Wisch List

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Will space history shuttle into Chicago?

The WISCH LIST

April 9, 2011

The Bulls are fighting for a top berth, the Blackhawks are fighting for any berth and the White Sox and Cubs have only just begun their 2011 seasons.

Along with perhaps a rash of 2,011 injuries.

But, even if you didn’t realize it, Chicago is already in the playoffs this month. And the championship series is about to blast off.

On Tuesday – the 30th anniversary of first space shuttle flight – NASA will reveal whether Chicago’s Adler Planetarium has been selected as one of the two museums out of 20 competitors to be awarded either Endeavour or Atlantis, the pair of retiring orbiters currently up for grabs.

In 2010, NASA announced that it was sifting through proposals from 21 institutions around the country that had expressed the willingness to raise the nearly $30 million needed to pay for shipping and assembly of one of the shuttles and additional money to construct a suitable exhibit area. NASA already has promised the oldest shuttle, Discovery, to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Last month, Adler unveiled an elaborate concept drawing of the kind of structure that it would build on a parking lot west of the planetarium to house a space shuttle and any exhibits related to it. Following the presentation, Adler president Paul Knappenberger made his final pitch for the Windy City saying, “Chicago is the best place in the Middle West for a shuttle.”

And while I might not agree with Knappenberger on the need to call our region the “Middle West” (seems to me Midwest works just fine), I do agree with him that Chicago – the biggest city between the Eastern and Western, err … East and West coasts – is an ideal spot to display such an important piece of space exploration history.

Chicago has the people. Chicago has the tourists. And, if last weekend was any indication, Chicago also has the interest to make it a success.

This past Sunday afternoon, I took a trip down to Alder – my first in many, many years – to check out the planetarium and see just how many people were still had an appetite for learning about space travel.

Back when I was growing up during the 1980s, that appetite for space exploration – along with moon boots, Tang and astronaut ice cream – was ravenous. Shuttle launches were televised, the Challenger explosion was an enormous national tragedy, and just about every kid I knew entertained dreams of one day taking a trip into space.

Or, they at least, liked to play with Space Legos.

Here in the 21st century, though, NASA doesn’t get the media coverage that it used to, and I just don’t hear much chatter about space. As a result, I questioned how much people still cared about astronauts and the like. But, last Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised to find Adler absolutely packed and overflowing with kids and parents.

The planetarium’s proposal to win an orbiter has been aided by a space shuttle advisory committee headed up by Chicago-area resident and Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell. And part of Adler’s plan, according to Knappenberger, would be to build a glass-walled shuttle pavilion atop an underground parking garage that would replace the museum’s current surface lot.

“In one direction, the shuttle would be framed looking out over Lake Michigan,” Knappenberger said. “And in the other direction, it would face Chicago’s beautiful skyline.”

Earlier this year, Discovery took its last space flight, and come this summer, Atlantis is supposed to close out the shuttle program.

If space was the Final Frontier for those shuttles, then could Chicago be one’s Final Destination?

We’ll find out soon enough.

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Spreading the (good) news in Chicagoland

The WISCH LIST

April 2, 2011

A Chicago woman is dead after she was knocked down a flight of stairs during an iPhone theft. A pool hall in north suburban Glenview has been caught selling alcohol – to a 12-year-old. And the Chicago Cubs’ are now in their 103rd at-bat and still hitless when it comes to winning a World Series championship.

Yes, wherever you look in Chicagoland, bad news abounds.

(I’m kidding about the Cubs … well, you know, sort of.)

But Chicagoan Sarah Jindra is working to offset that fact, at least a little bit, and in her own unique way.

“I just want people to realize that there are those in the community who are doing good things, fabulous things,” explained Jindra, a traffic reporter for Chicago Public Radio WBEZ-FM 91.5 and fill-in for WMAQ-Ch. 5.

And that was exactly why, in January 2010, Jindra launched her website INSPIREmechicago.com. She figured people throughout the greater Chicago area could use some good news – and that she was just the person to deliver it to them.

