August 10, 2012

Safety Update

Bryn Mawr Safety
My staff and I continue to meet with business owners, property managers and residents to improve the quality of life for those living, visiting, and shopping on Bryn Mawr (between Sheridan & Broadway).  These committed individuals are targeting problem buildings, attending court cases involving individuals arrested on the block, and brainstorming ways to deter the negative loitering, panhandling and drug dealing.  My office will continue to update you on our progress.

Public Safety Meeting
Last night, residents living in the north Uptown Area met with the 20th and 24th Police Districts to discuss safety concerns in the area.  The police spoke about “Operation Uptown Crackdown” and that they have arrested 28 of the 33 targeted and efforts are still being made to apprehend the remaining five.  Alderman Cappleman and I are committed to continually improve this part of our neighborhood.  Please help us by continuing to report suspicious activity and joining us in efforts to improve public safety in our community.  If you would like more information on how you can get involved, please reach out to Jared Desecki of my staff by emailing jared@48thward.org.

Garage Fires in Andersonville
On Tuesday night, there was a fire reported to have damaged six garages.  The Chicago Fire Department quickly extinguished the fires and there were no reports of injuries.  The Chicago Police Department’s Bomb and Arson Unit is investigating the cause of the fires and whether or not they were intentionally set.

Ward Update

Joint 48th and 46th Ward Staff Meeting
Last week, 46th Ward Alderman Cappleman and I gathered our staffs for a joint meeting to discuss shared work in Uptown. We are both committed to meeting on a consistent basis to ensure coordination and partnership amongst our work. We discussed the upcoming ward boundaries transition, economic development projects, safety initiatives and much more. We will announce when the new ward boundaries become official.

Broadway Armory Tumblers
Congratulations to the Tumblers at the Broadway Armory. They are an impressive group of 7-17 year olds; the team sent 22 athletes to Long Beach, CA for the National Junior Olympics in July. Of the 22 who went to California, five were awarded gold medals, two silver, one eighth place finish and two tenth place finishes in their respective event categories. This is a tremendous feat on such a level of Gymnastics, the team had the highest number of finishers of any municipal team in the country. Congratulations and good luck in future competitions!

48th Ward Summer Film Fest
This week on Tuesday, August 14th, we will be showing Toy Story 3 (Rated G) at Swift School Playground – 5900 N Winthrop. It’s our last film of the summer and proudly sponsored by Pete’s Pizza (1100 W Granville), so don’t miss it!

Proposed Starbucks at 6350 N. Broadway
Starbucks has proposed a new location at 6350 N. Broadway, the southwest corner of Devon and Broadway. This location is a new concept, the first to be brought to Chicago and only executed so far in Portland and Denver. The concept utilizes recycled box cars for a drive-thru only location which also includes a walk-up window and spacious outdoor patio for warmer months. Starbucks has requested support for a special use permit for their drive thru. Over the past few months, they have met with the surrounding residents and neighborhood groups to share their proposal and receive feedback. Last week, my office hosted a community meeting including residents within 1,000 ft. radius of the site and representatives from Alderman O’Connor’s office. The neighbors present at the meeting voted unanimously in support of this project. Therefore, I have decided to support this project as well. They are developing on a small lot (12,500 sf. total) which has been under-utilized for a long time. They have agreed to eliminate the curb cut on Devon Avenue and will only use the existing entrance and exit on Broadway. Click here to view the renderings. I have asked them to work with the community on an Edgewater identifier. The one shown here is only a concept, not the final identifier design.

Margate Park Parking Lot
Starting on Monday, Aug. 13 at 6:00am through Thursday, August 16 at 6:00am, the parking lot will be closed due to sewer line repairs.

Riptide Warning this Weekend
If you’re heading to the beach this weekend, be aware of lifeguard flag colors and signals. There is a storm heading our way that will make for risky beach conditions. Click here for the Tribune article.

Save the Date for Explore Edgewater – August 23
Visit the Edgewater Beach Apartments (also known as the “pink” building), 5555 N. Sheridan Road from 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Tours will leave every 15 minutes from the EBA lobby.  Guests will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the EBA and to tour the lobby, swimming pool and 2+ acre garden.

Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer’s Office Hours for the 48th Ward – Appeal Your Property Tax Assessment (Lakeview Township)
The Cook County Board of Review will accept appeals to property tax assessments from August 20th 2012 to September 18th 2012. Stop by my office shared with  Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer (5533 N Broadway). Commissioner Gainer’s staff will be available to assist residents filing an appeal with the Cook County Board of Review and answer any questions you may have about the appeal process during the following dates and times:
Thursday, August 23rd, 1 PM – 5 PM
Thursday, August 30th, 1 PM – 5 PM
Thursday, September 6th, 1 PM – 5 PM
Thursday, September 13th, 1 PM – 5 PM
If you are unable to attend Commissioner Gainer’s office hours, please feel free to call her office at 312-603-4210 or email Info@BridgetGainer.com. Additional resources are also available on the “Property Taxes” section of her website:www.BridgetGainer.com.

Lakeview Township Appeals Workshop – Wednesday, August 29th 2012, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Michael Cabonargi in collaboration with Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, State Representative Sara Feignholtz, State Representative Ann Williams, State Senate President John Cullerton will be hosting a Property Tax Appeals Workshop for all homeowners in the Lakeview Township. To find which township you belong to, review the far-right corner of your most recent property tax bill where it is labeled. The workshop will be held at 19th District Chicago Police Station (850 West Addison, Chicago IL). Staff from the Cook County Board of Review & your local Elected Officials Offices will be available to assist homeowners in filing an appeal. Please bring your most “Notice of Proposed Assessment” and any other additional documents (appraisals, etc) required for a successful appeal.

Education and Summer Programs Update

Target Donations to Peirce 
Target is putting on an online fundraiser to provide gift cards and supplies for schools. Peirce could receive $10,000 in Target Giftcards if enough people participate. Follow this link to Facebook and vote for Peirce. Votes can be cast every five days. You must have a Facebook profile to vote.  Even if you aren’t on Facebook, please pass along to your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, other ListServs that you might be on, etc. Lets win this thing!

Care For Real Backpack Drive
My office is teaming up with Senator Heather Steans, State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, and Care for Real to fill backpacks for students in our ward who are not able to purchase their own school supplies for the coming school year. If you’d like to fill a backpack for a student, the Chicago Public Schools’ list of required supplies is printed below. If you’d like to organize a drive on your block, in your condo or elsewhere, that would be great! Or if you’d like to volunteer to help fill backpacks or distribute supplies, please contact us at info@careforreal.org.
If you prefer to send money to help Care for Real fill in supplies where needed (always appreciated), please make sure you designate the contribution specifically for school supplies and make checks out to Care for Real.

Please drop off whatever you can before Aug. 15th at one of the following locations:
Care For Real
5339 N. Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60640
Monday-Friday, 8am-3:45pm
Saturday, 8am-12:30pm

Office of Alderman Harry Osterman
5533 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
Mon,Wed,Thurs,Friday,9 a.m. – 5 p.m.,
Tuesday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Brightview Care Center
4538 N. Beacon St.
Chicago, IL 60640
Weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Mid America Care Center
4920 N. Kenmore Ave
Chicago, IL 60640
Weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

CPS School Supply Requirements:

High School:
Backpack
3 ring binder
Red, blue, black pens
Pencils
Ruler
Single subject notebooks
Pocket folders in a variety of colors
Loose leaf paper
Highlighter
Index cards
Protractor
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Graph paper
Calculator (with scientific functions preferred)

Grade School:
Backpack
#2 pencils with erasers
Black or Blue pens
Pencil sharpener with lid and catch
Glue Stick
Scissors
Ruler
Single subject spiral notebooks
Pocket folders in a variety of colors
Wide ruled loose leaf paper
Pencil case or box
Pack markers/crayons/colored pencils

Buttercup Park Picnic – August 17th
Next Friday, August 17th, beginning at 6pm is sure to be a lively night at Buttercup Park. Kicking off the evening with a Picnic at Buttercup Park – be sure to wear your Summer Whites! Then beginning at 6:45 Connect Force from Alternatives will be doing a dance performance with interactive opportunities. Then at dusk, the Chicago Filmmakers will present a film titled, “The Whale”. Be sure to stop by for a great, culture-filled evening!

One Hope United Back to School Block Party – August 18th
Celebrate the end of summer with games, a bouncy house, arts and crafts, face painting, healthy snacks and more! Special Performance by Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team, a professional gymnastics troupe. All families and ages welcome!
Click here for the flyer

Construction Update