May 2019 Dear Third Ward Resident
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Third Ward Newsletter May 2019 Dear Third Ward Resident, On Monday, May 20th at Wintrust Arena in the 3rd Ward, we are In This Issue inaugurating Lori Lightfoot as the new Mayor for the City of Chicago and welcoming a new City Council. This is truly a historic day for our City and I am so proud our ward is hosting Third Ward Update 2-5 such an important event. I have known Mayor Lightfoot for many years and I look forward to working with her and my City Council colleagues new and old to address the needs of our City. Events in and Around the Ward 6-8 I know my priorities of increased public safety, better police Important Announcements 9-10 accountability and transparency, equitable neighborhood development, and fair educational opportunities for all children in Chicago are shared by Mayor Lightfoot. In the 3rd Ward specifically, continued housing development (at all price points), Employment & Training 11 new retail development, improved neighborhood infrastructure, increased transparency on decisions that affect the community, May CAPS/ 12 and meeting the specific educational needs of each neighborhood Third Ward Star are items I am encouraged we can address with the help of Mayor Lightfoot and the new City Council. It is inspiring to have someone like me, an African-American woman, lead our City. This commitment to hearing the diverse voices of Chicago is also reflected in the makeup of the new City Council. These are things we as Chicago residents can all be proud of. It's a new day for our City, one filled with hope for all of Chicago's neighborhoods. If my team or I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to reach out anytime at 773-373- 9273. Thank you for reading this newsletter. Please share it with a neighbor or friend. Sincerely, Pat Dowell Alderman, 3rd Ward Third Ward Update Alderman Dowell Hosts Shred Day! The 3rd Ward held another successful shredding event at Long Grove House located at 2001 S. Michigan. Close to 200 people stopped by to throw away months and years of paper and records!! Thank you to Midway Moving and Storage for providing the professional documentdestruction services, and to the management of Long Grove House for offering their parking lot for the event. Alderman Dowell will be hosting another shredding event on Friday, August 23rd from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm at the 3rd Ward Public Service Office parking lot located at 5046 S. State St. Hope to see you there! 3rd Ward Businesses Receive NOF Grants Several businesses in the 3rd Ward have been past recipients of Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grants including Gallery Guichard, Iyanze Bronze, Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream, Sip and Savor, Bronzeville Culinary Kitchens, South Side Community Art Center, Bronzeville Salon Suites and 51st Street Restaurant Row. The NOF funds must be used for new construction or the rehabilitation of existing buildings. In April, new grant winners were announced and they are 13th Flow - a fitness facility at 30 W. Garfield, GN Bank at 4619 S. King Drive, The Reading Room Cafe (vegan restaurant) slated for 335 E. 51st Street and the 57th Street Bookcase - a furniture production business and gallery to be located at 4130 South Wabash. M Lounge was also awarded a grant to build-out a restaurant and private event space at 69 E. Garfield in the neighboring 20th Ward. Congrats to all the winners. Alderman Dowell is excited about the existing and proposed business which continue to make our community strong. 3rd Ward Braves Weather for Clean and Green Day Despite the inclement weather, residents across the ward participated in the City's Annual Clean and Green Day. Thank you to everyone who came out to help beautify the community, including groups led by Bethel AME Church, the Greater South Loop Association, the 4500 S. Forrestville Block Club, the Fuller Park CDC, the 4600 S. Vincennes Block Club, South Loop Elementary School/ Dearborn Park II PAC and Donnell Spencer. A very special thanks to the Bronzeville Neighborhood Collaborative/Gallery Guichard for their large clean -up of 47th St. which spanned two wards from State St. all the way to Cottage Grove Ave. Children, families, businesses and residents braved the cold to make our community a little nicer. Local businesses like Chicken and Waffles, Trader Joe's, Pete's Coffee and Sip & Savor contributed food and (most importantly) hot drinks to many Clean and Green participants. All this could not have happened without the hard work of 3rd Ward Superintendent Thomas Stovall and Allyson Allison from the 3rd Ward staff. Thank you both for coordinating this important day's events. If you would like to schedule your own Clean and Green event, you can call 311 or the 3rd Ward Public Service Office at 773-373-9273 to set it up. The