Newsletter March-April 2021 |
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Note From Skyline Village Chicago President Phyllis Mitzen |
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Everywhere we zoom these days people are talking about two things: the vaccine and racial justice/racial equity.
The adventures of getting the “shot” range from surprise to perseverance. One couple walked into Northwestern while on an afternoon stroll to inquire about the vaccine and were invited to sit right down and get their shots. Others set their alarms for every hour on the hour to check various sites for available appointments. If you’ve not gotten your shot and are still wondering what to do, the city has a good website now. Check it out here.
Senator Robert Peters recently spoke to Skyline Villagers about the groundbreaking 764-page criminal justice bill he helped craft. The bill, ending cash bail, requiring police officers to wear body cameras and creating a statewide certification program for police officers, mandates three phone calls for detainees. Three phone calls. If we have to mandate three phone calls, the system really needed fixing.
I’m particularly struck by the changes to the rights of crime victims. I’ve seen so many mothers on the news overwrought by the sudden violent death of their children. These mothers are eligible for burial costs from the state but their immovable grief often extended past the deadline to apply. That deadline has been extended as well as the amount of monetary support available. This is truly staring down systemic racism through an equity lens.
Governor Pritzker signed the bill on February 23, 2021. Bravo.
Wishing us all a sunny spring!
Phyllis Mitzen, President Skyline Village Chicago
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Thank you for supporting Skyline Village Chicago
Please consider making a donation to help us keep our virtual doors open.
Annual Dues $75 per individual, $100 per couple
Mail check: Skyline Village Chicago, PO Box 64524, Chicago, IL 60664
Our 501C3 status affords members tax deductions to the extent allowed by law.
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COVID-19 AND PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN |
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COVID Fatigue?
Don't let your guard down! For up-to-date data on the COVID-10 Coronavirus, Click here
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What are you looking forward to? Share your thoughts with us for when you take your vaccinated body out for a stroll. Email [email protected]. Write "looking forward" on the subject line. |
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Chicago Restaurant Week
March 19 - April 4, 2021
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During Chicago Restaurant Week, diners can enjoy special prix fixe menus from restaurants throughout Chicago and nearby suburbs.
Multi-course meals are $25 for brunch or lunch, and $39 and/or $55 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).
This year, diners have the flexibility to experience Chicago Restaurant Week through indoor and outdoor dining, or at home with delivery and takeout options. Check it out here.
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Summer 2021, “Toward Common Cause: Art, Social Change, and the MacArthur Fellows Program at 40” |
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Twenty-eight artists who have
MacArthur “Genius” grants will come together for a single exhibition, spread across nearly 20 venues in Chicago. “Toward Common Cause: Art, Social Change, and the MacArthur Fellows Program at 40” will include grantees such as Nicole Eisenman, LaToya Ruby Frazier, David Hammons, and Kerry James Marshall. For More information click here.
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Skyline Village Chicago is using Zoom to connect with members and friends. Please join us at one of the following. |
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Dr. Michael Ison
Tuesday, March 9, 4:00 PM
Presentation is free but you must register HERE.
Dr. Ison leads us in his fourth presentation on Covid-19. This session will focus on the different vaccines, their efficacy and safety and what we do after our shots.
Dr. Michael Ison, MD MS FIDSA FAST, Professor, Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
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Women’s Salon Zoom
March 16, 2021, 3:30-5:00 PM
April 13, 2021, 3:30-5:00 PM
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SVC members gather in conversation monthly to increase their awareness of cultural and societal notions on aging. If you’re interested in joining us and are not already on the Zoom list, contact [email protected] and write SALON on the subject line.
Note: March Women's Salon usually held on the second Tuesday has been moved to the third Tuesday due to Dr. Ison's availability.
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Weekly Zoom Chat
Every Friday 4:00-5:00 PM
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Check in for a backyard over-the-fence chat on how you’re getting along during the Shutdown and what strategies you’re using to stay sane and healthy. If you’re not already on the Zoom list, contact [email protected] and write Friday Chat on the Subject Line.
