April 22-28, 2009 by StreetWise

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2 Buy StreetWise only from a badged vendor

A P R I L 22 - A P R I L 28, 2009

&O#R CIT& FROM THE STREETS

Executive Director/Publisher Bruce Crane

Editor-in-Chief

Suzanne Hanney suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Director of Distribution Greg Pritchett

gpritchett14@yahoo.com

Production & Marketing Manager Ben Cook

bcook@streetwise.org

five ACCESSORIES Picture frames made from discarded Chicago Transit Authority cards are as important to the Chicago landscape – and StreetWise vendors -- as beautiful purses fashioned out of discarded potato chip bags are in Honduras. Both products come from five ACCESSORIES. Chicagoan Christine Hutchison founded the green, socially conscious enterprise after a tour guide on her honeymoon in Bali told her how much $5 monthly could mean to someone there. For StreetWise vendors, the five ACCESSORIES partnership means they can earn money three ways, with items that will premiere during a special launch party on April 22 -- Earth Day – from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Salon Serene, 625 W. Lake St. First, vendors can exchange 30 CTA cards for a StreetWise magazine. Normally, vendors pay 75 cents for each copy and then sell it for $2. In the eightmonth partnership, over 6,500 transit cards have been kept out of the garbage. Second, working with five ACCESSORIES means vendors can earn extra hourly wages. Since October, the enterprise has met each Tuesday at the magazine’s West Loop office. Vendors were paid $8 an hour for making the picture frames, bottle cap barrettes, and pop top bracelets and belts interwoven with ribbon. All raw materials are wiped clean during their construction and will feature a hangtag with photo and signature of the vendor who made it. Third, vendors will receive flyers about the products that will offer a $1 discount on items purchased

through the five ACCESSORIES Web site using the vendor’s name. The vendor, in turn, will get a $1 sales credit toward papers. But the program is not just about making money, Hutchison said. “Economic sufficiency is very important, but also self-esteem and pride,” she said. “My hope is that clients will buy one and contact [Roarke] Moody [one of the more frequent participants] when they are at Michigan and Randolph and say, ‘I have one of your picture frames.’” She is also trying to create “buzz” to the buyers of her products who may never have seen StreetWise. “We will be able to educate a lot of people about what StreetWise is, that it’s not just people selling papers.” The five ACCESSORIES mission to employ and empower is just as important in the United States as it is in the five nations – Bali, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, India -- where it has relationships with fair trade co-ops, she said. Handbags and accessories combine local bamboo or coconut, recycled rice bags or mosquito netting, with artistic touches such as hand-dyeing. Hutchison spent 14 years as a certified financial planner and says it’s ironic that she never was a handbag person until she went to Bali – and bought eight bags for her bridesmaids. Now, she “buys locally, supports globally.” Her honeymoon tour guide is even a business partner in Bali, where he manages a foundation set up to help at-risk schoolchildren.

Director of Advertising & Corporate Development Grace Federighi grace@streetwise.org

Advertising Sales Executive Michael Montes

Advertising Sales Executive Mary Faith Hilboldt

Proofreader

Robert Cass

Board of Directors Rob Federighi President

John J. Leonard

Pete Kadens Vice President

StreetWise Founder Lofchie & Associates, Inc.

Judd R. Horwitz Treasurer

DLA Piper US LLP

ChicagoBroker.com

SoCore Energy

Judd R. Horwitz & Co. P.C.

Morgan Stanley

Judd Lofchie

Adam Meek

Timothy Ray

Neal, Gerber, Eisenberg LLP

Ray Gillette Secretary

Jonathan Reinsdorf

Lee Barrie

Vendor Representative

Downtown Partners Chicago Kurman Communications, Inc.

Richard Boykin

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Danny K. Davis

U.S. Congressman, 7th District, Illinois

Stonegate Development Partners, LLC

Patricia Tillman Kevin Ward

The Forward Group

Jeannie Weaver

AT&T Global Services

Ira Williams CEDA

Pam Frye Retired

Mission Statement: To help people help themselves to self-sufficiency through gainful employment. StreetWise is published weekly and is sold by the poor and homeless of Chicago. StreetWise is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization and is a member of the North American Street Newspaper Association.

1201 W. Lake, Chicago, Illinois 60607 Office: 312.829.2526 Fax: 312.829.2623

www.streetwise.org

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A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

INSP Longhairs vs. The Man Victoria Street News reports on a standoff between the Vancouver Island hippies and the city officials trying to prepare for the 2010 Winter Games

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Film Feature

0p9.5

StreetWise Film Feature: The Soloist A look at the man behind the upcoming movie, LA Times columnist Steve Lopez, who shares his views on the mentally ill, street walkers and homeless citizens in Los Angeles.

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International Vendor Profile The Green Issue

The Big Issue Japan

From urban agriculture that uses all our capital to create jobs, to green cars, we show you how to live in harmony with the Earth.

StreetWise spotlights hard-working Hiroaki Sugiura, who sells his papers to improve his life in Osaka.

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news

streetwise

entertainment

volunteer

INSP page 4 This Week in Chicago page 6 Cover Story page 12-13

The Playground page 14

DineWise page 10 Ginny & the Chef page 10 Health & Fitness page 11

full listings online at www.streetwise.org

A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

International Vendor Profile page 15

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International Network of Street Papers (INSP)

