Berwyn's Arts Blog
Sunday, March 29, 2009
 
Bunch Of Stuff
First, the 2009 budget has passed, just in the nick of time. The Berwyn Housing Center still exists; Berwyn Main Street still exists; one more police officer will be hired.

The 16th Street Theater has been chosen by the Chicago Reader as 2009's Best Emerging Theater Company. Read about it here: http://www.chicagoreader.com/best_of_chicago_09/performing_arts/emerging_theater_company/

Bodhi Thai received a glowing review at Time Out Chicago, four out of six stars.
Read about it here: http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/restaurants-bars/72767/bodhi-thai-bistro

And, remember, early voting can be done until Thursday, April 2, 2009 at Berwyn City Hall or numerous other places in Cook County.

School Board, Park District

District 100 School Board

New blood is needed:

Paul Crowe - new blood
Diego Estrella - new blood
Joanne Zendol(reliable leader)

Berwyn Park District

Ana Rios

District 201

Mark Titzer
Theodore Korbos

I also kindly urge you to vote for the IVB, which is closest to my beliefs and ideals. Hopefully, some of the things I was not able to accomplish, can be accomplished with a better IVB slate.

Also, one referendum:

"Shall the Mayor and the Berwyn City Council Pass an Ordinance establishing Locational Restrictions for Medical Clinics located adjacent to Residential Neighborhoods in the City of Berwyn?" Most people would vote yes on this as they do not want a medical clinic just anywhere. I plan on voting yes.

Friday, March 20, 2009
 
Tonight, Cigars and Stripes
If you have never been to Cigars and Stripes, one block east of Oak Park on Ogden, tonight is your night. Unique beers only found at Cigars and Stripes.

Catsplash is playing. A four-piece band, of which two live in the 3rd Ward. Music begins at 10 pm. Cover charge: $5.00.

Check out their myspace page and listen for free:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=2196574

Thursday, March 19, 2009
 
Alermanic Candidate Forum Tonight
Everyone is invited to attend the All Berwyn Committee's

Aldermanic Candidate's Forum

Tonight, March 19th, 7:00 pm,

Berwyn City Hall

Please attend to meet all the candidates
and enjoy coffee and refreshments.

Or not.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
 
School Board Forum, Tonight
March 18, 2009 (7:00 PM)

School Board Candidates Forum
Heritage Middle School
6830 West 31st Street

Meet the candidates for South Berwyn School District 100 and Morton High School District 201 at this event hosted by the South Berwyn Council of PTAs.

Schools in District 100 are:
Freedom Middle School
Heritage Middle School
Emerson Elementary
Hiawatha Elementary
Irving Elementary
Komensky Elementary
Pershing Elementary
Piper Elementary

District 201 is the high school.

Monday, March 16, 2009
 
Railroad Quiet Zone
Neighbors living near the train tracks in Berwyn, Riverside and North Riverside will be getting a little more peace and quiet.

U.S. Congressman Dan Lipinski, 3rd District, of Western Springs, will be joined by North Riverside Village President Richard Scheck, other local mayors, railroad officials, and residents to announce an agreement to establish a quiet zone in North Riverside, Riverside, and Berwyn. The event will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, March 16, 2009 at the North Riverside Fire Department, 2331 S. Des Plaines Ave.

Train whistles at all hours of the day and night have been a long-time problem for residents in the vicinity of the Des Plaines Avenue and 23rd Street rail crossing.

Lipinski helped successfully worked to negotiate this agreement with Canadian National Railway.

Funny, the Congressman never returned one email or phone call of mine these past three years beggin for his help. Happy the job is going to get done.

Sunday, March 15, 2009
 
School Board, Park District
District 100 School Board

New blood is needed:

Paul Crowe - new blood
Diego Estrella - new blood
Joanne Zendol(reliable leader)

Berwyn Park District


Ana Rios

District 201

Mark Titzer
Theodore Korbos

 
Early Voting
Early voting begins Monday, March 16, 2009 at Berwyn City Hall. You need no excuse to vote early, meaning, anyone can vote early. I highly recommend it. Why wait until the last day?

Early voting hours are 8:30 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

Saturdays, 9 am to noon. You may early vote up to and including Thursday, April 2, 2009.

