May 24, 2004

Monday, 05 24 2004

Deadline for Sun-Times building

The L.A. Times crashes a Chicago Daily News reunion where staffers rhapsodize about the Sun-Times building, which is slated to be demolished this fall to make room for a Donald Trump tower. The sentiments echo thoughts expressed by Chicago Magazine's Steve Rhodes this winter: "Ugly buildings can be important places, too." In September the Sun-Times will move down the river to a building near Merchandise Mart.

- ls | 24.05.04 ~ Arts/Architecture

Save CCH, stat!

The National Trust for Historical Preservation today named Cook County Hospital to its list of America's 11 most endangered historic places for 2004, joining the Madison-Lenox Hotel in Detroit, the entire Wal-Mart besieged state of Vermont, and 8 other sites. Cook County Hospital already had among its defenders Preservation Chicago and The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.

- ls | 24.05.04 ~ Arts/Architecture

Obit: journalist Vernon Jarrett

About a week after veteran Chicago anchorman Floyd Kalber died, veteran journalist Vernon Jarrett died on Sunday. Jarrett worked in TV, in radio and for three separate Chicago newspapers, but he was most proud of his work with young people, particularly the annual intellectual competition he founded for African-American high school students, ACT-SO.

- jma | 24.05.04 ~ Radio/TV

Protest The Wal

As has already been mentioned here, tomorrow the city council is going to vote on whether or not Chicago should change its zoning laws to allow a Wal-Mart. One of the proposed sites on the South Side is close to the Trinity United Church of Christ, and the pastor there is not pleased about the possibility of a Wal-Mart in his community. In addition to putting an anti-Wal-Mart piece in the bulletin (pg 6), he's also organizing a demonstration against Wal-Mart. Weds May 26th, 8am at Daley Plaza.

- bs | 24.05.04 ~ Politics/Activism

Billy Corgan gets a day job

Billy Corgan is now apparently the Chicago Cubs correspondent for WXRT. The radio station's programming veep, Norm Winer, says Corgan will provide analysis and commentary on the team's previous week performance and preview the upcoming week's game series. (Thanks to Chicagomuzik for the tip, and also for providing big laffs with the headline "This Is Not An Onion Article.")

- jma | 24.05.04 ~ Sports/Recreation

Obama in New Yorker

The New Yorker's most recent "Fact" column isn't about Abu Ghraib - it's about Barack Obama. A good and detailed overview.

- ag | 24.05.04 ~ Politics/Activism

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.

- am | 24.05.04 ~ Politics/Activism

Wal-Mart vote looms on Wednesday

If you've been keeping track of the attempts of Wal-Mart to get a store into Chicago, you'll want to keep an eye on the city council's meeting this Wednesday. They're prepared to vote on zoning changes to allow two Wal-Marts within city limits: one on the West Side, and one on the South Side. You might also be interested in this Tribune article, which describes the populist campaign Wal-Mart is waging to gather support for the stores.

- jma | 24.05.04 ~ Politics/Activism

We have a winner

Veteran Chicago actress Irma P. Hall was awarded the special jury prize at Cannes this weekend for her performance in the Coen brothers' The Ladykillers. She won in a tie with Apichatpong Weerasethakul, director of the first Thai film to compete at the festival. Hall was unable to attend as she continues to recover from a January car accident here.

- kv | 24.05.04 ~ Film

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.

- am | 24.05.04 ~ Eating/Drinking

Not If But When

Brian Ulrich takes some pretty amazing photographs. His work primarily deals with "the excesses of a consumer-dominated culture," to great effect. Take a look at Not If But When, his portfolio site, or pop by his thesis show this Thursday, 5-8pm at the Glass Curtain Gallery, 1104 S. Wabash.

- ah | 24.05.04 ~ Photography

Destination: Manifest

As the latest class of Columbia students prepares to graduate, the college will be promoting their work during Thursday's all-day Manifest festival. There'll essentially be four festivals running in tandem -- art, music, performance and readings -- all spread out along the South Loop Arts Corridor, with free trolleys running between the five major locations. Among the myriad styles of art on display: photography, puppetry, pop, painting, product design, poetry, papermaking ... and dozens of others. All events are free and open to the public.

- sw | 24.05.04 ~ City Life/Cultural

No cheese here

Monday morning dreariness not quite your flavour? Take some time out to peruse photos from local photographers: Citying, Jamas, Chicago Snapshot, Esotericus, Ferocious Cheese, Gigantic, Boochakanan, No Commercial Potential, Photovox and Six Feet Above. Keep your eyes busy for a while if your brain isn't quite up to it today.

- nh | 24.05.04 ~ Photography

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.

- am | 24.05.04 ~ People/Sightings

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