Current Temperature

CHICAGO WEATHER

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Christmas AM fire on 104th & State

[VIDEO] This was a sad story to find out about on Christmas morning and retweeted several stories about this from various local outlets also over @thesixthward on Twitter. It's sad that the residents of this building at 104th & State Street in Roseland - or Fernwood depending upon the source - were displaced on Christmas morning. In the video from CBS 2 above one family hadn't had the opportunity to even open their presents.

What most have on Christmas morning others may not have and this struck me as very sad.

Here are some tweets to share from news outlets and the Chicago Fire Dept.
12 displaced after Christmas morning fire on Far South Side https://t.co/bzN6psyd3F pic.twitter.com/Hgvl4gLI4A

— ChicagoBreaking (@ChicagoBreaking) December 25, 2017

Only one person taken to hospital, and they're in good condition. https://t.co/37dNMc5Uei

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) December 25, 2017

UPDATE: 1 hospitalized after Roseland apartment fire: https://t.co/i9iGbLvP2m pic.twitter.com/TIEgINAcdX

— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 25, 2017

Chicago: @ChicagoFireDep crews battled freezing temperatures and frozen hydrants as they worked to bring an extra-alarm fire under control this morning in #Roseland
- multiple rescues made
- 3 minor civilian injuries (one transported)
- 12 residents displaced#CFD pic.twitter.com/FB8q12GsNf

— Captured News (@CapturedNews) December 25, 2017

2-11 update. Overhaul in progress. 4-1-8 pic.twitter.com/V319GuZ7C7

— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) December 25, 2017

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

WLS: Bill Campbell, former ABC7 colleague, recovering from stroke

[VIDEO] I posted about this over at The Sixth Ward on Saturday morning longtime TV personality Bill Campbell who worked at WLS-TV until his retirement in 2010 had recently suffered a stroke. Campbell I had learned by finding his LinkedIn is a graduate of Harlan Community Academy, also I have heard he is also a graduate of Bennett Elementary School.

Regarding his current condition.
Although Bill is recovering, he still needs vital rehab and care, much of which is not covered by his insurance.

"Friends of Bill Campbell" have generated a GoFundMe page if you'd like to contribute to his care. We wish Bill a speedy and full recovery.
Here's hoping for a speedy recovery. As written over at "The Sixth" GO FALCONS and because I'm old school and disappointed in recent years that Bennett had changed their mascot GO BADGERS!

Monday, December 11, 2017

Suspect charged in shooting of officer during foot chase in Roseland Heights

[VIDEO] Remember last Thursday I posted about a police involved shooting near Chicago State University. Well suspect in custody and again this explains that helicopter on Wednesday night.
Anthony Woodridge, 25, was charged with two felony counts of attempted first degree murder, one felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and one felony count of aggravated battery by discharge of a firearm.

The Chicago police officer was shot late Wednesday night while trying to catch up with the suspect, who was on the run on the city's South Side.

Plainclothes officers from the Calumet District were conducting a street stop just before 11:30 p.m. near East 95th Street and South Martin Luther King Drive in Chicago's Rosemoor neighborhood, police said. That led to a foot chase.

During the pursuit, Woodridge allegedly turned in the direction of the officers and fired, hitting one of the officers in the hand. Officials say Woodridge continued firing while the officer was on the ground. The injured officer and partner returned fire, and Woodridge was unhurt.

Police were able to catch the suspect, and a gun was found at the scene.
The wounded officer will thankfully be OK!

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Behind the scenes of the Great Train Story

[VIDEO] The video above was posted by artistmac where he was shown behind the scenes of this exhibit The Great Train Story at the Museum of Science and Industry. The duration of this video is 31 minutes and it reminds of me of my own field trips to MSI.

To be honest I don't remember seeing this exhibit. If I did see it upon my visit while in grammar school at the Shedd School branch, the model trains were what caught my interest. Not only am I fan of trains, but at the time of this field trip I also played with a model train set. Sadly those old locomotives and cars are no longer in my possession as they were quickly forgotten when I got older.

The only memory of that field trip was passing through the old American main street exhibit. There was even a "nickelodeon" where we could've caught a movie. At that this nickelodeon caught my eye because it's also the name of a cable TV network for children.

Now I recognize that it's just time for me to make my own return visit to the museum. This time I'm not doing this for school, but just for my own enrichment. The lessons of these exhibits I can appreciate more and hopefully won't so quickly go over my head as they had upon visiting here as a child.

The man whom artistmac speaks with named William, truly has a difficult though enviable job as the museum's trainmaster. All he has to do is set up & operate a model railroad at a museum. He also has to keep it running and keep all equipment in museum quality condition. So kudos to him and perhaps he can tell other model railroaders how they could get his job!

