Bullet Hits Popular Coffee House in Rogers Park, Chicago

Common Cup - Chicago News Bench file photo

May 11, 2013 - An apparent drive-by shooting today has shaken up a quiet coffee shop on Chicago's far northeast side. Gunshots were fired around 12:30 p.m. today in the 1500 block of W. Morse Avenue in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood today. An excellent report at Chicago News Report says that "an investigating officer discovered a bullet hole in a window at 1501 West Morse." That's where Common Cup coffee house sits on the southwest corner of Morse and N. Greenview.

The CNR report noted that a woman was walking along Morse Avenue "when she heard gunshots behind her… when she turned around, a black sedan zoomed passed her, said authorities. Another eyewitness saw a silver car and two black males flee the area of the shooting. One male was limping… possibly, from an injury sustained in the shooting. The limping suspect was last seen going into a gangway near 1443 West Morse, said police."

An update to the CNR report said police were looking at an abandoned vehicle, in which they found shell casings. "Authorities believe the car was used in the Morse Avenue shooting," said CNR.

Also See:

• Common Cup Drive By Shooting Chevanston Rogers Park
• Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf Beverage Capsule Carousel (Google Affiliate Ad)

Updated: Weirdness at Possible Arson in Rogers Park 60626

Jan. 19, 2013 - Chicago News Bench has learned of two weird wrinkles in an otherwise ordinary fire story. A small fire broke out at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18 in the 7th-floor hallway of 1246 W. Pratt Boulevard (map). There were no known injuries and the flames were quickly extinguished with  only minor damage. Fire crews were gone by 11:15 p.m. However, here is where the real story begins: The bald guy and the mysterious lawn smoke detector.

Chicago police in the neighborhood of Rogers Park quickly began searching for a person of interest, who they think might have been involved with the fire in some way. Reports on the police scanner last night said that police were told by "a neighbor" that a man was seen "standing across the street" the previous night (on Thursday) "staring at the building" for a long time. The man was described as African-American, bald, 46 years old, possibly 5' 9" tall and wearing "a long trench coat." Did that man have anything to do with a possible arson?

More Weirdness: At 11:30 last night, I walked past the fire scene. There was a Chicago police SUV parked in front, with two uniformed officers doing paperwork. As I approached, I saw a smoke detector sitting in the grass in front of the property two doors east of 1246 W. Pratt. I told the police officers about it. "You don't often see a smoke detector sitting on the grass," I told them, "and the coincidence of seeing that right next to a fire scene must be even more rare." The driver smiled and said, "Thanks. I'll check it out."

UPDATE, Jan. 21: As of 10: 30 last night, the smoke detector was still on the grass, untouched, in exactly the same place that I first saw it on Saturday night. Apparently, the cop driving that SUV didn't give a crap about something that might be evidence in a possible arson case. Also apparent is the fact that he lied to me when he said he would "check it out."

Wrapping up: A guy in a long trench coat was seen Thursday night standing across the street "staring at" 1246 W. Pratt. The next night, a fire breaks out. A smoke detector is seen on the grass next door. Are these things connected? Why was the smoke detector where it was? Why did the cops take no interest in possible evidence of a crime?

Related: Possible Arson on Pratt Morse Hellhole

Fire Destroys Apartment Building in Rogers Park (Video)

Nov. 7, 2010 - Chicago - An extra-alarm fire ruined a multiple unit apartment building in the 6600 block of N. Newgard Avenue in Rogers Park on Chicago's north side. (See video below or on YouTube.) About 100 firefighters responded to the blaze at the intersection of N. Newgard and W. North Shore around 12:45 p.m. Nobody was injured, although one firefighter was taken to a hospital in good condition for smoke inhalation and is expected to be released this evening. Chicago police detectives and bomb and arson personnel were investigating the scene of the fire after it had been extinguished. A resident of the building told Chicago News Bench that he lived on the ground floor. "My electronics are probably all ruined from smoke and water," he said. He and 54 other residents were hoping for Red Cross and city services to help them find temporary lodgings. This is the second extra-alarm apartment fire in the area encompassing Edgewater and Rogers Park in less than a month. On October 17, fire gutted a residential building at 1241-43 W. Granville Avenue, just a few blocks south of today's fire on N. Newgard. Tweet

I'm Baaaaack...

Back in da hood: Just in time for the 2011 aldermanic election, Chicago News Bench has returned to its birthplace in Rogers Park. We've set up our new World Headquarters in a secret location deep within the 49th Ward, behind enemy territory, watching, waiting, watching, waiting...

My Favorite Used Bookstore Needs Help!

The best used bookstore in Chicago, in my humble opinion, is Armadillo's Pillow in Rogers Park. They are in financially troubled times (who isn't these days?), but there's a way that you bookstore lovers can help them out. It's simple enough: Buy some books from them and/or drop off the used books that you know you'll never read again. Armadillo's Pillow is not the biggest used bookstore in Chicago. It doesn't have the largest selection, and there is no off-street parking (although it's along some major bus lines and is an easy walk from the Morse CTA Red Line station). But the quality of selections and the charm of the space itself will hook you. What makes A.P. the best is a combination of things: A warm, cozy environment that encourages lingering and browsing, a wide variety of genres and titles, the home made art for sale on the walls, and never knowing what new literary gem you may find for a couple of bucks in the well-organized aisles and rows of used books. Actually, they're in such good condition that owners Matt and Beth might take a cue from the auto retail industry and refer to them as "pre-owned" books. Like many businesses these days, Armadillo's Pillow is having a rough time financially. You might think that a seller of used books (or used anything) would see an uptick in business during such times, when people are looking for bargains. Not so, says Matt. Apparently, people are willing to forego books to keep their own budget in line. I find that confusing, since a good book can be found for less than what might pay for a beer at tavern. Unlike the beer, the book can provide entertainment for days or weeks and will not increase your need to urinate or impair your ability to operate heavy machinery. Armadillo's Pillow has been in business for 15 years. I discovered them 12 years ago, when I first moved into Rogers Park. Over the course of 10 years, I think I purchased something like 70 or 80 books there. Most of those were used (pre-owned) science fiction items, often under $2.00 each. With no television at home, the books were welcome entertainment. Also welcome has been the many hours of good conversation I've had over the years with Matt and Beth. Now, Armadillo's needs a little extra love. Friend and fellow blogger Bill Morton recently helped in a big way. "I donated roughly two thousand books to local bookstore The Armadillo's Pillow. The books that I donated were the ones that I saved from the North Shore School demolition a few years ago." Read Bill's post at his RP1000 blog. The Armadillo's Pillow is located at 6753 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois, 60626. They're on the east side of Sheridan just south of Pratt. Their website is http://www.armadillospillow.com/. Their phone is 773-761-2558. Photos taken October 9, 2010 by T.H.Mannis

