This year the city’s Park District will do away with swim bans based on E. coli counts, which last year closed beaches 36 times. more ›

The grass isn’t the only green thing at the Bears’ home field. This week Soldier Field earned a prestigious LEED certification for its recycling and energy efficiency programs. more ›

The plot thickens involving Park Grill's contentious deal with the city, as Emanuel's chief of staff — and Mayor Daley's cousin — Theresa Mintle is identified as a former investor in the Millennium Park restaurant. more ›

I have a confession to make - this interview isn't even a little bit objective. North Pond has been one of my favorite spots in Chicago for years, and it was the first fine dining restaurant I ever wrote about. When I got a chance to interview Bruce Sherman, the chef and co-owner of North Pond, I screamed like a little girl at a Justin Bieber concert - though not in front of the chef. Despite my enthusiasm, I had some serious questions for Chef Sherman. We talked to Chef Sherman about staying relevant, the challenges of owning a restaurant on park district land and why he is not a locavore. more ›

Last year, the "Polar Express" train that takes children and their parents on a ride to see Santa at a pretend North Pole in Elburn made a serious error when they left 135 kids out in the cold for an hour after a conductor mistakenly turned them away from boarding the train at the Glen Ellyn train station. Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis blamed the mistake on miscommunication at the time, explaining that the conductor was unaware that he would be running a popular theme train. Still, by the time the boarding error was discovered, most the crying children had already gone home. more ›

The Park District released a 20-30 year plan yesterdayto transform Northerly Island into a nature preserve, complete with an outdoor hiking shelter, man-made reefs for snorkelers and divers, and a green outdoor concert pavilion to replace Charter One Pavilion. more ›

• A construction worker died today after falling through a manhole in the 700 block of N. Michigan Ave.
• The long school day for some CPS students is about to get even longer.
• A male stripper's performance at a private party in a South Side park has cost a 25-year Park District employee his job.

On Tuesday, the City Council called on Tim Mitchell, Daley's Superintendent of Parks, to answer questions about the District's plans to install parking meters at city beaches this fall. The Park District will contract with Standard Parking to manage the meters, which will charge users a dollar an hour for parking at city beaches. In July 38th Ward Alderman Tom Allen expressed outrage at the deal, saying "The slogan is, 'Come out and play' —not 'come out and pay.' We want to revisit this. People own the lakefront. People own the beach. In this economy, that's the only vacation people can afford." more ›

In a symbolic move, 33rd Ward Alderman and Rules Committee Chairman Dick Mell and 38th Ward Alderman and Transportation Committee Chairman Tom Allen are demanding that the Chicago Park District cancel its plans to install meters in over 4,000 parking spots in lakefront spaces. "The slogan is, 'Come out and play', not 'come out and pay.' We want to revisit this. People own the lakefront. People own the beach. In this economy, that's the only vacation people can afford," Allen told the Sun-Times. The Park District announced in May that they would begin charging for parking this fall. Mayor Daley, already bruised and battered from voter outrage over the parking meter privatization debacle, dodged comment on the matter, telling the Tribune, "That's the park district." more ›

To keep overnight parking free at two lots in his ward, Alderman Joe Moore (D-49) said he will pay the Park District $89,000 a year for three years according to Chi-Town Daily News. Moore says the money will come out of his city stipend (taxpayer money) which aldermen get each year for improvements in their wards. The Park District’s Loyola and Leone parking lots used to be free but the Park District recently approved a 25 cents an hour overnight parking fee to generate revenue needed to balance the budget. The daytime fees at Loyola will increase to $1 an hour. Moore told NBC Chicago, “I don’t have any real serious problems with them increasing the meter rates during the day when parks are open” he said, “But leave us alone at night.”
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A judge today dissolved the contract between the Latin School and the Chicago Park District, which means the city owes the Latin School $2 million, but at least public space remains public space. more ›

A four-judge appellate panel halted construction on the Latin School's soccer field in Lincoln Park today. The decision, according to Crain's, "effectively accept[s] the view of a citizens’ group, Protect Our Parks." Now the case goes back to circuit court. [Crain's]
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"No PSLs [personal seat licenses] . . . No sales tax. No amusement tax. No McCormick Place [restaurant] tax. No taxes of any kind. I know that will disappoint the Sun-Times editorial board. But it's the best I can do." Jim Thompson on his apparently magical plan to have the state buy Wrigley without tax money. [S-T] more ›

