If you want to stay in the 'hood, you could go to Blue Moon for Foreign Language Roundtable or ride with the Beverly Bike Club.
If you want to go downtown, but not to the Taste, Orchestre Septentrional d'Haiti and its big band of thirteen musicians bring the sounds of merengue, konpa and bolero to the stage when they make their Chicago debut. 7:30PM at Millennium Park.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesdays at Blue Moon
Senior Bike Ride meets at 12:30 p.m. Hosted by Beverly Bicycle Shop. For more information, call Paul Weiss at 773-238-5714.
Beverly All Stars play from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Enjoy dinner, drinks and dessert with some tasty jazz.
Check it out at Blue Moon, 1742 W. 99th, just east of the Metra tracks.
Beverly All Stars play from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Enjoy dinner, drinks and dessert with some tasty jazz.
Check it out at Blue Moon, 1742 W. 99th, just east of the Metra tracks.
Monday, June 28, 2010
rain blockers - love 'em or hate 'em?
Last summer, our intersection only had substantial flooding in the worst rains AFTER the drains had gotten blocked by debris. This spring, the vaults under two drains were collapsing and were rebuilt. The rude surprise we got afterwards was that the city crew had added rain blockers. Now those two drains flood the intersection during every storm that generates significant rain (more than 1/2").
We have one 65-gallon rain barrel in our back yard, which is mostly used for watering gardens. There hasn't been an opportunity to use much of the water between storms, because the gardens haven't needed watering, so it hasn't helped much in reducing the amount of water flow to sewers in the most recent storms.
We've had several storms in the past month that each dropped an inch or more of rain in a very short time. Yesterday morning's storm left 2.5" of rain in our rain gauge in less than 2 hours.
As you can see from the story dates on this item and this one, this problem has been going on for several years now. And after years of using us as guinea pigs, why can't they get it right?
Tell me - do you consider this bit of engineering a success if it slows the flow of a torrential downpour into sewers to the point where all that water backs up over lawns, right up against houses and into window wells or walkout basement stairs? Do you think that having hours of standing water up over the curbs, making streets impassable, is a success? When the ground is as saturated as it's been lately, streets this badly flooded have increased the number of flooded basements.
Some of my neighbors at the low point on our block had everything in their basements ruined by Sunday morning's storm. Many who were not at low spots had a lot of water in their basements. Even with rain blockers, half the block got sewage coming up through their drains. The additional rain blocker-induced flooding at our intersection (high point on the block) ran down to the low point, making things worse for our neighbors in the middle of the block.
I took a bike ride around the neighborhood this afternoon. The high water marks (shown by flood debris) are 2 to 5 feet over the curbs in many places. There are several locations within a mile of our house where the high water marks are anywhere from 10 to 30 feet over the curb. At our intersection, it was 10 feet over the curb. In many places, would have taken very high curbs (1 foot or higher) to hold all of that in the streets.
Since the technology for permeable pavement exists, might it make sense to explore this option more often instead of rain blockers?
In many city neighborhoods and suburbs, the amount of impermeable pavement keeps increasing. People build concrete patios, make small patios bigger, or sometimes cover all of their lot with concrete right up to the house. We have many more big box stores with enormous parking lots, generating huge amounts of runoff. All that water has to go somewhere.
If many of those parking lot and patio areas could be replaced with permeable pavement (in locations where the soil would absorb water), some or all of the water that is currently shed as runoff could be absorbed into the ground, greatly reducing the amount of flooding and the amount of water requiring sewage treatment. Upfront costs would be higher, but the cost of treating all that sewage and dealing with all the property damage would be greatly reduced.
Right now there are way too many mounds of ruined furniture and other items waiting for the garbage men. Some neighbors already have contractors lined up to tear out ruined drywall and rebuild. Many of these homes haven't experienced significant flooding in many years, but now do since rain blockers have been installed. Does it sound like rain blockers are the right answer, unless there are other modifications made to prevent the rain blockers from increasing flood damage? What's your $0.02?
We have one 65-gallon rain barrel in our back yard, which is mostly used for watering gardens. There hasn't been an opportunity to use much of the water between storms, because the gardens haven't needed watering, so it hasn't helped much in reducing the amount of water flow to sewers in the most recent storms.
We've had several storms in the past month that each dropped an inch or more of rain in a very short time. Yesterday morning's storm left 2.5" of rain in our rain gauge in less than 2 hours.
As you can see from the story dates on this item and this one, this problem has been going on for several years now. And after years of using us as guinea pigs, why can't they get it right?
Tell me - do you consider this bit of engineering a success if it slows the flow of a torrential downpour into sewers to the point where all that water backs up over lawns, right up against houses and into window wells or walkout basement stairs? Do you think that having hours of standing water up over the curbs, making streets impassable, is a success? When the ground is as saturated as it's been lately, streets this badly flooded have increased the number of flooded basements.
Some of my neighbors at the low point on our block had everything in their basements ruined by Sunday morning's storm. Many who were not at low spots had a lot of water in their basements. Even with rain blockers, half the block got sewage coming up through their drains. The additional rain blocker-induced flooding at our intersection (high point on the block) ran down to the low point, making things worse for our neighbors in the middle of the block.
