6th Ward Democratic Committeeman Debate

We already know about the candidate forum being hosted by the Greater Chatham Alliance but the debate between Alderman Roderick Sawyer and Richard Wooten for that race will be seen by the audience of the Chicagoland area on CLTV's Politics Tonight on March 5th. That information was posted onto their FB page on Monday. Are you going to tune in for that?

BTW, we got informed on our FB page that Alderman Sawyer had been appointed 6th Ward Democratic Committeeman. He replaced former Ald. Freddrenna Lyle who as we all know was appointed to the Cook County bench late last year. There's already an FB page for the 6th Ward Democratic Organization.

Updated flyer for the GCA candidates forum...

One of the candidates running for 6th Ward GOP Committeeman, Darnell Macklin, will also attend next Saturday's forum hosted by the Greater Chatham Alliance at House of Hope. All other candidates are Democrats. All candidates are expected to attend this event. Also please note that the presidents of the various 6th Ward Community will serve as panelists at the forum! Refer to flyer below.

UPDATED GCA State Rep Forum Flyer

Early Voting starts today

You can vote in any of 53 locations throughout the city, but the nearest one would be at the Whitney Young Library at 79th and King Drive. Most locations are open Monday-Saturday, 9am -5pm, with a 3 locations open on Sunday. Details on Early Voting, and voting in general, is available at ChicagoElections.com

However, you may want to wait until Saturday, where we have a candidate forum  for State representative and 6th Ward democratic Committeeman, sponsored by greater Chatham Alliance. details are here.

UPDATED FLYER HERE -  Levois!

FLY DUMPING AT NORTH END OF 77th BLOCK ALLEY BETWEEN MICHIGAN & WABASH

Message forwarded to us from Mrs. Haley, president of the 75th,76th,77th,78th Wabash Block Club, via  Leslie Honore of Greater Chatham Alliance:

Dear Neighbors,

We are having a problem with fly dumping at the north end of the 77th block alley between Michigan and Wabash. Someone is dumping large sheets of drywall. This has been happening periodically since November. Please, please, please get a license plate number if you see anyone dumping materials in the alley. Call the police and the alderman's office. Also, someone has fly dumped tires on the property of the Sparkle Car Wash.

H. Haley

President

75th,76th,77th,78th Wabash Block Club

Please help us catch these criminals, and respect our neighborhood.

IVI-IPO makes endorsements in local races

UPDATE 9:06 PM IVI-IPO has a questionnaire Richard Wooten in the race for Democratic Committeeman. Sorry I jumped the gun on an endorsement, but it was important to see Wooten's responses!

IVO-IPO has endorsed Elgie Sims for 34th District State representative, but have chosen NOT to make an endorsement for 6th ward Democratic committeeman. Kari Steele was also one of 3 endorsed for Water Reclamation District. The link for their endorsements is here.

Here is a link to all responses that they received., so you can see what our local candidates said (IF they responded)

Beavers says feds indicted him on tax charges when he wouldn't wear wire

Our local Cook County Commissioner, Bill Beavers, according to the Chicago Tribune, "was indicted Thursday on charges he failed to pay taxes on tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds that he used to pay off personal expenses."


The Tribune further states:

Between 2006 and 2008, Beavers paid himself more than $225,000 from three separate campaign accounts and used at least a portion of that money for personal purposes, including gambling, the indictment alleges.

In 2010, current 34th State Representative District candidate Elgie Sims ran against him, and barely lost, 55% to 45%. However, in the  general election, Beavers won 90% of the vote --and this was against a Green Party member, NOT EVEN a Republican.

Anyone have any voter remorse?

Here's the Chicago tribune news link :
Beavers says feds indicted him on tax charges when he wouldn't wear wire

If you have thought about running for office, it looks like a position is opening up.  You better get your organization together now, as that spot may open up in the near future. (Certainly any candidates NOT winning the primary -- you might consider keeping up your organization and website!)

