Summer 2016

Alderman Leslie Hairston • 2325 E. 71st Street • , 60649 • 773-324-5555

Dear 5th Ward Resident: COMMUNITY NEWS

It seems like this summer is busier than usual. We had the ever popular Chosen Good Things Come To Few Picnic & Music Festival expanding Those Who Wait to two days and were introduced to the Jackson Five Classic, Margarita Fest, For the past two years a vacant store has greeted 5th Divine Nine 5K-Chicago and #Wear Ward residents searching to buy groceries to feed Orange. their families. The welcomed news of a store finally being built, to replace the Dominick’s in Jeffrey Plaza comes after a lot of effort. Following drawn The best news of all is the announce- out negotiations between a local grocer, the property ment of a new grocery store to replace owner and lawyers of the old Dominick’s site, an the shuttered Dominick’s. The 5th agreement has been reached. The new grocery Ward has been without a grocery store at this prime location for store will occupy roughly half of the building, more than two years. In addition, the and two other businesses reconfigured site will include a health will occupy the remaining club and clothing store. space. Charter Fitness is one of the tenants and City After years of trying to position the 5th Trends clothing store will be the other. Ward as a destination, we are seeing the fruits of our labor with the selection “Everything the community of Jackson Park as the future site of the has asked for was taken into Barack Obama Presidential Library consideration and replaces and Museum. There is still a lot of work a grocery store where to do, however, to ensure neighborhood there is a major need,” says residents reap the benefits of what will 5th Ward Alderman Leslie be a world-class facility. Hairston.

Soon, these warm days will be behind us and our children will During a late July ward meeting at Hyde Park High School, the proposed grocer had an opportunity to be preparing to go back to school. Our Back-To-School Picnic is give residents an update. Karriem Beyah explained August 28, 2016. Let us make sure all of our children are ready the non-union, fresh market will be 40,000 square and prepared to learn. The best investment we can make in the feet, and 100 percent of the workers will be from the future of our community is through our children. Let us make sure community. According to Beyah, “It will be a store we set an example by being involved at every level—home, school, that caters to all ethnicities selling fresh fruit, fresh neighborhood and city. flowers, fresh produce, everything fresh. There also will be a large organic section to meet the growing In the meantime, stay cool. demand.”

The prospect of a fresh market moving into the neighborhood, should entice other retailers to Sincerely, follow.

Continued on page 2 Leslie A. Hairston Good Things - Cont. from page 1 Aldermen Hairston and The next step is to move forward with (28th) introduced two ordinances build-out plans. The grocer plans to in direct response to years of biased work with the alderman’s service office investigations, lack of transparency and to ensure community hiring. The target accountability, and failure to address opening date is late Spring 2017. patterns of abuse. While the final touches are being made to preserve “Charter Fitness is looking forward to and make stronger the tenets of the moving into such a great neighborhood Independent Citizen Police Monitor and appreciates the opportunity to get a and FAIR COPS ordinances, they both better footprint in the city of Chicago,” introduced in City Council earlier this says Dan Collins, chief operations year, the aldermen are urging the public officer at Charter Fitness. The fitness to attend the community hearings. center will take up roughly 15-20,000 square feet. As a standard practice Hairston’s ordinance ensures the ICPM Charter Fitness hires people from the will have the powers it needs to perform Tensions ran high at the community hearing on police community. In addition, there will be accountability held at the South Shore Cultural Center in high quality investigations, and will be a great staff of experienced managers early August. The hearing was the first in a series planned accountable to the public, unbiased, fully and personal trainers. On average 15-20 throughout the city. Approximately 250 people were in attendance. transparent, rigorous and independent. people work at a Charter Fitness. Ervin’s ordinance calls for establishing place at the South Shore Cultural Center an auditor for the police department in response to police misconduct in the “The facility has a full cardio setup, within the Chicago Inspector General’s shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan strength machines and free weights. Office. Everything needed to get a full fitness McDonald late last year. Ironically, when it was suggested that additional workout,” explains Collins. The chief To be effective and transformational, hearings needed to take place across the operations officer believes having a both require community oversight and city, the shooting death of 18-year-old grocery store and a clothing store nearby a dedicated funding source. To get real Paul O’Neal was not in question. O’Neal is a great thing. Each will help the community input they are joining their died of a gun shot in the back while other bring in foot traffic. The center is colleagues on the running from police after jumping out waiting for permits to be approved, but Progressive Reform Caucus to hold a of a stolen Jaguar near 74th St. and they are looking forward to opening as series of public meetings throughout the Merrill Ave. soon as possible. city on the urgent topic of police reform and accountability. The community hearings on police accountability are being held while the Community “It’s not sufficient enough to address the administration mulls over whether to harsh wounds the community has had replace the Independent Police Review Hearings On Police to suffer as a result of police shootings,” Authority as recommended by the said Hairston. “A more aggressive Accountability Aim mayor’s appointed Police Accountability outreach is needed that includes the Task Force. Calls to abolish IPRA come community and is ongoing.” To Get It Right in the wake of the public learning that