Thursday, December 7, 2017

CBS Chicago: Chicago Cop Shot In The Hand During Chase In Rosemoor

[VIDEO] This is why I heard the helicopter in my neighborhood last night? A police officer was shot near Chicago State University last night.

Officer was said to be fine after being shot in hand and one suspect in custody. Another piece of trivia is that the incident actually took place in Roseland Heights. Rosemoor is the neighborhood across the Bishop Ford Expressway to the south.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

SNL Watch Party at SMG-Chatham


You may have seen this from Worlee Glover on Nextdoor and on Concerned Citizens of Chatham.
Saturday, November 18th. Come join SMG Chatham as we host a free LIVE watch party of Saturday Night Live to support our friend and community partner, Chance the Rapper. He’s done so much for our community, so let's rally around him and celebrate his successes. Doors open at 9:00 pm with DJ performance in the lobby from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm.
SMG Chatham is located at 210 W. 87th Street.
 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

9th ward job fair & hiring event

9th ward job fair & hiring fair at Tuley Park - 501 E. 90th Place tomorrow Wednesday, November 15, 2017 from 9 AM to 2 PM. Refer to flyer below if you seek more information!

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Chicago IG blasts city over crime strategy

[VIDEO] The video above brought to mind the senseless murder of another school teacher on 79th Street in Chatham back in 2014. I wish I could tell you there was an op/ed after her shooting back then as we hear about in this FOX News Channel report after the death of another school teacher.

Here's a link to this op/ed from Chicago's inspector general Joe Ferguson:
Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, in characteristically heartfelt fashion, recently asked why this shooting was different. A part-time Chicago Public Schools employee died a few days later, shot while sitting on her front porch, another innocent victim. It pierced the news cycle and then faded. Mary asked why the Rogers Park murder carried a jolt that the ceaseless stream of others have not.

Because it was an unintended wound to privilege – my privilege.

A white teacher was cut down in a place and under circumstances we do not associate with such occurrences. It stood out as not normal, even in a city in which we have internalized and compartmentalized the soul-grinding carnage on our streets as utterly normal. It is, in fact, a daily, at times hourly, occurrence in other parts of Chicago.

The children in those parts of our city never get to see the world as good, and are relentlessly exposed to brutal violence and the threat of violence such as to have them grow up in modified states of traumatic stress. This is not normal, either. If Chicago’s gun-murder rate was the same as New York’s, our annual murder tally would be 150 — about one-fifth of last year’s total and less than a quarter of this year’s likely total.

Can this be turned around? Hell, yes. Can it be turned around tomorrow? Hell, no.
Will Joe Ferguson step up to the plate to face Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2019? Will the city's violence be a cornerstone of his campaign? Read the whole thing!

Also allow me to note that Emanuel has stated that he plans to run for re-election in 2019.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Ald. Beale's new website, check it out!


www.ward09.com
You should check out the new 9th Ward website by Ald. Beale it looks great. Very nicely designed and more interactive. The previous website was adequate although not in tune with what's expected of a website for constituents.

I'm hoping for more of a presence on social media than I've observed from the Alderman, but hopefully that time will come. This website however is a great start for those constituents who are computer saavy.

Friday, October 13, 2017

#NEXTGEN Youth Summit at Simeon Career Academy

 Just got this in via e-mail today.
  • 21st Ward Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr. to Host 
    2017 #NEXTGEN Youth Summit in the South Side of Chicago

    2017 Youth Summit at Simeon Career Academy

    Chicago – On October 14, Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr. teams up with various organizations, schools, and community leaders to host the 2017 #NEXTGEN Youth Summit. The Youth Summit will take place at Simeon Career Academy located at 8147 S. Vincennes starting at 9:00am and ending at 4:00pm.

    This is the first year that Alderman Brookins will be hosting a Youth Summit in the 21st Ward. “I think it is extremely important that we as leaders and adults develop opportunities for young people to learn and get inspired to become positive productive citizens of our ward and the city,” stated 21st Ward Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr., Chairman of the Committee on Education and Child Development.

    The Youth Summit will be filled with keynote speakers, live entertainment, and workshops on career development, college readiness, health and nutrition, STEM, entrepreneurship, public speaking and art. In addition, the Youth Summit will have two panel discussions – one will focus on Government and Politics and its Effect on Young People and the other will focus on Violence in Chicago. Lastly, there will be an area where various organizations will disseminate information to all of the participants. 

