Our closing received so much more media attention than it would have if Mayor Emmanuel had not visited LSK just a couple of weeks before.  He was the victim of unfortunate timing.  The seeds of our closure were sown long before he became Mayor. 

First, let me thank all of you for your heartfelt good wishes for us.  It’s been wonderfully overwhelming, and we’re grateful to all of you for your support.

The media called me yesterday to comment on the statement released by Chicago Dept of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP–btw, you need a shorter name) about LSK’s closure.  Here’s what the City said:

Logan Square Kitchen will close permanently on Friday, June 28, 2012. We’re grateful to our community and every single person that believes that we can heal community with food.

Having the Mayor visit us was a surreal experience.  There’s so much energy around him– security, personal aides, communications folks– then Alderman, staff working on whatever he’s announcing, TV, press, the public– jockeying for attention.  All this energy swirls around, and there’s the Mayor at the center of it– calm and charming.  As personable as he is, you can’t help but have that "OMG-I’m-talking-to-THE-MAYOR-feeling."

It’s been over five months since Health Commissioner Bechara Couchair visited LSK and met with food business owners.  What’s happened since that visit?

Our steady stream of health inspections has stopped.  The "new" head of Food Protection that attended the meeting, Sandra Alfred, has already left her position, returning to a post in the Animal Care & Control Division. So the Head of Food Protection is once again a vacant post, as it had been for 1.5 years before Sandra Alfred briefly filled it.

I would describe our meeting Tuesday with Health Commissioner Choucair (SHOE-care) as constructive and loaded with potential.  Over 30 members of the food business community made time to offer suggestions and begin what I hope will be ongoing diablog on how to work together in fine fashion.  THANK YOU to everyone who came, I am continually inspired by the food community in Chicago.  

CDPH Commissioner Choucair will visit Logan Square Kitchen on Tuesday, November 1st at 11:00am.  The visit will last about 45 minutes.

My thanks for Health Commissioner Choucair for meeting with me yesterday.  It was the first time I met him personally, and my suspicions were confirmed.  I met an energetic, positive, hard-working, solution-oriented leader.  He had read our petition at Change.org, and everyone’s comments.

Chicago’s new Shared Kitchen User Ordinance takes effect today.  It’s written to regulate just two food facilities in Chicago, out of over 20,000.  Our experience over the past two years is unfortunately remaining consistent, with a heavy hand and regulations that would be front page news if restaurants had to live with them:

LSK appearance in Administrative Hearings yesterday resulted in a finding of ‘not liable’–  so no fine.  Note the court does not find you ‘innocent’.  There is no right or wrong in administrative hearings, only liable or not liable.  It acts like a court, but when I requested the Judge order CDPH to issue a new, clean inspection report, her response was, "I can’t do that." Whaaaa?  A court with no remedy?

Logan Square Kitchen will be appearing at the Administrative Hearings Building, 400 W. Superior St., Room 107 at 1pm today in response to a Health Dept violation issued August 2, 2011.  Here’s our submission to the City of Chicago Law Dept. and Administrative Hearings Judge. 

LSK has been inspected 19 times in 2 years.  Law requires two a year.  We’ve been inspected five times more frequently.  We’re off to court this Thursday, August 25th to contest a $500 ticket for a groundless violation that we view as retaliation for questioning a Health Dept. supervisor’s decisions.  We are officially FED UP. Here’s a document that details our most recent experience.  Want to help?

Friday, May 20th, the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce and Alderman Rey Colon signed an agreement concerning the operation and support of the 2011 Farmer’s Market.  I helped secure this agreement as a neutral facilitator.  I appreciate the opportunity to serve my neighborhood.  As many people have asked what happened, and the details of the agreement, I’m sharing them here. 

LSK tends to use Facebook and Twitter (logansqkitchen) to give ongoing updates about events.  Our blog is turning into the place for more in-depth discussions of food policy, and the work we do to support food entrepreneurship in Chicago.  Lots coming up in next couple of weeks…

Yesterday morning, I was alone in the Logan Square Kitchen when I listened to a voice mail from my attorney.  He was telling me that the Zoning Board of Appeals had unanimously ruled in our favor.  After 14 months of persevering, we  were no longer in danger of losing our business license.  I sat down and cried.

Logan Square Kitchen had a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing last Friday.  It’s been over a year of red tape, and Friday was a magnificent demonstration of what community can do.  I was inspired and grateful to witness the hearing.  About 40 people gave up their morning to sit behind us in support of the Kitchen, and we delivered over 275 letters of support.  It made a huge impression on the Board members, as community members rarely attend, and if they do, it’s in opposition. 

Yesterday we had our second meeting to provide feedback on a new licensing ordinance for shared kitchen users.  I attended the City Hall meeting with Alexis and Tonya, owners of Kitchen Chicago and Splice Kitchen respectively.  The ONLY reason we were at the table is due to Alderman Gene Schulter.  If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Ald. Shulter, THANK HIM.

The Chicago Reader is publishing a story this week. It relates Logan Square Kitchen’s terrible difficulties in the bureaucracy of City Hall over the past year.  It was not an easy decision, to decide to speak to the press.  For the past year, every attorney has advised me to keep quiet, for fear of retailiatory action by the City.  So this time, I didn’t ask.