I spend a lot of time thinking about the kids I know and who will make it and who may not. I would like to be surprised. I would like to pull one or two of them out of the fire they are determinedly marching toward.
Usually, though, it doesn't work that way. The ones you don't have to work real hard to reach, like Junior and his family, take a good idea and run with it. Or like the Brady Girls and their summer jobs at Radio Arte. Once they did the applications, they got accepted and I got out of the way.
I hope Beth down the block is doing OK, too, over at Kennedy. I haven't heard a peep from her since the school year started, except that one of her sisters told me she really wanted to earn that money for kids who get all A's. I haven't heard how her progress report came out. I'm really curious about that.
Meanwhile, Peter Pan's sister is flunking a couple of classes at Perspectives Math & Science Academy and the girl up on the next block missed a whole day of school over there one day when her ride didn't show. Will they get it together? Remains to be seen.
Will Picasso pull himself out of the path he's going down? This one's a toughie. Actually, he and Dawn might be sort of in similar places. Picasso hasn't been as far down the wrong road (yet) as Dawn has. Dawn's been down the road and is still trying to pull herself back up. Picasso might have enough sense not to go too far down that road, but then again he might not. And I don't know how his brother's recent death is affecting him in that regard. From what Junior's mom said today, maybe it's making him less cautious, not more so. Not good.
Meanwhile, I saw Dawn at Big Picture this week. She's doing an essay for Columbia College. She remains interested in the arts, visual and performing (theater). I told her we need to get her into at least one class at Marwen next semester before she graduates, so she can take advantage of their college and career advising services. Her GPA is a 1.9, and I'd still say the odds are not better than 50/50 that she'll graduate on time.
Then you get down a whole 'nother level and start talking about Joey and if not Peter Pan, probably some of his brothers. I think one of Peter Pan's little brothers tagged my composter the other day. I just spotted the tag this afternoon. It's in gray marker on a black plastic surface, so not easy to see, but it's there. People on the block are talking about Joey. They've definitely written him off. "He's going to be in jail, just like his brother." I've already heard people say that.
Anyway, it's pretty easy to see why them that has, gets. It's just a lot easier to help the people with enough resources and initiative to take steps on their own. If it only takes telling someone something, or maybe telling them and one or two followup steps like filling out an application with them or going to one meeting, that's not that hard. It's when they need someone to hold their hand every single day that it gets tiring.
Plus, when so many people don't know basic things like where to send their kid for high school, it's so much easier and more rewarding to help those that just need a little pointing and handholding, who is left to tackle the bigger jobs? And the people who like the bigger jobs around here are all tied up with the really big jobs, which doesn't seem to leave them much time for the Joeys or the Picassos, at least not until they drop out of school or shoot somebody.
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Happy October Surprise
Junior and his mom and I went to first quarter report card pickup and teacher conferences at Golder College Prep this afternoon. Before we left, Junior told me he was nervous. "What if I got bad grades?" he wondered aloud. "If I get bad grades my parents won't let me out for Halloween." He's hoping for an Xbox for Christmas and bad grades would really mess up his chances at that, too.
Junior's mom was teasing him about his bad case of nerves in the car. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" she asked him, smiling. When she wasn't teasing, she told me that she's seen a very positive change in Junior since he started at Golder. "Es muy hombre," she said. "He's very manly." I see it, too--he's matured some. Most importantly, he's stayed the nice boy he was before he hit puberty. Meanwhile, Junior's mom is really worried about Picasso, Junior's buddy who is now drifting away. "He's not listening to his mother. He doesn't care about his life. All he wants is to do graffiti," she said.
Junior had told me before today that he was working hard on improving his grades. His first couple of weeks were a little rocky. He had trouble remembering where he was supposed to be when and earned a slew of demerits for tardies and things like forgetting the socks for his gym uniform. He did get busted for talking in class, which to me is more serious. His advisor told us he's stopped earning so many demerits and they even offer chances to have some of your detentions come off your record if you can go two weeks without earning any more demerits. Junior might be just about ready to do that, now that he knows how things work over there.
Once we got his notebooks organized, I hadn't heard from him in a while about homework. I was hoping that meant good news. According to his report card, it mostly did. His overall GPA is a 2.45 and his worst grade was a D- in civics. I felt bad about that because I didn't stay on top of him enough about his work. He did his assignments, his teacher said, but sometimes it was clear he didn't understand the question and other times the quality of his writing was too weak to pass the assignment. That we could have worked on, but he didn't call me and I didn't nag him. He's been good about not bothering me because he knows I'm busy, but that's a course I could actually help him out with.
Overall, however, he did much better than I was afraid he might. Academically, I've been very afraid the work would be way too challenging and he wouldn't be supported. I was pleasantly surprised tonight to see that's less the case than I expected. There are co-teachers in his math and English classes and they just created new support classes for kids with IEPs. Each class--one for math and one for reading--has fewer than 10 students. The reading teacher said he'll be checking their progress quarterly to see if they've mastered enough skills to move back into the regular class. I don't know whether Junior will always need that kind of support or not, but I wanted to press them to see if this was intended as a warehouse or if it's a real effort to help them ramp up their skills. From what I heard tonight, I think it's enough of the latter to appreciate what they're doing, though checking in regularly with them to make sure they keep pushing him still seems like a good idea.
Social studies (civics) and science (physics--they do physics first) don't have co-teachers so I'm not surprised that's where he got his worst grades. His health and PE teacher was the most strict with him of all of them. She gave me a good idea--she was saying he needs to be reading aloud every night to improve his English. His six-month-old brother needs someone to read him a bedtime story. Junior is nominated. He says he'll do it. I think we should tell his teacher after he's done it for a couple of weeks. That would be a great two-fer; I've been thinking for months about how somebody needs to be reading to Junior's baby brother regularly in both Spanish and English.
The special ed case manager told me Golder never received Junior's IEP from Chavez. At this point, they would just as soon re-evaluate him as go through the hassle of trying to track down his IEP. Junior's mom was fine with that. Based on the lack of useful information I saw in Joey's IEP, I think re-evaluating Junior would tell us much more than his existing IEP would, wherever it is. I got most of his teachers' emails and some phone numbers. He's working out a plan to stay after school regularly and get help, especially with civics and maybe with physics, too.
Interestingly, I asked Junior today while we were waiting to speak to one of his teachers which of the 8th-graders on our block would really benefit from a place like Golder. "Oldest Brady Boy," he said right away, which is what I was thinking, too. "Maybe Peter Pan, but I don't know," he said, which is also what I was thinking. Peter Pan is supposed to come over tomorrow and talk to me about what high schools to apply to.
Man I wish they had cousin preference, not just sibling preference, in these lotteries. Oldest Brady Boy really needs a good school, and some of his cousins go to another of the Noble schools,
Rauner. Junior said he was talking about going to Curie but he probably can't get in with his current grades. From what one of his sisters told me, I don't think his grades are very good. But he's a good kid and smart--he needs to be someplace where they will get him to stop playing and focus. I bet he would grow a lot at a Noble, the way Junior is.
Afterwards, we stopped at Burger King to celebrate. That was where Junior wanted to eat. His mom doesn't really like hamburgers. Maybe next time we'll go back to Ocean Buffet.
Junior's mom was teasing him about his bad case of nerves in the car. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" she asked him, smiling. When she wasn't teasing, she told me that she's seen a very positive change in Junior since he started at Golder. "Es muy hombre," she said. "He's very manly." I see it, too--he's matured some. Most importantly, he's stayed the nice boy he was before he hit puberty. Meanwhile, Junior's mom is really worried about Picasso, Junior's buddy who is now drifting away. "He's not listening to his mother. He doesn't care about his life. All he wants is to do graffiti," she said.
Junior had told me before today that he was working hard on improving his grades. His first couple of weeks were a little rocky. He had trouble remembering where he was supposed to be when and earned a slew of demerits for tardies and things like forgetting the socks for his gym uniform. He did get busted for talking in class, which to me is more serious. His advisor told us he's stopped earning so many demerits and they even offer chances to have some of your detentions come off your record if you can go two weeks without earning any more demerits. Junior might be just about ready to do that, now that he knows how things work over there.
Once we got his notebooks organized, I hadn't heard from him in a while about homework. I was hoping that meant good news. According to his report card, it mostly did. His overall GPA is a 2.45 and his worst grade was a D- in civics. I felt bad about that because I didn't stay on top of him enough about his work. He did his assignments, his teacher said, but sometimes it was clear he didn't understand the question and other times the quality of his writing was too weak to pass the assignment. That we could have worked on, but he didn't call me and I didn't nag him. He's been good about not bothering me because he knows I'm busy, but that's a course I could actually help him out with.
Overall, however, he did much better than I was afraid he might. Academically, I've been very afraid the work would be way too challenging and he wouldn't be supported. I was pleasantly surprised tonight to see that's less the case than I expected. There are co-teachers in his math and English classes and they just created new support classes for kids with IEPs. Each class--one for math and one for reading--has fewer than 10 students. The reading teacher said he'll be checking their progress quarterly to see if they've mastered enough skills to move back into the regular class. I don't know whether Junior will always need that kind of support or not, but I wanted to press them to see if this was intended as a warehouse or if it's a real effort to help them ramp up their skills. From what I heard tonight, I think it's enough of the latter to appreciate what they're doing, though checking in regularly with them to make sure they keep pushing him still seems like a good idea.
Social studies (civics) and science (physics--they do physics first) don't have co-teachers so I'm not surprised that's where he got his worst grades. His health and PE teacher was the most strict with him of all of them. She gave me a good idea--she was saying he needs to be reading aloud every night to improve his English. His six-month-old brother needs someone to read him a bedtime story. Junior is nominated. He says he'll do it. I think we should tell his teacher after he's done it for a couple of weeks. That would be a great two-fer; I've been thinking for months about how somebody needs to be reading to Junior's baby brother regularly in both Spanish and English.
The special ed case manager told me Golder never received Junior's IEP from Chavez. At this point, they would just as soon re-evaluate him as go through the hassle of trying to track down his IEP. Junior's mom was fine with that. Based on the lack of useful information I saw in Joey's IEP, I think re-evaluating Junior would tell us much more than his existing IEP would, wherever it is. I got most of his teachers' emails and some phone numbers. He's working out a plan to stay after school regularly and get help, especially with civics and maybe with physics, too.
Interestingly, I asked Junior today while we were waiting to speak to one of his teachers which of the 8th-graders on our block would really benefit from a place like Golder. "Oldest Brady Boy," he said right away, which is what I was thinking, too. "Maybe Peter Pan, but I don't know," he said, which is also what I was thinking. Peter Pan is supposed to come over tomorrow and talk to me about what high schools to apply to.
Man I wish they had cousin preference, not just sibling preference, in these lotteries. Oldest Brady Boy really needs a good school, and some of his cousins go to another of the Noble schools,
Rauner. Junior said he was talking about going to Curie but he probably can't get in with his current grades. From what one of his sisters told me, I don't think his grades are very good. But he's a good kid and smart--he needs to be someplace where they will get him to stop playing and focus. I bet he would grow a lot at a Noble, the way Junior is.
Afterwards, we stopped at Burger King to celebrate. That was where Junior wanted to eat. His mom doesn't really like hamburgers. Maybe next time we'll go back to Ocean Buffet.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Halloween Prep Begins
So Picasso and Joey stopped by about one to take a look at the basement. They want to do a scary maze with a punishment for the people who go the wrong way (maybe a bucket of rubber spiders coated with homemade slime or something like that). When people get through, they can come upstairs and enjoy candy and cider or pop. Maybe we'll have the costume contest, too.
Joey wants to make money off this, but I'm not so concerned about that. He's sitting on the other sofa here in the living room sketching out a floorplan for the haunted house. I wonder if he's trying to cram too much into too small a space, but I guess we'll find out.
I decided I was willing to spring for a fog machine that runs on tap water and costumes for Joey and Picasso. I will also be springing for a couple of good costumes, some cheaper masks, building materials and the refreshments.
We have a few projects on the horizon:
making slime
building the maze - I'll need some help from someone handier than I am
publicity/flyers (not too much-I don't want a cast of thousands--but some is OK)
making a tape/CD of sound effects and scary music
I can't believe I'm doing this. I'll definitely need some help. Hope I get some. Oh, and I just looked on eBay--they had two boxes of three dozen plastic spiders for about 10 bucks including shipping. That seemed too good to pass up.
Joey wants to make money off this, but I'm not so concerned about that. He's sitting on the other sofa here in the living room sketching out a floorplan for the haunted house. I wonder if he's trying to cram too much into too small a space, but I guess we'll find out.
I decided I was willing to spring for a fog machine that runs on tap water and costumes for Joey and Picasso. I will also be springing for a couple of good costumes, some cheaper masks, building materials and the refreshments.
We have a few projects on the horizon:
making slime
building the maze - I'll need some help from someone handier than I am
publicity/flyers (not too much-I don't want a cast of thousands--but some is OK)
making a tape/CD of sound effects and scary music
I can't believe I'm doing this. I'll definitely need some help. Hope I get some. Oh, and I just looked on eBay--they had two boxes of three dozen plastic spiders for about 10 bucks including shipping. That seemed too good to pass up.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Halloween Preparations May Begin Saturday
I ran into Joey on the street about half an hour ago. He was on his cell phone, but when he got off we talked about Saturday. He thinks he'll be home around noontime and that his mom or dad might be able to help us bring the boards and the dropcloths back from Home Depot. He didn't know what a dropcloth was.
"Something to keep paint off places you don't want it to be. I thought we'd put the boards up against their fence," I said, pointing at my other next-door neighbors' house, "but I don't want to get paint on their fence. So we'll get something like those big blue plastic sheets and put it on the fence, then lean the boards up against it."
"Do we have to get our own cans?" he asked me.
"I can get cans, but I won't be able to get them until Monday. And if I get them, they stay at my house," I said sternly. He waved his hands at me with a "yeah, yeah, I know" expression.
He'll call Picasso and their other buddy. I saw those guys yesterday or the day before on the street and they said they'd be around on Saturday. Fortunately, Sarah's big brother has too much homework to drive us to the Notabaert Museum and I couldn't get a car from Su Casa, so the field trip with Sarah and Brady Bughunter will have to wait. Probably until November at this rate.
I've been trying to find some volunteers, especially guy volunteers, to help out with the graffiti on the boards and maybe with this haunted basement thing, too, but so far I'm out of luck. I just emailed 49 Neighbor so maybe he will have some ideas.
"Something to keep paint off places you don't want it to be. I thought we'd put the boards up against their fence," I said, pointing at my other next-door neighbors' house, "but I don't want to get paint on their fence. So we'll get something like those big blue plastic sheets and put it on the fence, then lean the boards up against it."
