Guardian Angels. The Real Neighborhood Watch.

Guardian Angel supporter pin

                     In the wake of the recent sexual assault by the Morse "L" stop Guardian Angels were passing out flyers by the Morse "L" Stop and patrolled the adjacent area this past Thursday. They were informing residents of the suspect's description and warning them to remain vigilant.  Here you can see the inspiration behind the jackets from the movie The Watch. Unfortunately we don't hear enough about this organization or see them in action as much as we would like. This organization would be a great one to donate too in the fight to keep our subways, elevated trains and neighborhoods safe. Back in May Guardian Angels were stabbed trying to apprehend an iPhone robber at the Clark and Divsion "L" stop.

                   This organization was started back in 1979 in New York City and has since sprouted chapters across the United States(in the eighties). In the ninties international chapters were founded.  The Chicago chapter began in 1988. How many members in Chicago and where are their headquarters located here? This is probably top secret information. Wbez on their blog has an excellent story about the Guardian Angels in Chicago. They aren't allowed to carry weapons, they must be in school or have a job and they can't arrest people for minor infractions (like smoking or littering). Acorrding to the Wbez article the Angels here in Chicago mainly frequent the red line south of Roosevelt after 10pm. It appears that Chicago would benefit from having more Guardian Angels on patrol. We mainly see them on the northside with these PR stunts that occur after disturbing incidents like this past sexual assault at Lunt and Glenwood. 

Egregious Vandalism By Bop N Grill

              DUI (Dangerously Unstable Individual) thanks for posting this. The Busted Ass of Chicago provides a rare glimpse into the underworld of our fair city. Its impossible to adopt every part of Rogers Park in the fight against vandalism. But all of us should take over a small part of the neighborhood to keep us free from this blight. Only by working together can we succeed in keeping the city safe. This is very sad to see. DUI writes "This is the ugliest vandalism I've seen all week. When I get back home it's all coming down." 

          Those strips of paper are ridiculously ugly and vile. This blogger can come by later and take care of the graffiti. What is the point of putting new telephones and newspaper doohickeys out there if we allow them to be completely ruined?

Bop N Grill Tops Top Ten List Evanston Patch.

Photo Credit - Chevanston Industries.

              

              Bop 'n Grill of Rogers Park is listed as two of the top ten business stories of 2012 by Evanston Patch.  One story is for closing their original Evanston location and the other story for being featured on the After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. From Evanston Patch "After Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host Guy Fieri visited the Rogers Park restaurant March 12, an episode on the eatery could air any week. Store employees were told the show would air within two to four months of filming." Great to see a Rogers Park business getting some good press from Evanston.

          The original location for this Korean-American fusion restaurant was in Evanston at Church and Dodge. The Rogers Park location opened up at the 6604 N Sheridan address around August 2011. Ironic that this would make the top ten business stories for Evanston when their location there closed earlier this year (August 14th 2012). However we are very happy to have them here in Rogers Park adjacent to the Loyola campus.  Redeye has a gigantic picture of their hamburger that is sure make anyone's mouth water and won best cuisine mashup this year. For close up pictures of their entrees Eat with Grace blog has several. Bimbimbop with chicken, umami cheeseburger, french fries with gochujang sauce. 139 reviews on Yelp with large majority of them five stars, giving them an average of 4 out of 5 star rating. High praise in the famously tough, cut throat world of restaurants.

Jewish Center Spring Clean Up 1958

                     This photo which is up for sale on Ebay was taken April 29th 1958 at 7001 N Greenview. The attached news clipping from the Sun-times reads "Teen-agers outside Rogers Park Club of Jewish Community Centers prepare for spring-vacation clean up in area. Representing Mayor Daley's clean up drive, Lee Ross gives certificate to Larry Wolfe (arrow) 16, president of North Side Jewish Youth Council." What a quaint scene, can anyone imagine anyone giving out certificates for cleaning up the neighborhood nowadays? We do have the annual spring clean up through the Ward 49 office. 

Pillars Social Cafe - Here For The Winter?