I took a bike ride around the neighborhood this afternoon. The high water marks (shown by flood debris) are 2 to 5 feet over the curbs in many places. There are several locations within a mile of our house where the high water marks are anywhere from 10 to 30 feet over the curb. At our intersection, it was 10 feet over the curb. In many places, would have taken very high curbs (1 foot or higher) to hold all of that in the streets.
Since the technology for permeable pavement exists, might it make sense to explore this option more often instead of rain blockers?
In many city neighborhoods and suburbs, the amount of impermeable pavement keeps increasing. People build concrete patios, make small patios bigger, or sometimes cover all of their lot with concrete right up to the house. We have many more big box stores with enormous parking lots, generating huge amounts of runoff. All that water has to go somewhere.
If many of those parking lot and patio areas could be replaced with permeable pavement (in locations where the soil would absorb water), some or all of the water that is currently shed as runoff could be absorbed into the ground, greatly reducing the amount of flooding and the amount of water requiring sewage treatment. Upfront costs would be higher, but the cost of treating all that sewage and dealing with all the property damage would be greatly reduced.
Right now there are way too many mounds of ruined furniture and other items waiting for the garbage men. Some neighbors already have contractors lined up to tear out ruined drywall and rebuild. Many of these homes haven't experienced significant flooding in many years, but now do since rain blockers have been installed. Does it sound like rain blockers are the right answer, unless there are other modifications made to prevent the rain blockers from increasing flood damage? What's your $0.02?
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Beverly garden walk on Sunday 6/27
The Beverly garden walk is happening tomorrow 6/27. Enjoy gardens and trees throughout the neighborhood, including a garden designed by Jens Jensen, the landscape architect who created Garfield Park and several other Chicago masterpieces.
Beverly Potters and other local artisans will offer a variety of pottery, art, handcrafts and gifts. Master Gardeners will also be available to answer visitors’ gardening questions.
Gardens will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Garden guides will be available at the departure site. Guided trolley tours of all the gardens depart at 12:20 p.m. and 12:40 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. Participants can choose to self-guide in their own vehicles or on bikes.
Advance tickets are $10 and are available at County Fair, Beverly Bank, Calabria , Heritage Gallery, The Blossom Boys, and Bookies Paperbacks. Or you can buy tickets for $12 at the start location, Beverly Bank & Trust branch, 1908 W. 103rd St.
Beverly Potters and other local artisans will offer a variety of pottery, art, handcrafts and gifts. Master Gardeners will also be available to answer visitors’ gardening questions.
Gardens will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Garden guides will be available at the departure site. Guided trolley tours of all the gardens depart at 12:20 p.m. and 12:40 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. Participants can choose to self-guide in their own vehicles or on bikes.
Advance tickets are $10 and are available at County Fair, Beverly Bank, Calabria , Heritage Gallery, The Blossom Boys, and Bookies Paperbacks. Or you can buy tickets for $12 at the start location, Beverly Bank & Trust branch, 1908 W. 103rd St.
Boulevard Lakefront Tour on 8/29
Have you registered for the Boulevard Lakefront Tour yet? One of the best rides of summer just got better, with a new start location and all new routes.
Choose from a 15 mile family-oriented route, a 35 mile neighborhood tour, and a 62 mile route with many more neighborhoods. This is a fully-supported ride, with marked routes, rest stops, mechanical assistance, and a post-ride festival with food and entertainment on the UIC campus.
The event benefits the Active Transportation Alliance, our local advocacy group for safer, better bicycling, walking and public transit. It's a great way to enjoy exploring Chicago neighborhoods. Save $5 by registering before 7/4!
Choose from a 15 mile family-oriented route, a 35 mile neighborhood tour, and a 62 mile route with many more neighborhoods. This is a fully-supported ride, with marked routes, rest stops, mechanical assistance, and a post-ride festival with food and entertainment on the UIC campus.
The event benefits the Active Transportation Alliance, our local advocacy group for safer, better bicycling, walking and public transit. It's a great way to enjoy exploring Chicago neighborhoods. Save $5 by registering before 7/4!
CAPS meeting, beat 2212
If you live in Beat 2212, your CAPS meeting is at 7 p.m. on Thurs. 7/1 (1st Thursday of every month) at the 22nd District Police Station, 1900 W. Monterey Ave. If you have concerns you would like to discuss with the police, bring 'em here. 312-745-0620
Friday, June 25, 2010
suggestions for sharing local trails
Heading out for a ride on a local multi-purpose trail this weekend? This feature on the Active Transportation Alliance web site offers some useful suggestions on how to share the trail without conflict. It's worth taking a few minutes to read, and remember when you're out for your ride.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
please take a minute to read this and write a letter
An injustice was done this week to the people of Cook County that should not be repeated. And we deserve to know why.
Two drunk drivers in Brookfield deliberately ran down bicyclists last year, and both got off with sentences that were totally inadequate in light of the violent nature of their crimes.
