Dear Neighbors,

We are proud to announce the nomination of Deborah Witzburg as the city's next Inspector General.

Deborah last served with distinction as the Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety for former IG Joseph Ferguson. She is a Northwestern Law graduate, with a background in criminal law, serving as a Cook County prosecutor for eight years.

I've pressed for a strong Inspector General since 2011, and after years of effort, (including the closest roll call ever in City Council) helped pass ordinances to create the current IG office, increase its powers, and finally, passed the ordinance placing City Council under the watchful eyes of the Inspector General and giving the IG the full set of powers necessary to effectively do the job.

Our Ethics and Government Oversight Committee, which has jurisdiction over the work of the Inspector General, will be holding a confirmation hearing on April 13.

The City has sought to license a casino for decades, believing that city's share of earnings could fill the gap to fully fund the city's pension plans.

State legislation was passed in May 2020, and the City issued a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) in the Spring of 2021. An Evaluation Report published last week provided a detailed overview of the five submissions received, and narrowed the field down to three. The remaining three proposals, listed below, will be considered by a Special Committee of City Council Members (including me) before one is introduced for full City Council approval

The City is hosting three community meetings for residents to discuss each of the proposals, on April 5-7. All events will be live-streamed at: chicago.gov/live. Registrations to attend in-person are below:

Hard Rock Chicago: To be located at the proposed ONE Central project site between the McCormick Place Convention Center and the Museum Campus (4th Ward)

Meeting Date / Time: April 5 (6 - 8 PM)

Location: Harold Washington Library (400 S. State Street)

Register: https://chicagcasinohardrock.eventbrite.com

Bally's Tribune: To be located at Chicago Tribune Publishing Center at Chicago Avenue Halsted Street, and the Chicago River (27th Ward)

Meeting Date / Time: April 6 (6 - 8 PM)

Location: Tribune Publishing Plant (700 W Chicago Ave)

Register: https://chicagocasinoballys.eventbrite.com

Rivers 78 Gaming: To be located at the northern end of the future mixed-use 78 neighborhood; between Roosevelt Road, Clark Street, Chinatown’s Ping Tom Park, and the Chicago River (25th Ward)

Meeting Date / Time: April 7 (6 - 8 PM)

Location: UIC Isadore and Sadie Dorin Forum (725 W. Forum)

Register: https://chicagocasinorivers78.eventbrite.com

Today, Friday, April 1st, 2022, street sweeping has begun and will continue on through the spring, summer, and fall seasons. For the new schedules through November, please click here.

We encourage you to pay attention to street signs on arterial streets such as Halsted and Lincoln Avenue as they have weekly street sweeping.

Move your car when you see signs posted on your street so that the sweepers can comprehensively clean your street and prevent flooding.

We will be hosting a 43rd Ward Shredding and Recycling Event at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum during Earth Month with many of our elected officials. .

This event will feature:

There is a limit of two bankers boxes of paper per person. Thank you to R4 services for providing both the shredding and electronic recycling.

Let's do our part to cut down on landfill waste!

Register here.

Join the Mayor and Police Superintendent for a live opportunity to ask questions and give feedback about public safety. For all three Town Halls, please register here. Meetings will also be streamed live at https://www.chicago.gov/live.

Apply here.

In 2022, the Cook County Justice Advisory Council seeks to award $65 million in grants for programs designed to prevent and reduce gun violence in Chicago & Suburban Cook County. Cook County Gun Violence Prevention & Reduction Grants will fund a variety of violence prevention strategies including mental health and employment services, street outreach, and case management as well as other programs which support residents at risk of being involved in community violence.

These grants are part of Cook County’s strategic plan for the nearly $1 billion of federal funding the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the COVID-19 relief initiative.

The grant application period is open now. Applications for proposals over $1.5 million are due by April 11, 2022. Applications for proposals under $1.5 million are due by May 9, 2022. For more information, visit https://www.cookcountyil.gov/JACGrants.

Postcards are pre-addressed. Please write about your personal experience with crime and why the city needs the support of our State's Attorney and judicial system with appropriate prosecutions, sentences, and bail. Click here for sample postcard language, and more information about the campaign.

Green City Market is opening early this year! In 2022, Green City Market Lincoln Park will operate every Saturday in April from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then every Wednesday and Saturday, May through October from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

GCM’s 2022 extended outdoor season will feature 58 local farmers and food producers, including long-time favorites like Nichols Farm & Orchard and Mick Klug Farm as well as seven new vendors. New farms include Flatwater Farms, a USDA Certified Organic produce farm located in Buchanan, Michigan and Kankakee Valley Homestead, a Certified Naturally Grown produce farm located in Walkerton, Indiana.

For more information, please click here.

AMC Theatres purchased the Arclight Theatre location at the New City shopping center on Halsted, and they are reopening today!

