La Marcha, Again

So this year's march was a lot like last year's. Maybe a little smaller, but still in the six figures. Lots more signs about stopping raids. I think lots more U.S. flags, actually--they were the large majority of flags out there. Although there was a point early on when a parade of international flags, plus the Olympic flag, went by. There's Chicago's bid for 2016 in action!

Perhaps the funniest part was when we passed a speaker system set up on the sidewalk for 950 AM, a local Spanish radio station. People who had been chanting started singing along to the pop tune instead. Then we passed the El Guero free water truck and everyone ran for their freebie agua.

"If they do this again next year, it's gonna get like St. Patrick's Day," I predicted. My friend and an eavesdropper laughed appreciatively at that. Don't tell the Corona folks, OK?

I picked up a couple of great t-shirts and gave them to friends at the march. You can check them out at No Manches, which Dawn translates as saying, "Are you for real?"

You'll see "Elemento Frijol" on the far right of the first line and "The United States of Mexico" at the far left on the second line. Elemento Frijol got some especially big laughs.

Ay, Julian!

After the clothes extravangaza, Dawn came over this evening. We've hung out and watched TV some this week, but we haven't talked much. "I missed you," I told her out on the back porch. "I was feeling kind of crabby this week because I didn't have anybody to talk to."

"Me, too," she said.

Dawn filled me in on the upsetting latest about her big brother. Julian hasn't stayed at home overnight since Friday. He wanted to go out, his dad told him no, he went anyway and Dad said, "If you go now, don't come back." He went. Apparently he stopped in yesterday while Dawn and her dad were out of town visiting relatives, but he hasn't been back since.

Adriana was trying to tell me some of this while we were checking out the clothes, but I wasn't getting everything. Since I'm not studying Spanish right now my capacity seems to be getting weaker. Sometimes I feel like Mr. Magoo, except it's my hearing and understanding, not my sight. I stumble around in conversations bumping into things because I can't "hear" well enough. It sucks.

Dawn said something that broke my heart--she told me her mom told her that since all the rest of them have messed up, she feels like Angel is her last chance to get one of them to be somebody. "Since I kind of messed up," was how Dawn put it about herself.

"You're getting back on track!" I insisted. Especially since she had just told me minutes earlier that she's getting into a book right now. When she started, she didn't understand it and thought it was kind of boring, but she kept going and now it's kind of like watching a novela on TV--she wants to know what happens next.

"That's more important than any grade," I told her. "I'm really excited that you feel that way about a book."

Adriana told me earlier she would like to talk to Oscar about what's up with Julian. I'll call him tomorrow. Meanwhile I have to get on with things for Joey. Last week Adriana said it would be OK if my friend worked with Joey to see if he's dyslexic. We need a clean copy of the San Miguel application for him, too. (Angel got at the first one we picked up.) Adriana says Joey failed all his classes third quarter and is likely to get held back in 5th grade. I talked to someone at San Miguel who thought it might be possible to strike a deal with Chavez that if San Miguel takes him, he wouldn't be held back. I really don't think he's going to make progress there. He needs more one-on-one attention to stay focused, I think. And we really do need to see if there's a hard-wiring problem with him about reading. He's so smart and curious and artistic; I would hate to see that go to waste because of an unidentified learning disability.

Baby Clothes Galore

Friends of mine in Hyde Park stopped by this afternoon with sackfuls of baby clothes and toys. They have two boys in elementary school and at last were ready to part with their baby clothes, etc. Their mom is a friend of mine from college and emailed last week asking if I knew of a good social service agency that could use them.

I suggested they avoid the middleman and go straight to my neighbors. She was agreeable. Apparently it was quite a challenge to make the whole load fit in the car. We put everything in the basement.

Later, Adriana was free and came by to take a look through all the goodies. She brought Angel along. He got a little sleepy and I carried him around trying to get him to go out. We almost got there but not quite. Joey popped in and out, playing with/annoying his little brother, much to the amusement of his mother and me.

Angel liked a couple of the toys right off. There was a house made out of fabric with a mirror for a window and cloth doors with a picture of a baby duck behind them. He was playing "gravity check"--dropping the house and getting happy when I would pick it up and give it back to him.

We joked around a lot while Adriana checked out the rest of the loot. Lots of Osh-Kosh. "Ropa para gueros," she said. (Clothes for white people.)

"Gueros ricos," I said. We started laughing about Angel dressing like a rich white boy. Adriana figured she got about two years' worth of clothes for him out of it. Then we were laughing about all the trips to Swap-O-Rama she could skip. I suggested she could sell the clothes at Swap-O-Rama when he's through with them and she smiled. I hope she does.

It reminded me of a time when I was about 14 years old and my favorite cousins came over with grocery bags full of their hand-me-downs. I remember being really excited about going through them to see what fit me. I was wearing some of their sweaters through my 20s.

Eventually Adriana decided she would take the whole business and split it up between herself, her niece (with a newborn) and some neighbors up the street who have two toddler-ish boys.

Joey and Adriana and I hauled the whole mess out of the basement into my back yard. Joey hopped the fence and we handed the bags and boxes over to him. They're stored on their back porch for now. I hope there were some socks in there--a few weeks ago poor Angel's socks were hanging off his toes, he'd outgrown them so much. There were a nice pair of sneakers and some sandals for later. Adriana really liked the sandals.

Richards Meeting at Holy Cross

About 30 people attended tonight's meeting with Dr. Smith, the principal of Richards High School. I'd say between five and 10 were parents. The rest were a mix of community residents, youth outreach workers and institutional reps from the Peace and Ed Coalition: San Miguel, Precious Blood Ministries, I think Instituto del Progreso Latino, Catholic Charities Street Intervention. A parent volunteer and the LSC community rep, Veronica Lopez, also came out.

The heaviest outside hitters present were 9th District Commander Eugene Roy and Phil Hampton, director of community relations for CPS. I didn't get the name of his assistant, who stayed for the entire meeting, but she expressed interest in attending future Peace and Education coalition meetings.

Dr. Smith committed to attending or sending a rep from Richards (her AP or dean) to future Peace and Education Coalition meetings, though she added it is difficult to send someone when her staff is small.

The meeting mixed pre-set questions with some time for dialogue between Smith and the audience. She was first asked to explain what Richards is doing about security. Like most schools, they have things in place on the inside: cameras, a short lunch period (23 minutes) to prevent fights/food fights, but the outside has been a harder struggle. Cmdr. Roy has increased police presence outside the school at dismissal, which she says has helped. The school keeps an eye on 50th and 51st, but it wasn't clear to me from what she said how far east or west they watch. I'm sure they don't cross Ashland; I doubt they go more than a block, but it wasn't clear.

Dr. Smith also talked about Richards' response to the shooting of a student about a month ago. I'm not sure exactly where it took place--I believe not on the grounds but nearby. She said she went to the hospital to talk with the young man and his mother directly, asked him what he wanted his classmates to know, and got on the PA the next day to let people know. A crisis team from CPS did visit the school.

Agency workers told her they would like to build continuing relationships with Richards to provide ongoing safe space where students could talk about their feelings about this and other violence they have experienced.

Later, when the community was asked to let Dr. Smith know what we are doing about security, a woman who lives in the school's beat said she is pressing to get a CPD camera installed outside the school.

Youth intervention workers present pointed out that the problem is not so much the immediate area around Richards, but north of the viaduct--the blocks between 47th and 49th. I realize east of Ashland is having a tougher time, but kids also cross a line at Marshfield, which they pointed out.

The gentleman I believe was from IPL (I could be wrong) seems to have been roped into helping organize a parent patrol to make safe passage in and out of Richards. Some parents present said they are dropping their children off in cars because it is unsafe to walk. Dr. Smith says they have had two CTA buses, one northbound, one south, come to the school at the end of the day for students only. Parents admitted convincing their kids to ride these buses is difficult, and some said they have heard reports of fights on those buses, too. I personally have tried to be around between 2:30 and 3:00 on Mondays and Fridays (the days my work schedule sometimes lets me), just to keep an eye out and call the police if necessary, but I can't always be here then.

Many next steps were floated, but I think the most important one was Dr. Smith's public commitment to attend meetings of the Peace and Education Coalition. Someone I know who has been connected to Richards for a long time said afterwards, "We've been pushing for a long time, and this is the first time she has moved. Let's see if she moves more."

Thanks to Rufus Williams

...and CPS for posting a letter on the front page of the district website about Chris Pineda and the search for his killers.

Here's the key stuff, since it won't be up there forever:

The tragedy of Chris’s death has shocked and angered people throughout the school system and the city. The future for this young man was bright. His death is a devastating shame.

In the name of justice, and in Chris’s name, if you have any information about this crime, please call the State Police at (847) 294-4605. The Board of Education and CPS — through its Children First Fund — is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the killer or killers.

Sincerely,

Rufus Williams, President
Chicago Board of Education

Announcements and Upcoming Events

A couple more items from last week's Peace and Education Coalition meeting.

Mobile C.A.R.E. is looking for office space. They need about 2500 square feet of free or cheap space. I'm forgetting the geographic boundaries in which they are looking, but I think south of Roosevelt and east of Kedzie were part of it. If anyone reading this is interested, try the web site link above for contact info.

Also, this Thursday at 6 p.m. at Holy Cross there will be a meeting about the discipline and security issues at Richards High School. I posted about this last November, in "Death to the Disciples!"

Getting this meeting organized and publicized seems like a giant step forward in school-community relations for Richards. They don't post their LSC meetings out front of the school. School Lady from the end of the block, whose daughter is a sophomore there, told me she's frustrated with the LSC but my Spanish wasn't strong enough to pick out exactly what problems she's observed thus far. She's not even sure exactly who's on it, and this is someone who has been very active and committed to Chavez Elementary. If she can't figure it out I don't know who can.

