|
Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone had a great Earth Day and took advantage of the many volunteer opportunities in our neighborhood. I attended the kickoff of a park clean-up hosted by Cubs Charities, where 8th grade students volunteered their time to clean local parks, a great example of young people getting involved and caring for our shared spaces.
As we enter the final week of street cleaning for this month, my staff and I are wrapping up our annual efforts to shovel every curb and drain across the 44th Ward, clearing out the buildup from winter. I am grateful for the many neighbors who have jointed my staff and me, and a special thanks to Lisa on Wayne and Dave on Clifton for assisting this week! As a reminder, street cleaning continues monthly through November 15th, weather permitting. You can view the annual schedule on my website here. In other infrastructure news, the Department of Water Management is still conducting work on pipes and drains that will take place in the street/public way. You can see maps of the work areas here and here, and other construction updates under the infrastructure section below.
I'm pleased to share that our annual 44th Ward Shredding Event will be taking place on Saturday, May 9th from 9:00am-12:00pm at the Ward office (3223 N Sheffield). Please remove any metal or plastic materials including staples, paper clips, and rubber bands and note the limit on 2 boxes per household.
This week, our 19th District Council shared a thorough, data-driven presentation at their monthly meeting to review the recent Chicago Police Department Workforce Allocation Study. This study provides an analysis of how CPD is staffed and structured. If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can view the meeting recording on the 19th District Council website here.
In community news, the fencing for the renovations at Kelly Park is finally up. The project will bring an improved and expanded play lot, upgraded paths, enhanced landscaping and new cherry trees. The plans also feature improved park entryways, safer pedestrian and vehicle crossings with traffic-calming elements, and an improved community gathering space designed to host neighborhood events. Read more about this and see a presentation on the renovations here. The Central Lakeview Neighbors annual plant and flower sale continues through May 22nd. All proceeds go towards neighborhood beautification, and it's a great way to brighten your home or garden while supporting the community. You can order a download form here.
The Chicago Cubs have received a permit from the city for demolition of the former House of the Good Shepherd site (1114 W Grace). Demolition is expected to begin on Monday, April 27th. This permit is only for demolition of the existing site and does not include construction for their proposed Camry Lot expansion. The community engagement process for this development is ongoing. Stay tuned for opportunities to make your voice heard and for continued conversation. You can read more about their Camry Lot proposal on my website here, and please continue to send feedback to [email protected].
As April comes to a close, this is the final week to take advantage of Amnesty Month for your city stickers! Through April 30th, you can visit any City Clerk location to have late fees and back charges waived. You can view City Clerk locations here and learn more about Amnesty month here.
|
|
Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
|
|
LAKEVIEW DOG PARK - DONATION PAGE
|
|
CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL - DONATION PAGE
|
|
GREEN LIVING SUMMIT - TOMORROW
|
|
NETTELHORST FARMERS MARKET - NOW THRU OCT 31
|
|
HAWTHORNE SCHOOL COMEDY SHOW FUNDRAISER - APR 29th
|
|
UPTOWN FARMERS MARKET - MAY 6TH
|
|
2026 GREEN MIXER - MAY 14TH
|
|
HAWTHORNE SCHOOL MOVIE NIGHT - MAY 15TH
|
|
WOOGMS MEMORIAL DAY PARADE - MAY 25th
|
|
MERLO LIBRARY - APRIL PROGRAMS
|
|
- Film Screening: The Super Mario Bros. Movie - 4/26, 2:00pm-4:00pm (6-13 years)
- Craft Supply Swap - 4/27, 5:00pm-7:30pm (13-19 years)
- Canvas & Conversation - 4/28, 11:00am-1:00pm (13-19 years)
- LEGO Club - 4/28, 3:30pm-4:30pm (6-13 years)
- Anime and Manga Club - 4/28, 4:00pm-5:30pm (7-12 years)
- Baby time - 4/30, 10:30am-11:00am, 11:30am-12:00pm (6-23 months)
- Power Up Thursdays - 3:30pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Click for all program details
|
|
FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS (NEXT ON MAY 20th)
|
|
ST ANDREW'S SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION
|
|
|
To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
|
|
PUBLIC SAFETY & 19th DISTRICT WEEKLY REPORT:
April 13th - April 19th
Secretary of State Scam Texts Alert:
Fraudulent texts claiming to be from the DMV or the Illinois Secretary of State are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated. If you get a message like this, it’s a scam. Follow the steps here.
Vehicle Theft Tactic Alert:
We want to make neighbors aware of a vehicle theft tactic that has been seen in other cities and may become more common here. Thieves are targeting newer “push-to-start” vehicles by using technology to capture and amplify the signal from a key fob—sometimes from outside a home—to unlock and start the car in seconds. From other cities' observations, this is more likely to occur when vehicles are parked close to a residence and when key fobs are stored near doors or windows facing the street. To help protect your vehicle, consider keeping your key fob farther inside your home, using a signal-blocking pouch, or parking further away.
