Chicago State University presents Jazz on the Grass

 Long time no hear. Here's an event to put on your calendar, especially if you live near the campus of Chicago State University (9501 S. King Drive) . Jazz on the Grass on August 20, 2025. 

h/t Concerned Citizens of Chatham

Three Sisters on Michigan Avenue #tbt

 Another photo found through the Roseland History Facebook group. This photo is undated though I do remember the Three Sisters chain which had locations throughout the city.

This photo I really like because these days the shopping area on Michigan Avenue seems depressed boarded up and those business that are open are often locked up with burglar bars when they're closed for the evening. And you see wide open windows with displays and this would be a nice thing to find in the neighborhood at least for those businesses which would be benefit from this.

Coming events: Job opportunity and a shred day

 There's some good information at Concerned Citizens of Chatham. And hopefully it's something you could use. Starting with a coming job fair on May 6, 2024 at the old Target store 11841 S. Marshfield which is currently the Blue Cross Blue Shield Morgan Park facility.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Morgan Park is having OPEN interviews hiring on the spot Monday, May 6, at 10am. *Bring updated resumes (copies).

*Google "STAR Interview" which will help you prepare for the interview.

Customer Advocate I is the position. Duties: speaking with members regarding insurance needs.

*Interview question examples:
They will ask the question what would you do in a situation where you had to help someone?
How you would you work to resolve matters?
*Again, google for examples.

Bring a nice personality, a smile and speak to everyone you come in contact with at the office. *Dress code: Business casual.

Also mark your calendars on June 1, 2024 a Shred Day is being hosted by State Sen. Elgie Sims and County Commissioner Stanley Moore at 8233 S. Princeton Ave.

McDonald's near 95th & Dan Ryan closed?

 I found this photo below on Facebook stating that it's now permanently closed.

Via Joe Myers on Facebook

This location has been here since the early 2000s and it was shocking within the last week to see that there was no one in the parking lot and drive through within the last two or so weeks. With it's location it's very odd that there was no one there or that it was closed.

On the other hand in the handful of times that I've been there as a customer I found that the customer service left a lot to be desired. One time I ordered something and the cashier said nothing and just pointed as if I knew what she was trying to say or ask. So my first thought was that well people finally got wind of the customer service up there and they started to lose business. Though again, this location was always jumping even if I rarely ordered any food there.

Other explanations I've seen has been about violent crime near this McDonald's say some people got shot. As you see in the above pic there is plywood over some of the windows though I don't know if there was a shooting there that affected the building or anyone inside or not.

Another explanation is that just as was done with the lots on the east side of the Red Line's 95th Terminal which used to have a Jim's polish stand, two gas stations and a strip mall, they also bought the property on the west side of the terminal. Just curious how much of this property CTA bought and can be expected to be demolished in the near future.

Regardless looking for something to eat once you get off the bus or train on 95th Street. McDonald's is now one less place to do so.

John & Elizabeth Moutoussamy House in Chesterfield #Ward09

 

I like this house it's very different and fits into the Chatham community for sure. Located at 361 East 89th Place so really in Chesterfield it was designed by noted Black architect John Moutoussamy who designed a number of buildings around Chicago. I found this pic and these buildings he designed on fb

• (1954) The John W. & Elizabeth R. Moutoussamy House, 361 East 89th Place, Chicago, IL
• (1959) The Alex Poinsett & Norma R. Poinsett House, 8532 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL
• (1962) The Lake Terrace Condominiums, 7337 South South Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
• (1968) The Quadrangle Condominiums, 6700 South South Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
• (1969) The Lawless Garden Apartments, 3620 South Rhodes Avenue, Chicago, IL
• (1969) The Michigan Beach Apartments, 7251 South South Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
• (1972) The Woodlawn Neighborhood Health Center, 6337 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL
• (1972) The Regents Park Apartments, 5050 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
• (1973) Carver Military Academy High School (Chicago Public Schools), 13100 South Doty Avenue, Chicago, IL
• (1976) Harry S. Truman College, (City Colleges of Chicago), 1145 West Wilson Avenue, Chicago, IL
• (1981) Richard J. Daley College, (City Colleges of Chicago), 7500 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL
• (1981) Olive-Harvey College (City Colleges of Chicago), 10001 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL
• (1983) The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., International Headquarters, 5656 South Stony Island Avenue, Chicago, IL
•  (1984) The Chicago Urban League, 4510 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
• – (1993) The Bessie Coleman Library (Chicago Public Library), 731 East 63rd Street, Chicago, IL

