RP1000 and Word 49: We're all connected

I have been chatting with Bill Savage over the past few days about the concept behind uniting our three communities of Edgewater, Rogers Park and West Ridge with Word 49. The conversation continued onto the pages of everyblock chicago with the following:

...And lots of folks who have lived west of Ridge all their lives call it West Rogers Park. It's a losing battle, not worth fighting, especially since contiguous neighborhoods can be considered the same place; if this story was about gang rivalries in Englewood, it would be much less relevant to RPers, but WR isn't 15 miles away, it's right next door.

Bill Savage goes on to mention:

Check out Bill Morton's new site, which covers WR, RP and Edgewater. Our problems don't magically stop at Devon or Ridge or the city limits; we're all connected, like it or not.

Read the full story on everyblock.


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Rogers Park in 1,000 Words

Checking in on Rogers Park on the road.

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Now Trending on Rogers Park in 1,000 Words

The Broken Heart of Rogers Park is trending this morning. I should break out my screen shot archives for historical purposes soon. Rogers Park Arts and Culture were represented well with heavy searches for the Glenwood Arts District, The Granada Theater and Adelphi Theater. Lakeside recreation was also on our minds with interest in bonfires, and more specifically, beach bonfires.

#1 Broken Heart of Rogers Park
#2 Rogers Park
#3 Anne Sullivan pictures
#4 Glenwood Arts District Rogers Park
#5 Granada Theater, Chicago, IL.
#6 ABC 7
#7 Adelphi Theater Rogers Park Chicago, IL.
#8 bonfire
#9 bonfire beach
#10 Buffalo Joe


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Now Trending on Rogers Park in 1,000 Words

click to enlarge

It seems kinda funny, but ... those who are searching for Rogers Park information this morning are not interested in Mr. Alderman, the upcoming committeeman race, or the local conspiracy theory / ideology bologna.

#1   Kate Smith Promotions of Chicago
#2   Chicago Fire Department
#3   Jarvis Rogers Park police
#4   Anne Sullivan
#5   Hartigan Park, Albion St. Chicago, Illinois
#6   historic Rogers Park Chicago pictures
#7   sex offenders in Rogers Park
#8   strong doncoffee
#9   Around The Clock Liquor hours
#10 Around the Clock liqur (sic)



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Follow Rogers Park in 1,000 Words

Follow Rogers Park news and updates via your Google account, Twitter, or Yahoo. Click here & sign in.

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RP1000 listed as a Chicago News Bench favorite

Rogers Park in 1,000 Words was selected for the Chicago News Bench favorite websites list.

Here at Chicago News Bench, we look at thousands of other websites every week just to keep out finger on the pulse. There are so many websites to love, and so little time, and so many great ones.
- Tom Mannis, Chicago News Bench

To view the complete list, visit: http://chinewsbench.blogspot.com/p/favorite-websites.html



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The future of Rogers Park in 1,000 Words

Since June, 22nd, 2007, I have committed some time every day to our improving our community using photography and video via Rogers Park in 1,000 Words. I have found RP1000 to be an effective medium to point out issues in our community and spur positive change to make Rogers Park a better place.

Over the past few weeks, I dedicated the time to review our neighborhood from different perspectives. I walked every street, spoke with hundreds of residents, visited the businesses and of course captured it all on photos and video. This experience has further motivated me to evolve Rogers Park in 1,000 Words.

Visit Rogers Park in 1,000 Words daily for Rogers Park updates and photography or Follow using your current Google, Twitter, Yahoo, or AIM account.

Thank you,

Bill Morton

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Pixel Induced

Thank you to Pixel Induced for featuring RP1000 photography.

Pixel Induced is a place for photographers from all walks of life to share their experiences, learn or teach others with No Borders Nor Boundaries.

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EdgeVille Buzz

Thank you EdgeVille Buzz for mentioning Rogers Park in 1,000 Words.

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Blogger Down

Blogger was down for about a day and it looks like two posts on Rogers Park in 1,000 Words were erased in the process.

I will not be accepting comments questioning it as a conspiracy theory or some sort of personal attack because this is not the case. Blogs across the board have experienced the same losses.

I will repost Lightning over Rogers Park and Howard Street, Ashland Avenue & Rogers Avenue today.

Thank you,

Bill Morton


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Howard Street, Ashland Avenue & Rogers Avenue

In response to A Walk Down Howard Street - Rogers Park in 1,000 Words and And So 'It' Goes - North Howard Neighbors Association,

Don Gordon replied via email with everyone in local government and the media CC'd.