Immigration Raid in La Villita

I got a call from a friend this afternoon saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement had raided the Discount Mall on 26th Street in Little Village. Tonight at 10 I went to watch the news next door and it was the top story on Univision. Dawn and I watched it together while we kept her littlest brother company.

"People will be afraid to go out of their houses now," Dawn predicted.

It was so creepy watching this on TV. I just biked down 26th Street right past there on Sunday. I couldn't help thinking this is how it started in Germany under the Nazis--police rounding up people and taking them away. I said this to Dawn, who read Elie Wiesel's Night last year for school.

"Yeah," she said. "I think about this sometimes. What if they came for my mom or dad? What if they came for me?"

Home Depot Hiring

At Wednesday's Peace and Education Coalition meeting, someone from Instituto del Progreso Latino announced that Home Depot at 47th and Western is looking to increase its numbers of local employees. Right now their numbers aren't good--only 10 percent of the current staff are from the surrounding neighborhood.

Home Depot is partnering with IPL to find prospective employees. Nancy Munoz at 773-927-7712 is the contact person. or stop by the neighborhood IPL office at 4600 N. Wood.

Yup-Yup calls the cops

For real! I got home late this evening and heard some loud noise, including Yup-yup's voice. I considered calling the cops but it subsided quickly. Then my doorbell rang.

"Miss Maritza, before you yell at me, it's an emergency. I called the po-lice. They tried to jump me for my lawnmower," he told me. Sure enough, there was a lawnmower sitting on the sidewalk in front of Dawn's house.

"I'm 45 years old. I'm too old to be doing this," he added, raising his fist to indicate fighting. He says some young guys down the block tried to get him to sell drugs but he said no and then they wanted to jump him for his lawnmower. Given that he's unhurt and his lawnmower is still here and he looked like he might be high, I'm not sure this is all for real.

But sure enough sure enough, a cop car pulled up after he'd finished spilling his entire story to me in hyperactive detail. He went over and leaned in the window and started the spiel all over again. At that point I just went back in the house.

While we were talking, I asked him if he knew what was up with the street brawl Sunday night, but he clearly had no idea.

Coleman Concedes!

According to the Board of Elections, with only one precinct yet to report, Thompson leads Coleman by about 57 to 43. A friend texted me to say Coleman has conceded; I just found the 9:35 p.m. post on the Trib's Clout Street blog.

It's a new day here in the 16th; I sure hope it's a good one.

My Runoff Prediction

...Coleman gets my bet. I talked to someone with pretty good connections in Englewood today, who tells me that she's getting not just leftover Daley campaign cash, but some actual bodies to work the precincts and get out the vote.

There is too much robo- in SEIU's work, at least as I've seen it thus far, to beat out live bodies out there taking the old ladies over to the polls.

Ronin Teacher

I went back to the birthday party later this evening. My former next door neighbors, the family who moved in after Mr. Married moved out, were still there. Eddie and Xochitl were happy to hang out some more. Eddie asked me if I knew how big infinity was, so we started talking about numbers.

A while ago, I was telling a teacher friend of mine about my life here in Back of the Yards and he said to me, "You're a ronin teacher." I realized that was exactly right. In the days of the samurai, ronin were soldiers beholden to no lord. Nowadays they are martial arts students in search of a school. I'm a teacher without a school or a principal, so in that sense I am ronin, too.

So I just go around doing my thing when the teachable moment appears, as it did tonight with Eddie and big, big numbers. We talked about infinity and the symbol for infinity, we talked about how infinity was bigger than a million, a billion, a trillion and a quadrillion. (I doubt the place order lesson stuck--we went from hundreds up, but it might have cleared up whether a thousand was bigger than a million for five minutes. That one is tough because thousand is mil in Spanish.)

I asked Eddie if his teacher had mentioned a googol and he said no. So I told him he should go to school tomorrow and ask his teacher, "How big is a googol?" I made Xochtil promise she would check up on whether he did it or not, and made them both repeat the question. I gave them high fives when they pronouced googol right.

I had some tequila with the girls: Adriana, Marisa and Eddie's mom. At least I think I was having tequila--it seemed fairly mild, Gallo Something, it had agave and it was from Jalisco, but on three shots I should be wicked wasted and I'm not, so I'm not sure what I was drinking. Xochitl and Eddie were collecting the pop tops off of beer cans for something at school. They had a large collection by the end of the night.

At the end Julian put on some music and said "We're going to dance," but Daya and Angelito and I were the only people out on the floor. Angel was fussy so I took him from Adriana and went dancing with him a little. He quieted down. I think he had the hiccups. Daya showed off her moves.

As I was leaving, Adriana said "Until 20-what?"

"Twenty-five," I answered. They are fired up to host my birthday next month.

I pulled out my favorite old joke and said I'm the old lady, turning 40. The one person left I didn't know said he is 40. Julian told me "it's like tequila, you just get better." Good attitude!

A Tale of Two Birthday Parties

Yesterday I went up to the North Side for an old friend's 40th birthday. Eight of us gathered at a North African restaurant for crepes. They let us bring in our own wine, so we had a bottle of a nice California Pinot Noir. There was one baby in the group. We talked about politics, media and education. After dinner we went back to my friend's apartment for homemade chocolate cake, more wine (including my gift to her), and some Belgian beer. Her apartment is neat and painted in a faint shade of green she did herself. We had to move the small bowl of shells for fear the baby would break or eat them. I had a couple of conversations about academia and we made fun of people's former workplaces. We almost made it to the Green Mill to catch up with some other friends, but collectively pooped out around midnight.

Late this afternoon I went next door to Dawn's house for the joint birthday of her dad and Marisa's husband. Their place was covered in balloons, streamers and Happy Birthday signs. I would guess there were about 15-20 adults, maybe 10 kids between toddlers and tweens, and three babes in arms. Julian was wearing the shirt I brought back for him from Cuernavaca:

Cuida el agua
Toma cerveza

(Translation:
Save Water
Drink Beer)

Dawn's aunt was there with her new baby girl. She's a month old. There was a lot of Seven Up, Corona, and Budweiser with Clamato, Julian's favorite. He offered me some; I declined. We both grinned. I tried it before and it's OK but not my favorite--he likes to tease me about it. There was pork in mole, rice, beans and plenty of tortillas. There was also some kind of ceviche, but less of it, so I just had a little taste. There were two cakes--Julian's was chocolate, Marisa's husband's was carrot cake. I think this was Julian's 34th birthday, but his cake only had the four. Earlier we were kidding about the numbers for the other birthday boy--he's 26 but

This was one of the more fun Spanish-speaking parties I've been to because I knew enough of the people not to worry about my lack of language. Adriana gave me Angel to hold. He fell asleep and Dawn and I put him down in the bedroom. Then Dawn's aunt let me hold little Ashley while she ate. My old next-door neighbors--the family with six kids--came over and they wanted to see the little baby. Xochitl and Eddie and I chatted in English. Eddie is a big talker--he wanted to brag about his English compared to his big sister's. I suggested he stop talking and let her practice. She told me about watering the plants at the Chavez after school Garden Club.

I think Eddie was surprised to hear me speaking Spanish to Ashley. He came over at one point and said, "How do you learn two languages at once?

"That's what you're doing right now, right?"

"Yes. I'm learning Spanish and English."

"Well, how do you do that?" I asked him.

"I talk a lot," he said.

"That's what you do, Eddie, to learn any language. You talk a lot. Practice, practice practice." He smiled and went to play with a balloon.

I should take my own advice. I'm pretty shy at Spanish-language parties. Some friend of Dawn's from school was there with his dad. He clearly wasn't sure what language to speak to me--I came in and spoke Spanish but then missed some conversational cues, so he switched to his pretty weak English. I'd rather just hold the babies and talk to them than try to talk to people I don't know.

Dawn's aunt smiled when I told her daughter that Tia Maritza was going to teach her some English.

Chicago Tonight: Coleman vs. Thompson

I missed it on TV, and in case you did, too, here's a transcript of the discussion, with thanks to AlderTrak. Click the link and scroll down if you want to see this with live links. (Note 4/17: For some reason, this link is not working. The site is: http://aldertrack.typepad.com)

I'll let it speak for itself.


Chicago Tonight: Alderman Shirley Coleman, Joann Thompson

Christian Farr: The race is between a sixteen year incumbent and a challenger facing each other for the third time in four years. Personal attacks and issues of personal integrity have come up in this race. We'll get to those in just a moment. But first, while the ward has some new development it still is dotted with abandoned buildings, empty lots, and empty storefronts. The 16th Ward covers the South Side neighborhoods of New City, parts of Englewood, Gage Park, and Back of the Yards. And now joining us in the order they'll appear on the ballot are Joann Thompson, a correctional officer in the Cook County Sheriff's Department, and Alderman Shirley Coleman, who's been a member of the City Council since 1991. And I want to welcome both of you to Chicago Tonight. Joann, let's start with you. First of all, what was your reaction when you came in first in this election?

Joann Thompson: Well, I was pleased. I was very pleased in letting me know that the residents of the 16th Ward is ready for a change.

Christian Farr: Alderman Coleman, your reaction in coming in second in this. Sixteen years in this ward.

Shirley Coleman: Well, actually, I didn't come in second. I'm still in the race and I would like to congratulate Channel Eleven. We've been trying to have a debate with my opponent for six debates, so this is the first one she's showed up at. So let me just congratulate the power that Channel Eleven had that the unions have finally let her talk and let the people hear what we're really up against.

Christian Farr: Ms. Thompson, do you have a reaction to that?

Joann Thompson: Yes, I do. The unions haven't kept me from talking to...

Shirley Coleman: Three hundred and ninety thousand dollars worth of talking and coming out to public hearings to debate the issues.

Christian Farr: Let's let Ms. Thompson answer that. Go ahead.