Rogers Park Nursing Home Resident Drowns in Bathtub

So avoidable, so tragic, this story is still developing. The Chicago Tribune reported last night [July 5, 2010] on the drowning death of a Chicago nursing home resident. Jean Engstrom, a 51 year old mentally ill woman, died in the evening of July 4th at the Warren Park Nursing Pavilion. The facility is suppose to provide care to nearly 100 residents and is located on the northwest part of the city in West Rogers Park, near Damen Avenue and Devon Avenue. [6700 block of North Damen Avenue; see map.] Ms. Engstrom was found in her bathtub shortly before 9pm on Sunday evening, while most of the 4th of July holiday events were still finishing. Staff officials found her in a bathtub with the water running. Police officers called to the scene tried to revive her, but they were unsuccessful. She died after arriving at St. Francis Hospital. The investigation into Ms. Engstrom’s death in ongoing with homicide and negligence not ruled out as possibilities. (Source: Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog) RELATED: Is Sen. Steans Lying About Evergreen Healthcare Involvement? CNB Repeated Nursing Home Negligence in Evergreen Park Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog Robinson Campaign Comments on Sen. Steans' Investment in Nursing Home CNB

Yet Another Ginderske-Westgard Fraud and Failure

JUNE 5, 2010 - James "Jim" Ginderske will probably run for alderman again next year in Chicago's 49th Ward. He's been building his political resume since 2006, when he launched his poorly run aldermanic campaign against incumbent Joe Moore.

Since losing to Moore and two other contenders in February, 2007, Ginderske has become a shameless lapdog of Joe Moore and overseen the stunning failure of two of his own pet projects: "Neighbors for a Healthy Rogers Park" (NHRP) and "The Urban Coaster."

Ginderske keeps racking up spectacular failures, and continues to lie about them and misrepresent himself. First, let's look at The Urban Coaster. Then we'll examine the NHRP.

The Urban Coaster was first incorporated in October, 2008. It was involuntarily dissolved by the State of Illinois on March 12, 2010. 

However, it continues to illegally misrepresent itself as "The Urban Coaster, Inc." (when we checked the "About" page on their website at 10:00 a.m., June 5, 2010). There, the publisher is listed as "The Urban Coaster, Inc." It's the "Inc." part that's the problem.

They cannot legally use "Inc." in their name, because they are not a legal corporation in Illinois. The original signers of the Articles of Incorporation on October 22, 2008 were James J. Ginderske, Francis Scudellari (right) and Thomas Westgard (left).

Westgard, an attorney of sorts, is currently listed as a Contributing Writer. He should certainly be aware that it is illegal for an entity to use "Inc." in its name and constitutes misrepresentation if, in fact, the entity is not a legal corporation. Such is the case with The Urban Coaster.

Inc-a-dink-a-doo

Curiously, Jim Ginderske calls himself the publisher of The Urban Coaster on his LinkedIn page and says he still holds that title. He says he's in the "Newspapers industry," but we wonder how that can be true when in fact the Urban Coaster seems to no longer be putting out a dead-tree version. He may technically be in publishing, but no longer in newspapers. The question, then, remains: Who, exactly, is really the publisher of The Urban Coaster?

There is a notice at the bottom of that "About" page that says, "All materials are Copyright The Urban Coaster, Inc." Since there is no such entity as "The Urban Coaster, Inc.," we can't help but wonder who actually owns the copyrights to any "materials" posted after their involuntarily dissolution on March 12, 2010.

The Urban Coaster was originally both an online and actual paper publication that billed itself as covering "all the news that fits the neighborhoods of Rogers Park, West Ridge, and Edgewater along the shore of Lake Michigan on Chicago's far North Side."

The Urban Coaster has not printed a paper version since late 2009. Their last post on Twitter was October 16, 2009. The last time they posted to their Facebook wall was March 22, 2009. It still has its website, and the most recent posting was on May 28, 2010.

The Urban Coaster usually misses or ignores the big local stories in favor of non-local headlines such as "Is the Informal Economy the Best Hope for Africa?" (May 27, 2010), "The Threat of Extremism in South Africa" (April 6, 2010), "The Tragedy of Niger's Coup" (February 23, 2010) and "Understanding Rwanda in the Context of Haiti" (January 29, 2010). That can be considered "neighborhood news" only if you live in Africa or Haiti, not Rogers Park, Illinois.

No Union Label: The Urban Coaster presents itself as pro-union, yet the Urban Coaster itself is not and never has been a union shop. Ginderske brags about his union membership but proudly participates in a non-union operation.

No Hablas Espanol: In March, 2008 there was a public meeting in Rogers Park, at which Dan Haley, the new publisher of the News-Star newspaper, introduced himself to the community. Neither Westgard nor Ginderske bothered to show up, but Ginderske minions Francis Scuddellari and Terry "Cookie" Feingold were in attendance. Both men were integral cogs in the 2007 Ginderske aldermanic campaign and both are still listed on the Urban Coaster staff roster. Feingold raised his hand and asked Haley if the News-Star had plans to publish a Spanish language version, citing Rogers Park's large Latino population. Haley said they had no such plans, and Feingold effectively chided him for not caring about the Spanish speakers among us.