Greater Chatham Alliance Sixth Ward Forum

This was recently placed on our calendar. Here's a flyer promoting this event at the Salem Baptist Church's House of Hope. Debate will include all candidates for 34th District State Representative and for 6th Ward Democratic Committeeman. The flyer is below

Gca State Rep Forum Flyer

BTW, I know that the 6th Ward is a Democratic ward, but what about the Republicans? :P

Imagine Englewood If essay competion: Why Englewood needs a youth center

Today recieved this e-mail about an essay contest sponsored by Imagine Englewood If. Below is the text of that email and an entry form for those Englewood residents who are interested in being part of this contest. The above quote is from someone who is involved in this contest:

Jamal is a 15-year old student at Paul Robeson High School in Englewood. His words were not coached. They came from the heart of a young man who lives at the epicenter of the violence that has taken a foothold in his community. In fact, Jamal was the inspiration for the "Pocket Change 4 Youth" Campaign for a Youth & Family Community Center. He now serves as Youth Co-Chairperson of the “Pocket Change 4 Youth Essay Contest”.

Kinda’ busy? We understand. That’s why we have extended the contest to March 31st. Please take a moment to sponsor someone you know, or consider entering the competition yourself. In these turbulent times, it is one way to signal your support to the children of Englewood who strive for peace in their community. Remember, the essay theme is, "Why Englewood Needs a Youth Center" and the contest is open to anyone who lives, attends school, or works in Englewood. Attached you will find the Essay Contest Entry Form (flyer on front, entry form on back). It includes vital information about the competition to help guide participants through the process.

Awards will be presented on April 7th at “Open Mic Nite”, a teen summit and teen café, which marks the beginning of a direct action campaign to rally support for the center. All ages are welcome. For more information, contact Imagine Englewood if at 773.488.6704, fax: 773.488.6705; email: jhill705 [@] sbcglobal.net; website: www.imagineenglewoodif.org.

This is the entry form that I uploaded onto Scribd.

Election 2012: A billboard...

Sandra J. Wortham is a candidate for state representation 34th District got this billboard near 95th & Michigan. I'll bet this cost a lot of money for a race that doesn't always get the most attention from residents.

Check out her campaign website here!

BTW, someone should've told me about our new 2012 Elections page. It's a lot of work but JP Paulus insisted on it and it looks like we have it here. All races local to the 6th Ward are included including races for 34th District State Representative and 6th Ward Democratic and Republican committeeman. By all means if you have any news or events concerning these races listed on that page e-mail us blog [@] thesixthward.us

Progress IL: Red Line Extension Moving Forward, But Funding Uncertain

Ald. Sawyer was quoted in this piece by Progress Illinois from last week:

As for the Red Line extension, CTA begins their official environmental impact study of the project next month, which is necessary to qualify for federal funding. The study should take 18 months to 24 months and, at that point, Far South Side transit advocates are hopeful that the extension would begin.

“We are hoping to secure federal funding by the late part of 2013,” said John Paul Jones, an organizer for the Developing Communities Project, a faith-based group in Roseland.

Jones has worked to get the Red Line extended for years, and so has a healthy dose of skepticism. But he’s optimistic, noting that CTA is pursuing a private contractor to shape the project’s design and construction. “It’s a good sign that they are trying to line up a public-private partnership,” Jones says.

Ald. Roderick Sawyer, whose 6th ward lies just north of 95th St., is also hopeful. “It seems as if things are moving in a promising fashion,” Sawyer says. “I know people complain about the process taking so long, but it’s a pretty aggressive expansion.”

Insufficient funding, though, can render the whole process moot.

Noted here is a meeting hosting by Ald. Sawyer on Transit coming up on February 25th!

Election 2012: Water Reclamation District

Check out this Sun-Times questionnaire for the many Democratic candidates running for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Amongst those candidates are Kari Steele who is running for that post once again this year. She's very familiar to the residents of the 6th Ward as she was affiliated with former Ald. Freddrenna Lyle's Democratic organization and was once President of the 6th Ward Young Democrats.

Concerned Citizens of Chatham: Getting back to "Cosbyville"

Worlee writes a good piece over at his blog about how Chatham can be a place for those who aspire to be like the family from The Cosby Show. He talks up Jamal Cole who recently authored a book about Chatham entitled, A Torch of Decency.