    For additional information please contact the 21st Ward Office at 773-881-9300.
Flyer posted to our ig page.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Applying for a CPS school

There is a streamlined process for parents & students to apply for Chicago Public Schools and programs. Whether for elementary or high school students or non-selective enrollment programs or selective enrollment programs.
  • Visit go.cps.edu
  • Also watch the video below regarding usage of this site [VIDEO



Furthermore here's an ig post via CPSParentsU to get out the word for this new application process. If you're a parent utilizing this system lets us know how this works for you. Years ago when it was time to move on to high school, my parents didn't have such a system just the expectation that I would get a decent education from any school. Now the tools are available for parents to do research on any school in the city.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Annual summit: State of education in our community


My apologies if this is entirely last minute as this event occurs today! Not sure why I didn't allow myself an opportunity to post this when I first got the email for it, but here we are.
  • Let's Talk About What's Happening at the Schools in Our Communities!

    THE WEST CHESTERFIELD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION PRESENTS

    An Annual Summit on  "THE STATE OF EDUCATION  IN OUR COMMUNITY"

    Invited Guests:

    Dr. Michelle Willis, Principal
    Gillespie Technology Magnet Cluster Elementary School

    Mrs. Ramona Fannings-Outlaw, Principal
    Harlan Community Academy High School
    Mr. Jeffery Dase, Network Chief
    Network 12 (confirmed)

    Mrs. LaTanya McDade
    Chief of Teaching and Learning

    Dr. Janice Jackson
    Chief Educational Officer

    Dr. Rachel Lindsey (confirmed)
    Interim President, Chicago State University

    Guest Speaker

    Mr. Troy LaRaviere, President of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association will be our guest speaker. Mr. LaRaviere has been a regular critic of CPS, however, he provides very illuminating facts as to the state of education throughout the city of Chicago and the comparison with the charter schools, as well as the State of Illinois.

    What?

    Prepare for the conversation with CPS officials regarding the continuing tenuous status of the Harlan H.S. Local School Council.

    Where?

    Looking forward to seeing you at the Community Center on Saturday, 9351 S. Michigan,Chicago, IL. Remember, Michigan Ave. has permit parking; please park on the east-west streets.
Also
  • If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sharon Banks-Pincham, WCCA Education Chair at [redacted] (cell) or respond to this email address sherry8750 @ yahoo.com.



Friday, September 29, 2017

CTA celebrates 70 years

On Sunday in downtown Chicago there will be activities and will include rides on vintage CTA vehicles, especially buses and trains. You can see more details here. Posters marking CTA's 70th anniversary will be handed out at a "Community Connection" bus and at select CTA stations you will find a commemorative Ventra paper ticket. The ig post below from CTA shows an example of the poster.
Many of us take CTA for granted and yes even complains about the service or even the projects that slow down our commutes. At the same time it's a vital part of getting around our city, as easily as the streets and expressways and especially more recently our bicycles.

Monday, September 25, 2017

9th ward meeting with Ald. Beale on Tuesday

This meeting for ward 9 residents is tomorrow Sept. 26, 2017 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM to be located at

Pullman Presbyterian Church
550 E. 103rd St.
Chicago, IL 60628

Of course if you want more info call Ald. Beale's office at 773.785.1100

Also refer to flyer below.


Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Tomorrow is the last day for the #SeawayBank farmer's market

Division of Self-Help FCU
It was started back up early last month and on Wednesday that's it for the year! Here's hoping they return with fresh produce for local residents next year!

Thursday, September 14, 2017

A new sidewalk near the coming Whole Foods Market disribution center in Pullman

Last year I took a walk along 111th Street towards the Pullman Walmart store and noted the lack of a sidewalk. This was not long after the announced Whole Foods Distribution Center was unveiled. If you have plenty of workers - who may be taking public transportation - at a facility that is presumably 24/7 this spot isn't very accessible.
Photo taken in April 2016
Now with other amenities coming and plans for other warehouses to come to the former site of a steel mill near the site of the Walmart anchored shopping center near 111th/Doty we now get a sidewalk. No more stepping on mud or stepping into the street! I'm sorry that these pics were taken at dusk and that you get an east and west shot here.
Photos taken Sept. 2017
From this particular evening there are more photos to come which hopefully will be see on @thesixthward instagram account.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Update on the planning for CTA Red Line extension

CTA Red Line extension
Recently got an update with regards to where the Chicago Transit Authority is currently with the planned Red Line extension south from 95th Street to 130th St. near Altgeld Gardens. You can read a two sheet update here from their official website.

With this in mind there are two videos with regards to the extension which in my opinion is beneficial to the far south side of Chicago. However, what I strive to do on this blog is to be fair and the first video is a local homeowner who is opposed to the Red Line extension because it's construction means the destruction of homes as far as whatever alignment the CTA will choose.

