A reader writes in:
"I left my home this morning at the corner of Racine and Wilson and wondered why the windows of my car parked on Racine were all fogged up. Upon closer inspection I found out that someone had broken into my car and was sleeping in my backseat!! I have been out of town for 5 days and got back late last night. I wonder just how long my car as served as this guy's temporary home. I called police, and they arrested him for trespass. These guys really are pushing their limits.

The photo is hard to see as the car window reflects my image, but if you look carefully you can see his hair, his ear, and his jacket as he sleeps soundly."

A reader writes in:

A reader writes in:
"I live at the 4700 block of Magnolia- this morning I found a glass crack pipe in the alley right next to my car (sadly we do not have secured parking). I see people loitering and drinking, and using drugs in this alley at night- I've frequently find soiled condoms near my car and near the rear entrance to my building. I also found syringes every now and then.
I also see a lot of people using this alley as a short cut between Lawrence and Leland- Please keep a sharp eye out for the questionable people that hang out in this alley!
If you see anything suspicious call 911. We do not need this alley to get any worse, or anyone walking home from a concert/work/bar to get hurt."

Read all about it at the Sun-Times here. Even a broken clock is right at least twice a day. Oh, and don't feel too bad for her. She is still raking in $104,101 a year. Kudos to Ald. Smith and Ald. Tunney for doing the same thing.

A reader came across this other Uptown dream project on the Daniel P. Coffey and Associates website. This is "Uptown Center" and was to be located at Broadway and Wilson for your reference. There are 5 photos to scroll through, (the one shown here shows Broadway and the McJunkin's roof). You will notice the McJunkin Building and Stewart School as reference points in the other photos. Sadly, this isn't coming anytime in the near future, but isn't it nice to dream a little?

You may remember our post from back in August mentioning Dave "Pool Boy" Ochal, who was Alderman Shiller's Chief of Staff before Ms. Davis. Ochal was fired by Daley during the "generator scandal" this summer when he curiously had a generator delivered to his home by Com-Ed while all his neighbors sat without power. Well, Mr. Ochal has a cushy, new job. Read all about it at the Tribune here.

A reader sent in this picture showing the future home of 7-Eleven at Wilson and Clifton. One of the exits has been covered in plywood (next to the former ATM) and workers were seen inside working on the flooring.

"I was walking down Carmen Ave yesterday afternoon and found a note on the ground next to the sidewalk directly across the street from Helen's home. (Scan attached.) It appears to have been written in silver Sharpie, on the back of a blank Stockton Elementary School School Apparel Sale order form. Apparently the car had already been moved, as this note was just lying on the grass.

I like the vaguely threatening postscript.

This, it seems, is the kind of crime Helen is getting actively involved in stopping. How brave!"

Signed,
A Devoted Reader

A reader writes in:
"I was in Starbucks on Wilson on Sunday and noticed something pretty touching that I wanted to share. I saw an on-duty police officer come in to get coffee. I know on-duty officers normally get free coffee but this officer insisted on paying. When the Starbucks employee refused, he kept the dollar bill and took the coffee out to the Hispanic gentleman who is wheel-chair bound and hangs out in front of Starbucks...he even gave him the dollar bill he was going to pay for the coffee with. There was no one on the street that would have seen this at the time. I thankfully saw this random act of kindness because I was seated by the window. I wanted to share this with your readers. I know a lot of people are down on the police department, but this small thing really showed me that we have a lot of good guys in uniform in Uptown."

We have no clue how old this Daniel P. Coffey and Associates proposal is, but it is nice to dream a bit, isn't it? We are closer to this vision than ever before. From the website:

"This plan proposed to revitalize Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood by linking the restored 4,800-seat Uptown movie palace with a new fourteen screen cinema complex, parking, retail, and residential loft redevelopment. Contributing entertainment venues in the district are the Riviera Nightclub, Aragon Ballroom (concerts) and the Green Mill Jazz Club. A newly rehabilitated mass transit station will also be a key component to the project."

A reader writes in:
"My wife and I live on the 4600 block of Magnolia and we often walk
north up Magnolia on our way up to Andersonville for weekend strolls.
This usually entails taking a short pause to gawk at the back side of
the Uptown Theatre. As it turns out, yesterday there was actually some
human activity behind the chain-link fence. Workers were ripping out
what looked like some pretty water damaged wood flooring. One of the
workers, a really nice kid who didn't look a day over 20, said that
from what he had heard from his boss, this was just the beginning of a
lot of work. Sounds great to us!"

Update: We encourage all of our readers to go to this link to send a message to Public Storage Corporate and let them know that chronic loitering, drinking, and threatening acts are not tolerable.

We received this email from a resident who, along with most of Uptown, is fed up with the constant loitering that takes place at Public Storage on Broadway. The email is also a reminder to continue calling 911 when you see this activity:

"I am a concerned neighbor who lives close to the Public Storage at 4036 N. Broadway. We have a serious loitering problem at this location of individuals with extensive violent criminal records. They are often threatening to women who walk by and often times are observed abusing substances. Although men still loiter in this location it has improved due to work from community members and area businesses that have installed cameras and pressed criminal charges. However, last Friday I walked past the location with my dog and spotted open alcohol containers. I called 911 and gave a description of those who I had seen drinking. On Saturday I happened to walk by this location again and about 7 men were hanging out there and started to yell at me calling me “CAPS” because “You always call the police on us." Never mind that they appear to break the law almost on an hourly basis. I thought little of what was said until one of the men started to make specific threats on how he knew I lived in the area and was going to find me and make sure I could not call 911 again. Well, I walked away and called 911. The police came to my home in about 12 min and took me to look for this gentleman. As we were looking I was told that indeed there were several tickets that were issued for public drinking the day before. We did not find the gentleman but a description was given and I am sure he will return to the location in the next day or two. I am sending this info to Uptown Update because as in many other locations of Uptown people seem to think that because at one time public drinking, drug use, prostitution, and public violence was more accepted it still will be allowed to take place. I am telling anyone who will listen that as long as I live in Uptown I WILL NOT TOLERATE IT. It has been a difficult journey over my past 4 years in the area but so much has changed for the positive because many community members will not allow these types of antisocial behaviors to take place without a positive reaction. The fact that these men regularly make angry statements at community members they know are active in calling the police tells me they realize the neighborhood has changed and it makes them angry. Please, when you see this type behavior make sure you are safe but then call 911 and demand that a complaint is taken and attend court if you need to. Court advocacy will attend with you to support your courage. It really angers these men to be held accountable. I know it is all to easy to become discouraged but every call to 911 does make a difference in these problem locations."

Read all about it at Clout Street here.

Today at the Stewart School Park Grand Opening:

Mayor Richard Daley on Saturday dismissed the notion that his administration’s failure to make good on a pledge to hire more police is affecting public safety, even as Chicago combats growing violent crime.

"No, no," said Daley when asked about the lack of new hires and the impact on city safety. When pressed, Daley bristled and said "It just won’t."

City Gets $20 Million For Housing Revitalization by Megan Cottrell, Chi-Town Daily News

Thomas has a friend who lives in the new complex. She likes the low-rise style of the Park Boulevard, a common feature of mixed-income housing.

“Maybe by not being the high rises, you know, they’ll value what they have over here and take care of it,” Thomas says.

Read all about it here. Let's build MORE low-income high-rises in Wilson Yard while the rest are being torn down all over Chicago. Yea, that's the ticket!

Well, that didn't take long. Another reader just emailed us this photo of someone taking a load off in the BRAND SPANKIN' NEW Stewart School Campus Park this afternoon. All of the hoopla of the grand opening from earlier today with Mayor Daley and Alderman Shiller is long gone. We are now left with the reality of having a park in the area that is already inundated with loitering. We hope Stewart School has a plan to protect their beautiful new park from the ravages of excessive loitering.

Love is in the air near Montrose and Sheridan. A reader just emailed us this photo they took while waiting for the 151 Sheridan bus, just north of Jake's Chicken. These two folks chose to proclaim their love and affection on the sidewalk just outside the bus stop. The reader commented that just before this picture was taken, the gentleman's hand was in the woman's nether-regions. All this took place within easy view of all passersby, including children. Many passersby were heard to say, "Get a room." We couldn't agree more. 911 was called by the photographer.

What's going on over at the McJunkin Building? This gets curiouser and curiouser.

Yet another zoning notice -- the third -- has arrived.

Funny, this one is dated September 26 (the previous one was dated September 19), but they both say that the application would be filed on September 22nd.

Funnier still, the newest one has no mention of commercial housing, but says it's for "more kinds of businesses" and would allow an existing restaurant to get a liquor license.

Now, call us suspicious, but ... nothing's changed but the date and the alleged purpose for the rezoning. Not a word about "commercial housing."

Yet... YET! ... this law firm shares office space with the Chicago Community Development Corporation, a "for profit corporation, a subsidized rental housing developer & mgmt firm, you may recall is the only developer other than Holsten to feed at the the WY trough. CCDC partnered with Voice of the People in Uptown on spending $2M from the WY TIF on 3 Uptown subsidized rental apt bldgs orphaned when William Higginson crashed & burned in 2006." (Thanks, Hugh.)

