EVA Problem Resolution Guide

Problems in the neighborhood? Use these tips to do something about it!

(Find this guide in printable PDF format at EVA Problem Resolution Guide)

If there’s a problem in your neighborhood - such as a dangerous building, persistent garbage, or illegal activities - you can do something about it! While there’s no simple, one-step solutions; here’s some guidelines for achieving an effective resolution. Persistence often yields results.

First, try to talk directly to the people involved in creating the difficult situation. Sometimes this is impossible ... such as when you could be physically threatened. But you may be able to clear up problems that are really simple misunderstandings - and keep some measure of goodwill instead of developing an adversarial relationship.

Talk to your neighbors and try and enlist their assistance in solving the problem. Doing things alone is always more work. And, if you’re the only one complaining, no matter how justified your opinion may be, you’re vulnerable to the criticism that since you’re the only one who’s complaining, maybe you’re the problem, and you’ll be dismissed as a troublemaker. It’s unfair, but true.

EVA meetings are a good place to discuss problems. Members can provide useful advice or may join you in your efforts. EVA holds general meetings on the first Tuesday of every month, at Happy Village Tavern, on the corner of Wolcott and Thomas Streets.

Write everything down. Don’t rely on your memory. Having good records of detail shows
you’re serious. And if you lose track of information, your work will have been wasted. Be sure and keep notes on the basics: who, what, when, and where. An ongoing log is especially critical when problems persist and you have different conversations with different people.

Make an official complaint to:

Your Alderman Some people call the aldermen
first, being of the opinion that it’s the alderman’s responsibility to take care of their constituents’ complaints. Other people are afraid to call their alderman because they don’t want to “bother” him with little problems.

Consider using your alderman’s expertise when necessary, such as after you’ve complained on your own and the problem isn’t taken care of. The alderman’s staff can be very helpful in dealing with other administrative departments. For example; their intervention in Building Court can make a big difference.

311, the Mayor’s Office of Inquiry &
Information The operators at 311 have a computerized system to record your complaints, and route them to the appropriate departments. Ask for the reference number, which is necessary for follow-up. You can also request some city services online, follow the links at www.cityofchicago.org. If you know which City
agency is responsible; you can call that agency directly.

For example, if you have a garbage problem, your Ward Super can help. However, calling 311 assures that your complaint is part of the official record, and helps the City monitor the work of the various Departments and Bureaus.


Police at 911 If laws are being broken, call 911. This is the only way officers are dispatched. It’s important to be aware of how 911 works, in order to protect yourself and use the system effectively. Anyone who calls 911 is automatically identified by the computer system via the phone number they’re calling from. The operator will ask for your name. It’s possible to make an “anonymous” complaint, but you must tell the operator, explicitly, that you DO NOT want your name used.

Calls are answered in order of assumed priority, and your problem may not be handled as you think it should be. If you feel that the police don’t respond appropriately, follow up. You can always call 911 back immediately and ask to speak to a supervisor, or talk directly to the Commander at your local station the next day. The police need to know if the system isn’t working. Again, it’s very important to keep track of the details. You’ll need to know dates, times, and individuals involved in incidents. If you see police on the street, look for their badges or car number for identification.


CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) is Chicago’s community policing program. There are CAPS meetings for each police beat where you can meet and talk with the officers who patrol your area. See the website or call your local station for the dates and times of your area’s beat meeting. Most of the East Village neighborhood is in the 13th District. If the issue is not an emergency, and you have questions, you can call the CAPS office at your local Station.

Building Court Problems with poorly maintained buildings are particularly difficult to address. The City of Chicago Municipal Code is quite strict, and chances are that whatever’s bothering you is something that could land the property owners in Building Court. However, be aware that the court system is a labyrinth bureaucracy, hundreds of cases are processed each day and
things can move very slowly.

Following a case through this system requires a considerable amount of time and energy. The system works better if you can appear in court in person, but this may not be possible for you, especially since cases are continued month after month.

Don’t be discouraged if the first call or complaint you make doesn’t produce results.
Persistence is essential. If one line of inquiry isn’t working, try another. If you don’t receive adequate follow-up, move up to the supervisory level.

