Recycling in the 1st Ward – does your block need a recycling block captain?

The new Blue Cart recycling program in the 1st Ward is off to a great start. The majority of carts are being used, and most of the time as intended: They're being filled with recyclables, not garbage or yard waste.

However, there's always room for improvement. To this end, the city has asked residents who are especially excited about recycling to channel that enthusiasm into helping their neighbors get with the program. The 1st Ward has over 70 of these supporters ("Recycling Block Captains") lined up, and I'm one of them.

The suggested roles for the block captains are to answer questions, provide the city with feedback about the program, and help spread the word about future recycling-related activities, such as composting and household hazardous waste disposal.

There's no required duties or time commitment. The goal is simply to facilitate the process of neighbors communicating with their neighbors, in whatever way they want, to encourage recycling.

If you have a block captain, you may have received a postcard that introduces them to you. If you haven't been contacted, maybe your block needs a block captain. If you're interested, call (312) 744-5702 or fill out the online form at www.bluecartschicago.org.

This week I performed one block captain task, posting a yard sign provided by the city that says "Recycling pick-up this week." The idea is to put it out on the week that the trucks are coming so people know when the blue carts will be emptied. It's every other week, usually on the same day as your black cart pickup.

I also distributed my postcards; but I'm not expecting a lot of calls. The instructions on the blue carts are clear and comprehensive. But I'm looking forward to any conversations, because in my experience so far, there's been nothing but happy talk about how wonderful it is we've finally got real recycling.

—M. Isaacson

Planning, Preservation & Development Committee workspace

Password-protected links

• Resources


• Issues Log


• Purpose, Policies, Procedures


• Project Review Protocols


• East Village Landmark District

Committee Members

• Scott Rappe


• Stephen Rynkiewicz


• Rich Anselmo


• Greg Nagel


• Amy Bilton


• Bill Wendt


• Mary Anne Donley


• Tim Mattix


• Brian Thompson

East Village history

— From Blanchard's 1862 Guide Map of Chicago, Encyclopedia of Chicago

The Northwest Side of Chicago, though incorporated in 1837, was largely unsettled during the 1830s and 1840s. The Northwest Plank Road (Milwaukee Avenue) was finished in 1848. The establishment of the railroad car shops at Grand and Kinzie fostered the building of frame boarding houses and workmen's homes, which quickly deteriorated.

By 1859, patches of settlements along Milwaukee Avenue had a horse-drawn streetcar. During the 1860s, Chicago grew slowly as workers settled near the factories built along the Chicago River and Milwaukee Avenue. In 1869, land speculation accelerated with the establishment of the West Side Park Board.

After the fire in 1871, solidly built brick buildings sprang up to house those who had been burned out. Completion of the Logan Square and Humboldt Park Rapid Transit lines, as well as the installation and extension of streetcar lines during the 1880s and 1890s, contributed to further development, which reached maturity in the early 1900s.

Our area today is known to many as one of the most cosmopolitan in the city. People from all walks of life make their homes here — some for generations, others newly arrived.

East Village is 6 minutes by subway to Chicago's Loop and 19 minutes to O'Hare International Airport. The River North, River West and North Michigan Avenue ares are all less than 2 miles.

— from an undated pamphlet, "The East Village Association needs you"

Vittum Theater Has A Marquee! by John Sekowski

The Vittum Theater finally has a marquis! A marquis is a signboard that projects from the building
to advertise what play is presently being performed (see photo). Until now, they just had flat, unlit
letters above the door. I didn’t even know there was a theater there until Around the Coyote
sponsored a couple events there a couple years ago. The Vittum
Theater is affiliated with the Northwestern Settlement house that runs
numerous community programs including the Noble Street Charter
High School. Plays for children are shown on weekend afternoons,
modern dance is performed in the evenings, and a variety of workshops
are held there throughout the week. For a schedule, log on to
www.vittumtheater.org, or you walk down to the east part of East Village,
and read the marquee at 1012 N. Noble Street.

Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber of Commerce Executive Director to Visit EVA

Paula Barrington, Executive
Director of Wicker
Park & Bucktown Chamber
of Commerce, will be
the guest speaker at the
next EVA general members’
meeting on Tuesday, June 5, at
7:00 pm at Happy Village Tavern.
Paula will address topics such as the
mission of the chamber, service
boundaries, past accomplishments,
upcoming events, and ways we can all
work together. Our local chambers of
commerce play an increasingly important
role in developing relationships
with commercial as well as governmental
and residential partners in our everchanging
community. Please plan on
attending and hearing what Paula has to say about the chamber's rp;e

East Village Association General Membership Meeting Minutes

East Village Association General Membership Meeting Minutes
7 PM May 1, 2007, Happy Village Tavern

1. This was the first meeting with the new elected officers for this term.

2. The President announced the appointed directors; Deborah Milkowski, as the Dominick’s liaison, Scott Rappe,
Zoning, and Rohan Sundaralingam.

3. Meeting minutes from the April meeting were approved.

4. There is approximately $2000 in the general funds.

5. The East Village Association has acquired a new domain eastvillagechicago.org.

6. Mr. Stephen Rynkiewicz has volunteered to set up a web design, assisted with Marjorie Isaacson.

7. Aaron Bilton has offered to be the library committee person.

8. Representative from the 13th Police District, Commander Christine Kohlman and Sergeant were the guest speakers.

They updated us on crime rates and took questions from the floor. Their e-mail address is Caps013district@
chicagopolice.org.

9. The Pizza Hut on the corner of Ashland and Division has closed for business. No one knew at the time of the
meeting who will occupy the property.

East Village Association Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
7 PM May 7, 2007, Happy Village Tavern

In attendance: Mary Szpur, Brian Thompson, Scott Rappe, Rohan Sundaralingam, Marjorie Isaacson, Steve
Rynkiewicz, Greg Nagel

1. A motion was passed to re-establish a committee to review zoning and development issues that require input from
East Village Association. The name of this committee will be: Planning, Preservation, and Development. The head of
the committee is Scott Rappe.

2. Vice President Brian Thompson will be head of the Membership Committee. He plans to concentrate on selling ads
to local businesses over the next month. He needs volunteers!

3. Marjorie Isaacson, Frankie Machine Garden liaison to EVA, passed out a document to Board members summarizing
the history of Frankie Machine Garden and EVA’s relationship to this special community garden.

4. Marjorie Isaacson passed out a document summarizing the history of Frankie Machine Garden and EVA's relationship
to this special community garden to all Board members.

5. We need to formalize a way to invite residents who are unaware of EVA to come to a meeting, and to join the
group. We discussed creating a one-page flyer, and distributing it house to house, and how to make this action compliant
with the handbill ordinance.

6. A suggestion was made to increase membership by asking each board member to bring two persons or one email
of a neighbor to the next monthly membership meeting.

7. Greg Nagel agreed to serve as EVA aldermanic liaison to the 1st and 32nd Wards. He will invite Aldermen Flores
and Waguespack to be guests at the August EVA meeting and barbecue. Please bring issues for discussion with the
aldermen to Greg’s attention.

8. We discussed an online EVA website or blog. Steve Rynkiewicz and Marjorie Isaacson are heading up this committee.
They need volunteers!

9. No new information regarding Dominick’s on Chicago Avenue.

10. No new information regarding a new library on Chicago Avenue.

11. We need volunteers for Greening/Recycling committee!

Instead of reading the minutes….
Come to a meeting and bring a friend!

Commercial Handbill Distribution Law On The Books

City Council recently passed a law that regulates the distribution of commercial
handbills - specifically, the menus, coupons, newspapers, and directories that seem
to appear with ever-increasing regularity on our porches, doors, and fences. Alderman
Manny Flores introduced the ordinance after an East Village resident showed
him how much of the area’s trash consisted of these materials.

The ordinance prohibits hanging items on door knobs or gates, stuffing papers in or
under doors and gates, dropping off on property premises, attaching materials to
unoccupied vehicles, and posting materials on public property (such as an ad on a
lamppost). For handbills to be legally distributed, they need to have a business license
number visible on the material, and placed “in an alternative receiving bin as
provided by the property owner”. This law does not apply to hand-to-hand distributed
items. The ordinance also requires newspapers to be bagged or bound. In
addition, newspapers, magazines and directories, must also be placed in a box or
bin.