This law firm has also donated to Ald. Shiller's campaigns and has been paid by her for legal work. It has no web presence or web site. All of which leads us to believe that it's simply the in-house firm for CCDC, and something is very rotten indeed in the State of Uptown.

The more they try to confuse the point with talk of fuzzy kittens and rainbows, the more this whole rezoning thing stinks to high heaven.

3 found dead in hotel room

Police are investigating the deaths of three adults who were found unresponsive in a Lakeview hotel room Friday. The three were found at about 2:30 p.m. at the Chateau Hotel in the 3800 block of North Broadway on Chicago's North Side, police said.

Police declined to further identify the three at this time, saying only they were adults. No information about the condition of the room, or what else was found within it, was released late Friday. The situation is being handled as a death investigation, pending autopsy results, police said. A hotel clerk would not comment on the deaths.

(Photo courtesy of Art Shot - Not on Flickr)

Update: WBBM780's saying they may have OD'd on drugs.

Below is an interview Mayor Daley had with Time Out Chicago. They asked him about the Uptown Theatre.

Read the entire interview here

TOC: In terms of music it looks like Uptown Theater finally has light at the end of its tunnel. What do you think restoration of that theater will do for the transitional Uptown neighborhood?

Mayor Daley: I think it will complement it. They need parking and good public transportation, a combination, and [adding Uptown Theater to the neighborhood’s other live-music venues] will reinforce us during the winter months and all that. In the summer, Lollapalooza is great. They’re usually out in cornfields when they get their events in other cities, and they lose it. Here they’re in downtown Chicago, next to the lakefront, the skyline, people use restaurants, people use hotels. It’s a huge event. Not only in Chicago, but people a couple of Americans in Beijing, they wanted to know, "When is Lollapalooza?" Because they were coming here in late August. I said, It’s over with. See the Jazz Festival. But Lollapalooza has become a real destination now. It’s done very, very well in terms of marketing. The bands are great. There is a lot of diversity in these bands. It’s well organized, but it’s the only one in a city. That’s what really makes it unique. You got public transportation. Friday when it started, I saw a lot of young people coming off the trains and the El and all that. It’s really worked out well. I think they’re going to sell out again next year. But I always think they have to do something different. They can’t keep it the same or else it’ll get boring and repetitious.

Uptown Update is now on Facebook. Either search for "Uptown Update" or by our email, uptownupdate@hotmail.com
Won't you be our friend?

Update: Compare this current Crain's story with another story from June.

By Thomas A. Corfman
(Crain’s) — Target Corp. says it is in final negotiations to anchor a $151-million mixed-use development on the Wilson Yard site in Uptown that has been plagued by delays.

And despite the turbulence in the market for construction financing, developer Peter Holsten is again close to arranging financing for the proposed project, sources say. The development, which would also include 178 units of affordable housing, would be on the site of a former CTA repair yard that runs along the west side of Broadway between Montrose and Wilson avenues.

Minneapolis-based Target rarely comments on any location until a deal is done, but on Wednesday a spokeswoman said: “We continue to be very interested in opening a Target store (at Wilson Yard), and are currently working to finalize our real estate transaction at this time.”

Earlier this year, Target expected an announcement in June. Now, the company expects an announcement in “a couple weeks,” she said. She declined further comment.

Mr. Holsten, president of Chicago-based Holsten Real Estate Development Corp., declined to comment. In April, he said he expected construction to start in June.

To the delight of those of us who love our crab rangoon, pork fried rice, and pho, the Reader has reviewed Argyle Street and Beyond, Thirteen Asian restaurants in Uptown. Yum! And they didn't even get to our favorites: Three Harmony, Thai Uptown and Viet Bowl.

From Ald. Mary Ann Smith's email blast:

Temporary Weekend Red Line Station Closings: Work is underway on renovations to the CTA Red Line Stations in the 48th Ward. Improvements include new platform stair enclosures and interior rehab. Closures are as follows:

1:00 a.m. Saturday, September 27 to 4:00 a.m. Monday, September 29:
Bryn Mawr and Argyle.

1:00 a.m. Saturday, October 4 to 4:00 a.m. Monday, October 6:
Thorndale, Berwyn and Lawrence.

Good news from the folks at the Magnolia Malden Neighbors Block Club:

Tho' the rain stopped us before ... it can't keep us down!!

TIME: Noon to 5pm
WHERE: 4600 Block of Magnolia
WHEN: Saturday, October 18

Let's enjoy the Fall Season.... Dress up your kids or your dog - for the season. There will be prizes!
Come decorate pumpkins! We'll have paint and pumpkins, feel free to bring anything else!
We'll have chili and hot dogs, and drinks. Feel free to bring a side dish or dessert!!
... and since we spent $ for a party that didn't happen - we've got to be thrifty this time - so bring your own chairs too!
So come for the food, the games, the music, or just to chat up your neighbors.... but do come! We've got some great raffle prizes too!
$5 donation for those 12 and older, $2 children under 12; under 5 free!
The Block Party Committee needs "day of" help with set up, events, and clean up. If you're available, please let us know which you can help with.
Thanks to the following sponsors:
7-11, Alma Pita, Body Fit, Chicagoland Tails, Classic Graphics, Crew Bar & Grill, Dramatic Paws, Fat Cat, Gigios, Hinckley Springs, Nick's on Wilson, Soggy Paws, The Spot, and Uptown Bikes

For more info, please contact Magnolia Malden Neighbors President Kathy Cook at kcook@bentleyforbes.com

From Red Eye:
Further north near the Red Line, Jen Bakja said she has been a happy neighbor to the Wilson and Lawrence stops. But as of a month ago, she has found the sounds of the Red Line so disturbing that she offered to call "Going Public" and hold the phone up so I could assess the decibel damage myself.

"It's unbearable for the last month—with windows open or closed," Bakja, 36, of Uptown wrote in an e-mail to "Going Public." that ended with the phrase: "Please help!"

Don't fret, Bakja and Katrichis. Help is on the way for both areas of track. Gregory said the screechy sounds are the result of track that needs to be lubricated. New greasing machines have been installed in the State Street subway, Gregory said, and the machines are being calibrated to release the appropriate amount of grease. Between Wilson and Lawrence, the CTA is working to replace old greasing machines located near the Sheridan curve, Gregory said. In the meantime, the transit agency is manually greasing track curves that do not have working machines.

Maybe the agency needs to apply even more of that elbow grease Bakja's way. Nobody deserves to live near a CTA screech-fest.

Golly, we have heard from several readers who have reported these bike "remnants" to 311 that have been attached to a bike rack for months now, but to no avail. Shockingly enough, this is near the intersection of Broadway and Wilson, just in front of the optometrist at 1080 W Wilson.

Compare and contrast the Dearborn Wholesale parking lot and Jewel, right across the street from one another on Montrose near Broadway.

At 3 a.m., the only illumination on the Dearborn Wholesale side comes from alley lights. There's not a single watt of on-site lighting, there's no lighting on or inside the store except for one light bulb, and several homeless have set up quarters in the building's doorway. It continues to confound us that Dearborn Wholesale has no iron fencing surrounding its property, as required by Chicago ordinance and Mayor Daley. The low guardrail has made it a popular hangout for the homeless at all hours, and a commenter tells us there a drug overdose in the parking lot on recent afternoon, with Ald. Shiller making an appearance to see what was going on.

By contrast, Jewel has plenty of lighting in its parking lot and is surrounded by the requisite iron fencing. We haven't seen any homeless there after hours, and there's a security guard in the lot when the store is open. The stores' signs and display windows are brightly lit.

In the past, readers have commented that Dearborn Wholesale has good and concerned owners. But there's "talking the talk" ... and then there's "walking the walk." These pictures show no fencing and no lighting at night. In our opinion, saying the loitering problem is the fault of the adjacent building isn't a good response to community concerns.

Which side of the street would you feel safer walking past after dark? Which owner appears to care more about the community? Why doesn't Dearborn Wholesale put up a fence and some lighting as a good-faith gesture to demonstrate that it is, indeed, a good and concerned neighbor?

Update: Check out the rendering above for the planned "peace garden" at 920 Lakeside. Volunteers to help with the October 4 planting and donations are still needed.
(click image to enlarge for more details)

National Car Wash has updated its sign to a digital light display, rather than the big plastic numbers, to keep up with the ever-changing gas prices. Here's how it looked just a few months ago.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE - Police and FBI agents in Chicago have rounded up dozens of alleged street gang members and associates in a crackdown on what prosecutors call a cocaine selling operation run by the big Latin Kings street gang.

The arrests in the Little Village area of the city's West Side came Wednesday as federal prosecutors unsealed a 223-page complaint charging 29 people with drug violations. Eleven others face state charges.

Prosecutors say they have a witness -- a gang enforcer -- who was in charge of security at a meeting where drug sales were planned. He searched those on hand for hidden recording equipment while secretly recording the proceedings himself.

The Latin Kings are one of Chicago's biggest gangs.

