Youth Guidance Resource Coordinator Ben White said he was inspired to create this condensed version based on the popular African-American play “The Wiz” because he wanted to stress the importance of believing in yourself for his students.

“As the kids learn it and they understand it, even if it’s subliminal, they’re saying it over and over and over again,” said White.

Youth Guidance works with students in 50 Chicago Public Schools, providing after-school programs for at-risk youth. White said while the two-year old program at Parker has been successful, it has faced a few challenges with keeping some students enrolled.

White said when many of the students join the Youth Guidance program, they are introverted and “living in a box.”

“They don’t know if they are going to get laughed at or ostracized because they are doing something a little different,” said White. “We’re getting them out of that box.”

Playing the role of the “Wicked Witch Eveline” has been “life changing” for seventh-grader Briana Johnson. Johnson said prior to joining Youth Guidance, her life was unstable.  However, the program has allowed her to make friends and let her personality shine.

“When I came here, I got all excited and stuff and … started showing what I can really do with my life,” said Johnson.  “I felt like I got it. I can do this and it kept building and building up. So it’s a great level of confidence I have right now.”

During practice, Johnson dominated the stage as much as she was engrossed in her role as “Evaline.”

The demand of performing an hour-long play and his students’ response to that demand has encouraged White. He said he has noticed his students are able to focus more and apply recently learned memorization skills to their studies.

Through performing drama, White said, the students could face challenges in their lives and gain necessary tools to overcome them.

“It’s about the message. It’s about what the Wiz says,” said White. “If you believe in yourself, then that’s the key. It’s all about believing in your heart the things that you can do.”

“The Wiz that Wuz”

Thursday, May 20 at 4:30 p.m. at Parker Elementary Academy, 6800 S. Stewart St.

Tickets are $2

For more information, call 773-535-3375

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/11438244[/vimeo]

Chicago Public Radio’s City Room reports on the protests.

Lionel Garcia, a 6th District state representative candidate  and political director of the National Hispanic Political Assembly, talked with ChicagoTalks on Thursday about the issue of race and his involvement with Chicago Tea Party.

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/8026348[/vimeo]

The Kenwood Academy High School graduate and current DeVry University student applied for 16 positions over a two-day span, only to hear “no” from potential employers due to what she believed to be a lack of job experience.

Now, Lamon is worried about paying back the mounting costs of her student loans, about $10,000 for her first year at college.

“I’m gonna have to pay all that stuff back after I get out in three years,” said Lamon. “And by me being so young and not having experience, I really can’t get [a job].”

What has been helping Lamon so far has been her position with Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) performing community outreach and organizing events.

She was one of several hundred youth and parents in attendance at a South Side youth town hall at Walter H. Dyett High School on Sunday rallying to reduce teen violence and push for an increase in employment opportunities.

The Life Campaign, an umbrella organization for ten Chicago youth groups with the Roosevelt Institute at Northwestern University, hosted the event.

The rally began on a somber tone as Dyett principal Robert M. McMiller shared having to attend two funerals of Dyett students since becoming Dyett’s principal in February.

“This is an important day for all of you,” said McMiller. “So I just want all of you to make the best of it.”

Over the course of two hours, high school and college youth spoke about how the impact of Illinois’ current budget crisis and the recession has affected their future educational goals.

However, many offered words of encouragement for their pursuits.

“For those of you who are in high school, look for scholarships,” said Corkey, a student at De Paul University, who said she was stressing over the pending eviction of her mother and younger sister as she worried about paying back $9,500 in loans.

“Just keep pushing through. It’s going to work out in the end. I promise,” she said.

In a speech that was part campaign pitch, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who is running for the U.S. Senate, said the only way for youth to have work opportunities is if they are “engaged in the process.”

“The decisions that are going to be made over the next few years in Washington, D.C. are going to determine the course this country takes for generations,” said Giannoulias.

But students pressed Giannoulias for a meeting to discuss creating 20,000 jobs each year though state funding. Giannoulias said he would work with the student organizations to make sure that funding is created.

Earlier this year, KOCO worked with state Rep. Esther Golar (D-Chicago) to introduce the Community Youth Employment Act, HB 3631, a grant to fund six weeks of summer mentoring and employment. Currently, the bill is in the House Rules Committee.