Joann Thompson: I wasn't ever invited to a debate, so...

Shirley Coleman: That's...

Joann Thompson: ...I don't know what she's talking about.

Christian Farr: OK, well, let's talk about this union issue because the Big Box ordinance is a big issue and the unions have backed you because you believe in that Big Box ordinance.

Joann Thompson: Right, I do. I believe in the Bix Box ordinance because the residents of the 16th Ward, they should not have to decide whether to have a job or to have a living wage. Alderman Coleman here, she voted three times for a raise for herself totalling fifty-seven thousand dollars.

Christian Farr: Ms. Coleman, would you like to respond to that. You voted against...

Shirley Coleman: You know, that is...the only platform that they have is the fact if you will check the records, I did vote for a living wage ordinance. I believe that the 16th Ward, every family should have and make as much as you can. Let me say that you told me, 16th Ward residents, you were tired of going out shopping elsewhere. We have an opportunity to bring a Wal-Mart in. Even if you're not in the union, or if you're in the union, aren't you tired of going to 95th? And then one thing, why is such a big deal now , they were not talking about a livable wage when it was built on 95th and Western. But now all of a sudden that it wants to come into the 16th Ward, into the Englewood community where...

Christian Farr: Ms. Coleman, Ms. Coleman...

Shirley Coleman: ...we need jobs, then it's a problem?

Christian Farr: Ms. Coleman, you did side with the mayor on this. Why?

Shirely Coleman: I did, because I had an opportunity...because we had a community meeting two hundred people were there. Four percent of them told me that they do not want a Wal-Mart in our community. The other ninety-six percent of the people--two hundred people--when we took the poll, physical poll, said they want the Wal-Mart in our community, that they want to be able to shop in their own community. And, again, it's not a problem at 95th and Western. Our people are tired of going elsewhere to shop when we have an opportunity to shop right in our community.

Christian Farr: Let's give Ms. Thompson an opportunity to respond to that. I mean, again, you want to bring a Wal-Mart in...

Joann Thompson: Right

Shirley Coleman: No, she's on record for not bringing a Wal-Mart. Will not support a Wal-Mart

Christian Farr: I understand that but you...

Shirley Coleman: She's on record. On public record...

Christian Farr: But respond to that, in terms of...

Shirley Coleman: So now she's going to change her mind...

Joann Thompson: That's not, that's not true...

Christian Farr: Let's give Ms. Thompson an opportunity to speak...

Shirley Coleman: which...what is she going to...

Christian Farr: Ms. Coleman, one second. Ms. Thompson?

Joann Thompson: First of all, on the 27th of February, eighty-three percent of the voters voted for the living wage ordinance. Now, that's eighty-three percent of the voters...

Shirely Coleman: That was not even in the ward...

Joann Thompson: Now, she's talking about two hundred...

Shirely Coleman: That was not even in the 16th Ward...

Joann Thompson: voters. That's what she's talking about.

Christian Farr: So, can you be an independent alderman? I mean...

Joann Thompson: Exactly.

Shirely Coleman: Of course not. How can you be...

Joann Thompson: Sure I can be. Sure I can be an independent alderman. I...

Shirely Coleman: I know, I didn't pray for you either

Joann Thompson: I'm for the people of Englewood, for the 16th Ward, not Shirley Coleman.

Christian Farr: Well, let's talk about you, Alderman Coleman. You've gotten money from supporters of the Mayor.

Shirley Coleman: Yes.

Christian Farr: Some money there.

Shirely Coleman: Yes

Christian Farr: You've also gotten some money from what I understand a 'First CD Victory PAC' which is connected to ComEd. You're on the ComEd board. Resond to that.

Shirley Coleman: I'm not on the ComEd board.

Christian Farr: Or the committee. Excuse me. You're the vice chairman...

Shirely Coleman: I'm the Vice Chairman of the Energy Committee

Christian Farr: I stand corrected. Respond to that. I mean, you're getting money from, of course, the Mayor's supporters

Shirley Coleman: I'm not nearly getting three hundred and ninety thousand dollars that the unions have paid to sit me down, first and foremost. I do not have a conflict when it comes to my community. My community is my family. And I listen to my family. She happens to be a member of the family that we have helped. We're going to help all of our family members in the 16th Ward. And so when she says eighty-three percent, that vote was not taken in the 16th Ward. The 16th Ward wants to shop, want to have a job, want to be able to work in their own community. We have the highest unemployment in the City of Chicago. And, you know, it's been said that I don't believe that a job is better than no job. That's not the case. But when unemployment is high, crime is up. We find that when employment is high, crime is down. We have attacked all of the issues of crime. I think it's an insult when you go on radio talking about the murder rate is up. We have three great police commanders that have all...we have double digit decrease in crime.

Christian Farr: Well, now, let's give Ms. Thompson an opportunity to respond

Shirley Coleman: But you know, the lies that have been told...

Christian Farr: Let's give her an opportunity to respond. What do you think of the 16th Ward in terms of jobs, in terms of crime, in terms of employment.

Joann Thompson: I think that crime is up. We have a high concentration of ex-offenders. When they come home from prison their pleas for help fall on deaf ears. We have no support services for them. We have no referral programs. If we had some of those things maybe they wouldn't go back into a life of crime.

Christian Farr: What would you do about it as alderman? What would you do?

Joann Thompson: I would bring those services to the ward for ex-offenders. For sixteen years, sixteen years Coleman has not done anything for our ward. We are tired. We are tired of her. We're tired of everything that she says that's not true. We're tired.

Christian Farr: Alderman Coleman, respond please.

Shirely Coleman: If my opponent had any idea of what was going on in the ward she would know we just got a hundred thousand dollars for an ex-offenders program. But, of course, we see her every four years and so she does not know what's going on in the ward. She does not know that there are programs available for ex-offenders...

Joann Thompson: I do. I do.

Shirley Coleman: You don't know because you have not come out. We saw you four years ago and we haven't seen you since. So, they are right at 63rd and Halsted. But I'll give you that information after this, after Tuesday. I'll let you know. I'll let you know.

Joann Thompson: There is no programs. There's not.

Shirley Coleman: Teamwork Englewood was just awarded a hundred thousand dollars for ex-offenders. Ex-offenders, that's why we want to put you back to work.

Joann Thompson: The programs are not in service

Shirley Coleman: We want to put you back to work. Don't be fooled.

Christian Farr: Let's talk about something else that has come up in this election and it's the alcoholism that you went through back in 2002.

Joann Thompson: 2003

Christian Farr: Or 2003. Talk about that. And talk about why you brought it up and why you thought it was important.

Joann Thompson: Well...

Shirley Coleman: That's because it was the only thing she had to bring up.

Christian Farr: Let's give Ms. Thompson an opportunity to respond

Joann Thompson: I thought it was important that the residents of the 16th Ward, the ones that didn't know Joann Thompson, know what Joann Thompson is about. I wanted them to know and I'm proud of the fact that I have recovered, I had nothing to be ashamed of. Proud of it.

Christian Farr: Now, Alderman Coleman, you say you helped her through this.

Shirely Coleman: You know, I'm very proud of Joann Thompson. As a matter of fact, we're the ones that helped her with it. The last community meeting she was at, everyone--and I have witnesses--where she stood up, and we congratulated her for being able for me to direct her to where she could get her job where she's presently at. So, Joann, we are very proud of you. We're going to continue to pray for you. Since you made that an issue, whether I prayed for you or not, sweetheart, I'm going to continue to pray for you. Tonight, as a matter of fact.

Christian Farr: Ms. Thompson, did she help you?

Joann Thompson: No, absolutely not.

Shirely Coleman: [laughing]

Joann Thompson: And I think it's sad that a reverend, that a reverend...

Shirely Coleman: It's sad that she tells...

Christian Farr: Let's let Ms. Thompson respond.

Joann Thompson: ...would be on TV saying this. It's sad. It's really sad that she, as a reverend, that she would get on TV and say that she prayed for me when she didn't. I didn't even know her at the time. Did not know her. It's sad. It's sad.

Christian Farr: What was the nature of your relationship?

Shirely Coleman: You know what, I am very proud to be a pastor. I don't have to sit here and lie. Like she said, I never prayed for her. She's been to my church, so God bless you, I'm going to keep praying for you.

Christian Farr: OK, let's try to move on. You have an endorsement from the Sun-Times. Why do you think you got that endorsement?

Joann Thompson: I got that endorsement because I represent fresh leadership and my committment to my ward. I'm very proud of that endorsement.

Christian Farr: In terms of your endorsement, you got an endorsement from the Tribune.

Shirley Coleman: I've never got an endorsement from the Sun-Times in the sixteen years that I've run, so it's no surprise to me. I've won without the endorsement and I'm going to win again without the endorsement. I'm proud of the Tribune's endorsement because they can see the work we've done in the 16 years. Stevie Wonder can see what's on 63rd and Halsted between Halsted and Ashland. Everyone can see but my opponent because she's not been around to see anything. She's not been around to know any of the programs. She's not been around to know any of the programs that have come into the 16th Ward. The millions of dollars. Over three hundred million dollars of renovative work we have going on right now. We're going to break ground for a brand new 7th District Police Station that I fought for to keep in the 16th Ward. We have a $254 million dollar Kennedy-King getting ready to open next month. When I became alderman it was all in the 16th Ward. And so now, through the redistricting, some of it got into the 20th Ward, but that's something, a project we have labored over for the last eight years to make sure there was minority representation, we have Black people on the job, Black people working...

Christian Farr: Well, let's let Ms. Thompson respond to that.

Joann Thompson: Thank you.

Christian Farr: As Alderman Coleman said there's a lot going on

Joann Thompson: Yes

Shirely Coleman: A lot

Joann Thompson: The Kennedy-King sits in the 20th Ward

Shirely Coleman: That's not true

Joann Thompson: She has...

