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Dear Neighbors,
Today marks three years since I was sworn in as Alderman of the 44th Ward. I'm incredibly grateful everyday for the opportunity to serve this community, and to work alongside all of you who are so passionate and engaged in making our neighborhood the best it can be. I hope you'll take a moment to check out our 'Year Three in Review' to see some of the highlights of the past year.
This week I joined seniors at our annual 44th Ward Senior Luncheon at El Jardin. It's always great to speak with so many longtime residents over great food!
 
You may have seen the CPD community alert including a recent string of robberies that have taken place on the North Side. I remain in close communication with the Chicago Police Department to ensure that we prevent crimes like these moving forward. I encourage residents to stay aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity immediately, particularly as we head into the busy summer months. You can view CPD's safety tips and resources here.
As a reminder, Beat meetings with our 19th District CAPS officers occur monthly. These meetings are a great opportunity hear about crime trends in the area directly from CPD officers. Meetings are held in the evenings every month. You can find the full calendar for 44th Ward Beat meetings in the Public Safety section of this newsletter, as well as other tips for keeping yourself safe. To find out which beat you live in, click here.
Today, Nettelhorst School is hosting their Stallion Stampede fitness walk fundraiser where each grade works together as a fundraising team to compete for the coveted Stallion Cup. To make way for the stampede, Melrose will be closed between Broadway and Halsted from 8am to 6pm. Hawthorne Scholastic Academy will also be hosting its Family Movie Night in the Park this evening at at 7:30pm featuring Disney's Angels Outfield.
 
As Memorial Day Weekend approaches, there is no shortage of events happening in our community to celebrate the start of summer! The annual Belmont Sheffield Music Festival will take place from Friday, May 22nd through Sunday, May 24th. This festival is free to attend, with a recommended $10 donation. All proceeds will go to neighborhood improvement projects. Please be mindful of street closures and parking restrictions along Sheffield, School and Wilton from Friday, May 22 at 12:00am through Monday, May 25 at 6:00am. You can find more information here.
On Monday, May 25th, the beloved WOOGMS Memorial Day Parade kicks off at 11am at the corner of Wellington and Pine Grove. Join the fun because as the motto goes - "Everybody marches, nobody watches!" The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce has also put together a Memorial Day Weekend Guide that you can find here.
 
Save the date for these two additional upcoming Lakeview summer traditions. On Saturday, June 13th, join me for my annual Kids Bike Parade. We will meet at Belmont & Broadway and kids will ride bikes to Wellington and back. We encourage decorated bikes, and helmets are required. This event coincides with the return of Dine Out on Broadway. Broadway will be closed from Belmont to Wellington on June 12-14, July 10-12, and August 21-23 to transform it into a pedestrian-friendly space for outdoor dining, live music, and community fun.
East Lake View Neighbors Association will be hosting a Zoom event on Thursday, May 27th at 7 PM to hear from the teams for three different proposed developments: 1040 W. Belmont, The Tryst Hotel at 3350–3352 N. Halsted and 665 W. Sheridan in the 46th Ward. Additional information and instructions to join can be found on the flyer below.
 
PRIDE Chicago, the all-volunteer organization responsible for the Chicago Pride Parade, is now seeking volunteers to for the 55th annual Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28th. Volunteers play a crucial role in the success of the event. You can register online here.
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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Grace Greenway
Installation of the Grace Greenway has begun and will be wrapping up this coming week, weather permitting.
This will be a great, safer way for cyclists to travel to and from the lakefront.
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Wellington/Oakdale Greenway
The revised proposal for the Wellington/Oakdale is up for review and we appreciate constructive feedback. You can find a larger version of the flyer provided on my website here.
To submit feedback, you can email [email protected] or call my office at 773-525-6034.
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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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Divvy Bikes & E-Scooters
We are excited to share that we now have a total of 26 E-Scooter & Divvy Bike docking stations in the 44th Ward!
Reporting Scooter & Divvy Bike Removals
If you see Divvy Bikes or E-Scooters that are not properly returned to a docking station, please report this to 311 here. By contract, shared bike and scooter companies must remove their property within two hours of a 311 removal request. We appreciate your assistance in helping keep our neighborhood clean.
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Garbage & Recycling
You can find your full garbage and recycling pick up schedule here.
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What do you know, Joe? - May
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To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
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19th District Weekly Report:
May 4th - May 10th
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 the full list of CPD's safety tips here, as well as tips for personal safety, robberies, and vehicles.
Below you'll find Week 19'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 34%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 35%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 24%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is up 73%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 36%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 36%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 17%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 7%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 15%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 17%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
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Upcoming Meetings
Community Meetings With CPD (‘Beat Meetings’):
Beat meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) and are an opportunity to speak directly with CPD officers about your neighborhood. The officers review incidents that have occurred as well as an overview of crime statistics. Find your beat here and view the beat meeting schedule below or in our ward calendar.
 
19th Police District Council
The 19th Police District Council holds monthly meetings. To view all upcoming meetings, you can visit the 19th Police District Council website here.
The next meeting is:
Tuesday, June 30th 6:30 PM
Topic: TBD
Sulzer Library
4455 N Lincoln Ave.
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Other Public Safety Alerts
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.
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Mental Health Response Resources
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HAWTHORNE SCHOOL MOVIE NIGHT - MAY 15TH
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NETTELHORST STALLION STAMPEDE - MAY 15TH
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SAINT ANDREW'S CHILDREN'S GARAGE SALE - MAY 16TH
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NETTELHORST KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE - MAY 20TH
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WOOGMS MEMORIAL DAY PARADE - MAY 25TH
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BELMONT SHEFFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL - MAY 22-24TH
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SOUTHPORT NEIGHBORS NATIVE PLANT SALE - JUNE 9TH
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DINE OUT ON BROADWAY - JUNE 12-14, JULY 10-12, AUGUST 21-23
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Merlo Library - Upcoming Programs
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- Film Screening: Paddington - 5/16, 11:00am-1:00pm (6 years and up)
- Adult Book Discussion: The Empress and the English Doctor - 5/16, 3:00pm-4:00pm (18 years and up)
- Film Screening: F1 - 5/18, 5:00pm-7:00pm (18 years and up)
- LEGO Club - 5/19, 3:30pm-4:30pm (3-13 years)
- Sew a Mini Moon Pillow - 5/19, 3:30pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Play Time - 5/21, 11:00am-11:45am (0-5 years)
- Power Up Thursdays - 5/21, 3:30pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Click for all program details
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Click here for a full list of Chicago farmers markets.
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Donation Pages & Fundraisers
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TUBMAN PLAYGROUND
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CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL
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FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS (NEXT ON MAY 20th)
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ST TERESA FOOD PANTRY
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ST ANDREW'S SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION
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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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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
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State/Other
- State of Illinois
- Secretary of State of Illinois
- PACE bus system
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DFSS - ACCPETING APPLICATIONS UNTIL MAY 20th
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