Interview Series With Michael Carroll, 46th Ward Aldermanic Candidate

Here is Part 1 of 5 of an interview series with Michael Carroll, candidate for alderman in Chicago's troubled 46th Ward (Uptown) and former Chicago police officer. Interviewed by Tom Mannis for Chicago News Bench (www.chicagonewsbench.com) on July 28, 2010. Michael Carroll's campaign website is www.carroll46.com.

Uptown Update's Unjournalism

Chicago - It is staggering to see this kind of frantic speculation, gossip and innuendo pass for "reporting," much less journalism. Let's keep this simple and leave the world "journalism" out. Let's just talk about reporting, something that a popular blog called "Uptown Update" has always had a difficult time with.

The anonymous bloggers (I know who they are) are good, I admit, at little posts about laundromat grand openings and free adverts for restaurants and cupcake shops.

 

Yes, by technicality that's "reporting." When it comes to reporting about "newsy" items, however, Uptown Update fails miserably. I know for a fact that the "UU" bloggers rarely visit the scene of a news story in their own neighborhood. Rather, for the vast majority of what they pass as "news reports," UU relies almost soley on frantically written, breathless emails and text messages from readers. Those "reports" are very often written by someone who "just passed by" an event and is - often by admission - guessing at what was going on.

A sadly typical example of UU's brand of "reporting" was posted just last Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. It involved a large group of cheerful, happy people marching through the streets of Uptown, cheering each other loudly and holding U.S. flags. A Tea Party rally, perhaps? Most people of average curiosity would have asked these obviously friendly people what they were up to, as I did.

I bring this up now because several people in the neighborhood have asked me about "the Tea Party rally in Uptown last Friday." The first time I was asked, I laughed and said there was no such rally in Uptown. Ever. I was told they read about it on Uptown Update. The second and third times I heard about it, however, I was irked by the inaccuracy of UU's "reporting" and by the misinformation that UU habitually disseminates.

I happened to witness this mystifying march myself. While walking along N. Sheridan Avenue last Friday morning, I saw the group of about 100 people a block away. As an active Tea Partier myself, I knew that there were no Tea Party rallies scheduled in Uptown. I followed the happy group for half a block as they turned west onto W. Lawrence. I asked one guy in the group, a middle aged man, what they were up to. He explained that they were having a combination birthday and retirement celebration for the founder of their group.

I don't remember the name of the group or of the retired birthday boy. I do remember the middle aged guy telling me that the founder was "a great mentor" for everyone in the group. No, not a cult thing, nothing weird, just inspirational financial and lifestyle mentoring. Not a Tea Party, not a political march per se, despite the handful of pro-caplitalism political signs. Remember, these folks were celebrating their mentor, a man who has helped them become financially successful. Given that, they would naturally also celebrate capitalism, the system that made their financial successes possible.

Enter Uptown Update. Or, rather, insert speculative gossip via email courtesy of Uptown Update. Their Sept. 24 "report," with no byline, was titled "Rally Reason?" The "report" starts with two quick admissions of ignorance. First, the anonymous person who posted the "report" wrote, "We had several readers write in asking about this rally near the Aragon this morning." That's all they wrote, too.

Then, the first reader quoted by UU said this (excerpts): "Does anyone know what the rally at the Lawrence L stop was about today? I was caught in the middle of it and honestly have no clue what it was about."

Let's pause for a moment. This dolt was "caught in the middle of it," yet has "no clue" what it was? We must assume that the reader wondered what was happening while "caught in the middle" of the walking celebration, yet his/her confession of not knowing is proof that he/she did not bother to ask any of the participants. In the reader's fourth paragraph, he/she wrote this:

The attendees seemed to be enthusiastic, but I couldn't decipher what about. Common calls were "Freedom is free" and "Freedom train." The most common sign I saw claimed "Jobs suck." There were a great deal of video cameras filming the entire debacle.

