The Chicago Fire Department does not recommend that residents use space heaters, but acknowledges that people may rely on them during cold winter months. To minimize the dangers of space heaters, the Fire Department recommends only using heaters that are UL certified as safe and never use an extension cord with a space heater, which can cause the cord to overheat and burn. Most importantly, never allow a space heater within three feet of anything that can burn, especially bedding.

"Sadly, we have found that fires have started because children have moved a space heater closer to the bed for more heat after parents have gone to bed for the night," said Jose Santiago, Fire Commissioner. "Residents should also check and replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, especially this close to the holiday season. Batteries may have been borrowed for new electronics or toys."

Fire officials also encouraged residents to check to ensure their carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. With furnaces running during normal cold weather, a small carbon monoxide leak might not be noticed, but with heaters running non-stop to match the extreme cold, that small leak could become a deadly source of fumes. Carbon Monoxide detectors are designed to alert you before you feel sick, so if yours goes off get to fresh air and call 911.

Sign up your 5-to-18-year-old child for Youth Baseball and/or your daughter, ages 8 to 10 years, for Girls Softball through the Welles Park Parents Association (WPPA). Practices will start in April, with games beginning in May and ending in July.  For "new players" who did not play in the WPPA in 2013 or have sibling who did, the online registration is January 9 to 16. For more information, please go to their website. 

We Got Game is offering youth programs for volleyball, dodgeball, floor hockey, wrestling, basketball, soccer, multi-sports and tot sports at Chase Park, 4701 N. Ashland Avenue. To view the upcoming class information and register, visit www.WeGotGameChicago.com.

Flu Activity has gradually increased in Chicago over the last couple of weeks indicating that flu season has arrived. The majority of the 23 flu-associated ICU hospitalizations reported from December 29, 2013 to January 4, 2014, were due to the influenza A (2009 H1N1) virus, which has circulated worldwide as a seasonal flu virus since the flu pandemic in 2009. While it's not possible to predict which influenza viruses will predominate through the entire flu season, if the 2009 H1N1 virus continues to circulate widely, young and middle-aged adults may be disproportionately impacted by influenza.

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommends yearly vaccination as the best protection against the flu and lists citywide flu vaccination locations online at www.ChicagoFluShots.org. Additional flu prevention tips and more information on the flu in Chicago are available online at www.CityofChicago.org/FLU.

High Jump is a tuition-free scholars program developed to prepare talented middle school students for leading college-preparatory high schools. Their program is designed to strengthen a student's math, reading, and writing skills as well as engage them in the humanities, the arts, and biological and physical sciences. High Jump scholars become Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation, LINK Unlimited, and High Sight Scholars as well as collegiate Posse, QuestBridge and Gates Millennium Scholars.

High Jump Program benefits include:

• Students meet peers who value learning and have dreams of high achievement
• Students develop critical thinking, note-taking, organization and study skills
• Opportunities such as dissecting a cow's heart and frogs (Biology), learning Improv (Theatre), solving complex problems (Logic) and studying exceptional people (Learners & Leaders)
• High school test prep, school visits and financial aid/scholarship counseling
• Interaction with high school and collegiate High Jump alum who serve as role models, tutors and coaches

The High Jump program is supplemental to the education students receive at their elementary schools. Their teachers are experienced and licensed educators who teach in Chicago area public and private schools and local universities.

For more information please contact High Jump at 312-582-7712 or send them an email. 

Chicago Snow Corps is a program that connects volunteers with residents in need of snow removal - such as seniors and residents with disabilities.

While winter can be hazardous for everyone here in the City of Chicago, it can be especially difficult for elderly and physically disabled residents, who may not have the ability or resources to remove snow from their sidewalks and walkways. Chicago Snow Corps aims to help minimize potential heavy-snow emergencies by pairing volunteers with blocks where elderly and disabled citizens have requested help.

We will continue to collect warm items all winter; as we are told more are needed. Please clean out your closets; someone else can use your children's outgrown jackets and the coats, hats and gloves you no longer wear?  We also welcome donations of pet food, towels and blankets for those pets less fortunate than our own.

