Dear Friend, ,

During my first three months in office, I've met with hundreds of people from all walks of life who have expressed a desire to contribute to the betterment of this ward. It reminds me of a community art project that was installed on the outside of the Boys & Girls Club on Sheridan. (More information about this below in this newsletter.)  

To me, the hundreds of colorful pieces of cloth attached to this building represent all the many people it takes to transform a ward. I continue to be amazed by the talent I see all around us.

Dozens of residents contributed to taskforces that addressed economic development, education, land use, public safety, and transportation. We're gathering this information to create a 46th Ward Master Plan, which will serve as a blueprint to guide us in future planning. Expect it to be updated to reflect the ever-changing needs of the 46th Ward.  

In the next few weeks, we will be releasing this very large document one section at a time. Like this community art, it represents a host of ideas coming together that will transform this ward and perhaps, transform our understanding of community.

Best, 

Ald. James Cappleman

Happenings in the Community    

Temporary Public Art in the Community 

The Sheridan Road Task Force, Temporary Public Art Committee is proud to present Temporary Spice, an outdoor art installation located on the southern façade of the Robert R. McCormick Boys and Girls Club at 4835 N. Sheridan Road. Students, donors, volunteers, 46th Ward Aldermanic staff, 48th Ward Aldermanic staff, and Boys and Girls Club staff were involved in making this project possible.

Temporary Public Art Committee is currently planning another workshop series late Fall 2011 for another round of temporary public art projects to be installed Summer 2012. Contact them at temporarypublicartuptown@gmail.com if you would like to participate in future projects.   

A New Kind of Banking to Save You Money!

City Treasurer Stephanie Neely announced Bank On Chicago, a collaboration between Chicago banks, credit unions, community groups, the City, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the FDIC. The goal is to provide cheap or free banking for thousands of Chicagoans who do not currently use a mainstream financial institution. Access to bank services not only saves money, it gives families control of their budgets and puts money back into the community. For more information, visit www.bankonchicago.com or call 311 to find a participating bank location near you.

46th Ward Retail Market Survey   

If you haven't already had a chance, please take a moment to complete this short survey to tell us how and where you shop, and what new retail businesses you would like to see in the 46th Ward. The survey will take less than 5 minutes to complete.

The 46th Ward office will use this information, combined with retail data from the Chambers of Commerce, to recruit new businesses to the Ward and to make the best decisions regarding future development proposals. The results of the survey will be incorporated into the 46th Ward Master Plan. You can find the survey at here. Thank you!

46th Ward Classroom Supply Drive

The response to our school supply drive has been tremendous! The 46th Ward Office is still collecting supplies for our area schools, and each school will distribute them to students. This way, the teachers will ensure that students with the greatest needs will get school supplies. You can find the list of requested items on our website here.      

Please bring all donations to the 46th Ward office at 4544 North Broadway during our regular office hours through September 9th.  Email Chris at chris@james46.org with any questions about the supply drive.

Upcoming Events  

46th Ward Town Hall Meeting

When: Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 7 - 8pm

Mark your calendar for our 46th Ward Town Hall Meeting at the Weiss Memorial Hospital auditorium; 4646 N. Marine Drive. We will be providing updates on 46th Ward economic developments, public safety initiatives, and upcoming City Council legislation. If you have a specific question or topic you would like to see covered at this meeting, please email my office at info@james46.org. More information will be coming soon.

CAPS meeting