October 6, 2022

In addition, earlier this week I had the opportunity to ride with 43rd Ward Superintendent Marty Casey along his morning route. As many of you know, Marty is the reason that CHI 311 service requests in the 43rd Ward are so quickly and effectively addressed. Through Marty, the 43rd Ward is lucky to have the best Superintendent in the business. We had a great time, and I thank Marty for his willingness to allow me and staff to continue these ride-alongs going forward to see the Ward through his eyes.

Finally, I hope all of you celebrating the Jewish High Holidays, including Yom Kippur, which ended last night, had a meaningful Holiday and fast. Last week on the first day of Rosh Hashanah I attended my first “Tashlich” ceremony with friends on the lakefront. It was a beautiful ceremony, where we released things holding us back from the past year, and reminded ourselves to pay attention and seek favor and good for the world in the year to come. 

Here are some highlights going on in our 43rd Ward and City:

• Chicago Marathon: Please see information below regarding the Chicago Marathon Course and Street closures in our Ward. 

• 2023 City of Chicago Budget: On Monday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced the proposed 2023 Budget for the City of Chicago. As an important note that is on the mind of many 43rd Ward residents, the City announced last week that there will not be a property tax increase on homeowners as a part of the Budget.  Over the coming weeks, we will be providing updates to make sure residents have a good understanding of the budget. I believe the devil is always in the details, and I look forward to participating in budget hearings to make sure that the 43rd Ward is represented. A few points of summary on the proposed budget (which can be found HERE):

• Pension Payments: One major element of this proposed budget is to make an additional pension payment of $202 million, in effect paying down debt on a credit card that previous generations of leaders have maxed out and left for us to handle.

• Public Safety: Safety, of course, is always at the top of mind for residents. This proposed budget represents an increase of over $100 million for public safety from last year, including investments in CTA security designed to restore faith in a transit system that, when attended to appropriately, makes Chicago stand out among the great cities of the world.

• Additional Sources of Revenue: Chicago has limited tools at its disposal for raising the revenue we need in order to deliver the high volume of services we deserve and expect. Our city has been pursuing a casino for decades, and in cooperation with our partners in Springfield, we are finally on the cusp of getting it done. Economic benefits have begun to be realized in this budget, and it is my sincere hope that we continue to explore creative solutions for raising the funds needed to run our world class city that don't leave the burden on the shoulders of our residents.

• Social Impact: Chicago's role as a haven for people fleeing policies enacted elsewhere continues to grow. This proposed budget reflects the City’s desire to provide for our many neighbors seeking reproductive justice as well as the growing number of migrants bused to our City. We welcome the cultural and economic boost that will result from this influx of consumers and workers. We also recognize that helping people in the short term is the right thing to do, and will pay dividends in the long term.

It has been an absolute blast hitting the ground running as your Alderman. Thank you to the 43rd Ward team, community leaders, and voices that are making this fast transition possible!

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In observance of Indigenous People's Day/Columbus Day, the 43rd Ward office will close at 2pm on Friday October 7 and will reopen Tuesday October 11 at 9am.

The 44th Annual Chicago Marathon runs through the 43rd Ward this Sunday, October 9. This will impact parking with street closures and towing. We have included a piece of the course map that impacts the 43rd Ward. The full course map is linked here.

Towing and Street Closures:

• Streets in your neighborhood may be closed to traffic as 40,000 participants pass through the area starting at 7:00 a.m. and continuing to 4:00 p.m.
• No parking is allowed on the marathon course. Towing of vehicles on the course will begin at 1:00am on Sunday, October 9, 2022.
• The Chicago Marathon will involve extensive street closures on Sunday, October 9, 2022. Street closures begin approximately around 7:00 a.m. 
• See specific street closures below: 

For more information visit the Bank of America Chicago Marathon website. 

Good Luck to everyone who is participating! 

Armed offenders (males aged 15-30, wearing dark clothing) approached victims and demanded victims' property by threatening use of force. After taking victims’ personal belongings, they fled in stolen vehicles.

