Happy New Year! To kick things off in 2013, I am excited to report that my office is allocating tax increment finance (TIF) dollars for a school addition at Coonley Elementary School. Since taking office, I have been working with Principal Greg Zurawski, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Mayor's Office and the entire Coonley community to create a plan for the school expansion. In the coming weeks, my office will host a community meeting with Principal Zurawski and CPS to talk about the expansion and next steps. Stay tuned for updates!

TIF use in the 47th Ward

Since taking office, my office has been very careful about how TIF dollars are allocated and used. We have supported the following projects with TIF dollars:

• Coonley School Expansion
• Lawrence Avenue Streetscape
• Clark Park Boathouse
• Kerry Wood Cubs Field
• Lakeview High School STEM Program
• Green Alleys
• 47th Ward Bike Share Stations
• Ravenswood Station Retail Center (to be anchored by Mariano's & L.A. Fitness)
• Small Business Improvement Financing ("SBIF" rebates)

My office prioritizes TIF money for 47th Ward infrastructure projects. If you have questions about any of these projects, please email Jim Poole at jim@chicago47.org.

Electrical Aggregation

You may have received a letter about electrical aggregation recently. This letter was sent to you by the City of Chicago and is not a scam. Municipal aggregation uses the group purchasing power of residents to help cities negotiate lower prices on electricity bills and potentially cleaner energy sources. Over 200 Illinois communities have already used aggregation to capture savings for residents and small businesses.

On November 6th, Chicago voters approved a referendum authorizing the City to seek lower electricity rates for residential and small business ratepayers. After receiving prices and service qualifications from retail electric suppliers, the City has negotiated an agreement with Integrys Energy Services, Inc. that will lower monthly electricity bills for residents and small businesses.

You are automatically enrolled in the aggregation program. To opt-out, either return the postcard provided in the letter sent to your address, call Integrys at 1-888-802-2885 or go to www.integrysenergy.com/il-chicago.

Click here for the FAQ Document.

Click here for a copy of the letter.

Sister's Carol Himmel and Diana Himmel -Krewer owners of Pizza D.O.C. are thrilled to announce Pizza D.O.C. will become Himmel's, a European style eatery in the heart of Lincoln Square.  For five year's the Himmel's (of German heritage) have successfully dished up Italian delights while fulfilling their dream of running one of Chicago's finest family-owned restaurants.  Now, "Sister Act II - the second restaurant act" will play out under a new name, Himmel's, providing the finest quality European cuisine. "Our German flair in the kitchen continues to propel us toward providing the finest quality ingredients with from scratch recipes that are fresh and mouth-watering," said Himmel's restaurant owner Carol Himmel.  "We have been blessed with a growing customer base during the last several year's in Lincoln Square and feel that this is a natural evolution for our restaurant," said Himmel.

The amazing wood-burning oven is the first of its kind in the city of Chicago.  The oven is straight from Rome and has been making authentic pizzas and breads for more then 15 years. Theflavor profile this culinary vessel brings to pizza is so spectacular; theyjust couldn't let their other foods get jealous.  So we started to experiment and found that our specials have been such a hit, we wanted to make them a more permanent fixture. Customers will be delighted when they try the special succulent half-roasted chicken, or perhaps our hand-scored (tender on the inside and crispy on the outside) pork shank. Signature dishes will include a thick cut U.S.D.A. Prime bone-in rib eye, seasoned toperfection. All of these dishes finished in our one of a kind oven. The wood-burning oven will still be churning out the famous Roman style pizzas made with the freshest ingredients, handcrafted and baked in a 700-degree oak burning brick oven. And our veteran chef's will be crafting fresh made specialty pastas and salads for your enjoyment. See www.himmelschicago.com.