Residential assessments rose 24% in West Town's tax district, West Chicago township. East Village is in regions 51 and 120. Property assessment notices are out, and increases are substantial. Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi will explain the changes Aug. 2 in EVA's first in-person meeting of 2021. Kaegi's office will consider complaints till Aug. 23, and homeowners can appeal the assessor's decisions to the county's Board of Review. EVA's discusssion of the process will be led by Greg Nagel, a real estate broker, CPA and former EVA president. The presentation starts at 7 p.m. at Homestead , the rooftop restaurant at 1924 W. Chicago Ave. Barring technical difficulties, we'll attempt a live stream on Zoom and Facebook . Residential assessments rose 24% overall since 2018, according to assessor's office data for West Chicago township, which includes East Village. Changes vary for each property, but increases reported informally to EVA range from 40% to ...

Monday's meeting previews the opening of Kasama restaurant, 1001 N. Winchester Ave. with owners Tim Flores and Genie Kwon. State Rep. Delia Ramirez reports on the legislative session in Springfield. The Chicago Reader recently featured her efforts to aid renters . Join us at 7pm Aug. 3 on Zoom .

Scott Weiner and Ameya Pawar present their cannabis dispensary plan at a Nov. 4 EVA meeting at Happy Village. A recreational cannabis dispensary seeks East Village Association members' approval at EVA's 7pm Jan. 6 meeting at Roots Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave. EVA's planning committee gave a do-not-oppose recommendation last month to a plan for a West Town recreational marijuana dispensary featuring cannabis-infused mineral baths and fine dining. Partners in the " recreational cannabis experience " include Fifty/50 Management Group president Scott Weiner and former Ald. Ameya Pawar. Weiner and Pawar presented preliminary plans at a Nov. 4 membership meeting. The planned West Town location was not disclosed at the meeting. The partners pledged to pursue Type 1 zoning, which requires City Council height and density approvals to limit incompatible or uncontemplated uses. Video monitors and other business restrictions sought by the EVA committee were accept...

Windy City Mini Market, 1756 W. Chicago Ave. EVA members will take an advisory vote Monday on a change to a Chicago Avenue package goods license, and state Rep. Delia Ramirez will give an update on her work in Springfield. Windy City Mini Market plans to add hard liquor to its beer and wine sales at 1756 W. Chicago Ave. The convenience store has been selling beer and wine since 2016 under a plan of operation that does not allow sale of any item of less than $5.99. The 2016 plan negotiated with EVA put a system in place to show that liquor does not exceed 30% of sales, but with no explicit monitoring routine. A signage provision requires unobstructed views into the store.

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 form...

1st Ward alderman-elect Daniel La Spata will join us Monday and likely field a few questions. Jose Rivera, chief of staff to 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, will give an update on safety and security, and we'll talk about next steps for the Shake-It bar-restaurant at 820 N. Damen. Join us at 7pm Monday at Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott. Also on the agenda: Update on 2nd Ward safety and security from Jose Rivera, chief of staff to Ald. Brian Hopkins Volunteer opportunities with Eckhart Park, from Ben Beadles and Claudia Sainsot Preliminary discussion on Shake-It restaurant at 820 N. Damen Officer elections for 2019. Proposed slate: Michael VanDam, President Michelle Hayward, Vice President John Gantner, Treasurer Neal McKnight, Secretary Schools/CAPS Updates

Ald. Proco Joe Moreno fields questions from EVA members. East Village Association membership meeting Nov. 5, 2018, Roots Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president New ballfields at Clemente and Wells high schools will raise their profile as competitive to limited enrollment schools, 1st Ward Ald. Proco Joe Moreno suggested in a question-and-answer session with EVA members Nov. 5. "I know you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet," Moreno said, "but it took too long." Moreno advocated legal marijuana, a casino and video gaming as ways to raise city revenues. Here are more notes from his hourlong talk:

Dimitrios Christopoulos, Cherlyn Pilch and Andrew Miller address Happy Village neighbors. East Village Association membership meeting 7pm Monday, Oct. 1, Bath House Cultural Center, 1019 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president By a show of hands, neighbors agreed with a prospective new owner's plans to add food service at the Happy Village tavern, with homes replacing the adjoining game room. "There are still some questions," said Ald. Brian Hopkins, who must guide a liquor license transfer through the Liquor Control Commission and City Council. "If you live near Happy Village we absolutely want to hear from you." The vote was opened to all 55 people attending the Oct. 1 East Village Association membership meeting, many of whom lived near the bar at 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Hopkins said he would reimpose a license freeze and downzone the adjoining building, leaving the bar as the block's only commercial property. Lawyer Dimitrius C...