Golar was unavailable for comment.

In September, unemployment in Illinois was at 10.5 percent according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. In 2008, nearly 26,000 jobs were projected to be created for the 14 to 18 age group, according to the website.

Rally host, Angie Rollins, a student at Columbia College Chicago, said she wanted to hear more details from Giannoulias rather than “you can do it” talk. She wants legislators to discuss what actions they will take to increase youth employment.

“I want to see them voting on the bills we’ve presented,” said Rollins. “They’ve got money. Contrary to popular belief they got money sitting there. They can do it.”

Check out a related story from WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio.

Listen to audio clips on the WBEZ/Vocalo blog.

As a part of a nationwide event, Illinois visitors will be able to explore solar-powered homes and businesses in the Chicagoland area. At some locations visitors will be able to discuss the various forms of solar energy used with the home or building owners, according to Lisa Albrecht, tour coordinator with the Illinois Solar Energy Association.

“The systems are incredibly efficient and the technology is remarkably reliable,” said Albrecht. “[Solar panels] are about 70 percent efficient. And unlike any other appliance in your home, they will continue to pay for themselves for decades at a time. Because of all of those factors, they just make good sense.”

Albrecht said owners could see savings up to 25 to 40 percent on their energy bills and up to 70 percent with solar hot-water heating.

As the nation moves towards using more alternative energies, the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Pat Quinn authorized the Illinois Finance Authority to grant low-interest loans to finance studies and installations of solar and wind power systems on school district facilities and land.

One hundred-fifty locations will be a part of the free, self-guided tour on which participants will be able to bike or walk along suggested routes between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. An after-party at Uncommon Ground, located at 1401 W. Devon Ave., will be held for tour participants to mingle and enjoy food and drinks, while learning more about alternative energy.

To find out more information, visit http://tour.illinoissolar.org/ or email [email protected].

On August 17 and 24 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Hill’s organization, Imagine Englewood if, will be hosting a tour of Englewood as a way of developing future community outreach programs.

Hill said she sees Englewood as a place filled with crises because of the levels of violence, truancy and teenage pregnancies.

“We want people on the outside to see our community the way we see it daily,” said Hill. “We want bankers, organizations – people who can come in and want to give back in someway.”

But Hill has been facing an uphill battle in getting transportation for the tour and has reached out to  churches with no luck.

For over 40 years, Hill has been a resident Englewood. Discouraged by the rise of homelessness and students struggling and failing in school with no resources, Hill and Helen Arnold Massey, a Chicago Public School colleague, focused on improving the quality of life in Englewood by founding Imagine Englewood If more than 10 years ago.

“We both noticed that there were too many families going through crises and there were no resources for them, and we wanted to be apart of trying to make life better for them,” said Hill.

Hill says that  Englewood is in dire need of resources owing  to high asthma, lead poisoning and HIV rates.

A 2007 Chicago Department of Public Health study found  elevated blood lead levels in 89 percent of children aged three and under, and 76 percent among children aged six and under.

Despite a 16.8 percent decrease in crime from January to June 2009 compared to 2008 reported by the Chicago Police Department, Hill said the level of violence is taking a toll on residents, particularly the youth. During the walk-through she wants to generate ideas for projects and resources to create a much-needed community center.

Over the course of two hours, Hill’s tour will travel through parts of west and east Englewood where she will discuss issues affecting certain blocks.  One of the biggest problems she wants to draw attention to,  is the increasing presence of abandoned buildings.

“And it’s a lot of vacant lots. More than you could ever think about in the community,” said Hill. “It’s just a lot of hang out places [with] people sitting around without jobs. It’s that type of thing. It’s just a depressing community.”

Hill will be hosting a roundtable to discuss solutions and observations with participants following the tour.

Hill is confident and determined to go forward with the tour, believing transportation will be provided well in advance and acknowledges it will take patience to create the amount of help she believes is needed in Englewood. This approach to community improvement has been used in Little Village in Pilsen where there are tours of toxic sites in the neighborhood aimed at raising awareness about problems and seeking solutions.

