ADIG Celebrates NEWSPAPERS PRESS • REPORTER REPORTER• Nadig Newspapers Serving ... Edgebrook, Wildwood, Sauganash, Lincolnwood, Skokie, Niles 56th 4937 N. Milwaukee Ave. Also celebrating 81 years of our Press publication Anniversary Glenn Nadig, Brian Nadig, Publishers September 25, 2021 4937 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago — 773.286.6100 50 Cents Per Copy www.nadignewspapers.com Number 39 Firefighter alleges threat of Taft LSC to continue to recite Pledge of Allegiance retaliation from alderman by BRIAN NADIG Court. The Taft High School Local A veteran told the council that by BRIAN NADIG In recent weeks the former ‘project.’ This is from the boss. School Council at its Sept. 14 the pledge and National Anthem A city firefighter claims that staffer has released a series of text Okay?” meeting voted 7-3, with one are traditions that unify Alderman James Gardiner (45th) messages publicly that Gardiner The firefighter said that as a abstention, to continue reciting Americans and that the council may have retaliated against him reportedly wrote in 2019 in which result of the call he stopped work- the Pledge of Allegiance at coun- should continue reciting the because of his 2019 involvement in he uses demeaning language to ing on the project and avoids events cil meetings. pledge at the beginning of meet- a community group that was trying describe people including women, that the alderman may attend. About 2 months ago some LSC ings. to bring an improvement to a local and asks the staffer to help “I was warned to stay away. I was members said that they did not Taft principal Mark Grishaber park. research the criminal record of a following directions,” he said, see a need for the pledge to be on said that it is his understanding Gardiner eventually stopped the constituent who had organized a adding that a recent incident seems the council’s agenda, and a subse- that the only CPS high schools project, which had begun under the rally in protest of Gardiner’s oppo- to demonstrate Gardiner’s attitude quent vote on whether to stop which lead students in the pledge tenure of former alderman John sition to a zoning proposal. toward him and to others. reciting the pledge at meetings each day are military academies. Arena (45th), and he allegedly The firefighter said that he The firefighter said that he had was deadlocked at 6-6, and mem- LSC chairwoman Alix Davila wrote in a recently surfaced text received a call from a fire depart- learned that a resident a few weeks bers agreed to revote at the start said that the council does not that the man could “feel the brunt” ment member in 2019 warning him ago went to Gardiner’s office to dis- of the school year. have the authority to require if he kept pushing for the project. to back away from the project and cuss a different park-related mat- During the public comment sec- the school to lead students in The firefighter asked that his that since that call, he has not been ter and that the alderman report- tion, a Taft alum told the council the pledge. name and the name of the group properly compensated for the posi- edly told the resident that he needs that William Howard Taft is Courts have ruled that while not be used in the story. tion he holds in the department. to be respected and that the fire- “turning in his grave” over the public schools can lead students THE FIREFIGHTER said a for- He said a simple compensation fighter should put on his “big boy fact that the council is consider- in the pledge, no student can be mer staffer in the ward office error has not been corrected after 2 pants and come talk to me.” ing whether to remove the pledge required to recite it. To require showed some of Gardiner’s text years of trying to resolve the issue. The resident confirmed to Nadig from its agenda and that the its recital would violate a stu- messages to him, including one in THE FIREFIGHTER remem- Newspapers the meeting with school does not lead students in dent’s First Amendment rights, which Gardiner allegedly wrote bers the telephone call as follows: Gardiner. the pledge each morning. Taft is according to the rulings. that if “he keeps it up, he too will “This is a warning and listen very Gardiner would not comment on the only person to serve as a U.S. There are other Northwest Side feel the brunt.” He added that the carefully. Stay off Facebook, leave when reached by phone. At a recent president and then later as the councils that do not recite the texts provide a trail showing that Gardiner alone, don’t talk to him City Council meeting he said that chief justice of the U.S. Supreme pledge at meetings. he was being targeted. or mention him and