This first video is courtesy of The Chicago Reporter - and posted to YouTube in December 2016 - and shows commentary by Shari Henry who opposes the extension as the project could threaten her family home. We see a drive around through the communities that are affected by this proposed project. As I may hope there could be further development Henry uses 95th as a guide with little business development around the 95th Terminal. [VIDEO]
The next video shows a proposal for the revitalization of the intersection at 115th & Michigan - although yeah they refer to this as 116th & Michigan. This is geared towards transit oriented development with mixed use buildings that hopefully will include storefronts, low-income housing, a grand entrance to the nearby L station, and greenspace to be used for community events. Seems like a great plan that should be considered even if it must be refined. The video was posted to YouTube in May 2017. [VIDEO]
Here's yet another video which was posted to YouTube in Dec. 2012 - 4 years ahead of The Chicago Reporter video with Shari Henry. Of course this is a video that is in favor of the Red Line extension to 130th Street and certainly wants us to know the benefits of building this extension. An hour commute to downtown Chicago for cultural, education, or even jobs. The far south side won't be so disconnected or it won't take so long to take advantage of all the opportunities the city of Chicago has to offer. [VIDEO]
Forgot to add the above video was before the 2013 Red Line south reconstruction and before the current redevelopment of the 95th Red Line terminal.

What you see below is the project development phase which is the final environmental impact statement and record of decision as far as the Red Line alignment along the Union Pacific Railroad route. I suppose this means which side of the tracks will have their properties impacted which is also explained in the two-page report from CTA.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Tribune: Planned warehouses could bring thousands of jobs to Pullman

On Wednesday @thesixthward on instagram reposted a screen cap that is a rendering of the future warehouses expected to come near 103rd/Stony Island provided by this Chicago Tribune article. As a matter of fact, these warehouses will be closer to 111th Street near the Walmart. Below I will share the post provided by Ian Lantz who owns The Pullman Cafe.
A post shared by Ian Lantz (@ianlantzart) on

And now onto the article itself which lays out future development in Pullman:
Minneapolis-based developer Ryan Cos. and nonprofit community developer Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives said they plan multiple industrial buildings totaling as much as 1.2 million square feet on land immediately north of the Whole Foods facility. U.S. Bank, which owns the land, is also involved in the project.

The exact number of jobs will depend on the type of tenants that lease space, but the project could potentially create as many as thousands of jobs, according to 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale.

"This is the culmination of a lot of our work to bring more jobs to the community," said David Doig, president of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives. "In the last 30 to 40 years this area has lost tens of thousands of jobs, which has been a source of the area's decline. Jobs are important in rebuilding the area."

Construction of the more than 50-acre complex, called Pullman Crossings, could begin by next summer, said Tim Hennelly, Ryan's president for the Great Lakes region.

The warehouses will be along 103rd Street and Woodlawn Avenue, just west of Interstate 94 and Harborside International Golf Center.

Warehouses are the latest phase of the larger, 180-acre Pullman Park development to replace a former Ryerson Steel plant. Previous phases brought in the nearby Method Products soap factory and Gotham Greens rooftop greenhouse.

The community, which once had a dearth of shopping options, also has been boosted in recent years by a Walmart store and other retail, including Ross Dress for Less and Planet Fitness.
Tribune Graphics provided an illustration of the expected development.
There is of course more to come beyond these warehouses to come near the Walmart in Pullman:
Other construction in the area includes the 135,000-square-foot Pullman Community Center at 103rd and Woodlawn and retail buildings at 111th Street and Doty Avenue, where a Potbelly sandwich shop, a bakery and a dry cleaner will open later this year.

A visitors center to the Pullman National Monument, created in 2015 by the federal government to commemorate the neighborhood's rail-car-making past, will open in 2019, Doig said.
...
Other construction in the area includes the 135,000-square-foot Pullman Community Center at 103rd and Woodlawn and retail buildings at 111th Street and Doty Avenue, where a Potbelly sandwich shop, a bakery and a dry cleaner will open later this year.

A visitors center to the Pullman National Monument, created in 2015 by the federal government to commemorate the neighborhood's rail-car-making past, will open in 2019, Doig said.
...
The exact number of warehouses will be determined by the preferences of tenants, although the developers may decide to build without leases signed by next summer, Hennelly said. The combined cost of the warehouses could range from $50 million to $90 million, depending on the uses, he said.

Government incentives including tax increment financing, enterprise zone tax breaks and the federal New Markets Tax Credit program could fund about one-third of the warehouse development's cost, Doig said.
Here's hoping these developments will prove to be a boon for Pullman and Roseland.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Another property tax increase coming soon...

