Emmy Lou and CANA, too–another October post

Hey TUC’ers:

It’s been a beautiful week of autumn in Chicago, with seasonal temperatures and breezes redolent of Indian Summer.  I hope you’ll make your way to Third this coming Sunday as the Reverend Emmy Lou Belcher, Minister at the fast-growing DuPage UU Church in Naperville offers a sermon entitled, “Wisdom.”  The Reverend Belcher has had ample opportunity to hone this message.  She served the UU congregation in Traverse City, Michigan, during a period of unprecedented growth in the 1990′s prior to her ministry in the western suburbs.  This is her first, and I hope not the last, foray in the Thomas Paine pulpit.

Another salutary development at the corner of Mayfield and Fulton was the third meeting of the Central Austin Neighborhood Association, or CANA, in the E.T. Buehrer Concourse.  A social hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with refreshments started the event, and three presenters offered updates on various initiatives and committee work to the forty-five attendees.  TUC was well represented, as Jerry Parker,  Anita McChriston, Barbara Minor, Jamie Boyce and I were among those in the crowd.  The presenters, one of whom was

Serethea Matthews-Reid and Ron Reid of CANA in the Concourse

CANA facilitator Serethea Matthews-Reid announced plans to carpool to increase neighborhood attendance at upcoming hearings for the Chicago Police review board.  Specifically, CANA will express concerns about allocation of patrol forces in Austin and about intentions to reduce the number of social services staff at the 15th District Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (“CAPS”).  Ms. Matthews-Reid and others noted plans to get CANA’s working committees up and running, and in that vein she solicited volunteers to do so.  The meetings will likely continue on the third Tuesday of each month after the winter holidays, and any TUC’er is invited to attend.  This is a terrific opportunity to work with our Austin neighbors on concerns of their choice–and your service helps fulfill our mission to partner with local residents on social justice concerns.  Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in learning more about CANA, or better yet, visit their Website: http://www.cana16.com/.  At left is a picture of Ms. Matthews-Reid and her husband Ron, designer of CANA’s attractive Web presence.

See you in church!