“Everyone always complains about only seeing bad news,” explained Jindra, a native of Westmont who graduated from the University of Illinois in 2004 and formerly worked as TV reporter for WCIA in Champaign. “But it’s not that good news isn’t out there or isn’t being reported by TV stations, newspapers and radio.

“It’s just that you have to search too hard to find those stories. So, I wanted to provide a resource to find it all in one place. Kind of fill a different niche.”

The niche that Jindra has carved out for herself and her readers at INSPIREmechicago.com – which features the tagline “Good News Only” – is filled with the kinds of uplifting stories that often seem to slip through the cracks or get overshadowed by more sobering reports.

“Serious news is very important, too,” Jindra said. “But when I was a TV reporter in Champaign, I really loved when I got a chance to tell positive stories, and not just miserable ones. I missed that.”

Just this week, Jindra made sure her readers didn’t miss the news about a 22-year-old Yale student from the Chicago projects who plans to move back home after she graduates in May so she can aid other kids growing up in low-income neighborhoods like she did.

She let readers know she that someone with ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” had discovered her site and called her, asking for help in finding inspiring families in the Chicago area to feature on the show.

And she shared news that “My Run,” a new film documenting one man’s powerful story about running an incredible 75 marathons in 75 consecutive days to raise cancer awareness was making its nationwide debut this week.

You don’t need a news flash to know that cancer is bad news. Anyone who has battled the disease or has had a loved one fight it knows that all too well. But, true to form, Jindra this spring is also working to generate good news about bad and has been chosen by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as one of 14 candidates for its 2011 “Man and Woman of the Year” campaign.

For 10 weeks, ending on May 21, she and the other candidates are competing to raise money to help support patient services and life-saving blood cancer research. Last year, the competition raised more than $647,000 – and Jindra currently is raising funds through a variety of fun Chicago events, including a Cubs rooftop party on Sunday.

Who knows, maybe she can bring them good news, too.

To learn more about Jindra’s “Woman of the Year” campaign, visit sarahjindraandfriends.blogspot.com.

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Chicago’s alive with the Soundtrack of Music

The WISCH LIST

March 26, 2011

Travel the country, and you’ll discover that Chicago is known for many things.

It’s known, of course, for its food (hot dogs, pizza and fine dining). It’s known, of course, for its architecture (Sears Tower, Willis Tower … whatever). It’s known, of course, for its sports teams (Da Bears, Da Bulls, Duh Cubs …). And it’s known, of course, for its corruption (Dillinger, Capone and, now, Blagojevich).

But Chicago also used to be known for its music.

These days, it isn’t as much. However, if a couple of Windy City music buffs named Casey Meehan (who you don’t know) and Rahm Emanuel (who you certainly do) have their way, it will be once again.

Early this month, during an interview on Chicago’s WXRT-FM, mayor-elect Emanuel brought up the idea of creating a music district in the city’s Uptown neighborhood.

“You have the Riv [Riviera Theatre], you have the Aragon [Ballroom],” Emanuel said, ticking off two of the legendary venues at the intersection of Broadway and Lawrence avenues. “We have a downtown theater district. Should there be an Uptown music district, given our history with labels as well as the club scene, which is truly, truly unique around the country?”

Once upon a time, Chicago’s Uptown was a Mecca for big-name musical acts, playing host to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman. In more recent years, Bruce Springsteen, the Grateful Dead and others have appeared at venues in the neighborhood. And, these days, despite Uptown being quite edgy (read: pretty dangerous), the area still hosts high-profile shows.

“There are many longstanding institutions in the neighborhood that could serve as anchors for a music district – from the Green Mill, to the Aragon to the Rivieria to the Uptown,” Emanuel spokesman Ben LaBolt recently said, echoing his boss’ ideas (get used to that).

However, Uptown – even if it becomes Chicago’s designated music district – is hardly the only area of the city where concertgoers flock to hear live music. On any given night, shows are being held all across Chicago. And that’s where Casey Meehan enters the picture.

