East Village Association membership meeting July 8, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president 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.

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...

East Village Association membership meeting June 3, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president 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...

Librarian Migdalia Jimenez is now among EVA visitors photographed against the flocked wallpaper soon to disappear from Happy Village. East Village Association membership meeting May 6, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president 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 th...

Wells Community Academy High School, 936 N. Ashland Ave. East Village Association membership meeting April 1, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president 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...

1st Ward alderman-elect Daniel La Spata accepts congratulations from 2nd Ward chief of staff Jose Rivera. East Village Association membership meeting March 4, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president 2nd Ward public safety Ward chief of staff Jose Rivera says police Cmdr. Stephen Chung has responded creatively to crime patterns in the north edge of the 12th District. Community policing will change under a court-supervised consent decree now in effect. Officers will receive additional training in impartial policing and crisis intervention under a federal monitor. Detectives will have more time to clear cases. Friends of Eckhart Park Volunteers on April 27 will clean Eckhart Park, 1330 W. Chicago Ave., to mark Earth Day, said Ben Beadles of Friends of Eckhart Park. Garden plots are tended the first Tuesday of the month from May till September. Fundraising will support youth sports and purchase park benches, said Claudia Sainsot. More in...