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

Savage CTA Attack on New Year's Eve

Rogers Park, Chicago - After the recent New Year's Eve celebration, a Rogers Park bar owner and bar staff were viciously attacked as they tried to board the Red Line train around 3:30 a.m., January 1, 2009. The owner and staff tried to enter the Morse Avenue CTA EL Station (at N. Glenwood), where about 12 juveniles (estimated at 15-17 years old, both boys and girls) were loitering inside the terminal and blocking the turnstyles. (It should be noted that the CTA employees at the Morse station frequently allow loitering, smoking and drug dealing inside and outside of the station without calling security or police.) They were "viciously attacked" as the girls were "egging on the young boys to prove their manhood. The beating continues. The blood flows. The CTA security and personal do nothing." Will Jesse Jackson run up to Rogers Park to protest what could be described as a hate crime? The CTA Morse El station is approximately 180 feet from the new Morse Theatre, which opened last October, 2008. The theater hoped originally to open in September, but the small matter of a gang style break in and arson delayed that. Many local residents are ignorant enough to believe (still) that the presence of a nice new business will reduce crime on this deeply troubled strip of Rogers Park. What the ignorant seem blind to is the fact that the Morse Theatre is not in the business of providing security for Morse Avenue, Alderman Joe Moore (49th Ward) still doesn't give a rat's behind about gang activity on and around Morse Avenue (even after 17 years as the city council representative), and the 24th District police are reactionary and not preventative in their approach to crime. CTA should be held liable for damages suffered by the bar staff. Had such an attack happened in a business establishment, the business would be held liable for not protecting the safety of its patrons. CTA should not be able to get away with this, nor should Alderman Moore or the 24th District police commander. It was New Year's Eve, for God's sake. Any fool should have known that the likelihood for trouble is heightened. The usually lax attention that the cops pay to the Morse El station should have been improved at least temporarily until sunrise on January 1, and Alderman Moore should have demanded that weeks ago. CPD needs to explain why a group of minors was allowed to loiter at 3:30 a.m. in a spot that should have been heavily patroled all night and until the sun was up. CTA needs to explain why their employee/s and the third-party security company did not call police or intervene in the attack, and why the little savages were allowed to loiter there in the first place. Yes, I did call them savages. Why no, that's not a racist remark. It's an accurate description of people who commit acts of savagery. What Rogers Park needs is a good public stoning of the local police commanders, the alderman and a few CTA officials. I suggest the intersection of Morse and Glenwood as the venue.

Morse Avenue Is Dangerous

Morse Avenue remains a dangerous place, despite the lies told by 49th Ward Alderman Joe "the Squid" Moore and his accomplices at DevCorp North. Crime is NOT down in Rogers Park, Chicago. One of the most dangerous areas of Rogers Park is the stretch W. Morse Avenue between N. Sheridan Road on the east and N. Clark Street to the west. Shooting, drug sales, public defecation and urination, gang fights, robberies. That's what you need to look out for on W. Morse Avenue. Many hope that the addition of the Morse Theatre will help reduce the crime on Morse. It might, but don't hold your breath. The Morse Theatre itself was the target of arsonists recently, and nearly every night you can buy narcotics or sex in the alley along its western wall. Small shops are regularly the vicitms of shoplifitng and robbery. Nevertheless, DevCorp North's Kimberly Bares insists that Morse Avenue is great, and that all the goods and services we've hoped for are now available there. Sure, if all you've hoped for is a Dollar Store and crack sales. RELATED: Businesses Leaving Rogers Park "Raw" Video of Mural Ceremony Morse Avenue Streetscape? Huh? Where? When? Flashback: Morse Theatre Attacked Continuously by Moore Operative

Morse Avenue Streetscape? Huh? Where? When?