From April 1 - 3, AMC's share of the box office ticket sales and all concession sales on those dates, a minimum of $15,000, will be donated to Youth for a Better Future, a terrific organization supporting youth in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood.

So, go back to the movies, and benefit a great organization. Get tickets here.

Chicago Restaurant Week is a 17-day celebration of the city’s award-winning culinary scene. The 15th annual event brings together hundreds of the area’s top restaurants, representing a near-endless array of cuisines. During Chicago Restaurant Week, diners can enjoy special prix fixe menus from restaurants throughout Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast.

These multi-course meals are $25 for brunch or lunch, and $39 and/or $55 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity, and delivery fees).This year, diners will continue to have the flexibility to experience Chicago Restaurant Week through dine-in or takeout/delivery options.

Please click here for a list of participating restaurants.

Register here.

Join ONE Northside on Sunday, April 3 from 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. in-person or via zoom for training on relational meetings (a.k.a. one on ones). They are an effective, necessary, and fun tool to build power with each other. This is a very specific kind of conversation that helps folks get clarity on the issues they care about, their values, and the role they play in creating change for our communities. If you'd like to learn and practice this skill, this training is for you!

Register above to get location details, zoom link, and reminders about the training.

Wrightwood Neighbors Association is celebrating the return of normalcy by hosting its first of many new in-person events next Wednesday, April 6th at Lincoln Station. Come out to support a wonderful local business, Lincoln Station.

WNA members will get a drink on them. Sign up today to be eligible.

Register here.

Join Reform for Illinois' Alisa Kaplan for a conversation with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi about the challenges and controversies facing his office, including the fallout from the tenure of his predecessor, Joe Berrios; the difficulties of assessing properties during COVID; criticisms of how the office has balanced commercial and residential assessments; and the role the assessor can play in creating a more equitable Cook County.

Register now to attend their Virtual Town Hall and submit your own questions. This event will be conducted via Zoom.

Carnival Grocery will be hosting their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 17th, 2022 at 10 a.m. This event will be hosted at 458 W Dickens in front of their store.

There will cookie decorating, coloring, snacks, and hot chocolate. The hunt will officially begin at 11:30 a.m. but show up early for a host of activities for kids.

They look forward to seeing you there.

Register here.

Sign up to join the Gold Coast Neighbors Association Team and be a part of Earth Day 2022 on Saturday, April 23. Join other members of our Gold Coast community by helping to clean up one of Chicago's most popular parks, Lincoln Park. Unfortunately, the beauty of the park that draws visitors from all over the world can be marred by trash. Team GCNA will be restoring that beauty by picking up trash and cleaning up the recreation areas. Our local effort is sponsored by the Friends of the Parks, in partnership with the Chicago Park District and the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Friends of the Parks will supply the gloves and plastic bags that will be used. Team members do not need to bring any supplies. However, it is recommended that team members bring their own water in recyclable bottles.

For general questions, please email info@goldcoastneighbors.org or call 773.510.7327.

Register here.

Old Town School of Folk Music has opened registration for their spring kids' classes. Get ready for the next session of Wiggleworms, music, and dance and movement classes for kids. There are classes for everyone, no matter your child’s skill level. Some classes will continue to meet online, and most classes are in-person in Lincoln Park & Lincoln Square.

We encourage you to register here.

Cluck It (new!)

Cold Stone Creamery (new!)

Daily Harvest

Dom's Kitchen and Market (new!)

Golden Dagger Coffee

King Chicago Indian Cuisine

Pars Cove

Toro Sushi (new!)

Verzaney Patisserie

WhatsGood Farm Shop

Wild Hare

Yolk

Peter A. Fasseas, 82, community banker and small business advocate, passed peacefully after a valiant, 15-year battle with cancer.

Ward residents know Peter and his wife, Paula, as the owners of North Community Bank, which had several branches in our Ward, and an extraordinary small-business banker. Peter, Paula, and their investors grew the bank into the largest privately held bank group in Illinois, with 98 locations and 1,100 employees. In 2013, the company was recapitalized and turned into Byline Bank.

Many also remember that in some spare space rented by North Community Bank on Clark Street, Paula began the no-kill shelter PAWS. Together, Peter and Paula established the Fasseas Foundation, funding The University of Arizona Fasseas Cancer Center, supporting cancer research at Dana Farber and other leading medical universities, and providing resources to many other charities across the country.

He is survived by Paula (Sfarnas) Fasseas, his wife of 46 years, his children Alexis and Drew, daughter-in-law Meghan, three grandchildren Katherine Polyxeni, Alexandra Ione, and Olivia James, brother Milton (Kathy) Fasseas, sister-in-law Jeannie (David) Howell and many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and godchildren.

We thank Peter and his family for their extraordinary contributions to the lives of In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Peter's honor to PAWS Chicago or cancer research.