Hi neighbors,

During Wednesday's City Council meeting, my colleagues and I celebrated Lane Tech High School's girls flag football team for winning their second straight state championship. For so many Chicagoans, youth sports are an indispensable part of life, reminding all participants of the heights they can reach when they work hard and persevere through challenges. My hearty congratulations to all of the players and their supporters for this accomplishment.

Before the meeting wrapped up, I introduced legislation to strengthen our City's ethics rules regarding independent contractors and campaign donors who do work with the City. In addition, my colleagues and I confirmed Ciere Boatright as the new Commissioner for our City's Department of Planning and Development. Notably, during her tenure as a real estate and community development executive in Chicago, Commissioner Boatright helped manage the revitalization of significant portions of Chicago's Pullman neighborhood. 

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting numerous small business owners and employees during a business canvass in our West Lake View neighborhood. I had an especially enjoyable conversation with Patrick and Sam at Ashland Glass and Mirror Design. They helped construct the Blue Paradox exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, which examines the impact of plastic pollution and how we can combat it!

I hope you all have a warm and restful weekend. If you're looking for something to do, consider taking a walk along our Riverbank Trail north of Irving Park, where a bald eagle has recently been spotted hunting for fish.

Yours in service,

2024 CAPS Beat Meetings Schedule

The schedule for the 2024 CAPS Beat Meetings in the 19th District have been updated. You can find the full schedule by beat here.

Public Safety Update

On July 25th of last year, a 69-year-old woman was hit and killed by a driver as she was crossing the 5100 block of Broadway on foot. Earlier this week, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office charged a 31-year-old man with leaving the scene of an accident causing death. My thanks to the Police Department and the State's Attorney's Office for their work involving this tragic death.

Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability Commissioner Nominations

The District Council Nominating Committee has announced the selection process for the next Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA). Applications for these positions will be open from January 8, 2024 to February 7, 2024 and will be posted on the CCPSA website.

Claremont, Cullom Street Light Replacement

Contractors are installing brand new streetlight poles on Claremont (from Cullom to Montrose) and on Cullom (from Claremont to Western). These blocks were identified based on light outage data from the past several years. New poles will include pedestrian “piggyback” lights to illuminate sidewalks and will be placed in an alternating pattern on either side of the street to provide light to both sidewalks. City engineers identified the exact location of new light poles to maximize the amount of light on the block and avoid any dark spots, also taking into account existing underground utilities and future lighting projects on adjacent blocks. Construction is expected to impact primarily parkways, with most wiring installed through underground “directional boring” to limit the amount of digging. Crews are completing underground work and expect to start installing the new poles in early February. Restoration work will be split between later February (for concrete) and this spring (for parkways).

Greenview/Cornelia Gas Main Replacement

Peoples Gas has started work on replacing the gas main on Cornelia (Ashland to Lakewood) and Greenview (Grace to Roscoe), with some impact to adjacent blocks. This project will last about a year and primarily impact sidewalks. To view a recording of the virtual meeting our office hosted together with the 44th Ward, click here.

Spoken, a Café 

We've been a cozy corner of the Ravenswood community for 10 years. Serving hand crafted breakfast, lunch, coffee, & kindness Tuesday-Sunday 7am-2pm. Our Spoken Crew puts loads of intention into our seasonal & locally sourced ingredients. We make our own sauces, jams, pickles, cream cheeses, nut butters, soups, granola, nut mixes, nut brittles, and baked goods including delicious & crave worthy Gluten Free items by our resident Gluten Free Goddess Chef Angela Torres-Kutkuhn.

Our owners, Will & Sido, were born and raised in southern Louisiana so we like to celebrate BIG TIME for Mardi Gras Day, coming soon on February 13th! Be sure to check out our Mardi Gras Menu coming soon @spokenchicago.com!

We make our own BOUDIN! Boudin is a Cajun famous savory treat made with slow braised pork shoulder, Cajun spices, trinity vegetables, green onion, parsley & rice(Gluten Free). Traditionally it is served "hot by the link" steamed in sausage casing, but you can also try boudin on our breakfast sandwich called "the Boudreaux"!

Have a businesses you want to see spotlighted? Submit it here: https://airtable.com/appQeF72v8Xfer2eh/shrSradrLghMQmArb

Andersonville Coffee & Cocoa Crawl

The Andersonville Coffee & Hot Cocoa Crawl returns as a part of Fika Fest! Each route invites you to explore specialty offerings that may include coffee, hot cocoa, bakery items, and more! Check in begins at 9AM on February 10 at the Swedish American Museum, located at 5211 N Clark. Tickets are $25

At check in, attendees will receive a commemorative Andersonville mug and your route card (Bean or Brew) that will act as your ticket for each location. Kids under 10 crawl for free with a paid attendee.

Folks are encouraged to drop off puzzles during the check in for the Great Andersonville Puzzle Exchange, happening at the Swedish American Museum on the following day, February 11

The Great Andersonville Puzzle Exchange (free event)

The Great Andersonville Puzzle Exchange is back! Bring a puzzle, take a puzzle!

The Great Andersonville Puzzle Exchange returns on Sunday, February 11 at the Swedish American Museum, located at 5211 N Clark. Think you're a champion puzzler? Compete in our Andersonville Puzzle Throwdown. The fastest Andersonville puzzler wins a special prize.

Join The Friendship Center at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Pet Food Pantry

fundraiser, For the Love of Pets on February 7th. Guests will enjoy a silent auction, tasty bites, a cash bar, and custom pet portraits, and will come together for a great cause, helping Chicago families and their pets stay together when faced with financial crisis. Tickets are available in advance at: https://friendshipcenterchicago.org/flop/

February 7th | 6-9 p.m.

Half Acre Beer

2050 W Balmoral Ave

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Fall Registration

Are you intellectually curious? Or looking for engagement and social connection? OLLI invites you to join this vibrant learning community at Northwestern University, specially designed for adults age 50+. In stimulating discussions, you’ll explore a wide range of your favorite subjects, including history, literature, creative arts, contemporary issues, science, technology, and more--with no tests or grades. Registration is Feb 5 through Feb 19 for 14-week study groups that begin March 4th in Evanston, downtown Chicago, or online. To view our fall catalog of 100 study groups, email olli@northwestern.edu. And join us for “A Taste of OLLI,” our free online information session on Jan 30 at 11a Central via Zoom (Register here). 

Girls Flag Football Clinic on President's Day!

Game On has partnered with the Lane Tech Flag Football team for a President's Day clinic to teach girls the FUNdamentals of Flag Football!

Girls Flag Football Clinic

Monday, February 19

9:30 - 11:30am

2nd - 8th grade girls

Location:

Menomonee Club 1535 N. Dayton Street, Chicago

Join the 2023 IL State Champion Lane Tech flag football coach and players for an active clinic covering the FUNdamentals of Flag Football. For more information and registration, click here.

Dive into Winter Wonderland with NBGC!  Registration is NOW OPEN for our Winter II Programs, featuring high-energy Floor Hockey, spiking fun in Volleyball, and unleashing heroes in our NEW Superhero Class (Ages 3 & 4). Plus, master discipline in Karate and experience the enchanting world of the Cubbies Program (Age 4) for our littlest ones—a perfect start to a world of games, activities, and crafts.

Athletics Registration: Click HERE

Cubbies & Superhero Class Registration: Click HERE