We've just started crawling out of our holes we dug for ourselves to ride out the polar vortex, which seemed oddly familiar to the Blizzard of 1999. A lot of us still remember slogging through piles and piles of snow during the Snowpocalypse. But for those of us who've been around for a while, there is another year that looms large in the snow memories of Chicagoans, and that year is 1979.
On January 13 of that year, the city was still trying to dig itself out from under 10 inches of snow that had fallen on New Year's Eve. Those efforts were not helped at all by the fact that the city would be deluged with another 18.8 inches of snow over the next two days, including a record 16.5 inches just on the 13th. This hindered many facets of the city, but most notably it impacted the efficiency of the CTA. Several of the El cars were outfitted with plows that were capable of dealing with up to a foot of snow. However, the combined total of 27 inches on the ground proved too much for the plows and the CTA had to think on their feet. What they came up with was actually quite ingenious, and it consisted of cross-layered plywood planks up to 6" thick, which nicely circumvented the problem of running metal over the third rail. The new plow cars were then released into the system, where they started clearing snow. One hitch in the system proved to be the grade-level tracks, which were so clogged with snow that they improvised plows didn't so much clear the snow away as just pushed it under the car, which led to the majority of the snow actually being cleared away by the undercarriage of each car. This wear and tear, along with the presence of salt on the rails, contributed to enhanced wear and tear on the motors of each car, which led to almost all of the motors blowing out within the next year. The immediate toll on the CTA was burdensome as well, since some of the tracks didn't completely thaw out until the middle of March. Beyond that, some lines didn't even recover mediocre levels of service until the end of January.
The CTA was far from the only city department affected, with ripples being felt everywhere from the lack of plowing efficiency in the city, from the Fire and Police departments, to the streets team, to everybody in between. Including Mayor Michael Bilandic. Many folks blamed the ineptitude of the city's response on him(and it certainly didn't help when he gave an obtusely ham-handed response to the critics.) His prime political opponent at the time was a woman by the name of Jane Byrne(who had been his colleague in the first Daley Administration), and Byrne took full advantage of this, because guess what? 1979 was an election year, and the primary was held less than a month and a half after the Blizzard. Byrne managed to oust Bilandic, and went on to win the General Election. Her administration featured typical Chicago business, the beginning of a legacy that still goes on every summer, and NO BLIZZARDS.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Scary Funny: The Svengoolie Legacy
On April 30, 1954, KABC-TV in Los Angeles premiered a show featuring an unemployed actress named Maila Nurmi. This show involved Ms. Nurmi playing a horror movie and providing selected commentary on it. The idea proved to be a hit and was soon spreading across the country like wildfire. Eventually, cities all across the country had their own horror movie hosts. And then Chicago got its hands on the concept.
In September of 1970, WFLD rolled out Screaming Yellow Theater, featuring former WCFL DJ Jerry G. Bishop as the host, Svengoolie. The original show ran for 3 years before being cancelled in favor of The Ghoul from Cincinatti, but not before inaugurating its own style of humor, one that would be pretty much maintained even up till the present day. To appreciate Svengoolie humor, you really need to see it. And so, here you are:
In 1979, the show was brought back with Rich Koz as the Son of Svengoolie, which ran until 1986, when it was cancelled amidst the founding of the FOX network. On December 31, 1994 the show made its triumphant return to Chicago television on WCIU, where it remains to this day. In 2011, Svengoolie was broadcast nationally for the first time as part of the Me-TV network. In 2013, Svengoolie came out with an updated design for the coffin the character stays in during the show, ensuring that the show will go on tickling the funny bones of Chicagoans for years to come.
In September of 1970, WFLD rolled out Screaming Yellow Theater, featuring former WCFL DJ Jerry G. Bishop as the host, Svengoolie. The original show ran for 3 years before being cancelled in favor of The Ghoul from Cincinatti, but not before inaugurating its own style of humor, one that would be pretty much maintained even up till the present day. To appreciate Svengoolie humor, you really need to see it. And so, here you are:
In 1979, the show was brought back with Rich Koz as the Son of Svengoolie, which ran until 1986, when it was cancelled amidst the founding of the FOX network. On December 31, 1994 the show made its triumphant return to Chicago television on WCIU, where it remains to this day. In 2011, Svengoolie was broadcast nationally for the first time as part of the Me-TV network. In 2013, Svengoolie came out with an updated design for the coffin the character stays in during the show, ensuring that the show will go on tickling the funny bones of Chicagoans for years to come.
Friday, January 10, 2014
2014: A New Beginning and A New Plan.
