Grades for city, sunshine on the aldermen
Voters need a reliable scorecard to grade the performance of city government and a way to track the mayor and the aldermen.
05/19/2010
Less than a year from now, Chicagoans will decide whether or not to re-elect Mayor Richard M. Daley - assuming he throws his hat back in the ring one more time - and the incumbent aldermen who take another shot at city council.
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West Loop T-shirts Threadless could sell
There is plenty of material for new Threadless T-shirt designs to be found in the West Loop
05/12/2010
Although some West Loopers were sad to see the condo development proposed for 1260 W. Madison go defunct, I don’t think we need more empty condos in our economically challenged midst. And so I was terribly excited hear that the T-shirt company Threadless wants take over the 1260 parcel.
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South Loop grab bag
Apparently, dirt bikes ride on the dirt faster and faster until they levitate.
04/28/2010
I was proud to be a South Looper last week. There was a little of everything in the area – civics, passion and community spirit. Here’s the run-down on some of the wonderful things that happened recently south of Congress, north of Cermak and between the lake and the river.
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How to make democracy bloom
Participatory government works well, but it only lasts when it is enshrined in law.
04/21/2010
Democracy is like a weed - when it's wiped out in one place, it pops up years later somewhere else. The latest experiment in local democracy is under way in the 49th Ward.
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What to name Park 542
Envisioning this area as a park, open to the neighborhood, completes the circle.
04/07/2010
A South Loop mini-library
As Americans fall further and further behind in reading, the public library becomes of greater importance
03/31/2010
While on North Michigan Avenue recently, I looked up to see "Chicago Public Library" posted outside of the Water Tower Water Works building. As my bibliophile heart quivered - and with my public library card in my pocket beside my CTA card - I entered.
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Just like a handywoman
03/24/2010
I wish I had a nickel for every South Looper who asks me every week to recommend a handyman. "My handyman retired," they lament. "I need someone now!"
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Fighting for UIC
We want the State of Illinois to pay the $500 million that it owes us. And make higher education a higher priority.
03/17/2010
Last week, two hundred of us from the University of Illinois-Chicago - faculty, staff, and students - went downtown to save our school.
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The principalities of the West Loop
When I am asked where I live, the answer varies because our area goes by so many different names.
03/10/2010
When my mom tells people where I live, she says Greektown. “Anybody who has been to Chicago knows where Greektown is,” she says. The area’s rich history and the fond memory of her post-prom at one of Halsted Street’s Greek restaurants probably have her imagining my lazy Sundays including trips to the Athenian Bakery for a box of melomakarona. It is also easier than telling her friends I live in the neighborhood formerly known as Chicago’s Skid Row.
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Staying vigilant on schools
One View
03/03/2010
The 3rd Ward was hit disproportionately hard this year with actions that would have impacted five schools, with a combined attendance of more than 1800 students.
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