A county judge issued a ruling against the Park District and Latin School today, mostly siding with Protect Our Parks. From Crain's: more ›

Lincoln Park residents against the Latin School's park deal are taking their complaint to court. The prestigious private school footed parted of the $2 million bill for a soccer field in Lincoln Park in exchange for dibs on its use. Protect Our Parks, a nonprofit group formed to oppose the deal, filed a suit against the city yesterday. more ›

The Park District announced yesterday that it approved the Daley-endorsed plan to move the Chicago Children's Museum to Grant Park. The proposal goes in front of the Planning Commission probably in May and in front of the City Council most likely in June. The meeting yesterday also confirmed that the naming rights to the museum will still be going to Allstate. more ›

Argh, shittiest vandalism ever! A chainsaw-wielding asshole or possibly a team of assholes cut down 15 cottonwood trees in Burnham Park sometime late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. The 50-year-old trees were about 50 feet tall and 11 1/2-feet wide, and park officials estimate damage costs of around $25,000. more ›

Around 50 CPD officers currently on desk duty will be reassigned to street patrol near a handful of Chicago Public Schools. [S-T] more ›

Probably not. But in the wake of a series of tax hikes levied around the Chicago area, it seems people are downright pissed. more ›

Unlike so many political figures in Chicago, Tony Rezko didn't come from a background steeped in ward politics and clout. In fact, after he finished his degrees at IIT, did what most new immigrants to Chicago do: he got a job. more ›

Lace up your skates and fast. The Park District skating rinks close Feb 29. more ›

Go take your classic shots of Buckingham Fountain now. Come September, the landmark will be under a tent for a while as part of a $25 million restoration. more ›

Who wants to go ice skating a Soldier Field? We do! We do! more ›

After the Trib ran a story about Wheeling's Amante Enad roasting pigs in his back yard in traditional Filipino fashion, the village issued him a citation barring the practice and asking him to fork over (hay-oh!) his roasting equipment. [Trib] more ›

The sweetheart deal negotiated by the investors of Park Grill and the Park District has been covered before. But a good story is worth repeating, so we'll remind you, the taxpayer, what you're paying for at Park Grill: more ›

Born on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King would have been 79 this year. In 1984 an act of Congress made the third Monday of this month Martin Luther King Day. With most government offices closed today, there are a plethora of events honoring his memory. The Chicago Park District is holding a series of events dedicated to his legacy. The University of Chicago is hosting panels and speakers all week, with a series of films and documentaries this evening starting at 5 p.m. The DuSable Museum of African American History is holding workshops, performances and panel discussions on the legacy of the civil rights movement and the challenges it still faces in 21st century America. The Chicago History Museum kicks the day off with crafts and storytelling for children, followed by songs and spirituals performed by the Chicago Chamber Choir. At 1 p.m., LeRoyce Hawkins and Cameron Drake will perform Jeff Stetson's critically acclaimed "The Meeting", an imagined meeting between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, followed by a reading of King's "I have a Dream" speech. more ›

Jane’s Place is a partnership between (among other institutions) Jane Adams’ Hull House and Nettlehorst School in Lakeview. They offer classes for kids ages 20 months through 8th grade throughout the day and in the afternoon. Prices, on the expensive side, range between $100 and $200 for six, nine and ten week programs. Titles include “Toddler French”, “Unabridged Story”, “Knitting” and “World Music Drumming”. They even offer adult classes in Yoga, Jewelry Making and Egyptian Dance (hip scarf optional). Although our kid is too young to sign up, we're happy to see local public schools offering alternatives for kids this winter. more ›

Well, we didn't set out to have a fecal-theme day, but when it rains (poop), it pours (dog poop). A Gold Coast grandmother was fined $400 this week for flinging dog crap at the Latin School. Strange but true! What would prompt such an act? "I had just had it with Latin," she said. Kass works for CPS and is also minister, according to the Pioneer Local. [She says she] "just got tired of... more ›

Where Can I Go Sledding? more ›

But there are a bunch of cute links at the bottom as a brain cleanser. The body that washed up in Zion Wednesday has been IDed as missing kayaker Walter Doroba. The Gurnee man had been missing since October 28. A three-year-old in Kenosha shot and killed himself while apparently playing with his mother's pistol, which she kept in her nightstand. Sergio Chavez, 5, was killed when a television set fell on him in... more ›