Vol. 18 No. 8 F Ebruary 17-F Ebruary 23, 2010

VOL. 18 NO. 8 F EBRUARY 17-F EBRUARY 23, 2010

Buy StreetWise only from a badged vendor $2 MISSION: TOHELPPEOPLEHELPTHEMSELVESTOSELF-SUFFICIENCYTHROUGHGAINFULEMPLOYMENT

BinDonated: Great Idea STREETWISE STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER BRUCE CRANE [email protected] By Bruce Crane program includes a focus commodity that is col- Executive Director lected each month, such as books, food, toi- EDITOR-IN-CHIEF One of the joys of letries, and coats. Last week we met, shook SUZANNE HANNEY [email protected] working with impas- hands, and this past Saturday Judd dropped off sioned, cause-driven four large cases of food. Today we have a won- DIRECTOR OF DISTRIBUTION & VENDOR SERVICES people is the energy derful stew and rice hot lunch for our vendors GREG PRITCHETT GPRITCHETT14@YAHOO COM and excitement they as a result. In fact, we will have hot food for our . bring to what we do. I vendors all week! PRODUCTION & MARKETING MANAGER see this in many of the volunteers and donors What a slick idea Judd had. It deserves to suc- BEN COOK who support StreetWise. I see this purpose in ceed. It fills a great purpose for agencies like us, [email protected] agencies that have similar missions to and makes donations so much easier for the DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING & StreetWise but different methods to achieve a public. It is a perfect fit that solves logistics CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT lasting impact; and I see it in agencies with very obstacles for his partner agencies and the pub- GRACE FEDERIGHI [email protected] different missions that s upport the homeless or lic too. We are so happy to be affiliated. those at risk of being homeless too. By the How can you help, you ask? Talk to your co- ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES interactions necessitated by my job here, I get workers or fellow tenants to get them to share MARY FAITH HILBOLDT invigorated by this passionate energy that sur- the excitement. Then talk to your company or PROOFREADER rounds the working relationships StreetWise building manager about BinDonated. Co nvince ROBERT CASS has with other agencies. Occasionally, however, them to check it out and join the program. BOARD OF DIRECTORS an individual strikes out with a new endeavor Learn more at www.bindonated.org. ROB FEDERIGHI—PRESIDENT JUDD LOFCHIE—FOUNDER that really fits with what we do. What seems With our support, BinDonated will grow and SOCORE ENERGY LOFCHIE & ASSOCIATES, INC. like a nice little idea gets legs and starts to make help many agencies like StreetWise to better PETE KADENS—VICE PRESIDENT ADAM MEEK SOCORE ENERGY BROWNFILED MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES a real difference. serve our clients, and to do it more effectively. I JUDD R. HORWITZ—TREASURER A StreetWise Board member sent me a link to can get excited about that! JUDD R. HORWITZ & CO. P.C. JASON MERSEY J.P. MORGAN RAY GILLETTE—SECRETARY a non-profit company they heard about. I NONPROFIT CONSULTING TIMOTHY RAY learned that Judson Kinnucan chucked his day SONNENSCHEIN, NATH & ROSENTHAL Advertise your Business in StreetWise Magazine LEE BARRIE KURMAN COMMUNICATIONS, INC. JONATHAN REINSDORF job recently and gave his idea wings: and support those who are homeless or at risk of STONEGATE DEVELOPMENT RICHARD BOYKIN PARTNERS, LLC BinDonated. His excitement was infectious. being homeless who are working towards BARNES & THORNBURG LLP self-sufficiency through gainful employment with WHITNEY ST. PIERRE The agency places collection bins in business, EMILY BRINKMOELLER dignity. Promote your business to a demographic INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES EXTENSION, INC apartment, and high-rise lobbies to collect items who is socially conscious, educated and always PATRICIA TILLMAN DANNY K. DAVIS VENDOR REPRESENTATIVE useful to other charities. wants to support like minded, local businesses. U.S. CONGRESSMAN, 7TH DISTRICT, ILLINOIS KEVIN WARD BinDonated performs the collection and dis- THE FORWARD GROUP tribution activ ity for its partner charities, mak- Call us at 312-829-2526 or e-mail is at LATONYA ELLIS ERIC WEINHEIMER VERIZON WIRELESS ing this process much more efficient and plen- advertising@streetwise.org CARA PROGRAM PAM FRYE IRA WILLIAMS tiful for the charities his company serves. His RETIRED JOHN J. LEONARD BERNSTEIN GLOBAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT

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2 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 Chicago Author Spotlight Post Black explores shifting dynamics Chicago author Ytasha Womack disdains labels in the African- American community in a “post race” environment. page 5 Event Calendar Galas and authors Memoirs from Emmett Till’s boyhood friend. Plus, Heartland Alliance’s Art of Human Rights benefit, 2nd Annual El Pueblo Canta concert, Night of 100 Stars Awards, & Pancake Day. 8 page Vendor Spotlight How are you getting home? Living it Up, Living it Right On paper the CTA service cuts Arnold Donaldson has overcome equal money saved during hard 25 years of homelessness and times. In application, it’s now addiction to become a leader in much harder for for Chicago’s late his church and his community. set to get home from work. page15 page12

news entertainment streetwise volunteer Chicago Author Spotlight page 4 FoodWise page 6 The Playground page 14 Volunteer Chicago page 7 WorldWise page 5 DineWise page 6-7 Vendor Profile page 15 Cover Story page 12-13 Event Calendar Page 8-9 More online at TechWise Page 10 www.streetwise.org Theatre page 11

FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG 3 Chicago Author Spotlight: Post Black explores shifting dynamics