Incident time and location:

• 600 block of W. Fullerton on September 27 at 10:08 p.m.

What you can do: 

• Be aware of these crimes and alert family and friends who live in the area. 
• Be aware of your surroundings and free from distractions. 
• If you are confronted, remain calm. 
• Pay special attention to suspicious individuals or vehicles in the area. 
• Call 911 immediately if you are a victim or witness to a crime and provide a detailed description of the offender(s), including a vehicle description and license plate information.  
• If approached by a witness to an incident, request they remain on the scene when possible or obtain contact information. 

If you have any information, contact Area Three Detectives at

(312) 744-8263 

If you live in or operate a business in Chicago you can now apply to receive reimbursement for your security cameras and other security devices. Since the offer is "first-come, first serve," we encourage people who want to buy cameras to do so now.

The rebate includes: 

• Up to $225 per camera for a maximum of 2 cameras
• Up to $150 per one year of subscription costs for cloud-based video storage systems 
• Up to $100 per light for a maximum of 2 lights
• Up to $50 per vehicle GPS tracking device for a maximum of 2 devices
• Up to $120 per one year of subscription costs for GPS tracking applications 

To get reimbursed, you must provide:

• Proof of address
• Proof of purchase
• Photo of installed device

Learn more here.

The Hawver and Lacy Families Nature’s PlaySpace is an interactive experience that will connect our youngest guests to nature in new ways.

Splash, climb, and crawl your way through our brand-new play area! Bathed in natural light, this sprawling space brings the best of the outdoors indoors. Children up to age 7 can explore a variety of nature-themed sections and stimulate their senses with over 25 fun interactive exhibits.

Learn about the wetlands through a state-of-the-art water feature and oversized beaver lodge. Climb into a larger-than-life bird nest and treehouse as you explore the prairie. Plus so much more! Families with young children will be able to make deep connections to nature while encouraging child-led play!

More information here.

Join Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital for a blood drive Thursday October 13 from 10am-4pm. Make sure to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating. All attempting donors receive a limited edition Versiti bottle koozie and sticker while supplies last.

Join Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church for their 7th Annual Vigil Against Violence. They will be remembering youth who were victims of gun violence, while bringing awareness to deeper issues that lead to violence in our communities.

The event is free and open to the public but registration is required due to space constraints. 

Masks are required indoors.

Lincoln Park High School is in the process of recruiting and hiring coaches for the Girls Basketball Program. LPHS currently offers three team levels and has openings for paid coaches at the following positions:

• Head Coach
• Assistant Coach
• Sophomore Coach
• Freshman Coach



There are also volunteer coaching opportunities. Anyone interested should contact the Athletic Director Dan Ostrozovich at lphsathletics@cps.edu.

In-home vaccination is available to all Chicago households and anyone 6 months and up is eligible to receive a vaccine. Up to 10 people can be vaccinated at a time, so Chicagoans can invite family, friends, or neighbors to their home to be vaccinated together.

Moderna (age 6 months through 5 years) and Pfizer (age 6 months and older) will be offered. Those eligible for a booster or updated vaccine/bivalent booster (learn more here) can also request a Pfizer vaccine.

Appointments are available 4 days a week, Saturday through Tuesday, 8am to 6:30pm.

More information here.

I want to keep spreading the good word of how powerful a tool CHI 311 is to address non-emergency services in our Ward. Via the CHI 311 website and mobile app, you can:

• Create new service requests and check the status of existing requests (such as on timing and completion).
• Snap a photo of an issue to submit it with a request to improve location accuracy.
• Get local and relevant information/tips regarding the 43rd Ward including visibility into what other requests are being made in your neighborhood. The free CHI 311 mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and may be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

The Department of Streets and Sanitation is hard at work cleaning streets in our ward. Below is the street sweeping schedule for October.

October Street Sweeping Schedule

For other questions regarding garbage collection, rodent control and recycling contact our office at yourvoice@ward43.org. 

Have questions about street work happening in your area? The Department of Transportation has a wonderful tool to look up street work in your area called the Chi Street Work Portal. Here you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street.