Congressman Quigley attended our last meeting and discussed current events and challenges relating to Republican Speaker turmoil and its effect of freezing the ability to act on various crucial issues such as the budget, and efforts to support Ukraine and Israel in pending military conflicts. He also addressed several local issues, such as passport processing support and infrastructure improvements, before excusing himself to attend an evening voting session relating to attempts to designate a Speaker replacement for recently removed Kevin McCarthy. 

Samantha Brewer provided a 39^th Ward update addressing issues such as Lowell repaving, and migrant relief efforts. She noted the need for food and clothing, as well as the identification of adequate facilities to replace tent housing as winter approaches. Lisa Stringer noted that donations are being accepted by the Irving Park Food Pantry and Hollywood North Park. Tom Keating, and Jeff and Ann Wentz noted their efforts to complete donations and to assist migrants in this dire situation. Katie El Ali, staff manager at State Representative Mike Kelly’s office presented information on Mike’s current community objectives, including migrant relief and infrastructure activities. She encourages you to contact them with questions. Their number is 773-736-0218.

We await installation of the Mayfair Park sculpture, expected to occur before our next meeting. 

Thanks to PEBA and the SSA for their garden and bump-out work: looking really nice!

Join the discussion at our upcoming meeting – we want your ideas on the possibility of an annual party at the pub in the IAHC.

2023 Meeting Schedule

Mayfair Civic Association meetings are generally held on the second Thursday of every month. No meetings are held in January, July, or August. These are the remaining dates for 2023. These are suggested meeting dates and topics, subject to any comments you may provide, but will be followed in the absence of alternative suggestions. Our Board generally meets quarterly as determined by Board members.

November 9 Annual Party Planning

December 7 Holiday Party

Membership Meetings

Here are some details from recent meetings of the Mayfair Civic Association.

Thanks to the neighbors, as well as to the offices of Alderman Nugent for Ward 39, Representative Mike Kelly for District 15, and Congressman Mike Quigley for attending.

Reminder: The MCA is looking for a new treasurer!

If you or someone you know has accounting skills and would like to get more involved and contribute directly to your neighborhood, Mayfair Civic Association is looking for a new treasurer. Those interested can contact MCA President Ron Duplack at rduplack@rieckcrotty.com. Thank you for your support!

New construction at 4045 W Lawerence, “Kumho Tires” lot

At the 9/14 meeting, Fayyaz Gillani, owner of the Dunkin Donuts at 4045 W Lawerence, and his partner Steven Kolber presented plans to construct a new 2-story mixed-use building in the neighboring vacant lot to the west of the existing Dunkin Donuts. Gillani and Kolber explained that the first floor would have space for business tenants and the second floor would include three apartments. In-between the building and the Dunkin Donuts, there will be a community space that will be maintained, managed, and operated by Gillani and his organization. The community space is intended for gatherings, small events, and outdoor dining, and there are plans for a large mural of some kind to be at the back, south-facing side of the space. The plans include putting up an 8′ board-on-board privacy fence along the south side of the property, separating the property from the alley. The development would increase the drive-through queue space for the Dunkin Donuts and avoid the queue backing up onto Lawrence.

Following are the draft plans for the development for your reference. The Mayfair Civic Association submitted a letter of no objection to the Alderman’s office after requesting feedback from the Mayfair Civic Association email list.

Sculpture at Mayfair Park

Recent migrant arrivals

During the October meeting, people asked about the status of migrants arriving at the 17th District Police Station and staying in tents in the surrounding area. There were questions about how to help, and the plan going into winter. Regarding how to help, Samantha Brewer from the Alderman’s office said that they are working with the Hollywood-North Park Community Association to provide winter garments, baby clothing, and other necessities. Another attendee mentioned that the Irving Park Community Food Pantry is looking for new or gently-used winter coats.

Katie El-Ali from State Representative Mike Kelly’s office said during the meeting that they were working with Alderman Nugent’s office to provide what assistance they can from the state. However, El-Ali said that they can only do so much at the state level, and they’re hoping for more federal funding.

If you have questions or would like to help, please contact the Alderman’s office at 773-736-5594 or via email at Ward39@CityOfChicago.Org, or visit the following websites:

• Hollywood-North Park Community Association
• Irving Park Community Food Pantry

Illinois state legislature in veto session

Katie El-Ali of State Representative Mike Kelly’s office mentioned during the October meeting that the Representative was going back to the veto session for the end of the month to work on fixing the budget and address capital funding for the area. One area of funding in particular for the neighborhood is some work that Representative Kelly is doing with Alderman Samantha Nugent to resurface Lowell Avenue.

