32nd Ward Newsletter May 30, 2025

Dear Scott,

Summer break is almost here, and that means the beaches and lakefront will be jammed packed with people. The CFD and Park District put out some information this week to remind everyone about how to stay safe and have fun on Lake Michigan this summer.

IDOT work continues on the Kennedy; updates are available below. The northbound Armitage ramp will be closed through June 9th with several other ramps and portions of the Kennedy closed off for the three year rehabilitation project.

Have you received a text from the "DMV" or other agencies demanding a payment for tickets for things like vehicle violations including unpaid tolls? Be aware of any such text as there is a scam spreading around the country and in particular targeting residents in Illinois. We have had many complaints about this scam and want to warn everyone about the texts and danger of replying to them. The text message may include a date for payment penalties, fake state code and a link to a fake state website. Do not open the link and report the fraudulent texts to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

There's a lot happening in the community over the next few weeks with outdoor fests; see information on these below. We will be providing information on street impacts on Pridefest, NASCAR, and other major events as soon as we receive it from OEMC and CPD.

Have a nice weekend,

Alderman Scott Waguespack

Congrats to These 32nd Ward Businesses for 15+ Years in Business!

WPB Special Service Area #33 recently hosted the Legacy Awards. Since 2019, they have been recognizing local organizations that have been in business for 15+ years as neighborhood Legacy Businesses. This year, we're excited to announce that we had three 32nd Ward businesses to receive this honor.

Congrats to the following businesses and we wish you even more success in the future!

Best Hot Dog Stop - George's Hot Dogs (4th generation family est. 1948)

Best Neighborhood Merch Stop - The T-Shirt Deli (est. 2003)

Best Artistry Stop - Quimby's Bookstore (est. 1991)

To learn about the Legacy Awards and other recipients, please click here.

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Another new business called Pup Social has a grand opening this weekend. It took some work to get this new business model up and running, but with collaboration from several city departments to make licensing work, with property and business owners, the chambers of commerce, and our ward office, a new owner/dog hangout is opening at 2200 N Ashland. It is truly a unique business plan. Pup Social is a space for members only and their four-footed pals. They will offer services for the dogs such as an off-leash play area, grooming services, and a Barktique to purchase all your pet’s needs. There’s also a party room for social events such as dog birthday parties. But, that’s not all! For their members, Pup Social also offers services for adults such as social events and drinks in designated areas plus beauty services! 

This is the first model of its kind in the 32nd Ward and the City. We are pleased that all the various departments and the owner were able to roll up their sleeves and create a plan to allow such an innovative business concept to open. The grand opening is this weekend, May 31st! Please click here to learn more about this unique new business.

Congrats Aly - at Pup Social! 

Summer Water Safety - Lakefront/Beach Safety

The 2025 beach season has begun! Chicago Park District lifeguards are on duty daily, from 11 am - 7 pm, from Friday, May 23 - Monday, September 1. Swimming is only permitted during these hours, in designated swimming areas. The Chicago Fire Department asks that beachgoers follow the rules of the lake and add these safety tips. For beach swim conditions, visit here. Wear sunscreen, drink plenty of fluids, and have fun!

Wear a Life Jacket: Not only having a life jacket, but wearing it properly, is the first defense against drownings. The life jacket you wear to the pool may not be suitable for kayaking on a river as well. Always check the manufacturer tag for any weight maximums and usage designation as well as the United States Coast Guard Life Jacket requirements.

Boaters should be mindful of break wall locations at all times: When water levels rise high enough to cover the walls, boaters may be at risk of serious injury and vessel damage.

Boating Under the Influence is just as deadly as drinking and driving: It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in every state. The Coast Guard also enforces a federal law that prohibits BUI. This law pertains to ALL boats including canoes and rowboats.

Learn to Swim: Learning to swim can be fun and easy, no matter your age. Check out local swim programs at schools, community centers, and the Park District. Go to the Chicago Park District website for further details on Swimming Lessons offered in your area.

Never Swim Alone or at night: Swimming alone or in the dark is extremely dangerous and can end in tragedy. Even when at personal pools and spas, swimming without a buddy is never safe and should not be done.

Swim Near Lifeguards: Swimming at a Lifeguard protected pool or beach is essential to safety. Lifeguards are trained in numerous rescue skills, CPR, AED usage, and much more. Listen to their rules and instructions as they are there for your safety and enjoyment. Never rely on lifeguards as “babysitters” for children in the water, if your child is in the water, you should be too.

