Who Watches The Watchmen?

Howard Street March 2013

#Chicopwatch tweets started appearing July 17th. Almost a month before Ferguson. We Charge Genocide the organization behind #chicopwatch was interviewed on Vocalo recently (a regular morning show on 88.7 WLUW).

Some people are reassured when they see the cops shaking down teens and young adults in the city. Others are ashamed and alarmed. Who's right and who's wrong? Like everything its not black and white, pun intended.

Still We Rize @Baburrealer reported the first #Chicopwatch transgression in Rogers Park on August 12th. Underneath the photo he wrote "In Howard cpd is harassing another black man for no reason. He is not holding back. " Actually its Fargo. How does the writer know that its "harassing for no reason"? And who is "he" that is not holding back?

Sara-Ji@sarahdashji tweeted the second #Chicopwatch report here in the RP August 29th. "#RogersPark #Northshore and #Clark Too common a sight." Is it a common sight because the cops are racist or that the gangs on Clark are hispanic?

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Whatever Happened To Ye Olde Sandwich Board?

Instead of a human being Dunkin' Donuts (chain known for donuts and coffee - short descriptor from Google Maps) has a pole hold its sign up. Poles are way cheaper. They don't complain about low wages, or loaf on the job. They sit still day in and day out without protest with all sorts of things stuck on them. This advertisement was designed more for the auto than pedestrians.

Traditional sandwich boards are folksy. Its positive loitering. Its giving someone a job who otherwise wouldn't. Its the right thing to do. Putting up a giant poster board up like this is not only illegal its an eyesore.

The modern sandwich board is more commonly used when someone is going out of business. Stores with more tact use a small chalkboard for day to day specials. Handwritten signs updated daily or weekly add interest to our main streets. We don't live in a giant commercial. If Dunkin' Donuts insists on posting these giant ads they should at least pay for the privilege.

After awhile these giant obnoxious bills become so commonplace that they just fade into the background. The poster isn't even in front of their store. Dunkin' Donuts also contributes to traffic throughout the United States with their overflowing drive thrus. The 6250 N Clark Street store has been better at curbing the overflow this past year.

(Sol Cafe's chalkboards are educational to boot.)

Last updated 8/31/14 8:10 pm

Happy Labor Day Weekend From Witch's Hat

Not sure if 7430 N Paulina will be here next year. In any case she wants everyone far and near to have a blast this Labor Day weekend.

She will miss her cute little one car garage complete with chimney. Witch's Hat is very happy that for the time being that her outbuilding is now secure. She will soldier on until the bitter end. Keep your chin up no matter what.

Click here for a bird's eye view. According to Zillow built in 1901. Witch's Hat was the former home of John Dawson Associates.

"John Dawson Associates Inc was founded in 2010, and is located at 7430 N Paulina St in Chicago. It employs 2 employees and is generating approximately $82,000.00 in annual revenue. Additional information is available by contacting this business at (773) 274-xxxx."

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Pictorial Proof : Aguas Tortas Coming Soon To Howard Street

Can't believe everything you read on Everyblock. The headhonchos at Chevanston sent a loafing field reporter/producer out to verify claims that a Mexican restaurant was gonna open on Howard Street.

Aguas Tortas literally means waters cakes. On the website it explains that aguas refers to the flavored waters it sells. Tamarind, jamaica and ofcourse horchata. Tortas are Mexican sandwiches and burritos.

Juan Jimenez opened the first Aguas Tortas last year at 618 1/2 Church Street Evanston, Illinois. A hop skip and a jump away from Northwestern University. "To me you know its like youse a customer when you come into my house, to my home. And you know I want you to enjoy it because that's the only way I'm going to keep you here." Looking at the video the store is decorated with day of the dead figurines and artwork.

Is this a chain in the making? 99 reviews on Yelp with an average of 4 and half stars. A thriving business in Evanston expanding to Howard Street is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Last edited 8/28/14 8:18 pm

Jargowood Meeting September Second

Jargonauts & Friends

See meeting notice attached (or after jumpbreak).....and agenda.  We meet Tues Sept 2 (after Labour Day) at Chalet Living on Sheridan just south of Jarvis.....

Please note the new CAPS meeting schedule in Sept.  2423 meets Sept 8 and 2422 meets Sept 23.

