Alderman Smith Won't Run Again in 48th Ward Chicago

So long to Ald. Mary Ann Smith. She won't run in the February, 2011 Chicago aldermanic election. Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th) acknowledged Thursday that she would not seek re-election, reported the Chicago Sun-Times on Aug. 5, 2010. Smith, chairman of the Parks and Recreation Committee, is the second longest-serving woman on the City Council. She was elected in 1989, the same year Mayor Daley took office, and has “never lost a precinct.” But, Smith said Thursday that “after 21 years of trying to be all things to all people,” the current term would be her last. Update, August 6: Ald. Smith sent this email to 48th Ward constituents: Dear Friends, It is with mixed emotions that I have decided not to run for re-election in February. My 20 years as Alderman of the 48th Ward have been the most productive and fulfilling of my career. I am so proud of what we have accomplished together to improve the quality of life in our community. Despite the continuing challenges, our streets are safer, our schools are better, our housing has improved and our businesses are strong. But I believe it is time I move to a new phase in my life. I want to focus my energy on environmental issues, especially climate change and the health of the Great Lakes; mental health and nursing home reform, and animal welfare. I believe I can do this more effectively as a focused advocate for these causes. Thank you for your help and support. It has been my privilege to serve you. And I pledge to devote my full energy to working on behalf our community as your Alderman until my term expires next May. With warmest regards, Mary Ann Smith Ald. Smith is one of a handful of aldermen to whom we would extend best wishes for success, and we do. But isn't it always amusing to hear an elected official say that they are leaving their position of great influence and power so that they can be, well, influential and powerful? What is it about being a Chicago alderman that Mary Ann Smith thinks is limiting her ability to affect "environmental issues, especially climate change and the health of the Great Lakes; mental health and nursing home reform, and animal welfare?" Just asking. Now, let's continue the northward trend of incumbent aldermen deciding not to run. Recently, 46th Ward Ald. Helen Shiller of Uptown infamy announced her decision to not run again. Retiring in Edgewater is Smith in the 48th, just north of Shiller's 46th Ward. Can we pleeeeeeeease hear a similar announcement soon from the 49th Ward, just north of Edgewater, where Ald. Joe Moore has annoyed developers and imported thousands of Section 8 vote slaves into Rogers Park since 1991? Please?

After a Dry Decade, Swift School Swimming Pool to Reopen

It's been long drought for fans of swimming at a north side Chicago school, but water will once again flow in mid-November. Cool, clear water, with a dash of chlorine, should make quite a splash.

Details from the office of 48th Ward Alderman Mary Anne Smith: After being closed for more than ten years, the swimming pool at Swift School, 5900 N. Winthrop, will re-open with a dedication ceremony on Thursday, November 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Community members are welcome to come and tour the new facility. The Senn High School Color Guard will post colors, and there will be performances by the Sullivan High School Steel Band, the Swift Choir and the Swift Band. The event will take place from 5:30-7:30 PM. The pool, pool deck and locker rooms have been completely renovated and made accessible. Funding for the project came from a combination of Aldermanic discretionary funds and the Chicago Public Schools. The pool will be open to the community, but the details have not yet been finalized. "Swift is one of the few elementary schools to have a pool, and it was a shame this asset was unusable," Alderman Smith said. "We invested in this project to create a new resource for our entire community." 

More Savagery in Chicago, "Blood All Over the Street"

ANOTHER obscene act of violence in Chicago, City of Bloody Shoulders. This one happened in Edgewater, on Chicago's north side in the early hours of Monday, October 1. The 14-year old victim was beaten with a pipe. As with Derrion Albert, the 16-year old who was beaten to death last week on the south side, no firearms were involved. Another similarity: Both crimes happened in a city with very strict anti-gun laws.

Chicago Breaking News reports:

A 14-year-old boy was chased down a street in the Edgewater neighborhood this morning and hit with a pipe, fracturing his skull, according to police and witnesses.

While the boy underwent surgery at Children's Memorial Hospital, police canvassed the 6300 block of North Paulina for leads in the beating -- which came just a week after 16-year-old Derrion Albert was beaten to death on the Far South Side.

"He was covered in blood. Blood was all over the street," said the woman who called police to the scene. "It was all over his face, arms and coming down the back of his head." Full Story...