Meehan, a 32-year-old musician, moved from New Orleans to Chicago in 2001 and became connected with other local performers. In the years since, though, he has come to believe that something big is lacking in Chicago’s rock scene. It’s not the music – “Chicago’s is as good as any city’s out there,” Meehan said – but rather it’s the recognition.

“I felt like something massive needed to change,” Meehan said. “And it wasn’t about making a better record. It’s about finding ways to build an audience.”

To that end, Meehan launched an online record label named Rock Proper, which offers free album downloads and radio streaming at rockproper.com. The site drew big traffic, Meehan said, but on more of a widespread scale and didn’t attract as many local ears as he had hoped for.

So, this year, to better promote rising artists in Chicago – and connect fans to them – Meehan has launched chicagomixtape.com, a free subscription music service. On Monday or Tuesday of each week, subscribers receive an e-mail compilation of free high-quality MP3s of music from local artists who are performing in the city that week, as well as concert information.

For you, that means you can have fresh music for your iPod each week, as well as plenty of details and time to plan a visit to Chicago to check out a show during the coming weekend.

“I just really want Chicago to be a vibrant, connected music scene,” Meehan said. “There’s a lot here that falls under the radar.”

Less, though, when Chicagoans are working to put things on the map.

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Casting an Irish eye on Chicago

The WISCH LIST

March 12, 2011

Come this spring, Mayor Richard M. Daley will step down after 21 years of running the city of Chicago.

And come this afternoon, he’ll step down after 21 years of serving as honorary chairman for Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

I wonder which gig he’ll miss more.

At noon today, the 56th annual parade kicks off in Grant Park at Balbo Drive and Columbus Avenue noon and follows its route north up Columbus to Monroe. Now, if you’re reading this column in the newspaper, it’s probably too late for you to make it downtown in time to catch the parade. But that hardly means you have to miss out on all the St. Patrick’s Day fun going on in the city.

There’s plenty more happening through March 17.

You’re lucky.

St. Patrick’s Day Post-Parade Party

So, you might not be able to make it to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, but if you hustle you can probably arrive in time to enjoy the Post-Parade Party at the Hard Rock Café (63 W. Ontario St.).

From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, the River North hotspot is holding its third annual post-parade bash which will feature live music, Irish dancers, bagpipers and even a Lucky Charms eating contest.

Now, that’s different.

There’s no cover charge, but any donations at the door will benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to help the fight against childhood cancer.

Northwest Side Irish Parade

If you didn’t visit the city today, but are still itching to see some shamrock floats, the luck of the Irish is with you.

At noon on Sunday, the ninth annual Northwest Side Irish Parade will kick off at Onahan Elementary School (6634 W. Raven St.) in Norwood Park. The free event feature bagpipe and drumming troupe, the Emerald Society, as well as the Mullane Irish Dancers, Jesse White Tumblers and plenty more.

An after-party at Immaculate Conception Parish (6211 W. Talcott Ave.) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. will also feature a corned beef and cabbage dinner, drinks, live music and kids’ activities ($10 admission fee, or $5 for kids under age 10). For more information, visit northwestsideirish.org.

World Kitchen: Cooking of the Green

On St. Patrick’s Day, anything green goes. And in Chicago’s Loop at the Gallery 37 Center for Arts (66 E. Randolph St.) that goes for the kitchen, too.

From 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as part of its “World Kitchen” series, Gallery 37 is holding a “Cooking of the Green” culinary class during which attendees will learn how to cook up healthy dishes with green ingredients (think lots of veggies), as well as a few dishes with a decidedly Irish flavor.

The class costs $30 and requires pre-registration, which can be done by phone (312-742-TIXS) or you can visit ChicagoWorldKitchen.org for more information.

D4 Irish Pub & Cafe

It’s safe to say that every Irish pub in the city – and the state, for that matter – will be doing its fair share of celebrating this week. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find one doing as much as D4 Irish Pub & Cafe (345 E. Ohio St.) in Chicago’s Gold Coast.

