A NEWSLETTER FROM THE NEW EASTSIDE COMMUNITY
FALL 2013
Find out about what’s going on in the New Eastside and Lakeshore East. Get important news updates and learn about where you live and work. Visit our neighborhood’s centralized online resource www.neweastsidecommunity.com. Sign up to receive news in your email inbox. Disclaimer: The New Eastside Community is independently operated and is not affiliated with the New Eastside Association of Residents or Magellan Development Group.
Fire? We’ve got you covered!
Fall Announcements
By Ophelia Dodds | Community Contributor
Email info@neweastsidecommunity to post announcements.
1. Weight Watchers meetings in North Harbor Tower 195 N Harbor Drive, Mondays at 7pm! Get ready to eat smarter, improve your nutrition and meet your neighbors at these new weekly meetings. Contact Bill Watt billjwatt2@aol.com 2. Fido To Go, Chicago’s only gourmet food truck for dogs is in New Eastside every Saturday 10AM – Noon outside Café Rom. Pick up a treat for your beloved pet! Check schedules on their Facebook and Twitter pages. 3. Pedal to the People - the mobile bike shop that comes to you! Make an appointment online for a service, tune up or repair with the bike service that comes to you. Visit www.pedaltothepeople.com
I stopped by our local Firehouse, Engine 13 on Columbus Drive recently to interview the firefighters about fire safety in the New Eastside. This is what they had to say: In this area, what are the most common fire hazards? The most common are cooking and smoking. Less common are burning garbage cans (usually from lit cigarettes), auto fires and lint in laundry dryers (more common than you would think - check your lint drawer!) We live in an area surrounded by high rise buildings, what steps can I follow to help prevent a fire in my apartment? Ensure you have a working smoke detector and CO detector. This is a legal requirement. Also, have proper ventilation for stoves. Ensure that stoves are off and keep plastic away from stove tops. It is useful to have a fire extinguisher in your apartment, but you should ALWAYS call 911 first. Sometimes people worry about getting into trouble and try to play down a fire - DON’T! There is no judgment, the firefighters’ priority is to ensure that everyone is safe and that the fire is properly extinguished.
4. Chicago Police Department Reminder: Help fight crimes anonymously with TXT2TIP Program. Send information to the Chicago Police Department anonymously via a text message from your cellular phone. For more info on TXT2TIP visit www.chicagopolice.org/txt2tip. 6. Five Star Fitness Boot Camps fall session boot camps in Lakeshore East Park begin Sept 23. Mornings MWF 6AM – 7AM. Evenings MWTh 5:45PM – 6:45PM. Sign up now to receive15% off Promocode: neweastside. Visit www.fivestarfitnessbootcamps.com Inside this Issue …. New Eastside History – It all started with the Prudential P2. Women’s Health – Midwives at Prentice Women’s Hospital P3. Local Volunteers at Ronald McDonald House P4. New Eastside Preschool Comparison Chart P5. Local Events/To Do - P6 & 7.
Do you have a direct number for a community member who may need to ask a fire safety related question? The public education number is 312-747-1699. There are also Survive Alive trucks which tour Chicago giving advice on fire safety to children and adults. – Please turn to Page 2
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Message from the Editor
Fire Safety in New Eastside Continued from Page 1
Welcome to the fall issue of your community powered newsletter. Each issue brings you plenty of news from organizations that serve the New Eastside population as well as more neighborhood history and a great “to-do” list of local events. Many new families moved into the neighborhood this year so we compared our local preschools. Also, if you are expecting a little bundle of joy, it is a safe bet that you will deliver at Prentice Women’s Hospital, so we reached out to the midwives at Prentice Women’s Hospital to bring you info on locally available women’s healthcare. Are you looking for local volunteer opportunities? Ronald Macdonald House is just across the river! Thank you to all the volunteers who make the New Eastside Community organization possible. Contact us to see how you can help our efforts to build a stronger sense of community and improve communication in our neighborhood. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for community updates and announcements. Send us your suggestions for articles and raise community issues that concern you at info@neweastsidecommunity.com. Support us by advertising with us or making a donation. Enjoy our fall issue! Elaine Hyde
The NEW EASTSIDE - It All Started with The Prudential Building - By Louis H. Masotti, Ph.D. | Community Contributor
Louis H. Masotti, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus Kellogg Graduate School of Management Northwestern University
Ten years after WWII, in 1955, newly elected Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley presided at the grand opening of the City’s first new office building in 21 years! Not only was Prudential Tower (130 E. Randolph), the tallest building in Chicago at 40 stories, it was the most expensive and the most modern in design and amenities [e.g. air conditioning]. It was built on air rights over the Illinois Central Railroad (ICRR) station/tracks and was the first of the many commercial, residential and hotel towers to be built in the downtown neighborhood now known at The New Eastside [Michigan Ave. to LSD, Randolph to Wacker]. Prior to 1955, the entire area was covered with rail tracks and buildings dedicated to railroad operations.