For more information on the veto session, consider the coverage from WTTW and AP News.

Annual Holiday Party

During the October meeting, the question was raised of whether and where to do an annual holiday party this year, which would fall on Thursday, December 14. The general sentiment seemed to be that a low-key get-together sounded nice, perhaps meeting up at the IAHC’s 5th Province for a drink and conversation, which would coincide pleasantly with the pub’s live music night. If anyone has thoughts on whether they’d like to get together and where, please send an email to Ron Duplack at rduplack@rieckcrotty.com.

The following are some highlights from Alderman Nugent’s newsletters and other communications.

Migrants being moved to former Marine Corp Reserve Training Center

The city recently purchased the former Marine Corp Reserve Training Center at 3034 W Foster Ave. In the short-term, the building on the property is being used to address the humanitarian crisis the city is facing and get migrant families out of police station lobbies and into a more appropriate setting. In the long-term, potential uses could be a park district property or an early childhood learning facility. These are preliminary ideas as there are many possibilities that I look forward to exploring with the community. 

Newly-arriving migrants have been moving out of police stations and into the shelter. My office will be hosting a supply drive for commonly requested items in the next week. Please watch Facebook for a list of accepted donations.

Street sweeping and raking up parkway leaves

We have extended street sweeping this year through November, as opposed to October in the past. Please be on the lookout for “No Parking” signs posted on your block. You can check to see when your block will be swept here. 

As the leaves begin to fall, please do not rake them into the streets. Leaves clog storm drains and the street sweeper. Leaves should be raked into bags and then placed in the alley or on the parkway for pick up. You can call the office at 773-736-5594 or email ward39@cityofchicago.org to request a yard waste pickup.

Visit and Subscribe!

Visit https://aldermannugent.com/ to subscribe to Alderman Nugent’s newsletter and learn about what she’s doing for the 39th Ward. My office is open Mondays from 9am to 7pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 5pm and Fridays from 9am to 3pm. While the office is open for walk-ins, appointments are encouraged. We ask that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Please reach out should you have any questions, comments, or concerns at 773-736-5594 or via email at Ward39@CityOfChicago.Org.

In the Neighborhood

CAPS Meeting for Beat 1722

CAPS meetings for Beat 1722 are back in-person, and there is no Zoom or hybrid option. Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is on November 15 at 6:30pm in the Community Room of the 17th District Police Department at 4650 N Pulaski. A full schedule of meetings for the year can be found here.

The primary purpose of the beat community meeting is to allow beat residents, other community stakeholders and police to discuss chronic problems on the beat and to engage in problem solving using the CAPS five-step problem-solving process. Beat community meetings provide an opportunity for police and community residents to exchange information about conditions in the neighborhood, to identify crime and disorder problems, and to develop strategies to combat those problems. The meeting also provides an opportunity for police and community to get to know one another.

For upcoming meeting info, or if you have questions or comments, please contact the CAPS office at 312-742-4588, or email caps.017district@chicagopolice.org. Learn about the Office of Community Policing at https://home.chicagopolice.org/community-policing-group/.

Neighborhood businesses

We hope that everyone has been enjoying the cooler weather and end of Summer.

We started Summer with a performance by vibraphonist Preyas Roy at the Mayfair Library Branch in June and open the Fall with the Mayfair Park Advisory Council’s Mayfest scheduled for Saturday, September 9 (see separate article).

We supported and coordinated with the North River Commission, Chicago Poetry Center, and Volta Elementary School to celebrate National Poetry Month through installation of four poems in Rany Management storefronts on Lawrence, photos of which are included here. We hope you enjoyed them and look forward to future installations.

We also supported installation of the new Community Mural sponsored by PEBA and designed by Erin Minckley of Relativity Textiles at the Rany Management building at 4219 W. Lawrence where Erin’s shop is located. See photos of the progress on the mural here. Thanks to each of them for this beautiful artwork!

Since our last meeting, votes continued to come in for the selection of a sculpture for installation at Mayfair Park. This resulted in a close choice between two works by Kirk Seese: Chess Table & Chair (which won) and Retro Space Junk, which received 12 and 10 votes, respectively, with all others receiving just 1 to 5 each. The Chess Table and Chair received the most first choice votes (9), 1 second and 2 third choice votes. Retro Space Junk received the second most #1 votes (3), 5 second choice and 2 third choice votes. Photos of both sculptures are included below. Unfortunately, we learned last week that The Chess Table and Chair was granted to a different location. Consequently, we will proceed with Retro Space Junk for the related Park Enhancement application to the Park District and installation arrangements with Chicago Sculpture International and the artist. Thanks to all and especially to Mayfair Park Advisory Council which is sharing the related cost.

