After four years of kids being forced to play in the dark at Aster Play Lot on Kenmore, there is now light.A reader writes in:
"A huge thanks to Uptown Update for all the attention needed to get Aster Play Lot's lights back on after 4 years. Today, a group of us met with Katie Fearon-Peon from the Park District, who checked with 311 and found that there were a ton of calls made over the years. Just as we figured, the calls kept going to the wrong department. Katie is now trying to get signs up on the playlots about who to call to get problems in the park addressed."
Another small victory for the "Bad Apples"
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone remembers that these small improvements are because of this blog - because we all know come election time, Shiller will try to take all the credit.
ReplyDeleteABSOLUTELY! This blog has probably done more to get problems noticed and to motivate people than ANYTHING the Alderman has ever done. BRAVO UPTOWN UPDATE!!!
ReplyDeleteShiller herself probably won't be running again---she's scorching the ward. However her cronies are probably working to set up someone cut from the same cloth. Didn't the head of Inspiration Cafe try to run against Ald. Smith or something? Maybe that guy will run.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is likely that the ward boundaries will shift in the next election. Frankly, it is not too soon for proponents of change in Uptown to start working a candidate. It is pretty clear who would win the votes of local property owners: someone who is not willing to be a Daley lapdog; someone who is for smart growth using sound urban planning principles and is willing to open such issues up for public discussion; someone who has a solid understanding of the diversity of this ward but also where past policies have gone astray; and someone who is pro-Gay but also pro-family in the sense of supporting families raising children in an urban environment.
I'll say it yet again...
ReplyDeleteConcerned Citizens Who Care About Their Neighborhood strike again!
It makes me smile, and I hope to say it many more times in the future.
How did the calls get routed to the wrong department and how was this found out? I mean, for cryin' out loud...how can lights in a park be a political issue??? Lighted streets and parks are good for EVERYONE!
ReplyDeleteI'm also curious how you 1) figured out that Katie was the correct person, and 2) arranged a meeting with her?
ReplyDeleteKatie saw the original message and photo on this blog about the lack of lights, and responded here, saying she would be at the park at such-and-such a time and date to meet with concerned residents.
ReplyDeleteGood for her! And good for UU for being a place where problems like this get publicized, noticed and solved.
First of all, the guy from Inspiration Cafe who tried to run against Smith moved to Seattle, so he's out of the picture. If a Shiller protoge is going to run, that person better start getting some name recognition now.
ReplyDeleteSecond, the ward boundaries won't shift until after the 2011 election. The boundaries shift after the U.S. census occurs in 2010 and the information won't be released in time for the aldermen to play their games with meandering boundaries.
Cappleman has made it rather clear he will be running. I imagine others will jump in but they will have to play catch up.
I am not against Cappleman in any way but I hope that everyone wanting change does as much as possible to welcome many new voices. Pro-Shiller people want to conflate the critical mass that is developing here and elsewhere to be Cappleman running for election right after one just ended. I don't think that it is fair to say that is what this all is. People want change. If people who want change want to vote for Capplemen in the next election (if he runs) then fine with me. But, all of this discussion isn't and shouldn't be understood as pre-electioneering...if that is a word!
ReplyDeleteany one who runs for the aldercreature of uptown MUST get to the Nursing Homes Shelters subsidized housing before hs - and have enough money to hire lawyers to challenge votes from these places - cappelman can't or won't run an agressive campaign. If you look at results of the last two elections, hs won only because she "captured" the nursing home, shelter and subsidized housing vote - most likely she had to provide food and goodies for the folks - politics in uptown are run by the dirty democratic machine..
ReplyDeletesorry, but living in uptown has made me realize how filthy democrats are - 1. corrupt richie daley, 2. wife of a felon jan, 3. shiller and her ilk.
Well the nursing home votes should be in the bag. Last time I checked those people are terrified to walk the streets around here. Unfortunately, their administrators lie to them as if a serious candidate running for office is really in favor of closing down the homes and putting the disabled elderly on the streets to scavenge dumpsters for their daily bread. Welcome to sick, twisted Uptown!
ReplyDeleteIn order to win, you need to fight dirty - and dirtier than Shiller. Its disgusting, but it is the only way to get her out of office. Anon 10:39 is absolutely right. Playing nice is not going to get you elected in Chicago. Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteLakefront is critical. It's a mistake to believe it's the nursing homes and shelters, Their votes were negligible in the last election. Lakefront wasn't.
ReplyDeleteIf Shiller does run, many others running will split the vote. If Shiller doesn't run, it's a different story. Just get her out.
Not to get off topic, but thanks for getting the lights back on! UU rocks!
ReplyDeleteKatie from the Park District sounds like somebody's somebody that somebody sent.
ReplyDelete