Photo by Brent Michel

This summer, the open space at 31st Street and Lawndale Avenue in Little Village has been overtaken by families. They gather on Tuesday nights as part of Project Play, a creation of the non-profit Beyond the Ball. At Project Play, kids, moms and dads are able to enjoy traditional sports like basketball and soccer, as well as recreational activities such as face-painting, tag, and jumping rope. Beyond the Ball created Project Play to help families exercise together outdoors, instead of allowing gang violence to intimidate them into staying inside.

Although creating a safe haven in the neighborhood is an important part of Project Play, Beyond the Ball is also trying to help whole families adopt a healthy, active lifestyle. Amy Castaneda, a teacher at Ortiz Elementary School and co-founder of Beyond the Ball, explains, “We didn’t want to have a day camp, where parents drop off their kids and return to pick them up. We want the parents to join in on the fun!”

“Project Play allows the families to be active one evening a week; we hope this program will promote healthy activity for the rest of their lives.” says Mike Torres, a Project Play volunteer who credits his active lifestyle to his childhood experiences. “I grew up on the playground. Games like tag and kick the can opened the door for me to participate in organized sports like basketball and flag football.”

Photo by Brent Michel

Enabling parents and their children become active separates Project Play from just being a program that keeps the kids off the streets. It offers new ideas to families on how to live healthier lives. Little Village resident Lucy Rivas loves the way Project Play is promoting healthy habits for her and the three kids she brings each week. “Simple games like ‘Switch’ and ‘Four Square’ can be easily set up at home or for birthday parties to keep my kids active and away from the couch.”

A few weeks into Project Play, Siri Atma Greeley, MD, PhD, measured each child’s Body Mass Index (BMI). The purpose of the BMI screening was to give parents an objective way to assess the health of their child. “The goal is to have the kids participate in group exercise when they come to Project Play, and we hope the activity will help them lose some weight and stay in shape.” Explaining how Project Play will help families develop healthier lifestyles, he added, “One way to achieve that goal is having families come out every Tuesday to see how much fun they can have; then when they are at home they can spend more time engaging in physical activity as well.”

After the BMI screening a handout was provided to the families that gave helpful suggestions on nutrition as well as activities they could do on their own. Dr. Greeley hopes the future will include more activities for the adults. “Moving forward Project Play would probably offer nutritional and health classes for the parents.” He adds, “We will also screen the parents to make them aware of their own health. We also want to make them aware of the danger of diabetes, which is common in this community, so we could test their blood sugar and even their blood pressure.”

Armed with activities learned at Project Play, BMI data, and nutrition information, the groundwork has been laid for Little Village residents to lead healthier lives. Lucy Rivas agrees, “Exercise is the best thing you can do for your body, so it’s great that this program helps us learn new ways to stay in shape and have fun at the same time!”

Summer and vacation go hand in hand. But for too many kids, “vacation” just means a break from school, because they rarely actually go anywhere. Instead, they spend most of their summer inside the house, or hanging around the neighborhood. But for the last ten years, Andrew Dortch of Dortch Enterprises has offered inner-city youth a unique and productive alternative: exploring Chicago on their bicycles.

“Chicago is a big city with a lot to see,” Dortch said. “Most of the kids out there don’t know how to get around.”

Dortch Enterprises' Cycling Voyagers embark on another adventure.

Dortch and his 27 Cycling Voyagers set out every other weekday on their bikes in search of something new. The program, based out of East Garfield Park, runs from June to August and gives young Chicagoans an opportunity to see the city in a new way, and visit places they’ve never been.

The idea itself is fairly innovative. Picture 20-or-so uniformed kids riding down the street in an ordered line, heading to a museum or a riverboat ride. An unusual sight to be sure. But Dortch feels the exploration is a prime way to open the imagination.

“I just want to give the kids the adventure,” he said. “They don’t have to be in the country to have that.”

The program’s campers, who range in age from 9 to 16, can vouch for that. “Cycling Voyagers has shown me places in Chicago I’d never seen before,” 13-year-old Jonmella Sutton said. “And it’s a good way to get exercise.”

An additional benefit of the program is the healthy, active lifestyle it promotes. “Most of these kids are losing weight and becoming better athletes,” Dortch said.

The kids at Dortch Enterprises’ camp come from various neighborhoods on the West and South Sides. This summer, riding destinations have included Chinatown, Navy Pier, the Taste of Chicago and the Lincoln Park Zoo.

For Measha Morrow, who started as a camper four years ago, the program has served as an introduction to everything Chicago has to offer. “I’ve been all over the city now,” the 17-year-old said. “My favorite place would have to be Foster Beach.”

Now a junior counselor, Measha helps Dortch with organization, securing bikes during destination tours and lunch breaks, and keeping a watchful eye on the other kids.

“When we’re on the road, Mr. Dortch is in the front and I’m in the back. If one of the kids has to stop or something breaks, it’s my job to help them fix it and get moving,” Measha said. “It’s shown me how to be more responsible, how to look out for others.”

Some Cycling Voyagers on a break near Madison Street.

