East Village Association | West Town Chicago

Wells plans high school musical

Posted by Stephen Rynkiewicz on 7/28/2019

Wells High School creative arts students will write and produce a musical. Drama, music, dance and art teachers are lined up for the coming school year, principal Michael Stosek told EVA members in a relaxed July meeting in the Happy Village beer garden.

"We are the arts school for the North Side going forward," Stosek said. Wells will have 30 to 60 students in the magnet cluster and is making connections to the Chicago theater community.

Wells also will work with the College Board to focus instruction in key skills through its new pre-Advanced Placement program. Its law and gaming programs will continue, and Stosek isn't ruling out out a future language academy bid.

Posted by Webmaster on 6/22/2019

Auto shop's restaurant remake to be revealed in June 27 Shake-It forum

Posted by Stephen Rynkiewicz on 6/22/2019

**The former Grace Auto Body at 820 N. Damen would become a restaurant with outdoor seating.**

Partners planning the Shake-It restaurant at 820 N. Damen will present details of their venture at 6:30pm June 27 at J&M Tap, 957 N. Leavitt St. Ald. Brian Hopkins will sponsor the forum with EVA and the Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association.

The restaurant and bar would feature boozy milkshakes, burgers and pizza. EVA and UVNA have been negotiating a plan of operation that would set security, trash collection and other binding conditions to the restaurant's liquor license.

Forward Hospitality Group chief executive Michael Schwartz, operating chief Bobby Rutter and marketing chief Dante Deiana plan to reveal a chef and fourth partner; "it will be pretty big news," says Deiana, the DJ behind the Chicago Cubs public-address music.

Deiana and attorney Thomas Raines have been negotiating the operating agreement. Cleveland-based Forward shelved plans for the former auto shop after a 2017 hearing, in which outdoor seating drew comparisons to the Big Star taqueria at 1531 N. Damen Ave. Raines gave EVA members an overview of revived plans in March.

Hopkins will take questions or comments before the meeting at Ward02@cityofchicago.org.

No plastic bags in blue bins! Recycling rights and wrongs

Posted by Stephen Rynkiewicz on 6/04/2019

Are you recycling right? Judging from what gets tossed into blue bins, probably not. All recyclables go into the same bin, says Courtney Bryson, Streets and Sanitation assistant deputy superintendent. But not the bag: It gets caught in the sorting conveyor belts.

Food containers need only a light rinse, Bryson says, but leftovers will contaminate the whole bin. Clean cardboard is ready to recycle but food contaminates the whole bin. A greasy pizza box liner should go in the trash. Foam cups and packing (plastics marked with a number 6) are not recyclable in blue bins. Neither is shredded paper, which scatters too easily.

The city eventually may fine homeowners for contaminated blue bins, Bryson said. That was a conversation starter: Many EVA members said neighbors were using their bins. She challenged the audience to take a recycling quiz; she spoke after WBEZ aired its own recycling tips.

Library sponsors summer meals; Happy Village renovations begin

Posted by Stephen Rynkiewicz on 5/09/2019

**Librarian Migdalia Jimenez is now among EVA visitors photographed against the flocked wallpaper soon to disappear from Happy Village.**

Library Events

Working with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the West Town librarians are planning to serve children lunch during summer break, says librarians Stephanie Flinchbaugh. Volunteers will be needed to serve meals, intended to supplement school-year subsidized lunches.

Children also get free books in a summer learning challenge. The popular Teacher in the Library program is popular with the local Ecuadorian population.

The events calendar on the library's website includes dates for free movie screenings at 1625 W. Chicago Ave., says librarian Migdalia Jimenez says. Roots Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave., hosts a monthly Books & Brews book club.

The librarians have discussed scaffolding at the library entrance with Alderman-elect Daniel La Spata. EVA has been involved in past fundraising, which supported a teen section at the branch.

Wells expands high school choices

Posted by Stephen Rynkiewicz on 4/04/2019

**Wells Community Academy High School, 936 N. Ashland Ave.**

Wells Community Academy High School has been allocated $120,000 as a "magnet cluster" in fine and performing arts.

This program adds art, music, dance and drama to Wells' specialties in JROTC, law and computers, and allows the neighborhood school at 936 N. Ashland Ave. to attract more students from outside its boundaries. Wells Principal Michael Stosek will address East Village Association members June 3.

While Wells won the fine arts designation, Ogden International School at 1250 W. Erie St. bid unsuccessfully for a bilingual program to complement its international baccalaureate designation. Michele Dreczynski and Grand Drutchas told members they've been working to establish a local language academy high school, devoted to bilingual proficiency, which benefits pupils across discipline.

The region has potential as a bilingual anchor: a Chicago Public Schools study indicates a high concentration of elementary language programs and an above-average number of parents opting out of neighborhood high schools. More options would encourage parents not to seek alternatives in the suburbs.

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