Vancouver Island hippies: top security threat for 2010? By Zoe Blunt Victoria Street Newz, Canada According to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, protestors are the number-one security threat to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. So maybe that explains why officers with the Integrated Security Unit are running around Victoria trying to convince hippies to spy on each other. But the cops may find that peaceniks and bohemians are too street-smart to play spy games. Vancouver Island longhairs know better than to give information to police, especially when it’s obvious that no crime has been committed. “I said to the officer there’s no way I am going to snitch on my friends!” Dark Horse Books store owner Robert Garfat tells me, a little indignantly. The longtime Vancouver Island resident was shocked when he was approached earlier this month by RCMP constable Mike Smook of the Integrated Security Unit. Smook wanted information about Victoria’s “No 2010” activists. But it’s not snitching, according to Smook—the police just want to use his eyes and ears. Garfat was troubled by the encounter and unsure if he should tell others, but then made up his mind that people should know what the police are up to. “My feeling is that we should say something, because if they’re going out into the community trying to intimidate people and to try and co-opt people into becoming informants, that’s like Big Brother,” he says. A second local activist—who asked not to be named—says the police have come to his door asking to speak to all the residents, as well as taking pictures of everyone who came and went. “None of those questioned had any arrests or previous charges,” the young man says. “The cops friggin’ bothered us for no good reason other than owning literature that’s in opposition to the Olympics.” Others in the community have similar stories. According to several people who contacted us privately this week, the RCMP has succeeded in recruiting at least one informant—a child of 15. She has been cooperating with police for months, they said. Leaving aside questions of whether this is legal or ethical, the tactic is troubling. If Victoria socialjustice advocates are so dangerous, isn’t it risky to send a child to spy on them? And if they’re not dangerous, why spy on them at all? We should all be aware that the police are not

gathering information so they can hand out commendations for being great social-justice activists and good citizens. They are gathering information that will potentially put people in jail—preemptively—to prevent them from getting a message to the world about the social conditions here. Why are so many people homeless? Why are so many people in poverty? Why is there a lack of decent housing across B.C. on the reserves? Why are we still destroying old-growth forests for sports events? These are the questions we want to get out to the world, and we believe the police are trying to stop this from happening. Conducting surveillance and recruiting informants in the absence of any crime violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in my opinion. Domestic spying without a clear lawenforcement objective does not help national security—it just intimidates citizens who have done nothing wrong (besides criticizing the government).“Fishing expeditions” are not legal. Prior restraint on free speech is not legal. Warrantless wiretaps are not legal either, or at least they weren’t the last time I checked. In fact, we have the right to associate with whomever we want, even with people who criticize the Olympics or take governments to task for ignoring poverty, homelessness, and the ongoing effects of racism in our society. Police statements in the media about “consulting

with activists” are nonsense. Their clumsy and heavy-handed attempts to meet privately with individuals are causing controversy, intimidating activists, and sowing distrust in the community. There are serious concerns that the police may resort to coercion and bribes to try and force people to inform on their friends. The BC Civil Liberties Association tried to meet with the ISU for an exchange of views and advice, but backed out upon finding it was an exercise in frustration. “It hasn’t been easy when dealing with the authorities,” said Michael Byers, UBC professor and BCCLA member. “With respect, we have pretty much hit a brick wall. In my view, the ISU ... has lost sight of those human-rights principles and has focused excessively on the search for ‘perfect security.’” Alissa Westergard-Thorpe, a member of the Olympic Resistance Network (ORN) in Vancouver, was approached by police last month. She says, “The ORN is not interested in talking with police about the conditions under which we exercise our rights to assembly and expression. They can read the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” And if the RCMP can’t be bothered to read the charter, maybe we should read it to them, real slow, so that they understand. Reprinted from Victoria Street Newz © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

Contributing Writers Ginny & the Chef: Originally a professional chef, Chef J now writes a syndicated weekly newspaper column on food and fitness in Chicago. J is the president of the Chicago Research Chefs LLC and president emeritus of the Chicago Nutrition Association. Ginny has written nutrition and fitness articles for several local and national publications, such as the Chicago Tribune and OnHealth magazine. Ginny has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science and dietetics and a master’s degree in nutrition communications and marketing.

Veronica Hinke is a Chicago-based freelance journalist. She reports for many news outlets, most frequently for Pioneer Press and the New York Post. She is a 2008 literature grantee of Chicago’s Community Arts Assistance Program, an award tha t helps fund her non-fiction book project about a street artist. Rebecca Sarwate is a near-lifelong resident of the greatest city in the world, Chicago, and darned proud. She lives on the North Side with her beloved husband, Aditya, and W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

their two cats. In her spare time Rebecca is a blogger and avid reader of, well, anything. She couldn't be happier to be part of the StreetWise family. Dave Boe worked at the Daily Herald for 24 years. For 15 of those years he was the Herald’s automotive writer and editor. He is also past president of the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA), based in Chicago.

A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

This Week in Chicago

A look back at the first Earth Day

By Suzanne Hanney & Sylvester Quast StreetWise editor-in-chief & vendor volunteer #6908 39 years ago this week The Chica go Da ily News celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, with a helicopter ride that showed “a haze of pollution hanging over our skyline, a jumble of trash and junk lining the shores of our waterways and fingers of black, green, yellow and red chemical pollutants seeping into our lake.” 1970 was the year of the Kent State shootings and the Beatles’ last album, the year after the United States landed a man on the moon. “It took a trip to the moon to make us realize that we are marooned on this planet,” said anthropologist Margaret Mead in a quote at the top of the Da ily News story. “We have nowhere else to go, and this is all we have.” Over 20 million people nationwide celebrated the first Earth Day, a grassroots milestone. Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) created the event because he was disturbed that an issue as important as the environment was not addressed by politicians or the media. Nelson later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to civilians in the U.S., for his work.

The black, green, yellow, and red “fingers” that the Da ily News reporter saw seeping into Lake Michigan were oil, iron, detergent, and chemicals. Metropolitan Sanitary District officials took routine flights every week to check for illegal dumping. But none of the dumping at the time—accumulated scrap metal along the North Branch of the Chicago River near Goose Island—was illegal then, so no official action was taken. As they neared Lake Michigan, the Da ily News team wrote “you can see, smell, taste and feel” the pollution. They saw reddish iron wastes flowing into the Calumet River from Interlake Steel’s rolling mill, and red oil and iron wastes from Republic Steel’s South Chicago works. Meanwhile, during a major Earth Day rally at the Civic Center Plaza, the AFL-CIO’s Charles Hayes said steelworkers, packinghouse workers, and grain mill workers “have been working under severe polluted conditions for decades,” according to the Da ily News. Denis Hayes, who left his graduate studies at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to coordinate Earth Day, told the Civic Center crowd that the U.S. had a “reverse Midas touch. Everything we touch turns to garbage.” Hayes later became an environmental lawyer, and in 1990 he headed the first International Earth Day with 200 million participants in 141 nations. He chaired the 30th-anniversary event and is now president and CEO of the Bullitt Foundation, a $100 million environmental concern in Seattle. Writing for the EPA Journa l in 1980, Sen. Nelson said Earth Day “made a permanent impact on the politics of America” by showing that its citizens were concerned about “mindless dissipation of our resources.” Nelson added, “My primary objective in planning Earth Day was to show the political leadership of the Nation that there was broad and deep support for the environmental movement. While I was confident that a nationwide peaceful demonstration of concern would be impressive, I was not quite prepared for the overwhelming response that occurred on that day. Two thousand colleges and universities, ten thousand high schools and

