Park District Budget Meeting Thursday @ 5:30

On Thursday the 28th at 5:30 p.m. the Park District will hold a meeting regarding the 2012 budget for Humboldt Park at the field house. This is an important meeting for those interested in the future of the park's programming and improvements because it will help the District decide on how revenue is spent for the next year. The HPAC has a list of concerns that include structural repairs to the field house, upkeep of restroom facilities and adequate staff to run programs and maintain the park.

Would you like to see certain programming expanded at the park? Better upkeep of the grounds? Improvements to the facilities? If so, please attend this meeting and voice your concerns to Park District staff. Humboldt Park is meant to serve the people of the City of Chicago so it's important that we make our priorities and needs heard by the Park District.

HPAC Meeting Tonight

Hello...please join us tonight for our July meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the field house, just south of North Ave. on Humboldt Blvd. Our soccer committee will discuss the new field being built behind the stables building, and possibly meet the new Park Supervisor for the first time. Hope to see you there, please send an email if you would like to make a comment but cannot make the meeting.

Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign

Would you like to see Humboldt Park become more bike friendly?

The Active Transportation Alliance has started the Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign with the goal of creating 100 miles of protected bikeways in the City by 2015 to make cycling a safer and more accessible transportation option. Chicago recently got its first protected bike lane on West Kinzie Street, where the City installed a barrier between the car and bike lanes, along with bike boxes at intersections, which give cyclists a safe place to wait for the light to change.

If you're interested in finding out how to get involved in your community or would like to show your support for the campaign, sign up here.

New Artificial Turf Soccer Field in Humboldt Park

Construction has begun on a new soccer field in Humboldt Park located just south of the stables, which houses the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. The field is funded by private donors.

The park district wants the Advisory Council to form a committee solely for the purpose of creating rules and guidlines for the use of this facility. At the next Advisory Council Meeting on Thursday July 21st @ 6:30 p.m. the first meeting of the soccer committee will take place.

We encourage anyone interested in the use or scheduling of the field to stop by and give us your feedback so the field can be made as accessible as possible to those who want to use it. If you can not make the meeting but would like to send a comment, please send an email.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Community Garden Opportunity

For the past two years, the vacant lot at the southwest corner of Kedzie and Crystal has been used as a community garden by a local group. This year the garden space has opened up and a neighbor has approached the landlord about continuing to use it as a garden, so there is an opportunity for HP residents to get involved and possibly reserve some gardening space on this plot. Anyone interested should be willing to contribute to maintaining the entire garden and the surrounding parkways, as well as their own garden area.

This is an excellent opportunity to get involved in the neighborhood and meet your neighbors, as well as grow some veggies, flowers, or herbs. If you'd like to find out more, please send an email.