Greetings!

Happy New Year! Now that we have turned the page to 2021, let's leave all the bad feelings in 2020 where they belong and commit ourselves as neighbors, a city and as a country to new, more positive beginnings. That means going out of our way to be extra nice to our neighbors, paying special attention to maintaining the beauty of our block and city, and respecting the viewpoints of others, whether you agree with them or not. These are simple commitments to civility we can share to help make 2021 a great year we all can be proud of.

Two quick notes before we get into the newsletter. First, while the snow can temporarily hide a lot of problems, since the beginning of the pandemic and especially during the various stay-at-home orders, I have noticed an increase in garbage on our sidewalks, streets, and parkways. I know 2020 had a lot of challenges, but it's easy to throw your garbage in the trash, or to hold it until you get home to throw it away. When the weather permits, I encourage everyone to clean up out front of where they live. If everyone pitches in, we can have a beautiful start to the new year.

Second, as is the case every year, the January newsletter is especially long. The first section contains a review of all the work, events, and improvements we have made to the 3rd Ward in the previous year. The second section is the normal review of January 2021 ward updates. Despite the pandemic, we have been quite busy both in the community and City Council. I encourage you to check out what we have done in our community to continue making the 3rd Ward the best ward in the City.

The 3rd Ward Public Service Office staff and I are available to assist you by phone 773-373-9273 or via email at Ward03@cityofchicago.org. Thank you for reading this newsletter. Please share it with a neighbor or friend.

Sincerely,

Pat Dowell
Alderman, 3rd Ward