Fast forward to 2012 and Chatham is not being called Cosbyville anymore. HBCU's are having difficult times attracting and retaining students. The popular television shows show dysfunctional African American families and individuals who have no respect for their community or culture.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I met a young man named Jahmal Cole who stated he wanted to run for office. I stated you have to get involved, understand the community issues and network. This was several years ago and now he has. He recently finished his book "A Torch of Decency" which chronicles the history of Chatham. he doesn't sugarcoat the issues but talks straight forward about why things are happening and what needs and can be done to correct the problems.
....
Can Chatham get back to Cosbyville? With the next generation leaders like Jahmal, I believe we can.

Go over to Worlee's blog and see why Cole is the future of Chatham and how Chatham can once again be "Cosbyville".

Don't forget that there will be a book signing Saturday morning for author Jamal Cole at the Chatham Starbucks @ 200 W. 87th Street starting at 10 AM. Also so advertised on Worlee's blog.

Free Dempsey Travis books available!

Our friends at R.A.G.E - Resident Association of Greater Englewood posted this news on their Facebook page,

Need Books??? City Colleges of Chicago has free Dempsey Travis book for community organizations. They have several pick up dates, the location is 1001 E. 87th. You can pick up the books on February 17, February 22, and February 24; 9:00 am-3:00 pm on each of those days. You must type your requested list prior to pick-up! If you are interested email joinrage@gmail.com for the inventory list!! Thanks!!

If you're interested, let them know!  This would be great to get for Black History Month (and read all year long!)

For more information on Dempsey Travis, see his Historymakers web page entry.

Sawyer and Wooten may be on CLTV's Politics Tonight in the near future

Per a comment on CLTV's show Politics Tonight Facebook page:

‎JP Paulus We are currently working on getting the 6th Ward Dem. Committeemen on the show...will keep you posted on a date! And we're working on getting an email address up and running, we'll post it when it's available!

Here's the link to the comment.

When our Deomocratic Committeeman candidates, Richard Wooten & Rod Sawyer, are scheduled as guests, we'll let you know!

City seeking public input on cultural plan

City seeking public input on cultural plan

Chicagoans from all corners of the city can help brainstorm for the mayor's proposed Chicago Cultural Plan in a series of public meetings beginning next week, Michelle Boone, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said Tuesday during a meeting of the City Council's Committee on Special Events, Cultural Affairs and Recreation.

Boone said she expects the $250,000 cost of creating the plan will be covered by a combination of public and private fundraising. The Chicago Community Trust in September awarded her department a $100,000 grant for development of the plan, and she said $50,000 in city funding is also set aside for that purpose.

The city has hired the international consulting firm Lord Cultural Resources to help draft the plan. Boone said she expects to hold more than 30 meetings to gather public input.

"We don't need to have more information about what the Art Institute needs," Boone said in response to a question from Ald. Roderick Sawyer about bringing more cultural attractions to his South Side ward.

"We need to find out: where are these cultural deserts? And actually we might find and discover that there might be a real cluster of individual artists that have been working under the radar. So how can we help support the work that they do and really make it something more vital?"

Mayor Rahm Emanuel first laid out a vision for his Chicago Cultural Plan in his transition plan, and Boone's office formally announced the public information-gathering process Feb. 1.

The city hopes to release a report in May on the recommendations gathered in public meetings, said Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events spokeswoman Mary May, and the final plan will be presented in the fall.

I wonder what this cultural plan is supposed to consist of? If you want to know more visit http://www.chicagoculturalplan2012.com/ and we were also referred to this link over on twitter @ http://chicagoculturalplan.eventbrite.com/ by @ChiCulturalPlan hopefully many of you will be interesting in following this process.

Emanuel defends income-tax hike refund seizure

The City Council voted 41-8 to seize state tax refund money from those who owe the City money (such as unpaid trafiic/parking tickets). Ald. Sawyer was one of the 8 to vote agianst it.

Here's the link for the Chicago Breaking News Story from the Chicago Tribune:

Emanuel defends income-tax hike refund seizure

Englewood parent empowerment series

Quite late posting this. In fact there are a couple of events taking place today courtesy of the Englewood Community Action Council. There are apparently two free workshops today one of them starting at 12:30 PM and another to start at 4PM. Then the other two on Thursday and Saturday. Check the press release below for more details.

