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People, Places & Things

New Restroom Facilities Offer Great Relief For Forest Preserves Visitors

By The Cook County Forest Preserve

Installation has begun on the first of 10 new permanent toilet buildings for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. The restroom at the Bremen Grove Forest Preserve in south suburban Oak Forest is expected to open in mid-November. The remaining nine facilities will be installed in spring 2014.
“We recognize that having access to clean bathrooms makes a huge difference to our visitors, especially families, and we are committed to meeting this need,” Forest Preserves of Cook County General Superintendent Arnold Randall said. “Over the next year, we will add new bathrooms around the county, particularly in widely used picnic groves that don’t currently have enough options.”
The new bathrooms at Bremen Grove are the first modern vault toilets in Cook County’s Forest Preserves. These non-flush toilets are widely used in other Forest Preserves as well as national and state parks and use the U.S. Forest Service’s “Sweet Smelling” technology.

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Posted on November 5, 2013

Chicago’s Greatest Jinx Ship Heading To Drydock

Notorious Freighter Became Running Joke

“It’s appearing more and more likely that the end is at hand for the Great Lakes’ oldest freighter, a ship with a unique tie to Chicago,” CBS2 Chicago notes.
“The Door County Advocate newspaper is reporting that Port Cities has awarded Bay a contract to transform the 107-year-old ship, now known as the St. Marys Challenger, into an un-engined barge. The Advocate said its future is as an articulated tug barge that would be pushed by a tug in the future.”
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“At 107 years old, the St. Marys Challenger is the oldest vessel actively transiting the Great Lakes and is a riveted hull,” the Advocate notes.
Here she is:

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Posted on October 31, 2013

Chicagoetry: Creature Feature

By J.J. Tindall

CREATURE FEATURE
“Be silent in that solitude,
Which is not loneliness–for then
The spirits of the dead who stood
In life before thee are again
In death around thee–and their will
Shall overshadow thee: be still.”
–Edgar Allan Poe, “Spirits of the Dead.”
Festoon the black clouds
And low jets above
With the sway–
The wanton sway!–
Of premier spotlights!

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Posted on October 26, 2013

The Palmer House Hilton’s Magnificent Mural

By ChiTownView

“The Palmer House hotel in downtown Chicago is old school. Walk up the marble staircase and enter a two-story time machine back a century or so. You are surrounded by all manner of elaborate decorations – the centerpiece of which is the gorgeous mural painted on the ceiling. Measuring more than 50 feet, it is composed of 21 separate pieces that were painted in Paris by artist Louis Pierre Rigal in 1926.”

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Posted on October 24, 2013

Chicago Pneumatic Hammer Review

By jean9

“The CP717 is a Super Duty Air Hammer and is the most powerful air hammer available for automotive, truck and off-road equipment.
“Extra large .498 shank for heavy duty applications.
“Heavy Duty customers will love this powerful tool.
“Positive action trigger for precise control.
“Ideal for front end work, kingpin bushing removal and installation of bulldozer walking beams, removal of truck springs and heavy duty spring bushings.”

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Posted on October 23, 2013

Inside Oprah’s Auction

Another Beachwood Special Report

“Want to own a few of Oprah’s favorite things? Next month, Winfrey will auction off furniture, antiques, and fine art from her 23,000-square-foot Montecito mansion – which is currently undergoing a major interior redesign – and her homes in Chicago, Maui and Indiana,” Entertainment Weekly reports.
Among the items, the Beachwood has learned:
* Jewel-encrusted scale.
* Signed Obama “Hope” poster.
* Unused CTA “Chicago Card.”
* Stedman Graham’s spine.
* 50 cases of Haagen- Dazs.
* Gayle King’s soul.

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Posted on October 21, 2013

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