January 10 - 16, 2022

January 10 - 16, 2022 Vol. 30 No. 02

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$1.10 goes to vendor

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Arts & (Home) Entertainment

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SportsWise

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Cover Story: Voting rights in Chicago

More and more events are happening in Chicago, and we want you to know about the best of the best!

The SportsWise team welcomes Tiger Woods (along with his son Charlie) back to professional golf.

The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution gave African Americans freedom and citizenship and in the case of men, the right to vote, writes Vendor A. Allen. The 19th Amendment enfranchised women in general, adds Vendor Lisa Getches, who says that voting today is a civic duty, and honors the historic efforts of women suffragists. African Americans can't take voting for granted, Allen notes, because Post-Reconstruction, Southern states used various methods to curtail the Black vote. That only changed with the efforts of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Voting is only the first step in civic participation, however. The U.S. Constitution requires a population count every 10 years to determine how taxes get spent and how representation in Congress, in state legislatures -- and even the Chicago City Council -- is apportioned. We look at all three ward maps now before the Chicago City Council in a discussion influenced by the Voting Rights Act.

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The Playground This page: Bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. at Brown Chapel, headquarters for meetings during the civil rights movement in Selma, Alabama (Carol M. Highsmith photo / courtesy of the Library of Congress).

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher

dhamilton@streetwise.org

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs

ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director

jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

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ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time.

To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of things you do at home and why you love them to Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org

A Chicago Institution!

‘The Chicago Reader at 50: A Half-Century of Revolutionary Storytelling’ The Chicago Reader started small with eight pages. By the Reader’s 25th anniversary, the paper had grown to four sections and had become the place Chicagoans looked for cutting-edge criticism, long-form investigative journalism, and underground comics. They also turned to the Reader to figure out where to spend their weekends, sell their wares, or reconnect with a lost friend. The Reader has endured, surviving these challenges while remaining free and revolutionary.“The Chicago Reader at 50: A Half-Century of Revolutionary Storytelling” at the Newberry, 60 W. Walton St., commemorates the paper’s 50th anniversary through a multimedia display of stories, photographs, cartoons, and more. The exhibition shows how the Reader has changed with the times without compromising its values. FREE, on display until March 5.

A Timely Play!

‘Wellesley Girl’ Compass Theatre returns to the stage with the production of "Wellesley Girl," written by Brendan Pelsue and directed by James Fleming. It examines the relationship between citizens and democracy, and challenges the audience to consider whether it is wise or cowardly to refrain from voting when neither alternative is good. This timely play about politics is much like politics: funny - until it suddenly isn’t. It runs through Saturday, February 5, at Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont Ave. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Many performances include post-show discussion on issues raised in the production. Tickets are $40 for general admission, and $35 for seniors and students at CompassTheatre.org.

The Blues come to Life!

(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT

‘Blues in the Night’ The Blues is one of America’s original art forms and Chicago was the home to some of the greatest Blues performers. Set in a history-filled hotel on Chicago’s South Side one fateful night in the late 1930s, this Tony Award-nominated play interweaves the stories of three women who share their highs and lows of romance through the iconic songs of Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and others. Directed and choreographed by Kenny Ingram, with music directed

by David Fiorello, it runs January 15 – February 27 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Performances are Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., with weekday matinees Thursday, Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 – $74 at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the box office, 773.777.9884.

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M L K Jr. Day!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert The Music Institute of Chicago celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 3 p.m. Sunday, January 16 at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. The program includes “Danzas de Panama” (1948) by William Grant Still, featuring a faculty quartet led by Music Institute String Department Chair Sang Mee Lee on violin; Still’s “Incantation and Dance for Oboe and Piano” featuring Music Institute oboe student Zachary Allen; “The Planets, Op. 32, Mars and Venus” by Gustav Holst, arranged for two pianos and performed by Artist in Residence Marta Aznavoorian and Music Institute President and CEO Mark George; and "Violin Concerto Op. 5, No. 2 in A Major" by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (pictured) (1745–99). The afternoon also includes remarks by Dr. Gilo Kwesi Logan, an educator and diversity consultant. FREE. Reserve in-person admission or livestream at nicholsconcerthall.org.