People who are close to the wheelings and dealings of Chicago's 49th Ward told me months ago that the long-promised, nearly-mythical Morse Avenue Streetscape would commence "right after the Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival." Uh, huh. Well, that festival came and went two weeks ago. There is less pavement torn up on Morse Avenue today than there was a month ago. The huge puddle at Morse and Greenview, there for nearly a year, was finally cleaned up after The Bench bitched about it. The excuse for letting it go so long: "Why tear it up now when it'll just get torn up again for Streetscape, right after the Glenwood Arts Fest?" Are we being played by Joe Moore - again? Mr. Ribbon Cutter has made no announcements about a looming Streetscape, which would be out of character for him (or any alderman) if indeed it was about to happen. What does Joe Moore's own web site say about this? Here are the only references to a Streetscape project on his site (as of 7:44 p.m., 9/6/08): Morse Avenue has also seen new restaurants and pubs and will soon see a new coffee house and an exciting new restaurant and entertainment venue. $800,000 in improvements were made to the Morse Avenue El Station. And a new streetscape project will get underway on Morse Avenue this summer. From the "ALDERMAN JOE MOORE'S STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY December 10, 2006" See it here... Note: Pigeons still crap on you as you enter the CTA station on Morse Avenue. Duck! The Morse Avenue Streetscape continues to improve. Look for bold changes this summer with $3 million in streetscape improvements. From "The 49 Line," Winter 2006-2007. See it here in PDF or View as HTML... We've looked. Don't see 'em. Oh yes, there's also the "Streetscape" up on Howard Street: Moore has also overseen the opening of a new 14,000-square foot branch of the Chicago Public Library, a new 2.5 acre park which replaced an adult bookstore and dilapidated housing, a soon-to-be-constructed 20,000 square foot community center, the renovation of the old Howard Theater building, the Sheridan Road and Howard Streetscape beautification projects, hundreds of units of affordable rental housing and new condominiums geared toward lower-income working families. From Joe Moore's official biography, date unknown, viewable here... In the words of Barack Obama, "I mean, words mean something. You can’t just make stuff up. I mean, come on, they must think you’re stupid!" Did I mention that Barack Obama endorsed Joe for reelection in 2006, and that Joe is an enthusiastic backer of Obama?

Streetscape: Rogers Park as Mayberry, Part Two

The other day, one of Alderman Joe Moore's attack dogs posted a photo of some Streets and Sanitation work being done at N. Ashland and W. Morse. The attack dog, who is the former campaign chair of Moore's poodle Jim Ginderske, is the guy who posted the photo. The accompanying headline: "Streetscape Begins?"

Whah? The text of the attack dog's blog post was brief. "Morse & Ashland is getting a big revision. Is this the beginning of the streetscape construction? Time will tell."

This is fascinating, and provides a glimpse into the weird, not-ready-for-prime-time Mayberry RFD parallel universe within the two-square miles of Chicago's 49th Ward.

Ginderske is - theoretically - well connected these days to Ald. Moore. The attack dog is well connected to poodle Ginderske. At least, theoretically. Why then, does the attack dog not know whether or not the work being done at Ashland and Morse is connected to the long-anticipated, severely past due Streetscape for Morse Avenue?

I don't have the answer. But the point is that the attack dog doesn't, either. What's more, the alderman is strangely mum on the point. Many of us in the neighborhood are wondering the same thing. There are rumors on the street - from supposedly well connected individuals - that Streetscape will indeed commence in late August, after the Glenwood Arts Fest. If that is true, why hasn't Joe Moore been trumpeting that. After all, Moore is the kind of guy who loves ribbon cuttings - for things that don't yet deserve a ribbon cutting. The "new" Howard CTA station is a good example. Weeks ago, Moore conducted a ribbon cutting for the station, the renovation of which is still nowhere complete and will not be finished until sometime next year. Why, then, have we not yet seen a firm announcement about a Morse Avenue Streetscape? Why no ribbon cutting?

