ABC 7 Chicago: Roseland church spreads joy, feeds community members with hot meal delivery service

[VIDEO] The necessary work of the Allen Metropolitan C.M.E. Church located at 10946 S. Lowe Ave:

"We feed our block club members, we feed our congregation, the sick and the shut-in and any other persons that have a need for a hot meal," volunteer Sharon Hendricks said.

With carry-out and delivery, the Allen Metropolitan C.M.E. Church is making sure their neighbors have access to a hot meal.

The church started hosting a weekly community meal in 2018, but when the pandemic began, the need for their services grew.

"Our numbers have escalated because of the tremendous need in the community," Pastor David Bryant Jr. said. "Now, all of our meals now are prepared to go."

Meals are prepared and packed in the church's Fellowship Hall, then hand-delivered to community members every Wednesday afternoon.

Also:

But this wouldn't be possible without some help, from local block clubs, community centers and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

"That allowed us to have more resources and for us to focus on getting the food out," Pastor Bryant Jr. said.

Because right now, their services are needed more than ever.

"There's no obstacle that we can't overcome by working together. No one should ever be hungry in our community," Pastor Bryant Jr. said. "It's a lack of our ability to have empathy, compassion and love for each other. We can do this and we're going to get through this together."

You can help Feed the Love by donating to our virtual food drive.

If you're in need of food, you can call 773-247-FOOD or click here to locate a food pantry near you.

I like to see stories like this in the news

 

[VIDEO] I'm sorry to say I missed this one when it aired. The Roseland Pharmacy located on Michigan Avenue was hit by looting in the unrest as a result of what happened with George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn.

Well the owner Howard Bolling had help from the community to remain open. Bolling has been a fixture there since December 12, 1973. This story aired on WGN and was uploaded to YouTube on June 23, 2020.

Ward 9 Ald. Anthony Beale speaks on the proposed Chicago police budget

 

[VIDEO] There were calls earlier in the course of the past summer to defund CPD from some members of the city council. It seems in this latest news, those voices may well get what they want. However, Mayor Lori Lightfoot isn't asking for deeper cuts because as she puts it rightfully the police aren't our enemy.

You will see Ald. Anthony Beale speak on this in this video from CBS Chicago. He's actually with the Mayor and they're somewhat at odds to put it nicely on a lot of policies, however, he doesn't agree with deeper cuts either.

Regardless consider the fallout from the pandemic and the damage to the economy with people out of work and some businesses having to shut down as a result there are some very difficult decisions to be made. If you don't want these cuts, where will the money come from?

White Castle 2 E. State Street in Roseland #Ward09 #tbt

You may well have seen this photo below on social media taken in the mid-1980s of the White Castle that formerly stood at 111th & State Streets or actually 2 E. 111th street. I'm most familiar with this location since often looking for a hamburger slider fix this was where my folks went. At some point during the 1990s this location was closed and demolished.

Then looking for photos I found an even older photo of the White Castle taken in 1937 according to the information on the photograph. Could be the same building and I don't recognize the neighborhood around it.

Via Pinterest

Of course back in the 1980s the White Castle was surrounded by a post office to the north and then to the east on 111th Street was the YMCA. The post office is still there however the YMCA is long gone though the building itself remains.

I hope you enjoy this look back and a break from the dire news regarding coronavirus.

Editorial: The Avenue could again become magnificent #Ward09

The Chicago Neighborhood

This editorial from the Chicago Sun-Times makes reference to last year's fire at the former Gatelys Department store on the Michigan Avenue shopping strip south of 111th Street. It's probably time to redevelop that corridor, especially in time for that Red Line extension whenever it gets funded and construction starts.

Keep an eye on the Roseland neighborhood’s Michigan Avenue, once a retail strip so popular it was called Chicago’s second Magnificent Mile.

Shoppers could find anything from school supplies to furniture to brand new cars.

