Paw Paw Patch: #3

Pugs "in a Blanket"

July 1, 2010 - Foster Goggie Beach
I was riding my bike past this: 2 Pug Pups were running around with their "mommy," and when she decided she'd had enough, she came and sat down on the blanket, and they all sat down, together! They are watching the big black goggie running around, wanting them to come play. (Only one pug shows up in the shot, unfortunately. There is actually another one behind that yellow bag beside the lady, if you zoom in).

Other Pugs in the News:

One viewer writes "horrifying" this constitutes news!"

Note: It's More "horrifying" that people are so rigid and self-important, they can't imagine a world with humor and light-heartedness. Armchair QBs - the bane of Western civilization.

4th of July - From the Top

(Note: Hit the speaker to make it stop.)

July 4 at my house!

This year the Chicago fireworks display took place in the harbor, just below me, between Lawrence and Foster, with the Navy Pier fireworks off in the distance, from a single red barge, which you can see in some of the pics. We alternated simulcasts of the fireworks display with FM 101.9, "A Capitol 4th, Washington D.C.," NYC's Hudson River display, and Reba McEntire all in HD. It was a great night! Enjoy the show!

Biking Adventure #3: Ravenswood

Alderman Gene Schulter (47th)

July 06, 2010 - Ravenswood

This up-and-coming industrial corridor known for it's vintage 1900-1920's factory buildings-turned-commercial-lofts is rapidly becoming a cross between Silicon Valley/tech powerhouses, and Wicker Park Artists lofts. These former factory buildings used to churn out ammunition for World War II, brassiers, pressed tin ceilings, and even copies of The Saturday Evening Post and Playboy magazines.

Lillstreet Art Center, Beyond Design, and EveryBlock.com moved to the area in 2003 lulled partly by the creative energy, here, quiet neighborhood, and free parking. Also here, you'll find mStoner Communications, Rise Health, (Forrest Claypool's Health Care Reform startup), Threadless.com, (customers design and pick their shirts online -adding a flagship store at 1260 W. Madison Street), Orbit Media, (20-something geek-squad Internet outfit), Squishy Press and Bioelements.

The Lillstreet Center, which houses 21 classrooms and 50 artist studios, is the largest ceramics education center in the Midwest. It attracts thousands of students from around the city for classes, including printmaking, textiles and jewelry-making as well as summer camp for children.
The corridor, which is runs along the Metra tracks, down Ravenswood Avenue from roughly Foster to Montrose or Waveland Avenue, with close to 67 industrial firms that employ about 2,000 people, according to Jane Addams Resources posted in the Chicago Tribune.

A new train station at Lawrence Avenue and a commuter parking garage are in the works, they also say.

Here's the entrance to Orbit Media, Rise Health and Threadless/skinny.com where I was scoping out businesses I'd like to work with, close to home.

Here is another building's directory:

Biking over to Ravenswood, we passed a group of kids creating a huge mural out of bits of broken glass, the likes of which you may have seen going up on the sides of schools and underpasses in the Chicago area. These are taken from the Uplift Comm. HS on Wilson Ave and roughly Broadway. I'll post some more photos of the progress, the next time I get over that way.

This is Anna, who is supervising today's art project:

Happy 4th from Edgewater!

Press the speaker (near gold star) for music!

The Landmark Edgewater Beach Hotel

The 1920s-era Hotel (background) was demolished back in the 50s, and the smaller Apartment Bldg. (foreground) was originally only 8-stories, but later, added onto, and is now a 30-story Co-op Building.(foreground) - aka "The Pink Bldg". Corner of Bryn Mawr and Sheridan Road, a block from my house.
This was the "Riviera" of Lake Michigan, back in the 1920s and many legends surround this unique block of real estate!

Movie stars like Gloria Swanson and Charlie "The Tramp" Chaplin regularly filmed at the Essanay Studios, ("The Great Train Robbery"), just down the street, (1300 block of W Argyle), and were regular guests in the Hotel from about 1907 - 1917.

Al Capone had a history in the Hotel, purportedly using it as the base for his north side gang operations. There are tunnels, underneath, connecting to various "hotspots" on the north side. One goes all the way to the famous "Green Mill" hangout and Speakeasy (Lawrence & Clark), which has been a big nightspot since then.

Gull Cup

Hit Play While you read. . .

Go Gulls!

Foster Astro Turf Field

The National Gull Soccer Cup Championship Playoff was held at the brand-new Lakeshore / Foster AstroTurf field, (located adjacent to the $2 Mil special "was-2-B" Olympic drinking fountain).

This year's reigning champions The Edgewater Pidgers bested the Lakeview Lugers in a stunning 8-2 victory, bringing home the trophy for the first time, since 1941!

The Governor announced there will be a victory ticker-tape parade at the "Taste of Chicago" on Monday. In expectation of record turnouts, revelers are advised to wear visors, and bring a newspaper or an umbrella. Go You Gulls! Hoot Hoot!

We caught up with Clancy Wingstrom in the locker-room:

MVP Clancy Wingstrom

"Yeah, ya know, uhhh, it was a really good game, and uhhm, yeah, ya know, we just, uhhh, got out der and pushed da ball, and uhhhm, yeah, tings got tuff, and sometimes it's hard, and uhh, dis dat an de utter ting, ya know, but it all comes down ta one ting, ya know: if you just get out der an do yer best to win, ya know, sometimes it pays off in de end."

Beachhouse 11

YAY! The new Beach House at Hollywood (Osterman) Beach officially opened on Friday afternoon! They will be serving cocktails, in the summer! There will be a restaurant, as well!


I've been watching the progress, down below me. Here is how it has evolved from the portable trailers, in the sand, last summer . . .

SLIDESHOW (Hit Sound for music or "View All Images" button below for options).

Same Spot Last Summer	Same Spot Last Summer	Same Spot Last Summer
Same Spot Last Winter	Winter Ground Breaking	Same Spot Last Summer
Same Spot Last Winter	Winter	Same Spot This Spring
Same Spot This Spring	Roof is on	Roof is on
This Summer	Late June	Late June
1st Day Opened!	OPening Day	Opening Day

Storm Chicago

Storm Center
Wednesday, around 06:00 p.m. I heard the storm siren go off, for the first time I can ever remember, downtown. I tuned into CH 5 weather and saw the tornado warning for Cook County - also a first. This is what I saw when I looked out: (Notice all the lights are out, downtown. There is always a band of light at the top of the Hancock and the other tall buildings)!

We didn't experience any noticeable wind, like last Friday's storm, just a lot of lightening. Awesome!

Lakefront Twister

These photos are from the wind damage from last Friday, (June 18), off the lakefront bike path between Lawrence and Wilson. Click to expand. This is what it looked like at 7:00 a.m. The wind cut through, taking the top of the sign off Weiss hospital (@ Sheridan Rd), and took out a swatch of trees all the way to the waterfront:

Lakefront Biketrail	Bikepath Looking S	Lakefront Biketrail
Lakefront Biketrail	Lakefront Biketrail	Lakefront Biketrail
Lakefront Biketrail	Bikepath Looking N	Weiss Hospital