"Do we have to get our own cans?" he asked me.
"I can get cans, but I won't be able to get them until Monday. And if I get them, they stay at my house," I said sternly. He waved his hands at me with a "yeah, yeah, I know" expression.
He'll call Picasso and their other buddy. I saw those guys yesterday or the day before on the street and they said they'd be around on Saturday. Fortunately, Sarah's big brother has too much homework to drive us to the Notabaert Museum and I couldn't get a car from Su Casa, so the field trip with Sarah and Brady Bughunter will have to wait. Probably until November at this rate.
I've been trying to find some volunteers, especially guy volunteers, to help out with the graffiti on the boards and maybe with this haunted basement thing, too, but so far I'm out of luck. I just emailed 49 Neighbor so maybe he will have some ideas.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Safe Halloween Planned for Back of the Yards
This morning the Peace and Education Coalition of Back of the Yards announced plans for a safe Halloween in the neighborhood, one year after the murder of mother Leticia Barrera while trick-or-treating with her children.
The Chicago Police Department's 9th District will have extra officers on duty that day, and police are already warning gang members who are stopped or picked up now that a quiet Halloween this year will be very much in their best interests. "Stay home, have a pizza and watch Rambo if that's what you have to do," said Officer Tony Mejia.
The Coalition will pilot safe Halloween trick-or-treating hours this year, encouraging families and businesses to limit their trick-or-treating to the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. Flyers with this information will be distributed to local schools, churches and businesses.
The 12th Ward will host a Halloween party for families at 35th and Western from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be plenty of candy and a costume contest.
"In 1997, when we [the Coalition] started, nobody trick-or-treated," noted Sandy Traback, a Coalition co-founder and former principal of Chavez Elementary. "When people started going door-to-door it was a sign the community felt safer."
This year, noted Mike Anderer-McClelland, principal of San Miguel School, parents and students have expressed concerns about their safety if they choose to go trick-or-treating. The area around San Miguel and Hedges Elementary is very close to where Barrera was shot. At the end of the meeting two ideas had been proposed for that area: parent patrols and a Halloween party in the St. Michael's gym, but it was not clear whether either or both of these activities would be pursued.
This meeting fired me up to do the haunted basement the kids have been bugging me to do for years. And yes, I too have heard concerns about going trick-or-treating this year. I'm glad Coalition members are stepping up to address the issue.
The Chicago Police Department's 9th District will have extra officers on duty that day, and police are already warning gang members who are stopped or picked up now that a quiet Halloween this year will be very much in their best interests. "Stay home, have a pizza and watch Rambo if that's what you have to do," said Officer Tony Mejia.
The Coalition will pilot safe Halloween trick-or-treating hours this year, encouraging families and businesses to limit their trick-or-treating to the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. Flyers with this information will be distributed to local schools, churches and businesses.
The 12th Ward will host a Halloween party for families at 35th and Western from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be plenty of candy and a costume contest.
"In 1997, when we [the Coalition] started, nobody trick-or-treated," noted Sandy Traback, a Coalition co-founder and former principal of Chavez Elementary. "When people started going door-to-door it was a sign the community felt safer."
This year, noted Mike Anderer-McClelland, principal of San Miguel School, parents and students have expressed concerns about their safety if they choose to go trick-or-treating. The area around San Miguel and Hedges Elementary is very close to where Barrera was shot. At the end of the meeting two ideas had been proposed for that area: parent patrols and a Halloween party in the St. Michael's gym, but it was not clear whether either or both of these activities would be pursued.
This meeting fired me up to do the haunted basement the kids have been bugging me to do for years. And yes, I too have heard concerns about going trick-or-treating this year. I'm glad Coalition members are stepping up to address the issue.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Taking Back the Hood, One Sidewalk Square at a Time
It's been probably nearly two weeks now, but after years of begging the 4800 block of South Marshfield finally got some replacement sidewalk. No, the whole block's sidewalks weren't replaced, just the worst patches, but still, it's something. My neighbor from the CAPS meeting got two squares redone in front of his house. He and his wife and one of his sons sat out on their porch and watched the new cement dry, beaming.
They weren't just rejoicing in their hard-won victory. If you don't keep an eye on the cement, someone's likely to scratch their name, graffiti or who knows what in the pavement. That's what was going on a few houses north when I walked by. A little boy had a stick and was scratching his name or something into the wet cement.
"Hey, could you not do that?" I said quietly.
A neighbor across the street heard me and said the same thing more forcefully. "What are you doing that for! Stop that now!" he said and walked over.
The kid stopped, though he pointed out, "Someone else already wrote more in that one." Sure enough, there were things written all over another adjacent square. The three of us got to work undoing the damage. I helped the kid smooth over where he had written, while the neighbor from across the street got a stick and tried to scratch out the other writing, which was closer to dry and harder to erase completely.
When I left, the neighbor and the young boy were still fixing up the worst of it. Now when you walk by, the one square looks close to pristine. At least the other one is illegible.
Thanks to 20th Ward Alderman Willie Cochran for taking a small step toward fixing up the sidewalk on that block. Let's hope street repaving comes in the spring.
They weren't just rejoicing in their hard-won victory. If you don't keep an eye on the cement, someone's likely to scratch their name, graffiti or who knows what in the pavement. That's what was going on a few houses north when I walked by. A little boy had a stick and was scratching his name or something into the wet cement.
"Hey, could you not do that?" I said quietly.
A neighbor across the street heard me and said the same thing more forcefully. "What are you doing that for! Stop that now!" he said and walked over.
The kid stopped, though he pointed out, "Someone else already wrote more in that one." Sure enough, there were things written all over another adjacent square. The three of us got to work undoing the damage. I helped the kid smooth over where he had written, while the neighbor from across the street got a stick and tried to scratch out the other writing, which was closer to dry and harder to erase completely.
When I left, the neighbor and the young boy were still fixing up the worst of it. Now when you walk by, the one square looks close to pristine. At least the other one is illegible.
Thanks to 20th Ward Alderman Willie Cochran for taking a small step toward fixing up the sidewalk on that block. Let's hope street repaving comes in the spring.
A Whale of a Tale
Sarah stopped by earlier this afternoon to do the parts of her homework she didn't understand. She and her niece and a Brady Girl are now sitting on the back porch with construction paper and crayons, drawing and writing notes. I was about to ask if they wanted to put stuff in the composter, but I saw Brady Girl writing, "I love my brother and sister..." and I thought that was so cute I'll save the compost veggies for later.
One piece of Sarah's homework assignment produced an unexpected giggle. She had to read a bunch of short passages on various topics and answer different kinds of questions: some reading comprehension, some word problems, etc. Yes, they had some standardized-style bubbles as part of the mix, but mostly they weren't multiple-choice questions. Clearly this is part of third grade prep for the kids' first ISAT, though.
The passage that gave us a laugh was one about blue whales. It gave the conversion that one ton equals 2000 pounds and then explained that blue whales at different ages weigh different numbers of tons. The questions were to figure out how much the whales weighed in pounds at those ages. Sarah worked on the problems while I was cooking soup. At one point, she asked a question and I came back from chopping vegetables, looked at the line that said "a mature adult weighs 190 tons" and said, "What?!?"
Sarah and I cracked up at the idea an adult human would weigh 190 tons. In fact, Sarah laughed so hard she farted, and then we both laughed some more. Later she did the multiplication to find out that the mature adult whale weighs 380,000 pounds and we both cracked up all over again.
So right now we have two groups of girls drawing out on the back porch. Some of Jay-Z's girl cousins came by earlier, then went away and came back again. They take more supervision than the Brady kids do, although they now seem to have settled down and are drawing out on the porch while my soup cooks and I blog. Sarah and her best Brady Girl buddy finished their drawings and left. They doctored the note Brady Girl started and gave it to me:
From Sarah and Brady Girl
to Maritza
I love my little brother and my friends, including you.
Down at the bottom they have picture of Sarah, her niece and Brady Girl, featuring her spiffy new hairdo--she got those little twisties on the front part of her head that look kind of spiky before they hang down. So she had little triangles on her head.
Ok, gotta go. Now I have a new load of drawings for the refrigerator.
One piece of Sarah's homework assignment produced an unexpected giggle. She had to read a bunch of short passages on various topics and answer different kinds of questions: some reading comprehension, some word problems, etc. Yes, they had some standardized-style bubbles as part of the mix, but mostly they weren't multiple-choice questions. Clearly this is part of third grade prep for the kids' first ISAT, though.
The passage that gave us a laugh was one about blue whales. It gave the conversion that one ton equals 2000 pounds and then explained that blue whales at different ages weigh different numbers of tons. The questions were to figure out how much the whales weighed in pounds at those ages. Sarah worked on the problems while I was cooking soup. At one point, she asked a question and I came back from chopping vegetables, looked at the line that said "a mature adult weighs 190 tons" and said, "What?!?"
Sarah and I cracked up at the idea an adult human would weigh 190 tons. In fact, Sarah laughed so hard she farted, and then we both laughed some more. Later she did the multiplication to find out that the mature adult whale weighs 380,000 pounds and we both cracked up all over again.
So right now we have two groups of girls drawing out on the back porch. Some of Jay-Z's girl cousins came by earlier, then went away and came back again. They take more supervision than the Brady kids do, although they now seem to have settled down and are drawing out on the porch while my soup cooks and I blog. Sarah and her best Brady Girl buddy finished their drawings and left. They doctored the note Brady Girl started and gave it to me:
From Sarah and Brady Girl
to Maritza
I love my little brother and my friends, including you.
Down at the bottom they have picture of Sarah, her niece and Brady Girl, featuring her spiffy new hairdo--she got those little twisties on the front part of her head that look kind of spiky before they hang down. So she had little triangles on her head.
Ok, gotta go. Now I have a new load of drawings for the refrigerator.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Littlest Brady Boy Gets Baptized
I got home late this afternoon and saw blue balloons sticking up over the Bradys' fence. "Oh, yeah, the party," I thought. Earlier this week I went to the library with some of the Brady kids and they invited me to their little brother's bautizado (baptism). They didn't know the word in English (that's not something you talk about much at school).
So I parked my bike, put up my groceries, walked back up to the Walgreens (where I heard the Famsa music blaring from across the street), got a card, stuck a ten in it, went home and changed out of my sweaty bike gear, and went down to their house to say felicidades.
There were a lot more kids than grown-ups; I don't know if that is a sign that they haven't been on the block as long as some of the other people whose parties I've attended, or if I just got there at a point when fewer adults were around. It looked like people had eaten. There was plenty of carne asada left, though. I just had a little, with some salsa and some surprisingly spicy guacamole.
They did the pinata in the garage. Peter Pan and Oldest Brady Boy worked the rope and kept the kids from getting hit. Once again Peter Pan impressed me with his leadership ability. I'm glad I'm not hearing about him much in the block gossip; hope that means he is staying out of trouble. If his sister can manage not to flunk out of Perspectives Math and Science this year he would get sibling preference in their lottery and have a place to go. She's already failing two subjects, though.
Littlest Brady Boy looked quite dashing in his white suit, though he'd been playing in it long enough the knees on his pants had turned black. He kicked off the first pinata and his mom took lots of pictures of him giving it a hearty whack. They had a second pinata, which I wasn't expecting, and by then it was time for me to go.
I did manage to conduct one important piece of business at this fine event; I've hired one of the older Brady girls to come help me straighten out the paper chaos that has taken over my house. "I'm pretty organized, and I know how to alphabetize," she told me. That's enough to give her a test drive. If she's good we'll make it a regular gig. I really need an occasional secretary and I'd be happy to hire a high school student if I can find the right one.
So I parked my bike, put up my groceries, walked back up to the Walgreens (where I heard the Famsa music blaring from across the street), got a card, stuck a ten in it, went home and changed out of my sweaty bike gear, and went down to their house to say felicidades.
There were a lot more kids than grown-ups; I don't know if that is a sign that they haven't been on the block as long as some of the other people whose parties I've attended, or if I just got there at a point when fewer adults were around. It looked like people had eaten. There was plenty of carne asada left, though. I just had a little, with some salsa and some surprisingly spicy guacamole.
They did the pinata in the garage. Peter Pan and Oldest Brady Boy worked the rope and kept the kids from getting hit. Once again Peter Pan impressed me with his leadership ability. I'm glad I'm not hearing about him much in the block gossip; hope that means he is staying out of trouble. If his sister can manage not to flunk out of Perspectives Math and Science this year he would get sibling preference in their lottery and have a place to go. She's already failing two subjects, though.
Littlest Brady Boy looked quite dashing in his white suit, though he'd been playing in it long enough the knees on his pants had turned black. He kicked off the first pinata and his mom took lots of pictures of him giving it a hearty whack. They had a second pinata, which I wasn't expecting, and by then it was time for me to go.
I did manage to conduct one important piece of business at this fine event; I've hired one of the older Brady girls to come help me straighten out the paper chaos that has taken over my house. "I'm pretty organized, and I know how to alphabetize," she told me. That's enough to give her a test drive. If she's good we'll make it a regular gig. I really need an occasional secretary and I'd be happy to hire a high school student if I can find the right one.
Goldblatt's Building Reopens as Furniture Store
I don't think I've yet posted about the grand opening of a Famsa furniture store in the first floor of the former Goldblatt's building at 47th and Ashland. The Famsa chain is based in Monterrey, Mexico and has other operations in the U.S.
I first noticed it last week, and stopped in last Saturday night to see what all the fuss was about. It's certainly very pretty. I wonder if it's too pricey for people here in the neighborhood, and whether it will draw people here from other neighborhoods or not. They have appliances, furniture and some electronics--like TV and stereo equipment. They had a few laptops on display but they don't sell printers. Too bad. I would have bought one.
They play music through speakers outside the store. Last week I liked it. I just went by a while back and this time I thought it was too loud. Well, I'm not their target demographic, for sure. Loud or no, I hope the tanking economy doesn't take them under. We'll see.
I first noticed it last week, and stopped in last Saturday night to see what all the fuss was about. It's certainly very pretty. I wonder if it's too pricey for people here in the neighborhood, and whether it will draw people here from other neighborhoods or not. They have appliances, furniture and some electronics--like TV and stereo equipment. They had a few laptops on display but they don't sell printers. Too bad. I would have bought one.
They play music through speakers outside the store. Last week I liked it. I just went by a while back and this time I thought it was too loud. Well, I'm not their target demographic, for sure. Loud or no, I hope the tanking economy doesn't take them under. We'll see.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Prison Letters 2: Dorothy's Dilemma
Well, I tore the living room apart this afternoon looking for something I didn't find, at least not yet. I did find Dorothy's letter, so here it is for you all to see. I am doing my best to make it understandable without altering how she wrote it too much. The letter was postmarked September 30.
