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Events & Announcements

Your input needed…GWCA Planning Survey!

Hello All –

GWCA is 40 years old next year and is looking to collect input on your favorite neighborhood memories, any issues of concern, and other topics.

Please complete the 10 item survey to provide your input and help us plan for another 40 years! Click the link below (or copy and paste it) to access the survey.

https://goo.gl/forms/cG5cGpTxvk6UFiBn2

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Events & Announcements

Aldermanic Request to walk dogs on leash + no dogs at LVHS campus

Hi everyone. Alderman Pawar’s office reached us today and asked us to remind all that dogs are never permitted on the LVHS Campus. They will damage the artificial track and field and playlot base. Can everyone help with this?

Long time neighbors are aware that dogs have not been permitted since the original park in 1995, but lots of neighbors don’t have that information.

Additionally we’re reminding all that dogs being walked must be leashed.

Thanks everyone!

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Events & Announcements

GWCA 4th Qtr. 2018 Community Meeting Minutes

December 1, 2016
GWCA 4th Qtr. Community Meeting / Election / Pot Luck Minutes
2018 Council: Laurie Gillman, Kristi Passarelli, Brad Zerman, Bruce Braun, Brad Pierce, Dave Barnett, Janice Horwich, Matt Ivey, Joanne Yonan. Barb Sullivan, Treasurer.

This was primarily a Pot Luck and Social with a survey for and discussion about GWCA’s 40th Anniversary Year (2019) and GWCA’s semi-annual Council Member election for three expiring seats.

This meeting was a reschedule of the meeting initially scheduled for Monday, November 26, which was cancelled when a winter storm with snow and high winds knocked out power to 180,000 Chicago residents and businesses, and blew the transformer immediate to Rizal leaving 500 neighborhood businesses and residents without power. Heavy rain and neighborhood street flooding were present for this meeting.

Attendees filled out a GWCA survey about what they wanted for 2019, GWCA’s 40th anniversary and discussed a variety of ideas, innovations and ways they would help. Brad Pierce and attendees discussed GWCAFest and volunteers were solicited. This survey has been delivered to neighbors and will soon be available digitally to all GWCA members and Graceland West residents. All residents are asked for their survey input.

The upcoming Aldermanic Candidate Forum was discussed. Communication will include a community flier / poster, social media, parkway signs and outreach. A microphone will be available.

We thank current Council Members, Laurie Gillman, Kristi Passarelli and Brad Zerman, whole most recent 18-month terms are ending. Laurie Gillman and Brad Zerman ran for additional terms and Jeff Fleshman ran. Each was elected for an 18-month term beginning January 1, 2019.

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Events & Announcements

Reminder, see you at Rizal today! GWCA lunch pot luck 11:30 or 11:45

GWCA’s Community Meeting is a lunch pot luck for your entire family. We also have a survey for 2019, which is GWCA’s 40th Anniversary and we’d love your input. Laurie Gillman, Jeff Fleshman and Brad Zerman are running for Council seats.

Please join the neighborhood for some fun.

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Events & Announcements

Please read Chicago Climate Change Impact + see you Saturday, 11:45, Rizal

https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/11/28/chicago-could-get-as-hot-as-phoenix-
by-2070-new-white-house-climate-report-warns/?mc_cid=3e0d4ac17b&mc_eid=c72f6
dc7eb

Thanks to those of you who are on the GWCA ECO – Environmental Committee.
Each year GWCA has had a major environmental focus. Based on this climate report, individually, together and as a city, what we do NOW really matters.


I hope most of us can attend the rescheduled GWCA Pot Luck this Saturday, December 1st, 11:45 am at Rizal. Please bring your family, significant other, partner or housemates, some neighbors and a dish to share (byob).
This GWCA Community Social and very quick meeting is for everyone (newborn to 102). Laurie Gillman, Jeff Fleshman and Brad Zerman are running for Council Seats. We have a short survey and brainstorming about what you want for GWCA and the neighborhood. Your input is essential for 2019 and beyond.

See you Saturday!

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Events & Announcements

Reminder! GWCA Pot Luck (byob), social & Quick Brainstorm is Monday, 11/26, 6:45 pm at Rizal

Thanking the GWCA Council, Block Reps, Committee Chairs and Graceland West neighbors for a terrific 2018.
2018 Council Members (with committees they chair or co-chair) are:
Laurie Gillman (Membership) 12/18
Kristi Passarelli (Halloween Party & Food Drive) 12/18
Brad Zerman (Block Rep Co-Chair, Aldermanic Liaison, Zoning) 12/18

(Please thank Laurie, Kristi and Brad Zerman, whose most recent Council terms end this month. Laurie, Brad and Jeff Fleshman are running for the GWCA Council. The election will be held at Monday’s Community Meeting and Pot Luck. Candidates need your votes).

