Gapers Block : Merge : Author

The August Book Club Selection
The Gapers Block Book Club is reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, an old-fashioned love story and captivating page-turner about an old man remembering the time he spent working with a circus in Depression-era America. Visit the book club blog and read our short introduction to the novel. Then join us on Monday, August 13, at 7:30pm at The Book Cellar to talk about the book. New faces and new voices are always welcome.
Thursday July 12 2007 Books/Authors

Help Women & Children First
Women & Children First has been a fixture in Chicago's literary and independent business community for almost 30 years, but that could change very soon without your help. We've been tracking the stories on the GB Book Club blog.
Wednesday April 18 2007 Books/Authors

I Hear Chicago Speak
Every once in awhile, the Tribune publishes something that forcefully reminds me why I still subscribe. If you read nothing else this week, read "I hear Chicago speak," written by local artist Tony Fitzpatrick, which appeared in yesterday's paper.
Monday April 16 2007 City Life/Cultural

Reading A Chicago Tavern
This month the Gapers Block Book Club is reading A Chicago Tavern: A Goat, a Curse, and the American Dream by Rick Kogan. Find out more at the book club blog.
Monday March 19 2007 Gapers

GB Book Club Meeting Tonight
Just a reminder that the Gapers Block Book Club is meeting tonight at The Book Cellar at 7:30pm to discuss The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. Hope to see some of you there! Check out the book club blog to find out what else we're reading this year.
Monday March 12 2007 Gapers

What We're Reading
A Nobel Prize winner, a presidential hopeful, one of Chicago's most celebrated journalists, a graphic novelist and a late science-fiction writer whose works have been adapted for several major Hollywood films. What do all these people have in common? They are all authors of our upcoming books in the Gapers Block Book Club. Can you guess who they are? Visit the book club blog to see our new 2007 booklist.
Monday February 26 2007 Gapers

Reading Now: The Hummingbird's Daughter
This month the Gapers Block Book Club is reading The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. It is the fictionalized biography of Teresita, a healer who lived in late 19th century Mexico who many people declared a saint. She was also Urrea's real-life great-aunt. Read more about the book at the book club blog, then join us next month to talk about it at The Book Cellar.
Thursday February 15 2007 Gapers

Review of New Crime Novel
This week the Gapers Block Book Club has a review of Big City, Bad Blood, the debut novel by local writer Sean Chercover. The title may say "bad," but this fast-paced crime drama is anything but.
Wednesday January 31 2007 Books/Authors

DvA Gallery Sale
The DvA Gallery at 2658 N. Lincoln Ave. is having a sale this month. Check out some seriously cool retro-inspired illustration by artists such as Jeremiah Ketner and Amanda Visell. [via]
Tuesday January 23 2007 Business/Shopping

Robots in the Library
Wired has a brief story about the robots being used at Chicago State University to retrieve and shelve materials at the library's storage facility.
Wednesday December 27 2006 Schools/Education

The CTA in Gingerbread Form
You must see Wendy McClure's rendering of the Francisco brown line CTA station in gingerbread. It has everything, right down to its peppermint turnstile. I wish my CTA commute could be this yummy.
Monday December 18 2006 City Life/Cultural

What Was Your Favorite Book of 2006?
At the Gapers Block Book Club, we want to know, "What was your favorite book that you read this year?" Maybe you rediscovered an old classic, were introduced to a great new writer, or read the book you think should have won that fancy literary award. Whatever it was, tell us about your favorite book read in 2006. Just tell us the title, the author and why you liked it in 150 words or less, and send it to bookclub[at]gapersblock.com before December 25. Responses will be published in our December 27 book club feature.
Wednesday December 13 2006 Books/Authors

2006 Chicago Nonfiction in Review
On the Gapers Block Book Club blog we are beginning our second annual year-end review of books published about Chicago or by local writers. This week's feature lists notable nonfiction titles published in 2006, including books by Barack Obama, Rick Kogan, Roger Ebert and many more. Then check back next week for our Chicago fiction round-up.
Wednesday December 6 2006 Books/Authors

Books That Will Haunt You
This week on the Gapers Block Book Club blog, we are celebrating Halloween by sharing a selection of books that are guaranteed to tingle your spines and chill your bones. Find out all the grisly details about the Chicago's most haunted places and well-known ghosts.
Tuesday October 24 2006 Books/Authors

Unabridged Online
Lakeview's favorite indie bookshop, Unabridged Bookstore at 3251 N. Broadway, is partying like it's 1999, and has gone live with its first store website. Woo! Check out new arrivals, sale books and much more. [via]
Tuesday October 17 2006 Books/Authors

Afrocentric Bookstore Still Going Strong
The Chicago Defender has a nice profile of the Afrocentric Bookstore. First "opened 16 years ago at the back of a beauty supply store" on South Wabash, the independent bookstore is now located on South King Drive near 47th Street in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. As the Defender writes, "Afrocentric Bookstore has all the ingredients to warrant second and third helpings: friendly and knowledgeable staff, a wide selection of books and a desire to help you find what you came looking for."
Monday October 16 2006 Books/Authors

Falling for Autumn
Want to get away and enjoy autumn in the Midwest? The Gapers Block Book Club looks at four books this week that might help. Whether you have an afternoon, a day or want to plan a trip for the whole weekend, these books will give you plenty of ideas for where to go and tips for how to get there.
Wednesday October 4 2006 Books/Authors

FBI Raids County Building
The FBI paid a visit to the Cook County Bureau of Human Resources at the county building at 118 N. Clark St. today and reportedly confiscated boxes of records. According to the bureau's website, and as the name implies, the Bureau of Human Resources "directs and coordinates all human resource activities for departments under the jurisdiction of the President of the Cook County Board." The Chicago Tribune has more on the FBI search.
Thursday September 21 2006 In the News

A Review of Hudson Lake
This week in the Book Club, we have a review of Hudson Lake, the third novel by local author Laura Mazzuca Toops. Hudson Lake takes the reader back to the summer of 1926 and shows the ways the lives of the characters at a rural Indiana resort are changed forever. Read the full review on the Book Club blog.
Wednesday September 20 2006 Books/Authors

Learn Japanese
Kanjii alive is "a searchable, web-based tool to help beginning and intermediate level Japanese language learners read and write kanji." It is a free program that was developed by folks at the University of Chicago, and it is definitely worth checking out, even if you have no specific interest in learning the language. QuickTime 6.0 or higher is required to use Kanjii alive.
Monday August 28 2006

Today in Chicago History: August 12, 1833
On August 12, 1833, Chicago was incorporated. The population of the town at the time was about 350 people. According to the Chicago timeline from the Chicago Public Library website, the original boundaries of the city were "Kinzie, Desplaines, Madison, and State streets, which included an area of about three-eighths of a square mile." Happy 173rd Birthday, Chicago!
Saturday August 12 2006 History

Upcoming Book Club Picks
Thanks to suggestions from mailing list subscribers and other book club members, the Gapers Block Book Club has just revealed the updated list of books the club will be reading through March 2007. Vist the book club blog for the complete list, which includes selections from Sandra Cisneros, Mike Royko, Kevin Guilfoile and Elizabeth Crane. Plus, don't forget the August book club meeting is this Monday, August 14. We will be discussing Coffee WIll Make You Black by April Sinclair. See Slowdown for details.
Wednesday August 9 2006 Books/Authors

Calling All Booklovers
It's that time of the year again — time to run, not walk, to the Newberry Library Book Fair. The fair has thousands and thousands of books, organized by category, and spread over the entire main floor. Most of the books are only $2 or less — including hardcover books in near mint condition! Admission to the book fair is free, and it runs today from noon to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am-6pm. Also, on Sunday all the remaining books are half-price. Visit the Newberry website for more information. [via the Book Club]
Friday July 28 2006 Books/Authors

Read @ Skokie Public Library
The celebrity READ posters from the American Library Association have been popular marketing tools for libraries for years. Now libraries even can create their own customized READ posters. The Skokie Public Library did just that, and they snagged some major local politicians to pose for the photos, including Senator Barack Obama, Senator Dick Durbin and the mayor of Skokie, George Van Dusen. You can view the entire set of posters on Flickr. [via Library Stuff]
Monday July 24 2006 City Life/Cultural

Stars Motel to be Demolished
A real estate developer is tearing down the Stars Motel at 6100 N Lincoln Ave. to make way for more condos. But he's hoping enough people are nostalgic about the historic motels on U.S. Highway 41 to bid on the Stars Motel's neon sign on eBay. Because he cut and pasted a column I wrote in 2004 about the motels on Lincoln Avenue for his auction description, can I claim a percentage of the profit from the sale? Just wondering.
Thursday July 20 2006 City Life/Cultural

Don't Mess with The Outfit
New blog alert! Local writers Sean Chercover, Barbara D'Amato, Michael Allen Dymmoch, Kevin Guilfoile, Libby Hellmann, Sara Paretsky and Marcus Sakey have teamed up to form The Outfit: A Collective of Chicago Crime Writers. This new group blog launches this week and promises to feature stories by these award-winning authors about the city, the "highs and lows of writing for a living" and "crime and justice and revenge." I can't wait.
Sunday July 9 2006 Books/Authors

The New Book Club Homepage
The Gapers Block Book Club has a new permanent home on the GB website. Now you can find out what we're currently reading and see all the latest book club news in one place. Plus, the new book club homepage also features a new weblog dedicated to the local literary scene, which will include news, events, reviews, profiles and more. So, go visit the new home of the GB Book Club and check back often.
Monday June 19 2006 Gapers

Hemon Blogs the World Cup
Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization, is blogging the World Cup for the New Republic online. And, he's getting a little help from his friends, including critically acclaimed Chicago author--and football fan--Aleksandar Hemon.
Wednesday June 14 2006 Sports/Recreation

Book Club Meeting Tonight
The 14th meeting of the Gapers Block Book Club takes place tonight at The Book Cellar bookshop in Lincoln Square, where we will be talking about Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. See Slowdown for details!
Monday June 12 2006 Books/Authors

Teen Charged for Making Threats on MySpace
A student at Bednarcik Junior High School in southwest suburban Oswego has been charged with felony harassment for threatening a school official on MySpace.
Wednesday June 7 2006 In the News

Chris Ware Again
A writer for The Chicago Maroon, the student newspaper of the University of Chicago, talks about how "the exhibition of the works of Chris Ware, running at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) until August 27, reflects the current confusion in the debate over comics' place in the art world — as well as why such a debate is worth having."
Monday June 5 2006 Arts/Architecture

Next GB Book Club Meeting Approaches
The June meeting of the Gapers Block Book Club is one week away. This month we are meeting to discuss Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. If you missed Veronica's review of the memoir, you can read it here. Then join us next Monday, June 12, for wine, food and discussion at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square at 4736-8 N. Lincoln Ave. The meeting will begin at 7:30pm, and new members are always welcome. And, it's not too late to post your own encyclopedia entry on the book club forum.
Monday June 5 2006 Books/Authors

Embracing Gore's 'Truth'
The most important, scary, and inspirational documentary you are likely to see this year is An Inconvenient Truth. Essentially an expanded version of a presentation that former-Vice President Al Gore has been giving since the late 1980s on the visible perils of global warming, the film also incorporates archival footage of the-man-who-should-be-President's political life gathering support and enlightening citizens around the world on what should be a non-partisan issue. It's not a lecture, but that doesn't stop it from being a must-see eye-opener. The film opens today at the Landmark Century Center Cinema, the AMC River East theatre and at the Evanston Century theatre. (Thanks, Steve)
Friday June 2 2006 Film

Friends of GB at Printer's Row
In case you needed any more reasons to go, a few friends of the Gapers Block Book Club are also participating in this year's Printer's Row Book Fair. First, stop by and say 'hello' to the folks at The Book Cellar at Booth FF3 on Polk Street. Then visit everyone from the Poetry Center of Chicago at area 138 on the sidewalk along Dearborn Avenue. Finally, don't miss local publisher Lake Claremont Press at Booth CC1 because they have a full line-up of authors appearing at their tent during the book fair. For the complete schedule of writers stopping by the LCP booth, click "More" to keep reading.