D4 bill itself as “Chicago’s Premier Irish Address,” and it just might be considering all the events it has planned this week.
On Sunday, the bar will serve an Irish brunch featuring Irish pudding, rashers and sausages and corned beef hash. On Tuesday night, traditional Irish music and dance troupe Chicago Reel will perform. And on Wednesday evening, the 10-time World Champion Trinity Irish Dancers will dance a jig – or 10.

For more information, visit d4pub.com.

And have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

11 not the only chapter for Chicago bookstores

The WISCH LIST

March 5, 2011

I always have words on my mind.

But last weekend, I had books on it, too.

So, I went out and bought one.

You know, the real thing – actual wood-pulp-and-ink pages, not pixilated ones. And I even made my purchase at an actual bookstore.

I felt like a rebel.

And I also felt pretty good.

With the emergence of Apple’s iPad (which I own) and the spread of Amazon.com’s Kindle (which I don’t), the printed word during the past year has fallen under new assault. Not unlike newspapers before them, books – and, in turn, bookstores – have become endangered as consumers increasingly opt to use e-readers or order their print copies from the Internet while wearing pajamas.

However, last weekend the Chicago Tribune reported that a funny thing has happened on the way to the bargain bin: independent bookstores – once seemingly headed the way of the dodo – now actually appear more stable than big-box retailers such as Borders (in bankruptcy) and Barnes & Noble (reportedly for sale).

How’s that for writing a comeback story?

“They got through their own valley of death,” Scott Lubeck, executive director of the New York City-based Book Industry Study Group said about the nation’s approximately 1,500 surviving indie bookstores, down from a one-time high of 4,000. “I see many, many independent booksellers, and I think they’re going to continue to thrive. There’s no question about it: The bookstore is still the most powerful instrument to connect a reader with a book.”

That it is, and last weekend to reconnect this writer with a bookstore, I drove to Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood to visit The Book Cellar (4736 N. Lincoln Ave.), one of about 50 independent shops left in the city and suburbs.

It was inside the cozy shop – there’s even a wine bar – that I bought my latest book (“Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago,” by legendary newspaper columnist Mike Royko) and chatted up customers about the future of neighbhorhood bookstores, which can provide as much vibrance and sense of community as any corner restaurant or tavern.

“I’m one of those bookstore people who have refused to buy a Kindle,” 28-year-old Chicagoan Ingrid Payne told me as we stood among The Book Cellar’s stacks. “I have friends who have said to give it a try, that they’re addicted to their Kindle. But, for me, there’s just a certain nostalgia to bookstores.

“It’s the sensory experience of coming here. You can walk down the aisles, see the colors of the book covers, touch things, browse … But I think it’s a generational thing. I don’t think kids in high school today probably come to bookstores.”
Probably not. But that hardly means bookstores should go away. I can live with my local video rental store closing up, but if city bookstores were to completely vanish, well, that will be a sad day in Chicago.

And America.

Truth be told, I now buy more books for my iPad than my bookshelves, which have little space left to store anything. And I’ve found it surprisingly fun to read books electronically. As with newspapers, I embrace both print and digital and see beauty in each.

However, a bookstore is far more than just a building, it’s an experience. And while we may see fewer big retailers – I’m already missing the shuttered Borders along North Michigan Avenue – to know that indie shops are preserving a niche for word lovers the way vintage record shops provide haven for music buffs does warm this writer’s heart.

It’s a comforting to hear the rumor of every bookstores’ death has been greatly exaggerated, as Mark Twain might have said in this digital era.

Or, I suppose, tweeted it.

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

In Chicago, mayoral history repeats itself

The WISCH LIST

Feb. 26, 2011

Meet Chicago’s new boss.

Same as the old boss?

Well, at least regarding his ease of election, Rahm Emanuel appears to be.

For the first time in two decades, the Windy City this week held a mayoral election without the name Richard M. Daley appearing on the ballot. But, you could hardly tell the difference.