Just bring a state government-issued id.

I also kindly urge you to vote for the IVB, which is closest to my beliefs and ideals. Hopefully, some of the things I was not able to accomplish, can be accomplished with a better IVB slate.

Also, one referendum:

"Shall the Mayor and the Berwyn City Council Pass an Ordinance establishing Locational Restrictions for Medical Clinics located adjacent to Residential Neighborhoods in the City of Berwyn?" Most people would vote yes on this as they do not want a medical clinic just anywhere. I plan on voting yes.

Happy voting.

Friday, March 13, 2009
 
16th St. Theater/Public Works Projects
Check out the latest production at 16th Street Theater, "Sex Oh". Funny, sad, poignant-all about sex. Go check it out: www.16thstreettheater.org

Below are the public work projects slated in the future:

04076 -Oak Park Avenue Lighting (Cermak Road to Roosevelt Road)
MFT Funds
Contract has been awarded
Construction is expected to begin in mid March 2009
Construction is expected to be complete in mid June 2009

06077 - East Avenue Rehabilitation (Roosevelt Road to Cermak Road)
Federal Funds (LAPP)
Requested advanced funding through WCMC and changed programming from
2012 to 2009
Design engineering in progress
Construction is expected to begin in fall 2009

06084 -Arterial Route Lighting / Beautification Improvements
High priority project funding sponsored by U.S. Representative Daniel Lipinski
Design engineering in progress and expected to be approved by IDOT in fall 2009
Expected construction in spring/summer 2010

06303 -Roosevelt Road TIF Water & Sewer Improvements
TIF and GO Bond Funds
Construction in progress and expected to be complete in mid May 2009

06360 - 2008 Alley Improvements
TIF and DCEO Funds
Construction completed in fall 2008
Project finalization in spring 2009

07092 -Cermak Road Median Improvements
TIF Funds
Construction completed in fall 2008
Project finalization in spring 2009

Monday, March 09, 2009
 
Berwyn Housing Center
Subject: The Berwyn Housing Center Needs Your Support! Please send an email to your alderperson.

We at the Berwyn Housing Center just recently discovered that we may be in danger of losing our funding from the City of Berwyn. This loss would mean closing our doors permanently. We are asking now for your support so that we can continue to provide our services for you and other in the future. Here are some reasons why the Berwyn Housing Center is worth saving, followed by some ways you can show your support to the community and the voters.

The Berwyn Housing Center ensures strong rental demand for the community. In 2008, the Housing Center exceeded its goal of helping 150 clients make a move in Berwyn by 37%; 206 people used the Housing Center to rent in Berwyn. The Housing Centerʼs campaign to ensure demand in the rental market also complements the Berwyn Development Corporationʼs campaign to ensure homeownership demand in Berwyn. Indeed, rental market factors often affect the homeownership market in a community. Because rental activity has greater turnover and higher concentrations, the quality of rental demand has a significant effect on the demand for homeownership. Better quality tenants and better maintained buildings improve demand for adjacent homeownership.


The Berwyn Housing Center improves unit marketability and owner activity. The Housing Center promotes best practices and passes on expertise to owners regarding tenant selection, building appeal, unit marketability, and other factors driving tenant demand. In addition, the Housing Center promotes Berwyn and its rental market via advertising in media throughout Chicagoland.


The Berwyn Housing Center has a positive effect on crime deterrence. Our technical assistance to owners and managers of multi-unit buildings includes techniques on conducting thorough and effective background checks including criminal, credit, and reference checks. This ensures that fewer problem tenants will rent in Berwyn. In addition, the Housing Center also informs all of its clients of Berwynʼs Crime Free Multi-Tenant Housing Ordinance. This reassures law-abiding clients and discourages problem tenants.


The Berwyn Housing Center is a local employer and vendor. The Housing Center provides three full-time jobs in Berwyn, including one to a Berwyn resident. The Housing Center rents space in Berwyn and conducts business with Berwyn businesses. The Housing Center is also a member of several Berwyn civic organizations and participates in Berwyn festivals, fairs, and seminars.

Here are a couple of ways you can show your support:

By copying and pasting the above letter to the City Council members in an email and letting them know how important the Berwyn Housing Center is to our community.