Alderman Flores’s office is working to educate neighborhood businesses about the
ordinance. The penalty for not complying with the ordinance will be a fine no more
than $1000, and no less than $200.

If you are bothered by excessive handbills, don’t call 911 – it’s not a police emergency.
The Dept. of Streets and Sanitation Ward Superintendent will be writing
tickets for violations. Send your complaints directly to:

Manny Gonzalez, Superintendent
1st Ward Streets and Sanitation Office
2505 W. Grand, Chicago 60612-1150
312.744.5523

For documentation purposes, label the materials with the date and address of
where they were left. Other wards should contact their alderman or ward superintendents
for instructions.

The information in this article was obtained from Ald. Flores’s Commercial Handbill
Distribution fact sheet and Jordan Raubolt, Director of Communications to Alderman Flores.

— M. Isaacson

Weeding Wednesdays at Frankie Machine Community Garden by M. Isaacson

The Frankie Machine Community Garden, located at the corner of Haddon and
Wood Streets, was established by the East Village Association in 1988. Most
of the garden consists of individual plots that are used by people who don’t
have their own backyards to garden in. However, the garden also needs a lot
of general maintenance: taking care of the parkways, garden borders, composting
and, of course, picking up the ever-present trash.
Garden administrator Laura Bedolla will be working at the garden on Wednesday
evenings throughout the growing season, after 6:30 p.m. Gardening is good exercise and psychologically
soothing. If you want to help, come on by. For further information, contact Marjie at 773-384-6088.

Blue Cart Recyling Begins in the 1st Ward in June by Mary Szpur

Blue carts have been delivered to all single-family homes and buildings with less than five
units who currently receive city trash pickup in the 1st Ward. Blue bags are no longer
needed to dispose of recyclables. Watch how little trash ends up in the black carts, if you
learn what you can recycle, and you recycle all that you can!

Collection of recyclables from the new blue carts begins the week of June 4. The Streets
and Sanitation Department delivered the carts to the front of buildings in order to make residents
“take ownership” of the carts and relocate them to the alley themselves. A ratio of
one blue cart per single-family home or two-flat was used. To request additional blue carts, call 311, but
you may lose a black cart if you request an additional blue cart.

The blue carts will be emptied by a separate truck on a separate route from the regular Streets and Sanitation
garbage trucks. Blue carts will be emptied every TWO weeks on the same day as your regular garbage
service—schedules were delivered with the blue carts.

Recyclables do not need to be sorted and can be placed all together in the carts. Carts
have a laminated, easy-to-understand label on the lid listing what can be recycled into the
cart: glass, aluminum, tin or steel cans, boxes, cardboard (please flatten all boxes), plastic
bottles (corresponding to numbers on container bottoms of 1,2,3,4,5,7—not 6, which is
styrofoam), phone books, magazines and catalogs, junk mail, paper bags, office paper
and folders, newspapers and inserts. Do not recycle bundles of plastic bags, such as
bunches of grocery plastic bags.

Recyclables will be taken to a huge, fully automated sorting facility that uses incredible technology to sort
and bundle the materials. Big profitable markets (such as China) now exist for recyclable materials, and
the city will make $30-40 per ton on average for these materials. Most profitable are aluminum cans.
Yard waste (grass, leaves, small branches, weeds, plants, small stick bundles) needs to be bagged in
plastic or paper and placed next to garbage carts for recyling and composting, April through November.
Do not put yard waste in the black carts anymore! Yard waste will be picked up by a third separate truck
on a separate route.

Hazardous waste and household electronics (such as computers, cell phones, batteries,
fluorescent lamps and bulsbs, used motor oil, antifreeze, old gasoline, paints and paint
thinners, aerosol paints, insecticides, pesticides, lawn chemicals, solvents, drain cleaners,
cleaning products, pool and hobby chemicals, mercury) can be recycled in our own
neighborhood at the Household Chemical & Computer Recycling Facility at 1150 N.
North Branch. This facility is located two blocks east of the Kennedy Expressway at Division
Street. The facility is open to the public on Tuesdays (7 am – noon), Thursdays ( 2
pm – 7 pm), and the first Saturday on the month (8 am – 3 pm).

Batteries, used and rechargeable, can also be recycled at Walgreens (at the photo booth),
and Chicago public libraries.
For more information call 311 or visit www.bluecartschicago.com . This site also has information
on composting.