Aaliyah McFarland, who is 12 and in her second year with the program, came back this summer because of something most fitness-oriented camps don’t offer. “You get exercise, but you also get to see a lot of places you wouldn’t normally.” Places like the Field Museum, about which she said: “I learned a lot about history, about people and places I’d never heard of.”

On days when they aren’t on their bikes, the kids often head to Altgeld Park for organized youth sports. “The Cycling Voyagers have a basketball team, record 22-5,” Dortch said. “We’re playing teams of older kids, teams with guys that are six-and-a-half feet tall. But we can win because we work as a team.”

Team training is also important for safety reasons. The riding column has very strict safety rules because, biker-friendly as Chicago is, you can’t be too careful. “Every year we get new helmets at a discount from Bell Sports,” Dortch said. “We wear gold t-shirts when we’re riding, use the Chicago Bicycle Book as a safety basis, and always signal left and right.”

The program receives grants from LISC as well as local support from Wallace Catfish Corner restaurant in East Garfield Park, which provides discount meals for the kids. But things have gotten tight in recent years.

A column of riders continues the journey.

“I don’t get a lot of East Garfield Park kids,” Dortch said. “They can’t afford to do the camp.”  Participants must have their own bicycles to join, and grant money – for a variety of economic reasons – has been diminishing since 2002.  Prior to the cuts, the program was host to over a hundred riders.

Despite the waning numbers and financial issues, Dortch is optimistic about the future of the program, mostly because he and the campers enjoy it so much.

“I guess I just like to ride around Chicago with the kids,” he said. “We see the city, but my goal is really just to get the kids to smile.”

On August 1 and 2, Roscoe Village expects the typical 60 or so shoppers and walkers to balloon to over 20,000 for the 14th annual Retro on Roscoe.

Last August the festival attracted a record crowd of an estimated 23,000, to the neighborhood, and this year the Roscoe Village Neighbors Association hopes to set a new record. Retro on Roscoe is a two-day long fest featuring 32 bands that play covers, or originals inspired by the music of the 1970s and 80s. Retro is the Neighbors Association’s main fundraiser, and it is also the quiet village’s main attraction.

Along with drawing people to the neighborhood the group has over 400 volunteers for the festival and features about 20 booths from Roscoe Village stores and restaurants. Last year the event helped raise $100,000 for the all-volunteer Roscoe Village Neighbors, and, according to the Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce, brought in about a quarter of a million dollars to local businesses.

Mary Vaught, a bartender at Millers Tap at Leavitt and Roscoe says that Retro always brings a packed house to the combo bar and liquor store.

“It’s always been a great…fest, we get a lot of people. They usually have some decent bands playing,” Vaught says of Retro. Vaught says she works the festival on Sundays, but comes to Roscoe on her day off to enjoy the fest. She says that the festival is great for business.

Frankie Andrae, the co-owner of Roscoe Village’s Original Expressions, at Roscoe and Hamilton, says that she and her business partner opened their doors during Retro because they “wanted it to be [Original Expressions’] anniversary.”Original Expressions keeps a booth on the street during Retro, and Andrae says the benefit from the added exposure is incalculable. “They bring in almost 20- or 30,000 people and that isn’t all people from the neighborhood,” she says.

Miller’s Tap and Original  Expressions aren’t the only businesses that benefit from the festival.

“It’s very positive for businesses,” says Mary Marcarian the executive director of the Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce. Almost all of the 250 businesses in the Chamber of Commerce are supportive of the event, according to Marcarian.

“Some [of the businesses] love it, some hate it,” Andrae says of the festival.

While most Roscoe Village residents seem excited for the festival, at least one village dweller plans to sit the event out. 

“I don’t know, I think maybe I’m too young for it,” says Andrew Dowd, 26, who has lived in the neighborhood for three years. “I don’t really care about hearing people play music from the 80s…it’s just not my scene.” Dowd did say, however; that the festival was not a major annoyance, saying that it was not a “big deal.”

But Dowd’s roommate Jason Fabeck, also 26, says he planned to visit.

“They’ve got beer, and even if they’re not the greatest, the bands are pretty fun,” he says.

Retro runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m., with the music stopping at 8 p.m. Along with a kids’ stage there are two other stages featuring live music, a beer tent and vendors selling clothes, artwork and food. Tickets for the event are $5 at the door, with no advanced ticketing. Entrances are at Damen and Roscoe, or Oakley and Roscoe.

Andrae says she is excited for the event, and that so are there rest of her neighbors.

“People love the music… it is fun…it’s kind of crazy out there.”

The Village North Theater, the Rogers Park movie house that showed first-run movies until being shuttered for renovations last winter, has reopened as The New 400 Theater. While residents may know it best by its most recent moniker, the new name actually hearkens back to a previous life when it was known as the 400 Theater.

Newly renovated exterior of The New 400 Theater in Rogers Park.

Under new ownership, the entire facade of the terra cotta building has been restored and the theater itself received a much needed makeover. New carpeting, paint, curtains, and screens, along with extensive seat repairs and replacements combine with the outside work to provide a new destination for summertime distraction.

The completed project is especially welcome by residents during the continuing economic downturn. As finishing touches were completed earlier this month, at least seven residents walked up to ask the workers, “Are you open?”