Nostalgia Overload!

‘8-TRACK: The Sounds of the ‘70’s’ Put on your leisure suits, halter tops, and platform shoes and get ready to boogie down through 10-years of ground-breaking music! With its propulsive rhythms and dazzling harmonies, 8-TRACK is a fast-paced musical journey through one of the most impassioned decades of the 20th century. This Jeff-nominated play is a Baby Boomers’ dream come true and features the music of The Emotions, The Carpenters, Labelle, Barry Manilow, Marvin Gaye, The Doobie Brothers, The Bee Gees, Helen Reddy, KC and the Sunshine Band, and more! Rediscover the heart and soul of the forgotten decade with this joyously rousing, moving, and often downright hilarious musical in concert. Its playing Thursdays - Sundays through January 23 at 7 p.m., at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, 721 Howard, Evanston. $35-54; add a 3-course dinner for just $29! Visit theo-u.com for more information and tickets.

Science Meets Comedy!

Uncontrolled Variables: A Science and Comedy Show What would happen if you combined science with comedy? You would get Uncontrolled Variables! At 7:30 p.m. January 13, come to The Lincoln Lodge, 2040 N. Milwaukee Ave., where comedians will attempt to present scientific data and the scientists who conducted the research will explain what the data actually means. It’s fun. It’s educational. And it’s enlightening, seeing scientists who are actually comedians. Or is it comedians who are actually scientists? Find out for yourself. Tickets are $7 at eventbrite.com.

Cooking is a Drag!

Cooking and Queens: Fun with Balls Cooking Party Get in the Kitchen, 3617 N. Broadway, is hosting a cooking class with drag queens on January 15 at 7 p.m. The menu will consist of shepherd's pie, stuffed potato croquettes with BBQ sauce, arancini stuffed with Italian cheese in a marinara goat cheese tomato sauce, and cardamom ice cream for dessert. You will learn how to make all these delicious dishes with the help of drag queens Ginger Ambrosia & Virus! There will also be an after-dinner show with the queens. Unfortunately, Get in the Kitchen is no longer a BYOB place, but they are offering complimentary cocktails with each ticket purchased. Tickets are $49 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

Authors in Conversation!

‘The School for Good Mothers’ Book Launch On January 12 at 7 p.m., Women and Children First, 5233 N. Clark St., will host an in-person book launch party celebrating the release of “The School for Good Mothers” by Jessamine Chan (pictured). Chan and fellow author, Kim Brooks, will discuss parenthood. “The School for Good Mothers” follows Frida Liu, a young mother in a dystopian society, whose lapse of judgment on a bad day lands her in a government reform program. Here, Frida must meet the government’s standards of "good parenting" or lose custody of her daughter Harriet. To register for this free event, please visit womenandchildrenfirst.com.

Community Concert!

Community Concert: Muti Conducts Beethoven 5 and 8 The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will host a free concert on January 14 at 7 p.m. in the Chodl Auditorium at Morton East High School, 2423 S. Austin Blvd., Cicero. This all-Beethoven performance features the composer’s Fifth Symphony, which opens with the most famous theme in classical music, as well as the light and humorous Eighth Symphony and the Coriolan Overture. Take the opportunity to get out with family and friends and hear some of Beethoven’s most iconic pieces. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra asks everyone to provide proof of COVID vaccination and to wear masks at all times.

To register for the concert, please visit cso.org.

-Compiled by Paige Bialik, Fran Johns, Dave Hamilton & Suzanne Hanney

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Vendors Russ Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

SPORTSWISE

All: (Laughter.)

John: Well, I didn’t watch the match over the weekend of December 17. However, I saw the highlights of Tiger and his son participating in the 2021 PNC Championship golf tournament, and I thought it very cool. What with all of the chaos going on in today’s world, I got a sense of the genuine love between Tiger and his kid. Whether his kid, Charlie, follows in his father’s footsteps as a professional golfer—much like baseball’s Ken Griffey, Jr., emulating his father, Ken Griffey, Sr.—is not the main issue.

