Don Gordon - It's not "just politics"!

Don Gordon for 49th Ward Alderman

Word 49 - The Word on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge

49th Ward debate at Loyola Park Fieldhouse

49th Ward Aldermanic debate today at Loyola Park Field House - 3 pm. All candidates are invited!

1230 W. Greenleaf Avenue

Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois 60626

Word 49 - The Word on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge

Happening right now - Rally against Tawani Enterprises Lakefront Car Tower

The Rally against the Tawani Enterprises Lakefront Car Tower at 7315-33 N. Sheridan Road is in progress. http://t.co/u4yncx4lsy
— Rogers Park (@RogersPark1000) October 13, 2013

Word 49 - The Word on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge

Rally today against the Lakefront Car Tower

RALLY TODAY AGAINST THE LAKEFRONT CAR TOWER

On Sunday, October 13th, 2013 at 1:00 p.m., Rogers Park residents will rally against a proposed parking garage planned for construction at the corner of Sheridan Road and Sherwin Avenue.  The four-story parking garage required a zoning change and, despite receiving over 400 petition signatures opposing the change, Alderman Joe Moore approved the project.  

On October 17, the issue will come before the Chicago Plan Commission to consider whether the proposal meets the requirements of the Lakefront Protection Ordinance.  The ordinance recognizes that the City's Lake Michigan shoreline possesses special environmental, recreational, cultural, historical, community and aesthetic interests and values that require protection and preservation.  Rogers Park residents will testify at the hearing that the proposed garage violates the ordinance.

Rogers Park residents have a history of fiercely protecting their lakefront, its beaches and the architectural integrity of Sheridan Road, resisting any attempts to extend Lake Shore Drive through unsightly landfills or creating a high-rise canyon down Sheridan Road similar to what was foisted upon the Edgewater Community immediately to the South.

Sheridan Road in Rogers Park has retained a low-rise, residential character because of those efforts over the past 50 years. This parking garage proposal is yet another attempt to change the lakefront promenade quality of Sheridan Road and threaten its low-rise, residential character.

WHAT:     RALLY

WHERE:  MEET AT TOUHY AVENUE AND SHERIDAN ROAD

WHEN:    SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13th 2013, 1 P.M.

__________________________________________

Rally today against the Lakefront Car Tower

RALLY AGAINST THE LAKEFRONT CAR TOWER

On Sunday, October 13th, 2013 at 1:00 p.m., Rogers Park residents will rally against a proposed parking garage planned for construction at the corner of Sheridan Road and Sherwin Avenue.  The four-story parking garage required a zoning change and, despite receiving over 400 petition signatures opposing the change, Alderman Joe Moore approved the project.  On October 17, the issue will come before the Chicago Plan Commission to consider whether the proposal meets the requirements of the Lakefront Protection Ordinance.  The ordinance recognizes that the City's Lake Michigan shoreline possesses special environmental, recreational, cultural, historical, community and aesthetic interests and values that require protection and preservation.  Rogers Park residents will testify at the hearing that the proposed garage violates the ordinance.

Rogers Park residents have a history of fiercely protecting their lakefront, its beaches and the architectural integrity of Sheridan Road, resisting any attempts to extend Lake Shore Drive through unsightly landfills or creating a high-rise canyon down Sheridan Road similar to what was foisted upon the Edgewater Community immediately to the South. Sheridan Road in Rogers Park has retained a low-rise, residential character because of those efforts over the past 50 years. This parking garage proposal is yet another attempt to change the lakefront promenade quality of Sheridan Road and threaten its low-rise, residential character.

WHAT:     RALLY

WHERE:  MEET AT TOUHY AVENUE AND SHERIDAN ROAD

WHEN:    SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13th 2013, 1 P.M.