Dear Maritza, my god sister,
I have been locked up since 8-15-08. I just got a stamp-envelope from the case worker to write. This time I am hurting bad. Up in here I need some help. I won't be home until Feb. 23. They want me to do 120 days on Unit 17, the drug unit, and I can come home. But I will still be on probation for two years. Or do one year at Dwight [Correctional Center] which is 61 days and one year parole. I don't know which one to do. I go back to court on this [later in October] to find out which one I'm going to take. It's up to me. I will write you after and tell you what I decided to take.
Put my ID number, Quick-Collect. I need you to send me $40.00 so I can get myself. Really I have nothing. And ask [Ms. Ribs] to send me $20.00. I will work it off. She knows I will. You both have plenty of snow for me to shovel. Oh yeah, I need both of you to Quick-Collect it to me. [Quick-Collect is a money-wiring service; I had to look this up on the IDOC web site to figure out what the heck she was talking about.]
Tell every body else I said hi and I miss them. Tell [Yup-yup] I said to be good. I am taking care of my self and I am not going back. I'm going to be O.K. I am getting my medicine and my treatment for my drug habit and my mental health. Thanks a lot. I will write soon. Send me a letter, too, O.K.
Oh yeah. Hi, how are you doing? Please put your phone number on the letter you send me because they need to call you and let you know what to do if I leave. My doctors need to talk to you. [She explains which division she is in now and her visiting days.] This is my ID number. Make sure you write it down - put it on my Quick Collect. Please don't let me down now. Thank you Maritza.
Right now I'm pretty broke and Ms. Ribs is out on the east coast working for Obama, so that Quick Collect thing ain't happening any time soon. Basically, I'm happy Dorothy is someplace where somebody is at least halfway trying to get her medications and drug treatment, even if it is Cook County Jail, with their horrific track record.
The truth is, I'm not in any big hurry to respond to this in any way. I'm probably saving some serious money not having her at my door asking for diapers, and right now that matters. Besides, "oh yeah, how are you doing?" That pretty much says it all right there.
Dear Maritza, my god sister,
I have been locked up since 8-15-08. I just got a stamp-envelope from the case worker to write. This time I am hurting bad. Up in here I need some help. I won't be home until Feb. 23. They want me to do 120 days on Unit 17, the drug unit, and I can come home. But I will still be on probation for two years. Or do one year at Dwight [Correctional Center] which is 61 days and one year parole. I don't know which one to do. I go back to court on this [later in October] to find out which one I'm going to take. It's up to me. I will write you after and tell you what I decided to take.
Put my ID number, Quick-Collect. I need you to send me $40.00 so I can get myself. Really I have nothing. And ask [Ms. Ribs] to send me $20.00. I will work it off. She knows I will. You both have plenty of snow for me to shovel. Oh yeah, I need both of you to Quick-Collect it to me. [Quick-Collect is a money-wiring service; I had to look this up on the IDOC web site to figure out what the heck she was talking about.]
Tell every body else I said hi and I miss them. Tell [Yup-yup] I said to be good. I am taking care of my self and I am not going back. I'm going to be O.K. I am getting my medicine and my treatment for my drug habit and my mental health. Thanks a lot. I will write soon. Send me a letter, too, O.K.
Oh yeah. Hi, how are you doing? Please put your phone number on the letter you send me because they need to call you and let you know what to do if I leave. My doctors need to talk to you. [She explains which division she is in now and her visiting days.] This is my ID number. Make sure you write it down - put it on my Quick Collect. Please don't let me down now. Thank you Maritza.
Right now I'm pretty broke and Ms. Ribs is out on the east coast working for Obama, so that Quick Collect thing ain't happening any time soon. Basically, I'm happy Dorothy is someplace where somebody is at least halfway trying to get her medications and drug treatment, even if it is Cook County Jail, with their horrific track record.
The truth is, I'm not in any big hurry to respond to this in any way. I'm probably saving some serious money not having her at my door asking for diapers, and right now that matters. Besides, "oh yeah, how are you doing?" That pretty much says it all right there.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Prison Letters I
I was in the house this afternoon and heard the hose turn on. It's too cold for water balloons, so I went out back to see what was going on. Dawn was out there washing an old beige Toyota Camry on the parking pad.
"Hey, is that your car?" I asked.
"Yeah." She got it last week. Her dad got for $300. He had actually sold it but she told him she needed transportation to her Saturday morning science class at Kelly, and he got it back and gave it to her. It's got a problem with the steering but he's fixed it up as best he could, I gather.
We talked for a little while. She is being more serious about going to school and coming home at night by 10 p.m., at least on school nights. She is thinking about going to Washburne after graduation but her GPA is too low to qualify for scholarships. I suggested she might want to do a year of regular coursework at Daley or Kennedy-King (I bet she'll place into remedial classes) but said she should talk to Alfredo.
She and her mom were going to visit Julian at Cook County Jail--today is his visiting day. They can take a letter in and hold it up to the glass for him to read, so I ran in the house and wrote a quick note.
Dear Julian,
I hope you are doing OK. I pray for you a lot. Sorry I haven't come to visit--it's hard with work. Talk to your brother Joey. I'm worried about him. I'll write again soon.
Love and God bless you,
Maritza
Dorothy wrote me a letter from Cook County--I got it earlier this week. I haven't decided what to do about it, and right now it's buried in papers so I can't find it. The first thing I thought when I read it was, "I have to post this." So when I get through sorting out paper around here I'll post it for you all to read.
"Hey, is that your car?" I asked.
"Yeah." She got it last week. Her dad got for $300. He had actually sold it but she told him she needed transportation to her Saturday morning science class at Kelly, and he got it back and gave it to her. It's got a problem with the steering but he's fixed it up as best he could, I gather.
We talked for a little while. She is being more serious about going to school and coming home at night by 10 p.m., at least on school nights. She is thinking about going to Washburne after graduation but her GPA is too low to qualify for scholarships. I suggested she might want to do a year of regular coursework at Daley or Kennedy-King (I bet she'll place into remedial classes) but said she should talk to Alfredo.
She and her mom were going to visit Julian at Cook County Jail--today is his visiting day. They can take a letter in and hold it up to the glass for him to read, so I ran in the house and wrote a quick note.
Dear Julian,
I hope you are doing OK. I pray for you a lot. Sorry I haven't come to visit--it's hard with work. Talk to your brother Joey. I'm worried about him. I'll write again soon.
Love and God bless you,
Maritza
Dorothy wrote me a letter from Cook County--I got it earlier this week. I haven't decided what to do about it, and right now it's buried in papers so I can't find it. The first thing I thought when I read it was, "I have to post this." So when I get through sorting out paper around here I'll post it for you all to read.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Picasso Loses a Brother
On Thursday night I was at Holy Cross for a meeting that ended around 9 p.m. I turned my cell phone on as I was walking through the church parking lot and there was a message from Junior. I figured it was about homework, so I called back right away.
It was worse than that. "Did you hear Picasso's brother got killed?" he asked me.
"What? Not the one in jail?" (I thought it was a prison riot or something.)
"No. His other brother." (Picasso is the family caboose--he's the youngest and his older siblings are grown. Some have kids and none of them live here, so I don't know them at all.)
"Where? Here?"
"Naw. Someplace west. He got shot."
"Oh, man."
"Damn," said Junior, with the particular pronunciation that expresses profound surprise (dah-um, kind of).
I agreed wholeheartedly, so I couldn't bring myself to make a comment about not cussing. I just said, "Yeah."
Junior asked me if I saw Picasso to tell him to call. (I bet Junior's parents advised him not to call since he'll be busy with family stuff.)
I got home around midnight tonight and saw the lights were still on in Picasso's apartment and even thought I saw him at the window. I put my bike in the basement and came back out.
It turned out they were expecting somebody, but not me of course. I guess it was another brother. He pulled up in a car as I got to the gate and asked, "Are you looking for somebody?"
"Yeah," I said. "I didn't get to talk to Picasso yesterday. I live across the street."
"Oh, OK," he said. "They're coming down now."
Picasso and someone who I would guess is his older sister came down. The sister went to talk to the brother and I talked to Picasso for a minute.
"Hey, Picasso, I saw your light was on. I just wanted to come and say I'm sorry."
"Oh," he said. I asked about the funeral--the wake is tomorrow late afternoon, but it's way up on the northwest side so I probably won't go.
"Did you talk to Junior?"
"No, he hasn't called me," said Picasso.
"He told me to tell you to call him when you have time."
It was worse than that. "Did you hear Picasso's brother got killed?" he asked me.
"What? Not the one in jail?" (I thought it was a prison riot or something.)
"No. His other brother." (Picasso is the family caboose--he's the youngest and his older siblings are grown. Some have kids and none of them live here, so I don't know them at all.)
"Where? Here?"
"Naw. Someplace west. He got shot."
"Oh, man."
"Damn," said Junior, with the particular pronunciation that expresses profound surprise (dah-um, kind of).
I agreed wholeheartedly, so I couldn't bring myself to make a comment about not cussing. I just said, "Yeah."
Junior asked me if I saw Picasso to tell him to call. (I bet Junior's parents advised him not to call since he'll be busy with family stuff.)
I got home around midnight tonight and saw the lights were still on in Picasso's apartment and even thought I saw him at the window. I put my bike in the basement and came back out.
It turned out they were expecting somebody, but not me of course. I guess it was another brother. He pulled up in a car as I got to the gate and asked, "Are you looking for somebody?"
"Yeah," I said. "I didn't get to talk to Picasso yesterday. I live across the street."
"Oh, OK," he said. "They're coming down now."
Picasso and someone who I would guess is his older sister came down. The sister went to talk to the brother and I talked to Picasso for a minute.
"Hey, Picasso, I saw your light was on. I just wanted to come and say I'm sorry."
"Oh," he said. I asked about the funeral--the wake is tomorrow late afternoon, but it's way up on the northwest side so I probably won't go.
"Did you talk to Junior?"
"No, he hasn't called me," said Picasso.
"He told me to tell you to call him when you have time."
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Books for Big Picture
I saw Gladys on the street this afternoon as I was coming home from the post office. She must have just been leaving school.
"Hey Maritza!" she yelled from across the street.
"Hey Gladys!" I yelled back. "Hey, I'll be at school this week. I got a donation of books for Big Picture."
She flashed a grin and pumped a fist in the air.
"Hey Maritza!" she yelled from across the street.
"Hey Gladys!" I yelled back. "Hey, I'll be at school this week. I got a donation of books for Big Picture."
She flashed a grin and pumped a fist in the air.
Dodgeball out Back
Around 7 tonight I heard some happy yelling and thumping out back. I was working but more than ready to take a break. "Maritza! Maritza!" came the yell of Oldest Brady Boy.
"Yeah?" I yelled from inside the house. I opened the back door and there were Joey, Picasso, Oldest Brady Boy and Jay-Z, playing dodgeball. "Can we play here?" Oldest Brady Boy asked.
"Yeah, sure, that's cool," I said. I left the inside back door open so I could watch them play without freezing. I have the annual change-of-season cold so I hardly set foot outdoors today.
Joey's little brother was with them. He giggled whenever somebody whaled the ball hard. They did a good job of keeping him out of harm's way. Picasso knocked him over by accident once, but he just fell in the grass and looked very surprised.
The guys played while I put water on for pasta and tried to knock out a little more work here and there. I went outside and watched the game from the back porch for a few minutes. They wanted to know if I'm having a Halloween party.
"I might have a haunted house this year," I said.
Joey remembered when that idea had come up before. "Oh yeah! Your basement is so cool," he said. (It's probably even scarier-looking now that we've had all this rain.)
"I was thinking that Saturday I would make a plan to get those boards I was talking to you guys about. Then you could draw scary stuff on them and they'd be decorations for the haunted house. You could even tag 'Trick or Treat' on them without getting busted," I said.
They laughed appreciatively at the last part. Clearly they knew about Joey's little adventure of Sunday night.
A while later I had gone back in and I heard Oldest Brady Boy yelling, "Maritza! Maritza! Call 911!" but it was clear he was not serious.
"OK, who's dying?" I said, leaning out the back door with a smile on my face.
The four of them were in a big heap, poking and tickling each other. I think Joey or Brady Boy had a grip on Picasso that was making it hard for him to breathe. "He has to whistle!" Brady Boy insisted.
"Picasso, can you breathe?" I asked, just kidding enough that they would tolerate it, just serious enough that they knew I really wanted to know. The other boys got off him and Picasso caught his breath, but not before clipping Joey on his way off Picasso's chest.
"Hey, what'd you hit me for?" Joey asked.
I just laughed at them. No, I didn't have any great heart-to-heart with Joey about what the heck is going on. Nor did I get a chance to talk to Picasso about how lucky he was it was the Sunday he spends with his dad, or he'd probably have gotten busted, too.
But I guess I'm in for the haunted house.
"Yeah?" I yelled from inside the house. I opened the back door and there were Joey, Picasso, Oldest Brady Boy and Jay-Z, playing dodgeball. "Can we play here?" Oldest Brady Boy asked.
"Yeah, sure, that's cool," I said. I left the inside back door open so I could watch them play without freezing. I have the annual change-of-season cold so I hardly set foot outdoors today.
Joey's little brother was with them. He giggled whenever somebody whaled the ball hard. They did a good job of keeping him out of harm's way. Picasso knocked him over by accident once, but he just fell in the grass and looked very surprised.
The guys played while I put water on for pasta and tried to knock out a little more work here and there. I went outside and watched the game from the back porch for a few minutes. They wanted to know if I'm having a Halloween party.
"I might have a haunted house this year," I said.
Joey remembered when that idea had come up before. "Oh yeah! Your basement is so cool," he said. (It's probably even scarier-looking now that we've had all this rain.)
"I was thinking that Saturday I would make a plan to get those boards I was talking to you guys about. Then you could draw scary stuff on them and they'd be decorations for the haunted house. You could even tag 'Trick or Treat' on them without getting busted," I said.
They laughed appreciatively at the last part. Clearly they knew about Joey's little adventure of Sunday night.
A while later I had gone back in and I heard Oldest Brady Boy yelling, "Maritza! Maritza! Call 911!" but it was clear he was not serious.
"OK, who's dying?" I said, leaning out the back door with a smile on my face.
The four of them were in a big heap, poking and tickling each other. I think Joey or Brady Boy had a grip on Picasso that was making it hard for him to breathe. "He has to whistle!" Brady Boy insisted.