be,” Womack writes in her introduction. “But has become more than an art form, influencing there’s very little understanding of who we black artists and serving as a marketing tool to are.” reach urban consumers. She argues that this Every African American is not into hip-hop. new cultural vein of urban chic, paired with the The traditional Christian church is no longer can-do-everything example of black music the center of the black community. All black moguls and athletes, has inspired black owned men are not homophobic. These are some of businesses around the country. They began the mantras repeated throughout the book, sup- moving from strictly black neighborhoods into ported by interviews with individuals who have mainstream markets, fueled by the Internet and broken these stereotypes. While it is important a larger, mu lticultural audience. to dispel past perceptions of black identity, “The new urban concept launched a wave of these points are pushed so forcefully onto read- businesses by African American entrepreneurs ers that her arguments often become more that targeted a combination of multiracial and about labels than individuality. She discusses African American aspirational consumers,” the different implications of “black” versus writes Womack. She emphasizes that the prod- “African American,” the definition of “urban,” gay ucts are still influenced by African American men who would rather be known as “men who culture, but that the “audience for their product sleep with other men,” bisexual women who is not specifically black.” hesitate to use the term, and the list goes on. Womack does an admirable job of breaking The staunch avoidance of being labeled is an do wn stereotypes that have been ingrained for exhausting theme that reappears in interviews years, but her arguments tend to bleed into th roughout the book. rants that are supported by little more than her Is this really about identity, or doing whatev- own assessment. Her interviews show that non- er possible to not fit into the categories already stereotypical groups exist and flourish in the defined by contemporary society? Her intervie- black community, which is important in its own wees tend to be educated, professional, and right, but they don’t necessarily represent the Ytasha Womack unwilling to be categorized. Would Womack race as a whole. still consider traditional African Americans to Womack ends the book with an expected By Samantha Blauw be “post black?” Though her general conclusion reflection on Obama’s campai gn, election and a StreetWise Contributor at the end of every chapter is to embrace hopeful prospect for the future, concluding that individuality, the message often gets lost in an his presidency “means you can, in fact, reach tasha Womack’s book Post Bla ck extensive analysis of labels. your highest possibilities.” explores the shifting societal dynamics Despite her dismissal of stereotypes, Ythat have thrust change upon the black Womack’s chapter called “Neofeminism” uses a community, rejecting decades of African few of her own in a criticism of what she calls American stereotypes. a “dated” collective definition of women. The Our Contributing Writers Womack critiques the hand-me-down labels problem is that her description of this so-called from older generations to explain what it means definition is way off base. She admits to having Ginny Erwin has written nutrition and fitness articles for to be black in contemporary society. This “post a “fundamental disinterest in some of the more several local and national publications, such as the Chicago Tribune and On-Health magazine. She has a bachelor’s degree black” era is defined by individu al lifestyles, and traditional women’s cohesiveness activities.” in nutrition science and dietetics and a master’s degree in cannot be lumped into what she calls “neat Critical of the dialogue at these functions, she nutrition communications and marketing. boxes” of prepackaged assumptions about says, “there’s just got to be more to womanhood black identity. She uses herself, entrepreneurs, than finding a husband, having great sex, dis- Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of professionals, scholars, and other progressive playing the fashion flair of the week, and find- Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and groups in the black community as the faces of ing a career that makes you self-sufficient and public relations agency. Please follow all StreetWise restaurant features on Twitter @DineWise and subscribe to the blog at: this new era. happy.” This is indeed a dated perception of http://dinewisechicago.blogspot.com. Or visit their blog at got- Womack is a former staff writer for the women, but Womack is the one using it. In keep- buzzatkurman.com Chicago Defender, and has contributed to pub- ing with her usual chapter endings, she empha- lications such as Ebony, Vibe, and XXL. She is a sizes the need to be ourselves, as women and Mary Faith Hilboldt is a freelance writer and blogger, with a graduate of Cla rk University and a member of individuals, but this is only after spending a con- B.A. in journalism from Marquette University,and a certificate the New Thought denomination. Post Black siderable amount of time generalizing women from Stanford University for a mass media institute in T.V. producing. She shared two awards for feature writing from reflects the young journalist’s take on recent who “embrace victimhood.” To suggest that the Illinois Woman’s Press Association with StreetWise editor factors that have redefined the traditional black men, whether it’s finding them, rejecting them, Suzanne Hanney. She blogs at postsfromparadise. experience. or being hurt by them, are the common link at blogspot.com. Her argument centers on the groups, events, these functions is a universal underestimation and cultural trends that have altered percep- of modern women, black or otherwise. For Samantha Blauw is senior journalism major at Loyola someone who is so concerned about society Chicago and is currently an intern at StreetWise. She has tions of African Americans, culminating with worked for the Loyola Phoenix for three years with the President Obama’s election. The focus is on 10 incorrectly categorizing her race, it is surprising Diversions section, writing reviews for music, theatre, features, key topics: the generation gap, the African that Womack has no issue using offensive and entertainment. She also has experience in broadcast and Dias pora, multiracial groups, gays, spirituality, stereotypes pertaining to her sex. spent the last semester at Fox Chicago News. hip-hop, black entrepreneurs, the “talented Her assessment of hip-hop’s part in catapult- tenth,” neofeminism, and finally President ing black entrepreneurs into uncharted territo- Ruth L. Ratny is celebrating her 30th year as chronicler of Chicago's visual media industry. Also a screenwriter, she is Obama. Through the lens of these emerging ry was an interesting and well-supported point. working on a movie about gospel great Mahalia Jackson, the groups, ideas, and individual struggles, she Hip-hop, once a mouthpiece for the young Oprah of her day, whose dream of equality 60 years ago was shapes her argument of a new black identity. black community, has expanded into a billion fulfilled by Barack Obama’s election to the White House. “There are those invested in who we should dollar industry with far reaching influence. It

4 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 International Network of Street Papers Street News Service A Vendor in Brussels WorldWise

By Aluma Vendor Aluma had lent me 1,000 kronor as emergency Reprinted from Aluma (Sweden) money; otherwise, I would’ve been sunk. Needless to say, once I was in my room the shoes were the The following essay was written by an Aluma first to go. vendor who wishes to remain anonymous. That night, after a long shower, I set the alarm on my mobile phone for 6:30 a.m. I slept a dream- When Aluma asked me last October to repre- less sleep, awakening refreshed to the sound of sent the magazine at a European Union (EU) con- the alarm. However, one thing caused me deep ference on poverty in Brussels, Belgium, I felt both concern: I’d read that Belgium is in the same time honored and excited. On the other hand, I was zone as Sweden, but the digital clock built into the filled with a deep sense of unease: of all the cities TV said 7:30. in Europe where you wouldn’t want to be with I immediately reviewed the possibilities: a) I only a few hundred kronor and no credit card, was in a different time zone (surely not); b) Brussels must be pretty high on the list. Belgium doesn’t use the daylight saving time sys- Nevertheless, five days later I found myself at tem (frighteningly possible); c) the TV clock had- Brussels Airport, dressed in the best clothes I n’t been adjusted to daylight saving time could muster and a pair of shiny black shoes I was (please!!). I shaved, dressed, and packed, and then, wearing for the first time, which were to cause me like a man possessed, shot down to the hotel’s much pain over the next 24 hours. restaurant. My previous knowledge of Belgium was fairly It was just opening. superficial and amounted to the following: Hallelujah! It was only 7 a.m. The country consists of the Dutch-speaking Stopping only to alert the desk that if they Flemish and the French-speaking Walloons. wanted to check that I hadn’t called “the For hundreds of years it’s been the favorite Australian speaking clock” or attempted alcoholic place for the European superpowers to fight their suicide via the minibar, this was their chance, and battles. could I have my 600 kronor (or, rather, Aluma’s) It’s been ruled by France, Spain, and Austria- back, please? Hungary, and didn’t become independent until I had to check in at the conference center in 1830. two hours, and I had no idea how long the jour- One of Belgium’s kings, Leopold II (1865-1909), ney might take. Back at the reception desk, I pro- was the most despised monarch in all of Europe. duced my maps and begged for guidance. Having taken over a part of Africa known at the Thirty minutes later I stood outside the from a dinner party, he was asked by a fellow time as the Belgian Congo, he embarked on a European Commission’s building. What a bleak diner what he thought of the food. “It was a fair regime of near genocide, stripping the country prospect. No trees, no plants at all—just nameless enough meal—but not a meal to ask a man to!” bare of every resource with a rapacity that caused edifices with rows of flagpoles, and as there was The whole event seemed like a lame PR exer- revulsion even in those imperialistic days. Not no wind, even they added to the gloom. An old cise to get the media “on board.” All presentation only that, every penny went into his own pocket. woman with a begging cup in one hand and a har- and little substance, it certainly wasn’t worth ship- In other words, Belgium seemed somewhat of monica in the other was playing a simple, repeti- ping people in from the four corners of Europe. an enigma to me. tive melody outside the building, but everyone Ironically, the lunch itself really was “a meal to Less of an enigma was Brussels Airport. You seemed to ignore her. ask a man to.” I can honestly say it was the second don’t realize how far you have to walk to get The conference was due to be opened by a most impressive buffet I’ve ever seen in my life, out of a major airport until your shoes start to speech from our own foreign minister, Margot with a choice of juice, wine, or champagne to rub sharply against your heels. By the time I Wallström. However, due to a critical meeting of swill it down with. reached the underground I was walking with a the European Council across the road, this was Although the EU has an international reputa- pronounced limp, my face twisted in pain. not to be. tion to maintain, and journalists are known to The Brussels underground was unlike any I’d Looking at my 390 fellow delegates as they set expect a generous spread on these occasions, one seen before. The middle classes and above were up their “state of the art” equipment, I soon real- can’t help but feel that a conference on poverty entirely absent. I was dressed in as businesslike a ized I was at a media event. isn’t the place to present such a dazzling feast. way as I could manage, carrying a Dell computer The word “conference” turned out to be some- I had to leave early to catch my flight, but I was case (it functioned as an overnight bag) and walk- thing of a misnomer; it materialized as a series of determined to walk up the hill and gaze upon the ing as though I were passing over burning coals. presentations by each member of two four-person triumphal arch and exhibition halls built by Bad Had I been carrying a sign proclaiming “PLEASE panels—one panel before lunch, and one after. King Leopold using some of his Congo “pocket MUG ME,” the picture would have been complete. Although time was allowed for questions from the money.” Reflecting on what a checkered and bat- After an hour and 20 minutes I emerged intact floor, “schedule overrun” meant that Q & A was tered history this little country has had, I couldn’t from the underground and made my way to the severely limited. help but feel that Belgium deserved some recogni- hotel. The first panel was made up of a European tion as the seat of the European Commission. Fifteen hundred meters later I was sweating commissioner, a sociologist, and two professional As for the commission itself, yes, it’s a huge, like a sockful of cheese (7 degrees Celsius in statisticians. They did their best, but in all honesty unwieldy monolith that grinds along at what Malmö, Sweden, 16 degrees in Brussels) at the it wasn’t the passionate stuff designed to make seems like a snail’s pace through mountains of reception desk, my feet about to burst into flames. anyone “rip up the furniture” in righteous indigna- procedures and protocols. Nevertheless, I did get Having confirmed my prepaid reservation, the tion. It seemed as limp as last week’s lettuce. By a feeling that its heart is generally in the right hotel then demanded a 600-kronor deposit— the panelists’ own admission, it held no big sur- place (not to mention its stomach). since I had no credit card—against possible prises. expenses for the telephone and minibar. Luckily, I felt like Samuel Johnson when, walking home © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG 57 FoodWise with Ginny Erwin

