Our March 2009 Monthly Meeting

We, the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, held our March, 2009 Monthly Meeting at the Auditorium of the Whitney Young Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 7901 S. King Dr. several speakers made note of the rising crime rate that is threatening the remnant business presence on 79Th Street from State Street to Cottage Grove Avenue and the lack of police patrol by car on a regular basis to protect against the thuggery encountered by business owners from the street gangs. Educational opportunity or the lack thereof for the youth on the street is cited for the fundamental cause of the current crime waves enveloping the Chatham and surrounding neighborhoods of Greater Grand Crossing, Chesterfield, and Park Manor. A presentation was made of the distribution for local appropriation of the Federal Economic Stimulus Package as signed into law by President Barack Obama last month that may make its way to Chatham. The value of Roth IRA and other retirement plans (which by federal law are protected from bankruptcy) were discussed with the eye on the formation of a financial plan for the future and the return on investment of social security and pension funds of the elderly in the community. The alderman of the 6Th ward, Fredremma M. Lyle, discussed the push for a "Bucktown Wicker Park" design for the new library project over one like "Avalon." Shelf space for African-American vendors at Jewel's and Dominick's were discussed in light of the pull off of inventory in several stores in the city with the wave of store closings Chicagoland-wide. Participation was asked of all Sub-Area residents for their respective crime and economic development meetings in their neighborhood of Chatham. Housing and foreclosure issues may be helped by the funding initiatives of the White House in the new stimulus package for homeowners who are able to refinance their delinquent mortgages provided they have sufficient income to service the new terms for 31% repayment per month. Once again, Chatham Food Market, 327 East 79Th Street, will beginning March 15, 2009, reduce its open hours to a new schedule, 7 AM to 12 AM midnight, with extended hours on the 1st and 17Th of the month for Link Card recipients of 7 AM to 2 AM. Please take note that this store will no longer be open 24 hours, beginning March 15, 2009. For more information, please call the CAPCC Office at 1-866-272-1215 or visit the CAPCC Blog at chathamavalonparkcommunitycouncil.blogspot.com. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.