| Happy Friday Neighbors!
This is Cat, 40th Ward Chief of Staff, taking over the newsletter this week while Alder Vasquez is out of the office this week and next!
Spring (and pollen) is in the air! As we celebrate Earth Day this week, we’re reminded that caring for our environment starts at home - on our blocks, in our parks, and through the everyday choices we make.
We want to thank all of the amazing neighbors who have been organizing cleanups this week with our office, including neighbors in Lincoln Square, Rogers Park, Arcadia Terrace, West Ridge, Edgewater, Misericordia and in parks across our ward. You all are making our neighborhood more beautiful and creating a safer environment for our natural wildlife to thrive! Many of these events were made possible through collaboration with incredible partners like Friends of the Parks and Friends of the Chicago River. If you’d like to host your own cleanup but need supplies, our office is a registered Litter Free Supply Station with Friends of the Chicago River. You can learn more and check out our bag of clean up supplies here.
While Earth Day is just one day a year, caring for our planet is a year-round commitment. This week, I invite you to consider making one small change to support a healthier environment: bike, walk, or take the CTA instead of driving, eat vegetarian once a week, thrift or shop vintage, switch to e-billing and save your mailbox from all that paper, plant a native garden, or learn about electrifying your home with the 40th Ward Environmental Board to reduce your carbon footprint and save money. You can make a big impact by making small changes and together we can make our neighborhood and City a much more clean, beautiful vibrant place!
Speaking of beautiful things, with the Haven on Lincoln construction wrapping up, Ryan Tova Katz has been working this week on a beautiful mural on the building! Check it out below or in-person at 5230 N. Lincoln Avenue. We are so excited for next month's ribbon cutting with an anticipated move-in date in June.
We also learned this week that a contractor has been selected for construction of Elise Malary Plaza on Catalpa between Ashland and Clark. Construction is expected to start next month on this much-needed community space after years of planning, and we’re excited to see it come to life as a new place for neighbors to relax, celebrate Elise Malary's legacy, enjoy the Andersonville Farmer's Market, celebrate Midsommarfest, and so much more!
Enjoy the great weather this weekend and don't forget to wear sunscreen!
Yours in Service and Community, Cat Sharp |
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| SAVE THE DATE: Development Town Hall!Join us for the annual 40th Ward Development Town Hall on Tuesday, May 12th from 6pm–8pm, at First Free Church (5255 N Ashland)! We’ll be talking about all the projects and improvement finishing up, and some new ones coming to the ward, so bring all your construction questions. We look forward to seeing you there! |
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| SNAP Rules are Changing The federal government passed a new law that makes significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Link in Illinois. Follow these steps so you don't lose your food and grocery benefits: Update your information: Report any changes in your income or changes to your household to the Illinois Department of Human Services. Review work requirements: Find out if you need to be connected to a job, volunteer opportunity or education and training program for at least 80 hours per month. If you qualify for an exemption, apply for one.
Learn more at the Greater Chicago Food Depository website! |
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| Chicago Bike Parking Public Request Form The Chicago Department of Transportation is surveying to install new bike racks across the City! Want a new bike rack installed by your business or home? Fill out the form to request new racks, report damaged racks, or report abandoned bikes. The Bike Parking Manager will then perform a field visit to ensure that rack placement meets CDOT standards. If approved, the rack will be added to the CDOT installation list! |
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| Chicago River DayJoin Friends of the Chicago River on May 9th for the 34th Annual Chicago River Day!
Every year since 1992, Friends of the Chicago River partners with community leaders, municipalities, and landowners to host Chicago River Day. Volunteers build community and improve our rivers and public spaces by cleaning up harmful litter, mulching trails, and removing invasive plants. At this watershed-wide cleanup, thousands of community members, families, and companies work in and along the 156-mile Chicago-Calumet River system at over 80 locations throughout the city and suburbs.
From 9am-12pm, volunteers will help clean up our parks and waterways across the City. From 12-3pm, volunteers will come together to swap stories and celebrate their hard work at after parties at Burning Bush Brewery and the Ford Calumet Environmental Center at Big Marsh Park. |
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| | On the BlogApril City Council Roundup: Find out the latest legislative updates from this month’s City Council, as well as what’s coming up in May! 2026 Street Sweeping Map Now Available: Street sweeping began this month! Check out our website for a schedule of when your street will be swept.
