March 11, 2009 by StreetWise

V O L . 17 N O . 11

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M A R C H 11 - M A R C H 17, 2009

YOUR CITY FROM THE STREETS

Executive Director/Publisher Michael Speer

mspeer@streetwise.org

Needs your time and talent

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

By Pam Frye Volunteer Coordinator

Have you ever thought about volunteering for a not-for-profit organization? Do you know what a boost volunteering can add to your resume – and how it can even enhance Pam Frye your career? Prospective employers LOVE talking to people who have given back to their communities. Volunteering is also a great way to feel good about yourself and to reap the rewards of giving. It’s a warm and fuzzy feeling. Giving your time and talent to StreetWise could be a great way to pump up your resume, to meet cool and interesting people and to be of real service to a worthy organization. StreetWise provides a hand UP, not a hand out to people with needs (but also entrepreneurial skills). Our magazine has become a well-known, great-looking publication in the city and suburbs. Right now, StreetWise is looking for people like YOU to volunteer your time and expertise. We have a wide variety of jobs available and not enough staff to handle all of them. Some jobs can be performed at the

StreetWise office and others in the comfort of your own home. Jobs include organizing supplies and donated clothing in the office. You can also work with vendors as a computer guru, librarian, tutor or mentor. We need event planning for vendors and for fundraising. We’re looking for research on potential advertisers and for sales of subscriptions to corporations and others outside our current circulation area. We also need vendor recruiters: people willing to reach out to homeless shelters to potential vendors, to distribute vendor information flyers to needy people and to scout new locations where vendors can sell the magazine. We even need writers for the magazine itself. If there is something we have not listed – an area within your expertise – we would welcome your comments. We want to build Chicagoland’s best group of volunteers, ever. But to do that, we need your assistance. If you are sitting on the fence about volunteering, please contact us anyway to discuss your thoughts and considerations. If you are looking for more information about StreetWise, please visit our Web site: www.streetwise.org. If you are ready to step up and donate your time and talent right now, please contact me, Pam Frye, at pamfrye1@comcast.net. I really look forward to hearing from you, because you can make a REAL difference in the lives of our vendors.

StreetWise’s headquarters relies on the goodwill and hard work of volunteers to strengthen our mission and services to those in need. The following are current volunteer positions available at our office: •Donated Clothing Coordinator •Office and Office File Organizer •Kitchen and other supply rganizer •Computer Guru •Tutoring/Mentoring •Fundraising Events support •Advertising Researcher •Grant Writer or Researcher •Sell Subscriptions to Corporations/Businesses To find out more about how you can help, e-mail Pam Frye at pamfrye1@comcast.net

Editor in Chief

Suzanne Hanney

•Outreach/Recruitment of new vendors •Distributor of StreetWise flyers to those in need •Heating/Cooling Service person •Writer for StreetWise Magazine

Note For volunteers working at the StreetWise office, hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Occasionally, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, a staff member is present at which time you can work until about 7 p.m. Volunteers need to communicate the times they are planning on working at the office to make sure the appropriate people are available to assist an d so that we can notify the front office person that you are expected.

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Director of Distribution Greg Pritchett

gpritchett14@yahoo.com

Production & Marketing Manager Ben Cook

bcook@streetwise.org

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

Advertising Sales Executive Michael Montes

Advertising Sales Executive Mary Faith Hilboldt

Board of Directors Rob Federighi President

ChicagoBroker.com

Pete Kadens Vice President SoCore Energy

Judd R. Horwitz Treasurer

Judd R. Horwitz & Co. P.C.

Ray Gillette Secretary

Downtown Partners Chicago

Bruce Crane President Emeritus

Lee Barrie

Kurman Communications, Inc.

Richard Boykin

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Danny K. Davis

U.S. Congressman, 7th District, Illinois

Pam Frye Retired

John J. Leonard Morgan Stanley

Judd Lofchie

StreetWise Founder Lofchie & Associates, Inc.

Adam Meek

LLP. DLA Piper US LLP

Timothy Ray

Neal, Gerber, Eisenberg LLP.

Jonathan Reinsdorf

Stonegate DevelopmentPartners, LLC

Patricia Tillman

Vendor Representative

Kevin Ward

The Forward Group

Jeannie Weaver

AT&T Global Services

Ira William CEDA

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 M A R C H 4-M A R C H 10, 2009

INSP Tramp in the Third Reich Fritz Eichler, 94, tells German street paper Hinz & Kunst about his desperate search for work during the rise of the the Third Reich.

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Event Calendar

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St. Patrick’s Day marches onplus Edvard Munch’s surreal Norwegian stylings are on display at the Art Institute. Ruth Ratny surveys Chicago’s film goings-on, and shares why George Clooney is spending so much time in Midwest airports.

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Entrepreneur of the Week Meet Walter Mitchell StreetWise spotlights Walter Mitchell, a hard-working vendor and self-published metaphysical author. Learn about his book and future plans in this week’s profile.

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$55 million: Help for neighborhoods hit worst by foreclosure

The city has a meager amount to fix the deepening pit of defaulted properties. Find out how thin they have to spread the goods... page

news

streetwise

entertainment

volunteer

INSP page 5 This Week in Chicago page 6 Cover Story page 12-13

the playground page 14 vendor profile page 15

Richard Pegue page 7 Ginny & The Chef page 8 Health & Fitness page 9 Events Calendar page 10

listings online at www.streetwise.org

M A R C H 4-M A R C H 10, 2009

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Guest Editor: Metropolitan Planning Council

Communities joining forces to address foreclosure By Robin Snyderman Metropolitan Planning Council hen a family loses its home to foreclosure, the entire community feels the ripple effects. A sudden change in address may rip a child from his classroom midyear. Local employers may be involved, perhaps because a recent layoff caused the family to miss a mortgage payment, or because time off work is needed to arrange a new living situation. If one foreclosure is among many, neighbors will start to fret over their own property values, as local elected officials try to get their arms around this devastating communitywide problem. This pattern is playing out in towns and cities across metropolitan Chicago and the nation. In the past year alone, more than 30,000 households in northeastern Illinois alone have lost their homes to foreclosure. In fall 2008, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development responded with the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), nearly $4 billion to assist state and local governments in acquiring and redeveloping foreclosed properties before they become sources of abandonment and blight. Illinois received $172.5 million, including about $55 million for Chicago and about $64 million for surrounding municipalities and Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The money will help. However, the designated funding is nowhere near enough to address every foreclosed property in the region – and it comes with many time-consuming and sometimes confusing regulations attached. Keenly aware that the NSP funding is critical to keep the region an attractive place to live and work, Chicago-area leaders have joined forces to meet the challenge of putting this money to its best use, and fast. They’re bridging political and municipal boundaries, and partnering with local employers such as Charter One and regional organizations such as the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and Metropolitan Planning Council to pilot an inter-jurisdictional approach that will target a portion of these dollars to mixed-income

communities near transit lines and job centers. This isn’t the only inter-jurisdictional housing effort in Chicagoland; in the past two years, communities across the region have begun to recognize that by working together, and with the private sector, they can get more done to address the area’s shortage of quality, affordable and workforce housing. If there’s a silver lining to the foreclosure crisis, it’s that the urgency around it and NSP funds has accelerated these efforts. Communities in the South Suburbs and West Suburban Cook County have formed NSP advisory committees, each of which will have a coordinator who will be accountable to all participating towns, and work with local mayors, employers, developers and state, federal and county governments to get the most from this money. Having one point of contact for a group of towns also will streamline ongoing evaluation of these projects, which not only must address foreclosures, but also are supposed to complement local community plans. It is expected that, as has been the case with economic stimulus funding, a second and perhaps third round of NSP funding will be approved.