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Anonymous Middle of the Road Blogger Writes Something Meaningful

Uptown Avenger weighs in on the sad state of politics in Chicago's 46th Ward with a post titled "Alderman's Shillaz Leter to her constituentsycoents as interpreted by me." Translation: "Alderman Shiller's Letter to Her Constituents as Interpreted by Him." Read the damned thing. The too-frightened-to-use-his-real-name, middle-of-the-road nut blogger could use the hits. Cool Hats & Shirts for Cool Conservatives Leave a Comment... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Emanuel Congregation, Chicago (UPDATED)

UPDATED: Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church rabid dogs showed up at this Chicago synagogue as promised at 11: 15 a.m. today to "protest" the existence of Jewish people. PHOTOS HERE: Photos of Westboro Baptist Church Protest Chicago News Bench broke this story on July 31 (at 3:11 pm). Leave a Comment... See Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

No R.E.S.T. at the Homeless Shelter

The shelter can stay, but the R.E.S.T. of you must leave. Hot update on the continuing saga of the homeless men's shelter at Epworth United Methodist Church in Chicago's 48th Ward: In an e-mail to Edgewater residents, [Alderman Mary Ann] Smith announced that Epworth United Methodist Church has agreed to keep the shelter in the church's gym at 5253 N. Kenmore, "with changes to reflect the expressed concerns of our office, the church congregation and the community." Smith also announced that a new service provider would supervise and manage the shelter. Today, the Chicago Department of Human Services fired the Uptown group Residents for Effective Shelter Transitions as shelter manager. Full story by Lorraine Swanson, Editor, News-Star... Subscribe to Chicago News Bench

UPDATED: Homeless Shelter On Endangered List

UPDATE 11/21/2008: SEE "R.E.S.T. STOPPED: CHICAGO ALDERMEN DENY HOMELESS SHELTER" Big meeting at 48th Ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith's office on Wednesday night, October 29. The subject: The fate of a homeless shelter in Edgewater. News-Star's Lorraine Swanson was there, and she has the report. The Bench was there, too, and we've got exclusive photos of the standing room-only event (click images to enlarge them). Residents jammed into Ald. Mary Ann Smith's 48th ward service office at 5533 N. Broadway on Wednesday night to discuss the imminent closing of the neighborhood's only homeless shelter. This Saturday, the homeless shelter at Epworth United Methodist Church at Kenmore and Berwyn will close its doors after serving at that location for more than 20 years. For the past nine years, the Uptown social service organization REST-Residents for Effective Shelter Transitions-has operated the 65-bed overnight shelter for men. Within the past year, Uptown and Edgewater have lost 115 beds with the closing of two other overnight shelters. The Rev. Joe Johnson has said that Epworth can no longer afford to keep the shelter at the church. FULL STORY at News-Star...

Ald. Smith's Urgent Plea

Alderman Mary Ann Smith,48th Ward of Chicago, sent this in an email blast to her constituents. It's good advice for the 48th Ward, but can be applied to the rest of Chicago as well. A Request Regarding Homeless Shelters Dear Neighbors, As you may have heard, we have a serious situation with respect to the closing of homeless shelters in our community and would appreciate your input and suggestions on this. Last year, Breakthrough Urban Ministries moved 30 overnight shelter beds from the 5200 block of Ashland to the west side of the City. Earlier this year, the Salvation Army's Tom Seay Center in Uptown (1000 block of Sunnyside) was closed because they lacked appropriate zoning; this resulted in the loss of 95 beds. And on November 1st, the R.E.S.T. shelter on Kenmore will close because of ongoing financial and management concerns. This will eliminate another 65 beds. R.E.S.T. is the only men's shelter located in the 48th Ward. We have been assured that the City has the capacity to move people, on a daily basis, from gathering points to existing shelter beds in other communities. These facilities also provide counseling, treatment and other services that have never been provided through R.E.S.T. Some argue, however, that the homeless won't go, preferring the danger of staying outdoors in the cold to the danger of new locations. Because this can lead to increased homeless encampment in our streets, alleys and parks, and the eventual possibility of these people becoming sick or freezing to death, it becomes clear that we need to talk of a new temporary or permanent shelter location in our area. We are a ward and community that makes decisions together - trying to listen, talk, argue and then decide. We try to balance compassion and practicality. We need to do that now. If you have practical suggestions or ideas about how you can help, we would like to put them into the community conversation. We will discuss this at the next Z&P meeting, October 29th at 7:30. You can e-mail us at info@MASmith48.org or write us at Mary Ann Smith, 5533 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640. Although the time is short, we would appreciate your input by Monday, October 27. Join Team Edgewater Volunteers at the GCFD on November 6 to Earn Credit for Care for Real. Team Edgewater is organizing a group to go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) on Thursday, November 6, to benefit Care for Real. Volunteers earn $5 in credit for each hour worked. This credit is applied to the Care for Real account and used to buy food from the Depository. Volunteers are asked to pay a $5 fee to cover transportation to and from the Depository and light snacks. However, the Care for Real Governing Board members will pay the fee for willing workers who need help. For additional information and reservations, call (773) 508-1089. Sincerely, Mary Ann Smith Alderman, 48th Ward

