Letters to the Editor

Editor's note: We respect your opinion and are privileged to share it via this website. All letters to the editor will

be reviewed before being posted. We do allow anonymous comments, yet we will not allow the Southwest Chicago Post to serve as a forum for bigotry of any kind. We also will not allow personal attacks against anyone, including elected officials and other public figures. On this site, all of us need to keep our tone respectful and our criticisms constructive. That's important as we work together to build better Southwest Side neighborhoods for all. So please join the conversation by sending your letter to editor@swchicagopost.com.

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Editor,

One question: why were you so down on Dan Lipinski's Halloween parade? It was nice.

Anonymous

Editor's reply: We're not down on the annual Pumpkin Parade at all. We merely reported that it was being moved from its traditional location--of at least the last 25 years--on Archer Avenue in Garfield Ridge--which is what we were told by Alderman Zalewski's staff. If we were down on the parade, would we have covered it as well as we did, with not one but two camera operators? No other newspaper--locally or anywhere in theThird Congressional District--did that. Check it out at http://www.swchicagopost.com/2014/10/pumpkin-parade-2014-highlights.html and enjoy.

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Dear Editor,

Thank you so much for the video of the Pumpkin Parade on Archer. You got our whole family in the shot, saying "Happy Halloween." It's a cool keepsake for us. I like how your video not only showed the floats and marching units, but the people along the parade route. That's a good idea. Please keep it up.

John and Cynthia Soto
Summit

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Editor,

Why are you posting so much about Checkers on the Watchdogs Facebook page. Checkers, Checkers, Checkers! Is that all you can write about? I challenge you to say one good thing about Checkers.

Toni Scalise
Clearing

Editor's reply: I [Tim Hadac] started one, and only one, thread on the Clearing/Garfield Ridge Watchdogs Facebook page, back on November 4. The other threads were started by others. Why? Because they find the topic of interest. My only concern with Checkers is the mismatch between what they said about hiring local people and what they did. They went out their way to express a commitment to local hiring, but then hired just two people from the 60638 ZIP code out of a staff of more than 50 at their Archer/Narragansett location. Hopefully, they can change that and make a better showing as time goes by.

Say one good thing about Checkers? I'll say five:

** It's good that a taxpaying business is on that site, as opposed to an empty building.
** It's good that the company restaurant now there is well funded and has the resources to stick around for a while.
** It's good that what Checkers built on the site is visually attractive. Others may disagree on that, but I'm a huge fan of the 1950s drive-in look--so for me, the place looks spectacular.
** It's good that Checkers employees are friendly and fast--at least the one time I was there.
** It's good that the food is delicious (at least the bacon cheeseburger, fries and banana shake I had the one time I was there).

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Editor,

Thank you for shedding some light on the situation at Checkers. I'm glad that the people working there are employed, but what about people who live right here? The numbers don't lie. Checkers obviously did not have any special commitment to local hiring. They won't get my business.

Ann McLaughlin

Garfield Ridge

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Editor,

I think the thing in this Checkers discussion is how many people from ZIP code 60638 even applied for jobs? If nobody applied, you can't blame Checkers for not hiring local kids. Have they shared that information with you?

Donna Gosselin
Garfield Ridge

Editor's reply: That was one of the questions we asked Checkers corporate officials, and they seemed to indicate they would share that with us, once a computer glitch was fixed on their end. Nearly two weeks later, we're still waiting. Further, a Checkers public relations official suggested that we take a few photos of the place. We said OK and suggested they arrange a ribbon cutting or some similar thing with perhaps the alderman or a chamber of commerce official. We have not yet heard back from Checkers on that.

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Editor:

Your opinion piece and the people in Garfield Ridge are racism at its finest. An all-white community in an uproar because blacks got job.

I drive by this site every day. Prior to its opening there was a "now hiring" sign posted for two months. I applied and I didn't do well on the assessment test, therefore I wasn't selected.

These spoiled rich Caucasian kids don't have to work, so they didn't apply because mommy and daddy haven't taught them work ethic.

Fortunately my parents did. If it was 50 Caucasian kids working and no blacks we wouldn't be having this discussion. Racisms ugly face still exists.

My question is how many 60638 applicants applied and were denied? What was the basis of the denial. Did they interview? I have spoken to the District Manager about this matter alerting him of this group's horrible intentions. I have his business info if you want to reach out to him directly. Let's get the truth before we spread untruths.

Anonymous

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