Emanuel: Cops did right thing in closing beach(too warm?)

Chicago Trib ^ | 31 May 2011 | John Byrne

[PilotDave]

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said today that he agreed with the decision Monday by Chicago police to close North Avenue Beach after several people began showing signs of heat-related sickness.

The beach was closed about 6 p.m. after Chicago Fire Department paramedics were called to the beach to deal with several people who required medical attention.

At least four people were taken to area hospitals from the beach including one 18-year-old who was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital during the Memorial Day holiday.

[PilotDave]

Shut down a beach due to being to warm in Chicago? The water temp there is probably 55 degrees...? And the fire dept had to shoot cool water on the beachgoers?

[driftdiver]

This is where I went this weekend. Water was about 75 degrees and air was about 93. They didn't shut it down.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Here in the Cleveland /Akron area, we missed setting a record by 1 degree! It only made it up to a nice, cool 91 degrees. Normal is 74 degrees. Also the wettest Spring on record.

[freedumb2003]

I was here last week -- about 90 degrees and no shutdowns in sight:

You may notice water and sand in the background... ;)

[NonValueAdded]

Hmmmm ... sounds like they were closing the barn door, doesn’t it? How many more heat cases would develop after 6 PM? After all, this isn’t the land of the midnight sun. Seems like a convenient excuse to defuse the trouble that cropped up in most of the other urban settings. If so, good move Rahm.

[jonathonandjennifer]

The real reason is flash mobs,not the dancing kind. These mobs (kids) wouldn’t let bikers pass, threw bikes in lake etc. The heat was just Rahm and companies story. I have been listening to the real story on Chicago talk today.

[mass55th]

Nanny State. Rahm must think he’s the Surgeon General.

[Lazlo in PA]

Chicago is what the Nanny State looks like. Stupid welfare cases baking in the sun, feet from the cooler water, waiting for mommy and daddy to tell them to go home. What is the bet that most of the heat related issues people had began with a couple of 40's of Old English?

[Nepeta]

People who just sit out in the sun until they get sick...are probably from the shallow end of the gene pool. I work outside in my garden, but I have enough sense to take water out there, and to periodically get in some shade and cool down...

[Dallas59]

Maybe too much...

[Inyokern]

I heard the same thing you did. Roaming mobs of thugs attacking people, especially those on bikes.

[PilotDave]

I didn’t notice any water or sand....

[Fu-fu2]

The second city cop blog gives a full accounting of yesterday’s activities at the beaches. The hot weather stuff was a cover-up....

[dfwgator]

The real reason is flash mobs,not the dancing kind. These mobs (kids) wouldn’t let bikers pass, threw bikes in lake etc. The heat was just Rahm and companies story. I have been listening to the real story on Chicago talk today.

Then Rahm did the right thing, if he said the real excuse, he'd have a major riot on his hands.

[jpf]

Whatever you do, don't go to the beach when it's hot out. :)

[MeganC]

“Roaming mobs of thugs attacking people”

The liberal media is acting up again, eh?

[MeganC]

Seems the toll for Chicago’s Memorial Day observances were six dead and 21 wounded. Good thing they have gun control there or all of those people might’ve defended themselves.

[The Cajun]

The real reason is flash mobs,not the dancing kind.

Ah, now the *story* makes sense. Rats being rats about things again.

[TWhiteBear]

So Rahm Emanuel is covering up mob attacks on eco friendly bikers? He seems to be a Real Democrat.
TWB

[aruanan]

I heard someone on the Don and Roma Show say that the number of people there wasn’t any greater than during other events such as the air show, that the beach crowd was already thinning out at the time, and that there were large numbers of gang members throwing down gang signs. This is probably the real reason they closed the beach. This was the reason behind closing down the day before the 4th of July fireworks near Grant Park and making three smaller regional displays—increasingly larger number of gang members coming in and cops being worried about being able to contain anything that should erupt.