• LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT • | |
Hello wonderful LCA members and those who we encourage to join! I have met so many perspective members around the neighborhood and always inform them about Lincoln Central Association. I hope you do, too!
There is so much change happening, beginning with Alderman Smith’s departure. She has been a wonderful support to us in this neighborhood and her staff has done all they can to support our needs. Alderman Smith had a great team behind her, and those staff are still there and continue to help us with our needs. They have experience and are there to help you with whatever you need. Don’t forget to call 311 for small issues, and they will be on it.
Now to the next change, I am sad to announce that I must resign as President of Lincoln Central Association because I am moving out of the LCA boundaries. Our Vice President, Erik Heitman, will take over. That said, I will be involved in making this transition smooth. It is bittersweet for me as I have loved to serve LCA for over 10 years in many capacities. I will continue to participate on committees, work in the parks and remain on projects. I love this community and have put my heart and soul into it for many years.
I’m sad to be leaving this wonderful organization, so I ask that everyone step up to be new voices and volunteers to keep it going strong!!
Sally Drucker
President, Lincoln Central Association
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Evening in the Garden Set for Sunday, Sept. 11 | |
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We are excited to bring back our Evening of the Garden event this year with some of our long-time supporters as well as some new neighborhood sponsors!
First held in September of 2014, Evening in the Garden celebrates the close of summer, our garden volunteers and the garden harvest. This garden party is used to honor the heart put into many neighborhood achievements including retiring police officers and especially the volunteers who make our neighborhood parks such special gathering places. The event includes food, wine and beverages from neighborhood restaurants and businesses.
Join us at Fire Station Park on Sunday, September 11 from 5 – 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
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Introducing the Bauler Barn Dance | |
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On Saturday, October 1, we are excited to partner with Bauler Advisory Council to host a Barn Dance at Bauler Park! The Barn Dance theme will be country and western music, with an array of square dancing, contra dancing and other simple country and western steps focused on making this a fun event for all ages. Lines, circles, and squares will be the typical formations used in our Barn Dance.
The Barn Dance allows us to socialize and celebrate, even if you’re normally not a dancer. Our “caller,” joined by live musicians, will provide easy-to-follow instructions that enables all participants to get quickly engaged in the fun. We’ll be using the concrete surface at the west end of Bauler Park.
We’ve separated the event into two groups: Non-Adults (15 and under) dancing between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Younger children will need to be escorted by an adult to help guide them. Adults will be dancing between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. All participants, young and old, are encouraged to dress up western style to add to the fun.
Tickets are $30 per family, $25 for adult couples and $15 for adult singles. All proceeds will benefit LCA and Bauler Park Advisory Council. Learn more and get tickets here.
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Volunteer at Fire Station Park! | |
Fifth Star Band Reschedules Free Bauler Park Concert | |
After being rained out on August 7, we are happy that Fifth Star Band has rescheduled their FREE concert in Bauler Park for Sunday, October 16 from 3:30 – 5 p.m., Fifth Star Band will give a free concert in Bauler Park!
A modern take on American traditional rock, The Fifth Star Band grooves to a funky, old school beat that’s guaranteed to get you dancing. Drawing inspiration from Anderson East, The Revivalists, and Van Morrison, this Chicago-based, roots rock band continues to deliver upbeat, soulful tunes that are elevated by their energetic live performances. Since emerging on the Chicago music scene in the summer of ‘16, TFSB has played all around the city at venues such as The Cubby Bear, Martyrs’, Reggie’s, The Elbo Room and multiple yearly stops at The Store. Despite a minor hiatus after the December 2019 release of their first full-length album, Vice, the band resumed making their mark on the city's music landscape including a command performance in 2021 at Bauler Park.
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Howler at Bauler Set for Oct. 29 | |
Lincoln Central’s signature Halloween party is back, and will be better than ever!
Known as "The Haunt of the Neighborhood”, Howler at Bauler is held each year during Halloween weekend in Bauler Park. From the neighborhood firehouse bringing its truck, to the neighborhood fitness center staffing games, to our local lawmakers greeting the crowds, everyone puts their heart into making this a great neighborhood event.
Howler at Bauler includes a costume parade, face painting, a balloon artist, games, candy, a DJ to dance to and more for local neighborhood children and families. Howler at Bauler will take place on Saturday, October 29 from 3 - 5 p.m. at Bauler Park.
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Fire Station Park Garden Flourishes! | |
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LCA is dedicated to inspiring people to join together for the social, cultural, and physical enrichment of our neighborhood, and our local businesses are a critical part of that! LCA is honored to work with local businesses to improve our neighborhood and promote their business.
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
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Become an LCA Sponsor Today! | |
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We promote our businesses through our signature events, in “From the Heart,” our award winning email newsletter, on our website, and through word of mouth.
Why Should Your Company Be Involved?
- Engaging with LCA events gives you the opportunity to engage directly with local potential customers.
- More than 90% of attendees at LCA events walk to the events from their homes in the surrounding neighborhoods. That means they can walk to your business, too!
