Horner Park

I wanted to find out if these 'residential pick-up truck parking' signs that I see popping up all over the neighborhood are legit. So far I have only seen them on beat up old pick up trucks and one of them seems to have made the front of my home their place of choice to park. Don't get me wrong, people are allowed to park where they want on the street but there are reasons pick-up truck are considered "B" rated trucks and should only be parked on commercial streets. First, Can Mel's office verify that these signs are being passed out legitimately, since his name is on the sign? Second, why is the city not enforcing "B" plates on pick-up trucks? I need assistance in getting rid of the beater truck that has made the front of my home parking spot of choice.

Sounds like everyone is jumping on the Lycee Francais gravy train. Just saw a new item on the 47th Ward site where someone submitted an application and letters to rezone 4400 AND 4500 North Wolcott from RS3 to RT3.5. TWO WHOLE BLOCKS. And you can imagine my surprise to find out that the five families who signed the letter don't even LIVE on my block. FRIGHTENING!

There's no project or drawings or anything attached to the request. Just a blanket LET'S REZONE THE TWO BLOCKS PLEASE.

Can you even do this? Ask to rezone a block full of people where you don't even live? And don't they have to tell you what they intend to do with the property? PRETTY SCARY. Dying to see how this one is handled.

Ghosts don't lie. Check it out.

http://chicago47.org/wp-content/uploads/Zoning-info-form-4400-4500-blocks-of-N.-Wolcott.pdf

Hi to all the animal lovers in the neighborhood,
This is a stray cat that has been coming around my home. He is badly injured around his ear and really needs someone who can adopt him. He is a very cute Tuxedo cat (see pic - although he looks very startled in the picture!), with all white paws. He is very sweet and aprroachable and needs a loving home. I would guess he is 1-2 years old and he is not fixed. I've been feeding him so he's not starving to death anymore, but he needs his forever home. <3

If you, or if you know someone who would love a lovable little guy to call their own, let me know.

On Thursday, May 17th from 7-8:00pm at the Horner Park Field House the last 33rd Ward Advisory Council meeting until September will be taking place. A representative of the alderman will be there and possibly the alderman himself. Please attend if you have any issues that need be be brought to the alderman's attention or are interested in finding out what is going on in the 33rd Ward.

If you are unable to attend please add your issue in a comment below and I'll be sure to address it at the meeting. I'm also including a list of the outstanding items from the last meeting that are waiting on followup from the alderman:

- Policing levels in the 17th district. Does the Alderman think police levels are sufficient? How with the NATO summit effect the police presence in the 33rd ward?

- Street condition on the 4200 Block N Francisco. Sewer is supposedly fixed which caused the pavement to buckle according to a resident who talked to the work crew. Is there any word on when the failed street surface will be addressed?

- Playground flooding at Bateman Elementary School. Playground floods after any rain rendering it unusable. Mandatory recess for the 2012-13 school year necessitates proper drainage. A resident and architect have attempted to get a meeting with the alderman for 2.5 months to no avail. Alderman did call to discuss the matter with no notice resulting in the architect not being able to participate in the discussion. Has the alderman followed up with the architect?

Looks like there was some confusion regarding the date of the protest at Horner Park. It looks to be Saturday, not TODAY as was previously posted.

Dear 33rd Ward Resident,

The NATO Host Committee has now corrected itself and says that the Horner Park protest is indeed scheduled for this Saturday morning and not today.

The following is an excerpt from the Facebook page of organizers detailing the activities of the Saturday protest:

On May 19, NATO demonstrators will gather at the Irving Park Brown Line stop, where they will be given hospital gowns with "Healthcare Not Warfare," and, "Clinics Not NATO," written on them. They intend to go door to door in the nearby neighborhood.

At 12pm, the demonstrators will converge on Horner Park at Irving and California, and will then march on Rahm Emanuel's house at 4228 N Hermitage.

Please avoid driving in the area until after 2:00 p.m. this Saturday if at all possible.