SOS: 24th District Cops Out of Control

Fellow New Media Journalists: Please give this your attention, and help bring it to the attention of your readers. Bloggers - the free media - are under siege in Chicago's 24th Police District. This is a story for newspapers to latch onto as well - if they care about free media and free speech and police harassment. (They claim to - do they?) Where are the so-called, self-professed Free Speech Liberals? Craig and I have written about this extensively. Where are the ACLU types, so eager to defend neo-Nazis's free speech? Nazis can speak freely, even march past the homes of Auschwitz survivors, say the ACLU members. But bloggers? Why, they're bloggers! That's just unacceptable! Where are the so-called "community leaders" who call themselves "Progressives?" Where are our fellow bloggers? Where is Commander Steven Caluris, 24th District, who claims he is against the type of behavior that some of his troops are engaging in? They are silent, virtually all. Granted, a handful of people (mostly anonymous) are leaving comments on Craig's blog. Oh, how brave! Thanks for your virtually silent, anonymous-and-therefore meaningless support. The so-called civil libertarians of the 49th Ward in Rogers Park are precisely the opposite: They are boot licking sycophants to the local powers. They march lock step with Joe Moore and his cronies. None of them has stepped up to the plate, none has openly spoken out. That is why we need outside attention. Like a third world nation with a tyrant in power, we appeal to outside entities for assistance. All we ask for is your attention and assistance in getting the word out about official harassment of journalists in Rogers Park, the 49th Ward, the 24th Police District. To be sure, not all of the officers in the 24th are behaving badly. Most are not. But it only takes a handful of bad apples to make the whole house smell rotten. I am getting some of the abuse, but friend and fellow writer Craig Gernhardt is being harassed the most. Examples: * On June 28, Craig and I were assaulted by first responders (in front of the Ald. Moore's office). A paramedic committed assault and battery on Craig, then attempted strong arm robbery (no weapon) of his camera. A cop assaulted me, tried to steal my camera, brushing my hand with his in the attempted robbery. I have a formal complaint filed with Internal Affairs. See the video here. * In mid-June, Craig recorded video of some young kids working on the site of a gut rehab building. There is a police connection here, although weird. The kids were hauling fiberglass and other waste materials with no protective clothing or masks. (See * Child Labor Used in Rogers Park Rehab.) In any normal community, Craig would have been lauded as a hero for exposing the outrage - but here in socially dysfunctional Rogers Park, he is being attacked for it. Why? Mental cases here accuse him of making a child porn video! According to Craig, The kids are fully clothes, not doin anything sexual, are in broad daylight, in plain view of the street. The only sick people involved in the incident are the people accusing Craig of doing anything wrong. THE POLICE CONNECTION: About a week after Craig made this video, a female cop pulled Craig over and expressed her displeasure about it. She had no business doing this - it is a civil matter, not a police matter. * On July 6, a police car responded responded to a call about illegally parked vehicles where Pratt Avenue ends at the beach. The officer sees me, she also sees five illegally parked vehicles, and says to me, "I have a call that you're photographing cars. It's illegal to photograph cars." Huh? I ask her which ordinance makes it illegal to photograph a car in Chicago. Of course, she could not cite her make-believe ordinance. She wrote a ticket for a guy whose car was parked with two wheels over the curb, but ignored four life guard vehicles. (More about that over here....) This was not exactly harassment, but the message was loud and clear: The police (some of them) are more interested in hassling civilians than in doing their job.

For space considerations I'll stop here for now. But there will be more to come.

Warning! Sidewalk Bicyclists On Morse Avenue

Whew, the 24th District police (Chicago) have their work cut out for them! They are now, apparently, cracking down hard on bicyclists (over 13 years old) who ride on the sidewalks of Rogers Park.

The police just did a brilliant chase-down of a bicyclist last night. As the cops are reported to have said to the heinous offender, he was putting people in "grave danger."

Ah, but the "grave danger" continues! Today, right now, I see many cyclists over the age of 13 on the sidewalk of Morse Avenue. Where are the police? Why are they not stopping this imminent, grave danger? Of course, there is another way to look at all of this: Crime in Chicago and the 49th Ward is now, I guess, so low that the most serious thing the police have to worry about is bicyclists.

Bidness in the 49th Ward

Farmer Joe Moore, 49th Cornfield

49th Ward Alderjackass Joe Moore would celebrate a one-year anniversary this week - if he was lucid enough to know about it. Joe Moore is a lazy, uncaring, incompetent douche bag. Proof? The one-year old pile of gravel on W. Morse Avenue. A pile of gravel has been sitting undisturbed next to a CTA bus stop in the 1300 block of W. Morse Avenue. It is a hazardous obstacle for the elderly, disabled, and many drug-hazy denizens of the ward. For one full year, members of DevCorp North and of Special Service Area #24 have looked at, walk past and completely ignored this unsightly pile. DevCorp employs slave-wage prison-release workers to sweep up the sidewalks, and for a full year they have carefully shoveled snow around, and swept up litter around, the pile - without disturbing it. DevCorp, the SSA and Moore have been so proud of the garrish mural on the CTA overpass (visible in the backgroud of the photos here) that they are completely blind to the fact that the mural is not magic. The mural does not make Morse Avenue better. Picking up gravel piles is the kind of thing that makes any street better. The mural is bit like lipstick on Joe Moore's staffer Anne Sullivan; the lipstick might be a nice shade, but it does not hide the hideous disaster under it.

