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Dear Neighbors,
As Thanksgiving approaches next week, it’s a great time to support the small businesses that make Lakeview special. Our local Chambers of Commerce have put together thanksgiving guides for Lakeview East and Lakeview Roscoe Village featuring restaurants open on the holiday, catering options, retail specials, and local events. We encourage you to shop local and explore what our neighborhood has to offer.
If you’re looking for ways to give back this season, there are several resource drives happening nearby, including a toy drive from Nourishing Hope. They are partnering with the Chicago Cubs to host a collection stand at Gallagher Way from now through December 22nd, where they will be accepting new, unwrapped toys for children ages 0–16. As a reminder, we are also hosting a 44th Ward Community Food Box here at the office. You can drop off non-perishable items here anytime during business hours, or you’re also welcome to stop by and pick up items for yourself or others in need of support over the holidays.
 
Our office continues to closely monitor the case of Leon Jackson, who has repeatedly targeted residents along Broadway. We were grateful to see a strong turnout from neighbors at hearings for his battery charges this week, including several victims who bravely attended and spoke. Today, the judge ordered that Mr. Jackson remain detained pre-trial. His next hearing is tentatively scheduled for December 22nd, but may be held sooner. We will keep you updated, and if you would like more details or to participate in court advocacy, please contact our office as we work with the State's Attorney's office to pursue accountability for this case.
In community news, the holidays are in full swing across Lakeview! Families can kick things off by St. Alphonsus at the Lakeview Tree Lighting Ceremony this Sunday, November 23rd from 6:00-7:30pm at Southport & Wellington. Then enjoy Wrigleyville Wonderland’s many holiday pop-up bars and festivities throughout the season, some of which have already begun. See a full list of participating bars here. Winterland at Gallagher Way is also back on Monday with Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville, ice skating, a holiday train, and more cozy activities for neighbors of all ages. See details here.
 
We’re excited to share that we will soon dedicate a portion of Clark Street in honor of Herbert Kenney, the founder of the beloved Chicago brand "Nuts on Clark." The Kenney family has been a staple of Wrigleyville for more than 45 years, and this honorary street naming is a well-deserved tribute to their legacy. All are welcome to join the celebration and unveiling on Monday, December 1st at 2:30pm at the corner of Clark & Grace—with free popcorn, of course! See the flyer here.
The Center on Halsted has a full lineup of meaningful community programming this season, including three more sessions of their ongoing free self-defense workshop series in partnership with Viking Muay Thai, open to all experience levels. The next class is on Sunday, November 23rd. They’ll also host several events for World AIDS Day on Monday, December 1st, including free HIV testing and a community gathering at AIDS Garden Chicago full of memories, tributes and celebrations.
  
As we reflect on yesterday's Transgender Day of Remembrance, we pause to honor the lives lost to anti-trans violence and reaffirm that harm to any marginalized community is harm to us all. Building a safer, more compassionate neighborhood requires all of us to stand up for one another and speak out against injustice in every form. As part of our city's commitment to visibility and inclusion, CDOT is repainting the new Progress Pride flag design crosswalks on Halsted after the street's resurfacing, and crews have also begun restoring the trans flag crosswalk at Melrose and Halsted.
I was also grateful to join neighbors and fellow LGBTQ+ leaders at a visibility gathering by Andersonville’s rainbow crosswalk, where we stood together to affirm our shared commitment to protecting and uplifting our trans community. Read more about the event here.
 