Sincerely yours,

Alderman Richard F. Mell

The next Open House will be Monday, May 21st from 9:30- 10:30 a.m. My son currently attends Park View Lutheran School, and we absolutely love it. It's a hidden gem, with a supportive, close-knit staff and student body and tremendous opportunity for individual attention and learning, due to the size and attentive staff. My little guy is never "lost in the crowd" here; his PreK class has only 10 children, with a great teacher (formerly at Nettlehorst) and FT assistant. The campus features a library, a large gym, art, music and computer rooms (even for the youngest children starting at age 3) as well as a playground. Yoga is taught twice a week to all of the kids as well, and Ms. Swan the music teacher is fun-loving and really talented. The kids love her.

Tuition is very reasonable. PT and FT hours are available for preschool-ages (3 & 4) and aftercare up until 6:30 pm is included in the preschool rate. As a parent who did extensive preschool research, Park View is one of the most affordable options.

I wanted to post about Park View because the school would like to grow attendance, and our experience there has been so great. It's tough to find a great preschool option, and Park View has really met our needs- and then some. I'm happy to share more about our experiences there, if interested.

It's located at 3919 N Monticello, and an Open House is scheduled for Monday 5/21 from 9:30-10:30. Should that time not work, please feel free to contact Heather Thornton at 773-478-7203 and discuss a convenient date and time.

Here's a link as well: http://www.parkviewlutheran.org/

Thanks & hope to see you there!

http://theexpiredmeter.com/2012/05/analysis-bad-gets-worse-when-it-comes-to-parking-meter-lease-deal/#more-12302

I'm wondering what we as a city can do to punish this company and our aldermen for working in such bad faith. Perhaps a 99% "parking meter operation" tax? Pass a law removing all civil and criminal liability for these parking tickets?

Obviously we should vote out any of the idiotic aldermen that didn't read this stupid contract. Assuming they're still in office.

We're stuck with this thing for 75 years, folks. We can either sit here and watch these "true up" fees increase (especially with the road closures of the construction-season summer, and also from Rahmbo's infrastructure plan), or we can exercise our own power and show CPM that it's our city, not theirs, and that we will not stand idly by while they pick our pockets.

Hello,
I am the principal of Chappell School, a world language magnet school in Chicago. I was nominated to participate in an educator exchange program sponsored by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Chicago. I was one of three Chicago area educators chosen to participate because of my professional experience and because Chappell plans
to begin a Japanese Studies program next year.

This June we will visit many cities and schools, including areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. These natural disastersdestroyed cities and residents still have considerable need. General interest in the ordeal has dwindled and the relief effort is sometimes slow. Psychological care for the victims is becoming paramount as many of them are feeling forgotten by the world and isolated in temporary housing.

I am happy to represent Chappell and Chicago volunteering at two large-scale events, "Chicago Days," for residents of both the Miyagi Prefecture and the Iwate Prefecture on June 23 and 24. Together with Japanese-American celebrities, we will serve Chicago hotdogs, provide entertainment and organize English lessons. We hope the atmosphere will be fair-like, allowing residents a few hours of fun, excitement and laughter. I am organizing a gently-used or new book drive. We hope to collect as many easy English-language children's books as possible to distribute, including books from a Chappell-school book drive and books collected from the local community. All items will be shipped free from the US to Japan by another partner, a Japanese transit company. More than anything, we hope to provide emotional support and fun for the thousands of people displaced from their homes by the earthquake and
tsunami.
We hope all books can be ready to be shipped by May 25.
I hope you will consider a donation of books. Please feel free to drop off books at the Chappell office at 2135 W.Foster between 8:30am and 3pm.
Sincerely,
Joseph Peila
Principal

To the scumbag whose dog charged at me off leash while I was attempting to run today -- go to hell. Next time I WILL mace it. This is exactly why I carry mace. FYI, I called the cops and reported all the off-leash dogs, as there were about 30 of them running loose. Horner is NOT a dog park. I own a dog, I love dogs, but no one's dog should be charging at runners, off leash, scaring the crap out of people. I am SICK OF THIS.

The scumbag's response was to wave at me and ask "Did she growl at you?"
THAT is your response?! That is a huge problem. Thanks, you selfish dirtbag.

Attention runners: carry mace. Use it.

I hope no one's child gets attacked.