NOTICE OF CAPS MEETING......

From Toni Duncan, Beat 2422 Coordinator:

CAPS Beats 2422. 2423 and 2424 will meet Thursday, March 28th at 7:00 PM at CM&S Academy at 7212 N. Clark. Please try to attend or have someone from your building or business attend. Please forward to your friends and tell your neighbors who don't have Internet access.

HOWARD STREET STREETSCAPE GROUNDBREAKING ...PHOTOS

(click on photos to enlarge)

Thanks to all that this project is now underway!

Howard_Strreetscape_Design_and_Renderings.pdf (1910 KB)

Photography by mcl

2012 49th Ward Street Sweeping Schedule

Be a responsible, concerned resident and obey the parking restrictions as they are posted on your block.  Participate in keeping our49th Ward neighborhoods clean...Please, DON'T LITTER!

Street Sweeping

MUST READ......

September 15th post at 24/7 North of Howard Watchers.

Thanks, Toni!

FROM "THE RP AND BEYOND' BLOG...Posted Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Evanston Creepin'

"According to the EvanstonNow.com website, Evanston Police have started cleaning up the mess down here in the RP and Chicago. At least someone is doing it.

Evanston Police offer the following details on a Rogers Park drug bust , posted Tuesday, August 30, 2011, at 5:29 pm by Bill Smith

Evanston police this afternoon released more details about a drug raid they conducted in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood on Friday, August 26th.

Evanston Police Cmdr. James Elliot says that last month investigators from the department’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team -- the gang and narcotics investigation unit -- received information that drugs were being sold to Evanston residents from an apartment just over the border in Chicago.  The unit's investigation resulted in a search warrant being approved for the residence, located at 7638 N. Bosworth, Apt. GW, in Chicago.

About 7:25 a.m. Friday, Evanston police executed the search warrant. Elliot says they found over $500 in cash, 23 bags of a brown powder suspected to be heroin, seven bags of a white rock-like substance suspected to be crack cocaine, 35 pills believed to be used as a heroin cutting agent and 15 assorted pills all believed to be controlled substances.  Investigators say they also found evidence of drug packaging materials in the apartment.

Issac Jerome Roach, 26, and Ebony Nicole Sanders, 24, who both live in the apartment, were arrested and were each charged with five counts of unlawful possession of controlled substances and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.  They are scheduled to appear in Skokie district court at 9 a.m. on Sept. 9.

A third subject was charged with aggravated assault to a peace officer and resisting arrest after he attempted to enter the apartment while police were searching it.  Elliot says that when officers attempted to prevent his access to the apartment, Thomas Eugene Sanders, 20, of 7719 N. Paulina in Chicago, allegedly refused to leave the area and allegedly attempted to punch an officer with his fist.  He's scheduled to appear in Skokie district court at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13."
http://rp-and-beyond.blogspot.com/ 

Comment:

According to the addresses, both of these Units are located in buildings owned and operated by AIMCO as NorthPoint Apartments, (there are 12 NorthPoint buildings, totaling 304 apartments in the North of Howard neighborhood) all are H.U.D. subsidized, 'project based' Section 8 rental housing!  This begs two questions; 1)"Where is the NorthPoint property management?" and 2)"Where the hell is Chicago's 24th District Police?!" 

Thanks and a 'tip of the hat' to the Evanston PD for taking care of business for the North of Howard neighborhood in Chicago's 24th District Police, Beat 2422!  Your efforts to make our community safer and improve the quality of life for the residents is greatly appreciated.

BEAT 2422 CAPS MEETING TODAY........

Meet the new 'Acting' Commander of the 24th District, James Roussell, at this month's Beat 2422, CAPS meeting, today at the Willye White Park Recreation Center, 1610 W. Howard at 5 PM. 

We are urging residents of Beat 2422, who are able, to attend this meeting and express your concerns and feelings about current and future issues regarding policing services, response and patrolling in Beat 2422,  particularly in our North of Howard neighborhood.

MORE COVERAGE ON THE 'MURDER FOR HIRE' ON JONQUIL TERRACE...

Man killed in Rogers Park had turned his life around to help others, mother says

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN Criminal Courts Reporter rhussain@suntimes.com August 9, 2011 7:34AM

Updated: August 10, 2011 2:14AM

Shooting victim Lawrence Wilson 

Lawrence “Ricky” Wilson often mentored high-risk teens, hoping tales of his brief dalliance with crime would keep others out of trouble.  And when he wasn’t inspiring youth, he’d be at church, rapping or playing running back or safety for the Chi-Town Blaze semi-pro football team, family and friends said.