Again the reader admits that he/she could not "decipher" what the march was about. Had he/she taken 30 seconds to ask and hear a quick explanation, he/she would know that "Freedom is free" and the other slogans are about financial independence. Instead, what we were handed was a long admission of timidity and deliberate ignorance of that in which the reader was "caught in the middle." The reader ended with this (emphasis added):

I just wanted to get to work and they were in the way for absolutely no reason I can decipher. Since I was in no mood for any of it (remember, not a morning person), I turned up my headphones and managed not to make snide comments to these obviously enthusiastic people. A rally is fine, I suppose, but would it hurt them to make their purpose manifest to passers by?"

The reader not only over used the word "decipher," he/she made zero attempt to do so. In a seeming contradiction, he/she was in "no mood for any of it," yet he/she was interested enough to note several slogans and other details while observing them closely for at least several minutes. Not only did he/she not ask any of them for an explanation, he/she then deliberately ensured further ignorance by turning up his/her headphones to shut out information. Then, with astonishing hypocrisy, the reader asked "would it hurt them to make their purpose manifest to passers by?" Well, as I noted above, they were all very happy to explain it to anyone who asked.

That's sad, but even sadder is another commenter, a fool named "Stu." Here's what Stu wrote, in part (my emphasis added):

When asked what it was about everyone who was carrying signs that said "Stop Socialism" "Freedom" "Be an Entrepeneur" "America" said their "friend" who was a corporate recruiter who worked on in building on Sheridan road between Lawrence and Leland had retired at age 26. He was making 9,000 dollars a month...that's 108,000 at dollars a year! This was a tea party and the people were like zombies, goofy, lots of Wisconsin liscence plates....a right wing rally in Uptown. The crowd was diverse and therefore, no doubt Churchy. I told them this was Uptown and to get their right wing asses out of here...that's how I feel anyway. They lied about what they were doing. that's what I found so strange. The story of the 26 year old makes no sense at all...it was just a cover to prevent people from getting angry at them.

Stu, apparently, is one of the many, many overly medicated patients warehoused in Uptown who are allowed to stagger through the streets unattended, drooling on himself and regretting all day long that he forgot his tinfoil hat back at the nursing home. I think Stu got the age of the retiring birthday boy wrong, but we'll let that pass. Stu's comment is so wrought with inaccuracies and paranoia, however, that I cannot resist deconstructing it:

"This was a tea party and the people were like zombies, goofy, lots of Wisconsin liscence [sic] plates," wrote Stu.

No, it was NOT a Tea Party, as I explained. Believe me, a Tea Party would not have happened in Uptown without my knowing about it. As for being like "zombies, goofy," I saw no evidence of zombiness. Some of the folks were acting a bit goofy, but in that fun way that we all get when we're in a celebratory mood and with a big crowd of likeminded celebrants. I have no idea where Stu saw "lots of Wisconsin liscence [sic] plates," because this was a march on foot. It was not a car parade, nor was it a "right wing rally."

Stu wrote that "The crowd was diverse and therefore, no doubt Churchy," which only makes my brain hurt. A diverse crowd is necessarily "Churchy?" Huh? What? Does this mean, then, that a large gathering of atheists, which is ethnically diverse, would undoubtedly be "Churchy?" Ye gods, the liberal mind is amusing. Scary, as we see so often, but amusing.

Brave Stu "told them this was Uptown and to get their right wing asses out of here," and seems convinced that "They lied about what they were doing." The were not lying and Stu has no proof that they were. But here's where Stu exposes himself as a hateful liberal: He told them to get their "right wing asses" out of liberal, tolerant, Left-leaning, "progressive," proud-to-be-diverse Uptown. See, that's how it works for liberals. They love everybody, as long as those they love have exactly the same political beliefs and suffer the same symptoms of over-medication.

Uptown Update never did answer it's own question, posed in their single sentence introduction to a diatribe of mostly-guesswork comments: ""We had several readers write in asking about this rally near the Aragon this morning." The conflicting opinions, suspicions, and paranoia within the response to UU's pitiful non-attempt to get to the bottom of the mysterious non-Tea Party event only led to more questions and confusion, providing no authoritative information. Uptown Update normally operates this way, and in this way provides a great disservice to all who read it.

This is what passes for "reporting" at Uptown Update. Good job, UU, you manage daily to show us all how not to do it, and why so many people still don't trust the Internet for news. Do us all a favor and stick to your little reports about chocolate mints and free cake. Oh, and stop using graphics from all over the web without attribution or links to their sources. I mean, you have a professional graphic artist on your staff, don't you?

