Holiday Safety
Community Meetings
Meet and Treats
More Holiday Events
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Dear Neighbors,
With the holidays upon us, it is more important than ever to watch out for each other. Being busy and distracted allows criminals to take advantage of us. Neighbors are concerned about cell phone snatching and car break-ins. Local stores are concerned about shoplifting.
Our 18th District Commander Dan O'Shea will be instituting a foot patrol on Clark Street to combat these issues during the holiday season.
We have also had discussions with the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) in response to concerns about the effectiveness of 911 calls. Calls to 911 are critical to bringing more police to our area because that is the key metric the police department uses to allocate their resources. Calling 911 when you see something suspicious are critical because a response can help head off crime.
We have asked OEMC to provide in-person training for our community. We will be scheduling a series of training events to spread the word on being an effective, united community in combating crime. Please watch this newsletter for a schedule of upcoming sessions.
There are some common-sense measures we can all take to keep us safe and secure and avoid becoming a victim of opportunistic crime. Police assure us that "nosy neighbors" are the first line of defense. To help prevent crime during this season, we encourage you to
share these tips with friends, family, and neighbors.
- Packages: Make sure packages are delivered to a secure location. Click here for package pickup locations. If your front door area is not secure, consider a locked location, such as Amazon locker. Many stores also offer this service.
FedEx and Walgreens Locations:
- 834 W. Armitage Ave
- 1520 W. Fullerton Ave
- 2500 N. Clark St
- 740 W. Diversey Pkwy
- 2817 N. Clark St
- Be alert: Walk with your head up and stay in well-lit and high foot traffic areas. Pay attention to your surroundings. Many robberies occur when criminals attack from behind, so make sure to glance behind you on occasion.
- Do not wear headphones/earbuds at night.
- Keep a purse in front of you and close to your body. Cover the flap or clasp with your hand or forearm and never leave your purse unattended.
- Stay off your cell phone, smart phone are targets of criminals. Don't advertise yours.
- Secure your car: Cars are easy targets. Always lock your doors. Store shopping items in the trunk of the car, out of sight. Criminals watch unsuspecting shoppers drop their purchases into the car and then return to the store. Lock your doors immediately as you get into your car and keep them locked.
For a holiday fable, Chicago Police style, watch this video:
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New Ban Prohibiting Elected Officials from Lobbying
My Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight met this week and approved a new law prohibiting Chicago elected officials from being paid lobbyists before other governments for private interests. In a first-ever reform, we are also banning elected officials from other jurisdictions from lobbying our City for private interests.
We expect this law to pass at the Dec. 18 City Council meeting. This law, the first in Illinois, is aimed directly at the "scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" practice that has been too much a part of our political culture. It's time for it to end.
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Community Meeting
Rezoning for Proposed Restaurant, 2200 N Clark
Package Goods License for Target, 555 W. Webster
Tuesday, December 10
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
St. Paul's Church
651 W. Fullerton Ave.
Join my office and the Mid - North Association in a discussion on two matters. The applicant seeks to
re-zone 2200 N Clark Street to B3 (Community Shopping District) to allow for the establishment of a fine-dining restaurant with liquor service in the currently- vacant commercial space located on the corner of the building.
The other matter concerns a
Packaged Goods license application for 555 W. Webster. Target has signed a lease for the former Mrs. Green's space and seeks a packaged good license to sell alcoholic beverages. R
epresentatives from Target will be present at this meeting to provide an overview of their operations and answer questions from the audience regarding this licensing request.
Our office will be present at this meeting to monitor the discussion, take notes, and record your feedback.
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Holiday Meet and Treats
with Alderman Smith
Monday, December 9 and
Thursday, December 12
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Le Pain Quotidien (Monday)
1000 W. Armitage
Vanille Patisserie (Thursday)
2108 N. Clark
Come chat with me and discuss matters concerning our neighborhood, or just stop by and mingle. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided from Le Pain Quotidien on Monday and Vanille Patisserie on Thursday. I'm looking forward to seeing you there!
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Friends of the Parks'
Netsch Lecture
Featuring Architect Richard Wilson
Thursday, December 12
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Newberry Library
60 W. Walton St.
Architect Richard Wilson, of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, an AIA award winner, will present the case for including public parks in Chicago's mega developments -- in our "new neighborhoods." In addition to being the lead planner for the Pullman National Monument, and the Riverwalk, Wilson and his firm have been partnering with me, community and civic leaders to propose the North Branch Park and Preserve adjacent to Lincoln Yards, where a massive residential, retail and office development is slated to replace an industrial corridor.