Whoever lives in that house currently I don't intend any disrespect by sharing a photo of their house especially since it was already shared on social media. This is one house that has definitely caught my eye over the years just architecturally stands out.

Here's more about John Moutoussamy, when you click the link you will see a pic of him outside of that very house on 89th Place.

No porch pirates - or thieves who steal packages off your porch

 Worlee Glover at Concerned Citizens of Chatham offers these tips to ensure that packages and certainly Christmas presents will be in your hand in time for the holiday. 

If you're ordering through Amazon I would advise you to find an Amazon locker near you. Perhaps you might find one in the city parks or a Whole Foods Market near you or at an L station near you - example there's one at 95th Street now. Of course aside from allowing deliveries to be left on your porch at home there are other options highlighted in the below Concerned Citizens post.

Community vision discussion Roseland Medical District Master Plan

Meeting One:

Community Vision Discussion

You are invited and encouraged to participate in planning for the Roseland Community Medical District Master Plan.

Lavizzo Elementary
138 W. 109th St.
Chicago, IL 60628

When?

Community Vision Discussion
Saturday, November 6, 2021
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

• RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roseland-community-medical-district-master-plan-tickets-200570179807?fbclid=IwAR3vzqEtozwejglx9JHnf477tZ1mWFIhbnOZcXQnAaFIQBm3TvYJ7YILZhY

Refer to flyer from Concerned Citizens of Chatham FB below

Jewel-Osco Melrose Park facility hiring

 Long time no see Ninth Ward Chicago so here I share a job opportunity found via Concerned Citizens of Chatham on fb. It's for Jewel-Osco's distribution facility in Melrose Park so hopefully you're prepared for that commute if anyone is interested. Refer to information below if you have any questions about the position posted.

The Mayor breaks up a gathering on the north lakefront this past weekend

This tweet from over the weekend from Mayor Lori Lightfoot showed up on Instapundit. And I see a number of tweets on twitter that took her well intended post in a bad way.

It's called a pandemic, people. This reckless behavior on Montrose Beach is what will cause us to shut down the parks and lakefront. Don't make us take steps backwards. pic.twitter.com/FHxeYfH7Wf

— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) August 8, 2020

CWB Chicago shared this image of the Mayor at Montrose Beach crashing the so-called party along with her photographer on fb

Furthermore Ed Driscoll at Instapundit noted: "Curiously, none of the articles this weekend by the Chicago Sun Times, ABC’s Chicago affiliate, CBS’s Chicago affiliate, and NBC’s Chicago affiliate mention the July protests or Lightfoot’s blessings."

I admitted to an out of state friend that I miss Rahm Emanuel. He was unpopular as time went on but some of what's been going on in the city it wouldn't have been tolerated with him as mayor. However, the crisis going on he wouldn't let go to waste.

In addition, 2nd City Cop has an interesting post if you go to the bottom of the post about the various machines that exists in Chicago. In a fit of perhaps disrespect they refer to the mayor as Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, perhaps the Mayor will only have one term. We have a while before '23.

No CPS classes in 8 days

This was on the Capitol Fax blog yesterday, Rich Miller isn't buying whatever numbers the teacher's union has been using.

Why I’m not buying the numbers that the CTU is selling https://t.co/u6bFh5bozS

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) October 28, 2019

Meanwhile CPS has a struck a deal with SEIU over the weekend as they still continue negotiations with the teachers.

Also I've been using social media to keep up with the strike to the best of my ability. From CPS's FB page to the Chicago Teacher's Union ig in addition to CapFax. My apologies for not keeping up with any updates with regards to negotiations between CPS and CTU on this blog.

