KISS Christmas Caroling! CANCELLED

UPDATE-- IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE BELOW ZERO TONIGHT. To prevent frostbite, we are canceling caroling tonight. We will need to plan a community event when the weather permits! Please let us know if you have any suggestions!


We will be assembling a team of Carolers to sing this season! If you have a voice (or just want to humm along) please join us!

Starting place: Park at corner of 69th and Oglesby

Time: 5:00 p.m. (for an hour or so)

Date: Sunday, December 21, 2008

Lyrics for several songs will be provided on December 21 at our meeting place. Just bundle up, bring the kids, and be prepared to spread some holiday cheer! Warm up with cookies and hot cocoa after the caroling at Steve & Carly's: 6726 S. Oglesby.

CAPS MEETING

Don't forget, the Next CAPS meetings will be on Monday, December 15, 2008, at 7 p.m. This meeting will take place in the South Shore Cultural Center. Please come upstairs when you arrive.

See the flyer below for more information:

Text Your Crime Tips

If you feel uncomfortable calling 911 or the police, you can now text message your crime tips anonymously.



Hopefully, this can be of help if you're reticent about calling; however, it is always better to report a crime directly and be willing testify. We will never get criminals off the street if we can't convict them.

Next CAPS Meeting & Community Alert

Don't forget, the Next CAPS meetings will be on Monday, November 17, 2008, at 7 p.m. This meeting will take place in the South Shore Cultural Center. Please come upstairs when you arrive.

See the flyer below for more information:



Also, the CAPS office has recently released a community alert regarding burglaries in the neighborhood. See below...

Featured South Shore Business of the Month:

Give Me Some Sugah (A Bakery)

Where: 2234 E. 71st St.
Phone: 773-363-9330
Hours: Tues. - Friday 8:30 a.m.- 7:30 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Email: givemesomesugah@yahoo.com
Website: www.givemesomesugah.com
Proprietor: Lenore Lindsey

We have thoroughly enjoyed the baked goodies we've sampled at Give Me Some Sugah. Proprietor Lenore Lindsey started this bakery nine months ago. She said it was going to be her way of retiring-- a relaxing job she can enjoy. No wedding cakes (and the stressed out brides that inevitably go with them), nothing too fancy-- just delicious bakery items made from real ingredients.

If you stop by, you will find Lenore baking her pies, cookies, and assortment of other delicious items. So far, we have sampled (and loved) her sugar cookies, bread pudding, red velvet cake, and sweet potato pie. The sweet potatoe pie was particularly fantastic-- it is a must have for your upcoming holiday feasts!

If you're looking for friendly service and delicious fresh baked sweets, Give Me Some Sugah is it!

ARMED ROBBERY ON OGLESBY

A resident of the 6700 Block of S. Oglesby Ave was robbed on Saturday afternoon. She was arriving home and exiting her vehicle when she noticed two young men in her garage. The men smiled, and our victim dropped her guard. She walked to her building's entry, and as she was preparing to enter she realized the two men were behind her. She was smart-- she didn't use her key to get into her building, which would have surely given the two young men a chance to push their way in as well. She turned to the young men and said, "you're not getting in here." The taller boy had his hand in his pocket-- indicating he had a gun. They snatched the victim's purse, injuring her slightly, and then they ran away. Thank god the victim-- our neighbor-- was not seriously harmed.

On Sunday afternoon, another neighbor noticed suspicious activity nearby and was able to snap the two attached photos of two young men. The boys appeared to be attempting to illegally gain access to the building located at 2315 E. 68th Street, between Oglesby and Crandon.

The photographer called 911 immediately and was surprised to see the young men react to an electronic communication device as though they knew police were on their way. They fled the scene and disappeared.

We can't know for certain if these men were the same two adolescents who committed the earlier Oglesby robbery, but they do fit our victim's description. These photos are not clear, as the photographer was not able to get a shot looking head on at the possible perps. Still, if you are able to recognize these young men, please advise the police. If you do not feel comfortable contacting the police you can email the blog information and it will be kept anonymous. For the safety of our neighborhood, the police need our help and assistance.


If you would like a higher resolution copy of these photographs, please email me.

Meeting with the Alderman Tonight:

Gary Coner Youth Center located at 7200 S. Ingleside @ 6 p.m. If you are available, please attend and convey to the Alderman the concerns you have, questions you have, and the interest you have in our community!

South Shore Featured in Chicago Magazines' "Where to Buy Now" Article

South Shore receives some LONG overdue praise in the most recent issue of 'Chicago Magazine'. Catch the full article here: http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/October-2008/Where-to-Buy-Now/

South Shore summary on page 8!

Aren't you glad you live here already? :-)

March for Peace- A Success!

As many of you know, Last night we attended a March for Peace and Roll Call in the business district around 73rd St. and Jeffrey. I want to thank those who came-- around 25 community members were in attendance, not to mention the at least 15-20 police officers! We walked from business to business chanting things like "Hey, ho, the Gang Violence has got to go!" The response our group got from community members was great-- lots of applause and people joining in-- particularly the business owners and operators! The roll call was great too- we had an opportunity to meet our officers, shake their hands, and hear from them how glad they are to see that there are people around here who support the hard work they do. We also got to witness some excitement when, suddenly, about 5 or 6 officers got an urgent radio call and had to break formation from the roll call to run down the block to catch a bad guy!

I also realized while I was walking around that I haven't done much walking in our business area. There is a cute bakery with delicious looking treats on Jeffrey, and there are quite a few other nice looking cafes and shops that I don't remember seeing before, not to mention some extremely fancy looking salons!