Shirley Coleman: She doesn't even know the ward boundaries

Christian Farr: Let's let her respond

Joann Thompson: She has a school at 55th and Morgan, Holmes school, where the six hundred children there use the gym room for the lunchroom, for the auditorium. She voted three times for the LaSalle Street development project which took one billion dollars out of the Chicago Public Schools, and she sits on the Eduction Committee.

Christian Farr: OK

Joann Thompson: Now, not only that, what about her pending cases

Shirely Coleman: Well, you asked about as far as responding. Now, here's a candidate that lives right down the street from the school. If she was so concerned about the school, it wouldn't have taken since 1971 to do something about that school...

Joann Thompson: She's the alderman...

Shirley Coleman: Now, you go figure...

Joann Thompson: She's the alderman...

Shirley Coleman: You go figure

Christian Farr: Alderman Coleman, Alderman Coleman...

Shirley Coleman: You're a resident. You can do something to help that school

Christian Farr: Alderman Coleman, let's talk about this lawsuit that's been going on in terms of this real estate consultant who received a half of a million dollars from some investors. Are you involved in this lawsuit?

Shirley Coleman: No, I am not. I have been accused wrongly. Just like, I mean, she's been accused of being a prostitute. We all have accusations against us. I have not done anything wrong. I am going to continue to lead the 16th Ward where it needs to go. That's...I've been accused of doing something wrong. Who of us in this world has not been accused of doing something wrong? If I had been proven anything I wouldn't be sitting here.

Joann Thompson: Well, the case is pending.

Christian Farr: Well, let's...we've only got one minute to go. Alderman Coleman, really quickly, last pitch.

Shirley Coleman: 16th Ward, please, don't be fooled. Don't be fooled by all of the garbage and the lies and the distortions that have been printed. Let me lead the 16th Ward into these next four years. Don't...You know what? Where your heart is where your money is...

Christian Farr: Ok, Ms. Thompson...

Shirley Coleman: Unions. Three hundred and ninety thousand dollars...

Christian Farr: Ms. Thompson's going to get the last word

Shirley Coleman: She will report to the unions...

Christian Farr: Ms. Thompson, your last pitch here

Joann Thompson: Thank you very much. The 16th Ward...

Shirley Coleman: And I'll keep praying for you

Joann Thompson: ...The 16th Ward know they need a chane. They voted for a change. I got forty-two percent of the vote to her thirty-six percent of the vote.

Shirley Coleman: Thirty-eight percent, thank you.

Joann Thompson: Do not vote for Shirley Coleman. She represents the same. Nothing.

Christian Farr: All right, that's it. Our time is up. My thanks to Joann Thompson and Alderman Shirley Coleman

Phone Wars

Someone named Blanche from Ald. Coleman's office left two messages yesterday, inviting me to her monthly meeting tomorrow morning. No, she didn't offer any cash, in case you wondered. But she was very hopeful that I would attend and she reminded me to vote Tuesday. She was a real person and I'm guessing she got mixed up in her lists; thus I got called twice.

Meanwhile, Joann Thompson's recorded voice left me a message and reminded me to vote Tuesday. Just an observation: no live human being from her campaign has ever called me.

Oh, and someone took a poll last night or the night before. This time just one question: "If the election were held tomorrow, who would you vote for, Joann Thompson or Shirley Coleman?" I told them, but I'm not telling you. I asked the questioner who had commissioned the poll, which threw her for a loop, but then she just said she represents whatever company was conducting the poll and that was that.

On the email front, Big Picture is having a meeting tomorrow to talk about how to stay open.

Alas, I have a hot date with my taxes tomorrow and won't be at anybody's meetings for any reason. I'm hoping to be done in time to go to Julian Jr's birthday party at 4.

Sadly, our ward race did not make the Reader's last Aldermania column. I notice a growing number of Coleman signs in windows on my block--from one to three. None are up for Thompson.

Runoff Update: ACORN Gets in the Game

Last night there was a pink flyer stuck in my gate when I got home. One side has a big photo of Joann Thompson with SEIU Local 880 President Helen Miller and other officers. Two are wearing "Fighting for a Living Wage" t-shirts.

The other side bears the headline: ACORN Political Action Committee News
What's going on in the 16th Ward?

The flyer asks a version of my earlier question about Hal Baskin and Shirley Coleman: "Why is Shirley Coleman, who runs against Hal Baskin every election, hanging out with Hal Baskin?" The flyer says she has been seen driving around the neighborhood with him and he managed security for a meeting she held at her church last summer. I have no idea if either of these statements are true.

Then the flyer speculates why this is going on: "Were Shirley and Hal Baskin trying to set it up so that when there is a runoff, it was between Shirley Coleman and Hal Baskin? Then we all run to Shirley and vote for her, because we don't want to hand the ward over to Hal and his friends. Has this all been a big game all this time?" Interesting questions.

The flyer also alleges Coleman paid people to attend her meetings. It implies people didn't know about them. If they mean her monthly ward meetings, she does put the word out about them-her flyers are stuck in my fence pretty regularly-so that's not a fair charge. I've been to a few and I never got paid. Maybe I'm just a chump and missed out on my chance to eat at the trough. Who knows?

Runup to Runoff

Here are some things I'm noticing from the Coleman/Thompson showdown around the neighborhood as April 17 approaches. Incumbent alderman Shirley Coleman has lots more signs up--Thompson favors weekend lit drops. Someone from Thompson's campaign left me literature last Saturday but when I tried to get her to talk to me she went across the street.

Word is Coleman held a breakfast not last Saturday but the one before for election judges. Hmmm....

Within a week after the election there was a crew out patching potholes on this block. I laughed out loud when I looked out the window and saw them putting down new asphalt.

The campaign is getting down and dirty on both sides. Thompson had a robo-call out in the last two weeks accusing Coleman of being friends with Hal Baskin, a former gang leader turned community activist. While there have been questions floating around for years about how former Baskin's gang ties really are, it's pretty clear to me he and Coleman aren't friends. His signs from running against her years ago are still up and fading along both Ashland and 51st.

Today I got a piece of literature from the Committee to Re-Elect Shirley Coleman accusing Thompson of being a union stooge, responsible to "Boss Tom Balanoff" and others (sorry I forget all the union guys they named). It was pretty amateurish in content, though nicely designed and the essence was not wrong--yes, Thompson is financed almost entirely by SEIU and other unions to a lesser extent.

Although I've heard from two or three ordinary citizens in various part of the ward that they are tired of Coleman and are ready for a change, I see Coleman at important events here (like the March Peace and Education Coalition meeting) and I don't see Thompson anywhere.

The only thing I can figure about this runoff is it will likely be close. Thompson had more of the popular vote than Coleman did in the first round (very bad for an incumbent)--I think it was 42 to 36 or something like that. But who knows who will show up for the runoff, and it's clear Coleman is trying somewhat harder now than she was in March.

Quiet Easter

Junior's mom is sick, so we did not go out for Easter today. Dawn came over and helped me clean the house. It's better than it was. I showed Dawn this puzzle I bought at the National Museum of Mexican Art. It's a lot of different colored shapes you can put together to fill in a square. The first time I tried it, I couldn't figure out how to get all the pieces to fit in. Dawn spent some time with it and came up with a nice design. Once I saw hers, I tried it later and made them fit, with a different color pattern.

While we cleaning up, I found an essay template from a North Side high school for when a student misbehaves. It helps them think about what happened, how different people might look at the same situation, and what other decisions they could make in the same situation in the future.

I asked Dawn if she was willing to try writing one about what happened on Friday. She said yes. With a hint of a smile she said, "Alfredo made me do one of these one time." She took the paper home with her. We'll see what she comes up with.

Joey came over later. He wanted to see the Homies web site. So we were looking at it. I thought he would like the puzzle but he gave up after a short try.

Friday's Good and Bad

Yesterday Dawn joined me for the Good Friday Walk for Justice downtown. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers led a station about justice for immigrant workers in English and Spanish. I was hoping Dawn would show it to her dad. Even though CIW is about farmworkers and her dad is a welder, I'm pretty sure he would want to hear about what they are doing to organize. Julian, Sr.'s factory was bought out by new owners who want to get lean and mean compared to the old guys. The old guys were no prize, either, if you recall from last year's immigration march hoo-hah at the factory. Rather than make you hunt down the post, I'll quote a bit from March 2006:

The good news about the march was that somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000 people showed up. Now here's the bad news. Dawn's dad may be getting fired over it. He and all the other folks working at the factory went Friday, despite being told Thursday night that anyone who went would get the axe.

No one has received official termination letters yet. It sounds like the official company staff, including Dawn's dad, may be able to stay on, but the company wants to dump the day labor folks who were working there and chose to march. The company employees are saying they won't stay unless everyone gets their jobs back. ... It was pretty rough sitting with Dawn and her parents on folding chairs and large buckets in their new house, with dust all over the floor and white paint drying on the walls, wondering whether they're going to be able to make the mortgage payments.

That time, thanks to lots of media and help from Interfaith Worker Justice, they all got their jobs back and won back pay for their week off.

The new management, from California, is used to squeezing its labor force with lower wages than what is standard in Chicago. So far Julian has not been forced to take a pay cut, but they are making him work more hours and they are swinging his shift around, which is hell on a person's sleep cycle and health. Their contact from Interfaith Worker Justice is on vacation.

So the good in Good Friday was going to the walk and seeing lots of people. Dawn got to meet my friend Kathy Kelly and lots of other peace activists. Dawn seemed pretty interested and engaged, especially given I didn't know what she would make of a group of mostly old white people wandering around downtown beating drums and stopping traffic at corners.

