Ald. Cappleman: Homelessness Outreach Webinar and Viaduct News

From Ald. Cappleman's newsletter today. There's a lot to take in, but it's a complex issue.

"April 28th, 2022

Dear Neighbor,

Thanks to everyone who attended last Tuesday's webinar that discussed the work being done to address homelessness in the 46th Ward and throughout the City of Chicago. Although homelessness is an extremely complex issue, COVID has taught us that it's best addressed in a coordinated and collaborative fashion that has us all working together. 

While it may sometimes appear that very little is being done to tackle this problem, there continues to be a lot of work done by different City departments and social service agencies that's not often seen by the general public. 

Some valuable lessons learned about addressing homelessness:

• The City of Chicago uses a Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) to track every single person experiencing homelessness across the City. Each person is assigned a case manager from a social service agency. 
• Every single person staying outdoors has been offered one of the following options: a shelter bed, a hotel room, an apartment, or a nursing home to keep them safe and out of the elements. Those with a substance use disorder who are not yet ready to stop using are also offered either a low barrier shelter or an apartment with wrap-around services to motivate them to address their addictions.
• People who refuse shelter and continue to live outdoors are experiencing a severe lack of trust. The assigned case manager's first task is to build trust so that they will later accept a roof over their heads.
• People stuck in the state of chronic homelessness move more quickly into permanent housing when they primarily interact with their assigned case manager and others who are coordinating their efforts with them. When well-meaning residents step in to help, it can slow down efforts of the case manager who's building trust with their client, and that ultimately slows down efforts to get them into permanent housing.
• The best way the public can help is by supporting the case manager's role of being the lead support for their client. Instead of providing food and other items directly, it's much better to donate items or money to the person's assigned social service agency. Contact the 46th Ward Office (Ward46@cityofchicago.org or call 773-878-4646) for assistance with contacting the agency to hear from them what types of donations their agency needs.
• If you're not sure if someone in need has an assigned case manager, call 311 to help the City of Chicago double check on getting them one.

If you weren't able to attend last Tuesday's webinar on homelessness, click here to view it. Once we have answers to the questions we didn't get to live, we will post it on our website. 

A WORD ABOUT PROPANE TANKS & OTHER COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS

People mean well when they give propane tanks to those living in tents, but these tanks have led to serious fires and explosions that risk killing people. The Chicago Fire Department is strongly opposed to anyone issuing these tanks to people living in the streets given the safety risk to both those living under and passing through the viaducts.

Last week, I called a meeting with the Mayor's Office, the City's Law Department, the Department of Family and Support Services, the Department of Public Health, the Chicago Fire Department, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and the Department of Streets & Sanitation to discuss the explosions that have happened at the Lawrence and Wilson viaducts under DuSable Lake Shore Drive. 

I also raised the issue of other combustible items such as tiny homes, furniture, BBQ grills, and wooden pallets that are also under the Drive as well.

The Mayor's Office and other City departments will be doing the following:

• Pass out fliers to people living under the viaducts to warn them about the dangers of propane tanks used under the viaducts.
• Craft legislation that would allow the City to fine those who give out propane tanks to people living under the viaducts.
• Create a task force to explore other ideas to discourage the use of propane tanks and anything else that could lead to serious fires.

My Response:

• Many of the explosions that have occurred under the viaducts were caused by people under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. People under the influence or those experiencing extreme mental distress are not capable of making an informed decision about what is safe and not safe, so it doesn't make sense that fliers would discourage them from using propane tanks, especially when they fear they could freeze to death without using one.
• It would be extraordinarily difficult to monitor the presence of propane tanks within homeless encampments and the close proximity under viaducts increases the likelihood that the explosion and resulting fire would quickly spread. Explosions always come with the risk of injury and death, and we have been very lucky so far that this has not yet been the case. 
  