What is learned through Chicagoland’s cooperative efforts can help shape and improve these additional rounds of funding. New partnerships and strategies honed through the NSP process also can inform other near-term opportunities. As local communities begin to put their economic stimulus dollars to use - and as Illinois anticipates the passage of its next capital infrastructure bill – communities working together across boundaries to address shared housing concerns can help to push the state to reward smart planning proposals that link housing, transportation and jobs. The bottom line is that even before the foreclosure crisis, metropolitan Chicago needed more communities where people can afford to live near good jobs, and where they have real options for how they get around. Shared efforts to maximize NSP dollars are helping jump-start this idea that Chicagoland can build upon existing (and create new public and private) partnerships to thoughtfully address our shared housing challenges. Robin Snyderma n is vice president of community development for the Metropolita n Pla nning Council, www.metropla nning.org.

Contributing Writers John Godoy is a Chicago-based wellness consultant and personal trainer with a leading prevention-based, integrative health and wellness provider.

Pegue has been music director at WVON and program director and fill-in disc jockey at WGCI. He is now heard Saturday nights on WKKC, 89.3 FM.

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 & marketing.

Ruth L Ratny is celebrating her 30th year as chronicler of Chicago's visual media industry. A screenwriter also, she is working on movie about gospel great Mahalia Jackson, the Oprah of her day, whose dream of equality 60 years ago was fulfilled with Barack Obama in the White House.

Richard Pegue has lived the music he writes about.

Jim Memolo is a member of WGN’s 720 Sports Central, where he can be heard from 7 to 9 p.m. weeknights and weekend afternoons. Memolo previously hosted morning drive on Sporting News Radio and was morning drive co-host for five years on W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

WSCR. He also served as producer for Howard Cosell's shows on ABC Radio. Barrett Newell is a former StreetWise intern and recent journalism graduate of Loyola University Chicago. He has an interest in arts journalism and has also interned for the Chicago Sun-Times. Sydney Corryn is a current StreetWise intern who attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor and is a freshman at Columbia College Chicago. A Journalism and Cultural Studies major, she is a member of the Student Professional Journalism Chapter. She hopes to write about social, global and political issues.

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

International Network of Street Papers (INSP)

Tramp in the Third Reich

By Birgit Müller, Hinz & Kunzt Hamburg, Germany

ritz Eichler knows Germany almost as well as he knows himself. During the 1930’s he zig-zagged across the country on bike and foot in search of work, finding shelter where he could as a member of Germany’s 400,000 strong homeless community. These were precarious times for Fritz and his ilk as The National Socialists consolidated their power and proceeded with their brutal plans to rid German society of perceived “vagabonds.” Fritz, or “crumb“ as he was known due to his tiny physique, lost his job in a wallpaper store in the Grindelallee, during the great Depression of the 1930’s. With no prospect of work in his native Hamburg and being just 21 years of age, he decided to make the best of it.“My only hope was to find a job on the road. And I desperately wanted to get out, get away from my draconian father, enjoy nature and experience adventure,” recounts the 94-year-old today. In January 1935 he set off with friends. His only possessions were a jacket, trousers, sturdy boots and a cap. He had sewn five Marks emergency money into the inside of his jacket. First stop: the working camp of the national service in Soltau, with the aim of being “awarded” a travelling workers permit.The Nazis had not yet outlawed travelling, but were attempting to curb the numbers. A traveller without permit would risk prison or labor camp. Eichler and his friends had little idea of this kind of “special treatment” and did not consider themselves as being in any specific danger, “After all, we were willing to work,” he said. Work they did find in the so-called “travelling workers sites,“which had been founded at the end of the 19th century on initiative of the pastor Friedrich von Bodelschwingh. His motto: work instead of alms. Eichler was only moderately enthusiastic about these places, where one was made to work pretty hard for a simple meal and a place to sleep. Often you had to sign up for several days work: chopping wood, digging trenches or working in the garden or the kitchen. “I did not fancy that,” says Eichler.“I wanted to travel on my on terms.Travellers were obliged to register with the local police for the night and were given a place to sleep: a cell in the basement of the town hall, a storage room for potatoes or a bunker that was locked from the outside all night. I was much happier not to be locked away on my own in such a hole.” Eichler’s travels also acquainted him with the old wandering vagabonds, or as he dubbed them,“the bacon-hunters.”“I was never going to become one of those. I knew I was going to return home at some point – and I was certainly

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

hoping to find a proper job again.” For the time being he made do with temp jobs: teller at a fairground carousel, sweeping the town square and cleaning a policeman’s bike. When there wasn't any work, he begged. On one occasion, whilst travelling in Franconia with his brother Siegfried, he was overcome with a ravenous appetite for Franconian dumplings and cake.“I promised my brother, we would have both.” With no work available they took the only option available to them and begged. Within a few hours enough money was garnered allowing the homeless vagabonds to dine like kings. However a shock came the following morning. At the crack of dawn they were woken and arrested by a constable. Begging was outlawed. Fast-tracked to court, they were sentenced to three days in prison. More run-ins with the legal system followed. Whilst staying the night in a Karlshrue homeless hostel, Fritz and Siegfried were arrested from their beds. “For six months we had been without a proper job,” says Eichler. “We were considered wandering criminals. Fortunately the judge was relatively lenient: five days in prison – on parole.” As Fritz learned the hard way, those who avoided the temporary working camps lived dangerously. Already in autumn 1933, the new men in power had demonstrated what they intended to do with the so called “work-shy.” During the “beggar-weeks,” 10,000 beggars and tramps were arrested. Though arrests and prison sentences for beggars did happen in the previous Weimar republic period, the measures of the W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