With property values in decline and unemployment rising, major new entertainment businesses have become rare. This project combines that with the preservation of an historic neighborhood architectural landmark. One passerby was overheard saying: “I thought this [theater] was gone for good. How cool!”

The New 400 Theater is nestled in an area that has several other retail and dining attractions, including the Armadillo’s Pillow bookstore, Royal Coffee (a cafe specializing in pure Ethiopian coffee), The Flatts and Sharpe music store, Rice Thai Cafe, Starbucks, Great Wall Chinese restaurant, RoPa and others.

Interior of The New 400 Theater shown by Tom Klein.

There are also two large open air cafes for hanging out before or after movies, as well as an enclosed ATM machine.

The theater is located at 6746 N. Sheridan Rd. and will show first-run movies at discounted rates. There is $2 all-day garage parking available south of the theater at the intersection of Sheridan  and Arthur.

You can learn more about the current movies and showtimes by visiting their Web site at www.thenew400.com. Ticket prices are $7.50 for General Admission, $6.50 for students (with ID), $5 for Matinées (before 6pm), $5 for seniors (65 and over), and $5 for children (under 11).

By Patrick Barry of LISC Chicago

July 6, 2009 – Remember Sunday Parkways, that experiment last fall that closed down Chicago boulevards to cars and opened them up to thousands of cyclists, pedestrians and skaters? It’s back. Renamed Open Streets, it will take place this year on Saturday, August 1, across 7.5 miles of wide-open roads through five communities: Logan Square, Humboldt Park, East Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Little Village.

Like last year, neighborhood groups and others will sponsor activities along the route, from exercise stations to dance and music performances. I rode one of last year’s two Sunday-morning events and it was a blast, so much fun that complete strangers spent a lot of time greeting each other and talking.

Still, I had to grumble when I read in the New York Times that that other city will shut down 6.9 miles of Manhattan for three Saturday-morning events and sponsor dozens of additional “Weekend Walks” in the boroughs. This is the same city that has put benches and chairs and bike paths on a traffic-free Broadway, changing completely the atmosphere (literally) on that once-chaotic street.

So let’s get out there and have fun on August 1 in Chicago, and then figure out what it takes to catch up to other cities (Quito, Ecuador; Bogotá, Colombia; Guadalajara, Mexico; Portland, Oregon) that are making us look bad.

June 17, 2009 – When it comes to art in Chicago, River North leads the pack. There are more than 100 galleries in the neighborhood according to the Chicago Traveler, and their wares range from oil paintings to photos to abstract drawings to anything else the creative mind can think up and put on a canvas.

However the art scene in River North has taken a major hit recently.  Due to the worldwide recession, fewer collectors are purchasing the photos and paintings that keep these galleries open. Three River North galleries have already closed, and the immediate future is not much brighter, according to Martha Schneider, director of the Schneider Gallery, 230 W. Superior St.

“We’ve had a tremendous drop off over the past six months, almost 90 percent,” said Schneider. “We’ll wait out the recession as long as we can, but if we can’t survive anymore, we’ll have to pack it in and close up.”

Gallery owner Catherine Edelman has also seen business decline at the gallery she opened in 1987. To combat this, she’s tried several different strategies, though having a sale is not one of them.

“I’ve traveled a little bit more lately, trying to get my face in front of some potential buyers,” said Edelman, who owns Edelman Gallery at 300 W. Superior St. “Lowering prices though sends the wrong message to both the artists and the collectors who have supported them for all of these years.”

Both Schneider and Meg Sheehy, co-owner of the Zg Gallery at 300 W. Superior St., agree that while the economy is making it a rough time to sell art that costs thousands of dollars, it is helpful to be in a neighborhood where there are so many galleries.

“People come here because it’s a gallery area. It’s strength in numbers, and it works because everybody has different taste in art,” said Schneider.

“Art galleries have always felt that forming districts and clumping together has been a good thing,” Sheehy added. “We don’t feel the competition is necessarily bad, because each gallery is selling different pieces of art. If the people and the galleries didn’t like it, they wouldn’t do it.”

D. Pierre McClenaghan is an art appraiser and consultant who has been advising gallery owners and customers for more than 15 years. He said that it isn’t a surprise to see galleries taking a hit during the recession, because typically luxury items are the first things cut from customers’ budgets when wallets get thin.

“Galleries depend on people with cash in their hands, and right now, there’s less and less of those people,” said McClenaghan “Nobody is going to be buying any art if they have to use that money to pay for their mortgage.”

River North is far from the only art area that’s been affected by the recession. The Contemporary Art Fair of London was cancelled in April, as was Las Vegas’ Summerlin Art Festival. Edelman said based on the current markets, these downfalls aren’t a surprise. Still, there’s only one thing a gallery owner can do.

“I don’t believe I can control the economy, but I do believe in what I do. I’ll be patient, because the economy always goes in cycles,” she said. “Plus, even in the good times, selling art is really tough.”

 The 80-year-old singer was admitted to the hospital about two weeks ago to correct gastrointestinal bleeding.

She is survived by her husband, daughter and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Funeral arrangements are pending.