Lake Claremont Press Author Signing/Q&A Schedule

Saturday, June 3

10-Noon: Ted Okuda, co-author of The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television
10-Noon: Joseph Schwieterman, co-author of The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago
Noon-2pm: Arnie Bernstein, author of Hollywood on Lake Michigan and The Hoofs and Guns of the Storm: Chicago's Civil War Connections
Noon-2pm: Libby Hill, author of The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History 2-4pm: Kathie Bergquist, co-author of the forthcoming Lake Claremont Press book A Field Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago
2-4pm: Robert McDonald, co-author of the forthcoming Lake Claremont Press book A Field Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago 4-6pm: Charles Billington, author of Wrigley Field's Last World Series: The Wartime Chicago Cubs and the Pennant of 1945 4-6pm: Christopher Lynch, author of Chicago's Midway Airport

Sunday, June 4

10-Noon: Dana Caspall, co-author of The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago
10-Noon: Carolyn Eastwood, author of Near West Side Stories: Struggles for Community in Chicago's Maxwell Street Neighborhood
Noon-2pm: Ursula Bielski, author of Chicago Haunts and Graveyards of Chicago
Noon-2pm: Dennis Foley, author of The Streets & San Man's Guide to Chicago Eats
2-4pm: Jack Mulqueen, co-author of The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television

Also, Rick Kogan, author of the forthcoming Lake Claremont Press title A Chicago Tavern: a Goat, a Curse, and the American Dream will be stopping by the LCP booth to chat with visitors.

Friday June 2 2006 Books/Authors

Book Club Authors at Printer's Row
Yes, in case you haven't heard it enough yet, the Printer's Row Book Fair takes place this weekend. And, if you've been participating in the Gapers Block Book Club this past year, you're in luck because many of the authors the book club has featured this past year will be appearing at the fair. So, if you've never met them or heard them speak before, this is your weekend. Keep reading after the break for the schedule of book club authors appearing at Printer's Row. Or, visit the official Printer's Row website for complete fair information.

Saturday

Studs Terkel
Noon at the Harold Washington Library/Auditorium

Wendy McClure
4pm at the Heartland Stage

Sunday

Carolyn Eastwood
10am at the Lake Claremont Press booth

Stuart Dybek
2pm at the Harold Washington Library/Multi-Purpose Room

Aleksandar Hemon
2pm at the Harold Washington Library/Multi-Purpose Room

Joe Meno
3:30pm at the University Center/River Room

Friday June 2 2006 Books/Authors

Memo to B&N: Start Recycling
A writer for the student newspaper at DePaul University, The DePaulia, takes Barnes and Noble to task for the store's policy of discarding books that cannot be resold rather than recycling them. Barnes and Noble manages the DePaul University Bookstore.
Thursday June 1 2006 Books/Authors

Chicago Writers: Prepare for D-Day
Are you feeling guilty about that half-finished manuscript in your bottom desk drawer? Do you work better when you have a deadline? Well, then you're in luck. The Chicago Writers Association is sponsoring an event for all Chicago area writers who need some encouragement--and a deadline--to meet their goals. Deadline Day, or D-Day, is August 12, 2006, when participants will meet for a special D-Day event in Evanston. Anyone may participate in this event. All you need to do to get started is visit the official Deadline Day blog and register by declaring your personal D-Day writing goal in the comments. Good luck!
Monday May 22 2006 Books/Authors

In the Year 2010
The Chicago Public Library has recently unveiled its new strategic plan, titled "Chicago Public Library 2010: A Vision for Our Future." [pdf] The plan is "a call to action for all Chicagoans who understand the essential role of their public library in the educational, economic and cultural fabric of the City of Chicago. A strong and vibrant public library is a sign of a strong and vibrant city, and ultimately a sign of how that city values its residents." Right on.
Friday May 19 2006 City Life/Cultural

A Passion for Paper
Former Gapers Block staff member Alex Golub embraces digital resources. But, in a thoughtful essay on Inside Higher Ed, he writes about why he still prefers the tangibility of paper. He states, "Amazon may have a bintillion books for sale out in the ether of the ethernet, but there is no better place to take the pulse of academic publishing that a good used book store near a university. Bookstores mark the life cycle and disposition of the community where they are physically located...And of course just being in a good bookshop can be therapeutic." I couldn't agree more.
Tuesday May 9 2006 Books/Authors

Transitions Saved--For Now
As previously mentioned on Gapers Block, Transitions Bookplace at 1000 W. North Avenue was in serious financial trouble, and the owners had put out a cry for help to save the 16-year-old business. The day before the owners were about close the store for good, an anonymous benefactor contacted the couple and gave them a check for $75,000, no strings attached, with promises of additional help. Publisher's Weekly has the full story.
Tuesday May 9 2006 Books/Authors

Gapers Block Book Club May Meeting
Don't forget the 13th meeting of the Gapers Block Book Club is this Monday, May 8, at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. Author Carolyn Eastwood will be joining us to talk about her book, Near West Side Stories: Struggles for Community in Chicago's Maxwell Street Neighborhood. If you missed the introduction to the book, you can read it here. And, you can find out more about the meeting in Slowdown. This event promises to be a great discussion about the past, present and future of the Halsted-Roosevelt neighborhood. New members are always welcome! I hope to see you there.
Friday May 5 2006 Books/Authors

The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan
The latest book by local author and friend of GB Wendy McClure was released yesterday. The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan collects more than 100 of the 1970s Weight Watchers recipe cards Wendy first made famous online. And, Wendy notes that people have been having a little too much fun recreating the recipes and posting the results on Flickr.
Wednesday May 3 2006 Books/Authors

Money Smart Week
If you need some help learning to manage your personal finances, this is a good week to start. The city's 5th Annual Money Smart Week begins today and runs through May 6. And, the Chicago Public Library, in partnership with many other organizations, is sponsoring a number of free programs this week. Visit the library's website for the list of programs being offered at various library branches, covering topics from credit repair to buying your first home. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago website has the complete calendar of events for the week.
Monday May 1 2006 Offbeat/Misc. Events

State Master
Enjoy some Friday fun with statistics! State Master is a free site that collects current statistical data about all 50 states and allows visitors to compare and view data on just about every topic imaginable. Find out how Illinois stacks up against the rest of the country. Hey, we're third in the total number of homicides, and Illinois comes in ninth for the highest unemployment rate. And, did you know 65 percent of the population of Illinois lives in the Chicagoland area? Plus, you can get your statistics fix anytime with RSS and Atom feeds on the site.
Friday April 21 2006 Found on the Web

Who Was First Policeman Killed in Line of Duty?
In case you missed it, the Chicago Tribune has a fascinating cover story today on the local debate over which Chicago police officer should be remembered as the first to be killed in the line of duty. Was it Casper Lauer or James Quinn? Former DEA officer Rick Barrett claims it was Quinn, as he told NPR's Melissa Block this afternoon. Further coverage from the Trib here.
Thursday April 20 2006 History

More on Saving Transitions
Publisher's Weekly has more on the call for help from the owners of Transitions Bookplace. Transitions is truly one of the great independent bookstores in Chicago, and it would be a huge loss to the community if they are forced to close their doors. Please consider helping out.
Monday April 17 2006 Books/Authors

AfriCaribe at the Naperville Public Library
Members of the Chicago-based non-profit AfriCaribe will be performing at the Naperville Public Library on Wednesday, April 5, at 7pm. Founded in 2000, AfriCaribe is dedicated to celebrating Puerto Rican and Caribbean cultures through dance, music, theatre and other arts. Tickets for teh event are available at all Naperville Public Library branches. The performance takes place at the 95th Street Library meeting room. Call 630-961-4100 ext. 4941 for more information.
Saturday April 1 2006 Music/Clubs

Train Station Announcements
Micro Bits, a website dedicated to subway stations around the world, has a great page titled "Voices in the Deep," which compares station announcements in subways in dozens of international cities. According to the list, "in Kyoto, the subway plays beautiful guzheng (sort of an Asian violin) compositions for its door-closing tones," while Lisbon, Portugal, subway riders hear a "buzzing before the doors close." And in Chicago? "A very friendly, pre-recorded male voice is somewhat verbose and talks almost permanently to the passengers." Some city descriptions even include audio files. Check it out.
Thursday March 23 2006 Transportation

Chicago Writers Association
The Chicago Writers Association is a community of writers from around the Chicago area that meet and communicate to network, share resources and support each others' writing goals. Now they have a new website, ChicagoWrites.org, which was launched just days ago. Read an interview with Lake Claremont Press founder Sharon Woodhouse, or check out the growing list of members. Then, find out how to join. Membership is free, but active participation in the group is strongly encouraged.
Thursday March 23 2006 Books/Authors

Map of 1874 Fire
The "Ask the Librarian" column on Gapers Block this week discusses Chicago's Second Great Fire of 1874. As an addendum to the column, check out this illustration of the damage from the 1874 fire. Thanks to The Newberry Library Genealogy News for tracking it down.
Saturday February 11 2006 History

Name That Book
Writer Arnie Bernstein is penning a new history of film in Chicago as a follow-up to his Hollywood on Lake Michigan, which was published in 1998. To promote the new book, Bernstein and local publisher Lake Claremont Press are holding a contest to name the new book. Read the full rules and details on the publisher's weblog.
Wednesday February 1 2006 Books/Authors

More Than Just Steel Mills
Lake Claremont Press's Chicago reminds us that Northwest Indiana is more than just steel mills. There are a variety of suggestions for winter fun in the Hoosier state, including a self-guided tour of Hammond, Ind. for A Christmas Story fans. Writer Jean Shephard grew up in Hammond and based the film on his hometown.
Friday December 16 2005 Sports/Recreation

Book Release Party at Empty Bottle
Brian Costello, an instructor at Columbia College Chicago, is celebrating the release of his debut novel, The Enchanters vs. Sprawlburg Springs, with an all-star party at the Empty Bottle tonight. Writers Elizabeth Crane and Jonathan Messinger are scheduled to do readings, and the event will also feature performances by Human Eye, The Mistreaters and The Krunchies. Admission is $7, and the party starts at 9pm. See the Empty Bottle website for more information. And, check out the short interview with Costello in this week's New City.
Thursday December 15 2005 Books/Authors

Richard Wright's Exile Years
In the current issue of Bookforum, Hazel Rowley has an in-depth essay about the years writer Richard Wright spent in Paris in the 1950s. She writes, "Wright died on alien soil, but it was not France that was his 'exile.' His exile, just as it was for many of his friends who remained in America, was disillusionment." Wright lived in Chicago between 1927 and 1937 and is best-known for his novel Native Son, which tells the story of Bigger Thomas, a young African American man struggling against the social conditions in Chicago in the 1930s.
Thursday December 15 2005 Books/Authors

Feminism Meets Domesticity
GB's own Cinnamon Cooper graces the front page of WomanNews in the Tribune today. Read the full article to find out how local craft artists such as Cooper are "making a statement against sweatshop labor and mass production" through the appreciation of doing things by hand.
Wednesday December 14 2005 Arts/Architecture

Illiterate Chicago?
According to the president of Central Connecticut State University, Chicago ranks at a measly 46 on the list of the country's most literate cities. We are ranked behind the likes of Louisville, Omaha, Tulsa and Cincinnati. Rankings are based on a combination of variables, including the number of bookstores in a city, newspaper circulation, education, library resources, periodical publishers and Internet resources. Chicago seems to have been shortchanged, but read the full report on America's Most Literate Cities and judge for yourself. Meanwhile, Seattle gloats over its number one ranking.
Tuesday December 13 2005 City Life/Cultural

Abundance Demands Storage
Aleksandar Hemon has a new, laugh-out-loud funny short story in the New Yorker entitled "Love and Obstacles." Required reading.
Monday November 21 2005 Books/Authors

Images of Industrialization
The November issue of First Monday includes an article comparing two online photography collections: the U.S. Steel Gary Works Photograph Collection, 1906–1971 and the National Child Labor Committee Collection. Although the authors somewhat obviously conclude that the collections show very different views of industrialization, the photos of Gary, Indiana, are well worth checking out.
Saturday November 12 2005 Photography

Cows in Italy
I never expected to see the day when the cradle of the Italian Renaissance would be borrowing a page from Chicago. But, Cows on Parade, meet the Florence CowParade.
Tuesday November 8 2005 Arts/Architecture

Chris Ware in the Guardian
Cartoonist extraordinaire and Oak Park resident Chris Ware is interviewed in the Guardian today. In it he talks about his work, his life and the graphic novel form.
Monday October 31 2005 Books/Authors

America's Best Food City?
Is Chicago America's best food city? Men's Style ponders that question as it highlights four new upscale restaurants opening in the city. Scenesters are especially directed to the recently opened Landmark Grill & Lounge in Lincoln Park. The much-hyped venue features a flying catwalk, Moroccan-inspired lounge and designated cell phone booth.
Monday October 24 2005 Eating/Drinking

October 18, 1931
Today in Chicago history, on October 18, 1931, Al Capone was convicted on several counts of tax evasion. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, fined $50,000, charged nearly $8,000 in court costs, and held responsible for more $200,000, plus interest, in back taxes. Capone spent time in the Cook County Jail while waiting for appeals, then was sent to the high security U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta in May 1932. In 1934, Capone was transferred to Alcatraz, where he served until his release in 1939. For more on Al Capone, visit the History Files from the Chicago Historical Society and the Famous Cases page from the FBI.
Tuesday October 18 2005 History

