As the weather turns warmer, we are seeing more graffiti throughout Chicago.  Be sure to report any graffiti to our office (info@chicago47.org, 773-868-4747), 311, or through the Chicago Works app.  You'll need to know the address, type of surface tagged, and whether or not the tag is more than six feet from the ground.  Graffiti that contains profanity, hate language or is done on a church or school receives special attention. 

The Ravenswood Community Orchestra (RCO) is a local ensemble of 60 volunteer musicians who perform three classical music concerts each year in the Ravenswood neighborhood. Founded at St. Benedict Church in 2000, RCO is composed of musicians of diverse skill levels, ages and musical backgrounds. They share a passion for classical music and a commitment to making concert music accessible to the community. Open to all musicians without a formal audition, RCO currently has openings for string players and percussionists (click here).

If tickets to the CSO are beyond your budget or you want to introduce your children to classical music in a setting where squirming is not "verboden," Ravenswood Community Orchestra is an ideal opportunity to enjoy Haydn, Rossini, De Falla, Brahms and other composers without the hassle of traveling to the Loop. RCO's next concert is on May 17th (see 47th Ward A&C listing below).

Another local music treasure is Laurie's Planet of Sound at 4639 N. Lincoln Avenue, voted one of the best record stores in the United States by Rolling Stone Magazine. Founded in 1997 by vinyl aficionado John Laurie, it features an eclectic selection of vinyl, DVDs, CDs and vintage posters, not to mention Pee-Wee Herman fun packs. Music ranges broadly from 60s psychedelic to indie to cult classics, and the staff is very knowledgeable. For those of us who did not grow up with turntables and VCRs, Laurie's offers the additional thrill of experiencing a "listening station" and other relics from the pre-iPod era.

With the advent of digital recording, vinyl records have made a comeback, inspiring the emergence of serious vinyl collectors. Laurie's meets the needs of the most discriminating connoisseur yet its broad collection remains accessible to the casual listener.

The New Colony, 4740 N. Western Avenue, 773-413-0862
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, May 1st at 8:00 PM 

Alibi Fine Art Exhibit, 1966 W Montrose Ave, 773-454-1512
Boldly, We Go Blindly, thru May 24th   

This photography gallery's theme is about works and people who have been overlooked and forgotten.
www.alibifineart.com

American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron Street, 773-409-4125
Hair, starts April 25th

A group of hippies explore the idea of love and civil rights in 1968 in this classic rock musical.
www.atcweb.org

Access Contemporary Music, 1758 W Wilson Avenue, 773-334-3650 

The Public House Theater, 3914 N Clark St. 773-904-8777
Bye Bye Liver, every Friday & Saturday 8PM & 10PM
A series of outrageous and hilarious comedic sketches, all centered around one thing...alcohol!

www.pubhousetheatre.com

Cornelia Arts Building, 1800 W Cornelia Ave, 773-316-9223
Open House, May 16th Friday 6-10PM
Take a look at some of the most cutting-edge artwork in our community and get a chance to talk to the artists themselves!
www.corneliaartsbuilding.com

The Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St., 773-769-4451

Pimprov, every Friday at 10:30 PM

An improv sketch with "pimps" that may not be politically correct, but will leave you laughing on the floor!

One Hit Wonders, May 18th Sunday at 3:00 PM

A musical with mashup of the biggest hits of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, this unique play is a blast to teh past!  Includes songs like Funkytown, Macarena, I Will Survive, among many others.

www.blackensembletheater.org 

Ravenswood Community Orchestra

Spring Concert, May 17th Saturday at 7:00 PM, Ackerman Center, St. Benedict Church, 2219 W. Irving Park Rd.

More information here. 

Waters Elementary
There are three 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. 

• Thurs, May 22, 8:45am in Annex

McPherson School Tours are designed for neighborhood and Options for Knowledge parents to get a better idea of what makes McPherson unique. Come see for yourself and get all your questions answered live and in person!

• Friday, May 9 @ 9:30 a.m.
• Friday, May 30  @ 9:30 a.m.

RSVP: Marianne Turk, mturk@cps.edu, 773-534-2625, ext. 167874728 North Wolcott Avenue | Enter through the main office door (#1) from Wolcott and sign in at the office.