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| 5155 N. Oakley AveOn May 5th at 5:30pm, the 40th Ward office will host a virtual community meeting to discuss a request for a special use permit at 5155 N Oakley Ave to accommodate a sober living residence. Register at bit.ly/5155oakley! |
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| 5115 N. Ravenswood AveOn Wednesday, May 6th at 6pm, the 40th Ward office will host a virtual community meeting to discuss a request to rezone 5115 N Ravenswood Ave from M1-2 to B2-3 to allow for renovation and use as a childcare center. Register at bit.ly/5115ravenswood! |
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| | Construction Updates
Check out some of the major construction projects going on in the ward this week! |
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| Lincoln Avenue StreetscapeThe second and final phase of the Lincoln Avenue Streetscape Project is nearing the finish line! We are currently waiting on an additional part for the new traffic light and we anticipate that it will be operational in the coming weeks. One of the right turning lanes remains closed until the traffic light is programmed and functional. |
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| | Conduit Work in Lincoln SquareWork is completed with the directional drilling from Ainslie to Leland on Rockwell! They have completed the street crossing near Rockwell & Leland that falls within CDOT’s jurisdiction, and are in the progress of the Ainslie crossing and Lawrence crossing then Gunnison is planned to begin tomorrow. Work is expected to be finished by Tuesday at which point any remaining no parking postings will be removed. |
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| | Ashland Resurfacing & Traffic SignalLandscaping work continues on Ashland between Peterson & Foster, and is expected to be completed by this week! Sewer work and saw cutting continues on Ashland between Foster and Montrose. Traffic lane closures and curb and gutter work will happen at Winnemac and Carmen, so please allow additional time for your commute!
The Ashland and Berwyn traffic signal is up and running! We’re thrilled to see this project completed in advance of the completion of Elise Malary Plaza.
Speaking of which: we received word this week that a contractor has been awarded for this project, and we look forward to planning a groundbreaking in the coming weeks! |
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| Doc10 Film FestivalThe Doc10 Film Festival premieres 10 highly curated documentary films in Chicago. Since 2016, Doc10 has developed a reputation as a premier festival on the awards circuit. CMP, Doc10’s parent organization, believes in the power of great documentary storytelling. CMP created Doc10 to bring to our hometown 10 cinematically powerful non-fiction films that illustrate the power of documentary films to entertain, ignite, inspire, and activate audiences. Opens April 24th - May 3rd at the Davis Theater & Gene Siskel Film Center. Use discount code 4013 for 10% off your purchase! |
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| ESL English: Conversationally Speaking with Literacy ChicagoOn Fridays from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Literacy Chicago is hosting an ESL conversation group at the Chicago Public Library Budlong Woods Branch, at 5630 N. Lincoln Avenue. This program is a free, weekly conversation group for adults with some English language skills who would like more practice. |
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| Spring into Jazz with Clarinetist Oran Etkin and Timbalooloo for Kids!On Monday, April 27th, from 4 to 5 p.m., the Budlong Woods Library, at 5630 N. Lincoln Avenue, is celebrating International Jazz Day with a special music program for children featuring renown clarinetist Oran Etkin and his unique play-based approach to teaching music, Timbalooloo. Children ages 3 and up and their caregivers are invited to see the beauty of other cultures and express themselves through the global language of music. |
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| Clerk of the Circuit Court Mobile Unit at Budlong Woods LibraryOn Friday, May 1st, from 1:30–4:00pm, the Budlong Woods Library is hosting the Clerk of the Circuit Court Mobile Unit at 5630 N. Lincoln Avenue. The Clerk of the Circuit Court's Mobile Unit is designed to help you understand your legal rights using Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO). Representatives will be at the library to guide you in finding resources for your legal questions, including expungements, protective orders, e-filing, divorce, child support, guardianship, wills, evictions, foreclosures and more! |
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| | | Neighborhood Volunteer Cleanup: West RidgeOn April 25th from 9 am - 11 am, The West Ridge Cleanup Crew is hosting our first ever volunteer neighborhood cleanup! We will meet at 6200 N. Claremont and clean up litter in the surrounding blocks. Please email [email protected] for more information. |
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| Wellness on Wheels: Bike Safety for KidsOn Saturday, May 2nd, from 2 - 3:30 PM, the Friends of Budlong Woods Library is hosting a fun bike safety program for families and children at 5630 N. Lincoln Avenue. The Chicago Department of Transportation SAFE Ambassadors and Officer Alice from the CPD 20th District will help youngsters learn about safe city biking and provide free safety resources. |
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| Hi Neighbors,
Next Thursday, April 30 at 6:30 PM, the 7th District Community Commission will host a special meeting at DePaul College Prep (3300 N. Campbell Ave)!
This important conversation will bring together a panel of experts to explore how Chicago currently supports survivors of violent crime and how we can do better. The discussion will cover the existing landscape of victim services across the city, including available programs and resources, while also examining gaps and barriers that may prevent people from getting the help they need.
Most importantly, the panel will focus on what we as a city and community can do to strengthen support for those impacted by violence.
We encourage neighbors and community members to attend and be part of this meaningful dialogue!
Yours in Service,
Deirdre O’Connor |
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| Apply to COPA’s Community Advisory CommitteeCOPA is searching for members of the community to join their Community Advisory Committee! The committee serves as a communication conduit between COPA & community, creates transparent dialogue with community, and provides input on topics affecting City of Chicago residents. Applications are due April 30, more information is available here. |
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| | Public Safety Trends
Overall, violent crime is down 19.6% in the 40th Ward for the year so far compared to last year! Citywide, violent crime is down 8.2%. See below for a breakdown of citywide and 40th Ward statistics across all categories. |
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| Thank you to everyone who came out to help with Good, Shredder, Best! |
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| Thank you to the amazing Arcadia Terrace neighbors for taking part in an Earth Day cleanup! |
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| Misericordia also held a community cleanup this week! Thanks to all the neighbors who showed up to help out! |
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