Dear Friends, 

This new year is off to a very fast start.  It seems like there is no time to catch a breath and ready ouselves for the coming months.  In a effort to slow down a bit, I am including some information for you on what was accomplished in the year that has just passed.  As you can see, much was accomplished.  The calendar section is chock full of ideas to keep you and your family active in these cold days of January.   

Early voting has begun for the February primary.  Options include the Lincoln Park Library and the Chicago Board of Elections.  If you have not registered to vote but wish to participate you still have one option available.  Grace Period Registration is open at the Board of Elections, 69 W Washinton through January 26.  For more information call my office at 773.327.9111.

The MLKing holiday observation is Monday, January 18th and all City, State and Federal offices will be closed.  My office will open on Tuesday at 9AM. 

Vi

  Upcoming Events

Saturday, January 16: 8AM - 1PM Green City Market - Indoor Market at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.  Dump your blues and be reminded of what fresh really means.   Chef demos during the Winter Market require RSVPs.  Visit the GCM Website to learn about future themes and chef demos.  Be sure to sign up early for the Rick Bayless demo.   

Sunday, January 17:  9AM - 10:30AM Go Wild! Breakfast with the Apes.  Join the Lincoln Park Zoo for the wildest breakfast you'll ever eat!  Sip a cup of joe with JoJo the gorilla.  Enjoy a buffet at the Regenstein Center for African Apes with Associate Curator of Primates, Maureen Leahy.  $75 per person. 

Monday, January 18:  9AM - 3PM Animal Fashion!  Cool Coverings!  Looking for something new for your children on this non-school day?  The Lincoln Park Zoo is offering a fun and educational program designed for kids in grades 1-3.  The class runs from 9AM -11AM and will repeat at 1PM -3PM.  Call the Education Dept at 312-742-2056 for more information.

Tuesday, January 19:  11:30AM - 2:00PM  The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce will host their annual State of the Wards Luncheon at the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N Sheffield.  Aldermen Vi Daley and Scott Waguespack will review 2009 and talk about their plans for 2010.

Wednesday, January 20:  7:00PM  The Mid-North Association will host their annual meeting at John Barleycorn, 658 W Belden.  The Board of Directors will be elected and grants will be awarded.

Thursday, January 21: 6PM - 9PM  Planned Parenthood of Illinois will honor Alderman Vi Daley with their Profile in Courage Award at the annual fundraiser with special guest, Dr. Ruth .  Tickets are available by visiting their website.

Thursday, January 21:  6:30PM  Old Town Triangle Association will hold their annual meeting at the association office, 1763 N North Park.  Officers for the coming year will be elected.

Tuesday, January 26:  6:00PM  LaSalle School will host a meeting to submit plans to the community regarding their expansion.

Wednesday, January 27:  7:00PM  Lincoln Central Neighborhood Association will host their annual meeting at Bacino's, 2204 N Lincoln.  The 2010 Board  of Directors will be elected.   CAPS Beat Meetings

Wednesday, 1-13 6:30PM:  Beat 1812 at St. Vincent dePaul Center, 2145 N Halsted for residents in the area bounded by Armitage on the south, Fullerton on the north, Sheffield on west and Sedgwick/Clark Street on the east.

Wednesday, 1-20 7:00PM:  Beats 1811/1813 at St. Michael's, 1711 N Cleveland for 43rd Ward residents (1811) west of Sheffield from North Avenue to Fullerton and (1813) from Armitage to North Avenue between Halsted and Sedgwick.

Tuesday, 1-26 7:00PM:  Beat 1824 at the Ambassador East, 1301 N State for 43rd Ward residents south of North Avenue and North of Division from State to Lake Shore Drive.

Thursday, 1-28 7:00PM:  Beat 1814 at the Old Town Triangle, 1765 N North Park for ward residents between North Avenue and Fullerton and east of Sedgwick/Clark.  