From Crain's Chicago Business:
City Hall is putting a lid on Mayor Richard M. Daley’s favorite honey pot.

Facing apparent opposition from Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Daley administration is abandoning efforts to extend the legal life of the massive Central Loop tax increment financing district, which covers a wide swath of Chicago’s commercial heart.

The decision means the district automatically will sunset on Dec. 31 — and it means that the more than $111 million it has been throwing off each year for development projects instead will return to the regular property tax pool. Continue Reading:

From an Uptown Chicago Commission email:
An Uptown community meeting is planned for October 14 at 7 pm at St. Augustine College on Argyle. Like Truman, best to walk or take public transportation, as parking is limited.

The main objective is to introduce Uptown's residential leadership and encourage/facilitate connecting citizens concerned about safety issues with neighbors already working on these issues (and others). We would like each block club president to make a 5 minute presentation about his/her club's activities - including its public safety concerns.

Then Good Neighbors Awards will be presented to the neighbor who found Baby Wilson and the officer who located the mother.

The 20th and 23rd District Commanders will introduce their Uptown beat facilitators and then the Commanders will discuss some of the manners in which their districts are addressing our public safety issues.

The elected officials present will be invited to make a few comments. We expect Heather Steans and Greg Harris to be present - and possibly Alderman Smith.

As this meeting may last up to 2 hours - so there is no open mic time planned.

From Business Partners' latest mailing: Stewart's Campus Park Grand Opening has moved up to Saturday, September 27, 2008!!!! Come and join Stewart students, parents, teachers, Principal Juliet Rempa, Retired Principal Patricia A. Turner, Mayor Richard Daley, Alderman Shiller and our very own Arne Duncan.

Time: 9:45 a.m.
Place: Stewart Elementary, 4525 N. Kenmore Ave.

Update: Beacon Street Gallery adds: "A performance by Najwa Dance Corps will kick off the dedication of Graeme Stewart Elementary School's Campus Park in Uptown."

Update: Good news! "Thank you, Uptown Update, for posting Abbie's flyer on the website. Abbie roamed for 24 hours and was found just an hour ago, in time to be treated with her medication."

Abbie escaped her fenced yard yesterday and needs her meds. Please keep an eye out for her and call her owners if you see her around the neighborhood.

"This morning Sen. Heather Steans and I are holding a planning meeting to continue to work on community-driven solutions to public safety problems in Uptown. Following the excellent Town Hall meeting on public safety, Sen. Steans and I have been talking to community leaders, police officials and other elected officials to implement recommendations from the Town Hall meeting.

"We believe that solutions must be community-driven and responsive to the needs of all Uptown residents. We will hold another Town Hall meeting soon to allow all interested parties to participate in working groups to craft solutions in the areas of: (1) increased citizen participation in public safety decision making and better communications in the community, (2) changes in public policy, (3) youth programming and involvement, and (4) business participation and involvement.

"We have asked community leaders to chair these working groups:

• Citizen participation and communication - Cindi Anderson


• Public policy - Rev. Randall Doubet-King


• Youth programming and involvement - Judy Gall


• Business participation - Christie Hahn

BUENA PARK NEIGHBORS (BPN) is pleased to announce the ELEVENTH ANNUAL BUENA PUMPKIN NEIGHBORS. Monitored HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREATING will take place in Buena Park on, Friday, October 31, 2008, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Kenmore Avenue between Irving Park Road (4000) and Montrose Avenue (4400), including the 1000 block of West Buena. Additionally, actors from National Pastime Theatre (4139 N. Broadway) will “haunt” Buena Circle Play lot. The 17 year old National Pastime Theater, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago, is noted for being a haunted former speakeasy and is on the Chicago Ghost Investigators tour.

With Holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, Unique So Chique invites you to host your next party at our multiple award-winning tea and chocolate room. With menus ranging from scones and savoriesto our more than 50 flavors of toffees and truffles (www.robertemerychocolates.com), we are certain you will find a reason to have that next special event at UNIQUE SO CHIQUE. Book any type of themed party between September 17th and October 17th 2008 and receive a 20% discount off your entire package. Savings are as great as $270. Booking must be paid in full and the event must take place before December 31, 2008.

Also, buy a $100 gift certificate between September 17th and October 17th 2008 (certificate expires one year from date of purchase) for our afternoon tea room and receive a FREE $25 gift certificate good for any of our retail items.

Please inquire about our Yoga Tea held on the first Tuesday of every month from 7pm-9pm!!

Become a part of the Uptown community. Please visit www.wilsonareamerchants.org to learn more!

New signs seen all over the neighborhood.

Whenever anyone in Uptown says "mixed use," we're reminded of The Princess Bride:

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

According to the original Wilson Yard Redevelopment Goals & Objectives, Wilson Yard was formed “to create a cohesive, mixed-use, mixed-income community." We all know how well that's played out.

Now the Truman College Parking Garage, which was pitched to the community a few months ago as a "parking garage," has suddenly been transformed into a "mixed-use 76,000-square-foot building." Golly gee! Magic!

And now it's not you and me, pal, paying for it through TIF funds, it's... THE CITY. Check out the Trib article below.

Uptown, where "mixed use" projects are bleeding the taxpayers dry, and bringing parking lots and low-income housing to our blighted community. Now that's economic development, Shiller and Mayor Daley style!

Truman College plan gets an assist
By Jeanette Almada Special to the Chicago Tribune, September 21, 2008

A mixed-use building planned for the Harry S. Truman College campus in Uptown will get city assistance. The City Council this month approved $10 million in tax-increment financing for the $54 million project. The seven-story building will be developed by City Colleges of Chicago on 9.8 acres at 4455 N. Racine Ave. That 76,000-square-foot building will have student services, including admissions and an advising center; financial-aid offices; placement testing; student clubs; and student government activities on the ground level. All are currently offered at the college's academic building.

As many as 200 of the project's parking spaces will serve CTA Red Line riders.

While this isn't in Uptown, it may affect travel. From Ald. Schulter in the 47th Ward:

"Water Main Repair in Lincoln Square. My office just received word from the Department of Water Management that they are currently performing emergency repair work to a water main at the intersection of Lawrence and Western. This work will continue through this evening. Limited traffic remains open in all directions. However, I would encourage residents to avoid that intersection if possible."

FixWilsonYard.org has hit the airwaves! A kind reader directed us to "Outside The Loop," which features an interview with Molly Phelan. Go to http://www.outsidetheloopradio.com/otl/ and scroll down to Show #104. The link is at the bottom and the interview begins at approximately the 5:40 minute mark.

A reminder that the FUNdraiser is this Thursday, September 25th, at Nick's Uptown (steps from the Sheridan Red Line stop), from 7:30-9:30 p.m. $30 at the door lets you socialize at an open bar. In addition, F.W.Y. will be auctioning off a pair of $350/face tickets to Tina Turner's concert on October 3.

Please be generous! As Molly mentions in her interview, whatever happens in Wilson Yard will affect Uptown for the next fifty years... let's leave a great legacy by stopping this flawed plan.

(click image for more information)

This Saturday, September 27th, Borders is having an afternoon just for the kidlets between 2-4pm. "Bring the family for a fun-filled afternoon of games, storytime, activities, and more!" Kids get a free cookie with any large beverage purchase at Seattle's Best Coffee cafe.

• Ages 0-5: Storytime and other activities


• Ages 6-8: Games and other treats


• Ages 9-12: Participate in a scavenger hunt

Even as the first day of autumn arrives, we still have much greenery to enjoy around the neighborhood. A tip of the hat to the residents and businesses who bring such beauty and scenery to Uptown.

The word about the Shiller Shell Game is spreading:

Just north of Wrigleyville is an exciting urban neighborhood called Buena Park. Squashed between Wrigleyville, Uptown and the lake, it is something of a secret that has terrific potential. Unfortunately, alderman Helen Shiller, for years has ignored cries of neighborhood residents to provide an atmosphere for more retail businesses, that is, until recently.

A few months ago, Peter Holsten began development on a deserted parcel of land, Wilson Yard, which was formerly a CTA bus barn. The development is controversial because it is using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) money from the city for the project. The original proposal called for a 12-screen movie theater, an Aldi supermarket, a Target, residential housing and street-level retail space.

Read the rest of the article here.

Well, we considered getting a couple burnt out lights under the L tracks on Broadway fixed a success, but fellow Uptowners, there is still work to be done. In this exact same area on Broadway between Wilson and Leland, there are now 7 lights currently burnt out on the underside of the CTA's L tracks. If you have been in this area at night, you surely know that more light in this seedy area is definitely needed. Give the CTA a call at 888-968-7282 and let them know that 7 burnt out lights in this area is unacceptable once and for all.

A reader was kind enough to let us know about and summarize an article in Chicago Magazine (October 2008, pages 97-103) about Chicago real estate: the up-and-coming neighborhoods and current trends in housing prices.

