Not for anyone’s profit

This from the site of Oak Park’s Buzz Cafe is alternately moving and convincing (not the same thing) in re: a proposed low-cost-housing proposal for Madison Street in Oak Park. Reference is to the formerly Comcast building. It’s empty since Comcast decamped for parts more favorable to headquartering its business, in DuPage County. (Imagine that.)

The letter says a lot about what I call The Grand Planning of Well-meaning, Socially Aware Not-for-Profit People with Money to Spend. I may be biased, but from long experience, dating at least from my time on the Interreligious Council on Urban Affairs in the ’60s, I am ever suspicious of such endeavors, especially if it has “interfaith” in its name. This one also has “Catholic.”

Both carry with them a dangerous propensity to equate great ideas for helping people with feasible great ideas that do no harm on their way to, or at least in the direction of, fruition.

The letter:

Letter from the Editor

Guest Viewpoint: Demetrios Pappageorge

My name is Demetrios Pappageorge and I live at 430 S. Grove Avenue, and I am no stranger to the poor. I worked with the homeless in Champaign throughout college. As parents, we took our daughters to rallies in D.C. shouting No More Shelters We Want Houses! In Oak Park, we have served lunch to PADS, built homes for Habitat, and managed a 35-unit building for Oak Park Res. Corp., where we worked and lived side-by-side with the working poor. It was magic and it was a struggle.

Magic because at times, particularly the building barbecues, everyone came together. Despite differences in income, education, orientation, religion, or politics, people ate together and made offers to drive to Jewel or watch children for an hour.

It was a struggle because some folks lived in squalor; a toddler was left knee-deep in trash and neighboring units were plagued by a cockroach infestation; Police and DCFS were called due to theft, domestic violence, and mental illness. One enterprising teen was turning tricks in the basement with a line of men outside her apartment.

When it was good, it was very very good, but when it was bad, it was horrid; however, even when tenants were terrified to call the police for fear of retribution from an abusive neighbor, there was always someone on-hand 24/7, unlike the Interfaith Project which does not include a resident manager.

Our building had a small percentage of the poor sprinkled into 35 mixed-income units, and included people with the means to help. Interfaiths project is 51 units with 100% low-income. This literally keeps me up at night, and it is, in no uncertain terms, a recipe for disaster for the proposed tenants and our village.

Oak Park has an incredible history of folding people-of-need into the fabric of the entire community. We have over 700 vouchers and low-income units in existing buildings! That number dwarfs the combined total of Forest Park, River Forest, Des Plaines, and Berwyn put together. And our system grants tenants anonymity and dignity to live, learn and prosper as productive members of our village – without being segregated. For this we should be very proud.

Now some wish to turn their backs on this dignified and seamless system. Though the Oak Park way is being adopted by cities all around the country, some wish to return us to an failed approach that research warns us to avoid. In his writings like Blueprint for Disaster, Roosevelt University Professor D. Bradford Hunt discusses New Urbanist thinking and the need for mixed-income housing. New Urbanism prevents projects from standing out as separate spaces reserved for the poor, like this Interfaith Project where residents would feel, as Professor Hunt puts it, stigmatized in the eyes of other city residents.

In addition HUD advocates for mixed-income housing, and the CHA stated, No longer will public housing tenants be isolated as second-class citizens in reservations.

As a person of faith, this reminds me of the parable of the sower. In shallow rocky soil, seeds die unable to take root. Conversely seeds thrive when spread out over fertile soil.

As a schoolteacher, I want to know what lesson the village would be teaching our children? That we should separate low-income residents from the rest of society?

3 more problems include:

ONE: The plan relies on funding that chains it to being 100% low-income. Besides going against Oak Parks policy of diversity assurance, this funding is the tail wagging the dog. First and foremost, should we not be looking at what is best for current and future tenants? For their dignity and the integrity and stability of the neighborhood, let us not chain ourselves to this flawed plan due to their proposed funding

TWO: This project punishes folks for bettering their lives. Since it is for single adults, Interfaith tenants who find love and life-partners will be forced to move out. Since it excludes those who earn too much, tenants who climb the economic ladder will be rewarded with eviction. What motivation will there be for betterment?

THREE: The Interfaith plan also relies on success of the commercial spaces in this stagnant economy. If the project fails, Oak Park is left with even more empty retail spaces with inadequate parking, and a building full of dorm-sized units. A beautiful façade with a lousy business and floor plan is unacceptable.

As an 18-year resident of Oak Park, I truly appreciate your time and effort. And I urge you to reject these variances because the density, parking, and height do not enhance our village, and they would only serve to put into place a housing project that is not progressive, not inclusionary, and definitely not what is best for the future tenants, the neighborhood, nor Oak Park.

River Forest larceny team

Uncle shoplifts Dominick’s while nephew waits in getaway card. (Uncle has his own name on his hoodie.) Uncle is “flattened” by store manager, is taken away by ambulance.

Nephew, with no idea of uncle’s situation, spots woman leaving purse in car for RedBox visit, enters her car, finds keys in purse, rummages in car trunk, is spotted doing this by police who had arrived to take uncle away, flees.