DevCorp North operative Rene Camargo has often walked past, around or even over this pile of gravel on his way to harass a local merchant about the color of his ceiling paint. Camargo, a latent interior decorator, is more concerned with how pretty the inside of a store is than with how hazardous it is for customers to walk to the store. More concerned with pretty awnings adorning the storefronts, Camargo has missed the ugly pile of gravel. I believe the relevant analogy would be that of not being able to see the whole forest because one is obsessed with one tree at a time. Alderpantsload Joe Moore rarely comes to Morse Avenue, except to campaign for something. He may have driven past this pile a few times in the last 12 months on his way to his usual post-Cubs game boozefest at the Oasis, around the corner on Sheridan Road. If he did notice it, he didn't care enough to remember it. If he remembered it, he didn't care enough to pick up his phone and make a call downtown. That's what alderpantsloads are for - call downtown and get services for their ward. True. A farmer also spreads less manure than Joe Moore. RELATED: Joe Moore's PuddleScape Alderman Joe Moore's Pile Morse Avenue Obstacle Scape Shoddy 49th Ward Pile of Gravel Confuses DevCorp North Joe Moore's Pile of ... Thank You, Morse Theatre. (Shame on You, Alderman Moore) Hey Joe, You Missed a Spot

Protest At Morse Theatre

Union Ankle Biters in the 49th Ward

Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood has hungered for years for a project that would revitalize the semi-blighted W. Morse Avenue. After years of unfulfilled promises of a Streetscape project from 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore, the Morse Theatre has given new hope to the neighborhood. In 2006, local resident Andrew McGhee announced his intentions to perform a gut rehab on a building that once housed a movie theater, then a synagogue, and a number of small merchants' stalls.

McGhee and his financiers have faithfully preserved the terra cotta front of the building. The new venture will have a 300-seat theater, featuring mainly live jazz and blues, but will have the ability to show cinema and video on a large screen. There will also be a 90-seat restaurant and bar. Without government handouts, with no real assistance from Alderman Moore or DevCorp, this single project will do more to put Morse Avenue on the path to revitalization than anything the local power elite have done.

And there's the rub. The local power elite - the alderman and his cronies, DevCorp, some of the Special Service Area #24 members, and the usual ankle biters - resent this success. It reminds us all of their ineptitude, and of the superiority of the private sector.

Joe Moore would be nowhere if not for heavy union support over the past 17 years. Today, with the magnificent Morse Theatre project about to open in a matter of weeks, there are those amongst Moore's power base that are so beside themselves that they instinctively turn to old and tired methods of harassment and character assassination. Carpenters Local Union No. 58 is one example of the ankle biters, and they are currently handing out flyers in front of the Morse Theatre project during the morning rush hour. Let's examine the text of the flyer with my notes in red italics:

UNION MAID
UNION MADE?

The Morse Theatre project, 1328 W. Morse Ave.

If you're going to picket something, know the correct spelling of it. It's "Theatre," not "Theater."

Invoking the names of past Folkies doesn't make it right.

No, it doesn't, but after saying that the flyer immediately invokes the names of past folkies [folk singers]. The author assumes that everyone knows what a "folkie" is, who the "Folkies" are, and what their significance is.

Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie dedicated their lives to organizing workers to ensure that hardworking people laboring for the bosses were treated fairly and benefited from their labor. They sang and fought to make this dream a reality. Today, as in the past the bosses get fat off of the sweat of the worker and Pete and Woody's work continues.