EVA President’s Message by Mary Szpur

All of us who live in the 1st Ward should we excited about participating in the city’s new blue cart recycling
program. The blue cart program seems well conceived, is easy to use, and will significantly reduce the
amount of waste we place in the black garbage carts. Please read more about this program elsewhere in this
newsletter. I for one am thrilled and proud that Chicago has a good recycling program.

At the May EVA membership meeting, featured speakers 13th District Commander Christine Kolman and 13th
District Community Policing Sergeant Juan Clas addressed how the police are dealing with various issues in
our community, then fielded questions from the audience. A number of people brought up issues related to
late-night noise and nuisance problems associated with patrons of local bars and restaurants, especially
those on Division Street. Residents noted that the number of businesses selling liquor on Division Street has
increased dramatically over the last few years, and this has coincided with a concurrent increase in nuisance
problems for nearby neighbors—problems such as noise, litter, public urination, and vandalism. In addition to
this issue, several neighborhood traffic problems were mentioned.


Regarding the noise and nuisance problems associated with bar and restaurant patrons, several suggestions
were discussed:

• Business owners should post easily seen signs for exiting patrons asking that they respect neighbors and
leave quietly. How can we get business owners to do this?

• Business owners should have bouncers or other employees caution patrons as they’re leaving to respect
neighbors and keep the noise level down, and to dispose of litter appropriately. Again, how can we get business
owners to do this?

• Sergeant Klas stated he would send a letter from Command Kolman to Division Street liquor establishments
(text is below) asking them to address these issues.

• Residents need to create a paper trail of any disturbances by calling 311, asking for non-emergency police,
and making a report. A more serious problem may merit calling 911. In addition, bringing complaints to
the Police Beat meetings or CAPS meetings can help create greater police awareness of problems. An business
establishment with a significant paper trail of complaints may need to go before the Liquor Commission.

• Residents should put up “No Trespassing” signs—this is a legal issue and you have a better chance of
making a complaint if you have a sign posted in a problem area.


Commander Kolman and Sergeant Klas were asked if on weekends, street beat officers could walk down Division
Street at closing times for bars and restaurants, or if a police car could patrol this area during those
times, but Commander Kolman thought resources were too strained to accomplish this.
Regarding traffic issues in the neighborhood, Commander Kolman stated she wants reports from us regarding
issues of safety and traffic concerns—i.e., she wants specific locations, descriptions of problems with any
witnessed events (dates, etc.).


To contact 13th District personnel, including Commander Christine Kolman or 13th District Community Policing
Sergeant Juan Clas, please use one of the following:

Email: Caps013district@chicagopolice.org
CAPS office telephone: 312.746.8355
Tactical office telephone: 312.746.8356
CAPS office fax: 312.746.6736
13th District fax: 312.746.7870

Following is the text of the letter sent by 13th District Commander Kolman to all of the liquor establishments on
Division Street, from Ashland to Western Avenues:

“Recently, it was brought to my attention that the Liquor establishments on Division Avenue were not complying
with their responsibilities of owning a Liquor establishment. Topics such as keeping outside of premises
clean of litter and disturbances upon leaving were a serious problem.

"My intention of writing this letter is to inform you of such complaints and to make you aware of future potential
problems.
If you have any questions, you can contact Sgt. Juan Clas in the Community Policing Office at 312.746.8355.

"Sincerely,
Christine R. Kolman
Commander
013th Police District”

Excellent New Pizza Restaurant: Coal Fire by Mary Szpur

Located just south of East Village is a wonderful New York/New Haven style pizzeria
called Coal Fire. Pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired oven, so they get done
relatively quickly. The crust is thin, tasty, and chewy, with bubbly outer edges.
Sauces are simple and flavorful. Toppings were varied, with veggies and meat,
and were fresh and delicious.

My dinner companions and I all thought the pizzas
we tasted were great, and that Coal Fire compared very favorably to the other
recently opened oven-baked pizza places in Chicago. Plus, it’s BYOB, always a
plus. Coal Fire is located at 1321 W. Grand Ave., on the south side of Grand, just
west of Ogden Avenue. 312.226.2625.

