Quote of the Day

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"[The classes] speak of how the [citizenship] exam will be," Briones said. "[They have] also helped me because I am still learning English, a little history about the rights of citizens and about their responsibilities." More....
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Quote of the Day

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Since 2004, the Department of Natural Resources has been preparing a multimillion-dollar renovation of the dam that would make it less hazardous, said Gary Clark, director of the agency's Office of Water Resources.
"We were hoping to get it fixed before we had another accident there," Clark said. "This was selected as our No. 1 project." More....
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Quote of the Day

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'Oh, I knew it was gone,' said Bonds, who hit his 49th career homer off Colorado. 'I knew it was definitely gone. There was no doubt.' More...
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Lexie's Former Favorite Spot

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While conventional wisdom in Chicago suggests that there are only two seasons in our calendar year, winter and construction, anyone who gardens or takes care of a front lawn and or parkway space knows that there is another season: The Growing Season.

I thought about this today as I watched a sleepy man, still in his pajamas stop in front of a house that wasn’t his and let his dog meander and do his business on the front lawn and garden. I have admired this garden for years and I always try to pass by a few times a year just to check it out.

I don’t know the owners, but through the gardener’s grapevine, I‘ve been told that they designed, planted and meticulously maintain this garden and front lawn themselves. It’s beautiful.

Obviously, this man was too sleepy or too oblivious to care that his dog was creating a mess on someone’s carefully maintained property and I wondered why he thought that was ok. I used to have a daily morning war of words with a man who allowed his dog to urinate daily on my boxwood shrubs ( whose scent naturally attracts dogs) when I had a front yard garden too. He refused to listen to reason so every morning the sprinkler was turned on just before he arrived. He found another yard soon enough.

By now, the dog owners who are reading are probably getting upset. Perhaps you are thinking that I harbor some pet peeve against dogs or maybe I’m a crabby old man and just hate all animals in general. Hhmm, not so fast neighbors because there happen to be 16 legs walking around in our house, not including the millipede I saw yesterday. Our collection includes 2 humans, 2 cats and a dog. Although I do get crabby more than I should, I’m anything but an animal hater.

So, I think I can straddle this issue fairly between dog owners and gardeners because I think there IS an issue. I’m not the only gardener / property owner this happens to and the man I saw today is not the same one who used to let his dog kill my boxwood.

Plain and simple: I think it’s rude. It’s un neighborly and …..well, I’ll just leave it there.

Urine Damage














Lexi's Former Favorite Spot














Most dog owners are surprised to learn that dog urine is not harmless.

“Oh, he’s just peeing. What’s the big deal? “

Well, it is a big deal. Dog urine, especially female dog urine, is deadly and in fact it kills many plants and totally wreaks havoc on grass. I personally switch out grass for plants whenever I can but some people absolutely love grass. And I have to admit that when grass is well cared for, there is nothing like it. It makes me want to golf and I don’t golf. Well, I did once.

My neighbors down the street recently planted sod on their front lawn and parkway and it looks great. Unfortunately, this was one of Lexie’s favorite spots to do her business and as soon as the stakes and orange caution tape came down she of course headed straight for it.

“Lexie girl, let’s go find another spot”
On my block, there are still a few parkways that people haven’t spent a lot of time and money improving and ours is one of them so far. Our building has had bigger issues to deal with like the $8000.00 we’ve had to spend “fixing” our perfectly good porch to comply with the cities’ new building code. But that is a story for another day.

Parkway planting is becoming increasingly popular and as more and more of these spaces that we don’t really own get planted with sod, gardens and gated, there will be fewer and fewer “neighborly” spots for our dogs to go. Look, I know this isn’t the biggest issue facing our community but it is one of those daily “quality of life” things that tend to make both property and dog owners mad.

We all want our neighborhood to look great and I appreciate my neighbors who take the time to beautify their property and the parkway too. But as you can see from the pictures, urine is deadly and it is a pain in the butt and the wallet to repair.
So, what’s the solution?