Our big "continuing issue" is the condition of our streets and alleys due to extensive infrastructure improvements - gas lines, sewers, drains, phone stuff - is there any public utility who has not cut a hole in the pavement?  Drive slowly over the craters and pot holes and large metal planks in the street.  Do not fall into the pit.

I am sorry to remark - our Alderman has time to propose re-naming beaches and streets - but he cannot repair the craters in alley behind his house - axle-busters - support your neighborhood "front end suspension" repair shoppe.  Anyone who thinks that the Alderman's immediate neighbors benefit somehow from improved city services on their block - well, you are wrong.

Fall/autumn is coming and the leaves will fall and the trash will blow around.  Please clear the storm drain in the street in front of your property - no the street sweeper will not exactly remove the stuff clogging the drain.  You have to get out there and get your hands dirty.  We don't want to drown in the puddles after we have fallen into the crater left by the public utilities digging up our streets and parkways and intersections.

Lorraine Dostal

dostal@northwestern.edu

Please continue reading for more info 

Com Ed Trailer @ Howard and Ashland

Sounds like a train station. Later on it got louder and smoke billowed from the top. They must be working on the electrical grid since they are THE electric company.

Anybody have any idea what the function of this behemoth is?

Shot In The Leg On Juneway Terrace

Ashland alley just north of Howard

If you're shot North of Howard its not a big deal. No discussion on Everyblock, nothing on East Rogers Park Facebook, and nada from DNAinfo.com. Just an honorable mention on the shootings roundup list compiled by NBC Chicago.

The only facts publicly known are that a 31 year old man was shot in the leg 3 a.m. apparently Saturday night. A family member bypassed the closest level one trauma and brought the victim to Evanston Hospital for treatment.

Is the area so bad NOH that getting shot isn't newsworthy? Or perhaps the violence is so hopeless that neighbors have just accepted the status quo? On Everyblock neighbors are more concerned about a gray cat that someone found. Spoiler! The cat is safe back at home.

Ashland's end of the line

Interesting drive up to NOH via the Ashland alley. A new black wrought iron fence with built in cut through to Willye B White has replaced the old chewed up chain link. An upgrade but lateral move. Hitting Jonquil via the Ashland alley you encounter a group of 4 youths loitering at the corner. Just down the street a man sits in a Kate's Detective Agency car.

Zigzagging around to the the left and right you find the last stretch of Ashland. Then at the terminus Juneway Terrace. To the left large brick apartment buildings and to the right fancy single family houses and a large courtyard apartment building being worked on.

NOH used to have its own blog 24/7 North of Howard Watchers. Now its hardly given the time of day by local media.

Say Goodbye To The Witch's Hat Garage

Someone doesn't want this garage around anymore. The notice is a joke. Hardly could you find a more sturdy car barn in Rogers Park. The structure is more solid than the house itself. The side gate by the driveway has been open and unlocked for a few weeks now. The door to the garage was unlocked, the screws holding the fastener with the padlock were removed as were the the screws to the alley gate's latch. Yet there is a brand new lock on the shed behind the garage.

Time to pay your respects. City of Chicago demo notice was posted almost a week ago. Whoever was supposed to respond only had three days. It appears that whoever owns the house (the bank) is having the city do its dirty work for them. Uncommon to find a one car garage of such an age in such good shape. Check it out soon.

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John Singer Sargent On Sheridan

The Fountain, Villa Torlonia
Frascati, Italy (detail) 1907

Spotted another one of these prints on California north of Devon. ArtEverywhereUS.org put prints up all over the country during the month of August. Billboards, telephone kiosks, subways, buses, bus stops and stairs are examples of where these masterworks have been plastered.

Above is number 18 out of the 58 selected for display. This particular work is housed at the Art Institute of Chicago which has a decent Sargent collection.

This is a fantastic addition to bus stops. Instead of the usual banal bland advertising, art! Something like this should be sponsored year round. Projects like this can inspire young minds to create their own masterpiece and to visit the Art Institute.

Last edited 8/20/14 7:08 pm

We Are All Living In A Giant Fake Computer Generated World

Someone escaped from the unnamed megacity. Before doing so this brave soul left an important clue regarding the very nature of our existence. He (judging by the handwriting) spray painted his revelation under the Morse Metra bridge.

