6th ward newsletter- december 2009

8/14/2019 6th Ward Newsletter- December 2009

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DECORATING THE HOME ...The Kinara along with the

other symbols of Kwanzaa should dominate the room,which should be given an African motif. This is easily

achieved and shouldn't result in too much expense. The

colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green. This should bekept in mind when decorating the home. Black, red and

green streamers, balloons, cloth, flowers, and African prints

can be hung tastefully around the room. Original art andsculpture may be displayed as well.

GIFTS ... Kuumba (creativity) is greatly encouraged. Notonly is Kuumba one of the seven principles, it also brings a

sense of personal satisfaction and puts one squarely into the

spirit of Kwanzaa. Therefore, those symbols that can be

made should be made. The giving of gifts during Kwanzaa

should be affordable and of an educational or artistic

nature. Gifts are usually exchanged between parents andchildren and traditionally given on January 1st, the last dayof Kwanzaa. However, gift giving during Kwanzaa mayoccur at any time.

THE KWANZAA FEAST OR KARAMU ... The

Kwanzaa Karamu is traditionally held on December 31st

(participants celebrating New Year's Eve, should plan their

Karamu early in the evening). It is a very special event as itis the one Kwanzaa event that brings us closer to our

African roots. The Karamu is a c6mmunal and cooperativeeffort. Ceremonies and cultural expressions are highlyencouraged. It is important to decorate the place where the

Karamu will be held, (e.g., home, community center,

church) in an African motif that utilizes black, red, and

green color scheme. A large Kwanzaa setting shoulddominate the room where the karamu will take place. Alarge Mkeka should be placed in the center of the

floor where the food should be placed creatively and made

accessible to all for self-service. Prior to and during the

feast, an informative and enteliaining program should be

presented. Traditionally, the program involved welcoming,

remembering, reassessment, recommitment and rejoicing,concluded by a farewell statement and a call for greater

unity.Go to http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm for more information.

Safe Passage &I

Safe Haven

The Safe Passage Program is a combination of

opportunities for parents, businesses and residents

throughout the City to become involved in the

community. It includes the Safe Haven Program,

Parent Patrol and the Walking School Bus Program.

Safe Havens include municipal properties such as

police stations, fire houses, and libraries; but, they als

include businesses as well. Many restaurants,

convenience stores, barber shops and other retail

establishments already participate in the Safe Haven

Program. More are welcome. If a child is walking to o

from home or school, and for any reason they become

alarmed or approached by a stranger, they can find

refuge in any "Safe Haven".

Safe Haven locations are identified by a sign place

in the location's window. The sign alerts a child that

they can find a friendly shelter inside and ask for

assistance. With additional parent patrols around

school locations, as well as citizens participating in th

Walking School Bus Program, which have citizens

showing presence throughout neighborhood routes to

and from school, we can create a "Safe Passage" for t

youth in our City.

Anyone interested in one or all of the above

opportunities please contact the CAPS Implementation

Office at 312-745-5900 or the CAPS Project Office a

312-745-5907, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to

5:00 p.m.

REMEMBER ... HOLIDAY SEASON

IS PICK POCKET SEASON.

BE CAREFUL!!!

See you next month!Your monthly message from

Freddrenna M. Lyle, 6th WardAlderman and Committeeman

Service Office 406 East 75th Stre~t, Chicago, IL 60619

(773) 846-7006 (773) 846-9104 fax

Email Address: [email protected]

Website Address: www.6thwardalderman.com
http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.6thwardalderman.com/http://www.6thwardalderman.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm


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Ear(v Voting for the Feb. 2"d

Primm:v... Early voting is

available January 11-28,2010 at 50 locations throughout the

City. The 6th

Ward location is Whitney Young Library, 7901S. King Dr. You may vote Monday-Saturday between the

hours of9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There are three Sunday

locations: Board of Election Commissioners-69 W.

Washington Lower Level Conference Room, Vodak/East

Side Library-3710 E. 106th

St. and Welles Park-2333 W.

Sunnyside. For more information, call Board of Election

Commissioners 312.269.7900.

Chicago Sports Fest ... Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and

the Mayor's Office of Special Events presents Chicago Sports

Fest. Save the date, it's FREE and takes place December 27

& 28, 2009 at McCormick Place in Halls A &B (2301 S.