The Urban Coaster has never published a Spanish version of itself either online or in paper. For that matter, Feingold's own catering company's website is English-only.

The Urban Coaster, as noted, is not incorporated, so it is misrepresenting itself by using the name "The Urban Coaster, Inc." on its website. It's not the first time, either.

The Urban Coaster has been in violation now (again) since March 12, 2010 by calling themselves "Inc." on a website that still, apparently, accepts advertising. As of June 5, 2010 at 11:36 a.m., Terry Feingold is still listed as their contact for advertising. The next item on that page, below Feingold's name, is "The Urban Coaster, Inc." To be selling advertising - or anything else - while misrepresenting yourself as a corporation is a violation of law.

IT'S FRAUDULENT 

Illinois law states that "Any corporation which (i) puts forth any sign or advertisement, assuming any name other than that by which it is incorporated or otherwise authorized by law to act or (ii) violates Section 3.25, shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor and shall be deemed guilty of an additional offense for each day it shall continue to so offend." (Source: Illinois General Assembly web site; see "Article 16 - Penalties".) As of this writing on June 5, 2010, it's coming up on 90 days since they lost their corporate status, yet they continue to use a name that is not "authorized by law." 

A video interview of Jim Ginderske and Francis Scudellari talking about the beginnings of The Urban Coaster (Part 1 here; Part 2 here) reveals much. (Fast forward to 3:20 in Part 1 to get to the Ginderske-Scudellari portion.) The interview was recorded at the Heartland Cafe on March 21, 2009 during a live radio broadcast hosted by SDS member and lifelong marxist Michael James. (Little did any of them know, at the time, that The Urban Coaster would have the same kind of spectacular success that the late Air America enjoyed.)

It's darkly amusing to hear Ginderske insist that The Urban Coaster would be unbiased (in fact, it's had a boldly pro-socialist slant from the beginning), and to hear them promise, in Part 2, that "within a year" they would publish a Spanish version of The Urban Coaster.

As noted, that has yet to happen, and with no paper version - and no advertising - there seems little chance that they their promise will be kept. Involuntarily dissolved by order of the State of Illinois one year and nine days after that promise was made, it seems like just one more broken Ginderske promise.

Neighbors for a Healthy Rogers Park (NHRP) was first incorporated in December, 2006, at the height of Ginderske's 2007 aldermanic run. 

It was involuntarily dissolved by the State of Illinois on May 9, 2009. NHRP was created primarily as an attempt to make Ginderske look like a man of the people and a guy who just wanted to help the neighborhood. With the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that Ginderske neglected NHRP when it was no longer politically useful to him.

Watch for him to try to rehabilitate the discredited NHRP, however, as he gears up for another aldermanic run in 2011. Ginderske continues to make lame attempts now and then to misrepresent NHRP as a legitimate group.

As recently as September 14, 2009 (four months after losing its legal status as a corporation), Ginderske was pushing NHRP. According to the Minutes of the Public Hearings on the FY2010 Preliminary Budget, page 3, for the Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board of Directors, he was registered as "Jim Ginderske, Representative, Neighbors for a Healthy Rogers Park" and submitted "written testimony." We couldn't find the details of that testimony, but we bet that Ginderske did not tell the Board that the group he was representing had been involuntarily dissolved by the State of Illinois months earlier.

Ginderske lists himself as the current "President" of NHRP on his LinkedIn page. He claims that NHRP is in the "Research industy."

In July, 2008, Chicago News Bench noted that NHRP had not given a full accounting of any money that passed through its hands. Today, on June 5, 2010, we would still like to see a full accounting from NHRP.

Ginderske's partner in these messes: Thomas J. Westgard was Ginderske's campaign chair in the 2007 run for alderman. Westgard has been an integral part of Ginderske's fraudulent NHRP and Urban Coaster failures. Will he be part of Ginderske's sure-to-be-fraudulent 2011 campaign?

RELATED:

• NHRP: Odd Man Out Did NHRP Break the Law? 
• NHRP Still "Not Good Standing" With Sec. of State 
• NHRP: Ginderske's Sham Organization 
• Urban Coaster: Non-Local, Non-Union 
• Merchant Alert for Chicago's North Side 
• Newspaper Continues To Threaten Bloggers 
• Pillaging the Boys and Girls Clubs 
• Ginderske: Sit Down, Shut Up 
• Filthy Heartland Cafe Closed for Health Code Violations 
• Heartland Cafe's Inconvenient Truths

Two Kids Fall From Church Window in Chicago

Two 6-year-old girls fell out of the window of a building this morning in the Rogers Park on Chicago's far north side, reports Chicago Breaking News. Just past 10:00 a.m., it is reported, the girls "fell from a window of a building that is located behind the United Church of Rogers Park, 1545 W. Morse Ave. The children were taken to Children's Memorial Hospital with leg injuries, but their conditions weren't immediately available, according to the Chicago Fire Department." The building from which they fell is in a portion of the United Church of Rogers Park that is leased to St. Mary's Ethiopian Orthodox Church. They might just as easily have been injured walking up the steps to the Ashland Avenue entrance of the church. As you see in our photos here, those steps are in serious, long-term disrepair. In the photo to the left, a local mentally-challenged man attempts acrobatics on them with his bicycle. In the photo below, members of the church walk down the unsafe steps. We reported on these unsafe conditions of the United Church of Rogers Park back in June of 2009, but here's a fresh report today: Chicago Breaking News quotes a member of United Church's board as saying, "Two of the kids found their way to the stairwell and out of the eyes of their parents," and that the kids "unlocked a window on the landing where they were playing." He said the girls fell into a concrete courtyard. There is a big sign on the Morse Avenue side of the church that says "This Congregation Rejects War." We dare say that more people have been injured in the United Church of Rogers Park by non-warfare incidents than otherwise. RELATED: Rogers Park Man Was Murdered ABC7 Chicago

Body In Car on Edgewater Street Was Rogers Park Resident

May 15, 2010 - The vicitm in the tragic and mysterious story of a body found in car on a quiet side street now has a name. Kirk Flowers was found shot to death, according to Big Black News Blog, "wrapped in a bed sheet in the backseat of his 2008 Dodge Charger. The car was discovered in the 1400 block of West Rosemont Ave. in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood." BBNB quotes Chicago Police as saying that Flowers, described as African-American, 26, 5-feet 11-inches and 205 lbs, "was shot several times; his body was wrapped in a bed sheet, bound with duct-tape, and there were signs of fire damage to the inside of his vehicle."

