Chicago Women in Trades Wednesday August 30, 2023

Sorry to have posted this at the very last minute since this event is to take place tomorrow. There are other events taking place in September advertised in an email blast by state Rep. Nick Smith that I would like to share with you all.

I also want to remind you of the Roseland Hospital hiring far to take place also on August 30, 2023 which I shared a flyer for that event recently as well.

• Chicago Women in Trades
Interested in building a career in the trades?
Join us for an open house at Chicago Women in Trades
Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM
2444 W. 16th Street, Suite 3E
Chicago, IL
• Programs start soon!
• Pre-Apprenticeship training for construction trades
• Hand-on Welding Programs
• Orientation registration
• Limited Seating
• http://bit.ly3qaSQPH 

Or refer to the flyer below.

Frederick Walls for District 34 State Rep

 

[VIDEO] I just became aware of this candidate for state representative recently. He's a Republican who is running against incumbent Democrat state Rep. Nick Smith in the 34th District. You see what he is running on in this election. Mr. Walls holds very socially conservative views.

Here's a Q & A he did with the Kankakee Times as the 34th district goes into Kankakee County.

Nick Smith succeeds Elgie Sims for 34th district state representative

On Wednesday with Elgie Sims moving up to his mentor's - Donne Trotter - state senate seat there was now a vacancy in Sims' 34th state house district. In a meeting with Democratic bosses Nick Smith was named Sen. Sims successor in this state house seat. Smith is the current 9th ward Streets and Sanitation superintendent and was at one point a former President of the Roseland Heights Community Association.

Though I said I was going to step back from Nextdoor it was interesting the see the names who presented their credentials for this vacancy. Michael Lafargue of West Chesterfield, Richard Wooten a former police officer who actually ran for this seat in 2012, Jahmal Cole of My Block My Hood My City, Eli Washington of Chesterfield. These are all names many of us have heard of in the public as leaders of community or youth organizations.

It let's you know that even though many of us didn't get to vote on any of these names, you can have an impact in your community and you can forward your name for any political position. And of course the possibility is there that you can become a person state official using in part that experience.

Congrats to state Rep. Smith!

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.

Whole Foods Market distribution facility open in Pullman

This all occurred yesterday including the bread breaking which is what they do when they open new stores. For example they did the same thing upon opening the Whole Foods store at 63rd/Halsted. This is from the Mayor's ig page.

A post shared by Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@chicagosmayor) on Jan 8, 2018 at 1:50pm PST

And also Elgie Sims - state representative of the 34th District for Illinois - was also in on the action and also posted a college of pics on his ig page also.

Glad to join other elected officials and community leaders for the opening on the Whole Foods Distribution Center in the historic Pullman neighborhood. This will bring hundreds of jobs to our community as we continue to revitalize where we live. #greatthingshappeninginhd34

A post shared by Elgie Sims (@elgie_sims) on Jan 8, 2018 at 2:09pm PST

Here are some related tweets to this event from some local media sources

. @WholeFoods has made a big investment on Chicago's South Side. https://t.co/SGOjr89MCz

— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) January 9, 2018

Whole Foods distribution center opens in Chicago https://t.co/d318g0GYi7 pic.twitter.com/fG1tgpuqMO

— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) January 9, 2018

Chicago Mayor breaks bread at the opening ceremony for Whole Foods distribution center in the Pullman neighborhood https://t.co/eC5FJrMPvt pic.twitter.com/zHUcxjcuAS

— Curbed Chicago (@curbedchicago) January 8, 2018

A new @WholeFoods distribution center has opened in the historic Pullman neighborhood.https://t.co/3wbfbVaEJP

— WCIU, The U (@wciu) January 8, 2018

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

Since the "polar vortex" weather is back

I originally posted this information over at The Sixth Ward on January 6, 2013 during the first "polar vortex" episode. So this information remains important. Please remember if you need transportation to or information on the nearest warming center call 311.

State Rep. Elgie Sims (District 34) provides some more resources with regards to the weather in a recent email

Please use the following resources to keep you safe and warm:

• Keep warm Illinois
  • A website aimed at identifying warming centers around the state and other information necessary to assist with keeping warm during the cold months of the year.
• Getting around Illinois
  • The website will provide residents and motorists with information regarding the status of our roads. 
• ComED energy assistance
  • Customers are encouraged to notify ComED as quickly as possible if they experience an outage. 
  • Customers can text OUT to 26633 to report any outages and receive restoration information, or they can contact ComED by calling 1-800-EDISON-1.

And as always this:

Please check on elderly neighbors and make sure that you and any children under your care are sufficiently bundled up if you must go outside.  Please do not forget pets and keep them indoors during these extreme conditions.

Be careful out there everyone! Stay safe and warm!