RNRA will host our 2nd annual Halloween Event on Saturday, October 19th 4pm to 5pm at Ward Park. Put on your costumes and come over for trick or treating in the park and pumpkin decorating. This FREE fun event is for all ages. We welcome our friends with Jeff Stogsdill’s State Farm, River North Gym and American Kidz Academy to our celebration. The talented Eva Ho Photography will be on hand starting at 3:30pm to take pictures. We also appreciate all volunteers! For more information, contact us at info@rnrachicago.org. See you in the park.

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will implement a full closure to vehicular and pedestrian traffic of the Grand Avenue Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River.
The bridge closure begins September 23rd at 7:00pm and will be in place for 2 weeks.

This closure is necessary for CDOT to perform the emergency repairs, which cannot be completed while the bridge is open to traffic. The work entails replacing steel components on the four corners of the bridge and is expected to take two weeks to complete. The Grand Avenue Bridge will be closed from 7:00pm on Monday, September 23 to 6:00am on Monday, October 7, 2013.

For information on detour routes, please refer to the map below or click here to download a PDF copy. You may also contact CDOT representative Oswaldo Chavez at 312-742-0647 and Oswaldo.Chaves@cityofchicago.org with questions.

This tasting tour of places to eat and drink in River North will showcase some of the best restaurants and bars in the area. Start with a registration reception at John Barleycorn 5pm then begin your stroll. Participating venues will provide their specialty food items, along with a specialty drink, with the evening topped off with the After Party at Castle all included in your ticket price.
The VIP experience includes a VIP registration party at The Redhead Piano Bar, route choice, an additional door prize entry and special seating area at Castle’s After Party. Only a limited number of VIP tickets are available so get yours today! For more information.

We had thousands of residents attend our movies making this summer series one of our most popular. We want to thank our generous sponsors, Jeff Stogsdill’s State Farm, Erie-LaSalle Body Shop; Robust Coffee Lounge; Levin & Perconti Attorneys; and the Omni Group.
Look for our movie survey early next year for 2014 Movies in the Park series.

Please join us and LifeStorage River North for our next community meeting on Thursday, September 19th from 5:30-7:30pm. In the heart of River North, LifeStorage is conveniently located at 333 West Ohio St. on the corner of Ohio and Orleans Streets. Enjoy complimentary drinks and food provided by Bull & Bear while socializing with your neighbors and learning what’s going on in River North. We will be honoring our local charities: Gilda’s Club, Anti-Cruelty Society, Friends of the Park, Immerman’s Angels, Open Books. We hope to see all of our wonderful Taste of River North volunteers. This is a free event for all those who live and work in River North.

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will close the Grand Avenue Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River this weekend in order to paint and make repairs to the structure.

The bridge will again be closed starting at 9:00 p.m., Friday, September 20th through 5:00 a.m., Monday, September 23rd for additional repairs.

Automobile, bicycle and pedestrian traffic will detoured around the bridge via Halsted Street, Chicago Avenue and LaSalle Street for both closures. Bus traffic will be rerouted via Halsted, Chicago and Kingsbury.
For more information.

Grassroots Effort Defeated Costly Sprinkler Mandate; Benchmarking Ordinance Latest Threat
At the July 24, 2013 City Council meeting, Alderman Reilly and 11 of his colleagues delayed the vote on the Emanuel Administration’s “Building Energy Use Benchmarking” ordinance that would require all commercial and residential buildings over 50,000 square feet to provide energy consumption data to the City of Chicago on an annual basis. The proposal requires each building’s data to be posted on a public website; and each building’s energy consumption would be rated and assigned a performance score.
Alderman Reilly does not support the proposed ordinance in its current form, as it could impose a costly mandate on condominium owners in the 42nd Ward and across the City of Chicago. A champion of several innovative energy efficiency and demand management programs already underway in downtown Chicago’s 42nd Ward, Alderman Reilly supports the concept of “energy benchmarking.” Benchmarking can be a powerful tool to help accelerate the market for energy efficiency, when scaled and implemented properly.
However, Alderman Reilly will continue to oppose the “Building Energy Use Benchmarking” ordinance until it is amended to:
(1) prevent the further marginalization of older buildings in the local real estate market; and (2) better shield condominium and co-op owners from the financial burden of costly mandates associated with the ordinance.
This ordinance will be voted on at the next City Council Meeting on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Because the ordinance was deferred at the last City Council meeting it cannot be deferred again and there will be no debate allowed on this proposal – only a simple roll call vote of aldermen.
Alderman Reilly hopes that, with your help, we can work collaboratively with Mayor Emanuel to craft a more responsible and reasonable Energy Use Benchmarking ordinance that provides property owners with the valuable data they need to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings without burdening them with additional costly government mandates and exorbitant building retro-fit costs.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP?
Respectfully share your concerns with the Emanuel Administration and request an opportunity to make minor, reasonable changes to the proposal that would protect condominium and co-op owners from additional costly mandates.To contact the Mayor, e-mail:

letterforthemayor@cityofchicago.org and cc: mayor.emanuel@cityofchicago.org
You can also send letters to: Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Mayor’s Office – City Hall, Room 500, 121 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60602. If you wish to use social media to register your objections, you can post them via Twitter: @chicagosmayor or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoMayorsOffice.

For information about the next City Council Meeting on September 11, 2013 click here.

Chicago Public Schools’ first day of school is Monday, August 26th – one week ahead of the traditional post-Labor Day start. The public school for most of River North children is The Ogden International School of Chicago.Parents should visit their school and/or visit www.cps.edu/B2S, or call the back-to-school hotline at (773) 553-3CPS (3277) for additional information.

Four Star Bike & Chow Bicycle Ride

This Sunday, August 25th, the Active Transportation Alliance holds their Four Star Bike & Chow ride through streets in the 42nd Ward.
Four different route options (12-, 22-, 35- or 62-mile) all start from UIC and head north through the Loop past Merchandise Mart through River North, Near North and Dearborn Street. Select routes will make their way back south along the Kinzie Bike Lane and Dearborn Bike Lane.
Note: All streets along this bike ride will remain open for vehicular traffic.
For detailed route information, please click here