It's a gruesome story. Flowers' body was discovered late in the afternoon of Friday, May 14. The car, parked in the quiet, tree-lined 1400 block of W. Rosemont in the Edgewater neighborhood, was inspected and towed away as evidence and further examination around 5:30 p.m., according to what a witness told Chicago News Bench yesterday. 

Chicago Breaking News today reported that the care "was locked and had signs of smoke and fire damage inside the vehicle, according to a police source. It was taken to the medical examiner's office with the body inside to keep evidence intact, police said." Witnesses also say that the body of Flowers was in the front passenger seat, and that window had been broken or shattered by gunfire.

 
The blog of Lost N Missing, Inc. posted an alert about Kirk Flowers on May 14. It said that he "was last seen on May 8 and may be driving his red 2008 Dodge Charger sedan with an Illinois license plate number of A295353. Please note he recently lost his job and may be very depressed. His family and friends are very worried." It was in the same Dodge Charger that his body was found only hours after the notice was posted. The Chicago Sun-Times reported today that "The alert was cancelled at 10:14 a.m. Saturday, police said. The car was found about a half mile from Flowers’ home."

RELATED:
Body Found in Car in Edgewater Chicago News Bench

Baxter Swilley, Astroturf Poster Boy

*** Update, April 3, 2010 - Disgruntled Democrats Join Tea Party (CNN) *** Seems I started a small firestorm with my March 11 post about the astroturfed Coffee Party. In the post "Fake Grassroots, Coffee Party USA National Kickoff Day, March 13" I examined a Coffee Party event in Chicago's ultra-liberal Rogers Park neighborhood and its organizer, Baxter Swilley. Since that post, major bloggers (and friends) John Ruberry of Marathon Pundit, Anne Leary of Backyard Conservative and Warner T. Huston at Publius' Forum, Right Wing News, The Reality Check and StopTheACLU linked to it on March 12. On March 13, Hot Trending Topics picked up on it. On March 14, the Swilley aspect of the story was picked up by these major bloggers: Northern Gleaner, Ed Driscoll, Instapundit, Riehl World, Keyboard Militia and Narbosa.com and Strangeness and Charm. BigJournalism.com also posted about it, even reproducing the Swilley "press release" in full -- I'm the guy who alerted the author of that post to the Swilley Coffee Party and forwarded the Swilley press release to him). Swilley is suddenly a hot topic for national discussion. That's not to say he hasn't gotten a lot of press in the past, but previous mentions were always local or regional for his work with Democrat candidates (such as Scott Lee Cohen) or causes (Citizens for 2016, promoting the Olympics bid). Now, however, Swilley is being written about nationally, and for a dubious reason: Swilley is suddenly a poster boy for astroturfing. He, like many others, sent out a pre-fab form document that was intended to look like a grassroots announcement of a local get-together for people interested in the Coffee Party. The results of the big national Coffee Party caffeine orgy is typified by liberal blog posts such as one from "Yogchick." She professes, in her blog's banner, to be "bipolar + on lots of drugs." What does the drugged out Yogchick say about her Coffee Party experience? Could it be that there is finally a populist backlash against the pseudo-populist Tea Party Movement? I certainly hope so. For the past twelve months, Americans have watched them hijack the country’s collective voice as they marched on Washington with their thinly veiled racist signs and fucked up conspiracy theories. Yogchick also wrote about attending her first Coffee Party, in the tony Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, on March 14. Amusingly, she wrote this: The Tea Party people resent the Republicans bailing out Wall Street and progressive Democrats resent how their party sold out healthcare reform to the insurance companies while abandoning the public option. We have the same frustrations and can work for the same solutions. This begs an important question: If she's in such agreement with the Tea Party, why swig Democrat Kool-Aid at a Coffee Party? The answer is, in part contained within the question: All that Kool-Aid (and those drugs she brags about taking) have made her compliant and susceptible to the Left's message that the Tea Parties are evil. Therefore, even with "the same frustrations and can work for the same solutions," Yogchick and those like her just cannot bring themselves to associate with those whom they have been brainwashed into thinking of as the Enemy. That, and the fact that the Tea Partiers tend to have more of an affinity for heavy metal rock, as opposed to the granola-crunching folksy music preferred by those who gravitate toward the Coffee Party. Perhaps Yogchick would understand that the Tea Party did not "hijack the country's collective voice," but actually represents a huge swath of the American citizenry. In her drug-induced haze, Yogchick and many like her mistakenly think that there is a single, monolithic "Tea Party." There is not, of course, whereas the "Coffee Party" is just that: A central, controlling authority that pulls the strings and calls the shots. Not so with the Tea Party movement, a loosely associated gaggle of hundreds of groups nationwide - often quarreling with each other - and none answering to a national central committee. Indeed, that's part of the appeal to the conservatives and many moderates who participate in Tea Party groups. On the other hand, Coffee Party members tend to be Leftists and liberals (excuse me, "progressives") who actually take comfort in a central committee, which explains their love of Big Government and, for many, an adoration of figures such as Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and even Josef Stalin. The Tea Party movement was a spontaneous grassroots phenomenon that caught on like wildfire. The Coffee Party, in contrast, has been highly orchestrated from its inception and continues to be directed in the same way that Organizing for America (OFA) pull the strings of its followers. Central command and control. Emphasis on control. Remember that Yogchick said that she and the Coffee Partiers "have the same frustrations and can work for the same solutions" as the Tea Party? That was a lie on her part, of course. The sad thing about it is that she and her coffee sipping comrades probably do not understand how or why it's a lie. Try this if you're fortunate enough to find yourself engaged in conversation with a coffee gulper: Ask them how they feel about tax cuts. RELATED: Coffee Party Astroturfer Baxter Swilley Has Missouri Roots Keyboard Militia Coffee, Coffee, Coffee... Rogers Park in 1000 words Video: Coffee Party Group Therapy Session at Ironic Surrealism v3.0 Donald Douglas destroys the Coffee Party phonies! The Daley Gator No Blacks Seen Anywhere, Is "Coffee Party" Racist? Politik Ditto National Coffee Party Day flops Western Journalism.com The Right Coast Girl Takes on the Coffee Party USA Left Coast Rebel CoffeePartyUSA's photostream Coffee Party Deconstructed! The Coffee Party: Try Not to Laugh -Part 1 Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Fake Grassroots, Coffee Party USA National Kickoff Day, March 13

