By Steve Rhodes
“Cheered on by Gov. Pat Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the United Neighborhood Organization celebrated the opening of its new $22 million charter school on the Northwest Side last September with a laser light show and fireworks display.
“The cost? More than $143,000, according to records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Now, more than nine months after the grand opening of the UNO Galewood Charter School, 10 contractors say the politically well-connected charter-school operator stiffed them out of more than $1.3 million they’re owed for work on the school at 2050 N. Natchez.”
Well, you have to give UNO credit – they’re certainly running schools like businesses. If the businesses are Enron, Groupon and the Church of Scientology.
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“UNO chief executive Juan Rangel – who co-chaired Emanuel’s 2011 mayoral campaign – won’t say where the money for the celebration came from.”
Maybe he’s just embarrassed to admit that he drove to Indiana himself to buy the fireworks.
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“A spokesman for UNO dismisses the liens filed by the contractors as ‘standard end-of-project negotiations . . . This is a normal part of the process at the end of construction work.'”
The failure to pay or the ensuing threats, liens and newspaper revelations?
Park District Parrotheads
“Thirty thousand parrotheads swarmed onto Northerly Island and into Live Nation’s newly expanded political plum of a concert venue on Saturday night,” Jim DeRogatis writes on his WBEZ blog.
“The Jimmy Buffett show was the first at the amphitheater’s new capacity of 30,000, and the first under a new name representing the latest corporate sponsor: FirstMerit Bank Pavilion.
“What was old news was Live Nation’s shoddy treatment of its paying customers. Buffett fans got good sound but dealt with a muddy lawn area, obscured sight lines, a traffic nightmare, and a venue that ‘in many ways turned out to be unsuited and unprepared for the large crowd,’ according to Chicago Tribune reviewer Kevin McKeough.
“Also a familiar story: the political shenanigans of the Chicago Park District in sidestepping competitive bidding for the expanded concert venue when awarding it to Live Nation, a company that includes on its board of directors the brother of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.”
Just a normal part of the process.
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“This blog reported on the questionable aspects of that deal on May 30. At that time, Park District Spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner had failed for seven weeks to provide interviews with parks officials or answer questions about the deal.
“Another month later, the public information officer still has not answered questions submitted in writing or provided the requested interviews with parks officials.
“The Park District’s haughty stonewalling of critics and reporters probing difficult issues is not unusual or unique to this blog. It has been no more forthcoming with environmental activist and Great Lakes Echo columnist Gary Wilson, who last August criticized the Army Corps of Engineers and the Chicago Park District for misusing almost $3 million to turn part of Northerly Island into an eco-tourist site.
“‘It’s a nice project but has nothing to do with restoring the Great Lakes, which was the purpose of the source of the money,’ Wilson wrote.”
At least it wasn’t spent on fireworks and a laser show.
Hoosiers Hosers
“BP, one of the world’s biggest companies, dumps nearly 20 times more toxic mercury into Lake Michigan than federal regulations permit.
“This has been known for years, but BP still gets away with it. How? Ask the people of Indiana.”
Star Bores
“After seven years of dating, George Lucas, 69, and Mellody Hobson, 44, finally tied the knot two weeks ago at the Star Wars creator’s Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California,” Business Insider (among many others) reports.
“On Saturday, the couple followed up their nuptials with a star-studded party in Chicago, where Hobson is from . . .
“Musician Prince, along with a 20-piece band, performed for guests such as Robin Williams, Star Wars star Mark Hamill, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Gayle King, Al Roker, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Graydon Carter, Tina Brown, Grammy winner Ne-Yo, Star Wars prequel star Hayden Christensen and his fiance, OC star Rachel Bilson.”
I would have no interest in spending a Saturday night – or any night – with any of those people, except Prince.
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Prince cassette to play at my wedding.
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) July 1, 2013
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Also: Video from Prince’s after-wedding show at City Winery, in The Weekend In Chicago Rock.
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And: Weddings In The News.
Area Man Really Knows How To Tailgate
Addresses Full Life Cycle Of Parking Lot Parties.
Chicago Trading Floor
* SportsMonday: Don’t Trade Everyone For Everyone.
* The Cub Factor: Project Garza.
* The White Sox Report: The Prospects Are Already Here.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Cap and trade.
Posted on July 1, 2013