Nazis were so comprehensive that even disused prisons were opened again and dedicated arrest camps set up. The successors of Bodelschwingh and the charity for travelling workers were supportive of the Nazis. Pastor Paul Braune hailed the tough measures of the new men wielding power as a “fortunate marriage of police force and social welfare or of love and strictness.” In 1936 The National Socialists toughened their stance and outlawed legally regulated travelling. Homeless people were criminalized and labelled “antisocial parasites of society.” In 1938 around 11,000 homeless people were arrested and held in concentration camps during a “cleansing operation.” The charity for travelling workers turned over hundreds of travellers to the Nazis. Even the forced sterilization of “(racially) inferior tramps” was advocated. Only when euthanasia was rumored did Pastor Braune submit a protest to Hitler. Unsurprisingly, Hitler did not care for his opinion. Unlike so many Fritz encountered on his travels, he was fortunate enough have a home to return to prior to the major cleansing operations. He managed to return his home town of Hamburg, where he lived during the war. Later he found work in a storehouse for leather goods, where he worked for most of his life. Today, Fritz is 94 and still mobile, with the help of a Zimmer frame. Despite this he claims he is still travelling. “Today I go on a journey in my mind and watch movies with country scenery. And of course, he says “I still have my dreams.” Reprinted from Hinz & Kunzt © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org

This Week in Chicago: 50 Years Ago PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.FTL.PINECREST.EDU

By Sydney Corryn & Sylvester Quast StreetWise intern & vendor volunteer #6908

50 Years ago this week... Sluggers like Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds can credit some of their success to Ernie Banks, whose humble attitude and vast talent made him a National League favorite. In 1958 and

1959, Ernie Banks was the National League’s Most Valuable Player. His major league debut was September 1953, at shortstop. In the March 14, 1959 Chica go Defender , Banks credited his roommate, Gene Baker, for teaching him the dynamics of the game: how to swing, to watch the batters, to corner the bag and to work the infield. Baker was six years older than Banks, he was also African-American and more knowledgeable about baseball; he became the first black manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates. “He certainly helped me when I came into the club,” Banks said. Banks was the first African-American to play for the Cubs and “Mr. Cub” is still known for his outgoing personality. “I don’t think anybody in this game has a defeatist attitude because they cannot afford to,” Banks told the Defender . “How can they when they know somebody is after their job.” Banks had a starting salary of $40,000 and his highest paid contract was $65,000. That is measly pocket change compared to the multimillion dollar contracts baseball players have today. The Defender called him “the greatest home run-hitting shortstop in history,” but Banks said, “When I try to hit the ball out of the park, I’m not too successful.” Still, the Defender wanted to know about the

From the Sports Desk

A salute to the Bulls’ Norm Van Lier He was born on April Fool's Day, and despite his intense image and hard-nosed reputation, Norm Van Lier knew from the start the joke's on all of us and living well is the best revenge. Chicago lost a man who symbolized the city's image as home to the hard working and hard playing when Norm passed away on February 26. Norm Van Lier was the kind of athlete with whom Chicagoans like to indentify. For those who don't quite remember his career, he was known as a talented allaround player for the Bulls in the 70's who was relatively undersized in the NBA, but played hard, played rough and would do anything to win. If you had to create the perfect athlete for this town, Norm Van Lier would be the prototype, right down to his equally intense canvassing of Chicago in search of the perfect party. The finished product that was Norm Van Lier was born of a rough upbringing in the Pittsburgh area by his own description. It was not strictly the typical inner city, underprivileged kid works his way out of the hood journey. Let's just say Norm's intensity was a family trait that he may have handled much better than the rest of his family, and certainly with more humor. By his own admission to me years ago, Norm was determined to be a success and to have fun doing it. In the years after Norm's playing career, he found a way to stay connected to basketball through broadcasting. Although he missed the competition and wanted to

coach, he was probably better off in studio than on the sidelines. Norm's biggest obstacle was his inability to comprehend how any athlete could play with less passion and intensity than he had as a player, and all parties were better off for having Norm express that frustration in the relative safety of a studio. Of course, Norm was also the guy who once got himself purposely ejected from an NBA game in Cincinnati so he could leave for a Rolling Stones concert that night. Those of us who were Norm's friends, and he had an army of them, were obviously saddened by his passing, but maybe not completely surprised. When you go full speed for the whole trip, the engine will eventually give out. The solace goes with the knowledge that Norm was a man who gobbled up life and left nothing on the table. The tragedy of a man's life is not the time spent, but the time squandered. The people with volumes of Norm Van Lier stories know he spent it well. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.BCSHOF.ORG

By Jim Memolo StreetWise Contributor

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homer he hit over centerfield in San Francisco the previous year. “That’s a lovely park out there,” Banks replied modestly. The Baseballpage.com calls 1958 Banks’ best season: he established career highs in at bats, hits (193), triples, homers (47), runs (119), batting average (.313). He topped the league in at bats, home runs and RBIs. 1959 was much the same. He batted .304 with 45 home runs and 143 RBIs. Cubs manager Bob Scheffing told the Defender Banks might eventually move to third base. “I don’t know what will be going on seven years from now,” the 28-year-old Banks said. “But if I can help the club there, it’s fine with me.” Banks remained at shortstop until 1962, when he moved to first base. He hit his 500th career homerun May 12, 1970. After his final game in September 1971, he began coaching for the Cubs. In 1973, When Cubs manager Whitney Lockman was ejected from the game, he managed the team for the remainder of the season. In the late 60’s and early 70’s he owned a car dealership on Stony Island. In 1982, the Cubs retired his number 14. Ernie Banks was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. His Live Above and Beyond Foundation aims to eliminate prejudice in neighborhoods by providing educational scholarships and sporting equipment. In 2008, a statue of Banks was unveiled at Wrigley Field with his famous catch phrase “Let’s play two,” a reference to his desire to play a double header every day and his overall passion for baseball. Also in the March 14, 1959 Defender: children known as “Billikens” were ready to sing their little hearts out at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, 1421-25 W. Washburn, where Rev. George W. Jones was the pastor. These children were rehearsing for the Bud Billiken Easter Festival, where they were part of a chorus. Rev. Jones claimed this festival would be one of the biggest the West Side had ever seen and urged others to come to the three remaining rehearsals. Thirty-eight young people— Billikens ranging in age from 3 to 12 – had their names mentioned in the paper for having already signed up. In 1929, Chica go Defender founder Robert S. Abbott and his managing editor Luscious Harper conceived the annual Bud Billiken parade as a day for youth and a symbol of pride, hope and happiness for blacks during the Great Depression. Over 50 million families have been involved since its conception.The parade is the second Saturday in August, along King Drive to Washington Park. Countless celebrities and politicians participate in this historic celebration within the Chicago African-American community.