Warm and Cozy at Pillars. (photo credit - North Coast)

(cropped by Chevanston)



                      The North Coast blog took some great photos from Pillar Social Cafe's grand opening which was not quite a year ago. This blog post is dated January 22nd 2012 and the word on the street is that Pillars Social Cafe is having a hard time with its overhead. Maybe Pillars Social Cafe needs a liquor license? There is a coffee shop in Edgewater called the Coffee Studio on Clark that just got a liquor license and is selling craft beer by the bottle (gives this coffee shop quite an edge). That would certainly help with the bottom line. Pillars Social Cafe was basically trying to fill the niche of an upscale Panera Bread, which it seemed to fill well. But Pillars Social Cafe just hasn't seen the volume typical for a Panera Bread. Bob claims to have the first organic fountain drinks in the city, and they tasted great. The food was organic i.e. healthy. With this type of space its hard to survive with the dinner crowd without having liquor available and full entrees at a higher price point. Pillars Social Cafe seems fancy enough to rate waiters and waitresses and full service dining and prices. Its not even BYOB.

                The outside patio was ripped up back in May and the cement was poured and dry in June. This patio was in sorry shape for the past ten, fifteen, twenty years, so it was a big deal when the old concrete was ripped up and redone. The patio for Pillars was awesome as can be seen below, (picture is from flickr.) From the chatter on the Village Messageboard its obvious that the service has been spotty (make it full service) and that they have been closed earlier than they advertised due to slow business, instead of open til 9pm, it was closed at 6pm. Another common complaint was the lack of signage and visibility. Pillars Social Cafe also started a blog, but like most blogs had too few posts and died a quick death, last post there was May 2012 and most importantly Pillars hasn't used the Village Message Board to post special events or dishes etc. We certainly hope that Pillars makes it because its the best thing that's happened to Sherdian and Pratt since ? many many years.



Fun in the Sun at Pillars.

South Evanston Hawk Holding Up Traffic On Dobson

                              

  South Evanston hawk forces Evanston neighbor to slow down. The neighbor wrote "It was huge, and just stood there eating whatever was on the road."

Suspect In Morse EL Sexual Assault Caught On Camera

              Broken Heart broke the alarming news yesterday (12/19/12) that a sexual predator attacked a woman by Lunt and Glenwood. CBS News released photos of the suspect from area security cameras. Per CBS news "Police said the victim was walking near Greenview and Lunt Avenues around 5:30 a.m., when she was grabbed and dragged to a construction site, and sexually assaulted." The news report goes on to say that the assailant also took the victim's purse and then allegedly escaped via a redline train, thereby generating the above photos of the suspect.

            We have to remember to be careful at odd hours, including early in the morning. Whenever it appears desolate in the city, a criminal maybe be lying in wait just around the corner. Be vigilant as you would be anyways, life in the big city forces us to be. Walking around either late at night or early in the morning is dangerous so please be careful, better to walk in groups or carry a whistle or mace. Speaking from experience this blogger can relate that attackers can literally come out of the woodwork if you are alone at any time of day. Unfortunately this has been going on for time immerorial, with highwaymen robbing stagecoaches late at night or lone passerbys in the precolonial forests of America. Thankfully we have technology nowadays to capture photos of the evil men who commit these deeds.

Update 12/20/12 noon - Ward 49 posted a gigantic flyer showing multiple pictures of the suspect.

Peoples Housing's Community Arts Program 1993-95

           Using a Google image search through one of many searches of Rogers Park, Chevanston came across this interesting photo. Provenance is unknown except that it came from the newtactics.org website. Interesting street sign for Howard Street at the upper right there. Does anyone know about this Peoples Housing's Community Arts Program? Currently the page also says page not found where this image was found.  P and J Footwear was off to the side there instead of being in the middle as it is today.

Rogers Park Double Coverage With Broken Heart & DNAinfo.com

                      Rogers Park has more reporters then it knows to do with these days. We have two heavyweights, Benjamin Woodard and Craig Gernhardt. B. Woodard is newer to the Rogers Park scene but is doing a good job covering coffee shop openings, restaurant news and community pieces like the abandoned portable classroom.   Broken Heart can't be beat for up to the minute crime coverage. However Broken Heart's soul searching coverage of the Murder Tree was very incisive, informative and touching.