Today marks the 8th straight day of cancelled classes for CPS students and this is considered the longest strike since 1987.

My hope is that classes will resume for CPS students and soon! 

Travel Advisory: High Risk Funeral Procession #Ward09

You might have seen this from Concerned Citizen's of Chatham and I see that Ald. Anthony Beale posted this as well (at least until it was deleted).

Let me state the route of this procession

Therefore neighborhood advocates involved with peacekeeping activities are calling for all area residents, businesses and faith based organizations to be aware and cautious when using, or crossing, Cottage Grove Ave between 115th street & 67th (Marquette road) between the hours of 1pm until 3pm 2 hours), where a procession leaving the "House of Hope" will travel to Oakwoods cemetery.

From what I'm seeing as far as comments this might involve the funeral of Lawrence "Big Law" Loggins who was murdered earlier this month. Police fear retaliation in his murder.

How did two officers miss seeing a train that hit them #Ward09 #PrayforCPD

[VIDEO] Check out yesterday's report from CBS 2. Megan Hickey retraces the steps of the two police officers who were hit by that South Shore line train on Monday night. They were chasing a suspect onto the railroad embankment and reportedly distracted by another train having never saw the train that hit them. It's unimaginable that there is a record of this from their body cam.

Also this was posted to Ald. Beale's fb page yesterday showing the image of the two officers from the Calumet - 5th District who lost their lives chasing the suspect on the railroad embankment at 103rd & Cottage Grove.

May officers Gary & Marmolejo R.I.P.

The City of Chicago is hiring #BuildingwithBeale #Ward09

Found through Ald. Beale's FB page and you might want to read the disclaimer regarding any political based hiring. Beyond that best of luck to you job seeked.

2019 race for 9th Ward Alderman #Ward09

Recently I procured a flyer for Paul Collins who is running for Alderman in Ward 9. He seeks to challenge Alderman Anthony Beale in 2019.

Visit his under construction website at www.friendsofpaulcollins.com and he also has a FB page Paul Collins for 9th Ward Aldermen

Have any events to share with us?

As always if you have events that are worth sharing send them to us. It could be a community meeting, LSC, parent advisory council, PTA, park advisory council, political event, a new business, etc. Send them to us.

Feel free to post to our FB page, tweet us, or if you got a ig ready flyer tag us. As always feel free to send an e-mail to the address below.

blog @ thesixthward.us

Also bear in mind election season is upon us, we do expect more readership during this period from now to the November elections and through to next year's city elections. This would be a good time to get some exposure for your events, especially if you don't have a significant social media presence.

• facebook.com/thesixthward
• facebook.com/lovechatham (i.e. Concerned Citizens of Chatham)
• twitter.com/thesixthward
• instagram.com/thesixthward

Previously posted to The Sixth Ward on May 21, 2018

#Ward09 News

Earlier this week I shared this portion of Ald. Anthony Beale's recent email sharing news for his Ward 9 constituents on The Sixth Ward's ig. This news is for the planned sports facility near 104th & Woodlawn or according to DNA Info 2016 article - 10355 S. Woodlawn Ave (I erroneously referred to the nearby address of 103rd & Doty). When you turn off 103rd street south onto Woodlawn you will go past the facility construction and will lead you to the Pullman Walmart.

All the same I saved this pictures and the portion of the email that talks about the coming sports facility and wanted to share this with you all on this blog. As always click on pic for larger resolution.

 I rarely check out his FB page there's a video of this site on Woodlawn up now. Let's check it out!

Here's the ig post shared at The Sixth Ward

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Apr 3, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

Capitol Fax: Emil Jones explodes at Pritzker, “safe blacks”; Bishop Trotter disinvites; Staffer quits

In this campaign with the wealthy JB Pritzker as a front runner seeking to be the Democrat nominee for Governor against the also wealth incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner some long ago wiretaps have been heard from in campaign ads. This time however another wiretap from what I can tell never heard in a campaign commercial so far has caused a different more racial controversy.

