Q101 The Alternative
Q101 (formerly on Chicago radio @ 101.1 FM) The Alternative - Chicago's New Rock Alternative - Everything Alternative - Chicago's Alternative - Gen X - Generation X
For many reasons, the city of Chicago moves vehicles at any time of day, often with little or no notice, and afterward makes no attempt to contact the cars’ owners. Instead the city relies on owners to check the city’s website or call 311 to find out if their vehicles have been moved. But because of a lag in logging the cars, some owners complained that when they did call, the city couldn’t find their vehicles right away.
That is what happened to Margaret Schriver who lives in the Uptown neighborhood. She went to her normal parking spot, but her car was nowhere to be found. Frantically, she called the towing company listed on a nearby sign. Nothing. She tried Chicago police and the city’s 311 information line, but both agencies had no information about her car. She figured then that thieves were to blame.
She called her insurance and filed a stolen car report. But a week later, police called her with good news: Her car had been found. The city had “relocated” it to a parking spot near Montrose Beach, a mile away, because People’s Gas was doing work on her street.
City ordinance requires at least 24 hours of notice for a temporary parking ban via signs for planned work, such as sewer updates, road resurfacing or tree trimming. But if there’s an emergency, vehicles can be moved without notice, said Department of Streets and Sanitation spokeswoman Anne Sheahan. That might be for utility malfunctions, bad weather or police activity, for example.
When asked why the city can’t notify residents via phone, email or mail that their car has been moved, both the Streets and Sanitation Department and the Department of Transportation said the city does not have access to drivers’ phone numbers or email addresses, only their physical addresses. Both agencies also said that sending letters would be ineffective, as most residents would have found their cars by the time the letters arrived, and suggested instead that people continue calling 311.
Sheahan said the city sees relocation as a good alternative to towing and impounding because it creates less inconvenience for residents.
“We relocate … when we need to access the street and a car needs to be moved,” Sheahan said. “Our priority is to address the work that needs to be done, and we want to be fair to people who don’t have notice.”
READ MORE
http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/ct-met-cars-relocated-20120717,0,751839.story
Some Chicago residents should expect disruptions in the coming weeks as MTV shoots a new scripted dramatic series, titled ‘Underemployed’, throughout the city.
MTV describes the Chicago-set show thusly: Five college grads are set to dazzle the world with their brilliance. A year later, cold reality has set in and the group struggles, often comically, to stay optimistic through dead-end odd jobs, terrible bosses, romantic mistakes and major life changes.”
In a slight departure from the network’s usual reality series, the Chicago-based show will be shot in various Chicago locations through Aug. 10, according to the Chicago Film Office.
“Film production, whether it’s MTV’s ‘Underemployed’ or ‘Boss,’ all come with a number of production vehicles, trucks, crew and equipment,” said Rick Moskal, director of the Chicago Film Office. “That’s the normal course, so there is a disruptive element. But residents have been given notice in order to mitigate any disruptions.”
http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/local/wickerpark/redeye-mtv-dramaseries-shooting-in-chicago-20120628,0,3958285.story
There’s one more action packed day and night! Head to the third annual Windy City Burlesque Fest, where more than 90 female and male artists—including 60 from across the country and around the world—burn up the stage over the course of three nights.
The fireworks began Thursday with a free kick-off party at Lincoln Tap Room, followed by six main events at Stage 773, each showcasing one of three headlining burlesque queens and two of seven featured acts along with full lineups of performers.
There are also dozens of workshops throughout the day with the artists so you can learn some new moves yourself. Titles include “Bump and Grind with Kitten DeVille” and “Bling Bling Bling: Rhinestone Principals and Application with Penny Starr Jr.”
Also, new this year, people will be able to purchase their own burlesque goodies from various vendors.
http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/local/lakeview/redeye-chicagos-windy-city-burlesque-fest-shakes-things-up-20120711,0,2360521.story
Are you currently struggling to overcome a strange obsession, addiction or compulsive behavior that is taking over your life?
Do you spend countless hours obsessing about something or engaging in behavior that others would say is strange?
Have you drained all of your finances into this obsession?
Are your friends and family members concerned about your wellbeing?
Would you like to regain control of your life and your health?
If you answer “yes” to any of the previous questions, you may qualify to participate in the documentary series that offers professional assistance in overcoming your behavior.
During filming, participants are introduced to healthcare professionals who can help them overcome their addiction or counselors who can help them make sense of it.
To be considered for the series, contact the 20 West casting team at 312-467-8145 or by emailing 20westcastingteam@gmail.com. Be ready to supply your name, age, contact information and brief explanation of how your strange addiction is taking over your life. All submissions will remain confidential.
http://www.redeyechicago.com/entertainment/tv/redeye-my-strange-addiction-casting-call-tv-20120626,0,3100640.story
Visit Chicago breweries, get a good buzz, AND raise money for charity–all on your bike! WINNING!!!