Planning, Preservation & Development Committee Established

by Scott A. Rappe

After a hiatus of several years, a new Planning, Preservation & Development Committee was established at the April Board meeting. Enlarging the role of the previous Planning & Development Committee, the PD&D will attempt to be more proactive in advocating appropriate development, rather than simply reacting to development proposals.

As the name suggests, the committee will focus on three major areas:

The Planning effort will identify areas within East Village where new development is desirable and actively work to encourage appropriate development in those areas. It will also push forward the City’s stalled zoning re-mapping process, by surveying existing zoning classifications and recommending changes where necessary to encourage new development, or to protect existing resources.

As the original sponsor of the East Village Landmark District, the East Village Association has a stewardship responsibility that has been neglected in recent years. The Preservation focus of the committee will assume responsibility under the Landmark Ordinance to review proposed work within the Landmark District and write the ‘community letter’ required of permit applicants.

The Development aspect of the committee will work with developers to encourage the construction of appropriate, high-quality buildings that will serve the long-term needs of the community. Alderman Flores has committed to directing all zoning-change requests and development proposals within East Village to the East Village Association for review.

The committee is actively seeking members interested in working on these issues and formulating policy recommendations to the Board. To be effective, the Planning, Preservation & Development Committee should have a broad range of members with diverse backgrounds. Responsibilities will be assigned depending on the time commitment members are comfortable making.

Everyone’s time is valuable and all of us are busy, so we will attempt to handle as much committee business by email as possible, though we will meet when necessary. Even members with little available time can be of great assistance by volunteering to write an occasional letter or attend a hearing at City Hall.

If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Scott Rappe, at srappe@kplusr.com.

Leona’s Zoning Change by Scott A. Rappe

Leona’s Restaurant, long a neighborhood institution, briefly listed their property at 1936-42 West Augusta for sale in January. The listing sheet described the C1-5 zoning of the property as allowing an 80’ tall, 54 unit building, while neglecting to mention the property was in the East Village Landmark District and was subject to problematic for several reasons.

The B3-2 requested by the neighbors was equivalent in bulk, density and height to the
property’s original C1-2 designation and would have restored the lot to its original zoning potential with no
harm to the owners.
The B2-3 negotiated by Alderman Flores and approved at the May 17, hearing allows significantly more height, area and dwelling units. Unfortunately, this additional zoning ‘potential’ creates pressure to build
denser and will likely result in the demolition the existing Leona’s buildings. Furthermore, unlike the B3 classification which requires retail uses on the ground floor, B2 allows residential units to be located there ‘as of right’.

Since the property is within the East Village Landmark District, any new development on the property will need to pass the Landmark Commission’s Permit Review Committee.
This review will likely limit the height, which in turn may reduce the size of the building and number of units. However, since the existing buildings are designated ‘as noncontributing’ it cannot prevent the buildings from being demolished.

Both Alderman Flores and one of Leona’s owners, Sam Toya have committed to bring any development to the East Village Association for consideration. However, with the approved B2-3 classification allowing residential units on the ground floor, it is unlikely that a developer would need the community’s support for anything. This means that the East Village Association will have no power with which to bargain for improvements.

Alderman Flores’ support was crucial to reducing the threat of the wholly inappropriate C1-5 zoning; for that he deserves our gratitude. However, the final resolution undershot the goal of returning the zoning to a classification consistent with the retail perimeter of the East Village neighborhood, (which is zoned no higher than B3-2 anywhere) and reducing the incentive to demolish the existing buildings. In the end, all we can do is trust that Leona’s owners will restrain themselves and respect the wishes of the community that has supported them for two decades.

It's Migration Time! More Birds Seen on Their Way Past East Village by Mary Szpur

May is a great time to go birding in one of Chicago's many birding areas, including "The Hedge" at Montrose
Harbor, and the "Wooded Island" in Hyde Park.

The following is a list of birds we've seen during May, foreigners on
their way somewhere else: black-billed cuckoo, gray catbird, indigo
bunting, baltimore oriole, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak,
spotted sandpiper, dunlin, ruby-crowned kinglet, blue-gray gnatcatcher
warblers: yellow-rumped, black and white, cape may, chestnut-sided,
magnolia, palm, red start, Wilson's, yellow-throat