Rocked by two devastating extra-alarm fires within the last year, and now slammed by a pandemic that’s likely to change forever how we shop and gather, the faded and struggling commercial strip faces a tough future.

But “The Avenue” — as this stretch of Michigan Avenue between 115th and 107th was called in its heyday — now is being targeted by the city for possible redevelopment.

The plans were in place before the coronavirus broke out and they’ll need to be modified. But given that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit all traditional retail strips hard — have you seen the boarded up stores on North Michigan Avenue these days? — saving The Avenue should be even more of a priority.

When neighborhood shopping dies, neighborhoods die.

The Avenue’s day as a regional commercial giant are not likely to return. People just don’t shop in brick-and-mortar stores the way they used to, and the street’s major retailers, such as JCPenney, are long gone.

But the buildings still stand and could be reused in potentially exciting new ways. And if done correctly, the lessons learned here could be applied to troubled commercial streets in neighborhoods elsewhere on the South and West sides.

Probably excerpted a lot more than I should've so I'll stop there and hope that you'll read the whole thing.

The editorial itself makes reference to this strip's proximity to the Pullman National Monument. How could the businesses and the community leverage that. The Avenue - at least for those old school residents might refer to the strip - might not return to the glory days. I still would like to see what plans could develop with revitalization. What entrepreneurs can become successful in this area.

How an Award-Winning Teacher Turned Principal Transformed Bennett Elementary

I like to see news about Bennett Elementary out there and especially if it's good news. This time about the current principal of Bennett School from March 2019:

Today Principal Teresa Huggins takes pride in her successful turnaround of Roseland’s Bennett Elementary. Since she took the helm in 2013, Bennett has transformed from a school on probation to a school at the top of the district’s accountability ratings. It’s one of 22 neighborhood elementary schools on the South and West sides of Chicago where students are showing high growth on the NWEA MAP test.
...
Huggins’ role in Bennett’s turnaround sounds similar to successful turnaround stories I’ve heard from other principals over the years. When she arrived, she made a point of observing without trying to make big changes right away. “When you come in and try changing everything at once, you rub people the wrong way,” she observed. But once she had the lay of the land, she was unafraid to push for improvement. She insisted on basics like grade-level meetings, teachers showing up on time and taking a hard look at what test score data said about how well students were learning. To increase student engagement, she coupled a behavior reward system with a requirement that teachers schedule quarterly field trips to give students wider experiences beyond the classroom.

To no one’s surprise, teachers pushed back. When Huggins put up data charts by classroom and named the teachers, she received emails complaining, “You cannot call us out.” She emailed the entire staff, reminding them that since they work for the public they must answer to the public. “I didn’t get any more complaints after that,” she said.

Teachers started bringing student work to grade level meetings. Huggins encouraged them to ask themselves questions straight from the National Board playbook: What is the student’s level of understanding? How do you know? What are your next steps as a teacher? Huggins also worked to improve teaching and learning for the 15 percent of Bennett’s students in special education, pushing for greater inclusion and revising IEPs. In her second year as principal, their growth led all the schools in Bennett’s network.

When teachers stepped up their game, Bennett rewarded their efforts with special events, like dinner at a restaurant for the entire faculty on her during staff appreciation week. These days, teachers have built a stronger culture, with a social committee that celebrates birthdays and more teachers staying late after school to plan and prepare. “Sometimes I have to put them out,” she joked.

If I may offer some commentary, elementary school I think is too soon for students to think about being college bound....

Frank I Bennett elementary gets a new electronic sign

I've been wanting to get a pic of the new signage outside of Bennett Elementary and did so this past weekend. Too bad that the electronic sign outside of Bennett's main entrance isn't on at all. Is it even on during school days? What information is presented on this board?

Also this on the front fence of Bennett School near the main entrance. It reflects Bennett's new identity Bennett Pride. Hand made letters which is certainly a nice touch.

