Six Corners SSA Wants Local Chamber As Provider by BRIAN NADIG Has Praised Its Performance
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Body found Aldermen endorse Willie in Chicago Wilson for U.S. Senate by BRIAN NADIG wealthy businessman who owns a River Aldermen Nicholas Sposato medical supply business, came to (38th), Anthony Napolitano (41st) the assistance of this ward, provid- by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI and Chris Taliaferro (29th) have ing face masks and food during the The body of a woman who was endorsed independent U.S. Senate pandemic. Wilson, who in 2019 lost reportedly stabbed was discovered in candidate Dr. Willie Wilson over a bid to become Chicago mayor, is the North Branch of the Chicago longtime Democratic incumbent running for the Senate as a mem- River at about 12:25 a.m. Sunday, Dick Durbin. ber of the Willie Wilson Party. Sept. 27, near Clark Park in the 3400 “I see the love in his heart for this Wilson said that he has spent $23 block of North Rockwell Street, great city,” Taliaferro said at a million of his personal money according to the Chicago Police Sept. 29 news conference in which donating supplies to communities Department Office of News Affairs. the aldermen announced their sup- during the pandemic, including Two people reported that they dis- port for Wilson, who is running 20,000 face masks to each city covered a body in the river and the against Senator Durbin, Repub- ward. CPD Marine unit along with other lican Party candidate Mark “It’s been a passion of mine to officers removed the body and the Curran, Libertarian Party candi- serve all communities,” Wilson victim was transported to Swedish date Danny Malouf and Green said, adding that as senator his Covenant Hospital where she was Party candidate David Black. focus would be serving his con- pronounced deceased, according to Taliaferro, who also is the 29th stituents and not himself. “I have police. Ward democratic committeeman, my own money. I’m not looking to The woman was identified by the said that he has not taken any heat take any money.” Cook County Medical Examiner’s for choosing Wilson over Durbin, Sposato, who retired in 2017 as Office as Yesenia Venegas, age 22, of his party’s candidate, “and nor do I the 38th Ward democratic commit- the 1400 block of North Ridgeway care about that ... It’s not about vot- teeman, said that Wilson “stepped Avenue. U.S. SENATE candidate Dr. Willie Wilson speaks during a Napolitano (41st) (behind Wilson in the picture) has endorsed ing for a party. It’s about voting for up to the plate” when Chicago was Detectives are investigating the news conference on Sept. 29 outside of Alderman Anthony the candidate along with Alderman Chris Taliaferro (29th) (left of a person.” in need for help at the start of the homicide, police said. Napolitano’s campaign office at 7446 N. Harlem Ave. Wilson) and Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th) (right of Wilson). Taliaferro said that Wilson, a pandemic. “He’s a true humanitarian,” Sposato said. “ I offer my full sup- port. It was not a hard decision for me.” Napolitano said Wilson is “a peo- ple person” and that the state needs more elected officials like him “who always put themselves second to everybody else.” Nap- olitano added that Durbin has done little to make Illinois a better state during his 37 years in public office. (Continued on Page 8) Six Corners SSA wants local chamber as provider by BRIAN NADIG has praised its performance. “You are an extension of the city, The Six Corners Special Service HOWEVER, at times the associa- our eyes and ears on the ground,” Area Commission at its Sept. 23 tion and commission have been at Roschen told the commission. “We meeting approved a resolution to odds with Alderman James Gar- will take your recommendation recommend the local chamber of diner (45th), and earlier this year today and proceed with it and commerce as its new sole service several members of the commission review it.” provider and is targeting a 20 per- resigned, while the term of other Chamber interim executive direc- cent reduction in the 2021 budget to commissioners expired. In recent tor Marlena Ascher told the commis- help lesson the tax burden on area months Mayor Lori Lightfoot has sion that the chamber will have a businesses. appointed new members for all storefront office so it will be accessi- For the second time in 2 months seven commission slots. ble to the public and that it plans to the commission approved a resolu- The chamber was founded in 2017 bring individuals, agencies and com- tion calling for the Six Corners and includes some business owners munity organizations together in a Chamber of Commerce to be its new who had expressed concern about collaborative