BULLETIN: End Of Blog (For Me)

Hello, everyone. I hope all of you are doing well. I wanted to give an explanation on why I have not been updating at all in the last couple of months and want to also explain my reason for completing my vision for doing this blog, at least at this moment in time. I have lost the battle I was fighting in time management. I have horrible time management skills. I am taking a summer class at school (which, thankfully, ends this Thursday) and have a part-time job on campus, in addition to being involved with the Student Government Association. I also have family, church-related and "religious" (spiritual) obligations I've been attending to. I've been getting swamped with homework and other things, and also have a large number of archives to catch up on.

To be completely honest, I have also lost considerable interest in updating regularly and also being involved in the community. With little efforts being put in by others to improve the neighborhood (at least from my view point from the part of the area I live in), and also with the busy life I am leading, I am starting to feel as if it is no longer a necessity for me to update. I have lost my fire and passion to update and to keep going with this effort. When I started this blog nearly six years ago, I saw a clear vision for it. That vision was to keep the neighborhood informed and to have community build relationships with the police, elected officials and among each other. I saw our community improving significantly and a light at the end of the tunnel to many of the problems we face in Logan Square and in Avondale. Fortunately, to report, that vision has came to pass considerably. There has been certainly much effort made, especially in the 14th and 17th Districts, and with listening for the amount of time I have been listening, so much has changed and for the better. There has been major improvements and honestly, it really seems as if crime has gone down dramatically in those parts of the area. The 25th District is another story. Although I have not seen or heard any activity in my area much at all this summer, there are other parts of 25 that are getting hammered and little to nothing is being done about it by anyone. With that said, and I have said this elsewhere too, I do not have the time or energy to respond and do something about problems that are not particularity in my area anymore. That does sound selfish, but I want to be truthful.

If anyone wants to at all help keep this effort going, or to even contribute ideas, please do let me know. I will still be checking my crime blotter e-mail address (avondalelscrimeblotter@gmail.com). I am going to be deleting the Facebook page due to inactivity, but if and when I do decide to return, I will create a new one along with a Twitter account. But for now, I am ending my reign of doing this blog. The blog will NOT be deleted, as I want to keep it up to give people an idea of how things have happened over the years, and there is possibility that I may return in the near future. To be honest, I have very mixed emotions about making this big decision, but I strongly feel it is time for me to move on at least for now and to further investigate what my life's purpose is. I am not really too sure what I am supposed to be doing and want to discover it. I also am honestly just burned out from many things in life, in need of time to really reevaluate myself, and in need of time to discover life. With that said, I truly also want to have this effort keep going. There are not many words I can describe to say how I would feel if there was another strong leader who could take charge and pick up from where I left off. I want this momentum to be revived and brought back to my original vision of being a neighborhood voice, to unify people and keep each other informed. I don't want the little fire that is left to completely burn out.

I am so grateful and thankful to where this blog has taken us -- me in having so many doors opened in my life and this leading me to a path in life where I otherwise would have not known, and meeting so many great people such as yourselves -- and you guys in talking to the police and elected officials to demand change in the area where we all love and call home. Not many words can describe what this blog has done, and it is not because of just me at all. Many of you have been part of the effort and no amount of words or even gifts could tell the appreciation I have for all of you for sticking by my side for so long. Spiritually speaking, this blog honestly helped me to come into relationship with God by meeting someone very special to my heart a couple of years ago in the CAPS program who I would not have met through this blog and who told me about God's love for me in such a profound way that has changed the very fiber of my being. I also feel honestly as if this blog has been God's Will for me to do in life. I don't know what my next assignment in life is, but with the faith I have, as well with the education and skills I am obtaining, I will discover it. It may even lead me back to where I started, which is here. I truly, truly love and appreciate every single and last one of you. I will be always grateful and thankful for all of you, even the "haters". I owe a special thank you to Craig Gernhardt, the author of the Broken Heart AKA The Morse Hellhole blog in Rogers Park, who helped me to discover my interest in doing this blog. A special thank you also goes out to the CAPS Beat 2523 program, as well as the Avondale Neighborhood Association, who has supported me so much in the last few years. A special thank you goes out to my mother and sister for encouraging me from day one, as well as many of you who have been with me since the beginning.

