Chatham Unity Day at Cole Park

COLE PARK

More stories on Officer Thomas Wortham

This one from FOX Chicago:

Wortham had gone to see his parents “to show his dad his new bike,” said Lyle, who represented Wortham when he closed on a building in the neighborhood.

He’d also driven her around during one of her aldermanic campaigns, she said.

“To have people try to rob him of his motorcycle — to have that happen at his father’s house? I’m numb and heartbroken,” she said. “He was willing to put his life on the line for this country, only to have people who want nothing and are about nothing take his life. I’m just so angry about this.”

Wortham was active in his community. He was president of the Cole Park Advisory Council, a role he sought so he could “keep the park safe, enjoyable and well-stocked for the children of the neighborhood where he was raised,” Lyle said, and was involved in a “take back the park” effort planned for Sunday in response to recent shootings there.

Wortham was gunned down in front of the house where he grew up. His grandfather built it. It’s at the north end of Cole Park.
...
The shooting stunned neighbors of the Wortham family.

Miles Stewart, 48, was coming home from work on the back of a buddy’s bike Wednesday night. As he rounded the corner a block from the Wortham home, he said, “10 shots rang out.”

He said Wortham was on the ground in his motorcycle helmet and gear. Two of the would-be robbers were lying on the ground, he said, and two more jumped in a car and sped off, running Wortham over.

“I ran over there and went up to Thomas to help, and his dad told me to get away from his son,” Stewart said. “"His dad had two guns — a semi-automatic and a revolver, and he said, ‘They were robbing my son, and I shot them.’ ”

After Stewart identified himself as a family friend, Wortham’s father let him assist, he said.

There are other stories linked with this article. I won't excerpt but hopefully you might be interested in reading them.

• Suspect Killed in Thomas Wortham Attack Identified
• VIDEO: Chatham Residents React to Surge in Violence

BTW, John Kass talks about Daley's renewed call for more gun control:

A reporter asked the obvious question: Given the numbers of shootings in the city, isn't the handgun ban ineffective?

The question was more than fair. In Chicago, the only people who are confident in their 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms are the criminals, the cops and the politicians.

Law-abiding citizens can't own handguns. They don't have an army of bodyguards, as does Daley. Political hacks have guns. They get out the vote for his machine.

And the retired neighbor who's never been arrested in his life? Oh, no. If he has a gun, it would be anarchy in the streets, according to Daley.

Confronted with a logical question, here's what the mayor did: He picked up a rifle from the prop table of guns, raised it and began to babble.

"It's been very effective," said Daley of the handgun ban. "If I put this up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know."

The mayor of Chicago then went on to say if the justices were attacked by thugs with guns, they'd see things his way.

"Maybe they'll see the light of day," Daley said. "Maybe one of them will have an incident, and they'll change their mind overnight, going to and from work."

ABC 7 with a report on the murder of Thomas Wortham:

CBS2 has a report about Cole Park, the park is right across the street from where Officer Wortham was murdered. You can also click the pic to watch the video.

Another video from CBS2 about a prayer vigil at Cole Park

EDIT: In the comments section of the Chicago Tribune / Chicago Breaking News story, one person suggested re-naming the park after Officer Wortham, especially in light of his dedication to it.

Pre-Emptive prayer strike at Ruggles School = May 28

JP Paulus and his family will be there. How about you?

A pre-emptive prayer strike against the violence before it happens in our community!

“Back to the Basics”
A Praying City - Chicago

What: Neighbors simply gathering to pray for our neighborhood before summer begins.
When: Friday, May 28, 2010, 6:30pm – 7:30 pm
(but many will gather by 6pm, and continue later in the evening)

Where: Ruggles Elementary School Park, 7831 S. Prairie, Chicago IL 60619
(on 79th, 2 blocks west of King Drive, 4 blocks east of the Dan Ryan)

Bring family and a friend – or 5!

For more information, contact Ms. Brown at 773-712-4203

Update on shooting of an off-duty police officer

 

WGN was at the scene of the crime where Officer Thomas Wortham was murdered in an robbery attempt. And we know more about one of the suspects, the one who was killed by Wortham's ex-police officer father.

The dead suspect has been identified as 20-year old Brian Floyd. The wounded suspect is in critical condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Police say they are looking for two other suspects who fled in a Nissan Maxima north on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Officers later found the car abandoned miles away from the scene, but the suspects are still at large.