As they approved plans for Lincoln Yards and The 78 – and TIF districts to fund new infrastructure on each site – the Emanuel administration did
not
leverage new public parks. Instead, City planners asked the developers to include "privately owned public spaces." But experience shows that these "POPS" are no substitute for public parks.
Our mission to achieve this park continues. If you are interested in attending, please register
here
. And email
me
if you want to join our effort to make the North Branch Park and Preserve a reality.
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Shared Cost Sidewalk Program
January 7, 2019
6:00 a.m.
The 2020 Program opens to new applicants on
January 7th, 2020 starting at 6:00 am and closes at 5:59 am on January 8th, 2020.
The
Shared Cost Sidewalk Program
is a voluntary program in which property owners share the cost of sidewalk repair with the City. Thousands of Chicagoans have been a part of this popular program, taking advantage of the low cost, exceptional value, and ease of participation. The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program cost per square foot charged to property owners is well below what a private contractor would charge. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may qualify for a further discounted rate.
Applications will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Early applications prior to the start of the program will not be accepted. The number of participants is based on availability of funds. The program typically reaches capacity quickly, so you are encouraged to apply early. Please note that if you applied for the program in previous years, you must apply again in 2020 if you wish to be considered for the 2020 program. The property owner’s contact information and the property’s complete address are required (first name, last name, address, city, zip, phone, and email address if available) at the time of request.
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GoCPS Application Deadline Extended
Extended Through December 13
The GoCPS application deadline has been extended to December 13th, 2019. Families can apply to Pre-K, Elementary, and High Schools using the online application or a paper application that can be downloaded from the site. The online application is highly recommended and available in English and Spanish
.
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3rd Annual Oz Park
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Saturday, December 7
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Oz Park
2021 N. Burling
Join me, the Oz Park Advisory Council and the Lincoln Central Association at 5:00 p.m. as we light up the neighborhood at the Third Annual Tree Lighting ceremony in Oz Park. Enjoy this magical moment surrounded by the sounds of the holidays performed by singers from Lincoln Park High School.
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Gold Coast Holiday Tradition
Joys of Toys
Saturday, December 7
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m .
Mario's Table
21 W. Goethe
This is the Gold Coast neighborhood’s traditional—and delightful—start to the holiday season. Admission to this special afternoon is a new, unwrapped gift valued at $20 or more. A child will enjoy your gift, and you will enjoy an afternoon of food, drinks, music, and the company of your neighbors.
Santa Claus is coming to town, and you can speed his journey with a gift for a child
.
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Sing Along Messiah
Sunday, December 8
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church
600 W. Fullerton Ave.
The Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church invites you to attend Sing - Along Messiah featuring soloists and chamber orchestra. Bring your score, or just sit back relax and enjoy. Light refreshments will be served and freewill offering is appreciated. Kim Chungers is the musical director and Catherine O'Shaughnessy conductor.
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St. Clement School Advent Market
Sunday, December 8
9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
St. Clement School
2524 N. Orchard
Shop from 15 local artists and retailers at the Advent market. You’ll find special gift items such as jewelry, knitted hats and scarves, classic clothes for little boys and girls, whimsical items for the home, hand bags, ceramics, and hand-painted ornaments.
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Belmont Village
Very Merry Holiday Market
Sunday, December 8
12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Belmont Village
700 W. Fullerton
Belmont Village will have over 20 local vendors selling all sorts of excellent goods and gifts. Enjoy holiday movies playing in the theater with popcorn popping, crafts to enjoy, and music to get us in the holiday spirit as well.
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Holiday Train and Visit with Santa
Sunday, December 15
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
1110 W. Lill St.
The holiday train will be passing through the Wrightwood neighborhood! Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there as well to sit with children for photos. *Bring your own camera and a $10 suggested donation is appreciated.
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Menorah Lighting at
Lincoln Common Plaza
Sunday, December 22
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Lincoln Common Plaza
2335 N. Lincoln
Lincoln Common and Belmont Village Senior Living will mark the first night of Hanukkah with the Festival of Lights, a family-friendly evening of activities. Guests will gather and enjoy lite bites at Belmont Village then proceed to the Lincoln Common Plaza for the lighting of the menorah at 5:30 p.m.
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DePaul School of Music
Through December
The Academic quarter may be over, however, the School of Music has a roster of events at the Holtshnieder Performance Center this December.
This month enjoy a variety of performances from Ensembles in Residence, Community Music Division and companies presenting as part of On Stage at HPC. Click on the
calendar of events
for details.
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Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce
Weekend Guide
December 5 - 8
For a list of even more events and things to do this weekend, check out the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce
Weekend Guide.
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Hope you're enjoying the holiday season,
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