Martin Luther King Drive). This event is presented by theCity of Chicago, Chicago Park District, and McCormick

Place. For more information call 312.742.5097

Santa House ... Jolly Old St. Nick will again grace the plaza

with his holiday cheer in his Midwest satellite workshop on

Daley Plaza! Visit with Santa Claus on December 11, 12, 13,

18, 19 &20 from 11 am until 8 pm. Visit with Santa on Daley

Plaza for FREE. Take you own photo or have your photo

taken compliments of Underwriters Laboratory and download

it at www.safetvathome.com/photos

Circuit Breaker Grant .. lfyou are a low income senior (65

and older) and/or a person with disabilities, be sure to come

to the 6th

Ward office or any Senior Satellite Center to fill outthe 2008 Form IL-1363. You may be eligible for financial

assistance with prescriptions, an automobile license plate

discount, and Circuit Breaker Grant. For more information,

call Vinona Summers, 773.846.7006 or go on-line to

www.cbrx.il.gov. The deadline is December 31.

Shoveling your Sidewalk ... It's the neighborly thing to do and

it's also the law. Chicago Municipal Code, sections 4-4-310

and 10-18-180, specifies that both homes and businesses must

clear snow from sidewalks next to their propetiy. Be a good

neighbor, help those who are physically unable to clear their

own sidewalks. Please help make our community safe for

everyone.

71S( St. Streetscape Project ... We would like to correctthe

information that was given in the October '09 Newsletter

about the 71 st St. Streetscape Project. The cost of the entire

project was well over 5 million dollars, not the previously

reported $900,000.

Watch the 6th

Ward SceneCAN-TV Channel 19

Every 1stand 3rd Thursday, 6:00 p.m.

One Stop Utility Assistance Days

Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.Daley College

7500 S. Pulaski

Early Voting (Feb. 2010 Primary)

January 11-28, 2010

9:00 a.m. - 5 :00 p.m.

Whitney Young Library

7901 S. King Dr.

Election Day

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Annual "Souls of Black Folk" Oratorical ContestSaturday, February 27,2010

Noon - 4:00 p.m.Harlan Community Academy

9652 S. Michigan

6th Ward Monthly Meeting

Thursday, January 14,2010

6:30 p.m.

New Bethlehem #4 M.B. Church

8850 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

6:30 p.m.Wesley United Methodist Church

201 E. 95th St.

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because there were environmental issues with one of the

properties we had to purchase. This pushed us back at least

a year as we are now back to the drawing board to design a

2 story library. The old Kennedy King College is not yet

demolished. There was a dispute about the future

development that delayed demolition and delayedredevelopment of that site. We recently held a meeting

with the City Colleges to announce that demolition will

start soon and a TIF study is under way to finance thefuture development.

We made some great progress on our urban agricultureproject. Chicago State has committed more than

$30,000.00 to begin an aquaponics program. I've identifiedlots to start our urban farm and we are meeting Friday with

zoning and planning to change whatever archaic laws exist

to get it done. We got money for a Small Business

Improvement Fund in the TIF area and are looking for a

service provider in the TIF boundary to do a job training

program (ex-offender/at risk youth) that will have them

cleaning and maintaining the streets in the TIF area. Wegot CPS to put a million dollars into Harlan for 2 new labs,upgrades and ADA requirements and we started a magnetEngineering program with our first freshman class. It's

working so well that CPS is now looking at putting an ITprogram into Harlan. Plus, South Central started a new

after school program in Ruggles. So we did have some

programmatic successes this year also.But we've got so much more left to do, which is why we

are going to start the year off running. January 11, 2009 isearly voting and we want to get a tremendous turnout, just

like we did for Pres. Obama. In addition to the top of theticket races, Senator, Governor, etc. we have some other

races that are really important. For example we have 3

judicial vacancies in the 1st sub-circuit that you need to payattention to. The last time we had a 1st sub-circuit vacancy,

people voted for a candidate because she had a black

sounding name and she of course was not black and a blacksitting Judge was beaten in a sub-circuit designed for black

people. So you can't just voted for the Irish sounding

names, the black sounding names and please don't vote for

a female just because she's a female. We need intelligent,

learned, experienced jurists on the bench deciding the fateof our community. Then of course we have Metropolitan

Water Reclamation District seats. You will be asked to

vote for 3 candidates and again I'm going to ask that you

not just vote for any 3. There are a lot of candidates in this

race so you want to know who you are voting for before

you step into the polls. More on this later.