ShoreBank rescue prompts call for congressional probe

Crain's:

Two top Republicans on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, including U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Hinsdale, wrote a letter to President Barack Obama demanding records pertaining to any administration involvement in the $140-million Wall Street bailout of ShoreBank Corp.

“Some believe that ShoreBank was really saved because of an assumption that high-ranking officials in the Obama administration favored a bailout of this failing institution with deep political ties,” said the May 19 letter by U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., and Ms. Biggert. “The administration’s perceived involvement raises very serious questions as to whether the federal government is facilitating the rescue of a politically connected hometown bank when hundreds of others are forced to close.”

Mr. Bachus is the senior Republican on the Financial Services Committee, which oversees banking laws, while Ms. Biggert is the top GOP member on the committee’s subcommittee on oversight and investigations.
...
A perception has fueled by anonymous comments from Wall Street sources to other publications that Goldman Sachs and other recipients of federal aid in the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis acted knowing that the administration favored a rescue of ShoreBank.

ShoreBank’s leaders, most of whom live in the Obamas’ home neighborhood of Hyde Park, long have had a personal relationship with the president, going back to when he was a state senator.

Mr. Bachus and Ms. Biggert requested that the White House provide all records of communication relating to the ShoreBank negotiations, including with Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and Eugene Ludwig, a former ShoreBank board member and head of Promontory Financial Group, a Washington, D.C., consultancy that assisted ShoreBank.

I suppose there are those who think that ShoreBank has connections. The rescue from Wall Street may not be considered genuine!

Via Newsalert!

UPDATED: Chicago police officer killed in robbery attempt

An update to Worlee's post from around midnight last night:

Authorities say a Chicago police officer who recently returned from Iraq was shot and killed when several people approached him outside his family's home and tried to steal his new motorcycle.

Police say the officer's father — a retired Chicago police officer — came to his son's aid and shot two of the attackers, one fatally, in the attack late Wednesday.

Chicago Alderman Freddrenna Lyle knew the officer and says he had just finished his second tour in Iraq.

Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis (wees) says the 30-year-old officer had been on the force for three years. His name has not been released.

Police are looking for a third suspect who fled the scene. News Affairs Officer Amina Greer says charges are pending against the injured suspect.

I posted Facebook status messages on the police activity along the Dan Ryan last night at least there's one explanation for that. May this officer rest in peace.

UPDATE 9:45 PM Well Chgo Breaking News provides the identity of this officer

Chicago Police Officer Thomas Wortham served two tours of duty in Iraq, but his latest battle had been against rising violence in the Chatham neighborhood where he grew up.

It was a fight he would not survive.

Wortham was gunned down in front of his parents' home late Wednesday night as three men were trying to steal his motorcycle, police say.

Just last week, in an interview with the Tribune, he had decried a recent rash of shootings that forced the alderman of his ward to take down basketball hoops in Cole Park across the street from his parents' house.

"It's starting to feel like it's expected in this community," said Wortham, 30, who was president of the Cole Park advisory council and whose grandfather built the home across from the park 50 years ago.

"When people think of the South Side of Chicago, they think violence. In Chatham, that's not what we see. It's happened, and we're going to fix it, so it doesn't happen again."

Wortham was planning to literally take back the park.

Off-duty cop wounded during apparent armed robbery

From the Sun Times

An off-duty Chicago Police officer was shot late Wednesday during an apparent armed robbery, police said. Two other people were reportedly wounded.

The off-duty officer was shot about 10:30 p.m. in the 8400 block of South King Drive, police said. The shooting appears to be an armed robbery.

Chicago Police requested State Police assistance in locating the maroon Nissan Maxima involved in the shooting. The car was last seen heading northbound on the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94), Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Anthony Hoop said.

He said three people were wounded in the shooting.


The gunman fled in the car westbound on 83rd Street, where it entered the northbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway, Hoop said.

State Police notified their units, but have yet to spot a matching vehicle as of 11:30 p.m., Hoop said.

Read the entire story at http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2295786,off-duty-cop-hurt-police-shooting-051910.article

Wings around the World featured on WGN Channel 9

Some news we wanted to pass on:

Major shouts to all the Wings Arond The World Family......Got some great news on Monday the 10th of May, We were featured on the new show on WGN at 10pm Sundays called Chicago's Best.

