Daley Thanks 7th Ward

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Mayor Richard M. Daley joins city officials and members of the Womens Treatment Center on the Near West Side for the first stop of the Mayors Neighborhood Appreciation Tour to thank residents from across the city for their collaboration in helping move Chicago forward.
Mayor Richard M. Daley joins city officials and members of the Womens Treatment Center on the Near West Side for the first stop of the Mayors Neighborhood Appreciation Tour to thank residents from across the city for their collaboration in helping move Chicago forward.

by Thelma Sardin

Last September, Mayor Richard M. Daley made an historic declaration. He announced he would not seek re-election for a job he has held longer than some Chicagoans have been alive. Daleys admission was the beginning of an intense mayoral campaign season with former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel becoming his successor. During his last weeks in office, Mayor Daley is visiting all 50 Wards in Chicago for a Neighborhood Appreciation Tour.

On Friday morning, the tour brought him to the 7th Ward for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Adam Clayton Powell Elementary School, 7511 S. South Shore Dr.. Powell Elementary is the 12th new school opened in the past two-and-a-half years under the Modern Schools Across Chicago program, a press release stated.

Mayor Daley who controversially gained control of the Chicago Public Schools in 1995 has overseen the opening of 47 new schools over the past sixteen years.

According to the release, Modern Schools across Chicago is funded with City redevelopment funds from Tax Increment Financing districts -- no state or federal funds are received.

No other city in the nation has taken such a major step to assure that our children learn in modern, up-to-date environments, and last year the City Council approved funding for the second phase of the program, so the financing of modern public schools continues to be a top priority of the TIF program, Daley said.

The mayor believes quality schools are the main ingredient to Chicagos future.

In the competition for the jobs of the tomorrow, which is the key to Chicagos future, nothing is more important than continuing to improve our schools. And we must pay special attention to improving our neighborhood elementary and high schools, as we are here with this beautiful new facility, Daley said.

Mayor Daleys Neighborhood Appreciation Tour is an avenue for him to personally thank Chicagoans for their ongoing support during his 22 years in office.

. I want to thank the residents of the 7th ward for their hard work and dedication. Working together, we've brought Chicago into the 21st century, and given it a bright future, he said.

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