  When these tanks explode under a viaduct, many tents are destroyed, along with all the other belongings of the people living there. The resulting smoke also travels up and risks blocking visibility for those driving above the viaduct on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. 
• I am not opposed to people living in encampments. Many have very valid reasons to not trust others who are trying to help them, and forcing them to move to another part of town damages what little trust and community they might have, thus slowing down efforts to get them housed. That said, I support requiring the viaduct encampments to move to the nearby open space where some other tents are already located to reduce the safety risks for those currently living under the viaducts. I believe that this community has the right to stay together and to stay in Uptown but it is also our responsibility to ensure that those individuals and other neighbors remain safe. 
• It also concerns me that no City department has ever taken the lead to identify and remove other combustible items (such as tiny homes, furniture, BBQ grills, and wooden pallets) that could make a fire much more serious, which would endanger the lives of not only people experiencing homelessness, but also of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. 
• Under the leadership of former President Barack Obama, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness provided cities across the country with recommendations about addressing encampments, including what to do when they are located in areas that could pose a danger. Rather than duplicate this effort by creating a task force, the City of Chicago would do well to follow through with the recommendations provided by this agency. Click here to view that document.
• My ask to have the viaducts cleared to make it safe for everyone has been denied and I fear it's only a matter of time when an injury will lead to a needless death. Along with the safety risk, it's my opinion this will lead to a lawsuit and your tax dollars will pay for it.

While I don't agree with the City's current approach to address this dangerous situation, I do respect the hard work of the Mayor's Office and our City departments on this complicated matter. 

I will continue to work with them to come up with a solution that I believe will protect the lives of pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and most especially, those who live under the viaducts below Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

Please join me in echoing these concerns that I have brought to the Mayor's Office and City Departments: 

Reach out to the Mayor's Office at CommunityEngagement@cityofchicago.org or call 312-744-3300. If you reach out by email, I would encourage you to copy me at ward46@cityofchicago.org."

17-Year-Old Willie Ferguson Is Missing (UPDATE: Safely Located!)

Happy Update: Willie has been located, and is safe. His mother picked him up and took him home Wednesday evening.

We were contacted by a reader, who writes:

"My 17-year-old son Willie Ferguson  is missing. Last seen [Sunday] night at 10pm.

Wearing light color jeans, black Ugg boots and a gray and maroon Griffins baseball jersey.

Please if anyone has any information  on his whereabouts, contact me."

You can write us at uptownupdate@hotmail.com and we will forward tips to her.

Thank you for keeping an eye out.

After Tragic Fire, Facade Elements at 5006 N Clark Potentially Saved for Reuse

 We covered the unfortunate destruction of two longstanding Uptown businesses, Star Auto and Smashy Automotive, over the weekend. 

After a fire started at the rear of Star Auto, the Chicago Fire Department responded nearly immediately but were unable to stop flames from moving to the adjacent building at 5006 N. Clark ("Smashy Automotive"). One man was pulled from the fire alive by staff preparing for the Waldos Forever Festival.

As news of the fire spread on social media, many shared photographs of the ornate facade at 5006 N Clark, built in 1919 as the Argyle-Clark Garage. Everyone was hopeful the beautiful terra cotta façade could be saved, but around 2pm, the Fire Department decided that the façade needed to come down to control the fire. 

We heard from multiple sources that the facade was coming down, and learned that staff from Preservation Chicago were on site as soon as possible to try to save elements of the building. People messaged us that the demolition crew knocked large portions of the façade down without regard to the terracotta, and it appeared the three ornate faces and two "wheels" on the façade were lost. 

But then a tweet appeared showing the center face from the façade laying on the ground. We started asking around about what happened to the face, and that led to more inquiries about the faces on the side, which survived the initial demolition, but were gone by the evening. 

We got several answers, including witnesses who told us the center face was put on a truck, but had no definitive information until the owners of SoFo Tap sent the below picture, showing the three faces safe and sound on a flatbed truck from McDonagh, the demolition contractor brought in by the City of Chicago.

Preservation Chicago then emailed separately, telling us that the "wheels" and numerous other decorative elements were recovered by staff and set aside for safe keeping.

