Meet Our Hosts: Quantum LEEP Academy Founder Lorell Marin will share insights about the school and their mission.
Special Guest: We’re thrilled to welcome Heather Way Kitzes the Chicago Cubs Director of Community and Government Affairs! She’ll share her experiences, vision and how we can collaborate to make our neighborhood even more vibrant. Let’s explore how we can team up with the Cubs to strengthen our ties with the organization.
Additional meeting topics:
GWCA budget vote: Have your say in our organization’s financial future.
Semi-Annual Council Election: We’re actively seeking passionate individuals to run for council positions! If you’re enthusiastic about the community, step up and make a difference.
Garden Walk Sign-Up: Get ready for our most beautiful event! Sign up to show your garden.
Plant Sale Kickoff: Bring your green thumb and learn about the plant sale we are supporting.
Quantum LEEP Academy
1447 West Montrose Ave Chicago,
IL
United States+ Google Map773-944-0864
This Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 5:30 at Port & Park Bistro & Bar (bar entrance) come celebrate the year with other Graceland West residents and GWCA members.
The list below highlights the GWCA activities throughout the year.
January GWCA & Southport Neighbors Association 46th Ward Aldermanic Forum, Music Box Lounge
March First Quarter Community Meeting, Lakeview Taproom. This was an opportunity for GWCA Block Reps and 19th District Police to get to know each other. 19th District Police Cpt. DelPilar and CAPS Sgt. Hernandez led the update. 19th District Police Council elect Samuel Schoenberg attended. Alderman Martin provided updates for a Traffic Circle for Greenview and Belle Plaine and an update on construction of protected bike lanes on Clark from Irving Park to Montrose. GWCA approved zoning for renovated and new condo construction on Cuyler.
April Earth Day Cleanup. GWCA has held neighborhood cleanups since its 1979 inception.
May GWCA received not-for-profit status again. Donations to GWCA, not including membership dues, are now tax deductible.
JuneSecond Quarter Community Meeting and semi-annual election, Warner Park. Celebrated the Summer Solstice with an annual outdoor Environmental Topic Meeting. Live Roof and Pizzo Native Landscape were our 2023 panel. The Environmental committee focus includes neighborhood Climate Change, pollinator habitat, stormwater flooding, diesel air pollution, composting, recycling and more. Semi-annual elections are held in June and December for 18-month Council terms.
May Annual Yard & Garage Sale
July 41st Annual Garden Walk. 31 Gardens & 7 Pollinator Sites. Information tables included GWCA information, Master Gardeners, Native Plant Pollinator Pathway and Stormwater Absorption Initiative and Tree Keepers.
September 43rd Annual Neighborhood Fest. GWCA was established in 1979 and our first event was our Fest.
September Third Quarter Community Meeting, Warner Park – this meeting was cancelled. The bike maintenance and safety clinic was postponed and the Alder led bike ride will happen when the new Clark Street protected bike lanes open.
September GWCA Native Plant Pollinator Pathway and Stormwater Absorption Site Gardeners received a Chicago Excellence in Gardening (CEGA) Honorary Mention for their seven parkway sites. 5 sites are available for this initiative at Berteau and Ashland, Belle Plaine and Ashland, Cullom and Greenview, Cuyler and Greenview and Warner and Southport.
October Guys of GWCA gathering, Long Room Chicago
October Children’s Halloween Party, Warner Park
November Gals of GWCA gathering, Long Room Chicago
November 11th Annual Street and Crosswalk all-volunteer Leaf Cleanup. 20 volunteers kicked off the cleanup on Greenview intersections filling almost 100 bags with street and crosswalk leaves in 90 minutes. Our 9-day 2023 goal was 500 bags.
DecemberFourth Quarter Community Meeting, Port & Park. Semi-annual elections, holiday social & Golden Rake Award.
Every year, our final quarterly community meeting is a celebration and social gathering. This year it will be held Thursday December 7th at 5:30 at Port & Park. We’ll have some fun and announce the winner of this year’s golden rake for amazing work during our annual street leaf cleanup. As always, reach out to info@gracelandwest.org with any questions.
Friendly reminder that our previously scheduled quarterly GWCA meeting for September 23rd has been canceled. We hope you all enjoyed the Graceland West Neighborhood Fest and are looking forward to the annual Children’s Halloween Party on Saturday October 28th.
Although the kids are heading back to school, we still have a month left of our 2023 summer.
Looking back, we kicked off the summer with a very successful and engaging meeting. Special thanks to Rachel Kuipers and Jack Pizzo for sharing their knowledge with the group. Also a warm welcome to Chad Rathmann and Linda Welsh who were welcomed to the GWCA council. All meeting minutes are uploaded to our Archives page.
