To provide a complete damage assessment to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), please fill out the posted form. Instructions are provided to make this as easy of a process as possible.

Forms and Instructions

• Flood Initial Damage Assessment Form
• Flood Initial Damage Assessment Form Instructions
• Disaster Declaration Process (IEMA)

Once downloaded please fill out the Damage Assessment Form and email it  to flood2010@cityofchicago.org. Residents can also call 311, and an operator will assist you with completing the form over the telephone. Completed forms can also or dropped off at your local Aldermanic Office if you don’t have access to email.

Residents who do not have access to a computer can visit anyone of the Chicago Public Libraries or Aldermanic Office download the forms.

As always, if residents have any questions, we encourage you to call 311.

The project will include removal of existing pavement and medians which will be replaced with irrigated, landscaped medians with decorative precast concrete.

Other work will include various corner upgrades, minor resurfacing and pavement marking installation.  Landscaping will include trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs.

The medians offer several benefits:

• Safety—medians separate lanes of oncoming traffic.
• Environmental—landscaped medians incorporate trees and other plantings that help reduce the urban heat island effect, keeping Chicago cooler.
• Storm water management—medians collect and store stormwater, reducing the amount that enters storm sewers.
• Aesthetics—median plantings contribute to the “greening” and beautification of Chicago.

Travel Impacts

Lincoln Avenue will see some lane reductions throughout the project between Devon Avenue to Catalpa Avenue.

• Northbound Lincoln: two travel lanes; no parking allowed
• Southbound Lincoln: one travel lane, one parking/travel lane

Maplewood, eastbound Mozart and Christiana will be restricted to right-in and right-out turn movements

The young people to be placed in these jobs will come from a waiting list provided to the City by the State of Illinois of applicants who are eligible under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The City will add $500,000 from its parking meter Human Infrastructure Fund to support the summer jobs program further.

“One of the most important things we do in city government to keep our young people safe is to provide them with positive alternatives to hanging out in the streets when they’re not in school,” Daley said in a news conference held at Erie Neighborhood House, 1701 W. Superior St., where some of the summer jobs are located.

This summer, the City and its sister agencies, joined by community organizations and faith-based groups are providing about 250,000 opportunities to Chicago’s young people in a wide range of areas, including education, sports and other activities.

This has included more than 15,000 full- and part-time employment opportunities in both the public and private sector for young people as part of the City’s “Youth Ready Chicago” program.

“Each opportunity gives young people a chance to gain marketable skills and makes it easier for them to make the transition from school into the workforce.

And in these tough economic times, a summer job for young people can help families make ends meet,” the Mayor said.

The 2,300 additional summer jobs is being administered by the City’s Department of Family and Support Services through a network of agency partners who will screen for eligibility and find age-appropriate jobs for the young people. Positions can include retail and clerical opportunities and many others.

The 2,300 jobs, which last for up to 10 weeks, begin throughout July. So far, about 420 young people have begun work under the program.

Daley said summer jobs are more than just a moneymaking opportunity for young people, they represent a critical investment in the future of the city.

Without the support of the federal government and the City’s private and non-profit partners, an entire generation of young people is at risk of being severely or even permanently disconnected from the labor market, he said. He thanked the State of Illinois for its role in making the federal money available to Chicago.

Daley again challenged the City’s business leaders to strengthen their efforts to provide jobs for young people, either by supporting City programs or by hiring young Chicagoans themselves.

The Mayor said summer employment programs build on the many other steps the City has taken recently to put young people on the right track and away from gangs in the first place and to better protect every student from violence at school and on the way to and from school.

These have included:

• Using $30 million in federal economic stimulus funds to reduce school violence and create “cultures of calm” in 38 high schools with high concentrations of students at-risk of being involved with violence.
• Deploying Police Department resources more strategically to troubled schools at dismissal times, and Using $1 million in proceeds from the City’s parking meter lease agreement to fund hundreds of jobs and other after school opportunities for young people.

“If  Chicago is to have a strong future, we cannot to tolerate the gang bangers and drug dealers who only want to terrorize our neighborhoods and kill our citizens,” Daley said.

Police composite sketch

About This Crime
The Chicago Police Department is investigating an attempt Child Abduction that occurred on July 08, 2010, at approximately 8:20 a.m., on the 6300 block of North Ridge.

