Aldermanic Endorsements

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Six of the fourteen wards in April 5ths Supplementary Aldermanic Election are in the Citizen Newspapers coverage areas. The following candidates are strong nominees for the office of alderman in their respective wards. Each candidate has a solid and proven track record to continue to stimulate progress in African American communities across the City of Chicago. The Citizen is proud to endorse the following candidates from the 6th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 20th and 24th Wards.

Freddrenna Lyle (6th)

For 6th Ward alderman, the Citizen endorses Freddrenna Lyle. Since her 1998 appointment, Lyle has served with integrity. During her first term, she directed the construction of 147 new single family homes, new campus parks and a Target store. The alderman also led the charge to bring senior housing, two senior satellite centers, a Nike Outlet Store, new restaurants and new small businesses to the 6th.

Under Lyles leadership, the wards schools also saw an improvement. For example, an extension was built on to Deneen Elementary School. The alderman has also been active in the Chicago Advanced Placement Enhancement (CAPE) program at Harlan Community Academy High School. According to a recent press release, CAPEs purpose is to increase the number of low-income students who enroll in Advance Placement courses and achieve college credit on AP exams.

During her tenure, Lyle has also recognized that the failure of Black elected officials working together was a causative factor of our communities problems. She re-convened the dormant Black Elected Officials of Illinois and was later elected chair. In 2008, she was elected Vice-Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, city of Chicago chair.

Toni Foulkes (15th)

For 15th Ward alderman, the Citizen endorses Toni Foulkes. Since being elected in 2007, Foulkes has produced positive results for her ward. She secured $250,000 in 2007 and $100,000 in 2010 for improvements to Lindblom Park including a new roof for the gym area. Additionally, since Foulkes has been in office; constituents have new sidewalks in a third of the ward, new piggy-back street lighting on 115 blocks, 13 new major water main projects and free street resurfacing. The Dept. of Water Management has also implemented the grid-cleaning of sewers in the entire 15th Ward. The alderman is also active with area schools. She has taken students from Harper High School to help clean the neighborhood. As a result, students received community service hours to apply toward the 40 hours of Service Learning hours that is required for graduation.

JoAnn Thompson (16th)

For 16th Ward alderman, the Citizen endorses JoAnn Thompson. The 16th Ward has seen many improvements since Thompson beat incumbent Shirley Coleman in 2007. Thompson is interested in continuing her progress in the 16th ward by revitalizing education, economic development and housing. She also wants 16th Ward children to have the resources necessary to prepare them to compete successfully with other students. With less than four years in office, Thompson has co-Sponsored a $1.5 million TIF/NIP program which awarded 68 residents of the 16th Ward a grant to pay for sorely needed repairs on the their homes. She appropriated $990,000 to upgrade all 16th Ward street light luminaries from 150 watts to 250 watts, and repainted all light poles. The alderman also negotiated the completion of a 99 unit Mercy Englewood SRO Apartments complex to serve the homeless at 63rd and Peoria.

Latasha Thomas (17th)

For 17th Ward alderman, the Citizen endorses Latasha Thomas. She was appointed 17th Ward Alderman by Mayor Richard M. Daley in July 2000. During her 10 years as alderman, Thomas has worked to change the overall perception of the Englewood and Auburn Gresham communities among non-residents. She has also worked to change the amount of investment and support coming from local residents and business owners in strengthening their wards neighborhoods. In the last decade, Thomas has bought 1,000 jobs to the area and out of that number, 400 jobs in the last four years. Thomas hosts many events in the 17th Ward including the Annual Southside Gospel Festivalthe largest neighborhood Gospel festival in the city and the Annual Christmas in Englewood Toy Give-Away event. The alderman says the event has given away over one million dollars in goods to neighborhood residents. Three new banks and five groceries have recently opened in the ward under her direction. Out of the five grocery stores, three are Save-A-Lot locations. The three stores in the 17th Ward are located in the West Englewood, Englewood and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods.

Willie B. Cochran (20th)

For 20th Ward alderman, the Citizen endorses Willie B. Cochran. Elected in 2007 after defeating former alderman Arenda Troutman, Cochran has bought hope back to the 20th Ward. The former Chicago Police officer has degrees in Sociology and Public Administration. He has also organized and implemented two Tax Incremental Financing Districts that will help spur development in providing resources to stakeholders. After retiring from the police department, Cochran went on to demonstrate his commitment to community by working as a Community Organizer for the Local Initiative Support Corporations, New Community Program. During his tenure as a community organizer, he participated in extensive community-planning activities designed to improve the quality of life and create solutions to problems that have plagued neighborhoods, such as crime, ineffective schools, affordable housing, jobs, health and economic development. The alderman has most recently hosted a series of health eating seminars in conjunction with the Washington Park Consortium, Eat Right with Color. The final seminar will be held March 31- St. Edmunds Tower, 6131 S. Michigan at 2:00pm.

Sharon Denise Dixon (24th)

For 24th Ward alderman, the Citizen endorses Sharon Denise Dixon. Elected in 2007, in the past, Dixon has worked with various Lawndale community organizations, such as Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), working together in 2005 on a neighborhood beautification project with children engaged in planting flowers and shrubs to beautify their community. Dixon has done many positive things in the ward as well bringing new businesses to the area and expanding old businesses including: Leamington Foods, Nationwide Furniture Distributors, Cermak Car Auction and Geokat Granite Company. She is preparing to bring more businesses to the ward in 2011 including : a year-around sports dome, a skating rink, a bowling alley, an olive oil company that will bring 200-300 jobs and a streetscape that should attract other businesses along Roosevelt Rd.

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