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Community Corner

🌱 City Asked To Shovel Sidewalks + Polar Express Train Ride Cancelled

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(Patch Media)

Hey, Chicago! In this edition of the Daily:

  • 🗳️ The Illinois Workers' Rights Amendment vote is still too close to call
  • ❄️ Advocates for people with disabilities ask the city to plow sidewalks
  • 🚂 Chicago's Polar Express train ride has been cancelled this season

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Breezy in the afternoon. High: 72 Low: 42.

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Top 5 stories in Chicago:

1) Returns show potential route to passage for Illinois Workers' Rights Amendment. The Workers' Rights Amendment—a measure that would add protections to the Illinois state constitution for workers seeking to unionize, and prohibit any law from being passed that would interfere with those rights—is trending toward passage, but it may be a while before a final outcome is determined. Union leaders and supporters believe the measure will get a majority of all votes cast.

NBC Chicago

2) Chicago's Polar Express train ride cancelled for 2022 season. Organizers are hopeful they can bring the event back to Union Station in 2023. According to a message on The Polar Express website, a "systemwide shortage of railroad personnel" has left the station with "not enough certified operating crews available to run our trains this season."

NBC Chicago

3) Advocates for people with disabilities ask city to plow sidewalks. Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) plans to introduce an ordinance this month to launch a pilot for the city to clear sidewalks so those with disabilities and mobility issues can more easily navigate walkways during winter months. The pilot is estimated to cost $750,000 to cover staffing, materials, equipment and an impact study.

Chicago Sun-Times

4) Lunch staff shortages persist at CPS as one school was unable to feed all students for first time. Cafeteria staff at Whitney Young Magnet High School were unable to feed all students one day last month due to an unforeseen staffing shortage. Administration were not informed until after the lunch period ended. Rickey Harris, Whitney Young's principal, did not say how many students missed out on lunch, but that CPS administrators assured the shortage would not happen again. Staffing and supply chain issues have plagued the district since last year.

Block Club Chicago

5) Chicago group turning plastic bags into sleeping mats for people without housing. The group calls itself BAM, which stands for "Bags and Mats for those in need," and meets every Wednesday at Steve's Lounge on the city's far south side to weave plastic bags into sleeping mats. The group of women has so far made and distributed about 200 plastic sleeping mats to people without housing in Chicago.

FOX 32

Today in Chicago:

  • Thursday Evening Farmers Market in Lincoln Square (3:00 PM)
  • Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce 75th Anniversary Gala at Steppenwolf Theater (6:00 PM)
  • Catwalk Concerts at Hyde Park Art Center (6:00 PM)
  • BYOP Pipe and Ashtray Making Class at Color Cocktail Factory (6:30 PM)
  • Vinyasa & Vino at City Winery (6:30 PM)
  • The Feds with Modafooca with Megan Hozick & The Others at Liar's Club (7:00 PM)
  • Jon Wolfe at Joe's Bar On Weed St. (7:00 PM)
  • Pachanka Music Culture Presents: Rayo De Luz at FitzGerald's (7:00 PM)
  • Bets For Verts: Virtual Poker Tournament (7:00 PM)
  • The Roar: A Prohibition Era Speakeasy at 437 N. Rush St. (7:15 PM)
  • Daniel Howell, We're All Doomed! at The Chicago Theatre (7:30 PM)
  • Drag Bingo Hosted By Aurora Divine at My Buddy's (7:30 PM)
  • Just Mustard, Been Stellar at Empty Bottle (7:30 PM)
  • CSO & The Joffrey Ballet at Chicago Symphony Orchestra (7:30 PM)
  • The Backseat Lovers at The Riviera Theatre (7:30 PM)
  • Mason Jennings at City Winery (8:00 PM)
  • All We Can See From Here at Steppenwolf Theatre (8:00 PM)
  • Maggie Rose with Reilly Downes at SPACE (8:00 PM)
  • Twiddle with Dogs in a Pile at Park West (8:00 PM)
  • Collie Buddz with Shwayze at Bottom Lounge (9:00 PM)
  • Carnival Nights feat. Nasser Baker at Spybar (10:00 PM)
  • Nathan Scott at TAO Chicago (10:00 PM)

Social chatter:

  • Protected bike lanes: "The lanes will be installed on Kedzie Avenue between Diversey and Addison." (Block Club Chicago via Facebook)
  • Tsukasa Taiko performance: "Join CPL at the Lozano Branch on November 22 for a drum performance by Tsukasa Taiko, a program of Asian Improv Arts Midwest" (Chicago Public Library via Facebook)
  • CTA career fair: "You, too, can help move Chicago! Attend our career fair on November 18th at Olive Harvey College to start your career in transportation. " (Chicago Transit Authority via Facebook)

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— Nicole Cvetnic

About me: I'm a Midwesterner and very happy to call Chicagoland home. I love the outdoors—especially hiking, performing arts, photography, good food, travel and gardening. You can often find me reading to my two-year-old daughter, watching a tv series with my husband or cuddling with our special needs dog.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Chicago Daily? Contact me at chicago_il@patch.com

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