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Dear Neighbors,
Last weekend, we honored late HIV/AIDS activist and legendary performance artist Chilli Pepper with the dedication of “Honorary Chilli Pepper Way.” Chilli was a beloved fixture in Chicago's entertainment scene, performing everywhere from the Baton Show Lounge to The Oprah Winfrey Show at a time when the LGBTQ+ community had far less visibility and acceptance in mainstream society. During the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, she devoted her time and her voice to raising critical funds, using her visibility to fight stigma surrounding HIV, and demanding government transparency when few were willing to speak out. Dedicating “Honorary Chilli Pepper Way” ensures her courage, advocacy, and legacy will continue to inspire our community for generations to come.
You can still submit a public comment to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) regarding ComEd's proposed substation at 1111 W. Diversey Parkway here. The DCC recently learned that a technical issue in the ICC’s system prevented many comments from being recorded. Because of this, anyone who submitted feedback within the past two weeks is being asked to send it in again. Their goal is to collect at least 1,000 comments by October 15. If you’ve already shared your perspective, we encourage you to take a moment to resubmit — and if you haven’t weighed in yet, now is a great time to make your voice heard.
  
The first of two community conversations hosted by the 19th District is tonight at Sulzer Library (4455 N Lincoln) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Residents are encouraged to attend and share their feedback, priorities, and concerns with CPD, which will help shape the department’s 2027 Strategic Plan. The second community conversation will be on November 4 at Clarendon Park (4501 N Clarendon) from 5:30-7:30pm. To register, click here.
The Chicago Marathon takes place this Sunday, October 11. Route closures begin at 6:00am, with most local streets expected to reopen around 12:00-1:00 p.m. As in previous years, Inner Lake Shore Drive will become two-way from Belmont to Briar. Residents can view the complete route here, as well as a complete list of anticipated street closing and reopening times here.
Installation of protective bollards around Wrigley Field will begin on Monday, October 12 in preparation for hosting the 2027 MLB All-Star Game in order to enhance the safety and security of fans, the ballpark and the community. For a complete timeline on this project, including street and sidewalk closures surrounding the ballpark, please see our Infrastructure Section below.
 
The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights' (CIRR) has two upcoming events. A virtual Immigration Briefing to review recent changes to federal immigration law and policies, and their impact on Chicagoans will take place on Tuesday, October 13 from 1-2 p.m. To register for the briefing, click here.
CIRR is also hosting a virtual Immigration Workshop on filing police reports. If you or someone you know experienced or witnessed misconduct from federal immigration agents, you can file a report with the Chicago Police Department, which is required to investigate. This workshop will review best practices for documentation and providing evidence, legal and ethical considerations, and the importance of conducting a risk assessment before reporting. There will be a workshop in English on Thursday, October 15 from 6-7 p.m. and another in Spanish on Thursday, October 22 from 6-7 p.m. To register for either session, click here.
 
Our annual 44th Ward Electronic Recycling & Shredding Event will take place on Saturday, October 17th from 9:00am-12:00pm at the Ward office (3223 N Sheffield). Please remove any metal or plastic materials including staples, paper clips, and rubber bands from paper being recycled.
As we approach the final rounds of street sweeping, fallen leaves can accumulate along curbs and over stormwater drains. This buildup can clog the sewer system and increase the risk of flooding. To help keep our streets clear, please bag your leaves and request Yard Waste Pickup through 311. To view the 44th Ward street sweeping schedule, click here.
We are excited to announce that Residential Parking Passes for 2027 will be on sale in the Ward office beginning on Monday, October 19 and you will be able to start using them immediately. The 2026 pink passes can be used through Tuesday, January 5, 2027. Please call our office with any questions at 773-525-6034.
As we near the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are proud to highlight two female‑owned Hispanic small businesses in our Business Corner below. Hispanic Heritage Month offers an important opportunity to recognize the cultural, economic, and social contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities across our city. It’s also a moment to uplift local business owners whose work strengthens our neighborhoods.
My office will be closed on Monday, October 12 in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day. We will reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13.
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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Upcoming Resurfacing
Streets:
The summer street resurfacing schedule is now complete. We are waiting for updates on the fall schedule from CDOT. We hope to have more information soon.
