Merge

Chicago is in the soul

jd2 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:17:42 PDT

Does living in Chicago make you a Chicagoan? Jeff Ruby thought so but now he's not so sure.

Is Mark Kirk Still Interested in the Senate?

ds4 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:46:43 PDT

It's not clear. He's telling Roll Call he's still in but Chris Cilizza at The Washington Post is reporting otherwise.

Emmett Till's Original Casket Damaged

dcs — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:24:40 PDT

Among the losses -- albeit restorable -- in the recent Burr Oak Cemetery scandal is Emmett Till's original casket, which was found in a storage room with possums living in it.

2016 Olympic Proposed Sport: The Dodge

ah — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:54:47 PDT

Lori Healey, president of the Chicago 2016 bid committee, performed some interesting acrobatics herself at a recent press conference, according to the Trib's David Greising. [via]

Campaign Against the Parking Meter Deal

ah — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:46:14 PDT

Yes, everyone's still pissed about the parking meter deal. And a group called Chicago ANSWER is doing something about it -- circulating a petition this Saturday to have the deal scrapped. [via]

Mixed Opinions on Mixed-Sex Dorms

jl3 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:07:15 PDT

As coed dorms--or gender neutral housing--become a reality at U of C next semester, some wonder if it's such a great idea.

What Makes Your Place Great?

ash — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:16:23 PDT

There's just a few short weeks left for you to nominate your favorite places in Chicago for MPC's Placemaking contest. We wrote about this great project when it started, but now's your chance to share your favorites.

Facing Controversy

kg — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:13:25 PDT

Over at ChicagoNow, contributor Joe The Cop tackles a touchy and controversial subject: Why police officers occasionally shoot people in the back.

The Final Layer

ah — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:08:36 PDT

This year's Layer Tennis season comes to a close today at 2pm with a championship match between designers Shaun Inman and Gregory Hubacek. (Neither is from Chicago, but that's OK -- the stadium is.)

Small Steps

rn — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:02:37 PDT

If you're an all-or-nothing type when it comes to eating healthier, we have some tips on how to break the mold by incorporating a few new, smart foods into your diet in this week's Drive-Thru feature.

Burn That Mutha Down

jma — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:00:00 PDT

Sunday's the 30th anniversary of Disco Demolition Night. This week's Reader has a great sampling of photos from the night (and is sponsoring an exhibition of more on Sunday), while Time Out Chicago has a more nuanced take on the event.

In the Market for a Second Home in Chicago?

dcs — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:04:28 PDT

If so, you're not alone ... even if the strip mall vacancy rate is nearly 11%.

Burris Looks to Drop Out

jj — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:58:22 PDT

Sen. Roland Burris is holding a press conference at 2pm tomorrow, where he's expected to announce that he won't be seeking reelection for his Senate seat.

We're #2! We're #2!

rm — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:09:05 PDT

The Architects' Journal ranks Chris Ware's Chicago second in its list of Top 10 comic book cities. Go vote in their poll -- we're currently tied with a few other inked metropolises. (Thanks, Twitterer and fellow comic book aficionado DovBee!)

On Ramp: GB on ChicagoNow

ah — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:34:52 PDT

We're launching a new Gapers Block blog today -- one that's not here on the site. It's called On Ramp, and it's part of the Tribune's new ChicagoNow project. It's a very different thing from GB proper, but in the same spirit: Each weekday we'll give you a run-down of the best and most interesting news, blog posts, photos and more from around the region, all on a specific theme -- Arts & Literature, Food, Music, Politics and Sports -- as well as a couple related events coming in the week ahead. Check it out and let us know what you think!