However, I'm old school and will continue to consider myself a badger. 😛

#tbt Riding Amtrak through the south side

Back in 2014, I took a quick trip during the holiday season to Memphis, Tennessee aboard Amtrak's City of New Orleans train and shot video on my iPhone. Luckily I got footage during the morning hours as we rolled through the south side back to Union Station downtown.

I had uploaded these videos to my YouTube channel and granted it's not the most exciting footage, however, how many people have seen the Roseland and Rosemoor area from this perspective. As we head into the heat of the summer, perhaps some winter scenery will help cool you down.

Here's footage of the train rolling through Roseland starting at 115th Street. [VIDEO]

Here's another shot from going through Rosemoor going past 103rd Street and we see the campus of Chicago State University [VIDEO]

Oh yeah we talked about Amtrak earlier this month!

Recent shot of the Gately's ruins #Ward09

Drove through earlier this week. Sad to see this great big building along Michigan Avenue being demolished. I see the sign's gone, excited to find out any news of this local landmark. It's reminder of a business that no longer exists but many of a certain age still remember.

A posted this recent pic on ig embeded below

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Jun 27, 2019 at 10:43am PDT

The future of the Gately's sign #Ward09

Nitram242/flickr

At least we get one good thing out of the loss of the former Gately's People's store landmark sign. The building was destroyed by fire earlier this month and the city is in the process of demolishing the former longtime department store which closed in 1981.

After fire gutted the old Gately’s Peoples Store in Roseland last week, Ald. Anthony A. Beale (9th) said he’s working with members of the Gately family to save the store’s historic neon sign.

“The sign deserves a place in a museum where it can tell our community’s story to present and future generations, and help inspire everyone to work together to make Roseland the thriving and bustling destination it once was,” the neighborhood’s alderman said Monday.

Beale said he went to the fire Friday and saw Gately family members at the scene. He was already planning to preserve the sign, he said, adding that Gately family members said they would help raise the money to make sure the sign is taken down, preserved and put up at a later date.

The sign was not damaged in the fire, but the blaze damaged the century-old building at 11201 S. Michigan Ave. so bad, demolition crews began to take it down Friday night.
...
The sign remains on the building but will come down in the coming days. Beale said it will go into storage for a while and eventually go on display — but he didn’t reveal specific plans in mind to display it.

It does deserve to be somewhere to help tell the story of the Roseland community. And it's great to know the family that owned this business is still around to discuss plans to preserve this landmark.

It's awful to know about the fire, but to hear everyone - especially online or even in soundbites from any news reports - talk about their memories of the now closed store is definitely fascinating. 

Sun-Times: Man fatally hit by Metra Electric train, service resumes with ‘extensive delays #Ward09

Well it's a bit interesting I post that Metra Electric ride along video this morning and there was an incident on that same line this morning near Kensington or 115th Street. Here's a tweet with a link to the Sun-Times story

The CTA will honor Metra tickets for affected riders on the Red Line from 95th to Lake and on the 1, 2, 6, J14, 28, 71, 115 and 119 buses. https://t.co/lyRUkPKgHH

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) February 22, 2019

From the twitter page for the Metra Electric line a new update.

Metra Alert ME - CTA will no longer honor Metra tickets on the Red Line (95th to Lake) and bus route 1, 2, 6, J14, 28, 71, 115 and 119

— Metra Electric (@metraMED) February 22, 2019

State Theater 11016 S. Michigan Ave #tbt

The State Theater is one many movie theaters that existed on what was known in local parlance as The Ave. South Michigan Avenue in Roseland during far more prosperous times was a very active destination for local shoppers until the local economy changed after the 1970s.

According to Cinema Treasures this theater was opened in 1922 and as you read in below ig post from Pete Kastanes was demolished in 1997.

View this post on Instagram

The State Theater once located at 11016 S Michigan Ave in The Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. It was demolished in 1997.

