How much does this thing weigh?

Well Mr Morse Market says about 750 lbs.

Takes a forklift to move it and its not for sale. Where does it come from? The owner is mum.

Its for for the kids he says. Each year a gigantic pumpkin is plopped down onto Morse Avenue. For how many years?

Let's be careful out there folks. Dangerous wind gusts.

Largest pumpkin in USA is over one ton.

The End Is Nigh

Garden Closes November 2nd

Rules of the garden.

Absolutely no trash in the super sacks! Compost cannot be processed with trash - if there is trash in here, it is not picked out - all of the great organic matter and nutrients are thrown out instead

Clearing out your bed :

-Cut off plant stems at soil level and leave the roots in the ground. OR pull out plants, but SHAKE OFF ALL SOIL INTO BED. Excess soil in the super sack slows the decomposition process when making compost and leaves your bed with less soil for next year.

-Leave perennials: chives, horseradish,strawberries, mint, thyme, oregano, tarragon, raspberries, and sage in the ground. They will grow back next year.

-Bring rosemary indoors - it will not survive a Chicago winter.

-Lay trellises flat on bed.

-Absolutely no extra pots, fertilizer, bags or containers may be left in walkways.

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Jargowood Meeting November 5th

Jnauts and Friends

VOTE!  Election Day is Tues Nov 4 - Early voting opportunities exist.  Strangely, you are supposed to vote only once.

Jargowood will meet on WEDNESDAY Nov 5 at the usual time and place - see meeting notice and agenda attached.

Standard time starts (and Daylight Savings Time ends) this weekend in the wee hours of Sat nite/Sunday morn.  Fall back!  Set your clock back one hour.

Halloween is Friday - watch out for tiny goblins.

SAVE THE DATE - Sunday December 14, 2014 - Jargowood's Annual Holiday Party @ 3 pm

Lorraine Dostal

dostal@northwestern.edu

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Who's Vandalizing The Witch's Hat?

0.375 Liter Amsterdam Vodka - for when you want to get
wasted wherever you happen to be

Its no secret this house has suffered neglect and parts of it are falling apart. Slats of wood have been rotting beneath the back porch for years. These slats were ripped off in the past week. They didn't just throw themselves onto the ground one day.

Back gate still won't shut after someone removed the latch. A caulking gun sits on the garage roof after some home improvement? Incidentally the orange notice on the garage is gone. Maybe it won't be knocked down after fall (after all)?

Vandalism and hanging out on Witch's Hat property isn't new either. Check out the old graffiti under the porch. Keeping an eye on vacant properties and picking up the trash routinely is key to stopping further destruction. Halloween is right around the corner. Let's be extra vigilant and take up the slack the bank just won't.

Last edited 10/27/14 12:53 pm

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New Single Families @ Sherman & Austin

Early August there were only two houses at Sherman and Austin. Now there is a third. Two car garages in the back. No listings yet on Third Meridian Realty's (for sale sign out front) web site.

This land is (according to multiple real estate sites) is zoned R-5. Vague description below from the city of Evanston.

R5 General Residential District - The R5  general residential district is  intended  to  provide for infill development of a mix of multi­family residential structures at a medium density, including  townhouses, two­ family dwellings, three­ story  walk­ups  and courtyard  apartment buildings  that  characterize the  traditional multiple ­family housing development found in this district.

No listings for the houses @ 409, 411, 415 N Sherman, Evanston, Illinois yet. It was once grass and a parking lot. The parking lot sold last year for 215,000 in just 57 days. According to Redfin,"There is a sewer cover from the days when it was a staff parking lot for St. Francis Hospital before the parking garage was built". Redfin also points out that these properties are just two and a half blocks from the Purple line.

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St. Antonius @ St. Francis

North Of Howard - The Gated Community Of Rogers Park

Road Closed at Clark and Juneway

The other side of North of Howard now has an unmanned checkpoint. Couple weeks ago Jonquil and Sheridan had a police manned barricade. Per Mike Klotz the road closed fence is pushed back to the middle of Juneway at night. Has been for the past few days at least.

North of Howard is the site of a disproportionate amount of gunfire and violence on the far north side. A weird sub neighborhood (no man's land) that became part of Chicago by default.  Two major chokepoints; to the east Sheridan and Jonquil and here (Clark and Juneway). Cruisers are usually positioned at Howard/Paulina and Ashland.

Evanston Police conduct impromptu seat belt and speed checks on Sheridan by the graveyard time and again. How about gun checks going in and out of NOH?

NOH becomes a de facto gated community with these street barriers. Evanston years ago walled off its entry point to NOH at Chicago and Mulford. Streets can tie communities together or divide them. Another example of poor Evanston/Chicago connectivity? Custer is north/south north of Howard and Damen is south bound only south of Howard.

