Nov. 26, 2008 – Five years ago, the Paseo Prairie Garden began as a hope and a dream, and today it's become one of the few parks in the Logan Square neighborhood. Despite countless hours of work and dedication put in by volunteers, community activists now face more serious issues in their effort to maintain the safe environment for the neighborhood.

Located at North Milwaukee and Kedzie Avenues, adjacent to a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line stop, the garden was conceived by a number of community groups, including the Logan Square Neighborhood Association and Logan Square Walks.

With the help of Ald. Rey Colon (35th), the city-owned property was given a new lease on life. Construction began in 2003, led by Grounds for Growth garden designer Laurie Tanenbaum. Other organizations, such as the community development organization archi-treasures, also pitched in, as well as hundreds of volunteers.

However, all has not been rosy in the garden since opening some five years ago. Increasing amounts of garbage and the presence of homeless people have caused concern.

"This is a real problem for us," said Tanenbaum, a 30-year resident of Logan Square. "We have our own homeless population in the neighborhood and the garden is a big draw."

Empty beer bottles and plastic cups have littered the ground, with graffiti sprayed across an adjacent brick wall. Tanenbaum said there's currently no coordinated cleanup procedure, but many people pick up the litter on their own. This issue will be raised in a "Friends of Paseo Prairie Garden" meeting in the spring, she said.

The garden, built primarily for senior citizens living in the nearby Logan Vistas apartments, slowly evolved through the years. A brick pathway was built in 2005 and a rose bed and performance stage were completed two years ago. In July, wooden tables and chairs were added. A ribbon-cutting ceremony occurred last month.

Seniors have pitched in with the ongoing cleanup efforts. "This is a place where we come sit down and talk," said Leonor Cabello, through the help of a translator. "I look around and see all of this, so I decide to pick it up."

As a resident of Logan Vistas, Cabello doesn't have her own backyard and relies on the garden to get a breath of fresh air. Cabello said she usually sits outside on the weekends for three to four hours at a time.

The convergence of homeless people around the garden began immediately after the construction of the deck, but Cabello and others have noticed this becoming less of an issue in the past few weeks.

"They're not going to want to be in a place where there's a lot of people gathered," said Rosita de la Rosa, the director of inter-generational organizing for the Logan Square Neighborhood Association. "I told the seniors, 'If you don't take ownership of this spot, they're going to think it's theirs only.' I think they finally got the message."

De la Rosa has been an advocate for the garden since day one and sees another problem developing: theft. Steel bolts used to tie down the deck have been stolen, prompting community activists to weld new ones into place.

Despite setbacks, plans are moving forward for more improvements. The addition of wrought iron fencing around parts of the garden, as well as improved water drainage are in the works. De la Rosa also said they hope to build railings on the deck and provide more garbage cans in the near future.

"It's taken a lot of different people and different organizations to help bring this to fruition, and it will continue," said Joyce Fernandes, executive director of archi-treasures. "There's always a sustainability aspect of these projects and a need for people to come out and volunteer."

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Nov. 20, 2008 – On a chilly autumn morning at the corner of 31st Street and Kostner Avenue, young athletes competed for gold medals. Teams of three fought through the coal dig and leapt over the coal hurdle before sprinting to the bus dash, ending their journey at a cardboard cutout signifying a downtown museum.

No, this wasn't the Olympics, but instead the second running of the Coalympics, a competition in the Little Village neighborhood aimed at raising awareness of two nearby coal-fired power plants that pollute the city's skies.

The Crawford Generating Station at 3501 S. Pulaski in Little Village and the Fisk Generating Station at 1111 W. Cermak in Pilsen are two of the handful of remaining coal power plants in the state. Both plants, owned by Midwest Generation, a subsidiary of California-based Edison International, lie directly in the way of the proposed 2016 Olympics, according to local activists.

Groups such as the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), which hosted the Coalympics event, want both plants shut down for the sake of their community and the possible future Olympic games.

"This is not just for the Olympics, but it's for the people who have lived here their whole lives and are affected by it every day," said Alex Martinez, 17, who took part in the event. "For all of our voices to be heard, we need to work as a group to make this happen."