Congressman Quigley has scheduled to attend our next meeting, unless his schedule is changed by Congressional demands. We always look forward to his attendance and updates. We hope to see you there, too!

We will meet via Zoom at 6:30pm on Thursday, September 14. Details are here.

2023 Meeting Schedule

Mayfair Civic Association meetings are generally held on the second Thursday of every month. No meetings are held in January, July, or August. These are the remaining dates for 2023. These are suggested meeting dates and topics, subject to any comments you may provide, but will be followed in the absence of alternative suggestions. Our Board generally meets quarterly as determined by Board members.

September 14 Traffic & Parking	November 9 Annual Party Planning
October 12 Elections	December 7 Holiday Party

Membership Meetings

Here are some details from recent meetings of the Mayfair Civic Association.

Thanks to the neighbors, as well as to the offices of Alderman Nugent for Ward 39 and Representative Mike Kelly for District 15 for attending.

Reminder: The MCA is looking for a new treasurer!

If you or someone you know has accounting skills and would like to get more involved and contribute directly to your neighborhood, Mayfair Civic Association is looking for a new treasurer. Those interested can contact MCA President Ron Duplack at rduplack@rieckcrotty.com. Thank you for your support!

Poems from Volta Elementary School for National Poetry Month

Here are the poems that were displayed in Rany Management storefronts on Lawrence as part of National Poetry Month in April, originally mentioned in the April issue.

Sculpture at Mayfair Park

Votes are in from the neighborhood for a sculpture to be installed in Mayfair Park. For details, see the article from the previous issue of this newsletter. Below are the top-voted sculptures, both by Kirk Seese. Work is proceeding on the application and installation details!

The following are some highlights from Alderman Nugent’s newsletters and other communications.

Participatory Budgeting Cycle 4 Results

The results are in for community-selected infrastructure improvement projects that will be funded through the fourth cycle of Participatory Budgeting (PB) in the 39th Ward.

1,044 residents chose from 11 projects to improve our ward. Four projects will be funded, totaling $500,000.

Funded projects in Mayfair include:

For a full list of funded projects, visit https://aldermannugent.com/participatory-budgeting.

Thank you to the Participatory Budgeting Committee for their work and dedication to the process, and thank you to all the community members who submitted project proposals and ideas for improvements across the ward.

Visit and Subscribe!

Visit https://aldermannugent.com/ to subscribe to Alderman Nugent’s newsletter and learn about what she’s doing for the 39th Ward. My office is open Mondays from 9am to 7pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 5pm and Fridays from 9am to 3pm. While the office is open for walk-ins, appointments are encouraged. We ask that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Please reach out should you have any questions, comments, or concerns at 773-736-5594 or via email at Ward39@CityOfChicago.Org.

In the Neighborhood

Mayfair Fest on September 9 at Mayfair Park

CAPS Meeting for Beat 1722

CAPS meetings for Beat 1722 are back in-person, and there is no Zoom or hybrid option. Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is on September 20 at 6:30pm in the Community Room of the 17th District Police Department at 4650 N Pulaski. A full schedule of meetings for the year can be found here.

The primary purpose of the beat community meeting is to allow beat residents, other community stakeholders and police to discuss chronic problems on the beat and to engage in problem solving using the CAPS five-step problem-solving process. Beat community meetings provide an opportunity for police and community residents to exchange information about conditions in the neighborhood, to identify crime and disorder problems, and to develop strategies to combat those problems. The meeting also provides an opportunity for police and community to get to know one another.

For upcoming meeting info, or if you have questions or comments, please contact the CAPS office at 312-742-4588, or email caps.017district@chicagopolice.org. Learn about the Office of Community Policing at https://home.chicagopolice.org/community-policing-group/.

Progress on mural at Relativity Textiles

Neighborhood businesses

Our last meeting addressed many topics, including preparations by PEBA/SSA 79 to revitalize Lawrence Avenue Bump-outs, gardens, etc. We recognized sponsors and volunteers that managed the Bump-outs and gardens for decades and sought to clarify work coordination and participation going forward. We greatly appreciate our many generous sponsors and volunteers who have beautified the community and appreciate their continued efforts to work with PEBA/SSA 79. We also appreciate PEBA/SSA 79’s efforts, which will provide financial and manpower relief.

Colleen Sweeney, Director of PEBA and SSA 79, invited volunteers to contact her at PEBA to set up a group meeting to coordinate. See the PEBA website for contact information.