Read the Book, See the Author
The Gapers Block book club will be discussing Nowhere Man by Aleksandar Hemon this coming Monday at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. Then, Tuesday night, go see Hemon at a special reading event at The Poetry Center of Chicago. As always, Slowdown has all the details on both events.
Thursday October 6 2005 Books/Authors

More on the death of Marshall Field's
"Someone like Marshall Field or John Wanamaker - or even a Bill Gates or Steve Jobs - all became fabulously rich as a side effect of devoting their lives to creating something really new and unique. The approach of a number-cruncher like Lundgren is much more parasitical. It's less about creating something great than squeezing out value from an existing asset without ever really doing anything to replenish it." If you missed this essay by architecture critic Lynn Becker, read it now. It is simply the best essay I've read on the Marshall Field's debacle and the death of department stores.
Tuesday October 4 2005 Business/Shopping

Burn the Streets
Yesterday we mentioned the new Chicago Street Art group pool on Flickr. But, Burn the Streets is Chicago's original street art forum. Check out dozens of photos of stickers and other works posted by local street artists and fans of street art.
Tuesday September 20 2005 City Life/Cultural

Protecting Our Environment
Now get your local environmental news straight from those who are committed to preserving it. Jack Darin, the Director of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, is writing the newish IllinoisSierraClub weblog, covering "the policies and politics of protecting Illinois' environment."
Tuesday August 9 2005 Outdoors/Environment

Go Take a Hike
Since we might have some non-freakishly hot weather this weekend, seize the opportunity to head for the great outdoors. Trailmonkey, which bills itself as the "largest free hiking, mountain biking, maps and trails site on the net," is a great place to help you get started. For quick and easy day trips, visit their comprehensive list of hiking maps and trails in Illinois or their equally comprehensive list of biking trails and maps in the state.
Friday August 5 2005 Outdoors/Environment

Blogging Publisher
The folks at Lake Claremont Press, one of my favorite local publishers, have a fun, newish weblog appropriately titled Lake Claremont Press's Chicago. Check it out.
Tuesday August 2 2005 Books/Authors

Kits for Kidz
I saw Arnie Duncan, the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, on the news the other day talking about Kitz for Kids, a program that provides school supplies to disadvantaged students. I thought, "Sign me up." But, of course, the local news didn't provide any actual helpful information, like, say, how to get involved in the program. Well, Eric Zorn to the rescue, posting the link to the Kitz for Kids CPS School Supplies Drive on his blog. More than 9,000 homeless students in Chicago need help purchasing basic school supplies, and the kits (there are three different grade level types) each cost less than $15. All kits will be sent directly to those who need them, so consider helping out.
Friday July 22 2005 Schools/Education

More Butterflies in the City
For all you budding butterfly watchers out there, GB staff member Brian wrote me with another great Chicago spot for observing these colorful insects. He recommends visiting the McCormick Place Bird Sanctuary, a 6-acre park along Chicago's lakefront, just south of McCormick Place's Lakeside Center.
Friday July 22 2005 Outdoors/Environment

John M. Smyth Closing After 140 Years
Another sad, sad day for Chicago businesses. The 140-year-old John M. Smyth Homemakers furniture stores are closing their doors forever at the end of this month. The Sun-Times reports, "Homemakers, known for its warbling theme song in television ads, found itself bombarded by competitors ranging from discount stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Costco, to specialty stores Crate & Barrel, Ikea, Rooms to Go, Walter E. Smithe and Ethan Allen."
Thursday July 21 2005 Business/Shopping

Chicago Solar Partnership
Want to put all this hot sunshine to good use? Then visit the website for the Chicago Solar Partnership, which includes helpful information about renewable energy in Illinois. Find out about incentives for installing renewable energy technologies in your home, and check out a map of locations around Chicagoland that are using solar energy right now.
Tuesday July 19 2005 Outdoors/Environment

Today's Front Pages
Today's Front Pages is a very neat website that allows you to scroll over maps of the continents and browse the current front pages of the world's newspapers. Comparing which stories make the front pages in various parts of the country--or the world--is fascinating. Roll your cursor over the Chicago area to compare headlines from the Sun-Times, Tribune, Red Eye, Red Streak, Daily Herald, Northwest Herald and even the Rockford Register Star. Cool.
Thursday July 7 2005 Found on the Web

Bookslut Reading Series
The Chicago-based literary website Bookslut.com is launching a monthly reading series featuring local and national authors. These live events will take place at the Hopleaf bar located at 5148 N. Clark St., also a favorite Gapers Block staff hang-out. On July 26, the first reading is scheduled to include writers Shalom Auslander, Daphne Kalotay and Andrew Winston. So go and see them, sluts. The fun starts at 7:30pm.
Wednesday July 6 2005 Books/Authors

American Environmental Photographs
American Environmental Photographs, 1891-1936 is a digital collection of nearly "4,500 photographs documenting natural environments, ecologies, and plant communities in the United States at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century." The images, which range from ecological settings, individual plants and natural landscapes, are from the Department of Special Collections at the University of Chicago Library. You may search or browse the collections by subject or geographic area. The collection includes more than 700 photos documenting Illinois, and, as is often the case with old photographs, you get the eerie feeling you are looking at natural environments that no longer exist.
Wednesday June 29 2005 Photography

Pamphlets of the French Revolution
Do you love printed ephemera? Then you'll enjoy this digitized collection of "Pamphlets and Periodicals of the French Revolution of 1848," from a collaboration of the Center for Research Libraries, the University of Chicago Libraries and the ARTFL Project. The archive is comprised of more than 100 digitized materials from 1848 to 1851, including this published letter from Louis Napoleon.
Friday June 24 2005 History

Stockyards Gate a Literary Landmark
The Chicago Tribune has a story on the Union Stockyards Gate, which was declared a literary landmark in a ceremony yesterday. The gate, which is the last surviving reminder of Chicago's notorious stockyards, was so honored because of the role the area played in Upton Sinclair's classic book The Jungle. Some history of the novel is discussed in the article, but little of it will be new to Gapers Block Book Club members who read the novel a couple of months ago.
Friday June 24 2005 Books/Authors

Theme Park Insider
School's out for summer! Today is the last day of school for Chicago Public School students, which means summer vacation is here, and it's time to hit the theme parks! Theme Park Insider rates and reviews major theme and amusement parks across the country and around the world. View individual ratings for rides, shows and food for Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL. For the morbid or curious, the site also maintains an Accident Watch, listing injuries and deaths reported at various parks. The last recorded incident for Six Flags involved a 52-year-old employee who died last year as a result of injuries sustained from an accident involving the Rajun Cajun ride. Stay safe, and check out the list of safety tips from Theme Park Insider writers and readers.
Friday June 17 2005 Sports/Recreation

From Louis Sullivan to SOM
From Louis Sullivan to SOM: Boston Grads Go to Chicago is an online exhibition from MIT that explores the connections between architects schooled in Boston and Chicago's architectural heritage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibit includes sections on skyscrapers, domestic architecture and the World's Columbian Exposition. And, Louis Sullivan, William LeBaron Jenney and Thomas E. Tallmadge are just some of the architects highlighted.
Friday June 17 2005 Arts/Architecture

Grant Park Music Festival
Thinking of my favorite outdoor summer places, reminds me that the 2005 schedule for the Grant Park Music Festival is online. Most of this year's concerts will be held at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park. According to the website, the Grant Park Music Festival is the country's only remaining free outdoor classical music series. The opening night concert is Wednesday, June 15, at 6:30pm with a performance of Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Thursday June 2 2005 Music/Clubs

Art Classes at Lill Street
The folks at the Lill Street Art Center in Ravenswood are now accepting registrations for summer classes. Check out the full line-up of summer offerings on their website. They have a wide variety of courses for beginners and advanced artists in ceramics, jewelry-making, drawing, painting and textiles. And, the schedules frequently include weekend and evening classes. Look for me in one of the drawing classes this summer!
Thursday May 26 2005 Arts/Architecture

Universal Experience at the MCA
I love to travel. But, being only a humble librarian, about the only type of travel I can afford is the armchair kind. At the Museum of Contemporary Art, however, one can explore the ideas of travel and tourism without leaving Chicago in the museum's current exhibition "Universal Experience: Art, Life, and the Tourist's Eye." The show features over 70 artists from around the world and takes over the entire museum space. It is now entering its last month, so hurry over there before it closes on June 5, 2005. And, an alert reader points outs the show was just reviewed in the New York Times. (Thanks, Matt!)
Friday April 29 2005 Arts/Architecture

Chicago Learning Guide
Want to take a class in drawing, writing, photography, acting or even sports? Then you want to bookmark this site. The Chicago Learning Guide is a directory of "professional, personal and recreational classes" available all over the Chicago area. Just click on a subject area to get a list of links to organizations offering classes in everything from architecture to yoga.
Thursday April 28 2005 Schools/Education

Saul Bellow, 1915-2005
Acclaimed author Saul Bellow has passed away at the age of 89. Bellow was a longtime Chicago resident, remembered for his lengthy tenure at the University of Chicago. Read the obituaries at the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, New York Times and Boston Globe.
Wednesday April 6 2005 Books/Authors

Sleeping at O'Hare
At The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports, visitors can share their stories about trying to catch some shut-eye while waiting to catch a flight. Airports are also ranked by the relative quality of sleeping experience. Coming in at number 10 on the "most popular airport to sleep in" list is O'Hare International. It is great fun to read everyone's travel horror stories, which include brillant lines like, "6 days later MY BACK STILL HURTS!!!" Awesome.
Tuesday April 5 2005 Found on the Web

Kotlowitz at Zulkey.com
Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here and Never a City So Real, is the latest person to answer "Slightly Less Than Twenty Questions" at Zulkey.com.
Monday April 4 2005 Books/Authors

The Obama Blog
Barack Obama followers can now get their fix by reading Obama's new U.S. Senate blog. Woo hoo! (found via Eric Zorn)
Wednesday March 30 2005 Weblogs

Read an Excerpt From Hairstyles
This week's Ask the Librarian introduces the first selection of the Gapers Block Book Club, Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno. But, if you want to sample the novel first, one of our readers reminds me you can download a 25-page excerpt of Hairstyles of the Damned, in .pdf format, from the Punk Planet Books website. Sweet. (Thanks, Pete!)
Thursday March 10 2005 Books/Authors

Comcast Squashes Would-be Competitors
"In 2003, the cities of Batavia, St. Charles and Geneva, Ill., sought to form a Fiber to the Home system under which fiber optic cables — the next generation of cable technology — would be owned by the cities. Comcast and SBC joined forces to kill the effort to compete with them." Now Lansing, Mich. is preparing to take on the communications giant, and the Lansing City Pulse takes a good look at the issues and the company's strong-arm tactics.
Monday March 7 2005 In the News

Christie Hefner Speaks at Northwestern
Have some time on your lunch break today? Christie Hefner, the CEO of Playboy Enterprises, is scheduled to speak at noon today at the McGaw, Daniel Hale Williams Auditorium on Northwestern's downtown campus. The topic of the lecture, sponsored by the school's Medical Students for Choice group, is "The Current State of Reproductive Rights." The McGaw building is located at 240 E. Huron St. Call 312-867-1917 for more details.
Monday March 7 2005 Politics/Activism

Cast of Shadows gets thumbs up
Kevin Guilfoile's debut novel, Cast of Shadows, was reviewed in the New York Times on Sunday. The book gets a thumbs up, with the reviewer writing, "What's most appealing here, and most promising for Guilfoile's future as a novelist, is that he wields the bylaws of his chosen genre to undercut its central premise." Guilfoile appears at the Book Stall at Chestnut Court today to sign copies of Cast of Shadows.
Monday March 7 2005 Books/Authors

Organic Foods Festival
The FamilyFarmed.org Expo is being held this Sunday at Navy Pier. The one-day festival will feature more than 100 local organic farmers, who will be showing and distributing their produce and other products. Cooking demonstrations from folks like Art Smith, Oprah's personal chef, and workshops on healthy living will also be included. The expo runs from 11am-5pm. Visit the Family Farmed website for the complete program.
Wednesday March 2 2005 Eating/Drinking

Free Copies of The Ox-Bow Incident
If you are planning to read the latest One Book, One Chicago selection, the Chicago Tribune notes that four Starbucks locations will be giving away a limited number of free copies on Friday. The stores at 180 N. LaSalle St., 40 N. Clinton St., 210 W. North Ave. and 1070 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. will all be participating, beginning at 8am.
Wednesday March 2 2005 Books/Authors

