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Tuesday, June 21, 2022

West Chesterfield Community Safety Fest Saturday June 25, 2022

Information on this event from former West Chesterfield Community Associate President Michael LaFargue
You and your family are invited to a Community Safety Festival!
 
Security systems donated by vendors will be raffled.
 
Security vendors, such as ADT, RING, VIVINT, SimpliSafe and others have been invited to participate and present their products at the festival.
 
This Community Safety Festival is Saturday June 25, 2022, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the West Chesterfield Community Association Community Center at 9351 S. Michigan Avenue Center in Chicago, Illinois.
 
Michigan Avenue will be closed from 93rd Street to 95th Street and 94th Street will be closed from Michigan Avenue to Indiana Avenue for the festivities.
 
The Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Fire Department, and the Cook County Sheriff's Department will start the event at 9:30 a.m. by conducting a roll call.
 
The CPD, CFD and the Sheriff will all provide representatives to recruit at the event.

The West Chesterfield Community Association Community Safety Fest will take place
  • 9351 S. Michigan Ave
  • Saturday, June 25, 2022
  • 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Tickets will be sold day of the event. Please refer to flyer below.

 

CBS Chicago: Ald. Beale hopes to vote for proposal to raise 6 MPH threshold for speeding tickets #Ward09

 

[VIDEO] First it was red light cameras giving out tickets now it's speeding camera tickets. The threshold for a speeding ticket before Mayor Lori Lightfoot changed it was 10 MPH now it got lowered to 6 MPH. Ward 9 Ald. Anthony Beale finds that change to just be a revenue grab and he wants to change it. We see what happened when he tried to move the proposal to the floor of the Chicago City Council.

Saturday, June 18, 2022

Political Forum: Illinois 1st Congressional District Candidates

 

[VIDEO] From the video description and it's not clear when this actually aired on CAN-TV.

Learn about these 1st Congressional District Candidates: Chris Butler (D), Jahmal Cole (D), Jacqueline Collins (D), Pat Dowell (D), Jonathan Jackson (D), Karin Norington–Reaves (D), Jonathan Swain (D), and Charise Williams (D).

And BTW, JP Paulus at The Sixth Ward is fired up about a lack of coverage of this open seat. As he states this is the first time in a generation that we have an incumbent-free election that is more open than ever.

ABC 7: Private security firms to patrol Beverly, Morgan Park and Mt Greenwood

 

[VIDEO] Out of ward 19. Ald. Matt O'Shea wasn't seen in this report however he was quoted as stating that his part of the city is safe, but acknowledged that police are stretched thin. Security will be unarmed and if they see illegal activity will remain on scene and call police. This extra layer is appreciated by residents as you see in the above story.

Friday, June 17, 2022

Another candidate for mayor

 

[VIDEO] This is really old news from two days ago, however, this report from WBBM-TV shows 26-year-old Ja'Mal Green entering the 2023 race for mayor. How remarkable that at 26 he wants the very challenging position of running the city of Chicago. 

He also joined the race in 2019 when Mayor Rahm Emanuel bowed out leaving the mayor's office an open seat however according to WTTW Willie Wilson was successfully able to challenge his petitions and knock the young man off the ballot.

Here's his announcment video shared on his twitter page @JaymalGreen

Thursday, June 9, 2022

2022 Taste of Chicago & SummerDance in Pullman Park

 Something found on the fb page of Ald. Anthony Beale. This will take place on June 18, 2022 Pullman Park is located at 11101 S. Cottage Grove admission is free. Refer to flyer below

Also click this link which shows a far more comprehensive list of events and acts for June 18.

And allow me to add TasteofChicago.us which is basically a link that sends you to a page about the Taste of Chicago from the city itself.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Free Shred Day at Gately Stadium Parking Lot

 Just found this recently at the fb page for state Rep. Nick Smith. Here's another day for those of you with excess documents or papers that you want to get rid of.

  • Free Shred Day
    Saturday, June 11, 2022
    From 10:00 AM to  1:00 PM
    Gately Stadium Parking Lot
    102nd & Corliss Ave 
Or is this off 103rd Street. Well the Track & Field Center at Gately Park is 10201 S. Cottage Grove, however, Gately Stadium is seen off of 103rd across the street from Corliss High School. Hope this helps however, refer to the contact information for the public officials involved with this event that you will see on this flyer. In addition to to Rep. Smith, you have Ward 8 Ald. Michelle Harris, state Sen. Elgie Sims, and county Commissioner Stanley Moore participating in this event.


She's finally kicked off re-election campaign

 

[VIDEO] She's in! Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants a second term as Chicago's Mayor. And I got to admit this video was a valiant effort to own that many doesn't like her delivery - so at least she isn't that out of touch. On the other hand she wants voters to know she is a fighter.

Of course we won't be voting for any city office until February 2023 and the question for now is there anyone who has announced for mayor so far that you would vote for?

Of course as happens on the internet and we know she does have opposition, the below video noted a local TV news report that her approval ratings are under 30%. Of course it's meant to be somewhat funny and also showing how much they oppose Mayor Lightfoot. [VIDEO]


I like the clips they throw in from Clockwork Orange this YouTuber wanted to give the viewers the impression that this video hurts their eyes.

Monday, June 6, 2022

Capitol Fax: Chicago Board of Elections fails again

  We're less than a month away from the primaries and the Chicago Board of Elections have discovered 73 precincts can't operate on June 28 because they need a new location.

Via Politco:

Why precincts are closed: Since the pandemic, numerous buildings and restaurants have decided not to serve as polling sites. They don’t want the hassle. “Our polling places division has seen a wave of new opt-outs from traditional precinct polling places during the Covid pandemic over the last two years,” Board of Elections spokesman Max Bever told Playbook.

