• LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT •

October 27, 2022

LCA Friends and Neighbors,

With the change of seasons this year, there have also been changes afoot at Lincoln Central Association. In September, the LCA Board gave thanks to President Sally Drucker for her many years of service to the community and our organization, and we wished her the best on all the new adventures as she moves (just a little bit) outside of the LCA boundaries.

While I am very sad to see Sally leave the Board, her departure has given me the opportunity to serve as President of LCA, which I am honored and humbled to accept.

… and what a time to be taking over the position.

Fall is my favorite time of year, and our community really knows how to do it right.

LCA has already hosted a couple great events this Fall: Evening in the Garden, at Fire Station Park, and the first-ever Bauler Barn Dance, a hoedown in the heart of Lincoln Park that we hope to make an annual event.

Now we look forward to what has become one of the LCA’s premier events: Howler at Bauler.

Halloween season in Lincoln Park is special, as it gives us all time to admire the Fall colors and explore our creativity with spooky home displays and costumes… and at Hauler at Bauler Fall colors and spooky costumes will be in full effect. This year, Howler at Bauler will be bigger than ever, and I hope to see you all there this Saturday, October 29th.

Of course, these events could not happen without the extraordinary generosity of our many sponsors and volunteers. As I close my first Letter from the President, I want to thank our tremendous sponsors and volunteers for making Lincoln Park such a wonderful place to live. I am so impressed by the strength of our community, and I look forward to working with you all in the months to come.

From the Heart,

Erik Heitman

President, Lincoln Central Association

P. S. Do not hesitate to contact me at any time at erik@heitmanarchitects.com or 816-668-6775 if you would like to learn more about LCA or have neighborhood concerns.

• Recent LCA News •

Howler at Bauler is Happening Saturday & Will Be Better Than Ever!

Lincoln Central Association's signature Halloween party is back and will be better than ever! This great event will happen on Saturday, October 29 from 3 - 5 p.m. at Bauler Park.

Known as “The Haunt of the Neighborhood,” Howler at Bauler is held each year during Halloween weekend in Bauler Park. This year, we are bringing back some of the favorites, and adding several new features! Here is the linkup for Howler at Bauler:

• Bouncy house and games from Lake Shore Sport and Fitness
• “Let’s Jett!” with Specialized Chicago
• Teal Pumpkin table provided by Park West Cooperative Nursery School
• The magic of Sean Masterson
• Sweet treats from Vanille Patisserie
• Bring a canned food item for Nourishing Hope Food Pantry and get a FREE pumpkin from Representative Margaret Croke’s office
• 2 Balloon Artists
• 2 Face Painters
• DJ
• Costume parade, candy and much more!

Check out the full event guide here.

Thank You to Our Howler at Bauler & LCA Sponsors!

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:

LCA Zoning Matters

By Anne Moore

Shared housing (aka AirBnB’s) are a hot topic in Lincoln Park. No one wants a “party” place next door. Twice this year, LCA’s zoning and planning committee approved applications for shared housing (a short-term rental unit) in owner-occupied buildings. We require letters of agreement from immediate neighbors. We sanctioned these applications because owners are present. It’s in their best interest to rent to quiet guests. We were sympathetic to the owner of a two-flat, who said she’d had terrible/destructive long-term renters. She felt that short-term renters were more respectful of the unit. Our committee is concerned with apartments coming off the market for full-time use, but recognize that building owners have the right to offer short-term rentals. We are grateful to Alderman Knudsen’s office for alerting LCA and involving us in such decisions. 

In other matters, more than 150 Howe/Orchard/Burling neighbors signed a petition objecting to a proposed project at 1633 - 1649 N. Halsted St. (The former Royal George Theater and former Balena restaurant building). LCA and Ranch Triangle also objected to the project, which we agreed was too tall, too dense and out of character with historic Halsted, which is zoned B3-2 (retail with apartments overhead, limited in height). Developers have shelved their proposal, according to Alderman Hopkins' office. We and neighbors remain vigilant. The parcel is between historic Yondorf Hall (a federal landmark) and the Halsted-Willow Gateway (a city landmark). We expect developers and homeowners to build within City guidelines. 

Ward Walk Set for Wednesday, November 2

Join Lincoln Central Association and the Alderman's office for a Ward Walk on Wednesday, November 2 from 5:30 - 7 p.m.!!