Learn CPR: Take a CPR class this summer at your local Fire Station, Hospital, or other agency and increase your readiness to help a loved one or someone else in need. Visit the American Heart Association or American Red Cross websites for details on how and where to sign up for a class near you!

Rip Currents: Learn how to escape a rip current: Relax, swim to shore but don’t swim against current; If you can’t escape, float or tread water

Lakefront Paths: Heed the warnings and obey signage or officials on path closures; Do NOT navigate around barricades or closures – they are there for your safety to avoid risks of falls or being swept into the water, requiring rescue. During thunderstorms, being near bodies of water such as the lakefront paths or Riverwalk can pose threats of flooding and being swept into currents, especially with high lake levels. Heed any warnings to avoid the lakefront and Riverwalk when these are issued.

Report Suspicious Activity: If you See Something Say Something. The city reminds the public to be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious activity. If you notice something suspicious, notify onsite security or call 9-1-1. If You See Something, Say Something™ is a national anti-terrorism public awareness campaign that emphasizes the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities.  

OEMC will issue any alerts and notifications needed to keep residents and attendees up to date on weather conditions and emergencies. Sign up for NotifyChicago alerts at NotifyChicago.org. OEMC also issues TEXT alerts for lakefront notices and issues affecting businesses:

  CHILAKE: For lakefront notices, TEXT “CHILAKE” to 7-8-0-1-5

  CHIBIZ: For alerts affecting businesses, TEXT “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3

2025 Street Cleaning Calendar

Next week, street sweeping will occur in sections 5, 6, and 7 (West Lakeview and Hamlin Park). Click on the map above to see your section's schedule.

Please be on the lookout for signs and make sure to move your vehicle on your scheduled day (south and east sides of the street are normally done on the first day, north and west on the second; please watch for signs). Sweepers will do more than one pass on the block in their initial cleaning but will not come back to clean sections outside of their officially scheduled day.

Please take the time to help clear the curb in front of your property to keep the sewers flowing well. Any landscaping debris should be bagged and put in the alley by your trash cans. Please do not sweep landscaping debris into the street. Piles of leaves and heavy garbage also clog the sweepers and will cause significant delays. Other large objects like branches and metal will also damage the sweepers, so please remove them from curbs.

Residents can view street sweepers in real time using the Sweeper Tracker online tool. 

Public Safety Section

Engagement Opportunities on Advancing Community-Focused Policing

The Chicago Police Department invites you to attend an upcoming community session to share your feedback on the Advancing Community-Focused Policing Project. This project is designed to explore ways to operationalize community-focused policing as a Department-wide strategy by assessing current operations and community policing programs, reviewing roles and responsibilities, and hearing from the community. To learn more about this project, please click here.

Upcoming virtual session:

June 2nd, 2025

6:00pm

Hosted by Bright Star Community Outreach

Click here to register

Additional in-person community engagement sessions are planned throughout the middle of June.

To sign up for an in-person session, please click here.  

Lincoln Park Sewer Main Project #7158

Weekly Update

Project Status:

Work was slightly delayed this week due to ComEd work and weather conditions. The contractor has been working Saturdays to make up for this.

The concrete base is about 60% completed. Removal on Lakewood should start today and concrete is scheduled for Saturday.

The concrete flatwork (sidewalk and curbs) removal should starting on Monday and continue for the rest of the week.

Once the concrete is completed, the milling, paving, landscaping, and striping will be scheduled.

Kennedy Rehabilitation Update

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that as part of the ongoing rehabilitation of the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94) from the Edens Expressway (I-94) junction to Ohio Street, a stage change is scheduled to take place beginning, weather permitting, Saturday, May 31.

Under the new configuration, traffic leaving downtown Chicago will be able to use both the express and local lanes to continue to I-90 and O’Hare International Airport. Since the final year of the Kennedy project started in March, drivers leaving downtown had to stay in the local lanes to access the airport.

To facilitate the stage change, starting at 11 p.m. Saturday, May 31, the reversible express lanes will close. At midnight the outbound Kennedy will be reduced to one outbound lane from Addison Street to Montrose Avenue and intermittent ramp closures also will take place between Addison Street and Montrose Avenue. The lanes and any ramps that were closed overnight will reopen by 10 a.m. Sunday, June 1, when the new traffic pattern will be in place.