Shortly after midnight Sunday, Wilson, 23, was gunned down in what his mother said was a case of mistaken identity.  “He wasn’t in a gang. Not that I know of,” Jennifer Francis said after Cook County prosecutors detailed how Dyshawn Brown, the teenage gunman accused in Wilson’s murder, was handed a sawed off shotgun and offered money to kill a Gangster Disciple.  Authorities described the slaying as “gang-related.”

Francis, 50, said Wilson was on his bicycle headed to his girlfriend’s house to watch a movie when he was shot in the chest in Rogers Park.  Brown and his two Wells Academy classmates, who allegedly acted as lookouts in the shooting were charged as adults in the murder in the 1500 block of West Jonquil Terrace.

Judge Adam D. Bourgeois Jr. Tuesday ordered Brown held without bond. Both Devonte Lamb, 17, and Desmone Smart, 15, were ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Wilson had initially spoken with Brown and Smart when the pair struck up a conversation with him before walking away Sunday morning, Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini said. Brown and Smart eventually met up with Lamb and it was Lamb who waved Wilson over to a building where Brown shot him, Santini said.

Wilson, whose great, great uncle was the late journalist Les Brownlee, was an Evanston Township High School graduate and has two surviving brothers, his mother said.  Wilson had a 2008 conviction for armed robbery but was bent on turning his life around, Francis insisted.  “He made a choice,” Francis said, stressing how much Wilson loved mentoring students through the organization TRIBE — Total Resources Involving Benefits Everyone.

“If he came from a troubled background you never knew it,” Wilson’s Chi-Town Blaze coach Carlos Jones said.  "He was a great guy. He was very dedicated. He never missed any practices or games. Everybody on the team is hurting.”

FURTHER UPDATES ON JONQUIL SHOOTING.....

From The Chicago Tribune

By Jason Meisner
at 1:52 PM, August 9th,2011

Prosecutors: 3 teens killed Rogers Park man in murder-for-hire scheme

Three teenagers charged in a shotgun slaying in the Rogers Park neighborhood over the weekend had agreed to kill a rival gang member after being offered cash, prosecutors said today.

Dyshawn Brown, 16, Devonte Lamb, 17, and Desmond Smart, 15, were each charged as adults with first-degree murder in the slaying early Sunday of Lawrence Wilson, 23.  Wilson’s mother, Jennifer Francis, said outside court that her son, an Evanston Township High School graduate, worked as a youth mentor with a group called TRIBE, or Total Resources Involved in Benefiting Everyone. The group confirmed his employment.

“He had some problems in the past, but he was not a gang member,” said a tearful Francis. “He wanted to keep people away from that life.”

Prosecutors said a still-uncharged co-conspirator offered the three cash to kill a member of the rival Gangster Disciples and gave Brown a sawed-off shotgun.

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After engaging Wilson in conversation in the 1500 block of West Jonquil Terrace, Lamb waved him over to a building where Brown was hiding, prosecutors said.

“The victim rode his bike up to the defendants, and (Brown) walked out from behind the building, pulled out the shotgun and fired it at the victim, striking him in the chest,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini.  Wilson was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was declared dead a short time later. 

Police found the shotgun while canvassing the area and arresting Smart inside his apartment in the7600 block of North Greenview Avenue, Santini said.  All three defendants attend Wells Community Academy in Chicago, according to a court-appointed defense attorney.

Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. denied bail for Brown and set bonds of $1 million each for Lamb and Smart.

chicagobreaking@tribune.com

From SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE                                                        
August 9, 2011 7:34AM

Three teenage boys were charged Monday afternoon with the gang-related murder of a 23-year-old man in the North Side Rogers Park neighborhood.

The identities of the juveniles were not released, but the 15-year-old, 16-year-old and 17-year-old boys were charged with one count each of first-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting early Sunday, according to police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak.  Officers found a man shot at 12:48 a.m. in the chest lying on a sidewalk in the 1500 block of West Jonquil Terrace, police said.  Lawrence Wilson, 23, of the 1500 block of West Juneway Terrace, was taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston where he died, according to Kubiak.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office could not confirm his identity Tuesday morning, but said a man shot at the West Jonquil Terrace address was pronounced dead at the hospital 1:49 a.m.  Wilson was shot once with a shotgun, Kubiak said. The shooting is gang-related.

