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Events & Announcements

Clean & Green! Alley, Parkway, Yard cleanup asked before August 5th Garden Walk

Hi Graceland West neighbors, our 36th Annual Garden Walk is Sunday, August 5th from 1-5.  Maps will be at 4334 Greenview (plus “Ask a Master Gardener”) and 1460 Belle Plaine.  Please tour the gardens and enjoy this special neighborhood day.  You’re invited to our Garden Walk Pot Luck at Warner Park at 5:30.  Just bring a dish to share.

We encourage all to clean alleys, parkways, sewer grates and yards prior to August 5th when we’ll have lots of neighbors visiting gardens.  This year, GWCA Leaders are pushing a Rat Elimination effort too.  As you help with this clean-up, can you report any issues to Danny at the 47th Ward, danny@chicago47.org, and copy 311?  Rats are diggers and holes are typically nickel, quarter, half or silver dollar size and may be close to air conditioners, under decks, under porches, near sewers, in yards and parkways, at a sidewalk edge or in the alley or near a tree root.  Dog poo is a complete food source, so don’t let it remain in your yard.  Please also report standing water that has been present more than 10 hours as rats need water, the standing water indicates something is amiss and mosquitos breed at 50 degrees. Please also report pot holes and streets and alleys in bad repair. Please make sure your dumpsters and garbage carts have no trash underneath, are never overflowing and close completely. Please also prevent leaves and grass clippings from winding up in the street or blocking sewers.

This is also a good time to clean your garbage cans inside and out annually with soapy water.  Check for holes, lids not closing or broken hinges and report to danny@chicago47.org or 311.


It’s not too late to let Donna know you’ll like to show your front yard, back yard, apartment, condo or home patio, koi pond, green roof, planter garden, deck, vegetable garden, sculpture garden, etc.  Just email donnaforsberg@sbcglobal.net.

And THANKS!

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Events & Announcements

Not too late to show your garden on August 5th.

“GWCA’s 36th Annual Garden

> Walk is Sunday, August 5th from 1-5. Gardens will have a marker.  “We

> encourage you to show off your back yard garden, patio, green roof,

> koi pond or apartment or condo balcony. You’ll have a chance to meet

> neighbors and share gardening ideas. Just email Donna Forsberg – donnaforsberg@sbcglobal.net.

>

> The Garden Walk Pot Luck is at 5:30 in Warner Park. Gardeners and

> non-gardeners are invited. Just bring a dish to share and BYOB.  If

> you have very young children, you might want to also bring a blanket

> for the grass”.

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Events & Announcements

Great job neighbors and police. Burglary suspect arrested Sunday about 2 am.

Cops Nab Burglars In Lakeview, Uptown Overnight

| Tim Samoff via Flickr

Town Hall District police made two burglary arrests in three hours overnight—one in Lakeview and another in Uptown. Charges are pending in both cases.

Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, an Uptown man reported that someone was trying to break into his home in the 4700 block of North Dover. Police found damage to the home’s front door and fingerprints on a window that the burglar tried to access, according to a report. Officers found the suspect nearby and took him into custody.

Then, around 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, a woman called 911 to report that a man she did not know was inside her home in the 4000 block of North Clark Street. The offender was gone when police arrived. About 15 minutes later, though, a homeowner flagged down police a couple of blocks away to report that a man was trying to break into a building in the 1400 block of West Cullom. The man was detained and the woman who called police a few minutes earlier was able to identify him as the prowler who was inside her home, police said.

CWBChicago will publish an update on both of these arrests when charges are finalized

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Events & Announcements

GWCA 36th Annual Garden Walk is Sunday, August 5th, 1-5 pm. FREE!

Donna Forsberg is the Garden Walk Chairperson.  Please contact her with questions or if you’d like to show your garden or green roof.  773.348.1469 / donnaforsberg@sbcglobal.net

Maps, information and “Ask a Master Gardener” will be at 4334 N Greenview.  Maps will also be at 1460 W Belle Plaine.  Exhibiting Gardens will display a marker.


The Garden Walk Pot Luck will follow at Warner Park and Gardens at 5:30.  All neighbors are invited.  Please bring a dish to share.  BYOB.

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Events & Announcements

What is the Berteau Greenway and Bioswale? How do I help?

The Berteau Greenway was built to help calm speeding traffic on Berteau.  Greenways are also bike paths and this one is part of Chicago’s newest 100 miles of bike path.  Greenways include bump-outs that help with pedestrian safety by making crossing distance shorter and more protected, which is helpful everyone, and especially helpful to parents with children,  seniors and anyone with a mobility or visual disability.

