On Monday, December 9th, the Chicago Fire Department is dedicating a memorial for the 21 firefighters from Engine 42, Truck3 and Squad 1, who have died in the line of duty between the years of 1857 and 1981. To this time, there has been no local recognition or acknowledgement for the sacrifices these firefighters have made.  The Chicago Fire Department is inviting those who have developed valuable partnerships with them. Surviving family members are also invited as we pay proper respect and convey to them that after all these years, their loss has never been forgotten. There will be a brief presentation and refreshments will be served, followed by an open house at Engine 42.

Engine 42, Truck 3 and Squad 1 Memorial Monument Dedication

Monday, December 9, 2013

10:00 a.m.

Engine 42, located at 55 W. Illinois Street

Chicago, IL 60610

The City of Chicago and UL presents the 100th Anniversary of the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Daley Plaza on Tuesday, November 26. The centennial celebration begins at 5 pm with a music program and the tree lighting ceremony at 6pm. Admission is FREE. Live performances begin at 5pm with feature performer Darlene Love, best known for her work with Phil Spector in the 1960s holiday favorite “(Christmas) Baby Please Come Home.”

 The program and ceremony will be emceed by father-and-son journalists Lester Holt, host of Dateline NBC and weekend anchor for Today and NBC Nightly News, and Stefan Holt, Anchor, Mornings, NBC 5 Chicago. The hour-long program will feature The Trainees from the Joffrey Academy of Dance, official school of The Joffrey Ballet, performing an excerpt from the holiday classic The Nutcracker. Other performances include songs from Broadway in Chicago’s Elf the Musical and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical™.

 In 1913, the first Christmas tree was a gift to the residents of Chicago from an associate of Captain Herman Scheunemann and was lit in his honor. He was the captain of the Rouse Simmons, known as the “Christmas Tree Ship.” The ship was lost in a storm on Lake Michigan on November 23, 1912.

 The first municipal Christmas tree was lit on December 24, 1913 by Mayor Carter H. Harrison in Grant Park.  The tree was a 35-foot Douglas Spruce placed on 40-foot poles and studded with smaller trees to give the appearance of a much larger tree. It was decorated with 600 multi-colored lights and topped with the Star of Bethlehem.

 Since 2009, Chicago’s Christmas tree has been a single tree donated by a Chicago-area family. During the summer and early fall, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events received more than 90 submissions from Chicagoland residents who hoped that their tree would be selected to shine on Daley Plaza during the holidays.

Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is planning to replace or repair existing expansion joints along with sidewalk concrete repairs on the Chicago Avenue Bridge over the north branch of Chicago River. Construction will start on Monday, October 21, 2013 and will be completed by Wednesday, November 27, 2013.
During construction, one lane in each direction of vehicular traffic and at least one sidewalk will be maintained at all times. For more information, contact CDOT.

Erie Street Resurfacing

Location: Erie Street from Orleans to Kingsbury

Date and Time: begin Friday, October 25, 2013 for about 7-10 days

Planned work: Street to be resurfaced

Chicago Film Office Notice – 720 N Wells

The Chicago Film Office has issued the following parking restriction notice for River North for Monday, October 28th from 2am to 11 pm.  Please take notice of parking restrictions for  720 N Wells Street.

Parking Restrictions:

North side of Superior from Franklin to Wells

North side of Locust from Orleans to Hudson

South side of Chicago from Orleans to LaSalle

Both sides of Franklin from Chicago to Superior

West side of Wells from Chicago to Huron

The Fulton River District Association and Chicago French Market host their annual salute to Halloween.  The day will begin with pumpkin decorating for the kids followed by a market-wide costume parade and best costume contest that will be judged by age group.  Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes.   To end the morning’s Halloween activities, there will be market-wide trick or treating.

Saturday, October 26

10:00am – 12:30pm

Chicago French Market

131 N. Clinton Street

Please RSVP the number of pumpkins to decorate to: parents@fultonriverdistrict.org

Do you know which buildings in River North have a spooky past? What corners should you stay away from on Halloween? This Walking Tour will take you to all the familiar haunts beginning at 5:30pm. You’ll hear many stories of the history of River North with a focus on those more “supernatural” experiences. From its start at one of River North’s more famous haunted buildings, Castle, to its end at Hooters, a place many Chicagoans never knew was haunted but is, this tour will be thrilling and chilling to all participants. Wear comfortable shoes (in case you need to run from a ghost!) and bring a flashlight. Preview your Halloween costume by wearing it on the tour and you may be awarded a spooktacular prize! Following the tour, enjoy complimentary refreshments provided by a River North Business Association member establishment. Space is limited….don’t be left out! For tickets and more information, please contact River North Business Association.

In an effort to upgrade power and electrical service on the Brown and Purple lines, work will be performed that may affect your neighborhood. While progress sometimes comes with inconveniences, the CTA will do their best to keep them to a minimum.

Dates: Monday, October 7, 2013 to Friday, November 15, 2013

Location: Illinois Street between Franklin and LaSalle streets

Work Activity: Power and Electrical Service Upgrades

Work Hours: Work hours may vary within the period of 8am to 8pm, each weekday. Weekend work may occur.

Impact to Residents:
Some “No Parking” restrictions and full bike lane closures will be in effect on Illinois between Franklin and LaSalle.
Bi-directional traffic between Franklin and Wells, and one-way traffic between Wells and LaSalle will be maintained.
Southbound traffic will be affected by full lane closures on Illinois at Wells.
“No Parking” restrictions will be in effect eastbound and westbound on Illinois between Franklin and the alley just east of Wells.
A scaffold will be erected over the south sidewalk on Illinois between Franklin and the alley east of Wells. The south sidewalk will remain open.
There will be some noise while work is being performed.

If you have any questions or concerns about work activity, please contact Jeff Wilson, CTA Government and Community Relations Officer at 312-217-0346 or jwilson@transitchicago.com.

Halloween is more than just one day in Chicago…
Chicagoween 2013 – October 25th-27th – Daley Plaza

More fun is in store with the City of Chicago’s Halloween events held at Daley Plaza, corner of Washington and Dearborn.Come see the Midnight Circus, Radio Disney, Magic Matt’s show and lots more. For more information on this annual city event.