The next Willie Wilson gas giveaway

 It's coming to the following locations seen in the graphic below on July 9, 2022 which is a Saturday a week from now about. As you know Willie Wilson is one of many who is running against the incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot next year in 2023.

There probably will be updates I would refer you to Wilson's fb page and his Twitter.

UPDATED list of stations of Willie Wilson gas giveaway

 Ugh! They changed it again today....I will advise you to follow Willie Wilson's fb page or his twitter page if you want up to date information on which stations will be participating on March 24, 2022. At this point we're just over a day away from that.

UPDATED Willie Wilson gas giveaway station list.

 The tweet I shared with you over the weekend was taken down and another tweet had a new flyer with a list of 49 stations to get free gas on March 24, 2022. I'm sharing the actual graphic and the tweet. On Wilson's FB page #50 is listed as BP station on 17460 Kedzie, I presume this is somewhere in the south suburbs.

Update

 I'm looking to start opening up comments on this blog. To start there are two pages here where comments should be opened our Free Expressions & Gun Rights pages. I hope those two pages will be great resources here, especially the gun rights page.

My goal would be to update that with info on the extent of gun rights in the city. You should be able to know what types of firearms you're about to own at home in this city.

Perhaps with free expression - or free speech - we should know those limitations as well although those aren't as clear. People often speak up on things that they really shouldn't, however, depending upon who you speak about that can be risky anyway.

There will be updates once comments on those two pages are finally opened.

Uptown Update: Last Minute Voting Information

This was posted at Uptown Update on Saturday. At this point two days away from Election Day and due to this pandemic we're in unprecedented times.

So unprecedented that a supersite will be set up at our very own United Center on Election Day on November 3, 2020. According to U.U.:

If you're waiting to vote on Election Day, which is Tuesday, November 3rd, you must do so at your precinct's polling place between 6am and 7pm. Or you can go to the United Center (1901 West Madison), which is a new thing, Election Day only.

Also noted you can still early vote until Monday, November 2, 2020 in all 50 wards throughout the city and the Loop Super Site at 191 N. Clark Street. I noted a few days ago the early voting site in Ward 9 with this flyer

 I also made sure to note that if you have mail-in ballots you can drop them off at various library locations throughout the city through Election Day. Here are some nearby locations where you can do so:

• Mount Greenwood Library, 11010 S. Kedzie Ave
  Sun., Closed; Mon. & Wed., 10-5; Tue. & Thu., Noon-7; Fri. & Sat., 10-5
• Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St
  Mon. - Thu., 9-8; Fri. & Sat., 9-5; Sun., 1-5
• West Pullman Library, 830 W. 119th St
  Sun., 1-5; Mon & Wed., Noon-7; Tue. & Thu., 10-5; Fri. & Sat., 10-5

Woodson Library is a very convenient location that is very accessible not only by car, also by public transit, however, I listed other nearby libraries where you can drop off your mail-in ballot. According to the Chicago Board of Elections you have until Nov 2, 2020 to drop them off at those early voting sites and at a drop off sites at a Chicago library.

Also on Election Day while polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM you can also drop off your mail in ballot:

• ELECTION DAY ONLY - Nov. 3 - 6 am-7 pm
  United Center, 1901 W Madison
  Wrigley Field, Gallagher Way Gate outside the ball park, near Clark Street
  Guaranteed Rate Field, on Shields Avenue just north of 35th Street

This is how U.U. closed their elections posts using a quote from the late Congressman John Lewis: "The vote is precious. It's almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before."

CTA Red Line extension update

Rendering 103rd Street Red Line station - CTA 

Over at The Sixth Ward on Tuesday I shared a tweet to a Curbed Chicago article with regards to various upcoming transit projects throughout the city. One project that many who live near the 95th terminal is the planned CTA Red Line extension. One reason that Curbed article was of interest to me is the seeming progress in which case is to merely fund engineering & design work.

Of course the reason for this interest is mainly the safety and activity of the area. The 95th terminal is one of the busiest of the CTA. The CTA Red Line connects with not only CTA and Pace suburban bus routes, also intercity bus services with Greyhound and Indian Trails buses. So there's definitely a lot of activity there especially during the week.

The main thing is building this extension further south to the city's southern limits might mean less activity at 95th. Or perhaps hopefully for local leaders in the community less opportunities for criminal activity. Either way another stated and important purpose for this extension is to cut commuting times for those individuals who must use public transit who must travel to other parts of the city.

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! 

A New Abbott Park Advisory Council

49 E 95th St

Got this in an e-mail from the West Chesterfield Community Association. The Abbott Park Advisory Council fired up this past spring and are certainly looking not for people to attend especially if you live nearby. They're especially looking for people to serve on the council and as officers.

• A New Abbott Park Advisory Council

  The Chicago Parks Consortium, West Chesterfield, Roseland Hts and Red Line Extension Coalition (RLEC) helped organize a New Abbott Park Advisory Council and invite your to attend its 6:30 p.m. meeting July, 18, 2018 in the Abbott Park Field House.
  
  These organizations thank the Chicago Park District (CPD) for addressing many Abbott Park operation service requests since the September 19, 2017 CPD Budget Hearing Meeting. The community would like Abbott Park and the 95th Street area to be a “Preferred Point of Destination” that has good business neighbors, level 1 schools, a great park… all of which will improve area walkability and the use of public transportation within the ¼ mile to ½ mile transit-oriented development area of the at the $280 million 95th CTA Terminal.
  