"Picasso, can you breathe?" I asked, just kidding enough that they would tolerate it, just serious enough that they knew I really wanted to know. The other boys got off him and Picasso caught his breath, but not before clipping Joey on his way off Picasso's chest.
"Hey, what'd you hit me for?" Joey asked.
I just laughed at them. No, I didn't have any great heart-to-heart with Joey about what the heck is going on. Nor did I get a chance to talk to Picasso about how lucky he was it was the Sunday he spends with his dad, or he'd probably have gotten busted, too.
But I guess I'm in for the haunted house.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Joey Gets Busted
After the book fair, we took the kids home, then I took the Su Casa minivan back to pick up free leftover books. We got fewer this year than last year, just four boxes, and most of them are more high-school level and appropriateness.
With all that extra stuff, I didn't get home until maybe 7:45 or so. When I got to my block of Marshfield, Joey's mom was coming up the street. "Joey's out back and the police are there," she told me. "They told me they were eating pizza at their friends' house, but they went out here to do graffiti."
I went around the corner with her to the alley, where there were four or maybe even six police officers, some on the ground and some on the roof of a building across the alley from my house. Joey and two of his pals had climbed a pretty high fence from the alley to the building. By the time we got there the cops had them climbing back over the fence. They had found a backpack full of spray cans; don't know whose it was. The other guys with him were not from our block--one was a teeny tiny shortie. He said he was ten but he looked about eight. The cops had to change handcuffs because his wrists were small enough to wriggle out of the first pair they put on him.
After some debate about what to do with the smallest one (and some confusion about his age), the cops decided to take him in, too. One officer spoke some Spanish and explained what was going on to Joey's mom. Another officer told the kids, "We should have just left you there and let the dogs get you."
I thought Joey's mom was going to have to go get him herself, so I volunteered to go get one-day el passes for each of us. I went to the check cashing place at 47th and Western, but they were out of one-day passes. I got one three-day pass thinking she could go get him and pay for him, then I could use the pass tomorrow. Well this was a classic of not really understanding the conversation. His dad was going to pick him up, so then Antonia asked if she could borrow the pass tomorrow morning because she has to go to work. Tomorrow is when I really needed it, but I let her have it because I can just pay cash for the bus and take my bike home (it's parked downtown right now for complicated reasons).
So I sat with Joey's mom while we waited to hear what was going on. Dawn was with us for a while--like while her mother broke down crying and I gave her a hug and Dawn just stood there--but then she took the car and went out. I'm still not sure if she was going to see her dad or what. Joey's dad had to find some ID so he could take him home, so that took a while. Mom's phone doesn't work well, so she was using my phone but getting calls back on hers and then her phone would cut off. Plus as usual I wasn't really understanding what was happening.
We talked about some things but I don't know if they made any impression. She's mad at Dawn for not going to school for three days (last week? not sure) and being late. Big Picture wanted her to come to school Friday but she didn't go because she was working. (Dawn told me she's taking physics on Saturdays at Kelly to make up some science credit so she can graduate on time. We're supposed to talk later this week--we'll see if it happens. She and I aren't talking much any more.)
Mom's ready to put Joey in Boys Town/Casa Tepeyac, but Joey has said he doesn't want to go and I bet his dad would back him up about not going. I of course am completely frustrated since I saw all this coming months (more like years) ago and couldn't do a damn thing to stop the train wreck.
Finally around 10:30 Mom heard from Joey's dad that he had picked him up and Joey would stay at his house tonight. So I came home and looked at real estate listings in Rogers Park before mustering the strength to blog. Rogers Park condos look so good right now I cannot even tell you. But who'd be fool enough to buy my house? We even lost our gay guys. Dang.
With all that extra stuff, I didn't get home until maybe 7:45 or so. When I got to my block of Marshfield, Joey's mom was coming up the street. "Joey's out back and the police are there," she told me. "They told me they were eating pizza at their friends' house, but they went out here to do graffiti."
I went around the corner with her to the alley, where there were four or maybe even six police officers, some on the ground and some on the roof of a building across the alley from my house. Joey and two of his pals had climbed a pretty high fence from the alley to the building. By the time we got there the cops had them climbing back over the fence. They had found a backpack full of spray cans; don't know whose it was. The other guys with him were not from our block--one was a teeny tiny shortie. He said he was ten but he looked about eight. The cops had to change handcuffs because his wrists were small enough to wriggle out of the first pair they put on him.
After some debate about what to do with the smallest one (and some confusion about his age), the cops decided to take him in, too. One officer spoke some Spanish and explained what was going on to Joey's mom. Another officer told the kids, "We should have just left you there and let the dogs get you."
I thought Joey's mom was going to have to go get him herself, so I volunteered to go get one-day el passes for each of us. I went to the check cashing place at 47th and Western, but they were out of one-day passes. I got one three-day pass thinking she could go get him and pay for him, then I could use the pass tomorrow. Well this was a classic of not really understanding the conversation. His dad was going to pick him up, so then Antonia asked if she could borrow the pass tomorrow morning because she has to go to work. Tomorrow is when I really needed it, but I let her have it because I can just pay cash for the bus and take my bike home (it's parked downtown right now for complicated reasons).
So I sat with Joey's mom while we waited to hear what was going on. Dawn was with us for a while--like while her mother broke down crying and I gave her a hug and Dawn just stood there--but then she took the car and went out. I'm still not sure if she was going to see her dad or what. Joey's dad had to find some ID so he could take him home, so that took a while. Mom's phone doesn't work well, so she was using my phone but getting calls back on hers and then her phone would cut off. Plus as usual I wasn't really understanding what was happening.
We talked about some things but I don't know if they made any impression. She's mad at Dawn for not going to school for three days (last week? not sure) and being late. Big Picture wanted her to come to school Friday but she didn't go because she was working. (Dawn told me she's taking physics on Saturdays at Kelly to make up some science credit so she can graduate on time. We're supposed to talk later this week--we'll see if it happens. She and I aren't talking much any more.)
Mom's ready to put Joey in Boys Town/Casa Tepeyac, but Joey has said he doesn't want to go and I bet his dad would back him up about not going. I of course am completely frustrated since I saw all this coming months (more like years) ago and couldn't do a damn thing to stop the train wreck.
Finally around 10:30 Mom heard from Joey's dad that he had picked him up and Joey would stay at his house tonight. So I came home and looked at real estate listings in Rogers Park before mustering the strength to blog. Rogers Park condos look so good right now I cannot even tell you. But who'd be fool enough to buy my house? We even lost our gay guys. Dang.
Book Fair
Su Casa and half a dozen kids from Marshfield Avenue went to the Hyde Park Children's Book Fair this afternoon. We got street parking right away for three vehicles, including the 15-passenger van I was driving. A miracle! Everybody clapped for my parallel parking job. Whew!
I brought money so all the kids with me--Sarah, Jay-Z, and four Brady Girls--could each buy at least one book. The girls all went to the half price book outlet and got two or three apiece. Good shoppers! Barbara's Bookstore was there and selling discounted children's books. Jay-Z got a fancy book of pirateology for six bucks, reduced from $20.
They had a lot of fun activities, too. The kids made bookmarks with cool stamps at the MCA booth, got their faces painted and jumped through the most elaborate moonwalk/jumping jack I've ever seen. A couple of them took home "Gardens in a Glove" put together by teens working at the Museum of Science and Industry.
They met Strawberry Shortcake, Raggedy Ann and a couple of literary characters I didn't know. Mother Goose read them a book. Once again, they saw the nice playgrounds in Hyde Park and just wanted to play, so that's what they did. At the end, some of the girls found the Oriental Institute booth and took rubbings of heiroglyphics. They want to go to the Mummy Night in October. If Su Casa wants to go, maybe we can do that, too.
As we were walking back to the cars, I asked what they liked best. "I didn't have a best thing," said one Brady Girl. "Everything was wonderful."
Back in the van, I heard the girls whisper "one-two-three," then they yelled, "Thank you, Maritza!" They are so cute.
I brought money so all the kids with me--Sarah, Jay-Z, and four Brady Girls--could each buy at least one book. The girls all went to the half price book outlet and got two or three apiece. Good shoppers! Barbara's Bookstore was there and selling discounted children's books. Jay-Z got a fancy book of pirateology for six bucks, reduced from $20.
They had a lot of fun activities, too. The kids made bookmarks with cool stamps at the MCA booth, got their faces painted and jumped through the most elaborate moonwalk/jumping jack I've ever seen. A couple of them took home "Gardens in a Glove" put together by teens working at the Museum of Science and Industry.
They met Strawberry Shortcake, Raggedy Ann and a couple of literary characters I didn't know. Mother Goose read them a book. Once again, they saw the nice playgrounds in Hyde Park and just wanted to play, so that's what they did. At the end, some of the girls found the Oriental Institute booth and took rubbings of heiroglyphics. They want to go to the Mummy Night in October. If Su Casa wants to go, maybe we can do that, too.
As we were walking back to the cars, I asked what they liked best. "I didn't have a best thing," said one Brady Girl. "Everything was wonderful."
Back in the van, I heard the girls whisper "one-two-three," then they yelled, "Thank you, Maritza!" They are so cute.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
NHS Bilingual Homeownership Center Grand Opening
NHS staff (and staff spouse) at the grand opening celebration of the new Bilingual Homeownership Center in the Park Federal Savings Bank branch at 1823 W. 47th Street.
Paul Lopez, NHS board member and vice president of Park Federal, gave remarks and facilitated the program.
NHS Back of the Yards/Garfield Boulevard local advisory board members kibitz during the festivities.
Going to tonight's much less formal event--the barbecue, featuring some great carne asada and barbecued beef short ribs--reminded me I was behind schedule in posting these photos.
Oh, and in some sad local real estate news, I found out tonight that my block's first gay couple aren't sticking around. I still don't quite understand what happened, but from what Ms. Ribs told me, it sounds like the seller and/or the mortgage company tried to jerk them around for more money than seemed reasonable for this area, so they have decided to sell and try to unload the property. It's not that they can't afford their mortgage, it's that the house was overvalued. (This sounds weird to me.) I've found it listed for $227,525.
While I was at it, I did a little more real estate research and found Trulia has an overview of real estate in Back of the Yards. Here's a chart showing how the median home price has changed. I tried to paste it in here, but this format can't take the whole chart, which defeats the purpose, so check the link here and scroll down to Median Sales Price. It's not a pretty sight.
Perspectives Math & Science Grand Opening
Here are some students greeting the bigwigs as they arrive at the building, the former Raymond Elementary school at 3663 S. Wabash.
This is Peter Pan's sister's computer science teacher and a couple of students (not her). I didn't see either of the students from here on Marshfield, but thought it would be nice to show a couple of pics from the official grand opening ceremony last Thursday.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Gunshots Near 48th and Ashland
Around 4:45 on Sunday 9/21, I was at a birthday party for a six-year-old on the 4800 block of South Marshfield. Just as I was leaving the party to travel to another party over in Hyde Park, a series of six gunshots went off somewhere to the northeast. They were really loud, so clearly quite close. Then a blue van came screaming down 48th, westbound, closely followed by an unmarked police car flashing lights and wailing its sirens.
The driver of the van clearly didn't know the neighborhood; the van turned north onto Marshfield, which dead-ends at 47th. Right now there's construction so it is even harder than usual to get through. So we all saw the cops catch the van and whoever was in it. I have no idea whether anyone was hit by the gunfire.
Update 9/25: I heard tonight at the NHS barbecue that the shots last Sunday were from an AK-47, and that a second automatic weapon was involved. Yikes. I was also told the police captured one AK but the other is still out there somewhere.
The driver of the van clearly didn't know the neighborhood; the van turned north onto Marshfield, which dead-ends at 47th. Right now there's construction so it is even harder than usual to get through. So we all saw the cops catch the van and whoever was in it. I have no idea whether anyone was hit by the gunfire.
Update 9/25: I heard tonight at the NHS barbecue that the shots last Sunday were from an AK-47, and that a second automatic weapon was involved. Yikes. I was also told the police captured one AK but the other is still out there somewhere.
The Puzzle of Picasso
So this is the graffiti masterpiece Picasso sprayed up over at 36th and Kedzie back in the summer. I'm the one who persuaded his mother that all graffiti is not gangbanging, that it can be art, and that he wouldn't get busted for doing it there. (Picasso told me it was a permission wall and looking around on line at some graffiti message boards, that seemed to be true.) I think it's pretty good, for what little I know. And I don't even know what it says, but I know enough about gang graffiti to know this doesn't say anything obviously representing. (Of course, if I'm wrong, tell me.)
That level of uncertainty should tell you how things stand between me and Picasso of late. This afternoon, a woman on the block I'll refer to as La Chismosa collared me to talk about Joey and Picasso. "They're up to no good," she said. She's most worried about Joey. "I think he's a good kid at heart, but he's the youngest and he wants to be accepted," she observed, probably accurately. She told me she overheard Picasso tell him he almost kicked somebody's ass in a fight, then asked why he held back. "Next time, I want to see you leave a mark," she quoted him saying. This is not the Picasso I know. But I'm sure she didn't make it up.
I was thinking about this tonight while grocery shopping and picking up a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond for Ines. She and her cousin and I went to the library this afternoon to find it--Ines needs to read it for school and write a two-page report, due Friday--but they didn't have it. Today was Ines' 13th birthday, so I told her I would go get it and that would be her birthday present. By the time I got back from the shopping trip it was about 9 p.m., pretty late for their house.
I went down the block to see if anyone was still up there, and Ines's cousin was sitting on the front stoop talking with Picasso. Ines's cousin is a junior at Rauner and is a very good girl. So I was happy to see her talking with him. My nosy neighbor side kicked in, too, because her younger sister was supposedly Picasso's "girlfriend" when they were both at Chavez last spring, but now they go to different high schools--she's at Rauner with her sister; he's at Curie--so I don't know how much they see of each other. Cousin said she would get the book to Ines and I let them get back to talking with each other.
Anyway, so I can't figure out where Picasso is at. He and Joey and another guy on our block and one or two guys from up the street hang out together. Are they their own crew or are they hooked up with one of the bigger gangs in the area? Who are they getting into it with; what was this about fighting? Picasso is smart; is he letting it show at school? I must get his schedule and see if I know any of his teachers at Curie.
Some jerk is blasting annoying rap music across the street from my house. I can hear it clear as day in here. Yuck. Guess I should go see if I know who they are. I looked, I do know who they are. I didn't say anything, but they saw me walk in and out. It's still playing, but it's quieter now.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Back to School Update and a Philanthropic Idea
So far everybody's back in school. Meg is really enjoying Lozano Alternative High School. Her sister Jo at Kennedy is determined to make straight As and earn all the financial incentive she can out of the new "pay for grades" program in CPS. A straight-A student could earn $4000 by the end of sophomore year, and that's what Jo is after: $4000 for college sounds pretty good to her. I'm willing to be the homework helpline for this endeavor. I gave Meg my cell number and told her to give it to Jo if she needs help.
