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The [Thursday] Papers"The second forum in as many days on using Chicago parkland for a Barack Obama presidential library again drew hundreds of people Wednesday, with arguments that boil down to the proposal either eroding valuable outdoor space or being an economic boost to the city's South Side," the Tribune reports. "Park officials listened to comments in a gym and overflow rooms at the Washington Park field house for almost three hours, but it's unclear when the matter will come before the Park District Board of Commissioners for a vote on how to move forward with the land, Avis LaVelle, vice president of the board, said after Wednesday's public hearing." Let us pause now to consider: Who is Avis LaVelle? Gross. * From the Beachwood vault. Under pressure from aldermen to comply with the city's minority set-aside requirements" - because apparently doing so is optional - "LAZ Parking Chicago LLC has hastily assembled a team of subcontractors that includes former mayoral press secretary Avis LaVelle and Cortez Trotter, who was Chicago's first African-American fire commissioner before being promoted to chief emergency officer," the Sun-Times reports in "Insiders May Cash In On Meter Deal." "In the stairwells of the parking garages under Millennium and Grant parks, wires dangle from the red metal boxes that house emergency telephones," the Tribune reports. "Meanwhile, Bombardier has in recent weeks rehired Avis LaVelle, a public relations consultant and longtime City Hall insider who also represented the company in 2006 and 2007 when it was negotiating the rail car contract. "Former Mayor Richard M. Daley's staff was aware of major problems with the city's parking-meter privatization deal in 2010 - a year and a half before the costly issues publicly surfaced, according to hundreds of pages of documents released Wednesday by Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration," the Sun-Times reported on Thursday. LaVelle is the park's point person on the library issue because park board president Bryan Traubert has recused himself due to the fact that his wife is Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. Bottom line: LaVelle and the park board aren't going to protect the interests of the park district and its constituents (us), they're going to do whatever they are asked to do. * "Residents expressed concern [Wednesday] that not offering the park as usable land would give the Obamas reason not to locate their library in the Washington Park community," the Hyde Park Herald reports. Really? That would be on Obama. * Here's a novel idea: Design a library that fits into the available space owned by the preferred bidder. * Also: Does anyone really think the Obamas haven't already decided whether they want the library in Chicago or New York? What is this all about, then? Finding an excuse to give the public for choosing Columbia or playing hardball with their own hometown to grab up more valuable resources for themselves? * "[R]epresentatives of Friends of the the Parks, the Washington Park Conservancy and Preservation Chicago stood up to oppose the project, saying it would remove irreplaceable green space from public access," the Sun-Times reports. "Cassandra Francis, president of Friends of the Parks, suggested the University consider an 11-acre city and CTA-owned parcel west of King Drive, just across the street from the park. "'The city should not be forced to make a choice between having the Obama presidential library on the South Side and losing valuable park space,' Francis said." * EXCLUSIVE! Rahm's Secret Plan To Save The Obama Library. - Naming Rights Deals Sweep Chicago Media - BeachBook * Newspaper Execs Get Huge Bonuses While Reporters Wait For Raises. * Illinois A Terrible Ten Tax State For Reasons Bruce Rauner Doesn't Understand. * Illinois Facility Raided In Body Part Black Market Probe. * Former Bear Leads Ohio Court Fight Against Out-Of-State Taxes On Athletes. * DHS Agent Who Infiltrated Silk Road Worked Out Of Chicago. * Caesars Division Heads To Bankruptcy Court In Chicago. - TweetWood
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- The Beachwood Tip Line: Check out any time you like. Posted on January 15, 2015 |
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