LaFargue mailer #Aldertrack

This mailer for 9th ward alderman challenger Michael LaFargue was e-mailed to me recently. These flyers should be going out this week. Anything said here sway your vote?

BTW, I've been wondering when we'd start seeing pieces from him.

9th ward Alderman candidates forum

[VIDEO] I haven't been able to make a candidate's forum at all this year but at least CAN-TV provides footage for those around the city. You can join Aldertrack's e-mail list to see most of them.

All the same you can watch an hour of debate between candidate's Chicago's 9th ward from this past Saturday at Simeon High School. Was anything said by any candidate that could sway your vote?

Ald. Beale mailer part 4 #Aldertrack

This recent mailer by Ald. Anthony Beale highlighting his support for the reform of the red light camera program. He had been getting hit by his opponent Harold "Noonie" Ward for the red light camera tickets.

Pullman to become a national monument

Via The Chicago Neighborhoods

Great news for the south side, hopefully the surrounding areas will reap the benefits. And just in time for Black History Month, we also learn the pivotal role of Pullman for Black history via Chicago Tribune. Especially since Pullman's main employer was a manufacturer of rail cars that had been staffed with blacks once these cars were on the rails.

Of course let's not forget labor history. Pullman was a site of a major strike once that saw federal troops intervene. Also the mainly Black Pullman porters agitated successfully for a union even if most of them didn't call Pullman home.

I forgot to note that next week, Pullman will be declared a national monument. I'd be excited to see what this development will bring! :)

Ald. Beale mailer part 3 #Aldertrack

Slightly different mailer for Ald. Anthony Beale that the other two already posted. He highlights his support for various projects in the 9th ward such as the reconstruction of the CTA 95th terminal, city colleges' logistics hub, the Walmart and shopping center in Pullman, Method factory, and more affordable housing. Of course he highlights bringing to his ward new jobs with higher wages and fighting to raise the minimum wage.

Anything said in the flyer below sway your vote?

9th ward action...

[VIDEO] Before I note once again the two candidates forums today, I wanted to share with you this recent video from 9th ward candidate Michael LaFargue. He is hoping to take the Alderman seat of current Alderman Anthony Beale.

LaFargue - currently President of the West Chesterfield Community Association - does a video featuring his background. He also features some of the other community activists and business owners of the 9th ward.

This includes Eddie Davis of Bass Furniture - 11431 South Michigan Avenue - who commented on the shopping mall that we recently noted here. The shopping mall that was once located at 115th/Michigan was demolished during the course of the last decade. Davis claimed the closure and demolition of this mall has hurt other nearby businesses.

It's a long video of roughly 15 minutes. Anything said in this video sway your vote?

Todays candidate forums for 9th ward candidates

• Chesterfield Community Council 9th Ward candidate forums at 11 AM
  McDade Classical School
  8801 S. Indiana
  Noted recently on this blog

• NAACP candidates forum with 9th Ward candidates scheduled for 1 PM
  Simeon High School
  8147 S. Vincennees
  Also noted on this blog

What would you like to see at 115th/Michigan

115th/Michigan - Summer 2014

Over at The Sixth Ward I did a post about this corner in June 2013. The pics seen in this post save for the final historic post was taken in the summer of 2014. Consider this something of an election year post as I believe this corner could be a key one when the red line extension is finally built.

There are four people running for Alderman including the incumbent and he has three challengers. Hopefully all of them have an eye on this corner and perhaps their vision may not even include the red line extension although it is my belief this corner would benefit from the proposed stop over Michigan Avenue. Whatever the vision hopefully it would include some form of transit oriented development.

Over the years the lot at 115th & Michigan had a number of buildings including a shopping center that had been razed during the course of the last decade. That lot included a number of retail stores (such as a grocery store and Perry Drugs), restaurants (such as The Coffee Pot), and more. The most recent development plans for that lot included a future shopping center including an Aldi's.

Family Dollar 115th/Michigan

The vacant lot to the east on 115th/Michigan

What I failed to do in the other post was show a picture of how this intersection looked back in the day. This business strip was actually an active area with plenty of activity but what happens over time things do change. Perhaps we'll see this activity again by the time the Red Line is up and running in the near future hopefully. Below is what you'd have seen at this intersection east of 115th/Michigan.

115th/Michigan in 1934

Now the burning question...what would you like to see here?

9th Ward candidates forum on Saturday #Aldertrack

This coming Saturday is proving to be a very packed Saturday for those of us who are following the 2015 elections. If you're following the 9th ward race there is another forum later on Saturday at 1 PM sponsored by the NAACP.

• The Chesterfield Community Council (CCC) will host the
  "9th Ward Aldermanic Candidates Forum"
  on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
  at McDade Classical School,
  8801 South Indiana
  The moderator will be Curtis "AC" Green, Radio Personality, 106.3 fm /1390 am Radio.
  All are welcomed.
  

My Block My Hood My City visits Altgeld Garden #mbmhmc

[VIDEO] I'm sorry this hadn't been shared here. Please visit My Hood My Block My City and consider buying a t-shirt or hoodie sweatshirt. You'll be supporting this project when you do.

Jahmal Cole is in the middle of a project that took him to at first different Chicago parks. For example he did one episode in Abbott Park where he met with Republican US Senate candidate Jim Oberweis.

Lately he's been going to different neighborhood and this week he visited Humboldt Park on the northwest side of town. Today we're going to look at his visit to Altgeld Garden located near the far south city limits of Chicago. Mr. Cole refers to the Garden as President Obama's old stomping grounds there was where the President made his living as a community organizer.

There is one landmark of note here for the Garden.

"The Wall" or "The Wall of Death" lists the names of deceased Altgeld Residents --- going back decades. It's a tradition at the Gardens to write the names on the wall, so the person's name will be set on stone and never forgotten.  This is social capital at its finest. In the Pullman community, residents that live on a different tier of the Socioeconomic ladder, hang fancy art work on the gates in their alleys. At the Altgeld Gardens, the local residents write names on the wall. Beauty can't be stratified.

Via The Sixth Ward