Because, just like Daley – who could clear his throat and garner two-thirds of the city’s votes – Emanuel captured the city’s top job in a rout. Snaring 55 percent of the ballots cast, President Obama’s former Chief of Staff avoided a run-off against a single opponent (you know, a real election) and will assume office in May as the 55th mayor of Chicago.

Now, you likely already know plenty about the city’s new mayor-elect, but today I thought I’d share a few things that you might not about those who preceded him.

William Butler Ogden (1837-38)

In 1805, the city’s first mayor was born in Walton, N.Y., and didn’t reach Chicago until 30 years later when he traveled west to look over land purchased by his brother-in-law, Charles Butler, for $100,000. Unimpressed with the infant Chicago, Ogden informed Butler that he had “been guilty of the grossest folly. There is no such value in the land and won’t be for a generation.”

However, Ogden ended up recovering the $100,000 by selling off one-third of the property that Butler had bought and decided that he did like Chicago well enough after all to stick around and become its inaugural mayor.

Joseph Medill (1871-73)

Medill is best known as the legendary managing editor of the Chicago Tribune who helped nominate Abraham Lincoln for the U.S. presidency.

However, in 1864, Medill left the Tribune to enter politics himself. And after the Great Chicago Fire, he was elected mayor as a member of the temporary “Fireproof” party. Medill served for two years, creating Chicago’s first public library and reforming the police and fire departments. However, the stress of the job wore him down and in August 1873, Medill appointed Lester L. Bond as Acting Mayor for the remaining 3½ months of his term and departed for Europe on a convalescent tour.

Carter Harrison Sr. (1879-87, 1893)
& Carter Harrison Jr. (1897-1905, 1911-15)

Richard J. and Richard M. Daley weren’t the first father-and-son combo to serve as mayors of Chicago. Rather, that honor belonged to the Harrisons.

Initially, Carter Harrison Sr. served four terms as mayor before returning for a fifth in 1893, just before the World’s Columbian Exposition. However, on Oct. 28, 1893, three days before the close of the Exposition, Harrison murdered in his home by Patrick Eugene Prendergast. The delusional 26-year-old believed that Harrison would appoint him to public office upon his re-election – even though Harrison didn’t know who Prendergast was.

Carter Harrison Jr. was elected four years after his father’s death. And interestingly, as the city’s 30th mayor, he was actually the first to be born within the city limits.

Anton Cermak (1931-33)

Carter Harrison Sr. isn’t the only Chicago mayor to have been killed while in office. On Feb. 15, 1933, Mayor Anton Cermak was shaking hands with President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in Miami when assassin Giuseppe Zangara shot him.

Roosevelt was the intended target of Zangara, who told police that he hated rich and powerful people, but not Roosevelt personally. However, rumors circulated after the shooting that Cermak had been the true target because his promise to clean up Chicago’s lawlessness posed a threat to Al Capone and his crime syndicate.

According to Roosevelt biographer Jean Edward Smith, though, there’s no proof for the theory. And, reportedly, just as Zangara fired, a woman hit his arm with her purse, spoiling his aim.

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Cabin fever? Take the kids to Chicago

The WISCH LIST

Feb. 19, 2011

Well, the weather finally broke this week. Thank goodness. But, alas, the start of spring still remains four weeks away.

Sorry to rain on your parade.

(Hey, at least I didn’t snow on it.)

And with the bitterly cold end to 2010 followed by this brutal start to 2011, I’m quite certain that those of you with young children wish spring was instead just four days away, so you can get the kids out of the house.
Even in chilly weather, however, there are plenty of places in Chicago that you can take your boys and girls to visit in order to cure their cabin fever – and maintain your own sanity. And here are few …

The 2011 IKC Cluster of Dog Shows

According to the latest census, Chicago lost 200,000 residents in the past decade. The taxes have also skyrocketed, while the number of cheap parking spots have dwindled to a precious few.

And don’t even get me started on the potholes.