Chicago Board of Education
Remember during the 2015 municipal elections where I expressed support for an elected school board - though my idea was a hybrid with both appointed and elected members? Well we need to get to work on this idea especially if Gov. Bruce Rauner signs legislation that sets up another property tax increase here in Chicago that would be approved not by Chicago Aldermen, but by the appointed Chicago board of education.

Tapped-out Chicago property owners would face yet another tax hit for teacher pensions — but their aldermen would escape another difficult vote — under a historic new statewide school funding deal now headed to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk.

That “compromise” bill — approved by Illinois lawmakers this week — authorizes the Chicago Board of Education, comprised of mayoral appointees, to impose a property-tax hike worth $125 million without any involvement whatsoever from the Chicago City Council, whose members are elected.

The Board of Education does indeed plan to approve the increase, enabling the Chicago Public Schools to walk away with a total of $450 million in new state and local money for the 2017-18 school year once Rauner puts his signature on the bill, school officials said.

Rauner plans a bill-signing ceremony on Thursday, his office said.

It’s unclear when the city’s school board will take up the property-tax increase.

This hike would amount to a 2.5 percent increase in the tax bill for an average Chicago homeowner. The owner of a home worth $200,000 would pay an additional $83 in property taxes, records show.
It brings to mind a recent column written by John Ruberry of Marathon Pundit
In Chicago it’s great to be part of the ruling class. But Chicago’s roads are crumbling, barely one out of four of its students in its government schools read at grade level, its bond rating is the lowest among major cities, and businesses lack confidence in Chicago and Illinois as a whole. If you are part of Chicago’s ruling class you might view high taxes as a downpayment on your next paycheck or your retirement, but Chicagoans endure the nation’s highest sales tax rate and they were slugged with the highest property tax increase in the city’s history to fund public-worker pensions.

Yet Chicago’s public pensions are the worst-funded among America’s biggest cities--at a rate of just 25 percent of its obligations. But the cruel joke may be on these well-compensated public-servants. Despite the strong pension protection clause in the Illinois constitution, a pension “haircut” seems unavoidable for retirees. Michigan has similar wording it its constitution, yet Detroit municipal retirees saw their pension checks cut after the Motor City declared bankruptcy.
h/t Newsalert

BTW, what you see in that Newsalert post is a screencap of the Sun-Times front page which is what I share now.
 

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

West Chesterfield moves up on leader board State Farm neighborhood assist

From The Chicago Neighborhoods
We got an e-mail recently from West Chesterfield's Michael LaFargue
  • THANK those who have voted! and ask PLEASE VOTE TODAY, TOMORROW, THURSDAY and FRIDAY!

    UPDATE!
    We have moved up on the Leader Board to #145. We need to be at #40.

    VOTE:
    GO TO: www.neighborhoodassist.com
    SIGN UP: name, personal email…
    SEARCH: type in West Chesterfield
    VOTE: Today *
    VOTE: Daily **

    Please help the West Chesterfield Community Association Inc. win a $25,000 State Farm "Safety" Surveillance Camera Grant!

    Only the "The forty (40) Causes earning the highest number of votes by 11:59:59 P.M. ET, Friday, August 25, 2017 will be designated the winners"
Also there was a press release attached to this e-mail which includes reference to Cook County Judge Raymond Myles who had been murdered this past spring. The private surveillance camera network of West Chesterfield was instrumental in capturing his killers.


Let's support West Chesterfield in their efforts!

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Seaway Bank Farmer's Market Aug. 2nd to Sept. 20th, 2017

Seaway Bank as a division of Self-Help FCU is hosting a farmer's market every Wednesday from Aug. 2 to Sept. 20, 2017 from 9 AM to 2 PM. at the main branch located at 645 E. 87th Street. Refer to flyer below for more details or click this link for a printable flyer.



Monday, July 31, 2017

HUFFPOST: Wake Up, Black Community

N'Digo's publisher Hermene Hartman writes about the changes taking place in Chicago and how these changes affect Black Chicago:
There are two Chicagos, one Black and one White. There are two districts in the city – the White one north and the Black one combining the South and West Sides.

By the time Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s term is up in 2019, the city will be revamped, the redesign of Chicago will be complete, and the divide will be greater than ever through economic maneuvers.

The Black community, the Black vote, as usual is being taken for granted by the Democrats and ignored by the Republicans. You can see it everywhere and the Black community is losing as the renaissance of the city goes forth before your very eyes.

Taxes are increasing, housing is changing, and the cranes in the south loop and downtown Chicago are erecting condos and hotels as fast as possible. Hyde Park is a new community with high-rise rentals and new stores as they prepare for the Obama library.
And then it goes on:
The Black community is asleep, a sleeping giant, the voting elephant in a room where Black lives don’t matter in reality. Wake up, if you please, and look at the surroundings.