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

HAMP WAS OURS. Well sort of. Moving from Louisville, Kentucky to Chicago in 1916, 8-year-old LIONEL HAMPTON was drumming in the Chica go Defender Newsboy’s Band and selling papers. Later Lionel was bangin’ and beatin’ in Curtis Mosby’s Chicago band. California RICHARD PEGUE called and Hamp moved in Chicago Radio Personality 1928 to join a group that backed up the great Louis Armstrong. Switching from drums to vibes at the suggestion of his wife and business partner Gladys, Hamp did a solo on the recording of Memories Of You. 1932 found Lionel leading his own California band until (Chicago’s) Benny Goodman saw and heard the vibes of Hampton. The musical icons made many classic recordings. Lionel’s mastery of the vibraphone was internationally known. He formed his own big band with the best musicians including Clifford Brown, Illinois Jacquet, Charles Mingus and Ruth Jones. Hamp hired Ruth, (Dinah Washington) after seeing her performance at our REGAL THEATER. THE BAND HAS made music practically everywhere with Flying Home, Mood Indigo, and Blow Top Blues appreciated by the world’s jazz lovers. His band remained together longer than any other jazz group. Lionel on TV was always enjoyable but the vibes stopped in 2002 when he was 92. For me his best was the Pasadena concert with 12 minutes of Sta rdust. I can still feel those VIBE brations. HERBIE HANCOCK IS OURS. At 11 he did a young people’s concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I wonder how many times Herbie walked to Hyde Park High School from 63rd and Cottage? A regular on the jazz scene by 1960, Mr. Hancock was asked to join and record with Donald Byrd’s group in New York. Soon he was doing his own album Ta kin’ Off with Wa termelon Ma n as the lead cut. Herbie created the hit that was later covered by many by others. The biggest sales probably came from the Mongo Santamaria Latin-flavored version. Later Herbie would bump music with Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter and Wynton Marsalis, jazz classics all. Then Herbie experimented with synthesizers and popular dance rhythms on his Rockit album. He remains one of Chicago’s main jazzmen.

EDDIE HARRIS. Partial to Chicago people? Yes, we are because they are innovators and experimenters like our Eddie Harris. His electric sax with church piano and vibes background led to Eddie’s first professional gig on piano behind Gene Ammons. After two years in the military band, Mr. Harris came home to record for Chicago’s Vee Jay records. HIT! The Exodus theme from the movie. >>OTHER JAZZY “H” people include Coleman Hawkins, Chico Hamilton, Fletcher Henderson, Woody Herman, Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines and singer Jon Hendricks. Next week: BILLIE HOLIDAY. MEDIA- The OBAMA Salute to Stevie Wonder on Channel 11 was well-put together, formal and respectful. Under the circumstances, I give it an “A”. + PAUL HARVEY has been on the radio forever and I listened forever, probably since I was 8. Mr. Harvey passed away recently and the world will desperately miss his essence and commentary. More next week. ALL A BOARDers. HERB KENT’s BOOK signing at the OBAMA Borders on 53rd Street was a rousing success. The Nine Lives Of Herb Kent is waiting for you and me. >>Meanwhile, WHO IS AL WYNN? He is the author of a new book that is a must read… A PIMP AND A HUSTLER is an autobiographical look at the life of a now 75-year-young man from the South who moved to Chicago and rubbed shoulders with a lot of very interesting people from the so-called “low lifes” to aldermen, congressmen and judges. It’s a trip to literary adventure with a lot of local lore. GLADYS, WE MISS YOU and now we miss “TOT”…that was KINNARD HOLCOMB’s nickname. Tot and his wife Gladys had what we knew as Gladys’ Lunchonette. “Tot” was 92 when he passed on Valentine’s Day. The restaurant was famous for its soul food, which Gladys’ referred to as just home cookin’. The famous and just plain folks first came to 37th and State, then to the basement at 4541 Indiana, and finally to 4527 Indiana. Dr. King, Jimmy Carter, Mayor Washington, Sawyer, Rev. Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha, Della, Redd Foxx and of course, the other Gladys (Knight), all picked up a few pounds at Gladys.’ May the first couple of Chicago soul food, rest. THE OGDEN AVENUE SENIORS party with us on Thursdays at The Department of Senior Services, 2102 W. Ogden (not on the 4th Thursday). The 79th Steet Seniors Party every Monday at 79th and Cregier between Stony and Jeffery. Both events are lunchtime 11:30 ’til 1:30 with their favorite dusties. E-mail@BestDusty@aol.com or visit TheBestMusic OfYourLife.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.MUSICWEB-INTERNATIONAL.COM, WWW.KALAMU.COM, WWW.KALAMU.COM

The Best Music of Your Life

Herbie Hancock Eddie Harris

I’m just an ordinary guy, but I was wondering… By Nominal Nomenclature 1) Isn’t this bad banking bail out thing making you want to be a mad mattress moneymaker?

2) How many TV news ladies show their REAL hair on screen? 3) Do you now see why YOU don’t want to be President? 4) Watch out! Are free CTA rides for seniors on the way out?

6) OBAMA DRIVE-what are they waiting for? 7) As taxpayers, do we all now own a little bitty piece all of Citigroup banks? 8) So what about that Ed Vrdolyak thing? 9) Why don’t they give up ranting on Roland for LENT, since a special election would cost $50 million??? 10) And how many of their “not too close for scrutiny” relatives are on the payroll?

5) Did an adult film company offer the 8 babys’ mama a million dollars to do a dirty DVD?

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

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FoodWise with Ginny & the Chef Pan-Grilled Pork & Greens ~ serves 4~ Shopping List: • 4 lean pork chops [thin cut-bone in]. • 4 c. beet or collard greens [cleaned and chopped]. • 1 small yellow onion [thin-sliced]. • 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce. • 1 tbsp. low-sodium chicken stock. • 1 garlic clove, minced. • 1 tsp. olive oil. • 1/8 tsp. Chinese five spice. • 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper. • sea salt [ to taste ]

Our Bodies and stress By Ginny & The Chef StreetWise Contributors, www.ginetics.org

y home away from home is the sunshine state. I really look forward to arriving in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Just seeing the green Everglades below me from the airplane lifts my spirits. That changes once I leave the plane and start heading for the rental car stand. A strange feeling comes over me. I get short of breath. My head feels a bit dizzy. My shoulders start to rise up to my ears.Why? I am starting to feel stressed about driving on Interstate 95. Drivers Stress can limit here have more accidents and pay higher the effectiveness car insurance than of the body’s almost any other normal functions, state in America. including The locals have a digestions, heart saying: “Try to stay alive - on 95.” rate, and I must admit, on vitamin/mineral the way to our absorbsion condo in Boca Raton, we often pass at least one serious accident—sometimes two. When our bodies start to feel “different” in certain dangerous or emotional situations, we are actually feeling a “stress response.” It is important for us to pay attention to that response. This is nature’s way of cranking up our defenses. We may need extra energy and focus to deal with whatever situation we might be facing. Our body is releasing “Stress Hormones.” Hormones such as these are produced in our adrenal glands. They suppress some bodily func-

