The big blue windmill on Burling Street

Freshly installed sculpture brings questions of safety, legality and aesthetics

11/09/2011

When John Novak put a large, windmill-like sculpture on the front lawn of his soon-to-be-completed home at the corner of Armitage Avenue and Burling Street, he thought of it as a gift to his future neighbors.
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Children's Memorial Hospital plan takes shape

Half of buildings to be preserved, half to get wrecking ball

11/09/2011

Details on the designs for the redevelopment of Children's Memorial Hospital's soon-to-be vacated Lincoln Park campus are beginning to emerge, according to a report from the head of a North Side neighborhood group.
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Heroes walk among us

11/09/2011

Streeterville resident Walt Paas is one of the many heroes who walk among us each and every day. Walt is a World War II veteran, a Seaman 2nd Class in the U.S. Naval Armed Guards who spent his tours of duty in the Pacific Ocean aboard the U.S. Army transport William L. Thompson, and the SS William F. Empey, an American merchant ship.
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Future uncertain for Lathrop schoolkids

Parents commend consolidation with Jahn Elementary, lament another move

11/02/2011

On a Friday afternoon in early 2010, then-Ald. Manny Flores (1st) stopped in at George Schneider Elementary to meet with a group of faculty and parent leaders from the school, located in the city's Hamlin Park neighborhood.
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River North rental project on the way

Plans for development win resident approval

11/02/2011

The Habitat Co. says that it will be ready to break ground on a long-awaited luxury apartment project in River North by the end of this month. The 43-story building, slated to be built at 360 W. Hubbard St., will contain 450 units, divided between studio, one- and two-bedroom spaces.
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Mayor wants water rate hike for Chicago and suburbs

Water rates could go up 70 percent by 2015 under new plan

11/02/2011

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pitching a plan in his new budget that would raise water rates for Chicago and the surrounding 125 suburbs by 70 percent over the next four years.
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Behind the red door, a cancer support network

Heart of the 'hood

11/02/2011

Gold Coaster Susie Ryan was first diagnosed with cancer 18 years ago, with sarcoma, a tumor in the soft tissue of her thigh. Eight years ago, the cancer appeared in her fallopian tubes, and two years ago, it entered her brain. Eight months after brain surgery, Ryan triumphantly ran a half-marathon.
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End time for a North Side SRO

As hotel closes, community group hopes to preserve transient living options

10/26/2011

Though he usually paid week-to-week for his room at the Sheffield House, for Joe Torsan, the Lake View hotel that he called home for over a decade was anything but temporary. Originally from the South Side, Torsan moved into the "single room occupancy" hotel in the late 1990s after being evicted from his apartment and losing his job with a health insurance company. At the time he was also suffering the recent loss of his parents and struggling with drug abuse.
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Grant Park plan unveiled

Northeast corner could be more passive, make it easier to get to lake - but remove tennis courts

10/26/2011

The Chicago Park District was set to unveil a new plan for the northeast corner of Grant Park on Wednesday night, floating the idea of replacing what had been a rigidly structured plaza with a flowing, open green space. Daley Bicentennial Plaza is set to get a $35 million revamp, as the parking garage beneath it is rehabbed. As essentially a massive green roof, it’s become leaky over the years and needs to be replaced.
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Cheap Trick-ed on the job

10/26/2011

I got tricked - and treated - by Cheap Trick's lead singer Robin Zander. Long story short: I was at the House of Blues last week, taking pix at a charity benefit for the San Miguel Schools (which do great things for kids in underserved communities), featuring both Badfinger and Cheap Trick.
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