Local Public Safety Statistics:
My office is in regular contact with the 19th Police District about crimes that have occurred recently in our area and that are reflected in the statistics below. The majority of 19th District crimes have occurred outside of our ward. The 19th District also includes the surrounding neighborhoods of Uptown, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Bricktown, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square.
Please view our website's public safety page here for both proactive measures to stay safe before crimes occur, and also how to respond in the event of a crime.
In order to stay safe, please find the most relevant key safety tips below, and the full list of CPD's safety tips here:
-General
-Personal
-Robbery-specific
-Vehicle-specific
Below you'll find Week 16's CompStat breakdown of crime in the 19th District.
Please note, these statistics are a reflection of the entire 19th District. The boundaries are from Lawrence Ave to Fullerton Ave, from the Chicago River to the Lake.
Here are the key points:
- Year to Date, Robberies are down 35%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 53%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 14%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is up 17%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 35%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 22%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 14%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 32%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 11%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 2%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
|
|
MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE RESOURCES
|
|
SCOOTER REPORTING
Please click here to submit a scooter removal request and here for Divvy bike removal. We appreciate your assistance in helping keep our neighborhood clean. By contract, shared bike and scooter companies must remove their property within two hours of a 311 removal request.
Please contact our office directly if you see illegal/dangerous activities on green Lime scooters (riding on the sidewalk, two people sharing one scooter, etc). We are able to work with Lime to potentially administer fines, suspensions, or bans if you can include a photo/video of the behavior, and a time and location.
|
|
|
See below for ongoing construction and infrastructure projects in our neighborhood and on our website here!
|
|
DEPT OF WATER MANAGEMENT WORK
The Department of Water Management (DWM) is conducting work on pipes and drains that will take place in the street/public way. There will be up to 4 crews working simultaneously throughout Greenview, Lakewood, and Southport. Crews have been instructed to limit construction during home games in Southport. This work should take approximately 5-6 weeks to complete in total. See maps of the work areas here and here, and a full range of affected addresses here.
Week of 4/27/2026 Schedule
- CDWM In-House Crew will be working on the below blocks next week
- N Lakewood Ave from W Belmont Ave to W School St
- W Newport Ave from N Southport Ave to N Lakewood Ave
- W Cornelia Ave from N Southport Ave to N Lakewood Ave
- W School St from N Lakewood Ave to N Racine Ave
Traffic control: No Parking Signs have been posted on the following blocks at the addresses where the DWM Crew will be working. Traffic and parking will be restricted at these locations during working hours while the crew is on site.
- N Lakewood Ave from W Belmont Ave to W School St
- W Newport Ave from N Southport Ave to N Lakewood Ave
- W Cornelia Ave from N Southport Ave to N Lakewood Ave
- W School St from N Lakewood Ave to N Racine Ave
|
|
UPCOMING ALLEY RESURFACINGS
NS alley between Janssen, Addison, Southport, Cornelia: Grind date
NS alley between Lakewood, Henderson, Racine, School: Grind date
NS alley between Lakewood, Melrose, Racine, School: Grind date
EW alley between Clark Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine: Grind date
Resurfacing should take place with asphalt sometime in mid-May, weather permitting. We will send updates once we receive them.
|
|
REPORTING POTHOLES
Please report any potholes you see by entering in all requests through the 311.Chicago.Gov website for those in the street or alley. If possible, be sure to upload images as well so crews are able to identify the exact location.
For more severe potholes that may need immediate attention, please reach out to my ward office either by email ([email protected]) and include the location and images of the pothole or by calling the office at (773-525-6034).
If your vehicle was damaged due to a pothole, you may be entitled to a financial claim here.
|
|
WHAT DO YOU KNOW, JOE? - APRIL
|
|
GARBAGE & RECYCLING
Recycling pick-ups for the 44th Ward are occurring the week of April 27th. You can find your full garbage and recycling pickup schedule here.
|
|
|
See below for a list of job fairs, networking events, and more!
|
|
THE CITY IS HIRING
Looking for a job? Try working for the City! Click here to see the full list of job openings currently seeking applicants.
Local government employment opportunities:
- City
- City of Chicago
- Chicago Public Schools
- Chicago Transit Authority
- Park District
- County
- All - Cook County
- Cook County State's Attorney
- Cook County Sheriff's Office
- State/Other
- State of Illinois
- Secretary of State of Illinois
- PACE bus system
|
|
44th WARD 2026 COMMUNITY MEETINGS
|
|
|
|
|
