I write this letter in deep admiration for the excellent effortsthe Rev. Ignatius McDermott has achieved and continues to accomplishat Haymarket House.
I am an associate, servicing various programs in the Near WestSide community focusing on the many unfortunate individuals plaguedwith alcoholism and substance abuse.
Haymarket House provides a haven geared toward the recovery andrehabilitation of people who do not have the ability to helpthemselves and, more importantly, the tools with which to do so.
I can not suggest strongly enough Father McDermott'scomprehension of the circumstances of people in the Near West Sidecommunity. His efforts to improve the quality of all life should notbe obstructed.
I implore city officials to take into consideration the benefitsof this worthwhile organization as opposed to any negativedisadvantages. And I would ask that the city reconsider the zoningissues regarding the division of the Near West Side and the effectsit will have on this community as a whole. Talmadge R. Young, prevention specialist, Near West Side Community Committee Super display
Our city is a gem - and it never glittered and gleamed morebrightly than at Venetian Night's spectacular fireworks display.
From our Near West Side vantage point, Chicago's sparkling Loopskyline "lights up my life" every night. Joan Angelini, University Village True hero
On the early morning of June 30, firefighter Ray Caballero ofthe Chicago Fire Department risked his life to rescue his next-doorneighbor from her burning home. Ray suffered second- andthird-degree burns and was hospitalized at Loyola Medical Center forsome weeks.
Ray's efforts were truly in the highest tradition of the ChicagoFire Department, and we wish him a speedy recovery. We would like tothank Commissioner Raymond Orozco, Chief Stanley Span, 2nd DistrictChief John Nance and chaplain Father Mulcrone for all the support andassistance they gave Ray, his wife Maria and their family during thistraumatic crisis. Their endeavors are also truly commendable. Charles Vazquez Diatribe fallout
The Rev. Ronald P. Stake, chaplain of the Catholic Lawyers Guildof Chicago, and others have taken offense at questions from theChicago Council of Lawyers asking whether anything in the backgroundof some Catholic judicial candidates, including their religiousaffiliation, could prevent them from deciding particular cases fairlyand in compliance with the law. I agree with him that the samequestion should be put to all candidates of every faith.
I submit, however, the Rev. Stake's outrage is misdirected.This problem would never have arisen had it not been for publicpronouncements from certain Catholic bishops threateningexcommunication or diatribes from Catholic spokesmen such as JosephScheidler of the Pro-Life Action League critical of U.S. JudgePatrick Kelley and others for not following the Roman Catholicteachings instead of following the law of the land.
I know of no clergy or lay leaders of other religions who demandthe same servility from their co-religionists. Rev. Stake shouldinstead direct his criticism against those who use religion in anattempt to force judges and legislators to violate their oaths ofoffice.
It is unfortunate that the religious issue we thought JohnKennedy had put to rest years ago had to be resurrected by Catholicsthemselves, but it will not go away again until other John Kennedysand other Patrick Kelleys speak up in force and make it abundantlyclear that the Joseph Scheidlers and those few bishops do not speakfor mainstream Catholics. It ought to be done soon, before thisissue's roots sink any deeper. Bernard M. Peskin, Near North Side Saving plan
While the final figures are far from in, St. Charles TownshipSupervisor Walter Sava expects an approximate $70,000 shortfall inrevenues needed to cover next year's budget.
According to Sava, to cover this shortfall, the board will betaking a hard look at all township programs, especially those notmandated by the state. Of those, the two topping the list, he said,are senior services ($20,000 in this year's budget) and mosquitoabatement ($33,061 this year, $35,045 next year).
Before the board does any serious damage to existing seniorservices, I suggest they take yet another look at both theirabatement budget and recent media reports regarding programeffectiveness and comparative costs in other Fox Valley communities.
On the off chance they missed those reports, I'll summarize thesingle most salient point in question form one more time:
How can the township justify spending $68,106 over the course oftwo years on a spraying program of questionable safety when, sayentomologists with the Illinois Public Health Department, thatprogram is only effective "zero to 10 percent" of the time? Kay Catlin, St. Charles Tiresome gripes
I hope the people of Chicago are getting tired of hearing gripesfrom the owners and tenants of Lake Point Tower. I know it irks me.