grade schools, and several thousand communities in all, more than twenty million Americans participated in one of the most exciting and significant grassroots efforts in the history of this country.” While the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) had been signed into law on Jan. 1, 1970, Nelson noted that the decade following Earth Day saw much more necessary legislation. This included the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act, the Water Pollution and Control Act Amendments, the Resource Recovery Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. In addition, almost every state had one or more agencies charged with protecting the environment, Nelson noted. Also in that decade the EPA had made grants of $24.9 billion for municipal wastewater treatment projects. The most dramatic story was that of the Great Lakes, Nelson wrote. In 1970 Lake Erie was “dying” and other Great Lakes were threatened by a century of pollution from steel and paper mills and city sewage plants. But the Great Lakes received a “stay of execution” from U.S.-Canadian Water Quality Agreements signed in 1972 and 1978. “The lesson of the Great Lakes in the 1970s is this: in less than 200 years, in less time than America has been a Nation, a brief moment in terms of man's life on this planet, significant adverse changes in the Lakes' water quality have occurred,” Nelson wrote. “The responsibility for these changes rests solely with man. In the 1970s, a sufficiently large and dispersed group of people recognized the fragility and finite nature of the Earth's ecosystem, understood that ‘everything is connected to everything else,’ and accepted the responsibility not only to set straight the mistakes of the past but to avoid repeating them in the future.”

StreetWise Spotlight Chef J Art Gallery StreetWise’s own Chef J has his work on display at the 3rd Coast Cafe/Gallery wine bar, 1260 N. Dearborn Pkwy. Juxtaposed with the glamour and light of haute cuisine these original monotypes reveal the gritty dark energy of the food world—behind the scenes. J. Hugh's one-of-a-kind Piezographs show us the joy and sadness, the victories and failures, the neverending climb toward perfection of the professional chef. Now a professional artist, originally a professional chef, "Chef J" finds inspiration in the many restaurant kitchens from his past. Having cooked professionally in Paris, London, Amsterdam, New York, Miami, and now Chicago, his works illustrate the vivid color and glamour of these great cities. Proceeds from the show will be donated to StreetWise. For more information visit www.3rdcoastcafe.com or call 312.649.0730. 3rd Coast Cafe is open every day from 7 a.m. to midnight. Parking is available next door at the Indigo Hotel at a discount for 3rd Coast patrons. Exhibit runs through June 5; free.

An example of Chef J’s artwork entitled Rush Street Carriage

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A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

StreetWise Film Feature

LA Times columnist Steve Lopez

By Veronica Hinke StreetWise Contributor “When you’re a prostitute in an outhouse, there are no good days.” That chilling observation is one of many penned by veteran journalist Steve Lopez in his book The Soloist (Putnam Adult, 2008). On April 24 Paramount Pictures will release a movie of the same title based on Lopez’s series of weekly Los Angeles Times columns turned New York Times best seller about homelessness, mental illness, and life on L.A.’s Skid Row. The Soloist chronicles Lopez’s encounters with skeletal drug addicts shooting up on sunny street corners, middle-aged men who were awakened from their sleep in tunnels by teens who clubbed them nearly to death, and sex workers who conduct business—and tragically, often live—in portapotties. His crash course was the by-product of his unlikely friendship with a homeless cello prodigy, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers. Ayers was 54 when Lopez spotted him in L.A.’s Pershing Square in 2005, bowing a two-stringed violin as if he were playing Carnegie Hall. He had been living out of a loaded-down grocery cart since shortly after his mental breakdown in 1972 while enrolled at Juilliard. Lopez quickly identified Ayers, a man close to his own age who was living a life so disparate from his, as the most inspiring muse in his 30-year career.“I'm a columnist who is under constant pressure to find the next column,” Lopez explained. “Nathaniel looked like he might have a story, standing on a corner with a violin that was missing two strings, but still giving it his best effort.” “Violinist has the world on 2 strings,” the head-

A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

PHOTO BY GILLES MINGASSON, MOVIE POSTER COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT STUDIOS

Soloist author Steve Lopez: ‘The mentally ill are us’

line bellowed from atop the first in a series of columns Lopez wrote for the Los Angeles Times, each installment tracing Lopez’s mission to help Ayers secure housing. Readers supported his ambition, contacting the paper with offers for musical instruments, housing ideas, and even an invitation to a performance by Yo-Yo Ma, Ayers’s former Juilliard classmate. L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also contacted Lopez, who escorted him on a rainy late-night tour of Skid Row. The tour sparked headway, such as the removal of porta-potties, but left an inevitable vacuum. “The city is making a dent in the great need for supportive housing,” Lopez said. “Unfortunately, the city went too heavy

“I'm in a lucky spot, with a column as a soapbox,” he said, ticking off a list of improvements, including mental health services, addiction rehabilitation, and alternative treatment for those who face criminal charges. Lopez, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Alison, and daughter, Caroline, has lately been angling his column around his visits to three mental health courts in California, where the mentally ill have been “pulled out of the routine, tragically expensive churn in the criminal justice system. Instead of warehousing these people at great cost, and never addressing their needs, these alternative courts are sentencing offenders to treatment for addiction and mental illness,” Lopez said. “The results are encouraging. It costs less to do the humane thing.” Lopez wants others to understand mental illness. “They're not someone else. They are us. Schizophrenia, to pick one disorder, strikes 1 in 100 people and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, or income,” he said. “I would like to think that through the columns, the book, and movie, people will look past their own biases and fears and realize this is a ‘there but for the grace of God’ story. “Those who end up on the streets because of a mental illness are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters. We have failed them, having shut down mental hospitals in this country without ever following up on the promise of community clinics to help them manage their lives and to take the pressure off of family members who are not equipped or trained to deal with the challenges.” He continued, “I think The Soloist reaches people because it puts a human face on all these issues.” Personal growth has accompanied Lopez’s own increased awareness. “I'm more patient, more understanding, more inclined to look past generalizations and stereotypes when I see someone on the street, or anywhere else, for that matter,” he said. Admitting his friendship with Ayers has, at times, been challenging, Lopez is ultimately grateful. “Nathaniel is a wonderful, gifted, funny,