On the 3rd Friday of the month The Lincoln Square Friendship Center 2733 W. Lawrence is the home to Friendship Pet Food Pantry. Pet food is provided to folks who are having a hard time feeding their beloved pets.  

Upcoming dates are: January 17, February 21 & March 21 from 3-5pm

If you know anyone who needs assistance, please pass this along.

In their 1st three distribution dates a month's supply of food was given to:

92 cats & 38 dogs!

A group of Community Volunteers helping another group of Community Volunteers

Forward Chicago, a grass-roots, all-volunteer non-profit that builds community where people of all ages are active, engaged and influential, is taking the lead on a volunteer effort that could use your help.   

Those Forward Chicago members who are crafters meet monthly at Sulzer Library and are creating reusable cloth shopping bags for the clients of the Lincoln Square Friendship Center Food Pantry. There are many tasks in creating these bags that you and your children, could be involved with.  Cloth needs to be donated. We will pin and cut bags from simple patterns, then iron, and sew the bags together.

As you may know, Martin Luther King Day is a national day of volunteer service. We will work on this project on Wednesday, January 15 and on Monday, January 20, Martin Luther King Day, from 10:30am-1:00pm at the Lincoln Square Friendship Center 2733 W. Lawrence; the location of a weekly food pantry and monthly pet food pantry.  They have a large space that is available for the community's use; which we want to support. If you have cloth to donate bring it to our office or if you would like to volunteer for one or both days, please call or email dara@chicago47.org.

Are you a Bridge Player? Do you want to learn Bridge? Play or learn with your neighbors at Sulzer Library on First & Third Fridays, January 3 & 17 and February 7 & 21; from 10am-Noon.  

Sulzer needs your old games.  Thanks to our neighbors who have donated games for the Sulzer's Game Night!  If you have games that your family no longer uses, please bring them to the 47th Ward Office or to Sulzer Library. Their ever-popular "Game Night" could use a few more board games like Sorry, Chess, Life, Uno, Jenga, Rummy Cube, etc.   

Check out the infrastructure map on our webpage!

The Chicago Cubs have provided some additional funding for some infrastructure improvements in the 44th 46th and 47th Wards.   In the 47th ward we will be getting new residential street lighting on: W Byron (Clark to Ashland), N Janssen (Addison to Irving Park) and N Greenview (Addison to Irving Park).

Chicago River Work (east side) Berteau to Montrose (from Riverbank Neighbors) 

The project will be funded and supervised by the MWRD, the public entity in charge of treating our wastewater and managing the North Branch and North Channel of the Chicago River.  Riverbank Neighbors has had stewardship along this section of river bank for many years. The goal of this project is to stabilize the eastern bank, especially the northern end, from Montrose to Berteau Street. They will do this by inserting seawalls, corrugated sections of heavy iron deep into the bank some feet off shore, and pinning them into deep strata of clay with long iron holdfasts.

The top of the seawalls, when installed, will rest at normal water level, leaving them inconspicuous in their important task. From the edge of the seawall limestone fill will be added to armor the bank against scouring from flood events.  This newly created contour will also be planted with appropriate native species of forbs, grasses, shrubs and trees to provide bank stability, habitat for wild things, and beauty (for us).

All work will be done from the river side, using barges, so as not to badly impact existing plantings.  Temporary construction fencing will seal off the work area from November 17th until springtime. Pathways will not be open and access to the river's edge will not be permitted. Riverbank Neighbors understands this safety precaution and appreciates the District's plan to perform the work during the wintertime, when the site is less visited by families and friends. In the end, the project will hopefully secure the eroding bank and provide large new areas for planting, new paths and river access, more beauty and happiness for neighbors and visitors. 

• Leland Ave Full Closure will be up until April, 2014.  
• Ravenswood from Lawrence to Leland Ave Full Closure will be up until April, 2014 on the west side of Ravenswood.
• Ravenswood (east side) between Ainslie and Winnemac some of the landscaping features will be installed before snowfall in preparation for planting in the spring.  Blockades may be in place on the street to make room for the work to be done however there is not a parking restriction when workers are not present.

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