Some MCA gardens fall outside of the PEBA/ SSA 79 service area, so we still need to address volunteer management and maintenance of those gardens, and related funding. We will seek suggestions from Colleen regarding potential sources to fund outside of the PEBA/SSA service area, recognizing that PEBA/SSA 79 cannot apply their funds outside of their respective areas.

We continue efforts with Chicago Sculpture International to identify a sculpture to install at Mayfair Park and received a list of submissions for consideration. Voice your preferences by emailing us with your top three favorites, in first, second and third order.

We received letters of support from the 39th Ward and Eugene Field for re-location of the Thai Town sculpture. Jon Litwin and Mayfair Park Advisory Committee continue to pursue a grant to fund reconfiguration of Mayfair Park basketball courts and to improve baseball field drainage.

Keep your eyes open for a new mural designed by Erin Minckley, of Relativity Textiles, for installation at Relativity’s 4219 W Lawrence location, a Rany Management building. PEBA and Rany are co-sponsors. Installation is expected to be completed in June. Look also for National Poetry Month banner installations in vacant store front windows featuring works by NEIU, North Park University, Lawrence Hall, Chicago Poetry Center/ Volta Elementary students, and plan on attending the June 17 concert at 2:00 at Mayfair Branch Library. Vibraphonist Preyas Roy will be featured.

See related articles covering these matters and plan to attend our June 8 Zoom meeting.

2023 Meeting Schedule

Mayfair Civic Association meetings are generally held on the second Thursday of every month. No meetings are held in January, July, or August. These are the remaining dates for 2023. These are suggested meeting dates and topics, subject to any comments you may provide, but will be followed in the absence of alternative suggestions. Our Board generally meets quarterly as determined by Board members.

June 8 TBD	November 9 Annual Party Planning
September 14 Traffic & Parking	December 7 Holiday Party
October 12 Elections

Membership Meetings

Here are some details from the April and May meetings of the Mayfair Civic Association.

Thanks to the neighbors, as well as to the offices of Alderman Nugent for Ward 39, Representative Mike Kelly for District 15, and Congressman Quigley for Illinois 5th District, for attending.

Reminder: The MCA is looking for a new treasurer!

If you or someone you know has accounting skills and would like to get more involved and contribute directly to your neighborhood, Mayfair Civic Association is looking for a new treasurer. Those interested can contact MCA President Ron Duplack at rduplack@rieckcrotty.com. Thank you for your support!

Community gardens maintenance hand-off to PEBA SSA #79

The Mayfair Civic Association has been responsible for managing and maintaining a number of community and bump-out gardens throughout the neighborhood for the past 20 years. As mentioned in the previous issue of the newsletter, SSA #79 will begin to provide funding, management, and maintenance of these gardens within the SSA service zone; SSA #79 is serviced by the Pulaski/Elston Business Association (PEBA), and its boundaries are primarily along Lawrence and Pulaski. The hand-off of the routine and physically demanding maintenance responsibility is a much-appreciated and necessary change for the all-volunteer team that had been dedicated to doing it with care for the past 20 years. Despite no longer being responsible for many of the gardens, there were discussions during the April and May meetings about this volunteer group still having interest in the gardens, and how they could work with the SSA to continue having input and provide guidance.

Colleen Sweeney, Program Manager for SSA #79, was in attendance at the May meeting and said the SSA is now fully-funded and is able to begin working on projects, including landscaping and bump-out gardens on Lawrence. The SSA has contracted with a local landscaping company that started on maintenance in the beginning of April. All planting will begin after Mother’s Day. There will be weekly watering and maintenance of the gardens, and a cleanup service every Tuesday morning for sidewalks and other areas that will collect any garbage from planters.

Garden volunteers asked about the details of the hand-off. Concerns were expressed regarding the continuity of the management and maintenance, but Sweeney assured attendees that funding is planned well in advance, and that it’s in the budget already through 2024; if something changed, Sweeney said that it’d be due to the City and not because of PEBA or the SSA. The volunteers shared challenges that they’ve faced in the past with people leaving litter in the gardens, soil quality, as well as with getting the City to turn the sprinklers on in time for Mother’s Day plantings and configuring them to provide enough water in the summer. People wanted clarification on whether all of the gardens within the service area were to be maintained by the SSA, having noticed one garden in particular that appeared not to have been cleaned out with the others. Attendees also wanted to make sure that the plaques on each garden, indicating local business sponsors, are not removed.