Feb. 26, 2009 – Today, most people under the age of 30 have been introduced to computer tools that let you paint, manipulate, and create images. For most grade schoolers this is part of art, as well as media literacy. There are plenty of free paint-style programs, even some that come with whatever computer operating system you work with. Photo manipulation is pretty commonplace as well, through iPhoto (Mac) or picasa.com (PC), or Flickr.com which is integrated with picnik.com.

Up to now, it has been difficult to find free vector-based drawing software. This is what designers use to create logos and advertising images. Aviary is rolling out a beta version of Raven, a free online vector design program. To be an artist, e.g. a painter, you probably need some artistic skill and training. Vector art is for those who have an eye for space, color, and shape, but can't draw on their own. There is lots of tracing involved, and use geometry (don't worry, it is performed by the computer) to shape, shadow and create an image design. Vector graphics don't degrade when you try and make them larger. You might have seen how a computer picture looks fuzzy when you blow it up. If you make it a vector graphic, you can scale it up or down without any loss of quality. This is very helpful if you have a logo you need to use on business cards, stationary, and posters.

"Huh?" you say, so what?

This kind of program is great for designing logos for your MySpace page, or your own Etsy logo. And what about T-shirts? While there are lots of places where you choose an image and get a shirt with the image imprinted on it. With Raven, you can try your hand at creating your own T-shirt art. Good for fashion uniqueness, as well as a possible income source, if you have a talent for this kind of design.

A word of warning. Vector programs are not as intuitive and easy to master out of the box, as painting and image manipulation programs are. However, you can achieve great precision and do awesome things with text if you master the basics. Whether you want to be an anime artists, fabric design artiste, or just fool around for an hour or two, Raven, might be an interesting diversion.

About vector drawing, including the basics:

http://www.lazymask.com/vector-tutorial.html

Learn what "bezier curves" are and how to use them to bring your vision to the screen

Categories:
Art & Entertainment At Play DIY Money Matters New Story Public

February 10, 2009 – Tech Cocktail is one regular technology-social networking event. Now Risque Café , 3419 N Clark Chicago, IL 60657,  is announcing another — a brand new Burlesque Industry Night every Tuesday!

Enjoy 2-for-1 well drinks and mingle with the hottest stars of Chicago burlesque.  We’ll be playing classic burlesque performances on the TV screens and hosting special performances from some of Chicago’s favorite burlesque performers. Also, you can look forward to Burlesque Trivia and other fun games to test your true dedication to the industry!

Journalism majors, once a non-technology kind of major, find themselves at the heart, or at least on the same path as Tech entrepreneurs, mobile technology mavens, indy filmmakers, and computer programmers. Even if you will never program a single line of CSS code, ask yourself, "Who are you going to work for?" and who will your partners at work be? You can be pretty sure, some of them will be "tech heads."

Most young journalists will be start as freelancers, at least part-time. If you focus on the faces, not the burlesque, industry night can be a way to network and find future collaborators, get your name out in a world where "Content is King," and locate interesting internships or job openings. Of course, for this event, you will have to 21.
 
DAILY SPECIALS at Risque Café (near Wrigley Field)
SUNDAY – BBQ Buffet ALL DAY $9, $2 Point Draft, $5 Smokin Mary Lou (Buffalo Trace)
MONDAY – Country Fried Steak $9, All You Can Eat Wings $6, $2.50 312 Drafts
TUESDAY – Country Fried Chicken, Fried Chicken Dinner $8, 5 for $5 BBQ Sliders, 2-for-1 Well Drinks
WEDNESDAY – Bottomless Bowl of Chicago's Best Mac ‘n' Cheese $6, $2 PBR Tall Boys
THURSDAY – 1/2 Off All Appetizers, $2 Bud Light Bottles
FRIDAY – $6 Basket of Ribs, $2 Hamm's Can
SATURDAY – $5Turkey Leg, $2 Stroh's Can

Contact:
Christopher Peckat
Risque Cafe
Phone: 773.525.5511
[email protected]
 

Categories:
Art & Entertainment At Play Business New Story Public Techology

Dec. 16, 2008 – Baseball season may be nearly four months away, but Wrigleyville rooftop owners are among the Lakeview businesses looking to cash in on the first hockey game ever played at Wrigley Field.

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) last week paved the way for rooftop owners by introducing an ordinance that would allow fans to view the game from the rooftops on Waveland and Sheffield avenues overlooking the ballpark.

The New Year's Day game will feature the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Detroit Red Wings in a rare outdoor event the National Hockey League calls the "Winter Classic."

Calling it a "historic game" and "a real spectacle," Larissa Tyler, executive director of the Central Lakeview Merchants Association, said businesses hope for a rare January infusion of cash into the neighborhood.

"Winter is usually a bit of a lull," Tyler said. "It's going to be very — extremely — positive for the neighborhood, especially for businesses on the north side of Clark Street."

In what she calls a "lowball" estimate, Tyler said each attendee in the sold-out ballpark, which holds 41,160 fans, is projected to spend at least $30 in the neighborhood, which would include parking, food, drinks, and any souvenirs and shopping.

That would mean the neighborhood could rake in more than $1.2 million in sales in one day, and that estimate is based just on the projected spending of fans inside Wrigley Field, not including fans on rooftops and in neighborhood bars.

