APRIL
The Chicago Greens–one of the groups that used to organize Chicago’s annual Earth Day festivities–started boycotting the event two years ago, when Com Ed became its primary corporate sponsor. This year Earth Day has been canceled altogether due to “today’s uncertain funding climate,” says the Chicago Earth Month Coalition, which is encouraging people to visit the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Sunday instead. Meanwhile, the Greens are holding a free lineup of lectures called Earthday: From Chernobyl to Baghdad, which will address such topics as the use of depleted uranium missiles in Iraq, environmental terrorism, clean-air struggles at the Fisk and Crawford coal plants in Little Village and Pilsen, and the transport of high-level radio-active waste through Illinois to Nevada’s Yucca Mountain (part of a measure signed into law by the president several months ago). It runs from 10 to 3 today at Columbia College’s Ferguson Auditorium, 600 S. Michigan in Chicago; bring your lunch. For more call 312-939-2539.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
28 MONDAY
Veronica Diaz opened her No Friction Cafe down the street from a Starbucks in Logan Square last year. She describes her place as “pretty multicultural,” with programming that includes live jazz, poetry, dance workshops, game nights, and exhibits by local artists. She also offers high-speed Internet access for $5 an hour. “It’s pretty friendly around here,” she says. “I’m Mexican, and a lot of people try to be cute and start speaking Spanish with me.” So tonight she’ll launch Spanish conversation tables, an informal (and free) night of dialogue in which people can sip joe and improve their language skills at one of the mosaic-covered tables designed by Diaz. It runs from 6 to 8 at the cafe, 2502 N. California in Chicago (773-235-2757).
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/John Booz, Dharampal Nanda.
