Kaiser heads CHA resident services dept.
Linda
Kaiser, previously with the Chicago Workforce Board and the Mayor’s Office
of Workforce Development, recently joined the Chicago Housing Authority
(CHA) as managing director of resident services.
In this role, Kaiser will ensure CHA residents and their communities are connected to programs, services, and housing opportunities. She also will be responsible for development, implementation, and administration of programs that lead to resident self-sufficiency, including education, job training, employment opportunities, and social services.
“I am excited to work with such a professional, dedicated team, including Sharon Gist Gilliam, Mayor Richard M. Daley, and the many City departments that work so diligently on the Plan for Transformation,” Kaiser said. “I am grateful for this opportunity and I believe in the work of the CHA.”
As executive director of the Chicago Workforce Board, Kaiser created programs and key partnerships to bridge gaps between job opportunities and where people who need work live.
Kaiser succeeds Meghan Harte, who served as resident services managing director for nearly six years.
Kaiser received a JD
degree from the DePaul University College of Law, a master's in
industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Nebraska, and a
baccalaureate in psychology from Pennsylvania State University.
Police crack construction site burglaries
A Chicago man's admission that he stole a laptop
computer last September helped police solve a string of building-site thefts
in the area.
Cleotis Windham, 35, told police he entered numerous worksites and took construction tools and other equipment, according to Sergeant Brian Rybka of the Chicago Police Department's 12th District, which covers the West Loop and Near West Side. The items eventually were sold, Rybka said.
"He actually confessed to [committing] 18 other crimes in our area" during 2006, Rybka said, noting the alleged offender told investigators he entered unsecured construction sites, picked up whatever construction tool or piece of equipment was available, and left. The thefts occurred at all hours of the day, and no individual items were targeted specifically for theft, Rybka said, noting the offender allegedly took a variety of items from "computers to construction tools."
At the time he was questioned, Windham was in custody for allegedly committing another, unrelated offense. He confessed to a slew of thefts after investigators asked him about a computer missing from a construction site on the 1100 block of west 15th Street during the afternoon of Sept. 12, 2006, Rybka said. In that incident, an individual spotted someone with a laptop and was able to provide police with a description. The information eventually led police to Windham, who was arrested March 29.
Metro Self Storage comes to West Loop
Metro Storage LLC recently signed a property management agreement with Harrison/Jefferson Holdings LLC to provide professional property management for a new self-storage development in the West Loop.
The state-of-the-art facility offers more than 100,000 square feet of climate controlled storage at 601 W. Harrison Street and is called Metro Self Storage.
The facility features covered, drive-in loading and unloading areas and in-door parking for customers. It also offers enhanced security features including 24-hour video surveillance, computerized access, and security cameras as well as a complete array of moving boxes and postal, mailing, and moving supplies.
Brian D. Blankenship, executive vice president of Metro Storage LLC, said, "This is a unique, one-of-a kind drive-through facility that will serve the climate- controlled storage needs of nearby households and businesses. Metro's customers find climate controlled storage essential when storing important possessions such as antiques, delicate fabrics, files, and computer equipment."
Call (312) 662-1072.
Metro owns or
manages 50 self-storage centers in Florida, Georgia, and Illinois and is
seeking existing self-storage operations for management or acquisition.
Daystar to double space
Daystar, a private Christian school, will double its space and relocate to 1550 S. State St.
Its future home is a structure previously occupied by Wicklander Printing that will be “renovated for the school’s use,” said Harriet Potoka, head of Daystar School. Construction should be completed in early August, and enrollment already is underway for the fall session.
The new school eventually will accommodate up to 200 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, with administrators increasing enrollment gradually. Class sizes range between 16 and 18 children, with a maximum of 22 students. There is “great socio-economic, cultural, and ethnic diversity among the students,” said Potoka, adding that the school offers a scholarship program.
In addition to caring for youngsters from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Daystar offers child supervision from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for working parents’ convenience.
Daystar opened ten years ago at 800 S. Wells St. in the River City complex and currently has 80 students. The curriculum is approved by the State of Illinois. The school’s teaching method does not emphasize textbooks as much as it relies on 30 to 35 “learning excursions” each year, explained Potoka.
The school will open its new home with 26,000 of the building’s 51,000 square feet, “allowing for future growth,” explained Potoka. She noted some companies have shown considerable interest in leasing the remaining space. The property includes a 70-car parking lot.
For more information about Daystar, visit www.daystarschool.org or call (312) 347-0001.
--Marie Balice Ward
Services available for CHA youngsters
Young people whose families obtained housing through the Chicago Housing Authority are eligible for a variety of programs this summer.
For children ages six to 12, the Chicago Park District is offering 3,200 admissions into its eight-week summer camp at a cost of $10 per child. Children will participate in sports, arts and crafts, and field trips. Lessons in boxing and team sports also are available. Call (312) 742-PLAY.
For teenagers, 200 tuition-free places are available at overnight camps in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Call (312) 913-7464.
Those 14 through 21 are eligible for 400 jobs in the City’s KidStart program, which offers employment, internship, and training opportunities in a variety of fields. Call (773) 553-JOBS.
The CHA also offers free breakfast for youngsters. Call (312) 742-8500.
Streetscape repairs for Bronzeville
The Bronzeville and Washington Park neighborhoods will see $400,000 worth of streetscape repairs this year.
The money was obtained from the State of Illinois by State Representative Ken Dunkin and conveyed to the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). The funds will be used to improve street lighting, repair and install new sidewalks, and make other visual improvements on portions of south Prairie and south Indiana Avenues.
“This grant is about the City and State working together to bring positive infrastructure improvements to the people they serve,” Dunkin said. “The good people of Bronzeville and Washington Park need these repairs, and there is no doubt they deserve them.”
For more information, contact Dunkin at (312) 266-0340 or CDOT at (312) 744-3600.