From the Happy Village patio, Pauline Dengler describes the Cook County State's Attorney's west side initiatives. East Village Association membership meeting Sept. 10, 2018, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president Two prosecutors work out of the Community Justice Center at 715 W. Maxwell St. At the Sept. 10 EVA meeting, community liaison Pauline Dengler described their action on crimes in the 11th and 12th Chicago Police districts and on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. Dengler's classes and programs for community members include court advocacy, a self-defense course and " Keeping It Real " panel discussions with ex-offenders. Delia Ramirez, an unopposed candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives , told members she would for advisory committees on public safety, housing, schools and other local issues. Ramirez noted that a large class of new state representatives could pull the legislature toward more...

East Village Association membership meeting Aug. 6, 2018, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president Due to a number of open questions, the advisory vote on the liquor moratorium lift on Wolcott has been postponed, currently till Oct. 1. Watch this space for more information before the vote about Happy Village's Plan of Operation and other issues. Here's a replay of the Aug. 6 meeting at the tavern, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Prospective buyers describe plans to add restaurant service . Dimitrios G. Christopoulos, attorney for the seller, is the main speaker.

1115 N. Hermitage Ave. EVA members will vote July 9 on a zoning change for the building that houses the Tropikava Kafe juice bar. Rezoning would allow conversion to 7 apartments with limited parking. The owner of 1115 N. Hermitage Ave. plans to convert the 4-story building from a storefront and 3 apartments. Plans submitted for EVA review would renovate the storefront as a new apartment and build 3 apartments over the existing garage. The vote would advise Ald. Proco Joe Moreno on whether to support a zoning change in the City Council. The EVA meeting starts at 7pm in the Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. The meeting also features presentations from Delia Ramirez , Democratic candidate for 4th District state representative, and Elizabeth Nungaray of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings a puckish summer production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to Eckhart Park. Artistic director Barbara Gaines directs the 75-minute abridged production, in which four young lovers, an amateur theater troupe and the spirits of nature meet in an enchanted forest. Elizabeth Nungaray of Chicago Shakespeare Theater gives East Village Association members a preview at the next membership meeting July 10 in the Happy Village beer garden at 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Chicago Shakes is known to take liberties in its family-friendly performances: "I'm pretty sure the Bard never said 'dude,'" the Tribune noted in reviewing the play's spring Navy Pier performances, which later toured Chicago schools. Skate to where Puck is going, and stake out a stretch of lawn for the 6:30 p.m. Aug. 3 performance at 1330 W. Chicago Ave. The summer revival opens July 25-28 at Navy Pier and tours for the next month. Othe...

Bugaj Architects drafted Polish Triangle conceptual drawings. As the CTA plans Division Street subway station repairs, the Polish Triangle Coalition is floating a proposal for long-term improvements at the Ashland-Division-Milwaukee intersection. "The CTA has told us that 'we can't build this," said coalition board member Drew Bayley, who on March 5 showed EVA members the conceptual drawings presented to the city. Transportation planners consider the improvements "a heavy lift." Nevertheless, the coalition hopes the city will adopt similar design features in capital plans 5 to 12 years away.

Redevelopment of the St. Boniface Church grounds is proceeding with a new partner: Stas Development is working with Northwest Settlement on a new mixed-use building for the former rectory site at 921 N. Noble St., replacing the Chicago Academy of Music. Builder Mike Skoulsky will give an update at Monday's East Village Association meeting. Skoulsky plans to convert the church at 1358 W. Chestnut St. to 17 residential units and build 24 units at the former school and convent site, 1340 W. Chestnut St. Saint Boniface Info has been posting news on discussions with neighbors.

