MARKETPLACE
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 11, APRIL, 1976
Minding his
Ps and Cues
Ricky Ingersoll, 19, of
Cicero takes advantage of
one of the two pool tables
in the new youth center
on 14th St. in the western
suburb. (Sun-Times Photo
by Randy Leffingwell)
20
SUNDAY SUN-TIMES, Sept. 21, 1975
Qsuburban Repor~
,
Center lures em
off the streets
By Lloyd Green
and Kingsley Wood
"The residents on the block say they're scared of us," said
one youth. " But they never come out of their homes. If we
knock over a garbage can because we're accldently drunk
they just call the police."
'
On the northeast corner of the intersection where the youths
congregated is the Clement Presbyterian Church. The pastor,
the Rev. Richard C. Duncan, frequently had to clear beer cans
and broken bottles from the church steps.
Buthe crowning blow came the night of July 4 when the
youths offered to give a bottle of wine to a known junkie, who
they claimed was not a member of their group, if he would
climb atop the church and try' to do a handstand on the cross.
"And he did it," one of the youths exclaimed."
After the headstand incident, Mr. Duncan decided he'd had
enough. Some stained-glass windows of his church had been
broken, and there was no money to repair them. The church's
front door had been marred with carved initials. Windows of
his parsonage next door to the church also had been smash-
ed, along with windows of the Roosevelt Elementary School
across the street.
Like young people in a Jot of suburban areas, youths in the
Grant Works community of northeast Cicero have tong com- Alt~ough the yo~ths on the corner denied responsibility for
d h •s n thin for them to do _ NOWHERE FOR the WJ~dow smashing, Mr. Duncan Invited them to meet at bis
0
g
church with area residents, businessmen, property owners,
P I a 1 ne t ere
THEM TO GO.
town officials and top police officers. After some heated
The result has been an onslaught of vandalism-smashed charges and countercharges, It was agreed that a Grant Park
widows, splattered paint, carved 11p church doors, Molotov Youth Council should be formed with the objective of setting
cocktails thrown into the streets and hassling Of older res!· up a youth center.
dents who venture out at night.
Some businessmen gave money to get the center started, but
But concerned residents are hopeful they have an answe~ to it wasn't easy to find a place to rent. Most building owners
the problems, although there have been some threatemng wanted no part of It. They didn't trust the youths. Finally,
phone calls because of the steps taken toward a solution.
however, Marlo Bendinelll, who runs a carpet store in the
Deput)• Police Supt. Otis c. Likins said that until the last community, agreed to rent a vacant store be owned on 14th St.
few weeks Gra nt Works was one of his town's most trouble- "I took a chance " he said. " Someone had to. H you shut
some areas. Police were ca11ed there almost nightly to quell your eyes t:o these problems, that won't make them go away."
youthful disturbances. Reserve police were stationed there.
Bendinelll has received some anonymous phone calls from
Youths in the area, with nothing to do and nowhere to go, persons who oppose the center, contending it's a blackmail
took ove'", the dimly lit comer of ~5th . St. and 50 Ct. as their payoff to the youths. The callers threatened to break windows
nightly meeting place. They weren t kids. Most were In their of Bendlnelll's carpet st:ore. So far nothing has happened.
late teens or early 20s. Some were unemployed. Others had
jobs in factories and elsewhere, often on shifts that ended at 11 The youth center open~d 10 days ago, with two pool ~ables, a
p m. or midnight. so the beer drinking, loud talk, occasio.nal bowling machine and a JUke box. Thirty youths, ranl!ing from
flstfights and general hilarity stretched far into the morning 16 upward, were granted me~bershlp. Older members can
h
bring beer to the center, which stays open until 2 a.m. on
ours.
.
weeknights and 4 a.m. on weekends. An adult supervisor ls
Residents who phoned police to complain sornet!mes found elways present. Members can bring their girl friends on week-
Reisdents who phoned police to complain sometimes found ends and wlll pay the $170.a·month rent.
their windows broken, athough the youths on the corner
blamed the damage on younger children. It became a war of Since the center opened, the streetcomer gatherings have
nerves between the youths and the older residents.
faded away, aad police say dl1tu1bance calls have.dwindled.