Read all about it at OakPark.com/RiverForest.com.

What were they thinking of?

Shot at in Oak Park

Boy shot at near Holmes School in Oak Park, 8:30 last night — you pass it on Chi Ave., lovely red brick building across Chi Ave. from a block of blocks with houses to grace any coffee table book about elegant living. School playground is half a city block extending west of the school, lots of state-of-art play equipment.

He was running from two in late teens. Shooter black, we may presume so are the other two but maybe not — Oak Park kids mingle a lot. The perps banged him on the head, he got treated at West Sub Hospital.

From comments:

* This is very disturbing. There are always children, families, tourists, people walking dogs at/near Holmes. It’s not a very well-lit area. In the past, I’ve also found used condoms and drug paraphrenalia under the playground equipment. Perhaps improving the lights would help deter such things. And I echo Ms. Schnierow’s comments [bemoaning recent Supreme Court “misinterpretation of the 2nd
amendment”].

* How fortunate this teen wasn’t killed. If he had had a gun, he probably would be dead.

* Ms. Schnierow, Your point assumes that the offender purchased his gun legally. You should acknowledge that crimes such as this are committed not by law abiding gun owners, but those without licenses and whose guns are probably stolen.

* Hard to rationalize this one away–8:30 at night is not late to be out. The Oak Park boy, or an uninvolved bystander (someone walking a dog, or sitting in the window of a nearby house), could have been killed. I hope the police find the guys, quickly, and that they make a good case against them. Doing so is the best deterrence.

* This is simply unacceptable. Who were these kids? Where were they from? What were they doing there? What’s next, drive-bys?

* Ben [Meyerson], good reporting. And, it is refreshing to read in a crime report a FULL description (race) of the suspect, for the public to be aware & informed. Crime will only increase & it’s . . . becoming possible for crimes to occur in other areas besides the east side [abutting the city] & south side of Oak Park. This village needs to support the police dept. w/funds, and reduce other programs in order to do so, otherwise our quality of life & property values all go downhill.

* It was barely a month ago when the Tribune featured this neighborhood as “one of the 10 best neighborhoods in the nation”.

When it comes to crime, you find diversity of opinion here. But one thing I don’t get: it was a fight, the story says. But whose idea was it to fight, the two older guys, one of them armed, or the boy? I’ve seen that goading, here in recent years and here 70 years ago, but 70 years ago the gun was unthinkable.

============

Later: The above is from OakPark.com. From Triblocal is this, about a guy in his back yard a mile or so almost directly south of Holmes School (a few blocks east, one east of Oak Park Ave.):

An Oak Park man was punched and robbed by two teenagers who robbed him of $12, Oak Park police report.

The man was in his back yard on the 800 block of South Euclid Avenue at 5:33 p.m. Tuesday when two male teens approached him. One of the teens drew a handgun and demanded money, while the second punched the man in the mouth, police said.

The victim reached into his pockets and dropped the cash to the ground, where it was picked up by one of the teens. They fled the scene through an alley, according to police reports.

I like the part about his throwing the money on the ground, if he threw it but didn’t just drop it, but the rest of it I don’t like at all. This block is just east of Oak Park Ave., a fairly bustling commercial strip, with a good-sized grocery store and several eateries and a bank. Just north of the Eisenhower, where there’s a Blue Line stop.

Eating the rich

Noisemakers for Class Warfare, new group, passed on by Oak Park’s Coalition for Truth & Justice:

To Chicago area progressive [sic] groups:

MoveOn.org is sponsoring a protest rally against keeping the tax cuts for the wealthy this Thursday [today] at noon in the Loop. The idea is to focus on one single concern and make a lot of noise. Protesters are encouraged to bring signs and any implements that will be noisy (metal spoon or beaters with pots and pans, music instruments that can stand the cold, noisemakers, etc.).

. . . . All area groups that are interested are asked to notify as many people as possible, to make this a news event. Nearly 90 groups around the country will be doing the same thing.

The proverbial word to the wise is sufficient, or otherwise translated, Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

That can’t be right; later I will look it up. Meanwhile, look for the noisemakers on tonight’s tee-vee.

How it bounces is what counts

This pic is from today’s Dems of Oak Park e-blast for its Get out OUR Vote! campaign:

But didn’t the West Wing character do that all the time? Play with a rubber ball? A little fantasizing here? Actually, downsizing the prez, since the West Wing fellow was a mere aide. But showing O. as the shirtsleeved easy-goer, cool fella, our kind of guy. I think that’s the idea, but I’m not sure.

Tags: Democratic+Party+of+Oak+Park

Stone age coming, vote Dem!

In an email message, not online, the OP Dem committeewoman sees “very scary consequences” from the coming election — “26 more days” — plus:

Concerns about the Democratic candidates have faded [they are not as worried about Giannoulias et al.] and the alternatives have become even more frightening as we have learned more and more
about the Republican challengers. [italics and boldface added]

She urges Dems

to see Brady’s positions on women’s issues (no abortion in the case of rape or even
for a woman’s health), lesbian and gay rights, creationism in the schools, animal rights, the economy etc.

