ComEd Smart Meters Coming to Dunning Soon

Our area is among the first to have smart electric meters installed. The dates are little contradictory on the ComEd web site, but nevertheless it looks like they'll be complete deployment in this area before spring. Also visit the Citizen's Utility Board site for more information.

Upcoming 38th Ward Aldermanic Race Analysis

More trenchant analysis from Russ Stewart. It looks like the 2015 aldermanic elections will be quite heated in our corner of the city. Read all about it at russstewart.com.

Dunning Neighborhood Organization Holiday Party

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City's Electric Aggregation Program a Good Deal? Looks Like Not.

The city has partnered with Integrys to provide electricity to the City. You probably got the mailing. Your account will automatically get transferred (didn't this used to be called "slamming?") if you don't explicitly opt-out by Halloween. Do yourself a favor right away. Go to http://www.chicagopowercalculator.com to find out whether this will be a good deal for you. You'll enter the amount of electricity you used last winter and spring. You can get this information from http://www.comed.com if you haven't saved your bills.

I did the calculation and it turns out that by allowing my electricity account to be transferred will cause my monthly bill to almost double. I'm mailing my opt-out form today.

Sign-Up To NextDoor.com

With the abrupt passing of EveryBlock, there's been a real void in the neighborhood news/citizen journalist space. NextDoor.com is one of several sites trying to fill the void (main other is WikiBlock). NextDoor is different in that you can only belong to and track your neighborhood's newsgroup. No anonymous members (ahem). It has a pilot Belmont Heights group but it need six more members to join before June 20. It seems interesting.

Summer Cinema Scene Stumbles

With the Portage suddenly locked by its owner Eddie Carranza and the Patio closing in the summer due to a broken air conditioning system (still open now happily), our local cinema culture scene comes to a stumbling halt. Bummer indeed.

NPR presents the story of Dunning.

The story of Dunning, a 'tomb for the living'

Think Vote Theft Only Happens in Third World Countries?

Good commentaries on Belmont Height's disenfranchisement in both papers.

This one has a great pic of our alderman:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-wards-20130403,0,1816715.story

Mark Brown weighs in on the theft of our votes:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/19238833-452/lawsuit-over-ward-remap-sure-to-shake-up-city-hall.html

Hold on to your ward boundaries, it ain't over yet.

The League of Women Voters has brought suit against the city for the recent ward remap. Of course, in the remap the 36th got gerrymandered into some kind of a folded-over salamander. The position of this blogger is that the citizens choose the aldermen, the aldermen don't get to choose us. Here's the story in the Sun-Times.

Patio Theater to Screen Chicago Cinema Society Selections

We scooped DNAInfo on this story (see below) but here's their tardy report for your reading pleasure
Patio Theater, Chicago Cinema Society Join Forces - DNAinfo.com Chicago.

Honda Fit Wheels Stolen

On Oketo just north of Addison.

Art Exhibits This Month at Roden Library

The Roden public library in Jefferson Park, 6083 N. Northwest Highway, will be exhibiting the work of two local artists this month for Woman's History Month. The artists are Barb Jaks and Molly Cranch. There will be a reception on Saturday, the 9th from noon to three. Check it out.