Maggie Martinez made a moving speech at last night's Bloomingdale Trail meeting

Last night at the last public meeting for Phase I (preliminary design) of the Bloomingdale Trail, community member Maggie Martinez took the microphone to make a heartfelt statement about the significance of the new trail and park to Humboldt Park and Logan Square residents, and the importance of involving local youth and adults in the process of designing, constructing and creating public art for the project:

http://gridchicago.com/2012/rallying-the-community-around-the-bloom...

Keep moving forward,

John Greenfield

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I think it was a complete surprise to everyone. 

For a brief moment, I cynically thought it was a "plant", but I thought of how that would be kind of disgraceful for the planning process and that it's going so well that it wouldn't need a message like this.

Maggie's speech was full of passion and wasn't rehearsed. I and the other audience members truly appreciated her words. 

Listen to her.

We'll post more photos and more information about the meeting soon. 

From teh Sunday 3-11-12 Tribune Online:

Chicago's next great public space?

Push to turn dormant elevated line into vibrant path and park shows promise

This linear public space would lift you above the city, providing a lookout point from which to gaze at a rich assortment of urban vignettes — smokestacks and skyscrapers, taquerias and uber-chic boutiques, grand boulevards and humble, two-flat-lined streets. You could bike there, hang out there or go art-watching there.

Chicago's next great public space? Push to turn dormant elevated line into vibrant path and park shows promise; Emanuel announcing final funds for project's first phase

MONDAY UPDATE: Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected Monday to announce the final $9 million in funding for the Bloomingdale Trail and Park's first phase. The Exelon Foundation is said to be giving $5 million, according to published reports, while Boeing and CNA are each donating $1 million. The Chicago Park District is to provide another $2 million, the reports say, meaning that local taxpayer funds are also supporting the project.  That conradicts what city officials and Beth White, director of the Chicago area office of the Trust for Public Land, stated at at a public meeting last week. They said that all of the remaining $9 million would be raised privately.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2012/03/chicagos...

John attended the press conference today. It appears something weird is going on. We'll have more details on Tuesday. 

Gene Tenner said:

Chicago's next great public space? Push to turn dormant elevated line into vibrant path and park shows promise; Emanuel announcing final funds for project's first phase

MONDAY UPDATE: Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected Monday to announce the final $9 million in funding for the Bloomingdale Trail and Park's first phase. The Exelon Foundation is said to be giving $5 million, according to published reports, while Boeing and CNA are each donating $1 million. The Chicago Park District is to provide another $2 million, the reports say, meaning that local taxpayer funds are also supporting the project.  That conradicts what city officials and Beth White, director of the Chicago area office of the Trust for Public Land, stated at at a public meeting last week. They said that all of the remaining $9 million would be raised privately.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2012/03/chicagos...

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