                       Head to head though Broken Heart coverage of crime news can't be beat. No one is going to look at DNAinfo.com for updates on breaking crime stories. Not so with local news leader Broken Heart of Rogers Park. The latest story of a troubling sexual assault by where the new bike racks are going in at Lunt and Glenwood has everyone upset. DNAinfo.com did a competent job covering the story after the Broken Heart did and had no further updates. Broken Heart used fresh photos of the scene that day and provided information first and continued to update everyone throughout the day. Which is important because we want to be safe and don't want harm to come to anyone in Rogers Park. 

                     Overall DNAinfo provides great stories about people in the community and general neighborhood news. But Broken Heart proves that a blog provides superior coverage for breaking stories regarding crime where updates are key to being informed up to the minute. 

Broken Heart of Rogers Park photos.

Bit of a tight shot but photo taken day of story

TV crew covering the story at the scene 

       
Dnainfo.com photo

Lackluster, old and  dated photo of scene

Motorcycle versus Taxi 1967

              This historic photo captures a motorcycle versus car accident at Washington and Chicago Ave in South Evanston. You can see the VW car dealer in the background.

According to the news report the lady was twenty one years old and wasn't wearing her helmet. No major damage though. She was taken to St. Francis for cuts and scrapes. Buy it now (if you wish) on Ebay for $33.88.

Demolition on Juneway Terrace 1978

This historic photo is for sale on Ebay today for thirteen bucks.

MCL - "This photo depicts the demolition of one of several multi-unit buildings which at that time occupied the area now known as Triangle Park. The buildings were in various states of distress and disrepair and largely vacant and unoccupied. Before Triangle Park was built, Juneway Terrace went thru to Chicago Avenue."

The Chicago Daily News - "Apartment buidlings fall to the wrecking ball on Juneway Terrace in an area known as "The Jungle" in Rogers Park. But area residents Jim Schick and Charlotte Simmons co-owners of the Lost Eras Antique shop 1517 w Howard, have faith that the neighborhood is on the upswing."

Rogers Park Lake Shore 1916.

Rogers Park postcard found on Ebay for sale for $4.69.

Millennium Dogs At Howard EL Stop. 7519 N Paulina.

Is this what is moving into Howard's EL Station? Photo credit - flickr

       On the Village Message Board Joe Germuska posted a picture of a  permit for a Millennium Dogs store. Yes us food scolds should be up in arms! But this business isn't boring, isn't known to attract a criminal element and it didn't leave the husk of its former store in our community many years ago. People please do not confuse this business with Millenium Dog Walkers!

Foodie Destination Or Urban Blight?



Food scolds not welcome here.

Blue Light Special?

   














                  Is this the future of Clark and Birchwood? Okay so appealing to public health falls on deaf ears. How about fast food places on Howard or adjacent being magnets for crime? Will having a Burger King attract a criminal element to the Gateway Mall? The Popeye's at Wilson and Broadway was a crime magnet and so is this one. Are all Popeye's bad? Depends. The Alderman says that fast food is everywhere last time he checked, even in Lincoln Park. Well this isn't Lincoln Park, and fast foods joints there don't give people the heebeejeebees there like they do in Rogers Park like at this Popeyes. Why is there a blue light camera at this Popeye's? Do gangs tend to hang out at fast food joints or more high brow locales? Does the blue light camera there make you feel safer or more ill at ease? It will videotape whatever happens to you atleast for posterity.

Whats up with Astor House?

        Internet searchers are curious about the current status of these properties as evidenced by searches like "essex realty group clark & pratt". And as well they should be. One heck of a listing for a Realty Group to make. 30 million for five gigantic apartment buildings. Two in Uptown and three in Rogers Park. This is one of those buildings. The other buildings in Rogers Park are at Clark and Pratt at 1673 W. Pratt and 7645 N Sheridan. The Uptown buildings include the infamous Lawrence House at Lawrence and Winthrop and at 4526 N. Sheridan. Now is a good time to get photographs of this beautiful building as the vacant lot where the old synagogue once stood won't stand empty forever. There is an awning up at 1673 w Pratt  making us wonder what is going on over there. The Menettis of Park Ridge are the family who owns these five properties.

