Fioretti told me the politicians have to make changes. "We have to use the grid," he said. To streamline. And save money. And be more effiicient. He's right. It does make sense to provide city services within big regularly shaped squares of city blocks, rather than via the pretzeley configurations of gerrymandered wards that have all manor of crazy shapes, from long and thin, to fat and wide. Think of the gas--not to mention the time--wasted when garbage trucks have to run parallel to one another on ribbons of different ward territories?

It was a compelling, albeit brief conversation we had. But he had loads of constituents to greet.

And so did I. Like Dorothy, an erstwhile senior citizen, and probably the alderman's most erstwhile volunteer. She finally explained to me how she hooked up with the alderman when he ran the first time. "He picked me up," she said wryly. "I was picketing the building of that monstrosity at Clark and Polk next to my building." (Dorothy lives in a loft in Folio Square.) The rest was history. Dorothy has been volunteering, speaking, testifying and running around for the alderman ever since. I've often said she should come and handle constituents every day for him, because her gregarious, positive personality would put any grumpy downtrodden member of the Second Ward in a good mood.

Fioretti's soiree was also visited by a variety of community gadflies (yes, I'll include myself in that list)--bloggers, business people, board members for all kinds of Second Ward groups. Donna Adams, whose cafe is just across 13th Street but was closed today, made a special trip over between a mammogram and a movie (Fast Five). Brandon Neeley who runs Overflow Coffee Bar with his wife, Amanda, a couple of blocks the other direction was there, too. We chatted about the fact that he is gaining weight eating the sweets he sells. (Actually, he explained it's the ones he doesn't sell that he eats.) I was telling him that he should introduce himself to a few specific business people in the Prairie Avenue area who could steer some coffee, sweets and sandwich eaters his way--and thus help him retain a healthy weight.

Which reminds me: Fioretti served food at his open house. There were cupcakes. And pierogis and pizza from Flo & Santos--a restaurant a half block east of the ward office that specializes in Polish and Italian food in an old-fashioned family restaurant setting with sports on the TV. It's owned by the same restauranteur who owns Wabash Tap, Zapatista, The Chicago Firehouse and the late Grace O'Malley's. Not to mention Rhapsody, next to the Symphony--and Park Grill in Millenium Park, which is for sale.

Getting back to the pizza--there was one with chicken, roasted red peppers, artichokes, black olives and giardiniera which was called "Rahm Pizza." But the servers didn't know why the chef called it that. I ate a piece and it served to remind me that the city was changing. I hope the cop car is still parked a block and a half east, and a tad south of where I am standing because I hate change, I thought. If ex-Mayor Daley stays in his house in the 1400 block of South Indiana, and the cop car does, too, I'll be happy. It'll be like old times.

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By judy marcus from Palatine
Posted: 05/18/2011 9:26 AM

I miss having an alderman. But I'm waiting to see if how our new mayor, Dave Schwantz, the former Chicago Bear, will do.