Gates Photography Copyright Issues
Poor New York was feeling left out of the whole trademarking of public art debate. So, thanks to The Gates, it seems Chicago isn't the only city having copyright issues with photography of its public art. Jeanne-Claude and Christo tell Newsday photographers in no uncertain terms that pictures of The Gates are trademarked and cannot be sold.
Wednesday February 23 2005 Arts/Architecture

Hemon in the New Yorker
Local auothor Aleksandar Hemon has a short story titled "The Conductor" in the new issue of the New Yorker. Hemon teaches writing in the Masters of Creative Writing program at Northwestern University and is the author of the critically acclaimed novel, Nowhere Man, and a collection of short stories, The Question of Bruno.
Tuesday February 22 2005 Books/Authors

Chicago: City in Art
Chicago: The City in Art is a collaborative effort between The Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools designed to educate both students and teachers about the Depression-era and Works Progress Administration murals in their own schools. The site includes images of the restored murals, along with lesson plans, glossary and more.
Wednesday February 16 2005 Arts/Architecture

February 8, 2000
Today in Chicago History: It seems like only yesterday to long-time fans, but today marks the fifth anniversary of the untimely and tragic death of popular WGN-AM radio personality, Bob Collins. He died when the small plane he piloted collided with another plane near the Waukegan Regional Airport. Over a million listeners tuned into his morning show every day.
Tuesday February 8 2005 History

Museum Attendance Falls Again
Crain's Chicago Business reports that in 2004 attendance fell for the fourth year in a row at Chicago's top museums. The Mexican Fine Arts Center experienced the biggest decline, with a 36% drop from 2003.
Monday January 31 2005 City Life/Cultural

Kraft Changes Marketing Strategy
The big news in the business world today is the announcement from Kraft Foods Inc. that it will no longer advertise Oreos, Chips Ahoy! cookies and several other sugary products during children's programming. Kraft Foods Inc. began in 1903 when James L. Kraft started a cheese delivery service in Chicago, using a horse-drawn wagon. Today the company is headquartered in suburban Northfield, IL.
Wednesday January 12 2005 Business/Shopping

Wi-Fi at Dunkin Donuts
Dunkin Donuts will be experimenting with wi-fi access at some of its Chicago stores, although the chain denies it is trying to be like that other coffee chain. According to Illinois FreeFi, there is one confirmed Dunkin Donuts wi-fi spot so far.
Monday January 10 2005 In the News

Winterize Your Car
In the spirit of better late than never, check out these tips from AAA Chicago for winterizing your car. Among other things, they advise you "keep the gas tank at least half full to prevent frozen fuel lines and to allow you to drive an alternate route to safety or run your car's heater if you get stranded."
Thursday January 6 2005 Transportation

Can I Borrow a Pencil?
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has been inviting visitors to take pencils from José Damasceno's installation, Observation Plan, this week. The artwork consists of nearly 30,000 yellow no. 2 pencils depicting several figures looking at art. January 2 is the last day to help alter the piece. Then the altered version of the work will remain up until January 16.
Thursday December 30 2004 Arts/Architecture

Only 445 Murders!
Chicago is on target to see the lowest number of homicides in 40 years. Although 445 people were murdered in the city so far this year, this is down from the whopping 884 murders recorded in 1992. We can finally retire our murder capital of the U.S. crown. Take that L.A. and New York!
Thursday December 30 2004 In the News

New Job in 2005
Are you looking for a new job in 2005? For the 19th year, the professional career counselors at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. will be offering free job search and career advice on December 29 and 30. Call their hotline at 312-332-5790 or email them at callin{at}challengergray.com between 9am and 5pm. Of course, this is the same firm that brags that they "founded outplacement." Um, yeah.
Monday December 27 2004 Resources

Free Blue Bags for Recycling
The Department of Streets and Sanitation is offering a year's supply of free blue bags to folks who take their Christmas trees to be recycled at 22 Chicago Park Distrct locations. But only if you bring it in on January 8 between 9am and 2pm. Because they want to make recycling easier for us.
Monday December 27 2004 Outdoors/Environment

Turkey for the Holidays
Making a turkey for the holidays? A few weeks ago Anne Holub shared her Turkey 101 in One Good Meal. But if you're in need of extra help, check out the Turkey for the Holidays website from the University of Illinois Extension. You can find how to select a turkey, cooking techniques, carving tips and recipe suggestions for what to do with leftovers. And, if you want a really fresh bird for your holiday dinner, check out this list of local poultry farms in Illinois. Although most birds are sold-out for this year, farms are already taking reservations for 2005.
Wednesday December 22 2004 Eating/Drinking

Bundle Up for the Holidays
According to weather guru Tom Skilling, Chicago may experience record lows on Christmas Eve. He's forecasting the daytime high temperature on Friday to be just 2 degrees above zero. So bundle up!
Tuesday December 21 2004 Outdoors/Environment

Winter Festival of Art
Head on down to the Chicago Arts District this weekend at South Halsted and 18th Street for their gala Winter Festival of Art. More than 50 artists will have their galleries and studios open all weekend long. The monthly Second Friday gallery openings will kick-off the festival tomorrow starting at 6pm. Then the event continues Saturday from 12-7pm and Sunday from 12-5pm. Visit the website for more information.
Thursday December 9 2004 Arts/Architecture

More Theories About the 'Windy City'
I grew up believing Chicago had been dubbed "The Windy City" because of our long-winded politicians. Later I learned that historians claimed Charles A. Dana of the New York Sun gave Chicago its famous nickname during the competition to hold the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. But a New York parking ticket judge says that story is untrue. And Chicago really received its nickname from -- Cincinnati?
Tuesday December 7 2004 History

Another Sign of Winter
Don't forget that December 1st also marks the day when the speed limit on Lake Shore Drive is lowered from 45 to 40 mph. And natives know the police love to pull people over on the Drive, so slow down! The lowered speed limit remains in affect until April 1st.
Wednesday December 1 2004 Transportation

All That Glitters
This weekend the Chicago Cultural Center is hosting All That Glitters: A Holiday Bazaar. At this two-day event you will be able to buy gifts from cultural organizations and local artists from all over the city. For those of you who remember, this event seems to be filling the gap left by the Newberry Library's defunct Very Merry Bazaar. Thank you City of Chicago! All That Glitters is open Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 5pm.
Tuesday November 30 2004 Business/Shopping

November 24, 1884
On this day in Chicago history a judge directed the county clerk to produce the tally sheets, poll books and ballots of the Second Precinct, Eighteenth Ward, of the city in connection with allegations of tampering in the Leman (Republican) and Brand (Democrat) senatorial race. In March 1885, three men were convicted of falsifying returns to give Brand the edge over Leman. The race was closely scrutinized because the outcome determined which political party would have a majority in the state legislature.
Wednesday November 24 2004 History

November 16, 1944
Today in Chicago history 750 non-operating employees of the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee and the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Electric Railroads were laid off following a week of strikes by 500 operating employees of the railroads. The workers went on strike to demand a wage increase of nine cents an hour -- four cents more than they were initially offered. Outraged commuters sent telegrams to the White House, pleading for President Roosevelt to intervene and end the strike.
Tuesday November 16 2004 History

We Want Names!
The media is now naming names in the recent arrest of "community activist" Derrick Mosley. Mosley was charged with extortion for allegedly threatening to distribute a video of a certain athlete's wife with a certain Chicago-area musician. Media sources are now revealing that the musician involved may be R&B singer R. Kelly.
Tuesday November 16 2004 In the News

Is Wal-Mart Good For America?
We have discussed whether Wal-Mart is right for Chicago many times on Gapers Block. Read columnist Ramsin Canon's Kill the Juggermart and his Part 2 follow-up for an overview. Then, watch Frontline tonight on PBS as the program asks "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?"
Tuesday November 16 2004 Radio/TV

So What Else Is New?
The Sun-Times reports that Loop Capital Markets, a Chicago-based investment firm involved in the lucrative deal to privatize the Skyway, just happens also to be "at the center of a federal corruption case in Philadelphia."
Monday November 15 2004 In the News

Death and Taxes
Think the sales tax in Chicago is high now? How does 9% sound? That's what Mayor Daley is proposing in order to make up the current $220 million budget deficit. Expect to pay even more for concert and theater tickets, too, as the entertainment tax may increase from 7 to 8%. Find out how many other ways you can squeeze blood from turnips by reading the full story here.
Tuesday November 9 2004 In the News

The Blogging Revolution
Daniel Drezner, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Chicago, examines political blogs and asks, "Can blogs affect politics in regimes where there is no thriving independent media sector?"
Monday November 8 2004 Weblogs

And the Winner Is...
Last month, to celebrate the publication of the Encyclopedia of Chicago, a Chicago trivia contest, hosted by NPR's Peter Sagal, took place at the Harold Washington Library. Sadly, the winner of the contest was not a Chicago native. Instead, the grand prize went to New Jersey native, and University of Chicago undergraduate, Evan Druce. Read more in the U. of C. Chronicle.
Thursday November 4 2004 City Life/Cultural

Who Needs Books?
The former director of the Homer Township Public Library in Lockport, IL was recently found guilty of stealing over $100,000 from the library between 1992 and 1999. Regetta Meyers remains free on bond but faces an additional lawsuit filed by the library district.
Thursday November 4 2004 In the News

Don't Label Me Christian!
A patron at the Palatine Public Library is objecting to the library's use of stickers with "a little white and yellow cross with a purple background" to designate Christian fiction. The patron believes a "generic religious label" for Christian fiction would be more appropriate. The library staff have been using the labels for a couple of years and defend the practice, noting that Christian fiction is a recognized genre, but they are looking into new label types. Read the full story here.
Thursday October 28 2004 In the News

Attempted Nazi March Digitization Project
In 1978 the National Socialist Party of America (Nazis) attempted to hold a march in the Village of Skokie. The suburb at that time was home to a large Jewish community, including many Holocaust survivors. The event received national attention and was even turned into a made-for-TV movie, Skokie, in 1981. Now, the Skokie Public Library brings us the Attempted Nazi March Collection Digitization Project, a comprehensive archive of materials relating to the incident. Download and read the original newspaper articles relating to the march, listen to real audio recordings from the 1977 and 1978 Village of Skokie Board of Trustees meetings, and watch a documentary film about the proposed march. Highly recommended.
Friday October 15 2004 History

Chicago Vocabulary
"Hey, hey." So, you think you know your Chicago slang? Check out this unique Chicago vocabulary list and find out. So the next time your friend tells you that his car got booted outside of the Riv so he took the El to the Weiner Circle to get a chardog and some pop before heading to the Friendly Confines, you can smile and nod your head knowingly.
Tuesday October 12 2004 City Life/Cultural

CTA Reveals Worst-Case Cuts
The Sun-Times has just published lists from the CTA detailing the routes the CTA plans to eliminate or reduce if they cannot make up their $55 million budget gap. Among the bus routes to be cut: the 11 Lincoln and the 88 Northwest Highway. All together, the Sun-Times reports "the CTA's proposed doomsday budget would slice service by 20 percent, eliminate all overnight L trains, kill 30 bus routes and cut 1,000 union workers." Read the complete list of cuts here.
Friday October 1 2004 Transportation

Capitol Fax
Capitol Fax is a faxed newsletter compiled by Rich Miller that covers Illinois state politics, published during the legislative session. The website for Capitol Fax includes news highlights from the current issue in a blog-like format. In addition, the website features an extensive list of links to Illinois media outlets, government resources and current campaign information. Definitely worth bookmarking.
Friday October 1 2004 Politics/Activism

Theatre To Get Facelift
The Daily Herald reports that the historic, but ailing Des Plaines Theatre may be getting a much needed facelift thanks to a deal struck between the theatre's owners and the Des Plaines Theater Preservation Society. Neon lighting will be repaired, and the sign will get a new coat of paint. Preservationists are hopeful that this will be the first step towards a complete restoration.
Thursday September 30 2004 Arts/Architecture

Women Come to the Front
Helen Kirkpatrick, Jane Meyer, Virginia Prewett and Sigrid Shultz are among the accredited female correspondants that worked for Chicago newspapers during World War II. Their stories and the profiles of eight other women are part of Women Come to the Front: Journalists, Photographers and Broadcasters During World War II, an online exhibition from the Library of Congress.
Wednesday September 29 2004 History

Lincoln/Net
The Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, hosted by Northern Illinois University, "presents historical materials from Abraham Lincoln's Illinois years (1830-1861)." These materials include Lincoln's own writings and other primary texts, images, videos and interpretive materials. Lincoln/Net is a rich archive of literature concerning Abraham Lincoln and the early statehood of Illinois.
Wednesday September 29 2004 History

