3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677

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May 25, 2026

Dear neighbors,

Memorial Day is a time to remember our fallen soldiers who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. We held our 11th Ward Memorial Day wreath decoration event at Joseph T. McKeon Park on Friday morning. I was joined by Commissioner John P. Daley as well as former 11th Ward Ald. James Balcer. The 11th Ward is a community that has never forgotten the sacrifices of those who served, in fact, there were Memorial Day ceremonies and parades throughout the ward.  Many thanks to the Canaryville Veterans Association, Old Neighborhood Italian American Club, the Bridgeport VFW Post 5079 and the McKinley Park American Legion Post for organizing their annual events for all to participate. 

Our office was closed today in honor of the holiday. 

Our 11th Ward town hall meeting will be on June 3 at the Ramova Theater space, from 6-8. Please join me there. It’s also the Canaryville Library’s 25th Birthday on June 3. They’ll have events all all day. 

Congratulations to Kimski restaurant in Bridgeport for 10 years of feeding the community and giving back! Thank you to Chef Won Kim for investing your time in the ward.  

Commissioner Daley and I were proud to award our 11th Ward Spelling Bee winners with trophies this Tuesday. Please see below to see who won the bee. This week, the McGuane Park Magic received the 2026 Keith Magnuson Spirit Award from the Chicago Park District Special Olympics Team. See their full letter of commendation below. Lots of achievements in the ward this week!

A true sign of the school year nearing the end is end of year block parties! Last week, Bridgeport Catholic Academy and Mark Sheridan Academy held their events on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. By all accounts, a good time was had by all. 

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige resigned on Friday, just days after a Chicago Tribune report showed that she had shockingly returned tens of millions of dollars in federal grant money, rather than using it. I was disappointed when Mayor Johnson fired former CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, who guided our city through the COVID-19 emergency, and replaced her with Dr. Ige in the first place. It is time for qualified, effective leadership at CDPH, a department that is so important to keeping us all safe and healthy. I will be paying close attention to the process of appointing Dr. Ige’s permanent replacement. 

Public Safety

We had a serious fire at 33rd and Emerald this week, the cause of which is still under investigation. One person was injured. We are praying for their full recovery. Thank you to our first responders and CFD for containing the fire. 

St. Jerome’s alumni, St. Gabriel Parish Member and Canaryville resident Police Officer Kevin Mangan was severely injured in the line of duty in an incident in Back of the Yards on Tuesday. Please keep him in your prayers for a full recovery.

This Week in City Council 

In a marathon 7-hour meeting in City Council on Wednesday, we covered much ground. We welcomed guests in the box to recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, as well as Jewish American Heritage Month, and Haitian American Heritage Month which are all in May. A great day to celebrate the diversity that makes our city great. 

We also passed a compromise solution for phasing in a different structure for minimum wage vs. tipped payments for workers, so as to make sure we’re not hurting our restaurant and food service businesses through hasty implementation. 

One ordinance we considered on Wednesday was an effort by Ald. Matt Martin (47) discipline members of the Chicago Police Department who participate in extremist groups. While I support that goal, and have been troubled by reporting by journalists like WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and others in recent years about the presence of members of extremist groups in the CPD, I opted to vote no on this ordinance primarily due to legal concerns related to First Amendment protections. I also believe that changes to policies regarding firing police officers need to be done through the collective bargaining process to avoid costly litigation for the City. Finally, participation in extremist groups is troubling regardless of the department, and I am hopeful that we can work on more comprehensive legislation that will cover all City employees, rather than singularly focusing on CPD. 

For all those who have a green thumb and a love for native plants and pollinator gardens, there’s good news out of City Hall for you! Those with native plant and pollinator gardens that are officially registered with the city are now allowed to grow plants over 10’’ (plants like milkweed, for monarch butterflies!) Before, you could receive a ticket from Streets & Sanitation for having “weeds” in your yard. Now, we can more easily protect our prairie landscapes and promote biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem! Learn more and register here..

Upcoming in City Council

Next week, I’ll join a Joint Committee meeting of Police and Fire and the Ethics and Government Oversight Committees on 5/26, as well as the Committee on Education and Child Development.  

Around the Ward 

We held two community zoning meetings last week, you can view the recordings using the links below.

3834-3854 S Ashland – A proposal to make all parcels referenced C1-2 to build a shopping center. No decision has been made yet. Developers will take community feedback under consideration for modifications to their plans. 

3540 S. Halsted - A proposal to change zoning to C1-2 to open a high end auto repair shop with a cafe. Sounds weird, but is actually a very cool concept. I plan to support this zoning change. 

We have an upcoming public Zoning Meeting for a proposed change to 2878 S. Throop. The meeting is in person at the 11th Ward Office or by Zoom at: 

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86132123273?

pwd=h3mJGWVI3T235DwIB3QBNYY8|HwvL4.1&jst=2

Meeting ID: 861 3212 3273

Password: 147674

Dial in: +1 346-248-7799

Phone Passcode: 147674

Our summer hours will be beginning this Friday. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, our office will close early on Fridays at 3pm. 

Happy Memorial Day, 

Alderwoman Nicole Lee

We have seen a noticeable increase in thefts involving Honda and Acura vehicles. Offenders are specifically targeting these makes due to known vulnerabilities, and in many cases, the vehicles are taken quickly and without much noise or attention.