AN APPEAL TO MAYOR EMANUEL & SUPERINTENDANT MCCARTHY......

From: North Howard Neighbors Association [mailto:luckenbach@rcn.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011 2:08 PM
To: 'cityfeedback@cityofchicago.org'
Cc: 'Brown, Ernest T.'; Bruce Rottner; Isidor Ramos; ward49@cityofchicago.org

Subject: An appeal to Mayor Emanuel....

Attention: Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Mr. Mayor,

As you probably know, early this morning (Sunday, August 7th at 12:48 AM) there was another shooting, resulting in death, in our neighborhood. I have lived in the North of Howard neighborhood of Rogers Park for 36 years and in the past decade violent crime has increased significantly, resulting in several deaths. This incident and others like it, is the result of the large groups (sometimes as many as 100 +) of people who are allowed to gather and congregate, drinking and drugging (usually late in the night and into the early morning hours) in and around Gale School, Willye White Park and the adjacent residential streets, where this latest shooting occurred. The neighborhood has long complained to the 24th District police that this kind of activity should not be allowed to occur at any time of day or night, with no success, certainly not in an ongoing, proactive, consistent basis. Hardly a night goes by in our community without the sound of gun shots.

We, the residents of the North of Howard community appeal to you to use your office to order that the 24th District police, specifically Beat 2422, immediately stop these kinds of gatherings and this kind of activity and not allow it to continue, period. We desperately need ‘proactive’ policing in our neighborhood!

On a related note, we also urge you to issue an order to the 24th District police that ‘gang shrines’ not be tolerated on our streets after such an incident.  Just last week we had a group of local gang bangers establish a gang shrine/memorial on the corner of N. Paulina and W. Jonquil to ‘celebrate and remember’ one of their fellow gang bangers who was shot to death 4 or so years ago. The party went on well into the early morning hours. This is completely unacceptable and we want a zero tolerance policy imitated in regard to this matter.

Please see the following post threads in our neighborhood Blog on this aspect of these incidents, between myself and a former commander of the 24th District, who stated that they do in fact tolerate ‘gang shrines’ for a limited time!

http://nhna.blogspot.com/2009/01/must-read_17.html
http://nhna.blogspot.com/2009/01/must-read_2197.html

Your assistance, action and response in regard to these matters will be greatly appreciated by all the residents of our neighborhood.

Respectfully,
Mike Luckenbach
North Howard Neighbors Association
773-465-2433

POLICE SEEK SUSPECT IN SHOOTING ON JONQUIL.....

Possible suspect in Rogers Park shooting, murder, escapes police

Posted by Timothy Fitz at 1:39 AM, Monday, August 8, 2011

7644 N. Greenview Ave. Photo: Cook County Assessor

According to several reports, a suspect wanted for murder, was hiding out in a Rogers Park apartment building. Sunday, August 7, 2011, around 8:40 p.m., authorities attempted to apprehend three suspects at 7644 North Greenview Avenue.  Police took two men into custody, but a third suspect escaped. The third suspect was identified as a black man named Devonte Lamb.

Although this information has not been confirmed, it is my understanding that Lamb is wanted for allegedly shooting and killing a 50-year-old man on the 1500 block of West Jonquil Terrance, early Sunday morning.

During the arrest at the North Greenview apartment, authorities recovered a weapon; possibly the gun used in the Rogers Park homicide. Lamb is approximately 5'9", 200 pounds, has a very dark complexion, and his hair was styled in an Afro. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt.

If you know where Devonte Lamb is, please contact the police, immediately.
Copyright © 2011 - Chicago News Report.

SHOOTING DEATH ON JONQUIL TERRACE.......

There are not many details available but

here's the report in the Tribune.

THE END OF AN ERA NORTH OF HOWARD......

In the fall of 1987,  Sister Cecilia Fandel of the Servants of Mary Order (founded in 1233 in Florence, Italy) arrived at the Howard Area Community Center to begin her service to the residents of the North of Howard community.  It would be the beginning of a 24 year commitment that officially ended with her retirement at the end of June 2011.  Over the years, Sister Cecilia has been a dedicated 'community activist' providing leadership, direction and spiritual guidance to thousands of residents.  Our neighborhood would be a far different place were it not for her work and commitment over the years. 

