May 14 meeting preview and newsletter

Posted on , updated on by Steven Stern

The next South Lakeview Neighbors meeting is Tuesday, May 14. As usual, we will gather for  at 7:00 PM in the basement of St. Alphonsus church, at 1429 Wellington. See below – this is pizza and fun night! The meeting itself begins at 7:30 PM.

On the agenda:

THEATER CULTURE IN THE SLN NEIGHBORHOOD
Did you know that the SLN boundaries are a hot-bed for cutting-edge live theater. SLN has invited representatives from following theaters to present their Spring and Summer Theater Programs:

Athenaeum Theater – 2936 N. Southport
Wit Theater – Stage 773
Tickets for performances at these theaters will be raffled off at the Membership Meeting. Winner must be present.

LOW-LINE MARKET at SOUTHPORT (Farmer’s Market)
You wanted a local Farmer’s Market in the neighborhood. You got it. Heather Way, Executive Director of the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce and SSS#27 will announce the inaugural summer of the Low-Line Market. The Market will be located at the Southport Brown Line stop (west side of street). Beginning June 6 (Thursday) and run every Thursday through October 17 from 4PM to 8PM.

duggan

Outgoing SLN President, David Duggan

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
The Nominating Committee has slated the following candidates for election:

  • President – Perry Castrovillari
  • 1st Vice President – Sam Samatas
  • 2nd Vice President – Lisa Voigt
  • Recording Secretary – Bill Haderlein
  • Treasurer – Ann Sychowski
  • Corresponding Secretary – Greg Brown

Directors:

  • Mark Anderson
  • Bill Bauman
  • David Duggan
  • Marge Fahrenbach
  • Susan Radzinowicz
  • Joseph Semerling
  • Steven Stern
  • Robert Taugner

Nominations for all offices and director positions can be made from the floor at the time of election. If you are interested in being nominated from the floor, you will have to recruit someone to nominate yourself. That shouldntt be too hard.

Thank you to the Nominating Committee for volunteering their free time to work on the nominations: Bill Haderlein, Susan Radzinowicz, Sam Samatas, Joseph Semerling, Greg Brown and Ann Sychowski. Two bottles of wine, some Greek-style brownies and raw almonds for energy were consumed by the Committee during the grueling nominating process.

BEER, WINE, POP and PIZZA & APPETIZERS
All members are invited to join us starting at 7PM for some warm-up drinks and for some pizza and appetizers. Then more beer and wine that will follow the conclusion of the meeting issues and the election of the officers and directors. All items are being donated by neighborhood businesses and the officers and directors. Thank you.

This is the final formal Membership Meeting for the 2012-2013 season. The FINAL MEETING has traditionally been called, FUN NIGHT and it is. See you there.

What happened at the April meeting?  Among other things, there was a discussion of St. Alphonsus’ plans for Octoberfest, including closing Southport Ave. We could tell you more, but you’d do better to read the May newsletter.  Newsletter Correction:  The number you call to stop deliver of RedPlum is incorrect in the newsletter.  The correct number for the Chicago Tribune is  1-800-TRIBUNE (1-800-874-2863).

 

St. Alphonsus Octoberfest vote at the April 2013 Meeting

Posted on , updated on by Steven Stern

ST. ALPHONSUS OCTOBERFEST – STREET CLOSURES

Representatives from the Octoberfest Planning Committee reappeared before the SLN Membership to clarify the plans for the 2013 events to take place the last weekend of September.

octoberfest

Image courtesy of Zagat.com

The major change is that the Party moves out to include Southport Ave. in front of the Church. The highlights of the plan are:

