Thinking Out Loud

 Tonight I walked along Morse Avenue, past the storefronts I’ve helped promote, past neighbors I’ve seen at community meetings, past the same sidewalks I’ve swept during cleanups. It made me think — about where we are, and where we could be.

I never set out to get into politics. I just wanted to make a difference.

But the more I listen to people in our neighborhood — people who feel forgotten, who’ve lost faith in City Hall — the more I wonder if maybe I should take that next step.

People have asked me, “Bill, are you going to run?” And I don’t have a final answer yet. But I know this: I care deeply about Rogers Park. I care about the seniors who don’t feel safe. I care about the business owner who’s barely making rent. I care about our parks, our youth, and our future.

If I ever run for Alderman, it won’t be for attention. It’ll be because I want to bring the everyday voices of Rogers Park into every room where decisions are made.

For now, I’ll keep walking these same streets, listening, learning, and doing the work — because that’s where real change begins.

— Bill Morton

One Conversation I’ll Never Forget

A few winters ago, I helped a local shop owner shovel snow off his storefront. He was older, ran the place mostly by himself, and told me business had slowed — not because people didn’t care, but because no one in City Hall seemed to care about him.

We talked for a while. He didn’t ask for handouts. He just wanted to be seen. Heard. Respected. That conversation has stayed with me ever since.

It reminded me why I do what I do — whether it’s promoting small businesses, cleaning up neglected corners of the neighborhood, or showing up to city meetings others ignore. Because people deserve more than speeches. They deserve action.

Lately, more and more neighbors have asked if I’m going to run for Alderman. I’m thinking about it — not because I’m looking for power, but because I want to do more for people like that shop owner, and for every resident who’s ever felt forgotten.

If I step forward, it won’t be for myself. It’ll be for the people I’ve already been standing beside — people who give everything to this neighborhood and ask so little in return.

That’s the kind of Rogers Park I believe in — one where we take care of each other. And if I can do more to make that happen, I’m ready.

— Bill Morton