A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on Feb 10, 2019 at 1:23pm PST

Here's a Google streetview image of the corner where this theater was located near 110th & Michigan.

Here's another ig post from Kastanes of a 1936 program from the State. Sometimes I forget how different going to the movies was for movie goers back in the day.

View this post on Instagram

Here is a 1936 program from The State Theater once located at 11016 S Michigan Ave in The Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. It was demolished in 1997.

A post shared by Pete Kastanes (@vanishedchicagoland) on Feb 10, 2019 at 1:24pm PST

Here is a listing of other theaters that existed along The Ave/Michigan Avenue according to Cinema Treasures.

Woman shot dead in Roseland alley ‘was loved by so many’ #Ward09

Sun-Times: 

About 2:35 a.m., officers responding to a call of shots fired found Ambriana Collins suffering from several gunshot wounds to her chest in an alley in the 10700 block of South Eberhart on the Far South Side, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Investigators were told a white truck was seen speeding from the scene of the shooting, police said.

Collins was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:51 a.m., authorities said. She lived in the neighboring West Pullman neighborhood.

Collins left behind a 4-year-old son named Angelo, according to her relative Shiela House, who said the boy’s father died from cancer last October.

“Everybody’s just so lost about it,” House said.

Another relative, Devin Williams, said Angelo might be staying with his grandmother for now.

House said Collins was a hardworking mother, noting that she was employed at both a Popeyes restaurant and a McDonald’s location at 103rd Street and Kedzie Avenue.

“We’re just so stunned,” House said. “Everybody called her Ambrii. She was loved by so many.”

An update to the incident reported by ABC 7 Chicago last Friday. Would like to share this video of the scene from the Sun-Times. You would find it in the article. [VIDEO]

14-year-old boy shot in Fernwood

Saw this on my Facebook feed this morning video of the scene where teenaged boy was shot after being dropped off by his "Uber"

The boy was dropped off by the ride-share vehicle in the first block of West 105th Street at about 2:28 a.m., police said. He was approached by two male suspects who spoke with the boy before police said they opened fire.

The boy was grazed in the head and ran inside a home and is hospitalized at Comer Children's Hospital. Police said he is in fair condition. The ride-share driver was not injured.

The suspects fled the scene, police said. No one is in custody and Area South detectives are investigating.

And as always be careful out there! 

#fbf 111th Street & Michigan Avenue

The photo above was taken in 1907 and the building you see in the front foreground according to Chicago history blogger J.R. Schmidt remains at the corner of 111th & Michigan Avenue. If I recall correctly for many years it was a Walgreen's until that location moved across the street. Though now the former Walgreen's store on the north side of 111th Street is now a dollar store.

Of course the progress of time over the course of 111 years ago (111th street and 111 years ago hmmm), we see a lot of the buildings are no longer standing. And of course the city ran its last streetcar in 1958. Even better according to Schmidt who posted this late last month:

A century ago traffic was so light on this stretch of Michigan that small children could wander around aimlessly in the street—not advisable today, in the era of the automobile.

Yeah totally agree with that statement! Click the link to see the photo Schmidt took in 2018 of this same area.

CBS 2: Pullman Neighborhood Booms, While Roseland Neighborhood Struggles Nextdoor #Ward09

[VIDEO] I'm sorry I missed this report from over the past summer. WBBM-TV looks at a tale of two communities with Pullman to the west being revitalized with a variety of redevelopment with retail and most of historic Pullman now a national monument.

And now you have Roseland which even Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward) would refer to blight as he stands at the commercial area on Michigan Avenue. You see him speaking between Pullman and Michigan Avenue and he sees revitalization in Roseland.

I have thought about making a comparison say between Streeterville in Downtown Chicago and say River North or North Michigan Ave from east to west. Streeterville is a very wealthy area, but then the areas near by are also wealthy and probably can't compare so easily to Pullman and Roseland.