I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the awesome guys at Engine 13 who were kind enough to spend their hard earned free time talking to me. I learned so many things and laughed until my stomach hurt!
The negotiations to purchase the air rights, and ground rights for the building’s 655 caissons, from the IC were conducted in total secrecy by broker Leo Sheridan [L.J. Sheridan Co.] without the seller knowing who the buyer was [although assured by a respected federal judge that it was capable of closing] until the building was announced in 1952! Although the second New Eastside building, 400 East Randolph Apartments, the largest residential building in the world at the time, was not built until 1963, the success of Pru One [Pru Two, a much larger tower, was completed in 1990] set the stage for the ICRR to sell air and fee rights to Metropolitan Structures for the 24 acre, 15 building Illinois Center mixed-use development, and to Standard Oil for it’s 1973 tower [now AON].
What is the most unusual call you have dealt with? There was a call about a person swimming in the Lake, but when we got there it turned out to be a deer! It wound up on Lakeshore Drive and led everyone a merry dance. What is the worst thing about being a firefighter? Being away from your family for 24 hours a day, especially if you have kids. What is the best thing about being a firefighter? The brotherhood - we trust each other and have a lot of laughs! What is the best thing about being a firefighter in this area? The opportunity to take on a variety of challenges. While all firefighters have the same training, the proximity [of New Eastside] to the water and having so many high rises offers a unique opportunity to put a lot of training into practice. Did you know? Engine 13 is open to the public from 9am to 9pm. It can be found on Upper Columbus right next to the Radisson/Aqua building. Chicago Fire Department has 5000 firefighters. Along with New York, it is the most staffed fire department in the US.
Louis Masotti Photo
Ophelia Dodds lives in New Eastside with her husband and daughter and is the author of blog Mummyandmommy.com
Midwives at Prentice Women’s Hospital
Modern day midwife care is supported by cutting edge medicine and first class facilities at Prentice Women’s Hospital. By Lia Moss, CNM & Meredith Wu, CNM. Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, Ob/Gyn.
Maybe you've caught a few episodes of the PBS series "Call the Midwife," and the word, "midwife" conjures images of women dispatched from the convent on bicycles in 1950's London. Maybe the word makes you think of a woman giving birth at home. In fact, midwife simply means “with woman.” As modern-day health care providers, midwives offer both gynecologic and obstetrical care to women of all ages. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), such as those at Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group (NMPG), are registered nurses who have completed a master’s or doctorate degree in midwifery. Ariel Derringer a CNM at NMPG describes how midwife care fits into a hospital setting, "In many ways I feel we offer the best of both worlds to patients. We partner with them for a very personalized birth experience which takes place in a state-of-the art hospital where immediate backup is available."