The Ward Walk will survey the Lincoln Central section of the 43rd Ward to identify signs, trees, streets, alleys and sidewalks that may need repair and check for graffiti or sanitation code violations.

Participants, who will also be on the lookout for public safety concerns, should gather at Lincoln Central Park (corner of Lincoln Ave. and Dickens) at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Alderman's office has divided the Lincoln Central Ward Walk into five sectors and has created this map to identify the sectors. Teams will be assigned to each sector.

A special thanks to Nada Riley, Chair of LCA's Community Affairs Committee, for organizing the ward walk in coordination with the Alderman's office. If you are interested in maintaining your neighborhood in the best possible condition, we encourage you to walk with us and participate in this important activity.

Sign up for the LCA Ward Walk by emailing Nada here with the subject line "LCA Ward Walk."

WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE IN THE WARD WALK?

The Lincoln Central Ward Walk is a great way to spend time with your neighbors, enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise!

Participating in the Lincoln Central Ward Walk will also give you a direct role in helping keep your neighborhood clean and safe by helping to identify and document problems in our part of the Ward that need to be addressed. You'll then be able to bring those issues of concern directly to the Alderman's office.

Let us know you are coming to the Ward Walk by clicking here to email Nada.

• Neighborhood News •

Sheffield Neighborhood Association Hosts Creepy Creature Double Feature This Friday

Join Sheffield Neighborhood Association and Trebes Park Advisory Council for their first annual Creepy Creature Double Feature on Friday, October 28 at Trebes Park (2250 N Clifton Ave)!

The family-friendly event has everything you need to get into the Halloween spirit! Here is the lineup:

Pixar's Monster's Inc.

6:30 p.m.

&

Shaun of the Dead (big kids movie)

8:30 p.m.

Election Day in Chicago: Where & How to Vote in Lincoln Park

Tuesday, November 8 is election day! Voting in elections is important for all adults across the nation, so we encourage everyone to get out there and vote! Here is some key information for you on where and how to vote:

Voter Registration

Are you registered to vote? You can check if you are registered online here.

If you aren’t registered, you can register in person at an early voting site or at your election day polling site as long as you bring two forms of ID. One of those forms of ID must have your home address listed on it. More information on this is available here.

Vote By Mail

You can apply online to vote by mail for the upcoming election here. Note that the deadline to apply to vote by mail is November 3. Make sure to follow all of the instructions on the ballot that you receive.

Voting Early

If you choose to vote early, here is a list of early voting locations, along with dates and times they are open.

Voting on Election Day

Here is a comprehensive list of polling places and addresses. Note that the 43^rd Ward is listed on Page 42 of the document.

It doesn’t matter how you choose to vote, please just get out there and vote!!

Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce 75th Anniversary Gala

Celebrate the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce’s 75^th anniversary at one of Lincoln Park's legendary venues - Steppenwolf Theatre. Enjoy fabulous food, celebratory cocktails and the opportunity to recognize the people and businesses that have helped the LPCC reach this important 75-year milestone.

Thursday, November 10

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Steppenwolf Theatre

1650 N. Halsted

Learn more here.

• Feature •

A New Way to Reduce Your Risk of Being Carjacked

By Larry Sachs

Frankly, after reading about where, when and how most carjackings occur, I haven’t been that concerned for my own safety – until a Sunday carjacking at 11 a.m. in the alley behind my Lincoln Park townhome got my attention. So I was really interested to read in the Sun Times (Cook County sheriff seeks drivers’ OK to track vehicles, speed carjacking investigations - Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com) that Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is promoting a new and easy way to deter carjackers and help law enforcement recover carjacked (and stolen) vehicles. That article contains a link (https://www.cookcountysheriff.org/cartrackconsent) to a consent form for “anyone who drives in Cook County, including those commuting from collar counties” who owns a car made after 2014. Completing and submitting that form allows data from the vehicle manufacturer’s tracking system to be pulled up so that law enforcement can start tracking the vehicle’s location immediately – and registrants get two stickers (see below) for the front and back of their car(s) to deter carjackers by indicating that their car is authorized for tracking.

The value of this was captured in a Sheriff Dart quote reported by Axios:

“When Dart's staff asked suspected carjackers what they'd do if they knew a car was being tracked, the answer 'was quite unanimous,' he said, 'they'd just go to another car.'"

I completed the Cook County on-line car tracking consent form in less than 5 minutes, and suggest that you consider doing so as well. 

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