“I know it’s not going to happen all at one time,” said Hill. “We might have to have some ongoing tours to be able to reach the people who can really help to make a difference in this community.”

For more information about the Englewood Walk-Through or Imagine Englewood If contact: Jean Hill at 773-778-1304 or  www.imaginenglewoodif.org.

For the second year, Open Streets closed streets in the North Lawndale, Garfield Park, Logan Square and Humboldt Park neighborhoods for residents of all ages looking to ride, walk, dance or rollerblade

The event brought residents from across the city to enjoy everything from biking and knitting to dancing and face painting. The sounds of everyone from the O’Jays, to Mary J. Blige and  Coldplay served as a soundtrack for bikers as they wound their way through the neighborhoods.

Open Spaces was hosted by Active Transportation Alliance, a non-profit, member-based advocacy organization

Spencer rounds the corner at Independence and Jackson Ave. with his mobile sound system blasting the sounds of the O'Jays

that works to make bicycling, walking and public transit safe, convenient and fun.

Additional support was provided Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Chicago Community Trust.

Theo the clown creates animal balloons for children in Garfield Park, near Independence Ave. and Douglas Blvd. Photo by Jennifer T. Lacey

A boy gets his face painted. Photo by Jennifer T. Lacey

A biker rests along the route. Photo by Jennifer T. Lacey

El Stitch y Bitch group members host a knitting circle in Doublas Park while working on a knitted pinata for an upcoming art festival. The group gathers in Pilsen to share stories and knitting techniques. Photo by Jennifer T. Lacey

Nahui Ollin (4 movements) a dance troupe perform a ritual dance of thanksgiving and celebrating life. The group is located in Pilsen/Little Village. Photo by Jennifer T. Lacey

Business leaders offer CSA opportuntities on Chicago’s South Side from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo.

May 1, 2009 – For two years, Caroline Baumann lived with a simple predicament.

Without an Illinois state ID card she could not apply for general assistance from the state. No general assistance meant Baumann, 61, had no income, access to medical care or permanent housing.

Her ID had been taken from her bag while residing at the Pacific Garden Mission shelter.

After being referred by Cornerstone Community Outreach to Sarah’s Circle, two non-profit agencies in Uptown, she was given the $20 needed to apply for a state ID card.

Homeless advocates said without an ID, the homeless face hefty fines if ticketed, barriers to employment and public services.

The Heartland Alliance, working with Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), introduced House Bill 897, which would waive the current $20 fee and allow service providers to vouch for a homeless person’s status.

However, opponents of the bill were concerned with the bill’s language and potential cases of identity theft.

Rep. Mike Bost (R-Carbondale) said a lack of rules and procedures outlined for the Secretary of State in the bill raised concerns of identity misuse, calling it “a security breach.” Bost said its passage was equivalent to “passing a blank check.”

“We have moved into a whole new era of security, not just in the State but in the U.S.,” said Bost.

Co-sponsor Rep. Eddie Washington (D-Waukegan) said concerns over identification theft were blocks to attempts to help an underclass. Washington acknowledged, “it wasn’t the perfect bill,” but opposition rather than suggestions to make it better were counterproductive.

“Look how ludicrous an argument that is,” said Washington. “We got ID theft up the wazoo all over America. And if it were preventable on one level it would be preventable on another.”

Gina Guillemette, director of policy and advocacy for the Heartland Alliance, said the list of service providers included in the bill’s language makes it clear as to how a homeless person could apply for a state ID.

“Our main concern is that having a state ID is a critical piece of information for people…to help people transition out of homelessness, to employment, to secure their living and in many instances, access services,” said Guillemette.

Henry Haupt, deputy press secretary at the Secretary of State’s Office, said from the bill’s passage to its July 1, 2010 effective date, would allow the state enough time to work with a “variety of agencies” on implementation procedures.

Also, Haupt said an online program called Social Security Online Verification (SSOLV) and newer IDs have been designed with a series of security features to reduce fraud and identity theft.

Illinois distributes approximately 650,000 state ID cards a year, equating to $14 million in annual revenue.

The bill passed 106 to 9 in the House on March 13 and is currently moving through the Senate’s State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee.

