Hooray for Roland Burris!

We, at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, give high praises to one of its own, Former Illinois Attorney General and Comptroller Roland Burris, a fellow Chatham resident, to his appointment by Illinois Governor Roderick Blagojevich to the vacant United States Senate seat for the expiring term of now President-elect Barack Obama! He is well-seasoned and qualified to fill the seat to a term ending in 2010. Burris, 71 and a Democrat, is a longtime political player in Illinois who has run for governor before, including in a primary challenge against Blagojevich. Obama backed him over Blagojevich in that race. He has also run for the Senate before as well. We wish him well for his swearing-in and the necessary constituent legislative agenda that can now be introduced, sponsored and managed through the Congress for a President Barack Obama signature into law. For more on Roland Burris, see, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Burris. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.

BREAKING NEWS

We, at Chatham Avalon Park Community Council (CAPCC), have learned of a new crime spree spread by a three-member gang walking terrorizing the area from 79Th Street to 83rd Street and State Street to Cottage Grove Avenue. This 3-member gang acts by ringing your doorbell, if someone answers they leave, if no one answers they break in, in the front door or back door or side windows, enter into the home as a home burglaries. Please disseminate this information to your neighbors. We at CAPCC ask all residents, especially seniors, to be vigilant of anyone with an offer at the door that they are unfamiliar and unsolicited. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.

Merry Christmas and New Year 2009!

We, at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, wish all of our residents a happy holiday season, Merry Christmas, and a very joyous and prosperous New Year 2009!

SUMMARY OF SUB AREA REPORTS FOR I, II, V, III, IV and VI

Number of houses for sale
129+. These include signs showing and information for the Comparative Market Analysis Report. Dated 7/14/08

Taxes Past Due
36+. This includes both for sale and boarded-up homes where applicable. This represents about 20% of the houses in the report. Since this report represents some of the worse houses in the area, I don’t think it is representative of the area. However, it should be a concern. We must make sure that all residents are getting their proper deductions.


Problem ‘Houses-
27. This include houses that have grass growing up and people hanging around or just not looking right. It also includes house that I was unable to make a determination as to whether or not they were for sale. This is my all inclusive area.

House for Rent
1. This is the first time that I have seen this a
Type of sign outside of the house. It may happen more often with individuals losing their homes and the market is not ripe for selling

Boarded up Homes.
35 houses. This is not good because it takes away from the neighborhood. Currently, vacant buildings must pay $100 every six months to register. This will change in November to $250 every six months. Higher fees are assessed for code violations. – Plywood on windows and doors only for the first six months –then they must be replaced with steel panels and doors. A large sign must be posted indentifying the owner and the person or company responsible.

The above suggests that a program needs to be developed to address the above stated issues. In our current financial state it will only get worse.

SUB AREA IV HOUSING AND OVERVIEW REPORT

Ø 8034 King Dr. – House for sale- house is boarded up. Vacant- No further information is available
Ø 8010 Prairie – House for sale- nice house- Black Acre Realty-991-4225. $189,000- Taxes current
Ø 7931 Calumet – House for sale- nice house. Caldwell Banker – 451-1200. Taxes Due- $1,580
Ø 8046 Calumet – House for sale –nice house. Fuqua- 708-609-5605 Taxes current
Ø 8134-36 Calumet- Three flat for sale- 3 condos. Caldwell Banker – 708-951-0600. Taxes are current except for one condo- $511
Ø 8235 Calumet- Looks like a problem house. One of the front windows is boarded-up. Taxes are past due- $772
Ø 8154 Michigan- House for sale-nice house. A properties- Mirzeta Pyazetovic – 312-491-0200. Taxes current
Ø 8007 Indiana – three flat for sale- partly boarded-up. Looks in great shape. Jeff Mrozek-708-889-2923 . Taxes current
Ø 8158 Indiana – House for sale –nice house- Alice Wells- 449-3148- $295,000- Taxes are current
Ø 8213 Indiana – House for sale – nice house. ,312-719-4333- Taxes are current. $274,000
Ø 8045 Wabash – House is boarded up and vacant- needs some work. $124,900.Taxes are current.
Ø 8119 Wabash – House for sale nice house. I.C. Solutions- 719-6284
Ø The Old Galazie Building is for sale-Jamison Realty- 312-751-1300
Ø 8212 State – House is boarded up and vacant. According to the county board records house has no value.
Ø 8101 State – House is for sale- nice house. $299,000. Taxes are past due- $2,668.
Ø 8049 State – House is for sale - $169,000. Taxes are current.