Chevanston exclusive photo.

"The 13-story Astor House, at 1246 W. Pratt Blvd., a 124-unit brick and stone elevator building that is located only two blocks from Loyola University and Lake Michigan. Listed for $7.7 million, the property also is within walking distance to several CTA Red Line stations and Sheridan Road buses. Built in 1931, the Astor House features 42 studios, 78 one-bedroom units, three two-bedroom layouts, and a penthouse. Monthly rents on studios and one-bedrooms range from $400 to $770. Two bedrooms rent for $760 to $850, and the penthouse rents for $2,100. Improvements include a new rubber silver-coat roof, and newer double-pane thermal windows. Electric service and wiring has been updated with in-unit circuit breakers."

Burger King Is Final Piece Of Gateway Puzzle?

More calories than you can shake a stick at. Chevanston photo exclusive
(Burger King at Lawrence just west of Western)

            In 2011 this graffiti was photographed in Downtown Seattle. Chevanston is not a promoter of graffiti, but sometimes it serves a purpose.Yes we can all say, lets not be a nanny state and tell people what to do with their bodies, let's let them kill themselves with the fat rich unhealthy food. Let's just let the market decide, why interfere? Why have an opinion? Okay then you can pay for their healthcare when the health problems start popping up later. Who pays for the health related conditions caused by this unhealthy food? The taxpayers and the government.

           Pretty sure most people living in Rogers Park or thinking of moving here aren't doing so they can be close to fast food places that can be found anywhere, anyplace USA. Imagine if this was being proposed for Chicago Ave in Evanston. It would be shot down in a heartbeat and people would be wondering why did they even bother. So why is Rogers Park the dumping ground for these low-class, low-health and unethical businesses? From a public health standpoint Burger King is as unhealthy as all the other fast food burger joints and the way the meat is produced is just as disgusting. We know, we know let the market decide. Lets just let Clark street turn into a brand new cultural ghetto. Who cares? Why even try? No one else wants to relocate there, so why even try for anything else?. Lets just settle for one of the most boring, unhealthy restaurants that couldn't even succeed on Howard. They left their last restaurant in real nice shape.

Trapped in a world of unhealthy food I seek escape.
Hark what's that I see over these crowns that weigh so heavy upon my weary head?

          Evanston has gone so far to buy up property on Howard and to subsidize a wine bar. Chicago has reinvested the Howard area with its streetscape and Gateway mall project, so why settle for less? The Evanston owned property sat for years empty until a decent business proposal was either subsidized or came forward. This area is troubled and sometimes TIFs actually have to go into propping up businesses to turn it around. Many people in Evanston are upset with the government backed wine bar and they want everyone to start breaking out their copies of Animal Farm. With Burger King we have something far worse, we have inhumane treatment of animals leading to the creation some of the most unhealthy food ever, looks like we have some reading to do too. (Fast Food Nation).

            

(We have a Popeye's on Howard nearby, a McDonalds at Pratt and Clark, and a Subway and Dunkin' Donuts at Lunt and Clark and another at the Gateway Mall, and a Subway on Howard. Are we trying to become a fast food destination? Are we trying to develop a strip of despair and true ennui? Some fast food is inevitable, but a cluster of them is unappealing, unhealthy and Burger King has not been a good steward of the land in this community.)

Lord why have you forsaken me?
 Why am I doomed to only partake of this most unhealthy of foods?

Tonight We Dine On Pigeon!

South Evanston hawk with his prey. (photo credit - neighbor's friend)

A neighbor on 8th Ward Forum writes "Speaking of the neighborhood hawk...this photo was taken just over a week ago by a friend near Chute Middle School. Looks like pigeon is also on this guy's menu"

Farcroft Lobby Rendering. 1337 W. Fargo.

The forensic team at DNAinfo.com recently investigated the vast real estate empire in Rogers Park that our resident billionaire Col. James Pritzker has been amassing of late. Without his investments Rogers Park and Morse wouldn't be what they are today. The Farcroft has been under renovation for some time and has an amazing amount of scaffolding up around it..

