Wishbone coming to 95th St.?

I've been hearing that Wishbone may be coming to Beverly in the old public library building on 95th St. If you like the idea of having Wishbone here, send a message and tell 'em so.

non sequitur Friday

Two from Rob Thomas:



Ever the Same

theater in the neighborhood

Want to see a show in the neighborhood this weekend? "Deathtrap" is playing Fri., 4/30 through Sun. 5/2, courtesy of the Beverly Theatre Guild at Morgan Park Academy, Baer Theater, 2153 W. 111th St. 773-284-8497.

Beverly All Stars on Wednesday night

The Beverly All Stars will be at Iona's, (1767 W. 95th St., opposite the 95th St. Metra station, 773.233.0027). It's a friendly little place with tasty Southern comfort food. Come on down for dinner or dessert with some tasty tunes from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

I & M Canal fundraising event on 5/1

“I&M Canal Walk or Ride” to Raise Funds and Fun

Grab your walking shoes. Or get out your bike. And join the fun at the I&M Canal Walk or Ride this Saturday 5/1.

The I&M Canal Walk or Ride is a special event organized by the nonprofit Canal Corridor Association to raise funds to enhance the trails and other attractions in the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor.

“This is a great way to enjoy the scenery and charm of the I&M Canal while raising funds for a good cause,” said Ana Koval, president and CEO of Canal Corridor Association. “It’s also a chance to meet and greet your friends and neighbors while enjoying the outdoors on a spring morning.”

The non-competitive Walk or Ride begins at 8 am and ends at noon in Canalport Park, Morris, Illinois. Choose from a 1- to 5-mile walk or a 10- to 25-mile bike ride. Walkers will head west on the I&M Canal State Trail; bicyclists will ride east. All will meet back at the park to celebrate afterwards with music and refreshments. Raffle prizes will be awarded.

It’s easy to join the fun. Just go to the Canal Corridor Association website (under events), to sign up. Registration is $20 per person for adults and $10 per person for children under 12. Why not invite your friends, family and colleagues and form a team?

Volunteers are welcome, too. You can help with setup before the event and/or with a variety of day-of-event activities, including registration, distributing water on the trail to walkers and riders, goodie bag distribution and more. Call 815-223-1851 to volunteer.

Businesses are invited to support the cause – while getting some visibility in front of an anticipated 200 participants – by sponsoring the I&M Canal Walk or Ride. Choose from several sponsorship packages. Call 815-220-1848 to become an event sponsor.

A spring morning... Friends and family… A historic waterway ... Come celebrate the I&M Canal!

Event details:
What: I&M Canal Walk or Ride
When: Saturday, May 1
Volunteer check-in: 7:30-8:00 am
Registration: 8:00-9:00 am
Bikers Start: 8:30 am
Walkers Start: 9:00 am
Celebration & refreshments 11:00 am - noon
Where: Canalport Park, adjacent to downtown Morris, three blocks west of IL-47.
(Exit I-80 at Morris, take IL-47 south to Illinois Avenue, turn right, 3 blocks to park)

Who: Hosted by and benefiting Canal Corridor Association.
Why: To raise funds to enhance the trails and other attractions along the I&M Canal
National Heritage Corridor
Info: www.lasallecanalboat.org or 815-223-1851

Canal Corridor Association (CCA) is a 28-year-old nonprofit membership organization that preserves history, protects nature and open space, and creates destinations for learning and fun along the I&M Canal, from Chicago to LaSalle/Peru, Illinois. It enhances, raises awareness of and expands the parks, trails, landscape and historic sites that make the I&M Canal region a special place. CCA is the local coordinating agency for the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor and owns and manages the LaSalle Canal Boat and the Lock 16 Visitor Center in LaSalle. Learn more here or here.

Beverly All Stars on Wednesday night

The Beverly All Stars will be at Iona's, (1767 W. 95th St., opposite the 95th St. Metra station, 773.233.0027). It's a friendly little place with tasty Southern comfort food. Come on down for dinner or dessert with some tasty tunes from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

bike parking - hall of fame/hall of shame

A group of us are trying to gather data about bike parking in the city of Chicago - both good examples and examples that just don't cut it. The goal is to use this info in a campaign to improve bike parking.

