As of this post, we have 405 signatures! This morning, a video was launched that we filmed yesterday (July 12) with the help of Christoper Hoerdemann of PRIME Chicago LLC. It's now the front page of our petition, and you can use this link to watch and share: https://youtu.be/OFLsS11jsEc We were also featured in an article by Tonia Hill of the Hyde Park Herald: http://hpherald.com/2017/07/13/residents-launch-petition-make-jackson-park-accessible-green-line-riders/ It's a great piece for you to share. One mistake, however, is that she said our goal is 500. I don't know where she got that number, because I certainly didn't want to limit ourselves that way. To set the record strait, we want to provide enough time for as many people to sign as possible. Part of the problem with the way things were handled when the 'L' was demolished in 1997 was that too few spoke on behalf of the whole community, and decisions were made with too little notice. For that reason—the reason we are petitioning in the first place—we want to allow time to raise awareness and to measure interest more accurately. Does that mean we don't have a goal? On the contrary! Our goal is to gather an overwhelming number of signatures leading up to September 28, 2017—the 20-year mark of when demolition began. We fully intend to deliver the petition before then as we're confident the opportunity presents itself. But our goal is also for Mayor Emanuel and the CTA to have made a public announcement in favor of restoring the Green Line by September 27, 2017—20 years to the day that Woodlawn residents were given less than 24-hours notice that the decision to demolish had been finalized. We believe this is a much more responsible goal than an arbitrary total of signatures. With that said, let's get as many signatures as we can! We were also featured in an op ed by our very own Gabriel Piemonte on South Side United: http://southsideunited.org/why-east-woodlawn-needs-its-l-back/ Gabriel thoroughly covers some of the darker subjects related to why the 'L' was demolished. He is outspoken about his personal feelings about the late Arthur Brazier's motives in the 1990s, and it's important for us to take such feelings into account. I am grateful for his friendship and for his outspoken honesty. While neither Gabriel, nor we as the broader community is really interested in turning this petition into an attack on single leader—past or present—Gabriel's perspective as a Woodlawn resident is sobering and representative of that of a number of neighbors with whom I have spoken. Personally, I would like to see our petition as an opportunity to come alongside Byron Brazier and the Apostolic community of 2017; for us to put past mistakes behind us and to imagine restoration that honors the legacy of such a cornerstone congregation in our area and its leadership. I don't want Arthur Brazier to be remembered as single-handly the person responsible for the 'L's demise. That would be an historical fallacy. At the end of the day, I firmly believe that restoring the Green Line in the right way is in everyone's best interest. And these feelings come from conversations that have involved Apostolic members—who also signed the petition. Finally, I attended the 5th Ward meeting at the South Shore Cultural Center this evening, hosted by Ald. Leslie Hairston. The main order of business for the meeting was to hear from and respond to presenters about the incoming Obama Presidential Center as well as planners for the golf course project and the Chicago Department of Transportation plans for Jackson Park. It was a long meeting, and there were dozens of people who asked questions. I was one of the last ones. I tried to represent those of you who have signed well. What I asked for in my brief time at the microphone was a combined meeting among the wards through which the E. 63rd St Green Line runs (or used to and would once again). Ald. Hairston was less receptive to me than I would have hoped, quickly deferring to the late Arthur Brazier, and the complexity of the decisions made at the time. In the moment, I couldn't help feeling dismissed, as though she thought I was ignorant of the history. But I do want to try to give her the benefit of the doubt (especially since it was late and one of our other petition signers had already mentioned the idea in an earlier comment during the meeting!). I am optimistic, however, that conversation can still take place between her office and those of us in the 5th Ward who want to see the Green Line restored. In contrast, after the meeting I was quickly greeted by a lead representative from the Obama Foundation who loves the idea of restoring the 'L' to Stony Island! While signing our petition is a conflict of interests, I am also optimistic (anxious, even!) to see what sort of advice and support we can share together moving forward. It's been a crazy 72 hours for me, and I am excited that so many of you are joining us in raising awareness about the petition. Keep up the good work. Let's make it happen!