Also B. Woodard covers the
"Damn (sic) and Rogers Eyesore"
"Yousif Abdulla, whose family owns the corner store, said he hopes to fully rehabilitate the former restaurant location, and then expand the convenience store into a supermarket with additional parking.............. the building could be completely renovated within a year." 

Tom Mannis' 2016 Election Poster For Sale. And Blogvertising.

            Don't know what to give your loved one for Christmas this year? How about the dream ticket for Paul Ryan? You still remember him right? He was the Vice Presidential candidate that thought Ayn Rand was God. This was found via a link from Chicago News Bench. Galt is a character from Atlas Shrugged and Roark was in Fountainhead. These posters are for sale from about 18 bucks to 47 bucks on the Chicago News Bench site. This is among the most interesting blogs you will ever read. Always good to know what someone else's perspective is. Nice artwork, would be fun to have it hanging on the wall as a great vitriolic conversation starter.

The Chicago News Bench also has been doing some blogvertising on cabs in Chicago. Has anyone seen these around town? He will be running these until mid January 2013. That's what is so interesting about his site, its a break from reality. Rogers Park's weirdest blog of all time, it has to be seen to be believed.

How to seriously increase page views on your blog!

Welcome To Rogers Park, Hope You Survive The Experience.

         

               These photographs were taken at 3pm 12/16/12 today. Walking past this building for some reason brings to mind the first appearance of Rogue in Uncanny X-men (number 171) and its cover tagline.This however is no laughing matter. There is a preschool (Little People Day Care and Kindergarten Learning Center) next door to 7416 N Rogers (address of gang tagged building) and just north of that is the James Sneider Senior Apartments. The young and the old have worry to about the Latin Kings on Rogers Ave. A perfectly shameful state of affairs. This was first brought to the forefront back in October and it was called into 311 and a service request number was recorded. Halloween has passed us by and so has Thanksgiving. Hopefully we can get this  graffiti cleaned up by Christmas or next year! Chevanston will call it into 311 again and into the Alderman's office. We just want people to be able to walk down the street without the spectre of gang violence hanging over our heads, is that too much to ask for?

Update 12/17/12 10 am- It would help if the address was right, somehow it was put as 7416 N Clark in the title on the old post. But it is 7416 N Rogers. Pretty sure it was called in correctly though. SRN is 12-02008371, was just called into 311.

12/17/12 1:20 pm - This was just called into the Alderman's Office.
This gang graffiti was first reported October 28th 2012.

Presence Health Care investing in St. Francis Hosptial in 2013

Lobby at St. Francis Hospital.

               Presence Health Care is investing in St. Francis Hospital in Evanston and is planning to make the hospital beds all private and remodeling the hallways and common areas in 2013. After the merger of Resurrection and Provena, the organization decided to relocate their headquarters downtown to 200 S. Wacker Drive, this consolidates offices located in Mokena and the Northwest side of Chicago.

"Presence Health is the largest private employer in the six-county area, with 100 locations.  It is the second-largest health care system in Illinois. Presence Health has 12 Illinois hospitals, 22,000 employees, 4,000 medical professionals and a revenue base of nearly $3 billion. Among the merged company's facilities are Resurrection Medical Center on the Northwest Side, St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, St. Joseph Hospital on the North Side, and Provena hospitals and medical centers in Urbana, Aurora, Elgin, Joliet, Kankakee and Danville." 

Don't Settle For A Burger King At Gateway Mall On Clark. Say No To More Auto Sewers.

           The neighborhood was recently notified via letters to people living within a small radius of  7513 N Clark street of plans for a new Burger King. We already have one dead husk from a previous Burger King in nearby West Ridge. Why do they deserve a shot at a new spot if they failed at the old one? They haven't helped out with old site, they just dropped it like a rock and let it rot. If the perfectly fine and healthy grass has to sit empty for a few more years who cares? Better that than to be stuck with such a boring and unhealthy restaurant as a Burger King. Sonic is moving into Uptown and may not be healthiest but at least its something new. The whole problem with the Howard Area is for the most part the businesses are very boring. We can learn alot from Uptown, they shot down the previous proposal for a high rise at the Maryville site because they didn't like the fact that TIF money was going to be used. Different situation but same principle. Why accept this suck-ass proposal for a Burger King? In general drive-thrus in the city do bring in money, but they ruin quality of life as can be seen in the case with Dunkin Donuts in Edgewater.