Those who end up on the streets because of a mental illness are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters. on police action. An increased police presence was certainly needed, because many sick and addicted people were preyed upon in Los Angeles by drug-dealing predators, and those in recovery were often recruited by the dealers. But we needed and still need more intervention and housing and services to make for real, lasting change.They, and society, are much better off if we try to help them rather than punish them for having a mental illness,” Lopez said. Lopez sees himself as an agent of such change. W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

inspired friend, and all of that made things easier for me. “But he is also very challenging and at times aggressive and offensive,” he said.“I had to learn to be patient, and to understand that recovery is not linear. I also had to learn to juggle many things at once—my job, my family, the book, the movie, and our friendship. In giving, there is much receiving. Nathaniel was a gift, and I feel blessed.”

FoodWise with Ginny & Chef J Chef J’s Secret Recipe

By Ginny & Chef J StreetWise Contributors www.ginetics.org, www.researchchefs.us

Easy, Cheap Comfort Food Professional chefs have been hearing about “comfort food” for years now. Marketing gurus have been telling us it’s the “next big thing,” but it’s never really caught on. Why is that? In our humble culinary opinion, perhaps it’s because these highly paid trend experts never really knew what comfort food is. They never had to—until now. Folks who can spend big bucks on a dinner out generally are not on the same wavelength as the vendors selling StreetWise. Comfort—from the view of a six-figure income—might mean a good $15 bottle of wine with dinner. Here’s a news flash for the trend experts: The majority of Americans don’t open a bottle of wine every time they have dinner. Most can’t afford that. Most never could. Today our budgets are even tighter. In today’s world, most of us are feeling a bit uncomfortable. Some of us are even scared. We are worried about paying next month’s rent; meanwhile we are not worried about our waistline. In

fact, things like cholesterol, trans fats, and carbs seem a lot less important right now. My mother used to tell me “First things first”—she believed that the long run was just a series of good short runs. However, she always made sure we were happy, healthy, and well fed. We were always comfortable, no matter what. I never saw a bottle of wine opened at dinner until after I left home and got a job. Mom did not have money to waste on wine. She never had a new spring wardrobe either. I can only remember her wearing work clothes (unless she was wearing her Sunday best). Yet we ate better than many of my childhood friends. We ate comfort food. Every Wednesday was spaghetti night. We had fresh tomato sauce and many great meatballs. On Thursday the leftovers became sloppy joes. Friday we had baked fish and Mom bought whatever was on sale. Saturday the leftover fish became homemade fish cakes. Sunday dinner was an all-day event; roast beef or pot roast was always a meal we looked forward to. Yes, you guessed right—Mom had a meat grinder. In those days many families did. Sunday leftovers “became” meatballs (for Wednesday’s dinner). And we always had loads of brightly colored fresh vegetables. There was no junk food in our house because it was too expensive; it was also less nutritious.“Comfort food” for us kids meant always knowing what we would be having for dinner. It was a comforting feeling to know what was coming. It felt secure. It felt safe. We felt loved and cared for. We looked forward to our “favorites,” and we complained about our least favorites, but we never worried about food, or what restaurant we might be able to afford. Mom had a handle on things. She always put a healthy meal on the table. That was her number-one priority. We trusted Mom. We knew we could. She used to say,“Hell or high water, we’ll always have good food on the table.” We knew she meant it. She proved it every day. Now, that’s comforting.

Sassy Shrimp & Rice (serves 5) Ginny’s Shopping List: •1/2 c. chopped onion •1 tbsp. chopped garlic •3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil •1/2 tsp. dried oregano •1 tsp. dried basil •1 16 oz. can tomato sauce •1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning •1 c. cooked long grain rice •Fresh ground black pepper to taste •8 oz. cooked shrimp

Chef J’s Cooking Instructions: Make marinara sauce first: • Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. • Add oregano and basil. Sauté for 3 more minutes. • Add canned tomato sauce and stir well. • Stir in Italian seasoning. Let simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes. • In the meantime, prepare rice according to manufacturer’s instructions. • While rice is cooking, sauté cleaned and deveined shrimp until done. • Taste marinara sauce; add fresh ground black pepper to taste. • Slowly add marinara sauce to cooked rice until it is thoroughly coated with sauce. • Add cooked shrimp to rice and sauce mixture. • Serve hot with two sides of brightly colored veggies.

N u t r i t i o n a l I n f o

DineWise: Dine By Lee Barrie & Cindy Kurman Barrie StreetWise Contributors

Dine: A Modern American Eatery Near Greektown What do you name a restaurant that offers a contemporary, upscale take on American diner food? How about Dine? (We thought you’d never guess.) This handsome eatery, located on the north edge of Greektown, has something for anyone who enjoys comfort food done in a sophisticated, urban manner. It offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has a spacious outdoor seating area in warm weather as well as an attractive lounge. Dine has built a stellar collection of signature seasonal dishes. Most are based around classic recipes, updated to appeal to food-savvy Chicagoans. At lunchtime we like starters such as the Flash Fried Calamari and the Horseradish Crab Cakes. There are also several retro-inspired salads, such as the “Not So Much of a Wedge.” Sandwich choices include a tender Braised ShortRib Sandwich, juicy Pulled Pork Sandwich, and flavorful Balsamic Vegetable Wrap. Lunchtime entrées are a treat, paying homage to classic American meals. Try the Black Angus Meat Loaf, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and the Beer-Battered Fish and Chips. Dinnertime starters include Braised Veal Cheeks and Pan-Seared Maryland Blue Crab Cakes. Two of our favorite dinner salads are the Roasted Asparagus Salad and the Organic