It's great news that the faces, wheels and decorative elements are preserved and can be restored or recreated. 

And we have additional good news to share. 

5006 N. Clark was for sale last year and then off the market several months ago. We received a tip that Surge Billiards was the purchasor and planned to rehab the building for its latest location, but held off on running the story since the sale was not final. 

We learned last night that Surge plans to go through with the purchase, despite the loss of the building. Our source tells us that Surge is committed to rebuilding on site and would like to restore elements of the old building, reusing the faces, wheels, and other decorative terra cotta, if possible.

So, this is a sad story with a potential great end for the citizens of Uptown and Andersonville. 

There were multiple heroes on the day, including the staff of Dispensary 33 and the Waldos Forever Festival who saved the man's life, the Chicago Fire Department for controlling and extinguishing the huge fire, McDonagh Demolition for recognizing and saving the critical decorative elements of the facade, and Preservation Chicago for acting quickly to save additional elements of the facade from heading to landfill. 

We very much look forward to Surge opening on this spot, which will return to a restaurant/bar use for the first time since the early 1990's, and we hope Surge, McDonagh, and Preservation Chicago will work together to save another piece of Uptown's history. 

420 Festival Cancelled As Buildings Go Up In Smoke

photo courtesy of CFDMedia, on Twitter

Saturday, April 23rd, was supposed to be a celebration of all things cannabis, with the Waldos Forever Fest taking place on Clark Street between 10am and 9pm. There was going to be music, beer, food trucks, and vendors, sponsored by Dispensary 33, among others.

But none of that will be happening today.

photo credit: Kevin Oldenstedt

Shortly after 5:30 this morning, a fire broke out in a building on the west side of Clark, at Argyle. That intersection was exactly where the Waldos main stage was supposed to be. 

Instead, at least three buildings were engulfed by flames from 5000 to 5006 Clark. Two auto-related businesses suffered heavy damages: Star Auto and Smashy Automotive. Residents were evacuated from some nearby buildings, and there's a report of one person being taken to Weiss Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Thick black smoke could be seen for miles, and sirens were heard for at least a half hour as firefighters from surrounding districts came to assist in fighting the fire. Some nearby residents lost electrical power for a brief time, and the CFD had to ask for water pressure to be increased, because they were using so much water to put out the flames.

This morning we heard from the folks at Two Bears management, saying:

Waldos Forever Fest is canceled.

The SoFo Tap and Meeting House Tavern are closed for the day.  We hope to open at 8pm pending fire crew’s work and the demolition requirements.

What was supposed to be a celebratory day has become a sad one. Besides the person who suffered injuries, we are thinking of the three very good, stable small businesses that may never open again and their employees, who are now out of jobs for the foreseeable future.

We are thinking of the many hours people spent putting together the Waldos Forever Festival, determined to make it fun after Covid cancellations. 

We don't know if there was smoke damage to immediately adjacent businesses, like Dispensary 33 and Orangetheory Fitness (call any business in the area to make sure they're open before stopping by). It's just a no-good rotten thing to happen to so many people.

photo courtesy CFDMedia,
on Twitter

From a preservationist standpoint, seeing the gorgeous much-loved vintage terra cotta ornamentation at 5006 become smoke-charred is painful. 

And adding insult to injury, we'd been hearing whispers that a successful entertainment-based restaurant was negotiating to move into one of the buildings and rehabbing it... well, quite a more extensive rehab is needed now.

We're glad no one died or was injured worse than what happened. But there's really no good upside to any of this morning's news.

At 9am, CFD tweeted: "3-11 struck out, companies chasing hot spots, main body of fire is out."

Monty and Rose 2 Airing On WTTW Thursday Night

The calendar says it's spring, and thoughts are turning to love.

In particular, thoughts are turning to those irascible love birds, Monty and Rose, who have done all they can to increase the number of endangered piping plovers by meeting and mating at Montrose Beach for the past few springs and summers.

