Jun 8, 2009 9:55 pm US/Central
So Much For 'People's Lakefront,' Couple Learns
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Dave Freeman and Rhonda Penzell say they were told to keep off sections of Northerly Island during a recent concert there.
CBS
In the age of red light cameras, parking meter madness and our record-setting sales tax, it's comforting to know that some things in Chicago are still free -- like wandering down to the lake on a nice spring evening.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine found that you better cross that one off your list, too.
It may be an example of one hand not knowing what the other is doing.
The mayor giveth; the police and park district taketh away. Well, one Chicago area couple had enough, and emailed their story to CBS 2.
It was a great night for a concert. And at $30 a ticket, including tax and parking, it was a bargain Dave Freeman and Rhonda Penzell couldn't resist.
They got here early and wandered over to the beach, just a few feet away.
"That's all we wanted to do," Dave said.
The 12th Street beach is heavily patrolled. Monday, we saw a "squadrol," the bike patrol and park district security passing by in a span of 15 minutes. They were here last week, too.
"They said 'Stay on the west side of the building, the beach is closed," Rhonda said.
Officers on Monday didn't know anything about such a policy when asked. Their bosses in the Chicago Police Department didn't, either.
"There's no indication there was any policy directive about sitting on Lakefront benches at Northerly Island," a spokesman said.
At the park district, another spokesman had a different story.
"As a public safety precaution, portions of 12th street beach are routinely restricted during concerts," a statement from that agency said.
What happened to Dave and Rhonda last Thursday when they couldn't cross an imaginary line and enjoy the lakefront seems at odds with what the mayor said right after closing down Meigs Field.
"This is wonderful for lake preservation, for the whole idea that the lakefront belongs to the people," he said.
Back in the '90s, he had envisioned an island paradise with a nature preserve, snorkeling lagoon and other educational features operated by the Field Museum and Adler Planetarium.
But since that midnight raid over six years ago, which gouged holes in Meigs' runways, effectively closing the lakefront airport, just a few areas of native prairie plants and grasses are all that's left of the mayor's grand plan.
"The lakefront belongs to the people," Daley said.
Dave agrees.
"It's our lake. We've lived in the city my whole life, and I found it pretty aggravating," he said.
He said a more sympathetic officer was more candid.
"He was very friendly and said 'Welcome to the People's Republic of Daley,'" Dave said.
What did he mean?
"He was being sarcastic about the petty rules that he has to enforce," Dave said.
The trouble, it seems, began with problems at last year's concert by the group O.A.R. But the new one-size-fits-all security seems to view Crosby's Baby Boomer crowd as the same security risk as the screaming teens Variety says enjoy O.A.R's rock-meets-reggae.
You'd think they might tailor the security to the crowd they expect. Not exactly.
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