Exclusive: 9/21 Shooting in Uptown Was A Drive-By (Photos)

18 Hours Later, Sidewalk Still Bloody

Sept. 22, 2010 - Chicago - Last night's 6:00 p.m. shooting in Uptown was a drive-by. Two people were struck by bullets in front of Midtown Medical Center, 4527 North Sheridan Road (at the intersection of West Windsor Avenue). Nobody else is reporting this, but an eyewitness told Chicago News Bench today that the gunfire came from a "grayish" car as it drove southbound on Sheridan past the medical office. The witness said that there were "at least three people in the car." After the shooting, the car turned right onto West Sunnyside Avenue (see map) and made a U-turn. It then drove back, northbound, and passed through the scene of the shooting. Police were already arriving as the shooter's car passed by the second time, the witness said. There was no more gunfire after the first shots on the car's first pass. "They just drove right on through," the witness said, "because the police didn't know yet that this was the shooter's car. I told them what I saw, and then they started looking for that car." A readers tells us that the CAPS Beat 2312 meeting was told that police were on the crime scene in seconds because they were just up the street already. What the CAPS meeting was not told, however, was that the shooter casually drove right past them. The account that the witness gave Chicago News Bench today jives with what we reported last night. In our report, we said that the police are searching for a suspect "Pregnant Girl, Man Shot In Uptown"). whose name is Lonnie White, a Gangster Disciple and who "may be driving a silver/gray mid-sized Buick." Again, we are the only ones to have reported this so far. Note: Unlike Uptown Update, I actually get off my fat butt and walk the streets in search of information. We like commenters, but we don't like to rely on rumor and innuendo from anonymous emails. That's not journalism. It's gossip.

Click images to enlarge them

Police Searching For Suspect In Tuesday's Uptown Shooting

Sept. 21, 2010 - 8:20 p.m. - Chicago police are searching for a suspect in the shooting that occurred around 6:00 p.m. near North Sheridan Road and West Wilson Avenue (see "Pregnant Girl, Man Shot In Uptown"). The suspect is Lonnie White, is a Gangster Disciple and may be driving a silver/gray mid-sized buick. DO NOT APPROACH HIM. He is considered armed and dangerous. Call 911. His name: Lonnie White, Black male, late 20s/early 30s. His last known address is the 4800 block of North Winthrop. Height: 5 feet, 9 inches. Weight: 255 lbs. Details are as heard on the CPD police radio at 8:25 p.m.

Pregnant Girl, Man Shot In Uptown

Sept. 21, 2010 - Uptown, Chicago - Four Two people were shot in the 4500 block of North Sheridan Road just past 6:00 p.m. today, just south of W. Wilson Avenue in front of Midtown Medical Center. WGN TV reports that the victims were a pregnant 17-year old girl and a 29-year old man. The conditions of the victims are unknown at this time. UPDATE: Police Searching For Suspect In Tonight's Uptown Shooting

Suspect Detained After Multiple Shots Fired In Uptown, Chicago

EXCLUSIVE: Chicago police detained a suspect in a multiple shots fired case early this morning on the North Side. They got him in less than 30 minutes after receiving a number of panicked 911 calls. Here is our real time report, written as we heard it live on the police scanner: 1:55 A.M., September 4, 2010 - Multiple 911 calls reporting 8 or 9 shots fired, initially thought to be near near W. Lawrence and N. Malden in Uptown... DEVELOPING... At 2:04 A.M.: A police unit called in to tell dispatch that civilian has two bullet holes in their Chevy Caprice at W. Leland and N. Magnolia. That's one block north of Truman College (map). Shots now considered bona fide. Police searching for shell casings at this intersection. Suspect at large. Description of suspect: 5' 10", 150 pounds, male Black, "has a large caliber gun," "carmel complexion," blue visor, white stripes on arms of his blue jacket, blue jeans. At 2:13 A.M.: Suspect thought to be hiding in an alley off of 4400 block of N. Clifton (map), just south of Truman College. Dispatch calls for "saturation team" to respond. 2:18 A.M.: Unit calls in, says nothing found in that alley. Other units continuing search on N. Clifton. 2:21 A.M: Unit calls in, "Possible suspect matching description walking eastbound on Wilson at Racine." 2:22 A.M.: Suspect in custody at 1211 W. Lawrence Avenue (map).