Our feature will be shown on the 23rd of May 2010.....please set the Tivo or the DVR to record this show or just be glued to the TV.

Please tell as many people as possible.

Here is a written version of the piece http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicagos-best/2010/05/a-wing-for-every-country-almost.html#more

We reported on a Tribune/Metromix/RedEye poll featuring Wings Around the World. We later found some suspicious activity, the poll numbers never changed, despite the poll allegedly still being open.

Perhaps they noticed, and are now doing our local businesses justice. Uncle John's staff have noticed significant increase in business since they appeared on Chicago's Best. We hope the same will happen.

Weis creates new category of 'indoor' homicides

"Indoor" homicides are considered homicides that occurs inside people's homes. I would assume that would entail domestic violence amongst families. Police Superintendant Weis has police measure "outdoor" homicides separately from these "indoor" homicides. Ald. Lyle sees no distinctions:

Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th) has her hands full combating a surge of homicides in the South Side’s Gresham District.

She was also forced to lock or take down the basketball rims at Chatham’s Cole Park after two shootings at the courts in one month left several young people wounded.

Not surprisingly, Lyle draws no such distinction between indoor and outdoor homicides.

“I understand the logic — that police would have no way to know about what goes on inside peoples’ homes. But, I don’t necessarily believe that becomes a separate category when you’re talking about the number of people murdered in a city. The average citizen doesn’t make that distinction,” she said.

“I understand that what would go on inside my house this evening the superintendent would have no way of knowing and no way to intervene if there was an incident. But, it doesn’t diminish the numbers.”

Lyle said she’s grown “immune to the numbers game” being played with Chicago’s crime statistics.

“It doesn’t bother me. They do press conferences releasing reports that say homicides have gone down citywide. What I have to deal with is a community that knows that, maybe they’ve gone down citywide, but they’re up in my community,” she said.

“Crime is up tremendously in the 6th District. ... That’s because crime has moved as housing patterns have moved. [But], there’s been no real acknowledgement that crime has moved with the migration of people” tied to the so-called “Plan for Transformation” that demolished CHA high-rises.

So you may ask what makes an "outdoor" homicide. Well if a murder happens outside then there are witnesses and people are more likely to call police.

Hmmm we should address this issue involving the "Plan for Transformation". I think there is some truth to the crime moving from former CHA projects into the neighborhoods. Is there really any acknowledgement of that fact? And what can we do to prevent those who are prone to criminal activity from engaging in that activity outside of their CHA projects?

BTW, the rest of the article is worth a good read when you have time!

Chicago readies health care high school

You know this was the first year for a magnet engineering program at Harlan, perhaps in some of our neighborhood schools we could include a health-care profession program as well. Who says we should only institute such programs in newly constructed high schools?

Chicago Public Schools this fall will open the city's first charter high school specializing in health care, a move local hospitals hope will help relieve chronic workforce shortages.

The school, which recently used a lottery system to enroll a freshman class of 160, will have a heavy emphasis on math and science. Juniors and seniors will be able to earn credits by shadowing hospital workers and interning as assistant nurses and in other professions.

Planners aim to prepare students for health- and science-related college programs and certify them for entry-level jobs in health care, such as pharmacy technicians or assistant physical therapists.
...
The Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy will set up shop temporarily on the Chicago campus of National-Lewis University, at 122 S. Michigan Ave. It will seek a permanent site in the Pilsen neighborhood.

Instituto del Progreso Latino and the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, a trade group of hospitals and other medical providers, applied to CPS to form the school. It’s one of nearly 100 city schools formed under Renaissance 2010, the city’s six-year-old plan to open innovative schools in poor neighborhoods.

Memorial for Shayla Raymond

These memorials were in place at 87th & King, and 87th & Vernon, in March of 2010.

They are in memory of Shayla Raymond, who was killed by a hit and run driver on Saturday night, March 6.

We posted a blog entry on this tragedy soon afterward.

Her good friend Trishaun Coleman recently posted a comment, noting how at this writing, this crime is still unsolved.

Anyone know a good cell phone dealer?

Got a bit of a selfish request from JP

...but where can i get a cell phone (for my new small business).

At this time, i don't need a lot of bells & whistles, or even that many minutes (yet).