Although the full City Council needs to vote on the proposal that won unanimous support Dec. 10 from the Committee on License and Consumer Protection, rooftop owners have already been cashing in, as rooftop ticket sales began even before the 15 "official rooftop partner" buildings had permission to commercially operate Jan. 1.

"Ticket sales are going very well," said Patricia Purcell, director of rooftops for Beyond the Ivy, which takes care of sales for the buildings located at 1010, 1038 and 1048 W. Waveland Ave.

Purcell said the three buildings hold a total of 400 fans. Tickets on those buildings are selling for $400 apiece.

Sales are also brisk at 3639 Wrigley Rooftop, according to Steve Alexander, the building's director of events, who says he's been getting calls from many out-of-town hockey fans.

"Being a big hockey guy, getting calls from Boston or New York or any of the original six [hockey franchises in the National Hockey League], that's pretty cool," Alexander said.

Both Alexander and Purcell said they have received many calls from Canadian fans hoping to view the outdoor game at the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

Alexander said 3639 Wrigley Rooftop is charging $275 per ticket. Fans can view the game from a heated, tented area; an indoor club; or on top of the building in the elements "depending on their tolerance."

While the game is officially sold out, tickets inside the ballpark are also available through a variety of ticket services and brokers.

Fan-to-fan ticket service StubHub, with a pick-up office just north of Wrigley Field, has tickets ranging from $225 to $10,000 as of Monday.

Wrigley Field, built in 1914, hosts 81 regular season baseball games a year. Although the ballpark was also home to the Chicago Bears football team from 1921 to 1970, New Year's Day will mark the stadium's debut as a hockey venue.

The Chicago Blackhawks, averaging 21,475 fans per game at the United Center, will nearly double their average attendance at the Winter Classic.

Tunney's proposed exception to the Wrigley Field Adjacent Area Ordinance re-defines "game days" to include the hockey game on New Year's Day. Tunney said the ordinance exception was required due to agreements worked out between the City Council and the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field dating back to the installation of lights in the neighborhood ballpark in 1988.

Neighborhood issues, such as parking regulations, clean-up efforts and traffic control, are major concerns for the neighborhood, which Tunney said "is not interested in 365 days of activity."

"These are negotiated agreements that require community involvement," Tunney said. 

Categories:
At Play Business Civic Associations & Community Groups Editor’s Choice Local Politics North Side Politics Public Sports
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44th ward alderman tom tunney blackhawks hockey winter classic wrigley field

Chicagotalks has featured links to the Chicago Bicycle Federation for some time. Bicycling is an important segment of the transportation "industry" in Chicago. The Federation has been working for the interests of bicyclists for 25 years, and had gradually expanded its consciousness, and is working on the rest of us, to lobby for the interests of all of us who try and use "active transit," whether that is biking, walking, or public transportation. The reality is, if you bike, walk, or take public transit, you probably combine a couple of these methods to actually get around Chicago. To reflect this shift in focus, the Chicago Bicycle Federation is now the Active Transportation Alliance , with a mission that is hard to argue with these days:

The mission of Active Transportation Alliance is to make bicycling, walking and public transit so safe, convenient and fun that we will achieve a significant shift from environmentally harmful, sedentary travel to clean, active travel. We advocate for transportation that encourages and promotes safety, physical activity, health, recreation, social interaction, equity, environmental stewardship and resource conservation.

From supporting community efforts to encourage school kids to bike to school instead of being driven, including mapping safe routes and publicizing these programs, to working with the Mayor's office on bicycling issues, to raising awareness about threats to cyclist safety, the group helps us as Chicagoans who want to move around thoughtfully and without always relying on vehicles powered by fossil fuels.

Features like frequent updates on trail conditions, seminars on "How to Ride in the Winter," and the annual Bike Bash party make this a useful site to link to.

The calendar of activities lists group rides, meetings, and other activities. And if you are looking for inexpensive, meaningful presents this holiday season, you can make a donation that will be matched by an anonymous donor. Whether you give for yourself, or for a friend or loved one, this would be a non-commercial gift suggestion , because it is tax-deductible and, if you give before January 15, 2009, an anonymous donor will match $25 contributions.

Safe riding and walking. See you on the bike trails.

Categories:
At Play Bicycling City Life New Story Social Issues Transportation

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."

Categories:
At Play Civic Associations & Community Groups Eco & Environment Editor’s Choice Local Politics Parks & Public Land Planning & Development Politics Public
Tags:
alderman rey colon garden logan square logan square neighborhood association seniors

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. 31, 2008 -

Story by Michael Pasternak

Batman. Sponge Bob. Obama.

With the presidential election just days away, some of Chicago’s most popular Halloween costumes are political figures.

At Chicago Costume Superstore in Lincoln Park, the usual superhero and monster outfits are available, but customers can also find costumes of those whose only superpower is running for office.

“A lot of people want to be Sarah Palin,” said employee Erica Hohn. “We don’t have a mask, but we have glasses and a wig.”

At Ragstock in Lakeview, the first thing customers see when they enter the costume store is a picture of Palin advertising her now famous glasses.

Lakeview resident Natalie Sullivan decided she would be going as Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee.