These are the email addresses of the Aldermen and women:
aldchapmanward1@aol.com; 2ndward@berwyn-il.gov; 3rdward@berwyn-il.gov; 4thward@berwyn-il.gov; 5thward@berwyn-il.gov; 6thward@berwyn-il.gov; 7thward@berwyn-il.gov; joel@berwynfirst.com

You can also show support by attending the City Council meeting at 7:30 pm on Tuesday March 10th, 2009 located at 6700 W. 26th St.

Sunday, March 08, 2009
 
Tuesday City Council Meeting
Have you ever been to a City Council meeting? You may want to come to this Tuesday's meeting. The budget will be voted on. And, as I mentioned in my last blog, the Others want to get rid of the Berwyn Regional Housing Center.

If you would like to keep the Center, I ask that you attend the meeting. Show the Alderpeople you care. If it is not a packed house, then, they win. Period. We lose.

Please support the Center. If not, crime will definitely go up, with or without two new police officers.

It is possible the budget will not be voted on. And if that happens, I apologize. But, you will probably be amused and entertained nonetheless, and not in a good way.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 8 pm, City Hall

Do attend. And, I am not giving you an option. Please. Do the right thing.

Saturday, March 07, 2009
 
February City Council Recap
The budget has not passed yet. I made a motion to approve it, and did not get a second. The budget is balanced, no jobs to be gone, but no one would vote for it.

Why? Because, the all the other Alderpeople want to go back to the dark ages. What do I mean. As part of the budget, we give money to the Berwyn Regional Housing Center.

Why is that good? Because, the Center teaches Landlords to be good, and teaches renters to be good. Win-win. Since Berwyn is at least 40% rental, we want good tenants.

The Housing Center, to dispel all the rumors out there, has nothing, I repeat, Nothing Whatsoever To Do With Section 8 Housing. NOTHING! As a matter of fact, the section 8 vouchers are controlled by Cook County and has remained at or near 108 for the last three years.

So, rather than get at the root of the problem, the others want to get rid of the Housing Center, which has been around for 1.5 years and starting to get its legs, to hire two police officers. Would you rather go to the root of the problem, or the problem? I say the root. If we get better tenants, we will need less officers. Not more.

Which, if you are still with me, the other progressive item that the Council passed, but now wants to get rid of, is the Multi Unit Crime Free Housing Ordinance. This is designed to again, educate landlords and get rid of bad tenants. Yet, the council has refused to let a person be hired to enforce the ordinance.

Rant done-for now. And, you wonder why I am stepping down after one term?(Rhetorical)

Besides the tree removals and sewer rants by a certain Alderperson, not much to report on.

Everyone seems to be gearing up for the April election.

Berwyn did receive a first place award for the entire State of Illinois for our National Night Out. 21st in the Country. Thank you Jean Marie Hajer and everyone else.

Bottom line, in the April election which is basically four weeks away: if you want to move forward, vote IVB. I could say disparaging things about the opposition, but at this point, will remain positive.

I only have four more weeks to even be remotely political, so if you want off my blog list, please contact me. And, by the way, the new 3rd Ward Aldperson will get my blog contacts and she will keep you posted as I have always done. I know I will lose friends these remaining two months of my term, but such is life.

My blog will be shifting toward the arts and getting the arts visible in Berwyn.

Which, by the way, please fill out the survey: www.artspaceberwyn.org It should not take long.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009
 
Wednesday Night Fundraiser 1st Ward
Wednesday, March 4th - 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.


Meet Kate Walczak,
IVB Candidate for 1st Ward Alderman

Live Blues at the Harlem Avenue Lounge, Joanne O'Connor, unplugged!
3701 S. Harlem
$20 in advance/$25 at the door

For tickets or information, please call 774-2027.

Monday, March 02, 2009
 
BDC Afterhours, Tuesday
Join Berwyn After Hours at Citizens Community Bank, Tuesday, March 3, 2009, from 5 to 7 pm. 3322 S. Oak Park Ave., Berwyn, IL.

Catering provided by Buona Catering.

Raffle for prizes will begin at 6 pm.

Please RSVP at 708-788-8100 or info@berwyn.net

Or not.


free web page hit counter

Powered by Blogger