Shooting at State Capitol
A security guard was shot this afternoon at the state Capitol in Springfield. Details are sketchy, but the gunman escaped after the shooting. Governor Rod Blagojevich was not in the building at the time of the incident. See the Tribune or NBC-5 for more details.
Monday September 20 2004 In the News

Fines for Pot Smokers
Chicago police sargeant Tom Donegan is proposing fines for people caught with "small amounts" of marijuana. Tired of seeing these drug cases dismissed in court, he believes issuing tickets will effectively penalize offenders while raising money for the city. Darien, in DuPage County, already uses a similar system.
Monday September 20 2004 In the News

Jay-Z Films Video in Elgin
Production crews for rapper Jay-Z were filming a police chase scene in Elgin last night. The footage will reportedly be used in an upcoming music video. Although fans gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of the recent MTV Music Awards winner, Jay-Z was not present at the shoot.
Wednesday September 15 2004 Music/Clubs

Chicago Architects Oral History Project
Since 1983, the Art Institute of Chicago has been recording "the life experiences of architects who shaped the physical environment in Chicago and surrounding communities." Complete transcripts from the Chicago Architects Oral History Project, in .pdf format, are available for more than 50 interviews with architects such as Tadao Ando, Stanley Tigerman, Mary Ann Crawford, and many more. All entries include biographical information and interview highlights, and ordering instructions are provided for transcripts not available online.
Wednesday September 15 2004 Arts/Architecture

This Area Being Monitored
Mayor Daley's plan to link more than 2,000 surveillance cameras across Chicago to the city's 911 center is making headlines around the country today. According to some reports, Daley thinks Chicagoans "will love" the new surveillance system.
Friday September 10 2004 In the News

Barenboim to Miss CSO Start
Daniel Barenboim is recovering in Germany from back and neck problems that will force him to miss his first four performances conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this season. Andrew Davis, the music director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, will reportedly be filling in. The new season starts tonight with an event celebrating the 100th season of Orchestra Hall.
Friday September 10 2004 Music/Clubs

Kids Love School
The campaign to increase attendence at Chicago's public schools apparently paid off. According to officials, 91 percent of students attended the first day of school on Tuesday. Excellent! Everyone gets a gold star.
Thursday September 9 2004 Schools/Education

Everybody Promenade
Grab your partner and swing on over to Chicagoland Square Dance for a complete list of square dancing resources for the Chicago area. Check out their calendar of dances, square dancing clubs in the city, and find out where to buy the appropriate attire. And if you don't know your Allemande Left from your Allemande Right, take a look at their schedule of square dancing lessons. Let's Dosado!
Wednesday September 8 2004 Theatre/Dance

Howard Dean at Loyola
Former Vermont governor and presidential hopeful Howard Dean will be speaking tonight at Loyola University Chicago. The title of his talk is "The Implications of the Presidential Election 2004." The event takes place at the Mundelein Center Auditorium at Loyola's Lakeshore Campus. Admission is free with a Loyola I.D. or a mere $5 for the public. Dean will also be signing copies of his new book after the talk.
Wednesday September 1 2004 Politics/Activism

Does This Spider Look Fat To You?
According to entomologists, spiders in the Midwest are bigger and fatter this year because our cool, wet summer provided them with many tasty insects on which to feed. And did you know that no one anywhere is ever more than 3 feet away from a spider? Find out more in this AP story. Did you just feel something on your leg?
Thursday August 26 2004 Outdoors/Environment

New Shows Set in Chicago
The entertainment world is buzzing today that Chicago could play host to two new police dramas being developed by the executive producer of "Third Watch." Edward Allen Bernero, a former Chicago police officer, wants to tape both shows in the city, and pilots for the dramas may film here in the spring.
Thursday August 26 2004 Radio/TV

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields
For your web surfing pleasure, Paul Freeman has collected information and photographs concerning Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields across the U.S. The airfields are arranged by state, and the page for Illinois includes facts about the former Glenview Naval Air Station, the Sky Harbor Airport in Northbrook, and more. Although not comprehensive, this is a fun site to browse.
Thursday August 19 2004 Found on the Web

City to Condemn Lincoln Ave Motels
Back in February, GB's Ask the Librarian column discussed the some of the history of the strip of motels along Lincoln Avenue. The column also noted that the city used its condemnation powers to acquire and demolish three of the motels in the late 1990s. Yesterday, the Tribune reported that the city is renewing its efforts to take over two additional motels, the Lincoln Motel at 5900 N. Lincoln and the Patio Motel at 6250 N. Lincoln, so they, too, can be torn down. Photographers, grab your cameras and record these historic buildings while you can because this era of Chicago lodging is quickly passing away.
Monday August 9 2004 In the News

Gold Coast Art Fair
Hey, art lovers. Don't forget that the 47th Annual Gold Coast Art Fair is taking place this weekend. More than 350 artists from across the country have gathered between Superior, Huron and Erie Streets at LaSalle in the River North neighborhood. Admission to the fair is free, and the River North galleries will be open for the duration of the event. The Gold Coast Art Fair takes place today from Noon-6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am-6pm.
Friday August 6 2004 Arts/Architecture

The Wall on PBS
In 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and a host of others staged a live performance of The Wall in Berlin. This Sunday, Channel 11 will be airing the concert - incredibly the first time the performance has been broadcast in the U.S. The Wall - Berlin 90 will also be simulcast on the Loop 97.9 FM. The event begins at 9pm.
Thursday August 5 2004 Radio/TV

Kohl's Opening in Chicago
Chicago apparently can't have enough discount retailers clamoring for our shopping dollars. The latest entry on the field is Kohl's Department Store, which will be opening its first Chicago location along the Elston corridor on a site that was formerly a DuPont Chemical Co. paint factory. Kohl's will be joined by a new Best Buy store. Because, you know, you can never have enough Best Buys.
Tuesday August 3 2004 Business/Shopping

Silent Film Festival
The Silent Summer 2004 Film Festival is underway at the Gateway Theatre, hosted by the The Silent Film Society of Chicago. This Friday, come out to see The Iron Horse, John Ford's silent Western epic from 1924. The film will be accompanied by a live orchestra. Other films in the festival are accompanied by live organ music. Check out the Silent Film Society of Chicago website for more information about the festival and other silent film events around the city.
Tuesday August 3 2004 Film

Big Chicks Bar Saved
In the end of a saga that has been followed by Gapers Block over the past few months, Big Chicks bar at 5024 N. Sheridan Rd. has been saved from closure thanks to a bill recently signed by the Guv which will allow any bars in big cities, located near houses of worship, to remain open as long as neighbors haven't complained. Read the rest in the Trib.
Tuesday July 27 2004 In the News

Independent Bookstores in Illinois
NewPages.com, the online portal to "alternatives in print & media," has an index to indie bookshops across the country. Check out their list of Illinois bookstores, most of which are located in and around Chicago. Although not comprehensive, you will find some old favorites here and maybe a few stores you didn't know about.
Thursday July 22 2004 Books/Authors

Atari Video Game Summit
Attention Atari lovers, the official Atari Video Club Video Game Summit is happening tomorrow at the Fairfield Inn in Lombard, IL. Be prepared to go head-to-head in the Frogger tournament and check out vendors and exhibitors specializing in classic gaming. So dust off that 2600 and go. Admission is free. The Atari Video Club is based in Westchester, IL. Check out their website for more information.
Friday July 16 2004 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Farmers' Markets
'Tis the season for farmers' markets. Chicago is home to many markets over the summer, which were mentioned earlier on Gapers Block, but if you're outside the city, you can get a complete listing of community and roadside markets in the state from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Just search by county to find a market near you.
Thursday July 15 2004 Eating/Drinking

Homicide In Chicago 1870-1930
The Chicago Historical Homicide Project began with the discovery a handwritten log of more than 11,000 homicides "maintained consistently and without interruption by the Chicago Police Department over the course of 60 years, from 1870 to 1930." Now these handwritten documents have been transformed into a searchable database providing a unique view into the history of Chicago during this period. The website also hightlights some of the most well-known crimes of the period including the trial of Leopold and Leob, the race riots of 1919, and the Haymarket Affair. This is really an incredible resource so go check it out.
Friday July 2 2004 History

Remnants of the White City
The Chicago Tribune has a story today that leads you on a guided tour of some of the remains of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 that took place right here in Chicago. Visit Jackson Park, see the replica of the Statue of the Republic, and find the location of the infamous hotel built by serial killer H.H. Holmes.
Friday July 2 2004 History

Firecraker Kustom Kar and Hot Rod Kruise
Chicago native George Barris will be appearing at the Volo Auto Museum this weekend for the first annual Firecracker Kustom Kar and Hot Rod Kruise. Barris is the self-described King of Kustomizers, and he is responsible for the creation of many memorable cars for TV and film including the original Batmobile, the General Lee from the "Dukes of Hazzard," and Kit from the "Knight Rider" series. So head out to Volo, IL where Barris will be signing autographs and sharing customization tips. Or is it kustomization?
Tuesday June 29 2004 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Free Comic Book Day
July 3 is Free Comic Book Day at participating comic book shops across the country. Participating Chicago locations include Chicago Comics at 3244 N. Clark and Graham Crackers Comics at 69 E. Madison. Enter your zipcode at the Free Comic Book Day website to find the participating comic book store nearest you.
Monday June 28 2004 Books/Authors

Make 'em laugh
Have you harbored a secret desire to run away and join the circus? Now you can run to the Circus Factory at 4430 N. Western Avenue for a full range of circus arts classes for adults and kids. If you don't want to commit to an 8-week session, drop by on Tuesdays for their weekly Juggle-Jam from 9-11pm. For just $5 you can learn to juggle, practice your juggling moves, and meet up with other Chicago area juggling enthusiasts. Check out the Circus Factory website for more information.
Monday June 28 2004 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Give me a bike!
Feeling lucky? Bike Town USA, sponsored by Bicycling magazine, is giving away 50 free bikes to folks in Chicago and several other cities. For your chance to win a free bike, describe, in 50 words or less, how biking will change your life. Visit the Bike Town USA website for complete rules and application. The deadline is June 30 (and you can fax your entry) so hurry up and enter!
Monday June 28 2004 Sports/Recreation

Jenny Jones Case Appeal Rejected
You might remember the case in 1995 when Jonathan Schmitz murdered Scott Amedure after Amedure revealed he had a crush on Schmitz during a taping of the Jenny Jones show in Chicago. Although the episode never aired, Amedure's family "won a $29.3 million award against Warner Brothers and the talk show, but the decision was later thrown out." Today the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the family to reinstate the award. Schmitz, on the other hand, is currently serving 25-50 years in prison.
Monday June 21 2004 In the News

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
The Joliet Arsenal, once the world's largest TNT factory, has been transformed into the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Developed as part of the Openlands Project, Midewin is the country's first national tallgrass prairie. Midewin is located at 30239 S. State Route 53 in Wilmington, Illinois. The prairie has several hiking trails and also holds tours, including the unusual Ghosts of the Ammunition Plant tour. Call 815-423-6370 for more information.
Monday June 21 2004 Outdoors/Environment

Chicago Peace Activist Jailed
The June issue of Conscious Choice has an interview with Chicagoan Kathy Kelly, a peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Kelly is currently serving a three-month sentence at a federal prison in Pekin, Illinois for "trespassing during a protest at the School of the Americas" at Fort Benning, Georgia. Voices in the Wilderness is also posting Kelly's letters from prison.
Friday June 18 2004 Politics/Activism

Vintage Chicago Postcards
Old Chicago: History and Architecture in Vintage Postcards takes you on a virtual tour of the city through postcards from the late 19th and early 20th century. Browse dozens of vintage postcards by street, category, or architect. The site was created by Pat Sabin who lives in Atlanta, Georgia and, ironically, says she has never actually been to Chicago.
Friday June 18 2004 Arts/Architecture

Healthcare for All Rally
Head out to Lincoln Park this Saturday at noon for the Healthcare for All Rally. Former presidential hopeful Howard Dean will be joining the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others to talk about "a national healthcare program that covers everyone." The rally will be taking place just south of the Lincoln Park Zoo. Visit the Chicago Jobs for Justice website for more information.
Thursday June 17 2004 Politics/Activism

Debate Over Mosque in Morton Grove
A neighborhood group known as the Morton Grove Organization is pursuing a lawsuit filed last September seeking to prevent the Muslim Community Center in Morton Grove from expanding their school to build a mosque. While the Organization claims the dispute is about parking and increased traffic, they are using statues of pigs to symbolize their protest. Read the full story here.
Tuesday June 15 2004 In the News