Burger King Of Christmas Past 12/16/12.

Joe Moore's Statement ["Hi folks, This post was just brought to my attention. Burger King would like to locate a restaurant and drive-thru on the vacant piece of land that sits just south of the HopHaus/Ethiopian Diamond II building in the Gateway Center."] .........["I plan on hosting a community meeting on this proposal some time in January. Let me know if you any other questions."]

Response - Seeing as how we are next to the Howard Red/Yellow/Purple line stop, how about not trying to make it more congested with cars? Do people live in the city so they can drive their cars to drive thrus for horrible fast food? Or do they want to walk around like we used to in the old days (1940s and before)? A drive thru is a horrible idea for this patch of land, there is already enough parking to sustain ANYTHING else. Anything including nothing is preferable. What year is this? Is it 1950 or 2012? Last time Chevanston checked we were trying to make the city more bicycle and pedestrian friendly not an auto sewer. We weren't all that thrilled with the Red Violin Liquor Store at Rogers and Clark, but that has turned out okay. This however is unacceptable. Rogers Park should be a destination for people in Evanston, the northshore and other parts of Chicago. This new Burger King is continuing the sad tradition of more chains making Clark Street in Rogers Park super boring and bland.

Do we need more cars here? 

Hey whats that yellow sign up there on that telephone poll? 
Keep reading below to find out.

Great musical act at Charmers Cafe 12/15/12 at about 1pm

             Excellent rendition of Billy Jean by Michael Jackson. Packed house, per the staff at Charmers it was impromptu. Lets hope that we see more of these great performers and others at Charmers. Picture quality not the best but the singing and guitar playing were top notch.

Athlete's Foot : The Plethora Of Shoe Stores Provide Excellent Camouflage For This New Business On Howard

                  It is very odd that someone from Mundelein relocated an Athletes Foot to Howard, which is already super saturated with shoe stores. Confusing to say the least. Previously Chevanston had thought that the Athlete's Foot had moved down the street when in fact JBees was just rehabbing itself. So many shoe stores, so hard to keep track of them all. It would've been a thousand times smarter to have moved to Morse Ave than Howard. Chevanston wishes them well, but a very strange addition to Howard's all ready crowded shoe market.

Athlete's Foot in October (courtesy of Chevanston)

Bob  posted this to the Village Message Board "Hey all you Rogers Park runners! There's a great little running store at 1540 W. Howard St. that's locally owned by a really nice woman who could use some more business.... Athlete's Foot is a franchise, and she moved her little store down from Mundelein. She also has some gym shoes, Birkenstocks, soccer shoes, etc., but the majority of her stock is running shoes. I figured that I'd post this in case you just assumed that it was just another fashion gym shoe store (can we PLEASE not have any more of those on Howard St.?).Her prices are very, very reasonable (about half of the shoes were on sale) and I paid $75 for a pair of shoes that are $105 and up online....Come out and support the quality local businesses! I'd hate to see her go out of business, and add to the empty storefronts on Howard. Thanks!"

                Franchise, little store and locally owned business don't usually make it into the same news story. What is small about a little franchise called the Athlete's Foot? This store has been a staple of malls across America for lo these many years Very hard for a place like the Athlete's Foot to stand out on Howard. Maybe if it was some independent shoe store or something fancy like Akira (we aren't there yet), that would cause a splash. But Athlete's Foot really doesn't elicit much of a response, just like Foot Locker doesn't. Athlete's Foot is in forty countries. The name describes a fungal condition of the foot. How this name and franchise ever became as popular as it has is a mystery. The saving grace is that its a running shoe store as opposed to the typical hip-hop shoe store on Howard. Easy to get lost in the crowd though.

(Bloggers Note - 10/26/13 - this very old post is getting more hits all of a sudden, check out this link for more info regarding their skateboards and running shoes)

Metra Train Suicide AKA "Trespasser Fatality" or Metracide.