atmosphere to solve service provider, which acts as the the commission’s decision in 2015 to problems. manager of the service area’s budg- increase its tax levy from about “My role is to listen to everyone,” et. The group took a similar vote in $226,000 to $288,000. About 75 per- Ascher said. She added that the August but at the recommendation cent of the service’s area’s properties chamber staff will know business of the city Department of Planning are commercial, with nearly all of owners on a first-name basis and and Development it decided to issue the remaining ones being condo- will work toward bringing more a request for proposals and to then miniums in the upper floors of the services to the community at a lower revote on the matter. Klee Plaza at 4015 N. Milwaukee cost. The chamber is recommending The chamber and the current Ave. that that the SSA’s sidewalk provider, the Six Corners Associ- It’s not clear which organization cleanup program be expanded from A “WELCOME” sign made of various drawings and paint- ment at 5150 N. Northwest Hwy. ation, were the only two entities to the planning department will select 3 days a week to daily and that snow ings collected by the Friendship Presbyterian Church was More pictures of the artwork are on Page 3. respond to the RFP. The association as the service provider, but depart- (Continued on Page 8 installed on a fence in front of the mixed-income develop- (Photo by Cyryl Jakubowski) has been the provider for the past 16 ment assistant commissioner Mark years, overseeing the annual Roschen said that the city prefers $300,000 budget set by the commis- for certain decisions to be made on Taft to use software that sion, and the planning department the local level. Panda Express planned changes reading levels at Cicero and Berteau of newspaper articles by BRIAN NADIG on the site in addition to the by BRIAN NADIG said. It allows teachers to use the A Panda Express Chinese Kitchen restaurant. A zoning change for the The Taft High School Local same article in a class in which the with a drive-through facility is being project is not needed, but a special School Council at its Sept. 22 spe- reading level of its students could proposed for the Six Corners com- use permit from the Zoning Board cial meeting approved a $12,000 vary widely, he said. mercial district at the southwest cor- of Appeals is required. purchase of Newsela, software that “I like the idea of all the students ner of Cicero and Berteau avenues, During the summer, project offi- changes the reading level of news being able to use the same materi- according to Alderman James cials presented the proposal to the articles and other nonfiction read- al,” LSC chairwoman Kathy Fern Gardiner (45th). Six Corners Association and the Six ing material. said. “At the end of the year, we can “I look forward to another posi- Corners Chamber of Commerce. “About 30 teachers are advocat- re-evaluate (its effectiveness).” tive addition to our prospering com- The restaurant would be built ing for it now,” Taft principal Mark The annual cost of the software munity,” Gardiner said. along Cicero Avenue and include Grishaber told the council. He comes out to about $3 per student The fast-food restaurant would outdoor seating, according to asso- added that he expects by spring one at Taft, whose enrollment is at be constructed on the Bank of ciation and chamber officials. third of the school’s 230 teachers about 4,000, according to Grish- America site at 4150 N. Cicero Ave., The Panda Express would be would be using the software, whose aber. He said that the council could where the bank’s walk-up facility located across from Starbucks license allows unlimited use by a have waited to approve the pur- closed several years ago. Coffee, 4155 N. Cicero Ave., which school for one year. chase at its next regular meeting A series of drive-up automated has a drive-through facility. The The software changes written on Tuesday, Oct. 13, but that he did A PANDA EXPRESS restaurant with a Drive-up ATMs for a Bank of America, teller machines continue to operate Starbucks was built on a parking articles to fit five different reading not want to lose 3 weeks of instruc- drive-through is planned at the southwest 4150 N. Cicero Ave., are currently located on the parcel, and plans call for lot for the former Family Fruit levels, in some instances shorten- tion in which teachers could be tak- corner of Cicero and Berteau avenues. there. (Photo by Jason Merel) several drive-up ATMs to be located Market. ing words or sentences, Grishaber ing advantage of the software’s benefits. Newsela has a variety of part- ners, including newspapers, the Grocery store planned as part History Channel and the Smiths- onian, in an effort to provide cur- rent content.