Lawnmower Buyback Program
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has a program for people to turn in gas-powered lawnmowers for a $150 rebate towards the purchase of electric, rechargeable or push lawnmowers, and they also provide free exchanges for low-emission gas cans. The next exchange for the Chicago area is June 26 in Des Plaines at the State Police Headquarters at 9511 W. Harrison from 8am to 3pm. Visit the official Illinois EPA website for a complete list of dates and locations.
Monday June 14 2004 Outdoors/Environment

Neighbors Connect Online
The Chicago Tribune writes about Chicago area residents who are creating active online communities to connect people in their suburbs and neighborhoods. For example, check out this MSN email group for the Logan Square neighborhood.
Tuesday June 8 2004 City Life/Cultural

State of Illinois Gallery
The State of Illinois Gallery features a collection of more than 500 photos of Illinois places and people, past and present. Photos are divided into categories such as Culture, Environment, Historic Sites, Chicago, and Natural Wonders. The site also includes links to webcams around the state, a virtual tour of the governor's mansion, and much more.
Wednesday June 2 2004 Photography

Car-Safety.org
Before you hit the road this summer, check out the website for Car-Safety.org, a non-profit, volunteer based organization, operated in conjunction with the DuPage County SAFE KIDS Chapter. Car-Safety.org includes information about the proper installation of carseats, a vehicle features buying guide, and excellent collections of links to additional resources regarding carseats and car safety. According to the site, motor vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of death for children and adults, ages 1 to 34, so buckle up and drive safe!
Tuesday June 1 2004 Transportation

Mall Includes Wetlands
This past weekend marked the grand opening of a new gargantuan outlet mall in Aurora. However, the mall is earning kudos not for its 430,000-square-feet of shopping but for its 80-acre wetland habitat that was designed as part of an environmental deal that could become a national model for future business development.
Tuesday June 1 2004 Outdoors/Environment

Story of the Oriental Institute
Tune in tonight to WTTW Channel 11 to see "Breaking Ground: The Story of the Oriental Institute." The hour-long program airs at 9pm and provides an in-depth look at the history of this unique Chicago institution. Then, tomorrow night, the Chicago Stories program on PBS presents "Pioneer to the Past: The Life and Times of James Henry Breasted," the founder of the Oriental Institute. For more information on both of these programs, see the official press release.
Thursday May 27 2004 History

Strawberries & More
Did you know strawberries are a member of the rose family? Find out more fun facts about strawberries at Strawberries & More from the University of Illinois Extension. The site also includes information on selection and care of strawberries, tips for growing your own, strawberry recipes, and links to local farms where you can pick your own.
Thursday May 27 2004 Eating/Drinking

Become an Outdoors-Woman!
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources sponsors weekends for women who want to get away from it all and go out for a weekend of camping and outdoor activities. Events can include bird calling, archery, target shooting, fishing, canoeing, and more. The next weekend trip is June 11-13 at the Lorado Taft Field Campus in Oregon, IL. Visit the Department of Natural Resources website for registration forms and more information.
Wednesday May 26 2004 Outdoors/Environment

The Crash of Flight 191
Every time we drive down Touhy, my mother points out the grassy field near O'Hare Airport that marks the site of the crash of American Airlines Flight 191. Today marks the 25th anniversary of the tragedy that killed all 273 people aboard -- still the deadliest accident in U.S. aviation history.
Tuesday May 25 2004 History

Coverage for Contraceptives
The Chicago Tribune reports that a bill making it's way through the Illinois legislature may allow organizations with "a moral objection to birth control" to ignore a state law requiring health insurance coverage for contraceptives for their employees.
Monday May 24 2004 Politics/Activism

The Other NRA
The 85th Annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is wrapping up this week at McCormick Place. The NRA show is an international gathering of more than 70,000 professionals from the foodservice and hospitality industries. News from this year's event includes a discussion of the increased presence of energy drinks in the market and the infiltration of video games and other entertainment in restaurants.
Monday May 24 2004 Eating/Drinking

Trading Spaces
Look out for the crew from Trading Spaces this week in Evanston, IL as they make over two Northwestern University sororities. Carpenter Ty Pennington was even on hand for the seventh-inning stretch at Friday's Cubs game.
Monday May 24 2004 People/Sightings

Lizzadro Museum
We've been loving our suburbs recently, but when was the last time you visited the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst? The museum, located at 220 Cottage Hill, is dedicated to sharing "the eternal beauty of gemstones and promoting the study of earth science." Check out the dioramas and the gold Castle Lizzadro. See their website for more information.
Thursday May 20 2004 Arts/Architecture

HairStories
HairStories is an exhibition of more than 60 works in various media including paintings, sculpture and photographs now on display at the Chicago Cultural Center. This free exhibit "explores the complex phenomena of Black hair in America as vehicle of self-expression and artistic invention, as well as a reflection of gender and race relations." You can see the exhibition in the Sidney R. Yates Gallery of the Center through July 3.
Monday May 17 2004 Arts/Architecture

1905-1907 Breasted Expeditions
Browse over one thousand photographs taken by James Henry Breasted during his two trips to Nubia between 1905 and 1907. Breasted was a professor of Egyptology and Oriental Studies at the University of Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century. This digital collection, titled "The 1905-1907 Breasted Expeditions to Egypt and the Sudan: A Photographic Study," is presented by the Oriental Insititute of the University of Chicago.
Friday May 7 2004 Photography

Chicago's Zine Scene
The Chicago Tribune today takes a look at Chicago's zine scene. The article lists some of the best bookstores for locating zines and small-press magazines and reviews several of the city's best zines including WhiteWalls and Bridge Magazine.
Tuesday May 4 2004 Books/Authors

H.H. Holmes Documentary
After a sold-out screening at the Chicago International Documentary Festival, H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer is now available on DVD. The feature was written, directed, and produced by local filmmaker John Borowski, who spent three years on the film. For more on H.H. Holmes, check out "The Murder Castle of H.H. Holmes," an excerpt from Troy Taylor's Haunted Chicago book. Or, visit the official website for Erik Larson's best-selling book about Holmes and Chicago's Columbian Exposition of 1893, The Devil in the White City.
Thursday April 29 2004 Film

Free Cone Day
Tuesday, April 27, is Free Cone Day at participating Ben & Jerry's stores across the country. This year they are teaming up with Rock the Vote so, not only can you get free ice cream, you can also register to vote! Participating Chicago locations include stores at 338 W. Armitage Avenue, 26 West Randolph Street, and Navy Pier. Check out the Ben & Jerry's website to find additional locations.
Monday April 26 2004 Eating/Drinking

Chicago Latino Film Festival
The 20th Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival continues through this weekend at locations around the city. Over 50 films from 20 different countries are featured in this year's event. Check out the official website for more information on locations, showtimes, and tickets.
Friday April 23 2004 Film

Cold Stone Creamery
A new Cold Stone Creamery franchise is opening this Saturday, April 24, at 613 W. Diversey. Half of all the proceeds for the opening day will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois so go check it out.
Thursday April 22 2004 Business/Shopping

2004 Illinois Art Fairs
Whether you're an artist looking for outlets to promote and sell your work or an art enthusiast, check out the 2004 Illinois Art Fair Directory. This comprehensive resource from the Illinois Arts Council and the Chicago Artists' Coalition lists every scheduled fair in Illinois for the entire year. You can search by city or by month, and the directory entries include contact information, websites (where available), and deadlines for entry consideration.
Tuesday April 20 2004 Arts/Architecture

Comix Revolution
The new issue of Bookslut is up and includes a profile of the Comix Revolution bookstore in Evanston.
Tuesday April 13 2004 Books/Authors

Nader in Chicago
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader made an appearance at Columbia College Chicago last week, and nobody noticed. The Columbia College Chronicle has the wrap-up of the event.
Monday April 12 2004 Politics/Activism

Chicago Wilderness
Speaking of favorite parks...Check out the website for the Chicago Wilderness Coalition, an alliance "of more than 170 public and private organizations working together to protect, restore, study and manage the precious natural ecosystems of the Chicago region for the benefit of the public." This beautiful website discusses the biodiversity of the Chicago region from the Wisconsin border to Indiana and includes information about how you can volunteer to protect our region's woodlands, wetlands and prairies.
Thursday April 8 2004 Outdoors/Environment

Blithe House Quarterly
Author Aldo Alvarez is currently residing in Chicago and is the executive editor and publisher of the Blithe House Quarterly, an online literary magazine of short fiction by gay, lesbian and bisexual authors. Started in 1997, the Quarterly just released their Spring Issue featuring stories by Patrick Roscoe, Trebor Healey and Dawn Paul to name a few. Definitely worth checking out.
Tuesday March 23 2004 Books/Authors

My Chicago
The Chicago Historical Society has launched a new website aimed at kids aged 6-12 that "uses the symbols and design of the Chicago flag to explore the city’s rich and diverse history." Although the site is designed for children, the rest of us can have fun here staving off boredom for a few minutes, too. My Chicago features several games including an interactive Chicago flag that lets you create your own flag and a Chicago Fire game in which you "match photographs of objects that were found after the fire and try to guess what the objects were before they were melted." You can also create your own poem about Chicago in the Chicago Refrigerator Poetry game. Yes!
Saturday March 20 2004 History

Jewel-Tea Building to See Wrecking Ball
The fight to save the Jewel Tea Building in Barrington has been lost, and the Art Deco structure, affectionately known as the "Gray Lady," is facing the wrecking ball to make way for a new park. Read more about the failed preservation efforts, and learn more about the history of the Jewel Tea Company, which later became the Jewel-Osco grocery chain.
Tuesday February 24 2004 Arts/Architecture

190 North
This past Sunday's episode of 190 North, the show where Janet Davies and her friends take you to all the 'cool' places around Chicago, featured a tour of the Chicago Pedway. Um, yeah. The episode will re-air on Sunday, February 29 at 11:00 am.
Tuesday February 24 2004 Radio/TV

Automotive Art
Last month a new, um, gallery opened on Chicago's Near North Side. The Legacy Automotive Art Gallery features limited edition prints and original works that capture "the thrill and drama of the most exciting cars, trucks and motorcycles of all time." View their online gallery or view photos of the gallery on Dayton Street.
Tuesday February 3 2004 Arts/Architecture

'Perfect' exhibit at Cultural Center
The Daily Northwestern reviews the opening of a new exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center. Titled "Perfect: A Group Exhibition," the show features the work of 11 artists who transform "ordinary images and objects into something unrecognizable and fantastic." The show runs through March 21.
Monday February 2 2004 Arts/Architecture

Bloodshot Records 10th Anniversary
Local label Bloodshot Records is also marking a milestone as they celebrate their 10th anniversary. Known for putting "insurgent country" on the musical map, Bloodshot Records will kick off the anniversary with a concert Feb. 7 at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Read the full story about the label at Metromix.
Friday January 30 2004 Music/Clubs

Oprah Turns 50
Yesterday was Oprah Winfrey's 50th birthday. The Chicago Sun-Times has the full wrap-up of the star-studded celebration for this "Garrett-popcorn-eating, lakefront-jogging, North Michigan-Avenue-shopping" Chicagoan.
Friday January 30 2004 People/Sightings

Forbidden City Comes to Chicago
An exhibition four years in the making is being prepared at the Field Museum as curators unpack over 100 crates filled with objects from the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Many of these works have never been seen before outside of China. The Splendors of China’s Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong opens March 12. Read the full story at ABC7Chicago.
Tuesday January 27 2004 Arts/Architecture

Art Institute Picks New Director
The Art Institute of Chicago has picked James Cuno to replace James Wood as museum director. James Cuno has spent the last year as the director of London's Courtauld Institute of Art. [Trib. login: gapers/gapers]
Thursday January 22 2004 Arts/Architecture

Instead of a Book, Give a Child a Library
As a follow-up to an earlier post, the Sun-Times has a brief commentary about the governor's plan to distribute books to infants while cutting library funding. Chicago's own Shifted Librarian also looks at the issue and urges library supporters to contact the governor about his "boneheaded idea." She writes, "Let's support our existing libraries and provide our children with more than just one book a month. We can do better than that, and guess what? Libraries already do better than that. Keep funding them."
Thursday January 15 2004 Books/Authors

To Have and Have Not
Governor Blagojevich wants every child in Illinois to have a book in his or her hands, yet at the same time, his state budget cuts are forcing some public libraries to reduce their book budgets and their hours and increase the wait for interlibrary loan materials. [Trib login: gapers/gapers]
Tuesday January 13 2004 In the News

2003: Year in Review
This site has collected over 250 "best of" lists for the year 2003. The lists are divided into 26 categories and include such local delights as the Hip-Hop Top 10 and the Top 10 Worst Reality TV Shows for 2003 -- both from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Thursday January 8 2004 Found on the Web

