Leave it to Ben Joravsky and The Reader, and one of our astute readers, to show how hard our legislators are working to hide transparency and sunshine from the political process:

Transparency in Action: How a bill intended to expand the state Freedom of Information Act was bastardized to expand the mayor's shadow budget

- May 18: Senator Don Harmon gutted the bill, removing the language about the FOIA and adding an amendment that extended the life of the four Chicago TIF districts: Madden/Wells, Roosevelt/Racine, Stony Island/Burnside, and Englewood Mall.

- In 2006, Mayor Daley successfully thwarted an effort by former Cook County commissioner Mike Quigley to show the TIF take on tax bills. But this month Orr took a small but significant step toward TIF truth telling by adding a new search to his Web site.

- Predictably, Chicago's Democratic legislators voted for the extensions with the exception of north-side reps Harry Osterman and John Fritchey, who've apparently learned a lesson from recently elected Congressman Mike Quigley: it's not such a bad idea for a north-side politician to oppose a few TIFs if he wants to advance his career.

That last point is an excellent one. Wanna win, or keep, a seat in the IL legislature? Don't vote to support TIFs.

How did other north side legislators vote on this?

Yes /Harris (House vote)

No Vote /Steans (Senate vote)

- Harmon's legislation doesn't specify what the city can or should do with the 12 extra years of property tax dollars the TIFs will collect under this unusual extension. A spokeswoman for the city's Department of Community Development said she'd try to find out and get back to me. Four days later, she did, saying the additional years of TIF money will be used to finance CHA redevelopment on the near west side, help Finkl Steel move from Lincoln Park to the south side, and give the much delayed Englewood Mall project a jump-start.

Wow, there are all sorts of con artists out there lately. Be careful, and call police if you have any suspicions at all, particularly about those going door-to-door:

• Uptown Ace Hardware tells us that someone tried to pass off a $50 bill printed on a bleached $5 bill there. Merchants, beware!
• The Edgewater Community Buzz tells about teenagers going door to door supposedly collecting for Lambs Farm and a scholarship fund. Read about it here.
• Then there's Uptown's Own : he's either collecting for the block club, the "other" block club, getting signatures against the gang problem, selling subscriptions, or there to talk about Neighborhood Watch.
• Then there's the guy who ran out of his house without his wallet and needs cab fare.

We can't stress it enough - call the cops if you're approached, either on the street or at your home. If the person is who he says he is, great - if not, you've helped others from falling for his scam.

From the Chicago Department of Public Health:

"The Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) drive to protect Chicagoans from H1N1 flu continues to succeed, with health workers vaccinating over 75,000 men, women and children in just 11 days of clinic operations.

The seven mass-vaccination sites will not be open during Thanksgiving Week, and will re-open for the first three Saturdays in December (the 5th, 12th and 19th)." Truman College will be giving vaccinations those days from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Winter Cycling Series II begins here! First up:

Tour of Uptown,
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Where: Meet at Graceland Cemetery at the intersection of Clark and Irving Park
Cost: Free

For the second year in a row, Big Shoulders Realty has organized a winter cycling series comprised of four of its previously held neighborhood bike tours. Each tour is a 15 to 20 mile through a different Chicago community area. The tours are mapped, lead, researched and narrated by Lee Diamond of Big Shoulders Realty, who focuses on unique and important architectural finds in each neighborhood.

The bike tours have become popular events in Chicago, growing through word-of-mouth to include up to 150 riders on numerous occasions. Each ride is not only free, but commercial free, with no mention of real estate sales, services, or any other commercial message. As Lee Diamond says, “There needs to be more cool things to do for free in Chicago.”

The Big Shoulders Realty and Bike Winter Cycling Series features four rides, one in each winter month. At each ride, Bike Winter will be on hand to give out free balaclavas and gaiters, many of which are in fleece leopard print, the honorary 10th anniversary Bike Winter animal being a snow leopard.

