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Dear Neighbors,
Clean up efforts are underway following yesterday's storms. If you see any downed branches or debris affecting streets, sidewalks, or public spaces, please report them to 311 so our Streets & Sanitation crews can respond to get them cleared. With the possibility of more storms this weekend, we appreciate everyone's assistance in reporting affected areas and patience as crews work to keep our community safe and clean.
It's a busy weekend at Wrigley Field with back to back concerts. Kicking off the weekend, Mumford & Sons will perform tonight at 6:30pm followed by RÜFÜS DU SOL on Friday at 7:30pm. Please note that pyrotechnics will be used both Thursday and Friday night. On Saturday from 6-9pm, OKGO will perform as part of the Budweiser Concert Series at Gallagher Way. As a reminder, concerts at Wrigley Field are treated as home Cubs night games, so the same restrictions will apply. To report any issues, call the Cubs game day hotline at 866-4-CPD-TOW.
I encourage community members to attend the upcoming meeting regarding the proposed ComEd Substation for 1111 W Diversey on Monday, June 22nd at 6:30pm in the Olson Auditorium at Illinois Masonic (836 Wellington). Community input is an importance part of this process, and it will be an opportunity to share your thoughts and feedback with ComEd directly. To learn more about the proposed substation, click here.
  
With the warmer weather, I'm excited to share that we are on track for a groundbreaking later this summer for the Lakeview Dog Park project, with the Park open for our furry friends before the end of the year. I'm proud to have committed $400,000 to the Park and look forward to seeing construction get underway once a contractor is selected and onboarded in the coming weeks. We are working closely with our community partners, the Dog Park Advisory Council, and the Chicago Park District to make this a reality, and I look forward to sharing more updates soon!
I would like to share that Leon Jackson was re-arrested on Monday, June 8th for aggravated battery in a public place. Our office has been in close communication with CPD and has been closely monitoring this case. Leon Jackson has a history of targeting individuals along Broadway, and we have heard from a number of residents who feel unsafe while he is present. His pre-trial detention hearing is scheduled for 12:30pm today, and his next hearing is tentatively scheduled for July 1st. If you would like to attend his hearing via zoom, please email the office. A strong community presence at these hearings helps show the court how seriously our neighborhood takes this case, and we hope to see many of you there. We will continue to monitor his case and will share updates as we receive them.
 
This weekend marks the first Dine Out on Broadway of the summer with more than 20 different local restaurants participating. In order to transform Broadway into a space for dining, Broadway will be closed between Belmont and Wellington from Friday, June 12th through Sunday, June 14th. For information on the #36 Bus reroute, click here. For more information on participating restaurants this season, click here.
On Saturday, June 13th, my annual Kids Bike Parade will return to Broadway, taking advantage of street closures for a fun, safe ride. We will meet at Belmont & Broadway at 8:45am to ride to Wellington & back. We encourage riders to decorate their bikes, and helmets are required for all participants. The Southport Neighbors Association will also be hosting their annual Native Plant Sale on Saturday at 9am at Low-Line Plaza under the Brown Line. If your garden is in need of finishing touches for summer, native plants that support our ecosystem are a great addition. To learn more about the sale, click here. On Thursday, June 18th, join the Lakeview Urbanists for a bike ride to celebrate the newly completed Grace Greenway. The ride will begin at 6:30pm at the corner of Waveland and Inner LSD and conclude at Paul Revere Park.
 
As we approach Pride Fest and Pride Parade weekend, safety is our top priority. Dating back to February, we have been meeting with the Chicago Police Department OEMC, and all relevant city agencies and departments that make the parade possible. You can find a full parade map route here, including pedestrian crossing points, EMS locations, and cooling buses. Throughout the remainder of the month, you can find more information for Pride on our website and in the Pride Information section of our newsletter below.
My office will be accepting response to our Camry Lot survey for one more week, through June 18th. You can review the plans on my website here and complete the survey here. The proposal for the Cubs to amend their Planned Development to add additional parking spaces would increase total parking spaces by 259, bringing their total number from 688 to 947.