“I’m going to be Sarah Palin for Halloween because, like every other little girl in America, I want to be a hot Alaskan governor ,” said Sullivan, 27, who went as a lobster last Halloween. “It’s fun when politicians turn into pop culture icons and when I kind of look like them.”

Although the Palin costume is expected to be popular, it is just one of many different political options available.

Online, there are masks for presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain, Bill and Hillary Clinton, President George W. Bush, Al Gore and several former presidents.

The Chicago Tribune’s HeadCandy blog offers downloadable masks of all four presidential and vice presidential nominees that have received almost 100,000 hits.

Noelle Schmitt will host a Halloween party in Lincoln Square where she expects several of her guests to get in the political spirit.

“From what I’ve heard there will be quite a few political costumes,” said Schmitt, 29. “It’s on everybody’s mind, so I imagine it would be an obvious choice for most.”

While Schmitt says she has a friend going to her party as the late NBC Meet the Press anchor Tim Russert and another possibly going as conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, her own costume is also politically motivated.

“This Halloween season I have chosen to go as Zombie Ann Coulter, because I believe that nothing is more frightening than Ann Coulter, and the zombie aspect shows off my belief that she is dead inside,” said Schmitt, who went as a hippie vampire last Halloween. Coulter writes conservative books with titles such as, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They’d Be Republicans.

Even those whose political views won’t be worn on their sleeves Oct. 31 and expect to wear traditional costumes that night likely know someone dressing as a politician.

“My friend is going as Sarah Palin and I think her husband is going as Joe Six-Pack,” said Andersonville’s Jay Steigmann, 32. “I think I’m going to be Dolly Parton.”

Joe Six-Pack, along with Joe the Plumber and Hockey Mom, are just a few more topical political references expected to be out trick-or-treating this year.

Back at Chicago Costume Superstore, customers can transform into the “mavericks” McCain and Palin, or just rent a flight jumpsuit and become Maverick from the movie Top Gun.

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Story by Michael Acker

Sept. 25, 2008 – It could be a whole new ball game for city youth if the Chicago City Council bans the use of metal baseball bats.

The City Council introduced an ordinance earlier this month that would prohibit organized baseball leagues in the city and the school district from using non-wooden bats.

Alderman Robert Fioretti (2nd) described this as a preventative measure to avoid injuries that have occurred to children throughout the country.

Christina Russo, of Barrington, voiced support for the ban at a press conference before the last full council meeting. She said her son, Tony, now 15, was struck by a baseball hit with a non-wooden bat on April 21, 2007, resulting in a fractured orbital lobe, a broken nose and torn sinuses.

“I do not want to see something like this happen to another child,” Russo said.

Tony has undergone plastic surgery due to the injury, Russo said.  She also said that wooden bats would reduce the risk of such injuries, since they are not engineered to result in faster hits.

The proposed ban faces firm opposition from at least one major sporting goods manufacturer.

Jim Darby, vice-president of corporate affairs at Easton Sports, said that the sporting goods manufacturer is a member of the Don’t Take My Bat Away Coalition. The coalition is a network of parents, coaches and various governing bodies of baseball that oppose efforts to ban the use of aluminum and composite bats in amateur leagues.

“Our whole feeling on this is that people should have a choice,” Darby said.

Darby disagrees with claims that a baseball player can hit a baseball with a metal bat about 30 mph faster than with a wooden bat.

While Darby did not disclose sales figures comparing the sale of metal to wooden bats, he said that they do not sell as many wooden bats as they sell metal bats.

“We sell more no-wood bats than wood bats,” Darby said. “It’s an integral part of our business.”

Preston Maki, sales lead at the Sports Authority store on Clark Street in Chicago, said metal bats now have greater flexibility, resulting in hits that give infielders less time to react. While metal bats are generally more expensive than wooden bats, they are more durable and therefore do not need to be replaced as often, he said.

Maki said that the store does not sell high-end wooden bats that professional ballplayers use, since the maple or ash material breaks and has struck players and spectators. The basic wooden bat is safest for players and fans, he said.

James S. Oddo, a New York City councilman agrees that the wooden bat is safer for children to use than metal bats, and he supports Chicago’s effort to prohibit the use of the metal bat. He added that the New York City Council approved its ban despite several obstacles.

“No child in Chicago should be killed just to give Easton a profit,” Oddo said.

Darby cited a study commissioned by the Illinois High School Association that concluded ballplayers are not at greater risk of injury if they use alloy bats instead of wooden bats. He also said that insurance companies would not cover leagues if the metal bat were a safety concern.

Darby said that government intervention in this matter is not necessary, since there is no empirical evidence to support the argument that metal bats are more dangerous than wooden bats. He noted that manufacturers like Easton make bats that adhere to regulations that are set by various leagues, such as the NCAA, the Illinois High School Association and Little League Baseball, Inc.

“If there was a safety issue, they are the first to contact,” Darby said. “We make bats to the rules we are given.”

Nick Orlchula and Elisa Tavares Bell contributed to this report.

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September 12, 2008

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Art & Entertainment At Play North Side Public
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David Byrne and Brian Eno haven't collaborated since My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and if it took 27 years, the new music seems worth it. They are using a new distribution method, too. You can listen to all the songs, streaming, whenever you want, or download one song for free. Oh, and you can buy the album, too. The music is smooth and the lyrics will catch you listening. The embeddable media player is brilliant.