Dawn is back in school though she's missed a couple of days already. Joey is going but he's more interested in graffiti than school or respecting his mother; she's at her wits end and frankly, so am I. Junior likes Golder College Prep but he's not getting there on time; he already had to serve a suspension because he racked up too many tardy demerits. He says his grades so far are Cs or higher--whew. I ran into my neighbor up the block with her daughter from Perspectives the other day; their ride never showed up and she missed a whole day of school.
Surely there is some charter-school-loving business leader in the transportation industry who wants to give money so charters can run buses, right? David Leach, Mr. Greyhound, I know you've got a lot on your plate right now with gas prices and all, but think about it, OK? Or how about you, Dale Moser at Megabus?
Dawn is back in school though she's missed a couple of days already. Joey is going but he's more interested in graffiti than school or respecting his mother; she's at her wits end and frankly, so am I. Junior likes Golder College Prep but he's not getting there on time; he already had to serve a suspension because he racked up too many tardy demerits. He says his grades so far are Cs or higher--whew. I ran into my neighbor up the block with her daughter from Perspectives the other day; their ride never showed up and she missed a whole day of school.
Surely there is some charter-school-loving business leader in the transportation industry who wants to give money so charters can run buses, right? David Leach, Mr. Greyhound, I know you've got a lot on your plate right now with gas prices and all, but think about it, OK? Or how about you, Dale Moser at Megabus?
Apology and Update
I know it's been pretty deadly boring here at the Tattler for the last month. The double whammy of Camp Marshfield and block party planning and execution really wiped me out. I've been lying pretty low in terms of interacting with the kids, just saying hi here and there. I went on Ebay last week to get the Oldest Brady Girl a TI-83 calculator. I got a very responsible seller--she emailed today to say it's in my P.O. box and she wondered whether I had picked it up. I hadn't; I will tomorrow.
But a few things have happened that would be worth reporting. Dorothy is locked up; in August I got a billion letters from lawyers interested in representing her. It must have been serious or she must have become ill in jail, since I haven't seen her for a month.
The corner remains quiet although people do hang out over there. The traffic circle landscape has held up well, although the vicious bindweed that the city tried to kill by spraying herbicide three times before replanting has returned. Dang. I have pulled three or four of them out by the roots; one was in the process of strangling a rosebush branch by the time I found it. I don't think I got the whole root on that one, so I'll have to keep a close eye on it and try again when it grows back. It will.
I have photos to post from the grand opening of the new 47th Street branch of Park Federal, where NHS has its new offices. The party was last Thursday night and there was a full house in the new basement conference center, where they will hold bilingual homeowner education classes. I also have photos from the grand opening of Perspectives Math & Science Academy, where Peter Pan's sister and another girl on the next block are going to school this year. I met the computer teacher, who has Peter Pan's sis in class. The photos will be up later this week.
But a few things have happened that would be worth reporting. Dorothy is locked up; in August I got a billion letters from lawyers interested in representing her. It must have been serious or she must have become ill in jail, since I haven't seen her for a month.
The corner remains quiet although people do hang out over there. The traffic circle landscape has held up well, although the vicious bindweed that the city tried to kill by spraying herbicide three times before replanting has returned. Dang. I have pulled three or four of them out by the roots; one was in the process of strangling a rosebush branch by the time I found it. I don't think I got the whole root on that one, so I'll have to keep a close eye on it and try again when it grows back. It will.
I have photos to post from the grand opening of the new 47th Street branch of Park Federal, where NHS has its new offices. The party was last Thursday night and there was a full house in the new basement conference center, where they will hold bilingual homeowner education classes. I also have photos from the grand opening of Perspectives Math & Science Academy, where Peter Pan's sister and another girl on the next block are going to school this year. I met the computer teacher, who has Peter Pan's sis in class. The photos will be up later this week.
New Youth Activities at Holy Cross/IHM
Well, the fall season is here and there are new things for kids to do over at Holy Cross/IHM Parish. There's a cooking class for kids aged 11 to 14 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5:30 p.m.. I told Ines about it after church today, since she was so into cake decorating.
"How much does it cost?" she asked me.
"It's free," I said. "That's why I'm telling you about it." She took the church bulletin home to show her mom.
There's a lot of musical options: children's choir on Fridays (they sing at the 10:30 a.m. Mass), girls' choir on Thursdays, mariachi (guitar, trumpet and violin) also on Thursdays.
There's also a youth newsletter group forming on Thursday nights. It will be led by a writer from U.S. Catholic. I told her I'd try to help her out, even if only by proofreading the final version. My schedule is too crazy to commit to the same night every week, but I ought to be able to come at least once a month. We'll see.
If you're in the neighborhood and want to know more about these activities, send your kid (or yourself, if you are a young person), you can call the parish office at 773-376-3900.
"How much does it cost?" she asked me.
"It's free," I said. "That's why I'm telling you about it." She took the church bulletin home to show her mom.
There's a lot of musical options: children's choir on Fridays (they sing at the 10:30 a.m. Mass), girls' choir on Thursdays, mariachi (guitar, trumpet and violin) also on Thursdays.
There's also a youth newsletter group forming on Thursday nights. It will be led by a writer from U.S. Catholic. I told her I'd try to help her out, even if only by proofreading the final version. My schedule is too crazy to commit to the same night every week, but I ought to be able to come at least once a month. We'll see.
If you're in the neighborhood and want to know more about these activities, send your kid (or yourself, if you are a young person), you can call the parish office at 773-376-3900.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
CAPS meeting Monday night
In case anyone's checking, don't forget tomorrow night at 6 p.m. is the 931 beat meeting at Chavez Elementary School.
I didn't write about last month's meeting, but it was reasonably well attended and some people made a point of mentioning good news as well as complaints. And in one case, complaints were good news--the police noted that there were more calls about loitering and drug dealing at the northwest corner of 50th and Marshfield.
Our Officer Friendly made note of the block party on our block and also that open gym has resumed on Saturday mornings at Chavez. Over 50 kids were already showing up in August.
Just a quick note on the deluge--my basement is wet but seems to have taken a bit less of a beating than it did last time.
I didn't write about last month's meeting, but it was reasonably well attended and some people made a point of mentioning good news as well as complaints. And in one case, complaints were good news--the police noted that there were more calls about loitering and drug dealing at the northwest corner of 50th and Marshfield.
Our Officer Friendly made note of the block party on our block and also that open gym has resumed on Saturday mornings at Chavez. Over 50 kids were already showing up in August.
Just a quick note on the deluge--my basement is wet but seems to have taken a bit less of a beating than it did last time.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Joey & Picasso's Joint Artwork
Tonight I was in the living room pretending to get work done but really just listening to the crash of Joey's soccer ball against the side of my house. I got up to say hi and found Picasso on the doorstep. Joey had just thrown the ball at him and was running away laughing.
"Hey, [Picasso], you just started school!" I said. "How's it going?"
Fortunately, Picasso didn't mind being diverted from exacting revenge on Joey. Life at Curie is OK so far, he said. Then he upped the ante, saying, "It's fantastic, actually." I didn't get into details but I'm curious what's fantastic. Changing classes? New friends? Girls? Probably some combination of all those, plus goodness only knows what else. "They give homework, but it's not that hard," he said. He really likes high school. I'll have to ask him more about it tomorrow. It doesn't sound like he has any of the teachers I know over there.
Picasso had a notebook out, so I asked to see it. The photo above is what he showed me. Joey did the spray can and Picasso did the graffiti. Nice collaboration. I showed them some photos I took during vacation. While traveling on the east coast, my mother and sisters and I took in a hip hop exhibition now running at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
The exhibit features two DC graffiti artists whose tags are Arek and Con. I shot pictures of their tags with my phone and brought them home for Picasso and Joey to see. Now I see there's a Flickr group connected to the exhibit where you can share your own work. I'll have to show those guys the online exhibit and see if they want to send photos of their stuff to Flickr. (They permitted me to post the photo above to the blog.)
Streets & San Spotted on Marshfield
...taking photos, not hauling garbage. I took a walk this afternoon and ran into one of my neighbors who regularly attends our CAPS meeting. He crossed the street to come and tell me he had seen someone from Streets and San photographing the sidewalks today.
"Did you call?" he asked me.
"No."
But at the August CAPS meeting he and I spoke with Alderman Cochran's chief of staff, Karin Norington-Reaves, who told us that the 4800 block of South Marshfield was on the menu to get new sidewalks and street resurfacing. She hoped the work might get started next spring.
"I've been calling about this for six years," he told me. He looked ecstatic at the possibility something might actually get done. We smiled and crossed our fingers at each other in hopes it might start sooner. Stay tuned.
"Did you call?" he asked me.
"No."
But at the August CAPS meeting he and I spoke with Alderman Cochran's chief of staff, Karin Norington-Reaves, who told us that the 4800 block of South Marshfield was on the menu to get new sidewalks and street resurfacing. She hoped the work might get started next spring.
"I've been calling about this for six years," he told me. He looked ecstatic at the possibility something might actually get done. We smiled and crossed our fingers at each other in hopes it might start sooner. Stay tuned.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tattler Takes A Vacation, for Real
The Marshfield Tattler is on vacation. Happy Labor Day weekend and back to school, everyone!
Look for new posts here the week of September 8.
Look for new posts here the week of September 8.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Jumping Jim's Juice
On my way home this afternoon I was biking down Ashland Avenue and discovered Jumping Jim's Juice is now open. I've been watching this place get ready. It's a little juice stand at Ashland and 36th, on the west side of the street. It's got that tropical theme going--palm thatch roof and coconuts in the sign. They've taken over a chunk of the sidewalk with outdoor seating. There's still enough room to get by, though, so I can't complain. And when it's not busy you can walk your bike right up to the window, sit on a tall chair and not even lock the bike up.
The guy behind the window was hired two weeks ago and it was his first time there without the owner. He managed just fine. Someone else walked up after I got my order. The guy told me it does get busy around lunchtime, and that city workers have begun calling in orders as they come down Ashland and the orders are ready by the time they arrive.
I had the Liquid Gold smoothie: peaches, pineapple, mango, lemon, orange juice and banana. It was good. Good thing I had that, since dinner at Junior's ended up consisting of a few shreds of iceberg lettuce, but mostly cheese, chicken, beef and tortillas.
I sure hope these guys make it--it's the first thing with a menu of mostly fruit, vegetable and salad offerings I've seen in a two-mile radius of my house.
The guy behind the window was hired two weeks ago and it was his first time there without the owner. He managed just fine. Someone else walked up after I got my order. The guy told me it does get busy around lunchtime, and that city workers have begun calling in orders as they come down Ashland and the orders are ready by the time they arrive.
I had the Liquid Gold smoothie: peaches, pineapple, mango, lemon, orange juice and banana. It was good. Good thing I had that, since dinner at Junior's ended up consisting of a few shreds of iceberg lettuce, but mostly cheese, chicken, beef and tortillas.
I sure hope these guys make it--it's the first thing with a menu of mostly fruit, vegetable and salad offerings I've seen in a two-mile radius of my house.
Junior Gets Organized
Well, I just spent the last three hours helping Junior get his Golder College Prep stuff organized. He had all his papers for all his classes stuffed into one binder. He gets a million years' worth of homework every night--that was the point, but now I have to help him. Thank God one of the older Brady girls came by and helped him with math. She's good at math; I wasn't.
They do have a system of office hours--teachers stay an hour after school ends (that's 4 to 5 p.m.) and make themselves available to help. Of course it is different teachers every day, but I looked through the list and starred all the ones I thought could help Junior. They do physics first at Golder, too, which may get a little rough for him as it goes on.
So far he likes it, he says. He's made six or seven friends already. He's not worried about getting in fights anymore. He says there are a couple of guys you can tell are gangbangers but they keep it on the downlow. He already got his first detention, which he has to serve on Friday. Older Brady Girl was giving him advice about the buses so he can make it to school on time--he was late the first day and then was late to class, which together added up to four demerits, one detention.
I read through all the syllabi and as many papers as I could find. One teacher gave her phone number and email on the syllabus, so I'll be contacting her. My worst fear is that they won't modify their curriculum enough for him to keep up and then throw him out for bad grades. I asked his mom if she had copies of his IEP and she said no but she would check with Chavez and Golder about getting them. I've never seen his IEP either and I'd just like to know what it says. His teachers seem pretty willing to help out but I know how swamped high school teachers get. His detention slip had a note from a teacher about the second tardy and the person used the wrong first name for him. That doesn't surprise me at the beginning of the year but I want to make sure Junior gets known as a nice kid who needs extra help before he gets frustrated or anything bad happens.
It took us three hours to do his homework, get notebooks and folders at Walgreen's and organize his stuff. He's going to have to go it alone again next week, but he gets that he needs to go to the office hours after school.
I went to his house to work on the paper organizing, and his parents invited me to join them all for dinner. We had quesadillas with chicken and some spicy beef dish. Then Junior came back to my house with me so I could get him some construction paper for a project he has to do.
On our way across the street, Yup-yup came by, kind of loud and frantic. "I'm hungry," he said. "I just need four dollars."
"I don't have it," I said, which was true. Junior's mom had given him $20 for school supplies but what we got cost $29. I paid for $20 and Junior picked up the $9. Between school expenses and child care for the younger two boys, this Golder College Prep venture is costing Junior's family an arm and a leg.
"But I can give you something to eat," I continued. "Just give me five minutes to take care of this guy," I said, pointing at Junior. Yup-yup went away.
"Man, I feel sorry for him," said Junior. "I bet he never even went to high school."
"You're right," I said. "I bet he never set foot in one."
On his way out, Junior thanked me again, profusely. He's a really good kid. He's thinking about commercial art as a career possibility. I've never really seen him draw, though, so I don't know if he's good or if he's just picking up the bug from Picasso. I'll have to see if we can hook Junior up with Marwen next summer.
Oh, so after Junior left, I scouted around and found a nice peach for Yup-yup. I went outside with it and he came to the gate. "I have something for you," he said. It was a painting of four leopards. I believe he said he liked this because he himself is like a panther. Whatever. I handed over the peach, thanked him for the painting and headed back in the house.
They do have a system of office hours--teachers stay an hour after school ends (that's 4 to 5 p.m.) and make themselves available to help. Of course it is different teachers every day, but I looked through the list and starred all the ones I thought could help Junior. They do physics first at Golder, too, which may get a little rough for him as it goes on.