Uptown's stats:

• Average Sale Price for a House from 7/1/07-6/30/08: $941,222
  (one of most expensive; comparatively, Edgewater is $720,432)


• Average Days on Market: 203
  (6th highest neighborhood)


• Number of Sales: 22
  (fairly low, but not even close to the lowest)


• % Change in Sale Price since 1994: 335.79
  (definitely one of the highest-percentage neighborhoods)


• % Change in Sale Price since 2007: 13.14
  (Uptown is one of few neighborhoods that are up)


• Condo/Townhouse Average Sale Price: $277,141
  (quite low compared to other neighborhoods, including Edgewater)


• Number of Condo/Townhouse sales: 941
  (one of the highest of Chicago neighborhoods)

Here is a report from November 2005 about our very own Uplift School on Wilson.

Our favorite part of the article regarding Alderman Shiller:

“Her reputation contrasts sharply with many of her colleagues on the City Council.
While some have welcomed developers into their communities with hugs and tax breaks, Shiller offered them a guarded stare. To developers she was a devil who kept winning elections; to affordable housing advocates she was an angel, albeit a tough one.”

Wonder if they know where she gets most of her campaign money?

We're hearing from residents that a gunman fired six shots on the 4600 block of Kenmore around 8:45 Saturday evening, then jumped into a waiting car and sped away. This is the same block where, earlier this year, children from a daycare who were walking to the playlot on that block found a gun used in the previous evening's shooting.

Do those who mourned and set up a memorial for Timothy Pittman realize that each shot fired on our streets could mean another friend's life lost? A child's life lost?

How many gunshots and shootings has Uptown experienced this year? We've lost count.

Different day, same old "stuff"!

A different law firm (one located downtown that has contributed to Ald. Helen Shiller's campaign war chest) has sent out a notice -- another notice -- that the McJunkin Building is seeking to be rezoned for the purpose of "commercial housing."

This one mentions a more specific zoning change, from B1-5 to B3-3.

There is no indication what "commercial housing" is. As a commenter said earlier, "I recently asked the zoning department what "commercial housing" was and I was told that it is not a term that they have ever heard of. Plus, I went through all of sec 17 of the zoning code and the term "commercial housing" doesn't exist."

Yet here that very same phrase is again, in another zoning letter. The very phrase the original attorney, Brendan Shiller, said he wasn't aware of. Something is very, very strange about this whole thing.

Could it be that the alderman person behind the zoning change doesn't want the citizens of Uptown to know what's going on? Why would that be?

From today's Sun-Times:

GET HOOKED: Free fishing rods and reels are available through the city libraries' Rods & Reads program. Adults may check out fishing rods and reels for the family at select branches for a three-week loan period. The following branches lend fishing gear: Albany Park, Blackstone, Douglass, Hegewisch, Humboldt Park, McKinley Park, Rogers Park, Sherman Park and Uptown. Visit http://www.chicagopubliclibrary.org/.

"Little Vietnam" Businesses Still Shuttered in Wake of Fire

BY NATASHA WASINSKI, September 19, 2008 3:41 PM

Four once bustling businesses are still dormant seven weeks after fire ravaged storefronts at 1110-114 W. Argyle St.

Fire officials say the Aug. 6 blaze is still under investigation. They refused further comment.

It is unclear when the property will be rebuilt and when the establishments - a herbal remedy store, a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant, a market and real estate company - will be back in business at the site, if ever.

Read the rest of the story here.

(click each picture for a larger version)

A reader writes: "Here are several pictures I took this afternoon at the Uptown Broadway Building. This is the foyer inside the main entrance. The gentleman I spoke with this afternoon was pleasantly chatty and seemed happy to show the building. I thought you all might enjoy seeing some of the inside. It is truly beautiful. We should all be enormously grateful to the National Register of Historic Places, on which this building was placed, as it is why the renovation of this treasure was so painstaking and expensive."

We knew the outside has been beautifully restored, but we're thrilled to see that the interior looks like it'll be equally amazing.

Chase Park is a finalist in the Staples Dream Park competition. The prize is $25,000 toward renovations, and the park that collects the most online votes between now and November 17th wins the money. To vote, log on at StaplesDreamPark.com/Bears. You can vote once a day.

Chase Park has been fundraising for quite a while now for funds to to build a new playground and replace existing equipment. The $25,000 would go quite a way towards that goal.

A reader sends us this photo showing the "coming soon" sign and logo for the upcoming "Fontana Grill" wine bar at Wilson and Beacon. The outdoor seating area already has quite a few tables set up for patrons and new landscaping. The interior has been totally renovated. Let's hope soon means "soon."

A reader writes in:
"I’m not sure what kind of wires these are, but the cover to this hole was broken when they repaved Agatite this summer. As you can see, the only fix is putting these saw horses around it.

This is pretty unsightly and as you can see is collecting garbage; hopefully posting this picture will help to get this repaired.

This is on the 800 block of West Agatite."

Longtime Uptowners know where to get a good slice of pizza. "Godfather's Famous Pizza" at Wilson and Malden is the place to go. We love their pizza and you can't go wrong with their jalapeno poppers or chicken dinners. Check out their menu here. They also have a nice outdoor seating area if you want to enjoy the last remaining official days of summer. You can dine in, carryout or have your food delivered. Call 773-529-8509 to place an order.

Uptown United, Business Partners, recognize those who’ve made a difference

By LORRAINE SWANSON, Editor

Community leaders, merchants and residents turned out in force for the Uptown United and Business Partners, the Chamber for Uptown annual dinner last week at the Saddle and Cycle Club.

The dinner celebrated the chamber's 85th anniversary and reflected on Uptown's current revival, evidenced by the new businesses moving into the neighborhood, development and restoration of vintage buildings. But the highlight of the evening was the first "Uptown Gems Awards" to community leaders and institutions which have had an impact on the neighborhood.

Read the rest of the story, including the winners and honorable mentions, here.

Two letters to the editor in the current issue of the News-Star are of interest to Uptowners:

Sticking a pin in Wilson Yard: Thanks for a cogent article ["Back to the Drawing Board," News-Star, Sept. 11] that puts the pin to the hot-air balloon espoused by supporters of the project that you criticize. Few among us will argue against the need to assist those in need. Our social fabric is only as strong as the least of our fellows. But with such a concentration of economically impoverished in the Uptown census tract the truth is that no one is well served by the plan as it presently exists, not even the least of our fellows. [Read more]

Disputes Mercy Housing Lakefront: First, what do they need a symbolic wall for? ["Start the renovation," News-Star, Sept. 11] They should look to assimilate into the community, not wall themselves off from it. Second, may I suggest that they spend some money on better security and maintenance for their properties? Minimum-wage tenant receptionists do not have the skills or training to deal with on-site emergencies. [Read more]

From Chicago Magazine:
"Some critics argue that the mayor's controversial use of tax increment financing districts, or TIFs, is a version of the budgetary sleight-of-hand practiced by his father. On paper, TIFs are supposed to freeze property taxes and earmark new revenues for economic development projects in blighted neighborhoods. The TIF, or something like it, is a common economic development tool in cities around the country. But as Ross Miller points out, "Chicago always does it bigger and better." According to the Cook County clerk's office, TIF revenues have grown from $10.6 million in 1989, when Daley II took office, to more than $500 million in 2006.

Urban affairs reporter Ben Joravsky, of the Reader, argues that Chicago's 160 TIF districts—particularly the nine or so TIFs in and around the Loop area—have become a "secret slush fund" for the mayor and aldermen to subsidize private developers (many of them friends or campaign donors to the politicians) in lucrative projects downtown. By Joravsky's count, TIFs suck away more than $500 million a year in property tax dollars that could be spent instead on parks, schools, libraries, and the city's ailing mass transit system.

Mayor Daley and many aldermen defend the use of TIFs as their only tool to spur economic development across the city. "Due to the continued decline in federal and state funding that cities are receiving for capital improvements," Daley says, "TIF has allowed Chicago to continue investing in much needed infrastructure, schools, transit facilities, public housing, streets, roads, and bridges."

The taxpayer watchdog Ralph Martire sees both sides of the argument: "TIFs can be a good tool," he says. "They can also be misused. Because this is Illinois, we get both."

Several readers were curious about ambulances called to the area around Lawrence and Dover last night. According to NBC5, this is what happened:

Woman Hurt In Scooter Crash On North Side
Rider Loses Control, Falls From Scooter

CHICAGO -- A woman suffered head injuries when she fell from a scooter early Wednesday in the Uptown neighborhood on the North Side. The crash occurred about 1 a.m. in the 1300 block of West Lawrence Avenue, according to Lincoln District police, who said a woman fell off a scooter and suffered head injuries.

The woman was traveling west on Lawrence Avenue when she lost control, according to police, who said she apparently was moving too fast. The victim was transported in an unidentified condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said.

"Getting on the L this morning I got a brochure for the R3 Salon,
(www.r3salon.com). Now there's a good chance I'm just clueless
about the neighborhood, but I think this is a new salon. I'm going to
stop by in the next month and try a pedicure. Thought it might be nice
to get the word out there about this place."

We couldn't agree more. Check out "R3 Salon" right on the corner of Wilson and Dover.

Our thanks to "t5208" at BPN for coming across this referendum on the upcoming election ballot. You can view the other referenda here.