Pullman has the history, architecture and now a national monument and some other development. Roseland with it's own history and blight is waiting for it's own revitalization. If I had my own vision Pullman could be the area of choice for many because of it's history. Then again what about Roseland?

Roseland could be neighborhood for everyone else. It's the land of opportunity and like Englewood it's sort of blank canvas. The right vision will for example see a revitalized Michigan Avenue strip no more boarded up storefronts or vacant lots. And of course a wonderful place to live just like their neighbors to the east.

BTW, if any smart aspiring politicians are reading this blog I can only imagine the "campaign ads" that come from this short video.

Chicago History Today: 115th/Michigan then & now #tbt

This time a shot of 115th/Michigan from 1895. And here's another shot from 1934 of the same corner and the scene doesn't look much different from today. The top shot you will find from J.R. Schmidt's Chicago History Today blog which was published last year. You will also see a shot from that corner from last year also.

Hopefully it'll look much different once the red line extension is built.

RELATED: What would you like to see at 115th/Michigan

111th & Michigan Roseland, Chicago

Found a photo of this corner 111th/Michigan on twitter - which was retweeted on @thesixthward.

Today is #NationalFriedChickenDay! Here is a photo of Chicken Unlimited. This one was once located at E 111th St & S Michigan Ave in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. Countdown to 36,000 likes to Chicago’s Extinct Businesses continues! 8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1 pic.twitter.com/7PLFz0dKUY

— Chicago's Extinct Businesses (@chgoextbusiness) July 6, 2018

Chicken Unlimited was once where the currency exchange is currently located. This is how this corner looks now. Quite a vast difference.

As you will see below some buildings are missing and while the Google Street image below is from 2015. The building in two years time looks vastly different and it has me wondering if this is the same building as Chicken Unlimited. Now I wonder! 

Future Ald. Beale town halls #Ward09 #BuildingwithBeale

Ooops, I've done pretty badly with Ald. Anthony Beale's town halls having only attended two in recent years. So here are a list of remaining meetings for the rest of the year with a break in August and of course taking a break for the rest of the year after October.

Unlike former 6th Ward Ald. Fredrenna Lyle his office doesn't seem to announce who'll be speaking before hand. However he does have various officials with city government and some people from the community talking about what they're doing for their neighborhoods. It's worthwhile to come pay a visit. Of course he'll have his ward superintendent which was formerly Nicholas Smith who's now a state representative give updates from the streets and sanitation side.

The two times I attended a former police officer talked about utilizing local high school students to help paint murals. Another time representatives from the Chicago Transit Authority gave us an update on the future red line extension. Like I said these are worthwhile meetings to attend.

All of Ald. Beale's town halls or community meetings are held every 4th Tuesday starting at 6:30 PM at the Pullman Presbyterian Church 550 E. 103rd Street. Call his office at (773) 785-1100

BTW, I have to admit that I liked the branding the office seemed to have started "town halls" as opposed to "community meetings". Perhaps I'm being a tad nit-picky, but as far as an event discussing ward issues I just like town hall better than a community meeting. Anyway just my two cents that no one asked for... :P

sixthward.us

Chicago Reader: Roseland’s transformation captured in 1970 student film

Via thechicagoneighborhoods.com

I tweeted about this last week and unfortunately it doesn't say about when this film will see the light of day. Roseland - like say Englewood - had seen better days though residents of both communities I'm sure want to see better days returns. And certainly Englewood is working to make their community better.

On the other hand Roseland is looking for a jumpstart which could be the red line extension whenever CTA gets the necessary funding to start the project. However, that future project will be one development among many to bring Roseland back to what it used to be 50+ years ago.

Read this article from the Chicago Reader also there is a podcast where these students two men who shot this film in the 1970s were interviewed talking about this film. Give it a listen.

"You knew that if you went out into the streets of Roseland with a camera, you were gonna see something." https://t.co/KQLjSYwEnB

— Chicago Reader (@Chicago_Reader) June 6, 2018