Digital History
Digital History is a collaborative effort between the University of Houston, the Chicago Historical Society and other institutions to support the teaching of American history in at the elementary, high school and college levels. This beautiful and well-designed site includes an online textbook, encyclopedia, an interactive timeline, online exhibitions, and much more. The site also features a searchable database of over 1,500 annotated links to additional American history resources, audio archives (Real audio), and an image archive. Really fantastic stuff.
Thursday January 8 2004 History

Tech-Enabled Libraries
The Chicago Sun-Times profiles Jenny Levine, Internet development specialist for the Suburban Library System in Illinois, and talks about the work she does to bring area libraries into the digital age. Although the article strangely does not mention her site by name, webloggers know Jenny Levine as The Shifted Librarian.
Wednesday January 7 2004 People/Sightings

State of the Arts
The Chicago Tribune takes a look at how Chicago's major cultural institutions are expected to fare in 2004 in a still uncertain local economy and a changing national climate for cultural funding. [Trib login: gapers/gapers]
Monday January 5 2004 City Life/Cultural

Kerry James Marshall at MCA
This is your last chance to see "Kerry James Marshall: One True Thing, Meditations on Black Aesthetics" at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition closes January 18. Though he is known primarily for his large-scale paintings depicting African-American subjects based on the genre of narrative history painting, this show from Chicago-based artist Kerry James Marshall also includes sculpture, drawing, photography, and video.
Monday January 5 2004 Arts/Architecture

Museum to move U-505
This weekend will be your last chance to see the U-505 submarine at the Museum of Science and Industry before the German U-boat is moved to its new $35 million underground home. The Daily Herald reports that "crews will move the 252-foot-long, 37-foot-wide boat from its current spot at the south end of the museum to its new location at the museum's northeast corner, about 500 yards away. Doesn't sound too difficult, until you consider that the boat weighs 700 tons and has been rusting away for the better part of the last 50 years." The process is expected to take more than a week, but the new exhibit location won't be opened until next year. Find out more about the history of the submarine, including a virtual tour, at the museum's website.
Friday January 2 2004 In the News

Winnetka to Restore Mural
The Chicago Tribune reports that Winnetka school officials are trying to raise funds to restore a mural painted in 1934 by artist Raymond Breinin. The 400-square-foot mural is located in Skokie School. [Trib login: gapers/gapers]
Wednesday December 31 2003 Arts/Architecture

Intellectual Freedom Wars
After a flap over the unauthorized removal of copies of the Chicago Reader from the Cook Memorial Public Library District in September because of an alleged "obscene word," library board members believe residents of suburban Libertyville need a lesson in intellectual freedom. One board member, however, believes a suggested presentation by the American Library Association "would be a one-sided, liberal indoctrination" and is threatening to ask "a crowd of conservative-minded people to attend the meeting and express their views." Read the full story in the Daily Herald.
Tuesday December 30 2003 In the News

Regarding Seas and Skies
To complement the excellent Manet exhibition, Regarding Seas and Skies at the Art Institute is an exhibit of "photographic seascapes by Gustave LeGray, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and DoDo Jin Ming." The show is on view until February 15, 2004 in galleries 2-4. Go on Tuesday when the museum is free.
Monday December 29 2003 Arts/Architecture

Great Lakes Shipwrecks
Divers flock to the Great Lakes to explore shipwrecks, calling the Great Lakes one of the best places in the world to see them because the freshwater preserves wrecks better than saltwater. According to the story, "the Great Lakes hold an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 sunken ships. About 1,000 Great Lakes shipwrecks have been identified, and about 10 new ships are discovered annually."
Monday December 29 2003 History

Crossroads of Empires
Looking for an escape from Chicago next spring? If you have an extra $9,000 lying around, why not sign up for Crossroads of Empires: From Cairo to Crete. Visit the Mediterranean and Near East, starting with the Pyramids and Sphinx of Egypt's Giza plateau and continuing with archeological sites in Cyprus, Turkey and Crete. The tour is being led by Emily Teeter, curator of Egyptian and Nubian Antiquities at the Oriental Institute. The trip takes place April 2-16, 2004, and you may register through either the Oriental Institute or the Field Museum.
Tuesday December 23 2003 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Chicago Leads New Excavations in Egypt
A team of archaeologists from the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute recently discovered three new buildings in Abydos, "a rich and important archaeological site near Egypt’s last royal pyramid." Now a team being led by Egyptologist Stephen Harvey is returning to the area to begin excavation. Read more about the project in the U. of C. Chronicle.
Friday December 19 2003 History

Midwives being Forced out of Business
Despite the rising popularity of widwives, the the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System is closing the doors on its midwifery center after 18 years. Read more about widwifery and closings across the country at Women's Enews.
Friday December 12 2003 In the News

The Gift of Music
For the first time, the Ravinia Festival has put their gift shop online - just in time for holiday giving. Proceeds help support the annual music festival and its community outreach and education programs. Buy posters, clothing, or get a Ravinia gift certificate for the discerning music-lover on your gift list - all at Ravinia Gifts.
Thursday December 11 2003 Music/Clubs

Interview with Chicago Author
The new issue of Bookslut features an interview with Chicago writer and artist Audrey Niffenegger, author of the well-reviewed novel, The Time Traveler's Wife.
Tuesday December 9 2003 Books/Authors

The Value of Libraries
The Daily Herald writes that far from becoming obsolete, the demand for public library services is on the rise. Suburban libraries, such as the Round Lake Area Library, have seen 20-25% increases in their circulation every year for the past 3 years -- a trend echoed by libraries across the country.
Monday December 8 2003 Books/Authors

Chicago: The Friendly Place to Work
A recent survey comparing office workers in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., found that "respondents in all three cities rate Chicago office workers as most friendly." Chicago tied with NYC as the most hardworking town and an unbelievable six out of ten Chicagoans claimed "they would rather have practical office furniture than a day off." Read the rest of the results here.
Friday November 21 2003 City Life/Cultural

Chicago's Food Superstars
The New City ranks Chicago's "food superstars" in The Big Heat. Celebrity chef Rick Bayless tops the list while last year's number one guy, Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, slips to number three.
Friday November 14 2003 Eating/Drinking

Wolf Killed at Brookfield Zoo
Cinnamon Bear, an 11-year-old northern gray wolf, was shot and killed at Brookfield Zoo today when it grabbed the arm of an idiotic woman who "apparently hopped a 3 1/2-foot fence and reached through a second 10-foot chain-link fence to touch the wolf." Read the story in the Tribune. [Login: gapers/gapers]
Friday November 14 2003 In the News

Bookslut in the Reader
Jessa Crispin, creator of the literary weblog and e-zine Bookslut, is on the cover of the Chicago Reader this week talking about her blog and her experience with incurring the wrath of writer Dale Peck. Jessa recently moved to Chicago from Austin, and we're thrilled to have her. This is also the Reader's Fall Books issue so run out and grab a copy.
Thursday November 13 2003 Weblogs

Sculpture Unveiled in Naperville
A new sculpture and fountain celebrating the city's "progressive recycling efforts," was unveiled yesterday in Naperville. According to the Daily Herald, the 11-foot, $120,000 sculpture "honors the work of former Naperville resident Barbara Sielaff, who helped launch the city's recycling program about 30 years ago."
Monday November 3 2003 Arts/Architecture

Music Box Theatre to be Sold
Crains Chicago Business reports this week that Chris Carlo and Robert Chaney are negotiating to sell the Music Box movie theatre to to building owner William G. Schopf. Luckily, Schopf says he has no current plans to close the theatre.
Monday November 3 2003 Film

American Diner Museum
A few months ago on Gapers' Block, Brian Sobolak picked his Six Qualities of a Good Diner. For anyone interested in diners, check out the American Diner Museum. Although the physical museum has not yet opened, the website includes a variety of resources including news and events, sponsored diner tours, diner history and culture, and even listings of diners for sale.
Tuesday October 28 2003 Eating/Drinking

Field Museum to Return Human Remains
The remains of 150 Haida Nation members from the Queen Charlotte Islands in northern British Columbia will be returned to their ancestral home this week for re-burial. The Field Museum is returning the remains to a delegation of Haida as part of a voluntary repatriation effort. A ceremony is being held this Friday, October 17 at the museum from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to mark the event. Read more about it at the museum website and in a report from CBC British Columbia.
Wednesday October 15 2003 City Life/Cultural

The Foul Ball
"Moises Alou expected to catch it. One Cubs fan in the first row near Aisle 4 got his hand on it. After that, every Cubs fan wanted to get his hands on him." For the 2 people who didn't watch the game last night (whether you're a fan or not), here's a short look at the scandal of the fan and the foul ball in the Daily Herald.
Wednesday October 15 2003 Sports/Recreation

Original Sewing & Quilt Expo
The Original Sewing & Quilt Expo is coming to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL this weekend, October 16-18. Daily general admission is $10 at the door for access to the exhibit hall. Or, register for any one of the over 100 different classes and workshops in sewing, embroidery and quilt making being offered. View the full schedule at the website.
Tuesday October 14 2003 Arts/Architecture

Calling all Chicago Bloggers
This week is the third Wednesday of the month which means it must be International Blog Meetup Day! Come meet some of your fellow bloggers this month at Southport Lanes located at 3325 N. Southport, Chicago, IL 60657 starting at 7pm. Let us know you're coming via RSVP at Meetup.com. Hope to see you there.
Monday October 13 2003 Weblogs

Ladybugs Attack!
As noted in Fuel today, Chicago was invaded by Asian ladybugs yesterday. According to a spokesperson at the Field Museum interviewed for this story, "the reclusive bugs get restless as the days grow shorter, and a sudden onset of warm weather can set them to swarming. Cued by a hormone that prompts them to gather together, the insects assemble in huge numbers for some pre-hibernation socialization."
Wednesday October 8 2003 Outdoors/Environment

Do You Smell Chocolate?
If you're in the River North area and you catch a whiff of chocolate in the air, it's not your imagination - it's Blommer's Chocolate Co. on Kinzie Street. The Columbia Chronicle profiles the company that has been sweetening the air in Chicago since 1939.
Friday October 3 2003 Business/Shopping

Students Hypnotized, Then Assaulted
Police in Evanston are investigating a bizarre series of incidents in which several Northwestern University students reported they were hypnotized, then sexually assaulted in the University Library. Read the story in the Daily Northwestern.
Wednesday October 1 2003 In the News

Star Gazing
Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, and Jake Gyllenhaal are in town for the filming of Proof, an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by the same name. According to this press release, you can catch them in Hyde Park on the University of Chicago campus next week.
Monday September 29 2003 People/Sightings

City Babes
For the city-dwelling mother-to-be, Urban Baby Chicago is a comprehensive directory to resources in and around the Chicago area. Whether you're looking for an obstetrician, maternity clothes, where to buy organic baby food or baby-friendly cultural attractions, this is the site for you. Urban Baby also includes message boards so you can meet other urban mommies.
Tuesday September 23 2003 Resources

Ground Control to Major Tom
You can listen to live transmissions of the Chicago Approach frequency (via Real Audio)used for plane arrivals and departures for the west suburban satellite airports of O'Hare. The site also includes a nifty aeronautical map of the Chicago area.
Friday September 19 2003 Found on the Web

Asleep with the fishes
Oh, to be a kid again. This Friday the Shedd Aquarium is hosting Asleep With the Fishes, an overnight event in which kids and their parents are invited to bring sleeping bags and pillows for a night of roaming the museum to experience life on the coral reef. The cost is $50, but it includes all activities including a special marine mammals presentation, dinner, bedtime snack, continental breakfast and parking. A quick look at their website shows the event is sold-out.
Wednesday September 10 2003 Offbeat/Misc. Events

'Reader' sparks debate in Libertyville
The unauthorized removal of copies of the Chicago Reader from the Cook Memorial Library in suburban Libertyville because of an "obscene" word in the paper's headline sparks a debate between First Amendment rights and "community standards." Read the article from the Pioneer Press.
Thursday September 4 2003 Politics/Activism

The Blog "Phenomenon"
Of interest to bloggers in Chicago and elsewhere, a columnist in Canada's Globe and Mail writes today about his discovery of the "blog phenomenon," which he writes, "is perhaps the strangest side of the Internet. It's stranger even than all the porn."
Wednesday September 3 2003 Weblogs

Science, Art & Technology
Science, Art, and Technology, from the Art Institute of Chicago, is a website dedicated to exploring relationship between science and art within a museum setting. Originally offered as a course to Chicago Public School science teachers, the site includes sections on the chemistry and physics of light and color; art and astronomy; and conservation. You can view the original lectures online or read summaries of the lectures.
Wednesday September 3 2003 Found on the Web

