We received a letter from Principal Karafiol regarding the persistent use of the LVHS campus by pet owners despite clearly posted rules that pets are not allowed on the property. The letter, embedded above, reads:
Dear Neighbors,
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We at Lake View High School value your partnership and support, and as part of that partnership, we’re happy to share our turf field with community members and groups when the field is not being used by Physical Education Classes, athletics teams, or other LVHS events.
Recently, it’s come to our attention that some community members are bringing dogs onto the field to play. As a dog owner myself, I understand that dogs need to run around and open spaces to run around in. However, our turf field is not open to pets, for several reasons:
Dog claws can tear up the field surface, particularly if the dogs are running and playing.
Animal waste (even if picked up immediately) contaminates the field surface, potentially exposing our young people to germs and disease.
Animal waste that is not picked up attracts rodents and creates unsanitary conditions for students and athletes, as well as for other community members using the field. So that we can all enjoy this tremendous community resource for years to come, please keep all pets off the turf field, the playground area, and the other fenced-off spaces belonging to Lake View High School.
Graceland West borders for Illinois Senate and Illinois House seats change starting January 10, 2023. According to information we received at GWCAFest from Illinois 7th District Senator Mike Simmons, (whose current district ends south ranging from Montrose to Berteau, depending on east and west borders), Senate District 7 will change to include all of Graceland West. According to the attached map, the south border will be Irving Park or Waveland depending on east and west borders..
Please look at the Ballotpedia maps for both Illinois Senate and Illinois House for Graceland West because they are not the same. According to the attached map, we move from Illinois Senate District 6 to 7 and from Illinois House Districts 11 and 13 to District 13 entirely on January 10, 2023.
Sara Feigenholz is the Illinois State Senator for District 6. Mike Simmons is the Illinois State Senator for District 7.
Greg Harris is Illinois House Representative for District 13, but is retiring after 16 years.
Ann Williams is Illinois House Representative for District 11
Candidates for office are currently soliciting petition signatures to be on the ballot.
Let’s get outside this weekend and bag some street leaves! While there’s still a fair amount of leaves hanging on in our tree canopy, there’s a lot that are currently clogging up storm drains. These are the key leaves to make sure get into bags this weekend. Priority should also be given to leaves that are at intersections and cross-walks.
Bagged leaves can be left on parkways for pickup after November 14th. Share your photos on Facebook @Graceland West Community Association, on Instagram @graceland_west_gwca or by emailing info@gracelandwest.org to enter to win the GOLDEN RAKE AWARD which can be proudly displayed as a Graceland West badge of honor and defended when the leaves fall next year.
The GWCA 9th annual volunteer street leaf cleanup is a very fun community event that gives us one last opportunity to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather and connect with our neighbors. Starting on Tuesday 11/9 which is after the final street sweep and culminating on Sunday 11/14, this effort helps keep our storm drains clear and reduces street, basement and vehicle flooding. Let’s break last year’s record of 483 full bags!
Bagged leaves can be left on parkways for pickup after November 14th. Share your photos on Facebook @Graceland West Community Association, on Instagram @graceland_west_gwca or by emailing info@gracelandwest.org to enter to win the GOLDEN RAKE AWARD which can be proudly displayed as a Graceland West badge of honor and defended when the leaves fall next year.
GREEN Halloween! Lake View High School, the University of Illinois Extension, Lake Shore Recycling Systems and the Department of Streets and Sanitation are hosting a Pumpkin Smash event for residents to compost their pumpkins post-Halloween and keep them out of the landfill! The event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, November 6 at Lake View High School, located in the parking lot off of Greenview and Irving Park. Pumpkins must be free of candles, stickers, glitter, yarn, synthetic decorations. We can compost pumpkins decorated with water-based paints. More info found in your favorite metaverse http://go.illinois.edu/pumpkinsmash, GWCA Facebook Event, Nextdoor, GWCA website.
