Beale for Mayor?

 In a recent article from the Chicago Magazine with regards to the prospects of a re-election campaign for Mayor Lori Lightfoot a number of potential challengers for the Chicago mayor's office:

One Lightfoot rival is already trying to occupy that lane: Paul Vallas, who got 5 percent of the vote in 2019, and told Chicago he will consider a mayoral run “if the financial support is there.” Vallas has been attending “Back the Blue” rallies and calling police superintendent David Brown’s antiviolence strategy of dispatching a roving antigang unit to various parts of the city “an epic failure.” The Ogden & Fry poll showed Lightfoot losing to Vallas in a head-to-head matchup. It also showed the mayor losing to former education secretary Arne Duncan, Alderman Raymond Lopez, and Alderman Anthony Beale — all of whom have been discussed as potential candidates.

Well we have another few months before we find out about Mayor Lightfoot's plans for re-election. I'm thinking she might bow out after one difficult term with the crime rate and pandemic. Just bear in mind the mayoral race is next year in 2023.

Save the Date: Supplemental Environmental Assessment for Red Line extension

From a recent e-mail from CTA

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is hosting a virtual and in-person public hearing to solicit public comments on the Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) and section 4(f) Evaluation. The Supplemental EA discloses design refinements to the project's Preferred Alignment and evaluates three project changes that have occurred since the publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2016. The project changes are 1) 130th Street station relocation, 2) 120th Street yard and shop refinement, and 3) 107th Place cross-over.

• Virtual Public Hearing (via Zoom)
  Tuesday, February 15th

• In-Person Public Hearing Thursday, February 17th
  The Salvation Army Kroc Center (1250 W. 119th St., Chicago, IL 60643)

Information regarding pre-registration and availability of the Supplemental EA and Section 4(f) Evaluation, to be made available ahead of the public hearings!

For additional information about the Red Line Extension Project, please visit the project website at transitchicago.com/rle/, or please contact the project team at RedExtension@transitchicago.com.

 

Is this even verifiable?

I became aware of this image being passed around if anyone can verify this please email this blog. It's up there with the urban legend about flashing headlights. Perhaps this message should be taken with a grain of salt.

It's a message from a police department, however, is it from the Chicago Police? Is this an alert from a particular city police district? Perhaps it comes from C.A.P.S.? What is its origin?

Property Tax forum on January 12, 2022

You may have seen this in a recent email blast from Aldermen Beale's office. Refer to flyer below.

• Ward09.com
• CookCountyAssessor.com

 

Gately's & S.S. Kresge Co. in Roseland #tbt

I found and saved these two photographs from Roseland south of 111th Street and Michigan Avenue. I feel as if these are appropriate because we're in the Christmas season although tomorrow will be Christmas Eve. And of course these two photos don't show South Michigan Ave during Christmas time. 

Probably during much warmer weather. The dates for these photos are unknown perhaps they were taken in the 1960s or 70s. The Gately's store as many of you may know went out of business in the early 1980s. The building that once contained that store has since been demolished after a bad fire. I do believe the sign survived however as I write this no idea as to the whereabouts of that landmark.

As far as S.S. Kresge Company I don't know when that store closed its doors right next door to Gately's. I have found out that S.S. Kresge Co outlets ultimately became the Kmart chain. Do you remember Kmart? I do and many Kmart stores have closed in recent years. Perhaps you shopped at the one that was once located in Oak Lawn on 95th or a number of locations around the city.

I hope you enjoy this look back and I do wish you a Merry Christmas and hoping that you've had a very joyous holiday season.

No porch pirates - or thieves who steal packages off your porch

 Worlee Glover at Concerned Citizens of Chatham offers these tips to ensure that packages and certainly Christmas presents will be in your hand in time for the holiday. 

If you're ordering through Amazon I would advise you to find an Amazon locker near you. Perhaps you might find one in the city parks or a Whole Foods Market near you or at an L station near you - example there's one at 95th Street now. Of course aside from allowing deliveries to be left on your porch at home there are other options highlighted in the below Concerned Citizens post.

Ward Remap 2021

 I wanted to share these maps with you to see the two proposals between the Chicago Coalition/Latino Caucus which is the map that Ald. Anthony Beale signed on to last week and then the Rules Committee/Black Caucus map that said Ald. Beale has an issue with.

Let's start with the City Council Rules Committee Map. I pointed out some geographical points to show what's where. West Chesterfield which is bounded by State to about 93rd Street to King Drive to 95th Street will be split between Wards 6 & 8. It's safe to say currently that area is in Ward 9 solidly.

Altgeld Gardens is drawn into Ward 10. Pullman which is a special concern for Ald. Beale appears to remain within Ward 9. Also where's Ward 34 well from what I've seen so far it's being drawn up near downtown. They pulled a Ward 2 on us this time around, in the last remap in 2011 they drew that ward out of the South Loop and drew it further north. As you see Ward 21 goes further south where 34 used to be and Ward 9 takes a little territory from 34 as well.

As for the Chicago Coalition map which is what Ald. Beale signed on with, especially as far as getting it up for a potential referendum next year. The only changes from the 2011 map is that Ward 6 is sent further west taking from 21 the Chatham Market mall and Simeon High School. Ward 21 again takes up most of what used to be Ward 34 and going further south. Ward 9 looks basically the same with Pullman and Altgeld Gardens with the boundaries and the ward goes all the way up to 87th Street between State and Cottage Grove.

We got basically two very different maps for this part of the south side. Perhaps some of you have your thoughts on these maps. Feel free to email us your thoughts it's in the sidebar.

CBS Chicago: City Council Rules Committee unveils their own draft ward map

 

[VIDEO] I haven't really covered that here on this blog but have delved into this in recent posts over at The Sixth Ward, perhaps you guys might want to talk about this there. I just felt it was necessary to share this blurb from WBBM-TV here on this blog.

I do want to share that Ald. Anthony Beale is unhappy with the politics of the map by the Rules Committee chaired by Ward 8 Ald. Michelle Harris. He was on WGN Radio a few days ago to talk about what's going on with the remap and how it affects him. Ald. Beale really wants to keep the Pullman area in his ward.

#tbt Coffee Pot restaurant

 

Via Flickr

To be honest I hadn't thought about this site Flickr in years. This was a site for photographers to share their works. Of course it seems it has been supplanted by a number of sites as far as sharing photos such as Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram.

Sometimes it's just fun to see some of the items posted there, it's just amazing how advanced have propelled us from the old fashioned camera to a cameraphone.

I never thought I'd see a sign of the old Coffee Pot restaurant near 115th Street & Michigan Avenue. It was part of that mall that was demolished in 2006. And this area is very close to the future stop on the future CTA Red Line extension. Perhaps someone might decide to bring back another version of the Coffee Pot for future commuters.