The "Coffee Party USA" is having a sort of grand opening, if you will, this Saturday, March 13. It's been carefully orchestrated nationally to appear to be grassroots, but we'll see why it's not in a moment as we look at a Chicago event. That event, in the north side neighborhood of Rogers Park, is being coordinated by Baxter Swilley, 34, a very busy Democrat operative who most recently served as Scott Lee Cohen's downstate director. He was also a major player with U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. (Also see Ron Paul Supporters Aiding Coffee Party USA)

The Tea Party movement - hundreds of groups across the country with no central committee or governing body - have been falsely criticized by the Left and Democrats as being controlled by the Republican Party. That is simply not true.

What is true, however, is that a bizarre response to the Tea Parties has arisen, and it is the spawn of the Democrats. They call themselves, laughably, "The Coffee Party USA." We'll call them CPUSA (which, of course, could also stand for "Communist Party USA").

While the Coffee Party USA attempts to make itself appear to be grassroots, it is not. In an attempt to be "grassroots," CPUSA has distributed hundreds of form letter press releases for local organizers to send out. Chicago News Bench intercepted one such press release, which announces a March 13 event in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. It is quite amusing.

Click here to see the full press release for the Rogers Park event,
then click here to see the identical press release for a Kansas City event.

The cookie-cutter press releases are, of course, intended to be localized and personalized by the senders. Local organizers are suppose to put their own names on the releases, along with the times and locations of their events. In the case of the Rogers Park event's press release, organizer Baxter Swilley, neglected to add "Today's Date." Swilley sent the release as an MS Word attachment. In the body of the email, he accidentally admits that this event and all of the others on March 13 have been orchestrated by a higher authority. Swilley wrote this (emphasis added):

I hope you all can join me at the Coffee Party USA kick-off on Saturday, March 13 at Charmers Cafe, 1500 W. Jarvis in Rogers Park - 10:30 AM. Clearly, this organization is not led by someone from Chicago. Otherwise they would know that we'd all be at a huge parade on this day and instead of drinking coffee we'd be drinking green beer. So, let's compromise... after a cup of coffee and civil dialogue on the important political issues in our communities we will go next door for one of those beers at the Poitin Stil - a quaint Irish Bar. 

So much for "grassroots." According to Swilley's own email, CPUSA ("this organization") is not led locally. That's no secret, of course, but it is an admission that they are getting their marching orders from some central authority. Namely, CPUSA, which performs a function that the Tea Party movement has no equivalent of: A controlling, order giving central authority. The CPUSA people are drawn to a central committee, whereas the Tea Party people are suspicious of any attempt to form such a body. Tea Partiers are independent thinkers. CPUSA appeals to those who look to a Big Uncle figure for guidance and thought suggestion.

Swilley, by the way, is big-time Lib operative. He was behind Citizens for 2016, a group that supported Mayor Daley's bid to bring the Olympics to Chicago. He was the Political Director for the John Edwards-Campaign Organization - Missouri, where he is listed under the "Edwards for President, Inc. Missouri Leadership." His short bio summary there says that his experience "includes political director for US Representative Jan Schakowsky and campaign manager of Jackson, MS Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s 2001 re-election campaign." (Harvey Johnson was the first Black mayor of Jackson.)

Swilley has also worked for U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Chicago, a former Black Panther. Oh, and Scott Lee Cohen, who won the Illinois Democrat primary for Lt. Governor in February, 2010 but was forced out of the race by the Illinois Democrat Party. Swilley was Cohen's downstate coordinator and spokesman. He's been a busy boy.

In 2002, as Schakowsky’s Political Director, Swilley was instrumental in creating a 2,500 person field organization to designed to give Democrats a landslide win that November. (Source: http://www.hicsocial.org/Social2003Proceedings/Judith-Rae%20E.%20Ross%202.pdf - page 13)

What we have in Baxter Swilley, is a devoted Democrat operative who moves around from state to state, organizing locals in "grassroots" efforts even though he himself is an outsider. Originally from Maywood, a suburb 13 miles due west downtown Chicago, Swilley embedded himself in Chicago's north side in Rogers Park in 2001. That's the same year, not coincidentally, that Jan Schakowsky hired Swilley as her Political Director. Ironically, his Democracy For America page shows that his favorite quote is "Keep it real."