East Village Association is a useful resource for information, and provides its members with another way to officially address problems. If you’ve tried the steps above and been unsuccessful, EVA can support you in making sure that city services - for which we pay taxes – work. However, remember that EVA is an all-volunteer group with limited human resources.

We’re only as strong as our members, and we’re strongest when we work together.


Community contacts

1st Annual Do-Division Street Kid Fair

This Weekend September 15th & 16th,Noon-6pm

1st Annual Do-Division Street Kid Fair, in conjunction with the Do-Division Street Fest & Renegade Craft Fair, September 15th & 16th, at Andersen School Playground, on the corner of Division & Wolcott.

Don't miss fun activities for the whole family!

Sponsored by your neighborhood children's shoe boutique,
Sole Babies,2033 W. Division St., Chicago, IL 60622

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE ANDERSEN SCHOOL PLAYGROUND

$10 Donation for a Day Bracelet
$15 Donation for a Weekend Bracelet

ALL DAY!
Pony Rides
Craft Tables
Clowns (Sunday)
Face Painting (Sunday)
Balloon Sculpting (Sunday)
Inflatable Rides & Concessions

On Stage - Saturday
12:00-12:45 ARCC Ballet
12:45-1:15 Peanut Buddy & Jams
1:30-2:15 Bubbles Academy
2:30-3:15 The Musical Zoo
3:30-4:15 Bubbles Academy
4:30-5:00 The Musical Zoo
5:00-6:00 Family Dance Party

On Stage - Sunday
12:00-12:45 The Puppet Place
1:00-1:45 Mary Macaroni
2:00-2:45 The Puppet Place
3:00-3:45 Chang's Martial Arts
4:00-4:45 The Puppet Place
5:00-6:00 Family Dance Party

Dominick's preview: Chain makes West Town hires

Dominick's Finer Foods plans to recruit 90 workers from the West Town community at its new store to open this month at 2021 W. Chicago.

Two-thirds already have been hired, Wynona Redmond, the grocer's public-affairs director, told the East Village Association at this week's membership meeting. The store will employ 140 employees on the rebuilt Edmar Foods site.

At about 42,000 square feet of space, the store is half again as big as the West Loop store at 1 N. Halsted, or about three-quarters the size of the 424 W. Division location near the Cabrini-Green housing project.

The West Town store opens Sept. 27 with an invitation event and a week of promotion to follow, including a Wells High School band performance. The store is expected to keep hours till midnight and will include a meat market, Starbucks coffee stand and U.S. Bank facility.

The building will have about 133 parking spaces on the building's roof deck and sides, accessed from Lee Street. Three I-Go ride-sharing vehicles will be located there. Decorative storefront tiles were designed by a resident artist Talcott elementary school, Redmond said. The store also plans to sponsor Wells High in the city's adopt-a-school program.

Local hiring was an issue in Dominick's bid to raze the Edmar grocery and adjacent buildings. The Safeway Stores unit agreed to neighborhood concessions that Ald. Manuel Flores described in a letter during the permit review process.

Bickerdike Redevelopment, Casa Central and Erie Community House all referred job candidates, Redmond said. Recruiting efforts included an Aug. 16 job fair.

Store 2775 is the Dominick's chain's 82nd location. It had 113 stores at the start of 2004 and has been closing its less-profitable stores during the West Town grocery's planning and construction.

Report from the 1322 Beat meeting

The recent shootings resulted in a standing-room-only turnout at the Beat meeting on Wednesday September 5; Aldermen Flores and Waguespack were also in attendence.

Community members have another opportunity to show their concern at a special open-air police Roll Call, where police convene at the start of their shift at relevant sites in the neighborhood. This Roll Call will be FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 at 5:30 p.m. at 1037 N. Honore Street, the site of the most recent shootings.

Paving In Pursuit Of Profits?

By Scott A. Rappe

The ongoing construction at Division Street’s newest restaurant, Boundary, has moved to the public way. East Villagers were recently horrified to see two fenced tree pits
removed and paved to provide a larger seating area for the restaurant’s
outdoor café. This is an egregious usurpation of public property for private profit.

Long before this became the City’s hottest destination, private citizens fought to have those tree pits installed to beautify a desolate stretch of Division Street. Those fences were installed at taxpayer expense and were maintained for years by the East Village Association members at its annual spring cleanup.