Four of the seven nurse midwives at NMPG. Left to right: Meredith Wu, CNM; Lia Moss, CNM; Amy Willetts, CNM; Stephanie Fitting, CNM
The seven CNMs at NMPG provide women in Chicago with annual gynecologic exams, advice on contraceptive needs and prescriptions, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, care during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum, as well as menopause support and care. Midwives seek to take care of the whole woman, taking into account her family, culture and lifestyle. A CNM is trained to care for well women and to recognize deviations from normal, which might require a physician. Amy Willetts, a CNM at NMPG, discusses how a woman and family may perceive midwifery care at NMPG, "We promote women and their partners to be active participants in the care received during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period. Asking questions at routine prenatal appointments, attending childbirth education classes, deciding what pain management options during labor are desired, and the use of a doula are all encouraged." The NMPG CNMs see patients in their office in the Streeterville neighborhood downtown and attend labor and birth in a hospital setting at Prentice Women's Hospital, which opened at its current location in 2007. Prentice Women’s Hospital is a part of Northwestern th Memorial Hospital and has long been recognized for excellence in obstetrics, with NMH recently climbing six places to be ranked the 6 best in the nation on the U.S. News’ Best Hospitals 2013-14 Honor Roll. Prentice is adjacent to the newly opened Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital on the Northwestern medical campus. While Prentice offers state of the art medical care, it is also known for its sweeping lake views and delicious food. At Prentice, the midwives offer hydrotherapy for labor and water birth, portable fetal monitoring, and support a woman’s need for mobility during labor and birth. Labor inductions are recommended only when medically indicated and they support patients desiring a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). The midwives work closely with their nine OB/Gyn physician partners who are available if a woman's healthcare needs become higher risk than a CNM's scope of practice. For more information about midwives, please visit the American College of Nurse-Midwives website: www.midwife.org/About-ACNM. Also, more information about the doctors and certified nurse midwives at NMPG is available at www.nmpg.com/obgyn. 680 N. Lake Shore Dr. Suite #815. P:(312) 926-8811
www.nmpg.com 3
New Eastsiders Volunteer at Ronald McDonald House® near Lurie Children’s - By Mark Shouger | Senior House Director Our neighborhood Ronald McDonald House® celebrated its first birthday this year with an Open House event that welcomed over 300 guests. Registrations showed almost a third of those attending were from the New Eastside community! Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC®-CNI) cares for families of children with complex medical needs by providing comfort, compassion and a sense of community. RMHC-CNI currently operates four Ronald McDonald Houses in the Chicagoland area to help keep families of hospitalized children together in a ‘home away from home’. Conveniently located just blocks from where their child is being treated, the four local Houses provide a place where families can eat, sleep and find emotional support they need. Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s, located at 211 East Grand Avenue, provides 14-stories of care and comfort, including 86 guest rooms, a rooftop healing deck and a kitchen filled with home-cooked meals and supportive conversation. In addition, nine sleep rooms within Lurie Children’s give parents an opportunity to refresh and replenish just steps away from the NICU. Photos of attendees at the Open House event at Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s in June 2013.
We thank the community for embracing the House, and helping to host over 24,000 family guests in just the first year of operation!
Want to get involved? Various volunteer opportunities are available at Ronald McDonald House ranging from family interaction to ‘Meals from the Heart’ to ‘Activities and Programs’. For more information visit: www.RonaldHouseChicago.com or contact Mark Shouger, Senior House Director, Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s. 211 East Grand Ave, Chicago. Ph. 312 888 2501. E. mshouger@rmhccni.org Who to Call ----------- Clip & Save City of Chicago
www.cityofchicago.org Dial 311
Public Library
www.chipublib.org
City of Chicago (within Chicago)
311
Harold Washington Library Center
(312) 747-4300
Outside of Chicago (City Hall)
(312) 744-5000
Police (non-emergency)
www.chicagopolice.org
Alderman Brendan Reilly
(312) 642-4242
Chicago police hotline
(312) 746-6000 or 311
Public Health
(312) 747-9884
Loop District 001 Beat #114
(312) 745-4290
Animal Care and Control
(312) 747-1406
EMERGENCIES
911
Office of the City Clerk
www.chicityclerk.com
School District 299
www.cps.edu
Vehicle - Stickers & Parking
312-742-5375
Administration
(773) 553-1000
Dog Registration
312-744-3647
Chicago Board of Education
(773) 553-1600
Chicago Park District
www.chicagoparkdistrict.com
Community Relations
www.neweastsidecommunity.com
Grant Park & Daley Bicentennial Plaza
(312) 742-3918
New Eastside (graffiti,maintenance, parks)
(312)-927-6795
Northerly Island
(312) 745-2910
New Eastside Community
(773) 466 1564
Millennium Park
(312) 742-1168
Magellan Development
(312) 642-8869
New East Side Association of Residents
(312) 473-7931
For a complete directory visit www.neweatsidecommunity.com
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Did you know? -‐ Salvation army pick-‐ups in New Eastside occur monthly at N Field Boulevard next to the Shoreham (400 E South Water St). First Saturday of every month. Clothing and accessories only. 8:30AM until Noon.