You see this section of Chicago named Rogers Park isn't real. None of it is. This may look like the scribbling of the average madman tagger. Don't let the child like scrawl fool you. He is the only one who knows the whole truth. This writer investigated the outrageous claim last night. It checks out.

Wake up. All this work you're doing day in and day out, the posts and comments on Everyblock, the food you're eating, the dog you're walking, all the pictures you upload into your computer, the 911 calls, the crime, all of it is part of an ersatz program designed to keep you and your mind prisoner.

That's all this writer has time to say. They're getting too close for comfort. Will "post" again when time allows. In the meantime don't take life too seriously. Hope to see some of you on the other side.

Shots Fired 1600 Block West Fargo

8-16-14 8:05 pm

The late humid summer days peace was disturbed by three shots yesterday. Evidence (grey mechanical box with wheels) of the shooting has since been towed or driven away. The car had been hit in its left rear tire and in the quarter panel above.

After the shots fired one African American male with white tank top and one African American female with salmon shorts ran eastbound on Fargo toward Ashland. Other neighbors saw a car peel out and head westbound.

Right after the shooting neighbors came out on their balconies or down to the sidewalk to talk with each other and police. Some people were just getting home from work or from a walk around the neighborhood.

One neighbor mentioned how they had lived here since 2006 and this was the first shooting they had seen. A photographer with a tripod set up on the street to take pictures of the crime scene.

Please continue reading for more pictures and a closer look

Glenwood Arts Festival Extends To Wayne

Glenwood Ave Arts Fest (turning lucky 13 this year) originally ran from Lunt to Farwell along Glenwood. Then a couple years ago it expanded to Morse west of the tracks. Then it expanded into Family Dollar's parking lot. Now for the first time it runs all the way to Mayne Stage.

Glenwood is now blocked off to through traffic on the east side of the "L". Signs remind patrons that no bikes, skates, push carts, handbills or guns allowed. The fest opens at 11 am and closes at 9 pm tomorrow and Sunday.

Note, 6900 N Wayne has three to four rows of bricks perpendicular to the rest on the east and west sides of the street. Have to get the organizers to rename the Friday night Cobblestone jam. How about the Brick Road rager?

Towbar Once Again A Coffeeshop

This past Monday Towbar (at Jarvis and Greenview) opened at 7am. Jargonauts near and far rejoiced as their spot for morning coffee (Big Shoulders coffee light and dark brewed fresh every morning) was open once again.

Sol Cafe hands down is the best coffee shop in the area. But when the weathers sublime you need a place to sit down and read the paper with your morning coffee. Variety is the spice of life. And face it. Your regular barista needs a break from seeing your ugly face day in and day out.

It was a sad day when Towbar decided to only open afternoons. So come on down and rediscover Jarvis Square in the morning.

Pothole Repair On Wayne

The following are reader submitted photos of Wayne Avenue's street repair. Large chuckholes were filled and the uneven brick was leveled earlier today with asphalt. This stops Wayne from hemorrhaging anymore bricks. It was worst in two large holes just south of the Wayne Senior Building.

In the time it took the city to repair the street five or six bricks were lost. Probably the last major potholes to be patched this year. Finally the neighbors in this neck of the woods can put the polar vortex behind them.

Unfortunate that the city and the powers that be couldn't muster the funds or get the paperwork done in time to get the Christy Webber crew out there to do the job right. Maybe sometime next year or the year after Wayne and Glenwood can be restored.

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Community Policing in the 24th District:

Snazzy dumpster in Jargowood

Community CAPS meetings will no longer be Sector meetings (covering Beat 2422, 2423 and 2424) held monthly.  Instead each Beat will have a community meeting every-other month with Beat cops attending.

Jargonauts in residence for the past 20 years or so understand that these meetings are supposed to provide a venue for citizens to hear what the police have been seeing in our immediate community and for the police to listen to concerns from citizens who show up at these meetings.  Citizens who don't show up will have to make other arrangements to communicate concerns to the police.  This is an opportunity to discuss any gang/drug concerns or other possible illegal/suspicious activities observed by citizens - as well as potential danger spots.