tions, such as digestion. They increase others, such as heart rate. Our bodies are getting ready to fight (or run away). This is the familiar “fight or flight” response. Once the stress has passed, our bodies return to normal function. In an emergency this response could save your life. However, if we are experiencing these stress hormones everyday it can have negative effects on our health. Everyone has different triggers and different stress responses. What are yours? For instance, I enjoy speaking in public most of the time. Yet, many of my family and friends get stressed out about any kind of public speaking. This is actually one of the most common fears. Bottom line is, no one can totally avoid stress. But we should all try to limit it. Stress can even deplete our body’s vitamins and minerals. Some of the best ways to deal with stress include eating a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. We should also get lots of whole grains and lean protein. Building on that, we must get enough exercise every day. Exercise will help flush those stress toxins right out of your body. Start incorporating at least 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine.You will really feel the results right away. Along with diet and exercise, make sure you are getting enough rest and sound sleep. Finally another few things that can help are meditation, yoga and most of all BREATHING. Deep, slow, breathing is so important. It really does calm the body down. Of course if your stress is overwhelming and out of control seek professional help. A professional psychotherapist can really help move you forward through your stressful situations. W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

Ginny’s Cooking Instructions: • Preheat large fry pan to medium / hot. • Add olive oil. • Brown pork chops on both sides, in olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside. • Sprinkle pork chops with five spice & black pepper. • Add onions to hot pan. Sauté until light brown. • Add garlic, sauté until garlic starts to brown. • Add greens to pan. Sauté 2 minutes. • Add pork chops back into pan. • Add soy sauce and chicken stock. • Cover pan. Reduce heat to low. Allow greens and pork to simmer at least 10 minutes. • Enjoy with yellow beets, carrots, squash or other bright colored vegetables!

Nutrition Facts

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

Health & Exercise

Staying healthy in tough times RECHARGE: Eight hours of sleep every night will allow your body to recharge itself. Ample rest will enable your brain to function at a higher capacity, allow you to think clearly and enable you to have the brain power to come up with the solutions you need to weather this current storm.

MOVE: Economic uncertainty, 24-hour doom and gloom news coverage, job loss or job retention stress, financial belt tightening—these all lead to a great deal of stress. Avoid the pitfalls of simply escaping and watching TV; get some physical activity. Whether it is just walking around the block or going to the gym, simply get the blood flowing, get the endorphins pumping and you’ll feel better.

BUILD: By John Godoy StreetWise Contributor, john@johngodoyfitness.com

et’s cut to the chase. Stay active. MOVE! Be smart about what you eat—BUILD! Drink water—HYDRATE! Get plenty of rest— RECHARGE! Since you are the type of person who cares deeply about your well being, you will do everything in your power to stay healthy during these hard times. Here is why.

Think of a strong, powerful Hummer—now think of an everyday, plastic frame four-door— the type whose bumper cracks (because it is plastic) at the slightest bump. Which would you rather be? Dumb question, right? Well then, eat body-building foods and watch the calories. Furthermore, be aware that when we are stressed, we tend to eat more and we eat poorly. Be conscious that eating food releases pleasure chemicals into the bloodstream and makes you feel better. But, like a drug, it is only temporary

and you will constantly be looking for the next quick fix of pleasure-creating food.

HYDRATE: Think of a round, firm, juicy plum. Now picture a sickly looking, wrinkly dry plum. That is the difference between proper hydration and poor hydration. Enough said. Four steps. Doing more will overcomplicate the entire process. •Make sure you get eight hours of sleep a night as often as you can. It may seem as though cutting sleep will allow for more hours to work or relax but the reality is that your productivity— your efficiency—will be astronomically better if you sleep rather than cut corners. •Get at least 30 minutes of dedicated physical activity a day. This is non-negotiable. •Make sure that most of the food on your plate at every meal is real food, not food product.The difference is that real food perishes in several days, where food products are generally boxed and will outlive you! •Drink plenty of water. Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD, author of Your Body’s Ma ny Cries for Wa ter recommends half your weight of water in ounces. Ex: A 200-pound person would drink 100 fluid ounces a day.

DineWise: Spacca Napoli By Cindy Kurman and Lee Barrie StreetWise Contributors The biggest news in Chicago pizza over the past three years is that Chicago pizza lovers are clamoring for pizza that goes back to its Italian roots. Spacca Napoli, in the Ravenswood neighborhood, is one of several pizzerias that feature pizza in its original incarnation. Spacca Napoli has been packing them in for three years with truly authentic Italian pizza, made the same way it is made in the pizzerias of Naples, Italy. In fact, the restaurant is named after Spaccanapoli, the old plaza in Naples. The owner is the friendly and completely dedicated “pizzaiuolo,” Jonathan Goldsmith, a Chicagoan who has traveled to Italy innumerable times and essentially considers Italy his second home. After many visits to Italy, he was encouraged by his Italian friends to open an authentic pizzeria in Chicago. Thus began his passionate journey to discover the essence and art of making true Italian pizza. His journey took him to Naples, the birthplace of pizza, where he studied and became certified as a "Pizzaiuolo," or pizza maker. A visit to Spacca Napoli is the closest thing to being on the streets of Naples. The menu is simple and uncluttered but offers a dining experience that is steeped in Italian culinary tradition. The meal begins with a choice of salads (insalatas) and appetizers (antipasti), each bursting forth with an explosion of flavor from the fresh, authentic ingredients. A daily soup special is also on the menu. Goldsmith picks his ingredients judiciously. He doesn’t simply use mozzarella, he uses imported mozzarella di bufala and fior di latte (fresh whole milk mozzarella). Other ingredients include fresh tomatoes and basil, fresh eggplant and zucchini, imported Italian meats such as Prosciutto Di Parma and Italian sausage, all accompanied by flavorful, fresh olive oils. The

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

appetizer selection varies daily, and you’ll often find Goldsmith passing out samples to the people waiting expectantly for a table. Appetizers are priced in the $7-$12 range and are large enough to share among 2-3 people. The pizza selection focuses on 12 regular varieties plus two or three daily specials, certainly enough choices to please any pizza lover. There are plenty of vegetarian choices. Pizzas are priced in the $10-15 range. The flavors and textures of the pizza are unique. Goldsmith has equipped the pizzeria with an impressive, imported custom-built wood-burning brick oven. The oven burns so hot that the pizzas reach their treasured texture in only a few minutes. The bubbly crust—mixed in an Italian-made mixer and made from Italian flour—is very thin, crispy on the outside edges and tender in the center. People who enjoy the taste and aroma of freshly baked Naan bread in an Indian restaurant will note the similarity. All pizzas are drizzled with fresh imported olive oil and served uncut. Diners use a pizza cutter to create wedge slices or squares, whatever their preference. In two visits, we enjoyed several varieties; all came out piping hot and delicious. The Funghi features fresh tomatoes, Fior Di Latte Mozzarella, fresh basil, mushrooms and olive oil. The tomato flavor emanates more from the fresh Pomodorini (Italian cherry tomatoes) than tomato sauce. We also loved the Quattro Formaggi, which is a cheese lover’s dream. It’s a Pizza Bianca (white pizza) with Fior Di Latte Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Emmenthal, and Fontina cheeses. Another favorite was the Bianco Nero, a delicately flavored daily special that features wild mushrooms drizzled with truffle oil. Amazing. Other featured pizzas’ ingredients, in varying combinations, include fresh Italian sausage, fennel, arugula, fresh Parmesan and rapini. W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