Midwest Internet use flatlining
An article in yesterday's Chicago Tribune reports on the results of a study that show "Midwesterners use the Web slightly less than people in other parts of the country" (56% versus the national 59%). This latest report from the Pew Internet Project, one of the first to study differences in regional Internet use, also shows that Internet use in the Midwest has leveled off. According to the study, "the same proportion of Midwesterners access the Web now that did two years ago." The Tribune also talks to Lia Londrono, a local librarian, about her observations regarding Internet use and the digital divide. [trib login: gapers/gapers]
Friday August 29 2003 Found on the Web

Chicago Web Cams
EarthCam is a directory of webcams from all over the world. Check out these views from the Sears Tower courtesy of ABC7Chicago; a view of traffic on the Michigan Ave. bridge thanks to WGN; the continuing construction of the new Soldier's Field from the Chicago Bears website; or, finally, this lovely view of First & State streets in suburban Geneva (Why?). Addictive, pointless, timewasting fun. Enjoy.
Wednesday August 27 2003 Found on the Web

Typographic Signage Project
Students at Loyola University Chicago in the Department of Visual Communications created this website as part of a photographic survey of signs in the Chicago area. The Typographic Signage Project includes examples of many different typefaces including distressed and historic. Recognize any of these locations?
Wednesday August 13 2003 Arts/Architecture

Gerber/Hart Library
The Gerber/Hart Library in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood is the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender circulating library in the Midwest. Founded in 1981, the library now holds over 14,000 volumes, 800 periodical titles, and 100 archival collections focusing on LBGT subjects. Their website also includes a great collection of links to other LBG libraries, archives and organizations. In order to borrow items, you must be a member. Contact the library for more information.
Tuesday August 12 2003 City Life/Cultural

Neil Gaiman in BookPage
BookPage profiles Neil Gaiman in the August issue, looking at his new forthcoming children's book, The Wolves in the Walls. A few lucky Chicagoans, myself included, heard Gaiman read this book when he appeared at the Printer's Row Book Fair in June.
Monday August 11 2003 Books/Authors

Vaudeville Returns to Chicago
A recent article profiled the resurrgence of vaudeville theatre in the Chicago area. The Daily Herald featured a detailed profile of the Vaudeville Underground troupe. It also mentions Chicago Burlesque and Vaudeville and includes a brief history of the Chicago vaudeville scene. However, for an excellent visual tour through vaudeville history, check out the online exhibition of American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920 from the Library of Congress website.
Monday July 28 2003 Theatre/Dance

"Historic" Hoffman Estates
According to a story in the Daily Herald, the trustees of suburban Hoffman Estates have agreed to create a museum to showcase the village's history - all 44 years of it. One woman has "offered to donate to the museum a hand-woven coverlet made by her grandmother in the 1870s" - almost ninety years before the village was even incorporated.
Tuesday July 15 2003 In the News

Starbucks invades south side
According to this recent story in the Chicago Maroon, Starbucks may be "getting over its fear of the South Side of Chicago." The coffee retailer has plans to rent out a vacant Hyde Park storefront on 55th Street, and "last month the City approved the company's plan to build a $1.4 million freestanding store with parking on 71st Street and Stony Island Avenue." These two additions would increase the South Side presence of Starbucks to three stores.
Friday June 27 2003 Eating/Drinking

Singing cop sentenced to jail
Sheriff's officer William Jarding was sentenced to the maximum 16 months in prison for stealing ammunition after he was caught on tape by the FBI singing a duet about the crime with decorated Chicago police officer Joseph Miedzianowski in 1998, whom the FBI was investigating. See the damning song lyrics in this Associated Press report.
Wednesday June 25 2003 In the News

Preserving Meadow Lake
Designed in cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Lakes Study, the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL is undertaking a project this summer to improve the health of Meadow Lake. According to a story in the Daily Herald, "The lake, on the arboretum's east side near the main entrance, suffers from erosion and sediment caused by the fluctuating water table. Its high phosphorous levels make it uninhabitable for many fish." The solution is carefully digging a 3-foot-wide slurry wall to enclose the lake. This project is also part of the arboretum's $43 million expansion and renovation, expected to be completed in 2005.
Wednesday June 25 2003 Outdoors/Environment

Terra Museum to Close
After years of legal infighting, the board of the Terra Museum of American Art voted to close the museum in late October 2004. Many of the 700 works in the collection, assembled by the late Daniel Terra, will be moved to the Art Institute of Chicago. Now the board must decide what to do with the North Michigan building, yet another point of legal contention. Read more in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Monday June 23 2003 Arts/Architecture

The bird will outlive us all.
Cookie, a Major Mitchell cockatoo at Brookfield Zoo, celebrated his 70th birthday today, and his birthday celebration this morning kicked off the zoo's Bird Weekend. Cookie is the last surviving original zoo resident, part of the intial collection of animals when the zoo first opened its gates in 1934. Although the average life expectancy of a cockatoo is between 50-60 years old, they can live to be as old as a hundred. Read more about it, and check out the zoo website for more Bird Weekend activities.
Friday June 20 2003 Outdoors/Environment

Lost Indiana
Lost Indiana is a thoughtful, well-researched and documented website that pays tribute to some of the abandoned industries and history of our midwestern neighbor. Created and maintained by a local historian, the stories and photographs have a personal touch. Highlights include photo documentation of the abandoned Gary Union Station and the Crown Hill Cemetery, the third largest public cemetery in the United States and final resting place of two presidents and John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman. Worth checking out.
Friday June 20 2003 History

Diagon Alley Comes to Oak Park
Although some of my fellow Gapers seem to have caught Pottermania, no one has mentioned the biggest Harry Potter event taking place this Friday for the release of book five. Thousands of people are expected to flock to Oak Park on June 20 as Oak Park Avenue between Lake Street and North Boulevard is transformed into Diagon Alley. The streets will be closed to traffic beginning at 7pm, and the event takes place from 9pm to midnight. Hosting the festivities, the Magic Tree bookstore in Oak Park will become Flourish & Blott's. Other participants include US Bank, which will be featuring goblin-led tours of the basement vaults of "Gringott's Wizarding Bank." Read more about it in the Chicago Sun-Times, Pioneer Press, and this recent mention in a New York Times article.
Thursday June 19 2003 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Block 37 Movie Theater?
The Daley administration, in a surprising shift of thinking, may now be considering movie theaters for the contentious spot of vacant land in Chicago's Loop known as Block 37. According to Crain's Chicago Business, movie theaters had been specifically excluded from the original plans as Daley did not want to return to the theaters that had occupied the land in the 1960s and ’70s that became "seedy magnets for drugs, gangs and other criminal elements."

Since 1991, the block has been the summer home of Gallery 37, a job-training program in the arts for youths aged 10-21 and sponsored by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs.
Friday June 6 2003 Politics/Activism

Hyde Park Arts Fest
The first weekend in June is one of my favorite weekends in Chicago as it marks not only the Printer's Row Book Fair but also the annual Hyde Park Arts Fest. Hyde Park's 57th Street Art Fair is the oldest juried art fair in the Midwest and is celebrating its 56th year. The fair exhibits the work of more than 300 artists from throughout the United States and Canada, and, best of all, it's absolutely free. This weekend's fest also includes the annual Hyde Park Community Art Fair that features local arts and crafts artists. Check out the full events schedule for many more things to do in Hyde Park this weekend. Hope to see you there!
Thursday June 5 2003 Arts/Architecture

Looted Iraq: Artists Respond
In response to the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq, over 80 prominent artists are donating works for a special auction to benefit the "Iraqi Museum Database Project" at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. The auction will take place next Saturday, June 14th at 7 p.m. at Gallery Mornea in Evanston. Tickets for the auction are $20 and are tax-deductible. For more details, including a full list of contributing artists, read the press release.
Monday June 2 2003 Arts/Architecture

Lights Out Chicago
Thousands of migratory birds are killed in Chicago every year, confused by building lights and flying into glass-and-steel buildings, which appear invisible to many species. The Lights Out Chicago initiative, now in its fourth year, encourages building owners to dim or turn off outdoor lights thereby reducing mortality rates. Learn more about Chicago's feathered visitors from the Chicago Ornithological Society and read more about the dangers to migratory bird populations in the area.
Thursday May 29 2003 Outdoors/Environment

Robots Invade Rosemont!
The International Robots & Vision Show invades the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont next week, June 2-5th. This annual expo is one of the largest in the industry, attracting over 175 vendors and exhibitors demonstrating how robots are transforming business and the factory floor. This year's highlights include a robotic amusement ride - the first of its kind and featured speaker Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter. General admission is $30 and is open to folks age 16 and over. Read more about it.
Thursday May 29 2003 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Winnetka Teen on ABC Family
“The Brendan Leonard Show” is debuting Monday, May 26th on the ABC Family cable network, airing at 5:30pm. Brendan Leonard, a 19-year-old Winnetka resident, is the creator, executive producer and star of the cult show he originally created as a high school sophomore for Chicago cable access Channel 19. It is being described as “the first show to be produced, directed and written entirely by teens.” Read more in the Evanston Review.
Thursday May 22 2003 Radio/TV

The New Streetwise
Streetwise newspaper, celebrating eleven years of helping "men and women in Chicago who are homeless, or at risk of becoming so, work toward gainful employment," is new and improved. I learned from my local vendor that starting this Wednesday, this weekly paper will now include coupon inserts from area businesses. Maybe not exciting to some, but I wanted to mention it. Read highlights from the lastest issue and find out more about Streetwise.
Monday May 19 2003 Print/Magazines

A Bloomin' Sale
The 38th annual "Bloomin' Sale" takes place this weekend at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Over 1,250 varieties of popular and more unusual plants including perennials, annuals, shrubs, trees, vines, aquatics, grasses, roses and herbs will be available. The Midwest's largest plant sale will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17-18. Admission to the Gardens is free but parking is $8.75 (ouch!). For us city dwellers with no patch of earth to call our own, there are also plenty of container gardens featured. You can view the entire catalog online at the CBG website.
Friday May 16 2003 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Free Ravinia Lawn Passes
You can get free lawn passes to select Ravinia performances at your public library. For details on how to receive these passes to selected jazz and classical concerts, refer to the upcoming June calendar at the Chicago Public Library or contact your local library. Communities in the North Suburban Library System participate as well as others. This is part of Ravinia's annual Words & Music program.
Friday May 16 2003 Music/Clubs

What is Public Art?
Because of our recent conversation under Fuel, I thought I would mention a panel discussion taking place this Thursday, May 15th at the Chicago Cultural Center entitled "What is Public Art?" The panel features three local area artists: Juan Angel Chavez, Frances Whitehead and Bernard Williams, and it starts at 6pm.
Monday May 12 2003 Offbeat/Misc. Events

Blogging at U. of C.
University of Chicago professors discover blogs as a way to temporarily step off their pedestals and talk to the little people.
Friday May 9 2003 Weblogs

Wright Plus Housewalk
Thousands of devotees will be converging on Forest Hill and Oak Park next weekend for the 29th annual Wright Plus tour hosted by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. Of the 11 buildings on this year's housewalk, 8 are private residences only open to the public for this annual benefit. Only 2,500 tickets are available, but you just pay $85 for the honor to track your muddy feet through their homes.
Friday May 9 2003 Offbeat/Misc. Events

12-Year-Old Begins U. of C. Med
Call him Doogie Howser's little brother. After turning heads as a nine-year-old freshman undergrad at Loyola University Chicago three years ago, 12-year-old Sho Yano has been awarded a full scholarship to attend University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine this fall. Kind of makes me wonder what I could have accomplished if I hadn't spent so much darn time playing as a kid. Read more and more about it.
Tuesday May 6 2003 People/Sightings

Casey's Locomotive @ ILM
The Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL recently acquired Illinois Central No, 201 - the last surviving locomotive operated by legendary railroad engineer John Luther "Casey" Jones. Jones drove the Illinois Central trains during the summer of 1893, shuttling passengers to Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition. The Illinois Railway Museum, with a collection of almost 400 pieces, is the largest railroad museum in the country and is operated entirely by volunteers without government or corporate funding.
Friday May 2 2003 History

Made in Chicago
Have you been to City Gallery? In 1999, Chicago's Historic Water Tower was converted into the city's "official photography gallery." City Gallery is curated by the Chicago Public Art Program and features Chicago-themed exhibitions by local photographers.

The current exhibition, "Made in Chicago," features the work of seven photographers whose task was to bring awareness to the continuing importance of manufacturing in Chicago. The photos pay tribute to corned beef, Radio Flyer wagons, harps, hand tools, and Mr. Bubbles toys. Read the write-up in the Sun-Times, and, if you can brave the throngs on North Michigan Avenue, check out City Gallery.
Monday April 28 2003 Photography

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Alice Maggio