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Art & Entertainment At Play Business Public

Post your videos and pictures by joining the site (see the sidebar on the right.) Then choose the "Add Something" tab or go to the Bicycling Tab and create a new page. You can embed video with the "Insert Media" button. Enter a title, choose some categories for your post, and don't forget to "Save."

It is easy and we will link the media back to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation so your friends will see, too.

If you need help posting your video or story, contact Barbara.

Some visual help, if you need it:

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At Play Bicycling City Life Public Sports Transportation

What is the Printers' Ball ? Officially, it's described as, "…an annual celebration of print literature in Chicago…[it] showcases a diverse selection of print publications, available free of charge, including magazines, journals, weeklies, posters, and broadsides, plus a full night of live entertainment."

What you'll find if you attend is an armful of free reading, chances to meet local authors, poets, and publishers, a couple of interactive DIY exhibits like a poetry machine and a screen printing demo. The crowd is as diverse as the literary offerings, old and young, musical and those tied to words, the audiophiles and those who prefer tactile text.

There are DJs and live music, readings, and usually a lively crowd of Chicago's indy literary scene. Last year's event at the Zhou Brothers Center on 35th Street was a blow out. This year, there are more than 100 contributors represented, each with a booth and giving out free copies of their 'zines, books, and other publications.

The music will be non-stop, brought to you by Pure Magical Love and Stagecoach (members from Mahjongg) presented by Proximity Magazine and DJs Logan Bay, Dustin Drase, and Greg Gaffud presented by CHIRP, Lumpen, and Venus Zine.

Last year, there were bars and complimentary hot-dogs and promotions by a couple of liquor vendors. In addition to browsing the refreshments and all of the free literature, the planned events include: Killing Him: A Radio Play by Yehuda Amichai, considered by many to be the greatest modern Israeli poet, who writes in colloquial Hebrew, presented by Poetry, Dollar Store Reading with Usama Alshaibi, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Jonathan Messinger, and Julie Shapiro, a screen-printing demonstration by Mat Daly , the Librarians' Boudoir, a viewing library of limited run publications, and the Gnoetry poetry machine

Here is a list of all the various contributors who will be represented:

ACM (Another Chicago Magazine)·After Hours Press·ALARM Magazine·Anti Gravity Surprise·AREA Chicago·Publications Department of the Art Institute of Chicago·Bailliwik·Beard of Bees Press·Black Lodge Press·Black Swan Press·Bleached Whale Design·Busy Beaver Button Company·Canarium Books·Charles H. Kerr Company·Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs' Literary Arts and Events·The Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP)·Chicago Innerview·Chicago Quarterly Review·Chicago Reader·Chicago Review·Chicago Underground Library·Chicagoland Tails·ChicagoPoetry.com Press·Columbia Poetry Review·contratiempo·Court Green·Cracked Slab Books·Dalkey Archive Press·Mat Daly·Delicious Design League·Dexterity Press·The Dollar Store·featherproof books·Flood Editions·Free Lunch·Fresh Squeezed Poetry · Front Forty Press·ghost factory magazine·Gnoetry·Golden Age·The Green Lantern·The Guild Complex·The Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing at Chicago State University·Haymarket Books· Highest Hurdle Press ·Hotel Amerika·Hourglass Books·International Socialist Review·JAB (The Journal of Artists' Books)·JOT (Journal of Ordinary Thought)·The Journal·Kenning Editions·Lake Claremont Press·Literago·Little Bang·Love, Chicago·Lumpen·LVNG·MAKE: A Chicago Literary Magazine·Mildred Pierce Zine·Milk Magazine·MoonLit·Mule Magazine·Museum of Contemporary Art·Neighborhood Writing Alliance·Newcity·Ninth Letter·Northwestern's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Journal·Northwestern University M.A. and M.F.A. in Creative Writing Program·Other Voices, Inc.·THE PLATYPUS REVIEW·Please Don't·Poetry·The Poetry Center of Chicago·The Poetry Foundation·Polyphony HS·Proximity Magazine·The Puddin'head Press·Quimby's Bookstore· Ragamuffin Press ·Red Rover Series·Residents' Journal·Rhino/The Poetry Forum·Roctober Magazine·Rose Metal Press·Rubba Ducky·Sara Ranchouse Publishing·Screwball Press·Select·SevenTen Bishop·Shimer College, The Great Books College of Chicago·The Skeleton News·Small Happy·The Small Science Collective·Socialist Worker Newspaper·STITCH Magazine·STOP SMILING·Switchback Books·terry plumming·THE2NDHAND·Third World Press·Time Out Chicago·TriQuarterly·Twilight Tales·University of Chicago Library·UNSCENE·Venus Zine·VERBATIM·Virtual Artists Collective·La Voz del Paseo Boricua·Wednesday Journal, Inc./Chicago Journal·What to Wear During an Orange Alert/Orange Alert Press·Windy City Story Slam·We The People Media·Windy City Media Group, Windy City Times·Writer's Studio·The Writers WorkSpace·Wurlington Press·You Are Beautiful

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The Visitor’s Center offers artifacts to view and mementos for sale. The Florence Hotel with its spacious verandah provides an elegant physical and emotional centerpiece to the area. Although the factory is partially gone, the dramatic Clock Tower remains and industrial artifacts from the vanished steel industry are on display.  The Hotel and factory property belong now to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and can be toured by appointment The partly-restored factory/Clocktower building tours begin at 2:00 p.m. at 11035 S. Cottage Grove Ave (111th St) on Labor Day, 2008.