Beet Salad. Meat lovers will have an easy time finding meals to enjoy, all served with excellent accompaniments. We like the nicely prepared Rubbed 16-oz. Bone-In Ribeye, the tender Grilled 8-oz. Filet Mignon, and the Braised Domestic Lamb Shank. If you’re in the mood for some game meats, try the Texas Hill Boar Rack. Lighter dinner entrées include Roasted Amish Chicken Breast and the Block Island Monkfish. There is a nice selection of pasta and risotto dishes, such as the Slow Dried Rummo Pasta and Portobello Mushroom Ravioli. For dessert you must try the signature Red Velvet Cake for Two. Dine keeps coming up with creative specials: recently the restaurant featured three- course dinners on weekends starting at $20. Sunday brunch is also excellent. Dine is a beautiful, comforting neighborhood spot w ith very good food. The complimentary valet parking is an added plus. Note that the menu is seasonal—dishes change regularly to keep it fresh. Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. Please visit their blog at gotbuzzatkurman.com.

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Dine 733 W. Madison Chicago, IL 60661 312-602-2100 www.dinerestaurant.com Hours: Breakfast, daily 6-10:30 a.m.; lunch and dinner, Sun.Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. The lounge is open until 11 p.m. Sun.-Thu. and until midnight Fri.-Sat.

A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

Green Section

Support Local Chicago

By John Godoy StreetWise Contributor Inspired by West Coast cool, Colorado mountain chill, and an urban edginess, Stellar26 has clothing for the everchanging landscape, combining a wide range of styles that are gentle on the skin, soothing on the eyes, and worn by the person who takes it all in stride. Besides carrying top fashion brands, Stellar26 sells recycled handbags like this tote, made from recycled Vietnamese rice bags, and clothing made by women's cooperatives that are fair trade certified. www.stellar26.com

Vanille Patisserie is an authentic French pastry shop owned by 2008 World Pastry Champion, Dimitri Fayard and his wife, cake designer Keli. Together they create artful pastries that combine classic European traditions with modern flavors. Visit their retail store at 2229 N. Clybourn in Lincoln Park. www.vanillepatisserie.com

A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

For the best of Middle Eastern cuisine in Chicago dine at Baba Pita for a quick lunch (soup, salad or sandwich), an exquisite vegetarian meal, and a healthy and tasty dinner with multiple courses. Try one of the weekly specials or a favorite like the hummus, baba ghannough, spinach pie, chicken kabob plate, and stuffed grape leaves. www.babapita.com

Post 27’s mission is to give Chicago an urban destination for eclectic home furnishings and accessories that are reasonably priced and responsibly made. Offering a mix of vintage items (the ultimate in reuse) and new environmentallyconscious products, including locally-made goods. www.post27store.com

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Energy Savers preserve rental housing The Cook County Energy Savers program offered through Community Investment Corporation (CIC) with the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) is helping owners of multifamily buildings save tens of thousands of dollars through energy efficiency upgrades. Since its inception in January 2008, the program has conducted audits on 4,896 units in 148 buildings, and 1,176 units either have received or are in the process of receiving upgrades. Typical upgrades include insulation as well as energy-efficient lighting, windows, and heating and air-conditioning systems. Savings can be considerable. A $400,000 heating retrofit at the Broadmoor, a 96-unit building in Rogers Park, is expected to save the owner $90,000 per year in heating costs. But even smaller projects can result in significant savings. Deborah’s Place, an SRO on Chicago’s North Side, expects to save $4,850 per year from an $11,000 lighting retrofit. Energy Savers offers building owners a professional energy audit, expert advice, and low-interest loans from CIC (which has lent $1 million so far) to make needed improvements.To be eligible, an owner must own a rental building in Cook County with five or more units and allow program staff to review the building’s energy bills. A brochure is available online at www.cicchicago.com/documents/EnergySavers .pdf. Professionally trained auditors from CNT evaluate all systems in a building and give the owner a written report with recommendations, up-front costs, and payback estimates. CNT can also provide specifications and a contractor referral list, monitor construction, and conduct inspections if needed. Energy Savers is a part of the Preservation Compact, an initiative set up to preserve 75,000 units of affordable rental housing by 2020 in Cook County. In addition to CIC and CNT, primary funding is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Grand Victoria Foundation, and the City of Chicago Departments of Environment and Community Development. For more information, call CIC at 312-258-0070. -Advertoria l

Green Cars

Green may turn to gold if Volt delivers By Dave Boe StreetWise Contributor

PHOTO COURTESY OF GM

uring the next decade, expect more vehicles traversing the road to “go green,” or at the very least “go greener.” General Motors, despite its recent Capitol Hill sideshow, is scheduled to introduce the much ballyhooed, aerodynamic Chevrolet Volt toward the tail end of the 2010 calendar year. Volt has graced the auto-show circuit for the past three years, so the buzz is palpable. GM’s big challenge now is separating the buzz from the actual vehicle Volt is to become. Chevrolet’s Volt features a dramatic new propulsion system that could change the way consumers view vehicles that are powered using plug-in technology. Other manufacturers are working on their own plug-in systems.

Animal, vegetable, or mineral? What exactly is the four-seat Volt? Is it a gasoline-electric hybrid? A plug-in hybrid? A pure electric car? A vehicle sustained by an athletic squirrel running on a treadwheel? “The Volt is not a hybrid vehicle or a pure electric vehicle; it’s an extended-range electric vehicle,” according to Frank Weber, chief engineer for the car. Weber updated the motoring media at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show this past February. Think of an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) as something falling between an electriconly vehicle and a gas-electric hybrid car. Gas-electric hybrid vehicles, like the popular Toyota Prius, use a gasoline combustion engine to help propel the wheels in tandem with an electric motor and generator. With the plug-in Volt, electricity is used to move all the wheels at all times at all speeds. That’s why GM doesn’t classify Volt as a hybrid—only one mode of power is used to move the wheels, not two. GM experimented with the pure electric EV-1 in the mid-’90s. It ended, at best, as a valuable learning experience. Available by lease in only a few warm-weather cities in the western United States, the EV-1 proved electric cars could be built, but more tinkering was needed.The limited range of the two-seater after a night of charging was of major concern. “Almost 80 percent of the driving population of the U.S. is not driving more than 40 miles per day,” Weber said. “With the Chevy Volt, the 40 miles of pure electric, emissions-free driving happens without the combustion engine at all.” When Volt’s battery pack is nearly depleted, the combustion engine will start running to power a generator that provides electricity for the large battery. This provides several hundred miles of extra driving range so drivers don’t get stranded.