At Sarah’s Circle, case manager Mandee L. Russell said she probably writes one to two checks a week to assist those seeking an ID card. Sarah’s Circle provided $1,700 last year in assistance for ID cards. After losing “a lot” of grant funding this year, the fee waive “would save them [sic] a lot of money,” said Russell.

“I think it would add up over time….and make them [homeless persons] feel better about walking around,” said Russell.

Stevens, suddenly encircled by a media frenzy, found himself face-to-face with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich as he left the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after pleading not guilty to 16 felony counts of criminal corruption.

Blagojevich posed for a picture with Stevens and shook his hand before attempting again to get to his car while the media questioned him about his arraignment. Afterward, two reporters would ask Stevens for a copy.

The former Illinois governor is being charged with racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud and making false statements to investigators. His brother, Robert, was also arraigned later Tuesday morning on similar charges.

Blagojevich had arrived at five minutes before his 11 a.m. arraignment proceedings. He spoke briefly with his lawyer before waving a reading of the indictment and entering his plea.

The ex-governor said little during the arraignment only answering questions pertaining to his age and schooling.

Sheldon Sorosky, Blagojevich’s lawyer, requested for U.S. District Judge James Zagel to allow defense to access Blagojevich’s campaign funds to hire additional lawyers. In his appeal to the judge, Sorosky said the case was a “massive indictment,” making it difficult for one lawyer to defend Blagojevich.

Sorosky also requested Blagojevich’s current bond of $4,500 be expanded for travel purposes. Sorosky did not indicate where Blagojevich would be traveling. Defense will have a another hearing on April 21 about gaining access to campaign funds and a larger bail.

After the proceedings, Sorosky said defense for the case would need “four or five” lawyers and would cost a little over $2 million dollars.

“I think a more appropriate issue will be how much of the funds are going to be freed,” said Sorosky. “Even if all the funds would be freed, it’s an insufficient sum for all the work that has to be done.”

According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, $2.6 million remains in a Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund.

Outside the courthouse, Blagojevich said this was a beginning of another stage in the process of him clearing his name and being vindicated.

“I want to say this to the people of Illinois: I have not let them down,” he said.

Some Chicagoans did not agree with plea entered by Blagojevich, but few had criticisms about Blagojevich’s request to use campaign funds for his defense.

“I’ve got no problem if this is private campaign financing that he obtained. But if there is any sort of public money that is going to be going into this defense, I don’t think that’s right,” said Ryan Evans, a lawyer.

Evans said he thought the charges had merit and believed the prosecution was probably withholding information, but he would not give his own verdict until he had “seen all the evidence.”

Gary Clark, an insurance claims adjuster said he was surprised Blagojevich’s wife Patty had not been indicted.

“I’m just waiting for the hammer to drop on her too. I’m for equal opportunity prosecution,” said Clark.

Once the excitement of Blagojevich’s departure had died down, Stevens remained downtown with plans for his picture with the impeached governor as it was being developed at a local Walgreens.

He was planning to give it to Fox News.

“People need to use extreme caution and read the fine print before handing over their credit card information to a an online advertiser,” said Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois in a press release. “Just because an ad appears on a website they trust, it doesn’t mean they can always trust the advertisers.”

Recently, the BBB has dealt with several complains about deceptive weight loss ads where the consumer was charged more than the trial fee.

Cindy Pearson clicked on an ad for acai (pronounced a-sigh-EE) berry, which promoted weight loss and colon cleansing. Pearson said she read all the information before ordering the product for its $4.95 trial fee.

What she received was the product, gum and oil, along with a $40 charge.

Pearson attempted to contact the company, Central Coast Nutraceuticals, Inc, to find out how to get instructions on how to send it back. But to no avail, she could not reach anyone at the company and had to turn to the BBB for assistance.

“It’s kinda of nasty, because I read all the fine print and I didn’t see anything telling me I was getting extra products… but if you can’t get anyone to answer the phone, you can’t get the paper work or authorization you need to return it,” said Pearson.

Representatives at Central Coast Nutraceuticals, Inc. did not respond to e-mail requests for an interview.

The BBB was able to resolve Pearson’s complaint on her behalf, but she was still charged a  $15 restocking fee.

