Rogers Park Has No "Chamber of Commerce"

Rogers Park has no "chamber of commerce?" DevCorp North, a dark and mysterious organization that fears sunlight, is erroneously referred to by Chi-Town Daily News as "DevCorp North (Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce),RP's 'chamber of commerce'," but that not accurate. Either Chi-Town DN misunderstood DevCorp's Courtney Owen, or Owen misrepresented DevCorp North to writer Tasneem Nomanbhai. Owen is listed as a "Commercial District Planner" on DevCorp's website. DevCorp North files as a 501(c)(3), "A religious, educational, charitable, scientific or literary organization." They do not file as a 501(c)6, which "is specifically reserved to Chamber of Commerce organizations, real estate boards, trade boards, and other types of business leagues. They are characterized by a common business interest, which the organization typically promotes." In other words, DevCorp North is NOT a "chamber of commerce." DevCorp works with local businesses, true. However, DevCorp North does not even refer to itself as a "Chamber of Commerce" for Rogers Park. (DevCorp was known as the "Howard/Paulina Development Corporation until Nov. 12, 1993.) One of DevCorp's main activities is making is more difficult for small businesses to operate in Rogers Park. DevCorp operative Rene Camargo, for example, bullies small merchants into putting up pretty awnings. Other than that, DevCorp has had little positive effect on the business community of Rogers Park. In fact, their offices on W. Howard Street are sandwiched into a blighted strip of a blighted street in a blighted neighborhood. There have been two entities in the recent past that called themselves "Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce," and both were involuntarily dissolved by the Illinois Secretary of State (see pictures here for details; click to enlarge). Local talk show wannabe Avy Meyers erroneously listed Elizabeth Vitell as the "Executive Director, Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce," but that's wrong. Ms. Vitell is actually the executive director of the Rogers Park Community Council (RPCC). The RPCC's mission statement says that it exists to "improve the quality of life in Rogers Park through social, civic, and educational initiatives that foster health and welfare, urban renewal and conservation, law enforcement and community organization." While those are worthy goals, they are not a "chamber of commerce," nor does RPCC describe itself as such. Meyers gave his 79 regular viewer the false impression that Rogers Park has a chamber of commerce. RELATED: IRC 501(c)(6) Organizations (pdf) Public Charity - Exemption Application Is DevCorp North Finished Under Gordon? (Emphasis on the comments there) 24/7 North of Howard Watchers: Rogers Park Garden Group Rogers Park Crime "Much Worse" than Edgewater, According to Ex-Edgewater Chamber of Commerce Director CNB RSS Feed

My Favorite "Artist of the Wall" Square

Sit on Obama's Face

Now YOU can sit on Obama's face! Come to Loyola Park and sit on his face. Last weekend, young artists in Rogers Park painted this wall, which got a lousy prep job again this year. Tell Obama how much you love him. As the summer progresses, witness change occur as the paint on this poorly prepared wall cracks and peels.

Related:
RP Artists Asked to Embrace the Suck

RP Artists Asked to Embrace the Suck

"embrace the suck"

Often used by NCO's in the military. The term would be used when an individual or a group must complete a task that is pointless, tiring, and/or lame.

NCO: Hey gather up, we need to mow the grass before we are released today.

Soldier: That's bullshit, we had all day to do that.

NCO: Well then just embrace the suck and get it done. [Source]
Here's an example of "embracing the suck" that is adapted to Chicago's 49th Ward, where Aldergroom Joe Moore happily reigns over ineptitude and incompetence:

LPAC Member: Hey, the Artists of the Wall thing is coming up. I need somebody to arrange for proper cleaning of the damned wall for those snot nosed little brats.

RPCC Member: That's bullshit, we had all year to arrange that.

LPAC Member: Well then, just do a half-assed job and the fools can just embrace the suck and paint on a chipping, peeling wall again this year. Hell, we already got their money!

RPCC Member: Yah, ha! We already got their money!

Audacity of the Wall: Rogers Park Screwed Again

Here's the deal: You lose, Rogers Park. The incompetent clowns at the Loyola Park Advisory Council (LPAC) and the callous jerks at the Loyola Park Advisory Council and Rogers Park Community Council (RPCC) don't care about quality workmanship.

Or about the artists who will paint the wall on June 14 and 15 at Loyola Park.

The inside scoop: Katy Hogan is the Queen of the Event. Last year, the wall was not properly cleaned in preparation for artists to paint on it. Artists are charged $30 and up for the privilege, and deserve a properly prepared wall on which to paint. But like year, this year's preparation was done half-assedly.

The Bench has learned that this year Mizz Hogan delegated the responsibility for cleaning the wall to one Terry Feingold, caterer to 49th Ward Democrats and chowder purveyor. Miss Hogan, part owner of the infamous Heartland Cafe, has apparently been too busy keeping partner Michael "Comrade" James in line.

Feingold couldn't manage the complicated job of getting old paint off of a wall. Perhaps he has been too busy with his Gold N Pear catering company, which has an English-only web site. In any case, the wall was only partially scraped and then sprayed white. Already, however, the wall is peeling and cracking - just like last year.

Shame on Katy Hogan. Shame on Terry Feingold. Shame on the Loyola Park Advisory Council (LPAC) and the Loyola Park Advisory Council and Rogers Park Community Council (RPCC). For more information call 773-262-8605. Let them know that you're pissed off and disgusted by their audacity.

RELATED:
Artists Up Against the Wall
I Hate to Say I Told You So...
Artists Screwed at the Wall Festival, Rogers Park
Artists of the Wall Screwed AGAIN

Artists of the Wall Screwed AGAIN

They're screwing you again.

In 2007, the Loyola Park Advisory Council (LPAC) and the Loyola Park Advisory Council and Rogers Park Community Council (RPCC). charged people $30 or more to participate in the Artists of the Wall Festival. The people were screwed by not getting a clean slate, so to speak, on which to paint. In years past, the wall was sandblasted clean and painted white. But not last year, not the year before or before that. Years of thick layers of paint have built up, and last year they did not sandblast.

Instead of sandblasting, this year they used a weak mixture of baking soda and compressed air, which only partially removed some of the old paint. But as you can see in the photos (click for larger images) and in the video below, the newly "prepped" wall is peeling only hours after it's been painted white. The new white paint job is not even complete, but it is already spoiling.

The Bench showed you what a lousy job the Loyola Park Advisory Council (LPAC) and the Rogers Park Community Council (RPCC) did last year. We're showing you their shitty work this year, too. One of their members assured me more than a month ago that they would clean the wall properly this year. They have not done so, and all indications are that they will screw the people once again.

Shame on the LPAC and RPCC.

ALSO SEE:
Artists Up Against the Wall
I Hate to Say I Told You So...
Artists Screwed at the Wall Festival, Rogers Park

RPCC, DevCorp using candidates forums for self-promotion

The 49th Ward aldermanic candidates will be debating soon. It is a full schedule with six events. But the Rogers Park Community Council (RPCC) lists only one. Go to RPCC's home page and click on 49th Ward Aldermanic Forum. There is only one event posted there: The one they are co-sponsoring with DevCorp North. It is "Organized by Rogers Park Community Council" and "Co-Sponsored with DevCorp North & Howard Area Community Center." This seems to be a case using the forums for shameless self-promotion. If someone goes to the RPCC web site for information about the upcoming forums, they would be mislead into thinking that there was only one - the one sponsored by RPCC and DevCorp North. Shame, shame, shame. For the full schedule, please click here.