Record of Accomplishments
Citywide leadership
• Passed legislation that will set up wireless internet access (WiFi) everywhere in Chicago.
• Active member of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Closing the Digital Divide.
• Chairs the City Council Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development.
• Co-sponsored legislation that requires the City to have realtime webcasts of the Chicago City Council meetings. Equipment will be installed in the City Council Chambers, with the first live webcast expected in 2007.
• Co-sponsored a ground breaking ordinance that regulates restrictive covenants placed on properties once occupied by grocery and drug stores. This new law is thought to be the first of its kind and greatly limits the duration of such restrictive covenants, enabling future development and hastening the return of needed services to communities.
• Passed an ordinance that created an innovative yearly online ethics training program for all city employees.
• Co-sponsored a resolution that brought together various civic groups and industry associations to shed light on the disparity in distribution of grocery stores throughout the city. Formed a Task Force to provide recommendations that would help to alleviate this problem.
• Worked with the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Police Women’s Association to expand the number of women entering and being promoted within the Police Department.
• Sponsored an ordinance in the City Council that allowed the city to donate unused computers to Computers for Schools. Computers for Schools, in turn, rehabs the equipment and sells it to schools and libraries for a nominal charge.
• Originated and convened the Aldermanic Technology Forum, a group that examines current technological needs in city government and examines ways for the city to work more efficiently.
• Worked closely with the Mayor’s Office to develop a City Council Internship Program, with college students receiving credit for working in Aldermanic Offices.
• Helped lead the first major revision of the City’s zoning code in fifty years, helping to preserve the character of our neighborhoods.

Wardwide accomplishments
• Opened the new, state-of-the-art, 17th District Police station at 4650 North Pulaski. The new police station will serve all the residents of the 39th Ward, as well as the hard working police officers of the 17th District. The old station was built in 1938 and had inadequate facilities to serve the 17th District.
• Opened the new Aspira Haugan middle school to relieve school overcrowding and enhance the quality of education for our community’s children.
• Opened the new Albany Park Multicultural Academy at Sawyer and Ainslie.
• Established an annual business fair highlighting local small businesses in the 39th Ward.
• Supported the Albany Park Theater Project, a Chicago Park District Arts Partners in Residence at the Eugene Field Culture Center. The Albany Park Theater Project has won national acclaim for their work with teenagers in the community.

Albany Park
• Opened Jensen Park at Lawndale and Wilson has expanded recreational facilities and new open space for residents of our neighborhood to enjoy.
• Invested over $5 million in improvements to single family homes and multi-unit buildings to maintain affordable housing in Albany Park through the Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP). The NIP has rehabbed over 300 homes.
• Opened the Albany Park Food Pantry, which serves thousands of community neighbors a year.
• Revitalized the commercial districts on Lawrence Avenue and Kedzie Avenue with the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF). This program has provided incentives leading to the renovation of storefronts.
• Together with Swedish Covenant Hospital, opened the Roosevelt Health Center, the first school based health center to serve Albany Park youth.
• Won City funding for the Albany Park Community Center to provide a wide variety of services to children, youth and families, including Head Start, daycare, TeenREACH, adult literacy, and a food pantry.
• Coordinated annual Basketball Tournament and Volleyball Clinic to teach middle school students about importance of a healthy diet and exercise.
• Installed new community identifiers along Lawrence Avenue.

Peterson Park/Hollywood-North Park/Brynford Park
• Established the Peterson Pulaski Business and Industrial Council to address needs of manufacturing companies in the area.
• With the Urban Land Institute and the Metropolitan Planning Council, facilitated a comprehensive planning study of the Peterson Pulaski Industrial Corridor.
• Established the Peterson Pulaski Tax Increment Financing district.
• Expanded the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) program to the Peterson-Pulaski district, where it has provided incentives, leading to the revitalization of storefronts.
• Streetscapes are completed for Bryn Mawr between Kedzie and Kimball.
• Installed community identifier sign on Peterson, east of Pulaski.

Mayfair
• Completed work on the Lawrence Avenue streetscape, from Pulaski to Elston.
• Together with the North Mayfair Improvement Association and the Chicago Historic Bungalow Association, achieved historic landmark designation for Mayfair.
• Established the Mayfair Veteran’s Committee and created the Veterans’ Memorial and the corner of Lawrence and Keeler.
• Worked with the community to redevelop the corner of Lawrence and Pulaski into new business and commercial center.
• Secured grant funding to establish dance curriculum at local elementary school.

North Park Village
• Spearheaded the $1 million renovation of a Jens Jensen-inspired rock garden located near Peterson Park in North Park Village. The Department of General Services restored the garden to its original 1938 design.
• Established the first Veteran’s Memorial and annual Memorial Day ceremony at North Park Village.

West Walker/Old Irving Park/Independence Park
• Independence Park: Together with the Greater Independence Park Neighborhood Association, brought the first Farmer’s Market to Independence Park.
• Old Irving Park/Independence Park: In partnership with the Old Irving Park Association and the Greater Independence Park Neighborhood Association, initiated downzoning in an effort to protect the character of our community.
• West Walker/Old Irving Park: Expanded the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) program to the Pulaski-Elston district, where it has provided incentives, leading to the revitalization of storefronts.
• West Walker/Old Irving Park: Established the Pulaski-Elston Business Association.
• West Walker/Independence Park: Streetscape improvements are planned for Irving Park Rd. between Pulaski and Central Park.
• West Walker/Old Irving Park: Installed the first traffic signal at Elston and Pulaski for blind pedestrians in Chicago.
• Old Irving Park/Independence Park: Brought a new Walgreens to Irving Park and Pulaski, replacing one of three gas stations at this intersection.
• Provided incentives that led to façade improvements in the businesses along Irving Park and Pulaski.
• Established West Walker Vision Committee.
• Old Irving: obtained funding for the Irving Park streetscape between Pulaski and Tripp, which focuses primarily on reconstructing the Irving Park viaduct. It also includes a kiosk which displays the history of the Old Irving neighborhood.
• Created the Elston Vision Committee.

Sauganash
• Established the Sauganash Chamber of Commerce.
• Created a public-private partnership that demolished a shuttered motel and car wash at Peterson and Cicero, and built a new Whole Foods and condominiums.
• Additional streetscapes are planned for Peterson and Cicero.
• Created the Sauganash Design Committee to develop architectural and building standards in the community.
• Worked with State Rep. John D’Amico to install an irrigation system at the Sauganash Garden (Kostner and Granville).
• Created the Valley Line Bike Trail along the ComEd right-of-way/abandoned railroad tracks. This project will also include the replacement of two bridge structures over Peterson Avenue (construction to start in early ’07).