So let's all have a safe and happy Christmas and look

forward to a prosperous and joyous New Year.

Preddrenna y fe

The City Hall Holiday Concert Series

The City Hall Holiday Concert Series began December 1and runs until December 18 with concerts every weekdayfrom Noon to 1 pm. The concerts take place in the west eof the City Hall lobby (121 N. LaSalle) near the LaSalleStreet entrance. The concert series truly exhibits the talenof children from all over Chicago and warms the hearts ofthe audience.

Alderman Lyle smiles proudly while the McDade Classical

School Choir performs at the Annual City Hall Holiday

Concert Series on Decemher 1st

Recently, Mayor Daley and the City Council pass

the Property Tax Relief Program. It is meant to

provide relief between $25 and $200 to Cityhomeowners hit hardest by increases to their 2008

property tax bill for their primary residence. This

program is needed largely because of the phase-out

the state law that put a 7 percent cap on the annual

increase in the taxable value of home property, and

because the drop of this year's exemption under that

law went to $20,000 from $26,000. The amount of ta

relief you might receive is based on a combination o

income level and the amount of your property tax

increase. For example, the lower your income and th

higher your property tax increase, the more reliefyou'll be eligible for. When you go to the City's

website, cityofchicago.org, you will find an

application, instructions and helpful tools to guide y

through the application process. Applications are be

accepted by mail or at City drop-off locations. Send

bring applications to Property Tax Relief Program, c

Chicago Tax Assistance Center, City Hall, 121 N.

LaSalle St. Chicago, IL 60602. You can also drop-of

your application at a Revenue Site (2006 E. 95th St.

AM - 4:30 PM (M-F). For more information, call the

Chicago Tax Assistance Center 312.744.1000.


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Your monthly message from Alderman Freddrenna M Lyle

VolumeXI, Issue11 December2

Merry Christmas ... Happy Kwanzaa ... Happy New Year

ALDERMANIC MESSAGE

Well here we go again. We're ending not only another

year, but another decade. It seems like just yesterday,okay maybe it seems like just last month that we were

making futile resolutions, to eat healthier, save more,

exercise regularly, etc., etc. And in just 21 days we'll be

making some more. As is the custom this time of year,we reflect on those things we completed and those left

undone. Here is our list. In spite of the furlough daysand mandatory shut down days that our office has been

burdened with, we held an Oratory Contest; a Graduates'Reception; a Parade; a Picnic; a Bike Ride; a Basketball

tournament; sent children to the Circus; hosted 8 studentinterns this Summer; held 2 City Sticker sales dates;delivered a menu to the City for infrastructure repairs;

handled 200-300 service requests per week, and deliveredhot meals on Thanksgiving morning. Despite the fact

that we were working with fewer resources and it took

longer to get any and everything done, we still workeddiligently to be responsive and professional in the

provision of services to the residents of the 6th

Ward.During the worst economic downturn that most of ushave ever seen, we attempted to maintain a sense ofnormalcy, by responding to your concerns, assisting you

with your problems and interceding with departments onyour behalf.

Some of our best laid plans did however go astray. TheWhitney Young Library is not yet under construction,

: TABLE OF CONTENTS8

Pg. 1 Aldermanic Message: Aldernlan Lyle Partying at the White House

: The Seven Principals of Kwanzaa

: Pg. 2 Aldermanic Message Continued

: City Hall Concert Series

City of Chicago Property Tax Relief Program

: Pg. 3 FYI and Save the Date

: Pg.4 Everything about Kwanzaa

: Safe Passage & Safe Haven

Partying at

the White

House

With herinvitation inhand, AldermanLyle attendedthe WhiteHouse HolidayReception onDecember 3.She received awarm welcomefrom PresidentObama.

Umoja (oo-MO-jah) Unity

Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) Self-

Determinati on

Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) Collective Work and

ResponsibilityUjamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics

Nia (NEE-yah) Purpose

Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) Creativity

Imani (ee-MAH-nee) Faith

Go to http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm for more info

See page 4 for more information about Kwanzaa.
http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htmhttp://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm

6th ward newsletter- december 2009

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