James Holloway- Conservation Chairperson- 12/15/2008

Sub-Area IV Meeting

The Chatham Avalon Park Community Council had a Sub-Area IV meeting in your area on Tuesday, December 16, 2009 at Ephatha Lutheran Church of the Deaf, 7956 South King Drive, in which the Chicago Police Department, Beat 0624, described the patrolling being done to address the Crime Wave overwhelming the Chatham enclave, in particular 79Th Street from Cottage Grove to the Dan Ryan Expressway and the drug deals who have nothing in life to do except to sell drugs without taking into account the future consequences. In other business, the new owners of Chatham Food Center, 327 East 79Th Street, asked the Chatham Community to see the new improvements and asked for any suggestions from the audience on any upgrades necessary to raise the standards of the store for its patrons. The manager of the store from the time of the former owner, Mr. Leonard Harris, will remain in that capacity as asked by the new owners. Elliot Powell, attorney at law, informed the crowd as to the need of estate planning and probate for Chatham's seniors and the importance of land trusts and wills in the transfer of real estate to heirs. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.

Barack Obama's Cabinet Appointments Update

Cabinet and top advisors
As of December 15, 2008, reliable reports indicate that the cabinet and top advisors of the Obama administration include the following nominations:

[edit] Domestic

Eric HolderAttorney General(announced December 1, 2008)[43]

Tom DaschleSecretary of Health and Human Services(announced December 11, 2008)[44]

Shaun DonovanSecretary of Housing and Urban Development(announced December 13, 2008)[45]

Eric ShinsekiSecretary of Veterans Affairs(announced December 7, 2008)[46]

Melody BarnesDirector, Domestic Policy CouncilHeather Higginbottom will be Deputy Director(announced November 24, 2008)[47]

[edit] Environment and Energy

Steven ChuSecretary of Energy(announced December 15, 2008)[48]

Lisa P. JacksonAdministrator of the EPA(announced December 15, 2008)[49]

Nancy SutleyChair of the Council on Environmental Quality(announced December 15, 2008)[50]

Carol BrownerAssistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change(announced December 15, 2008)[51]

[edit] Economic

Timothy GeithnerSecretary of the Treasury(announced November 24, 2008)[47]

Bill RichardsonSecretary of Commerce(announced December 3, 2008)[52]

Christina RomerChairwoman, Council of Economic Advisers(announced November 24, 2008)[47]

Lawrence SummersDirector, National Economic Council(announced November 24, 2008)[47]

Paul VolckerChairman, Economic Recovery Advisory Board(announced November 26, 2008)[53]

Peter R. OrszagDirector, Office of Management and BudgetDeputy Director will be Rob Nabors (announced November 25, 2008)[54]

[edit] National Security

Hillary Rodham ClintonSecretary of State(announced December 1)[43] (the nomination was given a Saxbe fix by Congress)[55][56][57]

Robert GatesWill continue as Secretary of Defense(announced December 1)[43]

Janet NapolitanoSecretary of Homeland Security(announced December 1)[43]

James L. JonesNational Security Advisor(announced December 1)[43]

Susan RiceU.S. Ambassador to the United Nations(announced December 1)[43]