 

From Wikipedia - Metra Fatalities By Year

          When you start searching on the internet regarding Metracide you become absolutely stunned at how many of these have happened and that its actually nothing new. But its not one suicide a week, though when you hear the news it seems like it sometimes. People have been committing suicide this way long before Metra boss Pagano decided to end it all. The disturbing thing to contemplate is who knows if the next time you take Metra is going to be the time you see someone commit suicide. Is there someone about to end it all among the group? As you look around and are waiting for your train; is there someone there about to leap in front of a fast moving train? . It is a quick way to die, leaves a gruesome scene for everyone else. you traumatize the engineer driving the train and you may encourage copy cats like three Lake Forest high school kids who killed themselves this year. Its quite a spectacle and you make everyone late.

           Looking at the numbers it was only a matter of time before someone did this in Rogers Park. Of course not all trespasser fatalities are suicides, some are accidents. This site gives a good overview of percentage of deaths by accident and suicide in train track deaths. This link is probably the best to read to get an idea of the history of death by train which goes back to Leo Tolstoy and Anna Karenina.

Metra Train travelling fast over Touhy in Rogers Park

The most memorable train suicide in recent memory.- 
"The man (Phil Pagano) credited with making Chicago's Metra commuter train line one of the best in the country is an apparent suicide, killed Friday by the train he himself rode five days a week for more than two decades." "The train's lone engineer "saw a man standing on the tracks turning and looking at the train," Nygren said. "There was eye contact, he felt, between himself and the victim." Pagano, Metra's executive director, made no attempt to step off the tracks, and the train, which was traveling between 45 mph and 55 mph, could not stop in time, Nygren said."


Chicago Magazine article on the Lake Forest Suicides this year. 
"Tragically, teens killing themselves around the same time in the same way isn’t as rare as you might think. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Americans aged 10 to 24, and these so-called cluster suicides account for an estimated 5 percent of the deaths, according to a classic 1993 study by Philip Hazell, a professor of psychiatry at the University of New Castle, Australia."


Below the jump break is a very long list of links to recent metra suicides

This copyright infringement was brought to by Chevanston Inc.

       Patrol Officer B commented here on Chevanston "Hey little sidekick (Craig's new buddy). Nice blog but people are complaining that you are stealing their postings and using them as your own. Don't break the law now. You are also pissing off Mr. Ben. He is a professional and you and your friend are infringing on professional material. Be careful little buddy. Jail time isn't fun considering all the new friends you might be making."

             Which People? Patrol Officer B speaks for Benjamin Woodard? The major "infringements" that came to mind were the Chicago Tribune photo of the cops at the metra fatality (which was given credit), so that was just pulled and another photo put in its place. And for the photos from Urban Daddy for Ward 8, only one is now left up and they were already given credit, if anyone wants to see the rest they can visit that site. Chevanston is here to promote the neighborhood, new businesses, point out neighborhood problems, and take issues from Everyblock aka the Village Messageboard (On occasion) and discuss them offsite since censorship there is rampant. This site took one photo that was upside down of Sol and put it right side up. And another photo of a letter that was sideways and put it right side up. Is that infringement upon professional material? Why didn't the moderators at Everyblock fix these issues with these pictures? 

             Everyone needs their hand slapped every once in awhile, Chevanston chooses not to respond to it in a childish bullying manner like the rough and tough fellows at MindCrusher Tattoo who still are pissed about one irate phone call from spring 2012. Whatever infringements that are occurring, lets talk about them. There is a difference between copyright infringement and censorship, an interesting and important discussion. 

Thanks for you input Big and Powerful Patrol Officer B.

South Blvd L Stop 2012 Copyright Chevanston Inc 2012.

He who shall remain nameless. 

From Everyblock's own site

"How should journalists use EveryBlock?

As the leading neighborhood news site, we encourage you to claim your publication's feed through our publisher program (see next question), which will help to increase the number of eyeballs on your stories. If you don't see the feed, please contact us to be added. You can use EveryBlock to source new story ideas from real-time neighbor discussions in those areas that matter most to you. We just ask that you cite EveryBlock as your news source, and include a deep link to us within your story. We're also open to partnering with bloggers to co-host local meet-ups. Please drop us a note if you're interested or if have other partnership ideas in-mind."