Navy Pier has been around a lot longer than Lake Point Towerand, if memory serves me correctly, the pier was built by dimedonations from the people of Chicago, which in a broad sense meantthe people own it and not the City of Chicago.
I don't remember reading that Lake Point Tower was built withany donations. It was built for the purpose of allowing some peopleto make money in their endeavor, and they must have considered thepossibility of some problems along the line. If they didn't, theyshould have erected the building in Lower Slobbovia where there isalways peace and quiet. W. J. Brunhardt, Uptown Mayoral hypocrisy
Mayor Richard Daley deserves a vote of no confidence. A recentproposal of his is another example of political hypocrisy.
The O'Hare military has contributed considerably to the Chicagoarea. With its nearly 1,000 full-time employees, those contributionsare both monetary and community-related.
Mayor Daley was quick to jump on the bandwagon when the Chicagoarea troops returned from the Persian Gulf war. He gladlyparticipated in the welcome home parade because it was politicallyfavorable.
He has now shown his true colors with the proposal to close anddisband the military unit at O'Hare. Had we known his intentions,perhaps some of us in the military stationed at O'Hare would havechosen not to participate in the parade. The people in Chicagoshowed genuine pride in their armed forces, but the mayor obviouslyshowed up for political gain.
Since his election I have been a Daley backer. I actuallythought he was a man who had great character and concern for the cityand its people. He now shows no consideration for the trust many ofus bestowed on him. In a 1989 agreement with the Air Force, heinitiated a land swap and vowed a friendly relationship with themilitary at O'Hare. Now just two years later that agreement meansnothing to him. Steve Buske, O'Hare military True solution
I empathize with Mayor Daley's frustration with theintractability of the drug problem. The police raids have only atemporary effect. The courts are too lenient. And perhaps thefederal government could do more to interdict drugs at the border.
However, the core of the problem, the breakdown of the familyand the mores and responsibility it teaches and fosters, is beyondgovernment's reach. In fact, government programs designed to fightpoverty have indeed exacerbated the problems of drugs, illegitimacyand even the very poverty such programs were designed to eradicate.
The solution to most of our urban social problems lies in theaffected individuals' taking responsibility for their own lives.This is not good news. The politicians and the social theorists likesolutions that involve social engineering and lots of federal money.Both have contributed to the problem at hand.
Furthermore, the social theorists and politicians have madecareers telling the victims of poverty, drug abuse, crime, etc. thatthey have no responsibility for these problems, that these problemsare caused by discrimination, a lack of compassion and, especially, adearth of federal money.
Can the victims of our urban plagues find a solution to theirproblems when they have been conditioned to abrogate responsibilityfor their own lives, to blame an indifferent and callous federalgovernment? Mark M. Quinn, Near North Side Job losses
Today, I represented a former steelworker who lost his job to aKorean steel mill. In the past year, I represented a former AmericanMotors worker who lost his job to Canada, a former tool and die makerwho lost his job to Japan and a former assembler who lost his job toMexico.
Kodak laid off 7,500 workers in 1989 and 6,500 more last weekand transferred all 14,000 jobs to Mexico. Thirty-five percent ofthe average American-made car has parts from foreign countries.
The Democrats cannot find a candidate for president. I suggestthey look among the millions of Americans who lost their jobs in thepast 10 years. Tom Flynn, Morton Grove Protect our ears
The current practice at the World Music Theatre of havingearplugs for concert goers available only at the first aid stationfor $1 each is appalling. Those patrons who have reserved seats nearthe stage must walk a considerable distance to purchase earprotection that everyone sitting in the pavilion should have.
The markup is obscene as well. It is shameful that the theaterinstalls a profit margin on a device that protects patrons from theattack on their hearing they endure at popular music concerts.
The earplugs should be readily available at all the concessionstands at the World Theatre for a reasonable price, thus encouraginguse.
Protecting one's hearing should not be a time-consuming quest;it should be as convenient as purchasing a beer in the concessionsplaza. Ken Salkover, Evanston
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