Donald: All I know is I loved the nearly exact movements and behavior between the two. The two of them looking nearly like twins—one tall, one short—really tickles me. It feels really good watching these two together.

Russ: It is fun and amazing to see. I never expected to see Tiger perform again, but to get an opportunity to see not only Tiger, but the future of the Woods family. Totally excited.

Patrick: The funny thing is, I didn’t see a ton of the tournament live, but what I saw of Charlie truly moved me. To witness Tiger’s doppelganger standing like Tiger, bending like Tiger, cheering like Tiger, smiling like Tiger—it was so beautiful to me. Although I watched golf—a lil’bit—preTiger, Tiger’s presence out there got me way into watching golf. I enjoy watching golf now whether Tiger’s on the scene or not.

Donald: Same here. And the funny thing is that, even though Tiger and his son didn’t win the tournament, it’s okay. If someone has to think of this in regard to a win or loss, think of this as preseason.

Working out kinks and testing out other things. I’m very happy to have the opportunity to see Tiger in this new phase of his life.

John: I want to go back to the father/son connection.

Tiger Woods and his son is somewhat comparable to Ken Griffey, Sr., and Ken Griffey, Jr., two greats from Major League Baseball. The awesome lesson in all of this is that someone can be a highperforming professional and parent, all in one.

Russ: So, while it was all cool and good seeing Tiger Woods and his kid, seeing John Daly—and his son—finally take Tiger was something else.

I mean, I always want Tiger to

win, but I’ve always been behind Daly as well. And, then, seeing him as a father working it out with his son—older than Charlie Woods, but that’s okay—but, yeah, seeing Daly and his son pull it out against Tiger was okay. It truly was.

I am glad it happened. In a sense, both duos won in this tournament.

Patrick: Yeah, Tiger’s son is 12, and Daly’s son is 18, and this shows that excellence has no minimum age. I’m like Russ: I’ve always been cool with John Daly. He’s gone through his stuff, as has Mr. Woods, but he’s still steppin’. Can never be mad at that. Don, would you close us out?

Donald: I’m glad to see Tiger and his son doing okay. I want more.

Any comments or suggestions?

Email pedwards@streetwise.org

Tiger and Charlie Woods (Scott Stump photo).

Patrick: Okay, fellas. So, I’ve been speaking to a few people about Tiger Woods’ return, and everyone, so far, has been touched. I know I, personally, thought I would never again see him “lace 'em up” and allow us to re-experience the magic of Tiger with a bonus of watching his son emulate him.

Crew, let’s hear some thoughts and feelings. Please be easy on the numbers.

LIVING MY LIFE LIKE IT'S GOLDEN

by Marissa Page

StreetWise intern Marissa Page will rave to anyone and everyone about her favorite neighborhood haunt, Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House, which those in the know just call the "Pancake House.” When she told StreetWise restaurant critic Lisa Getches about the diner’s delicious pancakes and eye-poppingly low prices, Getches decided it was about time to check it out for herself.

“Oh my gosh, it was the best service I ever had at a restaurant, I swear,” Getches said. “They were there with the coffee every five seconds. I had four cups.”

The unassuming storefront at 4744 N. Broadway Ave is tucked next to the Riviera Theatre, and despite its rivaling marquee advertising “SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT” and “CUSTOMER PARKING IN REAR,” it can be easy to miss the Pancake House at first blush under the theatre’s glittering lights.

“It was like I took a breath after I ordered and my food was there,” Getches raved of the service. “My eggs over hard were cooked perfectly -- brown, crispy and just how I like it. I don’t want any yellow junk running on the rest of my food,” she said.

Once she arrived, Getches noticed a sign in the window advertising the 1-1-1-1 deal: one egg, pancake, sausage link and bacon strip for $5.10. (There’s also a 2-2-2-2 for $7.10).

“That’s gotta be the best price for breakfast in the 50 states,” she said.

Inside, Getches marveled at the comfy red pleather booths and matching upholstered swivel chairs that studded the counter. “I haven’t seen that in so long,” she reminisced. “They’re old fashioned, and bring back memories of when I was a child, sitting with my mom, and my feet wouldn’t even touch the ground.”