So far he likes it, he says. He's made six or seven friends already. He's not worried about getting in fights anymore. He says there are a couple of guys you can tell are gangbangers but they keep it on the downlow. He already got his first detention, which he has to serve on Friday. Older Brady Girl was giving him advice about the buses so he can make it to school on time--he was late the first day and then was late to class, which together added up to four demerits, one detention.
I read through all the syllabi and as many papers as I could find. One teacher gave her phone number and email on the syllabus, so I'll be contacting her. My worst fear is that they won't modify their curriculum enough for him to keep up and then throw him out for bad grades. I asked his mom if she had copies of his IEP and she said no but she would check with Chavez and Golder about getting them. I've never seen his IEP either and I'd just like to know what it says. His teachers seem pretty willing to help out but I know how swamped high school teachers get. His detention slip had a note from a teacher about the second tardy and the person used the wrong first name for him. That doesn't surprise me at the beginning of the year but I want to make sure Junior gets known as a nice kid who needs extra help before he gets frustrated or anything bad happens.
It took us three hours to do his homework, get notebooks and folders at Walgreen's and organize his stuff. He's going to have to go it alone again next week, but he gets that he needs to go to the office hours after school.
I went to his house to work on the paper organizing, and his parents invited me to join them all for dinner. We had quesadillas with chicken and some spicy beef dish. Then Junior came back to my house with me so I could get him some construction paper for a project he has to do.
On our way across the street, Yup-yup came by, kind of loud and frantic. "I'm hungry," he said. "I just need four dollars."
"I don't have it," I said, which was true. Junior's mom had given him $20 for school supplies but what we got cost $29. I paid for $20 and Junior picked up the $9. Between school expenses and child care for the younger two boys, this Golder College Prep venture is costing Junior's family an arm and a leg.
"But I can give you something to eat," I continued. "Just give me five minutes to take care of this guy," I said, pointing at Junior. Yup-yup went away.
"Man, I feel sorry for him," said Junior. "I bet he never even went to high school."
"You're right," I said. "I bet he never set foot in one."
On his way out, Junior thanked me again, profusely. He's a really good kid. He's thinking about commercial art as a career possibility. I've never really seen him draw, though, so I don't know if he's good or if he's just picking up the bug from Picasso. I'll have to see if we can hook Junior up with Marwen next summer.
Oh, so after Junior left, I scouted around and found a nice peach for Yup-yup. I went outside with it and he came to the gate. "I have something for you," he said. It was a painting of four leopards. I believe he said he liked this because he himself is like a panther. Whatever. I handed over the peach, thanked him for the painting and headed back in the house.
Peace and Education Coalition Launches New Web Site
The new Peace and Education Coalition of Back of the Yards web site features many more photos, a signup for email alerts and links to schools, parishes and social service agencies here in the neighborhoods.
The new site was announced at today's Peace and Education Coalition meeting, the first of the new school year. About 50 people attended, including many new faces. 9th District Commander Eugene Roy noted it was the best turnout he had yet seen.
Some key news about neighborhood services:
The University of Illinois Mile Square health center at 47th and Loomis is now offering shots and physicals for back to school to all families whether or not they have insurance. The clinic is open until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and hopes to start Saturday hours soon.
Neighborhood Housing Services has relocated to the new Park Federal Bank building at 47th and Honore. The building has a large community room where NHS will hold homebuyer education classes in Spanish. Foreclosure prevention counseling is also available.
All three Peace and Education Alternative High School campuses have space for new students. Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council is providing free shuttle service for students who have to cross gang lines to get to the campus of their choice. The Irene Dugan campus is now dedicated to service 15 and 16 year olds who are at risk of dropping out or have stopped attending their assigned high school. Dugan now has about 16 students on the books and has space for up to 30. Application forms are available from the Dugan website.
At Second Chance, 46 students are currently enrolled and there is space for 80. Second Chance continue to serve students ages 17 or older who have dropped out and want to finish high school. Call 773-535-1450 for more information and to obtain an application.
This fall, the Peace and Education Alternative High School is opening its third campus at 4946 S. Paulina. (They will be sharing space with Big Picture High School.) Right now 38 students are enrolled and they can take up to 50.
Last year, 36 students graduated from the alternative high school campuses. The school counselor contacted 32 of those graduates over the summer. One is attending Eastern Illinois University. A dozen are attending two-year schools, mostly City Colleges: Daley, Kennedy-King, Harold Washington and Wright. Two of those 12 students already have plans to transfer to four-year schools: one to the UIC College of Nursing and another to Chicago State. Three are in job training programs and one is working full-time, so just over half of the recent graduates are living out concrete postsecondary plans, most of them in some kind of college.
The new site was announced at today's Peace and Education Coalition meeting, the first of the new school year. About 50 people attended, including many new faces. 9th District Commander Eugene Roy noted it was the best turnout he had yet seen.
Some key news about neighborhood services:
The University of Illinois Mile Square health center at 47th and Loomis is now offering shots and physicals for back to school to all families whether or not they have insurance. The clinic is open until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and hopes to start Saturday hours soon.
Neighborhood Housing Services has relocated to the new Park Federal Bank building at 47th and Honore. The building has a large community room where NHS will hold homebuyer education classes in Spanish. Foreclosure prevention counseling is also available.
All three Peace and Education Alternative High School campuses have space for new students. Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council is providing free shuttle service for students who have to cross gang lines to get to the campus of their choice. The Irene Dugan campus is now dedicated to service 15 and 16 year olds who are at risk of dropping out or have stopped attending their assigned high school. Dugan now has about 16 students on the books and has space for up to 30. Application forms are available from the Dugan website.
At Second Chance, 46 students are currently enrolled and there is space for 80. Second Chance continue to serve students ages 17 or older who have dropped out and want to finish high school. Call 773-535-1450 for more information and to obtain an application.
This fall, the Peace and Education Alternative High School is opening its third campus at 4946 S. Paulina. (They will be sharing space with Big Picture High School.) Right now 38 students are enrolled and they can take up to 50.
Last year, 36 students graduated from the alternative high school campuses. The school counselor contacted 32 of those graduates over the summer. One is attending Eastern Illinois University. A dozen are attending two-year schools, mostly City Colleges: Daley, Kennedy-King, Harold Washington and Wright. Two of those 12 students already have plans to transfer to four-year schools: one to the UIC College of Nursing and another to Chicago State. Three are in job training programs and one is working full-time, so just over half of the recent graduates are living out concrete postsecondary plans, most of them in some kind of college.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Happier Joey News
I picked up a book in Borders last week, not knowing whether it was for Joey or Picasso. It's the first book in some Korean anime-style series (they have a different word for it which I no longer remember). This one was bloody and gory but left out the naked girls than were in some of the others I flipped through, so I thought their moms wouldn't get mad if they found it lying around the house.
Since I helped Picasso convince his mom it was OK to let him go do some graffiti over by 36th and Kedzie, he hasn't been as bored and antsy. Joey is still going batty even though school has started for him, so I gave him the anime book this afternoon. He was sitting out front talking on a cell phone when I came out and left the book on the step for him.
Later I asked him if he liked it and he said, "Yes" with the happy smile that reminded me my old buddy Joey is still in that teenage boy somewhere. This from the guy who told me a few months ago, "I don't like books." (I know you don't like most books, Joey, but I'm going to keep an eye out for that rare book you might actually like despite yourself.)
I might go buy a copy of Pride of Baghdad for him. If I give him a library copy it will probably get lost in their house and then I'll have to pay a gigantic fine, so I might as well buy it outright from the start.
Joey's birthday was last week and I missed it. Dawn's was earlier in August and I haven't even seen her. Jeez, that's pretty bad.
Since I helped Picasso convince his mom it was OK to let him go do some graffiti over by 36th and Kedzie, he hasn't been as bored and antsy. Joey is still going batty even though school has started for him, so I gave him the anime book this afternoon. He was sitting out front talking on a cell phone when I came out and left the book on the step for him.
Later I asked him if he liked it and he said, "Yes" with the happy smile that reminded me my old buddy Joey is still in that teenage boy somewhere. This from the guy who told me a few months ago, "I don't like books." (I know you don't like most books, Joey, but I'm going to keep an eye out for that rare book you might actually like despite yourself.)
I might go buy a copy of Pride of Baghdad for him. If I give him a library copy it will probably get lost in their house and then I'll have to pay a gigantic fine, so I might as well buy it outright from the start.
Joey's birthday was last week and I missed it. Dawn's was earlier in August and I haven't even seen her. Jeez, that's pretty bad.
Joey's IEP
Well, it's only taken the better part of a year, but this afternoon Joey's mom told me she had gone to Chavez today and then produced a copy of his IEP.
It's a rather faint copy and not always easy to read the handwriting. Worse, it really doesn't tell me a whole lot I didn't already know. They gave him reading and math tests in English and a reading test in Spanish. On the English-language reading tests he scored on a beginning first grade level in letter and word recognition and a late first-grade level in reading comprehension and spelling. (I'm shocked he did that well in spelling, to tell you the truth.) In Spanish he scored early second grade in reading comprehension.
On the math tests (given in English) he scored in the third grade range, higher in computation than in "concepts and applications," which is probably a fancy way of saying "word problems."
There's a short paragraph under the heading "General Intelligence" which appears to have something to say about testing but I'm not sure if it refers to the same tests or to others not described in detail here. At the end it says a bit about his strengths and weaknesses as observed by the psychologist who gave the tests (I gather). "Strengths were noted in visual motor and perceptual organization (drawing/artistic). Deficits were observed in short-term auditory recall, verbal abstract reasoning, word and general knowledge."
No s--t, Sherlock. How much did they pay you to figure that out? I got that far without a degree in psychology, just by hanging out with him and not even for very long before this sort of thing became apparent. I expect more from someone who makes a living at writing IEPs, like what's at the root of this? Dyslexia? Something else?
Of course, as a friend of mine who's written a good bit about reading and has seen her fair share of CPS IEPs says, "It's a pretty standard CPS IEP: it doesn't diagnose anything and it doesn't tell you how to fix it."
It sure doesn't. It doesn't even tell you whether or not he met the academic targets they set up for him last fall--I wonder if anyone has bothered to check up. (I mean, besides the fact I'm pretty sure he didn't meet them. Somehow he got out of 6th grade, but I'm not totally for sure how. Not that holding him back would have been a better option--he'd probably have just felt dumber, been mad about being separated from his classmates and acted out more than he already is.) He's supposed to spend nearly half his week in a self-contained special ed classroom. Last year he told me there were fights all the time in there, he wasn't learning anything and he kept getting pulled out of his English class to go, then he'd miss the homework back in the regular class. (His last year's English teacher was smart and nice, too. She seemed genuinely concerned for his academic welfare and we tried to work together on some of his assignments.)
All right, enough already. After she gave this to me earlier tonight and I read it, I biked out to Bridgeport's Scoops for an ice cream cone. You could call it a consolation prize, I suppose.
It's a rather faint copy and not always easy to read the handwriting. Worse, it really doesn't tell me a whole lot I didn't already know. They gave him reading and math tests in English and a reading test in Spanish. On the English-language reading tests he scored on a beginning first grade level in letter and word recognition and a late first-grade level in reading comprehension and spelling. (I'm shocked he did that well in spelling, to tell you the truth.) In Spanish he scored early second grade in reading comprehension.
On the math tests (given in English) he scored in the third grade range, higher in computation than in "concepts and applications," which is probably a fancy way of saying "word problems."
There's a short paragraph under the heading "General Intelligence" which appears to have something to say about testing but I'm not sure if it refers to the same tests or to others not described in detail here. At the end it says a bit about his strengths and weaknesses as observed by the psychologist who gave the tests (I gather). "Strengths were noted in visual motor and perceptual organization (drawing/artistic). Deficits were observed in short-term auditory recall, verbal abstract reasoning, word and general knowledge."
No s--t, Sherlock. How much did they pay you to figure that out? I got that far without a degree in psychology, just by hanging out with him and not even for very long before this sort of thing became apparent. I expect more from someone who makes a living at writing IEPs, like what's at the root of this? Dyslexia? Something else?
Of course, as a friend of mine who's written a good bit about reading and has seen her fair share of CPS IEPs says, "It's a pretty standard CPS IEP: it doesn't diagnose anything and it doesn't tell you how to fix it."
It sure doesn't. It doesn't even tell you whether or not he met the academic targets they set up for him last fall--I wonder if anyone has bothered to check up. (I mean, besides the fact I'm pretty sure he didn't meet them. Somehow he got out of 6th grade, but I'm not totally for sure how. Not that holding him back would have been a better option--he'd probably have just felt dumber, been mad about being separated from his classmates and acted out more than he already is.) He's supposed to spend nearly half his week in a self-contained special ed classroom. Last year he told me there were fights all the time in there, he wasn't learning anything and he kept getting pulled out of his English class to go, then he'd miss the homework back in the regular class. (His last year's English teacher was smart and nice, too. She seemed genuinely concerned for his academic welfare and we tried to work together on some of his assignments.)
All right, enough already. After she gave this to me earlier tonight and I read it, I biked out to Bridgeport's Scoops for an ice cream cone. You could call it a consolation prize, I suppose.
Holy Cross/IHM's Letter to McCain and Obama
The immigration committee at Holy Cross/IHM Parish is in the midst of a letter campaign. Committee chair Jose Alonso wrote a letter on the topic of immigration which was read by another committee member during announcements at the 10:30 Mass at Holy Cross yesterday. Parishioners had the opportunity to sign copies of the letter after Mass ended--a bunch of us stood around with clipboards and copies of the letter in English and Spanish. Copies will be sent to both presidential candidates; I just got an email saying over 300 letters were signed and returned. The letter drive will continue next weekend at the 9 a.m. Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Here is the English version of the letter:
“This country does not care about liberty when there are immigration raids taking place.”
- A teenager from the Back of the Yards, Chicago, IL
Recently, several Mexican-American youth from our parish, Holy Cross/IHM, in the Back of the Yards traveled to Philadelphia with our pastor, Father Bruce Wellems. During the trip, the group visited one of the greatest symbols of this country: the Liberty Bell. One young man stood near the Liberty Bell, but he would not look at it. The rest of the group was busy taking pictures, while he stood apart with his head down. Having visited several historic places, our pastor thought that perhaps he was just tired. He then approached the young man and asked if he had seen the Liberty Bell. The young man then made the comment stated above. How can there be true freedom when the government is rejecting the poor and those who are oppressed? How can this be a nation who cares about the freedom of others when they unjustly chase immigrants?
