12/17/2012 – The mystery has been solved! Hover over the picture for fun facts about the mystery package (Tumblr/University of Chicago Admissions) When a crinkly manila envelope addressed to Henry Walton Jones, Jr. arrived at the University of Chicago’s admissions office few days ago, no one paid much mind. It’s prime time for them: college … Continue reading »
It’s 12/12/12. So how about a dozen interesting factoids about the Second City? 1. Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837. 2. The Harold Washington Library Center is the world’s largest public library. 3. The gloves are off: 16-inch softball was invented in Chicago. 4. Route 66 starts in Grant Park. 5. Dan Ryan … Continue reading »
If you think 55 cents per mile for travel reimbursement is low, it’s not much better than what Lincoln got. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum found its namesake’s old travel expenses at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He got $8 per day and another $8 for every 20 miles he traveled between … Continue reading »
Chicago’s Christmas Tree Ship re-enacts 100-year tradition from WBEZ on Vimeo. Chicago’s Christmas Ship Committee and the U.S. Coast Guard delivered 1,300 Christmas trees from Cheboygan, Mich. to needy families in Chicago Friday. The Cutter Mackinaw plays the role of the Christmas Ship, re-enacting an annual tradition from the 1800s by Captain Herman Scheunemann. He … Continue reading »
In August, Chicago decided to crack down on its rat problem by beefing up its rodent baiting army. But have more boots on the ground in the last three months helped? The city added more crews because this year, 311 service calls for rodent baiting — where crews search for and set out poison for … Continue reading »
The Chicago Transit Board awarded the contract for its biggest reconstruction project on Wednesday. F. H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen and Associates, LLC will rebuild the Red Line South from Cermak-Chinatown to 95th Street. With an estimated budget of $425 million, plans include improving stations, tracks and ties, drainage systems and more. “We are looking forward … Continue reading »
The Chicago Transit Authority’s top official announced its expanded camera network successfully helps deter crimes and leads to more arrests at rail stations. Since June 2011, CTA installed more than 1,800 security cameras, equipping all 145 rail stations with multiple high-definition cameras that provide live feeds to CTA and the Office of Emergency Management and … Continue reading »
Bizarre. Leader. Loser. Down to Earth. Woman hater. Those are just a few adjectives that voters used to describe Rick Santorum during the Michigan primaries. This state has been touted as an important one for the GOP candidates, but how do the people actually casting the ballots see Santorum and his opponents? From professors to … Continue reading »
January’s 8.3 percent unemployment rate is nothing to be excited about, according to Mitt Romney. In his victory speech Feb. 4, after the Nevada caucus, Romney said, “This is the 36th straight month with unemployment above the red line [President Barack Obama’s] administration drew. And if you take into account all the people who are … Continue reading »
In 2009, Alvin Varnado’s single family home with a two-car garage in Hazel Crest, Ill. was worth $132,350. The next year, it shot up to $191,410—a 45 percent increase. “From the beginning, I noticed everything was out of whack,” Varnado said. “I noticed it was a large jump from one year to the next.” Property … Continue reading »
First, consider this: Chicago is building on its red-light camera system. Earlier this month, the state Senate swiftly approved a bill authorizing Chicago to add speeding cameras to existing red-light cameras near schools and parks. Violators will pay as much as $100. Now consider this: Los Angeles, Houston, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Colorado Springs, Colo., … Continue reading »
“I heard the screeching of tires. I don’t remember the thud, but the next thing I knew, I landed in the northbound lanes of Broadway.” The driver was 18 and had his license for four days. Since that day, Oct. 18, 2009, Bruce Greene has thought a traffic light belonged at the intersection of Broadway … Continue reading »
Edgewater is a neighborhood divided. On Sept. 30, Ald. Harry Osterman (48th) labeled Broadway and Balmoral a dangerous intersection for pedestrians and, because of that, will get a traffic light. His declaration has polarized the community into two groups: the wants and the don’t-wants. Osterman and supporters say the light will solve the neighborhood’s pedestrian … Continue reading »
This week, Shawna Spencer’s opening a new boutique in Buena Park. While the merchandise at Red Dot Resale doesn’t cost as much as the high fashion, imported shoes she used to sell, what her boutique represents is priceless. Red Dot Resale directly funds Spencer’s nonprofit, I Am You. The organization teaches marketing, fashion retail and … Continue reading »
Is it worth it for Chicago politicians to use Twitter? Experts say it depends on what you’re saying and whom you’re saying it to. In the past weeks, Chicago’s lawmakers have been taking to Twitter. Last week, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle used the #TellToni tag to solicit ideas about the county’s 2012 budget. … Continue reading »