Like parkways throughout Chicago, the responsibility for planting and maintenance
of these little patches of green space rest with the adjacent property owners. This
responsibility does not include removing them. Although many have been abandoned,
over the years individuals have adopted tree pits to give them the care they
deserve.

According to Alderman Flores’ office, representatives of Boundary claim that the City
approved the removal of the tree pits. Chief of Staff Raymond Valadez has requested
a copy of this approval.

EVA President’s Message

by Mary Szpur

What a pleasure it was to see the wonderful turnout at East Village Association’s August barbecue at Happy Village! Thanks to all our neighbors and friends who came out to enjoy good food, to mingle, and to learn about your local community group. I hope that some of you came away with a sense of what EVA has accomplished in the past, and why it continues to exist today. I also hope that if you didn’t join as a member that night, that you will do so soon. Our strength lies in numbers.

EVA’s mission statement is printed in every newsletter, but to summarize:

• We are a civic group working together for the common good of the community.


• We exist to assemble and disseminate information about the community.


• We serve as a forum for education about and discussion of community issues.

I would like to thank a number of people to whom we can attribute the success of the EVA barbecue:

• Dominick’s for donating the food.


• Julie and Guy Rudloff for organizing and purchasing the food and supplies, transporting them to Happy Village, and for setup and cleanup. Great job!


• Greg Nagel for securing the donation of food from Dominick’s, for organizing the flyers and the flyer distribution (those flyers are surely why we had such a good turnout), and for inviting Alderman Waguespack to attend the barbecue.


• Adam Morton for bringing his grill to Happy Village, then grilling all night long.


• Phil McFarland of Café Piccolo for donating the printing of the attractive laminated flyers that advertised the event.


• Carolina Cartagena for creating a most attractive flyer.


• Brian Roman for printing off extra newsletters in color for distribution at the barbecue.


• Marjorie Isaacson for bringing gift bags courtesy of Center for Neighborhood Technology.


• ohn Scheer for signing up new members.


• Deb Milkowski for helping to set up the food.


• All the EVA members who helped to distribute flyers.

Aldermanic Liaison Report

by Greg Nagel

The recent EVA BBQ was a success in terms of turnout, membership drive, and food. Unfortunately, Alderman Flores was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, and Alderman Waguespack arrived late in the evening. EVA members will have another chance to speak with Alderman Flores as he has agreed to be the guest speaker at our October meeting.

I have a meeting scheduled with Alderman Burnett and will report on this at our next General Membership meeting.

Recent Violence In Our Neighborhood

by Greg Nagel

Violence is one of the issues that pretty much trumps all issues. Sure we all like pretty streets and want to recycle, but not getting shot will pretty much take priority always. Some members have asked me to speak to the Aldermen regarding the recent shooting at Anderson school playground.

It has been stated by the Aldermen that they believe this wave of violence relates to
several young men who are members of gangs returning to the neighborhood after being gone for sometime.

The best sources of information regarding violence in our neighborhood are the CAPS meeting. The front page of this newsletter lists the various Beats in our area and the corresponding meeting time. The next Beat 1322 CAPS meeting on September 5 will include two State’s attorneys doing a mock interrogation of police officers, to teach us how to be on the look-out for gang related activity, who or what we'd be looking for, and even some role playing.

The 13th District will hold an "Outdoor Community Roll Call" to show the gangs that we own our streets. The first is scheduled for this Saturday September 1st at 5:30 pm at 1122 N. Wolcott followed by another one at 1037 N. Honore on Saturday September 8th at 5.

Be safe and make sure to report any suspicious activity by emailing CAPS013District@chicagopolice.org.

East Village Association Board of Directors Meeting Minute

6:30 PM August 13th, 2007, Happy Village Tavern

1. Treasurer reported that we gained approximately $265 from new memberships at the night of the Bar-B-Que. We now have approximately 90 members.


2. Secretary will write thank you notes to Carol Scully of Dominick’s and Phil McFarland of Lava Lounge-Café Piccolo for their donations to the Bar-B-Que. The 32nd Ward Alderman will also get a note for his appearance that night.


3. Bar-B-Que sign up sheet – Julie will update membership of people who signed up and paid dues. John will take the list of people who signed in but didn’t sign up and send them a hardcopy of the September Newsletter as a welcome packet to join.