diabetes, and obesity show a greater benefit, Roasted Brussel Sprouts because physical activity can lead to weight (serves 4) loss and lower blood sugar; physical activity moves “sugar” out of the bloodstream and into FoodWise Shopping List: the muscles, ultimately burning up the sugar. •1 lb. of Brussels sprouts (rinsed and trim ends) Take a few minutes right now to evaluate •1 tablespoon diced garlic (3 cloves) your daily activities. Do you take elevators or •1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice escalators when you could be taking the stairs? • salt and pepper (your taste meter) Do you park your car as close as you can to the door when you could park farther away? Do •1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme you drive to the corner store to pick up milk or a lottery ticket when you could easily walk? Ginny’s Cooking Instructions: Those three options are easy ways to boost • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. your daily activity levels. Yes, they really do • Place brussels sprouts in a roasting pan. count! With the benefits of better blood-sugar • In small bowl add garlic, olive oil, and lemon control, enhanced mental function, and lower juice mix together. blood pressure, these are no-brainers for better health. • Pour mixture over the brussels sprouts and toss If you’re thinking, “Yes, I can do this, but gently until well coated. By Ginny Erwin wher e do I start?,” begin slowly. (You may want StreetWise Contributors • Sprinkle with salt to consult your physician if you’re just begin- NUTRITIONAL INFO www.ginetics.org and fresh ground ning an exercise program.) Set realistic goals. pepper to taste. Start with just 10 minutes a day, and then grad- Move more every day! ually add five minutes at a time until your goal • Put pan in oven and Did you know that you don’t have to break a is reached. Make time to fit exercise into your roast for 20 minutes. sweat to increase your personal fitness level? If schedule. Get up 10 minutes early and devote Remove from oven running for miles or joining an aerobics class that time to fitness, not turning on the comput- and gently toss again. isn’t your thing, routine daily activities such as er or filing paperwork. You should even lay out • Place back in oven shoveling snow, picking up trash in your yard, your clothes the night before, including a good washing your car, and cleaning your home are pair of walking shoes. and roast another 10 alternative ways you can increase it. Be sure to drink a few ounces of water minutes until some of A recent study by the U.S. Surgeon General before, during, and after your activity. Staying the leaves are golden found that participating in moderate physical hydrated will compensate for fluid loss caused brown. activity for 30 minutes at least five days a week by perspiration. • Remove from oven can significantly improve your overall physical Once this becomes your new habit, you’ll fitness. wonder why you didn’t start doing it sooner. and season with fresh Another study showed that people who do Just enjoy the benefits of feeling better and hav- thyme (optional). make it a point to add physical activity to their ing more energy throughout each day. I’m sure •Serve warm or daily schedule had a lower risk of developing your friends and family will thank you too! cold. certain types of depression. What is more signif- For more nutrition and fitness tips, go to icant is that people with cardiovascular disease, www.ginetics.org.

Having just left the adjacent JBar, where yours truly basil mashed potatoes. And, yes, we brought the bone (Cindy) was honored as a Media Maven, we were still home to our dog, Truffle, who was immediately in canine DineWise hungry and so we went next door, where the staff heaven. graciously welcomed us even without a reservation. We particularly like Filet Mignon, which is so tender it By Lee Barrie & Cindy Kurman Barrie The room is contemporary, comfortable and warmly doesn’t need a lot of aging. But for those of you who like StreetWise Contributors appointed. your Ribeye, Kansas City, Delmonico, Sirloin and other Our meal began with a delicious fresh-from-the-oven cuts, Primehouse dry ages them from 28-75 days in popover—a real treat. Primehouse makes a killer their own dry aging cellar, tiled with organic Himalayan David Burke’s Primehouse: Caesar salad, which they prepared for us tableside (we salt blocks to absorb moisture. The waiter proudly a newer kid on the block offering added a topping of white anchovies). We even had explained how Primehouse grows its own meat. They complimentary Surf & Turf Dumplings (angry lobster, own their own prime bull, “Prime,” who lives on a hip, contemporary spin on lemon, chives, crispy basil braised short rib, horseradish Creekstone Farms in Kentucky. “Prime” happily sires all cheddar), thanks to an iPhone promotion on Foursquare. the prime beef sold at the restaurant. Chicago’s steakhouse tradition Yum. Although prime dry aged beef is the headliner here, We try not to overdo our portions and Primehouse had there are several other seriously good contemporary It always amazes us at the number of steakhouse no problem letting us share a 20-oz. bone-in Filet choices for those who prefer something else. Appetizer offerings there are in Chicago. Judging by the num- Mignon, which was plenty, considering the a la carte choices include Miso Glazed Scallops with lobster fried bers, we are clearly the steakhouse capital. accompaniments we ordered. The waiter even sliced it rice and Thai peppers; Lobster Pasta with arugula, cher- Chicagoans love their meat and potatoes. for us tableside and exec chef Rick Gresh sent out a ry tomatoes, chanterelle mushrooms, strozzapreti pasta One relative newcomer to the steakhou se scene is variety of toppers including Béarnaise and three mouss- and truffle butter; Pan Roasted Baby Octopus with roast- David Burke’s Primehouse, located in the chic James es: horseradish, blue cheese and truffle. All are excellent ed peppers, chickpeas, grilled onions, charred tomatoes Hotel in River North. Primehouse is a hip, contempo- accompaniments to the perfectly prepared medium-rare and black olives; Pan Roasted Veal Sweetbreads with rary version with non-traditional selections alongside dry aged steak. We loved the easily shareable roasted roasted fennel, polenta and warm coriander vinaigrette. old favorites. mushrooms, the asparagus and shallot side dish and the For entrées, there are several poultry, lamb, fish and