Energize me At the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM announced its partnership with South Korean-based LG Chem, which will produce the batteries for the Volt plug-in.

The electronics giant won the contract thanks to its advanced work on lithium-ion cell technology. While lithium-ion batteries power cellular phones and laptop computers, the Volt’s battery system and chemistry are fundamentally advanced. Although LG Chem is a partner, the lithium-ion battery packs will be manufactured here in the U.S. at a yet-to-be determined site in Michigan. More than 30 prototypes have been built and are being tested under real-world conditions. An existing Flint, Mich., engine plant has been tapped to assemble Volt’s 1.4-liter, four-cylinder flex fuel engine. Flex fuel means the engine works with regular 87-octane gasoline (usually containing 10 percent ethanol) or any ethanolgasoline mixture up to 85 percent ethanol. The T-shaped battery pack measures approximately six feet in length from top to bottom and weighs less than 400 pounds. The T-shaped design fits under the vehicle, with the long, narrow “stem” of the T toward the front and the “top” of the T residing directly under the rear seats of the car. Two hundred lithium-ion cells linked inside the battery pack currently generate 16 kilowatt-hours. “The car is built around this battery pack,” Weber added. Cellular technology in the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is continually being improved. In fact, the energy potential could improve dramatically by the time of Volt’s scheduled debut.

Fill ‘er up The Volt can be fully charged in less than eight hours (depending on how much charge is left in the battery). When charging, the car utilizes a snoot, about the size of a small hair dryer, that nestles into a socket high on the driver's-side front fender near the "A" pillar. The other end W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

connects to a conventional 120-volt household outlet used for items like toasters, lamps, microwave ovens, etc.The same plug-in system is also adaptable to 240-volt household outlets, the type used for washing machines and other highenergy utilities. When using these higher-output outlets, charging time is reduced to four hours. A full charge achieves 40 miles of pure electriconly driving. The cost of electricity used for each four- or eight-hour charge is estimated at about $1, the same amount a refrigerator uses in a day. Size-wise, the front-wheel-drive Volt’s wheelbase (distance between the front and rear axle) is equal to the soon-to-arrive gasoline-powered compact Chevrolet Cruise (the replacement for the compact Chevy Cobalt). Expect trunk volume at least on par with today’s compacts— about 12 cubic feet of space. Volt’s suspension system and many other “greasy under parts” separate from the drivetrain technology are coming from existing GM architecture to keep costs down. “We want to make this (Volt) technology adaptable and compatible to our normal vehicle configuration. This propulsion system is flexible within GM’s portfolio and can be applied to other vehicles,” Weber added. Case in point: GM’s upscale Cadillac division began showcasing the Converj plug-in concept during the 2009 auto-show circuit, utilizing the same Volt propulsion schematics. Rest assured that once the Volt successfully arrives at Chicagoarea Chevrolet dealers, the Converj production model will soon follow at area Cadillac outlets.

Safety in numbers General Motors is not going at it alone in creating Volt. Besides partnering with LG Chem, other corporate clients are being courted. During this year’s Chicago Auto Show, GM announced

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Green Cars PHOTO COUTESY OF VOLKSWAGEN

two more corporate partners in the Volt marriage: Goodyear Tire Co. and sound-system specialist Bose. “Each and every part of the Volt has to operate not only in its traditional capacity, but also contribute to the vehicle’s overall goal for up to 40 miles of electric-only driving. This is a very collaborative effort,” said Ed Peper, GM North America Vice President, Chevrolet, at the 2009 show. Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max All Season Tires provide Volt’s footprint. These all-season tires help maximize rolling range thanks to optimized rolling resistance, the force required to keep the tire moving at a constant speed. A special energy-saving tread compound helps specially designed tires reduce energy loss, so less effort is required to keep the Volt rolling. Early indications are these Goodyear tires will add one extra mile during every recharge. The Bose energy-efficient sound system providing acoustics inside the Volt is 30 percent smaller, 40 percent lighter, and uses 50 percent less energy than a conventional Bose sound system. Smaller, lighter amps promise to use less energy and less heat. Volt pricing hasn’t been set, and won’t be until just before launch, but there is speculation that pricing will start in the $40,000 range. The cost should come down as production volume cranks up.

Going green via diesel By Dave Boe StreetWise Contributor hile Japanese and American auto makers have put research and production dollars behind gas-electric hybrids like the Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Escape to squeeze more miles from a gallon of fuel, European auto makers like Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have refined diesel technology into an art form. Volkswagen has gone above and beyond by making the technology affordable in the all-new 2009 Jetta TDI sedan. Saving fuel has never been this much fun. The front-wheel-drive TDI has few rivals on the road today: it’s a high-mileage compact with funto-drive performance nuances and a starting price even a recent college graduate could consider. Although the window sticker listed fuel economy at 29 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway, we averaged an astounding 41 mpg in combined driving. The Jetta TDI allows drivers to conserve fuel simply by filling up less. It’s also priced lower than just about any gas-electric hybrid available, with a starting price of $21,990, thousands less than a comparably equipped Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid in the world. Since diesel technology has been around for more than a century, maintenance, reliability, and longevity factors are well documented. Expect more clean diesels from Japanese and even U.S. carmakers sooner rather than later. TDI is Volkswagen’s diesel designation. While diesel remains a dirty word in the minds of many drivers here in the States, it’s the fuel of choice in Europe. More than half the vehicles sold in Europe are diesel. In the U.S. diesel car purchases make up less than four percent of consumer sales, and most of those are light-duty pickups. Diesel provides better fuel economy and superior torque, that lowend grunt that gets the car moving when you push the accelerator to the floor. Diesel fuel contains more energy than gasoline—up to 30 percent