On Tuesday at the CapFax the comments made in this wiretap where JB Pritzker calls then Gov. Rod Blagojevich - shortly before his arrest by the FBI on corruption charges that would see him removed from the office of governor. Pritzker & Blagojevich discusses who to appoint to Obama's US Senate seat & yes this probably wasn't long after Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States. The comments Pritzker made offends one of Obama's mentors former state Senate President Emil Jones Jr.

As you'll see when you click the tweet below, Jones isn't happy - it's also noted that Jones in fact supports another wealthy candidate Chris Kennedy for governor. I could attribute this to hurt feelings and even if it was only that Jones definitely plays the race card.

Fallout: Emil Jones explodes at Pritzker, “safe blacks”; Bishop Trotter disinvites; Rally canceled; Staffer quits https://t.co/SnhSX8FIyV

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) February 7, 2018

Of course there is more to this. The chairman of the city council Black caucus Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th Ward) offers a statement:

Finally let's get to this ABC 7 story further discussing this. At about 2:15 into this video Ald. Anthony Beale (9th ward) he absolutely takes umbrage to Pritzker's statements with regards to the Black community.

Allow me to pull this quote:

"This is a slap in our face, taking our community for granted, playing our community against each other, this is not the kind of leadership we need at this time," said 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale.

Now I wonder who Beale supports in the Democrat primary for Governor.

Thank you Sen. Donne Trotter

Illinois state capitol - Springfield

In portions of Chicago's 9th Ward Donne Trotter's 34 state senate district covers and area north and easy of the Bishop Ford/Calumet Expressway. So that means he covers Chatham, Chesterfield, West Chesterfield, Roseland Heights, & Pullman.

On Friday he announced his retirement from the Illinois state senate effective immediately. Rich Miller who writes the Capitol Fax blog and newsletter wrote this for the Sun-Times yesterday:

He was the Senate Democrats’ top point person on appropriations for years, and that “budgeteer” status gave him the access and the power to help shape the government in incremental measures with every new state budget. His contributions cannot be minimized. From KidCare, to things like clean needle exchanges, mental health programs, HIV programs – pretty much anything whatsoever to do with improving the health of people in Illinois – Trotter (who has a master’s degree in Health Policy of Jurisprudence from Loyola Law School and was an administrator at Cook County Hospital) has been part of it.

Trotter is also well known for his mentorship of young African Americans. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched him stop a conversation among older people to make sure a young black person’s voice was heard.

Rep. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) is probably one of his most successful mentorships. Sims served on the Senate appropriations staff under Trotter, then became the caucus’ budget director and, after law school, became a state representative who is now chairman of the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee.

As reported over at Concerned Citizens of Chatham, there is an expectation that Elgie Sims may be Trotter successor to the 34th district seat in the state senate. Continuing:

Sen. Trotter got his political start with Congressman Ralph Metcalfe’s 1974 campaign. Later, Trotter helped register tens of thousands of voters for Harold Washington’s 1983 mayoral campaign. The late Chicago political expert Paul Green used to tell the story about how Mayor Washington was duly impressed when only two voters in Trotter’s assigned precinct cast their ballots for one of the other mayoral candidates.

Trotter thought his big move to the Illinois General Assembly would happen in 1986, when then-Rep. Carol Moseley-Braun decided to run for lieutenant governor. He backed out of the race when the future U.S. senator decided not to run statewide. Instead, Trotter wound up being elected to the House in 1988, after Moseley-Braun was elected Cook County recorder of deeds.

The new legislative district map in 1991 forced him to run for the Senate the following year, where he has served ever since. Trotter turned out to be far more suited to the Senate (he often chafed under House Speaker Michael Madigan’s rule) and quickly became an indispensable member of Senate Democratic Leader Emil Jones’ team. When Jones was elected Senate president, Trotter’s power increased exponentially.

Below is the post from Concerned Citizens of Chatham and we have at least 30 days for Democrat bosses in 34th district to determine who will succeed Trotter.

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