Michael,

Thanks for putting this out there and thanks to Bill Morton for the pics. The sad thing about this is that this lot has sat vacant for well over a dozen years - long before the current economic crash and for a long time while development in the city was in a boom cycle. Yet this corner and the sites just east of it remained either empty or in gutted out condition. It's hard for me to fathom that with a little effort from our alderman this couldn't have been addressed, but then again he was a bit "busy" making sure that the geese were safe, keeping Wal-Mart out of other blighted areas on the far south side and catering to union interests while plying his image nationally.

As a commercial realtor I'm sure you realize that now it's too late and any market driven solutions won't happen until we're well out of our economic mess, which will be years down the road. This is the collateral damage that a community suffers when their elected representative is "MIA". In the interim, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a community garden or even a wildflower garden and not just a fence around an area that looks like it belongs in the middle of Kandahar. Whatever the interim solution the alderman should be on the owner of the property (bank or otherwise) to clean up their act and make the area look decent until something is done to develop it.

So once again we're faced with the same recurring question - Where's Joe?

Don

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Upgrading the system

I have more Rogers Park content for you, but it has been difficult to post due to a problem with my computer network. I've been trying to work the configuration myself for a week and a half to no avail.

It is time to call in the professional. Kris Luck of Quest Network Services will be working on my system to ensure that when there is a story to post in Rogers Park, I can get it to my readers in a timely, efficient manner.

And when it is time to upgrade to four or more computers for video editing, web hosting and search engine optimization, I can rely on Quest Network Services for that as well.

Quest Network Services
7301 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL. 60626
(773) 761-3555
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Rogers Park flickr

Rogers Park flickr, Bill Morton

I have been experimenting with flickr since 2008. Now, I have released the new Rogers Park profile with some familiar and some previously unreleased photos.

They claim "Flickr is the WD-40 that makes it easy to get photos or video from one person to another in whatever way they want". I hope to organize hundreds of thousands of unreleased Rogers Park photos so that I can display the best of on Rogers Park in 1,000 Words.


My profile: http://www.flickr.com/people/49thward
My photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49thward
My map: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49thward/map
My favorites: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49thward/favorites
My tags: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49thward/tags

Bloggers We Love

Rogers Park in 1,000 Words is currently featured as one of Outside.In's Bloggers We Love.

You can view Bloggers We Love on Outside.In here.


Thank you Outside.In for the recognition. We love you too.

- Bill Morton

UrbanTurf recognizes two Rogers Park blogs as influential

UrbanTurf Chicago Real Estate Guide writer Jacqueline Zenn highlights some of Chicago's top neighborhood blogs and their influence on real estate and home ownership.

Zenn writes "While spending time in a given area is by far the best way to get to know what makes it interesting and special, it is hardly practical for most. However, prospective home buyers and potential new residents can check out the many independently-run neighborhood blogs as a way to get a quick primer on the various facets and idiosyncrasies of a given area".

She goes on to mention two Rogers Park blogs, The Broken Heart of Rogers Park and Rogers Park in 1,000 Words "Written by long-time resident Bill Morton, this blog offers a slightly more positive view of Rogers Park with excellent visuals (a picture being worth a thousand words and all)".

Other blogs deemed worthy of checking out by UrbanTurf include Sloopin (South Loop), Hard Scrabbler (Bridgeport), Hyde Park Progress, Uptown Update and Edgewater Community Buzz.

The full article, The Value of Chicago’s Neighborhood Blogs to Home Buyers by Jacqueline Zenn can be read in it's entirety here.

Readership

Thank you to my readers.

I appreciate that you consistently follow Rogers Park in 1,000 Words. I was checking the statistics, and found that many of you view RP1000 with your morning coffee between 8:45 and 9:30am.

Here is a rundown of some of the other basic stats that may surprise you.



Pageviews by Browsers

Internet Explorer 45%

Firefox 38%

Safari 7%

Chrome 4%

Opera 1%

OneRiot, Java, Mobile, Jakarta Commons-HttpClient and Ubuntu less than 1% each



Pageviews by Operating Systems

Windows 63%

Macintosh 32%

Other Unix and iPhone 1% each

Linux, BlackBerry, iPad, iPod, Palm and Danger less than 1% each



- Bill Morton

manifest

Thank you to everyone who called, sent emails and visited in concern due to RP1000's recent post-election solitude.

I will continue posting relevant Rogers Park content in service to those who care about our neighborhood.

I've been working very hard, in support of better times ahead.

- Bill Morton

The Bloggers of Rogers Park

I have been notified of an interesting article about the blogs of Rogers Park which included Rogers Park in 1,000 Words, The Broken Heart of Rogers Park and Al Iverson's Bacon Rodeo.