That was true back in the days of Pete and Woody. But, according to a
Congressional Research Service paper, "Union membership in the United States has declined significantly in recent decades. The number of union members peaked in 1979 at an estimated 21.0 million. In 2003, an estimated 15.8 million workers were union members. As a percent of employed workers, union membership peaked in 1954 at 28.3%. In 2003, 11.5% of employed workers were union members." [Source, PDF]

Why is union membership down so drastically from the days of Pete and Woody? Ironically, it is because of the great things that the labor unions did. Truly, we owe the past union leaders a debt of gratitude. But today's union leaders take their members' dues and often turn that money over to political campaigns that many members do not personally support. The union leaders are themselves fat cats. The poor schlubs on the picket line are not making out; they're probably just following orders. Employees around the country (indeed, around the world) see this behavior and say, "No, I'd rather not be in a union."

The Carpenters Union Local Union No. 58 labor dispute is doomed to fail. Why? Well, they're not singing! They need to get a chorus in front of the theater and serenade passersby about the horrible injustices going on inside. However, Local 58 might actually have another agenda here: They would actually like to audition to perform folk songs in the theater after it opens.

Boss Andrew McGhee, a principle at Morse Theater has stated that cuts had to be made and that it's the workers that must suffer.

It's "principal," not "principle." The poor education that the author suffered, probably from a unionized public school teacher, shows here. Furthermore, are we really expected to believe that Andy McGhee said that the workers "must suffer?"

Boss McGhee has hired Cordos Development which pay's its workers sub-standard wages and benefits to perform the carpentry labor on this project.

Dang, more fallout from that unionized public school education. There should not be an apostrophe in "pays."

It is in recognition of the spirit of these bygone folkies that the Carpenters Union informs you the public that workers at this job site are not getting paid the area standard wages and benefits.

Perhaps the union would care to inform us what the "area standard wages and benefits" are for carpenters. But they don't, of course. Additionally, when will Local 58 - and other unions - picket the Heartland Café for not paying its kitchen workers the "area standard wages and benefits?" Where are the pickets and protesters who should be in front of 1340 W. Morse Avenue, where non-union child labor was recently used for hazardous work? (See related story.)

Boss McGhee… Boss Cordos…
"Which side are you on?"

Let's turn that question around and ask Local 58 members how much they are being paid to hand out flyers. How many people are employed by - not represented by, EMPLOYED BY - Local 58?

Carpenters Local Union No. 58 is currently engaged in a labor dispute with Cordos Development over the payment of sub-standard wages and benefits. We seek only to inform the public.

This, of course, is a lie. They seek only to bully their way into the job site, which, ironically, already employs union labor.

RELATED:
The Morse Theatre
Illinois Carpenters Union Funneled More than $82,000 to Hirono During 2002 Gubernatorial Campaign
The Chicago Rebellion
Rhymes With Right - Union Membership Down
Union membership still in rapid decline - National - theage.com.au

Rogers Park Gossip!

Who's the guy that made a power play to take away Katy Hogan's dictatorship of the Glenwood Arts Festival? Hint: His name is Jim Ginderske, and there are rumblings of dissatisfaction from participants. (More on this later!) Who were the two people having sex on the Windform Sculpture around 11:30 last night, where Pratt Avenue ends at Loyola Park? (I don't know, but she was a big fat woman in a red mumu, sitting on the dude's lap bouncing up and down. They scooted off minutes after I called out, "Nice night, eh?" They drove away in a dark two-door Kia. Let's hope the seats were vinyl.) Why did Alderman Joe Moore lie about the Howard CTA Station being finished? It's not, in fact a CTA film crew today told The Bench that it won't be finished "until next year." Hmmph, but that didn't stop Joe from inviting people on his web site to "Join CTA President Ron Huberman and me as we cut the ribbon for the new station tomorrow (Saturday, June 14th)." What will Joe do when the "new station" is actually completed in 2009? Another ribbon cutting? And what's "new" about it? It's been there for many, many decades. It's not "new," it's being fixed up. Imagine painting your house, adding new awnings, and declaring that you have a "new" house. Who owns that unmowed empty lot at 1940 W. Morse Avenue? Why, it's Robin Langer, "partner" of DevCorp North Empress Kimberly Bares! Robin told me personally last week that she's asking a cool $350,000 for it. May I suggest that the entire strip of W. Morse Avenue, between Clark and Ridge, be designated for historic preservation? All for now! Keep sending your hot tips to The Bench!