Beat 2422 covers the area between the Lake (on the east), Clark Street (on the west) Jarvis (on the south - but just the north side of Jarvis) and the City Limits (Howard Street west of the CTA tracks and Calvary Cematery east of the CTA tracks).  Beat 2422 will next meet on Tuesday Sept 23 at 7 pm at Willye White Fieldhouse at Howard and Marshfield.

Beat 2423 covers the area between the Lake (on the east), Clark Street (on the west), Lunt (on the south - but just the north side of Lunt), Jarvis (on the north - but just the south side of Jarvis).  Beat 2423 will next meet Monday Sept 8 at 7 pm at Touhy Park on Paulina just south of Jarvis.  I believe this is the evening when the Touhy Park Advisory and Sherwin Chase Neighbors also have a meeting scheduled.

Also - these two CAPS beats apparently are only concerned with the east side of Clark Street (not the west - that would be Beat 2424 which will meet on Tuesday Sept 16 at 7 pm at Pottawattomie Park Fieldhouse (Rogers and Winchester).  No one is concerned about crime in the water east of the beach front - only if evidence washes on shore.  The Beat meetings are determined by the Chicago Police Department and they are impacted by budget concerns and police attendance may not happen if something horrid has happened at 7 pm on the scheduled date.  Be safe out there.

The Jargowood Block Club will meet on Tuesday September 2 at 7:30 pm at Chalet Living Center at 7350 N Sheridan Road.  Meeting notice and agenda will be transmitted shortly before Labour Day.

Please mark your calendar for Sept 2 (Jargowood), Sept 8 (Beat 2423) and Sept 23 (Beat 2422)

Lorraine Dostal

dostal@northwestern.edu

Crowded Tow Zone

8-12-14 a.m.

You would be hard pressed to squeeze anymore cars into this tow zone in the 7400 block of north Marshfield. Straight ahead is Dubkin park.

The white car was parked all last night in the alley. This isn't a case of someone loading or unloading items with their flashers on. Its a case of three cars willfully parking illegally day after day.

What good are laws if no one enforces them? Making sure that this is a safe neighborhood includes ticketing scofflaws. Letting people skirt the law tells us to lower our expectations. This just isn't that nice of an area. What do you expect? Is that what we should think of where we live?

Dropping someone off or your groceries at 7641 N Marshfield is much harder when someone is blocking the entrance. Turning the corner from Marshfield into the alley is a lot tougher when someone is partially blocking egress.

The crowded tow zone was called in last night and this morning. Surely the local police will come by and check it out and act accordingly.

Meet The Man Behind The Chimney Stack

Damen & Birchwood Winter 2012

Bernard Garbo posted an essay about his neighbor Tony Garcia who fought to make his neighborhood a safe and interesting place. The following is an excerpt. Please click here to read the post in its entirety at 8th ward Quick Topic Forum.

Most of you probably never met Tony Garcia. Some of you may have passed the corner of Birchwood & Damen (Custer, one block south of Howard) and admired the roses and flowers blooming on the north west corner .. or, around Christmas, chuckled at the "chimney stack," placed over the flower bed, with only Santa's legs visible. If so, you have Tony and his husband, Tim Schannep, to thank. Neither one sought recognition for beautifying Damen nor for the years they devoted to being active neighbors .. all of which contributed to what 24th District Commander Thomas Waldera calls the biggest "turnaround" in the 24th district: the Howard & Damen/Custer area.

Hopefully this story will inspire other neighbors to do the same in Rogers Park or wherever they live. There are plenty of examples of neighbors taking back the neighborhood. But its always nice to hear one more.

Rogers Park EveryBlock Of Late

That's one super moon dude!

J.V. gardener and future emperor

I'm actually beginning to think that the whole "Joe Lake" account wasn't actually Joe Lake but the same character, because the patterns are all the same as Kat and Kyros suggest. Joe Lake, IBC, "Revolution" and probably many others (not doubt the duplicate Delm(a)r could be the same bored mother's-basement-sociopath.

The pattern: Phase one: reasonable comments for a few days: lots of them. Second phase: argumentative but reasonable. Third phase (the "pulls the pin out of the grenade and holds it in his-hand" phase): all hell breaks loose and character clogs site with non sensical rants and seems to taunt the moderators to shut him down. He usually creates a few "burner" accounts mimicking someone else and posting horrible stuff just to add to the chaos. After 46 mutes or so, he and his puppets vanish... Phase Four: his mom grounds him from the computer for a week and we wait until his reincarnation appears...

