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Oct. 4, 2013

Action Alderman

The quick thinking of Alderman John Arena (45th) in July led to felony charges last week for two men accused of stealing hundreds of catalytic converters – the vehicle emissions control mechanisms that are found on cars and can fetch over $100-a-piece for thieves. “One of them got up from underneath the car [and] put a small sawzall into a bag,” Arena told CBS Chicago. “They started running to the car and I just ran up to the car … [and] took the license plate down.” The two crooks were apprehended by police in the Lakeview neighborhood last week.

Decisions, decisions

Downtown Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd) on Thursday tweeted a segment from the Jimmy Kimmel Live program that he said “speaks volumes” about the American public. In the bit, a Kimmel correspondent takes to the street to ask everyday Americans the trick question: “Which plan do you support: Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act?” Not realizing that the two options were one-in-the-same, the respondents’ commentary was at times difficult to watch. According to a recent poll, though, the targets of the sketch are not alone in their misunderstanding of Obamacare. According to a poll released Saturday, nearly 75 percent of uninsured respondents were unaware the program was launching this week, the Huffington Post reported.

The sweet taste of victory

In an attempt to highlight some of Chicago’s best street food, The Street Vendor Project will host the inaugural Chicago Vendy Awards on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of Kendall College, located at 900 N. Branch St. Gourmet pancake purveyor Babycakes and grilled cheese sandwich slinger Toasty Cheese Mobile Eatery will be among those competing for the Vendy Cup, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. General admission tickets cost $55 for adults and $35 for kids, and are available at StreetVendor.org. Proceeds will benefit the Slow Food Chicago and Asociacion de Vendedores Ambulantes nonprofits.

This is your brain …

In an attempt to silence cyclists who claim that bicycle helmest don’t protect riders who get into accidents, the Active Transportation Alliance produced a seemingly Gallagher-inspired short video on helmet safety. In the video, Jason Jenkins and Jeffery Rhodes film themselves smashing two watermelons on the pavement – one with a bicycle helmet strapped firmly in place, and another left unprotected. See what happens at Chicagoist.com.

 -Tom Butala