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Dear Neighbors,
As we welcome June, we kick-off Pride Month, a time to honor the resilience, contributions, and history of the LGBTQ+ community. It is also an opportunity to reflect on why the values of Pride — visibility, inclusion, and belonging — are particularly important at this moment in history. Throughout the month, our neighborhood and the entire city will come alive with celebrations, events, and opportunities to come together. I look forward to joining many of you and celebrating our vibrant community.
The theme of the Pride Parade this year is Free to Be Proud. It is intentional and declarative. Pride has never been just 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. For more information on the Pride Parade, click here. The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and the Northalsted Business Alliance have also complied guides to help you celebrate.
This past week we welcomed two new businesses to the Ward. Apothecary Cocktail Lounge (3242 N Clark) is a pharmacy-inspired bar that offers elevated small bites and a jazz bar ambiance. Also new to the neighborhood is Level Sporting Club (3343 N Clark). Opened by a former Whitney Young and Northwestern basketball player, Level Sporting Club will be dedicated to centering women's sports, offering two bars, a basement lounge, bar food, and wall to wall TV screens. I also attended the ribbon cutting for the first Low-Line Market of the season. They have a great variety of produce, baked goods, and more, all from local vendors. To learn more and view a full vendor list, click here.
  
Congratulations to Commander Terrence Forbes, Jr., who previously served as Captain of Chicago's 19th Police District, for earning a well-deserved promotion to Commander of the 12th District. I am excited to welcome back Captain Jason Clark as the new Captain for the 19th District. Captain Clark is no stranger to the 19th District — he previously worked in the 19th District CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) office, and served as both Sergeant and Lieutenant while here in 19. We are lucky to have him back as Captain and I look forward to working with him once again!
Today marks the final day of school for our CPS students and the start of summer. There are wonderful programs for Chicago teens and kids to take advantage of this summer. The Chicago Public Library has reading lists and activities all summer long — to learn more about the CPL summer events, click here. The YMCA will also be offering free memberships for Chicago teens. You can find more information and participating YMCAs here.
The beginning of summer also marks the beginning of increased street work and construction. Check out the infrastructure section below to stay up to date on projects happening in the ward. Next week, Broadway will be closed between Barry and Wellington beginning on Tuesday, June 9th at 9am through Thursday, June 11th at 4pm for crane work at 3030 N Broadway. As a result, the following #36 bus stops along Broadway will be affected: Broadway & Belmont, Broadway & Barry, Broadway & Wellington, Broadway & Surf, and Broadway & Diversey. You can view the map showing how the northbound and southbound busses will be rerouted here.
  
A second set of road closures will occur for Dine Out on Broadway from June 12th through June 14th. Broadway will be closed from Belmont to Wellington in order to transform it into a pedestrian-friendly space. You can read more about Dine Out on Broadway 2026 here.
Next weekend, my annual Kids Bike Parade returns on Saturday, June 13th. Taking advantage of the road closures for Dine Out on Broadway, we will meet at Broadway & Belmont at 8:45am and ride bikes to Wellington & back. Helmets are mandatory, and bike decorations are encouraged. The Southport Neighbors Association will also have their Native Plant sale on Saturday, June 13th at Low Line Plaza under the Southport Brown Line. All proceeds benefit the Southport Neighbors Association's Native Corner Plot Initiative. You can learn about the sale and the native flowers and grasses they're featuring here.
We are seeking feedback on a proposal for the Cubs to amend their Planned Development to add additional parking in their Camry Lot for fans and employees through the adjacent House of the Good Shepherd lot, which they have acquired. This proposal would increase available parking in the Camry Lot by 259 parking spaces, bringing the total number from 688 to 947. To learn more about this proposal, you can view plans and details on our website here. We ask that neighbors share their thoughts on this development with us by completing our survey here. We will be accepting responses to this survey for a two week period, ending on Thursday, June 18th.
  
A big thank you to the residents that volunteer their time to help keep our communities clean. Last weekend, the Trash People organized a community clean up event with 25 volunteers. Another thank you to Steve and Mike who continue to keep Belmont/Sheridan Triangle Park beautiful by volunteering to weed edge and mulch the park.
Congratulations to 44th Ward Crossing Guard Gwen Ford-Nino who was recently awarded Crossing Guard of the Year for the second time. She currently serves Nettelhorst Elementary and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy. Gwen has been a CPS Crossing Guard for 46 years — nearly five decades of serving generations of Chicago's children. Thank you, Gwen!
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Have a great weekend,
Alderman Bennett Lawson
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Upcoming Alley Resurfacing
Two alley's and two alley aprons will be resurfaced in the coming weeks:
Alleys: Grind date is 6/11 for both, weather permitting.
- E/W alley between Buckingham, Halsted, Aldine, Clark
- N/S alley between School, Racine, Melrose, and Lakewood
Alley Aprons: Grind date is 6/9 for both, weather permitting. 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 8th. 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:
May 25th - May 31st
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 22'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 39%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 are down 52%
- Year to Date, Aggravated Battery is up 10%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 is down 33%
- Year to Date, Burglaries are down 36%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 42%
- Year to Date, Thefts are up 16%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're up 1%
- Year to Date, Motor Vehicle Thefts are up 7%, and compared to the same 28-day time period in 2025 they're down 6%
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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ADVOCATE HEALTH: BABY FEST - JUNE 6TH
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VOLUNTEER & EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE FAIR - JUNE 9TH
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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
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HAWTHORNE MOVIE NIGHTS - JUNE 5TH & AUGUST 9TH
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Merlo Library - Upcoming Programs
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- Sunday Crafternoon - 6/7, 1:30pm-2:30pm
- Tactile Art Night - 6/8, 4:00pm-6:00pm (13-19 years)
- Cozy Crafting - 6/8, 5:30pm-7:00pm (13-19 years)
- Tummy Time - 6/9, 10:30am-11:00am (0-18 months)
- Preschool Story Time - 6/9, 11:30am-12:00pm (19 months - 5 years)
- LEGO Club - 6/9, 3:30pm-4:30p (4-13 years)
- Recording Studio Certification for Teens (registration required), 6/9, 4:00pm-5:30pm (13-19 years)
- Window Painting- 6/10, 3:00pm-6:00pm (ages 3 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: JENI'S - JUNE 4TH
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NETTELHORST FUNDRAISER: D'AGOSTINO'S- JUNE 11TH
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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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UNDERSTANDING YOUR STATUS - JUNE 4TH
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EMERGENCY FAMILY PLANNING - JUNE 10TH & 17TH
(June 10th - English, June 17th - Spanish)
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HOMEBUYER EVENT - JUNE 6TH
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SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE - JUNE 1ST - 7TH
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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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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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