Dave Barnett (Children’s Activities and Flooding)
Bruce Braun (GWCA Leaf Cleanup, Zoning)
Brad Pierce (GWCA Parkway Signs, GWCAFest)
Janice Horwich (Block Rep Co-Chair, ECO Committee, Aldermanic Liaison, Flooding, LVHS & Scholarship) 12/19
Matt Ivey (Rat Issues, Montrose Business, Aldermanic Liaison) 12/19
Joanne Yonan, (GWCA Leaf Cleanup, ECO Committee, Flooding) 12/19

Barb Sullivan (Former Council Member, Treasurer, GWCAFest)
Mark Nehring (Former Council Member, Yard Sale)
Terry Baublis (Former Council Member, Various + Garden Walk and Berteau Greenway)
Donna Forsberg (Former Council Member, Garden Walk, Berteau Greenway, Parkway Corners)
Kathleen Dudley (Former Council Member, Garden Walk Dinner, GWCAFest)

2018 highlights included
March “Historic Lakeview” presentation and exhibits with Historian Garry Albrecht, Authors and Historians Patrick Butler and Matt Nickerson and LVHS Principal, PJ Karafiol.

January: LVHS meeting with Alderman Tunney and Pawar to present final LVHS Improvement Plan
June: GWCA Leadership Planning, Neighborhood Outreach Blitz and Pizza
June: Green-Roof – “Live Roof” Presentation, Demonstration, Community Meeting and Election
June: Yard Sale
August: Annual Garden Walk
August: Community Meeting
August: GWCAFest
September: LVHS Ribbon Cutting for Improvements to school and campus
September: Installation and Ribbon Cutting for Green & Climate Change Project at Rizal; Pollinator habitat for N Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, N Indiana endangered rusty patched bumblebee, bird, bat, butterfly, beneficial insect habitat and stormwater absorption.
October: Children’s Halloween Party
November: Pot Luck, Community Meeting, Election
December: GWCA Leadership Planning to come

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Events & Announcements

4:26 pm Sunset to 6:26 am Sunrise. Is your bright porch light on?

“Lights On”. A bright front porch light on from Sunset to Sunrise every day is our first visible offensive move for a safe neighborhood. When we all do this (residences and businesses) it makes a difference.

In addition to your front porch, please keep some lights on timers so your home looks occupied even if you’re not yet home from work. Light your rear porch and add some motion activated lights.

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Events & Announcements

Special out and about crime alert

A team is operating as distraction pick pockets at least from Diversey to Irving Park and continue to claim victims, especially seniors. They have distracted targets with claims of a bug on your shoulder or a spider on your pants.

The same team is stealing purses. Watch your valuables when shopping and in the grocery store, going to the post office, doing errands, gassing up, entering and leaving your vehicle and leaving or entering or leaving restaurants, businesses and public places.

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Events & Announcements

Special Graceland West parkway bagged leaf pick up is this week

Hi neighbors, if you rake and bag your street leaves, there is no need to carry them to your trash area. We’ve arranged a one time bagged leaf pick up. Just put your bagged leaves on your parkway and please don’t overfill the bags.

Cleaning up street leaves, crosswalks and keeping sewer grates clear helps reduce neighborhood street, basement and vehicle flooding. Today (Saturday) 20 LVHS students and more than 40 GWCA Council Members, Block Reps and neighbors from Pensacola to Cuyler helped with this effort. You can bag and leave any leaves through Sunday night for this special pickup. This makes it easy to clean up street, parkway, sidewalk and front yard leaves. Our final 2018 street cleaning was October 3-4 so the street leaves are on us.

Thinking to Spring (let’s think Spring, not Winter), to further prevent flooding, please consider
1) using permeable hardscape such as permeable pavers or permeable concrete or sand grouted pavers rather than concrete or sealed pavers.
2) grass is almost as non-permeable as concrete. It also has very shallow roots. So stormwater runs off into streets or to a neighbor. Please consider reducing grass and aerating the soil well to 9″ and adding some native plants.

3) other options to consider include green roofs, rain gardens, downspouts disconnected and diverted to rain gardens and French drains.

Our next GWCA Meeting is Monday, November 26, 6:45 pm at Rizal. It’s mostly a social night with a pot luck (BYOB). GWCA’s 40th anniversary is in 2019 so we’ll do some quick brainstorming too on what you’d like.

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Events & Announcements

GWCA needs you to clean street leaves. Sat 9-11 am

Hi neighbors, please help clean street, intersection, cross walks and sewer grate leaves on Saturday. You can leave bagged leaves on the closest parkway. The city is doing a special pick-up for us. Please don’t overfill leaf bags as if they are too heavy, they break when city workers try to pick them up.

Please bring your family and a neighbor and clean the Greenview intersection closest to your house first. Then, if you live on Greenview, please help clean Greenview next. If you live on an east / west street, please clean that next. We need all street leaves up from Montrose to Irving and Clark to Ashland. Our final city street sweeping was October 3-4, before any leaves fell, so we encourage all to help. Your work will reduce street, basement and vehicle flooding and help prevent slick and frozen leaves from causing falls. Getting these leaves up before they form a 4″ frozen mat makes it easier to shovel parking spaces too.

We need you to help if you are a tenant, condo or home-owner, landlord or business owner. Whether you park on the street or have visitors who park on the street, this is a volunteer effort all of us need to do. Please support your GWCA current and former Council Members and Block Reps who are leading this neighborhood safety and flood prevention effort. You’ll need to bring 10 garbage or leaf bags, and a rake, shovel or dust pan. Shovels and dust pans work well to scoop leaves. If you can’t help on Saturday, you can also leave bagged leaves on the parkways through Sunday.

Thanks everyone for living here and loving and supporting this neighborhood. Our annual pot luck is on November 26th, 6:45 pm at Rizal.

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