Preschools in the New Eastside By Ophelia Dodds | Community Contributor & Elaine Hyde | Editor
There are two key preschools in New Eastside, Chalk and the Lakefront Children’s Academy (LCA). However, it is important to note that Ogden (the Chicago Public School (CPS) for this area) offers a tuition based preschool program. GEMS World Academy, which has a planned opening of fall 2014, to be located next to the Tides building, will be a K-12 school and there are currently no concrete plans to open a preschool in the New Eastside. Preschools in the New Eastside Comparison Chart Annual School Selections Time (1) Tuition 5,3 & 2 full 7.30amChalk $21,420 days 5pm 5,3 & 2 full LCA 7am-6pm $15,860 days 8am-12pm 5 or 3 half or 2pmdays 6pm 7:30am (2) Ogden 5 full days $11,650 5:30pm
Teacher/Student Ratio
Class size
1:8
16
1:6 to 1:8
16
1:6
(3)
20
Notes (1) 52 week year assumed for Chalk and LCA, 36 week for Ogden. Tuition based on 5 full days, full time schedule. (2) Excludes Meals (3) One certified teacher and two assistants for 20 children minimum.
Overview Lakefront Children’s Academy (400 E. Randolph Street) is academically focused. According to their website, “95% of Pre-K and Kindergarten graduates, who apply, are accepted to Chicago’s top private, classical, and public gifted schools” and Child Care Business Publications recognizes LCA as one of the top 100 child care centers in the country. They offer field trips and summer camps including swimming lessons.
Chalk (360 E. South Water Street) offers a new facility that opened in 2011. It has very caring teachers and a play-based curriculum that is flexible, leaving the teacher to adjust to the needs of the class. Equipment and classrooms are excellent and there is a focus on social skills in addition to academic learning. Chalk and LCA both lack outdoor space but share use of the Lakeshore East Park and playground for their outdoor activities. Both offer a yearround facility and rolling enrollment as soon as a child turns two. Children do not need to be potty trained.
Lakefront Children’s Academy as seen from Randolph Street is located at 400 E Randolph Condominiums on the second story.
Ogden International (24 W. Walton Street, Chicago) is a Chicago public school that serves the New Eastside. It offers the International Baccalaureate program from grades K-12. Tuition based preschool is offered. They use the Blueprint for Literacy Curriculum that is a play-based program. As it is not year-round, working parents must find summer alternatives. Outdoor private playground and access to a public park nearby is available to preschoolers. Ogden CPS registration requirements apply. At least 3 but not yet 5 by September 1st. Must be potty trained. Class size is a minimum of 20 students with one certified teacher and two teacher assistants. More Info & Websites Visit www.chalkpreschools.com, www.lakefrontchildrensacademy.com, www.cps.edu or www.ogdenschool.org.
Chalk Preschool is located in the Tides building at 360 E South Water Street at the park level.
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Upcoming Events Schedules are subject to change. Call venues to confirm event information.
For a full calendar of local events visit www.neweastsidecommunity.com. Email info@neweastsidecommunity.com to inform us about your event.
SEPTEMBER
Sunday 8 Chicago Half Marathon & Hyundai Hope on Wheels 5K 7AM. Cost $105. Begins and ends at Jackson Park. S rd Lakeshore Drive & 63 St and goes south along the scenic Lakeshore.
Tuesday 10 Ready, Wait…Wait, Go! 7PM-10PM WBEZ’S FIRST-EVER FUN RUN AND PARTY LED BY WAIT, WAIT… DON’T TELL ME! HOST PETER SAGAL Beginning and ending at Universal Sole store in Lakeshore East Park. 333 E Benton Place.
