ChiTown Daily News Writer Responds to Criticism

ALSO SEE: Bizarre Email From Chi-Town Daily News Editor I posted a criticism, this morning, of the way in which ChiTown Daily News has covered the city's health code violations-related closing of the Heartland Cafe, 7000 N. Glenwood in Rogers Park on March 13. One of the major points of my post is that their original story from March 13 has gone missing. As of 1:30 this afternoon, only the headline appears. The writer of all three articles about the closing, Alex Parker, responded by email. I present that to you; my response follows his. Saturday, March 21, 2009 10:18 AM From: "Alex Parker" To: Chicago News Bench Tom, Our coverage of the Heartland Cafe incident is complete and has not disappeared from the Daily News site. The first story is here: http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Rogers_Park_cafe_closed_after_critical_health_code_violations_found,23735 The second, which includes mention of the 311 call, is here: http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Heartland_owners_hope_to_open_later_this_week,23849 Our list of donors is here: http://www.chitowndailynews.org/about/supporters Next time you question my integrity, please try to be a little more accurate. Alex Parker My response to Alex Parker: Yes, Mr. Parker, your story has disappeared from ChiTown Daily's website. It's still not there, as of 1:30 this afternoon. I have not said that you deleted it. Perhaps it was a weird mistake by your web master. Perhaps an editor deleted the text. In any case, the link you provided (which is the same link I provided in my post this morning), brings up the headline but not the story text. Your coverage is not "complete." Who is the woman who became sick? There is no mention of the fact that the ice machine was leased or the name of the company it was leased from, the "fired" exterminator is not named, no mention of the fact that rodents easily chew through caulk, and no mention of whether or not required building permits for replacing the floors and possibly other work done were prominently displayed. You do not mention the multiple health code violations that the Heartland Cafe has incurred over the past seven years. You do not mention their multiple liquor license violations either. You are correct, however, that I erred in saying that there was no mention of the poisoned woman who called 311. I have corrected that in my original post. As for your donors, I stand by that information. Next time you defend your integrity, please try to be a little more accurate. RELATED: Heartland Cafe search on Chicago News Bench Where is Heartland Cafe's Building Permit? The Audacity of Heartland Cafe's Arrogance SDS and the Heartland Cafe Owners Heartland Cafe's Inconvenient Truths Analysis: Systemic Filth at Heartland Cafe, Rogers Park Heartland Cafe Blames City for Health Code Violations Comments at Yelp When Permits Are Needed (Chicago DOB) Building Permits in 49th Ward Heartland Cafe Survivor Wear Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Cool Stuff...