So after all this, we take the bus home and Dawn says she's going to a friend's house. Well, she didn't stay there long, and then no one knew where she was for hours. Her folks finally tracked her down and she was home by about 1 a.m. Given what we just went through around here over Chris Pineda, it really wasn't the week to be pulling teenage stunts like that. But if teenagers always acted with that sort of knowledge in mind, I guess they wouldn't be teenagers.

I spent last night in the kitchen at Dawn's house. Adriana and Julian were cooking up fried fish with a ton of chopped garlic. Joey wanted to know where the fish's brain was. His dad did a little surgery on his fish's head when we sat down to eat and produced a slimy pea-sized globe.

Joey's been pursuing his drawing, and papa Julian is backing him up on it. That was fun to see. Somebody found Joey a Homies poster and he's trying to draw the figures from it, especially the dogs.

It was Julian, Jr's 17th birthday. He spent most of the evening outside in a Jeep with his buddy listening to music, loudly but not too loudly. I could hear it from 10 feet away from the car with its windows shut, but only at a dull roar, not a full-on blast.

By 11 we'd had it with pretending we weren't worried about Dawn and put the full-on press to find her. Adriana called her friends and their parents, Julian and Joey went out looking, I kept Adriana company and watched the baby while she called up a storm. We were under the impression you can't report someone missing until they've been gone 24 hours. I called the 9th District to check that out and they said, no you can report her, but it has to be a parent. That's when she called in. Adriana gave me the phone--she was too angry to talk to her, I think.

I wasn't much help. "Where are you?" I yelled.

"Somewhere," Dawn said.

"How many kids got killed this week?"

"I'm fine," she said in a small voice.

"When are you coming home?"

"Now."

"Well, hurry up!" I said, exasperated. "I'll be here when you get home."

Apparently that scared her into not wanting to come home, which I could have guessed but at that point I wasn't real rational either. She called later to say she was at her friend's house, named the friend and asked to stay over. Her mom talked to her, said no, she needed to come home, and then gave it to me.

This time I had a better grip. "Honey, just come home. We're worried about you."

Then she didn't want to get in the car with her dad. (He had driven over there suspecting that's where she was, and was waiting outside for her.) "I'll walk home by myself," she said. It was now shortly after midnight.

"At this hour?" I said. "No way. Nobody walks home by themselves at this time of night." (To be fair, I do sometimes, but I'm almost 40 years old, know self-defense and walk the one block from the bus stop to the house with my hand in a fist and my keys in between my fingers.)

Anyway, she's supposed to be coming over to wash baby clothes at some point.

"See how they loved him"

Chris Pineda's funeral was this morning. I heard the bell tolling for the casket as I walked to church. There were easily 2000 people there, and a line of TV cameras stood tall behind the last pew.

Fr. Ed performed his usual miracles with liturgy. The family chose the first reading from Isaiah, where it talks about the feast of rich foods and pure, choice wines, because Chris liked to eat. The second reading was the 23rd Psalm, also at the family's request.

The gospel was part of the recent gospel of the raising of Lazarus. We stopped at the part where Jesus wept and the crowd remarked, "See how he loved him."

Ed's voice broke in the homily talking about Chris's mother going to pray with the Virgin Mary. Two mothers who lost sons, praying together.

Stephanie Valentin of Poetics Magazine and the St. Joseph's youth group read the prayers of the faithful.

After Communion, Whitney Young's principal, Joyce Kenner, was invited to the podium. Five young men, friends of Chris, went with her. She invited everyone from Whitney Young to stand up. I could see at least a hundred--there were probably more. Dr. Kenner announced that Chris's diploma will be awarded to his family at the June graduation ceremony. That's when I started crying. Lots of other people did, too.

A college scholarship will be awarded annually to a Whitney Young senior who has similar qualities to Chris. "NOT a gangbanger," Kenner proclaimed, drawing sustained applause. The scholarship winner will have a C average or higher, a friendly spirit and a sense of humor, among other qualities.

To see video from the funeral (as long as the Trib keeps it up--I think it's got five days left), click here

Chris Pineda Murdered

This morning in church, Fr. Ed Shea told us during his homily that Whitney Young student Chris Pineda had been murdered. His body was found Friday in the Cal-Sag Channel. Today is Palm Sunday, when we read the Passion of Christ and remember an innocent man condemned to die. As Fr. Ed put it, we remember an innocent boy today, too.

The Sun-Times story is here.

At the 12:30 Mass, a group of Chris's friends from Whitney Young were selling t-shirts to raise money to increase the reward for information about his death. I heard that St. Procopius in Pilsen also held a fundraiser today. The funeral will be held at St. Joseph's at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Missing Whitney Young student

Today's Sun-Times has a very sad story about a young man from the neighborhood who vanished without a trace last week. Fr. Ed Shea led a prayer vigil for him. It sounds like he's been gone for about a week. He was a quiet kid who just got accepted to UIC. Let's hope he comes home and becomes the only one of the family's six children to graduate from high school. He is the youngest in the family and everyone's hopes were on him to make it.

New Tenant

I don't think I've written much about my new tenant. We'll call him Alex, which will be the first tropical storm of the 2010 season. This seems appropriate as he's not very tempestuous now, but I wonder what he could grow into.

Alex is an engineer from Guanajuato, Mexico, turned third grade teacher. He likes to play soccer in his spare time and celebrated rather heavily when his team won the league championship, arriving home at 5:30 a.m. Good thing I was getting up early. He is very neat and quiet otherwise. So far, so good, and a welcome change from Hurricane Alberto, especially in the neat department. Now I'm the house slob, a position I much prefer. Any house is in trouble if I'm the neatest person in it.

Dawn Makes Hollandaise Sauce

Tonight Dawn called around 8:30 asking if I had any white wine in the house. She was making Hollandaise sauce to put on broccoli. She tried at her internship--a cooking class at Washburne Culinary Institute--and wanted to try making it at home.

I was out of wine. So I walked up to the corner liquor store on 47th and braved the scary clientele to find a bottle of California Chardonnay and bring it back. Yup-yup tried to sell me a wheelie backpack but I have one already. When I got to their house, Dawn's little cousins were playing in the front yard with Diana. Marisa, Adriana and Dawn were in the kitchen. They were teasing Dawn about how long her project was taking.

"She's been cooking three hours already," Marisa told me.

"She can't work in a restaurant yet," I teased.

She gets a copy of the new edition of the Culinary Institute of America's textbook, The Professional Chef. It's gorgeous! Marisa was copying recipes when I got there and asked me to help translate them. After a couple of hilarious minutes of me miming dicing and slicing, I went home and got my dictionary to advance the effort.

Then we got into a big discussion of what is basil, what are peppercorns, and what are shallots. I actually had some of all these things back at my house, and Dawn needed the whole pepper and shallots for the sauce, so I went home for them, too. Some days it's good to be a yuppie--how many people on this block have shallots in their house, I wondered.

While we were watching Dawn boil water and stir sauce endlessly, Marisa asked me if I believe in extraterrestrials. I said, "Sure. The universe is really big. We can't be the only people in it, right?"

Then she asked if I'd ever seen any and I said no. Adriana said she saw some unusual lights once--somewhere between Zacatecas and Ciudad Juarez, I think she said. Then Julian Sr. came in with his hands all silvery-grey from working. "See, here's an alien," I teased. Marisa cracked up.

Julian washed off, picked up his youngest son and got in a little weightlifting with him. I'm worried about the guy. Things at his factory sound difficult--a new boss is cutting wages and raising hours. It may be time for the workers to rise up again out there.

Dawn's Hollandaise came out a bit thicker than the CIA's would have been, I think, but it was still mighty tasty. There were a few substitutions--hot sauce for cayenne pepper (easy), lime for lemon. Mexican Hollandaise. We had it with broccoli. Dawn gave her brother Joey a little on her finger to try. He tasted it, made a face and ran. "He's teasing me!" she complained.

Her big brother, Junior wouldn't even go there. "I'm OK," he said. I laughed at him.

All of us females over age 10 in the house chowed down on it, though.

Curie Youth Radio on McKinley Park

Though Marshfield Tattler's world is a little south of McKinley Park--it's the nice big park people here go to to get out of the hood, if they're not going to the lake--this morning Curie Youth Radio has a piece on WBEZ's 848. It tells a story about an experience all too commonly faced by young men in my neighborhood. They're minding their own business when a bunch of gangbangers show up. Check it out.

Dawn Helps Win a Grant

Congratulations to Dawn and her friends at Big Picture, who wrote a grant to Mikva Challenge asking for money to expand Big Picture's after-school program. Currently, Teatro Vista has been doing after-school theater workshops for Big Picture students. With the Mikva grant, they will be able to add art and sports, and invite more students from other schools. They titled the program "Crossing Boundaries" because part of the point is for young people from different neighborhoods and different turf to have safe common space.

Go Dawn!

Girls Night In

I took a break from writing this evening and went next door. Julian and his friend and his friend's girlfriend were hanging on the front doorstep. "Are you looking for my family?" Julian inquired.

"I was coming to talk to your mom."

"They're all at Marisa's with the new baby." I thought he meant his new cousin. I hung out with them for a while. Yup-yup was just being really loud, running around hollering. "We have a rooster on the block," I said. Julian's buddy Santiago cracked up.

"Be safe," Julian warned as I was about to walk down the block.

"Don't worry," I said, "I'll yell 'Yup-yup' real loud if I get in trouble."

Over at Marisa's it was girls' night in with the wee ones. Marisa has a buddy, Yadith, who has a little teeny girl, probably younger than Julian's baby brother, who was there with Dawn and her mom.

Marisa's daughter Diana is three and always has a lot to say to me. "Hi, Maritza!"
"Hi, Diana."

This can go on for about a dozen times. Diana spent her first year of life with her English-speaking auntie, so she speaks much more English than the average three-year-old. But she switches back and forth in ways I don't always expect, so sometimes we just talk past each other. She's a total ham--she was dancing for us and doing quite a few theatrical moves, looking especially tragic when I said I was leaving, etc.

