Portage Park neighbor messages

We were sad to read in the Nadig News that Sunshine Activity Center, a respite program in Portage Park that serves developmentally disabled adults, lost its state funding and will have to close its doors. We were unaware of this and contacted the center to ask if PPNA could help raise awareness of the good work they do and funds to stay open but it does not seem likely that anything can save the center. Center director Diane Gunaka used her own money to found the center 32 years ago along with Linda Williamson and we would like to thank them and all the employees at Sunshine for providing this very important service to the community for so many years. The center does have outstanding debts, including payroll, so please consider making a donation.

https://www.gofundme.com/save-sunshine-center

So our next door neighbors and their kids think they own the block. They have no respect for others' property. Aside from their garbage ending up in our yard (from eating/drinking soda and throwing the wrapping/cans on the ground or over the fence on our property), our bigger issue is with them causing physical damage to our home. I understand that kids are kids - we have a 4 year old, but they insist on playing soccer or baseball either in front of our home or in their driveway. Either way, the balls always end up hitting our home and windows. We just replaced all of our windows including a large bay window (which cost a pretty penny) and we are getting ready to put new siding on. But I'm constantly out there talking to them about not playing ball in the sidewalk and hitting our house; there is a field 3 blocks away. These kids (ranging from 7-13) don't give 2 sh*ts about what I tell them (I'm always being polite and respectful when I speak to them). Their parents also don't care because they are usually outside and can see that the balls are hitting our house, cars, etc. and yet, they don't do anything about it. they only yell at the kids if the ball hits their home/car.

Anyways, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect others to respect your property and not cause damage to it. Is there anything else I can do? This may seem petty to some but it really pisses me off.

The Portage Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA) is pleased to share some exciting updates about our idea for the Northwest Portage Walking Museum, an outdoor museum to be comprised of artistic, historical, cultural, and natural installations along Irving Park Rd. between the Chicago and Des Plaines Rivers.

New Lead Partners for Northwest Portage Walking Museum
The American Indian Center (AIC) and the Chicago Public Art Group (CPAG) have joined PPNA as lead partners to work on realizing the walking museum. Their assistance is key as they bring important expertise and organizational capacity to this project. CPAG has applied for a grant from the Chicago Community Trust to fund two museum installation sites at the Chicago and Des Plaines Rivers and will learn in late September if the grant has been approved. Together with the AIC and CPAG, we have convened a steering committee with representatives from other organizations that have also joined the effort to advance this project.

Northwest Portage Walking Museum Represented at Chicago Biennial
PPNA is also excited to announce that Perkins+Will, a Chicago architectural and design firm, has offered their design services to support the walking museum. They have taken up the idea in a big way, creating design concepts for the walking museum that will be on display as part of the Chicago Biennial Between States exhibit at the Chicago Architecture Foundation Gallery at 224 S. Michigan Ave. The exhibit is free and open to the public from September 19th to December 31st and we encourage all to attend.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ttv3wzFQb1h8xXUhr13jZJxmiCrVgi8jFLhO0emKr8A/edit?usp=sharing

Also, our next public meeting is tonight, our guest speaker is Rep. Will Guzzardi, 39th Dist., see:

http://chicago.everyblock.com/neighbor-events/sep18-ppna-september-public-meeting-8290064/

Excited to check out a local street festival, my partner and I walked down to see what it was all about. A stage blasting loud music, a few food stands and and handful of carnival/fair rides.

What surprised and shocked me most was the poor ponies that were being held hostage in a small enclosure providing amusement and rides. Ok -- I know this doesn't seem that bad, but you need to understand the environment in which these poor ponies were subject to.

They were in this small small fenced area being forced to walk in a tight circle for hours and hours providing rides to the few spectators that actually wandered up. Not only were they in a small space, they also had no horse shoes, their poor hooves were cracked, and you could clearly see that they were tired as they lifted their back hooves to an angle trying to alleviate the strain from standing for hours on this asphalt road. It was sad and heartbreaking to see these poor guys standing there in such agony for our mere amusement.

Now, on the other side of Central was a small camel also being exploited for our amusement. This camel was muzzled and, again, forced to walk back and forth on the hard asphalt for hours. I decided to ask the gentlemen who was managing the camel rides about the condition of the ponies and how it wasn't humane that they were being forced to walk in such a small space for hours on asphalt without at least horse shoes to protect hooves. I immediately was greeted a hasty defense and was told it wasn't any of my business what the company name was nor where they were based out of.

I decided to leave it at that and photograph the poor conditions of these animals and document the clear signs of exhaustion.

It's crazy that the city has allowed such a horrid thing to be included as part of the venue. I intend to email the alderman's office and make it clear that this type of entertainment shouldn't be allowed in the future.