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more potential. Along with higher air pressure squeezed into each cylinder, diesel engines are more fuel efficient. The big strike against diesel engines in the U.S. is the perception that they pollute.Thanks to technological advances, that’s largely history. Gone are the days of rotten-egg sulfur smell or clouds of coal-black smoke emitting from the tailpipe. The Jetta TDI boasts a nitrous oxide catalyst that acts like a scrubber to clean nitrous oxide, while filters trap other small particulates before they exit the exhaust system. Diesel prices, like those of gas, fluctuated dramatically in 2008. At times diesel was riding a dollar per gallon higher than unleaded 87-octane regular, but during the first quarter of 2009 the price gap closed to around 20 cents (at least in Chicagoland). The Jetta requires low-sulfur diesel, available at most any station offering diesel. While the backseat is small, the same can’t be said about the cargo area: Jetta has one of the largest trunks you’ll ever lay your eyes on in a compact sedan.The 16.0 cubic feet are a welcome sight in a midsize sedan, let alone a compact. Plus, strutlike hinges outside the cargo area add to usability. Volkswagen’s four-cylinder TDI engine makes a bit more noise when it’s started and when it’s idling compared to traditional gasoline engines, but once on the road, one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference, except maybe in performance. Added low-end torque noticeably propels this vehicle during passing maneuvers, and responsive steering made quick turns exhilarating. The engine does hesitate for a second or two when pushing the pedal to the floor, due to some turbo lag. The accolades continue for this affordable fuel miser. During this year’s Chicago Auto Show, the Jetta TDI was named winner of the “Best of the Year” Driver’s Choice Award from TV’s MotorWeek, the highest honor bestowed by the long-running TV magazine, which is hosted by veteran auto personality John Davis.

PHOTO BY SUZANNE HANNEY, AND WWW.GRIT.COM

Green Section

Resource Center uses all our capital By Rebecca Sarwate StreetWise Contributor

The Gold Coast can be seen to the east of the Chicago Resource Center’s City Farm, located at Division and Clybourn. Ken Dunn, (inset photo) leases the land year to year from the City of Chicago and Tim Wilson, program director at City Farm, shows off crops grown in compost over clay on the former empty lot.

f you ask Ken Dunn, founder and director of the Chicago Resource Center, headquartered at 222 E. 135th St. on Chicago’s South Side, what the greatest challenge facing the development of a sustainable city might be, he reduces it to a simple public relations issue.“I think a lot of folks are ready to contribute to these efforts in small ways—for example, using a little less power, or purchasing a hybrid car.” However, achieving the goal of sustainability will require changes a lot more substantial than these minimal lifestyle alterations. “I believe that in times of need, and economic downturn, we need to be resourceful,” Dunn says emphatically. Referring to President Obama’s recently approved stimulus package, he claims, “We can’t just ask Washington to throw money at it and solve the problem for us. We have land, materials, and unemployed individuals right here in the city.” Dunn believes that the stimulus bill, while promising bold thinking pertaining to the ecological development of our nation, suffers from the familiar bureaucratic time lag. “I would hate [for Washington] to spend all that stimulus money on programs that may not have an

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impact for six months to a year.” Dunn, who the Chica go Tribune’s Tempo section called “Chicago’s Greenest Person” in 2008, believes Chicago, in particular, has all the tools required to move ahead with a greener, cleaner, and more prosperous urban environment right now. Too often, he believes, people equate environmental sustainability with “isolation or a lower quality of life.” The real task facing those who are committed to improving the resource capacity of our city is “recasting” lifestyle adjustments as a means to bring satisfaction, enjoyment, and community to all. Change does not necessarily have to equal strenuous sacrifice, loneliness, and drudgery. But is this a message that Chicagoans are ready to receive? Dunn is a believer that everyone profits, financially and from a community perspective, when we optimize our capital, and he strives to make the Chicago Resource Center the model for this philosophy. The center offers a variety of programs to Chicago neighborhoods to utilize food sources as well as materials and other products already in existence. These programs also attempt to make the most of our human capital: people of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is only when you combine both of these ele-

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ments that a sustainable Chicago may, in fact, offer “quite an advantage [even] for the property owners,” if only from the perspective of beautificabecome reality. The Blackstone Bicycle Works, located at 6100 S. tion. Many of these lots are in lower-income, highBlackstone, is one example of how the Chicago er-crime neighborhoods, so using these spaces in Resource Center innovatively marries product and this capacity can offer “upkeep at no cost to them, labor to create a new type of bike recovery pro- job creation, and the development of a more viable gram. Employees of the Blackstone Bicycle Works city.” are capable of repairing, selling, and trading almost Dunn believes that if all of the 20,000 unused any type of bike—Dunn’s preferred acres were converted into community method of transportation. However, farms, the result would be “100,000 new what really sets the program apart is its jobs that did not exist before,” in urban commitment to showing young people a agriculture and farmers’ markets. There valuable skill, and instilling in them a would also be a sustainable food supply. sense of entrepreneurship. However, Dunn admits that the soil Too often, says Dunn,“our children are We can’t just native to these vacant acres is unusable. put on ice” by society until they reach Therefore an important element in ask adulthood. “They are taught in school increasing the reach of the community that if they work hard they will have a Washington to farm is a large-scale urban composting throw money project, an effort that has suffered several successful career, but that is often distant and, in many cases, unrealistic” for some at it and solve stops and starts over the years. of our more underprivileged youths. It the problem for That could change with passage of the is unfortunate that we often “ignore EPA-Composting Facilities bill currently us. We have children as a resource” when they can before the Illinois General Assembly, intromake an impact right now and in fact are land, materials, duced by state Sen. Heather Steans (Deager to do so. Chicago). The bill seeks to challenge a and “Children, even under 10 years of age, long-established Illinois law that defines unemployed can focus on a task and can enjoy the biodegradable items such as food scraps individuals rewards of being a part of something and lawn clippings as garbage. right here in positive,” Dunn said. Asked if he believes the bill will sucthe city. Another example of the beneficial ceed where similar efforts have failed, union of raw material and human capital Dunn says, “Yes, I do. Illinois has been is the Chicago Resource Center’s “most behind many other states in this area. I important program,” according to think the climate is right for correcting Dunn—the Urban Composting and this.” The Web site for the Chicago Community Garden plan. He asserts there are Resource Center reflects this optimism “20,000 vacant acres across Chicago, about half of by encouraging visitors to continue checking for which are owned by the city.” updates on where this new large-scale composting One of these abandoned acres, located at facility may finally be housed. Once the dream Division and Clybourn, has been turned into a fully becomes a reality, the center can afford to be more productive farm by the center, creating jobs for aggressive in its pursuit of empty acreage for use in five year-round employees. Dunn realizes that community gardens. many of the owners of vacant lots are hesitant to The Chicago Resource Center offers many other relinquish an opportunity for profit; however, creative programs that capitalize on reusing disthese sorts of community farms or gardens can carded materials for community benefit. One of

