FALL BULBS & SEED GATHERING

October 16

Tuesday at 6PM

47th Ward Office, 4243 N. Lincoln Avenue

Experts discuss planting fall bulbs and how to do seed gathering.

City's Largest Rooftop Farm.  A hydroponics business is looking to do business in the 47th Ward. 

Get into your tree position!  Free community yoga session in River Park on Sunday morning.  Click here for more info. 

What We Eat Matters.  The food choices we make every day have a big effect on the environment.   The good news is that even small changes in what we buy and eat can add up to real environmental benefits, including fewer toxic chemicals, reduced global warming emissions, and preservation of our ocean resources. Eating "green" can also mean eating fresher, healthier foods while reducing your grocery bill and supporting our farmers. 

What's in Season in the Midwest Now.  Apples, Artichokes, Beans, Bell Peppers, Berries, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Grapes, Herbs, Horseradish, Leeks, Lettuce, Melons, Nectarines, Okra, Onions, Peaches, Peas, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rhubarb, Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips. 

Native plants at Lurie Garden Thrived in spite of Summer Heat and Drought.  Take a look at this website for gardening ideas that save water. And native plants also help keep rainwater out of the sewer system and out of our basements.  

Chicago's Energy Future.  The first privately owned natural gas fueling station serving local businesses and municipalities will open this month in Chicago.  The Ozinga Brothers concrete company built this facility at 2222 S. Lumber Stree that will fuel CNG vehicles like large trucks, buses and cars.   

Each City Council meeting begins with a 'Call to Order,' followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, and then an invocation. At this month's meeting, the invocation was led by a leader in the Sikh community -- after last month's tragic shooting in Wisconsin, my office, Clerk Mendoza's office, and the Mayor's office felt strongly about sending a message of solidarity with the Sikh community.

In connection with this effort, I introduced a resolution with Ald. Joe Moore (49) memorializing the victims from the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin shooting tragedy, denouncing hate crimes and hate rhetoric, but also calling attention to unproductive rhetoric in the public sphere. It seems that with every presidential election, some public officials/elected officials stoke the flames of hate. While public discourse on all issues must remain free, public/elected officials must also foster responsible and informed dialogue. Unfortunately, the Sikh Temple shooting and a recent increase of hate crimes against Mosques around the country reflect some of these ill-conceived conversations. The purpose of my resolution was not to muzzle dialogue, but instead, promote a dialogue that embraces diversity and promotes solidarity.

Mayor Emanuel has taken the lead on diversity and immigration issues. He has said many times that he wants Chicago to be the most immigrant friendly city in the country. To establish this goal, he created the Office of New Americans and continues to work on issues critical to immigrant populations in Chicago.

To see the full text of this resolution, please click here. 

To see my remarks on the Council Floor, please click here (My remarks begin near the 46:13 mark).  Blooper alert: At the end of my remarks, I forget to make a motion to immediately pass the resolution!

Assault Weapons Ban Resolution

I also introduced a resolution supporting Governor Quinn's efforts to ban assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines. Recent mass shootings around the country highlight the need for a State ban on assault weapons. This resolution supports Gov. Quinn's efforts and asks Congress to take action and revisit the federal ban that expired in 2004. Additionally, recent news reports detail how gang members in Chicago are acquiring guns from the suburbs through straw purchasers. The resolution calls for stronger language in the Chicago Municipal Code to address straw purchases of guns. I believe we should develop a system where municipalities cooperate to prevent straw purchases.

I am also pleased to report that nearly all my colleagues signed on to the resolution. To see the full text of this resolution, please click here.

CTA 'Decrowding' Plans

I am extremely disappointed that the CTA Board voted to eliminate bus lines that impact many neighborhoods in Chicago. The elimination of the #11 Lincoln Bus is a mistake. After testifying at the CTA public hearing, sending a letter to the CTA President, making phone calls to CTA representatives and the CTA President, and signing a community petition, the CTA Board still voted to eliminate the bus service. Many of you also contacted the CTA and our office regarding the elimination of this bus line and advocated for making sure it remained.

I am not giving up. I am going to continue plugging away and hope the CTA will reconsider their decision. I know it's a long shot but I also know the elimination of this bus is an extraordinary hardship for many in our community and I am shocked that a more robust analysis was not conducted on this bus line. I am confident a more thorough study of the #11 bus would have proven the absolute necessity of the Lincoln Avenue bus.

Open 311 Update and the Chicago Works iPhone application

When I was running for alderman, I talked with many of you about Open 311 and how we can make service delivery more transparent and use data to make more informed decisions about service provision. After taking office, I was asked by the Mayor's office to sit on the Open 311 working group. By opening up the city's data, software developers will be able to develop service request applications for smartphones and other devices. Simply put, Open 311 will result in smarter and more efficient government.

During my campaign, 2Pens Media and I developed the Chicago Works iPhone application. This app enabled users to take pictures and videos related to service issues and these issues were GPS coordinated and sent to us via email. Open 311 allows independent software developers like 2pens Media to use the city's data infrastructure to create new and innovative ways for Chicagoans to report problems and see their tax dollars at work. These public-private partnerships will give us additional tools to address service delivery and allow us to think critically about what we do and drive us toward more efficient and informed service delivery system.

The original app was not able to feed requests into the Chicago 311 system. This all changes with our newest version!  Please note that the current 311 system cannot handle images, but by emailing them to the ward office with the Chicago Works app, they will be able to be forwarded independently to city departments, when needed.

Here is what the Chicago Works app will do:

• Recognize the ward you are in when the app is opened
• Enable you to make service requests directly into the 311 system
• Once your service request is submitted, you will receive a tracking number that can be used to monitor and track your request
• The alderman in that area will receive your request and tracking number

We are really excited about the new app. It has evolved from a basic service reporting app into a robust city-wide tool. The app will be available shortly in the iTunes store.  We hope to develop an Android Version soon.

Here is a news story on the original Chicago Works app.

We will send you an email once the app is available in the iTunes store. Check out screen shots from the new app below!

Have a great weekend! 

 

Sincerely,