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Saturday, November 10, 2018

Pullman Communicy Center opened on Thursday

[VIDEO] Sorry to have missed this. The new Pullman Community Center located near 103rd & Woodlawn has finally opened. We start with the above video from CBS 2 and then excerpt from this Sun-Times article
After nearly a decade of planning and a frenzied round of corporate fundraising, a $20 million, 135,000-square-foot sports, recreation and educational center opened its doors at 10355 S. Woodlawn Ave.

The massive U.S. Bank Pullman Community Center is one of the largest indoor sports facilities in Illinois and the fifth-largest in the country. It includes three basketball/tennis courts and three synthetic turf fields that can be used for baseball, football and soccer.

The facility also includes community meeting rooms and classroom space.

“We’re looking at keeping 1,100 kids a week off the streets, doing something positive and constructive. A facility that’s gonna be open probably 12 to 14 hours a day. That gives people opportunity. It gives ’em hope,” Beale said Thursday.

“If you’re struggling in school and you’re enrolled in this facility, we’re gonna provide free ACT, SAT and tutoring in whatever subject that you need.”

Thursday, November 8, 2018

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

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Chicago Mag: Pullman’s Renaissance #Ward09 #BuildingwithBeale

Published on October 26th, 2018 I'm sorry that I only found out about it recently. A lot of good things is going on in that part of the city.
In the coming weeks, construction crews will begin meticulously restoring the roof and upper floor windows of the landmark Pullman Clock Tower and Administration Building, the former headquarters of the company that developed the neighborhood and forever changed rail travel in the 19th century.

Nearly lost in an arson attack in 1998, the structure is being overhauled for its next life as the visitor center for the Pullman National Monument, Chicago’s first ever site in the national park system. The roof work, funded by a $2.2 million grant from the National Park Service, is expected to take six months.

Construction on the old administrative building comes more than three years after President Obama dedicated the site as a national monument, setting into motion a restoration that Pullman residents and preservationists have long called for. According to Kathleen Schneider, the first superintendent of Pullman National Monument, there are a mix of public and private funds earmarked for the restoration, including more than $13 million from the National Park Foundation.

“We’re only three years old with a staff of three people,” Schneider says of the new national monument. “Although it may appear that not a lot is happening, we’ve been working hard with the State of Illinois and community on the 2020 opening of the visitors center.”

Schneider says the site’s educational programming will center on Pullman’s legacy as a planned neighborhood and as an integral site in the labor and civil rights movements. Specifically, the visitor center will spotlight the internal clashes that led to the Pullman Strike of 1894 and formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

As for community partners, Schneider highlights the Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI) group, a nonprofit developer that has helped bring investment to the greater Pullman area in recent years. While the Clock Tower’s restoration represents a symbolic rebirth of the historic district, newer facilities including a Whole Foods distribution center, an expanded greenhouse by produce supplier Gotham Greens, and soap maker Method have reinvigorated the neighborhood’s identity as an industrial hub.
Great to see the progress in nearby Pullman.

Pullman Community Center hiring event #Ward09 #BuildingwithBeale

The long awaited Pullman Community Center is hosting a hiring event with walk-in interviews. Please bring your resume.

Location: 10355 S. Woodlawn
When: November 2, 2018
Time: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

You may have seen this in an email blast from the office of 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale.

Refer to flyer below.

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Two south side Target stores are closing

[VIDEO] In addition to this video report from Tuesday from outside the 87th & Cottage Grove Target store I'll give you an excerpt from this Tribune article
The decision to close the stores in the Morgan Park and Chatham neighborhoods “follows a rigorous annual process to evaluate the performance of every store in the portfolio and maintain the overall health of the business,” the Minneapolis-based retailer said in a statement. Four other stores are closing nationwide.

About 115 people work full or part time at the 128,000-square-foot Morgan Park store, which opened in 2008. Roughly 120 work at the 126,000-square-foot Chatham store, which opened in 2002.

Employees in good standing at both stores will be given the option to transfer to a different store in their area, Target said.
 ...
Target said it does consider the proximity of other stores when making decisions about closing locations. But it also looks at the store’s profitability over several years and other options available to customers, such as shopping online and having orders delivered, Target spokeswoman Jacque DeBuse said.

“This is based on the business and is not about a neighborhood or geography,” DeBuse said. “As you have seen, Target remains committed to Chicago, as we’ve been remodeling stores across the metro (area) and continuing to open new stores to serve new guests.”
Both stores are expected to close in February next year.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

2019 race for 9th Ward Alderman #Ward09

Recently I procured a flyer for Paul Collins who is running for Alderman in Ward 9. He seeks to challenge Alderman Anthony Beale in 2019.
Visit his under construction website at www.friendsofpaulcollins.com and he also has a FB page Paul Collins for 9th Ward Aldermen

Early voting for #Ward09

This was sent out via on Wednesday by Ald. Anthony Beale's office with regards to early voting.You can early vote at both Palmer Park on 111th & Olive Harvey College on 103rd. Refer to flyer below!

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Washington Heights Visioning Session - Red Line Extension Coalition

Red Line extension
This invited with an attached newsletter was sent to us via the West Chesterfield Community Association with regards to the red line extension.

  • THE FOURTH AND FINAL WASHINGTON HEIGHTS VISIONING SESSION BY ENDELEO INSTITUTE.

    6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    Thursday October 18th, 2018
    Woodson Library Auditorium
    9525 S Halsted, Chicago

Saturday, October 6, 2018

The Sixth Ward: Van Dyke - guilty! #laquanmcdonald

[VIDEO] Above I will share coverage from the CBS network which was live streamed on their YouTube channel yesterday. Below will be a tweet that shares the link to "The Sixth Ward" that attempted to compile various video stories about the reaction to the verdict of the Jason Van Dyke trial.

In late 2014, Officer Van Dyke shot LaQuan McDonald 16 times and McDonald died from his wounds. Yesterday among other charges, Van Dyke was convicted by a jury of second degree murder.
I'm relieved that there will be no rioting as the city was on high alert for any disturbances although there were protests around the city after the verdict was read.

Friday, October 5, 2018

#fbf 95/Dan Ryan - 1971

Wanted to share this ig post from CTA earlier this week. It shows trains departing and arriving at the 95th terminal in 1971 which was back when the line was brand new. I wrote a lot about the history of operations at 95th since the Dan Ryan branch of the CTA Red Line has been in operation over at The Sixth Ward.