Stubborn Smith

04/18/2012

So apparently, State Rep. Derrick Smith isn’t going anywhere until he’s forced to. An attorney for the Near West and Near North Side politician told the Chicago Sun-Times this week that Smith has no intent of resigning from his seat, despite pressure from Democratic leaders to get the heck out.
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Voters support Rahm for now

04/18/2012

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has support of at least 57 percent of residents as of the latest poll by the University of Illinois at Chicago. Most citizens are also satisfied with city services, including the police department despite the rise in the murder rate. They are, unsurprisingly, dissatisfied with the public schools and support the proposed longer school day as a possible remedy.
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Give Chinatown their library

04/11/2012

It seems like a slam dunk: Chinatown, the busiest neighborhood library branch in the city, is crammed in to a tiny storefront space on South Wentworth, and locals want to expand it.
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An artful use

04/11/2012

We’re excited to see another high school moving to the Near West Side. The Chicago High School for the Arts seems to be a great program, but simply a bad fit for its current location.

Folks in Bronzeville are unhappy that the school has taken over two of its local elementary school buildings, and folks going to ChiArts — which pulls its students from around the city — have voiced concerns about Bronzeville’s crime.
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Give Harpo back to Chicago

Letter to the editor

04/04/2012

Now that the Rosie Show is cancelled, the big question is what will happen to the Harpo facilities? Recently, West Loop realtor Scott Maesel suggested [Crain’s, March 7, 2012] that the studio, because of its size, would likely be sold to a grocery store or a health club. Since the upscale grocer Mariano’s is coming to the Gateway Project at Halsted and Madison and a Dominick’s is already at Halsted and Washington, it is unlikely that another large grocer would be interested in moving into the Harpo studios. Certainly a health club is possible, though we already have the West Loop Athletic Club a block away and from my perspective it never seems overly crowded.
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Building a better school day

Letter to the editor

04/04/2012

As CPS plans to implement the longer school day initiative (in the middle of tense negotiations with CTU and other unions for new contracts) it appears they will only lengthen the school day without an education plan. A better school day strategy must be developed and contain the following guiding principles:
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Prairie Block hope

04/04/2012

We got a lot of insight from one of the key property owners controlling Motor Row this week, for a piece on where development is going in the area. The plan seems astounding, and if it’s pulled off, it’ll be a game changer not just for the South Loop or McCormick Place, but for the city as a whole. The potential for new revenue to the city and the addition of another marquee entertainment district would be an incredible boon for everyone.
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Don’t sweat Nobel

04/04/2012

We’re a bit surprised that the summit of Nobel Peace Laureates isn’t getting much attention. We’re as much to blame about that as anybody, we suppose, having waited until the actual month of the event to put anything about it in the paper.
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'L' of a controversy in the South Loop

03/28/2012

Since when did proximity to ‘L’ stations become the latest civil right? All everyone is talking about in the South Loop these days is the new proposed and soon to be begun new Green Line stop at Cermak, just east of State. Everyone has an opinion. And even if you don’t care if the stop goes there or not because, perhaps, you already have a stop (or stops) in your life like I do at Roosevelt and State — or you don’t mind walking a few blocks in one direction or another to the nearest stop — you are bound to offend and alienate one neighbor or another if you weigh in.
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Cermak Green Line station makes sense

03/28/2012

We’re satisfied with the CTA Cermak Station’s location. Though we know it’s not as popular with the neighbors, it just makes more sense logistically than a station at 18th Street.
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