You wrote:
> The TV show was called "GOOD Times". Among the various stars was a
> young Janet Jackson.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yeah, my error, sorry. It was set in
> one of the Chicago Housing Authority buildings on the south side of
> town. PAT] I believe they were in the Cabrini Green Homes, which is
> on the near north side. At least the lead-in film was of Cabrini
> and the near north side.
I believe they were in the Cabrini Green Homes, which is on the near
north side. At least the lead-in film was of Cabrini and the near
north side.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My second mistake in recent years; the
(Catholic nun) Mother Frances Cabrini 'Homes' at Division Street and
Halstead Street (where the CTA bus drivers always warn their
passengers 'duck down in your seats until we get to Clark Street') --
in order, I guess, to avoid being hit by a random bullet -- is right
next to the group of buildings named for Edgar Green, a long-ago
commissioner of CHA. It is one of the near north side branches of the
'homes' offered by CHA to black people. 'Cabrini', as 'Cabrini-Green'
is known in street parlance, is or was one of the worst. The couple
thousand people who live in the 'Cabrini-Green' highrises are not as
fortunate as the family in 'Happy Times'. I think when Lear made that
pilot, CHA required a lot of consideration (read that as 'loot') to
let him make the series and they (CHA) insisted on decorating and
fixing up one apartment where the actors would live which was nicer
than the usual accomodations there. Also, CHA insisted on giving
imprimatuer to Lear's work before they would okay the series being
made. CHA once was asked why they did not have _their_ administrative
offices in one of their own highrises rather than on State and Madison
Streets downtown where it is located. They had no answer for that, or
maybe were too embarassed or ashamed to say why. Once of our mayors
(during the interim when Daley was out of office) Jane Byrne tried
to score some political points by supposedly moving out of her near-
north elegant highrise and living for a month in Cabrini, just to
show that she was 'one of the regular people'. PAT]
BV124@aol.com