quit with the (Continued on Page 17) POD camera coming to Several shootings reported Peterson-Cicero area recently on Northwest Side by BRIAN NADIG Also in the ward, cameras by BRIAN NADIG Police reportedly found shell of West Cullom Avenue in Portage A police observation device were installed earlier this year A 24-year-old man is in critical casings in the area of the shoot- Park, according to News Affairs. camera with license plate read- at the Milwaukee-Elston and condition after being shot while ing. The Cullom incident does not er technology is expected to be Kimball-Bryn Mawr intersec- driving at about 2:55 a.m. Sunday, ALSO IN THE AREA, about a appear to be random, as the man installed near the intersection tions. License plate reader tech- Sept. 19, near Central and Wilson week ago a suspected gang mem- may have been targeted, police of Peterson and Cicero avenues nology is being added to the avenues in Jefferson Park, accord- ber was arrested on a gun charge said. The man was transported in in the coming months, and a POD cameras at those locations. ing to the Chicago Police Depart- in the 4300 block of North Mil- critical condition to Advocate second camera for the Sau- Nugent said that the Peter- ment Office of News Affairs. waukee Avenue after he reported- Lutheran General Hospital, police ganash area is in the works at son-Cicero intersection was cho- The man reportedly was driving ly got into a verbal altercation said. He was shot six times, Pulaski Road and Bryn Mawr sen for the camera due to report- south on Central near Wilson with a rival gang member, police including two times on the right Avenue. ed carjackings in the area in the when several bullets struck him said. side of the body, once on the left Alderman Samantha Nugent past year and problems with in the neck and back area, accord- In addition, a 36-year-old man side of the body, once in the leg (39th) and 17th (Albany Park) criminals fleeing via the nearby ing to police. The man drove him- reported that three masked gun- and twice in the chest, according Police District commander Edens Expressway ramps. self to Community First Hospital men entered his residence, to police. Ronald Pontecore Jr. discussed “It’s just another tool” to fight and was later transferred to demanded money and shot him Some residents reported that crime and other issues at the crime, Nugent said. Illinois Masonic Hospital, police multiple times at about 6:15 a.m. there recently have been home Sauganash Park Community Several Northwest Side alder- said. Friday, Sept. 17, in the 5100 block (Continued on Page 17) Association meeting on Sept. 21, men have been seeking addi- which was held in-person and tional POD cameras for their online. (Continued on Page 17) Trustees discuss details of cannabis license application by JASON MEREL said that the village needed to clar- The Lincolnwood Village Board of ify what would happen if two appli- Trustees at its Sept. 23 meeting cants submitted an application and clarified details about the applica- one was not complete in the sense tion process to open the one allowed that they need zoning relief to do cannabis dispensary in the village what they want to do. as well as approved other routine “The question before us is should matters. they be given the same rights in the “Village staff is finalizing the lottery as an entity that does not cannabis dispensary application require that relief?” Passman said. form and will be posting it on the “Should we deem their applica- village’s Web site in the coming tion complete but for this zoning days, as well as having written issue that could be addressed later? copies at the finance department Our sense is to deem that noncom- and probably several locations pliance. Unless the board dis- throughout city hall,” village man- agrees, our intent would be to make ager Anne Marie Gaura said. that clear.” THE FINAL EVERYDAY EDGEBROOK Farmers Market The market features produce, eggs, honey, salsa, jams, Applications can be turned in “For clarity, I think that you’d be of the season will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, cookies, roasted coffee, vegan bakery goods, lemonade, beginning at 9 a.m. on Oct. 1. looking for the differentiation from Sept. 25, in the parking lot at Edgebrook School, 6525 N. as well as food vendors and items and services from area Village attorney Hart Passman (Continued on Page 17) Hiawatha Ave. businesses. (Photo by Everyday Edgebrook) Page 2 Nadig Newspapers Saturday, September 25, 2021 Craft beer stroll slated in Edgebrook Everyday Edgebrook will brook bag, a mug and a tast- The Jay Vanna Acoustic hold a craft beer stroll from 2 ing guide.