I AM in need of a number that could fit with my business, Do-Gooder Consulting. For example, f i could get 773-2-DO-GOOD (or any Chicago area number), i would appreciate it. So any dealer that would be happy to help me search for an approprate number would be the business I am interested in finding.

Just post the info in the comments, so everyone can benefit.

Thanks!

ShoreBank saved; $20M from G.E. puts bank over the top

Crain's:

General Electric Co. has committed to pump about $20 million into ShoreBank, providing the last amount of capital needed to keep the ailing South Side community development lender from failing.

Discussions that went into the wee hours last night finally produced an agreement among a who’s who of Wall Street banks and a group of local lenders that will provide about $140 million of private capital to rescue ShoreBank, a person familiar with the matter said.

That will enable ShoreBank to tap up to $75 million in bailout funds from the Treasury Department. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. had prepared to seize ShoreBank, which lost more than $100 million last year due to huge losses from real estate loans in its low-income neighborhoods, but held off as the extraordinary private-sector rescue effort gained momentum.

Local financial services firms participating with smaller contributions include Northern Trust Corp., State Farm Insurance Cos. Harris N.A. and PrivateBancorp Inc.

A ShoreBank spokesman said the bank isn’t commenting but may make a statement later today. A GE representative wasn’t immediately available.

North Side Playgrounds getting a better deal?

Chicago Breaking News has this article. regarding disparity between North Side and South Side parks

Alderman Lyle is prominently featured with a few quotes

Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, 6th, whose ward contains the decrepit Memorial Playlot, said she was not surprised by conditions there.

"Every year, I go through this war with the Park District," Lyle said. "I will go through and show them all the programs available in other communities and meet with them, and they will give you 9,000 reasons why the programs are not available here."

and

"Our wards are so much larger geographically, so I have to spend my (discretionary) money every year on sidewalks and streets. And I have less money to spend on parks," Lyle said

Another resident has a quote.

On sunny afternoons, Snow, a single mother in Englewood, gathers up her children, and they'll ride the bus a half-hour south to Tuley Park, 90th Street and King Drive, a place she calls a "real playground."

"Having five kids, I can't take them to places that will cost me every time," Snow said. "I do know (that) playing for kids is what makes them learn and grow. I grew up in this area, and years ago (Memorial Park) was OK. Now it's a hangout for drug dealers."

There are several comments critical of the South Side, essentially saying that the South Side doesn't deserve the same improvements the North Siders receive.

Any truth to those comments?

Chatham residents team up against violence

Rims locked at Cole Park by José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune / May 10, 2010

Tribune:

Chatham residents fondly remember the fierce competition at Cole Park that at times drew some of the best local talent for pickup games.

The park, tucked among the neighborhood's tidy streets, was also a place for local kids to shoot hoops — and maybe dream of one day being that good.

Then on a spring evening last month, a gunman fired into a crowd of teens playing on the court, wounding two young men. One was hit in the calf and hip; the other in the neck.

It was the second shooting on the courts in four weeks. By that night, the basketball rims at the celebrated courts had been disabled with locks or taken down altogether, on orders of Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, 6th, who said it was simply too unsafe to play there.

Lyle has promised to leave things that way until there's more security. She's turned to the Park District and police for help.

The loss of the courts has disappointed many residents who say kids need a place to play. At the same time, the shootings illustrate a deeper concern in Chatham — how this neighborhood that prides itself on its middle-class values will stem brewing violence.

"It's starting to feel like it's expected in this community," Tom Wortham, 30, president of the Cole Park advisory council whose grandfather built a home across from the park 50 years ago, said of the violence. "When people think of the South Side of Chicago, they think violence. In Chatham, that's not what we see. It's happened, and we're going to fix it, so it doesn't happen again."

Read the whole thing! Apparently before these unfortunate shootings this park was full of activity in addition to basketball. Lately the violence in the Chatham community has started to become a problem. What can we do about it!

We Need Your Help!!!

This was a comment left for a post on the board several months ago concerning the young lady killed on 87th King drive. This young lady needs some help to get closure on this event. Can any of our readers help her?

