Green Acres

Patience is a virtue when trying to work with the City of Chicago.

The school across the street submitted an application for the 50/50 sidewalk construction program on April 25th.

Up until last week, they had not heard a peep from anyone.

It turns out that the Department of Transportation misplaced the school’s application. A few phone calls from me to my alderman’s office and in turn to the Department of Transportation not only yielded the application but an application number to boot.

This happened on July 10th.

Yep, from April 25th to July 10th the application sat in oblivion. Never to be heard from again.

You really have to make your own luck in this town cats and kittens. As you can see, ain’t nobody gonna give you a break.

In fact, the day I received the phone call updating me on the application’s status I actually saw the surveying crew doing their thing.

Once the estimate comes in to the school, they’ll then decide if they have enough money to go forward.

If we’re lucky we might see a new sidewalk and parkway before the weather changes.

I will say that the school has held up its end of the bargain by picking up the trash and mowing the parkway.

They get major props as those simple acts have literally transformed the whole look of the neighborhood.

New sidewalks and green grass will make it look even better.