(Updated) 911 Call For Woman Peeing In McDonald's

She just couldn't hold it, I guess. At 11:56 a.m. today, Chicago police got a call from the security guard at the McDonald's restaurant at 1004 W. Wilson Avenue in Chicago's exotic Uptown neighborhood. A woman "urinated in the dining area" of the busy fast food joint, commonly called the GangDonalds by locals because it's frequented by the little devils. UPDATE: A security guard at the McDonalds told Chicago News Bench that the woman came in as a customer. She ordered her meal, but was apparently unhappy with the counter service. Even so, she took her food and quietly ate it at a table. Finished, she politely emptied her tray into the trash, but then silently lowered her pants and proudly pee'd on the floor in front of everybody. That was, apparently, her way of complaining about the service. She then walked out, unapprehended. No charges were filed as a result of her pissy-fit. The store is on the northwest corner of N. Sheridan Road and W. Wilson Avenue, an area notorious for gang activity. It's one of the few intersections in Uptown that has a police camera. 46th Ward Ald. Helen Shiller fought against that several years ago, but CPD and CAPS fought her hard enough to get it. To this day, there is no camera two short blocks away at W. Wilson and N. Broadway, where it is not unusual for gangs to open fire on each other from across the street. Shiller has always justified her resistance to police cameras by claiming that they discriminate against the poor. Talk to any poor person in Uptown (and they are plentiful), and most will tell you that poor folks can be crime victims too - and they like the camera at Wilson and Sheridan. Odds are good that the urinating woman at McDonald's is one of the many mentally ill people who reside in Uptown, dumped into SROs and "nursing homes." Many are heavily medicated. You can often pick them out from a block away by their slow shuffle, hunched shoulders and blank-eyed look. Most are allowed to walk around unattended, which makes them ideal victims of anybody determined to mug somebody. These poor souls are so numerous in Uptown that the neighborhood is, in effect, one big open-air insane asylum. The "46th Mental Ward" is a legacy that Helen Shiller can take to her grave. Walk through Uptown's 46th Ward and you'll likely see people urinating in the open, often making no attempt to hide what they're doing. As you step over homeless people sleeping or begging on the sidewalks, you might see the occasional pile of human excrement. Puddles of vomit are also a common sight. If you've ever wondered what it's like to walk the streets of Calcutta or Hanoi, just stroll along W. Wilson between N. Sheridan and N. Clark. You'll get the same other-worldly feeling and, with some luck, your nose will catch that same other-worldly aroma.

Help Find Doletha Parker, Missing Uptown Chicago Woman

A 60-year-old woman with Alzheimer's Disease is reported missing. The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding her. Doletha Parker was last seen about 2:30 a.m. Friday (August 6, 2010) on the 4500 block of North Malden Street, police said (see map). That's in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, where flyers for Ms. Parker have been seen posted on light poles and shop windows for two days now. Ms. Parker might have boarded the CTA Red Line at Wilson and Broadway, in an attempt to get to a son's house near 50th Street and Washington Park Court, police said. She recently moved to Chicago from Minnesota and is carrying Minnesota identification, and she might appear confused because of her medical condition. Ms. Parker is described in a missing person alert as black, 5-foot-6, 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and white housecoat and flip-flop shoes, and was carrying a gold purse. Anyone with information is asked to call the Belmont Area Special Victims Unit at 312-744-8266. The above report was largely by Heywood Hoffman as found at Chicago Breaking News, based on information from the Chicago Police Department. Some rewrite and additional information was added by Tom Mannis.

Idiot Shoots Self in Hand at Broadway and Sunnyside

August 5, 2010 - Chicago - At 6:00 p.m. a person suffered a gunshot wound to their own hand. The were standing at the intersection of N. Broadway and W. Sunnyside, near the new Target store in Uptown. It is not known why the person had the gun or why they shot their own hand. At 6:12 p.m., Chicago police radioed that the victim was being taken to nearby Weiss Memorial Hospital. This might be related to an earlier shooting today at 2:45 p.m. at nearby Hazel and Sunnyside. Uptown Update has that...