I would like to congratulate Tubman Elementary for achieving Triple Exemplary Status after being awarded with Exemplary Status for their implementation of both the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in addition to the Exemplary Status they received last year for their Fine Arts program. Congratulations to all of the teachers, staff, coordinators, parents, and students at Tubman for this achievement!
This past weekend, we tragically lost Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) employee Riley O'Neil in a bicycle accident. While at CDOT, Riley was a member of their Complete Streets team and previously led Chicago's bike parking program. Riley devoted his career to making Chicago's streets safer for everyone, and I'm grateful for his service. My thoughts are with Riley's friends, family, and those at CDOT who worked alongside him. To honor his legacy, we should recommit ourselves to creating a safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists alike. Chicago's Vision Zero program is a commitment to eliminating deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes, and I urge everyone to remember the impact you have when you get behind the wheel.
Please note our office will be closed next Friday, June 19th, in observation of Juneteenth.
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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Upcoming Alley Resurfacing
Several streets, alleys, and alley aprons will be resurfaced this week.
Streets:
- Pine Grove from Surf to Diversey - Grind date is 6/10
- Hawthorne from Broadway to Lake Shore - Grind date is 6/11
Alleys:
- E/W alley between Belmont, Cambridge, Briar, and Pine Grove - Grind date is 6/11
- E/W alley between Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine, Clark - Grind date is 6/15
- N/S alley between School, Racine, Melrose, and Lakewood - Grind date is 6/17
Alley Aprons: In progress. Estimated repair is 6/25.
- 815 Buckingham
- 1142 Cornelia
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Wellington/Oakdale Greenway
The revised proposal for the Wellington/Oakdale is up for review and we appreciate constructive feedback. You can find a larger version of the flyer provided on my website here.
To submit feedback, you can email ward44@cityofchicago.org or call my office at 773-525-6034.
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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!
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 June 22nd. You can find your full garbage and recycling pick up schedule here.
Recycling information is now also available through Chicago's Recycle Coach App. You can learn more about the app here.
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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:
June 1st - June 7th
My office is in regular contact with the 19th Police District about crimes that have occurred recently in our area and that are reflected in the statistics below. The majority of 19th District crimes have occurred outside of our ward. The 19th District also includes the surrounding neighborhoods of Uptown, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Bricktown, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square.
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. In order to stay safe, please find the the full list of CPD's safety tips here, as well as tips for personal safety, robberies, and vehicles.
Below you'll find Week 23's CompStat breakdown of crime in the 19th District.
Please note, these statistics are a reflection of the entire 19th District. The boundaries are from Lawrence Ave to Fullerton Ave, from the Chicago River to the Lake.
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 48%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 19%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is down 7%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 38%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 50%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 15%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 6%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 7%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 23%
For a list of crime definitions, please see CPD's website here.
See full report below:
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Upcoming Meetings
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.
19th Police District Council
The 19th Police District Council holds monthly meetings. To view all upcoming meetings, you can visit the 19th Police District Council website here.
The next meeting is:
Tuesday, June 30th 6:30 PM
Topic: TBD
Sulzer Library
4455 N Lincoln Ave.
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Other Public Safety Alerts
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Honda Air Bag Thefts:
The Chicago Police Department continues to see reports of air bag thefts from Hondas in the area.
CPD officers have noted, however, that visible anti-theft devices such as steering wheel clubs have proven to be an effective deterrent, with many of the protected vehicles often being passed over even when neighboring cars were targeted.
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Illinois Secretary of State & DMV Scam Text Scams:
There continues to be a rise in fraudulent text messages that claim to be from the Illinois Secretary of State or DMV. These texts often use urgent language, threaten license suspension, registration holds, or legal action in an attempt to trick you into clicking a link or paying an alleged fine. Learn more on the Illinois Secretary of State website here.
Vehicle Theft Tactic Alert:
We want to make neighbors aware of a vehicle theft tactic that has been seen in other cities and may become more common here. Thieves are targeting newer “push-to-start” vehicles by using technology to capture and amplify the signal from a key fob—sometimes from outside a home—to unlock and start the car in seconds. From other cities' observations, this is more likely to occur when vehicles are parked close to a residence and when key fobs are stored near doors or windows facing the street. To help protect your vehicle, consider keeping your key fob farther inside your home, using a signal-blocking pouch, or parking further away.