The hour-long documentary that filmmaker Bob Dolgan produced, Monty and Rose 2, will be showing on WTTW Thursday night at 10pm, and again Friday morning on WTTW Prime, at 8am.

Tune in for an up close and personal look at our much-loved local couple!

And in breaking news, Monty has been spotted at his Texas winter home sporting breeding plumage ... but not for the last few days! Is he heading back for another summer romance with Rose? And is she coming up from her Florida winter home to meet him? Enquiring minds want to know. 

You can follow the twists and turns of their relationship on the Chicago Piping Plovers Facebook page.

You can learn more about the documentary, and Monty and Rose themselves, on their own dedicated page. You can order a DVD or watch the movie for a small fee at the same site.

Uptown Branch Library On Buena Closing Temporarily For Repairs

 

The Homeless Encampments are a Public Safety Hazard

Aftermath of the March 22nd explosion

News arrived Thursday morning regarding the explosion and fire Wednesday afternoon in the park near Weiss Hospital (thanks to those who reported from the scene and sent videos).  

Like the horrible explosion and fire from two weeks ago -- and a similar explosion, fire and fatality in 2021 -- this most recent fire was started and then precipitated by the explosion of propane tanks.  Twelve propane tanks were found in total, although only two exploded in this case. Thank God.

If all twelve propane tanks had exploded, there would have surely been loss of life and injuries to the people who currently are living nearby, not to mention any passers-by and residents living in nearby buildings.

Although we try not to editorialize, the residents who contribute to Uptown Update think the time has come to say something more than just report. 

We hear consistent concerns about the viaducts and park encampments and demands for change daily, in comments to the blog, messages to our inbox, photos, and in discussions with fellow residents. The sentiment is both popular and clear: please someone do something about the situation.  

From our review of many years of emails and messages, here are some uncontroverted facts about the situation:

What is happening under the viaducts and in Lincoln Park is illegal, has been illegal, and will remain illegal. 

The viaducts at Montrose, Wilson and Lawrence are under the jurisdiction of the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois owing to the presence of DuSable Lake Shore Drive directly above.

 Lincoln Park is under the jurisdiction of the City and the Chicago Park District. 

As we understand it, there are up to 12 different laws being broken every day the homeless encampments stay in place (the Americans With Disabilities Act, Illinois statutes, City ordinances and Park District Code).

The blockage of all or part of the pedestrian and bike lanes under the viaducts is an ongoing violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have chosen not to enforce the law as written.

Every person under the viaducts has been offered shelter or housing, but has refused.

The City of Chicago rented an entire hotel on Michigan Avenue to house homeless persons in 2021 through last month. Every person who remained under the Uptown viaducts this winter refused repeated offers of sheltering in the Hotel Julian.

The citizens of Uptown are asked to comply with the law every day. The vast majority of us do. But the residents of the encampments, a group numbering less than 50 people, have mostly refused help, do not follow the law, and more importantly, are not being asked to.

For more than 10 years, we have received messages and complaints reporting open air drug use, open air sexual activity, garbage, objects and rotten food strewn across the ground in the viaducts and the park encampments. Of course, all of these activities are both in violation of the law and a threat to public health and safety, particularly during COVID. It's become routine to see bicyclists and pedestrians using the traffic lanes under the viaducts to avoid the chaos of the encampments, and we have been lucky to have no injuries so far. 

Smoke rising over Weiss after Wednesday's fire,
forwarded from a reader via the Citizen app

But the recent fires and explosions have taken an already bad situation to an entirely new level. What the recent explosions have made clear to us is that the continued existence of the encampments is, simply put, a public safety menace. 

To illustrate, after our initial concerns about injuries during the March explosion were met with good news that no one had been hurt, our thoughts turned to the what ifs. 