(Astute explanation of the RP Everyblock cycle or syndrome. This quote is just too good to get lost in the shuffle.)

Secured & Vacany Postings @ Witch's Hat

The following notices were displayed 8-8-14

VACANCY POSTING

Notice this property has been determined to be vacant and abandoned.

The vacancy/abandonment status will be reported to the mortgage services responsible for maintaining this property. The mortgage servicer intends to protect this property from deterioration.

Locks will be replaced and the plumbing systems winterized, if applicable, in the next few days.

If this property is  NOT VACANT or ABANDONED please contact the below assigned Property Preservation Company immediately. Have the property address, city/state, and ZIP code information ready.

SECURED POSTING

To protect the interest of the investor and in accordance with the terms of the security agreement this property has been secured to prevent entry by unauthorized persons.

This property has been secured by Safeguard Properties LLC

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1101-1111 w Columbia?

This is an interesting  street scene, transportation, roadside, resort, landscape, CHICAGO, Illinois, advertising, town view, RPPC, real photo postcard.

See photo for what is marked on front and back....Columbia Ave of Sheridan Rd, Rogers PK Chicago Ills. 1256 B, ........

Not postally used. No date, probably 1905-15.

Photograph shows a view of the street, homes, etc.....,...

Condition is poor  (see photo) still, a cool card.

Address above is Google Maps approximate. Hard to tell with streetview because trees are in the way. But this appears to be a mid block shot looking north east close to the lake. Click here to buy.

Little Sumpin' Missing Here

Traffic moves pretty smoothly on Howard at Clark when travelling westbound. Not so eastbound. Part its because of the Marathon Gas station with the left turners coming and going.

The real reason this side of Howard is a mess is the lack of street markings and the missing right turn sign. Note the naked black pole. Observing the natural history of signs in the city one notices that first the sign hangs upside down for few months, then its gone.

Since these photos were taken in July the corner sidewalk was replaced. But the right turn sign and street markings are still missing. If you look closely you can see a ghost outline of ONLY.

Please continue reading for the flip side  

New Construction On Sherman

Two new two story single family houses (each with a two car garage) are going up @ 409, 411, and 415 N. Sherman. Construction began in April on this former parking lot. Great location; walking distance to St. Francis and the South Blvd "L" stop.

Three construction permits for two houses. It appears that the three addresses are being consolidated into two. Estimated work on the permit is 252 K. In Evanston no construction allowed on Sundays.

Yesterday a green van in front was declared abandoned by the city of Evanston. Street side wheels and the pavement were marked with orange spray paint. An orange sticker on the open driver side window stated the owner had seven days to move it or else. Today its gone.

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Parking Pandemonium

Western Jargowood lately has been up for grabs when it come to parking. Here you have a car up on a curb in a no parking zone (by Rogers Avenue "L" viaduct) within site of Gateway Parking Garage.

When people park this bad you have to wonder if this is a stolen or abandoned car. Is the guy a criminal? If you don't take care of your neighborhood bad things happen. And if you don't notify the authorities when things look hinky people get away with murder.

At the time of this photo the police were on scene across the street on a separate call. Passerby assumes that no ones gives a crap when cars are parked any which way.

This writer spoke to Equitable Services Inc about the red car. They didn't think it was a big deal. Hopefully in the future they will take more interest in their immediate area.

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"Please Help Me Get A Kidney Transplant"

(click to read flyer)

Last profile update on Barry McCarus' Facebook page (July 10th).

"I Need A Kidney Urgently!

I was in love with life, living for music and art in Europe and the United States, before I was diagnosed with 98% kidney failure. 

Now I'm chained to a dialysis machine and I feel my life is ruined. I have never known such sadness. Where did my life go? 

A kidney-transplant would give my life back to me, but the longer I wait, the smaller the chances of success will become.

WILL YOU PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING A KIDNEY?

A healthy person can live a full and happy life with just one kidney. I hope there is a kind soul somewhere willing to donate the gift of life.