The CPUSA, it is claimed, was "founded by" Annabel Park, a big-time Democrat operative. According to Frank Ross at BigJournalism.com, the CPUSA is, to paraphrase him, a front group for Democrat Party diversionary and fakery tactics:

Yet there was nothing accidental about Park’s anti-Tea Party activism; the Coffee Party’s roots are about as grassy as the signature surface of the old Houston Astrodome; and Park’s facade of cooperation is undermined by her “tea bagger” epithets on Twitter. Meanwhile, her claim that the Coffee Party is “purely grassroots” and “independent of any party” is laughably rebutted by the fact that the registrant for the website was listed as “Real Virginians For Webb, 14461 Sedona Drive, Gainesville, Virginia 20155” until the information suddenly went private behind a proxy. That’s “Webb” as in Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, one of at least two elected Democrats for whom Park has actively campaigned (as evidenced by this campaign video, “Real Virginians for Webb”... Full Post at bigjournalism.com... 

To listen to Park herself, however, she did this all by her lonesome. She tells that lie in a video posted at the CPUSA's website. "Keep it real," as Baxter Swilley likes to say, just doesn't play with the CPUSA.

RELATED:

• Democrats Launch Fake "Coffee Party" 
• NYTimes and WaPo hide phony ‘Coffee Party’ astroturf roots - at the NY Times 
• The Coffee Party? Really? 
• CNN Omits 'Coffee Party' Founder's Past as Obama Volunteer 
• The Political Jungle: Coffee Party USA - FAIL 
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• Bill Clinton Wants Obama to Bring More Coffee 
• http://www.actblue.com/page/baxterforscott 
• Tea Party, Coffee Party and... Latte Party?

N. Side Chicago Woman Killed by Snow Plow

February 9, 2010 - Tragic accident in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood takes the life of a woman about one block from where she lived. An elderly woman, identified as Yuliya Polzikova, 71, was struck and killed this afternoon by a snow plow a short distance from her Rogers Park home, authorities said. The accident occurred at about 2:15 p.m. in the 1300 block of West Morse Avenue, Chicago police said.... According to police, Polzikova was walking on Morse when she was struck by a Chevrolet Silverado with an attached plow clearing a private parking lot. More at Reaction Radio... Ms. Polzikova resided in the 1200 block of West Morse Avenue. The Chicago Tribune reported that Ms. Polzikova "was rushed to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where she was pronounced dead a short time later, a medical examiner's spokesman said. The police Major Accident Investigation Unit was interviewing the plow driver. The unidentified driver was expected to receive citations related to the collision, police said." Also See: Woman, 71, fatally struck by snow plow in Rogers Park - Chicago Sun-Times Elderly Woman Struck and Killed by Snow Plow in Rogers Park - MyFoxChicago Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Arrest Made in Fatal N. Side Chicago Fire

Chicago - Jan. 17, 2010 - Mahab Hassan, 26, of the 6700 block of N. Sheridan Rd., has been charged with aggravated arson, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and first degree murder, according to police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli. - Chicago Sun-Times Hassan is charged with starting a deadly fire on January 14 in a multiple unit apartment building at 6720 N. Sheridan Road in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. The fire killed a 49 year old man, Noor Surani. Five other people were injured (including a firefighter), and 25 residents of the building were displaced. According to the Sun-Times report, Chicago Police detectives "found two points of origin for the cause of the fire as well as recovered a one gallon can of gasoline in the hallway, according to a detective with Bomb & Arson." RELATED: Man Arrested, Charged in Fatal North Side Blaze - FoxNews See video by Rogers Park resident Al Iverson here. and here. Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Thanksgiving Burglary at 49th Ward Democratic Offices

Crime is down in Rogers Park, Chicago? Well, well, it's UP at the 49th Ward Democrat Party offices, at W. Greenleaf and N. Ravenswood. (Click our file photos to enlarge) ROGERS PARK (STNG) -- Police Thursday are investigating the break-in and theft of a computer from a political campaign office on the Far North Side. The ward's committeeman doubts the break-in was political in nature, though. About 7:20 a.m. police got a call that a door was open at the office on the 1700 block of West Greenleaf, police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez said. The 49th Ward Democratic Party campaign office is at 1774 W. Greenleaf Ave., according to 49th Ward Democratic Committeeman David Fagus. Full Story at WBBM AM... WBBM also reported that "The office is used mainly by Ald. Joe Moore, Fagus said, and the group Organizing for America, a national Democratic group, also uses the space." Funny that WBBM doesn't know that the office space is also used by Congressthing Jan Schakowsky and Crook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (13th District). It is darkly amusing that Blagojevich fan David Fagus doubts that the burglary was political in nature. Now, really, who would break in to that office for political reasons? Hmmm? I wonder how long it will be before Moore blames the bloggers for this. (I've got an airtight alibi.) Leave a Comment Conservative T-Shirts Follow CNB on Twitter RSS Feed

Politics and In-Kind Catering

Dining with the politicians

Writing about 49th Ward politicians and ethics is a strange endeavor. It’s a bit like writing about dogs and table manners. Dogs have no dining etiquette, really. During a bout of canine mastication, there are no rules of engagement. Bad manners or good, by human standards, simply don’t apply. For a human to apply human ideals of using a fork or chopsticks to the dog is folly. The dog would pay no attention to any such attempts, and would be unable to comprehend them. Even if the dog listened in earnest, Fido would be unable to hold the eating utensils. (Note to Liberals: This would be due to the fact that dogs are actually not people, and therefore have no hands.)

So it is with Chicago politicians in general, 49th Ward politicians in particular, and 49th Ward Liberals especially. Oh, they have hands, alright, unlike our dog friends. Problem is, their damned hands are always reaching into our pockets. Sometimes it takes the form of higher taxation. Sometimes it’s less straightforward and involves writing a grant, which is nothing more than a long note begging Uncle to please send money.

That is how the Ginderske Gang “built” a new medical clinic in the 49th Ward recently. They asked Uncle Sam to send some of your tax dollars their way, which they then passed on to the clinic. To claim that they “built” the clinic is a bit like the 16th Century Spaniards claiming to have mined all of their gold in the northern mountains of Spain.

Sometimes, it takes the form of catering, literally, to an aldermanic candidate. Let’s kick a dead horse and see what happens, as we peek into the D-2s of Jim Ginderske, failed aldermanic candidate in the 49th Ward cum Alderman Joe Moore’s errand boy.