a police dashcam video showing the Recently, the first in a series of community A range of five to seven public meetings killing of McDonald was withheld hearings on police accountability took have been suggested to take place to for more than a year. evaluate what Chicago residents, most impacted by police misconduct, want to Tackling Crime see in the final ordinance.

While violence in the city continues to spin out of Hairston said, “Given the enormity control, it is down in the 5th Ward. One of the reasons and seriousness of this problem, it is is a dramatic increase in police on foot, bike and car unreasonable to think that real reform patrols. Police are on the street engaging with the can take place in a day or two. This is community and doing their best to put citizens at ease. going to take time, and we have to take the time in order to get it right.” Complimenting efforts is the newly appointed 3rd District CAPS Sergeant Maudessie Jointer, who has a lot of experience working with convicted burglars. In her role with the Chicago Police Department and the Safer Foundation, she oversees the “Keepin’ It Real” program, which helps to raise community crime awareness by allowing rehabilitated offenders the opportunity to teach the public about how to avoid home robberies and personal theft. Flower Power CHOSEN FEW Unites Community

The 5th Ward’s organic garden, created to teach children about gardening, is complete. So many in the community have commented and thanked the alderman for the beautiful community garden that is brightening Ald. Leslie Hairston speaks at a news conference in Jackson Park to announce the official site of the Obama Library. the neighborhood and encouraging neighbors to get to know each other.