Last edited 10/25/14 2:30 pm

Chicagoans and Noh'ers not welcome in Evanston?
No cross walk, no bike path, just vegetation to block the view.
Foreground Chicago, Background Evanston

Setting Up - First Art Reception @ Roman Susan Annex

This Saturday the 25th from 5-8 pm there will be a reception (for THRESHOLD) at the new Roman Susan Annex on Howard. 1607 w Howard Street its the first thing you run into going east from the "L".

Preparation for the big shindig began this past afternoon. (Before the partial solar eclipse finally showed itself). Personally this writer doesn't care what the artist or art critic thought he/she was exploring, confronting or trying to define. The main thing is the art looks cool and is well done.

This photo says that the hand above thinks its a spider and its waiting to attack unsuspecting passerby.

"The Breakers" Own Private Beach?

October 5th 2014

How do you get from here to there? How far out into Lake Michigan does someone have to wade so as to not trespass? Does the private beach get bigger when its frozen? If the lake overtakes the beach for a few decades destroying the sign what then?

Any type of apocalypse anything goes. In the meantime what happens to interlopers? Are they captured and held in dungeon of the Breakers? Do they walk the plank at Farwell Pier? Fall off a boat in the middle of the night and wash ashore? Is that okay?

Internet standbys Chicago Curbed, Yo Chicago, and RogersPark.com have all done write ups on this exclusive, off limits beach. Funny thing is most days its empty. Maybe the lords in the tower like it that way. Of course this writer walked all the way back to Jarvis back to Sheridan and then down to Sherwin to photograph the other side. Naturally.

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"Some Corporation Name" Or Gallagher's Is Open Again

"We reserve the right to hold your I.D. cards
 until you leave premises"

Whatever its called its been open about three weeks. Atmosphere laid back. Low key accordion music seeps out into the dead Tuesday night air. The bar could be somewhere, anywhere in the desert or Southwest. The other octagon has a barely functioning neon parrot (Corona). If this place was really turning over a new leaf you would think maybe a different paint job or updated neon signs.

Two men came out to see why someone was taking pictures. "You like taking pictures of scenic places or something?" Nah, just wanted to see what was going on with this place. What's its name? Is it still called Gallaghers? "No man, its some corporation name". "You should come in for a drink." No man that's okay, tired, what night is it anyways? Oh yeah Tuesday night, gotta go, thanks guys.

Not completely hostile. But with smart alec answers like that would you want to go inside for a beer? If someone were taking pics outside Mayne Stage or any of the other various drinking establishments in the RP would someone be dispatched to see why the curiosity (about a new bar opening)? 1770 W Greenleaf's last drinking establishment Gallagher's was shut down November 2012 after a stabbing. Sidenote; the sidewalk makes an irregular diagonal jag in near the bar. Makes for a weird parking spot.

7362 N Ashland Getting Rehabbed

Third Time's The Charm

Sports bar with environmentally progressive decor is very cool and bizarre. 6800 N Sheridan (still inscribed "Community, Awareness, Respect and Environment.") has the buzz, atmosphere, food, drink, staff to make it at this high rent corner of the RP.  Its still self serve. Instead of a coffee bar a fry bar and a booze here section.

Late Sunday lunch  consisted of deep dish pizza (sweet tomato sauce!), Philly cheese stake (steak i mean and worth the ten minute wait), the Bears game (well....). What more can you ask for? Rogers Park has a new hangout. Film crew was there for an interview at the back table.

If you haven't come out of your crypt or coffin in the past few months your missing some good grub. So dust off the cobwebs, shake your creaking bones, take a long overdue shower, be sure to lock the mausoleum door (remember what happened last time?) and take a stroll down to Pratt and Sheridan for some good vibes and lunch or dinner.

Last edited 10/20/14 8:42 am

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Traffic Stop On Wayne

Stakeout On Wayne

Another sleepless night waiting for something or nothing to happen. My partner snaps some pics to pass the time. Sitting in the jalopy for the second night in a row on a likely bum tip. No one fits the description of the perp or their "friend". College kids, drug addicts, drug pushers, punks, hipsters, hipster wannabes, blue collar, white collar, nondescript, and senior citizens walk by.

Rain slows to a fine drizzle. The "L" train stops less and and less frequently dropping off less and less pedestrians and possible suspects. Fred finally notices the person of interest in between paper airplanes and footballs on the small dash monitor. She enters the building through the back entrance. Good thing this detective had the foresight to set up a throwaway cam on Glenwood. Hope this pans out. Nothing worse than a wasted stake out.

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Brick Paved Noir

In The Heart Of Rogers Park?

You wake up and its forty years ago today at 7242 N Damen. A polite black dog with a red collar sips a martini at the bottom of the ashtray where your lit cigarette rests. Everyone is smoking inside the bar.

Reality starts shifting between the past and the present. Half the time you are in a front room with your smoke with people you don't know. They look at the smoking stick in your hand with horror.

