Alderman Moreno is hosting a Community Meeting Monday, January 9th , 6:30pm at Commercial Park Fieldhouse (1845 W. Rice Street) to hear a proposal to extend the Chicago Avenue pedestrian zone between Wood St and Damen Avenue. Please mark your calendar so that you can attend this meeting and understand the implications of making such a zoning change.
Questions for the Alderman?
Email: ward01@cityofchicago.org
Phone: (773)278-0101
Stoplight Request at Chicago & Hoyne
The request for a stoplight at Hoyne & Chicago is one that goes back a couple of years in our neighborhood. You can read the minutes from our July 2011 membership meeting for more details of a conversation we had with the offices of the 1st and 32n wards. The topic was brought up again this month in light of the ward redistricting. Supposedly both wards have said they will each commit to 1/2 the budget for stoplight, from money from their own menu funds if CDOT does not fund it. People continue to complain about the dangerous crossing for pedestrians at this intersection and we will check in with the Aldermen in January.
Proposed extension of the “Pedestrian Street” designation for Chicago Avenue
This news comes from our neighbors at the EVA. 1st Ward Alderman Proco Joe Moreno, and 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waugespack are proposing to extend Chicago Avenue’s “pedestrian street” designation from Ashland Avenue west to Damen Avenue. It now stops at Wood Street. A pedestrian street in Chicago zoning parlance requires storefronts close to the sidewalk and bans strip malls, drive-through’s, auto lots, gas stations, car washes and self-storage warehouses. Division Street is a pedestrian street between Milwaukee and Leavitt. We support the EVA and the Aldermen in this proposal and would like to suggest extending the pedestrian street designation all the way to Western Avenue. We will follow up with the EVA.
Liquor License Requests in the 1st and 32nd Wards
There has been a lot of talk about two different businesses located on the eastern edge of our neighborhood applying for permits to sell liquor. The first location is the Augusta-Damen Food Mart on the NE corner of Augusta & Damen Avenues. 1st Ward Alderman Proco Joe Moreno lifted a package liquor sales moratorium that was in place along Damen Avenue from Division to Augusta, based on signatures collected by the Food Mart in favor of liquor sales at that location. This means that the establishment may now apply for a license to sell liquor. More on the application process to follow.
The second location that has supposedly shown interest in selling package liquor is the new Red Apple convenience store at the corner of Chicago & Damen. As of this meeting, they had not yet applied for a license.
According to the City of Chicago’s website (and also summarized nicely on Everyblock.com) an establishment must apply for a license and go through the following notification process:
As far as we know, neither establishment has filed any application. We will bring this topic up for discussion at the next UVNA meeting, possibly with representatives from either or both businesses, in January, and if applications are filed before that time we will inform all UVNA members.
Blue Recycling Bins
We’ve been told that our neighborhood will be part of a pilot program beginning in January , to test out private-company recycling with Waste Management. We’ll let you know more when we hear more.
Building Permit Review for 2112 W. Haddon
We will follow up with the folks who are interested in making some changes to this address to allow for a handicap entrance and hope that we can review their plans at the January meeting.
Ukrainian Village/Preservation Chicago Spring Church Walk
We met with some enthusiastic folks from Preservation Chicago at Alderman Moreno’s Thursday night event at Boundary a couple of weeks ago, and discussed the possibility of hosting an architectural tour of our neighborhood churches sometime next spring or summer. They were interested in co-sponsoring this event with us – lots of great ideas. We would like to get a committee together to meet with Preservation Chicago and organize a small walking tour of our historic churches. If you would be interested in helping out in any small way in such an event, please send an email to secretary@uvna.org and let us know.
Winter All-Neighborhoods Party
We’ve reached out to the various neighborhood associations that border Ukrainian Village to see who is interested is trying to gather all of together for a little social get-together. The response has been good, but we have not yet set a date, time , or place. More to come!
Helping out with the UVNA
The UVNA is a small neighborhood organization made up of volunteers. We’re always looking for people who are interested in getting more involved in their neighborhood, and can use help organize events, work on the newsletter, or the event calendar on the website, etc. If you’re interested in volunteering with the UVNA drop us a line at info@uvna.org
Sergeant Juan Clas – Community Policing Officer for the 13th District recently sent out this alert regarding the thefts we’ve been seeing in our neighborhood and throughout the city of catalytic converters.
What are catalytic converters, and why is catalytic converter theft common?
Catalytic converters are devices that reduce pollution-causing emissions. Since 1975, all vehicles produced in the United States must have a catalytic converter as part of the exhaust system. The precious metals inside act as catalysts; when hot exhaust enters the converter, a chemical reaction occurs that renders toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, into less harmful emissions.
Stolen catalytic converters are sold to scrap yards for around $100 to $150, and when you consider the current prices for precious metals you can understand the demand. Rhodium sells for roughly $9,500 an ounce, while platinum pays at about $2,000.
Meanwhile, victims of catalytic converter theft are left to deal with the aftermath. There’s the hassle of a vehicle that can’t be safely driven, and the impact that has on your business. There’s the high expense of having it towed to a local repair shop. And replacement of a stolen catalytic converter can run anywhere from $300 to $1,000, depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Nationwide’s comprehensive car insurance for businesses and individuals covers these repairs. If you are not insured with Nationwide be sure to check your commercial auto insurance policy to ensure that you are covered.
What thieves look for
Vehicles that sit higher from the ground, such as trucks, pick-ups and SUVs, are particularly vulnerable to catalytic converter theft because thieves can slide underneath without having to jack up the vehicle to gain access to the converter. With just a few cuts of a battery-powered saw, the catalytic converter can be stolen in less than a minute.
Catalytic converter thefts typically happen to vehicles that are parked for prolonged periods of time in large lots, such as shopping centers, mass transit commuter lots or company parking lots. “Corporate fleets are particularly vulnerable, because thieves can hit multiple vehicles in a single location,” says Ekiss. “And if that happens, it can shut down a business for days.”
Smart steps for preventing catalytic converter theft
Preventing catalytic converter theft on your vehicle is a matter of common sense and some research.
1. Always park in well-lighted areas.
2. At shopping centers and other similar parking lots, park close the entrance of the building, or near the access road where there’s a lot of traffic.
3. If you own or work at a business or factory, park within a fenced area that’s busy during the day and secured at night.
4. Engrave your license plate number on the converter to make it traceable. This can act as a catalytic converter theft deterrent and help with local police investigations.
5. Purchase a vehicle security system, and make sure its set to triggered with just the slightest motion.
6. Visit a local muffler shop and have the converter secured to the vehicle’s frame with a couple of pieces of hardened steel welded to the frame.
7. Check out the different types of catalytic converter theft deterrent systems at your local auto parts store or on the Internet.
Reference:
(n.d.). Business alert: Catalytic converter theft. Retrieved from Safety and loss control website: http://www.nationwide.com/catalytic-converter-
Sgt. Juan Clas
Community Policing Office
937 N. Wood S .
Chicago , IL 60622
Main: (312) 746-8355
Direct: (312) 743-1271
Fax: (312) 746-6736
Email: juan.clas@chicagopolice.org
CAPS Email: CAPS.013District@chicagopolice.org
Remember, rather than calling 911, you may call 311 to have a police officer complete a report for incidents such as theft, criminal damage to property, lost property, and other non-emergency situations.