As soon as she sat down, the waitress appeared and brought her some hot coffee. A mere $2.10 will get you a cup with bottomless refills.

After perusing the Pancake House’s enormous menu, which includes a wide array of breakfast and lunch options, Getches settled on the steak and eggs with a side of three pancakes for $17.

“The steak was so good.

I expected a thin little piece, but it was thicker and cooked just how I asked. Not too tough and not too juicy, and perfectly seasoned.”

As for the namesake pancakes? Getches was happily surprised at the size of her threepancake side, which she said, “took over the whole plate.”

Lisa Getches

GOLDEN HOUSE RESTAURANT & PANCAKE HOUSE Location: 4744 N. Broadway Price Range: Around $10 / per person Hours: 6 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. daily

On her next visit, Getches hopes to try the two pork chops and two eggs meal for $14.

But beyond the long menu full of tantalizing options, Getches said it’s the friendly atmosphere that will bring her back quickly.

“I had so much fun at that restaurant,” she said. “Sometimes I can feel awkward when I have to dine alone, but everyone was so friendly.”

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From top: Golden House pancakes, interior, and exterior.

MLK DAY 2022: Voti We live and we learn

by StreetWise Vendor A. Allen

The long journey to voting for African Americans started with the 13th Amendment on Dec. 6, 1865, the abolition of slavery within the United States or any place subject to its jurisdiction.

The 14th Amendment, ratified July 9, 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former enslaved persons, and provided all citizens with equal protection under the laws, extending the Bill of Rights to the states.

The 15th Amendment, the third and last of the Reconstruction amendments, in 1870, said "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude."

These amendments were not enough, because African Americans were still denied the right to vote by state constitutions and laws, poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and outright intimidation. The 24th Amendment outlawed the poll tax in 1962. The Voting Rights Act followed in 1965. The push for voting rights was led in the 1960s by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Stokely Carmichael.

Voting Rights activists faced violent opposition in the South.

They were arrested, beaten, and three young men – James Chaney of Mississippi, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman of New York – were killed in June 1964 by the Ku Klux Klan.

A little something to mention on the struggles and the perils of voting. Blacks have come a long way, even to the point of coming out to vote and electing Barack Obama as the first Black president. This really in a sense showed Blacks the system works, because people like me had lost confidence in the American system. We thought that, “What’s the sense in voting, because the system is rigged?”

Not so, because we live and we learn.

Elderly Aftican American registers to vote in Batesville, Mississippi, June 1966 (Bob Fitch photo / © Stanford University Libraries).

Turnout among African Americans in electing the first Black president jumped a staggering 21 percentage points, from 48.1 percent to 69.1 percent, according to the Washington Post. By 2004, turnout among Blacks had already topped 60 percent, but Obama’s candidacy forced a rewrite of the record books. Black turnout exceeded white turnout 69.1 percent to 65.2 percent.

Obama being the 44th president proves that my vote and everyone else’s vote counts. We live and we learn.

I also worked as an activist through StreetWise to encourage Blacks to do the census in 2020. It was very educational, and it motivated me, because it only comes around every 10 years. There are a lot of benefits in being counted, such as the amount of money allocated to your community. It determines how many seats you get in the House of Representatives, state legislatures – and the Chicago City Council.

It’s like the saying, “No taxation without representation.”

You are counted and you can receive the benefit of taxation

ing rights for all The Gift of Voting

by StreetWise Vendor Lisa Getches

According to “Voting Rights: Celebration of Success” (U.S. National Park Service), March 30, 1870 was an exciting time for many people. On this day, President Ulysses S. Grant officially confirmed the 15th Amendment as part of the constitution. It gave Black men the right to vote.

Women held parades and ceremonies in 1920 when the 19th Amendment was ratified. Finally, everyone had the right to vote.

dollars. Then you reap the benefits as a community from the taxation by the government. The money must go somewhere. It goes to the communities that are politically active – or should I say, the ones who are counted.

I grew up in the 34th ward in the Morgan Park area of Chicago.

I was there when Lemuel Austin was the alderman, and he was very good.