Alleys:
- EW alley between W. Newport, N. Lakewood, W. Roscoe, N. Racine - Tentative pave date is 10/14
- NS alley between W. Waveland, N. Lakewood, W. Addison, N. Magnolia - Tentative pave date is 10/14
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Wrigley Field Bollards Installation
Installation of protective bollards around Wrigley Field will be installed beginning on October 12, 2026. The work will take place in phases and will be completed by Opening Day 2027.
- From October 12 through early December, Sheffield Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from Addison Street to Waveland Avenue. The west sidewalk will be closed to pedestrians.
- From October 12 through early March, Waveland Avenue will be closed to westbound traffic from Clark Street to Sheffield Avenue. The south sidewalk will be closed to pedestrians.
- From October 22 through mid-January, the sidewalk on the north side of Addison Street will be closed to pedestrians.
- Beginning in mid-November through mid-December, the sidewalk on the east side of Clark Street will be closed to pedestrians.
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Divvy Bikes & E-Scooters
We are excited to share that we now have a total of 26 E-Scooter & Divvy Bike docking stations in the 44th Ward!
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Divvy for Everyone Program
The Divvy for Everyone Program provides a full year of bikeshare access for just $5 for income-qualified residents.
To learn more about this program, click here.
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Reporting Scooter & Divvy Bike Removals
If you see Divvy Bikes or E-Scooters that are not properly returned to a docking station, please report this to 311 here. By contract, shared bike and scooter companies must remove their property within two hours of a 311 removal request. We appreciate your assistance in helping keep our neighborhood clean.
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Chi Street Work Portal
Have questions about street work happening in your area?
The Department of Transportation has a tool called the Chi Street Work Portal where you can input an address and see all surrounding permits for projects on that street.
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Garbage & Recycling
The next recycling pick-up for the 44th Ward is the week of October 12. Please note that this is also a holiday week. Please ensure that your garbage is accessible throughout the week, as the exact service day may vary.
You can find your full garbage and recycling pick up schedule here.
Recycling information is now also available through Chicago's Recycle Coach App. To learn more about the app, click here.
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Click here to view the full street sweeping schedule.
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To submit a small business for our weekly shoutout, please complete the form here.
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19th District Weekly Report:
September 28 - October 4
My office is in regular contact with the 19th Police District about crimes that have occurred. Please note that the statistics below are a reflection of the entire 19th District, not only the 44th Ward. The boundaries are from Lawrence Ave to Fullerton Ave, from the Chicago River to the Lake.
For additional public safety resources, please view our website's public safety page here for both proactive measures to stay safe before crimes occur, and also how to respond in the event of a crime.
Below you'll find Week 40's CompStat breakdown of crime in the 19th District.
Here are the key points:
- Year to Date, Robberies are down 40%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 29%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is down 8%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is down 60%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 43%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 51%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 6%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 9%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 19%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 20%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
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Community Meetings With CPD (‘Beat Meetings’):
Beat meetings are part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) and are an opportunity to speak directly with CPD officers about your neighborhood. The officers review incidents that have occurred as well as an overview of crime statistics. Find your beat here and view the beat meeting schedule below or in our ward calendar.
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2027 Strategic Plan Community Conversations
The 19th District will be having two community conversations to discuss their 2027 Strategic Plan:
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Sulzer Regional Library
4455 N. Lincoln Ave.
5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Clarendon Park
4501 N. Clarendon Ave.
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m
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Are you a young leader (18–24) from Chicago’s North Side who is passionate about public safety and police accountability?
A seat is opening on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA), and the District Council Nominating Committee is seeking applicants now through October 18.
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Applicants must submit an application, resume, and three letters of support; meet age and residency requirements; and demonstrate strong leadership and the ability to work well with diverse communities and public safety stakeholders.
Visit our CCPSA's website to learn more, register for upcoming virtual information session, and to apply before October 18.
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CPD Superintendent Search
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) announced on September 18 that they have closed the application period for Chicago’s next Superintendent of the Police following a month-long nationwide recruitment effort that drew 44 applicants. The applicant pool includes current and former members of the Chicago Police Department, as well as candidates from outside of CPD.
The Commission will now begin to conduct multiple rounds of interviews with these candidates to get to know them better - how they make difficult decisions, how they work with communities and officers, and whether they understand what it takes to lead CPD at this moment.
