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Tuesday, September 13th, 2016 | TechNews ae@technewsiit_com .:E a 7

Chicago Transit Authority Stat

Soren Spicknall
COPY E DITOR

Situated between two
popular transfer points just outside the Loop,
the Harrison Red Line station is one of the
lowest—traffic CTA train stations in the core
of the city. The Roosevelt Red, Green, and
Orange line station receives the bulk of traffic
headed toward the hot South Loop and the
semi—combined Jackson Red and Blue line
station fills up with office workers at the
beginning and end of each weekday, leaving
Harrison as an awkward middle child with no
available transfer points and a mix of housing,
businesses, and cultural institutions that lacks
the sheer density of more central CTA stops
like Randolph & Wabash or State & Lake.
Its only major crowding occurs when Jones
College Prep, one of CPS’s largest physical
buildings, lets out from classes each weekday
afternoon. Condition — 13/15

Like many stations along the
Red Line, Harrison recently underwent
thorough renovations. In 2014, the entirety
of its flooring was replaced with new granite
tiles, and significant waterproofing work was
undertaken. Additionally, the stairs leading
into the station at both its main entrance and
its auxiliary Polk Street entrance underwent
repairs to aid leveling, and lighting was
upgraded to full LED bulbs, a first for any CTA

     

     

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station. Despite all those changes, though, a few
small issues still exist with the station’s physical
condition. The newly leveled main entrance
stairs are still worn enough from previous

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Photo by Soren Spicknall

years that they can’t possibly be completely
fixed, and columns on the station platform still
exhibit small leaks (though not on nearly the
same scale as in the past). Appearance — 11/15

eview: Harrison Red Line

During 2014’s renovations, the CTA
statedthat a number of unique design strategies
would be employed in the station to reflect
the neighborhood around Harrison. Random
tile patterns were employed for an up—to—date
atmosphere, and the station’s primary entrance
takes the form of a contemporary glass box
today, meant to correspond to the body design
of Jones College Prep nearby. All surfaces
inside the station are remarkable clean and
well—maintained, especially in comparison to
neighboring stations Jackson and Roosevelt, a
product both of the renovation and Harrison’s
low traffic. Convenience — 8/20

While Harrison’s location along
State Street inherently places it near important
buildings like the Harold Washington Library,
and its proximity to the Loop automatically
means it’s a go—to for certain commuters, the
station is hurt significantly by the stature of the
other CTA stations that are near it. Without
any transfers, Harrison isn’t very useful for
those who don’t live or work in its immediately
proximity, since anybody going further afield
than Lou Malnati’s or Jones College Prep is
better served by another station. It’s close
to a huge number of important Chicago
destinations, but it’s often not close enough to
be worth stopping at. That said, the station’s
low overall traffic does make it convenient for
the times when you’re headed specifically to its
immediate surroundings.

Hot air balloon festival takes flight in Harvard, Illinois during Labor Day weekend

Steven Moreno
TECH N EWS WRITER

The quiet town of Harvard, Illinois
sprung to life this Labor Day weekend, with the
town’s first annual balloon festival. The event,
which took place on Sunday and Monday this
holiday weekend, did have some difficulties
when it came to the balloons themselves. With
each hot air balloon being at the mercy of the
weather in which it finds itself, the conditions
had to be just right to ensure the balloons did
not land in Lake Michigan, nearby antennas,
or near any other equally dangerous locations
nearby. The balloon—maestro (yes, that was his

official title) had ordered all balloons grounded
in the afternoon when the eastern blowing
wind picked up. Everyone who had paid for a
ride was refunded, but there was still hope for
a fun evening as the operators resorted to what
they referred to as “Plan B”.

This Plan B was the night balloon
glow, which was to be the balloons being filled
and lit with the intense fire that kept them
afloat. Due to the no fly order, the balloons had
to be anchored down with cars, weights, and
people to keep them from lifting off. Not all of
the balloons were set up; instead, their baskets
and heat emitters were left out and turned on
to emit flames that soared over 20 feet into

the air. Once the balloons and fuel sources
were secure and protected, the public was free
to roam the set up area and see up close the
balloons and the equipment which keeps them
afloat.

While the balloon operators were
busy setting up their equipment, vendors and
food trucks gathered across the parking lot
to serve and entertain the crowds. Musicians
and artists gathered to sell their products and
perform to the crowds waiting for the balloon
display to open to the general public. One
entertainer even dressed up as a Velociraptor
and roamed the park, posing for pictures and
scaring any kids that crossed his path.

Harvard, Illinois is one of the farthest
towns serviced by the Chicago Metra and can
be reached by the Union Pacific Northwest
Metra line, which leaves daily from the Ogilvie
Transportation Center. Due to the far distance,
one of the best times to reach Harvard and
other nearby locations is during the weekend,
when Metra provides a discounted price for
tickets which are good for the entire weekend
and Monday whenever it is a federal or state
holiday such as Labor Day or Columbus Day.
The transportation center is serviced daily by
the CTA Green Line, CTA buses, and by the
IIT Shuttle Bus on weekdays.

 

Photos by Steven Moreno

Auto show and more during Labor Day weekend in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Steven Moreno
TECH N EWS WRITER

There was no lack of events in
Kenosha this Labor Day weekend. From a
classic auto show, to sailboat rides and farmers’
market, Kenosha was one of the best places to
be this holiday weekend. Being in Wisconsin,
the state which is best known for its dairy, the
event was so eloquently dubbed the Kenosha
“Cheezapalooza”. From Cheese Curds, to
Green Bay Packers merchandise, there was
no doubt that you had entered America’s well
known dairyland.

Throughout the town’s downtown
area were classic cars and roadsters from

    

across the Midwest. These cars were proudly
displayed and some were even up for sale to
anyone who was willing to barter with their
owners. As the day progressed, more and more
cars began to pack up and leave their spots on
the sides of the road, but these car enthusiasts
were not done just yet. For the last few hours
of daylight, the classic cars and roadsters
drove around the town at slow speeds, so that
onlookers could watch these works of art in
motion.

Meanwhile, by the town harbor was
the main festival area, where local farmers,
artists, merchants, food trucks and vendors
had set up shop. In addition to the cheese
curds, these vendors and food trucks served

numerous festival classics such as shaved
ice, roasted corn, and deep fried Oreos. In
the middle of the market area were multiple
concert stages, where locals and visitors alike
listen to some of their favorite songs as many
of the musician were open to requests from the
crowd.

In addition to the events that
occurred this weekend, the town of Kenosha
has a multitude of events and attractions that
occur and remain open throughout the year.
The town is home to several museums such
as the Museum of the Civil War in Upper
Midwest, the Kenosha Public Museum,
the Dinosaur Discovery Museum, and the
Kenosha History Center. A farmers’ market

will be open in Kenosha every Saturday till the
end of October and several art galleries will
be on display across the town throughout the
year.

Though the city is located in another
state, the journey to Kenosha is much easier
than one would think. Kenosha is the only
station in the state of Wisconsin serviced by
the Chicago Metra and is the terminus for the
Union Pacific North Metra line, which runs to
and from the Ogilvie Transportation Center in
downtown Chicago. The transportation center
is serviced daily by the CTA Green Line, CTA
buses and by the IIT Shuttle Bus on weekdays.

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