Statistics from the LVEJO link more than 40 premature deaths each year to power plant pollution, as well as 1,000 asthma attacks and 500 emergency room visits. The group says health conditions could worsen in the years to come, especially considering that more than 100 schools lie within a two-mile radius of a plant.

The Crawford and Fisk stations combined produce 230 pounds of mercury emissions each year, in addition to pumping out 17,675 tons of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, according to recent EPA estimates.

"If you look at the statistics, we need something now," said Samuel Villasenor, clean power community organizer for LVEJO. "Those numbers are just going to increase if we wait around and do nothing."

With over half the 95,000 Little Village residents under the age of 25, Villasenor knows action needs to be taken now. But he said the organization's seven-year-long fight will continue with a unique approach.

"We definitely need to be proactive and reactive," he said. "We need electricity, so we're promoting efficiency. If people can cut down on how much electricity they use, we would need to build less."

Villasenor and two-dozen other supporters gathered to hold the Coalympics, a short competition which saw youth contest three obstacles, all aimed at helping bring pollution issues to light. At the end of the games, three tie-dye t-shirt wearing competitors claimed the top prizes, which were gold-painted asthma inhalers.

The goal of the event, Villasenor said, was to build media interest and awareness of this ongoing issue.

Activists are now calling on the mayor to shut down the coal power plants and help introduce new forms of renewable energy to fill the energy void. This includes eco-friendly methods such as geothermal, wind and solar power.

"If our mayor claims to be as green as he really is, these are things that he should be indulging in his city to show off," said Kimberly Wasserman, a LVEJO coordinator. "So when the Olympics come, he can say, 'Look, not only did we shut down the coal power plants for the sake of our residents; we're trying our hand at renewable energy.'"

"That would put Mayor Daley on the cover of Time Magazine, if he could pull off something like that."

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Oct 10, 2008 – The trend of "living green" is far from new. The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) helped pioneer that philosophy three decades ago. The Garfield Park-based non-profit organization continues to set the benchmark today, having celebrated its 30 years of urban sustainability last month with a gala event at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

Through its initiatives in natural resources, energy, climate, transportation and community development, CNT has given Chicago-area residents the resources needed to make a change in the environment.

CNT led by example, rehabbing a former weaving factory into its offices in 1987. It became the state's first non-toxic, energy efficient building. Further renovations were made in 2000, built to meet the standard of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. LEED awarded "Platinum" status to the building in 2005, making it one of the country's most environmentally friendly structures.

More than 70 percent of materials used in CNT's building came from recycled sources. Ceiling tiles were made from recycled paper, while wheat boards were used for desks and shelving units. Eco-friendly insulation has reduced energy costs by 52 percent.

CNT's staff paves the way today by riding bicycles to work. Nicole Gotthelf, director of development and communications, said the majority also utilize public transportation to cut down on their carbon footprint.

"When you want to be green, it's not just making the building green, you have to live it," Gotthelf said. "What we try to show is the benefits of going green, which can lower things such as utility costs."

CNT Energy, an offshoot formed in 2000, provides residents with cost-saving tools such as its real-time electricity-pricing project. The statewide program helps consumers manage their energy consumption during peak hours, when electricity is in highest demand. This not only relieves pressure on the system, but consumers can also save money.

"The benefit of real-time pricing is that it gives the straight market price right to the people," said Marjorie Isaacson, director of research and operations for CNT Energy. "It gives them a very appropriate price signal, and there's no artificial cushion in there."

Residents are able to follow prices live via a Web site or by phone. Isaacson said CNT Energy has also done air conditioner exchange programs in some neighborhoods to cut down on energy costs and consumption.

The I-GO car-sharing program is another division of CNT that keeps a conscious eye on the environment. Launched in 2002 as a pilot program, the non-profit organization offers short-term rental plans starting at $6.00 per hour. This rate includes gas, car maintenance and insurance. Almost half the fleet is hybrids, and all vehicles are low emission.

"We're doing this to improve the quality of life in Chicago," said I-GO CEO Sharon Feigon. "We want to reach as many people as possible."

I-GO covers 32 city neighborhoods, as well as Evanston and Oak Park, with over 10,000 residents enrolled in the program. Feigon said 400 to 500 new members sign up each month.