Chicago Shootings Continue Overnight in Uptown and Roseland

August 3, 2010 - When will it end? Despite earnest and "uneasy" candlelight vigils to remember the dead and ward off evil spirits, the gangs and criminally insane just keep killing. To wit, a shooitng last night around 11:00 p.m. in the 10500 block of South LaSalle Street, another shooting about an hour later in the 12300 block of South Normal Avenue, and a third just past 2:30 a.m. in Uptown today. According to Chicago Breaking News, "a 20-year-old man was shot in the abdomen in the 1000 block of West Lawrence Avenue. He was reported stable at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center." Details, full story... Chicago News Bench has learned that the man's first name is Warren and he was accompanied by two females when he was shot. The Lawrence Avenue shooting happened about half a block from the home of James Cappelman, candidate for 46th Ward alderman. There were no Official Positive Loiterers present to keep Lawrence Avenue free of crime. State Senator Heather Steans would not return my phone calls about her own positive loitering efforts even if I tried to call her. RELATED: Chicago Killings Continue Despite Useless Uptown Peace Vigil

Remembering Helen Shiller (Video)

46th Ward Alderman Shiller has announced that she won't seek re-election next year. Just for fun, let's flash back to a wonderful event in Uptown on August 17, 2009 when Alderman Helen Shiller was yelled at by angry 46th Ward residents and chased off the Truman College campus. Ah, memories.

Chicago Killings Continue Despite Useless Uptown Peace Vigil

We told you so, but we didn't need a crystal ball. We have been harshly critical of peace vigils in the past as being useless ceremonial rituals that accomplish nothing apart from offering a temporary (and false) sense by participants that they are "doing something to end violence." After last week's candlelight peace vigil at the scene of a July 28 fatal shooting in the 4500 block of N. Magnolia, we noted that it would do nothing to stop the wave of often-fatal violence in Chicago. Sometimes, we hate being right: August 2, 2010 - Chicago - At least 10 people were reported wounded overnight in separate shootings on the city's South and Northwest Sides, officials said. More at Chicago Breaking News... RELATED items from Chicago Breaking News: Autopsy: Englewood girl, 2, beaten to death August 2, 2010 Man shot, killed in West Pullman, August 1, 2010 2 killed, 2 wounded in drive-by shooting at South Side party, August 1, 2010 Woman shot in neck in domestic incident, August 1, 2010 RELATED from other sources: Best Friends Killed In Chicago And Another 14 Shot Global Grind (blog)

Humbolt Park Shooter Not Moved By Uptown Peace Vigil

July 31, 2010 - Golly, I guess the criminal who shot this guy didn't get the message from last night's peace vigil in Uptown, Chicago. Huh. A 36-year-old man was shot and critically wounded this afternoon as he stood on a corner in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood, police said. The man was in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital this evening, according to a police media release. More at Chicago Breaking News... Also: At least 10 wounded in separate Chicago shootings, Aug. 2, 2010 Chicago Breaking News