I want to encourage you all to check the area out and support these local businesses-- While we're making the criminal element feel unwelcome, we must do all we can to keep the good people and struggling small business owners right where they are!

Link To Crime Info:

Check out the Chicago Police Department's Clearmap page, which provides information about crime occuring throughout the City:

http://gis.chicagopolice.org/CLEARMap/startPage.htm#

Input your address, and define the dates and proximity perameters desired. Then Clearmap will list the crimes committed within your defined search terms. This is a good way to keep track of what's happening in our area and to determine whether arrests are up.

VOTE EARLY

Early voting started on October 13, 2008.

The location for the Fifth Ward is the Jackson Park Field House at 6401 S. Stony Island Ave. Voting is held at this site Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm through October 30, 2008.

You may also vote at the Chicago Election Board office at 69 West Washington, Lower Level Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and also on Sunday from 9 am to noon.

Every person who votes early, makes it possible for more people to vote on election day.

NEED TO REPORT A CRIME?

We all know that when we call 911, it usually will take a considerable amount of time for the 911 operators to send officers to us. 911 prioritizes emergencies, and by the time 911 sends the police to you, the perp may be long gone. Here's what you can do to get better results:

(1) Call 911 and make a specific report. Give a good description of the offender (think shirt, pants, coats, hats, shoes, accessories, height, weight, license plate is a big one, etc.).

(2) If the event is occurring during normal business hours call 773-324-5555 (the Alderman's Office) and ask for Rosalind. We have implemented a phone tree system where Rosalind places a call to another community member, that person calls another community member, and so on. Here's the kicker: Every person on the phone tree calls 911 and reports the offense! Contact me by email if you're interested in starting a community phone tree-- obviously there will be lots of crimes that occurr outside normal business hours when the alderman isn't working.

(3) Call the number below that pertains to your situation. For instance, if you're constantly dealing with gangs nearby, and you and your neighbors keep logging calls on the gang hotline, there is a much better chance the police will focus on the gang activity in your area (think stakeouts, undercover work, other efforts that simply calling 911 can never accomplish).

3rd District CAPS Office

312.747.7004

3rd District Tactical Office

312.747.5484

Narcotic/Gun Tip Hotline

877.CPD.GUNS

877.273.4867

Gang Hotline

773.533.GANG

773.533.4264

Illinois Liquor Commission

312.814.2206

3 Great Upcoming Events For Youths!

(1) The Haunted Station

When: Friday, Oct. 31 from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Where: Third District Station, 7040 South Cottage Grove Ave.
Cost: $1 donation

For more information call 3rd District Community Policing Office at 312-747-7004

(2) THE 2008 LOCK-IN

When: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008, 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Where: Chicago Police Academy, 1300 W. Jackson Blvd.
Cost: $10 (per Youth or Adult)
Registration Deadline: Nov. 14

This lock-in will provide an opportunity for you to enjoy arts & crafts, basketball, volleyball, music, movies, games, and food! Youths should be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Please contact Officer Parlor, Officer Millison, or Officer Hutchinson at the Third District at 312-747-8122 or 312-747-7004 for more information.

(3) THIRD DISTRICT YOUTH EXPLORERS

When: Every Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Where: 3rd district auditorium, 7040 S. Cottage Grove
What: Fun events like skating; bowling parties; info regarding upcoming events (Lock-ins approaching at fun locations like Safari Lnda and Hollywood park); visiting elderly citizens in our neighborhood senior building, College tours, and MORE!

Contact Officer Parlor or Nakia Fenner at 312-747-5477

CAPS: Monday, November 17

Don't forget, the Next CAPS meetings will be on Monday, November 17, 2008, at 7 p.m. This meeting will take place in the South Shore Cultural Center. Please come upstairs when you arrive.

These meetings provide us the opportunity to meet our police officers and work with them to improve our area. We need residents there to tell the police where the crime is occurring and where they should focus their efforts. They also can tell us what we can do to help them do their jobs. Please plan to attend if you are available!

Two Great Opportunities

This Weekend:

Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sandi Jackson are providing free election training to help you get involved with the democratic process.

Here is their message about this:

Two months ago Jesse and I brought some of the leading national
democratic operatives to the Southside of Chicago to lead a FREE
training on how we can make a real difference in our communities.
It was so successful that we're doing it again!

October 11th and 12th we're leading a free 2-day campaign and
election training. This free training will be from 11am to 4pm
on Saturday and Sunday at the Rainbow Beach Field House located
at 3111 East 77th Street.

Again, this amazing opportunity is completely free, it includes
a catered lunch on both days, but space is limited. To confirm
your attendance, please RSVP by replying to this email or calling
(773) 731-0000 and leave your name, address, phone number and the
number of people you'll be bringing with.

All the details are included in the attached invitation.

http://www.jessejacksonjr.org/traininginvite.pdf

If you have any questions, please call your 7th Ward office
at (773) 375-9180.

We can't wait to see you there!

Take care and God Bless,

Sandi Jackson
7th Ward Alderman


Next Weekend:

Alderman Hairston is sponsoring the 5th Ward Clean & Green (part of a citywide event) on Saturday, October 18,2008. If you are interested contact Rosalind in the Alderman's office at 773-324-5555 . See the link below:

Fall Clean & Green 2008

KISS SUPPORTERS IN ACTION!

Check out pictures from our past KISS Clean up efforts!