So it's January 10. By now we've finished all those extra choruses of Auld Lang Syne, recovered from our New Year's Eve shenanigans, and put our my light-up Happy New Year hat[s](yes I really do own one, and yes it's pretty much the best thing ever) away until December 31, 2014. Since we've finished ringing in the year, it's about time to start living it, wouldn't you say? And to that end, Chicago 365 is gearing up for another successful year. I've made a few minor tweaks for this year, so stay tuned. First off, I'm keeping up with the same kind of content you've come to know and enjoy, and reflecting on a case of weather déjà vu, learning about one cause for the Cubs' future return to the Promised Land, and talking about one of our musical treasures seems like a good place to start to me.
But we're going to be doing so much more this year. The first difference you're probably going to notice will be at the beginning of next month. To commemorate the Sochi Games, I will be running a companion blog solely dedicated to talking about the Games and what is going on with them each day. Other than that, I'm planning on making this blog an even bigger deal, putting in more interviews, and putting out even more good content. But the summer is what I am really excited for(and you should be too). I'm not sure if I want to completely tip my hand at the current moment, but let me just say that if you want to know (and have) a Chicago summer like no other, then you should definitely plan to check my blog every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day. With all of that laid out, 2014 promises to be yet another great year of learning and exploring about our great city.
But we're going to be doing so much more this year. The first difference you're probably going to notice will be at the beginning of next month. To commemorate the Sochi Games, I will be running a companion blog solely dedicated to talking about the Games and what is going on with them each day. Other than that, I'm planning on making this blog an even bigger deal, putting in more interviews, and putting out even more good content. But the summer is what I am really excited for(and you should be too). I'm not sure if I want to completely tip my hand at the current moment, but let me just say that if you want to know (and have) a Chicago summer like no other, then you should definitely plan to check my blog every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day. With all of that laid out, 2014 promises to be yet another great year of learning and exploring about our great city.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Chi-Town's Dreamgirl
If any of you happened to be watching the People's Choice Awards on Wednesday, you may have seen Jennifer Hudson get presented with the award for "Favorite Humanitarian". That award was only the culmination in a long path which has taken Jennifer Hudson from the streets of Chicago to the red carpets of Hollywood. In case you've been living under a rock since 2004(and if you have been, boy have you missed out on a lot) here is a quick summation of the career of Jennifer Kate Hudson:
- 2004: Auditions for Season 3 of American Idol, makes it to the Top 7 before getting eliminated(interestingly enough, she would later be cited by the LA Times in May 2010 as the 3rd best Idol contestant ever).
- November 2005: Hudson is cast in the upcoming movie Dreamgirls
- Fall 2006: Hudson announces plans for her first solo album, which would finally be released 2 years later.
- January 12, 2007: Dreamgirls hits theatres, earns rave reviews, and earns Hudson the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- September 30, 2008: Hudson finally releases her self-titled debut album, which debuts at #2 on the charts.
- October 24, 2008: Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew are murdered in Chicago. The assailant turns out to be William Balfour, the estranged ex-husband of Hudson's sister. This incredible tragedy is given a thin silver lining with the creation of the Julian D. King Foundation, which has served to improve the lives of Chicago's youth.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
The Japanese Schindler
It's a glorious Fall night in Chicago. This has just happened. As fans of all generations are celebrating, remembering, and visiting the graves of the departed faithful to share the good news, there is a certain Japanese national who they may owe a portion of their thanks to(and not this guy :P)...
Most everybody has heard of a man by the name of Oskar Schindler(mostly thanks to Steven Spielberg). But by no means was Mr. Schindler alone in his tremendous acts of courage. Not even close. In fact the Israeli government has a formal title to bestow upon those who aided Jews in the Holocaust. The honorific is called Righteous Among the Nations, and as of January 1, 2013 it has been bestowed upon 24,356 people from 47 different countries(including 525 Germans). Some of the honorees are known in some circles, such as Schindler, Irena Sendler, Corrie ten Boom, or Raoul Wallenberg. Some are names nobody has ever heard of, such as José Castellanos Contreras, Selahattin Ülkümen, or Dimitar Peshev. However, the person we are talking about today is a man who may have saved as many as 10,000 Jews(compared to Schindler, who rescued roughly 1,200). That man is named Chiune Sugihara.