We strongly encourage residents and business owners to take the following precautions:

• Utilize steering wheel locks or other visible anti-theft devices
• Park in well-lit areas whenever possible
• Ensure vehicles are always locked
• Avoid leaving keys or key fobs inside vehicles
• Inquire about a GPS system from the Manufacture

Wentworth AR Construction Project:

A Street Resurfacing & ADA-compliant corners project between Cermak and 24th Pl on Wentworth will be completed in the spring.

• Final Phase of Street resurfacing operations will take place from Monday, May 25^th 2026 to Monday, June 8^th 2026, weather permitting.
• Wentworth Ave. will remain open, but there will be rolling closures and flaggers during construction.
• Please be aware of all the posted signs.

Ongoing Project - Water Main, Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement Project - Pershing Road:

Schedule: 5/18/2026 - 5/23/2026 (Weather Permitting)

The water main installation could not be completed up to Wentworth last week due to a conflict with a sewer crossing but we are working on a resolution. LSLR ongoing between Parnell and Canal. Continue WM installation between Wells and Wentworth – Week ending 5/23 (7 am - 2 pm).

On May 16th, work is expected to start at 7am and wrap up shortly after 12pm in advance of the evening White Sox vs Cubs game. The water shutdown was coordinated with Bajaj Medical center at 415 W Pershing.

There are no home games next week. Work will be taking place at Wentworth for the most part.

One lane open in each direction (east and west) during construction hours from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Northernmost westbound lane between Lowe and Wallace is permanently closed due to pipe and hydrant installation.



• North side of Pershing from Lowe to Canal - WM installation completed LSLR completed from Lowe to Parnell; LSLR from Parnell to Canal – completed (Expected to be fully completed 5/16/26)

• North side of Pershing from Stewart to Wentworth - Pipe installation ongoing - 90% complete.



• Water Service Transfers / LSLR - Parnell to Canal ongoing. Wentworth to Stewart not started.

• Water Shutdowns - LSLR planned shutdown coordinated with individual buildings (Parnell to Canal)

• Pipe Installation - Stewart to Wentworth is ongoing (90% complete)

• Final Connections and Concrete Cap - Ongoing between Lowe and Canal (90% complete)

Most Recent Updates - 5/21/2026

• Peoples Gas contractors continue environmental cleanup activities at 2730 S. Eleanor Street.
• The primary activity at the site for the remainder of May will be backfilling excavations with clean stone. Trucks will continue to visit the site throughout the day to deliver stone, which will then be placed in excavations by excavators. 
• Cleanup activity will not take place at the site on Memorial Day, May 25^th.
• 24-hour air monitoring is taking place and will continue during all intrusive activity.
• As a reminder, if you have questions about this project, please contact the Peoples Gas project number at 877-380-0522.

2026 Spelling Bee Event Winners Announced



We were proud to hold the 2026 Spelling Bee Event on May 19, 2026, at Armour Square Park alongside Commissioner John P. Daley. Students from across the community came together for an exciting evening celebrating academic achievement, hard work, and friendly competition.

We extend our sincere thanks to the staff and team at Armour Square Park for their assistance in hosting this successful event, as well as to all participating schools, students, teachers, and families for their support and enthusiasm.

Participating Schools

• Bridgeport Catholic Academy
• St. Gabriel School
• Haines School
• Healy Elementary School
• Holden Elementary School
• St. Jerome School
• St. Therese School
• James Ward Elementary School

Congratulations to all of the students who participated and showcased their outstanding spelling skills throughout the competition.

Congratulations to 2026's Winners:

1^st Place: Andy Chan (James Ward)

2^nd Place: Donald Vilimas (Bridgeport Catholic Academy)

3^rd Place: Jason Zhang (Healy Elementary)

4^th Place: Evan Liu (Healy Elementary)

5^th Place: Lux Dusynski (St. Jerome)

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month was celebrated on May 20, 2026, at Chicago City Hall.



During the celebration, the Chicago City Council proudly honored leaders from across the Asian American community of Chicago including Chinese American Service League, the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Project Vision, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Apna Ghar and VietFive Coffee.

11th Ward Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony took place on May 22nd 2026 at McKeon Park

11th Ward

School and Parish Information

The 11th Ward office is happy to announce has a free ‘Constituent Education Resource Card’ available to residents wishing to visit select museums and zoos in the Chicagoland area. Constituents can reserve our Constituent Education Resource Card on a first come first serve basis (more instructions below), to visit any of the following museums in 2026:

• Adler Planetarium
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Brookfield Zoo
• Chicago Botanic Garden
• Chicago Children’s Museum
• Chicago History Museum
• Dusable Museum of African American History
• The Field Museum
• Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Museum of Science and Industry
• National Museum of Mexican Art
• National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• John G. Shedd Aquarium

Only one group of up to four (4) can reserve the pass at a time. The pass must be picked up and brought back to the 11th Ward Office. Constituents need to call for an appointment to come to the office to pick up the pass before visiting the museums. We recommend calling two business days before your scheduled visit.

It is strongly recommended that families utilizing the card contact the museum they plan to visit to learn if pre-registration is required to visit. 

9th District Police District Council & Beat Meeting Schedules

The office has extended hours on Monday nights until 7:00 p.m., is open on the first Saturday of each month from 9:00am - 12:00 pm, if it's a holiday weekend, the office will

be open the following Saturday and/or Monday.

Alderwoman Lee will be happy to see residents on Monday nights from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. If you'd like to make an appointment, please call the ward office at 773.254.6677.

11th Ward Office| 3659 South Halsted Chicago, IL 60609 | 773-254-6677