Puddle Gone, No Thanks

The Bench is happy to report that the huge puddle in the 1500 block of W. Morse Avenue is gone. No thanks to DevCorp, no thanks to SSA#24, no thanks to 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. No thanks to a ditch digging mechanics liens attorney.

After months of writing about it, The Bench had a conversation with a locally influential resident on the corner of Morse and Greenview. She made a single phone call on Monday, June 9. On Tuesday, June 10 Assistant Commissioner Thomas LaPorte of the Department of Water Management and several other DWM people came to inspect the befuddling puddle. Alderman Moore tagged along, simply observing and doing his best to stay out of the way of people who actually know what they're doing.

On Wednesday, June 11 the puddle was gone. The manhole and the drain beneath it had been cleaned out. Problem solved.

Let's review. That puddle was there since last fall. DevCorp people, SSA people, Joe Moore's people paid it no attention. The Bench, however, stayed on it. Finally, within a three-day span, the problem was resolved with a single conversation, a single phone call, a quick visit from DMW, and a fast-working crew.

No thanks to DevCorp, no thanks to SSA#24, no thanks to 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. No thanks to any ditch digging mechanics liens attorney.

Related:
Joe Moore's PuddleScape
No "Service" In Special Service Area #24

Drunk, Fighting on Morse Avenue

Poor Soo Liquors just can't win for losing. It's not the liquor, Alderman Moore. It's the scum that crawl along Morse Avenue. Oh, you insist that the booze is the problem? Well tell us this, Alderman Moore: What kind of liquor does Sub Brothers sell across the street? That's right, none. Nada. Zilch. First, The Bench saw an argument last night (June 10) that spilled out of Soo Liquors's doorway onto Morse Avenue her in the 49th Ward. It was not violent, just loud and threatening. Meanwhile, one of Morse Avenue's "regulars," as the cops call them, was passed out on the curb. Drunk out of his mind, he'd apparently had slightly more than his usual daily regimen of hooch. At taxpayers' expense, the useless lump was carted off to an American hospital where he got first class health care (shut up, Hillary) and a square meal. I saw him back on the street today, wearing the same yellow shirt and up to his usual goofy antics. Nice, huh? Say, did you know we've been promised Streetscape this summer? You can clean up the things, Alderman Moore, but that won't clean up the street. Week after week after year after year, we see and put up with aggressive beggars, drunken pigs and domestic altercations on Morse Avenue. Sure, some are in front of Soo, but many are directly in front of - or even inside of - Sub Brothers. Other places, too, to be sure. So what's the problem with Morse Avenue? It ain't Soo Liquors. It's 60 years of bad social policy. The children and grandchildren of President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" and their spawn are the problem. Is it their fault? No, as pets of the Democrats they've had bad training by their masters. In 2008, we are reaping the unintended consequences of the Democrats' funding of unwed mothers, paying people not to work, liberal judges who slap repeat offenders on their wrists, and politicians who encourage these policies by voting the wrong way on the wrong legislation. Happy Fathers Day, Rogers Park. Too bad there aren't more fathers around here.

Joe Moore's PuddleScape

Alderman Joe Moore, 49th Ward, finally put on a purple t-shirt and looked at the huge puddle at 1501 W. Morse Avenue today. The puddle has inconvenienced people for months. Accompanying Moore was Assistant Commissioner Thomas LaPorte of the Department of Water Management and several other DWM people.

Finally, after inconveniencing hundreds of people, presenting a challenge for elderly and handicapped bus riders, and scaring customers away from a coffee shop's sidewalk patio, it looks as though something might be done to unplug the street gutter drain.

The Bench has been complaining about the huge puddle for months. Nearly a month ago, DevCorp North's Rene Camargo said the puddle was "on the list" of things to fix. The Special Service Area #24 (SSA) did nothing. Alderman Moore did nothing.

Yesterday, however, I was talking with somebody whose name I cannot mention, but I can tell you that she is very influential in the 49th Ward. She said she's been reading about the puddle on The Bench. She said the plugged drain would probably not be fixed until "after Streetscape is completed."