ECAC Press Release February 13

Black History Month: R.L. Dukes Oldsmobile

[VIDEO] The video above is an ad from R.L. Dukes Oldsmobile "The Dealmaker" commercial from 1982. They once resided at 78th & State Street back in the day. If you can't visualize this corner, this is where Northern Trust Bank is now!

This blog post at Chicago Now noted the Black-owned car dealerships that had existed in Chicago. This is "The Vociferous Envoy" said about R.L. Dukes Oldsmobile:

His GM counterpart was Rufus L. Dukes, better known as R.L. Dukes, who first had Thomas Beckley Dodge on west 63rd Street back in the 1950's one of the first African American Dealers in the country. He then was better known for R.L. Dukes Oldsmobile on 78th & State in Chatham. He called himself "The Dealmaker" you may remember the TV commercials as late as the 1980's. My grandparents lived at 78th & Wabash at that time and though a small child, I remember riding past the dealership and being a kid who loved cars, marveled at the store and the inventory. Mr. Dukes passed in 1987.

A personal connection with this dealership involved my father. He liked to look at cars often whether old or brand new. He was also a verifiable Oldsmobile man and he'd probably be crushed to know that the brand was discontinued. Anyway he once came home with a car from R.L. Dukes but my mother forced him to take the car back and they did! Although I'm sure he successfully bought a vehicle from that particular dealer at least once before that.

Ald. Brookins on CAN-TV's Political Forum...

[VIDEO] He appears with host Dartesia Pitts taking about a variety of topics and especially about the ward remap. I'm sure many of you have your own thoughts about this subject, but no need to get hostile. Especially since many of us are unhappy with the recently adopted map.

EDIT: He gives a special shoutout to the residents of the Sixth Ward who have been vocal to their opposition to the ward remap. This was in response to a caller question about the remap who noted that years ago the   21st ward used to go all the way to Cottage Grove. Also under Eugene Sawyer, the 6th went no further south than 87th during the 1980s under Mayors Washington and Sawyer as noted by Ald. Brookins.

OH and Worlee's comments on EveryBlock as "Concerned Citizen's of Chatham" with a question about constructing a bridge over the Dan Ryan at 85th Street. This was fielded by Ald. Brookins!

Another question from EveryBlock about why Brookins didn't take any part of Englewood and left the natural boundaries of Chatham along State Street on the east side of the Dan Ryan. The question suggested that Brookins was dismissive of the wishes of Chatham residents.

Violence Weighs Heavily in Englewood - Chicago News Cooperative

Violence Weighs Heavily in Englewood - Chicago News Cooperativ

Until recently, the sound of gunfire crackling in the streets of Englewood came from at least two or three blocks away, giving La’Keisha Gray-Sewell and her young family a fragile sense of safety and distance from the mayhem.

But Gray-Sewell, who runs a mentoring program for girls, and her husband, Barry Sewell, a disc jockey, have taken no chances. They do not allow their two children to play in front of the two-flat they bought and moved into in 2005. When the children want to ride their bicycles, they are confined to their tiny backyard.

Even on the sunniest afternoons, the family is on lockdown.

No place in the struggling South Side neighborhood feels safe to the family these days. In the last few weeks there have been at least two outbreaks of gunfire on their block of two-flats and bungalows.

The latest was a burst of gunshots just down the street from Gray-Sewell’s home on Jan. 16, Martin Luther King’s Birthday. It was 4 p.m. when the shooting started. Gray-Sewell and her children hit the floor and huddled in a back room, waiting for the police.

“There’s no escape,” she said. “Living in Englewood, I feel like I’m robbing my children of their childhood.”

EDIT: I see that Aisha Butler of "RAGE" was quoted!

That includes trust, said Asiaha Butler, president of RAGE, the Resident Association of Greater Englewood. “The community doesn’t trust the police and the police don’t trust the community,” she said. “We have a whole lot of work to do.”

Read the whole thing!