The neighborhoods are changing rapidly and Black folk don’t matter and we don’t know the plan. Hopefully we will look through the political talk and hold the politicians accountable.

Crime is rampant in our neighborhoods that will change soon, bringing new land development and new populations. Displacement abounds. New schools are coming. New stores are coming. New restaurants are coming, but they are not for the Black community that is currently in those neighborhoods now. Economic development is not coming our way. The newest innovation is pianos in the park, where Blacks are afraid to play, ride bicycles or picnic for fear of being shot, while listening to the tinkling piano music, I suppose.
I excerpted a lot more than I should've but read the whole thing & let me know what you think. Whenever the subject of the decline of Black Chicago comes up on this blog, there is a recurring theme. Blacks are leaving the city of Chicago and going to the burbs or out of state - perhaps to the south. Also we're losing population, however, there is a construction boom near downtown Chicago or in Hyde Park.

So right now what do we do to stem the tide?

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Armed & fabulous: In Chicago, women worried about violence join gun club.

GO FALCONS
Found this article over at Instapundit. They're talking about a local business that offers gun training classes.
Javondlynn Dunagan, came up with the idea of gun training classes geared toward women, and for the "Ladies of Steel" gun club -- after successful training, the women gather twice a month to practice their skills.

Dunagan served as a parole officer for 25 years before finishing her career in January, but had rarely held a gun when dealing with convicts.

She said she started carrying one after divorcing her police officer husband.

"I was at home by myself with my daughter, and I was used to having a firearm in a home with my ex-husband," she explained. "So, I wanted to make sure that we were safe."

But Dunagan noticed something curious when she visited gun ranges around Chicago to practice.

"I noticed that I never saw two women at the range together or a group of ladies," she recounted.
As for the answer to women who are scared of guns:
That answer prompted her to start JMD Defense & Investigations, offering gun training programs geared towards women. The "investigations" side of the business will debut next year.

Dunagan also offers classes such as the "Mommy & Me Self-Defense Class," where women can bring their daughters, ages 8-18 years, to learn hand-to-hand combat.

"That came about because my daughter was going to college four years ago and she couldn't find a self-defense class on the south side of Chicago," Dunagan said.

Her clients are from the predominantly African-American communities in Chicago's south side, in or near neighborhoods struggling with runaway gun violence.
If you'd like follow JMD (visit their website) on ig. Their offices are located in Beverly at 1447 W. 103rd Street

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Capitol Fax: Austin is no longer the city’s largest neighborhood

I'm sharing a direct tweet to an article about Austin losing its designation as Chicago's most populous neighborhood - though remaining the largest community area geographically.
According to the Tribune article shared over at the Capitol Fax it loses this designation to the north side Lakeview neighborhood:
Home to nearly 118,000 people in 2000, Austin has seen its population drop to 97,600, according to an average of census data collected between 2011 and 2015. It has been overtaken by the North Side's Lakeview neighborhood, whose population has remained steady since the 1980s and currently has about 98,200 residents.
Now the reasons Austin is losing population is not much different than a number of neighborhoods on the south side or even the west side. Better yet not much different than why many are leaving Chicago, period.
In a neighborhood as large as Austin, each block can be its own world.

The tree-lined ones, with restored Victorian homes or brick two-flats and kids playing in polished gardens, are what residents call good blocks. They're free of the shootings and drug deals that plague others. But those other blocks, dotted with boarded-up houses and vacant lots with overgrown weeds, are often down the street or around the corner.

Austin is the city's largest community area geographically, and was the most populated for 45 years. But as the West Side neighborhood's gun violence has increased, so too has families' realization that at any moment the shootings can creep into their blocks — even the good blocks. Austin's residents are leaving, with some saying goodbye to the place they've called home their entire lives.
...
Chicago's violence is at its highest since the drug wars of the 1990s, and Austin is center stage to many of the shootings and homicides: As of July 13, there were 258 shootings in the area in 2017 and 44 homicides, according to Tribune data. More than 1,900 people have been shot in Chicago so far this year.

The city as a whole is losing residents, and Chicago last year was the only city of the country's 10 largest to lose population. Residents who've packed up and left Chicago have cited a variety of reasons — high taxes, the state budget stalemate and the weather.

Those in Austin have a different list of concerns. More than 30 percent live in poverty. Storefronts are shuttered, and grocery stores are few and far between. The neighborhood high schools that remain open are under-resourced.