If your regular grocery store, restaurant, job or other frequent destination needs better bike parking, we want to hear about it. Do you have any locations you'd like to nominate? Post 'em here on the Chainlink.

What? You're not a member yet? Here's more info. Anyone is welcome to join. If you haven't joined yet, I hope you will. It's a great resource for all things cycling in Chicago.

Haiti Relief benefit on 4/17

There may still be some tickets left. Tomorrow night (Sat. 4/17), Bethany Union Church will be hosting Haiti Relief, a benefit for the Haitian Health Foundation, featuring the Beverly All Stars, Dyed in the Wool, Rafo International Combo de Chicago (Haitian band), Fritz Legros (Haitian one-man band) and Celia Weiss Bambara (West African-based dance soloist), with Haitian food and dancing.

It's happening from 7-10:30 p.m. at Bethany Union Church, 1750 W. 103rd St.   Sponsored by Southsiders for Peace, Unity in Diversity, and Beverly Unitarian Church.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $10 for children under 10. Tickets are available at Blue Moon Coffeehouse, 1742 W. 99th, or call 773-779-0877 or 773-239-1439.

non sequitur Friday

It's all about randomness...





Just learned about Esperanza Spalding recently. She's got a fresh young voice with impeccable phrasing and a superb sense of rhythm on bass and vocals. Wow! How far can she go? She's one to watch.

considering a bike commute this year?

Here's one perspective on it, courtesy of Sierra Club. If you're looking for more tips, check out the resource links on this Active Transportation Alliance bike commuting page. Bike commuting might be easier than you think. It can give you something great to look forward to at the end of a workday.

Climate Cycle

Climate Cycle's 2nd annual Solar Schools Ride is a fundraising bike-a-thon for riders of all ages. Last year's inaugural event raised $67,000, which enabled Climate Cycle to help six Chicago Public Schools go solar. The upcoming Solar Schools Ride is on May 15 at Grant Park, and will offer a variety of route options for riders to choose from. Click here for more info on how you can participate and help support this initiative.

two videos worth watching

Whether you ride a bicycle, drive a CTA bus, drive another type of vehicle, or are a Chicago police officer, these two videos give a lot of information worth knowing. They're about 12 minutes and worth watching to the end.

If more people on our streets have this knowledge and use it, the streets could become safer for all users.

Traffic enforcement and bike safety

CTA buses and bike safety

A big thank you to the Active Transportation Alliance, CDOT, IDOT, Chicago Police Dept. and CTA for making these excellent and informative videos.

have you registered for Bike the Drive yet?

Bike the Drive — one of our favorite Chicago bike events — happens Sunday 5/30. The event is a fundraiser for the Active Transportation Alliance, which offers many advocacy and education programs for cyclists, pedestrians and public transit riders.

What? You say you've never experienced Bike the Drive? Bicycles take over Lake Shore Drive for one glorious Sunday morning. It's amazing how much more beautiful the view is from Lake Shore Drive without all the noise of traffic.

If you're an I-Go member, you get a $5 discount on Bike the Drive registration. Just enter IGOSAVE5 in the coupon code box when filling out the online application form. See you on Lake Shore Drive!

non sequitur Friday

It's all about randomness - featuring Robbie Fulks (Mr. Sarcasm) today. He's my favorite alt country singer, who got his start on our local Bloodshot Records label. Check him out. TGIF!

Beverly All Stars on Wednesday night

The Beverly All Stars will be at Iona's, (1767 W. 95th St., opposite the 95th St. Metra station, 773.233.0027). It's a friendly little place with tasty Southern comfort food. Come on down for dinner or dessert with some tasty tunes from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

spring farmers market on 4/10

Support local farmers within 200 miles of Chicago by buying organic produce and herbs, meat from grass fed animals, cheeses, soaps, syrups and fair trade products at the farmer's market hosted by Green Sanctuary Group of Beverly Unitarian Church, 10244 S. Longwood Drive, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

a new neighborhood for the south side?

After so many ideas and proposals, perhaps the rezoning of the old South Works site in South Chicago could be the start of a new neighborhood. It's about time.

non sequitur Friday

It's all about randomness and today about Andrew Bird. I hope that you enjoy his unique sound.