Lincoln Park High School & Our Neighborhood Schools: We began the day with Principal Eric Steinmiller hosting a group of leaders from our local schools, councils, business and neighborhood associations at Lincoln Park High School. After touring LPHS, we sat down for an engaging roundtable discussion. We talked at length about the unique learning opportunities our students have here as well as the critical facility needs that we need to work on in the school such as the auditorium and the gymnasium. The pandemic disrupted us all, but especially our students. While talking with students, it becomes clear that the spirit currently within the walls of LPHS beams with energy. For that, we thank the students, teachers, administrators, local school council advocates and more who commit so much time to the advancement of our schools. As someone who is a product of strong public education who also comes from a family of several public educators, I am excited to continue to liaison these conversations to address our schools’ needs. | |
Participants included LSC Representatives Amy Zemnick & Brad Kessler, President of Lincoln Central Association Erik Heitman, Chair of the LaSalle Language Academy LSC Kat O’Brien and other CPS and LPHS administrators. | |
Pictured above are our passionate park advocates and officials and at the famous Dorothy statute at Oz Park. | |
Oz Park & Our Local Green Spaces: Afterwards, we enjoyed a walk in Oz Park with leaders from the Oz Park Advisory Council, Chicago Park District and Lincoln Central Association. As a focus, Judy Johanson and Stephanie Munger shared with the Deputy Mayor the plan for the renovation of Dorothy’s Playground. The Advisory Council has been working with the community on the project for over two years, and we used this meeting to dig into the details of the project so that the City could assist in getting a project manager from the Park District to begin a construction plan in earnest. Any community project like this needs several funding streams, and I am happy to say that State Representative Margaret Croke and myself have each allocated $100,000 in our respective districts’ infrastructure funding for this future project. | |
Steppenwolf Theatre & the Arts: We then made our way to Steppenwolf Theatre to warm up, enjoy a refreshment at Front Bar (black coffee, for me), and tour of the new facilities with Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Chicago’s First Lady Amy Eshleman, who has been a long time Steppenwolf benefactor. Our ward is one of the greatest artistic hubs in the city and country, and we were so pleased to show citywide officials some of the exciting work that is being done in our ward to engage youth in the arts across the city, as well as highlight our other treasures such as Park West, Kingston Mines, Victory Gardens, and the DePaul University Theater School! | |
Brooke Flanagan, CEO of Steppenwolf, and Audrey Francis co-Artistic Director of Steppenwolf gave us a tour of their theatre facilities. | |
Participants included 43rd Ward restaurant and small business owners, start-up founders, commercial landlords and non-profit executives. | |
Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce & Our Local Businesses: After a quick trip to the award-winning Vanille Patisserie on Clark Street to grab some macarons and gingerbread (a.k.a, the December aldermanic diet), we met World Business Chicago CEO Michael Fassnacht and local business leaders for lunch at the Lakefront Restaurant at Theater on the Lake. With a stunning view overlooking the greatest lake, our partners at the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce hosted a conversation focused on how our local business community can better access city grant programs and activate vacant storefronts. We can bring the success of Armitage Avenue — as the city’s lowest retail vacancy corridor — to other commercial corridors in the ward, like Halsted and Clark Streets. | |
|
Lincoln Park Zoo & Our Cultural Institutions: We ended the day at the Lincoln Park Zoo where President and CEO Dr. Megan Ross hosted a group of not-for-profit and neighborhood leaders to discuss urban wildlife, tourism and cultural funding strategies, and investment in parks of all sizes in our ward. As we sat in the Kovlar Lion Pavilion Conference Room we had an up-close view of the entire pride of lions — quite the spectators who took the liveliness of this discussion to another level!
| |
Joining us were some of our lakefront champions including representatives from the Alphawood Foundation, the Chicago History Museum, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Gold Coast Neighbors, Park West Neighbors and the Lincoln Park Conservancy. | |
|
And we couldn’t leave without enjoying their famed Zoo Lights — which helped us celebrate a day designed to bring some of the needs of our community to City Hall and bring together stakeholders who make our community thrive.
A few personal takeaways from the day were the impact of public-private partnerships, the powerful neighborly bonds and institutional assets that we have in our ward, and the joy of fostering connections. Thank you to our incredible 43rd Ward staff, the community stakeholders, and elected officials who joined us for the first of many meetings I am committed to hosting as your alderman!
Just like that it is almost Hanukkah, and it is almost Christmas. Oh what fun! Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays.
| |
|
Alderman Timmy Knudsen
| |
43rd Ward Office Staff enjoying Zoo lights after our busy day with Rotating City Hall. | |
GCNA Public Safety Survey | |
|
Gold Coast Neighbors Association joins RNRA in believing that collective raised voices will impact, and ultimately change and improve, public policy.
The River North Residents Association, joined by Gold Coast Neighbors Association, is conducting an online Public Safety Survey. Because the survey focuses on citywide issues of safety and crime, it does not focus on the River North or any other specific area.
Results of the survey will be shared with city, county, and state officials.
Click here for the survey.
| |
|
BEAT 1935 (Park West Community Association, Wrightwood Neighbors Association), December 12th at 6:30 pm
Beat Meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and a great way for you to hear directly from CPD about your neighborhood. Meetings are held in the evenings every two months
The boundaries for Beat 1935 are:
North Boundary: Diversey Parkway
East Boundary: Lake Michigan
South Boundary: Fullerton Parkway
West Boundary: Lincoln Avenue
- Via Zoom (Meeting ID: 82911205969, Passcode: 682534)
| |
|
Below is a list of Mental Health resources that are available locally here in the City of Chicago.
| |
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Giving this Holiday Season | |
|
This holiday season Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church is rolling their efforts to raise money for Orange Tents for individuals experiencing homelessness across the city.
Orange tents are a great way for those to stay safe during the winter weather.
Donations can be made here.
| |
Old Town Triangle Association Survey | |
|
The Old Town Triangle Association (OTTA), is reviewing their policies and programs to better serve you and the
community. They have created a brief survey that they sincerely hope you will complete, seeking your comments, thoughts and suggestions. All responses will remain anonymous.
The survey can be completed online by
scanning this QR code. Printed surveys are
available at the Old Town Triangle Center,
1763 N North Park or 312.337.1938.
The OTTA is a community-based nonprofit serving residents of the area bounded by North Avenue, Clark Street, and the former Ogden Avenue (“TheTriangle”).
| |
Frequently Asked Questions | |
|
I want to keep spreading the good word of how powerful a tool CHI 311 is to address non-emergency services in our Ward. Via the CHI 311 website and mobile app, you can:
- Create new service requests and check the status of existing requests (such as on timing and completion).
- Snap a photo of an issue to submit it with a request to improve location accuracy.
- Get local and relevant information/tips regarding the 43rd Ward including visibility into what other requests are being made in your neighborhood. The free CHI 311 mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices and may be downloaded in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
| |
Have questions about street work happening in your area? The Department of Transportation has a wonderful tool to look up street work in your area called the Chi Street Work Portal. Here you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street. | | | | |