One friend raises some good questions. Is the judge an idiot who was fully responsible for the light sentence? Did the prosecuting attorney negotiate to take the easy way out and avoid a trial, tying the hands of the judge? Did the defense attorney bribe somebody?
And I add: Is there a mandatory minimum sentence for this type of incident? I suspect that there isn't.
The Active Transportation is spearheading a letter writing campaign to Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, asking for answers and for more appropriate prosecution of future cases. The link above gives an e-mail and snail mail address and suggested letter text.
I'm also trying to find out whether there is any mandatory minimum for vehicular assault. I will post an update when I find out.
If there isn't any minimum, I would strongly encourage you to write to your state legislators urging them to introduce mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines that are appropriate to the violent nature of this type of crime.
Please take a minute to send an e-mail, fax or letter to Anita Alvarez. It's worth a few minutes of your time to work for safer road conditions in Cook County for cyclists and pedestrians.
Two drunk drivers in Brookfield deliberately ran down bicyclists last year, and both got off with sentences that were totally inadequate in light of the violent nature of their crimes.
One friend raises some good questions. Is the judge an idiot who was fully responsible for the light sentence? Did the prosecuting attorney negotiate to take the easy way out and avoid a trial, tying the hands of the judge? Did the defense attorney bribe somebody?
And I add: Is there a mandatory minimum sentence for this type of incident? I suspect that there isn't.
The Active Transportation is spearheading a letter writing campaign to Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, asking for answers and for more appropriate prosecution of future cases. The link above gives an e-mail and snail mail address and suggested letter text.
I'm also trying to find out whether there is any mandatory minimum for vehicular assault. I will post an update when I find out.
If there isn't any minimum, I would strongly encourage you to write to your state legislators urging them to introduce mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines that are appropriate to the violent nature of this type of crime.
Please take a minute to send an e-mail, fax or letter to Anita Alvarez. It's worth a few minutes of your time to work for safer road conditions in Cook County for cyclists and pedestrians.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
recovering from the storms
Those storms last night were a vivid reminder of the power of Mother Nature. I went for a short bike ride after the earlier storm had passed. Within a 3 block radius, there were at least a dozen trees that were completely destroyed and many others with significant damage. I saw trees fallen on house and garage roofs, crushed cars, and lots of blocked streets.
In the course of an hour, central Beverly was turned into a maze by all the blocked streets. The huge maple tree at 97th & Winchester had snapped at the base. Half a block west on 97th, another huge maple fell across the street and took down a power line. Many houses and a section of 95th St. were in the dark overnight. Our neighbors across the street were in the dark last night, but they got their power back this morning. The Beverly library is closed today, because their power was out, too.
The 9700 block of Hoyne was especially hard hit. Three large trees were either completely or mostly destroyed, one car crushed, a few houses hit. Calls to 311 were not getting any response, as the backlog was too big. Calling 911 was almost as futile. The system was completely overwhelmed. Instead of enjoying the usual dinner hour, neighbors on the 9700 block of Hoyne banded together and started working with chainsaws and other tools to clear the blockage. This morning they were out there again, and the piles of tree trunk and branch pieces lined the curbs for most of the block. Now that's an example of neighborly teamwork.
I hope that everyone gets their power back soon. I'm posting this from a library location outside Beverly, because our cable service is out and I can't get online from home. Trying to call Comcast was futile, because they seemed to have a huge backlog, too.
I went for another bike this morning and saw crews out working all over the neighborhood - from the city, Com Ed, Comcast, and various tree services. Those guys will be busy for a while.
It was truly heartbreaking to see so many huge old trees destroyed. We can rebuild houses and replace cars fairly quickly, but trees that big take a long time to build. An hour of furious wind will leave its mark on the neighborhood for years to come.
In the course of an hour, central Beverly was turned into a maze by all the blocked streets. The huge maple tree at 97th & Winchester had snapped at the base. Half a block west on 97th, another huge maple fell across the street and took down a power line. Many houses and a section of 95th St. were in the dark overnight. Our neighbors across the street were in the dark last night, but they got their power back this morning. The Beverly library is closed today, because their power was out, too.
The 9700 block of Hoyne was especially hard hit. Three large trees were either completely or mostly destroyed, one car crushed, a few houses hit. Calls to 311 were not getting any response, as the backlog was too big. Calling 911 was almost as futile. The system was completely overwhelmed. Instead of enjoying the usual dinner hour, neighbors on the 9700 block of Hoyne banded together and started working with chainsaws and other tools to clear the blockage. This morning they were out there again, and the piles of tree trunk and branch pieces lined the curbs for most of the block. Now that's an example of neighborly teamwork.
I hope that everyone gets their power back soon. I'm posting this from a library location outside Beverly, because our cable service is out and I can't get online from home. Trying to call Comcast was futile, because they seemed to have a huge backlog, too.
I went for another bike this morning and saw crews out working all over the neighborhood - from the city, Com Ed, Comcast, and various tree services. Those guys will be busy for a while.
It was truly heartbreaking to see so many huge old trees destroyed. We can rebuild houses and replace cars fairly quickly, but trees that big take a long time to build. An hour of furious wind will leave its mark on the neighborhood for years to come.
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