In the “Ginderske 2007 D-2 Final Report 1/1/2007 to 6/30/2007,” there are eight itemized in-kind contributions totaling $47,640.00. That’s a lot of money.

But first, a brief definition of “in-kind” contributions:

An in-kind contribution is a non-cash input which can be given a cash value.

Examples
Here are some examples of in-kind contributions:
• A local community “loans” a school or a church to a literacy program for classroom space.
• A government agency donates some paper to print books.
• A consultant donates his time to your program.
• A taxi company donates the use of its taxis at no cost or at a cost below market.

Got it? So, let’s say I’m Terry Feingold and I own a catering company called Gold-n-Pear Catering. Let’s say that I hooked up with Jim Ginderske’s campaign, became the financial guy for the campaign, and I had lots of good recipes to share because I just love to feed people.

I also love curry. No, not the spice, although I like that, too. The kind of curry I refer to here is the kind as in “currying favor” with a politician. So what do you, as Terry Feingold do? Why, you bring the occasional tureen of corn chowder or split pea soup over to the Ginderske Campaign Office at 6970 N. Sheridan Rd., Unit C. Now and then some finger sandwiches. Never anything elaborate, of course, because there’s never more than a dozen or so people gathered there at once.

According to Ginderske’s D-2 Final Report, Terry Feingold gave $15,800.00 of in-kind contributions to Ginderske in the form of “Consulting Catering.” (There was a separate $4,000 in-kind item for “consulting.”)

That’s a hell of a lot of catering. Keep in mind, I was there folks, an embedded citizen journalist, right up to and for a short while after Ginderske lost in late February, 2007. I was at most of the Feingold catered events, and unless he prices a bowl of corn chowder somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 a bowl, with finger sandwiches priced around $10 each, I am bewildered as to just what that $15,800.00 involves.

Even if you factor in the Election Night party at Morseland, it makes no sense. Feingold did not prepare that food. As I recall, the Morseland kitchen did it all (and nicely). Did Feingold “consult” with the Morseland kitchen about the evening’s menu? Rather doubtful, particularly because the D-2 dates the $15,800 on 12/31/2006, two months before Ginderske’s Election Night party.

I’m not saying that anything illegal was done by Feingold or Ginderske. But the amount boggles the mind and challenges reason. Would somebody from either the defunct Ginderske campaign, or from Gold-n-Pear Catering, please give us an itemized accounting of that $15,800 in-kind donation? We’d really like to know, just in case we decide to have our next big party catered by Gold-n-Pear.

President Obama, Congressman Joe Moore, Alderman David Fagus

Are you ready for Congressman Joe Moore? Oh yes, my friends, if Barack Obama keeps this up, he may well win the Democrat nomination. Now, suppose Obama wins it all and becomes our Next President? I am not making this up. Honestly. Democracy in Rogers Park will take a step backward, as if that is possible! The Bench has sitting on this for while now, but only today had an epiphany thanks to a woman much wiser than I am. Here's the hypothetical skinny: U.S. Senator Obama becomes President, leaving his Senate seat vacant. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, wife of convicted felon Bobby Creamer, is appointed to fill that seat. She becomes U.S. Senator Schakowsky. (Her husband remains a crooked scum. Sorry, Bob, the promotion won't take that stain off of you.) With Schakowsky's seat in Congress vacant, 49th Ward Alderfart Joe Moore will be named to fill her seat, thus becoming Congressfart Joe Moore. Who will fill Joe's $400 Italian shoes once he's gone off to Washington? Why, none other than David Fagus, currently the evil 49th Ward Democrat Committeeman. That's right; he will become Alderman David Fagus. Sorry, Jim Ginderske, you probably won't get it. And your little dog Wee Wee won't be able to tag along, either. You both carry water well, but not well enough. So who will fill Fagus's vacated Committeeman position? Not now, I'll tell you early next week, boys and girls. And you thought the Democrat Party was "Democratic?" Ha ha ha ha ha hahahahahaha! Oh, man, that's funny!

"You're not heartless bastards, right?"

The magic pen voter writes a crazy letter to two local bloggers. This blogger shows no mercy. From: Amy Carlton Date: Feb 10, 2008 11:34 PM Subject: A request from your neighbor To: craiggernhardt@comcast.net, rogerparkbench@yahoo.com Cc: michaelharring@gmail.com, twestgard@gmail.com Tom and Craig, I just spent the weekend in a downstate hospital with my mother-in-law as she got her first chemo treatment for stage 4 lung cancer. As you can imagine, I have greater concerns than what a couple of local bloggers are saying -- repeatedly -- about me. But still. Why can't you let this go? It's pretty clear from your own comments pages that almost none of your readers support your inexplicable crusade against me, so why don't you please just knock it off? You've made your points (mostly by misrepresenting what I've said), you've had your fun at my expense, now leave me alone. And take down the wedding picture you took from my site. Thanks in advance (because you're going to stop bothering me, right? You're not heartless bastards, right?), Amy (PS: I've copied a few other neighbors on this message just in case you try to misrepresent what I wrote or use it to make further fun of me. But I'm sure you won't, because you are decent people, yes?) Dear Amy: Best wishes to your mother in law. Now, back to you. Allow me to quote from your own blog: "Anyway, for reasons ranging from being lied to to just not thinking clearly at 7 am, I got screwed yesterday, and I fought back. And now I'm an object of ridicule from the neighborhood jagoff's* blog (the execrable Morse Hellhole) to Wonkette. So the moral of the story is: Never try. No, wait! The moral of the story is: Who gives a rat's ass what people think?" Hmmm. So let's put this into context, sweetie. 1) YOU are not the one with lung cancer, so the pity act doesn't cut it here; 2) Funny how you never mentioned the cancer thing on your own blog (not recently, anyway); 3) After calling Craig a "jagoff" and spending considerable time and energy on lots of things OTHER THAN your mother in law, why this sudden oh-pity-me act, six days after the magic pen incident? 4) I was over you and the magic pen thing, really. So was Craig. I would have still been willing to let it go if you had done one incredibly stupid thing: You "copied a few other neighbors on this message just in case [I] try to misrepresent [you]." Trust but verify, Amy? Tsk tsk. Tell your neighbors that you were fully quoted (above). Remember that Craig and I both have copies of the same email. 5) Are you going to send the same sad email to Wonkette and hundreds upon hundreds of other web sites and newspapers across North America, Amy? No? Well, guess what: You don't need to. It's now out there. 6) Did you or your friends ever show the same compassion that you ask for to Dick Cheney when he accidentally shot a friend? How many dead baby jokes do make in month? You ask for sympathy, but the sympathy in fact is not for you but for your "mother in law." Last time I checked, nobody was picking on your mother in law. 7) I promise to never pick on your mother in law. 8) You remain fair game as long as you continue to (a) willingly remain in the public eye vis a vis your public writings and pronouncements and (b) do stupid things like write that email. 9) When you wrote, "But I'm sure you won't, because you are decent people, yes?" I nearly gagged. Are you shitting me? You and your crowd do not consider either Craig or me to be "decent." Frankly, I consider you to be indecent. Honestly. 10) Of Craig, you wrote on your blog, "I changed "drunk" to the all-purpose Chicago insult 'jagoff.'" How kind of you, Amy. Let me return the kindness. Instead of "media whore," I'll just refer to you with the all-purpose American insult "bitch." Now go away and maybe we'll ignore you for another week.