These questions reflect one of the most pressing concerns of the Back of the Yards today, a community comprised predominantly of Mexican-American immigrants. Even now, more than 100 years after Upton Sinclair documented the struggles of immigrants in this small neighborhood on the southside of Chicago, the immigrant spirit of hope lives on. However, the hope that our great country represents is endangered when our community is threatened with tearing apart its families, depriving its children of the right to an education in this country, and losing the opportunity to earn a dignified living.
Admittedly, there was anger in the young man’s statement. Our pastor responded to his statement by reminding him that the Liberty Bell is cracked. It is not perfect, and so too, with freedom – we are still a people who are not completely free. We are still searching for a way to respect the rights of all people and healing is needed. It will take time, but it can only happen with the efforts of those who truly care and believe that freedom, safety and respect of all people is possible. He represents the next generation of Americans and his statement represents the need to reaffirm the values that this country was founded upon. Our pastor was able to point to the following biblical quote inscribed on the Liberty Bell, to comfort the young man, “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto ALL the Inhabitants thereof.”
We are asking for you to be courier of the values reflected in this quote by supporting just immigration reform. This country has a history of compassion towards immigrants and we are now asking you to continue that tradition. We are asking that you be an advocate for our community by: (1) supporting the unification of our families; (2) defending the opportunity to have our children educated in this country; and (3) preserving our chance to earn a dignified living. Thank for your time in reading this letter. Good luck and God Bless.
For more specifics on the kinds of situations many of my neighbors and fellow parishioners are facing, I highly recommend this 2006 article from U.S. Catholic.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Pride of Baghdad takes Marshfield Avenue by Storm
Last Tuesday I took a timeout in the middle of the work day to return a pile of books to the Back of the Yards branch library and peruse the shelves for my next big haul.
At the last minute, I stumbled across the graphic novel Pride of Baghdad and just thought the premise--that the bombing of Baghdad set a pride of lions free in the middle of a war zone--was so mind-boggling I had to take the book home and see what my Marshfield buddies would make of it.
I walked back from the library just in time to catch the end of the day pedestrian traffic at Chavez. One of the Brady families was walking home with their mom. I caught Middle Brady Boy, showed him the book and asked if he wanted to borrow it. He said yes.
On Thursday afternoon he was done. "Do you want your book back?" he asked.
Wow, I thought, that was fast. He either loved it or he hated it. I was on my way out and knew he wouldn't catch me until the weekend, so I told him to hang on to it for a couple more days.
This afternoon I caught up with him. His little brother, Brady Bughunter, was in front of the house and I asked if he could go tell his brother I was there. Middle Brady Boy promptly arrived with the book.
"Did you like it?" I asked.
"Yeah!" he said.
"What happened to the lions? I didn't read the whole thing."
He proceeded to walk me through the ending, reading me parts and flipping around in the last section to explain everything. I'll try to keep the spoilage to a minimum, but let's just say it's not a happy ending for the lions. Middle Brady was super-enthusiastic in the retelling, and I got a great chance to listen to him read out loud. (Teacherly note: He and Sarah both just mumble their way through words they don't know and keep right on going. It's cute and I don't want to break the flow, but I've been trying to figure out sneaky ways to pronounce and/or discuss the words that are unfamiliar to them in hopes the information will stick surreptitiously.)
So he really liked the book. So did his big brother. Oldest Brady Boy rode his bike past my house just after I had walked in my front gate. "Hey, did you read this book, too?" I asked. He said yes. "How did you like it?"
"I liked it," he said. "It was cool."
These ringing endorsements led me to offer it to Sarah, who is interested in all things animal, too. "The ending is really sad, though," I said. I felt like I had to warn her. The illustrations do not pull their punches in terms of warfare, blood and guts. I'm back to the same inner argument I have with myself all the time: the inner kid who loved to read and still thanks the universe regularly that her parents had the wit not to censor her reading fights with the inner grownup who worries that the neighbor parents might think badly of her for bringing their children bloody tales of warfare and death or whatever the hot button the reading selection pushes is.
Tonight Sarah read me some of her favorite parts of a book she picked up at school. I don't remember the title or the author, but it is a comic writer's memoir, done so it looks like a lined journal. The book mixes short narratives with mini-comics. It's all about the miseries of elementary school, and it is keeping Sarah in stitches even though she's mumbling her way through some unfamiliar words as she goes. I'll get the title from her sometime soon and let you all know. Her report on the planets is pretty far along--she got up to Uranus on her own and her teacher said they could have time in class to finish tomorrow. She did a good job picking out the interesting bits for her summary. I gave her one spelling word of the day: distance.
If you're curious about Pride of Baghdad, this link will take you to Amazon.
After the Deluge
Well, I finally faced up to the soggy boxes in my basement this weekend. Yesterday afternoon and this morning I surveyed the wreckage. It was worse than I thought. Pretty much everything directly on the floor was wet and moldy. I've tossed most of it. There was one dry patch toward the basement windows where some boxes survived wet-free, and boxes atop other boxes seem to have fared OK.
I lost one suitcase full of clothes-mostly t-shirts, a few seem salvageable and are drying out in my back yard, but mostly it was a lot of old papers and journals.
They say if you haven't opened or looked in a box in over a year, you should throw it out sight unseen. Although I peeked in a couple of them, many were so far gone I didn't bother looking. Perhaps getting rid of that stuff is the silver lining from those crazy rain clouds.
I lost one suitcase full of clothes-mostly t-shirts, a few seem salvageable and are drying out in my back yard, but mostly it was a lot of old papers and journals.
They say if you haven't opened or looked in a box in over a year, you should throw it out sight unseen. Although I peeked in a couple of them, many were so far gone I didn't bother looking. Perhaps getting rid of that stuff is the silver lining from those crazy rain clouds.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Brighton Park Shout Out
OK, since I'm still kinda on vacation, let me encourage you all to hit the warehouse over on Talman in Brighton Park tomorrow and pick up some yummy cheese. The warehouse folks' email also lists some other cool places to check out in the neighborhoods, so I'll pass on to you what they passed on to me. I may have to head out to La Palapa at 34th & Damen for some ceviche myself. Here goes:
Cheese at our Warehouse !!
We are back. Our warehouse is open to you this Saturday.
When:
August 23rd
September 6th
September 20th
And then every other Saturday
What time: 9 am to 1 pm
Where: At our warehouse
4727 S. Talman , Chicago 60632 ( between Western and California
Avenues )
Parking: Lots of free street parking
Taste and then cruise the racks in our warehouse for much more. All for sale at “wholesale” pricing.
What Else !!
Leah Zeldes suggested that I tell you what else there is to do in our area when you come out to our warehouse for cheese. So here it is:
La Palapa
2000 W. 34th Street
Chicago
This little concrete block structure is about the size of a garage. Nestled against the south slope of the Damen and Archer underpass it goes almost unnoticed and when it is seen most think it is part of the Huck Finn’s donut shop. Get closer and you’ll see that 34th street is like a border. In this instance you have to change the expression to “north of the border” when you walk into the gravel lot in front of La Palapa and amongst the shaggy umbrella tables. Mexican music , a sunny afternoon, cool wine stowed in the cooler at your feet, some of the best Mexican seafood around. Shrimp cocktails, shrimp empanadas, grilled calamari with garlic and chiles, fresh oysters, seviche and so much more. You can’t eat everything you’ll order but you’ll order it all anyway. The waitress won’t mind that you’ve “snuck in” your own wine because you’re discrete. You’ll be amazed at how much delicious seafood $30 buys for two people in this remarkable cantina.
Tom Tom Tamales
4750 S. Washtenaw
Chicago, IL 60632
773-523-5675
Chicago’s most famous tamale. Since the nineteen-fifties these are the tamales that have been served in every Greek hotdog and hamburger stand in the City as well as from just about every pushcart. Back then the vendor kept the tamales in the steaming compartment with the buns. This “secret” gave the buns that little extra mysterious flavor.
You can pre-order by calling in or stop in and order from two sign boards which also list other Chicago food treasures such as: Mary Ann bakery buns, chili, hamburgers, hotdogs, Italian Beef and condiments. This is where to get your green day-glo hotdog relish known as piccalilli. All you’ll need to supply is you own pushcart.
Fronczak Hardware
2606 W. 47th Street
773-847-3138
Three store fronts wide, front to back, side to side, top to bottom, two full basements and two garages. Hardly enough space to walk. This old time hardware store is the real deal. They have just about everything and Edward Kowynia and his wife know everything there is to know about their stock and trade. Just a few blocks away a Home Depot opened recently and now this Mom-and-Pop is struggling a bit. They say they have “good days and bad days”. Check this old fashioned hardware store out while you still can.
Cheese at our Warehouse !!
We are back. Our warehouse is open to you this Saturday.
When:
August 23rd
September 6th
September 20th
And then every other Saturday
What time: 9 am to 1 pm
Where: At our warehouse
4727 S. Talman , Chicago 60632 ( between Western and California
Avenues )
Parking: Lots of free street parking
Taste and then cruise the racks in our warehouse for much more. All for sale at “wholesale” pricing.
What Else !!
Leah Zeldes suggested that I tell you what else there is to do in our area when you come out to our warehouse for cheese. So here it is:
La Palapa
2000 W. 34th Street
Chicago
This little concrete block structure is about the size of a garage. Nestled against the south slope of the Damen and Archer underpass it goes almost unnoticed and when it is seen most think it is part of the Huck Finn’s donut shop. Get closer and you’ll see that 34th street is like a border. In this instance you have to change the expression to “north of the border” when you walk into the gravel lot in front of La Palapa and amongst the shaggy umbrella tables. Mexican music , a sunny afternoon, cool wine stowed in the cooler at your feet, some of the best Mexican seafood around. Shrimp cocktails, shrimp empanadas, grilled calamari with garlic and chiles, fresh oysters, seviche and so much more. You can’t eat everything you’ll order but you’ll order it all anyway. The waitress won’t mind that you’ve “snuck in” your own wine because you’re discrete. You’ll be amazed at how much delicious seafood $30 buys for two people in this remarkable cantina.
Tom Tom Tamales
4750 S. Washtenaw
Chicago, IL 60632
773-523-5675
Chicago’s most famous tamale. Since the nineteen-fifties these are the tamales that have been served in every Greek hotdog and hamburger stand in the City as well as from just about every pushcart. Back then the vendor kept the tamales in the steaming compartment with the buns. This “secret” gave the buns that little extra mysterious flavor.
You can pre-order by calling in or stop in and order from two sign boards which also list other Chicago food treasures such as: Mary Ann bakery buns, chili, hamburgers, hotdogs, Italian Beef and condiments. This is where to get your green day-glo hotdog relish known as piccalilli. All you’ll need to supply is you own pushcart.
Fronczak Hardware
2606 W. 47th Street
773-847-3138
Three store fronts wide, front to back, side to side, top to bottom, two full basements and two garages. Hardly enough space to walk. This old time hardware store is the real deal. They have just about everything and Edward Kowynia and his wife know everything there is to know about their stock and trade. Just a few blocks away a Home Depot opened recently and now this Mom-and-Pop is struggling a bit. They say they have “good days and bad days”. Check this old fashioned hardware store out while you still can.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Pride on Marshfield Avenue
..and no, I don't mean everybody's all jazzed about the new landscape in the traffic circle. Tonight Mrs. Ribs was hanging with her new neighbor and enjoying photos of him and his partner at the Gay Pride Parade.
Yes, that's right, everyone, Marshfield got its first gay couple. (And they bought their house for about eighty grand more than I paid for mine, I hear. Even in this housing market. So I really like them.)
I've been very hesitant to write about this just because I wanted to see how they would be received. They've actually been here a few months now, and you know what, it's all pretty much been fabulous. Not perfect--I've heard a few guys over by Mr. Worrisome's house muttering about "those gay-ass neighbors"--but not bad.
There's a little network of three or four of us homeowners who smiled real big when we saw the For Sale sign go down, and smiled even bigger when we saw the new owners. I ran into Bob the Builder in Dunkin Donuts one Sunday in June, a few weeks after they arrived. His reaction was one I had wondered about--he seems like a Mr. Macho kind of guy. But his business is real estate, so he's way more interested in what those fellows might mean for our property values than whether they sashay down the street, so to speak.
The other reason you've heard so little is I haven't figured out names for them. But one of them is going to be Green Thumb if he follows through on his offer to help me keep the plants in the traffic circle looking nice. Given the state of my yard and indoor plants, my own handle should switch from Maritza to Black Thumb.
I think now it's time for Barack Obama to come and do a campaign commercial on our block. We've got the Mexican evangelicals next door to the Irish Catholic across the street from the African-American union leader who likes to hang with the gayboys next door. Who own a pit bull. He's really a sweet dog, too.
Yes, that's right, everyone, Marshfield got its first gay couple. (And they bought their house for about eighty grand more than I paid for mine, I hear. Even in this housing market. So I really like them.)
I've been very hesitant to write about this just because I wanted to see how they would be received. They've actually been here a few months now, and you know what, it's all pretty much been fabulous. Not perfect--I've heard a few guys over by Mr. Worrisome's house muttering about "those gay-ass neighbors"--but not bad.
There's a little network of three or four of us homeowners who smiled real big when we saw the For Sale sign go down, and smiled even bigger when we saw the new owners. I ran into Bob the Builder in Dunkin Donuts one Sunday in June, a few weeks after they arrived. His reaction was one I had wondered about--he seems like a Mr. Macho kind of guy. But his business is real estate, so he's way more interested in what those fellows might mean for our property values than whether they sashay down the street, so to speak.
The other reason you've heard so little is I haven't figured out names for them. But one of them is going to be Green Thumb if he follows through on his offer to help me keep the plants in the traffic circle looking nice. Given the state of my yard and indoor plants, my own handle should switch from Maritza to Black Thumb.
I think now it's time for Barack Obama to come and do a campaign commercial on our block. We've got the Mexican evangelicals next door to the Irish Catholic across the street from the African-American union leader who likes to hang with the gayboys next door. Who own a pit bull. He's really a sweet dog, too.
Tattler's on HuffPost Chicago
The Huffington Post is coming to town, and Marshfield Tattler got in on the ground floor.
Check out the beta version here.
Arianna promises more local HuffPosts to come and waxes enthusiastic about Chi-town here.
I'm pretty sure I owe my front-row seat to Alexander Russo over at District 299. Thanks!
Oh, and last month the Tattler made a list of digital-diversity bookmarks compiled through a Poynter Institute workshop. (For readers unfamiliar with the inner workings of journalism, Poynter is the professional training and industry resource.) That's thanks to Wendy Turner over at vocalo, where they've been more than gracious by reading some of the posts on air.
