Ald. Bennett Lawson

Dear Neighbors,

I want to begin by acknowledging the tragic events at Swedish Hospital this past weekend. Officer John Bartholomew lost his life in the line of duty, and another officer is still fighting for his life. My thoughts are with Officer Bartholomew’s loved ones, the entire Chicago Police Department, and all of our first responders who put their lives at risk to protect our city every day.

Here in the 44th Ward, Wrigley Field will make history this weekend by hosting the first Chicago HBCU Baseball Classic on Saturday, May 2 at 7:00pm between Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M. Northwestern baseball will also be playing at the Friendly Confines this weekend against Indiana. Both of these special Wrigley Field events will follow 1:20pm Cubs games, creating two doubleheaders. Please plan ahead and visit our website for additional information about Wrigley Field parking, traffic, and safety measures.

As a reminder, our 44th Ward Shredding and Recycling event will take place on Saturday, May 9 from 9:00am-12:00pm at our Ward office, 3223 N Sheffield. We are also excited to announce that we will be accepting old electronics. Please remember to remove any metal or plastic materials from your papers before bringing them.

April street cleaning has officially come to an end, and my team and I have been on every street in the ward this month. I have now personally cleaned every residential street in the ward since taking office, and I am grateful to everyone who has come out to help keep our community clean. A special thank you to Shelby and the Lakeview chapter of Trash People for organizing 13 volunteers this past weekend.

In preparation for the upcoming demolition of the property located at 2800 N Sheridan, the southbound Sheridan bus shelter and the westbound Diversey bus shelter were temporarily removed. Please note that the stops will not be relocated. Demolition is anticipated to be completed by the end of July, weather permitting, and the shelters will be reinstalled at that time. While we understand this is a temporary inconvenience for riders, these removals are necessary for accessibility and public safety. Please contact our office at [email protected]
with any questions.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our instrument drive in partnership with Spirit of Harmony. The instruments collected were donated to Intonation Music, a Bronzeville nonprofit that provides youth with small-group music instruction and mentorship, as well as Hungry for Music. We are grateful to everyone who helped us bring more music to more young people across Chicago.

Have a great weekend.

P.S To read this week's full newsletter, head to https://mailchi.mp/11358118141f/44th-ward-newsletter-apr-17-10348352

P.P.S To sign up for the 44th Ward weekly newsletter, go to 44thward.org/news/newsletter

As we approach Earth Day, please join neighbors for a Weisman Park Cleanup from 9:00am-12:00pm on April 18th!

Sign up here:
https://bit.ly/4qIk7CX?r=qr