[edit] Appointment speculation
Secretary of Agriculture: Congressmen Collin Peterson and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and former Congressman Charles Stenholm. Others mentioned are Pennsylvania Agriculture Director Dennis Wolff, former U.S. Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson from Indiana, and Iowa Lt. Governor Patty Judge.
Secretary of Transportation: Former Deputy Secretary of Transportation Mortimer L. Downey,[58] Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell,[59] Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio,[60] former Delaware Secretary of Transportation and New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Anne Canby,[61] former FAA administrator Jane Garvey,[62] and San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission executive director Steve Heminger.[63]
Secretary of Labor: Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and labor activist Mary Beth Maxwell.[64]
Secretary of Education: Arne Duncan (expected, not officially announced as of December 14, 2008)[65]
Secretary of the Interior: Ken Salazar (expected, not officially announced as of December 14, 2008)[66]
U.S. Trade Representative: Xavier Becerra (expected, not officially announced as of December 14, 2008)[67]
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy: U.S. Congressman Jim Ramstad [68]
Additionally, Caroline Kennedy is considered a candidate for the position of Ambassadors to the Holy See and the United Kingdom, a position once held by her late grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.[69] However, she also appears to be on the shortlist to replace Obama's Secretary of State-designate, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as the junior senator from New York.[70][71]

[edit] Table
[hide]
v • d • eObama–Biden appointees
Cabinet-level
Position
Designate
White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Peter Orszag
Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates**
Secretary of Homeland Security
Janet Napolitano
Secretary of Commerce
Bill Richardson
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Tom Daschle
Secretary of Energy
Steven Chu
Trade Representative
Xavier Becerra*
Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan*
Position
Designate
Secretary of the Treasury
Timothy Geithner
Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
Attorney General
Eric Holder
Ambassador to the United Nations
Susan Rice
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Shaun Donovan
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Lisa Jackson
Secretary of Interior
Ken Salazar*
Executive Office of the President
Position
Designate
Senior Advisor to the PresidentAssistant to the President for Intergovernmental AffairsPublic Liaison
Valerie Jarrett
Senior Advisor to the President
Pete Rouse
Deputy White House Chief of Staff
Jim Messina
Staff Secretary
Lisa Brown
Cabinet Secretary
Chris Lu
Chief of Staff to the First Lady
Jackie Norris
White House Press Secretary
Robert Gibbs
White House Social SecretarySpecial Assistant to the President
Desirée Rogers
Assistant to the President for Economic Policy(Director of the National Economic Council)
Lawrence Summers
Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy(Director of the Domestic Policy Council)
Melody Barnes
Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Carol Browner
Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Rob Nabors
Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board
Paul Volcker
Director of Speechwriting
Jon Favreau
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs(National Security Advisor)
James Jones
Director of Public Liaison
Christina Tchen
Director of White House Office of Health Reform
Tom Daschle
Deputy ssistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
Heather Zichal
Position
Designate
Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs
Phil Schiliro
Deputy White House Chief of Staff
Mona Sutphen
Senior Adviser to the President
David Axelrod
White House Counsel
Greg Craig
Director of the Office of Political Affairs
Patrick Gaspard
Assistant to the President for Communications(White House Director of Communications)
Ellen Moran
Deputy Assistant to the President for Communications(Deputy White House Director of Communications)
Dan Pfeiffer
Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady
Melissa Winter
Director of the Council of Economic Advisers
Christina Romer
Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy(Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council)
HeatherHigginbottom
White House Director of Scheduling and Advance
AlyssaMastromonaco
Staff Director and Chief Economist of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory BoardMember of the Council of Economic Advisers
Austan Goolsbee
Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
Cecilia Muñoz
Director of the White House Military Office
Louis Caldera
Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental RelationsPublic Liaison
Michael Strautmanis
Deputy Director of White House Office of Health Reform
Jeanne Lambrew
Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality
Nancy Sutley
Director of White House Office of Urban Policy
Adolfo Carrion*
Office of the Vice President
Position
Designate
Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Ron Klain
Counsel to the Vice President
Cynthia Hogan
Counselor to the Vice President
Mike Donilon
Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental AffairsPublic Liaison
Evan Ryan
Position
Designate
Chief of Staff to the Second Lady
Catherine Russell
Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President
Moe Vela
Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President
Terrell McSweeny
Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor to the Vice President
Jared Bernstein
Other
Position
Designate
Director of National Intelligence
Dennis Blair*
Surgeon General
Gail Rosseau*
Position
Designate
Deputy Secretary of State
James Steinberg*
* Although identified by sources to the press, selection awaits official announcement by the Office of the President-elect
**Gates has been Defense Secretary since 2006 and therefore does not need reconfirmation.