4. Newsletter
   
   
   
   • The board agreed that the current printable format will remain and will be issued monthly – see this for details.
   
   
   • The distribution to the majority of the members will be via email in pdf form. Each month, at least 25 printed copies will be traditionally hardcopy printed each month to bring to the general meetings, for members is also intended to increase our business membership.
   
   


5. Guy volunteered to print up business cards with a blank line for write-ins. He will need a .tif file of the East Village Association Logo.


6. Website- It was suggested that to keep the current membership centrally available, the treasure will send the updated list to Webmaster Steve Rynkiewicz. Steve will post as an URL so that only officers will passwords can access it. This to be discussed further at next board meeting.

September meeting – The speaker will be a representative from Dominick’s correlating with the grand opening of their new store in Ukrainian Village.

7. Manny Flores, Alderman of 1st Ward, will speak at the meeting.


8. Crimes and shootings – The board agreed to refer people to CAPS for these type of issues.

Commercial Park Playground Renovation Update

by Ronda Locke

The Commercial Park Playground Renovation committee has a lot to be grateful for!
First, thanks to the entire East Village and surrounding communities for coming out and making our second Kids Fest a huge success. Kids Fest 2007 helped raise $11,500
(net) towards the playground renovation.

Secondly, the committee would like to thank Dominick’s and American Eagle Bank of Chicago and our secondary sponsors; Gymboree, Baker’s Joy and Creative Cafe for their generous contributions. And finally thank you to Windy City Mini Mart (Chicago Avenue) and Alderman Manny Flores for their generous food contributions.

The community, especially those with children under 12, enjoyed music and other stage entertainment, pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, crafts, wall climbing and purchased numerous donated items from local businesses in our silent auction. A good time was had by all.

Commercial Park playground renovation is slated to break ground this Fall but our committee still needs to raise $43,000. To be added to our committee’s e-mail mailing list or to purchase your own engraved brick to be installed in the park, please contact Ronda Locke at (312) 226-0970 or rondalocke@sbcglobal.net.

Regards,
Ronda Locke
Co-chair Commercial Park Playground Renovation Committee

East Village Board of Directors Adds New Members!

EVA President Mary Szpur recently announced the addition of two members to the EVA Board of Directors.

Steve Rynkiewicz is the current webmaster of www.eastvillagechicago.org and a long time resident.

Also a long time resident of the area, John Scheer, who has been working hard on increasing EVA membership has agreed to serve on the Board. Congratulations and Thank You for your service!

Report from a Recycling Block Captain

by M. Isaacson

This report is for those of you who are using your Blue Carts. We'll talk about those empty carts another time – this report's topic is the materials you're putting in the carts. Are you recycling everything you could be, or perhaps trying to recycle things that belong in the garbage?


A lot of our trash is plastic, and it's true many plastics can be recycled. But not all plastics are equal! And not all of them are recyclable with the Blue Cart program. Many plastics have a recycling symbol around a number on the bottom. You can put plastics with numbers 1,2,3,4,5, and 7 in the blue carts. Plastics that cannot be recycled in the blue carts are Styrofoam (#6) and plastic "film", such as plastic bags or plastic wrap.

I've heard some people complain that they should be able to recycle plastic bags in the blue carts, since stores like Jewel and Dominicks collect these bags for recycling, and use them to make a plastic lumber.

But just because it's possible to recycle something doesn't mean that it's practical, economically or environmentally. I could write pages on why plastic – in some ways a wonder material – is also wracking havoc on the world. In the book "Garbage Land - On the Secret Trail of Trash", author E.Royte has a chapter on plastic titled "The Devil's Resin". The press has been filled with reports on other countries and even some places in the U.S. that have banned disposable plastic bags and plastic bottles.

Some people also try and recycle anything that's plastic, like toys or plastic mini-blinds. They reason, perhaps it's recyclable, so why not try?

This is not a good practice because it requires the MRRF (materials recycling and recovery facility) to do extra sorting and processing to clean out the unusable items. If the materials they get from blue cart collections have too many contaminates, they'll raise the prices they charge for recycling. Which is paid for by our tax dollars.