Photo courtesy of ArtBandito at Flicker. Click here for the website for Big Shoulders Realty and the bike tours, including all four winter tour locations and some really nice posters. We love the one of Uptown!

Early Thursday morning, there was apparently a violent altercation at World Gym on Montrose between two construction workers, alleged to be from the Wilson Yard worksite, and a 67-year-old man, leaving the older man seriously injured. Read all about it at the Tribune and Sun-Times; and of course at Lake Effect News.

Mary Schmich of the Tribune did a column Friday about the friendship between a Lincoln Park woman and an Uptown street person, the late Wanda Jean Taylor. It's moving and compassionate, and shows the beauty and trials that occur when two very different people open themselves up to friendship. Read all about it here.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Crime Scenes on Flickr

It's on! The call is out for positive loiterers to meet at Sheridan & Leland tonight from 7-8 PM.
The community continues to support the efforts to make Uptown safer for everyone. Bless their hearts, Cafe Too is offering free coffee and tea so positive loiterers can stay warm and toasty. Soggy Paws has donated doggie treats for the canine loiterers. And Uptown Chicago Commission sponsors it.

Positive Loitering is a great way to come out and meet new neighbors and start taking back our neighborhoods from those who are creating this violence. Please come out and show our strength as a neighborhood.

Bring your dog, bring your neighbors, bring your friends, bring your enthusiasm. The invitation is extended to all concerned residents of Uptown.

Ah, level ground, at last. Drivers who park at Dib and International Cleaners no longer need fear a vertical pile-up in the hall-of-mirrors parking lot. Cheers!

Something for everyone to be aware of, from a reader....

"A number of buildings on the 800 block of Sunnyside were approached tonight by a rather large guy who initially stated that he wanted to come in to share some flyers about a neighborhood block club. I spoke to him out my window, and wanted to share what happened with interested readers.

I'm active in the Clarendon Park Neighbors Association (the local block club) and I mentioned to him that I had never seen him before. He tried again: 'Well, it's the other block club.' He then amended his statement to say that he was from 'the neighborhood watch,' which, coincidentally, I had some experience helping with in the past. He still didn't seem too familiar to me!

So, last try, he mentioned that he was really 'trying to help the kids out here by going right up to them and offering some job training and stuff like that,' and if I would just let him in, he'd be very happy to talk more about it. I let him know that he was welcome to leave his flyers at the front door of the building. Rather than just dismiss him or not respond to his buzzing, it seemed worth it (or maybe just cathartic for me) to actually talk to him and let him know, as respectfully and directly as possible, that I was having a hard time believing what he was talking about.

Readers, keep an eye out, be safe, be respectful, and get to know your neighbors!"

Update: Another reader adds: "The same described man came to my apartment last night around 9pm. He spoke to my downstairs neighbor and me about selling subscriptions for a newspaper route for 'kids in gangs.' " Watch out for this guy! Please call the police, as a retired officer suggests in the comments.

A few readers saw a march winding its way through Uptown on Tuesday afternoon and asked via email if we knew what it was about.

All we know is that flyers were distributed by Mercy Housing urging folks to "Join the March For Affordable Housing!" and to meet in the lounge of the Carlton SRO, 4626 N Magnolia, to make signs and to have lunch afterwards. The photo above was taken by a reader at Leland and Magnolia; other readers saw the marchers at Broadway and Lawrence, and along Sheridan. So now you know as much as we do.

Don't know about you, but Uptown Update has gained a pound or two since The Cupcake Gallery's "soft opening." Now it's time for the Grand Opening, this Sunday, November 22nd, and Darius is promising free cupcakes from noon until supplies run out. We're putting another hole in our belt in anticipation. The Cupcake Gallery is located at 1319 W Wilson, next to Fontana. Don't let the scaffolding scare you away!

Did you know you can see what flavors are available each day by becoming a fan of TCG on Facebook? "Today's flavors are Red Velvet, Vanilla Bean Creme, Strawberry Banana, Double Chocolate, Banana's Foster, Coconut Creme, and Strawberry Coconut." Yum.