Bioswales are the plant area within the bump-outs.  The bump-out receives stormwater, filters it through the plants, then releases it at the other end near the sewer grate.  The plants absorb some of the stormwater and slow the rest as it flows to the sewer.  This helps reduce stormwater that can reach and overwhelm a sewer and contribute to neighborhood street, basement and vehicle flooding.

We need your help to maintain our bioswale.  Please email Terry at motordc@aol.com to help or learn more.  He needs volunteers to help with maintenance a few times a year.  Also, if you see litter in any bioswale anywhere, please pick it up.


You can additionally reduce neighborhood stormwater flooding by capturing stormwater where it falls and preventing it from needing to reach the sewer.  Grass isn’t very absorptive.  GWCA is encouraging all to add 100 s/f more of absorptive hardscape (permeable concrete, permeable pavers) or drought resistant native plants, grasses, shrubs and trees to their landscape for every 3,000 s/f of property, and to consider adding some green roof panels to flat roofs on homes, apartment buildings, condo buildings, schools, businesses and garages.  Also, please don’t put or let landscapers put leaves or grass clippings in the street as that contributes to flooding.

Please enjoy our Beautiful, Verdant, and ECO neighborhood!

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Events & Announcements

Rizal asks if you’d like a Farmers’ Market

Corrected link here: https://goo.gl/forms/mIY73fyoNcrYKSfH3

 


 

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Events & Announcements

Grass doesn’t absorb much stormwater. What to plant instead..

The Graceland West Neighborhood is bordered by higher elevation streets; Montrose, Clark (the former high dune and Indian Path), Irving Park and Ashland.  Stormwater, not absorbed, runs downhill flooding basements, streets and vehicles.  You can help.

Please use absorptive hardscape including permeable pavers.  If using regular pavers, don’t use hydraulic sand and don’t seal.  Grass sheds water and adds to neighborhood flooding.  It is important that each of us capture stormwater where it falls and prevent it from needing to reach the sewer.  Please reduce grass and add another 100 sq. ft. of permeable hardscape and drought resistant native plants, grasses, shrubs and trees for every 3,000 sq. ft. of lot you have.  Add a Green Roof on your house or garage.

Please also do not use herbicides or let lawn care services use herbicides.

 

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Events & Announcements

Rizal asks if you’re interested in a year-round farmers market – survey

The Rizal Community Center, 1332 Irving Park is asking if you’d like a year-round farmers market.  Could you please take the attached survey?  https://googl/forms/9kymQ3Gtz2qn0FJk1

 


 

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Events & Announcements

News Flash – Rizal installs 1st Green Roof Panel following GWCA Green Roof Meeting and bees arrive

On June 11th, GWCA held a short Quarterly meeting and elections.  Then Mike Selleck, with LiveRoof, gave a presentation and demonstration on Green Roofs.  Why Green Roofs?  Because GWCA is encouraging all to 1) capture stormwater where it falls to help prevent neighborhood street, basement and vehicle flooding.  2) to reduce urban heat island effect.  3) to replace lost bird, pollinator and beneficial insect habitat including habitat for our neighborhood and Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan rusty patched bumblebee, now endangered.

Rizal is proceeding with a Green Roof and installed the first panel on June 12th.  See photos soon on our Face book page.  Bees almost immediately headed for this single Green Roof panel.  Rizal will also soon be adding planters in front overflowing with native plants.

GWCA’s 36th Annual Garden Walk is Sunday, August 5th from 1-5.  Please email Donna if you’d like to show your garden; donnaforsberg@sbcglobal.net.

Minutes:  Council Members Janice Horwich, Chennin Kienzler and Joanne Yonan were thanked for their most recent service of 18-mo terms.  Janice and Joanne ran for and were elected for new terms beginning July 1st.  One 18-month Council Seat is open.  Please write to GWCA at info@gracelandwest.org if you are interested in serving on the GWCA Council or as a Block Rep.  Rizal provided a survey to determine if neighbors were interested in having a farmers market.

We met neighbors and socialized over pizza and desserts including Filipino suman, a sweet rice in banana leaf, served with roasted coconut and mango slices, and a variety of cookies, including blue fortune cookies. GWCA, Rizal and LiveRoof, thanks for the refreshments.   

 

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Events & Announcements

GWCA 4th Annual Council & Block Rep Leaders Workshop & Outreach held

June 2nd was a community involvement day for GWCA Leaders and neighbors

Council Members and Block Reps launched a GWCA membership and food drive

And the annual GWCA Yard Sale was held.

We thank all GWCA leaders and all in the neighborhood who are GWCA Members – $15 – individual, $25 – couple, family or business, $10 – senior individual or couple, $20 – nonprofit.


Our calendar and a membership form is on our website; www.gracelandwest.org

Or email us for a membership form to join or renew – info@gracelandwest.org

 

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