On Tuesday, October 12th at 6:30 PM, the Alderman’s office and the 19th Police District will host a special CAPS meeting to provide information about public safety in our area, and answer neighbors’ questions. You can RSVP for this virtual event at bit.ly/publicsafety47.
Dear neighbor,
As many of you know, over the past several days, our community has experienced three incidents of gun violence on or near major thoroughfares in the Northcenter and West Lakeview communities. Most recently, early this morning, police quickly responded to a shots fired call near the 4400 block of Lincoln Ave. They found a young man in a crashed car with a gunshot wound. The man fled on foot when approached by officers, and was later apprehended and transported to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital in critical condition. Officers subsequently found a gun they believe the man tossed into a nearby yard, and the man is not currently cooperating with the investigation. If you have additional information, especially video footage, please contact Area 3 detectives at (312) 744-8261.
Our office has been regularly communicating with our local police district and area detectives about these incidents. You can read our detailed public safety updates here, which we shared following each incident:
On Tuesday, October 12th at 6:30 PM, my office and the 19th Police District will host a special CAPS meeting to provide information about public safety in our area, and answer neighbors’ questions. We have invited other public safety stakeholders to participate and will share updates when those stakeholders are confirmed. You can RSVP for this virtual event at bit.ly/publicsafety47. Please note that this event was previously scheduled for Thursday, October 14th, but in light of this most recent incident, our office requested a sooner date and are grateful the 19th District was able to accommodate.
On a personal note, I recognize just how unsettling it is that, over the last several days, our community has endured repeated incidents of gun violence. Like many of you, I have young children and want to ensure that they are safe and comfortable wherever they go, both within and outside of our neighborhood. I know that moments like this cause fear and create a justified sense of urgency to see these problems solved immediately. We all want to move swiftly to help ensure this type of violence stops immediately.
Yesterday evening, the 19th District began ramping up traffic missions throughout Northcenter and Lakeview, and will continue communicating with the 17th Police District and other nearby districts to share information and coordinate actions in response to these shootings. Special attention will be given to identifying cars that have been reported as stolen, in part using mobile license plate readers. And because there is currently no indication that the individuals involved in this gun violence have close ties to our immediate community, we will enhance our engagement with nearby law enforcement and community entities that are responding to similar issues. In addition, I have been and will continue to visit schools and businesses and to knock on doors throughout Northcenter to answer your questions and discuss public safety concerns directly.
I also know that, too often, when confronted with community violence, elected officials defer blame and promise quick and easy solutions. While we will continue taking steps to immediately address these incidents, it is important to acknowledge, directly and honestly, that there are no simple fixes to the violence that communities all across Chicago face. We all must engage in the year-round hard work of strengthening our communities, both here in our own neighborhoods as well as across Chicago, with the goal of preventing violence in a systematic way.
This is an issue that I and my office have been working on since our first day in office. In 2019, one of the first pieces of legislation I introduced called for hearings on two data-driven violence prevention initiatives—CRED and READI. Both have promising initial results—in recent years, for example, READI’s work cut the number of arrests for shooting and homicide among participants by 79% compared with a non-participant peer group. I strongly believe the city should provide funding to scale programs that have demonstrated proof of concept like these.
This year, we’ve been working to prioritize implementing the Mayor’s violence reduction plan which spotlighted domestic violence as a top issue—in part due to its close relation to gun violence. Late last year, the Mayor released a comprehensive violence reduction plan that spotlighted the need to address domestic violence, based on its close link to gun violence. This year, our office worked with advocates to ensure that the FY 2022 budget provides appropriate resources to address the spike in domestic violence, including domestic violence related homicides. We’re proud to say the initial budget proposal includes $25 million dollars in new investments in this regard.
Finally, we have heard from neighbors who want to know how they can help right now to build a safer neighborhood and city. I want to provide a few suggestions:
Ask your local school how you can get involved in attendance initiatives. From our conversations with violence prevention organizations across the city in the last few months, we understand this uptick in gun violence is driven in large part by younger Chicagoans. Since the start of the pandemic, attendance numbers have dropped in CPS schools, and Chicago Public Schools continues to work to re-engage these students.