Gary Fuschi

Some Lawn Repair Advice.... .
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Quote of the Day

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“We decline the implicit invitation to embroil ourselves in questions of what constitutes ‘legitimate journalism,” he wrote. “The shield law is intended to protect the gathering and dissemination of news, and that is what petitioners did here.” -Justice Conrad Rushing of the 6th District Court of Appeal wrote in a unanimous 69-page ruling
More from BuzzMachine...
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What Do You Think?

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Council pay could be increased $5,000 a year
For weeks, aldermen have been whispering among themselves about who would take the first step.
"I'm tired of hearing people talk about it," Stone said. "I wanted to introduce something and get it on the table. As far as I'm concerned I'm worth that money." More...

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From NewCity Chicago

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A Matter of Taste
Welcome to the summer of the foie gras frenzy
The ban itself is morally relative. How can the aldermen designate one form of animal slaughter as more torturous than others? How can they be meat-eating, leather-wearing legislators with no plans for other laws?
When I called the bill's chief proponent, Alderman Joe Moore, and asked if he had ever eaten foie gras, he said, "I may have. I didn't know what I was eating. But I am told by a friend of mine that dined with me at one of our trendy restaurants, a while back, this is before the controversy kinda blew up last year, that it may have been part of an appetizer that was served to us. But I honestly can't remember it and I can't remember what it tasted like." More....

Note: Sent to the Rogers Park Review by a Reader
Thanx gf
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From YoChicago

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Despite idiotic name, nice design for "Juneway Jungle" condo.
What is it with real estate developers and the stupid names they pick for their projects? Case in point: the Esoterica, at 1528 W Jonquil Terrace, where units range from $349,000 to $499,000 and where an appealing design redeems the judgment lapse in branding. More....

Brand New Landscaping Too.
gf
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From The Daily Herald

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Do You Agree?

Student bloggers beware:
School district now can issue punishments based on what's on Web
Blogs that depict Libertyville or Vernon Hills high school students involved in illegal or inappropriate behavior could officially lead to disciplinary action under a much-publicized policy adopted Monday night.The Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 board unanimously approved the policy by updating the codes of conduct for students in athletic, fine arts and extracurricular programs. The rules are effective starting in the 2006-07 term. More......
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Do You Agree With This Proposed Legislation?

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Parents could be fined for school violence, City Council measure calls for `safety zone'
Tribune
In a move to crack down on school violence, Chicago aldermen have advanced a measure that calls for stiff fines and possibly jail time for anyone involved in violence at or near a city school.Ald. Michael Zalewski (23rd Ward) said Saturday that he supports the effort as a way to "strengthen a safety zone around schools where we see a spike in violence. We want to make it safer for students, faculty and residents of the community."The measure, expected to come before the City Council on Wednesday, calls for fines of $500 to $1,000 and/or jail time of up to 6 months for anyone convicted of battery within 1,000 feet of a Chicago school--including private schools. More...
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Poll

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Should
English
be the official language
of the United States?
The Northwest Herald
Results....

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Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate

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The Politics of
Lunacy
Molly Ivins, Creators Syndicate
I hate to raise such an ugly possibility, but have you considered lunacy as an explanation? I mean, you announce you are going to militarize the Mexican border, but you assure the president of Mexico you are not militarizing the border. You announce you are sending the National Guard, but then you assure everyone it's not very many soldiers and just for a little while.
Militarizing the border is a totally terrible idea. Do we have a State Department? How much do you want to infuriate Mexico when it's sitting on quite a bit of oil?It's quite possible that lunacy and politics are closely related. It's damned hard for the Guard, though, which continues to be heavily deployed in Iraq. And the Army Reserve is "in grave danger of being unable to meet other operational requirements," according to Lt. Gen. James Helmly, head of the Army Reserve. Happy hurricane season to you too. More....
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Could Rogers Park Support a Farmers Market?

