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Dear Neighbors,
Earth Day is tomorrow and there are a number of great opportunities to get involved right here in our community and across the city. Locally, neighbors can join a park cleanup at Weisman Park from 9:00am-12:00pm, or check out a recycling and donation event here at Blaine Elementary from 10:00am-2:00pm hosted by the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Chicago Furniture Bank.
In addition, the Chicago Park District is hosting citywide cleanups at more than 100 parks, continuing a decades-long tradition of caring for our shared green spaces. And beyond Earth Day, you can continue these efforts year-round by visiting Chicago Environmentalists’ website here for tips on how to recycle a wide range of items, join their Cleanup Club, and find other ways to stay involved.
 
In public safety news, as a reminder our office has started a waitlist for residents who would like to be notified when CPD's local 19th District hosts its next anti-theft steering wheel lock giveaway. These devices can be an effective deterrent to vehicle theft, and we encourage residents to sign up using the form here to stay informed when supplies become available. We also encourage neighbors to take advantage of a free, virtual suicide prevention training hosted by the Chicago Department of Public Health on Friday, April 24th. This training helps participants recognize warning signs, support individuals in crisis, and connect them with care. Interested residents can register for the training here.
One of our local neighborhood associations, Central Lake View Neighbors, is hosting two great community events in the coming weeks. Their annual Wine Tasting will take place on Sunday, April 19th from 2:00-5:00pm at Kirkwood, featuring samples of over a dozen wines with discounted bottles available, all supporting neighborhood initiatives. Their annual plant and flower sale is also underway, with proceeds going toward local beautification efforts. They are offering everything from flowers and hanging baskets to herbs and greenery for your home or garden. See instructions and download an order form here. You can also visit our Community Groups page here to find your local neighborhood association and find ways to get involved.
At this past Wednesday’s City Council meeting, I was glad to bring our interns along to see firsthand our local government in action. Our interns play a vital role in our office. Many of you may have spoken with them when calling the office, stopping by the front desk, or picking up parking passes—they are often the first point of contact for residents. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work.
This week, City Council voted to appoint Alderman Gil Villegas as the permanent Chair of the Zoning Committee. I’m glad that the City Council has finally resolved this issue. For months, I’ve made clear this committee needs a permanent chair with the staff, resources and authority that the people of Chicago deserve from this position, and I congratulate Alderman Villegas on his chairmanship. I also want to thank my colleagues who voiced their support for me and expressed their belief in my ability to lead this committee on a permanent basis.
I will continue in my role as Vice Chair, and I look forward to working closely with Alderman Villegas to advance developments that create affordable housing, drive economic opportunity, and move our city forward.
 
I also recently sent a letter to the City’s Director of the 311 system, recommending improvements to how hate-related graffiti is reported and tracked. Currently, the 311 reporting form asks whether graffiti is hateful, profane, or located on sensitive spaces like schools or places of worship as a single question, with only a 'yes' or 'no' response. This can make it difficult to identify and prioritize true hate-related incidents, and groups them in with more minor issues such as profanity. Our letter proposes separating these into clearer categories so the City can better track data patterns and ensure the most serious cases receive appropriate attention. I was proud to have the support of 42 of our City Council colleagues, and we’re encouraged that 311 has agreed to evaluate these recommendations moving forward. You can read the full letter here.
A reminder that April is Amnesty Month for City Stickers. During the month of April, drivers can purchase their city stickers without late fees either online by the end of the day today here, or at one of the three City Clerk locations by April 30th. You can find more information about Amnesty Month here.
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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LAKEVIEW DOG PARK - DONATION PAGE
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ST ANDREW'S SCHOOL FUNDRAISER - TONIGHT
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FAMILIES IN MOTION EARTH DAY EVENT - TOMORROW
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LAKEVIEW ROSCOE VILLAGE EARTH DAY EVENT - TOMORROW
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ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL NO-FEE ADOPTION EVENT - TOMORROW
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BRAHMA KUMARIS EARTH DAY EVENT - TOMORROW
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NETTELHORST SCHOOL KIDS MAKERS' MARKET - APR 19th
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CENTRAL LAKEVIEW NEIGHBORS WINE TASTING - APR 19th
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FRIENDS OF TUBMAN ELEMENTARY BINGO SOCIAL - APR 23rd
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OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL OPEN HOUSE - APR 24th
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GREEN LIVING SUMMIT - APR 25th
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HAWTHORNE SCHOOL COMEDY SHOW FUNDRAISER - APR 29th
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MERLO LIBRARY - APRIL PROGRAMS
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- Tummy Time - 4/21, 10:30-11:00am (0-18 months)
- Preschool Story Time - 4/21, 11:30am-12pm (2-5 years)
- LEGO Club - 4/21, 3:30pm-4:30pm (4-13 years)
- Sewing Certification - 4/21, 4:00pm-5:30pm (7-12 years)
- Big Kid Story Time - 4/22, 3:00pm-4:00pm (6-13 years)
- Baby time - 4/23, 10:30am-11:00am, 11:30am-12:00pm (6-23 months)
- Click for all program details
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OLMCA PLAYGROUP - NOW THRU APR 24th
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FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS (NEXT ON MAY 20th)
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ST ANDREW'S SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION
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To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
The Blueprint for a Winning Pitch - April 22nd, 3:00pm-4:30pm
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PUBLIC SAFETY & 19th DISTRICT WEEKLY REPORT:
April 6th - April 12th
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 15'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 31%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 35%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 13%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is flat
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 37%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 17%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 16%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 45%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 12%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 5%
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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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 4/23/2026 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.
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- 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
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UPCOMING ALLEY RESURFACINGS
NS alley between Janssen, Addison, Southport, Cornelia: Grind date (4/23)
NS alley between Lakewood, Henderson, Racine, School: Grind date (4/23)
NS alley between Lakewood, Melrose, Racine, School: Grind date (4/23)
EW alley between Clark Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine: Grind date (4/30)
All start dates are tentative and subject to change due to weather and crew availability.
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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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WHAT DO YOU KNOW, JOE? - APRIL
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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.
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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:
- 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
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44th WARD 2026 COMMUNITY MEETINGS
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