Category: local

  • Community Connections

    Community Connections

    I was disappointed by the National Night Out, which was promoted as a way of connecting police to communities. I had walked along the sidewalk to Lake Street and then made my way down the middle of State Street to Randolph. A band played in the middle of the street. Several tents promoted services. Canine…

  • Book Clubbing

    Book Clubbing

    I almost left when the moderator told a newcomer who announced at the outset that she hadn’t actually read the book that doing so isn’t a participation prerequisite. This group had been assigned Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs, by Jamie Loftus (2023). Its publisher insists that it’s a travelogue-culinary history-capitalist critique combo.…

  • Bringing Chicago Home

    The Chicago mayor has raised questions once again about his limitations. The issue this time is his reaction to the Bring Chicago Home initiative, which was a campaign promise to address homelessness in the city. This initiative after legal wrangling about its ballot legitimacy was rejected by Chicago voters. Johnson suggested after this vote that…