Farmers' work, challenges are always growing
Tribune
I'd ridden the "L" downtown Tuesday, thinking I'd write a sunny little ode to Chicago's summer romance with its farmers markets. The markets, which begin opening this week, are as close as many of us get to the part of the Midwestern soul that still resides in its soil. More......

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Muggers Guide to NU

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The mugger's guide to NU
Tony Evans The Daily Northwestern 5/16/06
Do you want to make money and meet new people? Do you want to be your own boss and set your own hours? Are you an Evanston male age 18 to 25? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you might fit the profile for a career in professional wealth reallocation.Mugging is one of the fastest growing job sectors in the Evanston area. Northwestern students are an untapped natural resource that could make YOU rich TODAY. And the best part about being a mugger is that you can show up to work drunk. Just follow these simple steps and you'll be mugging like a pro in no time! More.....

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Should United Get Concessions from City?

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United lines up for a squeeze play
Crain's Chicago Business Airlines may move downtown, but not until Glenn Tilton gets what he wants. Before moving its headquarters downtown, United Airlines can be expected to demand rich concessions from city and state officials. More........

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New Signs at 7644 North Sheridan

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Letter to Alderman Moore

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Alderman Moore,

I noticed recently that there is a Public Notice: Application for a Tavern ( file# 177-s ) sign posted in the window of 7644 North Sheridan Road. Application was apparently filed on April 25, 2006 with the Department of Zoning. There are also new temporary signs above the entrance which announce Food, Music and Dance in The Island Grove Café.

In our earlier correspondence, you had opposed the liquor license request for this owner at this location and your office was in the process of gathering information on the current owner in regards to the liquor license request.

Could you please provide an update on the status of the information, liquor license request and any information your office might have regarding the The Island Grove Café.

Sincerely,
Gary Fuschi
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From The Daily Southtown

Should anthem be only in English?
Saturday, May 13, 2006
To coincide with the May 1 immigrant rallies, some Latin American artists recorded a Spanish version of "The Star Spangled Banner." President Bush said our national anthem should always be sung in English. Do you agree with the president?

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Charles Madigan, Tribune

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The financial side of ethics
May 9, 2006,
What a wonderful thing congressional reform is, like spring itself, coming along to signal big ethical changes for the better.
Perhaps not.
Pretend for a minute that we were allowed to run our lives the way Congress does.Say you robbed a bank with a bar of soap carved into the shape of a gun and you were captured by a tough, towel-wielding federal agent shouting, "Drop the soap!"
You would be indicted by a federal grand jury, perhaps convicted, then sent to the slammer for a good piece of time because, in the real world, money is protected against such things.
But if we lived the way Congress does, the outcome would be a lot more jolly.

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About Blogging

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Citizen Journalism
Chi Town Daily News
What is citizen journalism? It's an opportunity for you to get involved in producing the news, instead of just reading it or watching it on TV.There's a growing sentiment that one reason newspapers are losing so many readers is that they're unapproachable, arrogant and insistent that only they have information worth passing on.

PressThink
Top Ten Ideas of '04: Open Source Journalism, Or "My Readers Know More Than I Do."
The audience always knew more, but it didn't have a network for pulling its scattered self together. An atomized public needed the journalist to know for it. That's how we got a professionalized press. Now Gillmor says his readers know more than he does. Open Source journalism builds on that insight.
It was always true that the readership of the San Jose Mercury News knew more than the editors and writers employed by the Merc. But so what? There was no way the readers could awaken and mobilize that knowledge or use it to inform themselves. There was no easy way for them to communicate horizontally (also called peer-to-peer) in order to share and sift what they knew.
The audience always knew more than the journalist about a great many things, but it didn’t have a network for pulling its scattered self together. The public needed the press to know for it. These are the foundations of a professionalized press.
That was then. Gillmor saw, long before others in his profession, that once an effective horizontal network (the Web) arrived, professional journalism had a natural competitor. It’s not that blogs will suddenly rise up and “replace” the traditional media in the market to inform the public.
It’s that blogging is only one part of a larger development........


Note: There will be more discussion about this trend and the direction of the Rogers Park Review in the next few days.