Other reasons, too: Some polling locations that were used during previous spring primaries aren’t available for the summertime election — this is the first time Illinois has had a late June election. Schools, for example, often serve as voting sites but they don’t all have the staffing to open for polling during the summer. Other locations can't handle the size of voting equipment. And some locations aren't properly accessible, according to Bever.

You can check this list to see if you're affected from what I can tell no precinct in Ward 9 isn't affected although precincts in Wards 7 & 8 are. 


Friday, June 3, 2022

Early voting has started in Chicago

 Sorry to not have shared this with you already, however, early voting has started as of May 31st. We do have an election later this month on June 28th.

Here's an article from CBS Chicago:

It's election time in Illinois and early voting starts in Chicago.

The Loop Supersite at Clark and Lake has been open since 9:00 Tuesday morning and will stay open until 6:00 p.m. weekdays. Saturday hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

At the site, you can cast your ballot for the Illinois primary election, which takes place on June 28. Anyone in the city can vote at the Loop Super Site before voting in the wards starts in mid-June.

The Loop Super Site opening was delayed because of last-minute changes to the ballot, which required more testing of the voting machines.

Same-day voter registration is allowed, if you have two forms of ID, and for people voting by mail, your ballots will start going out on Tuesday.

And of course if you want to find a site near you for early voting click this link. Early voting in all 50 wards will start on June 13, 2022.



WTTW: Lightfoot Takes Aim at Rivals: ‘Another Man Who Thinks He Can Do This Job Better Than Me’

 Upon news that Ward 6 Ald. Roderick Sawyer is throwing his hat in the ring to challenge Mayor Lightfoot in 2023.

But shortly after kicking off the city’s celebration of Pride month by dedicating Chicago’s AIDS Garden along the Lakefront near Belmont Harbor, Lightfoot brushed off the criticism leveled by Sawyer, former CPS CEO Paul Vallas, state Rep. Kam Buckner, businessman and philanthropist Willie Wilson and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward).

“Another day, another man who thinks he can do his job better than me,” Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot tapped Sawyer to serve as the chair of the City Council’s Health and Human Relations Committee, and his candidacy is a stunning rebuke of Lightfoot and her leadership. Sawyer was first elected to the City Council in 2011.

Sawyer served as the chair of the Black Caucus under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and charted a moderate path during his administration. In 2019, Sawyer was forced into a runoff, but retained his seat, winning nearly 54% of the vote.
...
Sawyer and Lightfoot clashed over a number of issues during the past three years, including efforts to create an oversight board of Chicagoans to oversee the beleaguered Chicago Police Department as well as a push to study whether and how the city should pay reparations to Chicagoans who are the descendants of enslaved African Americans.

In the face of opposition from the mayor, Sawyer dropped his push to create a commission, and agreed to form a subcommittee of the Health Committee. That body met only once, and Sawyer regretted bowing to the mayor’s wishes, telling WTTW News she had “stonewalled” his efforts.

And what seems to be a typical Lightfoot tactic:

Nearly a year ago, Lightfoot told “Chicago Tonight” that 99% of the criticism she faces is spurred by racism and sexism.

Lightfoot told WTTW News on Thursday that nothing has changed during the past year.

“Women are always going to be judged by a different lens, and people of color are always judged by a different lens,” Lightfoot said. “That’s just the reality of our lives.”

Lightfoot, Chicago’s first gay mayor, said members of the LGBTQ-plus community also face unwarranted criticism because of who they are.

“I’m a big believer in playing the cards that were dealt,” Lightfoot said. “I’m going to keep doing what I think is right on behalf of the residents of the city.”

Unwarranted criticism or just plain the direction of this city needs a change? 

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Another mayoral contender in 2023

Before the 2012 remap Ald. Roderick Sawyer was my Alderman (or Alderperson or Alder ewwww) about one year before the 2023 mayoral race he throws his hat in the ring via Sun-Times

The son of former Mayor Eugene Sawyer said Wednesday he will give up his City Council seat to join the growing field of candidates vying to turn Lori Lightfoot into a one-term mayor.

“I don’t think she’s the right fit for Chicago in this role. … She doesn’t play well in the sandbox with others. … The authoritativeness. The mean-spirited demeanor. That’s not how you run a government,” Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) told the Sun-Times Wednesday, in a wide-ranging interview from the barber chair.

“I want to give the people a more collaborative option, where every voice matters. The current administration’s style of governing is a top-down form of government. It’s not taking into consideration her partners, which is us as aldermen. Also, the citizens of Chicago.”

I want to add the response of Mayor Lightfoot to another mayoral contender it was a bit of a shot at former Schools CEO Paul Vallas who also ran for mayor in 2019. A bit of a zinger delivered by a surrogate found via CapFax yesterday. 

NBC Chicago: Jewel-Osco Stores Reinstate Mask Mandate for Employees Due to High COVID Transmission

 So you won't be surprised when you see workers at your local Jewel stores masked up:

As a new subvariant of omicron continues to spread across the country and COVID cases continue an uptick in Illinois, Jewel-Osco stores are asking employees to once again wear masks.

"Jewel-Osco continues to follow the guidelines set by the CDC and Illinois Department of Public Health," a spokesperson from Jewel-Osco said in an email statement to NBC 5. "Due to current high COVID transmission rates in the counties where we have stores, the Distribution Center, and the corporate office we are requiring associates and vendors to wear a mask."

As of Tuesday, 15 counties in Illinois are currently at "high community transmission.