Trishaun has left a new comment on your post "15 year old girl dies in Chatham hit-and-run":

Shayla Raymond was my bestfriend( Still is).. She didnt deserve this.. She was just trying to get home.. Her birthday is coming up and we've been planning this year since we were in 4th grade.. Now what are we (me and our other two bestfriends) going to do?? We have to mourn this day because shes gone.. I dont want to sound selfish because it was her time but it just dont add up and its still no working out.. I want the truth... , Trishaun Coleman

Goldman Sachs, others race to save ShoreBank

Chicago Breaking Business:

ShoreBank, the ailing South Side bank, continues to try to raise more than $120 million in capital on its own from new and existing investors, sources familiar with the situation said.

Regulators recently began looking for a healthy buyer for the undercapitalized Chicago-based lender, but it's racing against the clock to try to raise money to remain independent.

Goldman Sachs, U.S. Bank, Citibank and State Farm are among the new investors that have made tentative commitments.

Citi and Goldman in particular have expressed a willingness to make significant commitments, kicking in at least $10 million apiece. Goldman Sachs, which has come under national criticism for its business practices leading up to the financial meltdown, might be willing to step up with at least $20 million, a source familiar with the talks said.

Existing investors such as Chase and Bank of America, as well as charitable foundations, also are weighing additional investments.

Possible job losses at Reggio's Pizza because of loss contract with CPS

From the Bean Soup Times

Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality's Use Of ("Minority Pass-Thru Company") Is Reason Black-Owned Frozen Pizza Manufacturer Will Be Forced To Layoff 40 Hardworking Employees

Reggio's Pizza takes great pride in delivering an award-winning pizza produced in a state-of-the-art, USDA-inspected,immaculate south side facility to children in Chicago Public Schools, which provides jobs for many hard-working, honest Chicago residents.

For three (3) years running, Reggio's Pizza has won the "Most Preferred Menu Item" in the High Schools, an honor voted by the High School students. So passionate about helping students make health choices, Mr. Clark, President/CEO of Reggio's Pizza and its staff, with the assistance of General Mills, developed a whole wheat pizza crust, in an effort to promote good health among young people, consistent with First Lady Michelle Obama's focus on nutrition and obesity.

But all that may come to an end at the end of this school year, June, 2010 because Chartwells, a North Carolina-based company that up until now contracted with Reggio's to provide the pizzas to middle and high schools, has decided to end Reggio's Pizza contract. "I was led to believe that my contract was being renewed" said Mr. Clark.

Apparently a minority "pass-thru" company will be used to purchase the crust for the pizzas, which will now be assembled by CPS lunch room employees, which will shift costs from Chartwells to the CPS operating budget. Many community and religious groups are very distrubed because not only is this practice definitely unfair and possibly illegal, but will result in more job loss in the Black community, where the jobless rate is already 20-25%.

Read the entire article at http://beansouptimes.squarespace.com/business/2010/5/11/award-winning-reggios-pizza-being-cheated-out-of-a-cps-contr.html

Fresh ideas via e-mail

What do you think about all these ideas

I could go for a nice place to eat with healthy food. Corner Bakery, Panera Bread, a Thai restaurant, another Starbucks with WiFi. And we need that Wal-Mart. A job is a job. How about a Pete's Fresh Food Market? Stop by new store on 95th Street (in Evergreen Park). Wow!

A yoga studio, too. I'd like the existing businesses to clean up the litter around their establishments. Make customers want to visit your stores. Maybe even put out a few flower pots. Woo us. Show us that you're trying to upgrade the neighborhood.

The observer

Any other fresh ideas that may be worthwhile for the 6th Ward community?

Wreckage - waste of a once-beautiful building

We previously talked about an abandoned building at 8212 S. Calumet.

Here are some photos of an abandoned home at 74th & Indiana (Northeast corner).

They include:

• View from Indiana
• View from Michigan
• View of the Basement
• View of the Garage (which has no roof)

This property at 74th & Michigan is in far worse shape than Calumet. Not only has it been stripped of walls, pipes, etc....it also seems to be missing floors. You can see sunlight from the roof from the basement.

The building has been completely gutted, and the structure as a whole is falling apart. From the basement you can see sunlight due to a hole in the roof.

From what I have seen, it just seems like a waste to even try toput it back together again (i.e. the amount of work needed to fix it). It's such a waste.

I don't want to give the impression that Chatham has become Englewood or Roseland...rather, point out a couple of issues that could be good opportunities. Gut rehabs with the gutting already done.

Anyone have any photos or other info on this house from better days?