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FROM THE HEART, AUGUST 2017
Winner of
Consecutive of
APEX Awards For Publication Excellence
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PLEASE JOIN US SEPTEMBER 14th
4th Annual Evening in the Garden
You are invited to join us on Thursday evening September 14th as we bring the neighborhood together for a magical evening in Fire Station Park & Gardens at the 4th annual An Evening in the Garden, a reception style event celebrating our wonderful neighborhood and saluting our volunteers. Read more.
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Dear Neighbors:
People often ask why they should join Lincoln Central or support our efforts. Certainly, those are valid questions to ask of any non-profit. Hopefully, this issue of our newsletter will help answer answer those questions. Many of the reasons to join and support LCA are on full display this month.
From bringing neighbors and
businesses with heart together at family-friendly
neighborhood events featuring food, beverage and entertainment; to supporting
arts & culture in our neighborhood; to producing
award-winning content, including exclusive
feature stories; to
supporting parks and financially supporting and maintaining a
community garden; to lending a
helping hand to our local firefighters; to helping preserve and curate
neighborhood history; to a Zoning & Planning Committee that ensures an open and fair process for both developers and homeowners as well as businesses, and so
much more, Lincoln Central Association truly is "central" to enhancing the quality of life in our community. And, as those of you who have received your membership renewal form for this year or a letter acknowledging your new membership, you already know we've even started to arrange
substantial discounts for LCA members at neighborhood establishments-with more to be announced in the near future. Additionally, LCA is arranging
special events for LCA members.
Yet, many who frequently attend our neighborhood events and/or who read this newsletter
each month have never joined LCA or have allowed their memberships to lapse in recent years. The same is true of many who have called upon LCA for assistance in the past, sometimes rather persistently. As a volunteer not-for-profit organization with minimal resources, our organization depends on the support of the community especially as our contributions to the neighborhood continue to grow. LCA follows good governance practices, operates transparently and publishes a
Donor Bill of Rights. The public is invited to attend our Board meetings and our Planning & Zoning meetings each month.
For those who are already part of our membership and/or otherwise support our efforts, we thank you. Your support makes a critical difference and is appreciated. For those who have not joined LCA or who have allowed your membership to lapse in recent years, we hope we've given you reason to reconsider.
If you're not already a member of LCA, why not join today? You can do so online via a secure credit card or PayPal transaction or by
downloading
and mailing in a membership form. We look forward to hearing from you.
From the Heart,
Kenneth Dotson, LCA President
P. S. Regardless of whether or not you are an LCA member, feel free to call or email at any time to learn more about LCA or if you have neighborhood concerns. | 773.531.5515 | kenneth@chicago.com
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 A MAGICAL AFTERNOON IN THE GARDEN
Bringing the Neighborhood Together
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A hearty pour from J9
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Lincoln Central's 3rd annual Sunday Summer Sipper, held on June 24th in Fire Station Park & Gardens, brought
neighbors together for an afternoon of delightful entertainment, refreshing
drinks, delicious hors' d'oeuvres, and engaging conversation.
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| Warm hospitality at Gemini's table |
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Event attendees were able to enjoy popular menu items for served by representatives of neighborhood favorites including LCA members Geja's Cafe (340 W. Armitage), Tobacco Road and J9 Wine
Bar (2249 N. Lincoln Ave.)
, as well as
Gemini
(2075 N. Lincoln Ave.) and
David's Tea.
Attendees were also able to enjoy the pot luck table featuring dishes prepared by LCA members using one or more items grown in the gardens at Fire Station Park.
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A scene from Native Gardens
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Early in the event, the crowd gathered around a makeshift to watch actors from Victory Gardens
Theatre, an LCA member,
perform a vignette from the hilarious hit comedy, Native Gardens-which was reviewed in the
June 2017 issue
of
From the Heart
. To the further delight of the crowd, the actors stayed after the performance to mingle with guests and experience the warm hospitality of Lincoln Central.
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LCA HONORED WITH 3 AWARDS IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Only Volunteer Non-profit Honored
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LCA's suite of event promotion and organization logos received a
Grand Award
in the Design & Illustration category.