Update: The bright yellow areas highlighted in the Ward map below are the ones that will have the Affordable Housing TIF referendum on the ballot. (click for a larger version)

Remember the high rise that was slated for the corner or Leland and Clarendon? Well, there is sad news from "Sunrise Equities" who was developing this project...they have gone belly-up. Read all about it at "The Bench." Does anyone recall how the tan brick building directly to the north of this site was intertwined with this development? We had heard that it was to be converted to low-income housing, but why it appears to be completed and still sitting vacant after all this time is a mystery.

Update: For more information, read the News-Star's "Where Is Salman Ibrahim?"

The building housing the Majestic Store at Leland and Broadway continues to suffer due to poor maintenance. The chipping terra cotta that we noticed last March has now completely fallen and disappeared.

And now a large chunk of the original black marble facade is gone, leaving a wood base behind it to face the elements.

But the owner wouldn't sell, and the poor old Majestic Building continues to deteriorate. The rumored owner of the building who refused to sell to someone who was ready and willing to rehab the poor falling-apart Majestic Shop?

None other than the cash-strapped CTA.

The Mystery of the Dangling Guard Wire Solved: A reader plays Nancy Drew and gives us the rest of the story.

"The CTA Ironworkers removed the iron rod 09/11/08. I wish I could take credit for helping to get this fixed by being there or submitting 911 calls, but these workers had already spotted the problem themselves as they were repairing the tracks above and were removing the rod as I passed by. Hats off to them and their proactive approach to delivering city services to our Uptown Neighborhood."

A reader writes:

"I work near Hillside and wanted to show you the transparency and updating that the residents of this community enjoy when it comes to information regarding new developments. It's relevant, because as Uptown Update reported earlier, this development in Hillside is going to be anchored by a Super Target.

As the pictures show, construction is well under way, and significant progress has been made, despite construction beginning just a few short months ago in June. The list of prospective occupants is also impressive."

Fix Wilson Yard will hold a Fundraiser and Update on Thursday, September 25th, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Come to Nick's Uptown, 4015 N Sheridan, for the fun.

$30 per person gets you two hours of open bar - beer, wine, booze, soft drinks, whatever.

All proceeds are tax-deductible. Two tickets to Tina Turner's concert on Friday, October 3, will be auctioned off, donated by a very generous Uptown resident. They're great seats on the main floor, section 103, Row 10. Go to unitedcenter.com if you want to see the exact location.

If you've got any items or tickets you'd like to donate to the auction, please contact Fix Wilson Yard. It's all a tax deduction!

We at Uptown Update just love our donuts. We're big fans of Dunkin Donuts, and we live close to the one at Wilson and Broadway. So we were glad to hear that the store there will be getting a remodel, to the tune of $220K.

But we usually end up going to the DD on Broadway, just south of Foster, due to the unrelenting panhandling - aggressive and otherwise - at DDWilBro's location. We tried to go there again this weekend, and couldn't even get out of the car because the woman in the white jacket was standing, literally, an inch from the door, pounding on the window before the engine was even turned off.

So we ended up at Foster and Broadway, where we haven't had to "run the gauntlet" of panhandlers outside the parking lot, inside the parking lot, and sometimes inside the store.

Christie Hahn of Uptown Business Partners said at the Town Hall meeting that Uptown businesses can't succeed in an environment that includes the "everyday harassment of their patrons." Those patrons spend their money in a friendlier environment, as we did.

We sincerely hope that the planned remodeling of the Wilson/Broadway Dunkin Donuts includes some sort of parking lot security to make going there less threatening. We told Dunking Donuts corporate offices how we felt; we hope they were listening.

Dear Uptown,

Wilson Area Merchants Association would like to send out a great big thank you to all those who purchased bracelets for Experience Uptown. Businesses received tremendous response from community residents. Where there may have been some learning opportunities along the way, those of us at WAMA will continue to grow and learn and make Experience Uptown bigger and better in 2009.

There were more than 40 businesses that participated and we would like to tip our hats to them as well. WAMA's goals with the monies raised is to first bring a little more Holiday spirit to Uptown this Season. The SSA will be providing wreaths and bows again this year and WAMA will be investigating Holiday lights along Wilson Ave. Next year we hope to extend the lights to other areas.

Stay tuned, because in January WAMA will present our new quarterly newsletter filled with advertisements and coupons from local businesses. As well, we will be featuring a local business with an entire page each month on our website. Please go to www.wilsonareamerchants.org.

Once again, Thank you Uptown for all your support.

Sincerely, WAMA Team

Another great toe-tappin' video from D.Stratis:
"Yesterday is history, and it’s never comin’ back."

Election Day is November 4th, and the deadline to register is October 7th.

Don't miss out! To check your voting status, click here.

Get a voter registration form here.

A list of important dates, including grace period registration/voting and early voting, is here.

A full list of candidates, offices and referenda is here.

Is Walsh Construction pulling out of Wilson Yard?

A reader writes: "I just got back from a party where I met an iron worker for the CTA, currently working on the Red/Purple Line tracks by the Wilson Yard. He tells me that Walsh Construction hasn't been paid and if they don't get the $ real soon, they're pulling out. The work has stopped, with only supervisors dropping by now and they're getting the equipment ready to pull it out when Walsh decides they've had enough. No specific time frame, but soon."

How many agencies and companies have pulled out of the Wilson Yard project now? Will Walsh Construction join them?

We can't help but wonder if, at some point soon, it'll be Helen Shiller and Peter Holsten, all by their lonesomes.

It's miraculous: The dangerous guard wire under the el tracks that we posted about less than two weeks ago has finally been removed, after more than a year. Huzzah!

And we never even got to decorate it....

Wild Pug says the city has issued a certificate of occupancy for its place of business. Now it's Zoning's turn. As soon as Zoning gives thumbs-up, then Wild Pug will pay for a liquor license. There is a minimum of 45 days between payment and the issuing of the license.

"This has been quite a drawn out process that we never anticipated. Expect one heck of an opening when it is all said and done!"

If you're interested in becoming an investor in Wild Pug, contact them here to set up a meeting.

The Magnolia Malden Block Club sent this message about today's block party:

"Due to the unrelenting rain, we have sadly cancelled the Block Party. We're in discussions whether it's possible to reschedule still this fall. Thanks to all who helped putting this together, and thanks to all our sponsors: 7-11, Ace Hardware, Alma Pita, Body Fit, Crew Bar & Grill, Classic Graphics, Dramatic Paws, Fat Cat, Gigios, Hinckley Springs, Sheridan Park Food, Soggy Paws, The Spot, Tapas Las Ramblas and Uptown Bikes."

Molly Phelan of Fix Wilson Yard wrote the guest editorial in this week's News-Star about the organization's viewpoint and reasoning. A very good read, in our opinion!

Wilson Yard Plan does not utilize best-use practices

By "MOLLY" MARY ANNE PHELAN

I think I am like most people. If someone falls, you help them up. If you see trash on the sidewalk, you pick it up. If you see something wrong, you fix it.

That is why I am part of Fix Wilson Yard, a group of concerned citizens who oppose the Wilson Yard Redevelopment Plan. Since the Wilson Yard Plan's unveiling in 2005, it has dramatically changed from a vibrant mixed-use development to the current poorly designed development which irresponsibly uses tax increment financing to develop a flawed low-income housing model.

Read the entire editorial here.

We got an email from a new resident of Uptown:

"I work from home (near Wilson and Clarendon) and I am always looking for places to try... just not always sure what's good and what isn't. I have actually been looking for a deli where I can get sandwiches and soup, etc."

So readers, your turn: What are your favorite places to eat in Uptown? What would you recommend to a new resident?

This is a prime weekend to give new places a try during "Experience Uptown" because of the discounts many of our local eateries are offering through Sunday.

Hey Uptown,
Would you like to see holiday lights on Wilson, more businesses and beautification throughout Uptown? It is not too late. WAMA will have tables selling tickets at the corner of Wilson and Magnolia in front of Starbucks and at the corner triangle by Borders at Lawrence and Broadway during random hours Friday the 12th and Saturday the 13th. You may still also go to Tiztal, The Spot, Marigold or Unique So Chique and buy those bright green bracelets. Forward this info to your neighbors and get them involved too! WAMA will make sure to give back to the community as much as it can but the association needs your help. So, pony up Uptown and show your support.

With great thanks, Wilson Area Merchants Association!!! www.wilsonareamerchants.org

Our own Uplift School on Wilson is participating in the just announced program that gives up to $4,000 to students earning straight A's. Read all about it at the Sun-Times and join the discussion.

There was a meeting on September 8th at Lakeview Lutheran Church for residents to discuss the upcoming construction of a new 23rd District Police Station. Sitting among concerned citizens asking questions about noise, shift changes and what will happen to the existing trees on the proposed site was Ald. Helen Shiller.

We applaud her for showing up at a meeting of 46th Ward residents, but wonder why she doesn't extend the same courtesy to the numerous meetings north of Montrose to which she's been invited.

