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Elaine Coorens

With a professional background that includes advertising copy writer, corporate manager in advertising/marketing/manufacturing for multiple industries, international newspaper editor/publisher, needlework designer and retail shop owner as well as IT consultant and programmer, Elaine can "speak" in many "languages." A native Chicagoan, her passion for all things community is what led her to become a local author, historian, tour guide and now Editor/Publisher of Our Urban Times. She authored Wicker Park From 1673 Thru 1929 and Walking Tour Guide.

Stories from Elaine Coorens

Warsaw Uprising: We won says "Behold a day of Blood and Honor" film maker

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
08/08/2019
UprisingSurvOnFilm

"We won," said film maker Paul Grajnert about the Warsaw Uprising against German occupation forces in Poland, as the 75th Anniversary was being celebrated in the Polish Museum of American (PMA), 984 N. Milwaukee Ave. 

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Lightfoot announces nomination of new Chicago Department of Planning and Development Commissioner

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
08/07/2019
MauriceDCox

Maurice D. Cox is Mayor Lori Lightfoot's nominee to head up Chicago's Department of Planning and Development as its Commissioner. 

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National Night Out: police host a fun evening for you and your neighbors

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
08/03/2019
MntdCrwd

Chicago Police Department's (CPD) 12th and 14th Districts are hosting neighbors for an evening of events, food, music and fun for all ages on Tues., Aug. 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. It is FREE! 

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Volunteers' "polite continuing persistence" wins respect and money

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
07/31/2019
MaplewoodFieldHsNew

Chicago Park District's Maplewood Park, 1640 N. Maplewood Ave., and Lucy Flower Playlot, 2554 W. Moffat St., Advisory Council (MLFPAC) in Logan Square is a shining example of how polite continuing persistence and a lot of work by volunteers win major changes for their community. 

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Free Street Theater: "Still/Here: Manifestos for Joy and Survival"

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
07/26/2019
FSTMayPoleAlejandroReyes

Still/Here: Manifestos for Joy and Survival is Free Street Theater's latest production to bring performance to you and have you bring community into the production. One performance is at Humboldt Park Field House, 1400 N. Humboldt Dr., Sat., July 27, 3 p.m. and another at Walsh Park,

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Teddy Zwolinski weighs in…finally

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
07/19/2019
BigLittleZwolinskis

At 11:34 a.m.*, July 19, Teddy (Theodore Marc) Zwolinski was born at Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago to the delight of his parents Noble Square's Megan Dunworth Zwolinski and Robert "Bob" Zwolinski.

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Humboldt Park staffer embraces gator: others continue searching

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
07/11/2019
NellieRamon

In the Humboldt Park Field House, Nellie Roman, the Park's Instructor, gives a big hug to this look-a-like gator as hundreds of children play with much energy and gusto in the many summer programs provided by the Chicago Park District. 

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Why gator hunt?: "It's an historical event"

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
07/10/2019
BZHunt

"It's one of those things that ten years from now when sitting in a bar and someone says, 'remember when there was an alligator in the Humboldt Park lagoon

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Last call for 2019: Tuesdays at the Triangle

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
07/08/2019
PolishTriTT

Tuesdays at the Triangle wraps up the seventh summer of entertainment, food, vendors and fun on July 9 between 4 and 8 p.m. where four neighborhoods (Wicker Park, East Village, Noble Square and Pulaski Park) meet at Milwaukee, Division and Ashland, the Chicago Transit Authorities (CTA) Division Street Blue Line stop. 

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Was aldermanic challenge to a Finance Committee settlement a test or a predictor?

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
06/14/2019
FCWaguespack

One item set for approval, on a docket of 23 presented by Finance Committee Chair Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward, became a lightning rod for discussion at the second City Council meeting presided over by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. But why?

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New police pilot program to partner community and Chicago Police Department

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
06/11/2019
DCOs

"Hands on and in the street," District Coordination Officers (DCO)  are part of the Neighborhood Policing Initiative Program (NPI) in a pilot phase in Chicago's 25th District. 

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New job, office and staff: Daniel La Spata, 1st Ward Alderman

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
06/10/2019
LaSpataInOffice

UPDATE:
Office opens Monday!

While the title "1st Ward Alderman" is still not something that Daniel La Spata is used to hearing, his trajectory into public office started four or five years ago in Logan Square. Now he is opening a Ward Office

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Baseball season opened in Smith Park with traditional parade

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
06/09/2019
SmithPrkParade2019

Once again the Smith Park Baseball Season started with toots from a fire engine and an occasion wail of a police siren as officials from different government agencies, residents, parents and young people paraded "around the block" that encompasses Smith Park,

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Police Roll Call at Logan Square's Lucy Flowers Park shows community solidarity

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
06/08/2019
RollCallGiambrone

Chicago Police 14th District officers arrived for the Beat 1421 and Beat 1434 Roll Call by patrol car, wagon and on bikes at

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Spoiler alert: Mr. Dave Music headlines all six Tuesdays at the Triangle starting today

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
06/04/2019
Crowd

The combo of entertainment and vendors at the Tuesdays at the Triangle returns to the CTA transportation hub at Milwaukee, Division and Ashland Avenues on June 4, from 4 to 8 p.m., for the seventh season, produced by the Polish Triangle Coalition (PTC). 

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Broken Bucktown water main reveals building owned by Rock Island business man is dangerous

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
05/22/2019
Jack-HammerSt

At some point during Tuesday night, a water main broke in the 2000 block of west Armitage in Bucktown. Alderman Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward, was notified around 7 a.m., Wed., May 22. But,

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Reimaging Chicago: Pass seven ordinances in 100 days

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
05/16/2019
ReimageCoalit

In the first 100 days of the new Chicago City Council a group of aldermen and aldermen-elect plan to pass seven pieces of legislation to "make Chicago a city for the many--not just the wealthiest few."

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Moreno charged on two felony counts

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
05/15/2019
MorenoLstCC

Proco "Joe" Moreno, 1st Ward Alderman, is charged with two felonies and will be in bond court today.

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Outgoing 1st Ward Alderman Proco "Joe" Moreno in police custody

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
05/14/2019
Moreno15

Proco "Joe" Moreno, soon to be former 1st Ward Alderman, is in police custody on an arrest warrant, according to the Chicago Police Department. 

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Two charged in murder of Candice Dickerson

By: 
Elaine Coorens
Date: 
05/10/2019
BryantMitchell

Two men were given "NO BOND" status and are in Cook County Jail until their next court appearances in the April 26 murder of Candice Dickerson, 36, a single mother of three,

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