If you are recycling because you believe it is the environmentally responsible thing to do (and it is!), try avoiding the purchase and use of plastics. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call or email me (773) 384-6088 or marjiei@yahoo.com. Thanks for recycling!

EVA Newsletter Changes

by Greg Nagel

Communication is at the forefront of what we do and the printed hard copy newsletter is and has been a major part of that effort for many years. However, the internet which allows for email and the establishment of the EVA website presents an opportunity for savings.

By using email and the internet to disseminate information it will eliminate several hours of production work on each newsletter, it will also eliminate the Kinkos production cost, and is better for the environment. This time and dollar savings can then be put towards other goals and initiatives. However, most people have access to the internet but not everyone does. Also, the printed newsletter is a visible advertisement of our organization within the community.

The board has been wrestling with these questions and I'm excited to present to the organization, on behalf of the Board, what we feel seems to be the best of both worlds:

• The electronic newsletter will be emailed to all members every month.


• Quarterly the newsletter will also be produced in hard copy printed form so that it can be brought to the general meetings for members without email, given to prospective members, and disseminated to local businesses to promote our visibility.

This compromise should significantly reduce our costs and production time, yet still provide the visibility and advertisement the organization requires.

Ashland & Division (Pizza Hut) Property

by Scott Rappe

In the wake of the article regarding the Pizza Hut property in last month's newsletter I have contacted all of the surrounding community organizations and both Chambers of Commerce encouraging development of more than a typical free-standing franchise on the site. All of the feedback I have received has been positive and it is on the agenda of several organizations as a matter to be considered.
I presented EVA's position to the Planning, Development & Zoning Committee of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. They were very receptive to the idea. They subsequently wrote a letter to Alderman Flores expressing support for EVA's position. The committee will seek a formal endorsement of the idea from the Chamber's Board ofDirectors at its next meeting.

I received an email from the West Town Chamber of Chicago Chamber of Commerce stating that the Board of Directors "agrees that independent businesses should be encouraged as opposed to large corporate chains" and will inform its general membership of the issue in their next newsletter. Additionally I have been copied on several letters to the Alderman from residents and business owners who want to see appropriate transit-oriented development on the Polish Triangle.

I have made efforts to get the word out to several high-quality developers that there is growing community support that might allow a dense mixed-use building if appropriately designed. The hope is that the potential for increased profits might be sufficient motivation for a developer to navigate its way into the corporate real-estate bureaucracy of Walgreens or Pizza Hut (at this time it is unknown whether title to the property has been transferred).

I met with Alderman Flores, who assured me that he shares our concerns and has conveyed them to the property's owner & developer, Integra Development. He is waiting for them to bring a formal development proposal for the site to him and has committed to involve EVA in the process. The Alderman was pleased to learn of the growing community awareness and support for the idea.


Zoning Change Request at Chicago & Winchester

I have received a preliminary inquiry regarding a zoning-change request for the lots at the northwest corner of Chicago & Winchester. Strangely, the lots, which run north south and face Chicago Avenue are zoned both B3-2 (south half) and RT-4 (north half).

Jack Guthman, the attorney representing Ranquist Development, is requesting that the lots be rezoned entirely as B3-2. Following PPD Committee protocols, a letter with a checklist of required submittal materials was sent to the developer's attorney. The project will require demolition of the existing
building.

I encourage everyone to visit the site to familiarize themselves with the existing building and email me with their comments.

Scott A. Rappe, Chairperson
srappe@kplusr.com

TONIGHT - Show your concern about East Village crime

At the EVA general membership meeting last night, the subject of this summer's multiple shootings in and around our community was discussed, as many residents are very concerned about these recent violent incidents in our neighborhood.

As a first step in dealing with this problem as a group, we urge EVA members to attend the September CAPS meeting tonight, Wednesday, September 5, at 7 pm, at the 13th District police station on Wood Street, south of Augusta, on the second floor.

We decided at last night's meeting that a "show of force" with as many people present at the CAPS meeting as we could get, voicing their concern and asking for solutions, might be effective. So, we want you there.

Several specific suggestions for improving police presence and community vigilance were discussed at the EVA meeting, and we hope these suggestions are brought up at the CAPS meeting as well.

If you are concerned about this important issue, please attend the CAPS meeting tonight.

Mary Szpur, East Village Association President