AltWeeklies Wire
Ken Ortiz Hopes No One in Chicago Will Ever Simply Demolish a Building Againnew

Ortiz is a contractor who takes down buildings and saves almost all the pieces. After doing construction for 25 years and throwing away "tons of good building materials," he delights in being able to save 23-foot-long two-by-sixes for reuse as two-by-sixes. And pretty much everybody else is delighted too -- environmentalists, preservationists, antiques dealers, even the folks who live around the houses he's taking down.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
07-28-2008 |
Housing & Development
Rick Perlstein's Conservative Americanew
The progressive scribe made his reputation finding the good in conservatives. Then they really started screwing up the country.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
01-28-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Dynamic Flash for Democratsnew
Wanna raise funds to run for office, nag Schwarzenegger about health care, or just make fun of Bush? Call Articulated Man.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
01-15-2008 |
Politics
The Green Map System Lets Local Enviros Do the Talkingnew
The neighborhood maps seek to "help residents and tourists make ethical consumer choices during their daily experience of the city," but don't take them at face value. Like all maps, they're complex, extremely condensed, and subjective.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
11-19-2007 |
Environment
Tags: environment
Selling Ain't Wrongnew
What punk still doesn't get about capitalism.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
11-05-2007 |
Nonfiction
Daniel Biss is Banking on the Netrootsnew
Online fund-raising has proved startlingly successful for the independent-minded Democrat who hopes to be an Illinois state representative.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
08-20-2007 |
Politics
'Black on the Block': The Mixed-Income Mythnew
Northwestern prof Mary Pattillo on why even the black middle-class can't save a poor black neighborhood in Chicago.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
06-19-2007 |
Nonfiction
Their Job Is Murdernew
Kevin Davis takes a book-length look at the homicide specialists in the Cook County Public Defender's Office.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
06-04-2007 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Defending the Damned, Kevin Davis
The Atheist Who Went to Churchnew
Hemant Mehta on his new book, I Sold My Soul on eBay.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
04-16-2007 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Does Plagiarism Exist?new
Jonathan Lethem and Richard Posner butt heads over the question at a panel discussion.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
03-26-2007 |
Books
Who's Choosing the News?new
No one denies the media landscape is changing, but Eric Klinenberg's new book doesn't shed much light on how and why.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
02-26-2007 |
Nonfiction
Green Gray Areasnew
Environmental historian William Cronon says we've got to stop thinking pristine wilderness is the only nature worth saving.
Chicago Reader |
Harold Henderson |
12-11-2006 |
Environment
Tags: environment