Dawn's mom, Adriana, is game to go get a San Miguel application on Friday morning. She said the school hasn't called her about Julian. Some scary stuff happened on Monday, but I'll save it for another post.

Probably the funniest moment was when Adriana asked Marisa and Yadith how old they are. Yadith is 19 and Marisa is 22. Then we were talking about birthdays and when is everybody's. I suppose I'll have to throw my could-be-annual Memorial/Birth Day BBQ. I know Adriana is in her late 30s, so I couldn't resist pointing out:

"Voy a tener quarenta anos. Soy la vieja en este grupo"/"I'm going to be forty. I'm the old lady in this group," I said, which got a big laugh out of all of them.

Adriana, holding her youngest son on her lap, pointed to Marisa and Yadith with their girls. "Senora, senora," she said, then pointed to herself. "Senora."

More laughing as she and I pointed to Dawn and myself and said in the same breath, "Muchachas, muchachas." I heard somebody say, "Muchachitas" (little girls).

It's a trip being a spinster down here. But I forget if I said this before--a while back Dawn was over here and told me she and her mom were talking about me. "We were talking about the fact that you have your own house and you are out on your own. That is amazing!" she said. Dawn has said she'd like to have her own house and travel, like me. That's also amazing.

New Blog: City on the Make

For all the new fans I've picked up since I started blogging about Big Picture, here's a new blog for you to hear about city and school skulduggery: City on the Make

The second most recent post is an interesting and plausible theory about the LSC president at Curie High School, which has been in the news lately over the LSC's decision not to renew the principal's contract.

Birdwatching at Sherman Park

Dawn and I went to Sherman Park after school let out today. I was taking a break from housecleaning and freelance work, and stopped to talk to her mom. She told me Dawn cut school this morning to take a walk. She was home and wanted to go ouside Her mother asked if I would mind if she came with me. Of course I didn't mind, so out she came, still a little red-faced from crying.

We stopped by Su Casa and then went all the way over to Sherman Elementary at 51st and Morgan because I wanted to know what it looked like. They have a nice new playground--some kids were hanging around after school playing on it. Some of the kids sounded very rough--there was a lot of really foul cursing among kids who looked to be between eight and 10 years old. "Those teachers have their work cut out for them," I said to Dawn.

After we walked for a while and talked about nothing important, I asked what happened today. It was really what happened over the weekend--more struggles about free time and independence with her parents. I think she just felt trapped and decided to take a walk when she could take one more easily than she had over the weekend. It was also clear she felt like she was on top of her schoolwork--I didn't even try to take that one on right now. But she felt bad and was worrying that this would all hook back into problems last summer. We talked, walked around, got to the park, talked. Shortly after we got into the park itself, I stopped and looked at her and said, "I think maybe the most important thing here is that you forgive yourself for what happened last summer and let go of it. If you really believe that you have a clean slate, that might change things."

I saw in her face that she got what I was saying. I hope that sticks.

We saw quite a few interesting birds. Three red-winged blackbirds, who stood out strongly against the cattails and tall grass. And we saw parakeets! Apparently some have moved west of Jackson Park--we spotted three large nests, one with seven or eight squawking about. There was only one pair of mallards. Dawn was interested to know the male is the pretty one and mallard ducks mate for life. We also saw a male and female cardinal--another pair where the male gets the pretty colors. But Dawn asked me how to tell the difference between a male and a female Canada goose and I was stumped! If you know, please comment.

Big Picture Launches Website

Big Picture Back of the Yards has launched its own web site, which includes student comments about the school. Some of these comments are from students you've met on this blog, so check it out.

In other Big Picture news, I heard from a principal at another CPS small school that Big Picture led the small high schools in math gains! I'm hoping to get the data and post it here in future.

More Big Picture News

The Big Picture High School is making a new round of headlines. Well-known educator Greg Michie has an op-ed in today's Sun-Times. Like me, Greg acknowledges the school has room to improve, but is making strides and is performing better than other local schools on the key measures of attendance and dropout rates.

The February issue of Catalyst Chicago looks at Big Picture as a case study in what a district shouldn't do once it has agreed to give a school autonomy.

Meanwhile, students and parents have begun a process of enlisting local political support to keep the school open. We'll see if it pays off at the February board meeting.

Cranium Challenge

A few nights ago, the three boys from across the street came over for some chili and a game of Cranium. They had never played it before, but they were game to give it a go. Our contestants were:

Junior: now in 6th grade, a sweetie pie of a kid who had some kind of health problem as a young child and is in special education. He's made a lot of progress in math in the last year--I remember him strugging with his times tables and addition/subtraction facts, but now he's doing simple long division problems pretty successfully.

Omar: Junior's little brother, who was in kindergarten when I met him, which means he's in second grade now. He is one of those kids who will say or ask you whatever pops in their heads, which can be funny, and he has more of a temper than his big brother does.

Martin: now in 7th grade. He's very smart--we read most of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime together when I first moved here. He shot up like a weed over the summer and has a hint of a mustache. He and Junior are good buddies, which I find charming.

If you've ever played Cranium, you know that its pop culture references are not likely to register with the under 18 set. I tried to sing like Barbara Steisand, but since they didn't know the song "People," it was to no effect. "She's an old white lady--even older than me!" I told them. Tina Turner was no better, and the only songs of hers I could remember were "Proud Mary" and "Private Dancer." Not wanting to sing the latter for a bunch of preteen boys, I took off my glasses and shook my hair frantically while singing "Proud Mary keep on burning...Rolling..Rolling...Rolling on the river!" This made them laugh but they thought maybe she was related to Timmy Turner of The Fairly Odd Parents, which I had never seen.

Junior had better luck than Martin when trying to spell the word "Bazooka" backwards. Martin got him to guess Radiohead by drawing a radio and a head faster than Omar could draw them for me (and his head looked like a flower with eyes, so I was pretty confused.)

I suspect playing this game might be good for their standardized test scores. This is a big year for Martin, because his test scores this spring will decide whether he's eligible to take the selective enrollment exam. "I wanted to go to Whitney Young, but then I found out their mascot is a dolphin," he informed me. "Aren't there any high schools around here I could go to?"

"Stick with Whitney Young," I advised him. "Don't sweat the mascot, and no, there aren't any high schools around here I want you to go to."

Julian Gets Lucky/Big Picture Goes to Church

Well, it looks like Julian got off easy last night. The cops let him go without giving him a court date since they couldn't find any prior record on him. Thank God.

I saw him this morning as I was going to church. He said hi to me, but the walls felt pretty high up.

"Hi, Julian, how are you?" I said. I wasn't clicking into the events of last night. Then it clicked and I said, "You OK?"

He paused for a minute, like he wasn't going to answer, then said, "Yeah."

"All right," I said, with a strong overtone of "we'll talk more later."

The Big Picture gang went to Holy Cross today to elicit community support for the school and get a meeting with Fr. Bruce. It was a busy day at the Holy Cross 10--Willie Cochran, who is challenging indicted Ald. Arenda Troutman for her seat, introduced himself and his family at the end of Mass. But they did give time for a rep from Big Picture to let people know there would be a letter of support for people to sign in the back. Plus, our intrepid voter registrars were out back for the last day of registration before the elections.

After Mass, there was food in the hall, so everybody went over there. I saw Oscar sitting down to a bowl of pozole. He asked about the NHS meeting last week and told me he's pretty free tomorrow, so I'll call him and hopefully we can go talk to Julian's parents.

So I got a lot of food for the Big Picture strategy session for nothing, since most people had eaten in the church hall. But the meeting was very good, and the number in attendance was up I think--from eight last week to 12 this week. They are meeting with Fr. Bruce on Wednesday, we planned some more key people to target and who was going to do what. Watch for stories about the school coming pretty soon in the Chicago Reader and the Tribune.

At the end of the meeting, one of the teachers told me she was very excited that Julian's exhibition last week was a marked improvement over the one before. Hurray!
I went over to their house for a while this evening. He was in the kitchen and I called out, "Hey, Julian, I heard your exhibition last week was really good."

"It was better," he said, "but it was still too short. I'm going to do better this quarter."

I hope so. We're going to talk about electricity this week.

Busy Saturday Night

Lots of people stopped by this evening. Junior and Oscar and their mom, which was nice. We haven't seen each other in too long.

Yup-yup, trying to sell me stuff, which wasn't so nice. I thought I had locked the gate. Maybe I had. I need to ask the people next door to lock theirs, too.

Worst of all, the Chicago Police Department, looking for Julian. He told them he lives here. Ouch. I was afraid there was more to it than that, but apparently he was 'looking suspicious'--out without a coat between here and his buddy's house on the next block up. The cops wanted to know what was up with him and he got scared and cut through my back yard to go home. That got them interested. Now they're waiting out in the alley for his folks to get home. They were going to a baby shower. I called his sister and they are coming back. I told them to call me if they wanted me to come over.

I called the neighborhood youth intervention specialist. Maybe Julian is too small potatoes for him, but I worry that the potato is getting bigger and I don't know how to stop it.

Won a Skirmish in Graffiti Wars

The viaduct at 49th and Marshfield has about three or four layers of paint, thanks to a recent round of graffiti warfare between the Disciples and the Latin Souls. I learned the secret to getting the graffiti removal people out here quickly--always get a reference number. I got one yesterday because the 311 operator inquired if I wanted one, and the graffiti was gone tonight.

Big Picture Goes to Clark Street

Sadly, I was not able to go with them. However, I heard today that two students spoke and that Board of Education officials were pretty vague in their responses. The official word at the meeting, I hear, is that a final decision will not be made for another one to two months.

I hear differently under the table, but will leave it at the official word in hopes that gives everyone some room to maneuver.

