Monday (02/24)
Safety is Lit Brigade
Thank you to everyone who came out for our Safety is Lit Brigade. We were able to document dozens of lights out and have great updated information to share with our partners at CDOT.
Tuesday (02/25)
Meeting with Mayor Lightfoot
On Tuesday, we met with Mayor Lightfoot and Deputy Mayor Susan Lee to discuss the recent crime and safety issues in our community, and how we can partner to address them with the urgency they require. They were both supportive of our community-driven, collaborative approach to preventing violence and said that it aligns with well-established best practices. Mayor Lightfoot committed to working with us to on a range of issues, including holding landlords accountable for addressing resident safety concerns and securing resources for violence prevention.
Wednesday (02/26)
Roll Call at Montrose & Francisco
CAPS Meeting – Beats 1711 & 1712
We requested a roll call with the 17th District so residents nearby could meet the CAPS officer who would be out patrolling the streets for the evening and then attended a CAPS meeting for Beats 1711 & 1712.
The Chicago Public Schools officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day on the school calendar
This week, the CPS Board approved a very important change on the school calendar. Students will now get the day off to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday of October. We are so happy that we have finally achieved some justice for our Native community. But we must take further steps–we will continue advocating for passage of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day ordinance in City Council for the whole city of Chicago.
I want to share the words of one of my Italian American Colleagues in City Council, Daniel LaSpata, in support of the change:
“If I’m outraged about anything it’s that CPS beat us to it. I love my cultural heritage and am very proud to be an Italian-American, but Christopher Columbus maligns that heritage so much more than he helps it.
We can find another day to celebrate the tremendous achievements of Italian Americans in this country. The second Monday of October should be celebrated as Indigenous People’s Day, for the City of Chicago and ALL of its sister agencies, in honor of cultures and communities that refuse to be erased or silenced, no matter how much Columbus or any other individual has tried to do so.”
Thursday (02/27)
Meeting with Gary Carlson
Our office, along with 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, met with landlord Gary Carlson to emphasize the urgent need for him to address security issues in his buildings. Mr. Carlson owns at least 60 buildings in and around the Albany Park and Irving Park neighborhoods.
He committed to important safety steps, including adding functional locks on his buildings, which tenants have been requesting for some time. He has already posted the No Trespassing signs at locations requested by the 17th District CAPS officers which makes it significantly easier for the police to remove violators even when the landlord is not present. We will continue to hold him accountable to these commitments.
33rd Ward Tour with the new Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Gia Biagi
We toured the ward with Commissioner Biagi to talk about persistent challenges and exciting new projects throughout our neighborhoods. This included infrastructure challenges like street lights, alleys, and potholes, as well as the potential for making our public spaces more inviting and accessible.
We explored the site of proposed renovations for the “Rockwell Corridor” (Rockwell between Belmont & Elston) where CDOT is currently working on a study to propose a explore redesign of the streetscape.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies for the new businesses opening in the Ward
Along with the North River Commission, we visited multiple new and expanding businesses in the ward this week: El Fogón de Elen at 3149 W. Lawrence Ave., Campesino at 3207 W. Lawrence Ave., Cilantro Taco House at 3336 W. Lawrence Ave., and Khepri Cafe at 4650 N. Kedzie Ave.
Community Vigil for Stephanie Brooks
Violence tears apart the fabric of our communities. In its wake, it is important that we come together to restore and reclaim our community as a safe place for all. More than a dozen community groups came together for a vigil for Stephanie Brooks, including Israel’s Gifts of Hope, The Kedzie Center, Rincon Family Services, Christ Lutheran Church, Albany Park Neighbors, 33rd Ward Working Families, Chi-Nations Youth Council, Ravenswood Manor Improvement Association, The Residents of Irving Park (TRIP), Northwest Safety Coalition, Peace for the Park, and Tabor Lutheran Church.
Friday (02/28)
Meeting with Judge Kristyna Ryan of the Restorative Justice court she will be presiding over in Avondale.
We met with Judge Kristyna Ryan and the Margaret Kulujian, the Court’s Coordinator. We talked more about the work that the Restorative Justice Court will be providing in our communities. Many details are still in the works but we are incredibly excited that our communities will be benefiting from this resource. We talked about the significant decrease in recidivism in city’s that have had Restorative Justice Courts and we are looking forward to seeing that trend in our community as well.