Neighborhood News
Horizon Students, Alderman Cardenas Push Environmental Moves in City Council
Horizon Science Academy students Isabel Abarca, Luis Ortega and Evelyn Munoz join 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas outside Chicago City Council chambers as part of their trip to advocate for the Carbon Fee and Dividend resolution.
Thanks in part to advocacy and testimony by students from the McKinley Park neighborhood's Horizon Science Academy, the Chicago City Council and 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas have pushed Chicago to be the first major U.S. city to officially support a Carbon Fee and Dividend policy at the federal level. The adoption of Resolution R2017-915 follows months of outreach from Horizon students, backed by other locally active environmental advocacy groups such as the Citizens Climate Lobby, to get Chicago to adopt the non-binding resolution.
On March 11, Horizon students Evelyn Munoz, Isabel Abarca and Luis Ortega were among the testifiers on behalf of the resolution in front of the Committee on Health and Environmental Protection, which Cardenas chairs. On March 13, the measure passed with every city council member present voting in favor of it.
Read more: Horizon Students, Alderman Cardenas Push Environmental Moves in City Council
Patrol Bubbly Creek as a Volunteer Canoe Guide
Bubbly Creek on the eastern border of the McKinley Park neighborhood flows north toward the Chicago River and the boathouse of Park No. 571.
The Friends of the Chicago River is reaching out to local paddlers who have an interest in helping promote our local waterways, including Bubbly Creek on the McKinley Park neighborhood's eastern border. Two upcoming training dates lead to certification as a Volunteer Canoe Guide who can lead expeditions from the Chicago Park District boathouse at the headwaters of Bubbly Creek and the Chicago River, and from other locations.
"After you paddle, you can't help but become a friend of the river," said Volunteer Associate Annette Anderson, who works with Friends of the Chicago River. "That's why the guide program is so essential: They are there to coach new paddlers, share their passion for the river and offer an added layer of safety."
McKinley Park Neighborhood Crime Plummets in Late Winter
12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas speaks on neighborhood issues at the March 13, 2019, meeting of Beat 912 of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS).
Although a plague of gang graffiti has continued to infest the McKinley Park neighborhood, crime statistics for late winter were astoundingly low compared to averages, a notice happily shared by Chicago Police Department officer Jason Sollis at the March 13 meeting for Beat 912 of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS).
"The numbers are absolutely phenomenal," Sollis said, noting that the period of February 13 to March 13 saw only one reported violent crime in the neighborhood and a single significant non-violent crime.
Read more: McKinley Park Neighborhood Crime Plummets in Late Winter
No Foolin': April Begins in McKinley Park with Yucks, Birds and Civics
This week in the McKinley Park neighborhood, the Yeast Party Comedy Night again returns to Marz Community Brewing Company on Thursday, April 4. Attend for stand-up from hot rising comics, including Naomi Spungen, Skyler Higley, Whitney Chitwood and Sohrab Forouzesh in the monthly comedy night hosted by Clare Austen-Smith.
Who's your pick for Chicago mayor? Watch the election results at the Election Night Party on Tuesday, April 2, at Marz Community Brewing Company. Hosted by the Chicago Reader and Lumpen Radio, the event features live election coverage by Ben Joravsky and Maya Dukmasova, paired with spinning of an all-vinyl playset from DJ Sadie Woods.
Read more: No Foolin': April Begins in McKinley Park with Yucks, Birds and Civics
Grant Offers a Grand to Disabled Entrepreneurs
Roel Cano, second from right, accepts his 2018 Boost Award from committee members Andrew Fogaty, Hussein Bhanpuri and Laura Martinez.
The 36Squared Business Incubator, home to the McKinley Park neighborhood's Small Business Development Center, is again offering grants to disabled entrepreneurs through its Boost Awards. The program, which is accepting new applications through May 31, 2019, will award funding of up to $1,000 to individuals who have a disability that poses a challenge to success in the business world.
"It's very hard to find grants for people with disabilities," said 2018 Boost Award winner Justin Cooper, who used his grant to fund new equipment for his video production business. "The grant has really come in handy."