Tour de Brew 2012, which is organized by Chris Ruder of Wicker Park, will visit six breweries and brewpubs around Chicago from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m this Saturday, June 30. The ride will raise funds for the Academy of Global Citizenship, a Chicago Public School.
The tour will start at Finch’s Brewery, 4565 N. Elston, at 10 a.m. and will continue to visit the Half Acre, Metropolitan, Begyle, Revolution and Haymarket breweries. The plan is to stop at each place for 30 minutes to tour the facilities and, most importantly, taste their beers. The tour will end at Ruder’s house for a final round of beers and pizza.
http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/local/wickerpark/redeye-tour-de-brew-2012-20120627,0,2612159.story
Billy Corgan talks GMO, TSA, FOX, New World Order…down the rabbit hole with Alex Jones from Infowars.com This is far deeper than new album promotional fluff. Listen…
Ms. Pac-Man suffers an untimely death at the hands of a blue-clad ghost, but A.J. Matthews doesn’t seem too upset by his failure to navigate the pellet-filled maze without smacking into a homicidal spectre. Instead, Matthews turns around and admires the glowing lights and bleeps and bloops that emanate from a couple dozen arcade machines crowded into the backroom of Logan Hardware.
“It’s a generational thing, this is like coming back to a place you remember going to as a kid,” said Matthews, 28, of Old Irving Park. “This place really is a treasure in the city.”
Logan Hardware, a Logan Square-based record store which already dealt in the nostalgia of selling music on vinyl LPs, reopened in January at 2410 W. Fullerton so that customers could enjoy the arcade cabinet collection of store owner Jim Zespy. Once customers make a purchase, they can slink away to the back and shoot down space aliens in “Galaga” or zap killer robots in “Robotron: 2084.”
Meanwhile, the Emporium Arcade Bar—a clone of Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Barcade which serves up craft brews and classic gaming in equal measure—opened this week in Wicker Park with titles ranging from “Arkanoid” to “Xybots.” And in the suburbs, places like Galloping Ghost in Brookfield, which brags over 250 old school gaming machines, have popped up recently.
It might sound strange for an arcade revival to occur in a time when many own ultra-powered home game consoles or smartphones with the ability to download these games, but Zespy says going to a place like Logan Hardware to game is a completely different experience than playing the same title on an iPhone.
Read MUCH More
http://www.redeyechicago.com/entertainment/redeye-arcade-revival-chicago-games-20120621,0,2370806.story
A little girl is recovering at a hospital after she apparently stuck her hand into the family fish tank and a piranha bit off the tip of her finger this week at their Maine Township home.
The parents suddenly heard their daughter start crying and rushed over to find her finger bleeding. They became frantic when they found the child’s fingertip was severed and automatically believed the culprit was their 65-pound family pit bull, said Frank Bilecki, spokesman for Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
They called 911 and an ambulance took her to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where a doctor realized this was not the case.
“He said: ‘This is not a dog bite,’’’ Bilecki said.
Authorities called her father, who was still at the home, and he immediately plunged his hand into the fish bowl, grabbing one of two piranhas.
“He had no fear; these were truly fatherly instincts,’’ Bilecki said. “He grabbed a knife and cut it open and found her fingertip right there.’’
The piece of her finger was taken to the hospital and doctors were trying to re-attach it, but Bilecki did not know if that operation was successful as of Friday afternoon.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/park_ridge/chi-piranha-bites-off-tip-of-toddlers-finger-20120622,0,6108827.story
Hopefully he took the renter’s insurance option.
The SUV was on the third floor of a parking garage around 11:15 a.m. at 20 E. Randolph St. when the driver suddenly hit the gas, said Vicky Baftiri, who witnessed the incident.
The car flew through some wires and launched into the air, landing on top of a Jaguar and Mercedes.
The crash happened on the same floor as an Enterprise Rent-A-Car. A clerk at the kiosk told Baftiri the man was returning the rented vehicle. It might have been returned “on time” but there may be slight damage to the vehicle.
Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/traffic/transit/BMW-Misses-Parking-Spot-Lands-on-Jaguar-159895645.html#ixzz1yToEqmYm
The Chicago Gay Pride Parade’s attendance continues to escalate year after year. For 2012, there will be less parade entries, but a longer route to accommodate all the revelers.
Sunday’s celebration, which begins at noon, will include the Uptown neighborhood, and extend an additional five blocks in the name of safety and crowd control.
Alderman Tom Tunney, 44th, said organizers knew big changes were necessary when last year’s numbers were pushing up against 750,000 people, up from 200,000 attendees recorded only five years earlier.
“We knew the previous year’s route, which trapped many constituents in my ward between Halsted and Broadway for nearly the whole day, would no longer work,” Tunney said. “Last year, we had too much congestion in the central Lakeview neighborhood.”
The new route is intended to create more viewing space and additional access to public transportation, he said.
“We’ll also be able to open the streets back up to the community more quickly after the parade is finished as soon as possible,” Tunney said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pride-parade-route-20120620,0,3379169.story
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