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Zoom App Party
Tuesday, March 30, 4:00 PM
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Bring your favorite APPs to share with your friends and neighbors on your Zoom square. Get ready to take notes about their favorites. The Chat will be open and ready for you.
App Party is free but you must register HERE.
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To Be Young, Gifted, and Black
An Interactive Discussion about Lorraine Hansberry
Led by D Clancy, 4:00 PM, Thursday, April 15
"A play that changed America forever" raved the New York Times about "A Raisin in the Sun", the award-winning play by Chicagoan Lorraine Hansberry. Please read it (and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black", if possible) before our discussion. Both are short and powerful--and available at the Chicago Public Library and Volumes Bookstore (312.846.6750. 900 N. Michigan, 5th floor). Even if you don't have time to do the reading beforehand, you're welcome to join the discussion.
The play debuted on Broadway in 1959 and has relevance today as Hansberry presents housing discrimination faced by a Black family in Chicago.
In recognition of Lorraine Hansberry's contribution to American literature, the Chicago City Council's Committee on Historical Landmarks Preservation granted her family home landmark status in 2010.
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Personal Safety & Calling 911
Theresa Kelly, Stephanie Novalini, Community Relations Officers
Chicago Police Department
18th District, Near North Station
PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS
While no one can guarantee your total safety, you can lessen the chance of being a victim by making it more difficult for a would-be thief or attacker.
- Walk, ride or jog with a partner.
- Wear a bright-colored whistle. Make it visible. It’s a deterrent.
- Avoid dark isolated places – don’t walk or park there.
- Be alert, look around.
- Keep at least one hand free – don’t carry bulky purses or packages.
- When you are alone, avoid wearing headphones or talking on your cell phone.
- Late at night, have someone meet you at the bus stop or train station. Have the taxi driver watch while you enter your home.
- On public transportation, try to use the busiest, best-lit stop possible both to get on and off the bus or train. When waiting for a train, stay close to other people in the most well-lit area of the station. When on the train or bus, sit near the driver or operator.
- After dark, tell family and friends when to expect you and how you will be traveling.
- When at a bar, never lose sight of your drink.
- Have your house and car keys out and ready to use.
- Follow your instincts – if you feel threatened go to the nearest open store or business.Call 911 immediately.
Remember:
- There is safety in numbers.
- Ignoring your instincts is not worth the risk.
- Don’t be afraid or too shy to ask for someone to walk you to your car or home.
- Adopt a frame of mind that allows you to recognize and avoid potential threats on the street. If you feel threatened, call 911 immediately.
TIPS ON CALLING 911 and 311
911 Calls
If you call 911 and do not get an immediate response, do not hang up and call again. This will only further delay your call. In the majority of cases, calls are answered on the first ring. During high volume periods, you may experience a slight delay.
Ambulance Calls: Ambulances are for emergency situations only. Minor illnesses or routine medical visits will be referred to private ambulance services. The City does charge for ambulance services, but individuals will not be turned down solely on the basis that their insurance will not cover the cost. If you request an ambulance and the nearest one is over 18 blocks away, a Fire Department vehicle will be dispatched to your location to provide basic services until the paramedics arrive.
Police Calls: Situations that involve threat to life, bodily injury, or major property damage or loss are the highest priorities. Second priorities include situations that are not life threatening, do not involve injuries or major destruction to property or the crime is no longer in progress. It is important to provide as much information on your situation as possible. Operators ask questions regarding the persons or autos involved in an accident. If you request an ambulance, the operator will inquire about your medical history. The more information you provide, the easier and faster it is for dispatchers to get services to you.
311 Calls:
Call 311 for situations that do not involve a crime in progress or an immediate threat to life, bodily injury, or major property damage or loss. If you have any doubt, call 911!
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A MORE LIVABLE (COVID) CITY |
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The Lakefront Walk and Chicago Parks are Open!
