EVENT: Red line extension hearing

A public hearing for the red line extension project's draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to take place at the St. John MB Church at 211 E. 115th Street on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. For more information please refer to the flyer below.

As an aside at the 9th Ward meeting this past Tuesday, there was a nice presentation to update us on this project which is moving along at this time. We saw a presention on how this project would affect the parks along the right of way. Also we learned that through a state supreme court ruling, the CTA can't use eminent domain to purchase the right of way from the Union Pacific Railroad. Also there were handouts available including the flyer you see above and a citizen's guide pamphlet for the extension project. It would interesting to see what will be said at this hearing this coming Tuesday.

ALSO, click this link for other documents that are downloadable and printable for this project.

Community shred day and open house

Via the office of State Representative Elgie Sims on Sept. 19, 2015.

• Join State Representative Elgie R. Sims, Jr. along with State Senator Donne E. Trotter and Cook County Stanley Moore for the annual Community Shred Day and Open House!
  
  Saturday, September 19, 2015
  9:00 am - 12:00 pm
  8658 S. Cottage Grove, Suite 404
  Chicago, IL 60619.
  
  Help protect yourself from identity theft by safely disposing of documents. Flu shots available. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us at our office at (773) 783-8800.

Don't forget about the Purnell Silas College Expo that is also being held next Saturday. Flyer for the district shred day and open house is below.

Silas Purnell College Expo

Coming on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at Tuley Park at 90th & King Drive. One place where our young people can decide where they may choose to further their education. This is an annual event hosted by the Chesterfield Community Council which is another community organization also located in the new 9th Ward of Chicago.

Flyer also available via the Chesterfield Community Council Website in color.

May 9th ward community meeting

You may have received these notices if you've signed up for Ald. Beale's e-mail list.

• 9th Ward Alderman Anthony A. Beale and City Department Representatives present a 9th Ward Community Meeting Tuesday, May 26, 2015
  6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
  
  Pullman Presbyterian Church
  550 East 103rd Street
  Chicago, Illinois 60628

Flyer below

9th ward paper shredding event

Tomorrow April 3, 2015 from 11 AM until 3 PM at 322 E. 103rd Street. Refer to flyer below for more details. This event is sponsored by 9th ward Alderman Anthony Beale - who sent the flyer below to his e-mail subscribers - in addition to the Roseland Special Service Area and the Greater Roseland Chamber. Any additional questions call Sheila Stevenson at 773.928.6000 ext. 221.

Community Job Fair - April 8, 2015

Found out via email from the office of State Representative Elgie Sims

New Ald. Beale mailer #Aldertrack

We recently received this Beale flyer in the mail. It's similar to the last one, but makes slightly different points from the first one.

Also please don't forget about the DCP 9th ward forum at Progressive Church - 26 E. 127th St. - on Satuday at 2 PM.

Does the flyer below persuade you to give Beale one more term as 9th ward Alderman?

Mailer in the race for 9th ward Alderman

Received this mailer for 9th ward Alderman Anthony Beale recently. It touts his accomplishments and his future goals for the ward. There are pictures of himself during a groundbreaking for an athletic center and the opening of a new store. He mentions new grocery stores, however, Harold "Noonie" Ward has been hitting him on that fact. Although Walmart does sell groceries even if it's not considered a grocery store.

If you have any mailers to scan and share with us feel free to e-mail, Facebook, or Tweet us.

5th District Candle Light Peace Rally #putthegunsdown

This rally will take place on tonight from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at 113th & Michigan. An event such as this is scheduled to take place at roughly the same time in neighborhoods throughout the city of Chicago. Please let us know if you're holding such an event in your neighborhood feel free to mention to us on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

LSC elections & thoughts on the state of education

Monday and Tuesday are days for LSC Elections. Monday was LSC election for elementary schools and Tuesday are such days for the high schools.

It was my intention to post the above flyer over the weekend unfortunately it seems I kept running into a snag with regards to posting it online whether through Blogger or the FB page. Anyway if you're living at least in the Roseland Heights or West Chesterfield area you may have found this in your screendoors or mailboxes. Sharon Banks-Pincham represents the community on the LSCs for both Gillespie Elementary and Harlan Community Academy.

Hopefully you were able to be informed of the LSC elections on Monday and were able to vote. Hopefully you're able to vote on Tuesday for LSC members at your local high schools.

Speaking of education, on Monday Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax ranted about the state of education in Illinois. Many of us are concerned about the state of education in Chicago especially for the K-12 set. So he starts out with a piece comparing charter schools with the neighborhood public schools and states:

Obviously, there’s very little difference here, which will cause some to scream “Then why do we need charter schools at all?”

I make no apologies for disliking the industrial education model. I prefer choice. I think people ought to have choices.

And, like with neighborhood schools, not all charter schools are meh. Some are quite good. Sometimes, experiments fail. We shouldn’t be afraid to experiment. What’s needed is an overall improvement in all schools.

 And then more food for thought. Miller opines about CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett stated aim of ensuring 100% of graduating CPS students to be college-ready or college-bound:

First of all, that’s just not true or else lots, lots more would be done to improve the schools. Secondly, this over-emphasis on taking tests (with the resultant uproar over what are likely quite meaningless results) and driving kids to attend college is philosophically wrong-headed, whether in Chicago or the suburbs or Downstate.

* Don’t get me wrong here. I do not think kids should be discouraged from attending college, but why saddle a student with tens of thousands of dollars of debt just for the sake of having a so-so degree from a so-so university?

Why not foster the development of more high schools, charter or otherwise, that focus on tech/trade careers? Do you know how much operating engineers make?

* When a system’s entire focus is “100 percent college-bound” you’re not giving students nearly enough choices. Period.
...
Teach them to be good citizens. Teach them how to comprehend language and to do math. But give them choices in how to get there.

What direction do you think education policy should go?