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Dear Neighbors,
I'm wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend. If you're celebrating here in the neighborhood, there are plenty of ways to make the most of the holiday. The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce has compiled a guide highlighting restaurant specials, live music, and other activities happening throughout the weekend.
Kicking off the holiday weekend, the Gallagher Way Night Market returns tonight from 4-8pm. In partnership with Common Goods Market, the market features a wide variety of vendors selling vintage clothing, jewelry, home goods, and more. For more information on the Night Market, click here.
The Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend, beginning with a Friday afternoon game at 3:05pm. On the 4th, the Budweiser Clydesdales will make a special appearance with a parade through Wrigleyville beginning at 4pm. The route will head south on Clark, continue along Addison and Sheffield, and conclude on Waveland around 5:25pm. Saturday's game begins at 7:08pm. and will feature a postgame fireworks show. Please note that Sheffield will be closed beginning at 10am. on July 4 through midnight.
Outside of the Ward, Navy Pier will host the largest and longest fireworks display in their history to commemorate America's 250th anniversary of America. For more information on the Navy Pier fireworks display, click here.
  
Last weekend's Pride Parade brought our community together with people from around the globe for a powerful display of joy, visibility and solidarity. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who came out to honor this ongoing fight for equality. Our number one priority was the safety of every resident and visitor in the 44th Ward, both during the parade and in the hours that followed. I am grateful to the agencies that came together to make this year run smoothly and decrease the post-parade challenges we’ve seen in previous years, including the Chicago Police Department, OEMC, Department of Streets and Sanitation, and the Chicago Fire Department.
We’re never done learning how to improve the Pride Parade experience for visitors and neighbors alike, and I look forward to building on this year’s success as we start preparing for next year. To share feedback with our office, please complete our survey here.
 
Safety remains a top priority for my office, and as part of our Court Advocacy Program, we joined a number of neighbors for Leon Jackson's hearing via Zoom this morning. Jackson has repeatedly targeted women with random acts of violence in our Ward and I am thankful that it was determined that he should remain in custody for the time being. Jackson’s next hearing will be on Wednesday, July 15th at 9am. If you would like to attend via Zoom, please email our office.
Police Appreciation Day at the 19th District is on Wednesday, July 10th. Businesses and community groups come together to show their gratitude to the staff of the 19th District for their service by providing meals and snacks for every shift. If you would like to participate, click here for more information.
 