Born at the very dawn of the 20th Century(January 1, 1900), Sugihara excelled in school, and his father wanted him to be a physician. Sugihara had other ambitions, and so he took a dive on the entrance exams to medical school, and instead went to University. Over the course of his studies, he became well-versed in German and Russian, and went to work for the Japanese Foreign Ministry, where after a posting in China, wound up as the vice-consul of the Japanese Consulate in Lithuania, where he was reporting on Soviet and German troop movements in addition to his official duties. Sugihara soon became aware of a growing problem, as chatter was beginning to spread of a rumored "Final Solution" that would exterminate all of Europe's Jews. Sugihara immediately contacted his Japanese contacts who informed him that the current immigration policy only allowed Japanese visas to be given out if the traveler was passing through Japan. For some of the Jews, Sugihara was able to secure an arrangement with the Dutch Consulate that allowed him to send the visas through official channels. But for the vast majority of them, he had to operate in violation of his orders, working up to 20 hours a day, handwriting visas for thousands of Jweish refugees. On September 4, 1940, Japan shut down its Foreign Ministry office in Lithuania. Even this didn't stop Sugihara, as he was still hurriedly filling out visas on his way out of the country, to the point of flinging completed visas out the window as his train was pulling away. Reports vary on how many Jews were saved by Sugihara. One researcher found an official report that listed 2,139 names on a single document(which implies that many,many more were saved). The Simon Wiesenthal Center has estimated that Sugihara's visas were issued to 6,000 Jews and that 40,000 Jewish descendants are alive today because of his actions. As for Sugihara, he went on to live for another 40 years, and was recognized as one of the Righteous Among the Nations in 1985.
Now at this point I know you're thinking, "Well, this is great and everything, but what in the world does a Japanese diplomat who saved Jews in World War II and died 28 years ago have to do with Chicago?" That would be a valid question, and the answer all has to do with somebody who he saved. Berek Zielonka was rescued by Sugihara, along with his wife Rochelle. After taking the Trans-Siberian Railway to Japan, the family emigrated to America, eventually settling in Chicago, where they had a son named Sam. Soon afterwards, Berek started going by the name Bernard, and he changed the family's surname to Zell. The son wound up becoming rather rich and powerful, and in 2007, Sam Zell bought the Chicago Tribune. He then moved to put the Chicago Cubs up for sale, which was completed on October 27, 2009 in a $900 Million transaction done by Tom Ricketts(and family). On October 25, 2011, Ricketts officially introduced Theo Epstein as the new President of the team. Over the past several seasons, Epstein has done a 180 in the culture of the team. This has been said many a time over the past century, but if anyone can get these Cubbies to win the World Series, it's Epstein. And so, on that fateful evening when it finally happens, the throngs of faithful can thank Chiune Sugihara for setting that path in motion.
Most everybody has heard of a man by the name of Oskar Schindler(mostly thanks to Steven Spielberg). But by no means was Mr. Schindler alone in his tremendous acts of courage. Not even close. In fact the Israeli government has a formal title to bestow upon those who aided Jews in the Holocaust. The honorific is called Righteous Among the Nations, and as of January 1, 2013 it has been bestowed upon 24,356 people from 47 different countries(including 525 Germans). Some of the honorees are known in some circles, such as Schindler, Irena Sendler, Corrie ten Boom, or Raoul Wallenberg. Some are names nobody has ever heard of, such as José Castellanos Contreras, Selahattin Ülkümen, or Dimitar Peshev. However, the person we are talking about today is a man who may have saved as many as 10,000 Jews(compared to Schindler, who rescued roughly 1,200). That man is named Chiune Sugihara.
Born at the very dawn of the 20th Century(January 1, 1900), Sugihara excelled in school, and his father wanted him to be a physician. Sugihara had other ambitions, and so he took a dive on the entrance exams to medical school, and instead went to University. Over the course of his studies, he became well-versed in German and Russian, and went to work for the Japanese Foreign Ministry, where after a posting in China, wound up as the vice-consul of the Japanese Consulate in Lithuania, where he was reporting on Soviet and German troop movements in addition to his official duties. Sugihara soon became aware of a growing problem, as chatter was beginning to spread of a rumored "Final Solution" that would exterminate all of Europe's Jews. Sugihara immediately contacted his Japanese contacts who informed him that the current immigration policy only allowed Japanese visas to be given out if the traveler was passing through Japan. For some of the Jews, Sugihara was able to secure an arrangement with the Dutch Consulate that allowed him to send the visas through official channels. But for the vast majority of them, he had to operate in violation of his orders, working up to 20 hours a day, handwriting visas for thousands of Jweish refugees. On September 4, 1940, Japan shut down its Foreign Ministry office in Lithuania. Even this didn't stop Sugihara, as he was still hurriedly filling out visas on his way out of the country, to the point of flinging completed visas out the window as his train was pulling away. Reports vary on how many Jews were saved by Sugihara. One researcher found an official report that listed 2,139 names on a single document(which implies that many,many more were saved). The Simon Wiesenthal Center has estimated that Sugihara's visas were issued to 6,000 Jews and that 40,000 Jewish descendants are alive today because of his actions. As for Sugihara, he went on to live for another 40 years, and was recognized as one of the Righteous Among the Nations in 1985.