At City Hall this week, the City Council’s Finance Committee voted 25–10 to reject the Mayor’s revenue proposal, continuing the 2026 budget process into December. The vote followed debate over topics including the proposed $21/month corporate head tax, borrowing plans, a social media tax, sports betting tax, software and cloud services tax, and more. With two weeks until the next expected vote, we want to hear from you. Our budget survey here below asks for your thoughts on ideas currently at the table, as well as where you believe efficiencies or cuts can be found. Your input will help inform us as negotiations continue, and as always, you can also email or call our office to give us feedback.
Recently, we've heard a noticeable increase in constituent questions about the growing number of delivery robots operating in the neighborhood from companies like Serve and Coco. As these devices become more visible on sidewalks and crosswalks, we want to understand how they’re affecting your day-to-day life—whether you’ve interacted with one on the street, used them as a customer, or observed any concerns or benefits. Please take a moment to fill out our delivery robot feedback survey here, so we can help represent your experiences in future conversations with city departments and operators.
Small Business Saturday is next weekend, and it’s a great chance to kick off your holiday shopping while supporting the neighborhood businesses that make Lakeview special. This year, shopping local small comes with an extra perk: the Lakeview East Giver's Gift program is back for its 29th year. When you shop at participating Lakeview East businesses between November 1st-December 22nd and collect at least $300 in receipts from three or more different businesses (each over $25), you can earn a $50 Lakeview East Gift Card as a thank-you for supporting the community.
The 47th annual Turkey Trot is coming up, and runners will once again be near the southeast edge of our ward. Residents should expect temporary street closures near Lake Shore Drive, Cannon, Stockton, Diversey, and surrounding streets as the race moves through the area. You can click here to see the full list of detailed closures and here for the site map, to help you plan ahead.
A reminder that Northwestern football returns to Wrigley Field tomorrow with an 11:00am kickoff. As with last week’s game, the 1000 block of Waveland and the 3600 block of Sheffield will be closed to traffic, with additional closures possible as determined to be necessary by CPD and OEMC.
In observance of Thanksgiving, our office will close early at 2:00pm on Wednesday, November 26th, and will be closed on Thursday, November 27th, and Friday, November 28th.
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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44th WARD COMMUNITY FOOD BOX
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JUST SALAD NETTELHORST DONATION DAY - TODAY
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HAWTHORNE SCHOOL TOY STORE FUNDRAISER - TODAY
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FUNDRAISER AT SLUGGERS - NOV 29th
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"NUTS ON CLARK" HONORARY STREET NAMING - DEC 1st
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ALPHONSUS ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSES - NEXT DEC 1st
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HAWTHORNE SCHOOL HOLIDAY FAIR - DEC 11th
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INTER-AMERICAN HOLIDAY MARKET - DEC 11th
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HAWTHORNE SCHOOL FUNDRAISER - 20% OFF STATIONERY
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BURLING PARK FUNDRAISER - 20% OFF STATIONERY
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50% OFF PET ADOPTIONS - THRU NOV 28th
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SOUTHPORT HOLIDAY COCKTAIL CRAWL - DEC 5th
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COMMISSIONER GAINER DONATION DRIVE - THRU DEC 8th
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FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS (NEXT ON JAN 21st)
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LAKEVIEW DOG PARK - DONATION PAGE
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WEISMAN PARK ADVISORY COUNCIL SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
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COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SURVEY ON CPD TRAINING
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REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK - CHICAGO INSPECTOR GENERAL
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REAL ID NOW AVAILABLE IN APPLE WALLET
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To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
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PUBLIC SAFETY & 19th DISTRICT WEEKLY REPORT:
November 10th - November 16th
CPD October in Review:
The Chicago Police Department has released its October 2025 in Review, highlighting progress in crime reduction and community engagement. Citywide homicides fell by 38% compared to last October, shootings dropped 43%, and overall violent crime declined 23% year to date—to the lowest levels since 2014. The report also spotlights increased compliance with the federal consent decree, new community training initiatives, and more. You can read the full October report here.
Vehicle Theft Safety Tips:
The Chicago Police Department has released a flyer with tips on how to help prevent vehicle theft including guidance on anti-theft devices, safe parking habits, and what to do if your car is stolen. You can click here to view the full flyer here and learn how to keep your vehicle secure.
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 45'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 27%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2024 are down 14%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is down 9%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2024 is down 35%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 25%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2024 they're down 53%
- Year to Date, Felony Thefts are down 12%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2024 they're down 13%
- Year to Date, Misdemeanor Thefts are down 11%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2024 they're down 24%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are down 36%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2024 they're up 2%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
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MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE RESOURCES
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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.
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See below for ongoing construction and infrastructure projects in our neighborhood and on our website here!
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UPCOMING STREET RESURFACINGS
Please see below the list of streets that have begun resurfacing:
Briar from Broadway to Sheridan will be fully repaved by 11/28, weather permitting.
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CRANE ALERT
Please be aware that there will be a crane lifting a generator to the building at 2800 N DuSable Lake Shore Drive, hoisting from Commonwealth Ave.
Date: Tuesday, Nov 25th (Wednesday, Nov 26th as a backup date for weather)
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
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ALLEY RECONSTRUCTION ALERT
11/21 update:
This project has been completed. We expect the final barriers to be removed this weekend, and 44th Ward staff will be moving bins back to their original locations next week.
If you have any questions on this alley resurfacing, please reach out to our office for more details.
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HALSTED ARTERIAL RESURFACING
Halsted Arterial Resurfacing - Halsted from Clark to Waveland Ave.
The resurfacing and restriping has been completed. The rainbow crosswalks are currently being repainted. Several are complete, and the rest should be finished within the next few weeks.
This work is part of the Chicago Department of Transportation’s Arterial Street Resurfacing - North Area Project, in the 44th Ward. Bigane Paving Co. is the general contractor for this project and Wight & Company is providing resident engineering services for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
The project includes ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance, pavement patching, milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, and striping.
Please be mindful of temporary “No Parking” signs as required for the activity listed above. These temporary signs restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work.
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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.
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TIPS FROM TOMMY K - NOVEMBER
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GARBAGE & RECYCLING
Recycling pick-ups for the 44th Ward are occurring the week of November 24th. You can find your full garbage and recycling pickup schedule .
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See below for a list of job fairs, networking events, and more!
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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:
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44th WARD 2025 COMMUNITY MEETINGS
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