Some gardens maintained by volunteers for the neighborhood fall outside of the service area for SSA #79, and there was discussion about whether management and maintenance of those gardens could also be funded somehow. It isn’t possible for SSA funds to be used outside of the service area, but there was a question about whether PEBA had funding that could be used for this purpose. Some of the gardens that people mentioned considering include those on the west side of Lawrence and Keating, the west side of Lawrence and Kilpatrick, the west side of Lawrence and Keeler, the south side of Leland and Elston, and another near the Montrose Blue Line station.

Sweeney agreed to follow up with PEBA on these questions. She would also stay in contact with the MCA and follow up on scheduling time to meet with the volunteers regarding details of the garden maintenance.

Sculpture at Mayfair Park

MCA President Ron Duplack has been working with Chicago Sculpture International to identify a sculpture to install at Mayfair Park, and the following is a new list of submissions for consideration. Email your first, second, and third favorite sculptures from the following list to Ron Duplack at rduplack@rieckcrotty.com.

Mural planned at Relativity Textiles

Refugee support in Ward 39

An attendee asked about what support is being offered in the Ward for refugees as Title 42 ends. A representative from the Alderman’s office said that North Park Village has been serving as a respite location since August 30th of last year, offering services like medical aid, but overnight stays are not available. There is information on the Alderman’s Facebook page about how to help (English, Spanish). There is also a New York Times article from May 10 about Chicago’s handling of the situation.

The following are some highlights from Alderman Nugent’s newsletters and other communications.

Tree trimming now on a grid system

On April 20th, the Bureau of Forestry began its Area Tree Trimming Program. Crews will be working in a 16-block radius at a time and will trim trees within each section. The proper maintenance of these trees will ensure Forestry should not have to return for 5 years or better. In both the 2022 and 2023 City Budgets, the Alderman advocated for more funding to hire additional tree trimmers, and it is her hope that moving to this grid-based system will provide the appropriate maintenance to our tree canopy. If you have a tree emergency or a low-hanging limb, please call the Alderman’s office and they will have Forestry address it as soon as possible. 

Participatory Budgeting Cycle 4

The 4th Cycle of Participatory Budgeting (PB) is in the proposal development phase. Any projects previously on the ballot that were not selected during the previous cycle will be included for consideration in this cycle as well. Voting will start on June 15, and go through the end of the month. There is a new Mayfair Park proposal to renovate the basketball court, and another proposal from last cycle to install a sculpture at Park 593 that is being evaluated again. If you want to make sure that your favorite projects are funded, get your neighbors to vote!

Visit and Subscribe!

Visit https://aldermannugent.com/ to subscribe to Alderman Nugent’s newsletter and learn about what she’s doing for the 39th Ward. My office is open Mondays from 9am to 7pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 5pm and Fridays from 9am to 3pm. While the office is open for walk-ins, appointments are encouraged. We ask that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Please reach out should you have any questions, comments, or concerns at 773-736-5594 or via email at Ward39@CityOfChicago.Org.

In the Neighborhood

Mayfair Park

Community Yard Sale

Facebook event page: https://fb.me/e/2Aimol9dL

Clean & Green on April 22 was a success

The Earth Day clean & green event on April 22 at Mayfair Park was a success, thanks to the hard-working volunteers. Special thanks go out to Kemora Landscapes, who saved the operation by lending it a number of large wheelbarrows. See more photos on Facebook.

Mayfair PAC meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 6:00pm at the field house.

Music at the library

Vibraphonist Preyas Roy will be performing at the Mayfair branch library (4400 W Lawrence) on June 17 from 2:00-3:00 PM. For more info, see the library’s event page.

CAPS Meeting for Beat 1722

CAPS meetings for Beat 1722 are back in-person, and there is no Zoom or hybrid option. Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is on June 21 at 6:30pm in the Community Room of the 17th District Police Department at 4650 N Pulaski. A full schedule of meetings for the year can be found here.

The primary purpose of the beat community meeting is to allow beat residents, other community stakeholders and police to discuss chronic problems on the beat and to engage in problem solving using the CAPS five-step problem-solving process. Beat community meetings provide an opportunity for police and community residents to exchange information about conditions in the neighborhood, to identify crime and disorder problems, and to develop strategies to combat those problems. The meeting also provides an opportunity for police and community to get to know one another.

For upcoming meeting info, or if you have questions or comments, please contact the CAPS office at 312-742-4588, or email caps.017district@chicagopolice.org. Learn about the Office of Community Policing at https://home.chicagopolice.org/community-policing-group/.

Around the Neighborhood

Neighborhood businesses