Word 49 - The Word on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge

49th Ward focused twitter

Twitter focused on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge neighborhoods, Word 49 is all about the 49th Ward of the City of Chicago:

https://twitter.com/word_49



Word 49 - The Word on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge

Public Meeting: Common Sense, Common Good

Public Meeting: Common Sense, Common Good

Photography by Bill Morton

updated 8:36 PM CST, Sun March 10, 2013

This evening Rogers Park residents and others from the 49th Ward met, showing a unity rarely seen. They were at Willye B. White Park to fight charter schools coming into the neighborhood.  It has been reported that Alderman Joe Moore had planned to be at this event, but those there are more than aware he was not.
Those in the crowd marched toward the 49th Ward Alderman's home, chanting "Save our schools", and when his door was knocked upon and his house surrounded by the community and media, his house remained eerily quiet.
A 14 year old boy who attends Gale School spoke of the hope that is brought on by seeing his seniors graduate and being elected into the presidency of  student run boards.
It is reported that Alderman Joe Moore's Chief of Staff, Michael Land, drove by to see the on-goings, and when community members tried to speak with him, he drove away.
Below are some images of the march to Mr. Moore's home.

__________________________________________

Edgewater, Rogers Park, West Ridge... We're all connected.

I have been chatting with Bill Savage over the past few days about the concept behind uniting our three communities of Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge with Word 49. The conversation continued onto the pages of everyblock chicago with the following:

...And lots of folks who have lived west of Ridge all their lives call it West Rogers Park. It's a losing battle, not worth fighting, especially since contiguous neighborhoods can be considered the same place; if this story was about gang rivalries in Englewood, it would be much less relevant to RPers, but WR isn't 15 miles away, it's right next door.

Bill Savage goes on to mention:

Check out Bill Morton's new site, which covers WR, RP and Edgewater. Our problems don't magically stop at Devon or Ridge or the city limits; we're all connected, like it or not.

Word 49 - The Word on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge

Events in Ward 49

I added the new Fresh Start Monday events to the Word 49 calendar:

Every first and third Monday of the month, join the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce in freshening Rogers Park up! Benefits local businesses through a cleaner and safer neighborhood with less litter, debris and contaminants on our sidewalks, streets and beaches. Think tourism. Neighborhood cleanup lasts one hour and snacks will be provided. Working together to Clean Up Rogers Park!

Also added eleven April 2012 events at The Lighthouse Tavern (7301 N. Sheridan Road Chicago, IL. 60626).

Check out the Events section for more details.

Bill Morton

Word 49 - The Word on Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Registered Voter

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election.

•Because your activism, including in reforming the system, will be more powerful if you have voted.

•Because your monitoring of the fairness of the election must begin with voting in it.

•Because there is a real value in not allowing things to get any worse than they have.

- Bill Morton

Rogers Park Deserves Better

Every day, I walk through the streets of Rogers Park—our streets—and I see a neighborhood full of potential, but weighed down by neglect. It’s heartbreaking.

The 49th Ward should be thriving. Instead, our small businesses are shuttering, our streets are dirty, crime is creeping up, and longtime residents feel ignored. It’s clear that the current leadership under Alderman Joe Moore is failing us. I don’t say that lightly. I say it because I live it, every single day, alongside my neighbors.

Too often, concerns brought to the Alderman’s office go unanswered. Transparency is lacking. Community input feels like an afterthought. And while politics continues behind closed doors, real people are left without real solutions.

But I still believe in Rogers Park.

That’s why I continue to do what I can—highlighting local businesses, supporting neighborhood events, attending community meetings, and talking directly with residents about what matters most to them. I'm not a politician. I’m just someone who cares deeply about this neighborhood and refuses to sit by while it declines.

I'm not interested in titles. I'm interested in results.

We need leadership that listens. We need advocacy that doesn’t vanish after election season. And more than anything, we need neighbors to come together and remind City Hall that we are still here, still paying attention, and still demanding better.

Rogers Park deserves clean streets, safe blocks, thriving businesses, and honest leadership. Until we get that, I’ll keep doing what I can—day by day, block by block—to help move us forward.

—
Bill Morton
Resident, Rogers Park
Community Advocate

Rogers Park - wikipedia

Rogers Park: The Wikipedia information.