In 1988 he founded the Lemuel Austin Youth Foundation. He was an educator, an activist and an organizer. He would call community meetings like Andy Griffith on Mayberry, the TV show; and his wife, Carrie Austin, would always be by his side. He managed to get everyone involved, including the youth. He encouraged everyone to know their precinct captain and I am sure if he were living today, he would call a meeting to explain what the ward remapping would mean to our community. We live and we learn.

StreetWise Vendor A. Allen has been writing for the magazine for eight years. He continues to sell magazines between 5 and 7 p.m. weekdays at Mariano’s on Foster and Sheridan and advises other vendors as a field supervisor.

Today, I feel it is my right and privilege to vote in America. America is a democracy and other countries have leaders already in place, such as kings and queens. I research the candidates and pick the most qualified. I also write in my choices, if need be. My mother, 80 years old, has never missed an election. My friend Lolita, 67, feels it is her duty as an American citizen to vote, and goes out of her way to do so. My male friends do the same.

I was shocked when I heard voter turnout in the last election, which was a record high voter turnout, was only 67 percent.

That means 33 percent of the country didn’t turn out to vote. I read in an NPR Politics podcast article, “Why People Don’t Vote,” that people today feel voting won’t change anything. Your vote does matter to the women who organized for 70 years to get us the right to vote. I feel an obligation to them to honor their work to give me the right to vote. Sharing my opinion when I vote makes me feel empowered. America is a melting pot for a reason, and everyone’s opinion can be voiced through voting. People together make changes.

And either way, at least you’ll obtain an “I Voted” sticker!

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Making Votes count: Remapping chicago's wards

Rules Committee Map:

by Suzanne Hanney

When the Chicago City Council missed a Dec. 1, 2021 deadline to approve the ward remap dictated by the 2020 census, the real haggling over local government representation began. There are now three potential maps in play, and a June 28 referendum if 41 of 50 City Council members do not agree on a map beforehand.

City Council Rules Committee Chair Ald. Michelle Harris (8th ward) unveiled the official map exactly on the December 1 deadline. Drawn behind closed doors, it is supported by the City Council’s Black Caucus.

The next day, the Chicago City Council Latino Caucus brought its Coalition Map to the office of Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, which ignited the potential for a referendum. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th ward), a member of the Black Caucus, said he joined the Latino Caucus in a push for fairness and transparency.

“We got a cartoon coloring book map yesterday that shows our wards,” Beale said of the Rules Committee map, according to Block Club.

Here’s the official breakdown: • Rules Committee map: 16 Black wards, (down from 18); 1 “Black influence” ward, 14 Latino wards (up from 13); and a first-time Asian ward. It has support from 34 council members – 7 short of what it needs.

• Latino “Coalition” map: 16 Black wards, 15 Latino wards, one Asian ward Both maps have 18 white wards, in some cases less than 50 percent, but still predominant.

Giving Latinos two more seats on City Council complies with the Voting Rights Act, because the Latino population has grown relative to the Black community, said Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Executive Director Micaela Vargas.

According to the 2020 census, Chicago is now 31.4 percent white, 29.8 percent Latino (up 5%); 28.7 percent Black (down 10%) and 6.9 percent Asian (up 30 percent).

The Voting Rights Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, following efforts led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The legislation outlawed restrictions on African American voting, such as the poll tax and literacy tests, which had been used by Southern states since the end of Reconstruction.

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Passage of the legislation followed television coverage of a march in Selma, AL that shocked the nation. In what became known as "Bloody Sunday," the marchers, led by John Lewis, were ordered to leave by Alabama State Police. Instead, they knelt and prayed -- and were viciously attacked.

Voting means more when it facilitates civic participation.

Amendments to the Voting Rights Act focus on the ability of minorities to slate candidates and to be elected themselves.

Unusually large districts may be discriminatory, according to the Department of Justice website.

“We’re hoping a referendum can be avoided by negotiations, but we can only know that by negotiations going forward,” Vargas said. “We hope to achieve a middle ground.

Fifteen is our hard stop.”

Latino Caucus member Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th ward) agreed that December 1 was just the beginning, because three maps -- the Rules Committee map, the Coalition map and the “People’s Map” -- are all out in the open.

