoods face burdens such as foreclosures due to the recent recession. Community-based organizations are an important ingredient in building up the collective efficacy of communities to meet everyday challenges. While national policies are obviously crucial, nonprofits serve as a kind of social buffer that can make the difference between which neighborhoods tip into a spiral of decline and which turn themselves around. I call this process the "organizational imperative."

The last three paragraphs concluded this piece. I suggest you read the whole thing.

Do you think non-profits and community based organizations will make a difference here on the south side?

UPDATE: Hat-tip YoChicago!

Neighborhoods of CHA relocations experienced higher crime rates

An excerpt from the Sun-Times article:

Crime was worse in neighborhoods where former Chicago Housing Authority residents used vouchers to move into private apartments, a new study found.

From 2000 to 2008, violent crime was 21 percent higher in neighborhoods with high concentrations of voucher-holding former CHA residents — when compared to similar neighborhoods without them, the Washington-based Urban Institute found. Property crime also would have been lower without relocated residents in those neighborhoods, the study said.

Violent crime dropped about 26 percent across the city over the same time period, according to the Chicago Police Department. The Urban Institute attributed about 1 percent of the decrease to CHA’s 1999 plan to knock down Cabrini-Green and other notorious housing complexes.

“We are estimating crime went down less in neighborhoods where the ‘relocatees’ moved,” said Susan Popkin, an author of the study released Thursday.

Chatham Avalon Park Community Council President Keith Tate was interviewed by the Sun-Times and provided some quotes.

Some communities are not very happy to have them. Chatham, where generations of African-American teachers, lawyers and other professionals have called home, has seen an influx of former CHA residents with vouchers — about 120 of them.

“It has been disastrous for Chatham,” said Keith Tate, president of Chatham-Avalon Park Community Association.

“Never did we see individuals sitting on their cars drinking 40-ounce bottles of beer.”

Tate said the community is experiencing a clash between longtime residents with a strong work ethic and former CHA residents on the dole.

“We have opened our arms to accept anyone into our community,” Tate said. “But it has caused a tremendous problem. We have had more burglaries than normal, more shootings. . . . We’re fighting on all fronts now to satisfy the needs of the long-term residents and the new residents who just moved here.”

 I hope you will read the whole thing! Does anyone have any comments about section 8 people in their community?

PHOTO: Jim's Original

This picture was posted to flickr by Curtis Locke found via our Blotter. Nicely composed and certainly is a snapshot of what you might find on any given day near 95th & State Street (or the east side of the Dan Ryan). One should see the lines out of this place when Jim's offer polish sausages at a discount as they had during Black History Month during given times during the week. It could rival in some respect the whole 99 cent chicken dinners offered by Church's Chicken that Worlee wrote about last year. In fact you can see an example in this photograph on Monday's a Polish sausage for $1.50 from 3PM to 5PM.

Off-market home listing on Trulia

I had to Google "off-market" so feel free to correct this characterization. This home has either been sold, held in escrow, or the owner changed their mind on selling. Thus it has been taken off the market for whatever reason.

Of course that doesn't mean that we can't talk about this house located in the Roseland Heights neighborhood. This description is provided by Trulia which was found via the Blotter:

This is a Single-Family Home located at 9750 South Calumet Avenue, Chicago IL. 9750 S Calumet Ave has 2 baths and approximately 960 square feet. The property was built in 1954. The average list price for similar homes for sale is $84,286 and the average sales price for similar recently sold homes is $74,588. 9750 S Calumet Ave is in the Roseland neighborhood in Chicago, IL. The average list price for Roseland is $81,647. 

Also noted is that this property has two parking spaces, a finished improved basement, lot size is .09 acres, and a detached garage. Furthermore it's also about one story with a basement.

Illinois Channel: Special House committee investigating Derrick Smith

[VIDEO] Last month we already talked about one of our local state Representatives - Andre Thapedi - being appointed to this committee that was formed to investigate the bribery charges against colleague Derrick Smith. Rep. Smith was arrested one week before last month's primaries for accepting a bribe from an alleged day care operator.

Last week the Capitol Fax had offered some live coverage of this meeting. Today, Illinois Channel provides video with a duration of 17 minutes of the committee doing it's business.

Concerned Citizens of Chatham: April 6th Ward Community Meetings

Worlee provides a listing of the various neighborhood meetings coming up this month. Soon to be added to the calendar in the sidebar!

• West Chesterfield Community Association
   Saturday, April 7, 2012
   10am
   West Chesterfield Community Fieldhouse
   9351 S Michigan
•  Park Manor Neighbors Community Council
   Monday, April 2, 2012
   6:30 to 8:30 pm
   St. Columbanus( Glass House)
   317 E. 71st
• Chatham Avalon Park Community Council
   Monday April 9, 2012
   6:30 to 8:30 pm
   Northern Trust Bank
   7800 S. State Street
   Topic: Community Issues
•  Greater Chatham Alliance Community Organization
   Saturday April 21, 2012
   11:00 am to 1:30 pm
   St. James Lutheran Church
   8001 S. Michigan
   Topic: Community Issues 

Chicagoist: How do we keep from becoming Detroit?

Well there are some bloggers who will claim that Chatham is becoming like Detroit. Then against we should be looking at the city as a whole and not just this neighborhood or that neighborhood. Here is an interesting conclusion from Chicagoist:

The Freep notes some potential solutions that are likely to be included in the report. And here, we can take some comfort. Chicago is already trying many of the fixes they have identified: while we don’t have the same potential, urban farming is alive and well here after some help from the City Council; we have already converted a sprawling brownfield into the nation's largest solar farm, hinting at both re-use and energy solutions for the future; the City Council and County Board have put aggressive vacant property ordinances in place that should, if they survive legal challenges, help properties change hands before they become community blights; and the City is already buying up properties to help stabilize some neighborhoods. And that stuff is all great, but unfortunately, some close to the Detroit effort concede that they do not think the projects being bandied about will be enough. If it's not going to be enough in Detroit (where demolition permits outnumber building permits 10:1), will it do the trick here (where one in 10 buildings are vacant)? Probably not.

Should this be applied to the city as a whole? Should this only be implemented on a neighborhood level?