Some might say Chicago has gone to the dogs. But that won’t really be true until Feb. 25-27, when more than 10,000 purebred dogs from 167 breeds invade McCormick Place for a variety of competitions and demonstrations at the International Kennel Club of Chicago Cluster of Dog Shows.

With admission for children 12 and under free with the purchase of an adult ticket, the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. event is great for families. A downloadable discount coupon is also available at www.ikcdogshow.com, along with show details.

‘Jackie and Me’: The Jackie Robinson Story

Like spring, baseball season is also just around the corner. And there’s no better way to get your kids excited than by visiting the Chicago Children’s Theatre (1016 N. Dearborn) to catch the production of “Jackie and Me,” which debuted Feb. 8 to rave reviews.

The 85-minute drama is adapted from the popular children’s novel of the same name and tells the story of a young boy’s time-traveling encounter with Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in Major League baseball.

The show runs through March 27 and tickets are $25-$35. For more information, visit www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

The Mexico Festival of Toys

There’s no need to wait until Cinco de Mayo to celebrate Mexican heritage. Now through March 13, kids can have a fiesta during the “Mexico: Festival of Toys!” at the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier.

The interactive exhibit showcases a collection of more than 600 one-of-a-kind toys on loan from Papalote Children’s Museum in Mexico City. With some items dating back nearly a century, the toys offer a window into Mexico’s playful past and feature handmade dolls, puppets, puzzles, marionettes, papier-mâché animals and more.

To inspire children’s creativity, the museum also offers activity stations, such as a Do-It-Yourself Toy Workshop, where kids can build their own vehicles, dolls and puppets, and a Wheel Track to test the speed of toys that race.

For more information, visit www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

Ed Debevic’s

No matter what kind of fun he or she is up to, a kid’s got to eat, right?

(And parents do, too.)

While it’s nowhere near as popular among locals as it used to be, for the younger set there are still few places more fun to dine in downtown Chicago than Ed Debevic’s (640 N. Wells St.), the kitschy, faux-1950s-style eatery that spans nearly an entire city block in River North.

With the wait staff donning goofy costumes and copping a mock rude attitude while serving you, Ed Debevic’s – and its smart-aleck décor – is a fun way to wind down a kids-themed day in the Windy City.

And survive until spring.

Today’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Need a winter warm-up? Let me spring these on you

The WISCH LIST

Feb. 12, 2011

So, we’re supposed to have a heat wave this weekend.

Temperatures in the 30s.

Heck, I’m almost tempted to hit North Avenue Beach.

While last week’s historic blizzard was a you-had-to-be-there event for Chicagoans – ironically, I’ve had former city residents who have fled to warmer climes tell me they wish they’d gotten to experience it – we’re all a little snow-weary and a lot cold-worn by now.

And we’re ready for spring.

So, today, I wanted to direct an eye towards just that – springtime (and even summer) – by sharing with you the developments I’m most interested in seeing among local sports teams as we barrel ahead toward hotter days.

Soon, I hope.

The Bulls

When he was just a sophomore in high school, I saw Derrick Rose throw down the most stunning fastbreak dunk I’ve ever witnessed in person during a game at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament.

I knew that day Rose would be great.

And, this spring, during the NBA Playoffs, I’m looking forward to finding out just how great the Bulls’ 22-year-old point guard has become. I happen to think he’s become so great that you could tell me right now that he’s already the best player in the NBA.

And I really wouldn’t argue with you.

Illini Basketball

Illinois basketball is a lost cause. Or it’s just lost. Either way, the current crop of Illini seniors – Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis and Bill Cole – simply has not gotten it done this season.

Rarely am I happy to see senior classes depart – the surly Shaun Pruitt and chronically injured Brian Randle Class of’ ’08 being a notable exception – but I think it will probably be a positive development for the Illini program when this class finally sees its eligibility expire.

They’re good guys, but there’s greater skill and strength in Illinois’ underclasses. The heat will be on for Bruce Weber to maximize it.