Every City Council member should hold public meetings to discuss the different options with their constituents, he said.

“I think that we could avoid a referendum. Given the critical issues we have at hand – the violence and the pandemic – to do justice to what we see on the ground, it would be

Latino coalition Map:

the people's Map:

Though the 3 proposed ward maps may look very similar on paper, they very drastically street by street. Interactive versions are available online, and you can see where your address lies.

Rules Committee Map: https://app.mydistricting.com/legdistricting/comments/plan/135/26 Latino Coalition Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1oepiaBC3jzQIvXr7a7SpUFWp4c9jk1c2&usp=sharing People's Map: https://chicagoswards.org/final-map

expensive, $20 million to $50 million. But if that’s the case, it will give the people an opportunity to decide.”

The People’s Map has changed the conversation around redistricting, said Chaundra Van Dyk, Chicago project manager for CHANGE Illinois. Its Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission created the People’s Map after public trainings and nine meetings around the city, which started last spring.

Its map has not been made official by 10 alderpersons filing it with Valencia, but it has already influenced discussions around a likely fourth map, Van Dyk said.

“December 1 is the beginning of a new era we’re seeing in redistricting,” Van Dyk said. “The People’s Map has urged City Council members to respond to redistricting differently.

You’ve never seen where the people of Chicago were able to push redistricting. That’s only been the result of work that began with CHANGE Illinois.”

This is the People’s Map breakdown: • 15 majority Black wards • 14 majority Latino wards • 13 majority white wards • 7 minority-majority wards, including 2 wards where Latinos comprise more than 45 percent

• 1 majority Asian ward Although the latest census shows Chicago almost evenly divided between white, Black and Latino, (along with the larger Asian bloc), the People’s Map does not keep an ethnic scorecard. That’s illustrated by the 15/14/13 breakdown for the 50-member Chicago City Council.

The People’s Map flips the narrative of City Council members reapportioning wards in secret, drawing areas they knew they could win and keeping challengers out, Van Dyk said.

“It’s a Voting Rights issue because ultimately, what these lines do is determine representation and currently, based on the ways these lines are drawn, the representatives are choosing their voters.”

On the other hand, the People’s Map is intended to force more competitive elections, which will keep City Council members more responsive.

The People’s Map upholds the Voting Rights Act most of all because it keeps communities as compact and as whole as possible, Van Dyk said, “what people told us they thought the boundaries are,” not what City Council members judge them to be.

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Community members weigh in on ward changes during an open meeting

by Suzanne Hanney, Paige Bialik contributing

President Lyndon Johnson (left) greets Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (center), at the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on Aug. 6, 1965. From left are the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, a King adviser and SCLC co-founder; Clarence Mitchell Jr., NAACP chief lobbyist; Patricia Roberts Harris, a later LBJ envoy appointee; and Zephyr Wright, LBJ's chef, in white hat, who had told him about indignities she suffered while traveling in the segregated South.

(Yoichi Okamoto photo / Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum)

Englewood, for example, is now split into six wards and six City Council members. When advocates want to work on a community improvement plan, who ya gonna call?

The neighborhood score will never be perfect, Van Dyk said, because Chicago has 77 community areas and only 50 wards. The People’s Map keeps 19 communities within a single ward and 39 more communities within two wards. Englewood is one of 11 communities that will be contained within three wards. Five communities will be within four wards; and three – Lakeview, West Town and the Near West Side – will be within five wards.

Keeping communities together while simultaneously maintaining racial equity was the priority, said Chris Kanich, one of 13 members of the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission. What this means is that Blacks or Latinos could vote the many interests of their community instead of being reduced to voting on their racial bloc citywide.

“Segregation exists and hurts Chicago immeasurably, but drawing ward maps that maintain majorities in as many wards as possible reinforces segregation to the detriment of the city,” Kanich said.

Placing a premium on getting a racial majority into a ward, “reduces the compactness,” he added. “You’re trying very hard to undo the mixing that has been happening in Chicago over time, slowly but surely.”