Blog Question

Do you think the solution to the Crime Wave now occurring in our Chatham enclave [the residential area from 75Th Street to 87Th Street and from State Street and the Dan Ryan Expressway, I-94, to Cottage Grove Avenue] is that Chatham needs to be "South Looped" (gentrification and regentrification by middle-class whites from the suburbs who move in, usually with federal money, and renovate and remodel the housing stock of homes and apartment buildings, upgrading them to upscale with prices beginning at $250,000 to $300,000 per house or per unit requiring a minimum household income of $100,000, bringing with them trendy shops and productive capacity in the form of high-technology firms and start-ups with venture capital back-up)? Post your comments with the link in the web form comments section.

Sub-Area IV Meeting

The Chatham Avalon Park Community Council is having a Sub-Area IV meeting in your area on Tuesday, December 16, 2009 at Ephatha Lutheran Church of the Deaf, 7956 South King Drive Chicago, Illinois 60619 from 6:30 p.m.to 8:00 p.m. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.

Upcoming 6Th Ward Meetings

The 6Th Ward will be holding its upcoming meetings in 2009 as follows:

Thursday, January 8, 2009, 6:30 p.m.

New Bethlehem MB Church 8850 S. Cottage Grove

Thursday, February 19, 2009, 6:30 p.m.

St. Dorothy Church 450 E. 78Th St.

CAPS Meetings in 2009

Chicago Alternative Policing Strategies (CAPS) for the 6Th District Beat 624, will be holding their monthly meetings beginning January 23, 2009 and every third (3rd) Wednesday of the month at the Whitney Young Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 7901 S. King Dr. Additional beat informational meetings will be posted next week.

6Th Ward December, 2008 Meeting

The 6Th Ward held its December, 2008 Meeting at the Carter Temple C.M.E. Church, 7841 S. Wabash Ave. on December 11, 2008 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 pm. The policing by the Chicago Police Department over the 6Th and 22Nd districts in the 6Th Ward was discussed and residents were asked to be vigilant of all suspicious activity to not hesitate to call 911. Recycling program by the City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation began this week with the blue cartons being picked up on a biweekly basis--beginning with residents north of 79Th Street and next week with residents south of 79Th Street. Residents were told to heed the posted designs on the top of the blue cartons as to proper disposal of recyclable materials acceptable for pick-up. Refreshments including chicken, fish nuggets and bite-size sandwiches were served to ring in the holiday season in the 6Th Ward, with a raffle of gifts to attendees.

From the Archives: Justice John Steele Installation

More from the Archives: Justice John Steele Installation

Even More from the Archives: Justice John Steele Installation

John Steele Installation

More pictures of the Honorable John O. Steele Installation to the Illinois Appellate Court with Cook County Circuit Court Chief Justice Timothy Evans.

Sub Area 3 Meeting Held at Chatham Fields Lutheran Church

Sub Area 3 Meeting was held at Chatham Fields Lutheran Church last evening in which members discussed the crime situation in our community. CAPS were present to inform the citizens of Chatham of the work they have been doing to eradicate the current crime wave of offenders throughout the area. Very positive strategies were being discussed to be implemented in the spring, setting up definite lines of communications, letters identifying homeowners and individuals perpetrating crimes disseminated block by block and house by house. all of which will assist in maintaining our community. More information will be disseminated as we move forward. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.

New Library Coming to Chatham!

The Chatham enclave will be getting a new library. The current Whitney Young branch will be torn down and replaced with a new one at 7901 S. King Drive. It should be completed by January 2011 and was allocated $14 million for construction. The new library, like some others, got more funding than others due to their different sizes and varying land costs. The new Whitney Young library will be larger than the current one at 14,500 square feet. The new library will have a parking lot and a reading garden. The new library is a part of the city's $1.9 billion capital plan and are being funded through a tax increase passed in fall, 2007. It was Mayor Richard M. Daley's idea to get the libraries funded under the new capital plan according to Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey.