Big Picture in the Press

Here's an article generated by Thursday night's event. The Daily Southtown quotes two of my other favorite students, besides Dawn.

There was a small group of parents, students and staff eating chocolate chip cookies and drinking coffee in my kitchen this afternoon while planning the revolution. Stay tuned.

Big Picture, Test Scores, and Life after High School

Someone posted an excellent set of questions and observations about Big Picture and inner-city students recently. It seemed to me worth pulling out of the comment section and putting front and center for discussion. So here is most of what the latest anonymous poster wrote:

But, how do the Big Picture schools explain the very mediocre Explore-PLAN-ACT scores their schools have put up? Doesn't it matter? Are colleges going to welcome the kids with a 13 or 14 without putting them on probation or making them take all those 095 type classes that don't count towards graduation? Over the years I've heard story after story from young people who couldn't make it or got discouraged because of these things making them feel like they weren't good enough.

Despite some of their fierce exteriors, many inner city children are extremely sensitive to intellectual criticism. Many have been told they aren't good enough somewhere else and when they don't make it in college or into college, they're done. They don't want to keep failing and being told they aren't good enough.

Until almost every college and university does away with their current entrance requirements, and figures out how to more fairly gauge student achievement, students everywhere will have to get a decent score on standardized tests. Like it or not.

Let me try to address the first question with the caveat that I am not a Big Picture teacher, administrator or consultant, so my answer is only that of an observer. I don't know how the schools would explain them, but I would explain them by saying that like most inner-city students, these students did not receive the background knowledge as very young children and elementary school students that would make them "good testers." It's hard to make up for that in two to three years of high school.

I can say with authority that Big Picture schools are not the only CPS schools with this problem. Yes, some high schools (a very small handful) are making impressive gains. I think Chicago Academy is one. Many others are not.

Second question: doesn't it matter? Yes, it matters, but is it everything? Is it more important than the difference between earning a high school diploma because you trusted the place enough to stay there and not earning a high school diploma because you didn't? I frankly do not think an ACT score is more important than the million-dollar difference in lifetime earnings between having a high school diploma and not having a high school diploma. In a city where about half the kids don't finish high school, I believe we all have to start with diploma completion when we talk about goals for our kids. (Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I see no sense talking about college without a recognition that completing high school is the necessary prerequisite and an important goal in itself.)

Here is my question back to you, anonymous poster: is closing the school the answer for low ACT scores? Should we should close a school where kids average a 14 and something like 90 percent are on-track to graduate, but leave open a school with an average ACT of 15 but only half the students graduate within five years of entry? That's Big Picture and Richards. If we close them both down, where do the kids go?

Now, to your questions as to whether these students can be admitted to college and if so, won't they be put in remedial courses? Another poster to this site has pointed out that many seniors, some juniors and even a few of the Back of the Yards sophomores are currently enrolled in one or more college courses. I spoke with a senior earlier this week who is taking a regular college course and getting a C at National-Louis. Would I rather he was getting an A? Sure. But he's getting that C now and says he's learning what he needs to do to get a better grade in his next course. That could spare him a lot of heartache freshman year. No, I don't know what his ACT score is, but I assume it is far from off the charts.

As to admissions, most Chicago Public Schools students don't meet the ACT score requirements for most colleges and universities. The CPS average (I think) is still 17.1 or something like that. Roosevelt sets 20 as its benchmark; UIC's average freshman ACT is a 23. So the average kid in CPS is in trouble, not just the Big Picture kids. But some Chicago Public Schools students go despite their scores, sometimes through programs that recruit minority students or students with promise who fall outside the usual admissions guidelines. And what makes the difference between the students who succeed in college and those who fail, as best I can tell, is the successful ones developed habits of persistence and seeking help from others. Those are habits that Big Picture explicitly cultivates in ways most high schools do not. So I think Big Picture students have no worse chance at college success than other kids in the district, and because of the habits of work and mind they are developing, likely better.

I am aware of two charter schools where average ACT scores are low but average rates of college entrance are high: North Lawndale College Prep and Young Women's Leadership Charter School. Both schools put intense effort into the college process and both have developed supports for graduates to stick it out in college through financial and academic difficulties. I don't know how their college completion results are beginning to turn out, but I have hopes for them. I think Big Picture kids deserve the same hopes, which would require keeping the school open and devoting some school resources to postgraduate supports.

Open House Draws a Crowd

There were some interesting outsiders in attendance at tonight's Big Picture Open House: Univision, WBEZ, Catalyst Chicago, Marvin Garcia from Alternative Schools Network, Mike and Susan Klonsky from the Small Schools Workshop, Emilio Carrasquillo, new director of Neighborhood Housing Services for Back of the Yards/Garfield Boulevard, and Jesse Iniguez, candidate for 12th Ward Alderman. Overall, I'd guess between 80 and 100 people showed up.

More importantly, this time parents and teachers were circulating petitions and letters asking CPS to keep the school open. There will be a group going to Wednesday's school board meeting at 125 S. Clark Street. That's not all that lies ahead. It's time to pressure the aldermen, the state reps and every other power point that can be tapped.

I'm worried that now, when people are really ready to try, it may already be too late. But here we go.

Big Picture Open House Jan 18, Part II

At long last, Big Picture Back of the Yards is taking its struggle to survive public and enlisting community support. The open house is intended to show the community what Big Picture students have been doing for the last three and a half years. I'm told there will be a "Take Action" table where people can sign letters to Arne Duncan expressing support for the school.

I'll be there. You interested? Come on out and see for yourself.

Thursday January 18
6 - 8 p.m.
4946 S. Paulina
for more information: 773-535-9219

Student comments from the flyer:
"[At Big Picture] you learn more by doing it, rather than watching and reading a book." --Edgar Tobar

"I do feel like I have more goals now and a future...I just feel like I would end up in a gang if I still went to my old school. I am much better here." --Omar Aguirre

And a quick vignette--Dawn came over this afternoon to work on a report while I was having some people over, including her social studies teacher. Then Julian came looking for her and told me he wants to bring over his essay draft for me to look at tomorrow.

"Don't you want to come in and say hi?" I asked.

Julian looked sheepish. "No, I'm straight," he said. "But tell her I said hi."

Meanwhile, Dawn got cracking and knocked out one essay and started a second one. She was working so hard I sent her back to her house for my spare keys and told her to keep on working while I went out to dinner.

Open House at Big Picture Jan 18

So, I went by Big Picture this afternoon. The teachers were all in a meeting but there were flyers posted on the door and a table of loose ones at the entrance. They are holding an informational open house from 6 to 8 p.m. next Thursday. I wonder who will go? Does this mean they will be able to accept freshmen? Stay tuned.

The San Miguel Visit

Yes, dear readers, after a year of talking this up, I finally got Joey and his mom to go see San Miguel School. The whole project was classic. I went over about 10 to 1 and Joey and two buds of his I didn't know opened the door.

"Is your mom almost ready to go?" I asked. I could hear her in the back with the baby.

"Mommy!" Joey yelled and went back. Rapid Spanish ensued. He came back and told me she needed another 15 minutes.

Mom herself came out of the kitchen and said,"Hola, Maureen. Ahorita." (Hi, Maureen. In a little while.)

"Sure, no problem," I told her.

I came back in half an hour. Joey opened the door again, ran back, and came to the door with the car keys. "She said to warm it up."

"Are you coming?"

"No."

"You sure you don't want to see it?"

"No, it's OK."

I hate wasting gas like that. When I started the car, the gas tank empty light came on. I kept warming up the car because I figured there was probably something I didn't know about why it needed a long warmup time, and I know she likes the car warm (roasting?)for the baby.

Then Mom, baby, Joey and the buddies all piled in. Really, I was glad. I'd rather have more than less of them see the place. We drove over and there was no immediate place to park, so I dropped them all off and found a spot. I only did one bad thing to the minivan when they weren't looking--hit the bottom of the front on the street on the way out a steep driveway.

When I came back, a young graduate who is back doing some service hours and helping out led me up the stairs. Mom and the kids were almost at the top of the third floor.

"Mucho ejersicio," I said. Lots of exercise.

"Doble," she said, referring to carrying the baby. We grinned at each other.

San Miguel only occupies the third floor of the building. Hedges uses the second floor for overflow space. There's a library right next to the office--I think the three boys took a peek in it. There's a lot of religious art--a big mural of Guadalupe on the wall along the stairwell and a little shrine with a statue of St. Francis at the top of the landing. It's bright and airy, even on a cloudy day like today.

The clerk talked to Joey's mom at length. I didn't listen to it carefully, but I was pretty sure it was about money and how to apply. I did hear the clerk explain that how much you pay is based on how much money you have and how large your family is. "No te preocupes," she said kindly. "Don't worry." I wanted her to hear that for herself. I hope it helped.

I held the baby while they talked. A couple of teachers came through and waved and played with him.

Afterwards we took a minute to look at the airplane hanging overhead in the hallway. It's a miniature biplane and it looks like the kids made it. You could see the gas cans strapped to the bottom. The boys were pretty taken with it.

At the end, the director, Mike Anderer, came out and said hi to me. He couldn't place me but then remembered from the Being Peacemakers in Back of the Yards group we had going for the last year or so. He said hi to Joey & company. "Bienvenido. Nos vemos." (Welcome. See you again.)

It turns out applications probably won't be available until March or April. I'm just glad we went.

The funniest part came at the end. When we were leaving the house, I suggested we get gas. Joey's mom was going to go back and get her debit card when I said no, I've got money, let's just go. Then we got to the gas station and I realized I had left my wallet in the house. We both laughed.

Bring your A Game, Arenda

Here's the link to video of a press conference conducted today by Troutman's lawyer. Amazing. "Bring your A game," he warned her challengers, "because Alderman Troutman is back!"