The 911 callers are doing their jobs and calling in whenever they hear gunfire. The cops are making arrests. As a CAPS sergeant pointed out, now it's up to the community to show up in court when these guys go to trial. UU will publish the court dates as they become available.

• From Lake Effect News: "Police apprehended a 25-year-old man believed to be responsible for a shooting on the 4700 block of North Sheridan Road on early Sunday morning, Nov. 15." Read the whole story here and see where he lives. (Ald. Shiller will be surprised, given her recent statements.)


• At Beat 2312's CAPS meeting on Tuesday, we learned more about the shootings on November 7th. Of the five people arrested in connection with the incident, one was Corteze Reed, who, if guilty, is obviously a slow learner. He'd just been released from jail for a previous shooting incident at the very same place, which happened last February just as kids from Alternatives were getting out for the evening. What an accomplishment for someone who's not even old enough to legally drink yet. One of the other people arrested is now eligible to be a Class X offender, which carries additional penalties and longer sentencing.

We will post the trial dates for everyone involved in these incidents, as the information becomes available to us. We urge everyone to express their outrage and concern by showing up in court if you can. Typing or texting on UU, while we love it, isn't going to influence the judge, but your presence in court may very well do it.

We heard from Glenn Brichacek, President/CEO of the Admiral at the Lake Development at Foster and Marine Drive.

Last summer, The New Admiral at the Lake and The Kendal Corporation announced a collaboration between the two organizations, bringing together The New Admiral’s 150 year tradition in Chicago with Kendal’s nationally recognized expertise and leadership in the development and operation of retirement communities. Now, almost six months later, the original intent to collaborate has been consummated with a formal working agreement that will eventually lead to an affiliation between the two organizations.

With Kendal’s recent involvement in The New Admiral’s redevelopment project, significant results have been achieved within a relatively brief period of time. Since late July, when sales and marketing efforts were rejuvenated, The New Admiral has seen a surge in interest from potential residents, which has yielded more excitement and new resident reservations in a shorter period of time than had been anticipated.

This strong market response—with almost 75% reservation deposits, combined with a thawing of the financial markets in the senior housing sector, has put The New Admiral firmly on a path toward financing and the beginning of construction in the early spring of 2010. Needless to say, the Boards and staffs of both The New Admiral and Kendal are quite enthusiastic about their new partnership.

Having already received all of the permits and licenses necessary to construct and operate the community, The New Admiral’s team of advisors and contractors have now begun taking the final steps necessary to secure construction and long-term financing.

The New Admiral is very much alive and is closer than ever to fully realizing its mission to provide a new, values-based, high-quality community for older adults in the Chicago.

The progress thus far, given the economically tumultuous times is a result of the tenacity of The New Admiral’s leadership combined with the ongoing commitments from the greater community and The New Admiral’s current and future residents. We expect this same commitment to carry The New Admiral through its final stages of development over the next few months.

There will be more news to report over the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, we would ask that you direct any questions, comments or inquiries to Glenn Brichacek, Executive Director of The New Admiral at the Lake (773.433.1800; gbrichacek@admiralatthelake.com).

From Ald. Smith's latest newsletter:

The CTA is conducting a "vision study" of the Red Line stations. In order to get input and feedback, the public is invited to a series of Open Houses. Each Open House will focus on a specific group of stations. Exhibits and other information will focus on the condition of the stations.

The Open Houses are:

Tuesday, December 1, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale and Granville stations
Emanuel Congregation, 5959 N. Sheridan

Wednesday, December 2, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Argyle, Lawrence, Wilson and Sheridan stations
Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson, Lecture Hall C Room 3641

Just a friendly reminder that tonight is the night to "ask the Alderman" at 555 W. Cornelia. Be there or be square. Gather your questions for Ald. Shiller and meet in the community room of 555 W. Cornelia at 7:30pm.

