By LORRAINE SWANSON
Editor
The usual gang of conspiracy theorists in West Ridge and Rogers Park went into overdrive wondering about a new community group called the Rogers Park Organization that sponsored last Sunday’s Cook County Board President candidates’ forum at Temple Menorah.
One prominent West Ridge resident walked up to the reporter sitting in the front pew of the synagogue and asked, “Who are these people?”
Another reader left a comment the next day: “Who and/or what is the Rogers Park Organization?’”
Then there were phone calls: “I called Ira’s and Berny’s office, but no one could tell me who they were.”
Still, another reader e-mailed suggesting that one of the group’s founders was using it as a launching pad to run for 50th Ward alderman.
So rather than join in on the neighborhood paranoia, LEN contacted Jennifer Albom, one of the forum organizers and ask her what the group was all about.
And no, the organization isn’t a top-secret industrial complex as some have alleged, just a small group of neighbors who merely wanted to bring some candidates (with the exception of one, he lives in West Ridge) that rarely venture north of Fullerton Avenue to share their campaign platforms with Far North Side residents who they believe, rarely get enough respect.
“We’re just three or four people who had an idea that we wanted a better educated public and more opportunities for residents to see our politicians and ask questions,” Albom said in a phone interview, stopping only to change a DVD for her three-year-old. “We reached out to those politicians and they said yes.”
As co-founder Doug Kahn explained before Sunday’s candidates’ forum, and apparently no one was listening or they didn’t believe him, the Rogers Park Organization is a non-partisan group whose main mission is to support and elect candidates who will represent the interests and concerns of Rogers Park and West Ridge residents.
“We’re not pushing anyone’s agenda except for the people of Rogers Park,” Albom said. “We’re not trying to solve anyone’s problems. We’re just trying to figure out what the problems are and who is the best person to solve the problems for us.”
Initially, the residents who formed the group went to a local elected official to seek his help in hosting and organizing a forum for their neighbors. When they didn’t hear back, they founded the Rogers Park Organization and registered with the state as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.
“Temple Menorah donated the space,” Albom said. “We just thought it was important for the community. We’re not members of that temple. We felt knowing the candidates was important. It was a general atmosphere that was very positive for that mission.”
Albom said the group distributed fliers and invited Ald. Stone and Sen. Silverstein as a courtesy, both of whom showed up at the forum.
The group is getting its website together, RogersParkDo.org, which so far, just consists of the flier from last week’ candidate’s forum. Some residents have alluded that the “Do” in the name stands for “Democratic Organization,” of which there are far too many in LEN’s humble opinion.
“It does not stand for ‘Democratic organization,’” Albom explained. “We were just looking for an active verb because we wanted to do something. We’re the active verb in the community.”
In addition to getting people motivated to go out and vote, Albom says the new organization hopes to serve as a watchdog, to make sure that elected officials are representing the interests of Rogers Park and West Ridge.
The Rogers Park Organization will be holding its first meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 18, at Kirshner’s Cuisine Banquet Hall at 2839 W. Touhy Ave. Members will be electing officers and discussing the organization’s future goals and plans.
Anyone interested in attending the meeting can contact the group at RogersParkDo@gmail.com. Albom says people should eat dinner before they come because “we’re not serving any food.”
As for all the conspiracy theories flying around Temple Menorah last Sunday, Albom thinks part of the neighborhood’s problem, and that extends to the 49th Ward as well, is that people are too distrusting.
“There’s no room in the minds of the general community that a group could be generally altruistic. It’s very unfortunate in our community that we don’t have trust amongst ourselves, even for our neighbors across the street,” Albom said. “I hope this group can work on this that its possible for community members to work together for the betterment of society or thinking someone is trying to launch a political campaign. I just want to see the neighborhood stay at a safe level. I got kids here and don’t want to move.”
And for the record, Albom is not planning to run for 50th Ward alderman in 2011.
“My priority is my family,” Albom said, the mother of four children ages 17, 9, 6 and 3. “I don’t know how I’d be able to run a campaign and do an important job like being an alderman while taking care of my family without having a nervous breakdown or heart attack.”
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