Albany Park Flood Recovery and Barack Obama

(Our personal Albany Park flood story, complete with pictures, starts at Albany Park Flood- Record-breaking Chicago rains. )

What a gorgeous fall day in Chicago! The city looked great last night for all of the Barack Obama election festivities, and it is exciting to anticipate a "Midwest White House" and a lot of attention to our city over the coming years.

I was touched by the emotions of middle-aged and older black people as they reacted to Barack Obama's election. I grew up in the 50's and the 60's. All of us, white, black, and everybody in between, have come a long way in terms of tolerance and acceptance. Older black people grew up in a time when they had to struggle to go to school, struggle to get voting rights, struggle to eat in certain restaurants, struggle to live. I don't know that anybody who grew up back then, those of us in our 50's or 60's or older, could ever have imagined that a black man could be elected President. It doesn't really matter of what political persuasion you are; Obama's election is an amazing statement about this country. I wish him (and all of us) the best.

But this isn't a political blog. So I'll continue with our attempts to get our lives back in order after the Albany Park flood of the Chicago River.

We have sewer/drain insurance. We still do not have the money from the insurance claim. Well, we almost do, but our bank has a hold on the check. The frustration of trying to deal with this insurance check has been just overwhelming. We were told that banks often put 10-day holds on such checks because they often "come back". Why would an insurance check written by a corporation come back? I also wonder if banks are holding onto things longer (not making the funds "available") due to the whole credit fiasco.

I think I will call the insurance commission today and at least lodge a complaint. And the FEMA people have left Northeastern. I guess if we still have questions, we have to use the FEMA hotline.

It's overwhelming. I think I said that already.

(Next part of the Albany Park Flood Story: Natuzzi Leather Sofa Meets its Maker )

Senator Durbin and the Press Conference

(Our personal flood story, complete with pictures, starts at Albany Park floods-- Record-breaking rains. )

I was walking about the neighborhood Monday morning. We still had 3 feet of water in our basement, and there was still not much that we could do.

I walked up on the bridge by the bike trail and noticed hordes of reporters and cameras. I heard that a press conference had been called for 11:30, just the time that I was taking my walk. The cameramen tend to be tall... I think it's probably a necessity in that business.

So I hung around. Senator Dick Durbin was there, along with our Alderman Marge Laurino. Someone said that our other Illinois senator, Barack Obama, had sent a representative, but I'm not sure who that was. City officials talked about when they opened the locks, why they had to wait, what they were going to do, much of which I could not hear.

They talked to homeowners, talked about getting federal disaster money, talked about projects that might have (or might still) prevent such a calamity in the future. The homes below them, on the 5000 block of Monticello were still surrounded by water.

Next part of the story: The Albany Park Flood Water is gone!

Here's a few news clips from that press conference:

Fox clip

ABC local clip

Chicagoist clip

Sun Times article

WGN radio