But in a neighborhood where retaliatory shootings mean unending violence, many residents say safety is the biggest issue.
Of course there is more to this story so I suggest you give this a read. And check out the video with the Trib article. If only many of us has signs like this to rep our neighborhoods. For example I <3 Chatham or I <3 Roseland or I <3 Englewood.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Trump and county sending help for violence in Chicago

President Trump
Lost in all the tweets of personal attacks on cable network media personalities and a video which portrays the President at a past WWF Wrestlemania attacking someone who represents CNN (whose logo you see in place of their face - probably WWF owner Vince McMahon) was a mention of federal help being sent to Chicago.
Bear in mind earlier this year he wrote this tweet
It appears the President of the United States is actually fulfilling that initial promise:
Twenty federal gun agents have been assigned to Chicago to join a newly formed task force aimed at cutting the flow of illegal guns into the city and cracking down on people repeatedly arrested on gun charges.

Hours after the Chicago police department sent out a news release about the task force, President Donald Trump claimed credit for sending in the agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
...
The roughly 40-person strike force, which consists of Chicago police officers, ATF agents and Illinois State Police, will be working on unsolved shootings and gun-related homicides and combating illegal gun trafficking, officials said Friday.
In addition to the federal angle help from the Cook County Sheriff is coming to the south side also announced late last month:
The sheriff's office announced Wednesday that 55 to 60 sheriff's police and staff members would "supplement" the work already done by Chicago police in the Calumet and Gresham police districts.

Sheriff's officers and staff will help with patrol units, special operations, crime suppression tactical teams, evictions and other services.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) asked the sheriff's police to help "to create a safer, healthier environment," according to a news release.
Will additional law enforcement help from the federal government or the sheriff be enough to curb violent crime in the many low-income neighborhoods of Chicago?

BTW, yes the WWF is actually WWE now, however, as a wrestling fan old habits die hard. WWE will always be WWF or World Wrestling Federation to me. The usage of WWF was intentional.



Friday, June 30, 2017

West Chesterfield on the recent Walgreen's closure in the neighborhood

Crossposted from The Sixth Ward
347 E. 95th Street - June 2017
Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to go to the recent meeting hosted by state Rep. Elgie Sims on the Walgreen's store that closed on Tuesday Jun. 27th at 95th/King Drive. However I'm glad that the West Chesterfield Community Association was able to share a quick report on their fb page. That report is embedded below



Thursday, June 29, 2017

Against All Odds: The Fight for the Black Middle Class

Crossposted from The Sixth Ward
[VIDEO] One of the main reasons why I started The Sixth Ward was to in some way highlight the middle-class aspects of the 6th Ward as it was drawn between 2002 to roughly 2015. Chatham isn't the only community with a solidly Black middle-class population, but it has often been considered a bastion of the Black middle-class.

This documentary was mentioned on the ig profile for the new owners of the former Seaway National Bank - Self-Help FCU - doing a quick mention of this documentary Against All Odds: The Fight for the Black Middle Class. It's available for viewing either on pbs.org or you can watch it through the PBS app available on iPhones & iPads and likely Android also.


It's a great history Blacks came from sharecroppers and then reached some form of a middle-class through entrepreneurship, trades, manufacturing, even as government workers. Although as I've learned overtime with this blog having taken an interest in the issues of the middle-class being white middle-class is often different than being Black middle-class. One difference is certainly the wealth gap:
Nearly 40 percent of black children are poor, and for every dollar of wealth in the hands of the average white family, the typical black family has only a little more than a nickel.
Also mentions which is also part of this wealth gap is the great recession and how many Black families are still digging out of it. Just think as Barack Obama took the reigns as President of the United States many Black neighborhoods here in Chicago were feeling the crisis of foreclosure.

Also noted how if one bought a home in a solidly Black populated area the values of the home would be devalued compared to a home in a white populated area. If both areas are considered solidly middle-class where people generally take care of their property there would still be a difference as far as value based upon the majority race.

With that being said is the path different for those people who seek to join the ranks of America's middle-class? What held an earlier generation back at least 50-60 years ago may not be a major factor at the start of the 21st century.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Wendy's coming to 95th/Michigan?

Worlee wrote this over at NextDoor recently
107 E. 95th Street - June 2017
  • Where o Where Will Wendy's Go



    The plot thickens. There is an unverified report that Wendy's will take over the former KFC site at 95th Michigan. 

    Also, it has been reported that Wendy's will be opening a store at the 87th street retail corridor. 

    So will we have two stores opening? Will we have 4 stores in a 5mile radius with the existing stores at 86th Stony and 83rd Ashland? 

    What's your thoughts?
In addition there's also a Wendy's at 111th/State in Roseland. Also let's not forget that the former Wendy's at 95th/King Drive still hasn't found another tenant yet. Though it's great to finally have a new business in the former KFC space which closed permanently near the end of 2015. Here's one of our ig posts.