City will provide you tools, bags and bagged trash pickup so you can make your neighborhood beautiful in time for spring! Update on Alderman Dowell's Amendment to City Vehicle Impoundment Law In line with Alderman Dowell's ordinance to make significant changes to how the City impounds vehicles, a recent lawsuit filed against the City found that Chicago's current vehicle impoundment program is illegal. For information about the court's decisions, please see the article in the Chicago Sun-Times printed Thursday, April 30th. In line with that ruling, Alderman Dowell's amendment would allow for the proceeds of the vehicle sale to be applied to existing vehicle fines and penalties as well as other City debt if the sale amount is more than the costs associated with the impoundment. Any remaining funds shall be paid to the registered owner of the vehicle. In addition, the amendment allows for vehicle owners to relinquish title to the vehicle to the City voluntarily if the vehicle is impounded. 2 Third Ward Update (Continued) Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream Opens in the Rosenwald Alderman Dowell attended the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream Parlor in Bronzeville located at 46 E. 47th Street in the renovated Rosenwald Building. Thanks to Ya Ya and Nataki for your investment in our community's future. Learn more at www.shawnmichelles.com and come out and support a new Bronzeville business! Alderman Dowell Participates in Easter Events Easter events for neighborhood children were held all across the 3rd Ward! Alderman Dowell visited Easter Egg Hunts at Dearborn Homes (2960 S. Federal St.) and Women's Park and Gardens (1801 S. Indiana Ave.). Kudos to Carol Wallace and the Dearborn LAC, St. James Catholic Church, Family Works and the Rotary Club for sponsoring a fun filled happening to celebrate the holiday, Easter Bunny and all. And, high five to the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance, led by Tina Feldstein and all the dedicated and hard working-volunteers for what has to be the biggest Easter Egg Hunt in the city. Bronzeville Dog Park Update Construction on the dog park planned for 3938 S. Indiana Ave. is progressing on schedule for an expected 2019 opening. Perimeter curb forms and pouring started in mid-April. Interior curbs/ walks were formed and poured in late-April, then rough grading will start. After that, the construction crews are awaiting the re-opening of the asphalt plants for the season. Work is contingent upon weather; certain activities cannot occur in wet conditions and/or overnight freezing temperatures. The park will feature both a small dog and large dog area, artificial turf, dog fountains, landscaped grounds, benches for seating and more. Metropolitan Community Church Food Pantry Giveaway Metropolitan Community Church (4610 South Prairie) under the leadership of Pastor Leon Perry III held their food pantry giveaway for those in need. This is one of the consistent ministries of the Church congregation. What was special about their pantry in April was the feeding of the needy at the corner of 47th St. and Indiana Ave. Members of the church and firefighters from our community prepared the food and served the people. Thank you Metropolitan!! Cook County Health Strategic Planning Town Hall Meetings Provident Hospital (500 E. 51st St.) is in the process of redeveloping their facility to better meet the needs of the community. The new Provident Hospital will be a one-stop-shop for all of your healthcare needs. Provident leadership is looking at potentially offering state-of-the-art services like a regional outpatient center, ophthalmology services, mammography, a sleep center, dental services, behavioral health services, occupational and physical therapy, a pharmacy and an ambulatory outpatient center. As part of this redevelopment, residents are invited to participate in the Cook County Health System's strategic planning process. Cook County Health is hosting town hall style meetings to gather input from the community on its 2020-2022 Strategic Plan and better understand what you would like to see in a new Provident Hospital. Please RSVP via email to [email protected] with your name and the date of the meeting you plan to attend. Where: Cicero Community College Where: Oak Forest Health Center Where: Provident Hospital (500 E. (2250 S. 49th St., Room CC107, Cic- (15900 S. Cicero Rd., Main Building, 51st St., Cafeteria 2nd Fl.) ero, IL) Oak Forest, IL) When: Thursday, May 2nd from When: Tuesday, May 7th from 4:30 When: Thursday, May 9th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm pm to 6:00 pm 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm 3 Third Ward Update (Continued) Mercy Hospital Update The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that an investigation is underway to determine the source of Legionella disease that was found at Mercy Hospital (2525 S.