When dismal economy threatens, go social-issues.

Oh and did I tell you he wants to lower the [job-killing] minimum wage? Illinois will revert back to the Stone Age if Brady gets elected!

As for Kirk,

See the top ten worst lies about his military record, the top ten worst votes supporting the Bush style
economy, etc.

Having the Republicans retake the Senate will jeopardize and/or wipe out all the progress
we have made by getting Obama elected!

Sounds like a call to Republican arms to me.

Tags: Elections

This tot lot rocks

Don’t want to let another day go by without celebrating the instant and continued roaring success that is the Randolph Tot Lot, here discussed and cavilled at as hazardous to tots because it had an alley running through it.

Forget about that, even if the park district has not posted the yellow caution signs an aide told me weeks ago were on order. Yes, the alleged speed bump is not enough to slow down a tricycle, but it doesn’t matter: there is almost no foot traffic from the tot side of the alley to the lovely sitting and reading-on-bench side, no little ones darting forth, there being nothing to attract them on the multiple-bench-equipped other side.

As for the tot side, from Grove east to the alley, it’s practically standing room only at some times of the day, and has been since the Aug. 10 grand opening. Just tonight, strolling down our alley toward Randolph, I spied a veritable flotilla of strollers, each with a young one aboard and a young mother or nanny pushing.

And the tots in the lot have a glorious time, the parents and other overseeing adults having an only slightly less glorious one, it seems to the stroller going by on a daily basis. Chortles aplenty, sometimes quiet intensity as a little guy navigates the hummock left over from the previous lot, moving up to the top with gravity befitting a high-wire walker.

The mockup of a railroad train is immensely popular, affording many nooks and crannies whence one can peek out from a sort of porthole or peek in from near or far. The swings are sling jobs for infants and sit-alones for older ones. Lovely to peak at the parent pushing the infant oh so gently on the sling job.

So codgers including those with grandchildren in another state can find much to enjoy. However, their main place is across the alley in the bench-rich area, where they can sit and soak up old sol and read or chat. This one read the other afternoon as the late afternoon September sun warmed his bones while Ezra Pound warmed his spirit with advice about poetry and discussion of 12th century troubadours in the south of France.

One could imagine himself there in that halcyon climate, or one could just enjoy it, with now and then a look across the alley at the play of the little children.

Tags: Randolph+tot+lot

Happy warriors

Autumn at 1893 Expo. Oriental Garden- Now Jack... — Autumn at 1893 Expo. Oriental Garden- Now Jackson Park, Chicago

#2 Son reports on last Sunday’s Chicago Half Marathon, which he and others ran to raise moolah for Heshima Kenya, which speaks for itself as

the first and only organization in Kenya devoted to identifying, protecting and empowering unaccompanied refugee children and youth living in Nairobi

“after 19 years of regional refugee crisis.”

Heshima K can use your moolah, easily donated here.

The report:

Hello Team Heshima supporters!

On Saturday I spent the entire day meditating on the big race. I got a haircut, stretched my muscles, and then walked it out. I thought, I got a pretty good chance of winning this thing. Anne’s folks generously invited the runners over for a large pasta dinner on Saturday night, where I ate my fill. Then I bought a hat to shield my bald head from the sun, which I then forgot when the taxi came at 5:45 the next morning. Luckily my sister Mar had brought an extra. What a gal!

Anne and Mar and I took the taxi to Jackson Park where we met the rest of the red jerseys. Go team! We were few, but mighty. We were a drop in a bucket of 20,000 runners, and it was exciting to be a part of something so massive, but also to be in it together. Minutes before the race everyone scattered for the long lines of the portable washrooms, and then tried to merge into the huddled masses as they moved towards the start line. Then we just ran for 13.1 miles, mostly along Lake Shore Dr., encouraged by bands set up along the way and loud speakers pumping Bruce Springsteen or Rhianna, and lots of volunteers, friends, family and strangers.

It was a beautiful day. My sister Mar really kept pace for me along the way. And when my sister Mag jumped in at mile 11, Mar checked to see if I was okay, then ran up ahead of us. Mag brought me up the last couple miles, just a little more, and then [Heshima Kenya
co-founder] Anne ran the home stretch with me, straight through to the finish line, arms up. 2 hours and 25 minutes, 9,628th place! They even had a medal for me. I was wobbly, sort of numb, and very happy to be done.

Thanks very much for contributing to Heshima Kenya and encouraging me on my run! And thanks to my family and friends for coming out to witness! And thanks to the Team; I’m very proud to have run with them. The community is strong, even half-way across the world.

Love,
Pete.

P.S. I’ve attached a picture of my sister Mar and me at the end of the race, stretching it out. It sums it all up: she’s tough, I’m about to cry.

Coming to a web site near you

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Mean street in Oak Park

This guy lived, his wife talks about it. Five against one, age 59: black-neighborhood spillover effect. Underprivileged youth. Hmm.