6 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 Volunteer Spotlight: DuSable Museum

A DuSable Museum volunteer is an individual who contributes services that directly benefit the mission of the museum, for which there is no financial compensa- tion. Services are given on a scheduled basis for assigned projects, under the instruction of a designat- ed museum supervisor. DuSable volunteers are a diverse group of people who make immeasurable contributions to the advancement of the museum.

Who Can Become a Volunteer? DuSable Museum volunteers must meet the following requirements: • at least 17 years of age and an active member of the museum; • a minimum of eight hours of volunteer work each month for at least one year; • special skills, or the desire to learn new skills that work toward the museum’s mission. CHICAGO.ABOUT.COM Volunteers must complete the volunteer application available at dusablemuseum.org, meet with the volun- • Founder’s Day: The first Saturday of November Developed to preserve and interpret the experiences teer coordinator for an interview, and complete the ori- is when the museum celebrates the founders of and achievements of people of African descent, it’s entation or the training classes necessary for the posi- the DuSable Museum through programs and dedicated to the collection, documentation, preserva- tion. performances. tion, and study of the history and culture of Africans and African-Americans. The DuSable Museum is proud • The Kwanzaa Karamu: This celebration of a of its diverse holdings, which number more than Seasonal Programs culturally unique holiday includes brunch and special 15,000 pieces and include paintings, sculpture, print The DuSable Museum of African American History performances. wo rks, and historical memorabilia. Special exhibitions, has various seasonal programs that require the expert- workshops, and lectures are featured to highlight his- ise and know-how of our volunteers and docents. Our • Penny Cinema Series: Held every summer and toric events, collections on loan from individuals or volunteers provide extra manpower and valuable winter, this program allows schoolchildren of various institutions, or works by specific artists. resources for these programs, which our staff might ages to come into the museum and view different The museum is named for Jean Baptiste Point not accomplish otherwise: Afrocentric films for the admission price of a penny. DuSable, a Haitian of African and French descent. In 1779 he established the trading post and permanent • Martinmas Day: Celebrated in January, Martinmas About the Museum settlement that would become known as Chicago. Day honors the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King The DuSable Museum of African American History, Jr. located at 740 E. 56th Place in Chicago’s historic Hyde Volunteer Contact Park neighborhood, unites art, history, and Kay McCrimon, Special Projects Coordinator • The Annual Arts & Crafts Festival: Staged the sec- culture. 773-947-0600 ond weekend in July, the festival is a showcase for Founded in 1961 by teacher and art historian Dr. local artists and underscores our mission of preserving Margaret Burroughs and other leading Chicago citi- Museum Hours the history and culture of the African-American experi- zens, the DuSable Museum is one of the few inde- Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5p.m. ence. pendent institu tions of its kind in the United States. Sunday: Noon to 5 p.m. seafood selections, such as Seawater Brined Half Chicken, semi boneless, with basil whipped potatoes, asparagus and roasted garlic jus; Roasted Lamb Rack, with cavetelli “mac n cheese,” and almond mint pesto. Fish lovers will enjoy the Seared Alaskan King Salmon, with bok choy, shrimp and pork dumplings, wonton broth, and the Pan Roasted Red Snapper, with dry aged Kobe paprika sausage, clams, garlic & grilled artichokes. For dessert, we enjoyed a sampling of cheeses from the generous selection (Chef Gresh is a cheese aficiona- do and clearly knows what he’s doing) and the amazing homemade doughnut holes, accompanied by three small squeeze bottles of fillings (fill your own dough- nuts—a fun touch.) Keep in mind that prime beef can be pricy, so expect to pay around $50 or more per person for dinner. It’s a bit expensive, but rest assured that Primehouse’s pricing is in keeping with other prime steakhouses in Chicago. For your dollar, you get a very creative and David Burke’s Primehouse Hours: contemporary experience and excellent service in an 616 N. Rush St., Chicago Breakfast: 7-11 a.m., daily atmosphere that works for business as well as that (312) 660-6000; Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Mon.-Fri. special date. www.davidburkesprimehouse.com Sunset: 3-5 p.m., daily

FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG 7 February 17-23 events

Mount Righteous often plays REEL FILM without amplifiers or microphones. You can catch them Thursday night at Ronny’s Bar.

First use of DSLR camera for feature Escape Films shoots dark drama with Canon EOS 73 By Ruth L. Ratny StreetWise Contributor

