Robbery patterns in 17th District

The Chicago Police CAPS office shared on 11/22 two robbery patterns to be aware of. First vehicle is a White Jeep Grand Cherokee with tinted windows, no plate information at this time. It appears to have a missing front plate and possible rear Illinois plate. Second vehicle is possibly a dark grey colored 4-door Infinity with tinted windows and a missing rear passenger side window. These offenders are armed.

Alerts, events, and a deal for veterans

Dear Mayfair neighbors, here is some information that was discussed or shared during the Civic Association meeting on Thursday 11/9, or since the latest newsletter was published.

Armed robberies

Expanded veteran access to no-cost vehicle city stickers

Quilt Connection Holiday Market event

When
December 2, 9am-2pm

Where
Mayfair Presbyterian Church
4358 W Ainslie
Chicago, IL 60630

What
Arts, Crafts, Sweets, Handmade

Visit quiltconnection.org.

Mayfair Salute to American Heroes event

The 22nd Annual Mayfair Salute to American Heroes was held on Sunday, November 5th at 10:00am. Alderman Nugent and representatives from City Fire, Police and Emergency Response Teams gathered with community members at the Mayfair Veteran’s Monument located at 4201 W. Lawrence Ave. to celebrate past and continuing service of local heroes and to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean American Alliance.

Newsletter – Volume 26, Issue 5

November 9 Zoom Meeting

Our next meeting will be held via Zoom at 6:30pm on November 9. Please plan to attend to discuss any topics of interest regarding the neighborhood of Mayfair. Zoom meeting attendance details will be sent out to our email list before the meeting. To join our email list, visit https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/mayfair-civic and click “Ask to join group”.

Letter from the President

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 39th 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

Kirk Seese, “Retro Space Junk”

During the October meeting, Ron Duplack announced that, after nearly 2 years of effort, the application had been submitted to install the sculpture by Kirk Reese entitled “Retro Space Junk”, and that he has been working with the Park District on the details. The sculpture will be located on the west side of the sidewalk going into the field house. For more background on this sculpture, see the previous issue.

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:

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.

Updates from the Alderman

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

St Edward School & Parish

4343 W SunnysideWebsite

Newsletter Contributions

If you would like to contribute an article or other content to this newsletter, please reach out to us at mayfair-civic-newsletter@googlegroups.com. We have a distribution of 100s of Mayfair neighbors and growing. For more information on contributing to the newsletter, visit the Newsletter page.

Recent garage burglaries

We’ve gotten a report from the 17th Police District CAPS office that there has been a recent increase in garage burglaries on the 4700 block of N Springfield, 4800 N Harding, and 4700 N Kenneth. No further information at this time. Be cautious, and stay safe out there!

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.

Newsletter – Volume 26, Issue 4

September 14 Zoom Meeting

Our next meeting will be held via Zoom at 6:30pm on September 14. Please plan to attend to discuss any topics of interest regarding the neighborhood of Mayfair. Zoom meeting attendance details will be sent out to our email list before the meeting. To join our email list, visit https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/mayfair-civic and click “Ask to join group”.

Letter from the President

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!

Retro Space Junk
Chess Table

Updates from the Alderman

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

As of August 27
In June, before work started

As mentioned in the June issue, Erin Minckley, owner of Relativity Textiles at 4219 W Lawrence, had been in discussions with PEBA and Nick Yassen from Rany Management about doing a mural on the west side of the building. They’re making great progress, and we’re really looking forward to seeing the finished piece!

Nadig reports 42% increase in robberies since 2022

Nadig Newspaper reports in a August 23, 2023 article (link) that there have been 126 robberies in the 17th district of the Chicago Police — which covers Mayfair — in 2023 through August 20. That is a 42% increase from 89 during the same period last year. Be alert and stay safe out there!

Neighborhood businesses

St Edward School & Parish

4343 W SunnysideWebsite

Food Truck Festival & Block Party

Harvest Bash

Save the date to attend St. Edward Parish Harvest Bash on October 7. This is the parish’s biggest fundraiser and is a huge neighborhood-wide event. 

Harvest Bash Schedule is as follows:

  • 4:30pm – Outdoor Mass 
  • 5:30-7pm – Dinner Served (BBQ Pork & Vietnamese Food)
  • 7-10:30pm – Live Music from Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames

Tickets are $20 and you purchase those online at https://stedparish.org/harvest-bash

While you’re at this event feel free to get in touch with our school’s parent association to hear about new changes around our school. We implemented new security cameras, updated our library furniture, secured a new fence for our playlot, and partnered with Discovery Education to incorporate their STEM curriculum into our current science program in K-8.

Contributions

If you would like to contribute an article or other content to this newsletter, please reach out to us at mayfair-civic-newsletter@googlegroups.com. We have a distribution of 100s of Mayfair neighbors and growing. For more information on contributing to the newsletter, visit the Newsletter page.

Newsletter – Volume 26, Issue 3

Contributions

If you would like to contribute an article or other content to this newsletter, please reach out to us at mayfair-civic-newsletter@googlegroups.com. We have a distribution of 100s of Mayfair neighbors and growing. For more information on contributing to the newsletter, visit the Newsletter page.

June 8 Zoom Meeting

Our next meeting will be held via Zoom at 6:30pm on June 8. Please plan to attend to discuss any topics of interest regarding the neighborhood of Mayfair. Zoom meeting attendance details will be sent out to our email list before the meeting. To join our email list, visit https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/mayfair-civic and click “Ask to join group”.

Letter from the President

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

Erin Minckley, owner of Relativity Textiles at 4219 W Lawrence, has been in discussions with PEBA and Nick Yassen from Rany Management about doing a mural on the west side of the building. The plan is to put the mural up in June!

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.

Updates from the Alderman

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

Basketball court resurfacing PB proposal

Please support the basketball court resurfacing project proposal for this cycle of Ward 39 Participatory Budgeting.

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

New Gomper’s Park adult fitness equipment

Gomper’s Park has new adult fitness equipment available, for ages 13 and up. See more photos on Facebook.

Neighborhood businesses

St Edward School & Parish

4343 W Sunnyside

St. Edward’s school wrapped up their sport season strong with our 8th grade boys winning the NWCC volleyball championship playoff game, and our 6th grade volleyball team brought in another championship this Spring! We are happy to announce that our 8th graders will be attending in the Fall schools such as DePaul College Prep, Lane Tech, Loyola Academy, and Northside College Prep to name a few.  Additionally, our junior high classes have a service project called I am Third, this project serves as a reminder to put God first and then others. They made blankets for Project Linus, who will distribute the blankets to children’s hospitals, and they served with the Well of Mercy to sort baby clothes and clean their facility common areas. Our mission at St. Ed’s is to engage your child’s mind, hands, and heart. Our community is one of kind in the sense that we have many alumni that have their children as students in St. Edward and some of our alumni are teachers here. We encourage anyone in the neighborhood to visit our campus to see what we are all about.  

We have 114 years of providing award-winning Catholic education to children in grades PK3 – 8th grade. Our 2023- 24 Registration is now open. We offer a wide range of rigorous academic classes, service opportunities, and extracurricular activities such as Snapology, chess, and music.  Call the office at 773-736-9133 to learn more about our outstanding academic programs and extended care. Visit our website to schedule a tour. See how we can be a good fit for your family!  
http://www.stedwardschool.com/ 

Looking for a summer camp for your child? Our co-ed T- ball runs from July 15 – 29th for Pre-Kindergarten and 1st grade. Thursday 6-7 and Saturday 9 – 10am. $25 sign up today. Registration ends June 2.