Alderman Ameya Pawar's vision of highlighting the works of local artists in his office has been realized through the OpenWall Chicago initiative directed by Patricia Larkin Green. Every quarter the OpenWall Chicago committee determines a theme, then selects and displays artwork in this public space.

The latest exhibit, Common Threads, features the artwork of senior artists living and creating in the 47th ward. The show runs through March 31st.

Many of the exhibit's contributing artists are members of the Senior Artists Network (SAN), a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and fostering the talents of Chicago-area artists age 50 or older. The installation's artwork runs the gamut, from dramatic photographs and vivid oil paintings to mixed media and color pastels. The array of artwork is both stunning and varied, and it testifies to the talent and diversity of the seasoned artists living in the neighborhood. The public is invited to mingle with the alderman and his staff, the local community and the artists to discuss their works at the opening reception on February 16th from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.

Featured Artists:  Meredith Dytch, Thomas Gianni, Shirley Nannini, June Nichols, Ann Ponce, Gloria Rigoni, Kathy Blankley Roman, Judith Roth, Iku Shimizu, Kate Tully, Candace Wark and Bonnie Zak. To learn more about the artists and the event, please check out the OpenWall Chicago website and leave your comments.

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.

Don't miss Lane Tech's production of Kiss Me Kate!  Lane's winter musical is based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. 

Performances are:

• Friday, February 14 at 7:00 pm
• Saturday, February 15 at 7:00 pm

Admission: $7.  Tickets are sold in front of the auditorium doors before each show.  Enter through parking lot door "M."

There are four more school tours this year. If you know parents interested in hearing about Waters School, please share the following dates with them. Please be prompt. Tours start EXACTLY at 8:45am. 

• Thurs, Feb. 20, 8:45am in Annex
• Thurs, March 20, 8:45am in Annex
• Thurs, April 24, 8:45am in Annex
• Thurs, May 22, 8:45am in Annex

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: 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!

Kitten season is coming! Can You Help?

Do yourself a favor and help Tree House Humane Society save more deserving kittens. We provide the medical care, you provide the space, TLC, and transportation to their appointments at our Shelter Headquarters located at 1212 W. Carmen Ave. in Uptown (or if it is more convenient, appointments can also be scheduled at our BDVM Mac Lean Clinic at 1629 N. Ashland Ave in Bucktown). When they are finished with their treatments, the kitties come to Tree House for adoption! And, if kittens aren't your thing, we always have adults that need foster care too. We can only save more lives with the help of compassionate people like you! If you are interested, please contact Ollie@treehouseanimals.org .

(Don't know if you or your children could bear giving the foster kitties up for adoption? Our family fostered dozens of kitties and just knowing they were all quickly adopted by loving people and that by taking in another litter we were saving even more lives, made it very easy and rewarding! Call me.)

The Tree House Humane Society is excited to tell you that during the month of February Cook County is offering two $40 rebates per household towards spay/neuter surgery for feral/stray cats as well as house cats.

For feral cats, the Trap-Neuter-Return package is FREE with the rebate.  House pets receive $40 off an already heavily discounted rate.  Residents must live in Cook County.  Cats must also receive a rabies vaccine at the time of surgery.  (Please note that kittens under 3 months can't yet receive a rabies vaccine and are therefore not eligible.)

Tree House handles all of the paperwork, so all you need to do is book an appointment by calling their Bucktown clinic at 773-227-5535.  

There is no better time than now to get any intact cats in for spay/neuter surgery.  Please help us spread the word!

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!

Water Main Replacement for Hutchinson between Lincoln and Damen

Contractors working with the Dept. of Water Management will begin replacing the water main from 1897 under Hutchinson St. between Lincoln and Damen soon.  No parking will be enforced between 7am and 4pm Monday through Friday.  During work, there will be no thru traffic allowed.  For full information, please click here.   

Water Mains Coming Soon:

Hoyne (Irving Park to Grace): Start Late February

Byron (Damen to Ravenswood): Start in early March

Berteau (Bell to Damen): Start in mid-March.

The Chicago Cubs have provided some additional funding for 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) 

Please check out this updated landscaping plan for the bank.

New to the plan:

• removal of all Ailanthus, honeysuckle and buckthorn (all invasives);
• add soil to the rip rap on the upper sections of the project area to make planting easier and recovery quicker;
• substitute for the elderberry, since we said we have a thriving e-berry community already;
• substituted a cover seed mix instead of the IDOT mix we objected to;
• four species of gray dogwood (stakes) that a vigorous colonizers for the new territories.

These will be substantial new lands, with the bank secured, and planting begun. Riverbank Neighbors will be able to enrich species diversity over time and introduce many new forbs. Habitat for birds and reptiles and amphibs and mammals will be greatly improved.

• 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.