Producers Boris Wexler and Julian Grant of Escape Films have the distinction of being the first Chicago filmmakers to shoot an entire feature film with the Canon EOS 7D, one of the new generation of DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) cameras geared toward independent filmmaking. W e d n e s d a y F r i d a y Their “under $500,000” dramatic feature, Fall Join Heartland Alliance’s Junior Board for the annu- Away, has been shooting on weekends at locations The Art Institute of Chicago is offering free around Chicago, said Wexler. admission the entire month of February. Regular al cocktail party and art auction The Art of Human “We looked at the RED [made by RED Digital hours are Mon-Wed and Fri 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Thu Rights. Formerly known as “Art Against AIDS,” the Cinema Camera Company], but found the Canon 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m. In popular event attracted more than 400 attendees 7D performs best at night in low light. This is a addition, there are gallery talks (45-60 min.), daily last year. Proceeds from the event not only support pretty dark film, set in nighttime Chicago with at noon; express talks (30 min.): Wed noon, Thu Heartland Alliance’s services for people living with scenes in bars, and the Canon works without a tremendous amount of light. 5:30 p.m., Fri 2 p.m.; highlights tours (60 min.): HIV/AIDS, but also other Heartland programs that “I shot previously with a 7D after using it on a Tue and Thu 2 p.m. (Thu 7 p.m., 30 min.), Sun currently serve more than 200,000 individuals and short film and was blown away by its quality. It’s noon; and Modern Wing highlights tours (60 min.): families threatened by poverty or danger. River East visually very comparable to the RED, but without Mon, Wed, Sat 2 p.m. 111 S. Michigan Ave. Art Center, 435 E. Illinois St. Advance tickets start the same resolution,” explained Wexler, who also at $125 per person. For tickets or more info, visit created the Pillow Talks series of “webisodes” (pil- For more info, call 312-443-3600 or visit artofhumanrights.com. low-talks.tv) and has two other feature films in artic.edu/aic. development. The Field Museum is offering free admission as Fall Away centers on Jake, the lead singer of a S a t u r d a y Chicago country band who’s brutally murdered well Wed 2/17 and Tue-Wed 2/23-2/24, 9 a.m.-5 Celebrating the struggle for immigrant justice as after spending a lifetime hiding his bisexual p.m. 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. For more info, call identity. 312-922-9410 or visit fieldmuseum.org. well as supporting local immigrant justice work, Grant is directing the film, and he wrote the the 2nd Annual El Pueblo Canta concert features script based on an original story by actor Grant T h u r s d a y artists Jon Fromer and Francisco Herrera, Stokes, who plays Jake. “I wanted to look at the Californians who are active in immigration justice many faces and stories we create as human Mount Righteous, the nine-piece orchestral punk work and efforts to close the School of the beings, the duality of Jake and his Jekyll-and- ensemble and choir from Grapevine, Texas, plays at Hyde behavior,” Grant said. Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia; Voices, a 8 p.m. at Ronny’s Bar, 2101 N. California Ave. Fall Away also stars Erinn Strain, Nathaniel Card, Chicago-based political folk group; Losdelzur, a and Ann Hagmann. After shooting for 18 days on Featuring mostly acoustic instrumentation, Mount local El Salvadoran group; and Peter Buttitta and weekends, the production temporarily shut down Righteous have been known to perform without the Jim Manzardo from St. Gertrude Catholic Parish. 7 in mid-February, but filming starts up again in use of amplifiers or microphones, relying on the p.m. (doors open at 6:30), St. Gertrude Social Hall, April, when the crew heads to Nashville for a few thunderous rumble of sousaphone, trombone, trum- 1420 W. Granville Ave. $25 general admission, $10 days. pet, and marching drums; the melodic intricacy of Grant, who’s produced many TV movies and is students and those with limited income; visit piccolo, melodica, bells, and guitar; and the power best known for directing the 2000 miniseries waucc.org for advance tickets. of eight harmonized voices lifted in jubilant aban- RoboCop: Prime Directives, is also editing Fall The monthly ITVS Community Cinema showcase Away. don. Jewsus headlines, and Blue Ribbon Glee Club See fallawayfilm.com for more information. opens. For more info, visit myspace.com/ronnysbar. features screenings of the Emmy Award-winning series The Independent Lens about one month prior

8 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 February 17-23 Events

to broadcast on PBS. “The Eyes of Me”: 2 p.m., beautiful portrait of two young artists’ prelude to Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, fame. The library opens at 1 p.m., the auditorium’s 77 E. Randolph St. Free. For more info, call 312- doors open at 1:30, and the program starts at 2. 744-6630. 400 S. State St. Cosponsored by Borders Books The fifth annual indoor-outdoor winter celebration and Music. Please note: seating is limited, and pro- Polar Adventure Days features ice sculptures, an vided on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more JFITZAGENCY.COM arctic dogsled team, an arctic camping demo, sto- info, visit chipublib.org. rytelling, and the chance to peek at birds of prey and other animals. Also, visitors can rent snow- M o n d a y shoes for free and trek about the grounds. The first No tragedy has had a greater impact on race rela- 500 visitors receive free hot chocolate. Noon-4 tions in America than the kidnapping and brutal p.m., Northerly Island, 1400 S. Linn White Dr. Free murder of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old African- admission. For more info, call 312-742-7529. American boy from Chicago who was beaten, shot The DuSable Museum of African American History’s to death, and dumped in the Tallahatchie River, black-tie 2010 Night of 100 Stars Awards honors allegedly for whistling at a white woman during a Sherri Shepherd, cohost of ABC’s The View; James visit to Mississippi in 1955. Till’s cousin, Simeon Reynolds Jr., chairman and CEO of Loop Capital; Wright, was with him that summer and was sleep- and Damani Bolden, a senior at Lindblom Math & ing in the same bed when the kidnappers came for Science Academy and student member of the Till. Wright has written a gripping coming-of-age Chicago Board of Education. 6 p.m.-midnight, 740 memoir about the events of that summer, E. 56th Pl. $300; proceeds benefit the museum’s Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the educational programs and 2009-2010 exhibit Kidnapping of Emmett Till, which he’ll discuss as schedule. For more info, call 773-947-0600 or visit part of the Chicago Public Library’s African prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohib- dusablemuseum.org. American Heritage Month, along with his personal ited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so account of growing up in Mississippi in the ’40s, pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, S u n d a y the crime, the sensational trial, and how the Till milk, and butter, hence the name Pancake Tuesday. family endured the difficult time afterward. 6:30 Although all the tickets for her performance at Celebrate by getting a free short stack of butter- p.m., Chicago Public Library, Manning Branch, 6 S. Hopefest on Saturday have been snatched up, you milk pancakes (that’s three ’cakes) at IHOP, and Hoyne Ave. For more info, call 312-746-6800 or can still catch Patti Smith on Sunday in the show your support for the chain’s national efforts visit chipublib.org. Harold Washington Library Center’s Cindy Pritzker to raise $1.75 million for children’s charities Auditorium discussing her new book, Just Kids, a T u e s d a y through the Children’s Miracle Network by making memoir of her time in New York with photographer a donation. 7 a.m.-10 p.m., 5929 N. Lincoln Ave. Robert Mapplethorpe. Just Kids begins as a love Also known as Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, and IHOP restaurants nationwide will be participating; story and ends as an elegy; it’s a fascinating look Mardi Gras, National Pancake Day dates back find a location near you at ihoppancakeday.com, or at New York in the late ’60s and the ’70s, and a several centuries to a time when the English call 773-769-1550 for more info.

FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG 9 TechWise with the Digital Doctor What’s the big deal with HTML 5? By Rafiki Cai StreetWise Contributor The World Wide Web, the core of the Internet that we daily use the most, is very much akin to an amoeba life-form. It’s ever pushing forward through mitosis, and at the same time adapting to life around it, in a way that propels it along a path of evoluntionary development. Just think: back in the early 90's the Net was mostly just reams of text data, flying around from screen to screen. There have been quantum leaps along the way. The browser. Audio and video encoding and streaming. Search engines. Social net- works. Web apps. The public facing innovations above ground, such as applications, games and media fly along at a much more rapid pace than does the infra- structure that supports it all. This underlying cyber-fabric, a mesh of standards such as Hyper- Text Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and many more, hold together the many web interactions, transactions and resources that you and I enjoy and depend on every day. Because standards organizations pour years of scrutiny and development into these stan- So what's the big deal with HTML 5 and public places are under a WiFi cloud. Thus dard s, you and I can have rich experiences, with what's in it for you? Let's see if we can navigate we've been languishing but for a bridge to con- our personal heavy lifting amounting to the quickly through 3 highlights. nect our online and offline worlds. weight of our mouse or finger. Most people HTM L 5 answers the call, with its facilitation have no idea how the Web technically works, 1) Video Flies Free of simple offline caching. Were you to look at behind the scenes, and neither could they care. A major current, and future, “utility” of the the properties of your hard drive right now, For the most part, that's understandable, Web is streaming video. Before now this utility how much of it would show as unused? For because the vast majority of us also could not has been made possible with the help of propri- most people, a significant portion. Why should build the houses in which we live, nor are we etary plug-in's; such as Adobe Flash, Real's Real our online resources find a way to live in that well versed in the science and standards that Player and Microsoft's Window's Media. space, so that they can be accessible when make their construction possible. Proprietary solutions, while valuable, are needed. Yes, even when we're not connected to It’s all well and good for us to leave architec- closed, they cost and have forward develop- the Net. ture to the architects, and building to the ment limitations (mostly due to limited finan- masons and carpenters. However, a rich basic cial and intellectual resources). 3) Richer and Easier level of understanding is never a bad thing. It With HTML 5 online video goes open source. To use an analogy, once Catholic masses were can help one to better appreciate and extract It becomes an actual part of the Markup offered in English, appreciation for and partici- full value, from what these specialists do with Language, the very bricks comprising the web. pation in the processes opened up to more peo- their crafts. Major sites such as YouTube and Daily Motion ple by magnitudes. The same holds for the Thus, I'd like to engage you briefly in the dis- are already offering complete HTML5 versions open web that HTML 5 promises to facilitate. cussion of a forthcoming web standards of their site, in beta or full delivery. You can take The building blocks of the Web will be made advancements; one of the biggest in quite a the future for a test drive, and offer your feed- more robust and easier to handle, all at the same while. Its known as HTML 5. I promise not to back and input into the process. time. This will result in the creation of more bore you to death. Flowers should be sent to San Jose, Seattle diverse and innovative web spaces, because the Why should I care, you may be saying? One and Redmond tha nking the aforementioned Big ranks of web architects will expand. reason that I'd offer is, because netizens-that Video Three for their past services; but the open I urge you to be a more engaged netizen, not would include you-need to become a little bit source community, stretching from Stanford to only in the click process; but in the understand- more savvy about how their Web works. One Saigon to Sao Paulo, Brazil can take it from here. ing of some what goes on behind and through net benefit would be, higher levels of expecta- Thank you so much and good luck to each. the clicks. Consider it a form of “digital civic tion; primarily because more people would duty.” Who knows, you may find that there's a then have an idea of what's possible and how 2) Offline and Online Get Married Web builder in you that you were unaware of. things should work, at least in terms of effec- So much of our lives, whether for entertain- tiveness and efficiency. This would be a huge ment or enterprise, are becoming centered Rafiki Cai is The Digital Doctor, a veteran Internet step forward, because right now there's some around the Net. One of the frustrating chal- technologist of 15 years. H is column appears courtesy crappy stuff getting by on the Internet; and lenges of that reality, is that the horizons and of sponsorship by local Clearwire distributors. He can mostly because most people don't know that edges of our online world does not reach far be reached by email: [email protected] or SMS: it’s crappy. enough. Not enough of our cities, counties and 801-618-0824.

10 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 StreetWise Theatre Spotlight

The Who’s Tommy

In 1969 the Who’s rock opera Tommy became the first concept album of its kind, chronicling the story of a young man whose life is defined and forever altered by a terrible act of violence. Based on the album, with music and lyrics by Who songwriter and guitarist Pete Townshend, The Who’s Tommy is a musical that takes audi- ences on the journey of a child who lives buried inside himself, only to become a man who lives Chekhov’s Shorts too much for others, and his ultimate discovery that what sets us apart is what gives us our place in the world. With a Tony Award-winning score and rock-concert staging, Jeff Award- nominated director Geoff Button, a third-year A MFA directing student at Northwestern University, brings the story of Tommy to light in a new, electrifying way. Performances are Thu-Sat 8 p.m. (Sat 3/6, 2 p.m. only) and Sun 2 p.m. (Sun 3/7, 8 p.m. only), plus Wed 3/3, 8 p.m., through 3/7 (no perform- educators/administrators; and $10 full-time Get ready to have all your preconceptions ance Fri 3/5), Northwestern University Theatre students (discounts available for groups of 15 or about Chekhov blown away! No morose hand and Interpretation Center, 1949 Campus Dr., more). For more info, contact the box office at wringing here. No depressed, suicidal, angst ridden characters in sight. This is an evening of Evanston. $15 general admission; $12 seniors 847-491-7282. fun, frolic, & farce. Vaudeville ala Chekhov! (over 65), NU faculty/staff, and area Did you know Anton Chekhov wrote hundreds of short stories? Or that he wrote short satiric and comedic pieces for the Russian

WWW.BROADWAYWORLD.COM vaudeville? Enjoy a selection of the best of these pieces Playing in the Garage Theatre and a World Premiere adaptation of one of his short stories in an evening of laughter, fun, and punkplay was a child. He didn’t think it was surprises. Just for you! possible to find someone who Each piece will be directed by a different tal- When Duck and Mickey would never leave him until Bernd ented Chicago director from all over the discover “punk,” it’s like nothing stepped into his life; a willing vic- Chicago theater community. From a former they’ve ever heard. It’s fast. It’s tim was the only piece missing, Harvard/Yale drama teacher to a recent Columbia College grad, these men and women alive. It’s already dead. Told at and now he has it. Based on the shocking events will astound you with their original, offbeat, and breakneck speed in a terrifyingly mesmerizing interpretations of Chekhov's that made headlines in 2003, young vernacular, Gregory S. Shorts. Moss’s punkplay explores identi- Adore challenges our simpler con- 10 comic shorts by Anton Chekhov, plus 3 ty and the impulse to explode cepts and presents love, literally, pieces termed “Chekhov's Speedos” (since they out of your adolescence. as an all-consuming act. It follows are so very short) brought to you by 11 differ- Directed by David Perez, it fea- the desires, fears, and obsessions ent directors. The shows include adaptations of tures Matt Farabee, Alexander of two men willing to give them- The Bear, The Perils of Tobacco, The Festivities, Lane, Tanya McBride, and Keith selves over completely to their hid- Swan Song, The Man in a Case, The Wedding Neagle and is part of the Visiting den passions, however unthinkable Reception, Drama, The Power of Hypnotism, The Proposal, The Only Way Out. Speedos Company Initiative Garage Rep they may seem to the rest of the world. Written and directed by include The Sneeze, Before The Eclipse, A at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1624 N. Mouth as Big as All Outdoors. Chicagoan Stephen Louis Grush, Halsted St. Performances run $15, $10 for students with valid IDs, $7 for through Sun 4/25; visit steppen- Adore features Eric Leonard and seniors and children younger than 12. Group wolf.org for dates, times, and Paige Smith and is part of the rates also are available. Call the Box Office at ticket prices. Visiting Company Initiative Garage 773.404.7922 or go online at ticketweb.com. Rep at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1624 Performances of each production are Fridays Adore N. Halsted St. Performances run and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sun 4/25; visit steppen- through March 15th. Armin is a cannibal. It’s a wolf.org for dates, times, and ticket All performances take place at St. Bonaventure, 1625 W. Diversey, at Marshfield, secret he’s kept ever since he prices. just west of Ashland, in Chicago.

FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG 11 Cover Story

How are you getting home? By Suzanne Hanney and Mary Faith Hilboldt Hallis’s home. valet parking attendant at 6030 N. Sheridan Rd. StreetWise Editor-in-Chief, StreetWise Contributor “I’m going to have to find another job,” he said. He took the No. 147 Outer Drive Express bus; he he Chicago Transit Authority “What else can I do? I have a driver’s license but was waiting for the No. 14 Jeffrey Express at says it has only reduced serv- don’t have a car, can’t afford a car, and only have Adams and Michigan at 11:45 p.m. a bike for alternative transportation.” He only Hudson works until 10 p.m. three days a week Tice. Wrong—it is actually rides his bike in the summer. and 11 p.m. the others, but on February 7 both changing lives. Hallis has complained about CTA service cuts express buses stopped running at 10:30. The Effective February 7, the CTA reduced frequen- to his state senator and representatives, but to no alternative is a potentially two-hour trip: the CTA cy on 119 bus routes and seven of its eight rail avail. “What about the rest of the night workers?” Red Line to 95th Street and the connecting N5 lines. Nine express buses were also eliminated he said. “All the restaurant workers, the cleaning South Side Night Bus. However, that bus’s route (though their corresponding local service people. How are they going to get home?” doesn’t begin until midnight and only runs every remains intact). And hours were reduced on “Night Owl” service for both bus and rail half hour—a missed connection would add to 41 routes, with bus service starting later and end- remain unchanged, the CTA said November 12 Hudson’s travel time. ing earlier. on its Web site, “preserving service for those Reginald Jackson, who works as a doorman on Jim Hallis worries that he may have to quit his third-shift workers who have few options other the Gold Coast and lives near 73rd and East End, new job making marketing calls for a performing than public transit.” was among 15 people on the No. 6 Jeffrey arts group between 7 and 11 p.m. nightly. Hallis Express at 12:33 a.m., the last bus on the new lives in Norridge and works in Old Town, which It Wasn’t Easy Before... schedule. On the three days that he works 4 p.m. he reaches via the No. 81W West Lawrence bus, But StreetWise visited the Loop late at night to midnight, Jackson said he would be lucky to the CTA Blue Line, and another bus. the week before the cuts were implemented and catch this bus at State and Lake. Normally, he After Hallis spoke to his boss about the CTA found that workers were already anticipating takes the Jeffrey to 47th and Lake Park, where he service cuts, he was told he could leave at longer—and potentially less safe—commutes switches to the No. 28 Stony Island, but the 10:30—but the last No. 81W bus leaves the home from work. February 7 service cuts mean that that bus also Cumberland station on the Blue Line at 10:50. It used to take Patrick Hudson 80 minutes to stops running at 12:30 (instead of 1:45, like It’s a mile walk from the train station to get home to 95th and Colfax from his job as a before).

12 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 Cover Story “The only choice I have is to take that damn he could drive to work, but parking is expensive. Red Line,” Jackson said. “It’s wild on that line. All Frankfurt prefers the bus to rail because of the kinds of shit happens there. But [No. 6] is one of CTA Bus Tracker system. the safest routes there is.” Past Bucktown, it’s a sleepy ride down a dark He pondered instead taking the Red Line to and quiet Milwaukee Avenue. The No. 56 has only 69th Street and then a bus to Stony Island, which two passengers—and none at all for over a mile would still leave him a four-block walk. The No. 6 before reaching the terminal at 2 a.m. For bus takes him within two blocks of his home. driver Diandre Drink, it could be one of his last Jackson said he can’t quit his job. He’s also runs before being laid off February 7, after four considered taking a cab from 47th and Lake Park years and seven months on the job. or having a friend pick him up. “But that’s $25 or $50 extra; you have to make it worth somebody’s CTA Workers while to come get you at 1 a.m. I only make $11 The CTA is laying off 100 rail motormen and an hour. What do they want me to do?” 1,000 bus drivers. The 18 percent reduction in bus service and 9 percent in rail service also Safety a concern allows CTA to retire 287 buses that are at least 15 Reginald Northbound on the No. 6, University of years old and to close the 102-year-old Archer Jackson rides Chicago hospital worker Tony Purkal also cited Garage. CTA proposed the service cuts in the No. 6 Jeffrey safety as his reason for choosing the bus over the November, after it projected a $300 million home from Red Line on his way home to Uptown. revenue shortfall in October. downtown and Purkal works 3 to 11:30 p.m. and sometimes “Like everyone else, CTA has been hit hard by the Gold Coast. has to stay late. “There’s not a lot of alternatives the recession,” president Richard L. Rodriguez to get downtown,” he said, especially since two said in prepared material on the organization’s routes that serve the University of Chicago have Web site. “Our primary revenue sources—sales been eliminated. “The Red Line is difficult to get taxes, real estate taxes and fares—are all tied to to and dangerous from the Hyde Park area. After the health of the economy.” Tax-funded revenues getting mugged twice, I decided to go east rather were 34 percent lower than when the budget than west.” was initially drawn up. Driver Saadia Jones, meanwhile, expected she Personnel costs account for nearly 70 percent would be laid off February 7, just six months of the CTA’s budget, and 90 percent of the work- after she was hired. Jones had been a taxicab force is unionized. “We’re continuing to work driver but said she sought out the CTA for more with the unions in the hopes of identifying sav- stable employment. She’d also been in the ings so that some service and jobs can be process of writing a reality-show treatment that restored,” Rodriguez said on February 7. would encompass some of the violence around However, Robert Kelly, president of her CTA garage at 77th Street. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, disputed The No. 6 is ending an hour earlier and the No. the CTA’s budget estimates as well as the need 14 is both starting later and ending earlier—a for layoffs or concessions to the contract that’s two-hour reduction in service, notes Citizens been in place since January 2007. Unions Taking Action, an advocacy group for transit- received a 3 percent raise last year and were dependent riders. scheduled to receive a 3.5 percent raise this year, Miguel Cuz The advocacy group points to the North Side according to the CTA. takes the No. 56 for CTA’s biggest service cut: the No. 56 “The CTA’s budget estimates are not believ- Milwaukee after Milwaukee bus, which runs between Madison able,” Kelly said in a January 28 letter posted on Metra from and Wabash, northwest on Milwaukee Avenue to the rail workers’ Local 308 Web site. “And it is just South Chicago. Jefferson Park, four stops from O’Hare. The No. not reasonable to eliminate the shortfall by tak- 56 is losing over four hours of service: it will start ing it all from CTA employees.” an hour later, at 4:30 a.m., and end at 10:30 p.m. CTA spokesperson Catherine Hosinski said instead of 1:50 a.m. that federal anti-discrimination provisions “Very problem, 10:30 bus no later,” said assured that routes that serve minority communi- Zenobia Godlewska, who works from 5 p.m. to 1 ties or the poor were not disproportionately a.m. cleaning offices. Although the CTA Blue Line impacted. She also cited the backgrounds of the parallels Milwaukee Avenue for much of its CTA president, chairman and board members: route, her home is nearly a mile from the train, “you will see they are a diverse group with very and connecting bus service ends soon after she deep community-based backgrounds. As individ- leaves work. The No. 56 bus, however, drops her uals and as a group, they are very sensitive to off within a block of her home. issues of fairness and equity.” Miguel Cruz got on the No. 56 bus at 1:11 a.m. In addition, Hosinski said the service reduc- after taking Metra from South Chicago to reach tions cover the CTA system as a whole. As an his longtime job as a helper at the Chicago example, she cited buses on Ashland and Western Tribune’s plant near Grand and Halsted. Even Avenues that serve customers on the North, though the Blue Line stops nearby, Cruz said he South and West Sides. planned to walk up Grand Avenue from Michigan “As far as the mechanics for how the plan was because of service issues on the subway line. developed, the goal was to maintain as much Another No. 56 rider, Eugene Frankfurt, lives in service as possible for riders,” she continued. “By Eugene Bucktown and is employed at a startup in the reducing the frequency of service during off- Frankfurt rides West Loop, where he finishes work between 11 peak hours and trimming hours of operation, we the No. 56 from p.m. and 1 a.m. The bus runs within a block of were able to keep the number of routes and serv- the West Loop to both home and work, whereas the Blue Line ices being eliminated to a minimum. That said, Bucktown. means a 10-minute walk, he said. He added that we still had to cut $95 million in service.”

FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG 13 The Playground

Crossword pmaeveryday.com day...? your was How Ask Eugene “ a l l t h e b r i l l i a n c e t h a t w i l l f i t ”

Dear Eugene, I don’t want to be coarse or vulgar, but why do people think that it’s appropriate to just release their indiges- tion on the train? It’s killing me. When I look around it’s obvious by other people’s faces that they notice it too, and don’t appreciate it. Why isn’t anyone doing anything?

Positive? —Teary Eyed

Dear Teary, I’m glad that you’re brave enough to bring th is transgres- sion to light. I too have noticed this happening at an alarm- ing rate. I think that part of the problem is that people forget they are on Public Transportation, which means they have to share (air among other things). That means they have to scoot over if there’s an empty seat. That means they have a social contract to keep things filed neatly and keep to them- selves (music, phone arguments, your aforementioned body expulsions.) The hard part of an understood social contract is enforcing those who break it. The CTA can bring down the hammer on larger issues (see: harassment) but it’s the little crimes that seem to go unpunished. Although I am all about fighting for true justice, I’m afraid you’re going to have to let this offense go. You can’t accu- rately pick out the ill-mannered deviant, and chances are if Need to post you created a scene to embarrass the olfactory vagrant you a legal notice will become an even bigger source of annoyance to your or a classified fellow passengers, thereby defeating the purpose of your ad? valiant stand altogether. Contact us at You can send Eugene your questions at 1201 W. Lake, Chicago, advertising@ IL, 60607 or e-mail him at [email protected]. streetwise.org or Sudoku 312.829.2526 Difficulty: Medium Deadline: must submit 3 Mondays prior to desired publication date. StreetWise Last Week’s Answers publishes every Wednesday

14 WWW.STREETWISE.ORG FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 Vendor Spotlight

Living it up, living it right Meet: Arnold Donaldson By Ben Cook haven’t messed up once since I’ve been there. No StreetWise staff more jails for me. I’ve been through quite a lot in Last time we featured Arnold Donaldson he was the last three years, but during that time I’ve made 1 year sober and becoming more involved with my court dates, I’ve never had a dirty drop. The his spiritual nature. Now, he’s proud to be 3 years judge calls me ‘superstar’ because a lot of guys sober and is more dedicated than ever to living up don’t follow the rules.” to his highest self. In addition to having his own place soon, “I’m at Central Memorial Missionary Baptist Arnold’s been managing his money saving up for Church at 249 N. Kedzie. I’m in the choir. It’s my a way to get around to all of his activities and obli- first time being in a choir—I hadn’t ever done gations. “I’ve also got my driver’s license now for anything like it before, but I wanted to do some- the first t ime in nine years. I’m saving up to get me thing to be involved. I’m getting better at singing. a car in June. Something simple to get me around, When I got there I couldn’t really. I’m also going something to help out. Then, after that I’m going out in a team to witness to people. I’m going out to continue to save more. It’s about doing the to visit the sick and shut-ins. I’m doing something right thing with your money—saving your money constructive with my time.” trying to do better. I’m always going to have Each year there is an after church lunch for goals. Once my goals stop, living stops, so you got “family & friends,” and Arnold was delighted to to have goals your whole life. You start out with have more people show up than anybody—they little goals. Whene ver I do something good or were all StreetWise customers. something turns out right, I give myself a little pat Arnold beams with pride “I’m so glad they on the back. You’re not going to be perfect all the came: we had a program—we had mimes danc- time—you’re going to fall, and have phases—but ing, I sang in the choir—it was great. It was like a we still have to strive to do better next time and big celebration.” to know where we failed at.” Arnold is proud to belong to such an energetic Though all of his recovery, having a flexible job I’m in the choir... I’m also community. “I’ve been a member almost two selling magazines and building up a regular cus- years. I’m an active worker, and active member— tomer base has been key for Arnold’s success. going out in a team to I pay tithes and stuff. Last year they sent me to “StreetWise is my income, it pays my bills. witness to people I’m Texas as a Sunday school representative in StreetWise teaches me how to be a businessman: Houston, Texas. They chose me because I’ve never to manage money, it gives me an incentive to man- going out to visit the sick missed a day of Sunday school and I go to Bible age money, or to someday run my own business. ” “ and shut-ins. I’m doing study at night. When he’s not selling magazines or going to Other positive events are at work in Arnold’s church, Arnold works to improve his mind and something constructive life. “I’m going to move right down the street from business drive by reading books that focus on self- with my time. where I sell papers at. To 712 W. Diversey. It’s time betterment. He tries to keep his mind on positive for me to leave the recovery house—I’ve done outcomes so he has a clear idea o f what he’s everything I could there. I’ve been there 3.5 working toward. —Arnold Donaldson years. I’m exc ited to get my own place—I don’t To customers he would like to say, “I really want a roommate anymore. I’m just getting a stu- enjoy them. I have a good attitude, and I’m enthu- dio and living by myself. I couldn’t even eat siastic about selling my papers. My customers breakfast this morning because my roommate was give me more than money—they give me love. A using the kitchen. He’s usually pretty good, but he lot of people don’t buy my magazines, but they got laid off from his job, and he’s getting lax on still give me encouragement. They really care and the dishes.” are concerned about me. We all need help from The last couple years have contrasted vividly to other people. There’s no such thing as a self-made what Arnold’s life used to be—struggling with man. I don’t care who you are, you need help addiction without a home. “I’ve been homeless for from people. When people walk buy and say, ‘get 25 years over the years. I was homeless because I a job.’ How did they get their job? Through some chose to be—I was the one who kept using drugs, other people and the grace of God—and by that going to shelters and soup kitchens. That was a same way they can lose it too.” lifestyle I chose at that time, but going to jail Arnold can be found at his location (the turned that all around. [After he got out] They put Walgreens at Diversey & Clark) from 7 a.m to 3- me with Jack Clark Family recovery center, and I 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Look for the Badge! Please purchase your copy of StreetWise from badged vendors only!

For questions or comments regarding our vendor force, please contact Greg Pritchett at (312) 829-2526 or at [email protected].

FEBRUARY 17-FEBRUARY 23, 2010 WWW..STREETWISESTREETWISE..ORGORG 157 We’re more than a magazine.