- LCA’s events are promoted in in LCA’s award winning newsletter, From the Heart.
All LCA sponsorships are annual and include promotions at all LCA events throughout the year. Sponsorship opportunities are outlined below. Do you have another idea on how to partner? Contact us and we can discuss ways to collaborate.
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Glowstick Party at Bauler Park | On Thursday, September 15 from 5 – 7 p.m., the Bauler Park Advisory Council is hosting a Disco Glow Kids Party and Bonfire at Bauler Park! The free event will include glow sticks and feature DJ Eric! | |
Lincoln Park Health and Wellness Weekend | |
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Summer isn’t over yet and there are still ways to find healthy activities in the neighborhood and stay active! Join the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce for Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend to explore fun (and FREE) workouts, innovative treatments and personal care from Lincoln Park’s one-of-a-kind health and wellness community to keep you fresh and active into the fall season.
Saturday, September 10 - 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Plaza at Lincoln Common - 2335 N. Lincoln
Explore the Health & Wellness Showcase for special giveaways, raffles, and consultations from local health and wellness businesses (while supplies last) and sign up for free classes from Equinox, Club Pilates and Barry’s.
Sunday, September 11 - 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Rooftop at Lakeshore Sport & Fitness, 1320 W. Fullerton
Sign up for free classes from Pure Barre Lincoln Park and Lakeshore Sport and Fitness while taking in the gorgeous skyline views
Learn more here.
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Lincoln Park Uncorked: A Lincoln Avenue Wine & Beer Stroll | |
Lincoln Park Uncorked returns to Lincoln Avenue with a twist! Expanding beyond a wine stroll, guests may now choose to purchase tickets for a wine route OR a beer route.
Thursday, September 29
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Lincoln Avenue, from Diversey to Webster
Learn more here.
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Michael: A Story About Second Chances | |
Larry (left) and Michael (right) | |
Hope you don’t mind if I tell you a story. A long time ago and early in my career, I supervised the Career Counseling Program at Menard Correctional Center in Southern Illinois, the state’s largest maximum-security prison. Menard was founded in 1878 and to picture it, imagine most of 2,500 men in the prison population confined 16-20 hours per day in 70 sq. ft. cells with zero privacy and a cellmate not of their own choosing in a 500-cell building constructed of large heat-retaining limestone blocks (no A/C, so cell houses didn’t cool down much at night).
Most of these guys held prison jobs or came to the school building Monday thru Friday to attend classes (e.g., adult basic ed, GED, college classes), to speak with their counselor (e.g., about visiting privileges, transfer to a prison closer to home, seeing the parole board) or for career counseling. While implementing a new curriculum and as an experiment, I asked all of my students (who were mostly from Chicago and convicted of serious crimes) to close their eyes and visualize what they wanted their lives to look like five years after leaving prison. I then asked each student to describe for the class the life they’d love to lead.
What I heard influenced my work in Corrections and Law Enforcement for the next 40 years.
To a man, no matter the nature of their criminal history and despite (typically) low-income backgrounds, a history of gang involvement and a lack of educational/vocational accomplishment, every one of my students wanted exactly what you and I want: meaningful work; a nice place to live; a loving family and good friends; to be safe; and to be a respected member of the community. But it was apparent that they didn’t have a clue how to get from where they were to the life they’d love to lead - so long story short, my team and I developed a curriculum to teach these men 1) how to develop short and long-term goals and a detailed step-by-step plan to achieve those goals, 2) how to access the resources and support they would need to succeed, and 3) how to find, be hired for and keep a low-paying survival job while simultaneously pursuing education and/or training to eventually have a rewarding career.
I wish I had data to explain that a high percentage of my students got out, stayed out, and lived responsible lives ever after - but maybe one anecdote will illustrate the point I’m trying to make. Michael, from Chicago, very young and convicted for a serious crime, was one of my students and the way he tells it, the lessons he learned in career counseling helped him to “live responsibly” while incarcerated (e.g., by taking advantage of learning opportunities, staying out of trouble, strengthening family ties to the extent possible) which led to an early parole and a long career working for a South Side not-for-profit helping youth avoid the mistakes he made. (The photo above shows Michael speaking at my 2019 CPD retirement party, where he had many in tears talking about his life before, during and after incarceration.)
The point of this story is that a very high percentage of the people committing crime in Chicago would rather, if given the opportunity to imagine it, live the kind of life you and I want to live – they just don’t know how to get there – which is why Chicago needs to scale up (way up) programs like Chicago Cred (Our Goal (chicagocred.org) , Readi Chicago (READI | Heartland Alliance), the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (Gun Violence Prevention | Nonviolence Chicago | Chicago), Defy Illinois (Defy Illinois (defyventures.org), the Safer Foundation (Comprehensive Reentry Assistance (saferfoundation.org) and the many other Chicago not-for-profit organizations striving to help people lead the kind of lives that so often feel out of reach to them. Please support them if you can!
Please stay safe, get to know your neighbors, and take good care of each other!
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From the Heart is an award-winning newsletter published by Lincoln Central Association.
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