Update: UU reader Eric Erdman will be tweeting from the Q&A with Ald. Shiller. Check out his live twitter feed here.

A reader writes in...

"I found out from my neighbor a few months ago that I can get a credit on my property taxes if it's my principal place of residence. I looked at the Cook County Assessor's website and it looks like there are several types of exemptions including homeowners, senior citizens, home improvements, veterans and the disabled. The list of exemptions are located here and all of the forms are here.

You can submit a certificate of error for up to the past 3 years. I submitted the certificate of error form in September with a copy of my driver's license, showing that I've lived in the home since 2007. I got a Certificate of Error Recommended Tax Bill in the mail yesterday that reduced 2008 taxes by $280. Not a huge percentage in terms of the amount of my taxes - but $280 is still a lot of money and worth the minimal effort. It's better than my property tax appeal which only resulted in a decrease of $150. I'm still waiting to hear official word on 2007, but I think they sent this notice to me now since those taxes are due on December 1st.

Before I sent the forms in, I called the Cook County Assessor's office and they were very helpful and answered all of my questions. I was pleasantly surprised by this entire experience and I thought I should share the information with more people so that no one else misses out on any of these potential exemptions."

Save on winter energy bills and get a free weatherization kit without leaving Uptown. (Can't beat that.) Check out the flyer above and RSVP to make sure they save you a space.

An Uptown Update reader got a glimpse of the police blue-light camera at Sheridan and Lawrence getting a tune-up this morning.

Did you know that you are eligible to sign up for an account at North Side Community Federal Credit Union simply by being a resident of Uptown, Edgewater, Lakeview or Rogers Park? North Side is "an alternative to costly payday lenders and currency exchanges, without the high fees and restrictions imposed by banks."

There is a one-time $1 membership fee $15 deposit required to open a shared savings account. As a member, you can open a checking account, receive free financial counseling, apply for credit and open a "Holiday Club Savings Account" that currently earns a 3% interest rate!

Also, as a member, you are helping the local community. North Side focuses on lending to local businesses and individuals to help strengthen the local economy.

For more information, visit their website here.

A reader sends in the following photo and writes:
"I noticed this Tribune advertisement on the Wilson L platform. It's pretty powerful and I can't help but notice it is placed at one of the most crime-ridden and downtrodden L stations...Wilson."

Chicago foodies are all abuzz about soon-to-open Ceres' Table, the first solo outing by well-known chef Giuseppe Scurato. It'll be at the former Monticchio space, 4882 N Clark (next to Lincoln Towing). We wish it as much success as the buzz anticipates, and look forward to our first meal there. We also look forward to it helping draw new people to Uptown. Read about it at TimeOut Chicago, BizBash, Metromix, Grub Street, and Chicago Magazine.

From the website:

"Born is a documentary film that chronicles the joys and sorrows of several people who were, born and raised in the Jesus People USA Christian Commune on Chicago’s north side (920 W. Wilson). The film is ending production and is eyeing a release in several film festivals nationwide before formal distribution is sought."

View the trailer and clips from the documentary here

If you have the time and inclination to make it to the Daley Center Monday morning, the case involving the Mosa Building (1014-1036 West Leland) is on the docket at 9:30am. The presence of the court advocates shows community concern; although they are silent representatives, occasionally housing court judges enter their presence into the court records.

At the court hearing a month ago, the residential units were placed into receivership, which not only resulted in the building being secured, it also prevented unknowing home buyers from being able to purchase the units and continuing the cycle of throwing good money after bad. (Click on the link for a short history of the problems with this building.)

The hearing will be on the 11th floor of the Daley Center, in Courtoom 1109 or 1107 (we're getting conflicting reports). If you attend, just check the docket of cases posted on the bulletin board for the property courtroom.

Update: See the comments for a lengthy account of what happened at housing court today.