Please note that no one but me has made this decision. I am not being pressured into doing it under any circumstances. This is a choice I am making for many reasons. Please also note that this is NOT goodbye, but more of a "see you later" decision. While I will not make the promise for certainly that I may return, I definitely have the option and definitely have it in consideration for the future.

Also, if anyone is at all interested, my church will be showing a family move this coming Wednesday, July 23rd at 7:15pm, called "God's NOT Dead". You can get in for FREE. We're located at Mont Clare Banquet Hall, 2957 North Harlem Avenue. Would love to see all of you!

Truly Yours,
Tim "Timmy" Granzow
Author, Avondale/Logan Square Crime Blotter

BULLETIN: Note About The Lack Of Posts In June 2014

Hello, everyone. I hope all of you are doing well. I wanted to give a brief explanation on why I have not been updating at all in the last two or so weeks. In all honesty, I have lost the battle I was fighting in time management. I have horrible time management skills. I am taking a summer class at school and now have a part-time job on campus, in addition to being involved with the Student Government Association. I also have family, church-related and "religious" (spiritual) obligations I've been attending to. I've been getting swamped with homework and also have a large number of archives to catch up on. That, with the demand that I want to monitor everyday in the summer, has caught up to me and I honestly do not have the time right now to blog everyday or even to get these archives updated. I feel regretful that I have not kept my word about blogging regularly and updating archives. I sincerely am sorry. There are not many excuses for this, and I need to learn how to manage my time better.

This is why I will now reach out for help. I truly need help keeping this blog going. ANY help I can get with doing the blog on a regular basis or even having someone listen to archive tapes would help so much. I cannot guarantee that anyone who assist me will be paid, since I am on a very tight budget, but I can try my best to pay a small salary. If anyone is interested in assisting me, please send me an e-mail at avondalelscrimeblotter@gmail.com. Again, I would be forever grateful for any help I receive. I am asking for help because I don't want the mission of this blog to ever die out, and that is to unify this community and bring people together in a positive way.

On a brighter note, I will be on WBEZ FM 91.5 Tuesday afternoon from 2:05pm to 2:40pm on the "Afternoon Shift" show talking about the work I do in the community as a community activist that I've been doing for the last six years now -- with this blog included in that -- which I do to bring about change. For all of you interested, please be sure to take a listen in as I am on this show. I want this to be an opportunity to bring to light the problems we have in Chicago, particularly in Avondale and Logan Square.

Also, if anyone is at all interested, my church will be showing a family move this coming Wednesday, July 2nd at 7:15pm, called "God's NOT Dead". You can get in for FREE. We're located at Mont Clare Banquet Hall, 2957 North Harlem Avenue.

Hope all of you have been staying cool and dry!

Sincerely,
Tim "Timmy" Granzow
Author, Avondale/Logan Square Crime Blotter

Important Announcement -- PLEASE READ

Hi, everyone. I have some very, very awful news for all of you. And I'm being forced to make this decision immediately. As of now, August 14, 2011 at 5:46pm, the blog will have to stop. My family no longer has money to pay any of our bills (because of cuts in the government), and we are most likely going to move to another state. I am so sorry, everyone. I really wish there was a way I could continue the blog. I will also have to end my involvement in the community.

I will come back if and when our situation improves, but until then, I have to end the blog. If we do end up moving, I probably will most likely not be back with this blog. I would just like to thank everyone for ALL of the support over the last two and a half years, all the great things some of you have done for me, and just everything. You don't know much I appreicate all of the support. You guys will forever be in my heart. So on that note, I am going to tell all of you to please, please, please, please keep up the good fight for the community, and I hope to be back soon. Love to all, and God Bless.

Sincerely,
Timmy

P.S. I've decided to reveal exactly what was cut from me. Because of my autism, I was getting Social Security benefits. But they were cut, because apparently I'm no longer disabled to them.