All three maps –Rules Committee, Latino Coalition and People’s Map – are best viewed online because of the ability to interact with them and enlarge them for detail. Both Van Dyk and Kanich credit the Rules Committee for hosting open hearings on the map.

Upcoming hearings are available online at https://chicago.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx: 1 p.m. Tuesday, January 11 10 a.m. Thursday, January 13 10 a.m. Friday, January 21.

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Residents from the 11th ward, wary of being split between three aldermen, flooded an open hearing on the Chicago City Council remap December 10. Ironically, Mayor Richard J. Daley and his son, Mayor Richard M. Daley, built a political stronghold in the 11th ward neighborhood of Bridgeport, which census data shows has turned roughly 42 percent Asian and 31 percent white.

“It’s like living in a small town in the big city, wonderfully diverse.

To have to deal with three aldermen would be very unproductive, said Adam Campbell, a Canaryville resident all his life, one of seven 11th ward residents in the hourlong hearing. Campbell said he is part of the Canaryville Veterans Association, a Local School Council member at the only elementary school and a youth football coach for 25 years. “Keep the 11th ward with Bridgeport and Chinatown.”

The 11th ward should include Canaryville and Bridgeport, where the two Catholic Churches, St. Gabriel and Nativity of Our Lord, recently merged, John Clements said. His brothers married women from Bridgeport “and to many we are family. The [Chicago City Council Latino Caucus] Coalition and Rules Committee maps would split us into three wards. I agree Asians should be fairly represented, but

creating a ward solely because it is 50% Asian insults them by assuming they vote solely on race. They want to be in a diverse ward.”

Keeping Canaryville within the 11th ward “is not only my neighborhood, but my life,” said Mark McInerney. “It should not be broken because of the pigmentation of skin.” The Canaryville Veterans Association has erected five war memorials over the past five years and they are planning a sixth. The current alderman, Patrick Daley Thompson, supports their activities, and much more, he said. “It’s more than lines on a map. It’s people of all races, moralities. We feel safe and compelled to take a role.”

“Between us and Bridgeport, we are one community that everyone wants to raise a family in,” said Canaryville resident John Lutz. “The only map that keeps the two communities together is the one by Ald. Patrick Thompson.” Whether a matter of streetlights or other issues, “Thompson holds the same family values we share.” The grandson of Mayor Richard J. Daley, Thompson is the nephew of Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Thompson told StreetWise later he had initiated uniting Chinatown into one ward – “I had been ready to roll with it since summer” – but he deferred to Ald. Byron SigchoLopez (25th), the current alderman.

Thompson drew a ward map that includes all of Chinatown, all of Armour Square, Bridgeport and Canaryville.

percent white and remainder Hispanic and Black.

Thompson was indicted in May on federal charges of filing a false income tax return and making a false statement to the FDIC, to which he pled not guilty.

Did he feel endangered by the remap process?

The Rules Committee map divides Canaryville into three wards and McKinley Park into two, he said.

Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson (11th Ward) City Clerk of Chicago photo

Thompson said he conceded University Village and the University of Illinois at Chicago to help with a new ward downtown, “now the 25th or 28th ward, depending on whose map. I looked and I realized I was being selfish in trying to keep a portion of this neighborhood. I put Pilsen with all the rest of Pilsen and Barbara Jean Wright with all of Barbara Jean Wright. Half is now in 25th ward and half in the 11th.”

Jessie Johnson, president of the Barbara Jean Wright (BJW) Court Apartments at 1354 S. Morgan St., was one of three speakers on that subject. “We want to stay in Byron Sigcho Lopez’s (25th) ward,” Johnson said. “He’s been a great alderman. I know. I’m 75. He helped us get buyers for this property. We reached out to different community organizations and elected officials.

Nobody helped us, but he has always been there. We don’t want to be in the 11th ward. He truly built a rainbow coalition over here.”

“Pilsen and University Village are supportive of us. We want to be together in the 25th ward. We’re not anti-anyone else. We’re pro-25th,” said Michelle Jenkins, another BJW resident.