In July we had an amazing 41st annual GWCA Garden Walk. A very special thanks to all of the gardeners who welcomed the community into their enchanted spaces and to Ben Conley, Chad Rathmann and Linda Welsh for leading the organization of the walk.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail spotted during the 41st Annual GWCA Garden Walk
Looking ahead…
On September 10 we will have our annual neighborhood festival on Greenview between Belle Plaine and Warner. Hopefully this year mother nature will spare us the gale-force winds.
On September 23rd we’ll reconvene in the beautiful Warner Park and Gardens for our Q3 meeting and to vote on important matters related to a business on Irving Park.
Be on the lookout for detailed information about these upcoming events and subscribe to our calendar at the bottom of https://gracelandwest.org/calendar/. As always, feel free to drop a note to info@gracelandwest.org about any neighborhood-related curiosities.
Our next GWCA Community Meeting is Tuesday, June 20 from 6:30 – 8 pm at Warner Park & Gardens, 1446 West Warner. We’ll move indoors if weather is more than sprinkles of rain.
Agenda includes a brief business meeting & semi-annual GWCA council election. Then the Garden Walk Committee will kick off registration for the 41st Annual Garden Walk on Sunday, July 16. This will be followed by a distinguished panel that will discuss “What one person, household, school or business can do outdoors (balcony, patio, roof, yard) to help the environment”.
Rachel Kuipers, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Design Professional, LiveRoof/Hortech. LR/H specializes in blue green roof systems, offering stormwater management solutions; native, pollinating, habitat-creating and biodiverse plant mixes, LiveRoof’s network of licensed growers provides locally grown modular green roof systems focused on overall plant and system health.
Jack Pizzo, Horticulturist, Ecologist, Landscape Architect, and the founder and principal of The Pizzo Group. With a talented team of professionals, he creates and manages sustainable gardens and landscapes, restores ecosystems, and serves on conservation boards. Pizzo Nursery native plant plugs are available through their retail partners. The Pizzo Group has received 170+ industry awards.
We look forward to seeing you on the 20th! If you have any questions about the meeting, please reach out to info@gracelandwest.org.
Thaks so much to everyone who attended the meeting on March 22nd and for all of your thoughtful questions. A special thanks to our meeting guests Alderman Martin, Officers Hernandez and Delpilar and Sam Schoenburg. And thanks to our host Andrew Pillman and the Lakeview Taproom.
More information on the Home and Business Protection Program for light and camera reimbursements can be found here.
The city tracks traffic collision information in their data portal. This data would need to be filtered by latitude and longitude to see only Graceland West information.
There’s been an addition to the agenda for our meeting on Wednesday. GWCA member Peter Wasik will discuss a zoning change required for 1408 W. Cuyler which is required for the development of the empty lot at 1406 W. Cuyler. Looking forward to seeing you at the meeting to learn more about this project. The original agenda and meeting information is copied below.
We’re excited to kick off our 2023 quarterly neighborhood meeting with the topic of neighborhood safety. Please review our recent post about crime in the neighborhood and bring your ideas and questions for the district and for the alderman. Check out our page on Neighborhood Safety for some helpful tips.
Conversation with 19th District Police and the 47th Ward Alderman’s office about neighborhood safety
47th Ward office ill provide updates on LV-2 parking, Belle Plaine & Greenview Traffic circle installation and new protected bike lanes on Clark from Montrose to Irving Park.
Kick off of GWCA 41st Annual Garden Walk sign up. Gardens will include descriptions for 2023. Event is moved from August to Sunday, July 16, 1-5 pm. Fill out this form to sign-up.
Yard sale is Saturday, June 3, 9-4 pm. (Rain Day is Sunday). Contact info@gracelandwest.org to register.
GWCA business will include annual GWCA budget vote (members).
We’re excited to kick off our 2023 quarterly neighborhood meeting with the topic of neighborhood safety. Please review our recent post about crime in the neighborhood and bring your ideas and questions for the district and for the alderman. Check out our page on Neighborhood Safety for some helpful tips.
Conversation with 19th District Police and the 47th Ward Alderman about neighborhood safety
47th Ward office ill provide updates on LV-2 parking, Belle Plaine & Greenview Traffic circle installation and new protected bike lanes on Clark from Montrose to Irving Park.
Kick off of GWCA 41st Annual Garden Walk sign up. Gardens will include descriptions for 2023. Event is moved from August to Sunday, July 16, 1-5 pm. Fill out this form to sign-up.
Yard sale is Saturday, June 3, 9-4 pm. (Rain Day is Sunday). Contact info@gracelandwest.org to register.
GWCA business will include annual GWCA budget vote (members).