The victim was en route to school when she was approached by an unknown male driving a newer model royal blue pickup truck with shiny wheels. The male pulled up next to her and asked her if she needed a ride. He then followed her, honked at her and told her to get in his car. The victim ran to school and alerted security, the offender was reported to have continued northbound on Clark.

About The Offender

The offender is described as a Caucasian male, 30-35 years of age, bald, with a fair complexion, round face and muscular build. At one point, he wore a red cap.

What You Can Do

• Be aware of this situation and alert neighbors in the area about the crime.
• If possible, don’t walk alone and stay in well lit areas.
• Call 911 to report any suspicious person(s), vehicle(s) or activity in your neighborhood.
• Call 911 and provide a detailed description of the offender(s) including the vehicle description and license plate information.
• Call the CAPS Implementation Office at 312-747-9987 for more information on how to avoid being a victim of crime.

If you have any information about this incident, please call the Area Three Special Victims Unit 312-744-8200 024th District 312-744-5907
Reference RD# HS399929
Alert #630-10-017
July 10, 2010

Residents who, like those gardeners almost 70 years ago, want to work with their neighbors to grow their own food. Join The Peterson Garden Project for an adventure in community gardening – retro style!

Click here for more information regarding the Victory garden: http://petersongarden.org

When:

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), in partnership with Alderman Patrick J. O’Connor and Alderman Bernard Stone, will present the Mobile Community Service Center program on Wednesday, May 26th from 10am to 4pm at Green Briar Park located at 2650 W. Peterson Avenue. The Mobile Community Service Center initiative delivers information and supportive services to residents in need.

Visitor’s to the Mobile Community Service Center can explore a variety of resources including 2010 Census information, employment resources, housing resources, healthy cooking demonstrations, a mobile food pantry, the mobile immunization caravan, pre-school and childcare services, public benefits assistance, rental assistance, senior services, and youth programs.

Through the Mobile Community Service Center program, the DFSS is able to ensure that resources, information and services are easily accessible to the people who need them most.

What is the DFSS
The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) is dedicated to supporting a continuum of coordinated services to enhance the lives of Chicago residents, particularly those most in need, from birth through the senior years. The department works to promote the independence and well-being of individuals, support families and strengthen neighborhoods by providing direct assistance and administering resources to a network of community-based organizations, social service providers and institutions. For more information about the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, call 312-743-0300 or visit their website.

The  garden site was part of an original WW2 Victory Garden from 1942-1945. This revival Victory Garden is being launched for the 2010 growing season for Chicago residents who, like those gardeners almost 70 years ago, want to work with their neighbors to grow their own food.

Come garden with us! No experience necessary but enthusiasm is!

Each bed in Peterson Garden has 24 square feet of gardening space. That allows for a lot of fresh produce for your family and friends.

What you need to do:

1. Plan on 2-3 visits per week to the garden
2. Be committed to gardening organically
3. Participate in educational opportunities (if you’re a new gardener)

Costs for gardening are on a sliding scale of $45- whatever you want to donate. This helps to pay for a raised bed, organic soil and other miscellaneous costs.

To learn how much you can really grow in a small space, click HERE.

If you’re interested in gardening withus, send an email to want2grow@petersongarden.org or call the Alderman’s office at 773.769.1140

Volunteer

Maybe you can’t commit to your own plot for a summer? That’s ok… if you want to tend the soil, water, weed and generally hang out in a great garden environment we’ll look forward to your assistance! The more gardeners, the happier the garden will be…

For more info on volunteering opportunities send an email to want2help@petersongarden.org

Donate

This garden is being built on the generous donations of time and resources from community members who know that edible gardening matters.

We’ll be providing several opportunities throughout the spring to participate in fundraisers and your financial donations are most welcome.

Farm4You is a program where you make a donation (sliding scale from $200+) and we tend a 6×4 foot bed for you. That’s 24 square feet of produce all summer long with no work on your part – quite a steal when you consider the price of heirloom tomatoes at the grocery store. (But, truthfully, your own tomatoes will taste much better.) If you are interested in this innovative program, please send an email to farm4you@petersongarden.org

Peterson Garden is in the process of being set up as a non-profit. Until that happens, donations will not be tax deductible. But they will be greatly appreciated.