The consumer advocacy group, the National Consumers League, said the acai berry scams are attractive because they are not high profile, like phishing or wiring money.

“I think people, after awhile get used to certain scams. So, they don’t fall for them anymore. When people see something like acai berry, they’re like ‘what’s that?’ and they might be a little more curious and click on the link,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy and telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League.

Breyault said his organization has seen a recent “anecdotal” rise in complaints with online weight lost scams. He said there are several ways to determine if a company is legitimate.

Breyault advices consumers to check the websites for contact information about the company, such as a physical address or phone number. If there is contact information, you can check further by calling your local BBB or chamber of commerce to see if the company is actually registered where they claim to be operating from. Also, companies are required to register with their state corporation commission and local business licensing departments.

Breyault said that most companies also register with their local chamber of commerce and BBB.

Central Coast Nutraceuticals, Inc. has received an “F” rating, according to BBB.org. In the past 36 months, the BBB has received a total of 1,997 complaints, 719 of them dealing with refund practices. In December 2008, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against the company and its president and CEO alleging violations of consumer fraud.

Westside Residents Fill Neighborhood Potholes from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo

The Chicago Department of Public Health is closing the Back of the Yards’, Beverly/Morgan Park, Greater Grand/Mid-South and Woodlawn clinics because of a $1.2 million loss in state funds.

“We’re talking about a trivial amount of money,” said Fred Friedman, co-founder of Next Steps, a community for mental health and homeless patients. “Less money that was spent on refurbishing the [Buckingham] fountain. Less money that was spent on Barack Obama’s [rally] clean up.”

The four clinics will be consolidated with the city’s remaining eight clinics.

Judy King, a member of Community Mental Health Board, an advisory group, said a fiscal 2008 city-hiring freeze was part of several problems, which led to the state cuts.

“So, if you don’t hire people to fill these positions that are essential, to people’s well-being and health, [and] we view mental health as an essential service, then they [the state] can’t see the numbers,” said King.

King said a change in how mental health providers submitted billing had an effect on state funds. She said if providers were not able to show they had generated revenue, already determined by the state, then the providers would stand to lose future income from the state.

Protesters chanted “The say cutback, we say fightback,” in front of the mayor’s office before being moved to the fourth floor as Darryl Gumm, chairman of the Community Mental Health Board, Friedman and S.T.O.P co-founder Matt Ginberg-Jaeckle met with Daley’s chief of staff, Paul Volpe for an half-hour.

After the meeting, Gumm said Volpe seemed concerned and that there was a lot of “misinformation” that arose in the meeting. The board has attempted to hold meetings with the city since January.

“They haven’t talked to us before,” said Gumm. “They haven’t been able to hear what it is on the other side. They are only looking at it from the economic side. And from the side of maybe this is something that is going to go away.”

The mayor’s office and the Department of Health did not return calls seeking comment by press time.

Gumm warned with the centers closing, the city could see a rise in violence, arrests, and intakes in Cook County Hospital. He said 2,000 people were being directly impacted by the Southside closings.

Gumm said a second meeting with Volpe, including Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner, Dr. Terry Mason, would be held at 6 p.m. April 7th at City Hall.

“We’re not going to give up,” said Friedman. “We’re not going to say ‘we’re not important’ until the city, the alderman and the state and who ever is responsible gives us the care we need so that we can lead full and productive lives.”

Critics said the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) should have “full discretion” over administrative changes regarding the super-maximum prison.

House Bill 2633, introduced by Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), would mandate which inmates can transferred in and out of the facility and limits incarceration to a year. It also prevents inmates with a serious mental illnesses being transferred to Tamms.

“I don’t think that there is a need for legislation. I’m not saying there is not a need for some changes but I don’t think we need legislation to address it,” said Rep. Jim Sacia (R-Freeport).

Sacia, who has visited the prison, said, “The biggest struggle I have is the advocates of the bill will say over and over that these people are in isolation. That is absolutely incorrect. They are in segregation. And there is a huge, huge difference in my mind.”

Rep. Eddie Washington (D-Waukegan), a co-sponsor, called Tamms a “facility that is the worst of the worst.” Washington said “political leverage” is being used to make proponents seem like they are soft on crime or close Tamms.