Monday, June 5, 2017

Mary Mitchell writes about the decline of Black Chicago


Sun-Times columnist Mitchell takes on the issue of Blacks leaving Chicago
After a lifetime of living in Chicago, my husband is seriously talking about moving away.

It’s not just one thing that is spurring him to pack up and leave, he explained; it’s a combination of things.

He cited high taxes, crime and bad politics, but he’s obviously not alone. Black people are fleeing the city’s predominantly black neighborhoods on the South and West Sides.

Meanwhile, according to recent U.S. Census data, white people are flocking to neighborhoods near Downtown.

Chicago, once a haven for the black middle class, is no longer seen as a place of economic opportunity for African Americans.
6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer was quoted:
Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) argues that white people are moving in as black people abandon these neighborhoods.

“I’m in Woodlawn right now, and there are white people walking down the street, walking dogs and jogging. People don’t mess with white people. If I walked up and down the street over here, I would probably get hit in the head, and that’s an awful thing to say,” Sawyer conceded.

“But we can make it better by staying and putting in the time and work and getting involved in your neighborhood. You can’t complain about it while you are locked up in your house,” he said.
...
“We may lose another black alderman as some of our wards are teetering around 60 percent black. In fact, Walter Burnett’s ward is not black. We lost the second ward in the last redistricting,” Sawyer said.

Still, the alderman is wary of the Census data.

“I don’t think as many people are leaving, as they are not being counted,” he said.
Conclusion:
This latest Census data shows black residents want the same things other people want: employment, fair government, safe neighborhoods and good schools.

Unfortunately, too few African-Americans in Chicago can say they have any of those things.
Employment, fair gov't, safe neighborhoods, & good schools. How do we get any of those?

Monday, May 29, 2017

Memorial Day pics in the 9th ward


Two posts from Marathon Pundit to mark the Memorial Day holiday. One was taken at the former St. Salomea Catholic Church @ 118th & Indiana Ave. (also known as Salem Baptist Church) in Roseland. That's the pic you see above.

The other pic was taken at George Pullman School located at 11311 S. Forrestville Avenue in Pullman.

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful and safe Memorial Day holiday.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

The Walgreen's on 95th & King Drive is closing

In about one month the Walgreen's location at 347 E. 95th Street will be closed permanently on June 27, 2016. It'll just be another vacant storefront just like the former Wendy's across the street on 95th.

The flyer you see below is seen on a table as you enter the store and signs are posted in that location alerting customers of the impending closing. This particular space had only been open for roughly a decade.



Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Crain's: Why so many young Chicago men pull the trigger

Go Falcons!
One attempt to get a handle on the issue of gun violence in Chicago's crime ridden neighborhoods. At one point in time this blog strived to avoid issues of crime even though I recognize it as a reality in our fair city.

Regardless the fact that a shooting and the volume of them is news not just locally but nationally also is problematic. We all hope for a solution to save our young people. No easy answers, but something has to be done about the violence.

Also for this, there will be three parts to this series. I hope to be able to share the other ones as they're published.

Monday, May 22, 2017

9th ward monthly community meeting

This notice was e-mailed to Ald. Anthony Beale's e-mail list over the weekend regarding the next 9th ward community meeting tomorrow Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at the Pullman Presbyterian Church @ 550 E. 103rd Street. And of course if you attend you would hear updates from representatives of  city departments and agencies.

Flyer itself is below



Tuesday, May 9, 2017

The decline of Black Chicago

Chicago Mag illustration Richard Mia
 Another piece courtesy of Chicago Magazine on the decline of Black Chicago:
Since the early ’80s, blacks in South and West Side neighborhoods have been steadily leaving the city, resettling at first largely in the Cook County suburbs. But over the past 15 years, more and more have been leaving the area entirely for northwest Indiana, Iowa’s Quad Cities, and Sun Belt states, says Alden Loury, the director of research and evaluation at the Metropolitan Planning Council. Today there are roughly 850,000 blacks in Chicago, down from 1.2 million in 1980.

The reasons for this are varied: The foreclosure crisis saw blacks evicted disproportionately from their rental apartments and houses; the Chicago Housing Authority leveled high-rises like the Robert Taylor Homes, scattering public housing residents; the lack of stable employment in South and West Side neighborhoods continues to force residents to look elsewhere for jobs; and school closures further disenfranchise communities. “There are not a lot of messages that Chicago cares about its black residents,” says Mary Pattillo, a sociology and African American studies professor at Northwestern University and author of the book Black Picket Fences. “When you lose the institutions that cultivate attachment, it makes it a lot easier to pick up and leave.”
How does Chicago send the message that the city cares about its Black residents?

BTW, feel free to share the article here's a tweet from @chicagomag