James Ginderske sent this email out first:
*** ***** suggested I contact you directly to hear your thoughts on about the Boys and Girls Clubs coming to Rogers Park/Gale, which you have stated that you oppose. If you want to get together I'm happy to meet. Feel free to bring along whomever you wish.
Jim Ginderske,
Director
Neighbors for a Healthy Rogers Park
www.healthyrp.org (AKA: Backyard Tree House Club My-Space page)
773-494-6620
Whereas Mike Luckenbach responds.....
Jim,
With all due respect, which, I must say has not been accorded to the NoH residents in this matter, why would I meet with you 'to hear my thoughts', which I quite clearly expressed in my letter to the editor of the Chicago Journal, as well as others. In case you missed it:
"As a 30+ year resident of Rogers Park, specifically the North of Howard neighborhood, I am very much opposed to Alderman Joe Moore's 'plan' (cooked up behind closed doors with a small group (3 or 4 people?) of non NoH residents, without ANY community input) to 'turn over' the new, unopened, Gale Park Community Center to the 'Cotter Boys and Girls Club'!
There has been no community voice in this proposal at all!
The North Howard Neighbors Association has conducted a poll on our web blog, (nhna.blogspot.com) and found 90% of the respondents say NO to this plan without neighborhood/community input and agreement. Not even the official CPD community parks advisory council (NOHPAC) was consulted about this idea.
Out of no where, the Alderman sends out an e-mail announcing this plan, as though it were a done deal!
This is a Park District facility, on Park District land, built after 10+ years of tireless effort on the part of many local neighborhood residents and groups, and as a LOCAL resident,
I say NO to this 'back room' deal! The North of Howard Parks Advisory Council should convene a community meeting to allow the Alderman and the Cotter Boys & Girls Club to present 'their' idea(s) to the residents of the NoH neighborhood.
The Alderman must be held accountable and answer to the will of the community. Anything less is a farce and a travesty of basic democratic principles! Let the people of the neighborhood decide!"
Mike Luckenbach
North Howard Neighbors Association
7712 N. Paulina
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