The following is a sample of the article:

Bill Morton posts amazing pictures of community events and businesses on his blog, Rogers Park in 1000 Words. He also regularly posts links to local real estate news and current events, as well as speaking openly about his dislike of Alderman Joe Moore. This will be an interesting blog to watch as the election approaches.


You can read the article in it's entirety here:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6210454/the_bloggers_of_rogers_park.html

Blogged

As I was researching online resources to promote our local businesses today, I came across a site called, Blogged.

Here are the summaries of Rogers Park in 1,000 Words that I submitted to Blogged:



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Blogging serves local news needs for Rogers Park - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/blogging-serves-local-news-needs-for.html

Blogging serves local news needs for Rogers Park. The positive aspects of ultra local blogging in the Chicago neighborhood of Rogers Park. - Bill Morton



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Barren storefronts pose problem in Rogers Park - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/barren-storefronts-pose-problem-in.html

This is an interview concerning the barren storefronts along Howard Street in Rogers Park and what one Rogers Park business is doing to survive during these horrible economic times. - Bill Morton



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Registered Voter - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/11/registered-voter.html

It is important to be a registered voter and vote in every election. - Bill Morton



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Public Health and Safety issue - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/former-north-shore-school.html

Swanette Triem continuosly creates public safety and health hazards at her 1217 W. Chase Avenue Chicago, IL. 60626 property. Some of these issues are demolition and construction...



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: All about books - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-about-books.html

I donated roughly two thousand books to local bookstore The Armadillo's Pillow. The books that I donated were the ones that I saved from the North Shore School demolition a few years ago. - Bill Morton



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Success! - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/great-news.html

Local used and rare book store, The Armadillo's Pillow raised the needed funds to stay in business. The Armadillo's Pillow 6753 N. Sheridan Road Chicago, IL. 60626



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Rogers Park Cyber Bully - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/11/rogers-park-cyber-bully.html

I am taking a stand against cyber bullies in Rogers Park. - Bill Morton



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: We have issues - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-have-issues.html

Browsing through followers of The Rogers Park Twitter, I found some disturbing Rogers Park updates. Be aware of your surroundings. - Bill Morton



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Board game night tonight - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/board-game-night-tonight.html

There is a Board Game Night every Thursday in The Parlor of Quest Network Services at 7pm. Quest Network Services 7301 N. Sheridan Road Chicago, IL. 60626 (773) 761-3555



Rogers Park in 1,000 words: Sheridan and Chase - Rogers Park updates:
http://rp1000.blogspot.com/2010/10/sheridan-and-chase.html

This is a small photo set of a protest which occured on Sheridan Road and Chase Avenue in Rogers Park. - Bill Morton

Blogging serves local news needs for Rogers Park

UPDATE

"Hi, Mr. Morton my name is Brandon Love and I am a journalism student at Columbia College Chicago. I am also a new resident to the Rogers park area. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me regarding blogging as a new form of media". - Brandon

Brandon,

Thank you for contacting me and welcome to the neighborhood!


What would you say sets blogging apart from other forms of news?

Blogging is set apart from other news sources because the medium often features hyper local reports from residents who know their neighborhood best. Reports can consist of anything from a few sentences about a happening to an entire essay about local crime, politics or culture. I always try to keep my Rogers Park blog relevant to Rogers Park and Chicago's 49th Ward.


How has the Rogers Park neighborhood influenced your blogs?

The state of Rogers Park is what influenced me to create my main blog, Rogers Park in 1,000 Words (www.RP1000.blogspot.com). I was a disappointed when I discovered corruption in the Alderman's office, which I had volunteered to campaign for several years earlier. I had never realized the relationship of politicians and condo developers in Rogers Park before. This realization disturbed me to the point where I had to vent it out. I created my first blog.

Reading through some of my blog posts, you will find other topics influenced by life in Rogers Park such as local businesses, culture, history, local events and photos of every aspect of our neighborhood.


What are some negative/positive aspects of blogging?

Blogs can be a double edged sword.

On one hand, blogs can be used to alert the community of public safety or health hazards in your neighborhood. Blogs can be utilized to promote local businesses and increase sales, so that they can stay open. They are a form of communication, an outlet for creativity and a medium to initiate change.

On the other hand, blogs can be used to cyber bully, spread propaganda and destroy a person’s reputation. Cyber bullying is an abusive act of some bloggers.


How many blogs do you have and also how many would you say that you follow?

I have created many blogs. A few are specifically about Rogers Park or the 49th Ward, others are about my other interests, such as helping small businesses, technology and even a blog to feature my resume to potential employers.

I follow over ten blogs that compliment my photography and writing. I want to stay informed about important information in my neighborhood including news, events, job openings and the latest computer technology updates.

- Bill Morton