5 Things To Know: Will it be I-PARK at the curb?
Feeding the meter - by proxy. Paying the parking meter in Chicago could one day be as simple as dialing a cellular phone, rather than digging around for quarters. The city's Revenue Department has confirmed plans to test a high-tech pre-payment program that bears resemblance to the I-PASS tolling system.
This fall, the city will sell 1,000 "in-car meters" - small devices for dashboard display -- that would indicate a car is paid up. A motorist pulling up to a curbside meter would activate the gadget by calling a number and entering a parking code (zones vary by price, depending on demand).
Chicago, which typically collects $21.9 million each year in parking meter money, is the first major American city to give the electronic system a try, revenue department spokesman Ed Walsh said.
"We want to see to see what the demand is like," he said. "And basically, we just want to see if people like how it works."
A more youthful fountain. After 80 years of gushing, Chicago's famous Buckingham Fountain and its inner workings will get a $25 million rehab. The project is expected to begin in fall 2008 and take six months to complete.
Lit hit. "One Book, One Chicago" - an ongoing, citywide reading program -- has its latest selection: Arthur Miller's 1953 play, "The Crucible." The drama examines the Salem witch trials of the 17th-century as a reflection of the communism scare and blacklisting that was occurring in Miller's era. Mayor Richard Daley said the play is appropriate today, given post-Sept. 11 prejudice against Muslims.
Color it gone. The Oprah Winfrey-sanctioned musical "The Color Purple," one of the Broadway in Chicago offerings of high-profile shows, is closing Sept. 30 after a modestly successful five-month run. The mega-smash "Wicked" is still playing at another Loop theater after more than two years.
What's new. Several "Magnificent Mannequins" -- weather-proof figures that combine fashion, nature and public art - are on display along the Magnificent Mile until Oct. 15 as part of an urban garden exhibition. Go to www.themagnificentmile.com <http://www.themagnificentmile.com/> for more info.
Mike Ramsey is Chicago reporter for GateHouse News Service. He can be reached at (312) 857-2323 or ghns-ramsey@sbcglobal.net <mailto:ghns-ramsey@sbcglobal.net> .