Spacca Napoli serves a nice selection of desserts (dolce) which vary from day to day, and fresh gelato in a variety of flavors. We enjoyed the special banana gelato as well as the Tuscan chocolate (dark and rich). Italian beers and wines by the glass and bottle as well as excellent espresso and cappuccino are also available. Limoncello and other Italian spirits are great accompaniments to desserts. Spacca Napoli is located at 1769 W. Sunnyside Ave. and is open for lunch and dinner. Lunch is served Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner is served Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. Reservations are accepted and recommended on weekends. Carryout is allowed but discouraged; the high moisture content of the ingredients tends to saturate the crust. All major cards are accepted. Street parking is available. For reservations and for more information, call Spacca Napoli at 773-878-2420 or visit their website at www.spaccanapolipizzeria.com.

calendar for March 11-March 17 PHOTO COURTESY IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER

Shannon Rovers in downtown parade on St. Patrick’s Day

Friday, March 13 Irish Dance Chicago-a showcase of the city’s best dancers on one stage, 7 p.m. Irish-American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $10 for adults; children under 12 admitted free with a paying adult. For more information call, 773.282.7035 or visit www.irish-american.org.

Saturday, March 14 Dyeing the Chicago River-10:45 a.m. Best viewing is from the upper levels of bridges at Michigan Avenue or Columbus Drive. Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union 130, sponsor of the parade since 1957, has turned the river as green as the

The

St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at noon from Balbo and Columbus and proceeds past the reviewing stand at Buckingham Fountain to Monroe Street. The parade is always the Saturday before the actual March 17 St. Patrick’s Day, to allow families to participate without taking their children out of school. Rain or snow, the parade goes on; you can watch on ABC7 or WGN Channel 9. St. Patrick’s Post-parade Festival, 1 p.m. to midnight, Irish-American Heritage Center. Traditional and contemporary Irish music, dance, food and children’s activities. Live entertainment by Chicago Irish music groups and performers from Ireland. Irish gifts, baked goods, books and jewelry. Lineup includes: 1 p.m. Tim O’Shea and Stephen Carroll; 3 p.m. Shannon Rovers; 4 p.m. Dooley Brothers; 7 p.m. O’Sullivan Brothers; 10 p.m. David Dunne and Blackwater. Also, in the Social Center, Anish at 5 p.m.; Mulligan Stew at 7 p.m. and an open ceili (dance party) at 9 p.m. with the Joe Shannon Band. Performing in the auditorium will be the Mullane Healy O’Brien Irish Dance Academy at 3 p.m.; Spriorad Damhsa at 4 p.m.; Trinity Irish

Reel Thing

RECOGNIZING CHICAGO as “an intense indie film town,” Chad Cassell has started a new distributing company, called One Three Releasing, which will do its part to help bring locally-made indies to theatres and video stores. One Three Releasing is in the market “for all genres of good, marketable indie features for art house or even for wide commercial release as I have direct access to theatres,” Cassell says. He is a former distribution coordinator for Picturehouse, whose Wheeling office had been headed by John Lange and Dan Lange, formerly of Newmarket Films, which had been absorbed into Picturehouse. Cassell’s timing may be right on the money as Picturehouse was recently shuttered as New Line's art-house/indie/foreign arm. At the same time, Warner Bros. closed Warner Independent Films. AN EXCLUSIVE SCREENING PARTY, hosted by the TV Academy, premiered a new episode of TNT’s popular series,“Saving Grace” (wherein an angel named Earl offers a jaded Oklahoma City police detective, Grace, the chance to redeem her life) Feb. 24 at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers. Special scheduled guest was actor Kenny Johnson, who plays Grace’s boyfriend Ham

Emerald Isle for over 40 years. The green comes from environmentally safe orange dye typically used to detect pipes leaking into the river. The orange dye “converts” to green: a subtle reference to Protestant Orangemen and historic repression of Irish Catholics in the old country. Other cities have tried to duplicate the effect but none have succeeded. “We believe that is where the leprechaun comes in,” Plumbers Union officials say.

Tickets are $15 for adults, or $12 through March 13; children 12 and under free with paying adult.

Sunday, March 15 South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade, noon from 104th and Western Avenue. The Muscular Dystrophy Association-Chicago Region will be grand marshal. The MDA is a voluntary health agency that works to conquer the neuromuscular disease that affects a million Americans. The parade will also honor St. Baldrick’s Fox Chicago Schools Challenge, which raises funds for childhood cancer research through head-shaving events at area schools – almost $1.2 million last year. The South Side parade was started in 1979 by two Beverly-Morgan Park residents who remembered the 79th Street parade of their youth and wanted something for their families after the big parade moved downtown in 1960.

Tuesday, March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, Irish-American Heritage Center, Fifth Province Lounge, noon to midnight. Irish dancing, traditional and modern Irish music and food. Performers include Tim O’Shea and Stephen Carroll at 1:30 p.m.; Chancey Brothers at 4 p.m.; Spriorad Damhsa Dancers at 5 p.m.; Barry Fagan’s Band at 6:30 p.m. and Matt Stedman Band at 9 p.m. Tickets $10 only at the door. For more information, call 773-282-7035, ext. 10.

By Ruth Ratny

Dewey. Grace, of course, is played by Holly Hunter, who sports a long Rapunzel-like coiffure in the series. GEORGE CLOONEY has been filming in Midwest airports for Up in the Air , a comedy directed by Jason Reitman. The story is about a corporate downsizer who wants to accumulate one million frequent flier miles – hence his filming at Detroit Metro Airport and Lambert-St. Louis. He works for a mysterious management company called MythTech. FAMOUS DOCUMENTARIAN FREDERICK WISEMAN made a rare Chicago appearance Feb. 27 at Depaul to discuss his 40 years of creating "documentaries as dramas." He's produced 36 films and won a Peabody, Emmys and countless other awards. TA, TA, JERRY SPRINGER. The talk show host will head to London to play the part of the slick, tap-dancing lawyer, Billy Flynn, in “Chicago.” He’ll perform at the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End for six weeks starting in June. BELOVED ACTRESS BETTY WHITE will celebrate her lengthy award-winning television career during Women’s History Month at the Museum of Broadcasting brunch March 15 at the Palmer House. W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

Dancers at 5 p.m. and the Mulhern School of Irish Dance at 6 p.m. There will be a sing-song with Irish Heritage Singers at 6 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.TIME.COM

BAD NEWS FOR THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY. Chicago’s Midway Games, known for its classic “Mortal Kombat” video game series and a heavy duty employer of Web programmers and designers, filed for Chapter 11, after Sumner Redstone, Viacom chairman, sold off his majority stake in the company. As a result, Midway could end up defaulting on $240 million in debt-including $90 million it owes to Redstone’s National Amusements— because of the change in majority ownership and its preexisting financial troubles. There is no idea of how many lost jobs this fiasco will cause.