  2009 in Review

Does 2009 already seem a distant memory?  Here's a quick reminder of some of the many things that were completed this past year.   Working with Congressman Mike Quigley, we were able to remove the Lincoln Park Post Office from the closure list.  The Lincoln Avenue rowhouses were designated as Chicago Landmarks.  Most of the ward is now participating in the City's blue cart recycling program - the remainder of the ward will be added this year.  New water mains/sewers were added on Clybourn, Magnolia, Arlington and Orchard.  The Brown Line Renovation  project was completed, on time and on budget.  Pedestrian safety was the focus when crosswalk stings were conducted in the ward.  Although it is outside of the 43rd Ward, a major addition to our area is the Alcott High School for the Humanities.  The Grossinger auto dealership was opened at Fremont and North Avenue.

The Jonquil Park renovation, the pocket park at Wisconsin and Mohawk, the escalators at the Fullerton CTA station, the Lincoln Park Trolley, the Children's Memorial Hospital Site Re-Use and Redevelopment Study and the new traffic signal at Lincoln/Belden and Orchard received some or all of their funding from my initiatives.

I passed/amended several major pieces of legislation this year.  The Life Safety Ordinance was set to require costly compliance measures at high-rise buildings.  Aspects of the ordinance have been delayed, allowing buildings more time to raise the necessary funds without jeapordizing building safety.  I also introduced and passed legislation to create a "bubble zone" at the entrance to health clinics.  This ordinance mimics those already in existence in other states and provides patients at these facilities with a measure of privacy.  Alderman Tom Tunney and I worked spent months drafting and finally seeing passed a measure that will help businesses consolidate public way fees for signs, canopies and outside light fixtures.  The new ordinance will also eliminate some public way fees for residential buildings built prior to 1922, Landmark Buildings and Districts and landscaping, security cameras, removable smoking management receptacles and bicycle racks.

My annual Senior B-I-N-G-O party entertained over 250 residents and well over 200 kids enjoyed the annual Summer Safety Fest.  There are 20 sculptures sited here and in the 44th Ward, all part of the 8th Annual Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit - a not-for-profit organization that I founded.  No government funds are used for this program. 

Already in the works for completion in 2010 is the new Apple Store at North/Halsted and Clybourn and the renovation of the CTA station at the same location.  Funding has been commited for the reconstruction of  West LaSalle Drive, and Lincoln School will open an environmental center on their rooftop. 

All this and over 10,000 service requests were recorded for the 43rd Ward.  It was an active year and there's more on the way.  

Oz Park Baseball Association                                                          

Registration is now open for this family oriented, non-profit, instructional league for children between the ages of 4 and 10.  The OPBA has been granted the use of 6 fields throughout the Lincoln Park (Oz, Wrightwood, Trebes and Jonquil parks).  2010 marks the first seaon.

There are seven divisions for boys and girls.  Sponsorship opportunites are also available.  Visit their website to register, for additional information or to learn about how to become a sponsor.

Tax Appeal Workshop                                                                                           

Join me for a tax appeal workshop next Wednesday, January 20th at 6:30PM at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 2701 N Sheffield.  This workshop is for residents of the Lakeview Township, in the 43rd Ward all residents on the north side of Fullerton or farther north are eligible.  

Census Office is hiring!                                                                                        

The U.S. Census is hiring for the 2010 Census.  These temporary, part-time jobs offer good pay, flexible evening and weekend hours and the chance to work near home.  Please call them at 1-866-861-2010 or vist their website.   

Sewer Refund Available for Seniors                                                                  

If you are 65 years of age or better as of January 1st, the owner and resident of a townhouse, condominium or coop who shares a common bill, you are eligible for the Annual Sewer Rebate. 

Applications and information are available at my office.  If you need additional information, please reply to this email and Karen from my office will get back to you.

Christmas Tree Recycling Continues                                                               

Recycle your tree at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum through Sunday, January 17.  Trees dropped off at the Nature Museum will be chipped and used for mulch. 

If you have city garbage pick-up and are unable to deliver your tree to the Nature Museum, Streets and Sanitation will collect your tree but it will go into a landfill.