Best of Chicago? Uptown and Edgewater

Looking for Chicago's best coffee shop? How about the best beer selection, poetry slam, or Asian grocery? Want the best pizza, thrift store or art gallery? Get to the 48th Ward on Chicago's north side, where Alderman Mary Ann Smith presides over a business climate that is quickly revitalizing itself. Kudos to Ald. Smith for her leadership and to the business leaders of Uptown and Edgewater, both of which are parts of th 48th Ward. Ald. Smith's email blast today gives more info: Being the best isn't easy, but several 48th Ward businesses have been named "The Best" in their respective categories by The Reader, Time Out Chicago, Chicago Magazine and AOL. Congratulations to these "bests," and our apologies if we missed anyone. The Reader list includes: Metropolis Coffee Shop (best coffee shop), Moody's Pub (best outdoor seating), Viet Hoa Plaza (best Asian grocery) , Hopleaf (best beer selection), Green Mill (best jazz venue and best poetry slam or open mike), In Fine Spirits (best wine bar), SoFo (best gay bar), Annoyance Theater (best place to see improv/sketch), Susan Messing (best improviser), Gethsemane Garden Center (best garden store), Greener Cleaner (best dry cleaner), Crew Bar & Grill (best place to watch a game on TV), Los Manos (best art gallery), His Stuff (best boutique for men), Brown Elephant (best thrift store), Middle East Bakery and Grocery and The Neo-Futurists (best theater company). Chicago Magazine cited: Hopleaf, Summer Restaurant, Big Jones, Andersonville Wine and Spirits, Mastern Shoe Repair, Johnny Sprockets, Tanoshii, Pastiscerria Natalina, Paul Shulman Custom Furniture, Anteprima and Green Genes. Included in AOL's Top 10 lists were: Moody's Pub (hamburger), Hopleaf (best beer), Swedish Bakery (best sweets), M. Henry (best breakfast), Tweet (best brunch), Riques Regional Mexican Food (best cheap eats). Terry's Toffee was also listed under best sweets. Although the store is out of the area, owner Terry Opalek lives in Edgewater. Time Out Chicago includes Great Lake Pizza, Anteprima and Pastiscerria Natalina among its best lists. Also, several publications have named "Living 2007", the bricolage on the north wall of Lake Shore Drive's Bryn Mawr underpass, as the best new public art work of 2007. "Growing 2008," a companion mural on the south wall of the underpass, is now being completed. Although some of the businesses mentioned above are outside the 48th Ward boundaries, we salute them as part of our community.

Ald Smith: Why I Support Children's Museum Move

The following was in July 3rd e-mail blast from 48th Ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith. Dear Neighbors, Many people have asked me why I choose to vote in favor of allowing the Chicago Children's Museum to move to Grant Park. I firmly believe I made the right decision, although I know some of you disagree. I read your e-mails, listened to your voice mails and gave careful thought to my decision. Now I want you to understand the arguments that, in the final analysis, decided my vote. I believe that spin, passion and distortion overwhelmed the discussion. I do not believe the argument was about the facts of the museum proposal or even about Grant Park itself. I believe it was about who will control the downtown parks - the City as a whole or the immediate residents. The opponents of this proposal did a tremendous job presenting their case. But that skill at manipulation cannot change the facts, even if the facts are obscured, ignored or dismissed. And those facts are the facts I acted on. Greenspace and usable public space will be lost. This is not a valid argument. The open, light-filled entrance pavilion replaces the concrete bunker-like entrance to a parking garage, and the expanded field house will add more usable public space. In the the three photos you can link to on our website, you can see the concrete that will be removed to make way for the museum. You also will see a bird's eye view of the portion of the museum that will be above ground and an aerial with a red circle showing the museum in relation to the park. Structures don't belong in Grant Park. The structure is already there. This section of Grant Park is actually a multistoried parking garage with a green roof. The bottom line here is that the museum space is replacing existing underground parking spaces. The parking structure is being remade into a multi-story children's facility with a green roof. It is not a new structure; it is a better use in a park. Use of downtown park space for a museum sets a bad precedent. The precedent already exists with latest additions to the Art Institute which also are located in Grant Park. And certainly a not-for-profit children's facility is a better use of public property than a parking garage. The complaint has been made that you have to pay to enter the Children's Museum. But you pay to go to the Art Institute, and you certainly pay to use the garages. Yet thirty percent of the visitors to the Children's Museum get in free, and the museum is committed to implementing a shuttle system that would allow disadvantaged kids to get to the museum more easily. Good uses for parks, particularly parks downtown, are those that draw us in and provide access and activities for all. This section of Grant Park was originally lake, then a dump for debris. It was filled in to accommodate railroad yards and later an enormous open air parking lot was built on the site. Because of the height elevations of the surrounding streets, having this section of Grant Park at grade (matching the height of the surrounding roadways rather than sunk below them) means that we must either have a structure below the park surface or use massive amounts of backfill. Without raising or building on this land, the park element is gone. The only real question is, "How should the space below the surface be used?" I believe a not-for-profit, first class facility that draws families into our front yard is an ideal use. Finally, putting the museum here not only connects kids to our downtown, for many it will open their eyes to a different world and a myriad of potential. It will do this in a healthy, quality environment that emphasizes the value that we place in them, enhances their relationship to our common communal space and removes their experience from the relentless commercialism that pervades so much else in their lives. Sincerely, Mary Ann Smith Alderman, 48th Ward