Consider donating to a local violence prevention organization like READI Chicago, Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P), Alliance of Local Social Service Organizations (ALSO). ALSO specifically does work in the nearby Irving Park and Albany Park neighborhoods.
Attend an upcoming strategic meeting for your local police district. These meetings, which occur annually, are scheduled for later in October. Our police districts are seeking community feedback on their strategic plan, including regarding community policing. You can register for the upcoming 19th District meeting here.
If you’ve been following us on facebook or instagram you’ve seen a few photos from GWCAfests of the past… This year we’ll make some new memories…Sunday, 9/12 from 1-5 pm on the 4100 block of Greenview. More info on Facebook here.
When Graceland West Community Association (GWCA) was just getting started, it was decided that an annual block party would provide a venue for fund raising and a chance for neighbors to meet and talk (“fun raising” ).
Early block parties were pot lucks and our neighbor, DJ Gil Munoz would bring out his gear & provide music. That first year it was decided to have a chili contest – and then they added all of them to the pot luck meal.
As years went on, different people tried different things:
Magic by Randy circa 2007
A group of Dads grilled burgers & brats
A neighbor and her family members made awesome tacos right there in the street
We held a talent contest & discovered some amazing talents in our neighbors (choir members, dancers, kazoo bands, rock bands & more)
Neighborhood teens performed (a few have gone on to careers as musicians, some just do it nights & weekends)
People sponsored acts like the Jesse White Tumblers, the Roberto Clemente High School Steel Drum Band & a rising new singer LisaB
For many years, the party kicked off with a pet parade. Everyone dressed up and costumed & ribboned their pets: dogs, cats, bunnies and even fish (in a bowl in a wagon). One man even brought a pet python!
We’ve had the Lake View High School cheerleaders, jazz band & percussionists perform for us
We’ve done rummage sales, silent auctions & live auctions to help fund the organization
Fortune telling by Madame Sonia
Chair massages
We’ve tried Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, one year we even did an afternoon party for kids & an evening party for adults only (parents hired babysitters, showered & changed and came back to party with the adults)
We’ve moved it around the neighborhood, every couple of years on a new street ! Then for years we did it on Warner by Warner Park & Gardens
We’ve had bounce houses, pony rides, petting zoos, dunk tanks and arcade games to amuse the children
One of our neighbors, Liz Thomas, painted bean bag & ring toss boards for us to use. And then freshened them up ten years later.
One year, using a dog run & a cowboy hat, the Sheriff made his first appearance. For one ticket he would arrest anyone you pointed out to him. Then they had to serve a 15 minute sentence in “jail” or, since this is Chicago, for 2 tickets they could purchase an immediate release (hey, it’s all for the good of the organization).
Jessie White Tumblers circa 1991
This year we’ll make some new memories…Today, Sunday, 9/12 from 1-5 pm on the 4100 block of Greenview. More info on Facebook here.
Tim McGonegle will be re-creating his role as Sheriff, with some assistance from his Grandson, Dawson. So there’s a new Sheriff in town!
Next year the block party could try something new that you suggest. Let us know what would get you to come next year and whether you could help to turn your idea in to reality at next year’s celebration
For more than 30 years Randy Bernstein has been delighting children & adults with has own brand of stand up comedy and magic. He has been a perennial favorite at our block parties and we are delighted he will be performing this year at GWCAfest, Sunday, 9/12 at 4 pm in the 4100 block of Greenview. His nuanced performances keep the little ones engaged & adults laughing at his double entendres. Our children eagerly volunteer to “help” Randy perform his tricks. And even up close, sometimes don’t know how the trick worked.
Randy hasn’t been sitting home idle during this pandemic – he created a series of virtual magic show & classes so that children could still enjoy his unique brand of comedy magic.