For the record, the new 23rd District Police Station will replace the existing police station located at 3600 N. Halsted. The current station was built in the 1930s and does not have adequate space or amenities to service the Town Hall District. The new station, to be constructed at the corner of W. Addison and N. Fremont, will consist of a two story 44,000 square foot masonry building with a design based on the prototype for other new police stations that have been built throughout the City. The project is designed to accommodate a staff of 450 people over three shifts and will contain male/female locker rooms, roll call room, exercise room, sallyport, holding cells, interview rooms, evidence areas, 100 seat community room, administrative and general offices and a 150 foot communications tower.

Update: From the comments:
"According the the Department of Zoning, this application was withdrawn. The applicant told Zoning that they needed to make changes to the application.
They told Zoning that they expect to refile at the next Zoning meeting October 8th."

Code 17-13-0107-C Posted Notice. When the provisions of this Zoning Ordinance require that “Posted Notice” be provided, the applicant must post a notice sign on the subject property in accordance with the following requirements:

1. The notice sign must be installed within 5 days of application filing and remain in place until the date of the hearing. ...
3. The sign must be posted in such a way as to be plainly visible from each roadway or right-of-way abutting the property.

We took a stroll by the McJunkin Building Wednesday to take a look at the required-by-city-code Zoning Notice about the shrouded-in-mystery "commercial housing" that Brendan Shiller, Attorney Of Choice For The 46th Ward, mentioned in his letter to residents.

The McJunkin is a huge building, so we may have missed seeing it, but we really looked and came up empty. Check out the photos above, taken Wednesday. We just know it's got to be there someplace! And "plainly visible from each roadway abutting the property."

Or is it possible Brendan's just claiming to be "lazy" and ignorant about this requirement, as well as saying he doesn't know the entity he represents or what they want to do with the property? Why are the details of this allegedly "beneficial retail plan" so difficult for residents to ascertain?

Hugh adds in the comments: "We should expect posted notice on or about tomorrow, Tuesday 9/9/08 (five business days minus the Monday 9/1 holiday). This is the applicant's responsibility. Please keep an eye out for the sign."

The longer the details remain hidden from the community, the fishier this zoning request appears to be.

Details scant in fatal Uptown shooting

About 40 Uptown residents turned out for a CAPS meeting last Tuesday at Truman College to learn more about the mid-afternoon shooting on Aug. 29 that left one victim dead and a second man critically wounded. The shooting occurred on the 4800 block of N. Sheridan Road in the 20th District, just over the boundary of the 20th and 23rd police districts at Lawrence and Sheridan.

Chicago Police Sgt. Alex Silva, of the 23rd District, told residents that Belmont and Western Area 3 detectives had "someone they are looking for" in connection to the shootings. One resident asked Silva if the shootings were retaliation for other previous gang activity. Silva said that police still did not have a motive for the Aug. 29 shootings.

"I mean, I'm not saying it's not. The name of the game, obviously, is narcotics and profits there on that corner," Silva told residents.

Read the rest of the story here.

Mercy Housing Lakefront Kicks Off Affordable Housing Preservation Initiative

By LORRAINE SWANSON, Editor

In a departure from the traditional groundbreaking, Mercy Housing Lakefront smashed a symbolic wall and then rebuilt it again, in celebration of the start of rehabilitation work at Malden Arms Apartments, 4727 N. Malden.

The Malden Arms Apartments complex represents the first 83 units in a preservation initiative that will include more than 600 units of affordable housing, spread across five buildings in Uptown and one in Lake View. The buildings are being refinanced and rehabilitated to make them more energy efficient and cost effective as affordable housing for formerly homeless persons.

Read the entire story here.

Brandon Shephard, the Uptown man who found Baby Wilson wrapped inside of three plastic bags underneath some bushes in his courtyard building, says he thinks about the abandoned newborn every day.

Shephard was out of town last weekend and was unaware that a 15-year-old girl had allegedly confessed to giving birth to the infant and then discarding him outside to police on Sunday, until he checked his voice mail the next day and heard messages left for him by News-Star.

Police credit Shephard with saving the baby's life. In a July interview with News-Star, Shephard described how he tore open the three plastic bags that were tied at the top and discovered the hours-old newborn at 2:30 a.m. on July 8.

"I think she did the right thing," he said of the mother. "I think she needs professional help. She is very young. She's still a minor. She's not even a young adult yet."

Read the rest of the story here.

And don't miss the excellent editorial: "No shame, no blame, no names - Alternatives to newborn abandonment"

From The Huffington Post-Chicago:
Esquire released its list of America's best bars and the Green Mill came in at number one (even though Huffington Post reports #6, our thanks to an astute reader who noticed the mistake).
Now in its 100th year, the Green Mill embodies the Golden Age, subsequent decay and present renaissance of the neighborhood that surrounds it, and serves a superb martini to boot. Long ago, one "Machinegun" McGurn ran the joint -- the man behind the St. Valentine's Day Massacre who was rumored to "coerce" the talent onto Green Mill's stage. Today, you can sit in Al Capone's booth (facing both the front and side doors), while listening to some world-class jazz until the wee hours for a cover charge less than an average order at Starbucks. You'll enter the spotlight when you take a leak as the johns are located right next to the stage. "The Mill" also hosts the Uptown Poetry Slam every Sunday, where poets seek to avoid (literally) getting run off the stage.

Good news from the folks at "Fix Wilson Yard." According to their September Newsletter, they have raised $40,000 from the contributions of concerned residents to file a lawsuit to stop the Wilson Yard plan in it's current form. They have also notified the city of their intent to file a lawsuit.

From the newsletter:
"Our lawyers are hard at work on the case, and we are getting closer to filing a complaint. On Thursday, September 4th they sent this letter to Mara Georges, Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago notifying them of our intention to file a lawsuit."

If you haven't made a tax-deductible donation yet, please click the yellow donate button up on the top right of Uptown Update. Also, sign up for the Fix Wilson Yard newsletter at their site. We are truly amazed at the generosity and fortitude of Uptown residents.

Chase Park (at Clark and Leland) is hosting Chicago's Midnight Circus September 27 and 28. This group of clowns, contortionists, acrobats, actors, and a dog will perform eight heart stopping shows with limited seating. We are told this sold out last year so get your tickets early at the website here.

A reader just tipped us off to the Chicago City Clerk's new website. You can easily search for city legislative documents, but by far, the best thing is being able to watch LIVE streaming video of City Council meetings. There is one taking place now. We hope these meetings will be archived. If you hurry and click "watch live video stream" on the bottom of the main page, you might be able to catch our esteemed Alderman giving one of her famous speeches and managing to say absolutely nothing.

The Tribune has a lengthy article about Detective Jennifer Ryle and her dedication to finding Baby Wilson's birth mother. It really demonstrates her determination and persistence. We're glad to have cops like her in our area.

However, the article had a few paragraphs that just broke our heart:

According to state records obtained by the Tribune, it was determined after CT scans that the child suffered a skull fracture as a result of child abuse.

Wilson was released from the hospital and placed in a temporary facility for special needs children, Ryle said. He will need long-term care, she said.

Scared her parents would be angered by her pregnancy, the teen decided to hide the newborn outside, Ryle said. "She was so nervous about her parents finding out," Ryle said, referring to when the family was being interviewed. "The parents told her, 'We would have loved this baby. We would have helped you raise this baby.' "

We wish the best for Baby Wilson in his future. He'll need all the help and prayers he can get. He's already been lucky to have had Brandon Shephard and Det. Ryle as his advocates; let's hope the miracles continue for him.

The Sun-Times has an article on the bricolage at Bryn Mawr and Lake Shore Drive, created by teen artists from Alternatives in Uptown:

What artist Tracy Van Duinen and a crew of 32 teens, among others, did on their summer vacation could live on for generations. Earlier this month Van Duinen, fellow artist Todd Osborne and teens from Uptown's social service agency, Alternatives Inc., transformed a dull Lake Shore Drive underpass at Bryn Mawr into a glittering mosaic story of the North Side's Edgewater community.:

Dubbed "Growing 2008," one of the wall's centerpieces features a long-haired brunette who seems to be in a floating embrace. What she's got her arms around, upon closer inspection, are vintage and current photos of community residents -- snapshots fired onto ceramic pieces. Images of a butterfly's life, from caterpillar to chrysalis to grownup, represent the evolution of a community.:

By contrast, this is what Uptown's underpasses look like. However, Mary Ann Smith said in November 2007 that the Lawrence Avenue underpass may get a similar treatment reflecting Uptown's history::

Planning and installation of a new mural will begin after bridge repairs to the Lawrence Avenue underpass are finished. "We'll be calling on the community to help design what the Lawrence Avenue project will say," Smith said. "As we enter our neighborhood it is a very small statement of who we are. The bricolage (mural at Bryn Mawr) reflected the history of Edgewater, Lawrence Avenue (will be) very much about who Uptown is and its history."

A reader writes: "Some scumbag threw an object through one of the new windows at Clark and Leland. Not sure what was thrown, but I think it was very recently."