The Cubs

With the additions of Matt Garza, Kerry Wood and Carlos Pena, the Cubs had a better offseason than I expected. But the key to the Cubs’ season likely still rests on the arm – and head – of Carlos Zambrano.

I’m curious to see if Big Z’s strong finish last season was a sign of good – and calmer – things to come, or just a lull before another inevitable storm.

The White Sox

Ozzie Guillen has always been something of a time bomb. But is his clock with the White Sox still ticking?

In January, the Sox picked up Guillen’s 2012 option, putting to rest questions about whether their controversial manger will be entering a lame duck season. But it didn’t really put to rest questions about his future with the organization.

With the Sox having invested heavily this offseason, they appear poised to contend in the AL Central. But, with the relationship between Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams still prickly, I do wonder how secure Guillen’s job will be if the team doesn’t perform as expected.

Or if his son continues to Tweet.

The Bears

The NFC Championship game and its subsequent fallout did something that I didn’t think was possible: It made Jay Cutler interesting.

And when the Bears roll into Bourbonnais this summer for training camp, what I’m most interested in is how the Bears’ embattled quarterback handles himself on the field with the team, off the field with the fans and in the press tent with the media.

The criticism of Cutler regarding his knee injury – most of it wholly unfair – turned the mopey QB into a fascinating figure. And it will be interesting to see what Cutler will have rehabbed harder by camp – his knee or his image.

Today’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Snowpacolypse Now: The view from Chicago

The WISCH LIST

Feb. 5, 2011

It’s been called the Windy City.

(And, boy, was it ever on Tuesday night.)

It’s been called the City of Big Shoulders (and, after shoveling, a city of sore ones). It’s been called the City That Works (well, in most weather). And it’s been called that Toddlin’ Town (or, if you’re navigating snow-smothered sidewalks, that waddlin’ one).

Yes, Chicago has a lot of nicknames.

But, after serving this week as Ground Zero for an historic blizzard so epic that it could have made Fargo blush, our state’s snow-swept metropolis earned itself a brand new one.

Welcome to Chiberia.

Rocky Balboa would have just loved training here.

For the past 5½ years, I’ve lived in the northeastern province of Chiberia, aka Wrigleyville. And, during that time, I’ve seen my fair share of city storms, including May microbursts and December blizzards. But it wasn’t until Tuesday night that I saw both happen at once when Chicago was simultaneously thunderstruck by 20 inches of thundersnow and 70 mph wind gusts off the lake.

The wicked combination of elements was something to behold. And I certainly beheld it, watching as the wind whipped outside my third-floor apartment’s window and peeking my head out the building’s front door every hour or so to monitor a snowfall so stunning that it earned its own flurry of nicknames, including “Snowprah,” “snOMG” and “Snowtorious B.I.G.”

During the night, the Abominable Snowstorm not only famously trapped hundreds of drivers along Lake Shore Drive, but also stranded a taxi – at a diagonal angle – in the middle of my street after it dropped off a fare.

The passengers went inside, but the cab stayed put – until Thursday.

Hopefully, they tipped well.

At just midday on Tuesday, I had been skeptical as to whether the Storm of the Century would actually live up to its considerable hype. And while having lunch at a neighborhood coffee shop, I mused meteorologically with a 70-ish gentleman who had weathered Chicago’s famous Blizzard of 1967.

“I was performing in a play in the Loop in ’67,” the man, named Guy, recalled, “And I ended up stuck in a hotel for 10 straight days, even though our show was canceled for nine of them. At one point, I got so stir crazy that I walked through two feet of snow to go see a movie that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise, ‘The Sound of Music.’ ”

Both Guy and I wondered if the meteorologists were just singing us a tune with the dire storm forecasts and we parted ways with the words, “I guess we’ll see.”

Well, we saw, all right.

Until we couldn’t from the white-out conditions.

On Wednesday afternoon, once the second blast of lake-effect snow finally ceased, I bundled up, exited my apartment and entered “Into the Wild.” And the snow carnage I encountered in Wrigleyville practically took my visible breath away.