  1. Oakdale Ave. will be closed from Southport to Greenview. However, food vendors, merchants and beer booths will be on Oakdale only up to the east driveway of the the parking lot; thereby, reducing the impact on the neighbors. Beer trucks will leave every night.
  2. Southport Ave. will be closed from Wellington Ave. to George St. The Fest will occupy the street from Wellington to the alley north of George St. (basically to the St. Al’s parking lot on Southport) Traffic heading south would be diverted to Lincoln Ave. Cars heading north on Southport will be diverted west on George St to Greenview to Wellington then back on to Southport. The Committee indicated that signs would be placed towards Diversey to alert cars that Southport will be closed. A Fire Lane will allow for emergency vehicles.
  3. Bands: There will be stages for bands in the Church and on Southport near the George St. alley facing north, away from the residences homes.
  4. Security-increased to 10 off-duty police officers. Placed at each entrance point, bar location with increased security later in the evening to help with crowd control.
  5. The Church basement will be used for extra seating and for weather contingency plans.
  6. Groupon coupons will not be used. This caused huge, uncontrollable crowds a couple of years ago.

The Planning Committee feels this plan, though a larger footprint, will have a reduced impact on the residential neighbors, enhance the patron experience and allow St. Alphonsus to fully utilize the fundraiser element for which the event is truly designed around.

The immediate area was flyered (250 total) regarding the plans. A neighbor on 1400 Oakdale and 1400 George (now directly affected) voiced objections to the increased size and noise due the Southport Band Stage. The George St. resident noted that the stage will be right out her back window. No other comments were recorded.

A hand vote was taken. Do you support the proposed plans: In favor YES-12, against NO-8. Tepid support. A letter summarizing the vote was sent to Alderman Waguespack.

Spring Clean-Up Project

Posted on , updated on by Steven Stern

Volunteers Wanted

cleangreen

Are you sick of the all the litter in our neighborhood?  In conjunction with Chicago’s Citywide Clean & Green Volunteer Clean-up, SLN is spearheading a clean-up project.

  • Date: April 20, Saturday
  • Time: 10AM – 5 minutes late start allowance
  • Where: the Block you live on
  • Goal: To pick up all paper, plastic, cigarette butts  or other man-made litter off our side streets and  have our neighborhood start clean for Spring 2013.
  • Equipment: You, your family, neighbors and friends. Garbage bag and maybe a pair of disposable plastic gloves (purchase at Pittsburgh Paint)
  • Meet:  at east end of your block (east-west streets) or north end (north-south streets).

Please email  South Lakeview Neighbors which block you will take. We will post the names of all the volunteers who cleaned up in the May newsletter. Feel free to email photos or clean-up stories for the website and Facebook.  Look out dirt, here we come.

April Meeting Preview

Posted on , updated on by Steven Stern

Lakeview High School (1957). Image courtesy of The Chuck Man Collection.

The next South Lakeview Neighbors meeting is Tuesday, April 9. As usual, we will gather for coffee and chat at 7:00 PM in the basement of St. Alphonsus church, at 1429 Wellington. The meeting itself begins at 7:30 PM. Please invite your neighbors, particularly those with kids.

SLN Area Schools

Please welcome the following to our April meeting:

  • Agassiz Elementary School represented by Mira Weber, Principal and Scott Fishman, President of the Friends of Agassiz Board of Directors
  • Burley Elementary School represented by Catherine Plocher, Principal
  • Prescott Elementary School represented by Jennifer Lister, Local School Council Chair
  • Lake View High School represented by Lilith Werner, Principal

The elementary schools will talk about the their programs, admissions, and community orientation. Lake View High School will talk about their recent adaption of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) curriculum and partnerships with Microsoft Corporation and DePaul University.

St. Alphonsus Octoberfest

When the Octoberfest Committee came to the March meeting, SLN was somewhat surprised by the announcement that Southport Ave. is planned to be closed. After discussion at the SLN Board meeting the following week, it was felt that the issue should be re-presented at the April Meeting with the membership and surrounding neighbors being alerted to the facts in advance for discussion purposes. See the write-up for the March meeting for details presented by the St. Alphonsus Octoberfest Committee.

This will be a voting issue and the results will be forwarded to the Alderman