Residents in the communities surrounding the 46th Ward are now approaching their own aldermen regarding Ald. Shiller's plans that adversely affect their communities. (Think of Ald. Mary Ann Smith's staff member, Nancy Meyerson, speaking out against Labor Ready at the Zoning Board, and reps from Ald. Gene Schulter's office sitting onstage at the Town Hall meeting about Uptown's crime.)

If only residents of the 46th Ward had an advocate to turn to....!

As a follow-up to our Wilson Yard meeting hosted by Graceland West, we are organizing a group of neighbors to attend the open meeting session at the Alderman's office on this Wed. (9-10-08) at 7:00 PM. We hope to discuss with him how this project will impact our neighborhood. Please join us at the 47th ward office, 4237 Lincoln.

UPDATE from the comments: "PLEASE NOTE: The meeting with Alderman Schulter for September 10 has been postponed until further notice. Alderman Schulter is out of town."

The quoted material is from a mailing sent by Graceland West block club. The Fix Wilson Yard organization suggests a final sentence of "If you want more information on how this project will impact the community and how you can help, go to www.fixwilsonyard.org."

A reader writes: "There is now fencing up at Sunnyside and the Truman College mall. You can enter from Wilson but can't get out the other side. My understanding from the spring community meeting was that access along the east side of the building would no longer be available, but that access along the mall area at Racine would still be maintained, both after and during construction.

But it now looks like residents along Racine (like Ron Huberman!) and Clifton south of Sunnyside will suddenly have a little longer walk in the morning to the el station for the next year and a half (or longer). Were you at the meeting? Am I misremembering the answers they gave on this?"

There's a widespread assumption that Ald. Shiller is thumbs-down on the CPD. Let us count the reasons why.... Her non-appearance at CAPS meetings (unless they're sham meetings at election time that Mayor Daley can attend). Her remarks that CAPS is elitist and discriminatory. Her son's willingness to sue the CPD, even when the evidence is flimsy or non-existent. Her support of Couraj, which has spawned the Copwatch program and has been sued by the police for making false accusations against police officers. Her bias against blue light police cameras.

So it came as a surprise to see this blurb in the Sun-Times' series on police hiring, Got a rap sheet? Step right up:

Of the 79 people who successfully appealed their rejections from the Chicago Police Department, [...] Three were endorsed by aldermen despite prior problems with the law. Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) backed a woman arrested for impeding a shooting investigation; Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) vouched for a man who threatened to shoot someone, and Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) supported a man who sold drugs in the late 1990s.

It makes us wonder just who this police officer is, why he threatened to shoot someone, and most important, why Ald. Shiller wanted him to be part of an organization that, by most accounts, she disapproves of.

Sarah's Circle, a refuge for women who are homeless or in need of a safe space, is hosting a fundraising event at Goose Island Brewery (1800 N Clybourn) on September 25th, 6-8 p.m. Sarah's Circle has been located in the heart of Uptown for 30 years, and provides housing assistance, case management, referral services and life necessities.

Tasting for a Cause! Taste a selection of 4 styles from Goose Island's Classic Family of Beer and 1 Unique Seasonal Offering. Tour the Brewery and learn about their unique craftsmanship from the Goose Island Brewmaster. There will be chances to win great prizes and cash! Profits directly benefit Sarah's Circle, a safe refuge for women who are homeless or at risk. Tickets are $35 and include 1 raffle ticket. Please R.S.V.P. by WEDNESDAY September 17. Contact Ella Phillips at ephillips@sarahs-circle.org or 773-728-1991, ext. 313. Payment will be accepted at the door.

We thought we would stop by one of the latest Uptown restaurants to be shut down by the health department, Pizza Factory at 4443 N Sheridan. According to the sign in the window, it was shut down July 28 due to a host of violations. Check out EveryBlock for the complete rundown.
Doesn't look like they are in much of a hurry to reopen.

The News-Star has a Web Extra:

By LORRAINE SWANSON, News-Star Editor

"A 15-year-old Uptown resident has been charged in the abandonment two months ago of the infant whom local firefighters named Baby Wilson.

"On Sunday, the teenager turned herself in to Area 3 detectives at Belmont and Western, where she was charged with one count each of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery.

"The infant was discovered early the morning of July 8 by a resident of the 4600 block of N. Beacon who heard crying in the courtyard of his apartment building. The man found a baby, wrapped in plastic bags, on the ground. He ran with the infant to the nearby Wilson and Racine fire station. Paramedics there worked on the baby and took him to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital, where he still is, recovering.

"Firefighters named the infant after their station.

"Belmont Area 3 Detective Jennifer Ryle found the mother by canvassing the Uptown neighborhood and reaching out through community Web sites.

"'She has been turned over to a juvenile detention center,' Officer Amina Greer of Police News Affairs said of Baby Wilson's mother."

The Tribune also reports on the story, ending with this news: "The infant is doing well at a local hospital."

We were happy to see both stories include a shout-out to Detective Jennifer Ryle, who was in touch with Uptown Update on a couple of occasions during her investigation. Her concern for Baby Wilson was heartfelt. We're delighted she was able to take the investigation to its conclusion.

Update: Click here for WBBM780's coverage of the story.

Update 2: The charges have been upgraded, according to WBBM780: "The mother -- whose name is withheld because of her age -- is charged with two counts of each of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said. "

Update: Good news! From the comments: "Dear Uptown neighbors. Our Ruthy was found late this afternoon on the lakeshore bike path at Addison. We adopted her only last week. She's had a tough life, and was having difficulty adjusting to being in the city and in a condo. We are very relieved that she was found. Thank you all for your good wishes. Rick and Peter"

A reader writes in: (note the photo is not the lost dog, but a photo of the type of breed)
Our new dog ran away. She is an Austrian Shepherd, 6 years old gray with black spots. Her hair has been clipped. She is extremely shy. She got out of her collar and ran.

Update: Another reader writes in, "Today I just got some lunch at the Broadway Grill on the corner of Lawrence and Broadway and an employee of the Bank of America came in and introduced herself to the workers in the restaurant. She told me the bank will open on Monday, September 22."

The Bank of America is just about finished. A reader just sent in this photo this afternoon showing the completed corner column in brick and the windows that now have the Bank of America wrapping removed. If you get a chance, walk by and take a peek inside.

A reader writes in with their account of a phone call to the attorney representing the zoning change in the McJunkin Building:

A reader just sent in the following photos showing the intersection of Sheridan and Argyle with lots of emergency vehicles and bystanders crowded around. Any idea of what happened here?

Update: A reader writes: "I was there at 7:00 p.m. There was a fire in one unit on the 4th floor. As this is a nursing home, there was an evacuation of the residents. The fire was quickly put out. I saw one man in an ambulance being treated for breathing problems, and the others were being led back into the building when I left there at 7:30 p.m. "

Use this link below to print out the form needed to register for information on all 4 Uptown TIF's: Wilson Yard, Clark/Montrose, Lawrence/Broadway, and Clarendon/Lakeside.
Download and print this form and mail it to the address listed on the form.

This is a bit short notice, but we just received it:

Mayor Daley and Police Superintendent Weis will march tomorrow, Saturday, September 6th, at 87th and Exchange in response to the 10 year old who was shot and killed last week.

The police districts of area three - 18, 19, 20, 23 and 24 - are seeking volunteers who are interested in marching along with residents from all other districts in the city against violence.

Free transportation to and from the march is available from AREA 3 Police Headquarters at Belmont/Western. The bus will leave promptly at 9:30 am and return by noon.

Contact Bart Moy at 773-540-7277 for more info.

From "Gunnison Block Club Blog"

This is a very good read. And before you all wonder why you weren't able to attend, we are told this was for block club presidents and other Uptown leaders. We are glad to see we have more police cameras to look forward to in the high-crime spots they should have been in in the first place.

We were really surprised today when we walked down Broadway between Montrose and Sunnyside and saw a brand new Chinese restaurant, The Chinese Connection. We peeked in the door and it appears to be open for business and looks clean and nice. Anyone want to do our first review of this place? We wish this new venture the best of luck.

Dinner, Gem Awards on Tap for September 11

The Graeme Stewart LSC (Local School Council) is holding a meeting on Wednesday, September 10th (note corrected date) at 2:45 pm to discuss the new Campus Park. The public is invited to attend the meeting, which will be held at the school. The park's Grand Opening will take place on October 22.

A reader writes in:
"They are cutting down the beautiful trees in the Truman College mall right now (to make way for the upcoming parking structure's Racine Street connection). Since we've moved here, we've seen the public space used by residents disappear. First the grassy knoll were families played volley ball and baseball, now the open space. All of it is consumed with parking, driveways and gravel. What a shame!"

Update: And in related news, the city has made it official (as if we didn't already know) in this press release below. Your tax dollars (TIF) will be funding this parking structure to the tune of a cool $10,000,000. We're sure this parking structure will spur even more development in Uptown.

