Chicago Police 12th District Cmdr. James M. Baier is joined by Officer Ozzie Caravallo and Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) speak to EVA members on March 12 at Roots Pizza. East Village Association membership meeting March 12, 2025, at Roots Handmade Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave. Presiding: Bob Zwolinski A Grand Avenue site is earmarked for a satellite Chicago Police station, the new Near West police commander and a West Side alderman told East Village Association members on March 12. The second location would pay "huge dividends," said James M. Baier, a Mount Greenwood resident and former Lincoln District (20th) commander. "This is a target rich environment," Baier said. "The whole area is booming, thriving. This is where people want to come to." The district hosts 130 street festivals, the most in the city, and a Bally’s Casino is set to open at the end of 2026 at the former Chicago Tribune printing plant site. In a November 2024 advisory referendum, a sa...

The Chicago Bureau of Forestry tags trees after treatment. By M. Isaacson Ash trees are still being treated in East Village for emerald ash borer infestation, thanks to the generosity of donors to the Friends of Ash Trees East Village GoFundMe. Treatment will continue until the ash trees begin to lose their leaves, or until we run out of money. East Village joins a number of communities in Chicago that started treating their ash trees with private funds. However, not everyone can afford such a project. The East Village Association supports securing funding for all still-viable ash trees in Chicago to be treated routinely. Chicago has had an inconsistent policy concerning treating ashes. All ash trees in the City were treated in 2013-14, and a subset of that group was treated in 2018-19. Then no treatment occurred until this year, when the city Bureau of Forestry received a grant of $1 million and treated 6,186 ash trees. We were fortunate to be able to have some of the East ...

Signs mark trees in treatable condition and give a fundraising QR code. 130 trees tagged for emerald ash borer treatment A census of neighborhood parkways found 130 trees that would qualify for treatment in an East Village Association initiative to manage Chicago's emerald ash borer infestation. A fundraising campaign is under way to fund tree preservation. The cost for private treatment is estimated at $150 to $200 per tree. A systemic insecticide, injected into mature trees every few years, is effective in protecting trees from the beetle, whose larvae tunnel under the bark and starve trees of water and nutrients. Untreated infestations are fatal. EVA volunteers found 57 good and 73 fair candidates for treatment based on the condtion of the tree's top layer or canopy. The neighborhood's leafy streets have been a magnet for renters and home buyers who value the cool breezes, rustling leaves and chirping birds of an urban landscape. Rich Anselmo, Lacey Cordero, Marjie...

Chicago's urban forest includes 43,000 green and white ash trees. Most of these trees will die soon due to infestation by the emerald ash borer. This is a catastrophic loss for many reasons. Trees clean the air and water, cool the temperatures in the summer, and make humans happier and healthier. They contribute to more successful business districts and lower crime. Trees also remove carbon dioxide from the air. They make a vast contribution to our streetscapes, neighborhood ambience and property values. As an arborist once said, trees do much more for the public good than most people. Preserving and adding to the urban forest is one of the primary strategies in Chicago’s climate change mitigation plans. Losing these trees will be highly detrimental to the health and welfare of our communities. But this devastation can be stopped! East Village Association and concerned neighbors are raising funds to treat the ashes with a treatment that can keep them healthy. C...

Ash leaves come in pairs. Chicago’s urban forest is in trouble. By Marjorie Isaacson Due to infection by the emerald ash borer, the majority of Chicago's ash trees will die. East Village residents are fundraising to treat ash trees. Chicago has about 20% tree coverage, far below the national average. The city’s tree inventory includes 43,000 green and white ash trees, a major segment of that population. Due to infection by the emerald ash borer, the majority of these trees will die. Trees provide many benefits: cleaning air and water, cooling temperatures in the summer and contributing to human physical and psychological health. Trees also remove carbon dioxide from the air. Preserving and adding to the urban forest is one of the primary strategies in Chicago’s climate change mitigation plans. To make this happen, Chicago has embarked on a massive tree-planting campaign. But while these new trees are a good investment in the future, it will be many years until they reach the si...