International and national advocates say the isolation endured by inmates fosters mental illness, and no evidence has shown Tamms to be a real deterrent in controlling prison violence. They also claim the current IDOC rules are too vague for how inmates are imprisoned at Tamms.

“We feel like we should be the ones who determine who should be there and how long they should be there,” said Illinois Department of Corrections spokesman Derek Schnapps. He said IDOC knows the “offender population better than anyone.”

Schnapps said IDOC is working with lawmakers and the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 31 over concerns they have with the bill. Schnapps said one concern for the IDOC is the one-year limit for prisoners placed at Tamms.

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said the bill’s language has raised concerns over safe guards for prison employees.

“We do have concerns about possible unintended consequences that might harm the ability of the system to respond to violent incidents… and to most safely incarcerate the most dangerous, violent uncontrollable inmates,” said Lindall. “We are not opposed to changes to the system, specifically with regards to Tamms.”

Super-maximum prisons were created in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s as a part of “tough on crime” wave. They were designed as a way to manage the most dangerous inmates with minimal contact while maximizing the safety of prison officials.

Located in southern Illinois, Tamms currently holds 250 prisoners deemed to be to the “worst of the worst” by the IDOC.

Darrell Cannon describes the facility as “designed to break you mentally, physically as well as spiritually.”

For 23 hours a day, Cannon was confined to his 7-foot by 12-foot cell at Tamms. His furnishings were a one-piece concrete construction with a stainless steel toilet and sink. He was allowed one hour in the exercise pen where he was observed by prison officers but never in contact with other prisoners. Cannons was allowed to have a radio and black and white television but never contact with other human beings.

Two-thirds of the inmates at Tamms have been transferred under what is called an “administrative discipline” where it was determined by prison officials that an inmate was a gang leader or apt to create a violent disruption to the prison atmosphere.

Cannon would be held under an “administrative discipline” at Tamms for nine years.

“This bill is crucial,” said Cannon who has testified in Springfield. “You know it’s easy for the politicians and wardens to say ‘No, no, no, we’re very humane in how we treat prisoners down here,’” said Cannon. “There’s nothing humane about Tamms. Nothing.”

Hamos’ spokesperson Angie Lobo said the IDOC’s definition of Tamms holding “the worst of the worst” is a “red herring”

“I don’t think that’s a strong enough criteria for keeping someone in such extreme isolation for over a decade,” said Lobo.

Lobo said the bill would restore Tamms to its original intent, “not warehouse people there for a decade.”

In 2008, members of Tamms Year Ten testified before the prison reform committee about conditions for inmates at Tamms. This prompted Hamos to draft legislation.

Laurie Jo Reynolds, an organizer with Tamms who was in Springfield last week to meet with Hamos, said the IDOC’s lack of transparency with the prison committees’ questions about Tamms’ bureaucracy is an indicator for change.

“I would say you’ve had 11 years to create clear criteria in your own administrative code and you’ve shown that you’re not interested in doing that,” said Reynolds.

Within a decade, one-third of Tamms’ inmates will be paroled.

Currently, 800 people in Illinois have signed an online petition for the bill’s passage. Reynolds said new discussions could happen in May but it’s been a slow process.

“This bill is necessary to save lives,” said Cannon.

The Wit Job Fair from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo.

As resident of the community for 65 years, Velitotis recalls the commercial strip between 31st and 35th streets as a mix of businesses where residents didn’t have to leave their community to have their needs met.

Now, the Chicago Public Library is looking to expand into adjacent properties and residents are concerned over losing a 100-year-old neighborhood grocery store.

Several residents voiced concerned for elderly residents having to travel further if the Richard J. Daley library branch, located at 3404 S. Halsted Street expands, while some questioned the need for the expansion.

“I think it’s crazy. Why do we need a big library?” said Donna Cardoza, a cashier at Halsted Foods for 12 years. “You don’t. They got this building.”

Cardoza said the expansion has her concerned about the loss of her job because she is her family’s main provider. She said the store, which offers delivery services, has customers who come from as far as 147th and Tripp Street to purchase meat.

Carrie Root, a senior who has lived in Bridgeport since 1972, recalls when the store was an A&P.