Useless Uptown Peace Vigil Ends But Violence Will Continue

There was a candlelight anti-violence peace march in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood (a section called Sheridan Park), as reported here earlier. It was the production of Johnny King and his "Commissioned for the Community" group. The event was oh-so-predictable. A crowd of 80 to 100 people gathered at the southwest corner of N. Magnolia and W. Wilson at 7:00 p.m., then moved to the middle of the 4500 block of N. Magnolia. That's where the two young men were shot on Wednesday. A modest police presence was there to monitor the situation; some detectives and a few uniformed officers stood around, out of the way. Politicians present: 46th Ward aldermanic candidates Michael Carroll, James Cappelman, Don Nowotny and Molly Phelan, as well as Adam Robinson, candidate for State Senate in the 7th District (photo right; click images to englarge them). The Critical Mass biker riders, by the way, did not pass through Wilson and Magnolia until 9:15 p.m., well after the vigil ended. It was feared earlier that they would get in the way of the vigil, which was a silly fear inasmuch as the vigil was a long half block off of that intersection. Some of the speakers, including King (photo left), gave the usual speeches. Why is their such hate? they wondered aloud. Why do they shoot each other? they asked collectively. Now is the time to come together and do something about this, they vowed 60 years too late. We have a voice, the group muttered, and we have the ability to make a difference. We must come together. Blah blah blah, talk talk talk, and meanwhile the code of silence in the Black community continues. I see more "Stop Snitching" than Che Guevara tee shirts in Uptown. The shooting is almost exclusively black-on-black violence, but the code of "the Black man's law" keeps many in the neighborhood from helping the police (The Man) from preventing the next black person from being gunned down. Nobody at this vigil had the guts to address this fully. Look, these are nice, well meaning people. It's hard to fault them for their good intentions and their kind spirits. The fact that these are good people, who truly feel the pain of a community that is wrenched by violence in a society that gets number to it every year, just makes it all the more difficult to watch. Otherwise intelligent people who would laugh at the notion of superstition stood around on a sidewalk tonight and essentially appealed to the gods to intervene. I have nothing against prayer, but the real roots of the violence were not addressed. Photo above, left: Molly Phelan Photo above, right: James Cappelman Photo below, left: CFC members get the message out Photo below, right: The vigil on Magnolia. At no time did we hear mention of the morally decaying influence of Hollywood over the decades, nor of the coddling of criminals by politicians and activist judges. At no point in the ritual tonight did anybody rant righteously against lazy parents, a justice system that lets the shooters go more often than not with minimal or no punishment, and at no time did anybody scold the ACLU for making it difficult for police officers to do their jobs. I did not hear anybody say anything about the sick culture of gangsta rap and the encouragement it gives to the animals and savages who so wantonly kill each other and the innocent bystanders who are rude enough to get in the way of their bullets. Photo below, left: Discarded pizza box, empty juice and beer bottles. Photo below, right: This dog's trick was as effective in fighting gang violence as were the tricks performed by the humans at the vigil. What we did see was a repeat of what has happened thousands of times across America in the wake of some tragic and senseless murder. What we will see again, as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow, is another round of insane violence in Chicago. It might be tonight, tomorrow, or next week, but you can safely bet your mortgage that it will happen. In fact, as the vigil was still in progress, I crossed the street to stand with three CPD officers and a civilian. "Gee," I said sarcastically to them, "I feel safer already knowing that this vigil has stopped all future violence in Uptown." They laughed. "For now," one said, "I give it three days before there's another incident." Another officer said, "I'm betting on two days." Two days, three day, whatever: Somebody will die again. Perhaps there will be another vigil then, too. Perhaps next time we can build a big bonfire on the beach and sacrifice a cow or something. Perhaps State Senator Heather Steans, the Machine Democrat who Adam Robinson is running against, can hold another of her useless public safety meetings. RELATED: At least 10 wounded in separate Chicago shootings, Aug. 2, 2010 Chicago Breaking News Cops ID Suspect in 13-Year-Old's Murder MyFoxChicago 'Scary' growth of gangs in war zones - Chicago Sun-Times Street-Gang Mentality A Mosaic of Remorseless Violence and Relentless Loyalty FBI.gov

Prayer Vigil, Voodoo and Liberal Magic in Uptown, Chicago

July 30, 2010 - Two guys were shot in Uptown, one fatally, on Wednesday. On Chicago's south side, a 13-year old boy was riddled with 22 bullets. The shooting has been going on for many years, unabated by the now-defunct handgun ban in the city, and it continues. There is, frankly, no sign of it stopping soon. Also See: Useless Uptown Peace Vigil Ends But Violence Will Continue This is odd and strange, because after hundreds and hundreds of prayer vigils, candlelight ceremonies and "take back the streets" marches, you'd think the gangsters would have slapped their foreheads and shouted collectively, "Daaaay-yam! Prayz and candalie and yuppies marshin?!? I have seen da light, pray Jeezuz! No mo crime fuh me!" (Lest you think me racist for the way I wrote that, let me remind you that none of the shooters thus far have been Japanese honor students.) The gangstas haven't had a sudden change of heart, of course, but that won't stop a bunch of well-meaning fools from wasting their time tonight in yet another useless excercise in futility. We are have a prayer vigil and peace march tomorrow at Magnolia and Wilson at 7pm for the two young men shoot yesterday. One of the young men passed on and the other is still in the hospital. Peace [sic] come out and unite in peace with us. So wrote "Commissioned for the Community" (CFC) on their Facebook page yesterday. We wonder if wreaths of garlic will be handed out to help keep away evil spirits. I'm told that immediately after the event there will be a rain dance in Lincoln Park, and on Saturday a witch will be called in to CFC's offices to cast a spell on the gangsters. None of this will do a damn bit of good, of course, but I suppose it will at least make the peace marchers feel good. It's what liberal magic is best for.