What are you doing? Staying home? Going out? Long walks? Send us a photo of what you’re doing or planning to do as it gets warmer. Show us your livable city. Send to [email protected]
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Join the Conversation: The Chicago Monuments Project
Curious about the removal of Chicago’s statues?
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The Monuments Project is a vehicle to address the hard truths of Chicago’s racial history, confront the ways in which that history has and has not been memorialized and develop a framework to mark public spaces with memorials to Chicago’s true and complete history.
There are forty-one objects under consideration for removal including statues of Lincoln and Grant! Do you have an opinion? A favorite? The city wants to hear it. You can participate in an upcoming series of speaker events or a virtual drop-in with city officials.
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On a snowy cold night in February 2020, Skyline Village Chicago hosted State Representative Lamont Robinson in moderating a Town Hall meeting to highlight the dangerous conditions for pedestrians on Michigan Avenue. In November 2020, the Chicago Department of Transportation installed “bump-outs” at Delaware and Michigan to slow traffic down at that intersection. Take a look and think of Skyline Village Chicago on your next walk. |
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Many of our friends are conducting online classes and events. Click into their newsletters and websites for information.
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Forward Chicago Website
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The Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy Website
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Beth Finke MasterTeachers™: Website
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Center for Life and Learning 4th Presbyterian Church: Website
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Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease: website
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Rush Generations Center for Excellence in Aging: Website
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Streeterville Organization for Active Residents: Newsletter
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AARP Chicago Newsletter
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Sounds Good/Good Memories |
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As we go past the treacherous February weather into the milder harbinger of spring soon to come, some members may decide to travel. Whether you take a trip or have an adventure here in Chicago, please send words and pictures to [email protected] by April 23rd for our May-June newsletter. When your gadget asks you for picture size, choose large.
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My Orchid Loves the Snow
By Giulia Guidotti
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My kind neighbor left this orchid in front of my door as a surprise gesture in April 2020 to wish me a happy birthday. It has been a very appreciated gift. When I look at it I smile, thinking of her kindness. As you can see, my orchid loves the snow. |
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Winter in Chicago
By Lenore Holt-Darcy
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This is the first winter in many years that I am home. Taking a conservative approach to the pandemic, I have cancelled all travel plans to Florida and other warm places. It has been a relatively warm winter, allowing for my daily two-mile walk along the lakefront up until mid-February. The snow, cold and ice are probably more interesting to me than they might have been in previous years since it has been a while since I have had an opportunity to experience them. Here are shots from my apartment building window overlooking Lake Michigan. The ice floes on the lake have been fascinating as they shift, change, grow and melt. Sometimes the ice looks like Monet’s white water lilies; other times the pieces look more like Carrara marble tiles waiting to be put in place. I hope you enjoy looking at them as well! |
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The Anhinga
By Anna Rappaport
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Our winter community in Florida is on a lake. There is a gazebo at the end next to an area of natural growth. Sometimes birds hang out there. Recently I got to draw the anhinga, a swimming bird found in the western hemisphere. They have long, fanlike tails like a turkey and dagger-like bills they use to spear their prey. Their Brazilian name Anhinga means “devil bird.” |
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NEW
Phyllis Gottlieb
Brenda Mizel
Susanne Glink
RENEWING
Nina Appel
D and Bill Clancy
Roberta Cohen
Giullia Guidotti
Judy Karlov
Michael Nathanson
Richard Sylvia & Ruth Hoberman
Susan Quaintance, Robin Kotajarvi
Center for Life and Learning
Anna Rappaport and Peter Plumly
Stephen and Randi Wine
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Annual Dues:
$75 Individual, $100 Couple
Send a check to: Skyline Village Chicago, P.O. Box 64524, Chicago, IL 60664
Join online:
Email us:
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The Skyline Village Chicago community of older adults engages
in cultural, educational and social programs. We are active, informed
and connected advocates within our unique, vibrant high-rise neighborhoods.
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Copyright © 2021 All Rights Reserved |
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