Rogers Park or often incorrectly East Rogers Park is the northernmost of the Chicago community areas in Chicago, Illinois. It is bounded by the City of Evanston at Juneway Terrace and Howard Street to the north, Ridge Boulevard to the west, Devon Avenue to the south and Lake Michigan to the east. The neighborhood just to the west is often called West Rogers Park, although its formal name is West Ridge. Rogers Park is anchored by Loyola University Chicago and the Jesuit religious order. Historic places of interest include Madonna Della Strada and the site of the former palatial Granada Theatre.

The Rogers Park area was developed on what once was the convergence of two Native American trails, now known as Rogers Avenue and Ridge Boulevard, pre-dating modern metropolitan Chicago. The Potawatomi and various other regional tribes often settled in Rogers Park from season to season. The name of Indian Boundary Park in Rogers Park reflects this history.

Rogers Park was named after a pioneer settler and developer Phillip Rogers. Rogers often traded and worked with the local tribes. Envisioning a future settlement, Rogers eventually purchased the land from the tribes for later development.

From 1830 and 1850, waves of immigrants from Luxembourg and Germany came to Rogers Park, where farming was the main industry. The average price of land at the time was $1.25 an acre ($309/km²), and the dominant crops were hay and cucumbers for pickles and onions[citation needed]. On April 29, 1878,

Rogers Park was incorporated as a village of Illinois governed by six trustees. In 1893, the village was annexed to the City of Chicago. Successive generations brought about vast cultural changes to the village. Elite Chicagoans began to move to new planned communities in the suburbs by the 1930s, which ushered in the migration of Germans, English and Irish and Jewish families to Rogers Park. With the settlement of these migrants, their cultural traditions flourished

Rogers Park continued to see massive changes in its demographics into the twenty first century. The 2000 census data showed it to be one of the most diverse communities in the country, with a robust mix of ethnic backgrounds, languages, age diversity, and a wide range of family incomes. This diversity has been affected by the gentrification of the community. Much of the rental housing converted to condominiums since 2000 housed racial and ethnic minority households, while more than 90% of the new homeowners are white households, according to the Woodstock Institute [1], a nonprofit advocacy and research organization.
Rogers Park contains many houses of prayer of different religions and denominations.

Rogers Park is currently going through a period of gentrification. The population is divided on the issue.
Both alderman, Loyola University, and many property owners in Rogers Park support the gentrification currently going on in Rogers Park. Among those actively organizing against gentrification are the Rogers Park Community Action Network, Organization of the Northeast, the North of Howard Leadership Forum, and many individual block clubs and community groups.

Those in favor of gentrification point out that property values increase, that it brings investment to the community, increases property ownership and reduces crime in general.[1][2]

Those opposed point out that gentrification causes displacement of low-income families and the elderly in favor of younger, more affluent singles and couples, loss of diversity and does not establish long term residence. [3] [4]


Schools


Chicago Waldorf School
Field Elementary School
Gale School
Hayt Elementary School
Kilmer Elementary School
Loyola University Chicago
North Shore School
PACTT Learning Center
St. Margaret Mary School
St. Scholastica Academy
Sullivan High School
Swift Elementary Speciality School


Rogers Park has several elevated Red Line stations. Travel times to The Loop are at least 45 minutes due to the general disrepair of the tracks as well as reconstruction of the Belmont and Fullerton stations.[citation needed] There is also the Metra Rogers Park station, where travel times to downtown Chicago are 20 to 23 minutes.


Notable residents


Edward Gorey (childhood)
Phil Foglio (no longer resident)
Shecky Greene (former Sullivan High School student)
Elizabeth Bloomer, better known as Betty Ford


Elected officials

Aldermen
40th Ward Patrick O'Connor (D)
49th Ward Joe Moore (D)

County
10th District Mike Quigley (D)

Senate
7th District Carol Ronen (D) 8th District Ira Silverstein (D) 9th District Jeffery M. Schoenberg (D)

Representative
14th District Harry Osterman (D)

Federal

Representative
9th District Jan Schakowsky (D)

Senate
Richard "Dick" Durbin (D) Barack Obama (D)


External links

Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce
Official City of Chicago Rogers Park Community Map
History of Rogers Park on Encyclopedia of Chicago


References


^ Studies: Gentrification a boost for everyone.
^ What is Gentrification?.
^ What is Gentrification?.
^ Fighting Gentrification Chicago Style.