• What if the explosion had happened on a Saturday midday with pedestrians? 
• What if the explosion had led to a parent and baby being horribly burned or killed when their stroller was engulfed by flames?
• What if more propane tanks had ignited, potentially wiping out the entire population of the encampment? 
• What if the explosion had killed or injured a bicyclist, or a senior citizen out for a walk?
• What if a larger explosion caused DuSable Lake Shore Drive to collapse, leading to deaths from cars plunging to the street level below? 

But for luck and the grace of God, none of those things happened. But they could have. 

There are now actual wooden structures in the pedestrian and bike lanes (ersatz "tiny homes") under DLSD, replacing tents. We don't want to imagine what would happen if those caught fire. And there are new double-wide tents on wood pallets. It's obvious that the entirety of the current situation is unsafe for everyone --  multiple flammable objects stored under a federal highway coupled with propane tanks.

char marks outside the viaduct showing
the intensity of the March 22nd explosion

As we all worked on this draft since Wednesday evening, we discussed on our Slack what a certain group of commenters are going to say in response to this post. Expect to see terms like "privileged," "rich," and "insensitive" thrown around. There will be broad appeals to social justice and accusations that we, or anyone opposed to the continued homeless encampments, are "Republicans" or "Trump supporters." 

But remember as you read the comments that these are accusations intended to attack the messenger in an attempt to distract from the message. In the end, we're fed up, the community is fed up, and we are going to speak our minds and give a voice to our readers, regardless of the response.

Our aldermen (Ald. Cappleman and Ald. Osterman) have told us repeatedly that they have little control over the situation, as it is the City's choice to ignore the laws on the books. We are not politicians. We can't effect change directly, and all we have is this soapbox to work with. 

But with the situation clearly out of hand and dangerous, we call on the City of Chicago and State of Illinois to apply the laws on the books equally and fairly and remove all people camped on public land. While this will necessarily lead to the end of the homeless encampments, it is the right thing to do for the community at large and for the people who are living in extremely dangerous conditions.  

We have questions, too: 

• What does the Chicago Fire Department think about all of this? 
• And should the City Inspector General weigh in on how they feel about having laws routinely ignored and selectively enforced? 

It would behoove all of us to have those answers, and we encourage our readers to ask.

The residents of Uptown are entitled to free, safe, and unencumbered access to and use of the viaducts, the parks, and DuSable Lakeshore Drive each and every day.  It's well beyond time to put a stop to the practice of subjugating the interests of the overwhelming majority of citizens and visitors to a small minority who refuse help and refuse housing.

-- UU

Update by Uptown Updater:

Carrying over my comments from Facebook to answer common questions:

With regard to offers of shelter, we've worked on this aspect of the story over several years, talking to people in government and social services and collecting information sent by citizens asking the same questions. While it is true that 'new' residents of the encampments may be outside without offers of shelter for a few days, the City and private social services go to the camps frequently and any homeless person is provided an offer within a week. EVERYONE in the encampments is contacted, offered immediate shelter, and encouraged to enter a 'wrap-around' service program. Most refuse, although there are plenty of good stories where people have 'graduated' from the viaducts to housing, full time jobs, etc. The current model is 'housing first,' where shelter or housing is the initial step, followed by services. Obviously, this requires people to accept housing as a first step. Many have resisted for years.

With regard to why people resist shelter and housing offers, substance use is far and away #1, coupled with requirements to start substance abuse counseling (although this is not universal). Curfew restrictions, requirements to attend meetings with social workers, requirements to engage in job training are also very common complaints. 

To answer others who think we are criticizing individuals, the pressing issue is the 3 known fires, one of them fatal. Homeless people need to follow the laws as we all do. The unsafe behaviors and unsanitary conditions are an additional hazard to both the homeless and the public. Uptown residents are entitled to use the viaducts and park without fear of being exposed to these risks. 

Found Dog In Sheridan Park. Can You Help Her Find Her Humans?

 

Do you recognize this lady looking for her home?

She was found Monday. We are told:

"This sweet young girl was found as a stray this evening outside Wagnolia Veterinary Clinic [Wilson and Magnolia]. No chip or other identifying information. Wearing a black collar. The 19th Police District picked her up for safe keeping & probable transfer to CACC.