Okay hyperlink to Everyblock will be enabled for anything taken off of there, wouldn't want anyone to think that this site somehow believes it created everything it has discussed wholecloth. Btw Village Messageboard = Everyblock.


Editor's note 12/26/12 - there is nothing new about Jeffo commenting on Craig's Blog as evidenced by this wonderful little Night before Christmas adapted to Morse Avenue in 2006, Six years ago.

Drive thru traffic spilling onto major roads. Dunkin Donuts is a national and local menace! First news report in an ongoing investigation.

Wow, short drive thru huh? One car at drive thru talk box, one car inside parking lot,next car on the sidewalk and then the traffic jam starts.

          This is where Clark and Ashland overlap.Two major north and south thoroughfares converge here. Gigantic reticulated buses have to switch lanes due to the traffic backup so that people can get their donuts and coffee in the morning. Extremely Dangerous!

                  Guest Neighborhood of the Month is Edgewater. The Dunkin Donuts at 6250 N Clark is a menace. All too commonly the drive-thru is completely full and customers insist on blocking the public way to wait so that they can enter and get their donut or coffee. These photos were taken just a few days ago at 8:30 am which is rush hour. People are going to school or commuting to work via public transport, private auto, bicycle, or on foot. All who pass this Dunkin Donuts are affected by its drive thru. Is this future of Sheridan/Broadway/Devon with the new Starbucks drive-thru? Lets hope not. In a world that is shifting towards increased pedestrian and bicycle safety Dunkin Donuts is a reactionary business that is creating more drive-thrus and creating headaches for everyone. Imagine driving or bicycling down the street and someone stops short in front of you because they can't enter the drive thru yet they insist that they must enter! You have to sit there for a few minutes while traffic backs up behind you. Meanwhile you or others try to move over to the other lane possibly getting into an accident, (which did almost happen to yours truly). As a pedestrian walking down the street you have to wind your way in between cars on the sidewalk hoping that someone doesn't rear end a car causing your death. 

Not in line for Dunkin, just driving to work!

              A bizarre concept for a business is ruining traffic both private and public in this part of Chicago, Uptown (5130 N Broadway) and others. These supremely ill conceived and planned businesses and zoning variances have been allowed to blossom. Its only a matter of time before someone dies because some jackass has to block traffic so he or she can get their donut and coffee in the morning. "America runs on Dunkin?", more like America sits in traffic due to congestion caused by Dunkin Donuts. 

Continue reading below for links showing how Dunkin Donuts is affecting the quality of life for people all over the United States.

More Real Estate Advertising Blight, This Time On Clark Street.

         We have a copy cat Real Estate Investor advertiser in Rogers Park. At least this guy is promising 6 thousand a month. The last guy's sign said only two thousand and more. Southbound Metra in the background and the pit of despair (where the Adelphi Theatre once stood). Would be interesting to do a study on the people behind these signs and calling these numbers. Both handwritten on yellow cardboard. This is blight and whats worse some poor fool may fall for this.

Its Gone! Ripped off the fence with Brute Force!

Right Side Up. 7513-7523 N Clark.

Okay that's easier on the eyes. Looks to be a drive-thru one story restaurant on the east side of Clark at the Gateway Mall. If there has to be another drive-thru on Clark this is a good place for it since its already an auto-sewer with the parking lot there. BTW Thanks for posting this Paulina-Fargo Resident to the village message board!

The Old Ho has seen better days. 7318 N Rogers.

The Ho Tavern (2010).
(courtesy of the Literate Bar Fly)

           The literate barfly is a strange blog where the old picture of The Ho was found, the blogger was saddened by its closure.  "R.I.P 19?? - October 11th, 2010 Thanks for the memories, old girl. You'll be missed." Amazing how decrepit a place can look after just two years after its closing. The facade was held together by little more than chewing gum and baling wire it appears. Only one review on yelp from Mitch S. before it closed "I'm tentative to write a review of this place because it is so effing awesome.I guarantee, The Ho will change your life.  That is all I have to say." There is a blank facebook page for The Ho as well.