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Afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* All that turmoil for this? Sun-Times

Eleven acres of Southwest Side land being set up for a migrant tent camp has a long history of industrial use, raising questions about the polluted soil and the health impact for the hundreds of people who would live there.

City officials are performing environmental testing of the land at 38th and California in Brighton Park as they prepare for a possible temporary home for at least 2,000 migrants. The site for the camp, which is surrounded by a residential area, is zoned for heavy manufacturing use.

Despite residents’ protests about the proposed housing, the city says the area appears to be “viable” for the camp. That determination was made before environmental testing.

The site, once owned by a railroad, previously included a zinc smelter, a potentially toxic operation that uses heat and chemicals to extract metals, according to a historic map provided by a community-based environmental organization.

Oy.

* “That kind of crowd”? WTTW

It will be much more difficult for migrants sent to Chicago from the southern border to get a municipal identification card before the end of the year after City Clerk Anna Valencia canceled the remaining events designed to bring City Hall into the city’s neighborhoods.

More than 1,000 people – mostly migrants – lined up hours before the city clerk’s event on Oct. 12 at Gill Park in Wrigleyville was scheduled to start, overwhelming the 15-person staff, Valencia told WTTW News.

“It was too much to manage,” Valencia said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen when you have that kind of crowd. It didn’t seem like it would be a safe event.” […]

Valencia said she did not ask the mayor’s office or other city departments to provide additional staff or resources to allow the scheduled Mobile City Hall events to take place, or to add additional events to meet the demand for the city ID cards from the migrants.

* Maybe Chicago could forgive the water bill for this church

A west suburban church is calling on others to help after spending thousands of dollars in recent weeks to help migrants.

The Parish of St. Catherine-St. Lucy and St. Giles in Oak Park said they’ve opened up their doors for migrants to shower, dress and eat, and the bills have skyrocketed. […]

These shower days mean water bills, which used to be in the hundreds, have skyrocketed to close to $10,000.

“You can see this is wonderful, but it’s not sustainable, by no means, and we are over capacity,” Woznica said.

* ABC 7

Four people were taken to the hospital from a Chicago police station, where many migrants are staying, Monday morning.

One of those transports, from the 1st District police station near 17th and State streets in the South Loop, was a child.

Several emergency crews were on the scene.

There are several tents set up outside, with dozens of migrants walking around the area.

Crews were called for a report of multiple sick people at the police station.

* OK, let’s change topics. Press release…

Today, Governor Pritzker was joined by Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Deputy Governor Grace Hou, Deputy Governor Martin Torres, elected officials, and state agency directors at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning to announce a proposal to create a new state agency to house all early childhood programs and funding. The new unified agency will provide a more equitable, integrated, and holistic system of services for young children and families in Illinois.

“We need a governance system that is unified in its approach to serving families, working with providers, and promoting equity,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our Smart Start Illinois plan served as the catalyst for this transition, but this new agency will cover so much more. From ISBE’s Early Childhood Block Grants and DCFS’ day care licensing program to DHS’ child care, home visiting and early intervention services, soon all of these programs will be administered under the same agency.”

Reaction from Dezaray Brookshire, State Government Director for Illinois Directors and Owners of Childcare Centers (ILDOCC)…

First, on behalf of ILDOCC, we want to applaud Governor Pritzker and his administration for acknowledging that the licensure and oversight of licensed daycares in the state of Illinois, as overseen by the Department of Children and Family Services, is broken and in desperate need for reform. We agree wholeheartedly that new leadership and a fresh approach is critical to rebuilding and strengthening childcare access in Illinois. And creating a single agency focused exclusively on this issue is a positive step forward.

However, even with today’s announcement, it is important to note that the biggest trade organizations that represent providers of child care in every corner of the state were not involved, consulted or informed prior to this morning’s event. This is an example of what providers have faced far too often — where policy decisions are made without the input of the front line experts that provide these services which are relied upon by working families in Illinois.

We welcome Governor Pritzker’s statement that the process must include all stakeholders, and his acknowledgement that the process will require legislation. This alone is a critical improvement over the status quo. As an organization that represents nearly 1,000 separate childcare facilities in Illinois, we look forward to the promise of our inclusion in this process. More importantly, we look forward to working with our legislative champions to ensure this process improves the industry, addresses the long-standing staffing crisis crippling the industry, and increases access to affordable childcare in every corner of the state.

* Isabel’s roundup…

       

6 Comments
  1. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 24, 23 @ 2:42 pm:

    FWIW it looks like you can donate to the Oak Park chuch here (can Chicago, presuming they sell Oak Park the water, give an exemption to a church?
    All money is fungible, so I’m wondering if that violates the First Amendment.)

    http://www.stcatherinestlucy.org/stewardship-and-giving/


  2. - Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Oct 24, 23 @ 2:46 pm:

    ===All that turmoil for this?===

    PrOJecT MaNagEMeNT.


  3. - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Oct 24, 23 @ 2:49 pm:

    ===“It was too much to manage,” Valencia said===

    Good thing she’s not Secretary of State, amirite?


  4. - Jibba - Tuesday, Oct 24, 23 @ 4:08 pm:

    And what typically occurs with zinc? Lead. Zinc smelters all over the country and in other parts of Illinois are heavily contaminated with various heavy metals. Sounds like a great place to keep children. But, the adjoining developed neighborhoods are likely contaminated too.


  5. - Amalia - Tuesday, Oct 24, 23 @ 4:12 pm:

    I’m a Democrat so I’m gonna support my Democrats. But Chicago, DC, you are not doing us proud on how you are handling any aspect of this immigration situation.You gotta do better.


  6. - The Dream is Over - Tuesday, Oct 24, 23 @ 5:05 pm:

    This fiasco in communicating anything related to a plan plus last night’s communications mess shows the mayor’s communications and press team is drowning and taking the mayor down with them. It’s time for a shake up.


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