"When will that be," I asked, "another ten years?" She laughed and shook her head, but she made a phone call right then and there. It was not to the alderman's office. Let's just say it was to another influential local person. That person, in turn, apparently made some phone calls of his own, which resulted in Joe Moore putting on a grape-colored t-shirt and staring at the puddle.

Let's hope that LaPorte's visit indicates that something will be done soon. And while Joe Moore is at it, perhaps he could walk down to the recently-closed Jamaican restaurant in the 1300 block of Morse and stare at the pile of gravel on the sidewalk.

It's been there for nearly 18 months.

Morse Avenue Urinal Gets New Tiles

The stairwells at the CTA's Morse Avenue Urinal are being spruced up!

The south stairs are shiny and new, ready for the drunk and stoned prostitutes, pimps, narco-retailers and Loyola students who regularly urinate, defecate and vomit here. The north stairs will be refurbished soon.

Aldershmendrik Joe Moore is unaware of this, as he only comes here when he's running for something.

Common Cup is One Year Old!

Has it been a year already?

Common Cup at 1501 W. Morse Avenue will be a full year old on Wednesday, May 14 and they plan to celebrate!

Owner Ruth Hoekwater says she will hold a drawing for multiple prizes as part of the celebration.

Enjoy their fine fare as always - yummy yogurt/fruit parfaits, freshly baked pastries, great coffee drinks, teas, and more. (I'm hooked on the home made blueberry pie.)

I was the very last customer of 2007, and one of their first on opening day, May 14, 2007. Since then, it's been a pleasure to watch their business grow, and to get to know Ruth and husband John. Wonderful people, great coffee shop. Visit their web site for more information.

Morse Avenue Streetscape

You see the darndest things on W. Morse Avenue in Rogers Park.

Last night, for example, these hot pink thong panties.

How the heck did they get here? Perhaps they were dropped on the way to or from a laundromat. Perhaps one of our many local prostitutes dropped them for, uhm, work related activity.

They were gone by 10:00 a.m. today.

Alderman Joe Moore's Pile

Mister Alderman, clean up this pile!

Joe Moore claims he wants to clean up troubled W. Morse Avenue in his 49th Ward, but for a year now Rogers Park has had to look at a simple pile of gravel on the sidewalk.

He keeps promising some mythical "Streetscape," but he can't pull enough people together to move a bunch of tiny stones? Joe Moore hopes to be a Congressman?

Next to a CTA bus stop, this unsightly pile is a hazard to elderly and handicapped folks, and even able bodied people have to navigate around it.

Today the pile was even more hazardous, as a Chicago Department of Water Management (CDWM) access hole sat open for most of the day.

Did anybody tamper with the meter inside the hole? A blind person could have been seriously injured had they stepped in this hole?

Does 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore give a rat's ass about any of this? Demonstrably, "No!"

Snoodlings: Joe Moore Discovers Grill Inn on Morse Avenue

Snoodles hears this on the street - Morse Avenue, to be exact.

Joe Moore has just discovered the Grill Inn restaurant at 1422 W. Morse Avenue.

So what? So, Grill Inn opened five months ago, and 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore just paid his first visit to it. Moore, who pretends to be very interested in the development of troubled Morse Avenue and Rogers Park in general. He's not, not really, and this report demonstrates it neatly.

"How long have you been open?" Moore asked an employee. Unbelievable.

Morse Avenue can fairly be called a depressed street, with many empty commercial spaces. The alderman should have been doing back flips to get over to Grill Inn when it opened last fall. He should have sent out an announcement to welcome them. He should be eating there once a week. This was his first visit.

Moore was not alone. He was walking around on Morse Avenue with a uniformed police officer, "a top cop" as my source put it. "His name sounded like Curtis or something." Did the source mean "Caluris," the new 24th District commander? "Yah, I think so, yah," said reliable source.

Moore asked the employee how everything was going. Moore got an earful about the beat cop who walks the street in the morning, but no beat cop at night. "It's great in the morning, but we need a beat cop on foot out there at night."

Did Moore buy anything? Did he sample any of Grill Inn's excellent fare? Nope. Joe Moore has been too busy campaigning for Obama in other states for months now. No wonder he didn't know anything about Grill Inn. But couldn't he have at least purchased a hot dog while he was there?