Our December, 2008 Monthly Meeting

We, at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, held our December, 2008 monthly meeting at the Whitney Young Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 7901 South King Drive, to discuss the issues of fire safety in the winter season, the high time for house fires in Chicago. It was taken from the Chicago Fire Department that the time for getting carbon monoxide detectors ($25) is now, with the changing of batteries in your smoke detectors with the biannual time change, with the Pumpkin and the Easter Bunny. The crime report took into account that police response to an ongoing crime could take up to 40 minutes, way too long for safety. The Black Wall Street, proposed for 75Th Street between State Street and Cottage Grove Avenue was reviewed. It was also noted the wave of empty and vacant storefronts along 75Th and 79Th Streets in this area. Ester's was a spicy and hot sauce seeking shelf space at Jewel's, Albertson's, Dominick's, and Safeway. The library's branch manager urged all members to come into the library to utilize the 22 new computers, 10 for adults, 12 for juveniles provided by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Chicago Public Library. High attendance packed the library's auditorium as the year's last meeting before the Holiday Season. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.

Chatham Avalon Park Community Council General Meeting Schedule

The Chatham Avalon Park Community Council General Meeting Schedule will be as follows:

January 12, 2009

February 09, 2009

March 09, 2009

April 13, 2009

May 11, 2009

June 8, 2009

July 13, 2009

August 10, 2009

September 14, 2009

October 12, 2009

November 9, 2009

December 14, 2009

January 11, 2010

All monthly meetings are held on the second Monday of every month at the Whitney Young Library at 6:30 p.m. As you know the Library will be rebuilt in the near future. During the construction period meeting will be held at the Northern Trust Company at 78Th and State Street. You may also visit our website at http://www.capcc.org/.

Black Wall Street Project

Please note and attend Black Wall Street Project as they celebrate the Historic East 75Th Street Corridor, Friday December 5, 2008 at Army and Lou's - 432 East 75Th Street - 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Love donations will be accepted to support the business planning. This is important due to the recent city council action to place many of the existing buildings on the City's Landmark statue. This will contribute greatly to the parks and other institutions that are seeking capital improvements dollars to enhance their private and public buildings. See you there!

Car Accident at 79th Street and Prairie Avenue

We, at Chatham Avalon Park Community Council have learned, though at this stage sketchy details, of a car accident at 79Th Street and Prairie Avenue this morning at about 6:00 A.M. in which an offender with a stolen car came from outside the district speeding eastbound on 79Th Street hitting another car, and in the process, being killed on impact instantly. The driver in the other car was taken to a local hospital and is reported to be walking about and doing fine. Again, details are just coming in, that a perpetrator of a stolen vehicle was killed at 79Th & Prairie at around 6 a.m. this morning. We will update this story once all aspects of the case are identified and confirmed.

It's the Economy!

We, at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, feel the top priority of the new incoming Barack Obama Administration should be the economy. With the impact unemployment, especially among African-American men of the Generation X group in double digit percentages, is having on our community in the form of a higher crime rate, excluding even that rate from the influx of former Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) residents, we hope the new President and his White House staff will take heeding to this problem quickly.

Barack Obama's Cabinet Appointments

We, at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, welcome the new designates to the Cabinet posts of:

White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel

Secretary of the Treasury
Timothy Geithner

Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Peter Orszag

Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton

Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates

Attorney General
Eric Holder

Secretary of Homeland Security
Janet Napolitano

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Susan Rice

Secretary of Commerce
Bill Richardson

Secretary of Health and Human Services
Tom Daschle

U.S. Trade Representative
Xavier Becerra

We wish the new Administration well and wait to see further appointments from the Obama Transition Team in Chicago.

Congratulations Justice John O. Steele!

We, at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, wish the very best success to the elevation to the bench of the Honorable John O. Steele to the Illinois Appellate Court. Justice Steele was congratulated by Keith O. Tate, President of Chatham/Avalon Park Community Council, Alderwoman Freddremma M. Lyle (6Th), his mother and other local dignitaries from the community and nearby neighborhood areas upon the swearing-in in the courtroom of the new justice.