Although all this buzz is certainly a spur to blog more often, I've been pretty knocked out since the block party and have taken a big mental vacation. I work during the day, often away by choice from Marshfield Avenue, and I've been taking some north side vacations on the weekends. If I'm lucky August will remain a bit slow here at the Tattler, but here are a few quick updates:
The traffic circle still looks good--I just watered it this evening. Beautiful night--everyone was out. Peter Pan's mom got on a bike and rode up and down the block with her younger kids. Mrs. Ribs hung out with the new neighbors next door to her. Mr. Worrisome had a real lady friend of his to attend to, so I wasn't bothered with marriage proposals while hauling a two-gallon watering can back and forth. Although there was some bustle at the corner and the unmistakable smell of marijuana in the air, I'll fess up that I didn't call the cops for once. Why mess up a mellow evening?
Junior starts high school tomorrow. He called last week for help with math--he was calculating the perimeter of squares and rectangles. He caught on pretty fast, by phone, for how to do it.
Joey is at Chavez. His folks couldn't get transportation together to send him to Perspectives Math & Science. He says the new school year is going OK. I don't believe him. His dad has been around the house a bit more of late-that's probably good for him but maybe or maybe not so good for Dawn.
The younger Brady girl who did Salud will join her older sister in high school starting tomorrow. They made her read a book over the summer-she came by last week looking for editing feedback on what she had written. The English teacher over there gave a great assignment and she did a pretty good job with it on her own, though there were a few things she improved after we talked. For someone who says she likes math better than reading, I thought she did a great job on the assignment.
I went to Home Depot after church this morning in search of plywood boards for our budding graffiti artists to spray without risking arrest. There are some in the $5 to $10 range, so I'm willing to spring. I didn't ask if they can deliver. When I'm ready to buy, I'll find out.
The Brady girl who was looking for a scientific calculator got one for $13, better than the $18 I saw it for up on the north side. I don't know where she picked it up, though.
Medicine Man stopped by last Thursday to get his stuff out of the basement. It mostly survived the deluge unscathed--a couple of boxes were a bit damp, I gather. I kept an eye on the U-Haul while MM, his mom and brother, my new tenant Shutterbug and Junior and Picasso (I think I called him Orozco before but Picasso is sticking better in my head, so that's who my buddy who likes graffiti and isn't Joey is now) all schlepped everything out of the basement.
About half a dozen people going by asked, "You're not moving, are you?" They were all relieved when I said no. I decided to start planning my obsolescence on this block by sending three other people to Rep. Esther Golar's block organizing seminar on Saturday morning. I went shopping at the Brown Elephant in Andersonville instead. It's August, people, and I'm as much on vacation as I can be and still make money.
Check out the beta version here.
Arianna promises more local HuffPosts to come and waxes enthusiastic about Chi-town here.
I'm pretty sure I owe my front-row seat to Alexander Russo over at District 299. Thanks!
Oh, and last month the Tattler made a list of digital-diversity bookmarks compiled through a Poynter Institute workshop. (For readers unfamiliar with the inner workings of journalism, Poynter is the professional training and industry resource.) That's thanks to Wendy Turner over at vocalo, where they've been more than gracious by reading some of the posts on air.
Although all this buzz is certainly a spur to blog more often, I've been pretty knocked out since the block party and have taken a big mental vacation. I work during the day, often away by choice from Marshfield Avenue, and I've been taking some north side vacations on the weekends. If I'm lucky August will remain a bit slow here at the Tattler, but here are a few quick updates:
The traffic circle still looks good--I just watered it this evening. Beautiful night--everyone was out. Peter Pan's mom got on a bike and rode up and down the block with her younger kids. Mrs. Ribs hung out with the new neighbors next door to her. Mr. Worrisome had a real lady friend of his to attend to, so I wasn't bothered with marriage proposals while hauling a two-gallon watering can back and forth. Although there was some bustle at the corner and the unmistakable smell of marijuana in the air, I'll fess up that I didn't call the cops for once. Why mess up a mellow evening?
Junior starts high school tomorrow. He called last week for help with math--he was calculating the perimeter of squares and rectangles. He caught on pretty fast, by phone, for how to do it.
Joey is at Chavez. His folks couldn't get transportation together to send him to Perspectives Math & Science. He says the new school year is going OK. I don't believe him. His dad has been around the house a bit more of late-that's probably good for him but maybe or maybe not so good for Dawn.
The younger Brady girl who did Salud will join her older sister in high school starting tomorrow. They made her read a book over the summer-she came by last week looking for editing feedback on what she had written. The English teacher over there gave a great assignment and she did a pretty good job with it on her own, though there were a few things she improved after we talked. For someone who says she likes math better than reading, I thought she did a great job on the assignment.
I went to Home Depot after church this morning in search of plywood boards for our budding graffiti artists to spray without risking arrest. There are some in the $5 to $10 range, so I'm willing to spring. I didn't ask if they can deliver. When I'm ready to buy, I'll find out.
The Brady girl who was looking for a scientific calculator got one for $13, better than the $18 I saw it for up on the north side. I don't know where she picked it up, though.
Medicine Man stopped by last Thursday to get his stuff out of the basement. It mostly survived the deluge unscathed--a couple of boxes were a bit damp, I gather. I kept an eye on the U-Haul while MM, his mom and brother, my new tenant Shutterbug and Junior and Picasso (I think I called him Orozco before but Picasso is sticking better in my head, so that's who my buddy who likes graffiti and isn't Joey is now) all schlepped everything out of the basement.
About half a dozen people going by asked, "You're not moving, are you?" They were all relieved when I said no. I decided to start planning my obsolescence on this block by sending three other people to Rep. Esther Golar's block organizing seminar on Saturday morning. I went shopping at the Brown Elephant in Andersonville instead. It's August, people, and I'm as much on vacation as I can be and still make money.
SRO Crowd for "Salud"
I'm delighted to report the crowd was standing-room-only at the National Museum of Mexican Art on Friday night for the debut of Salud, Radio Arte's summer project in which youth explored issues related to health and the Latino immigrant community. You can hear some samples of their work if you click on the Salud link. The link will probably be pretty raw, since I gather those samples were from their first week on the job.
On Friday night I was impressed with their use of ambient sound, especially the tinkle of a bell to let us know the paleta man was coming down the street. Back of the Yards Latin ska sensation Los Vicios de Papa is sampled in another of the novelas. You can hear the sample used in the novela on the band's My Space page by clicking the link for "sentado en la banca."
The Brady Girls were there with their mom and at least one of their little sisters.
Latinos Progresando's Teatro Americano ensemble also performed the theater piece they've been working on all summer. Honestly, I found the piece a bit long and uneven--they're not in Teatro Vista's or the Albany Park Theater Project's league yet--but they also wrote and performed an hour-long show with a large cast in just seven weeks, so I'll cut them some slack. Two Big Picture 08 grads were in the cast, so it was extra fun to see Back of the Yards so well represented.
By the way, APTP made debut at the Goodman's Latino Theatre Festival on August 12. If you scroll down on the link you will find a synopsis of the work they performed and a video clip of Henry Godinez talking over stills from the performance.
On Friday night I was impressed with their use of ambient sound, especially the tinkle of a bell to let us know the paleta man was coming down the street. Back of the Yards Latin ska sensation Los Vicios de Papa is sampled in another of the novelas. You can hear the sample used in the novela on the band's My Space page by clicking the link for "sentado en la banca."
The Brady Girls were there with their mom and at least one of their little sisters.
Latinos Progresando's Teatro Americano ensemble also performed the theater piece they've been working on all summer. Honestly, I found the piece a bit long and uneven--they're not in Teatro Vista's or the Albany Park Theater Project's league yet--but they also wrote and performed an hour-long show with a large cast in just seven weeks, so I'll cut them some slack. Two Big Picture 08 grads were in the cast, so it was extra fun to see Back of the Yards so well represented.
By the way, APTP made debut at the Goodman's Latino Theatre Festival on August 12. If you scroll down on the link you will find a synopsis of the work they performed and a video clip of Henry Godinez talking over stills from the performance.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Quick Hits
School Lady's oldest daughter, Meg, is going for orientation at Lozano Alternative High School tomorrow. Yeah! Her next oldest daughter, Jo, did Freshman Connection at Kennedy this summer and liked it. Hope that helps her get off to a good start.
The corner is still a problem. Bob the Builder wants to come to next week's CAPS meeting if he can. He may have a conflict. One of the guys up there stopped me in the street and asked if he could be my friend. "What kind of friend?" I inquired. We eventually settled on the idea that we'd talk another day and I said I was looking for help taking care of the traffic circle.
Junior starts school next week. He's been working on his math. His mom is going to see if he can get homework help after school. His little brother will go to an after-school program at St. Joe's.
My doorbell has been ringing nonstop for the last hour and I have a deadline. Mr. Worrisome appears to be drunk or high, and now Dorothy is at the door. I refuse to answer to either of them. These people are driving me crazy!
The corner is still a problem. Bob the Builder wants to come to next week's CAPS meeting if he can. He may have a conflict. One of the guys up there stopped me in the street and asked if he could be my friend. "What kind of friend?" I inquired. We eventually settled on the idea that we'd talk another day and I said I was looking for help taking care of the traffic circle.
Junior starts school next week. He's been working on his math. His mom is going to see if he can get homework help after school. His little brother will go to an after-school program at St. Joe's.
My doorbell has been ringing nonstop for the last hour and I have a deadline. Mr. Worrisome appears to be drunk or high, and now Dorothy is at the door. I refuse to answer to either of them. These people are driving me crazy!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Deluge and a North Side Vacation
On Tuesday night the guy my mom once referred to as "the groundskeeper" asked me, "Did your basement flood?"
"No," I said, surprised. I hadn't been down there, but if it had, surely I would know, right??
"Everybody else's did," he informed me. Makes sense, given the Biblical deluge we experienced here in Chicago Monday night. This is why I should not be a homeowner.
I extricated myself gracefully from this conversation and walked calmly into my house, then bolted for the basement stairs to make sure I didn't have standing water down there unawares. Fortunately, it didn't look like Katrina had hit, but the floor was damp and capillary action had drawn wet up into some of the cardboard boxes down there. Ouch.
There's some cardboard on the floor that got soaked and it will be thrown out tonight. The boxes will have to wait a bit longer though; I'm taking a well-deserved North Side vacation tomorrow night, after a few days of hiding out at a client's office and avoiding the small fry. Since Chavez went back to school on Monday, Camp Marshfield is done for the summer and the Marshfield Avenue after-school program probably won't start until sometime after Labor Day. Shoot, SES providers don't start until October, so by that standard I'll be early.
However, I did have a conversation with one of my soon-to-start-high-school pals last night. As a result, I may be setting up some plywood boards out in the backyard for the two or three graffiti aficionados I know on the block to play with. I'd rather they do that than see them get busted with spray cans. My buddy last night told me he'd been caught once by the cops already but they let him off with a warning. I told him that Peter Pan had already been hauled into court, which stopped him in his tracks a bit. We'll see if he can keep himself out of trouble.
"No," I said, surprised. I hadn't been down there, but if it had, surely I would know, right??
"Everybody else's did," he informed me. Makes sense, given the Biblical deluge we experienced here in Chicago Monday night. This is why I should not be a homeowner.
I extricated myself gracefully from this conversation and walked calmly into my house, then bolted for the basement stairs to make sure I didn't have standing water down there unawares. Fortunately, it didn't look like Katrina had hit, but the floor was damp and capillary action had drawn wet up into some of the cardboard boxes down there. Ouch.
There's some cardboard on the floor that got soaked and it will be thrown out tonight. The boxes will have to wait a bit longer though; I'm taking a well-deserved North Side vacation tomorrow night, after a few days of hiding out at a client's office and avoiding the small fry. Since Chavez went back to school on Monday, Camp Marshfield is done for the summer and the Marshfield Avenue after-school program probably won't start until sometime after Labor Day. Shoot, SES providers don't start until October, so by that standard I'll be early.
However, I did have a conversation with one of my soon-to-start-high-school pals last night. As a result, I may be setting up some plywood boards out in the backyard for the two or three graffiti aficionados I know on the block to play with. I'd rather they do that than see them get busted with spray cans. My buddy last night told me he'd been caught once by the cops already but they let him off with a warning. I told him that Peter Pan had already been hauled into court, which stopped him in his tracks a bit. We'll see if he can keep himself out of trouble.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
'This is a GOOD block party'
So said one of the little kids to the lady who was giving out ice cream cones yesterday.
Yes, we all survived the block party, as proven by the few photos I managed to shoot near the end of the night, when I could stop running around.
We not only survived, but thrived. We had the fire truck (and the guys opened the hydrant for a little while), soccer, basketball, the jumping jack (Jay-Z's auntie rented one for an hour), water balloons and my hose in the street, a little art from the Chicago Children's Museum, plenty of hot dogs and burgers and drinks and ice cream. Holy Cross/IHM did send a group of marimba players. We had a short prayer service and three teens from the block read the readings in a mix of English and Spanish. Yup-yup made a point of himself praying.
The dinner was a little chaotic but eventually the common food got on tables and people ate. Mostly folks cooked their own (which was past practice) but some people traveled around and tried out different foods. One of the Brady Moms made the best pozole I have ever had.
The kids got plenty of back-to-school goodies, too, just in time for Monday's first day at Chavez. Thanks to 49th Neighbor, we got a last minute donation of 300 pens and a bunch of pencils on top of the notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers and crayons already assembled. Plus a small stack of Early Childhood promo t-shirts in preschool sizes. Hopefully that will be a little motivator for their parents to sign them up at St. Joseph's Early Childhood Center.
The only incident was a tiff early in the morning between Yup-yup and Bob the Builder, as I'll refer to this guy who knows a lot of building owners around here. Bob called the cops on him, but they didn't want to arrest him and I ended up talking him down and slipping him $5 to stop being a nuisance. (Some other day I'll write about the block party slush fund.)
My new tenant, whom we'll call Shutterbug because he's a photographer, is also a basketball player and spent much of the night out shooting hoops on the street and stopping problems among the kids before they started. Rock on, Shutterbug!
Ms. Ribs (who outdid herself on the grill) said it best: "The kids acted nice. The adults acted nice. The weather was good."
Thanks to the following people and organizations from beyond the block for their assistance:
State Representative Esther Golar
Commander Eugene Roy, 9th District
Ald. JoAnn Thompson/16th Ward Dept. of Street & Sanitation
Neighborhood Housing Services
Kevin Carroll, Chicago Dept. of Transportation
The Resurrection Project
In the Paint
Chicago Children's Museum
Holy Cross/IHM Parish
49th Neighbor & CPS Office of Early Childhood
Rick Cadena
Dion Miller Perez
Jeff Nichols
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