Edgewater Getting It Done!

They know how to do it over in Edgewater, one of Chicago's most vital neighborhoods. Unlike Rogers Park, its economically troubled neighbor immediately north, Edgewater has an alderman and private companies that readily and openly engage in promoting the neighborhood.

Not afraid of progress, Edgewater is rapidly pulling itself up by its boot straps with exciting new restaurants, cafes, retailers and more. Meanwhile, Rogers Park to the north is mired in political shadows, local power struggles, and much alleged corruption.

Come see for yourself next week by joining the "Dinner Crawl" (details below). (This should be of particular interest to folks who live in the Occupied 49th Ward of Rogers Park, who have been repeatedly lied to by Alderman Joe Moore and DevCorp North about promises of revitalizing Morse Avenue and Howard Street.)

From the Edgewater Development Corporation's web site:

Fourteen local restaurants will be open for your enjoyment and many businesses will also join in on the fun. Taste the flavors, experience the theater, enjoy the shopping. Edgewater awaits you on Bryn Mawr & Broadway this June 26th.

Bryn Mawr, Edgewater's historic main street serves as the backdrop for this evening. Participating restaurants will offer samples from their menu for your dining enjoyment. You will also catch snippets of performing arts and great shopping destinations peppered amongst the food. It's a menu for a wonderful summer evening in historic Edgewater.

Date
From June 26, 2008 6:00 PM
Until June 26, 2008 8:30 PM

Location
Starting point is Bridgeview Bank
1058 W Bryn Mawr, Chicago, IL 60640

Info Line
773-506-4016
Website http://www.edgewaterdev.org/

Contact: Adam Burck
6044 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660
773-506-4016
info@edgewaterdev.org

Alderman Smith Comes to You!

A message from 48th Alderman Mary Ann Smith. You can also visit her great web site for more information about the dynamic 48th Ward! Alderman Smith's Office is Coming to a Block Near You To make it easier for residents to meet with Aldermanic staff, the 48th Ward Service Office is taking to the streets this summer. Staff members will set up an "outdoor office" at various locations from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm one day a week. We will be providing information on city services, neighborhood groups and volunteer opportunities. By bringing our office and staff into the community, we hope to introduce ourselves to new neighbors, connect the residents of the 48th Ward to government and community resources and to promote a positive presence on our streets. If any block club or local organization would like to join us at a particular location (perhaps to highlight an event you are planning or just promote new participation in your group), please contact Dana Fritz at (773) 293-8413 or dana@masmith48.org, for more information. Below are the dates and locations where will be this summer, weather permitting, from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm: Broadway & Argyle - June 17 Bryn Mawr & Winthrop - June 24 Clark & Catalpa - July 1 Berwyn "L" stop -July 8 Margate Park "Puptown" - July 15 Sheridan & Argyle - July 22 Ardmore Bike End - July 29 Goudy School Park - August 7

Free Bike Helmets on Saturday, June 7

Join Chicago's 20th District Police Officers for fun and information on Saturday, June 7. You can register your bike and get a free bike helmet and lock (while supplies last!), have your child fingerprinted by a certified police safety seat technician, and more. Enjoy free refreshments and "other surprises." Where: Amundsen High School, 5100 North Damen in the south parking lot When: Saturday, June 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. "come rain or shine" Why: Free stuff, good infomation, meet your neighbors A $2.00 donation will be requested For more information contact Alderman Mary Ann Smith's 48th Ward office at (773) 784-5277 or visit Ald. Smith's web site.