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Kathy Jordan shown with LCA's Grand Award |
APEX
Grand Awards,
the highest in this international competition honor the most outstanding work in eleven main categories. LCA also won two APEX Awards for Communication Excellence including one for this newsletter. The only awards granted to any volunteer non-profit were the three received by LCA. Read the press release.
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PLEASE JOIN US SEPTEMBER 14th
4th Annual Evening in the Garden
You are invited to join us on Thursday evening September 14th as we bring the neighborhood together for a magical evening in Fire Station Park & Gardens at the 4th annual An Evening in the Garden, a reception style event celebrating our wonderful neighborhood and saluting our volunteers.
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Evening in the Garden 2016
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An Evening in the Garden, one of LCA's most popular events,
will be held from 6 pm-8pm (but, we'll stay as long as your having a good time) and will feature hors d'oeuvres and wine from popular neighborhood food & beverage establishments (soft drinks will also be available). Returning to the event for the third consecutive year will be prominent Chicago magician, the amazing Benjamin Barnes who will stroll through the event performing close-up magic and unbelievable illusions. Barnes also performed at this year's Sunday Summer Sipper.
Best of all, An Evening in the Garden is a great opportunity to visit with old friends and neighbors and meet new ones and get to know business with heart who support LCA.
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FIRE STATION PARK FINALIST FOR GARDENING AWARD
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 Fire Station Park & Gardens has been nominated by the University of Illinois for the 2017 Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards. This Lincoln Central initiative is led by Sally Drucker. Congratulations, Sally!
Help LCA continue to support parks and gardens in the neighborhood by downloading our
park donation form or donating
online. All contributions are tax deductible.
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OZ SERVES UP NEW TENNIS COURTS
LCA Recognized at Dedication
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Donors, tennis players, and neighbors got
together on Saturday, July 29 to celebrate the official opening of the refurbished tennis courts in Oz Park. Lincoln Central was one of the donors that gave $5,000 or more. (
Read DNAinfo story on the new tennis courts.)
Thanks to the efforts of the
Oz Park Advisory Council (OPAC)l, $104,000 was raised, including $30,000 from
43rd Ward Alderman, Michele Smith. Judy Johanson, OPAC president, thanked donors for their support, and noted the help of Willa Lang, executive director of the
Chicago Parks Foundation, the non-profit (
continued)
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LCA Monthly Board Meeting
LCA Board meetings are normally held the fourth Thursday of each month at
6:30 PM
in the back room of the
Marquee Lounge
(Halsted & Armitage). Board meetings are open to the public.
Learn more
about how you can receive a tour
of Wintrust Arena, the new home of DePaul Blue Demons basketball.
Tuesday, September 12th, 2017
LCA Zoning Committee Mtg.
Zoning Committee meetings are held the second
Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM
in the back room of the Marquee Lounge (Halsted & Armitage). Zoning Committee meetings are open to the public.
4th Annual Evening in the Garden
Lincoln Park Then & Now: A History
Through Photographs
Thursday, September 28th
LCA Monthly Board Meeting
LCA Board meetings are normally held the fourth
Thursday of each month at
6:30 PM
in the back room of the
Marquee Lounge
(Halsted & Armitage). Board meetings are open to the public.
Tuesday, October 10th, 2017
LCA Zoning Committee Mtg.
Zoning Committee meetings are held the second
Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM
in the back room of the Marquee Lounge (Halsted & Armitage). Zoning Committee meetings are open to the public.
LCA Monthly Board Meeting
LCA Board meetings are normally held the fourth
Thursday of each month at
6:30 PM
in the back room of the Marquee Lounge (Halsted & Armitage). Board meetings are open to the public.
Saturday, October 28th
10th Annual Howler at Bauler
The 10th annual Howler at Bauler will be held at Bauler Park on
Saturday, October 28th from 3:00 to 5 PM. Stay tuned for additional details.
Read about
last year's Howler which was attended by 1,100+. Back by popular demand for the 3rd consecutive year will be America's leading family magician,
Danny Orleans.
Wine Tasting Reception at J9 Wine Bar*
LCA member and sponsor
J9 Wine Bar (1961 N. Halsted) will host a complimentary private wine tasting reception for LCA members, featuring a selection of
Burgundy wines and h
ors' d'oeuvres, on the evening of November 9th from 6 to 8 PM. A representatives from either the vineyard or importer will be on hand to share pairing tips and other information about the wines.
