Just because...

...I feel this is the best work, as an artist, I have done at this (almost 65!) point in my life!

And my UGLY troll wants me to STOP showing you this beauty of LIFE!

Must be a Democrat, huh?

OVERWHELMING SADNESS...

2 firefighters dead, 14 hurt in extra-alarm blaze

Two firefighters died after a wall collapsed during a 3-11 alarm fire at an abandoned South Side commercial building this morning, authorities said.

Fourteen other firefighters were injured, including two who were trapped with the ones who died.

The firefighters killed were identified as Edward Stringer and Corey Ankum.

Police squad cars escorted two ambulances north on Lake Shore Drive to Northwestern as ramps were closed to clear it of traffic, according to fire communications.

Stringer was one of the firefighters taken there. The condition of the other one was not known.

Ankum, who had been with the department only 16 months, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died.

Late this morning, dozens of firefighters stood at attention, removing their caps and saluting, as Ankum's body was taken from the hospital and put in an ambulance. A police escort led the ambulance to the medical examiner's office.

A similar procession with a dozen department vehicles left Northwestern shortly after noon with Stringer's body.

The fourth firefighter buried in the rubble, and as many as 12 other firefighters with undisclosed injuries, were also taken to hospitals.

Fire officials and sources said 10 were stable and six were taken to hospitals in serious to critical condition, including the two who later died.

{...}

The firefighters' deaths came on the 100th anniversary of a huge fire at the Union Stockyards that claimed the life of 21 Chicago firefighters, the single greatest loss in U.S. history of professional big-city firefighters until Sept. 11, 2001.

Read more here.

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My deepest sympathy to the families of Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer. Deaths which occur during what is supposed to be the 'happiest time of the year' are overwhelmingly sad.

If you, my few readers, could just take a moment today, and say a prayer that these two firefighters' families will have strength to endure their sorrow...that would be the greatest gift you could give!

To those firefighters who were injured, I pray you all make a speedy recovery.

And to the Chicago Fire Department: There are many of us out here who appreciate so very much how you put your lives on the line each and every time you race to strike down a fire. My sincere condolences to all of you on the loss of two of your family members.

How 'progressive' is this, Ald. Joe Moore?

An emergency demolition was called for (probably after his thugs did a little dirty work by toppling a portion of the balustrade connected to the roof of this building, which was once known a 'Wisdom Bridge Theatre', and in long past days, as 'The Limehouse'.

Now, that the building has been demo'd, this is what the upper part of the 1500 W. Howard block looks like.

Nice, isn't it? The alderman of the 49th Ward of Chicago, Joker Joe Moore, who books himself as a 'Progressive, (ACK!) could not give a sh&t that this fence is down, impeding pedestrian traffic on Howard Street.

In fact, Ald. Joe Moore seems to PREFER these tear-downs within Ward 49. He has done so in the past, by sanctioning tear-downs of North Shore School and the Adelphi Theater, in addition to sanctioning the tear-down of the Norshore Theatre in order to build the mainly vacant Gateway Centre, which is situated at the northernmost boundary of his ward (halfway across Howard Street is the City of Evanston, which continues to allow some businesses along Howard Street (their side), which look pretty scurrolous.

Ald. Joe Moore did NOTHING, again, to save some history of Rogers Park, a great of the 49th Ward of Chicago.

He has done NOTHING regarding the fencing, which has fallen across Howard Street. And I am certain, at this point, that his so-called 'Satellite Office' has been made aware of this FAIL.

The 2011 Primary Elections are closer than you think.

Are you going to vote this putz in again? You know he's been a Joker.

Is that what you really want?

Is this the Joker you want representing you--a 'career' politician, a 'money-grabber' and pretty much a yes-man to Mayor Dick'em Daley?

Demon-crats, be very, very careful of what you wish for, and for whom you vote!

What a Shame: Wisdom Bridge Building Collapse

Found this in my Inbox:

Click to enlarge

And another e-mail from Mike Luckenbach at http://www.nhna.blogspot.com/. Check out more shots there.

Click to enlarge

Great shots, Michael!

Seeing as this is the 49th Ward of the City of Chicago, Dick'em Daley, Mare, I have a feeling that the scheduled demolition of this building was "helped along"!

They could have at least saved the facade, but that's not the way Ald. Joe Moore and his scumbag developer friend, Rich Aronson, work at all.

And just where were Wayne Frazier and his buddies this afternoon, hmm?

Oh, and BTW, a sarcastic shout out to Eva McCann and her partners at Wisdom Bridge, who allowed this building to rot away!

And yet another longstanding piece of Rogers Park history disappears....