Monday, May 16, 2011

Farewell, Ald. Shiller

There are just three hours remaining in the 24-year aldermanic reign of Helen Shiller, and some sentiments we learned from Dr. Seuss (in The Zax) come to mind.
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"Never budge! That’s my rule. Never budge in the least!
Not an inch to the west! Not an inch to the east!

I’ll stay here, not budging! I can and I will
If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!”


Well…
Of course the world didn’t stand still. The world grew.

___________

Ald. Shiller, we wish you a happy retirement.  We wish you fewer worries, and more time to do whatever you want as you reenter a world you left in 1987, one where you're a private citizen and not the governmental voice of 45,000 people.

For better or worse (and there are strong arguments on both sides), you ferociously stuck by what you believed in and, like the Zax, compromise wasn't in your vocabulary.  You left your stamp on Uptown, the 46th Ward, and even on Uptown Update.  Time to pass the baton, put your feet up and enjoy being one of us again.

11 comments:

  1. Let's hope the 46th Mayor shows lots of love to the 46th Ward as well.

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  2. UU your a better man (or woman) than me.

    I wanna see the rat crawl back into the sewer.

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  3. Does that mean James can be our Lorax? "I am James Cappleman, I speak for the people".

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  4. Seen Cappleman being sworn in on TV-Hope he can keep that great smile.He has his hands full with the 46th ward.GL.

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  5. It was so nice to hear James Cappleman's name read aloud during the swearing-in of the new City Council.

    Yay! Yay! Yay!

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  6. Congratulations to Alderman Cappleman! May he have the strength, patience, perseverance, and wisdom to serve all of the 46th Ward long and well.

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  7. Here are some songs to say goodbye to Helen with. Mostly with a Chicago connection.

    Ramble on. Lordie, is that an appropriate title.

    I was born in Chicago .....let's say in 2011 instead of the 1941 of the song.

    Of course we had better watch out for the Alien from Outer Space Eggplant that Ate Chicago. Of course Shiller came from NYC and Wisconsin looking for something to eat.........

    Lou Rawls - Dead End Street Sorta, reminds me of Shiller somehow.

    Oh babeeeeeeeeee don't you want to go
    ........by Robert Johnson.
    http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
    In the City of Chicago as the evening shadows fall.........

    Daley's Gone by Steve Goodman.

    Shades of "Caddyshack" and the 1812 Overture.

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  8. Pirate -- spot on! "Dead End Street" was written about the 4600 block of Winthrop Avenue. Lou Rawls's father lived there and Lou visited him often. At that point in Uptown's history, the 4600 block was segregated by law -- the only place in Uptown where African American families could live.

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  9. Classy post. For those of us who appreciate Helen, and hope to see James build on what she accomplished, it is important to hear such sentiments from those who disagreed with us. Thanks.

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  10. Hey Jon, your kids at Uplift just had a gang fight with guns.. and I was in the middle of it.. if this is what you are claiming as Shillers and yours' legacy, I can not wait to see it dismantled...

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