Ravenswood Elementary

Ravenswood Elementary School offers comprehensive school tours on the second Tuesday of every month that school is in session. All tours begin at 9 a.m. in the multi-purpose room, where we'll grab a cup of coffee and set off to observe classrooms, discuss the curriculum and learn what makes Ravenswood Elementary School a truly hidden gem.  Mr. Manaen, Ravenswood School principal, will meet with prospective parents for an open question-and-answer session following the tour.  Not sure if you're in the Ravenswood Elementary School attendance boundaries? Please click here .

Tours for the rest of the school year will be May 13 and June 10, all at 9 a.m. in the multi-purpose room. All are welcome! 

Amundsen High School

Amundsen High School offers comprehensive school tours at 10 a.m. on the first Friday and the second Thursday of every month school is in session. Come learn more about Amundsen High School, its International Baccalaureate (IB) program and more great programs available at our neighborhood high school.

To join the tour, meet in the school office at 10 a.m. (enter through the main doors on Damen Avenue). Remaining tour dates for this year are:

• Friday, May 2 at 10 a.m.
• Thursday, May 8 at 10 a.m.
• Friday, June 6 at 10 a.m.
• Thursday, June 12 at 10 a.m.

School tours are also available by appointment by contacting friendsofamundsen@gmail.com. 

Upcoming dates are: May 16, June 20 from 3-5pm

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

Lincoln Square Friendship Center Pantry Are you interested in our newest neighborhood pantry? Sign up for their newsletter: lincolnsquarefc@gmail.com  

There are many ways for you to help - volunteer, help fundraise, hold a food drive, donate bins, pick-up donations, sponsor/manage a community garden bed. We are neighbors helping neighbors and making a difference.  

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.   

  Click here to get your ticket. 

Check out the infrastructure map on our webpage!

Lawrence Avenue Streetscape

• New pedestrian refuge islands (including ADA compliant ramps) have been installed between Damen and Clark, and center turn lanes have been striped. 
• Sidewalk installation work on the north side of Lawrence between Clark and Ravenswood will be completed by mid-May. 
• Sewer and electrical work will start early to mid-May.  Plantings along the corridor are expected to by complete by the end of May.
• Work on the south side of the street near McPherson will be completed over the summer once school is not in session. 
• Street resurfacing and final striping will be completed in the fall.

Water Main Replacement for Hutchinson between Lincoln and Damen

Contractors working with the Dept. of Water Management have finished replacing the water main from 1897 under Hutchinson St. between Lincoln and Damen.  Restoration will occur once the asphalt plant opens (Mid-April or May). For full information, please click here.   

Water Main Replacement for Hoyne between Irving Park and Grace

Contractors working with the Dept. of Water Management are replacing the water main from 1895 under Hoyne between Irving Park and Grace.  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 Main Replacement for Byron between Damen and Ravenswood

Contractors working with the Dept. of Water Management are replacing the water main from 1891 under Byron from Damen to Ravenswood.  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:

Berteau (Bell to Damen): Start in April.

Warner (Leavitt to Damen):  Start in April

Ashland (Irving to Lawrence): Start in May - MORE INFO COMING SOON! 

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 amphibians and mammals will be greatly improved.

Horner Park Riverbank Project (from US Army Corps)

Tree cutting is complete. Erosion Control consisting of silt fence, silt curtain, inlet protection is being installed. Excavation of topsoil, stripping, fill disposal and topsoil placement has started.   Excavation to install Limestone/Flagstone will begin this week. Root Wads will also be installed along the river bank.

USACE was informed of a complaint about truck traffic on Montrose. In response, no parking signs have been installed so that trucks can line up along the curb and off the main thru traffic lane. Truck traffic is expected until early-June.

• Leland Ave Full Closure will be up until June, 2014.  
• Ravenswood from Lawrence to Leland Ave Full Closure will be up until June, 2014 on the west side of Ravenswood.
• Ravenswood (east side) between Ainslie and Winnemac 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.
• Ravenswood (west side) between Berteau and Grace landscaping projects are expected to begin late April or early May along the base of the walls along the Metra tracks.  Short closures will be necessary to install the new plants, so pay attention to parking restriction signs.
• Ravenswood (west side) between Lawrence and Berteau landscaping projects are expected to start mid May.  Again, short closures will be required to install the new trees and plants.  Fencing is also being installed in the planting areas.   

For more information, visit the infrastructure section of our website or contact Jim Poole at jim@chicago47.org or 773-549-4462.