Can a state initiative bail it out?
By Andrew Buchanan A visit to this rural area 60 miles south of Chicago is a journey back in time – but it’s hardly a sentimental one. Pembroke is one of the poorest areas in the state. More than 90 percent black, it’s a pocket of the country where some residents live in shacks without electricity and running water. “Look at that,” John Howard says driving down one of township’s back roads, pointing to two young girls spending a steamy afternoon in front of their dilapidated home. “That was me 50 years ago.” Mr. Howard, who grew up here and now runs a day-care and vocational training center, next points to a ditch beside the road where he and other neighborhood children would seek relief in the mucky water. There is little else for children to do today in Pembroke. The state has a plan to revitalize Pembroke Township: Gov. Rod Blagojevich visited last month to announce an initiative. But the plan involves little new money, relying instead on partnerships among state agencies, community