Carl Westberg, an I-GO user for the past year, has found the convenience factor to be most beneficial. He sold his car in favor of using any of the dozen or so cars within a walking distance of his Rogers Park apartment.

"I can look out my window and see the cars," Westberg said. "There's never really been a time when I wanted to go anywhere that I didn't have a car to use."

Westberg says he uses the service eight to nine times a month, including occasions when he visits his family in the south suburbs. He also finds the service convenient when traveling from his job on North Michigan Avenue.

Like Westberg, Garfield Park resident Sunshine Best doesn't own a car and relies on I-GO. Best, the owner of a food consulting company, uses the service a few times each week. She relies on I-GO for most time-sensitive situations.

"I think I-GO makes a more consistent effort towards the environment, especially with what they have to offer," Best said. "They have cars all over the city, and they're strategically placed by CTA stops."

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The trend of "living green" is far from anything new. The Center for Neighborhood Technology helped pioneer that philosophy some 30 years ago. The Garfield Park-based non-profit organization continues to set the benchmark today.

Through its initiatives in natural resources, energy, climate, and transportation and community development, CNT has given Chicago-area residents the resources needed to make a change in the environment.

CNT led by example, rehabbing a former weaving factory into its offices in 1987. It became the state's first non-toxic energy efficient building. Further renovations were made in 2000, built to meet the standard of the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design's green building rating system. LEED awarded "Platinum" status to the building in 2005, making it one of the country's most environmentally friendly structures.

Over 70 percent of materials used in CNT's building came from recycled sources. Ceiling tiles were made from recycled paper while wheat boards were used for desks and shelving units. Eco-friendly insulation has reduced energy costs by 52 percent.

CNT's staff paves the way today by riding bicycles to work. Nicole Gotthelf, director of development and communications, says the majority also utilizes public transportation to cut down on their carbon footprint.

"When you want to be green, it's not just making the building green, you have to live it," Gotthelf said. "What we try to show is the benefits of going green which can lower things such as utility costs."

CNT Energy, an offshoot formed in 2000, provides residents with cost-saving tools such as its real-time electricity-pricing project. The statewide program helps consumers manage their energy consumption during peak hours, when electricity is in highest demand. This not only relieves pressure on the system, but consumers also save money.

"The benefit of real-time pricing is that it gives the straight market price right to the people," said Marjorie Isaacson, director of research and operations for CNT Energy. "It gives them a very appropriate price signal, and there's no artificial cushion in there."

Residents are able to follow prices live via a Web site or by phone. Isaacson said CNT Energy has also done air conditioner exchange programs in some neighborhoods to cut down on energy costs and consumption.

The I-GO car-sharing program is another division of CNT that keeps a conscious eye on the environment. Launched in 2002 as a pilot program, the non-profit organization offers short-term rental plans starting at $6.00 per hour. This rate includes gas, car maintenance and insurance. Almost half the fleet is hybrids, and all vehicles are low emission.

"We're doing this to improve the quality of life in Chicago," said I-GO CEO Sharon Feigon. "We want to reach as many people as possible."

I-GO covers 32 city neighborhoods as well as Evanston and Oak Park, with over 10,000 residents enrolled in the program. Feigon said 400 to 500 new members sign up each month.

Carl Westberg, an I-GO user for the past year, has found the convenience factor to be most beneficial. He sold his car in favor of using any of dozen or so cars within a walking distance of his Rogers Park apartment.

"I can look out my window and see the cars," Westberg said. "There's never really been a time when I wanted to go anywhere that I didn’t have a car to use."

Westberg says he uses the service eight to nine times a month, including occasions when he visits his family in the south suburbs. He also finds the service convenient when traveling from his job on North Michigan Avenue.

Like Westberg, Garfield Park resident Sunshine Best doesn’t own a car and relies on I-GO. Best, the owner of a food consulting company, uses the service a few times each week. She relies on I-GO for most time-sensitive situations.

"I think I-GO makes a more consistent effort towards the environment, especially with what they have to offer," Best said. "They have cars all over the city, and they're strategically placed by CTA stops."

CNT celebrated its 30 years of urban sustainability Sept. 17 at the Garfield Park Conservatory with a gala event.

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