Now at this point I know you're thinking, "Well, this is great and everything, but what in the world does a Japanese diplomat who saved Jews in World War II and died 28 years ago have to do with Chicago?" That would be a valid question, and the answer all has to do with somebody who he saved. Berek Zielonka was rescued by Sugihara, along with his wife Rochelle. After taking the Trans-Siberian Railway to Japan, the family emigrated to America, eventually settling in Chicago, where they had a son named Sam. Soon afterwards, Berek started going by the name Bernard, and he changed the family's surname to Zell. The son wound up becoming rather rich and powerful, and in 2007, Sam Zell bought the Chicago Tribune. He then moved to put the Chicago Cubs up for sale, which was completed on October 27, 2009 in a $900 Million transaction done by Tom Ricketts(and family). On October 25, 2011, Ricketts officially introduced Theo Epstein as the new President of the team. Over the past several seasons, Epstein has done a 180 in the culture of the team. This has been said many a time over the past century, but if anyone can get these Cubbies to win the World Series, it's Epstein. And so, on that fateful evening when it finally happens, the throngs of faithful can thank Chiune Sugihara for setting that path in motion.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Snowed in Like it's 1999
Everybody, I'd like to welcome you to Chicago 365, the 2014 edition! We're making a few cosmetic changes, and we've got a BIG project coming in the summer, and we'll talk about all of those in a post that should be coming out soon. But, I wanted to jump right in with an entry that seems quite appropriate given the weather we've been having...
January 2, 1999. Chicagoans are waking up to a new year. Perhaps some of them are still nursing hangovers from New Year's Eve(but my goodness I hope they aren't). Perhaps some of them are already hearing news reports about this thing called Y2K that's going to blow up the world next year. Perhaps some of them are already thinking about jumping in line to see Star Wars Episode I(if you had a time machine, would you warn them to avoid it?). Of course, some of them are also thinking about something else: snow, and lots of it.
Over the next 3 days, Chicago would receive 21.6 inches of snow(finishing just ahead of the Snowpocalypse as the 2nd worst blizzard in Chicago history). The roads would be blocked up, CPS would cancel classes, and the city wound up closing Lake Shore Drive. Over the entire Midwest region, 73 people died. Another impact was a nationwide shortage of blood. It turns out that the majority of those who donate blood are Midwesterners(go us!), and since a lot of them couldn't make it out to donate because of the blizzard, the country experienced a temporary shortfall. After the snows passed, the area underwent a brutal cold snap, giving some areas temperatures in double digit negatives(including one rumored event where wind chills sank to 50 below zero) that lasted until the 8th.
One more fascinating tidbit is this: the 1999 Blizzard's situation somewhat mirrors our own current predicament 15 years later. In 1999, the snow started on the 2nd, ran for 3 days, and then went bitter cold a few days later. This year, the snow started on New Year's Eve, kept right up until Thursday, and is supposed to give us an arctic blast on Monday. Interesting how history repeats itself, isn't it?
January 2, 1999. Chicagoans are waking up to a new year. Perhaps some of them are still nursing hangovers from New Year's Eve(but my goodness I hope they aren't). Perhaps some of them are already hearing news reports about this thing called Y2K that's going to blow up the world next year. Perhaps some of them are already thinking about jumping in line to see Star Wars Episode I(if you had a time machine, would you warn them to avoid it?). Of course, some of them are also thinking about something else: snow, and lots of it.
Over the next 3 days, Chicago would receive 21.6 inches of snow(finishing just ahead of the Snowpocalypse as the 2nd worst blizzard in Chicago history). The roads would be blocked up, CPS would cancel classes, and the city wound up closing Lake Shore Drive. Over the entire Midwest region, 73 people died. Another impact was a nationwide shortage of blood. It turns out that the majority of those who donate blood are Midwesterners(go us!), and since a lot of them couldn't make it out to donate because of the blizzard, the country experienced a temporary shortfall. After the snows passed, the area underwent a brutal cold snap, giving some areas temperatures in double digit negatives(including one rumored event where wind chills sank to 50 below zero) that lasted until the 8th.
One more fascinating tidbit is this: the 1999 Blizzard's situation somewhat mirrors our own current predicament 15 years later. In 1999, the snow started on the 2nd, ran for 3 days, and then went bitter cold a few days later. This year, the snow started on New Year's Eve, kept right up until Thursday, and is supposed to give us an arctic blast on Monday. Interesting how history repeats itself, isn't it?
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