"You're not talking about the Christmas when she brought baskets to the seniors," advised Mary Ellen Barry. (Wow, how old school is that?)

And yes, Arenda speaks for herself a bit. On how she helped Ms. Barry reduce her property taxes. "I have been an upstanding alderman for 17 years," she assures us."The affordable housing legislation that has made this mayor the affordable housing of this nation, I have championed. That legislation is still in play." Please, Arenda. If this is your A Game, you better get back to practice.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0701100130jan10,1,3302018.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Yup-Yup latest

This guy has been ringing my bell so much I have resorted to locking my front gate as soon as I get home at night, just not to be bothered with him. But since my next door neighbors haven't put a doorknob that locks in their gate, nor have they replaced the fence between their yard and mine, Yup-yup can come in through their yard.

He did so just as I was sitting down to dinner. "Miss Maritza, what can I do for you?" he said cheerfully, waving a wooden salad fork and some contraption to dry polished nails, I think.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm between jobs and I haven't been paid since November!"

"This isn't about money," he said sweetly. "I just want to know what I can do for you." (Yep, he's a pimp, all right. But I am not his ho. Jesus.)

"When I lock the front gate, it means I do not want to be disturbed," I said sternly.

"Oh, I didn't know that," he said, turning to leave immediately. I swear I'm going to start answering the door with the phone in my hand. If it's him I'm just going to call 911. I've had it.

Troutman in Handcuffs!

Well, today's news is full of our neighboring alderman, Arenda Troutman, and her alleged misadventures in bribe-taking. Here's what the state's attorney, Gary Shapiro, had to say about doing business in the 20th Ward:

"You want the alderman's support, you pay your alderman. You pay Arenda Troutman," Shapiro said at a news conference following her initial court appearance at the Dirksen Building Courthouse. (From the Chicago Tribune)

Apparently, the FBI ran a sting operation in which someone posed as a developer asking for her support of a zoning change. Court documents say she agreed to support the proposal in exchange for $5000 cash, a promise of another ten grand, and a $5000 political contribution.

Her campaign billboard down the street reads: "Let the progress begin." That's quite a definition of progress, eh?

This also confirms something I heard months ago from someone who used to work in affordable housing here, but left the neighborhood. "On the near west side, it was tough working with aldermen, but I've never seen anything like this here," my friend told me. I'm paraphrasing the rest of the point, which was basically that aldermen in this neighborhood are much more direct in asking what is in it for them to support a deal. I wondered which aldermen in particular were in this person's mind. Maybe now I know. But I bet Troutman is not alone.

Graffiti Wars Rage On

This morning I was walking up toward the railroad viaduct at 49th and saw new graffiti on top of the fresh white paint that had covered the last round. It appears the GDs and the Latin Souls are conducting graffiti wars on the viaduct, the Atotonilco tortilla factory next to it, and on the building on the northwest corner of Ashland and 50th. I was calling in the viaduct graffiti to 311 when I spotted Fr. Ed Shea walking down the street in his brown Franciscan robes, with one of the steady attenders at the 7:30 a.m. daily Mass. We waved. I've been going to Mass at Holy Cross for months--I felt guilty for not putting in some face time at St. Joe's.

An Open Letter to Arne Duncan

Dear Arne:

Now that the Tribune is reporting your office will decide the fate of Big Picture High School within the month, I feel the need to speak out about the school as a neighbor and a friend of its students and their families. Yes, Big Picture is expensive. Yes, it's an open question how good a job the school is doing getting kids to score high on the almighty PSAE. More importantly, whether students are learning the math they need for college is a very open question. But it is doing something our other neighborhood high school is not doing—getting kids to go to school and keeping those kids in school. The school's annual dropout rate was 6 percent in year one and 5 percent in year two. The annual dropout of its nearest neighbor, Richards High School, was about twice as high in the same period. In 2005 Big Picture had a 93 percent attendance rate, a very strong showing among city high schools. Richards' attendance was 87 percent, one point above the city average but substantially lower than its neighbor.

When Big Picture opened, elementary school counselors here rushed to send them students they feared would not make it in regular high school. As a result, I would bet you dollars to donuts that well over half of the 75 or so students in that school right now would be dropouts today had they started at Richards or any other neighborhood high school. How do you weigh that in a decision to close a school? And while Don Pittman is crying about the expense, the district is happy to run Second Chance alternative high school here in the neighborhood, which serves even fewer kids. Having been an alternative high school teacher I know we need schools like Second Chance, but wouldn't you rather spend that kind of money before the students drop out?

There are plenty more kids growing up here who will need a high school like Big Picture. They will need a place where they know and trust their teachers and classmates, a place where their interests are valued and shape their schoolwork. Despite the best efforts of some people in CPS to destroy what Big Picture schools do to bring student choice into the classroom and build strong relationships between teachers and students, Big Picture at Back of the Yards has done both of those things for most of its students. I know this because I see them on my block and I talk to them, because I work with them on their college essays, because they come over to my house to prepare and rehearse their quarterly exhibitions. With all the weaknesses this school has, it is still a wonderful opportunity for young people who don't get many opportunities handed to them. I hope you will find a way to keep the school open and to give it a real chance to operate as it was designed.

Joey's First El Ride & An Experiment

First thing this morning, Joey and I were going to the zoo today with my friend Ida and her new adopted daughter, but Ida called at the last minute to cancel. Poor Joey had to get out of bed at 8 a.m. for no reason--if it had been up to me we would have left a lot later, and I would have cleaned the house this morning!

However, I still had to run some errands, and Joey still needed a book from the library. So we decided just to go downtown and get the book and come back.

"What time will we be home?" Joey asked me.

"What time do you want to be home?"

"About one."

"Why?" I asked him, expecting to hear he was going to play with his friends.

"I want to work on my report."

Just when I was getting all excited over this amazing display of initiative, he said, "I want my game back." He got a new Nintendo game for Christmas and his mom has taken it away until he gets all his vacation homework done. Go Mom!

So off we went to the library. We got off the bus at the shopping center by Ashland and the river so I could drop off some dry cleaning and get money at the Dominick's. "What is dry cleaning?" Joey asked me.

"It's a cleaning process that uses a lot of chemicals," I told him. "Some kinds of fancy clothes can't be washed in plain water, so they are cleaned this way."

When I walked us to Archer and made to cross the street rather than wait at the bus stop, Joey looked surprised. "Are we taking the train?"

"We sure are," I said.

"I never took the train before." (He's been on the bus, but mostly he rides around in his folks' minivan.)

"Well, we'll go in the first car so you can look out the way the driver does. It's fun."

It was fun. Another train came the opposite way between Ashland and Halsted. "What if it hit us?" Joey asked.

"I don't think they've had too many head-on crashes," I said.

He liked looking at the police headquarters building. We got off at the Library stop and I took us to the post office and Radio Shack before we went to Harold Washington. As we were leaving the post office, going south on Dearborn, Joey noticed a statue on a skyscraper that I'd never seen before. It was a stature that looked like Mary with the infant Jesus on a building I think on Jackson west of Clark. Anybody know what that is?

Joey didn't have any written instructions about this report--whether because he wasn't given any or because he lost them, I don't know. At first I thought it could be any book, so we were trying to track down something on the Great Wall of China, but then he looked up and said:

"I think my teacher said something about it had to be fiction. That's when it's not true, right?"

Yes, indeed, that's when it's not true. So we crossed to the opposite set of stacks in the Thomas Hughes Children's Library, and found the Goosebumps section. Joey picked out one with some scary zombie-like monsters on the cover, dripping mud and snarling.

Then we went to the McDonald's on State Street and he had a Big Mac because yesterday when I thought we were going to the zoo I had said yes he could go to McDonald's for lunch. So I kept my word, even though it was only 11. "I'm full," he said afterwards.

"I'll bet," I said. His mom had made him bacon and pancakes for breakfast, he told me.

When we came home I tried an experiment. I read him the first few chapters and asked a few comprehension questions as we went along. He got most of them and he was cheerfully predicting away--R.L. Stine puts little cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, making it very easy to ask, "What do you think will happen next?"

Then I let him read on his own. "Can I read like this?" he asked, indicating reading aloud under his breath.

"Yes," I said. I don't know what expert opinion is on this, but he clearly needs to do something to help himself decode.

"My dad doesn't let me do that," Joey said. (Dad may be on to something, but I just don't know.)

I went and got myself lunch--I just had some fries and Coke at McDonald's, since I'm in the New Year's phase of trying to whittle my waist and fatten my wallet.

About 20 minutes later, when I came back, Joey had read less than two pages. "So what happened in the story?" I asked him.

He told me the kids were going to do something about making a face to scare the girl they didn't like. (This was inaccurate--they were arguing about putting a rubber snake in her lunch. He seemed to have no clue about the snake.) We talked a little more, and it was clear he had stuck on a phrase where one of the kids had made a face and turned that into a bigger deal than it was.

So I made an executive decision and read him half of the book today. Shoot me, but there was no way in hell he was going to read that book and understand it. His attention was fine--he held up for about two and half hours with just a few short diversions and one bathroom break. I told him to go home and write down what he remembers about the story so far and to draw pictures of some of the main characters. (I don't know what he has to do for this report, but that ought to help him get started.) And I called San Miguel the minute he left. We can go over and visit anytime, they said.

During one of our short conversational diversions, we talked about school. I pointed out the difference between how much he understood when I read to him and how much he was struggling to read the book on his own. "Somebody has to teach you how to read, and I don't know how to do it," I said.

"They can teach me at Chavez," he said stoutly.

(They haven't so far, kid, and you're ten years old, I thought to myself.) "Joey, how many students are in your class?"

"Thirty."

"At San Miguel they have 15 students for each teacher, so that teacher is going to have twice as much time for you," I said.

I'm going over now to talk to his mom about visiting on Friday.