Every side street was covered in three- and four-foot drifts. An empty CTA bus had been abandoned – in mid-turn – at the intersection of Sheffield and Grace, completely blocking the street. Part of Wrigley Field’s roof laid in a heap in front of its iconic marquee, which appeared to be missing a chunk itself.

Eventually, I made my way over to the shuttered Lake Shore Drive, where I strolled down the barren expressway. But despite the incredible mess, everyone that I saw outdoors was wearing a huge grin while taking it all in from a Chicago storm experience that was both awesome and awe-inspiring.

Yes, we’re buried under two feet of snow, but I still wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the world this week.

Chiberia, it’s my kind of town.

This weekend’s column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

Discover all that jazz at Chicago’s Green Mill

The WISCH LIST

Jan. 29, 2010

Prohibition still lives in Chicago.

For example, at the legendary Green Mill Cocktail Lounge in Uptown, they prohibit cell phone calls. And they prohibit videos. And they prohibit photos.

Heck, while live jazz is being played, they even prohibit talking.

But just like with Prohibition during the 1920s, few Chicagoans seem to pay much attention to that last one.

Ninety-one years ago, on January 16, 1920, the 18th Amendment went into effect banning the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol nationwide. And, two weeks ago, to commemorate the anniversary of Prohibition in the city that became notorious for ignoring it, just before midnight on Jan. 15 I dropped in for a drink at the Green Mill.

The onetime hangout of Al Capone & Co.

Having offered continuous entertainment since 1907, the Green Mill, located at 4802 N. Broadway St., is Chicago’s oldest nightclub. And today, the establishment – which formerly was managed by Al Capone’s No. 1 henchman, “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn – stands as one of the city’s most well-known links to the famed mobster.

In 1907, the nightclub originally opened as Pop Morse’s Roadhouse and quickly established itself as a favorite hangout for the show business types who worked at the nearby Essanay Studios. Charlie Chaplin was among the silent film stars known to have visited the roadhouse on occasion.

Around 1910, new owners purchased the club, installed an enormous, green windmill on its roof and re-named the place Green Mill Gardens. By the time Prohibition rolled around a decade later, it had become the most jumpin’ joint on Chicago’s North Side. That didn’t change after alcohol was banned, as jazz fans continued to pack the place to tip back a few drinks while enjoying the new musical art form as performed by future legends such as Anita O’Day and Billie Holliday.

During the mid-1920s, Capone’s South Side mob became interested in the popular club and leased the Green Mill from the owners. Capone and his cronies were known to set up court in a booth at the club that allowed them to watch both the stage and entrances. All the while, McGurn – a ruthless hitman whose trademark was pressing a nickel into the palms of his dead victims – patrolled the club as manager.

Today, the Green Mill is known as one of Chicago’s premier jazz clubs and has been restored to its Prohibition-era splendor with dimly lit décor befitting a speakeasy. Inside you’ll find an ancient cash register, hardwood walls and an alabaster statue of Ceres, Roman Goddess of the Harvest, that’s been rechristened “Stella by Starlight”” by the house musicians. With the frequent shushing by management – and some crowd members – when a band begins playing, the club’s overall scene is a bit pretentious for my taste (I prefer Chicago’s blues clubs).

But, the Green Mill’s history is to die for – almost literally. Perhaps its most famous legend revolves around Capone’s favorite musician Joe E. Lewis, who was being paid handsomely to perform at the Green Mill. However, in 1927, Lewis took a job at a rival club – and promptly had his throat slashed by McGurn’s thugs for doing so.

Miraculously, Lewis survived and, with Capone’s support, eventually made a comeback as a comic – at the Green Mill. His story was made into a 1957 movie, “The Joker Is Wild,” with Frank Sinatra playing Lewis. Today, the episode is immortalized by a poem framed behind the bar at the Green Mill that reads:

Big Al was ingesting spaghetti;
Machine Gun McGurn, strangely still
Told Joe E, “You’ll look like confetti
if you try to quit the Green Mill.”