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Mental Health Response Resources
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Pride Fest: June 20th & 21st
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Please note the following streets will be closed from Friday, June 19th through Monday, June 22nd:
- Halsted between Addison and Grace
- Bradley between Halsted and Freemont
- Waveland between Freemont and Broadway
For additional information and a map of the festival, click here.
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The theme for Pride this year is Free to Be Proud.
It is intentional and declarative. Pride has never just been about celebration — it is about visibility, dignity, resilience, and the right to exist safely and authentically. It is a reminder that no one is truly free until everyone is free to be.
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Pride Parade Route
The parade begins at Grace & Broadway at 11 am, and will then travel the 2-mile parade route south on Broadway; then south on Halsted; then east on Belmont; then south on Broadway; then easy on Diversey to Cannon Drive.
For more information, visit the Pride Chicago website here.
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LAKEVIEW EAST CHAMBER - GUIDE TO PRIDE
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TEEN PRIDE SPACE - JUNE 20TH-21ST
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CACC ADOPTION EVENT - JUNE 13TH
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KIDS BROADWAY BIKE PARADE - JUNE 13TH
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SOUTHPORT NEIGHBORS NATIVE PLANT SALE - JUNE 13TH
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DINE OUT ON BROADWAY - JUNE 12-14, JULY 10-12, AUGUST 21-23
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ADVOCATE ILLINOIS MASONIC MEN'S HEALTH TALK - JUNE 17TH
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LEVY SENIOR CENTER JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION - JUNE 18TH
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GRACE GREENWAY BIKE RIDE - JUNE 18TH
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COMED SUBSTATION MEETING - JUNE 22ND
(Note: the time has been updated to 6:30pm)
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HAWTHORNE MOVIE NIGHTS - AUGUST 9TH & AUGUST 23RD
(June 5th rescheduled for August 23rd due to rain)
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Merlo Library - Upcoming Programs
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- Rainbow Family Story Time - 6/13, 10:00am-11:30am (0-5 years)
- Chicago Favorites: Drawing Workshop with Illustrator Steve Musgrave - 6/13, 2:00pm-3:30pm (6-13 years)
- Leap Off the Page - 6/15, 6:00pm-7:00pm (6-13 years)
- Tummy Time - 6/16, 10:30am-11:00am (0-18 months)
- Preschool Story Time - 6/16, 11:30am-12:00pm (19 months - 5 years)
- LEGO Club - 6/16, 3:30pm-4:30p (4-13 years)
- Sewing Certification for Teens (registration required) - 6/16, 4:00pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Micro-RPG Wednesdays - 6/17, 5:00pm-7:00pm (13 years and up)
- Queer Letters to America (registration required) - 6/17, 5:30pm-7:30pm (18 years and up)
- Click for all program details
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Celebrate summer reading with the Chicago Public Library
Click here to view summer reading lists, events, and activities for kids, teens, and adults.
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Click here for a full list of Chicago farmers markets.
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Donation Pages & Volunteer Opportunities
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NETTELHORST FUNDRAISER: D'AGOSTINO'S- JUNE 11TH
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DIGNITY DINER FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER: JENI'S - JUNE 25TH
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TUBMAN PLAYGROUND
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CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL
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PRIDE Chicago Volunteer Application
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LAKEVIEW EAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - GUIDE TO FATHER'S DAY
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CHICAGO FIRE DEPT: CAMP COURAGE
(June 15th - July 29th, various locations)
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MAYOR'S YOUTH COMMISSION
(Accepting applications through 6/19)
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CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
(Next on: 6/17)
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FREE VIRTUAL LEGAL SEMINARS
(Next on: 6/17 covering Guardianship & Power of Attorney)
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CYBER SAVVY SENIORS
(Next on: 6/22 covering Device Basics)
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BACP LABOR LAW UPDATES - EFFECTIVE 7/1
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FURNITURE REMOVAL
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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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Chicago CARE Expansion, EMT - Accepting Applications Through June 12th!
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OEMC - Accepting Applications Through July 31st!
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