Wednesday 11 th Fulcrum Point 15 Annual Concert for Peace 6:30PM. Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavilion. FREE Enjoy classical and contemporary music from India. Visit fulcrumpoint.org for more info.
Pizza in the Park Fun Run – Presented by Universal Sole 6PM. FREE Pizza and beer provided. The Park at Lakeshore East
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Thursday 12 World Music Festival 6PM. Opening night. Concerts by international music’s greatest talents. Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavillion Also September 13, 14,15 & 20 – FREE
Saturday 14 Mexican Independence Parade September 14, 2013 Columbus from Balbo to Monroe Start Time: Noon
Saturday 21 Lakeshore East Magellan Rewards Partners Local Business Fair 11AM – 2PM. FREE The Park at Lakeshore East. Representatives from local businesses will be dolling out info, discounts and freebies.
Friday 27 – Sunday 29 Chicago Gourmet
8AM. $35 Adults. Kids $5. Kids Dash 10:30AM. 411 E Benton Place (The Park at Lakeshore East)
Millennium Park Time and Cost varies per ticket type starting from $159. Chicago Gourmet is a premier culinary experience aimed to promote Chicago’s impressive food and wine community. Visit www.illinoisrestaurants.org for more info.
Friday 20 to Sunday 22 Exposition Chicago
OCTOBER
Sunday 15 Strollers First 5k & Festival
F, Sa11AM – 7PM and Su 11AM – 6PM Navy Pier Festival Halls A & B. Chicago’s premier art fair with over 120 international galleries representing 16 countries. Admission is $20 daily or $30 for a three-day pass.
Thursday 19 Free Garden Walks in Lurie Garden Morning Bird & Nature Walk with the Nature Conservancy 7:30AM-8:30AM. Join Lurie Garden staff and Jeff Walk, Director of Science for the Nature Conservancy in Illinois, on this bird and plant appreciation walk.
Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 Artist’s Studio – Drop in art making for all ages 11AM – 2PM. Family Event at the Art Institute of Chicago. Every Saturday and Sunday in October. FREE.
Thursday 10 Chicago Symphony Orchestra -Simulcast of Verdi’s Requiem 7:30PM. Millennium Park, Jay Pritzker Pavillion. FREE
Monday 14 Chicago Columbus Day Parade Columbus from Balbo to Monroe Start Time: 12:30pm Celebrate Christopher Columbus and his journey to the new world.
October – cont.
NOVEMBER
Friday 18 – Sunday 20 Chicago’s Fine Chocolate and Dessert Show
Saturday 23 Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
F 3PM – 8PM. Sa, Su 10AM-9PM. Navy Pier, Festival Hall A. Cost $10 - $25. Discover all things chocolate! Features fine artisanal chocolate creations from around the world. Over 100 vendors will offer samples for you to taste plus specialty items for purchase, plus live pastry demonstrations, a pairings pavilion and more!
6PM. Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to the Chicago River. Kick off the Christmas season in Chicago, with numerous fun family activities and the highlight, the Mickey Mouse parade illuminating over one million lights along Michigan Avenue.
Tuesday 26 Christkindlmarket Chicago The traditional German American Holiday Market returns to Daley Plaza. Runs to Dec 24.
Thursday 28 McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade State Street from Congress to Randolph. Start Time: 8AM
Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 Open House Chicago - FREE Get behind-the-scenes access to 150 buildings across Chicago. Explore hidden gems and architectural treasures in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Visit www.openhousechicago.org
Friday 25 – Sunday 27 Franken Plaza Chicagoween Daley Plaza becomes Franken Plaza. Includes free performances from Midnight Circus, a Friday night scary movie and a kids costume contest on Saturday with trick-or-treat candy. Daley Plaza, Chicago. www.chicagoween.us
Turkey Chase 8K 9AM. Adults $45, kids $30. Thanksgiving morning race is a tradition like no other! Begins and ends in Lakeshore East Park.
For a full calendar of local events visit www.neweastsidecommunity.com
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