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by J. Dugan

You’re Invited to the 2008 Annual Dinner Uptown Past, Present & Future
Celebrating the 85th Anniversary of Business Partners, The Chamber for Uptown

Thursday, September 11, 2008
5:30 pm-8:30 pm

At the gorgeous Saddle & Cycle Club
900 W. Foster Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640

Dinner, Cocktails, Silent Auction
Tickets $100     Table of 10 $1000

Reservation Deadline: September 1, 2008
Vegetarian Option Available – Request with reservation

If you wish to reserve a place:
(Make checks payable to Uptown United. Visa/MC also accepted)

PHONE: Call 773-878-1064 and have your credit card information ready.

MAIL: Download pdf Ticket Order Form and mail check or credit card info to Uptown United, 4753 N. Broadway St. Suite 822 Chicago IL 60640

FAX: Download pdf Ticket Order Form and fax credit card info to Uptown United 773-878-3678.

PAYPAL: Order securely online with your credit card or bank account by clicking BUY NOW button below. Make sure to include your company name and phone number when you place your order.

Reservation must be prepaid and will be held at the door.
Contributions are tax deductable to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Sponsorship Packages Available
Contact Uptown United, 773-878-1064,

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At Play Civic Associations & Community Groups North Side Public

You can type your story into Near-time directly. Now what if I wanted to add an image?

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What is Second Bedroom Project Space?

Story by Amy Rudberg

June 17, 2008 – Second Bedroom is a spare bedroom that Chris Smith has in his Morgan Street apartment in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. Smith and Irene Perez turned it into a project space for artists.

Before they decided to start the project, the bedroom was a storage space for Smith’s excess junk. The idea was triggered while they cleaned and edited the contents of the space. That’s when they realized the room could function as anything they wanted.

They decided to turn the private space into something for the public or in their case, since they are both art students, a space for their community, although they hope it transcends their immediate network of artist friends and acquaintances.

“We are not a commercial gallery, not even a gallery. We like to use the term project space,” said Perez. Their goal is to offer a space where artists can come and be inspired by the place and its surroundings and combine that with their own interests and practice to develop specific projects, create new work or expand their own creations.

It is also a place where they hope a dialogue about art making will come into play. They would like to help emerging artists produce work, which will serve as a catalyst for generating ideas and a forum to get feedback and create exposure.

Since it is not a commercial space, they can only offer artists a space to work as well as promotion of their work through e-mail, blog postings, Facebook and MySpace.

As an artist-run space, the emphasis is on the work and not the commercialism.

Is the space just for visual art?

The space is oriented to give an opportunity to emerging artists that want to use the space to develop, explore ideas and create new works.

In that sense, Second Bedroom is dedicated but not limited to installation art. However, they are open to all kinds of proposals such as readings and other events that can happen at the same time exhibitions are up.

They would like projects that stem from fields other than art, for example, projects with writers, scientists, or anthropologists, but realistically they are not as invested in those fields in terms of community.

If a project like this were to manifest, a considerable degree of artistic merit would seem essential. Keep in mind though that these activities would happen in an apartment where somebody lives, but it is within these parameters that they feel will assist or foster exciting works.

Is the space a temporary or permanent location?

The location is permanent, at least for the time Smith lives in the apartment. They are trying out this project during the summer with the hope they can make it work and enough interest to extend its life.
Do you have a listing of exhibitions?

So far they have the first show scheduled, an installation by Adam Farcus from June 21 to July 20. A blog exists where future events will be posted.

They have a couple of other artists who have expressed interest in working with them, and the goal is to have three shows this summer.

They are always accepting proposals, so anybody who thinks they might be interested in working with them can send an e-mail.

Irene Pérez is the Assistant Director of OSG (Orleans Street Gallery) and is currently working on putting together OSG’s 5th anniversary show. She will be showing two of her pieces at Art on Armitage window gallery from July 1 to July 31. The owner of Art on Armitage, Mary Ellen Croteau, asked her to create these pieces, which are an exploration and a comment on patriotism in the US. While Irene works mainly with fiber, she is a sculptor and not a fiber artist. Materials are very important to her because they relate conceptually to the works. There is also an element of installation in most of her works and an intent to engage the viewer physically and intellectually. Most of her work deals with concepts such a space, memory, and cultural identity.

Chris Smith is an art student at UIC.

Second Bedroom Project Space is located on 3216 Morgan Street, Apt. 4R Chicago, Ill. It’s open on Saturdays, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.

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Story by Ashley Izbicki

Submitted on Fri, 06/06/2008 – 04:56.

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Story by Michael Pasternak

Submitted by Visitor on Tue, 03/25/2008 – 02:08.

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Submitted by Visitor on Fri, 03/14/2008 – 01:34.

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