More Shooting In Uptown, July 29; Retaliation For Magnolia Murder

Chicago - July 29 - Early this afternoon, gangsters were shooting at each other in the 4500 block of N. Sheridan near W. Sunnyside. Sources tell Chicago News Bench that the gunplay was between Gangster Disciples and Black P Stones and was in retaliation for the July 28 double shooting in the 4500 block of N. Magnolia. The same sources say they fear more violence tonight and possibly through the week. Watch your backs, Uptown, and be ready to duck.

Afternoon Shooting In Chicago's Uptown, Gang Related, Updated

PLEASE SEE UPDATE: One Dead In Uptown Shooting Today, Died On Scene (With Photos) Thank you...

Another Sneak Peek at Wilson Yard Target

This is a view through the front doors of the new Target store in Uptown, Chicago. Employees have been busy for weeks getting the shelving in place and, more recently, stocking those shelves with much-awaited-for merchandise. The two-level store at N. Broadway and W. Sunnyside will feature a limited grocery section and a Starbucks.

Three Uptown Shootings, One Fatal, In 24 Hours

Yet another Uptown shooting on July 7 to report. We note it today for the record. This shooting is one of at least three within a 24-hour period. Around 1:25 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7, a man was fatally shot in the back at Clarendon Park. Three hours later, at 4:35 a.m., four shots were fired at man in his vehicle around 4700 N. Winthrop; he was not injured. Then, as reported by CBS2 Chicago, a man was hit by gunfire in the 1400 block of W. Montrose at 6:25 p.m. Quoting from CBS2 Chicago: A man was shot and wounded Wednesday night [July 7] in the Uptown neighborhood, outside the iconic Graceland Cemetery. The 29-year-old man was walking in the 1400 block of West Montrose Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain about 6:25 p.m., police said. The shooting happened outside the north end of Graceland Cemetery, 4001 N. Clark St. The man suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen area and was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was in stable condition Wednesday night, police said. The gunman is not known and there were no reports of anyone in custody Thursday morning.... NOTE: CBS2 contradicted itself and showed its lack of familiarity with the neighborhood by giving the 4001 N. Clark address (map) and also saying that the shooting "happened outside the north end of Graceland Cemetery." The 4001 N. Clark address that CBS2 gave is at N. Clark and W. Irving Park Road, which is seven blocks south of the shooting scene in "the 1400 block of West Montrose Avenue." ANOTHER NOTE: Where were the "positive loiterers," and do they really think that loitering positively on one corner will stop violence in any neighborhood?

Man Shot in Back, Dies in Uptown, Chicago (Updated)

July 7, 2010 - Chicago - Two men came under gun fire in Uptown early this morning. One of them died, the other escaped without injury. As reported here first, two men on bikes opened fire on passing motorist at W. Leland and N. Winthrop around 4:35 a.m. No injuries there, but in another incident three hours ealier Detrick Garrett (photo) died after being shot at Clarendon Park (map). Details: About 1:26 a.m., a 29-year-old man was shot multiple times in the Uptown neighborhood on Chicago's North Side. The man was identified as Detrick Garrett of the 4500 block of North Sheridan Road.... Garrett was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m. at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Officers responded to the scene in the 4500 block of North Clarendon Avenue and found Garrett shot several times. He was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. More at Chicago Breaking News... There were no "positive loiterers" observed at either shooting scene. Take note, positive loiterers: Crime does not follow your schedule, it doesn't care what corner you're "protecting," and is not deterred by your delusional Batman complex.