We're pretty certain that someone must be missing her. She's polite, in good condition, & apparently good with other dogs as she was following dogwalkers as they walked south on Magnolia Ave to Wilson.

If you recognize this dog from the Uptown neighborhood & know of her owners, please send them to the 19th Police District or CACC."

Congratulations To Munno and Kie-Gol-Lanee For Their Newest Michelin Awards

A tip of the toque to both Munno Pizzeria & Bistro and Kie-Gol-Lanee on both restaurants maintaining their Michelin Bib Gourmand awards, which recognize local restaurants that offer "good quality and good value" to their communities. 

The 2022 awards were announced on Tuesday, and just 55 Chicago restaurants made the cut.

Munno, located at 4656 N Clark, is a second-time winner. Michelin says, "A laid-back neighborhood spot at heart, the interior here is unfussy, with wood paneling and exposed ceilings. And although the vibe is relaxed, the cooking is anything but, thanks to top ingredients and careful techniques. 

The 'Neapolitan-inspired' pizza may not be made in the traditional wood-burning oven, but those electric deck ovens still manage to turn out deliciously puffy and lightly charred crusts. They are a nod to Naples, but don't forget to sample the rotating selection of pastas, which hail from Sicily to Umbria (from whence the parpardelle alla Norcina with a sauce of cream and sausage originates). The compact menu features pizzas and pastas as main attractions, but desserts too impress, as in the fior di latte sundae or classic tiramisu."

Kie-Gol-Lanee, located at 5004 N Sheridan, becomes a three-time winner with this week's announcement. Michelin says, "If you think you know what to order from this kitchen because you’ve been to Oaxaca, just wait a minute and listen to your fellow diners. They too have made the journey and their knowledge could probably draw a map of the city. 

Located in the heart of Little Saigon, this quiet restaurant has been thriving thanks to a clientele who knows quality when they taste it. The likes of soft, just-steamed pork tamales with a delicately spiced green mole; or wide, crackly tlayudas piled high with chorizo are presented to your table with the utmost care. The focused menu may have a number of highlights but one favorite is the Cornish hen roasted until its skin is crisp as a chip and then smothered with a dark, faintly sweet mole made from a riot of layered spices."

Congratulations to both restaurants and the families that run them.

Photo credit: FreeFoodPhotos.com

Join Uptown's High School for its Spring Fling

Early Bird Pricing Available For Fourth Annual Toast of Uptown

From Uptown United:

"Join us for the 4th annual Toast of Uptown: A Buena Park Wine Walk – an afternoon of strolling and sipping in beautiful Buena Park – on Sunday, May 1st from 1:30pm – 5pm!

All attendees will receive a wine tasting glass which is your ticket to this event—simply present it at each stop along the route for delicious wine samples. This wine walk will take you on a tour through the many businesses that call Buena Park home. 

Wine selections have been generously curated by North Buena Deli & Wine as well as local restaurants and cafes. Small bites from local eateries will be provided along the route as well.

NEW in 2022: This year, the Uptown Chamber has partnered with Lakeview Pantry to host a Virtual Food Drive during the 4th annual Toast of Uptown! Lakeview Pantry works to reduce the barriers to accessing fresh groceries, social services, and free mental health counseling programs.

By making a donation of $10 or more by May 1, 2022, you will be entered to win the Toast of Uptown Gift Package – a collection of gift cards and merchandise from Buena Park businesses valued at $250!"

Pricing is as follows:

• $35 - Early-bird admission (available through Thursday, April 7)
• $40 - Regular admission. Online ticket sales will close on Saturday, May 1st at 100am or when sold out.   
• $30 - Members of Uptown Chamber of Commerce​. Uptown Chamber Members:  a discount code will be emailed to you.  Contact Greg Carroll if you need assistance.  Offer only good for tickets purchased online by 4pm on Friday, April 29. 
• $50 tickets available at the door based on availability.

Full event information is here.