The festivities will begin on Friday at the 20th District Haunted House.  Saturday Trick or Treats begin at the generous merchants on Lincoln, Rockwell, Damen and Western, Northcenter and Lincoln Square. Enjoy another Haunted House at Bethany UCC , enter your pooch in both Dog Costume Parades - Ruff Haus Pets and Winona & Ravenswood, take the family to a Halloween Extravaganza to benefit local schools at Schubas! On Halloween check out Fall Fest at Ravenswood Covenant Church.

Please be aware and extra careful of Block Party street closings over the weekend and after school on Halloween. Those blocks will be open for trick or treating, but not cars.

The City of Chicago does not designate specific times for trick-or-treating. The police advise that it is best to trick-or-treat while there still is daylight. Other safety tips include: children should wear a costume that is reflective and/or bright or carry a glow stick; children should be accompanied by an adult; If your children are trick-or-treating after dark, they should only go to houses where porch lights are on and even then, only to homes of families they know; remind your children to never enter someone's home or approach someone's car to get their treats; and finally make sure to obey all traffic signals and signs. Together we can create a safe fun Halloween for our children.  Links to many events are below and you'll find more event flyers in this newsletter. 

Northcenter Chamber Trick-or-Treat 

Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber Halloween Happenings  

GWCA Annual Halloween Weeks 

 Halloween with The Chainlink  

Franken Plaza, Chicago's Halloween Celebration on Daley Plaza
Daley Plaza becomes Halloween headquarters, Friday - Tuesday, October 26-30, 2012.  

Andersonville Halloween Events 

Ravenswood Covenant Church Fall Fest

Matty K's Pumpkin Decorating 

On Wednesday, November 7th, Japanese American Connect (JAConnect) and Kamehachi Restaurant will host "A Toast to Japan: Sake, Shochu, and Beer Tasting event" to benefit a 65-year old local non-profit social service agency, the Japanese American Service Committee.

The evening will bring together Chicagoans to experience Japanese-crafted liquors and beers from various Japanese provinces and to sample Kamehachi's meticulously crafted food. Chef Chris Fennel, Executive Chef at Kamehachi and Tokyo21, will showcase a specialty cocktail featuring Japanese liquor, which will be expertly paired with an oshizushi, a type of pressed sushi.

A Toast to Japan: Sake, Shochu and Beer Tasting will run from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at 1532 N. Wells, Chicago, IL on Wednesday, November 7.

Tickets are on sale for $30 here.

100% of the net proceeds benefit the Japanese American Service Committee enabling them to continue to provide comprehensive social services such as adult day care, home support, social work, and cultural programming.  If you have questions, please call Susan Tybon at (773) 275-0097 ext. 230.

Come celebrate the 90th birthday of the oldest chamber of commerce in Chicago with your colleagues, neighbors, partners, spouses and Uptown United/Business Partners members while enjoying sweeping views of the city from The Admiral At The Lake's 6th floor lake front patio, library and dining room, while drinking glasses of bubbly and booze, eating magnificent fare offered up by Head Chef Bradford Shovlin (previously of North Pond in Chicago), dancing to one of The Green Mill's favorite jazz bands and chatting the night away with all of the gab that you can handle! What more could you ask?

Save the date: November 7, Wednesday  5:00-9:00 pm at The Admiral at the Lake: 929 W. Foster Avenue

All inclusive tickets to this event are $100 per person. Click here to get your tickets today! 

Contact: Lisa Wagner at Business Partners - The Chamber for Uptown: 773. 878. 1184 or lisa@uptownbusinesspartners.com .

At our last Gardening Workshop we learned about seed gathering and bulb planting from neighbors Julie Peterson and Nancy Benjamin. We had an almost balmy fall evening in the incredible prairie that Pete Leki, the Environmental Coordinator and his students at Waters School and neighbors have created. As the sun went down leaves on some of the plants seemed to glow in the dusk. If you have never visited this magical place, give yourself a treat.

During our next workshop we will learn all about trees from expert Jeff Brink, a Senior City Forester; bring your questions. We will also discuss the simple chores we can do to prepare for winter and put our gardens to bed.  Please join us for our next workshop on November 13, 6pm at the 47th Ward Service Office 4243 N. Lincoln.  Don't forget to register your corner and parkway gardens with our office, so we can help to protect them.

