Dear Neighbors,
I'd like to tell you about an exciting new project on which WRPCO is embarking.
Last February, a group of people met regarding their mutual interests in improving our community and to discuss areas of possible collaboration. The attendees included Ahmed Khan, our previous Board Chair; Shalom Klein, Executive Director of Jewish Community Council of West Rogers Park; Sandi Price, Executive Director of the Rogers Park Business Alliance; and Barbara Singal, the new Executive Director of the West Ridge Chamber of Commerce.
All the attendees agreed that physical improvements to the Northtown branch of the Chicago Public Library, including a new building, was a high-priority project.
The group then discussed the project with their respective organizations' boards, who agreed and offered support and assistance to the project. They agreed that the Northtown Library, used by West Rogers Park area residents of all ages and backgrounds, needed significant improvements to bring it up to the standard of libraries in similar communities, near and far. Furthermore, this effort was seen as a community-unifying project that everyone could coalesce around.
Subsequently, two meetings were held as part of the Chicago Community Trust's Centennial celebration, On the Table 2015. Tony Martinez, Director of Development of the Chicago Community Trust and himself a West Rogers Park resident, chaired the meeting. Attendees included Ahmed Khan; Irv Loundy, Senior Vice-President of Devon Bank and WRPCO board trustee; Howard Rieger of the JCC; Barbara Singal; Farid Muhammad, SSA Program Manager with the West Ridge Chamber of Commerce; and myself.
The agenda included a far-ranging discussion on how the group could improve and construct a new Northtown branch library. The attendees took on responsibilities for several important tasks including petitions, social media, and meetings with officials.
WRPCO continues its participation in this long-range project with the Community Planning Board, which is starting to work actively on this. The CPB will hold a meeting on Thursday, June 25, 2015, at 7:00 pm for WRPCO members and supporters to provide input on how WRPCO can move forward with this planning process and working with the other organizations. We invite you to attend, participate in the discussion, and become involved in this project.
If you plan to attend, please contact Community Planning Board Co-Chairs John Tingley at jmtingley@rcn.com or Ahmed Khan at cityzenkhan@gmail.com for more information.
This is exciting news and I hope you can join us! Please feel free to contact me at chair@wrpco.org if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Pamela Stauffer
Chair, WRPCO