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

Crain's: Emanuel facing decisions on Board of Ed

I'm sure we're going to hear more calls for an elected school board once again:

Mayor Rahm Emanuel will have a chance to reshape the Chicago Board of Education in June, when four of the seven members' terms expire.

Emanuel revamped the board in 2011, appointing a fresh slate of new members. Five of those members are still there, having survived the uproar over the decision in 2012 to close 49 schools and one high school program. Last month, some parent groups demanded Emanuel again install an entirely new board, contending that such a step is needed to restore public confidence in the wake of a federal investigation into a no-bid contract the board approved in 2013.

Ald. Patrick O'Connor, 40th, Emanuel's floor leader in the Chicago City Council, says some changes are likely.

“In terms of the city government, we are looking at a little bit of reshuffling in terms of some departments. Not wholesale changes, but kind of a mini-transition,” O'Connor said. “I don't see why the board would be immune from that.”

But William Sampson, an expert in education policy, predicts that dissatisfaction among parents about the board will force Emanuel to make extensive changes.

“He's going to use this investigation to clean house and then pat himself on the back,” said Sampson, chairman of the Public Policy Studies Department at DePaul University. “In a sense it may be a godsend for him because it gives him the political cover to do it.”

DNA Info: Planners Dreaming Up What's Next for Pullman National Monument

Via Chicago Neighborhoods

Mark Konkol who just so happens to be a Pullman resident talks about the implications of the neighborhood becoming a national monument as declared not long before the February municipal elections:

Pullman’s days as a cute historic district with a pretty cool house tour are officially over. Now, the neighborhood has a shot to be a national model for inner-city renewal, creative public transportation and urban tourism that has the attention of architects and city planners from across the country.

And for that, the National Park Conservation Association and the American Institute of Architects have rounded up some of the nation’s most prominent architects, economists, transportation gurus and historic preservationists for a three-day brainstorming session aimed on creative ways to capitalize on the neighborhood’s new national status.

Starting Thursday, about 40 professionals who know a thing or two about making big plans for urban areas will gather in Pullman to come up with plans for everything from renovating Metra stations and restoring historic ruins to coming up with a blueprint for bolstering local business and safer ways to walk across 111th Street.

“We want to visualize what Pullman might look like in 10 years with the influence of the national monument designation,” said Lynn McClure, the conservation association's Midwest senior director.

I could only envision this is not only good for Pullman but good for neighboring Roseland as well.

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.

9th ward community meeting tonight...

9th Ward Alderman Anthony A. Beale and City Department Representatives present a 9th Ward Community Meeting

• Tuesday, March 24, 2015 
• 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 
• Pullman Presbyterian Church 
• 550 East 103rd Street Chicago, Illinois 60628 

For more information call the 9th ward office at 773.785.1100

Community Job Fair - April 8, 2015

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

My Block My Hood My City explorers...

[VIDEO] On this blog we posted video from Jahmal Cole's trip to Altgeld Garden. This was something he recorded in the fall last year. Today he shows us another facet of his My Block My Hood My City.

He takes teens on explorations around the city. Cole likes to say you can travel the world in Chicago as there are many different cultures who live in this city. So he takes teens to Chinatown, Greektown, Pilsen and other destinations. Basically he seeks to take teens from their neighborhoods and have them see the rest of the world.

As an aside I did show a video where the red line ventures to once it leaves the south side starting from 95th Street. Beyond this part of town there is a much larger world.

Is this something you could support?

Which era did you ride public transit in Chicago?

Recently I've shown a video courtesy of CTA documenting a trip north along the red line from 95th street. It was to show what's beyond the south side as the trains head north to the other side of the city at Howard Street.

Today, I wanted to share this with you. This you might see if you were on fb and it asks for one thing: using the numbers you see on this picture which era did you ride CTA.

My picks was 2 & 3, and I'm not sure why there were broken into two different eras. That paper transfer and the token seemed to have been used hand in hand when taking CTA during the 1980s and early 1990s. Either way sometimes I miss that era as it seemed like much simpler times especially as a child.

Out of hibernation...

[VIDEO] Well we finally have our warm temps here in Chicago and artistmac talks about that. The snow that fell on Super Bowl Sunday this year is finally melting. Hopefully the cold temps that kept our young people out of school for at least 4 days within the past two months are nothing more than a memory.

Even better daylight savings time has passed as of this Saturday and then in the next week or so the first day of spring. It seems we've had a miserable winter this year and the end is only around the corner!