Sheesh, it's enough to make a person wish for snow and ice. Three different gang brawls that we're aware of tonight, two coming in from readers and one we stumbled into ourselves:

- "There was a fight that we witnessed - medium sized group - full blown brawl - 7:10PM tonight. Sheridan between Ainslie and Lawrence, in front of the mattress store across from the Boys & Girls Club. CPD on the scene shortly after."

- All hell broke loose on Wilson near the el stop around 10:15PM. A car got set on fire and it ran into the Red Line support columns. The ensuing brawl went west, right in the middle of Wilson Avenue, and even the immediate presence of the police couldn't get it to stop for several blocks. Units from the 20th District responded along with 23rd District cars; Wilson was temporarily closed until things calmed down; the gangbangers ran away in several directions, including running around the back of Truman College.

- "Gang fight on the 4400 block Broadway at 12:45AM. Cops called and came real quick."

No wonder Ald. Shiller is holding her fundraiser south of Irving Park. Who knows what her big-money donors might run into in Uptown if it turns out to be a nice, mild night like Saturday?

The shuttering of Mutual Bank has far-reaching tentacles. Seems the new owner, a Texas bank, is trying to clean things up in the loans and assets departments, and has foreclosed on a corporation owned by Sam Alexander.

Mr. Alexander may be a familiar name to Uptowners. He and/or his company is the owner of the gorgeous but dilapidated vintage building at 1001-1017 West Leland, which has been in Housing Court for six years due to serious code violations. By order of the court, the building has been declared uninhabitable and the only tenant is Siam Noodle. 23rd District officers, civilian employees and court advocates have been attending court hearings on this property for years and have even testified as to the condition and security of the building.

According to an article in Chicago Real Estate Daily, the new owner (the bank that's trying to clean up Mutual Bank's mess) is trying to collect in excess of $682,000 owed on the building.

We think this property is an Uptown treasure and hope it gets the attention and TLC it deserves. Any interested developers out there who are up for a challenge?

A reader sent in this photo: "CTA workers performed yet another patch job on the CTA Red Line this week. This time workers removed dangerously crumbling cement from the CTA overpass at Broadway and Leland."

It's on! The call is out for positive loiterers to meet at Sheridan & Leland tonight from 7-8 PM. Depending on the number of folks who show up, and their wishes, we may split up into groups and/or head for different locations.

The community continues to support the efforts to make Uptown safer for everyone. Bless their hearts, Cafe Too is offering free coffee and tea so positive loiterers can stay warm and toasty. Soggy Paws has donated doggie treats for the canine loiterers. And Uptown Chicago Commission sponsors it.
Positive Loitering is a great way to come out and meet new neighbors and start taking back our neighborhoods from those who are creating this violence. Please come out and show our strength as a neighborhood.

Bring your dog, bring your neighbors, bring your friends, bring your enthusiasm. The invitation is extended to all concerned residents of Uptown.

We're hearing some good news about the police work after the shots fired last Sunday evening at Sheridan & Lakeside:

The 23rd District Tactical Team arrested five gangbangers (Conservative Vice Lords, in case anyone cares) in connection with the incident, including the person who did the shooting and another who threw the gun on the porch of a home on Lakeside Place in an effort to get away. Officers have the weapon as well. No word on whether the dropped cell phone was reunited with its owner. Nice work, officers!

From Lake Effect News:

Residents could start moving into the affordable rental housing in the Wilson Yard development as early as February as the residential buildings near completion. Peter Holsten, president of Holsten Real Estate Development Corp., is the project’s sole developer. The company has developed more than $500 million in affordable, market-rate, mixed-income and commercial developments throughout the city, according to its Web site.

Holsten said that a list of prospective tenants for the senior and family housing at Wilson Yard is being compiled by Alderman Helen Shiller’s 46th Ward service office at 4544 N. Broadway. The two mid-rise buildings are part of at $52 million TIF-funded development that also includes 200,000 square feet of commercial space, the largest TIF project in Chicago history.

Read the entire article to see who Holsten say is getting preference as tenants, the screening procedures Holsten says will be implemented, and his plans for a "nice calm community."