East Village Association membership meeting Dec. 4, 2017 Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Ald. Proco Joe Moreno expects a Chicago police satellite presence in East Village in the next few months. The 1st Ward alderman told EVA members Dec. 4 that Cmdr. Eddie Johnson during November budget hearings pledged to set a timeline at yearend for using vacant space in the former 13th District station at 937 N. Wood St. The building now houses the Cook County Sheriff's central warrant unit. Moreno saw positive signs in the appointment of Stephen C. Chung as 12th District commander and addition of 12 new officers in 2017. He admitted that staffing remains below 2015 levels, and suggested that business districts in the ward should consider hiring private security. Noting that new ballfields were nearly complete at Wells and Clemente, Moreno said he hoped that within five years neighborhood parents would appreciate having the high schools as default choices for incoming freshmen....

Nelson Algren poses at a viaduct (Library of Congress) A fountain at a major intersection quotes his writing. A community garden is named for one of his characters, played by Frank Sinatra. But what do you really know about Nelson Algren in East Village? Chicago Tribune transportation writer Mary Wisniewski is here to help. She visits the East Village Association on Monday to tell the tale of Algren's days and nights on Division Street. Wisniewski's biography Algren: A Life , published by Chicago Review Press, is a fine Christmas gift for East Village neighbors and friends who drop by to visit Algren's Gold Star barstool . As usual, we'll meet in a tavern, The Happy Village at 1059 N. Wolcott. The program starts at 7. The agenda includes Ald. Proco Joe Moreno on the State of the 1st Ward, Bridgette Flagg of Soule Restaurant, 1931 W. Chicago Ave., and an update on development at the Polish Triangle , where Algren's quote appears (“For the masses who do the city...

As Chicago aldermen debate the city's 2018 budget, a skeptic gives the East Village Association on Monday a community development perspective on municipal finances. Tom Tresser, a founder of the activist CivicLab group, will speak at 7 pm in the Happy Village, 1058 N. Wolcott Ave. Tresser is editor of "Chicago Is Not Broke," a collection of budget reform essays. Chicago's $8.6 billion budget is a 3% increase from current spending. The 2018 proposal adds 425 new police officers, detectives and sergeants and kicks in another $63 million in police and fire pension contributions from new taxes, including higher phone charges on 911 service. A public hearing is set for 11am Wednesday at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. While Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls the plan gimmick-free , it pulls $40 million from the city's Tax Increment Financing property-tax earmarks. TIFs also shore up the school budget. Tresser's TIF Illumination Project calls TIFs a $1.4 billio...

Construction equipment prepares Wells grounds for artificial turf. Outgoing Wells High School principal Rita Raichoudhuri will discuss Field of Hope ballfield construction, school issues and her new Chicago Public Schools job at Monday's East Village Association meeting. Artificial turf for soccer and baseball are being installed in a $3 million project behind the school at 936 N. Ashland Ave. Graduation rates rose this spring in citywide Chicago Public Schools statistics. University of Illinois at Chicago found better school effectiveness . Wells' results improved the school environment while its enrollment slipped to 365 last year. This is Raichoudhuri's last month as principal . She has been named executive director of the Chicago schools Office of College and Career Success , which is in charge of guidance counseling and special academic programs. Wells runs advanced placement courses as well as technology and law academies. Monday's meeting starts...

Capt. Phil Kwasinski addresses an Aug. 31 public safety meeting with Aldermen Proco Joe Moreno and Brian Hopkins. Two aldermen signed a pledge to fight for West Town police staffing at a Aug. 31 East Village Association special meeting. But they pushed back on notions of what they could get done. The community letter they signed seeks return a police presence at the old 13th District Police Station within a year, and a return to more than 400 officers in the 12th District by the end of 2018. While signing the letter, Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st Ward) argued that it would take the votes of 26 aldermen to reopen the 13th District police station, which closed in 2012 . "I don't sign anything that I'm not going to do. I'm going to fight for that," Moreno said. "But I like wins as well. And I think the win we could have now, with your support, is to increase the number of police offers and the transparency within the department. I'll take that fi...

A public safety meeting Thursday will discuss personal safety, crime prevention and advocacy to increase police presence. Capt. Phil Kwasinski will be guest of the East Village Association and Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association in a special meeting at 6:30pm in Bath House Cultural Center, 1019 N. Wolcott Ave. Aldermen Proco Joe Moreno (1st Ward) and Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) will attend. We're asking our members to write letters demanding urgent action on crime. Sample letters will be available to sign at the meeting, and letters will be collected to be presented to city officials. Those who can't attend can download and send letters directly to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and their alderman ( find your ward here ). Sample letter to Mayor Emanuel Sample letter Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st Ward) Sample letter to Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) Sample letter to Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th Ward)