*There is no charge for this event but it will be limited to those LCA members in good standing as determined by LCA's bylaws.
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Oz Park Tennis Courts, continued
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.....partner of the Chicago Park District.
Lang, in turn, expressed appreciation to OPAC. "We rely on the Advisory Councils for help, and are especially grateful to OPAC for these new courts," Lang said.
Alderman Michelle Smith expressed thanks to OPAC and cited Johanson as an example "a steward of the neighborhood."
Other donors were Caudill/Cravitz Family, Jack Jackson, Judy Johanson, Leibfried Family, Mitchell, Hoffman & Wolf, LLC, Munger Family, and Donald R. Wilson and Family.
Help LCA continue to support parks and gardens in the neighborhood by downloading our
park donation form
or donating
online
. All contributions are tax deductible.
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If you use Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo mail or other another webmail program, and in some cases on Android devices, you will either need to click on the "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here" link at the very top of the email, or the "message clipped" link at the bottom left of the page. Otherwise you will not see the full email and some of the links will not work. In some instances when using Outlook, only the link at the very top will be available.
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AN OPEN HEART
While the focus of LCA's initiatives largely lies within our geographic boundaries, our central location within Lincoln Park ensures that many of those initiatives touch the lives of those who live outside of our boundaries. In fact, it might surprise you to learn that more than 25% of all LCA members, including 52% of new members joining year-to-date in 2017, live outside of LCA's boundaries. Those numbers include several of our most active volunteers.
To be clear, LCA does not compete with other neighborhood organizations for members, nor do they compete with LCA. To the contrary, we work on many issues of common interest with the other organizations and LCA Board members serve on various committees with with representatives of other neighborhood organizations. Many of our members also hold memberships in one or more of the neighborhood organizations.
We encourage you to
learn more
about other neighborhood organizations doing good work in Lincoln Park.
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STARRY NIGHTS
A Heart for the Farm
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LCA members the Maggio family at Starry Nights
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In 2015, friend, neighbor and LCA member Paul Maggio was at a professional crossroad. Since the age of 19 Paul, a former member of Lincoln Central's Board, had worked in and been very successful in the commodity trading business. More recently he'd been spending weekends as a gentleman farmer in Wisconsin.
When the company he worked for was bought and changed the way they did business, Maggio said so long to the industry and took up organic cattle farming full time. Bye bye green screens; hello sunshine and starry nights.
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"Moo"
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Today, Maggio and his wife, Marisa Wiewall, tend 100 head of grass-fed cows on
Starry Nights
, a 140 acre farm in Burlington, Wisconsin, about 15 minutes east of Lake Geneva. When they're not at the farm, the couple lives in Lincoln Park with their two children.
 They bought the farm in 2012, and right away Marisa - a health and wellness coach - suggested they return the land to an organic, sustainable site.
With the guidance of
Altfrid Krusenbaum
, an organic dairy farmer turned consultant, Maggio spent three years remediating the land. Unlike conventional farmers who only load their growing fields with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, Maggio planted cover crops such as (continued)
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Special Note: If you use Gmail, Yahoo mail or other another webmail program, and in some cases on Android devices, you will either need to click on the "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here" link at the very top of the email, or the "message clipped" link at the bottom left of the page. Otherwise you will not see the full email and some of the links will not work. In some instances when using Outlook, only the link at the very top will be available.
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TRAVELER COMES TO THE HEART
New Sculpture in Fire Station Park Sponsored by LCA
By Kathy Jordan
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| Photo of courtesy of Bob Segal |
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A new sculpture has taken up residence at LCA's Fire Station Park. Called
Traveler by artist
Boyan Marinov, the sculpture is made from thousands of pieces of metal, welded into a spherical globe with a human form sitting on top, waving to passers-by.
Pam Cullerton, president of the
Chicago Sculpture Exhibit
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Marinov and CSE President, Pam Cullerton |
(CSE), which places sculptures throughout Chicago each year, said
"We're honored that Boyan has participated in our program for six consecutive years." She added "
Traveler is a reflection of the welcome we experience when we travel the world."
Each sculpture in the CSE program is sponsored by an individual or organization. Traveler's sponsor is Lincoln Central Association.
