All Skokie Photo Project portrait session - July 25

Get ready for your close-up, Skokie!

As the Skokie Historical Society board member Dick Witry once pointed out, our lives get busy. While so many of us appreciate learning about our own family history or our Village's history, we sometimes forget we are making history right now and that is worth documenting for ourselves and later generations.  With that in mind, the All Skokie Photo Project invites everyone who makes Skokie what it is today to have their portrait made for inclusion in the Skokie Historical Society's contemporary photography collection.

This portrait session is all about making real portraits of the real people of Skokie. Creativity encouraged. Bring a friend or neighbor. We'll also be asking you to fill out a questionnaire so we and future Skokian can know you better.

When: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Sunday, July 25, 2010

Where: Skokie Heritage Museum
8031 Floral Ave., Skokie, IL (map)

How much: Free, but a donation would be appreciated.

Please RSVP on Facebook or contact me via email.
Photos are being posted on Facebook.

More shoots and exhibitions are being scheduled and a contest in cooperation with SkokieNet is in the works.

The All Skokie Photo Project is a year-long community photography project aiming to make pictures of all Skokians--everyone that lives, works, worships, studies in Skokie, ever has, or who just care about Skokie--by May 2011 for inclusion in the Skokie Historical Society's archives. Inclusivity, creativity, bridging the gap among people of different backgrounds and promoting pride in Skokie is the focus.

More sponsors are be being sought. The May project launch was supported by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; the Skokie Fine Arts Commission; the Skokie Park District; SkokieNet, the Village of Skokie, Print Xpress and Kring Lerner Group.

In the picture: Skokie resident and public relations and business communications expert Sally Chapralis. She participated in the June 27 shoot at the Skokie Heritage Museum.

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Niles Township Food Pantry needs food and volunteers July 17

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This in from Cathy Struzynski...

As you know, donations to the Niles Township Food Pantry are needed now more than ever. To help stock the Food Pantry shelves, a food drive is scheduled for July 17, 2010 at the Jewel in Skokie, located on Skokie Boulevard at Old Orchard Road.

Volunteers are needed from 9:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. We would like four volunteers for each shift. Please let me know your availability for one or more of the shifts and indicate your first, second and third choice for each possible shift. Once I receive responses, I will confirm your scheduled time. The shifts are:

9:00 – 10:30
10:30 – 12:00
12:00 – 1:30
1:30 – 3:00
3:00 – 4:30

The last shift includes assisting in unloading the food at the Food Pantry. We also need another vehicle for transporting the food to the Food Pantry at 4:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the van we use is not available on July 17; please let me know if your vehicle can be used for this purpose.

Significantly more people are using the Food Pantry and our contributions are invaluable. Cynthia Carranza, the Food Pantry Director, is very grateful for our efforts and the food we collect is distributed in just a few days. Volunteering for at least one shift is an easy way to help our less fortunate neighbors. Please respond with your availability, indicating the number of shifts you can cover and your first, second and third choice for each shift.

Thanks for your help and I look forward to hearing from you.

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Cathy can be contacted at cathystruzynski@yahoo.com

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Happy Father's Day, Wai Mui

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Wai Mui, and his daughter Erica Mui, had their picture taken by me for the All Skokie Photo Project Father's Day weekend. This one and others taken of Skokians throughout the year will be included in the Skokie Historical Society's photography archives.

The next shoot will be June 27, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Skokie Heritage Museum. Facebook users are asked to RSVP.

If you have ideas or questions about the project, want to be a sponsor or donor, want to volunteer, want to have your picture taken, contact me at krkring@gmail.com and check out the Friends of the All Skokie Photo Project group on Facebook.

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It's Farmers' Market Time!

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Carrots, melons, peaches, tomatoes, cheese, spices, flowers, baked goods and the knife sharpener.