“I feel awful because it’s the closest one,” said Root. “I don’t know what I would do without the store. I don’t drive anymore.”

In the fall of 2007, a Jewel-Osco located at 3033 S. Halsted closed, leaving residents with a nearby produce market and Halsted Foods. The closest large chain stores are Jewel at 34th and King Dr. and a Dominick’s at 31st and Ashland Ave, which many residents to express concern over having to travel such a distance.

Rick Lilley, store manger of Halsted Foods, located at 3416 S. Halsted, for 20 years, called the expansion “good for the neighborhood.” Lilley and part-owner, Kishore Gunda, have met with 11th ward Alderman James Balcer about the expansion.

Lilley and Gunda have not received a formal letter from the city about the impending expansion. Yet, Lilley said in a meeting with Balcer, they were guaranteed the store “would be relocated somewhere across the street” when the expansion began.

Gunda said the 10,000 square-foot store does about $2 to 3 million a month in sales, with 600 to 700 customers, including repeats, visiting each day. They have 18 years left on their current lease and Lilley’s biggest concern is being relocated to an equal space.

Mary A. Dempsey, commissioner for the Chicago Public Library, said the Bridgeport project “will probably not even begin construction for several years” while the CPL is still looking at acquiring land for the expansion.

While that may be true, the Mayor Daley chaired-Public Building Commission board moved on January 13, 2009 to approve the acquisition and designation of 3410 and 3416 S. Halsted Street for the expansion.

In November 2005, Guishi and Anna Li opened a house-ware store neighboring the library – only one month before the city’s Housing and Real Estate Committee, which includes Balcer as a member, authorized the acquisition of the Li’s property.

Court records show the city used eminent domain in 2006 to acquire the now-vacant property because it fell within the 35th/Halsted Street tax increment-financing (TIF) district. TIFs are property tax revenues set aside for public use to develop areas that are considered “blighted” or need conservation.

“At the beginning we didn’t want to sell,” said Anna, who owns other property in Bridgeport. “Because in 2005 we [just] bought it.”

Anna said she and her husband were initially offered relocation by the city or $880,000, which they rejected. For two years they battled in court for a fair market value offer and in 2008 they received $950,000 plus 6 percent in interest and $20,000 in returned property taxes, according to Anna.

Corporation Counsel, the city’s legal department, said the Li’s were provided relocation assistance as a part of federal stipulations.

The five-block corridor could be described as an urban ghost town. Two condo developments sit uncompleted and 20 storefronts, one with a portrait of John Wanye and Vespa scooter collecting dust, stand vacant or boarded up as past evidence of a once-vital thoroughfare. Halsted Street has attracted few businesses, a gym, restaurant, and dog groomers, in the last two years. In December 2008, the Ninth District Police Department opened a $29.9 million state-of-the-art facility at 3120 S. Halsted.

Dempsey said CPL has looked at other sites within Bridgeport and will hold the land until they have the funds to build the new branch. She would not speculate on the costs of the project, but did say a CPL project could range from $5 to 13 million depending on several factors.

“It’s premature to say what the eventual cost of the library will be there,” said Dempsey. “We are at the very, very, very, very preliminary stages of simply designating a site.”

The Bridgeport library branch is one of five buildings in Chicago dedicated to the late Mayor Richard J. Daley. Total building costs were $2.5 million and Daley’s son and now 11th district Cook County Commissioner, John, helped secure $1.2 million in state funds, according to a 1989 Sun-Times article.

It opened with two personal computers with printers, 1,400 videotapes and nearly 9,000 books. It has grown to a collection of 51,080 and 21 computers, offering one-on-one computing, GED and English classes, eight parking spaces and seating for just 56 patrons, according to Ruth Lednicder, director of marketing and press for CPL.

The new library could be based on a prototype that is 16,000 square feet and has state-of-the-art technology like recycled flooring and Wi-Fi.

Currently, the CPL has five libraries slated for construction next year and building a new library generally takes 14 months to complete, according to Dempsey.

Ald. Balcer said community members have been supportive of the expansion. He could not say if TIF funds would be used for the new library, only saying the process will take time because his ward is behind several other wards that will be receiving libraries projects.

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