"Mayor Richard M. Daley proposed a plan to the City Council today to use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds to assist in the development of a student center and parking facility for Harry S. Truman College.
"Tax Increment Financing is our strongest economic development tool," Mayor Daley said. "It captures the growth in a neighborhood for reinvestment in that same community, such as the proposed great improvements to the Truman College campus, an anchor for the Uptown neighborhood."
The project includes planning, design and construction of a 75,000-square-foot student center and parking facility that will include space for an admissions and advising center, financial aid offices, placement testing, student clubs, student government and other activities.
The facility at 4455 N. Racine Ave. will also include a seven-story elevated parking structure with capacity for 1,100 cars. The City intends to assist the $54 million project with $10 million from the Wilson Yards TIF District funds. To date, Chicago's TIF program has committed more than $800 million in TIF funds for public education to rehabilitate or construct new schools. "

We just received an email from someone with seemingly accurate info:
"The Salvation Army Tom Seay (Uptown) Corps and Service Center, 1025 W. Sunnyside, will be closing permanently September 30, 2008. This announcement will be made public tomorrow."

Guess we will wait and see. Wow.
Update: A reader just sent in this photo from last week showing the constant loitering that takes place on Sunnyside outside the Salvation Army, all under a "NO LOITERING" sign, no less. Notice the gent who is pulling up his pants by the tree.

A reader writes in:
"I was woken up this morning by the sound of chainsaws and wondered what was being destroyed. Later today, after eating lunch at the Golden Pancake I was walking home and saw this. I am a bit confused about why this tree was cut down, it looked fine to me. A branch was cut off last year after that massive storm we had but other than that the tree looked fine. I also noticed that the street sign was damaged and it makes me question what happened. Does anyone know why this tree was cut down and if so what will replace it? I also wonder how long it will take to get the sign fixed, hopefully soon. 'Tis sad!

You still have time to buy your wristband for the "Experience Uptown" walkfest on September 12,13, and 14. For $10 (the cost of a wristband) you can get amazing discounts at all of your favorite Uptown locales, including "Sheridan Park Food & Liquor" and "Magnolia Cafe." Stop by Unique So Chique, The Spot, or Marigold to purchase your wristband. You can also purchase via PayPal at the Wilson Area Merchants Assocation website here. Show your support for Uptown businesses! Oh, and while we are at it, a little birdie tells us to expect new menu items at Magnolia Cafe at Wilson and Magnolia, as well as lower priced items. Stop by businesses on Wilson and show your support. They will appreciate it!

Photo taken prior to February 2007 election

A reader writes in:

The IRS has just released its latest version of Publication 1828 (Tax Guide for Churches and Religions Organizations)

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf

According to Research Institute of America, a prominent tax law and analysis publishing firm:

IRS has once again attempted to set clear boundaries on the issue in its recently updated Publication 1828, “Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations,” which includes detailed guidance on what is and what is not prohibited political activity.

RIA observation: The new, detailed coverage of prohibited political campaign activity in revised IRS Publication 1828 is essentially a restatement of the principles and examples carried in Rev Rul 2007-41, 2007-25, issued at the dawn of the 2008 Presidential election season. What the revised Publication adds is expanded guidance on voter education, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote drives, and an admonition for charities to heed the difference between election law and tax law.

What is there to say? More questions than answers in Uptown slaying

There is something terribly wrong in Uptown and something terribly right. The city's most diverse community is full of vintage architecture, lovely tree-lined streets and residents of all ilks and colors who clearly adore their neighborhood.

Last Friday's midday shooting that left one teen dead and a second man critically wounded, however, was another setback for a neighborhood that is trying desperately to pull itself up by its bootstraps.

The conversation was angry in the neighborhood over the Labor Day weekend. By Saturday morning, there were 93 comments left on the neighborhood blog, Uptown Update. Some of the posters provided thoughtful commentary; others made divisive remarks that were simply uncalled for.

Residents who poured into the street Friday afternoon to watch police comb a Sheridan Road sidewalk for shell casings near the dead teen's body expressed similar fears and anger over the summer's increase in violence.

One girl, lighting candles for her fallen friend that Friday evening, angrily confronted the dog walkers and media watching the vigil, asking: "Why don't you go up the street and ask why this happened?"

In retrospect, she could have been asking us to talk to the individuals who shot her friend.

It has been a long summer in Uptown, where, since spring, more than a dozen shootings and two homicides have plagued this North Side neighborhood. While other surrounding neighborhoods continue to enjoy revived business districts and low crime rates, Uptown continues its long journey into the night.

In the wake of two midday shootings in July, residents on both sides of the neighborhood's economic spectrum began a respectful dialogue. At an emergency Town Hall meeting at Truman College, they started discussing the neighborhood's prevailing public safety issues.

It was clear that both sides wanted stronger political leadership that has been sorely lacking in Uptown. People want to feel safe in their neighborhood, and stakeholders have since come together to start developing strategies for reclaiming hope.

We mourn for our neighbor's dead child. No parent looks at his or her newborn baby and envisions that child one day lying dead on a sidewalk riddled with bullets. We also mourn for the shooter or shooters, who threw their lives away by claiming the life of another. Your parents have also lost a child.

Now is not the time for divisive rhetoric. Uptown must rise up as one community and keep the dialogue moving to resolve its continuing public safety issues. No matter what our differences are, we must keep working and listening to one another.

The only divide is what is thrust upon us by others who don't know our neighborhood.

The stakes have never been higher.

The scaffolding and fencing are finally down at the Uptown Broadway Building, and we can get a glimpse of the entire building and the attention to detail that's been put into its restoration. What a gem it will be when completed! We can hardly wait.

Thank you, Thaddeus Wong, for seeing the potential in this once-abandoned eyesore and restoring it to the community.

A reader got this in today's mail and sent it to us. It's an application from the 46th Ward's pet attorney, Brendan Shiller (whose law practice has apparently traded in the high-falutin' downtown address for offices in the same building as his mother's).

The letter proposes that the McJunkin Building be rezoned so that it can accomodate "commercial housing."

Gee, wonder what "commercial housing" means? Fancy term. Hotels? Youth hostels? or could it be ... more shelters?

Update: One reader, and we assume others who live near the McJunkin Building, received this notice today, postmarked September 2, even though the application was to be filed on or around September 1. We can only assume this was to keep community protest to a minimum. Sneaky, sneaky!

We have heard from several neighbors in the area of the 4800-5000 block of Kenmore that are reporting around 6:30am this morning numerous shots were fired. Police were seen patrolling the area searching for the shooters.

(click the image to enlarge for more details)

The corner of Winthrop and Lawrence has a new look today.

We realize many of you might be squeamish when it comes to rodents so we kept this photo small. It was just sent to us by someone who is at Broadway and Wilson. We wonder how long this has been lying on the sidewalk? Eeeeek!

CBS2Chicago brings us this very unwelcome news:

Victim Suffered 'Extremely Severe' Injuries

CHICAGO (STNG) ― Charges are pending for a man who allegedly beat another man in an Uptown neighborhood alley early Tuesday, leaving him with "extremely severe" injuries. The incident occurred about 12:10 a.m. in an alley at 4940 N. Winthrop Ave. The two men, who know each other, began fighting, according to Lincoln District police Sgt. Rapa.

Read the entire story here. One wonders if this is another gang thing.

A reader writes in:
"On Sunday, my parents noticed a water-main break on Malden bubbling up into the street, the stretch between Lawrence and Leland, right around 4714. We called it in on Sunday, Monday afternoon, and then Monday evening. Crews didn't show up to fix it until about an hour ago. I
know it's a holiday weekend, but I'm trying to figure out why emergency crews weren't dispatched, seeing as how water was flooding the curb, sending silt up and down the block, and fouling up the nice new asphalt they just put down."

A reader writes in:
"I have been reporting this "metal guard" to 311 and the CTA that has been broken right in front of Ace-Hardware at Broadway and Clifton for over a year now with nothing done. I first saw it last year on UU. I've also seen people sitting on the end that is still attached to the concrete just inches from cars zooming by down Broadway. Is it going to take someone tripping over it and falling into oncoming traffic for the CTA to realize it needs to be fixed? The lady at 311 told me it was CTA property. Either remove it, or fix it. Of course, this is just south of Leland where everything changes.

Seen today in front of the "Wilson Men's Hotel" at 1124 W. Wilson.
Update: We were just told that this particular sign is no longer up. Workers were seen outside the Wilson Men's Hotel today removing it and the large wooden pieces. Why, we do not know. Stay tuned.

We just received word that the traffic signals at Leland and Broadway are out and the police are there directing traffic. Also, anyone near Leland and Broadway is more than likely without power. Break out the candles.

A reader writes in:
"There have only been 443 kidnappings all this year in Chicago (per chicagocrime.org), yet Uptown has had 2 this past month of August, with both occurring in mid-afternoon. The police aren’t talking, but photos and published crime stats and don’t lie."

4500 block N. Marine Dr Kidnapping: Kidnapping

Place: Park property. Reported at 1:16 p.m. on August 21, 2008.

4500 block N. Broadway Kidnapping: Child abduction/stranger

Place: Street. Reported at 1:30 p.m. on August 13, 2008.

We came across this fun tool at the Tribune for those who are questioning who their alderman is. Simply go to this link and enter your address and you will find out who your alderman happens to be. We will be adding this handy tool to our "Useful Links" off on the right. Hours of endless fun.