I always have a good time at the farmers' markets, especially the Skokie Farmers' Market. Located between Village Hall and the library, for me it is an nice walk, though parking is easy too. The atmosphere offers just the right balance of calm and chaos. I usually see a friend or two, but no dogs. They're not allowed.

Tubroses became by favorite flower last year due to a certain flower vendor. Crossing my fingers he'll show this year too.

Skokie's Farmers' Market gets back in full swing Sunday, June 27. Its hours are 7:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

If you'd rather shop on Saturdays, or are jonesing for some really good peaches, like me, Evanston's Farmers' Market started last month. It's open from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Morton Grove's Farmers' Market is in business on Saturdays too from 7:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. Be on the look out for Niles North alum Rick Kazdan's El Gringo Loco salsa booth as mentioned in last week's Morton Grove Champion.

For more information about other farmers' markets in the area, check out Farmer's Market Online.

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Who is a Journalist Now?

a Making Media Connections roundtable discussion; FREE and open to the public

This just in from Community Media Workshop...

The Chicago Community Trust’s Community News Matters initiative and Community Media Workshop invite you to this roundtable discussion.

When: June 10, 3-5 p.m.
Where: Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema, 8th Floor, 1104 South Wabash, Chicago.

We’re all creating and reporting news and stories for and about our communities, our region, and beyond. But the more common online news technologies become, the clearer it gets that you can deliver news without doing journalism.

Join us for a public forum to help frame a new set of questions for the coming year around journalism, technology, new business models and the people helping to shape a new path for Chicago’s information society.

Who’s creating and reporting news and stories for and about our communities, our region, and beyond? Are online outlets supplementing or supplanting daily newspapers or television networks in delivering news? Come discuss the latest in the changing media landscape:
• Who really is a journalist now, anyway?
• How has the explosion in online news shifted the types of news we produce?
• How is the information ecosystem shifting away from traditional media outlets?
• What do these changes mean for our neighborhoods?
• Are we getting the news we need to make better decisions than before?

The forum will also feature a brief report out on the results of the Workshop’s second annual online news survey.

Concurrent Breakouts


The Business: As news reporting moves online publishers and writers face the same issue as traditional media. How do we raise revenue to pay for content? Some new news outlets are starting to make money and while others are still discovering what the new business model might be.
Panelists: Steve Rhodes (Beachwood Reporter), Rich Gordon (Northwestern University), Dave Greising (Chi News Co-Op), Sherry Skalko (Online News Association)
Moderator: Toure Mohammed (Beansoup Times)
Scribe: Gordon Mayer (National People’s Action Network)

Influential Voices: Bloggers have become new publishers as they post content and build audiences. How do online writers find audiences? How does news happen with these new outlets?
Panelists: Veronica Arreola (Viva La Feminista), Andrew Huff (GapersBlock), Charles Mombo (Chocolate City), Teresa Puente (Chicanisima)
Moderator: Steve Franklin (Community Media Workshop)
Scribe: Barbara Iverson (Chicago Talks)

Platforms & Tech: The shifting media landscape has not only blurred the lines between professional journalists, bloggers and citizen journalists but is also being shaped by new forms of technology that go beyond the printing press and network television.
Panelists: Tracy Schmidt (ChicagoNow), Brad Flora (Windy Citizen), Ernie Sanders (Chicago Digital Cities), Justin Kaufman (Chicago Public Media)
Moderator: Dan Sinker (Columbia College Chicago)
Scribe: Justin Massa (Metro Chicago Information Center)

The Locals/Communities: One characteristic of the online news environment are geo sites that focus on specific communities. Hear about several neighborhood specific news and information outlets. Panelists: Suzanne McBride (Austin Talks), Glenn Reedus (S. Suburban Publishing), Lorraine Swanson (Lake Effect News)
Moderator: Tony Olivia (Chicago Tribune)
Scribe: Ann Marie Mitchell (Journalist)

4:45 p.m. Recap in the big room
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FYI: I used to work at Community Media Workshop.

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