The Southport Arts Fest returns next weekend on July 11th and July 12th. This annual event features over 100 artists and kid-friendly activities all day long. To view a list of participating artists, click here.
Dine Out on Broadway will also return for the second time on Friday, July 10th through Sunday, July 12th. As a reminder, Broadway will be closed between Belmont and Wellington for this tradition. For a list of participating restaurants, click here.
Next weekend also brings two events at Wrigley Field. Chicago-native John Mulaney will perform at Wrigley July 11th, marking the first ever comedy performance at the Friendly Confines. Tyler Childers will perform the following night, July 12th. In preparation for these events, Sheffield will be closed from 6am on July 7th through 5pm on July 16th, and Waveland will be closed from 6am on July 8th through 5pm on July 16th. As a reminder, these events at Wrigley are treated as night games, so the same rules and restrictions apply. To report any issues, call the Cubs game day hotline at 866-4-CPD-TOW.
Lastly, my office will be holding a community meeting on the proposed development at 1040 W Belmont on Thursday, July 9th at 6:00pm via Zoom. The development team will present their latest plans and take questions from residents. To receive the Zoom information, please email our office at [email protected]. You can learn more about the proposal on our website here.
Please note our office will be closed tomorrow, July 3rd, for Independence Day. We will reopen on Monday, July 6th at 9am.
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Have a great Fourth,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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Upcoming Alley Resurfacing
Several streets, alleys, and alley aprons will be resurfaced this week.
Streets:
- Pine Grove from Surf to Diversey - Resurfacing date is 7/9
- Hawthorne from Broadway to Lake Shore - Resurfacing date is 7/9
- Cornelia from Lakewood to Racine - Resurfacing date is 7/10
Alleys:
- E/W alley between Belmont, Cambridge, Briar, and Pine Grove - Resurfacing date is 7/9
- E/W alley between Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine, Clark - Grind date is 7/6
- N/S alley between School, Racine, Melrose, and Lakewood - Resurfacing date is 7/13
- E/W alley between Wellington, Mildred, Halsted, and Oakdale - Resurfacing date is 7/10
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Wellington/Oakdale Greenway
You can find the updated proposal for the Wellington/Oakdale Greenway below and on our website 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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Chi Street Work Portal
Have questions about street work happening in your area?
The Department of Transportation has a tool called the Chi Street Work Portal where you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street.
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Garbage & Recycling
The next recycling pick-up for the 44th Ward is the week of July 6th. You can find your full garbage and recycling pick up schedule here.
Recycling information is now also available through Chicago's Recycle Coach App. To learn more about the app, click here.
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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:
June 22nd - June 28th
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 26'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 39%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 44%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 3%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is down 13%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 36%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 37%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 9%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 24%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 15%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 51%
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:
Wednesday, July 29th 6:30 PM
Topic: Parking Alternative Response Team
Clarendon Park Community Center
4501 N. Clarendon Ave.
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Other Public Safety Alerts
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Charity Scam Alert:
The Chicago Police Department has seen an increase of "charity scams" in the area. In these cases, scammers utilize emotional pressure and fake urgency to persuade you to donate for a cause such as youth sports or gun violence victims. These individuals will offer to set up a small donation on your phone, but then take thousands of dollars.
It is important to never hand your phone to someone you don't know. If you believe that you are witnessing concerning behavior, call 911.
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Honda Air Bag Thefts:
The Chicago Police Department continues to see reports of air bag thefts from Hondas in the area.
CPD officers have noted, however, that visible anti-theft devices such as steering wheel clubs have proven to be an effective deterrent, with many of the protected vehicles often being passed over even when neighboring cars were targeted.
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Illinois Secretary of State & DMV Scam Text Scams:
There continues to be a rise in fraudulent text messages that claim to be from the Illinois Secretary of State or DMV. These texts often use urgent language, threaten license suspension, registration holds, or legal action in an attempt to trick you into clicking a link or paying an alleged fine. Learn more on the Illinois Secretary of State website here.
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Mental Health Response Resources
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ART IN THE GARDEN AT NETTELHORST - JULY 5
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CYBER SAVVY SENIORS - JULY 6
(Covering Cyber Safety)
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DINE OUT ON BROADWAY -
JULY 10-12, AUGUST 21-23
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CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP - JULY 15
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CFD: FIREFIGHTER FOR A DAY - JULY 10
(Ages 13-17)
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CFD: FIREFIGHTER FOR A DAY - JULY 16 & 30
(Ages 18-30)
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MAYOR'S YOUTH COMMISSION: YOUTH SUMMIT - JULY 25
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NATIONAL NIGHT OUT - AUGUST 4
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Merlo Library - Upcoming Programs
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Merlo Library (644 W Belmont) has a wide range of events each week for babies, kids, teens, and adults.
Click here to view all of Merlo's upcoming events, and see below for events this coming week.
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- Sunday Crafternoon - 7/5, 1:30pm-2:30pm (7 years & up)
- Movement Games - 7/6, 4:00-6:00pm (13-19 years)
- Film Screening: Edge of the City (1957) - 7/6, 5:00pm-7:00pm (13 years & up)
- Tummy Time - 7/7, 111:30am-12:00pm (0-5 months)
- Preschool Story Time - 7/7 5:00pm-7:00pm (2-5 years)
- LEGO Club - 7/7, 3:30pm-4:30pm (4-13 years)
- Open Art Studio - 7/7, 3:30pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Micro-RPG Wednesdays - 7/8, 5:00pm-7:00pm (teens & adults)
- Baby Time - 7/9, 10:30am -11:00am (6-23 months)
- Baby Time - 7/9, 11:30am -12:00pm (6-23 months)
- Power Up Thursdays - 7/9, 3:30pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Click for all program details
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Celebrate summer reading with the Chicago Public Library
Click here to view summer reading lists, events, and activities for kids, teens, and adults.
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Click here for a full list of Chicago farmers markets.
Wrigleyville Night Market at Gallagher Way
The Night Market at Gallagher Way is back on select Thursdays from 4-8pm in July and August. To view the full schedule, click here.
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Donation Pages & Volunteer Opportunities
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TUBMAN PLAYGROUND
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CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL
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BACP LABOR LAW UPDATES - EFFECTIVE 7/1
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WEISMAN PARK ADVISORY COUNCIL
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SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHICAGO YOUTH
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TIPS FOR TREE CARE
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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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OEMC - Accepting Applications Through July 31st!
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