Sigcho-Lopez told StreetWise that he did talk to Thompson early on in terms of procedures, and that Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) Thompson has since agreed pubCity Clerk of Chicago photo licly to have Chinatown in the 11th “We don’t believe in communities ward. For Sigcho-Lopez, keepbeing split in two wards,” Sigchoing Chinatown, and Bridgeport in Lopez said. He added that he had particular, in the 11th ward was a campaign promise. heard BJW wanted to be in the 25th ward so that it “had “What the community wants is to be sure the neighbor- agency and self-determination as a community.” BJW hood is compact and has majority Asian representa- also wanted to work with University Village against vition in the next cycle,” Sigcho-Lopez said. olence. In the current City Council, Pilsen is divided, “unfortunately, based on political expediency,” but all Thompson said he attempted to create a compact ward three maps would unify it in the 25th ward, he said. with communities of common interest. “When I drafted that, I did not take into consideration the political as- Barbara Jean Wright Courts has 272 units (40% Secpects at all. I was trying to keep the entire community tion 8) in 27 three- and four-story, brick buildings and together and neighborhoods intact.” Thompson said an 11.5 acre site. Jonathan Rose Companies acquired that he anticipated his remap would have been 50 or them last winter and is planning a $35 million rehab: 51 percent Asian, but it turned out to be 48 percent kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, painting, HVAC, boilers; Asian – still the plurality ethnic group – followed by 30 as well as construction of a community building.

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14

the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the s 1 to 9.

Streetwise 12/19/16 Crossword

Sudoku

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

8 9 0 1 2

Fall mo.

Utopian Chessman Watering hole School ___ (Pl.) 3 Borders

own

1 German composer 2 Monsters 3 Bouquets 4 Stitch up 5 Gymnast’s goal 6 Golfer’s cry 7 Discharge 8 Argentine dance

©2016 PuzzleJunction.com

9 Salary 10 Expire 11 Himalayan legend 12 Prayer word 13 Perfume scent 18 Public squares 22 Furtively 24 Ocean feature 25 Tiny ___ 27 Sharp curve 29 Time zone 31 Historic period 32 Always, in verse 33 Docs, for short 35 Dejected 37 33 Down’s group 38 Convened 39 Emmet

PuzzleJu

Crossword Across

41 42 45 47 49 51 53 55 56 57 58 60 61 63 65 66 67

Jimmy Coiffure ___ Baba Caffeine source Docket Golf course feature More rational Fem. relative Animal shelters Above Etna output Thailand, once Congers Some votes Goal King Kong, e.g.

Young goat

1 5 8 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 23 25 27 28 29 31 34

Copyright ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com

Copyright ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com

©PuzzleJunction.com

lastSudoku week's Puzzle Answers Solution

Solution

36 37 38 39 40

Sudoku Solution

41 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50

Dalai ___ A pint, maybe Competent Cognizant Blueprint Gloomy Danger Sound off Building additions Weaponry Quit ___ de deux Gardner of Mogambo Time zone Fourposter, e.g.

Manipulated Decline ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com 7 Main courses 51 Trade Gunned the 8 Highly skilled stoppage motor 9 Western tie 55 Valley Fleur-de-___ 10 Corker 57 Swerve Gilbert of 11 While lead-in 58 Basilica part Roseanne 13 Shade tree 60 Banded stone Homeric epic 14 Put to the test 64 Persia, now Give a silent 20 Domestic 65 Casting need okay 22 Eccentric 66 Eating place Gumbo 23 Pared 67 Monocle part vegetables 24 Recommend 68 Genetic stuff Top-quality 26 Permitted 69 Warbled Order’s 28 Grease one’s partner palm Down Express 29 Tie the knot Dutch city 30 Behaved 1 Race unit Purplish red 2 Astonish 31 Deserved Moray, e.g.

3 Damage 32 Orthodontic Lamb 4 Met highlights tools Newsman 33 Swiss city 5 Carte start Rather 35 Tank 6 Touch down Commercials

37 39 40 42 43 45 46 48 50 51 52 53 54 56 59 61 62 63

Schuss, e.g.

Henpeck Eggs Slowpoke Sicilian volcano French sea Belly button Mountain lakes Auspices Diabolical Insignificant Lima, for one Receptive Young fellow Main Literary collection Half a score Unit of energy

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