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

Calendar Special Feature

Becoming Edward Munch: Influence, anxiety & myth By Barrett Newell StreetWise contributor

ecoming Edva rd Munch: Influence, Anxiety, a nd Myth, on display through April 26 at the Art Institute of Chicago, boasts an extensive look at the work of an artist many identify with a single painting, The Screa m . Stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway in 2004 and missing for nearly two years, the famed painting does not leave its home, but the breadth of the Art Institute’s exhibit will keep art lovers entranced and expose them to new sides of an iconic artist. Exhibit curator Jay Clarke sought to address the assumption that Munch’s artistic impulses “controlled” him. It’s a notion many critics have held since Munch’s lifetime (1863-1944). His private life was not without turbulence, including a life-long battle with alcoholism and a self-prescribed stint in a sanitarium. Admittedly, Munch’s work exists in emotional extremes, Clarke said, so it is easy for history to pigeonhole him as a macabre personality. However, looking through historical documents, Clarke failed to find the “mad” Munch numerous art installations before this one have helped reinforce. Instead, she discovered an artist very aware of the impact his art would have on his image and on the viewer. Based on various thematic qualities such as The Femme Fa ta le, The Sick Room , and Ba thing a nd Regenera tion , each gallery space offers a unique perspective on Munch’s work. Also on display are works from his contemporaries to help dispel the idea Munch (pronounced monk) created his work in isolation from the rest of the art world.

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

Madonna, 1895. Lithograph in black ink with additions in brush and red, green, blue, black, and yellow watercolor on mottled gray-blue wove paper.

Clarke would not say Munch mimicked his fellow artists, but she did refer to him as a “sponge,” who could have easily “absorbed” some of their techniques and choices of subject matter. For example, Munch painted deathbed scenes not because he had a morbid fascination with death, but because paintings of this genre were en vogue in northern Europe. Displaying Munch’s art like this might imply a generic quality, but the effect is quite the opposite. In addition to giving them context, it highlights their uniquely emotive qualities. Munch’s expressionist style creates more

tension, drama, and life with whatever subject matter he has chosen. His Ma donna painting and prints, for example, are some of the most captivating; they capture both eroticism (and the late 19th century male’s grim insecurities over female sexuality) as well as powerful religious iconography. The image is both alluring and troubling. Audio tours are available with “stops” at 29 of the works. Dated tickets are required and advance purchases are recommended, at www.artic.edu/aic or 312.443.3600.

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

StreetWise Feature PHOTO BY BEN COOK

$55 million:

The apartments in the background, seen boarded up and foreclosed, could be desirable properties close to public transportation.

Where will it go? PHOTO BY BEN COOK

By Suzanne Hanney Editor-in-Chief

mid at least $2 billion in foreclosed real estate, Chicago has a tall order for its $55.2 million share from the Housing & Economic Recovery Act passed by Congress last July. Congress authorized $3.92 billion nationwide through Neighborhood Stabilization Programs (NSPs) that set up funding mechanisms to get foreclosed homes back into circulation. “Our chief concern is how are we going to stabilize our communities and turn these vacant homes into quality, affordable housing -- and provide stable home ownership opportunities for Chicago residents,” said Molly Sullivan, spokesperson for the City of Chicago Department of Community Development. “The goal is to get people living in them,” agreed Geoff Smith, vice president of the Woodstock Institute.“The concern is that where you have high concentrations of foreclosures that are vacant and blighted, the neighborhood will fall into a deep hole with less chance of recovery. By getting them occupied, you’re putting a floor in that neighborhood decline and planting seeds of recovery.” There are 25 Chicago neighborhoods in the Neighborhood Stabilization Plan (NSP) plan, all on the South or West Sides (see chart on opposite page).The city’s plan, which can be viewed on the Housing Action Illinois Web site, notes that the 25 neighborhoods were chosen for three reasons:

This foreclosed greystone at 47th & Evans is surrounded by both empty lots and occupied homes.

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

high percentages of foreclosures that became real estate owned (REO) properties after unsuccessful auctions; large percentages of high-cost loans; high risk of foreclosures, for reasons such as high unemployment. During the November public comment period on the draft plan, North Siders such as state Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and Brian White, executive director of the Lakeside Community Development Corporation, argued for a share of funds, based on rising condo foreclosures. White pointed to the most recent Woodstock Institute study, which said Chicago condo foreclosures alone are up 139 percent, compared to the city’s overall increase of 48 percent between 2007 and 2008. Condo foreclosures increased 260 percent in both Rogers Park and West Ridge, 400 percent in Lincoln Square. The nature of condo associations – shared assessments, maintenance, construction defects – means a single foreclosure can raise the risk of insolvency for other owners, he said in a telephone interview. “We have a 36-unit development; only six units are sold and the bank is threatening to take the developer to foreclosure on the other 30 units.” The Woodstock Institute’s Smith, however, justified the city’s choice of the 25 South and West Side neighborhoods on the grounds NSP/government resources could leverage recovery where private

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

Chicago’s 25 NSP neighborhoods

REOs per 1,000 Percent of all loans mortgageable mortgageable subprime (2006-07) properties (2007)

lenders might not tread. “The Lincoln Square housing market will be rough, but realistically, there’s a greater chance of that market rebounding in three to five years than Englewood, in lieu of other investment,” Smith said. In addition, the value of residential properties that reverted to bank ownership was $1.2 billion in 2007 (and likely twice that in 2008, according to Smith) so city officials decided to maximize their $55.2 million by negotiating discounted prices in targeted zones. “We need to be able to acquire a majority of vacant foreclosed properties on a block to make an impact,” said the Department of Community Development’s Katie Ludwig and Bill Goldsmith of Mercy Portfolio Services during a February 26 Powerpoint presentation for would-be NSP developers. Mercy Portfolio Services, a new non-profit sponsored by Mercy Housing Inc., will administer the city’s NSP money: it will deal with banks, hold and maintain properties, then work with community developers to resell them. Requests for qualifications (RFQs) will be due this month and acquisitions will begin in April, Ludwig said. All the NSP money is targeted toward households earning less than $90,500 for a family of four, which is 120 percent of Area Median Income, and 25 percent of it must benefit households earning $37,500 or less (half the AMI). During the public comment period, several advocates hoped that the federal money would help the city go deeper into helping low-income people and providing supportive housing. The Metropolitan Tenants Organization sought not the 25 percent minimum, but 50 percent of units targeted toward households with less than $37,500 income. “Income is going down across the board, you have empty houses and these should be geared toward tenants, not home ownership right now,” Rebecca McDannald, supervisor of MTO’s tenants’ rights hotline, said. “All these buildings are going empty, we need to keep these buildings maintained from foreclosure, get in before tenants get out of there, so that the units thrive and people don’t end up going without housing. We’ve got empty buildings and homeless people, really the focus needs to be on housing people.”