World-Class The Chosen Few Picnic & Music Festival, located at “Leslie Hairston made it all possible. 6401 S. Stony Island Ave., expanded to two days. The yearly event was started in 1990 and has since seen Center Chooses A She opened the door for our community the annual music party grow to over 40,000 to have the opportunity to take part in guests each Fourth of July weekend. World-Class Park this wonderful activity. The garden has helped bring the community together,” Jackson Park has been selected for the says Elliott El-Amin. The 5th Ward site of the Barack Obama Presidential resident, who was a member of the Library and Museum. A husband and Participatory Budgeting process, says wife team, Tod Williams and Billie funding of the garden was something Tsien, are the lead designers working residents really wanted. with Interactive Design Architects to bring the history-making facility to our Construction of the garden was well great city. prepared using the cleanest soil and irrigation techniques to ensure Julia M. Smith Area residents are familiar with the the growth of fresh produce and architects’ work through the Logan sustainability of the garden for years to Long time 5th Ward resident and Center for the Arts at the University of come. business owner, Julia Smith, died Chicago. IDEA also designed the Art of breast cancer on August 1. Smith Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing. Some of the herbs and vegetables being was born in Greenwood, Miss., on grown are basil, cucumbers, green Dec. 8, 1945, and moved to Chicago Jackson Park consists of 500 acres peppers, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes and in the 1960s. and the library site will be located celery. between 61st & 62nd Streets, between She arrived with a high school Stony Island Ave. & Cornell Dr. Ald. El-Amin encourages all 5th Ward education and found work at the Hairston says she believes Jackson residents to check out the organic famed Southmoor Hotel. After Park was chosen by the Obama Library garden. studying cosmetology at one of the Foundation because of its proximity to first black-owned beauty schools, Lake Michigan, the DuSable Museum Smith got an undergraduate degree of African American History and the Looks Can Be in cosmetology at Southern Illinois Science and Industry Museum. University, a master’s degree from Deceiving the National Beauty Culture League “This site connects three different in Washington, D.C., and a Ph.D. communities--Hyde Park, South Shore As beautiful as Lake Michigan is, it from Dillard University in New and Woodlawn, says the 5th Ward can be frightening if you do not know Orleans. alderman. This project means that how to swim. That is why for the past we will have the investment in these three years, Ald. Hairston, along with She was on several boards of communities that has been lacking on the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago directors, including those for the the South Side for a long time, which is Fire Department Scuba Diving Division, Proud Lady Beauty Show, the what I’m hoping for.” Chicago Fire Department Helicopter Chicago Cosmetology Association Squad and the Chicago Coast Guard have and National Beauty Cultural League. Chicago beat out New York a little over a gathered on the 57th Street Beach for a year ago as the host city for the Obama ‘Water Safety and Rescue Simulation.’ After working as a stylist for years Presidential Center. Construction is The event, which takes place in June, at Chez Pompadour in Bronzeville, slated to be $500 million and to begin is growing in attendance. This year, Smith opened Julia’s Studio East sometime after the 44th president’s approximately 230 students, teachers Hair Salon, in the Deco Arts final term ends. and chaperones learned the rules of Building, 5500 S. Lake Park Ave., in water safety. 1986. Cont. on page 3 Looks Can Be Deceiving - Cont. from page 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS Many kids returned from last year and the organizers saw an increase of about Office Hours: half who took swimming lessons after Monday, Wednesday and Thursday attending last year’s event. The yearly 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. event is geared toward providing water Comcast Cares Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. safety tips while swimming and/or (Residents can meet privately with boating. Understanding water safety is One of the nation’s media giants the alderman from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) a life skill, 70 percent of black children Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. cannot swim and those between the gave Hyde Park Preschool Center’s ages of 5-14 years old are about three playground a makeover when it was times more likely to drown than white selected as a site for the Comcast Ward Office Closed: children. Cares Service Event last spring. Forty- Labor Day one volunteers of Comcast Illinois, Monday, September 5 Northwest Indiana and Southwest Columbus Day Meet Me On The Michigan came out to spread mulch, Monday, October 10 plant flowers, sand and paint furniture, Veterans’ Day Corner Of Stony and rake, shovel and clean the entire Friday, November 11 playground area. Thanksgiving Day Weekend Island And John November 23, 24 & 25 Christmas Holiday W. Rogers Sr. FOURTH OF JULY December 23-27 New Year’s Day World War II veteran and Judge John PARADE January 1 & 2, 2017 W. Rogers Sr. was honored with a street sign at Stony Island Ave. and 57th St. Rogers’ family, city officials and Hyde Events: Park residents were all in attendance 5th Ward Back-To-School Picnic for the naming ceremony. Saturday, August 28 63rd St. Beach House 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Lady Liberty led the way at this year’s Fourth of July Parade, which once again took place on 53rd Street in Early Voting Begins Hyde Park. As always there was a host of fun filled October 24 family events taking place. In recognition of the parade’s Jackson Park Field House 25th anniversary, parade coordinator and owner of Toys Et Cetera, Nancy Stanek, was the grand marshal. 6401 S. Stony Island Ave. Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Jackson Park 5 Election Day Tuesday, November 8 All ages and fitness levels gathered together for the inaugural Jackson Rogers was a Hyde Park resident and Park Five Classic Run/Walk event in Upcoming Ward Meetings: one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, May. The exciting race organized by (All meetings begin at 6 p.m.) flying 120 successful combat missions 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston, Note: No ward meetings in over Europe during World War II. He the Tri-Masters-Youth Division and November or December was a captain in the 99th Pursuit. the South East Chicago Commission Rogers was awarded the Congressional was created as a way to make a Tuesday, August 23 Gold Medal, Congress’s highest civilian healthy lifestyle a lifelong journey. South Shore Cultural Center honor, in 2007. Rogers also was one of 7059 S. South Shore Dr. the first African American students to Hairston, herself a triathlete said, Tuesday, September 27 attend the University of Chicago law “These types of events are important Gary Comer Youth Center school in the 1940s. Upon graduation because in so many African American 7200 S. Ingleside Ave. he began a private legal practice and communities there is a lack of healthy Tuesday, October 25 a law firm, eventually having a long food choices, a lack of community Hyde Park Academy career as a juvenile court judge. centers, a lack of physical education 6220 S. Stony Island Ave. in schools and a lack of spaces for Cook County Board President Toni kids to play.” For further information contact Preckwinkle, Ald. Leslie Hairston, the 5th Ward Service Office Mayor Rahm Emanuel, John W. Rogers The organizers hope to make the 773-324-5555 or visit the website Jr. and the senior Rogers’ cousin Jackson Park Five Classic an annual at www.cityofchicago.org/ward5/ Juanita Temple, were in attendance. event to kick-off Chicago’s active warm weather season. Written and produced by The Publicity Works