Streets are deader today in many parts of the city because so many corner bars closed. Converted to living space or torn down to become residential. We weren't necessarily better off with more bars. Made for a more active urban life though. Right now Damen and Rogers is pretty barren.

This vintage gasper receptacle is for sale at the buy it now price of 22.95.

Meet Me At The Corner Of Paulina And Jarvis

Helen Miller Was Here

This real photo Postcard from Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois shows Apartment at (6922 and 69)24 Greenview Avenue with Helen Milles (r) seated out front - photo by H.B. Brooks - Photograph Postcards - Chicago, Illinois early 1900's.

5 days to go on this postcard auction. One bid at 2.99 so far. Always nice to refresh the memory that years ago there weren't all these fences and gates in front of most apartment buildings. Comparing this postcard to current Google Maps view it appears that the photo above predates the large Common Cup building at the corner of Morse and Greenview.

The outer original brick walled balconies have been replaced with iron railings. Part of the long marble columns that once helped support the front balconies now make up part of the front fence. No evidence of the building to the south either. Two of the trees (Andy and Alfred) have survived into later adulthood. They now obscure the third floor facade from street view.

Moving In A New Direction?

The permits were posted on the storefront and some interior work was in progress. Then everything halted. Now 339 w Howard is up for lease again.

According to Ann Rainey (8th ward Alderman) the building has a new owner.

On Harold's chicken: from what I understand there are some legal issues involved with two parties. I can tell you the city is not involved. I do know there is a new owner of that building.

It will be interesting to see what new commercial tenants open in southeast and Howard "L" adjacent Evanston. Subway left this building a few months ago to move across the street.

How many people have noticed the Evanston police camera right by the 415?

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Art Round Trip On Howard Street

David Kogan

Vacant storefronts have been transformed into temporary art galleries on Howard. Roman Susan today officially opens an outpost on the furthest north commercial strip of Chicago.

Rogers Park's shoreline is prominently on display. It has inspired many local artists and photographers including Vivian Maier. If you're checking out the art fest today Howard should be your first stop. Especially if you're coming up north. Really you have no choice in the matter. North bound "L" trains are now bypassing Jarvis and Morse. So come visit the north pole. Grab a coffee and donut at Sol Cafe and check out Roman Susan's annex. Grand opening is noon today.

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Roman Susan Annex On Howard Street

So many important tweets go by unnoticed. Like this one on September 25th from Roman Susan.

"We will be +1 space in October 2014 ~ thrilled to have Megan Sterling with us for the first installation at 1637-1643 West Howard Street."

One of the baristas at Sol Cafe noticed artists hard at work a couple days ago at the corner space.

"ROMAN SUSAN ANNEX is a new series of off-site programing that activates underutilized resources, including retail and domestic spaces in Rogers Park. The first ANNEX location is in the Howard Theatre building at 1637-1643 West Howard Street."

The first art exhibit opens this Sunday. Artist reception Saturday October 25th 5-8 pm.

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El Ruisenor (The Nightingale) Learning Center On Ridge

This probably represents the 7245 N Ridge house's aspirations. Well probably not the actually house's but its illegal occupants'. A community meeting is held here at 7463 N Ridge on the first and third Wednesday of every month dealing with evictions and foreclosures. Lo and behold one of the names on the flyer is Jorge. Chances are it just might be housing activist/squatter Jorge Ortiz of bank owned 7245 N Ridge.

Reading the fence further September 21st is international day of peace. Created by the United Nations in a 1981 resolution only officially ratified in 2001. Everyday is something, Only three hundred and sixty five of them. A cheery, happy house covered with colorful childhood drawings accentuated by bottle caps and tops.

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"It's A Heavily Trafficked Area"

To passerby trying to help clean up 7405 -7411 N Ashland's parkway; their dumpster behind a locked gate doesn't help. Placing one dumpster in the little alcove by the "L" would cut down on littering. People would be able to throw this stuff out easier (like building management) and people would be less likely to litter because there would be a place to put it. Yes they might get a little fly dumping. That's price you pay taking care of a large apartment building in the city.

We know the area sees a high volume of pedestrian traffic because of the "L" stop. Most "L" adjacent areas still somehow manage to get the rubbish and refuse picked up. Cagan Management has done a poor job of keeping this parkway free of debris. They have improved lately, but its still bad. Does anyone really look at whats going on here? There has to be some supervision by either the head of the management company or the landlord. By default its up to the common citizen to let MGMT know if they aren't getting the job done.

Speaking to Cagan mgmt (3856 Oakton St, Skokie, IL 60076 (847) 679-5512) on the phone and in person has not solved the problem. Ward 49 office is aware. Cagan let this writer know why the parkway looks as it does. (Title of blog post) Excuses don't help. And really its pretty intuitive why the garbage is there. No explanation needed.

For some reason people really like to drink six packs or more of beer, have dinner in their car and then throw everything into 7405-7411 N Ashland's parkway garden and under the viaduct.


















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