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

Drop in price from maximum 2000-2008 (single-family homes detached) (2008—third quarter)

Unemployment rate (2007)

Since few new owners can get private financing now, 40 percent of the NSP funds should go toward special-needs groups, said Jeffrey E. Leslie, clinical professor of Law at the Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic of the University of Chicago Law School. Leslie also said 15 percent of Chicago’s allocation should go toward supportive housing: group homes, emergency shelters, domestic violence shelters, halfway homes for runaway children, drug offenders or parolees, mentally disabled or disaster victims. “If there were a robust market for this housing, it would be in private hands,” Leslie said. “It’s not clear to me there’s going to be lots of new homebuyers to take these off the hands of the developers once rehabbed, so the necessity is to use it in a lot of new ways.” During the public comment period, Katrina Van Valkenburgh, director of the Illinois and Indiana Program for the Corporation for Supportive Housing, had sought both 25 percent of funds targeted toward supportive housing for those earning below $37,500 and another 25 percent devoted to permanent supportive housing by 2013. But, Van Valkenburgh told StreetWise, while she would have liked to see a commitment to supportive housing under NSP, she backs the city’s rationale of stabilizing neighborhoods by addressing foreclosures. Both she and Leslie pointed to new money coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic stimulus package that President Obama signed February 17. This package will give another $2 billion toward NSP, (half again as much as the current allocation). State and local government units – and nonprofits – will be able to submit proposals between May 4 and July 17. There will also be $1.5 billion for homeless prevention and rapid re-housing. According to a city source, Chicago’s share could be up to $33 million, which could be used for temporary rental assistance, credit repair, security deposits, utility payments, final month rent and moving costs.“One of the important things in thinking about how the money is used now,” Van Valkenburgh said, is “If municipalities do a good job managing it, they will probably become more competitive in applying for new funds down the road.” W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

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Ask Eugene Each week StreetWise’s own Eugene answers life’s toughest questions. If you can’t take the answer, don’t ask the question. Dear Eugene: What have you given up for Lent? -Devout Reader

Dear Devout: Since the economic times are so tough, I have little choice but to take it hard on myself. I think that this Lent might be the easiest ever, not just for me, but for everyone because people have been doing without luxury the whole year up to now. I don’t know if that counts for extra credit in terms of penance. I’ll check and get back to you. Dear Eugene: What is the funniest thing that you can think of? -Tom

Dear Tom: Well, right now—perhaps a gorilla playing the French national anthem to open a monster truck rally. Or a

pigeon abducting an elephant from the zoo by carrying it off into the night with its talons. Or an old guy with a lot of hair in his ears juggling ceramic squirrel Hummels while wearing a wedding dress. There are so many options. Dear Eugene: Where are you going for Spring Break? -Totally Not Stalking You

Dear Totally: I’m pretty sure that you wrote me two weeks ago, and let’s not kid ourselves. You’re stalking me. It’s fine, I’m am really stalk-able. To answer your question, due to a tight budget I’m riding Pegasus the mythical stallion over the Amazonian canopy at the speed of sound eating snacks... in my mind. And no, you can’t come.

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

sudoku medium difficulty

last week’s answers

W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

Entrepreneur of the Week:

Vendor self-publishes book By Ben Cook

matter and how people like Einstein, Jung and Edgar Casey treetWise vendor Walter were all dabbling in alchemy at Mitchell wants his customers some point. If I were to assign it a to know one thing: “I did it. genre I would say Religious/ [singing] I did it myyyy wayyy… I Spirituality. “Several of these are examined, wrote a book.” Since joining the StreetWise workforce in 2004, highlighting what is an ancient Mitchell has been wrapping up his alchemical code revealing the novel, which has been in process secret behind the entrance of for the last 12 years. Due to the Nostradamus’s evil entity in 1999 money he makes selling his maga- whose correspondence, incredibly, is to Edgar Cayce’s zine, he is able to prophecy regarding self-publish his the return of the metaphysical manibiblical entity in festo and release 1998. These dates his ideas to the correspond to cerworld. tain astronomical Mitchell is a well/astrological rounded person. events: The appearHe’s a genial, wellance (1997) of the groomed Evanston Cosmic Vesica vendor who works Pisces aka SN1987A hard and is polite to and the triple conhis customers. He’s junctions of several also a well-read, planets (1999intense intellectual 2000) whose who will happily occurrences discuss complex mytho/historically philosophical viewherald the coming points at the drop The Forbidden Secrets of Alchemy of the biblical entity of a hat. by Walter Mitchell called Christ. These With an extensive background in desktop pub- events are shown to correlate lishing and graphic design, Mitchell directly with 1 Thes. 4:16-17 and has utilized online publishing com- Rev. 20:4 and of course all of this panies that allow him to finance his points directly to the understanddream. Now, on his 50th birthday ing of the transmutation of the (March 11) he is happy to report spirit. Mitchell’s Web site is the launch of his book and its cor- http://DreamMerchant.synthasite. com. responding Web site. “I would like for it to be at least a Despite his efforts to write a concrete, simple book, Mitchell moderate success. It has some took on rather ambitious concepts. amazing secrets that have never been revealed until now, so I hope As he summarized, “It basically gives an alchemical people will be interested in reading understanding of the transmutation it. Thanks to my job at StreetWise, of light as spirit in the form of the I’m able to finance my own publicasoul-mind, basically. I show how tion.” The most important goal on the routes of understanding are channeled into which the soul-mind horizon for Mitchell beyond finding apparatus will allow the soul-mind permanent housing (he is currently connection, through a void vacuum homeless) is writing the follow-up into our human perception—the novel. Mitchell sells his StreetWise magalchemical understanding of such. All of this has been prophesized by azines at the Jewel located at Nostradamus. Nostradamus’ Chicago Ave. and Hamilton in doomsday prophecy had a secret Evanston. He can be found there alchemical code that I break down. late mornings and afternoons I also discuss dark matter and light throughout the week.

Meet: Walter Mitchell

StreetWise staff

M A R C H 11-M A R C H 17, 2009

Celebrating his 50th birthday

Is already planning his next book

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