"This sculpture is perfect for LCA," said Board member Deirdre Graziano, noting not only the flowers woven into the pattern of the metal pieces of the globe but also
Traveler
's warm and welcoming spirit.
Marinov was born in Bulgaria. He served in the Bulgarian Army and attended the Bulgarian Film School for three years before moving to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue his passion for (
continued)
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LCA LENDS A HELPING HEART
Helping the Neighborhood Blossom
Fire Engine 22's station has had a facelift, thanks to LCA
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Station 22 in bloom again |
members Nada Riley and daughter Kimberly. Assisted by fire-fighters, Girl Scouts, and neighbors, the Rileys planted the raised flower boxes at the front and side of the Fire Station, rebuilt and painted deteriorating benches a bright fire engine red, and spread mulch on the parkways.
This is not the first time LCA has helped Station 22. In 2017, LCA donated a set of weights to the firefighters, helped obtain safety striping for the fire house along Armitage Avenue to create a safer environment for the fire trucks to pull in and out of the station, and arranged 5th District Congressman Mike Quigley's
visit to the firehouse as part of his
program.
"We jumped on board LCA's existing outreach and initiatives at
the Fire Station," says Kimberly Riley. "We just saw it as a continuation of the volunteer efforts already taking place," she added. "We felt it was something we should be doing for those who put their lives on the line for us."
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| Old rotting benches |
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First came planting. The Rileys got donations of plants from the North Avenue Home Depot. It was when they were arranging the flowers for planting by a local Girl Scout troop that Nada and Kimberly noticed that the benches on the side of the station were rotted.
"We wanted to rebuild them so they could be used by the
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Shiny new benches |
community, specifically a few ladies from the senior housing across the street on their walks to and from work," said Kimberly.
The three existing wooden benches were removed with the help of the
fire fighters, Kimberly assembled and painted the boards.
(Continued)
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Summer Sipper, continued
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Benjamin Barnes
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......
co-founder and producer of Magic Chicago. Barnes, a featured attraction at many LCA events, amazed attendees with mind-bending illusions and his engaging close-up magic, a style of entertainment first popularized only blocks away from Fire Station Park in the building that now houses the Willow Room. Lincoln Park's role in popularizing close-up magic will be featured in an upcoming issue of From the Heart.
If you missed Benjamin at Summer Sipper, he'll be back for an encore performance at An Evening in the Garden on Thursday evening, September 14, at 6:00 PM in Fire Station Park.
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| Sipper Crowd Watching Another Scene from Native Gardens |
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INTERESTED IN SPONSORING AN LCA EVENT?
Contact Us for Details
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| Click above for preliminary details |
If you would like information on sponsoring an LCA event, call 773.531.5515 or email
events@lincolncentral.org
. A limited number of food and beverage sampling opportunities remain available for our fall events.
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Starry Nights, continued
.....winter wheat, oats, various clovers, alfalfa, rye grass and orchard grass.
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Bringing in the crops
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To break up soil and pull up nutrients, he planted deep-growing daikon radishes. Each fall, he'd plow the cover crop back into the earth to make it nutrient dense; after three years of such treatment the land became certified organic. And more: organic lime mined in Iowa was trucked in and spread to achieve proper acidity. Cow manure is another additive. Such land - a perennial pasture - is prized by environmentalists because it captures water. Its untilled soil provides a wildlife habitat for native plants and animals. It's natural.
Once the land was up to par, Maggio bought a few cows and started grazing them, learning
animal husbandry from neighbor Butch Lois, a 4th generation dairy farmer who also raises chicken, turkey and cattle. "I ask a lot of questions," says Maggio. "I don't mind looking stupid." He looks at his animals a couple times per day to ensure they're comfortable, that they have fresh pasture and water. He douses them with a natural fly repellent and feeds them sea kelp, natural salts and minerals to boost their immune system.
Today, he sells "everything but the moo," on his
Starry Nights Farms website,
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The Starry Nights Farmhouse
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including rib eye and New York strip steaks, ground beef, gourmet summer sausage, beef snack sticks, soup bones, tongue, liver, heart, even dog treats, all 100 percent grass fed. Balancing supply and demand is a challenge, so he started small, selling to friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors.