CORRECTION

The Bench made a mistake. Like every mainstream media outlet, we get something wrong now and then. A neighbor in Edgewater assured The Bench that the police on the scene told him that Boubacar Bah was an "undocumented immigrant." He was wrong. Now, unlike many in the mainstream media, The Bench offers this apology and this correction. The Bench went with incorrect info, and has since learned that Bah has been in the U.S. legally for six years (Sun-Times). We sure are glad he's here, legally. As a consolation, we offer links to these fine articles: Triple murder prompts law against illegal immigrants The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave by Heather Mac Donald, City Journal Two Illegal Immigrants Arraigned on Murder Charges in Troy ... Illegal Immigrants Arraigned On Murder Charges The murder of nine-year-old Jordin Paulder Illegal Aliens Dominate FBI Wanted List Manhunt underway for murder suspect The face of the new Mafia Man gets double life sentence for killing of two boys Officials: Illegals in prison cost county

CORRECTED: Hit and Run Murder by Undocumented Immigrant in Edgewater

Chicago - March 16, 2008 - An man ran down a pedestrian in the 6200 block of N. Lakewood early this morning. Neighbors in the Edgewater neighborhood tell The Bench that the victim was decapitated when struck in an adjacent alley. These photos by The Bench show the scene of death.

NOTE: PLEASE SEE AN UPDATE & CORRECTION TO THIS STORY.

WBBM-AM reports that the victim was Tom Dalof, of the 5600 block of North Campbell Avenue, who "rescued a woman from two attackers early Saturday in Rogers Park. Minutes later, he was killed by a hit-and-run driver." Dalof was reportedly hoping to one day become a firefighter.

UPDATE: Early Sunday, Boubacar Bah, 24, of the 1400 block of West Farwell Avenue, was charged in the hit-and-run, according to Chicago Police. Bah was charged with reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. Both charges are felonies.... Bah turned himself into Belmont Area detectives early Sunday. No court information was available for Bah. (Sun-Times)

A man who lives across the street from the alley where Dalof was killed says speed bumps might have prevented the murder.

"The driver was speeding west on Granville," the man told The Bench today, "and turned right there." He pointed toward the intersection of Granville and Lakewood. "He came up and turned into the alley, chasing the guy [Dalof] and hit a pole. The victim was decapitated."

The Bench examined the alley carefully. No sign of blood was seen, which would be expected in a decapitation. The only obvious indication that something bad had happened was the little bit of yellow police scene ribbon remaining on a nearby light pole.

The neighbor said they will ask the City to extend the sidewalks of the corners out, to narrow the intersection and so slow down motor traffic. He also wants speed bumps. "Might have saved a life. A speed bump would have bottomed out that car," he said."

Merchants Fearful in Edgewater, Rogers Park

UPDATED 01/27/08

"This will be a dangerous year," the merchant on Morse Avenue told The Bench this morning. "There will be more crime. People have been driven from their homes by Joe Moore. There aren't enough jobs in Rogers Park."

The Morse Avenue merchant, who asked to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, was reflecting on yesterday's shooting murder of convenience store owner Kaycee Fadiya. "KC," as he was know to customers and neighbors, was shot at 11:00 a.m. in his Edgewater Mini Mart store at 1215 W. Devon Avenue yesterday. KC staggered to the sidewalk. Earlier reports said that he died shortly after being taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. However, The Bench has learned that he was died at the scene of the shooting.

KC Fadiya was a resident of Des Plaines.

Edgewater Mini Mart is located just a few steps west of the busy intersection where N. Broadway becomes N. Sheridan as you move north across W. Devon, in police beat 2433. Many Loyola University students live and shop in the immediate area. Across the street is a towering retirement home.

The next CAPS meeting for Beat 2433 is on February 7 at the Edgewater Library, 1210 W. Elmdale (just west of N. Broadway).

As of 3:40 p.m. on Saturday, there is no update online from 40th Ward Alderman Patrick O'Connor nor from the 2433 CAPS Beat. However, Loyola's director of campus safety, Bernard Ward, sent an email with an update:

The lone offender is described as follows: male, approximately 5'10" - 6' tall, wearing a green hooded sweatshirt covered by a black leather jacket, gray pants, and tan work boots. If you see an individual fitting this description, please call 911 immediately, as this person is armed and dangerous. (Full text here)

RELATED:
Police Investigate Fatal Shooting Near Loyola
abc7chicago.com: Owner shot dead at Edgewater store 1/25/08