Bad News for Chicago

Chicago's Meigs Field




















Chicago's McCormick Place




Four big news events (to me, anyway) in Chicago in the past week. And they are all bad news, of course, that's what we always hear about on TV news.

1.) The death of Chicago School Board president, Michael Scott was a very sad event. They found his body in the Chicago River at Orleans Street. The first thing I thought was, "Oh my God, the mob got him," because the mob is alive and well here in Chicago. Later it was revealed that it was a suicide. This poor guy was very well respected in the city, and he was Mayor Daley's right hand man. Sad, sad event. It's beyond me what would ever make someone consider suicide. I mean everyone thinks about it. "Wouldn't it be sad if I jumped in front of the subway." But I would never seriously consider something of such nature.

2.) Chicago's world renowned convention hall, McCormick Place, has lost customers in the past year because of Chicago's high taxes. We lost customers to Florida cities, and Las Vegas. HELLO??? Lower taxes! Make it easier for people to utilize our city's resources, instead of making it more difficult. Money is the root to all of this. People don't want to pay an arm and a leg for a freaking scone and a cup of hot coffee.

3.) Oprah is leaving her show in 2011. Sad, sad, news. She's been at it for 25 years here in Chicago. The neighborhood on the west side where her studio is housed has risen in real estate and property values, but faces a downfall when she leaves. Come on, Oprah, we know you are rich and famous, but let's try to continue to help the city that we all love (you included), instead of harming it.

4.) And the last one, is the fact that a New York landscape architecture firm won the bid to do some redesign of Grant Park, and Meig's Field. Meig's Field is the area which used to be an air field which Mayor Daley so appropriately ripped up during the night several years ago to make way for a park. They want a children's playground, as well as a harbor for boats on the lake. Come on, Chicago landscape architecture firms!! Let's step up to the plate here! We already lost the Olympics thank God), which would have been some great design work for all Landscape Architecture firms, but why don't we try to keep the work within our own city, instead of farming it out? We know our own city better than anyone. I have no doubt the NYC firm will do a fantastic job, but I'm just crabbing here. This is my field, so I have a lot of input and insight into this topic. Email me for more information :)

And that's it in a nutshell. On a side note, did anyone watch Janet on Wednesday night? God, I love that woman! What a talented artist.

And a happy day to all.