Full Details Call (850) 745-0465 Or E-Mail : Geronimo1002@yahoo.com

Thank You, Barry McCarus"

Brick Paved Rogers @ "L" Viaduct

Some of the exposed brick was patched a few months ago (pics from early summer/late spring). Given enough time and wear and tear perhaps the road would revert back to all brick? Only if we lived in a Mad Max post apocalypse (gasoline powered cars and complete anarchy).

Chicago is losing its brick paved streets one by one. DNAinfo.com reports that a stretch of Bloomingdale Avenue is biting the dust. In the article CDOT calls the brick paved street "outdated".

As far as urban planning goes all of Chicago is "outdated". No one is out there planning any sort of city or neighborhood remotely resembling the street grid and density of Chicago. Hence "gentrification" due to supply and demand.

8/5/14 11:58 pm - Thanks to Clark Street we know that the white rectangle north of the "L" at Marshfield and Rogers is an ATC (Automatic Train Control) signal system used to stop train crashes. Not an electrical substation.

Last edited 8/7/14 4:37 pm

Gang Tagged Courtyard Apt Building On Damen

The courtyard building (7381 N Damen - defunct website) with the graffiti covered gangway as seen on Broken Heart is on the same block where a 40 year old man was shot. Its actually a beautiful building. On Ultra Local Geography you can see what the original gate looked like.

As the advertisement states the building has two bedrooms available. Amenities include laundry on site, updated kitchens, heat included, hardwood floors.

The city should have an emergency Graffiti Blasters crew that takes down gang graffiti within 24 hours. Taggers who vandalize the city cause mayhem on a daily basis. But gang graffiti marks territory inviting reprisals and retribution. 

Driving down Damen you can't help but think why is this street south bound only? When you enter Chicago via Custer its a one way trip. No easy return to Evanston. Damen really should be widened and converted to two way traffic. Another example of how Evanston and Chicago have turned their backs on each other at the border.

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Willye B White's Dangerous Corner

not a safe place for football practice

If you are ever out taking a stroll down Howard looking for a park bench to sit down and read the newspaper or book, write a blog post, tweet, talk on your phone, etc, whatever you do don't wander into the far reaches of Willye B. White. In other words the northeast corner; the danger zone.

Walking this morning for coffee at Sol Cafe passerby couldn't help but notice the four person argument going on at 10:45 am where the park meets the alley. The people in the photo are way way in the background. It would be extremely foolish to walk any closer to the angry quartet.

The alley just west of Bosworth serves to connect Howard to North of Howard as Ashland once did. On Google Maps the alley is actually labeled N Ashland Ave. Invariably someone is either guarding this short cut or drinking, loitering and fights.

One solution is to replace the remnants of the chainlink fence with a sold iron fence. In fact a proposal for this project was put on the Ward 49 Participatory Budget ballot earlier this year. (Click on the link for close up view of the treacherous cut through.)

Too bad the proposal didn't get enough votes. Something this important to public safety shouldn't be voted on. It just needs to get done. No way it could have won. Too local an issue affecting only NOH neighbors.

Sidenote; at the park's south east corner it looks like a hungry monster took a bite out of the baseball bench.

Extra! Extra! Red Eye Distribution @ Howard "L"!

"Anybody want a free paper?"

The man in red carefully folds the Red Eyes into stacks of ten in three or four separate piles. In the modern world when you rush to work you get a free paper. Most people have to open a Red Eye or Reader or Onion newspaper box and bend down to get one.

But on many weekdays those lucky enough to catch the "L" at the Howard stop can grab a paper the old fashioned way. From the newspaper man.

The only downside this past Friday is that the Red Eye guy was sporting a very dirty shirt. Best way Red Eye could improve their free paper handout? A clean shirt barking out the day's headlines.

Kids and nutsos alike have fun with newspapers. Like the mad newspaper woman of Paulina.

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Witch's Hat Rehab?

Lights in use at this old house of late. The back porch light has been left on to dissuade nocturnal visitors. Is the bank fixing up this old Victorian?

The last time we talked about the Witches Hat a past due gas notice was posted in January. Before that the larger more valuable items were carted away by Direct Auctioneers while the rest was sold on site.

Passerby has noted workmen inside working on dry wall. And people have been parking in the backyard. Maybe there is hope for this vinyl sided lady?