Monthly Archives: November 2009

Grassroots: Campaigning for a Cause

Posted on November 21, 2009 | Leave a comment
Jedd Bittles Photo

Jedd Bittles gets organized for fundraising at Loyola Univeristy.
(Photo by Ashley Boll)

Ever wonder who those people on the street are? The people who try to talk to you as you rush past them as you hurry through your day?

Here is a chance to get to know one of the fundraisers for Grassroots Campaigns in Chicago.

Jedd Bittles,19, is a field manager for Grassroots Campaigns. A former fundraiser for Children International at Dialog Direct, he is familiar with campaigning for causes.

ChicagoStorytelling’s Ashley Boll and Hanalei Darbar followed Bittles during a day at work at Loyola University helping to raise money for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASCPA).

Audio Slideshow: A day in the life of a fundraiser.

Q&A: Boll interviews Bittles on her blog, which includes a map of where Grassroots works to raise money.

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Posted in Advocacy, Chicago, Maps, Streets

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Dance Company Show Honors Miles Davis

Posted on November 20, 2009 | Leave a comment

Video: Footage from a Nov. 14 performance that paid tribute to the music of Miles Davis.

By Poppy Peterson and Katie Nelson

The Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is a non-profit, Chicago-based dance troupe founded by longtime partners, Joe Cerqua and Wilfredo Rivera and their friend, Matt Lamb.

The theatre is full of enthusiastic dancers that come from various backgrounds and have all been formally trained. Along with dancing with the troupe, the performers have full-time day jobs.

The troupe’s theatre is located at 1147 W. Jackson Blvd. and features performances, representing different themes and time periods. The ensemble mixes modern, jazz and ballet dancing to express the accompanying music and art.

For more information about the dance company: CerquaRivera.org.

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Posted in Art, Chicago, music

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Chicago’s Red Door Animal Shelter

Posted on November 20, 2009 | 4 Comments
Huey the Cat Photo

Huey the cat relaxes inside the Red Door Animal Shelter in Rogers Park. Huey was rescued years ago and has become the shelter's unofficial mascot. (Photo Courtesy of the Red Door Animal Shelter)

By Katie Karpowicz

If not for the Red Door Animal Shelter in Rogers Park, Huey the cat’s future may not have been so bright.

Since its start in 1998, the Red Door Animal Shelter has been dedicated to giving homeless animals in Chicago, like Huey, a different kind of shelter experience.
Huey was severely abused as a kitten and, as a result, suffers neurological damage. The cat has no control over his hind legs, tail and bladder.

Huey was brought to Red Door as a kitten. He has lived at the shelter ever since. Red Door employees estimate that the cat is now between 8 and 10 years old. The extra care that he requires makes it hard to find a home for Huey said employees at Red Door.

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Posted in Advocacy, Chicago, Streets, Uncategorized

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Q&A: Chicagoist’s Marcus Gilmer

Posted on November 17, 2009 | Leave a comment

Marcus Gilmer Photo

Marcus Glimer
(Courtesy Photo)

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of Q&A-format features on how Chicago-based, national and international journalists and other professionals incorporate current technology into their jobs.

Marcus Gilmer earned a master’s degree in creative writing at the University of New Orleans.

But as editor-in-chief of Chicagoist, Gilmer finds clever ways to tell stories about the Windy City through a journalistic approach. Chicagoist, part of the Gothamist chain of Web sites, covers news, food and events throughout the city.

Through the world of evolving online journalism, Glimer has found a balance between writing what he knows and writing what he thinks.

Gilmer talked with ChicagoStorytelling’s Caitlin Hacker, Katie Nelson and Cheryl Waity about his site, his career path and the future of online storytelling.

Hacker’s interview and audio.

Nelson’s interview and audio.

Waity’s Q&A.

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Posted in Chicago, media

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Interview: Chicago Sun-Times Columnist and Huffington Post Blogger Esther Cepeda

Posted on November 17, 2009 | Leave a comment
Esther Cepeda

Esther Cepeda blogs and uses social media tools
such as Twitter to write about issues in Chicago.
(Courtesy Photo)

As a part-time columnist with the Chicago Sun-Times and author of her own blog, Esther Cepeda writes about second-generation Hispanics and Latinos whose stories might not be told in mainstream media.

Cepeda, who also writes for The Huffington Post, talked with ChicagoStorytelling’s Forrest Davis about how she uses social media in her coverage.

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Posted in Chicago, media, News

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