In the new configuration, the outbound lanes will shift slightly to the left on to the new pavement between Addison Street and Montrose Avenue. The reversible express lanes will remain open in the outbound direction, with two mainline outbound lanes closed at a time. The reversible mid-gate entrance and exits will remain closed.

The new configuration will allow work to begin on the right lanes of the outbound expressway and is estimated to remain in place through mid-July.

The change to the work zone is occurring roughly a month ahead of schedule, part of an effort to stage the project and ramp closures to help accelerate construction. Additional ramp closures for varying durations will be required to complete the project, which remains on pace for an overall completion by Thanksgiving. Details, schedules and impacts to traffic will be shared in advance, closer to the individual closure dates. ​

As a reminder, to accommodate ongoing bridge rehabilitation and ramp repairs, the following ramps are scheduled to close, weather permitting:

Thursday, June 5

• Ontario Street to outbound Kennedy, anticipated to reopen in approximately two weeks.
• Division Street to outbound Kennedy, anticipated to reopen in approximately two weeks. ​ ​

Monday, June 9

• Outbound Kennedy to North Avenue, anticipated to reopen in approximately two weeks. ​ ​
• Outbound Kennedy to Fullerton Avenue, anticipated to reopen in approximately two weeks. ​ ​

Current ramp closures:

• Ogden Avenue to outbound Kennedy is closed, anticipated to reopen the week of June 9. ​ ​
• Outbound Kennedy to Ohio Street is closed, anticipated to reopen the week of June 9. ​ ​
• Armitage Avenue to outbound Kennedy is closed, anticipated to reopen the week of June 9. ​ ​

Motorists should follow the posted detours.

All scheduled work is subject to change due to multiple factors, including inclement weather. In that event, schedules will be updated and shared with the public.

The public should expect significant delays and allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

Throughout construction, traveling during non-peak hours, taking alternative routes and utilizing public transportation, including the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line and Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line, as well as Pace, are recommended.

For more information, visit https://idot.illinois.gov/projects/Interstate-90-Kennedy-Bridge-Study. The website features project details, maps, photos and fact sheets. The public can email questions to DOT.KennedyRehab@illinois.gov. For systemwide traffic and road conditions, visit www.gettingaroundillinois.com. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook and X.

On Sunday, June 8th from 9am – noon, the Bucktown Community Organization (BCO) along with Alderman Scott Waguespack will be hosting a shredding event to include onsite destruction and recycling of documents and personal electronics. Additionally, the Cook County Sheriff's Office will be on hand as part of their Prescription Drug Takeback program to safely dispose of your old Rx’s.

As a special part of the free Shredding Event, stop by the BCO tent to meet members of the BCO Board, learn more about upcoming events in the neighborhood like the Bucktown Garden Walk and Movies in the Park, and get your raffle ticket to win a rain barrel compliments of Commissioner Garcia and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.

Come by with any papers and electronics that you would like to have securely destroyed and recycled. There is a limit of 2 boxes/containers per household and we ask that you please remove all heavy-duty staples, paper clips, metal fasteners, and rubber bands ahead of time.

Don’t let your paper and electronic data fall into the wrong hands and don’t let your old Rx’s contaminate our water. Come out and get Shredded!

Cradles to Crayons Wants Your Donations!

Last week, the non-profit organization Cradles to Crayons unveiled their new collection bin. They provide kids in Chicagoland with everyday essential items such as clothing, shoes, diapers, and school supplies. Many of the donations received come from community members. Their new donation drop-off bin in our ward is at the Grand Appliance store at 2300 W. Fullerton.

Feel free to drop off goods any time you want. Here is a list of items they collect and also other ways you can help them!

Porchfest Lakeview - June 1

This beloved neighborhood tradition is back on June 1st! Porchfest is a neighborhood music festival featuring local talent that takes place on porches. Come spend a relaxing and fun afternoon strolling the neighborhood listening to live music.

This year, for the first time, the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce is offering a limited edition t-shirt! Commemorate the day and further support the event with your purchase.

Get tickets here!

Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend

Kick off summer with a focus on you! Celebrate the season of sunshine at Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend featuring free outdoor workout classes, mini-spa services, giveaways, and more.

Health & Wellness Showcase featuring free mini-spa services

Open and free to public featuring free mini-spa services including chair massage, mini facial, ear acupuncture, skin treatment, brow & lash consultation, and more.

Saturday, June 7 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lincoln Common Plaza, 2335 N. Lincoln

Free Outdoor Workout Classes

Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8

Click here to sign up for classes.

Chicago Women in Trade! Join Now!

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