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PHOTO BY SUZANNE HANNEY

Green Section It was late March when this photo was taken, but the hoop houses at City Farm had already yielded a crop for Wilson to weed by hand.

these, the Creative Reuse Warehouse, located at the center’s 135th Street headquarters, profits from the “changing fashions” of industry to place neverused materials such as construction paper in the hands of schoolteachers who are woefully lacking in supplies. Other programs, such as the Prepared and Perishable Food Recovery Program, present a unique opportunity to supply pantries and soup kitchens with discarded—but still fresh—produce and other food items from local stores and restaurants. For more information on the variety of programs available, or to find out how you can help the Chicago Resource Center fulfill its mission, visit its Web site at www.resourcecenter-chicago.org or call 773-821-9230.

The Playground

Ask Eugene

crossword

Each week StreetWise’s own Eugene answers life’s toughest questions. If you can’t handle the answer, don’t ask the question. Dear Eugene: Is it better to be a lover or a fighter? —Moral Quagmire Dear Moral: Be a fighter. People love a feisty fighting spirit. If you remind someone of a Humphrey Bogart or Robert Redford-type because of your self-driven ideals, you’ll also turn their sentimental gland into pudding. While it is good to love things, it is far better to be loved in return. Every thinks this, even the lovers, but they would rather guilt you into matching their love rather than charm and trick you into it like a decent human being. Dear Eugene: I respect you so much —Me Dear Me: I know. Dear Eugene: I can’t seem to find you on Facebook or Twitter. Why not? —Your Friend

Dear Friend: Your not my friend. While we may both love warm flaky breakfast sandwiches, novelty bookmarks and fever dreams, this in no way indica tes that I crave regular updates from you and all the others. I understand that the human race is at heart a lonely species that likes to reach out and connect with others, but sharing your minute-byminute emotional response to eating a sandwich, or linking me to your Star Wars blog is not the best way to be my friend. I don’t want to get into an ironic flame war with you about what was better, New Coke or Pepsi Clear, and I don’t need to see your video podcast movie review of the Fast and the Furious. Call me a techno-dinosaur, an aloof snappy dresser, or just a man who knows how to dance, I don’t care. But please don’t call me your friend just so you can update with with the trivial events of your jet-setting nerd mini-triumphs and your original misspelled poetry as it’s a burden to our relationship.

You can send Eugene your questions at 1201 W. Lake, Chicago, IL, 60607 or e-mail him at supreme_eugene@yahoo.com.

sudoku medium difficulty

last week’s answers

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A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

Worldwide Vendor Spotlight

Feature: The Big Issue Japan Name: Hiroaki Sugiura Age: 42 City: Osaka Country: Japan Street paper: The Big Issue Japan

caseworker once told me, “You’re not a marathon runner but a sprinter.” I’m prone to be too eager to work. However, due to the illnesses I have suffered throughout my life, I have been unable to commit to work for prolonged periods. When I was 19 years old my father’s company went bankrupt and my entire family left Kobe for Osaka. I remained, however, and began working at a pachinko parlor as a live-in employee. The work there was harsh. I received only a few days off each month, and I regularly worked from 9 a.m. until midnight. The overwork took its toll and resulted in deep depression. I was admitted to a hospital at that time, although soon after I began working at an ironworks. Again, though, I couldn’t work long because of my poor health. After coming out of the hospital I began working as a paper deliverer. I was never late, and not once did I forget to deliver a paper. But the medication gave me a restless mind, and since I didn’t want to cause trouble, I left. Since that time I have been receiving treatment and taking medication. One day a customer told me that she also suffered from mental illness. I said to her, “You are not lazy or anything. You

need to realize it’s a sickness and stop being so hard on yourself.” My remarks moved her to tears. Now I can say that I’m glad to have gone through depression. Because of it I can understand what it’s like to suffer. I now stay in a temporary lodging center. There I have a place to sleep, three meals, and a bath. These luxuries are all because of my customers. I’m very grateful for everything they give me. Staying in the center allows me time to indulge my hobby of reading. My favorite authors are Masuji Ibuse and Osamu Dazai. I feel their works have gentleness toward the weak. I especially like Fuga ku Hya kkei by Osamu Dazai. Being able to read gives my mind peace, which I feel I need after the illnesses I have suffered. Every day, as soon as I get to my vending spot, I clean the surrounding area. I believe that’s what a merchant should do. I have sold magazines in Osaka since October of last year. It is, however, my fourth time as a vendor of the street paper. After originally quitting I stayed in a welfare shelter but could not forget about The Big Issue. I have decided to continue this vending job as long as possible. I believe that I can get back to a normal life. My current aim is to keep selling this magazine for six months to one year. Hopefully, someday, my estranged family will know that I work sincerely selling magazines here. I hope to meet them again. SNS Exclusive © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

Tune in to StreetWise on the radio Broadcasting from Navy Pier on Vocalo.org, 89.5 FM radio host Thomas Herman features live traffic and weather call-ins from StreetWise vendors every Wednesday morning between 7:30 and 8 a.m. A P R I L 22-A P R I L 28, 2009

Meet: Hiroaki Sugiura

PHOTO COURTESY OF STREET NEWS SERVICE, THE BIG ISSUE JAPAN

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