It's impossible to list all the specific contributions she has made in this limited space but some of the highlights are: she was instrumental in creating, supervising and managing the Community Garden at Juneway and Hermitage; she played a key role in initiating and organizing the community in establishing and overseeing Triangle Park and is responsible for the amenities now in Triangle Park, i.e., benches, water fountain, the recently built Fitness Course and the Peace Pole; she was instrumental in the planning and building of the Harold Washington Memorial Playlot on Paulina, as well as the Willye White Recreation Center and Park at Marshfield and Howard; she established, organized and lead the HACC Seniors Club; she taught at the Howard Area Alternative High School; she spent countless hours in organizing and leading community meetings dealing with untold issues of concern and importance to the neighborhood and it's residents.

 

In recognition of outstanding achievements and contributions to the City of Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Chicago Department of Aging  presented Sister Cecilia with the 2009 Luminary Senior Citizens Award, which is the highest award of the Chicago Senior Citizens Hall of Fame into which she was also inducted. 

In nominating Sr. Cecilia for the award, Pamela Barnet, executive director of Howard Area Community Center, wrote: "Sr. Cecilia's dedication to the Rogers Park community is truly inspiring. Her actions and words are a guiding light to neighborhood residents. Above all, she leads community members to take action together and realize their own strength. I cannot think of any single individual who has had a greater impact on our community, and I truly believe there is no one more deserving of induction into the Chicago Senior Citizens Hall of Fame."

This was not the first time Sr. Cecilia was recognized for her service. She received the Spirit of Rogers Park Award from the Rogers Park Community Council (1999), the Friends of the Parks Individual Award, "For organizing and mobilizing community groups for park protection and improvement in North Rogers Park" (2003), and the Unsung Hero Award from Howard Area Alternative High School, "In honor of your spirit, your dedication, and your devotion to the students here over the past five years" (2005).

Her years of community commitment, dedication and service are unparalleled. She has made our North of Howard (Germania) neighborhood a better place for all and made those of us whose lives she touched, better human beings.  Words alone can not do justice in expressing our gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Sister Cecilia! We wish you God speed in your retirement and future endeavors.

(On Friday Sister Cecilia will be moving to Ladysmith, Wisconsin.)

AND SO 'IT' GOES.......

On April 1st, Bill Morton posted 5 photos of the vacant lot at the corner of Howard and Ashland Avenue on his blog (http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2011/04/walk-down-howard-street.html) showing the horrible conditions that have been allowed to 'fester' for the past several years at this community eyesore!  Today, I documented the property's condition 29 days later,  taking the following pictures:

(click photos to enlarge)

This situation begs the question, "Where is Alderman Moore's 'oversight and control' of the conditions at this property?"  Not only is this an unacceptable eyesore but the fencing is open at several locations, creating serious safety and hazardous conditions (in violation of several City of Chicago ordinances and laws).  I urge all residents of Rogers Park to call the Alderman's office (773-338-5796) and or to email him at  ward49@cityofchicago.org  to complain strongly and loudly about this inexcusable situation and demand that he take immediate action to get this site properly secured and screened once and for all and to see that the owner keeps it that way!  The residents of this neighborhood have more than enough 'issues' to contend with and allowing this kind of negative eyesore and hazard to exist is outrageous!

PHOTOS FROM THE HOWARD AREA LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CANDIDATE FORUM

(click photos to enlarge)

Thanks to the students, faculty and staff from the Howard Area Leadership Academy for providing this opportunity to the neighborhood to hear from aldermanic candidate Brian White on a wide range of issues.  It was very informative and very well done!  A special thanks to candidate Brian White for his insightful and thoughtful responses to the excellent questions.  Congratulations to all!

TOWN HALL MEETING/CANDIDATE FORUM NORTH OF HOWARD

(click on flier to enlarge)

Note that this is a morning event: 
Thursday, February 17th, 2011

 10AM to 11AM at 7649 N. Paulina!  
 Also note that the incumbent Alderman has
declined to participate with the Leadership Academy faculty, students and North of Howard residents, in this forum!  Challenger Brian White will be present to respond to community concerns and questions.

SNOW REMOVAL ON N. PAULINA....

It seemed like a good plan....

until the truck got loaded....

and was stuck in the snow, unable to move.

Finally got the truck to move, but now it's stuck in a spot that blocks not only Paulina but also Jonquil.  Sure hope there's no need for emergency vehicles. How does that old saying go, "The best laid plans..."
(Update....as of 5 PM the snow-hauling truck had been able to get traction and left the scene with its load.)