"This isn't a fad; pasture raised is better for you. It's not just what you eat, but what you eat eats," he says with a laugh, crediting the line to Micheal Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and other back-to-earth tomes. Healthy and delicious is their core mission, but Maggio and his wife are also interested in connecting city customers with the source of their food and the beautiful starry night countryside, from which the farm got its name.
The career change has been a welcome jolt for Maggio, who's 51. "I was good at what I did, my day was very structured, I knew what was coming at me.
On the farm my day is, 'Whoa! I didn't see that coming.' That's a challenge."
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Traveler, continued
...woodworking. His custom furniture woodworking shop,
BoStructure, is the result of that passion. But he works with both wood and metal, seeing in the wood a warmth and in the metal a cold beauty.
Describing the process through which
Traveler was born,
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Marinov inside of
Traveler securing the base of the sculpture
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Marinov said, "I started with clay. My template is a big pot that was used for curing milk. I did the figure in clay, as well, then cast the pieces, then welded the individual metal pieces together," he said, noting that his daughter served as the model for the figure.
Marinov says he doesn't think of himself as an artist, which he sees as a form of self-expression. Rather, he sees his work more as a catalyst for interaction. "It's a way to express an idea that is important to me," he writes on his website, "but that is more importantly a gateway to a larger, shared conversation. It's a never-ending give and take."
We invite you to visit Traveler at Fire Station Park and let the conversation begin.
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Helping Heart, continued
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Nada Riley and firefighter Tony Zarcone
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"Now they are strong and ready for the community to use," said Kimberly. "One resident in particular was so thankful for a fresh place to relax mid-walk. She admired the fire engine red of the new benches and was drawn to them."
"This is a relationship we have grown and plan to continue," Kimberly said, noting that several fire fighters were an integral part of the project--Captain Ron Kitowski, Engineer and LCA member Ben Hosek, Greg Peters, Laura Alonzo, Tony Zarcone, and Jason Saber.
"What my Mom and I did wouldn't have been possible without the support of the fire fighters, the LCA community, and Home Depot," Kimberly said. Nada added, "We make a good team but, for our part of the project, Kimberly was the key to success."
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A GIFT OF THE HEART
 Did you know you can gift an LCA membership to a friend, neighbor or relative? In the last month alone, three LCA memberships have been gifted by friends and relatives. Simply fill out a
membership form with the correct information for the recipient of the gifted membership and send along with a check to the address listed on the membership form and we'll notify the recipient and add them to our membership and newsletter list.
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TOUR WINTRUST ARENA
The New Home of Blue Demons Basketball
DePaul University Athletics invites you to take a sneak peek at
Wintrust Arena
,
the new home of Blue Demons Basketball,
to see for yourself what all the excitement is about regarding Chicago's newest sports and entertainment venue in the South Loop.
Saturday, August 26 (11:00 am)
Immediately following each site visit, DePaul will also host a gathering with
complimentary pizza and soft drinks at Pizano's (across the street from
Wintrust Arena
).
Interested in buying season tickets to Blue Demon basketball? Now is the time to opt-in for basketball season tickets. As a season ticket holder, you'll also have
the first right to purchase tickets at Wintrust Arena for non-DePaul basketball events (e.g. concerts, family shows, professional sporting events, etc.). Simply place a $25 deposit now
to reserve your season tickets for DePaul University's 2017-18 inaugural season at Wintrust Arena.
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OPEN YOUR HEART & HOME TO AN EXCHANGE STUDENT
AFS is looking for Chicago families to host foreign exchange high school students for the 2017/18 school year. You choose the student who will be the best for your family.
Hosting an AFS Exchange Student will:
- Enrich your family by sharing your daily lives with a young person from another culture and country.
- Introduce a better understanding of other cultures to your children.
- Show your part of America to an outstanding young person from another country. Learn more.
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From the Heart
is an award winning newsletter published monthly by Lincoln Central Association, c
o-editors. Kenneth Dotson and Kathy Jordan. Please email any story ideas.
From the Heart
r
eceived a 2016 and 2017
Additionally, From the Heart was named a
Constant Contact All-Star in both 2016 and 2017
based on the open
rates and other metrics associated with this
newsletter in comparison to other Constant Contact clients. Learn more. Visit our archive to catch up on past issues.
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No matter where you live, we welcome you with an open heart to