The Commission has until November 12 to submit three finalists to the Mayor. The Mayor must then select a Superintendent from the Commission’s list of three finalists or reject the list with a written explanation requesting a new slate of candidates.
To learn more about CCPSA's search, click here.
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Other Public Safety Alerts
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Delivery Drivers:
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Charity Scam Alert:
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Mental Health Response Resources
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If someone is in a mental health crisis, NAMI, Thresholds, and Trilogy provide resources and mobile crisis response in which a mental health professional can be dispatched.
This can be done instead of, or in conjunction with calling 911. If calling 911, you can ask for a CIT officer to be dispatched as they have additional mental health response training.
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DAG'S NIGHT OUT FOR NETTELHORST - OCT. 8
Every second Thursday, D’Agostino’s Pizza (1351 W Addison) donates 20% of sales to Nettelhorst. This month, Dag’s Night will be on October 8th for dine in or order out between 4-8 p.m.
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OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PET BLESSING - OCT. 11
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TEEN FALLAPALOOZA - OCT. 16
Registration is strongly encouraged
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44TH WARD ELECTRONIC RECYCLING & SHRED EVENT
- OCT. 17
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TUBMAN FALL FEST - OCT. 24
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PUMPKIN GIVEAWAY - OCT. 24
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INTER-AMERICAN'S GRACELAND & GHOSTS - OCT. 25
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TRICK OR TREAT ON SOUTHPORT
- OCT. 26
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LAKEVIEW EAST CHAMBER LITTLE MONSTERS CRAWL - OCT. 31
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On Sunday, October 11, Chicago will welcome runners and spectators from around the world for the 48th Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
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Towing and Street Closures:
- No parking is allowed on the Chicago Marathon course. Towing of vehicles on the course will begin at 1:00am on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
- The Chicago Marathon will involve extensive street closures on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Streets in your neighborhood may be closed to traffic starting at 6:00 a.m. and continuing to 4:00 p.m.
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Merlo Library - Upcoming Programs
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Merlo Library (644 W Belmont) has a wide range of events each week for babies, kids, teens, and adults.
Click here to view all of Merlo's upcoming events, and see below for events this coming week.
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- Film Screening: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) - Friday, October 09, 2:00pm–4:00pm
- Sunday Crafternoon - Sunday, October 11, 1:30pm–2:30pm
- Cozy Crafting - Monday, October 12, 5:30pm–7:00pm
- Recording Studio Certification for Teens - Tuesday, October 13, 4:00pm–5:30pm
- Halloween Window Painting - Wednesday, October 14, 3:30pm–6:30pm
- Baby Time - Thursday, October 15, 10:30am–11:00am
- Baby Time - Thursday, October 15, 11:30am–12:00pm
- Power Up Thursdays - Thursday, October 15, 3:30pm–5:30pm
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Nourishing Hope (3945 N Sheridan), formerly known as Lakeview Pantry, is a robust Chicago nonprofit providing food, mental wellness counseling and other social services, such as job and housing assistance, to our neighbors in need.
To learn more about their programs, click here.
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Deliver fresh groceries to your neighbors!
- Sign up for a Home Delivery Driving shift with Nourishing Hope to deliver 8-10 orders. Driving shifts begin at their Hub warehouse at 5151 N. Ravenswood at 10:30am.
- You can learn more and register for shifts here.
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Donation Pages & Volunteer Opportunities
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LVHS FUNDRAISER
Lake View High School is raising month to purchase Hamilton Buhl Educational Robots to use in their Fundamentals of Information Technology Class, a required class that all students take before graduation.
If you are interested in learning more, click here.
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TUBMAN PLAYGROUND
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CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL
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ADOPTION EVENT - OCT. 17
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2026 CHICAGO YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION FUND (YCAF)
Application Deadline: 11/6/26
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SPACE PARK MEMORIAL BRICK PROGRAM
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OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL ACADEMY
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OLMC PLAYGROUP
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MAKE YOUR BUILDING
BIRD-FRIENDLY
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BEAT FACILITATOR APPLICATION
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The City is Hiring
Looking for a job? Try working for the City! Click here to see the full list of job openings currently seeking applicants.
Local government employment opportunities:
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