For more information on how to support this great garden, please send an email to want2help@petersongarden.org

Learn

90% of the Victory Gardeners during WW2 didn’t know how to garden. That didn’t stop Chicago from becoming the national role model for Victory Gardening!

Like those neighbors of generations past, we’ll be there to help you put in your garden and answer your questions throughout the growing season in person and online.

Victory Garden History

The year – 1943 – was a banner growing season for Chicago Victory Gardens. As the war was in its second year, Chicagoans rallied community-by-community to do all they could for the effort and to alleviate the shortages caused by the largest international conflict of all time.

As transportation resources were diverted to moving troops and munitions, shipping fresh produce to market fell low on the priority list. In addition, the glut of low-wage workers from the Great Depression were finding jobs in military-related industries so farms were short-staffed and unable to meet the food demands of the nation. To complicate matters, materials previously used for canning food were now needed for weapons.

Simply put: there was not a lot of food available to buy.

In response to this crisis, massive coordinated efforts across Chicago – by hundreds of thousands of average citizens – created four gardening seasons (1942-1945) the likes of which have not been seen since…

Here’s some of the surprising facts of the “army of gardeners” in 1943 who fed Chicago, kept up morale and did their part for Victory:

1. 90% of the people who grew Victory Gardens had never gardened before
2. 14,000 plots were gardened by children on Chicago Park District land
3. The largest Victory Garden in the country was in Chicago’s North Park neighborhood
4. 800 families farmed this gigantic garden
5. Victory Gardens produced 55,000 pounds of food during the summer of 1943
6. Chicago-based companies such as Marshall Fields and International Harvester  donated seeds and garden equipment
7. A city ordinance prevented theft from Victory Gardens with fines of $600-$2,400 in today’s currency
8. An estimated 172,000 Victory Gardens sprang up in Chicago in 1943
9. 908 acres of which were on private/city lots or park property
10. Communities held dozens of “harvest festivals” in the fall of 1943 including a city-wide festival at Soldier Field attended by thousands of Chicagoans

Fast forward to 2010… while not embroiled in the largest international conflict of all time, we do face food-related concerns and a new trend toward growing one’s own food is again sweeping the country:

1. In 2009, stories about food safety were the #1 topic in food-related media
2. Sales for home canning supplies have increased 30%
3. Almost 8 million people started gardening in 2009 for the express purpose of growing their own food

It is important to remember that today’s challenges aren’t that different from those almost 70 years ago – our food supply is in jeopardy. It doesn’t matter the cause – we are feeling similar concerns. And, like those Chicagoans who had never gardened before, we can raise our own food on our backyards and neighborhood plots.

Chicago’s Victory Garden efforts were so coordinated and successful that our plan was sent out by the US Government to other major urban areas as a blueprint for success.

Perhaps, once again, we can rally and provide an example for our country in urban food production… who’s in?

Shirts, caps, and banners.

The 2010 Census March to the Mailbox Campaign is just days away. This campaign is being held on April 10th and is part of the U.S. Census Bureau’s national advertising plan to boost mail participation rates in the once-a-decade population count. For every percentage point increase in the 2010 Census mail-back participation rate, the Census Bureau saves about $85 million in follow-up costs with households that failed to return their forms.

Stop by the 40th Ward Service Office at 5850 N. Lincoln Avenue to receive a 2010 Census shirt, hat or banner. Hours of service are Monday and Thursday, 9-7:30pm and Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9-4:30pm. PLEASE call 773.769.1140 before you make the trip.

Census website: www.census.gov

History of the National Census: http://en.wikipedia.org

Date:

On Saturday, April 17, 2010, you and community groups in your area can make an immediate difference in your neighborhood by volunteering your time and efforts to take part in Mayor Daley’s Spring Clean & Green Day.

For two decades Chicagoans have teamed up with community groups and the City of Chicago to help beautify their communities by cleaning up and recycling accumulated litter & trash. All you have to do is sign up to help a location close to you that could really use a good cleaning. The City will work with you and your community organization to provide use on that day of all the brooms, rakes, shovels and bags needed to get the job done.

Tools are loaned to community groups throughout the year. Requests for tools must be received 3-4 business days prior to date of clean up. Tools and bags will be picked up at the local Streets and Sanitation Ward Yard. Groups wishing to have a weekend clean up must pick up the supplies on Friday. (Tools may be picked up on Saturday only on the two special citywide Clean and Green days in Spring and Fall.)