  Since 2017 the CPD planted 140 new trees at Abbott Park, installed Exterior Lights on the field house, trimmed Low tree branches, planted 1040 trees, install a new sink and water heater and drain pipe in the cultural center, repaired park benches and under ground pipes have been repaired in the center field of the.
  
  Michael LaFargue, Chicago Parks Consortium president, congratulates Ms. Lori Burns and Sharon Banks Pincham, Co-Chair’s of the Park Advisory Council for Abbott Park. The PAC is working on its by-laws and goals for the next year.

BTW, I wanted to explore this but will do so at a later time even if it's already a done deal. There is an old playlot on 98th & Michigan that has long since been dismantled and has often seen little activity. Perhaps someone might have a picnic there rarely and sometimes more frequently grown folks or Harlan student just loitering there.

All the same, there is finally a plan to turn this former playlot into a dog park that should've been debated at the last Roseland Heights Community Association meeting in June. I should ask for an update although unfortunately I didn't attend this meeting to observe the results. Though I hope to talk more about this soon and I'm sure this is a topic of conversation at the Abbott Park Advisory Council also.

I even took some more pics recently of the playlot close to 10 years after snapping some shots there as the future of this lot was still uncertain!

From Playlot on 98th/Michigan

Latest updates from Ald. Beale #Ward09

Here's the latest e-mail update from Ald. Anthony Beale, there's lots of information here. If you have an e-mail address feel free to visit his site @ www.ward09.com to sign up for his e-mails.

Be advised of the upcoming community meeting for the 9th Ward the first for 2018!

• Community Town Hall Meeting
  Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 6:30 pm
  Pullman Presbyterian Church
  550 E 103rd Street
  Chicago, Illinois 60628

Of course this is how to get into touch with the Alderman's office

• 9th Ward Service Office 34 E 112th Pl
  Chicago, IL 60628
  Tel 773-785-1100
  www.ward09.com

There will be more to extrapolate from this update later.

#chiberia: CPS classes are cancelled due to the snow...

You may have seen this announcement if you follow CPS' FB and Twitter profiles. This is important news so sorry if this is breaking into your enjoyment of tonight's Super Bowl between the Patriots and Seahawks.

Also I wanted to share with you the city plow tracker to see if the city is coming down your street to clear it.

If you want to see a radar picture here's WGN's Chicago Weather Center radar.

CPS schools are also closed Thur. January 8, 2015

In addition to the info above you may also find this information embedded below via CPS' twitter page. Feel free to retweet if you have a twitter account. The information is primarily regarding city warming centers during the current cold snap. Of course as always there's 311 for any info. on city warming centers.

All six @ChiFamSupport Community Service Centers are serving as Warming Centers from 9a-8p. pic.twitter.com/GvR1CYJ5RH
— ChicagoPublicSchools (@ChiPubSchools) January 8, 2015

School is back in session on Wednesday and weather updates

This is starting to feel like a ritual. We just did that the first full-week in January and just like at that time classes resume on Wednesday. The extended forecast still has cold temps through rest of the week but only in the teens and unfortunately more snow is expected.

Remember spring is just around the corner!

CPS schools will remain closed on Tuesday

Schools remain closed on Tuesday. You can recieve further updates via either CPS' FB page or CPS' Twitter account. In addition, you can call the 773.553.1000 for any further updates from CPS via recorded message.

As always there is an Accuweather widget at the top of the sidebar for your convenience. Feel free to use it to check out current conditions or visit the Accuweather website for weather forecasts.

Now just for the sake of talking some CPS closures news, I would like to share this Sun-Times article which discusses not only city Alderman who are unhappy with CPS plans to close schools in light of the weather emergency. They also discuss how people around the city are coping with the cold weather.

How are you coping with the cold weather so far?

Also 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale cancelled the community meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday night. Also Ald. Beale sent out an e-mail on warming centers througout the city. As always call 311 for information on warming centers!

Finally the Tribune has news on alternative programming for children while schools are closed during this "polar vortex".

The YMCA of Metro Chicago is providing “School’s Out Day’’ activities at five Chicago facilities today and Tuesday, according to spokeswoman Michelle Damico.

Kids will be doing interactive crafts, active physical group games, skits and drama and other fun activities from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations:

McCormick Tribune: 1834 North Lawndale Ave.

High Ridge: 2424 W. Touhy Ave.

South Side: 6330 S. Stony Island Ave.

South Chicago: 3039 East 91st St.

Rauner Family: 2700 S. Western Ave.

Check back for updates.

CPS schools are closed on Monday

The notice above was posted to the CPS FB page today. CPS schools will be closed on Monday due to the expected weather for tomorrow. Schools had been closed on January 6th & 7th due to the extreme cold weather.

If you seek any further updates you can use the number above 773.553.1000 or call CPS hotline at 773.553.3100. You can also follow CPS on FB and on Twitter to seek further updates!

CPS school will be closed on Tuesday also...

Click for better resolution

You may have seen this posted at Chicago Public School FB page. It looks like CPS students get a two day extension of their Christmas holidays this year. And as always stay safe and warm. Be sure to check the information posted earlier with regards to those services available to you during this cold snap!