Levy Senior Center Computer Classes. Are you 50 years old or better and looking for a computer class? Whether you have never turned on a computer or you would like to learn how to navigate the internet - these classes are for you. The classes fill up quickly; registration begins December 1st. "Basic Introduction to Computers" is eight weeks for $55 and is offered on Tuesdays, from 9:30-11AM starting January 8, or Fridays, from 1-3PM starting January 11. "Get Hooked on Internet" is four sessions for $55 and is offered on January 21, 23, 28 & 30. "Digital Camera" is four sessions for $55 and is offered January 7, 9, 15 and 16. "Advanced Digital" is yet to be announced. Also, did you know that Sulzer Library has computers available for your use?

Know anyone who is looking for work? We post job openings and training opportunities here.  Can you offer someone employment? We'll post your opening, just email us.

A Lovely Day to Pick-Up, Clean-Up & Spruce Up. "This is like a trip back through the decades" Jim remarked, as the old phones, printers, fax machines and televisions were brought to the Ward Yard on Saturday during our E-Waste Day. Weeds were wacked, pulled and sprayed throughout the ward. Leaves were raked, bagged and set out into alleys. I am certain that everyone who participated had a great time! Check out the photo below from West Ravenswood Neighbors. On behalf of the whole neighborhood, we want to thank all of you for your hard work.  

"Adopt" your sewers and catch basins.  Keep the tops clear of leaves and litter.

This will cut down on flooding. If the drain appears to be clogged after removing leaves from the surface, and water does not drain within 12 hours of rainfall please call our office so we can get the sewer on the schedule for cleaning.  To learn more about what you can do for storm water management please click here.

Fresh Holiday Greens & Wreaths to Support Waters School.  Sales benefit the school's Ecology and Music programs.  Waters School will receive 47% from each wreath sold! Good news -- the deadline has been extended to Thursday, November 1st.   This link will take you to the fund-raising page - then click on Waters Elementary School.

Check out the infrastructure map on our webpage!

Sewer Mains for Wolcott and Ravenswood

City Contractor is making connection to the existing sewer at the intersection of Addison and Wolcott. The work will be done in late November. In early December, City crew will start installation of sewer pipes on Wolcott (Addison to Bradley) and Ravenswood (Belmont to Roscoe). The installation will be completed by the end of February and restoration will follow in Spring 2013.  

Water Mains for W. Winnemac, Ashland to Ravenswood

City crews will be replacing this old 1894 main starting in October.  The project will be completed sometime in December and restoration will follow in the spring.  To see the residents' notice click here. 

Water Mains for W. Larchmont, Ravenswood to Lincoln

City crews are replacing this old 1891 main, expecting restoration by early November.  To see the residents' notice click here.   

Water Mains for W. Eastwood, Damen to Leavitt

City crews are replacing this old 1891 main, expecting restoration in early November. To see the residents' notice click here. 

Irving Park Streetscape

The final phase of this 2-year streetscape construction will be installation of the new curbs and gutters, and parkway permeable pavers by mid-November.

Peoples Gas Main Replacement (Restoration) 

Connecting the new main to individual address is ongoing on Irving Park, Lincoln and Montrose.  Peoples Gas is working on connecting the final customers to the new system.  If you haven't gotten a meter installed or had new service installed, please contact our office and we will link you with Peoples Gas.  Customers who do not make arrangements will have their gas service terminated.  We anticipate all restoration on Irving Park, Montrose, Western and Lincoln being completed by the end of November.    

Metra Traffic Closures and Detours   

Next Wednesday, October 31st, Metra will be switching over the outbound platform at the  Ravenswood station to the temporary platform, located on the northwest side of Lawrence Avenue.  Outbound passengers will be boarding from the temporary platform for about one year.

• The bridge at Montrose and Ravenswood is CLOSED from 10/25/2012 to 10/27/2012 to install drilled shafts on the North Side of Montrose.    
• The bridge at Foster and Ravenswood will have a FULL CLOSURE from 10/29/2012- 11/3/2012 to install the drilled shafts at the abutments. Partial closure and detour will remain in place until 11/9/2012 
• Work on the bridge at Ravenswood and Winnemac will continue through 11/9/2012. 
• Irving Park to Berteau detours will be up intermittently through early December.
• Berteau to Montrose on Ravenswood wall installation on south end of block will continue through November with parking restrictions posted as needed.  
• Grace to Irving Park detours will be up intermittently through early December.
• Waveland to Grace, east of the tracks, will have parking restrictions intermittently for the next 3 weeks and detours intermittently through early December.
• The Ravenswood Metra Station construction has begun. 
• Parking restrictions and detours may be opened, when possible, and re-closed once work is ready to resume. 

For more information, visit the infrastructure section of our website  or contact Bill Higgins at bill@chicago47.org or 773-549-2745.