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Oct. 1, 2013

On a roll

The Cook County Forest Preserve District Board approved an ordinance today that will allow for prefabricated toilet buildings - a fancier term for comfort stations - to be around locations that need them most. The conversation that followed amused many of the meeting's attendees. Commissioner Deborah Sims (5th), for one, was worried about toilet paper security, so that people “don’t just come and take them.” Superintendent Arnold Randall admitted that a switch to nicer bathrooms from port-a-potties will definitely improve the “overall bathroom experience.” And Commissioner Elizabeth “Liz” Doody Gorman (17th) simply thanked Randall for making it clear that no topics of discussion were off limits at Forest Preserve District Board meetings.  

Bitter on Twitter

Amid the federal government shutdown that began today, Illinois politicians took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with their counterparts in Washington, D.C. “Way to go Washington, D.C.,” tweeted Chicago Alderman Scott Waguespack (32nd). Downtown Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd) echoed Waguespack’s frustration, tweeting “Congress hasn’t passed a budget in 5 years. Now a govt shutdown to appease primary voters. Remind me, what are we paying Congress for again?” Before the shutdown, state Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) on Twitter warned: “Please remember that this will have a severe effect on millions of people. It’s disgraceful. And totally avoidable.”

Social mediation

Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno (1st), an avid user of Facebook and Twitter, on Tuesday announced he had joined the popular image-sharing network Instagram. Poking fun at the alderman, Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey (12th) asked in a tweet directed at Moreno, “What’s next, Myspace?” The commissioner, though, commented on one of Moreno’s first Instagram posts – which depicted his chief of staff receiving a flu shot. “I always have my staff get flu shots,” Fritchey replied. “That gives them one less excuse for a sick day.”

Bike business

In response to past skepticism from Chicago Tribune transportation reporter Jon Hilkevitch that workers in business attire would be inclined to ride Divvy Bikes, Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield posted a brief Q+A segment with a banking professional he observed Monday on a Divvy Bike near the intersection of Congress Parkway and Wabash Avenue in the Loop. The post set off a heated debate on the issue in its comment section.

The big picture

The largest camera in the world is currently on display through Oct. 31 outside of Two North Riverside Plaza in the West Loop, according to Chicagoist. The 35-foot-long camera, created by Rockford native and photographer Dennis Manarchy, takes pictures on film negatives that are more than six-feet-tall and four-feet-wide. One of Manarchy’s reasons for building the camera was to commemorate the 200th anniversary of photography.

-Tom Butala and Subuk Hasnain