Original Articles from The Southeast Chicago Observer

Violence is a hot topic in Chicago as summer weekends end with new deaths and shootings to add on an already too-long list. But is focusing on gangs and baggy pants, as city officials begin to take action, the best way to address the issue? Chi-raq and Saggin' The city has drawn national attention after recent research highlighted that the number of Chicagoans murdered in the city since 2001 is more than twice the number of Americans killed in Afghanistan in that period. With 250 homicides recorded June 27 since January (compared to last year's 169) Chicago also has a murder rate almost four times that of New York City . This increase in murders has prompted a series of calls by city officials and law enforcement to end the violence. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy recently announced a new Gang Violence Reduction Strategy which plans to use new technology to target not just high crime areas but 'hot' people as well. Mayor Emmanuel has s...

High Hopes The Leucadia coal gassification plant, also known as the Chicago Clean Energy project, received another dose of legislative support in the final days of the Illinois legislative session. Project director, Hoyt Hudson, says the three billion dollar plant will bring clean energy, 1,100 temporary jobs and over 200 permanent jobs to a struggling area. The synthetic natural gas plant would use steam to break down coal and petroleum coke. This process takes place underground allowing the gas to be filtered. This process would allow for Illinois coal, notably high in sulfur and restricted in most states, to grow creating 165 mining jobs. Leucadia is required to capture 85 percent of CO2 emissions. To meet this, Leucadia plans on redirecting it through an underground pipe (construction also pending) extending to Texas to further oil extraction. Consumer's bills will also be reduced by $100 million over the next 30 years, says Hudson. A Consumer Pr...

Occupy: Then and Now Occupy Chicago, a movement inspired by Occupy Wall Street in New York, has experienced many changes since its beginnings in late September of 2011. Since then, over 300 people have been arrested in the name of the in attempts to create a permanent establishment on Michigan and Congress, a location known fondly as 'the Horse.' Still chanting, 'we are the 99 percent,' a number used to illustrate how power and wealth has been concentrated into the hands of the few, the 1 percent, Occupy Chicago has organized marches, family days and gallery shows, among other actions, throughout the fall and winter months. The winter drew Occupy Chicago indoors while also leading to the formation of 'area' and 'hood' occupies such as Occupy the Southside, Occupy the Northwest, Occupy el Barrio and Occupy Rogers Park. The occupy moment has also sparked issue specific occupy movements such as the occupation of Piccolo element...

Community organizations have witnessed the drastic changes in South Chicago due to the economic downturn beginning in the '70's with the steel mill closures and reaching its crisis peak in recent years. The recent global economic crisis has had severe effects locally evidenced by the closure of a health clinic on 86 th and Exchange, the cutting of South Chicago's library staff and hours, the many vacant homes due to foreclosures and a severe increase in unemployment.  Despite these cuts and, in part, because of them, organizations have remained a fixed presence in South Chicago and the Bush. And though all community organizations have felt the negative effects of the recession and budget cut duo, some have seen their programming expand. Growth in the Garden Although all organizations have experienced budget cuts, The Children's Garden, an educational center for kids ages three to five years, is expanding in this time of economic crisis. The Ga...

Community organizations have noticed and experienced drastic changes in South Chicago due to the economic downturn beginning with the closures of the steel mills in the '70's and reaching its crisis peak in recent years. The recent global economic crisis has had severe effects locally evidenced by the closure of a health clinic on 83 rd and Exchange, the cutting of library staff and hours, the many vacant homes due to foreclosures and high unemployment rates. Despite these cuts and, in part, because of them, organizations have remained a fixed presence in South Chicago and the Bush. And though all community organizations have felt the negative effects of the recession and budget cut duo, some have seen their programming expand. Under the Weight of Demand Centro Comunitario Juan Diego's executive director, Olivia Hernandez, lists close to 20 different services that the organization provides. Located on 89 th and Commercial Ave., the Centro provides ...

Today Omeshia Perez keeps her windows closed on the hottest of Chicago summer days. Her children stay inside as much as possible, and she has given up barbecuing. Carefree evenings in her backyard have been replaced by sleepless nights and cough-filled days. "Mom, am I going to die?" her three year-old asks. Life has been hard on the Perez's ever since the coal piles near 100 th St. and Commercial appeared across her alley several years back. Rolling hills of coal loom over the Calumet river while coal dust coats her windows, tinting the light inside. Seeping through the cracks, the dust covers everything from the kitchen to the bathroom, she says. "What am I supposed to do?" Perez asks a panel composed of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Leucadia representatives at a hearing organized to evaluate the community's response to the company's plan to build a coal gasification plant on 18000 S. Avenue O. "Run?" Leucadia is slated to ope...

Una Entrevista con Al --¿Quién se despierta primero? --yo ¿Y luego quién? --luego el sol

Three Day Concert Highlights Citywide Differences of Race and Place The Dave Mathews Band Caravan, a three-day, 38-artist concert took place last July on the former grounds of the U.S. Steel South Works plant.  The steel mill that between 1880 and 1992 drew people by the thousands to South Chicago and the Bush once again attracted people in similar numbers. The never-before used as a concert venue space is a 600 acre area stretching from 79th to 87th and hosted roughly 40,000 people on the most attended day, Saturday.   Although the concert occurred without problems, residents of the area expressed critical opinions about the event.   “Call a Spade a Spade” The picketers were not the only people that took issue with the event.    By Friday afternoon, concert-goers entering the neighborhood on public transportation by the thousands created an unprecedented need to increase service. Without prior notice, residents of Brandon St. were forced to...