You Can Pick Your Nose...

...and David Fagus can pick your election judges in the Wacky 49th Ward of Chicago. See, he's the 49th Ward Democrat Committeeman. What did Fagus know about the "magic pens," and when did he know it?

When voters questioned why the "pens" weren't showing up on their ballots, one of the election judges told them that it was "invisible ink," Chicago Election Board spokesman Jim Allen said.

Allen said he has since been fielding calls from national media, asking about the "invisible ink" pens in the 49th ward.

"It was the only precinct out of the 2,579 precincts in the city where we saw this come up," Allen said. "Who is picking these (election) judges?" FULL STORY at Chicago Journal...

MORE!
Democratic Party - 49th Ward: David Fagus, Your Democrat Committeeman
Todd Stroger Turns It On!
The Bench: Flaming Fagus

The 49th Mental Ward of Chicago

Honestly? Hmmm. I don't mean to beat a story that's already been beaten coast to coast, but let's face it: This is funny as hell. It's also about a woman who lives in what is quickly becoming known as the weirdest neighborhood in America. Thanks, in part, to folks like her. Honestly.

She is is Amy Carlton (photo). Remember, she insists that she is not dumb. Honestly.

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, there was weirdness at a polling place in Rogers Park on Super Tuesday. "Later that afternoon," the Trib reported, "election officials shook their heads in disbelief as investigators confirmed 20 ballots in the 49th Ward's 42nd precinct were cast with inkless pens."

You haven't heard about this? Inkless pens, and 20 people were dumb enough to fall for it. Amy Carlton, for instance. Honestly.

The Trib reported that "Amy Carlton, 38, of Rogers Park said that all the judges at the polling place insisted they had been trained in the use of the pens." Okay.... uh, ... we'll come back to that training thing. Honestly.

"I've voted before," the Trib reports Carlton said. "I was thinking 'This is crazy.' But when someone in authority insists, what are you supposed to do?"

Whatever happened to that "Question Authority" thing that liberals are so fond of plastering on their bumpers and backpacks? Oh, yes, they no longer question it. They vote for more of it these days. Which brings us obtusely back to that training thing.

The authority for most of the election judges in the 49th Ward is one David Fagus. Now, I'm not saying he personally trained the judges in the use of the invisible ink pens, but I would not be surprised if he at least knew about it. Fagus, a Democrat, is one of the most faithful servants of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore, also a Democrat. As the 49th Ward Democrat Committeeman, it's his job to know what's going on with election judges. Honestly.

Let's go back to Amy Carlton. I wouldn't pick on her in this public manner if she was just another gullible sucker who believes even the most ridiculous bullshit just because "someone in authority insists" that the bullshit is really strawberry shortcake. Honestly.

No, Ms. Carlton has been a seeker of the public eye. Therefore, The Bench considers her to be fair game. She runs a God-awful blog called RubberNun.net. On Wednesday, February 6 she wrote this brilliant defense of her authority-inspired gullibility:

"I told the Sun-Times that magic pens sounded just stupid enough to be true." But she's not dumb. Honestly.

"Anyway," Amy continued, "for reasons ranging from being lied to to just not thinking clearly at 7 am, I got screwed yesterday, and I fought back. And now I'm an object of ridicule from the neighborhood jagoff's* blog (the execrable Morse Hellhole) to Wonkette."

She "fought back" how? She swallowed the story and "voted." That's "fighting back"? She complains that she's now being made fun of all across this great land of ours, from neighborhood blogs to Wonkette. By the way, it's hundreds of bloggers posting about this. Honestly, hundreds.

Amy Carlton should just pretend that we're laughing with her, not at her. No, really. Honestly.

The not-dumb-honestly Amy Carlton continued her brilliant defense statement:

"No, wait! The moral of the story is: Who gives a rat's ass what people think? I'd do it again, people. It was the right thing to do.You gotta fight. For your right. To vooooooooooote! Just watch what you say to the media afterwards."

Sooooo, she'd fall for the invisible ink trick again. Falling for it the first time was "the right thing to do." And somehow doing that is fighting for your right to vote? Huh?

Honestly, folks. She's not dumb. Take her word for it.

Hey, Those Signs Are Illegal

Illegally placed, that is, along the public parkway between the sidewalk and the street. This is a common sight everywhere of course, but that doesn't make it right.

Shame on the candidates for not training their workers in the proper way to place their signs.