SWAN-Elgin

Elgin is well-known for its Painted Ladies, but in the 1920’s a new style of house began sweeping the nation–the Craftsman Bungalow.  First developed in California, the Craftsman Bungalow was 1 to 1-1/2 stories high, with a low pitched roof with a wide, unenclosed eave overhang, and a full or partial width front porch.  The Southwest Area Neighborhood has a stunning collection of Craftsman Bungalows plus several gardens which we, once more, invite you to see.

Please join us for Part Two of our Bungalows & Blooms Walking Tour this coming Saturday, July 24, at 9:30 AM.  We will meet in the driveway of 626 Orange St. on the corner of Orange and Gertrude.  Parking is on both sides of Gertrude and on the north side of Orange.  We will visit 27 bungalows–exterior only–plus 5 extra gardens from Wabash to Orchard this time.  It is a little over a mile long and will take approximately 1 -1 1/2 hours to complete.  There will be more “jerkinhead gable roofs” and “piano windows” to see.  As last time, a booklet telling about the architectural features of the houses and the historical information of the first owners will  be furnished. This is a joint effort of SWAN and the Elgin History Museum.

Jennifer Fritz-Williams, Historic Preservation Specialist with the City of Elgin and Pat Hill, neighborhood resident and bungalow owner, will lead the tours.

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased the day of the tour.

Procedural
Call to Order
Introductions & Announcements
Approval of Minutes
Treasurer’s Report

Guests
Elgin Police Department
Elgin Code Enforcement

Committee Reports
Code Enforcement
Fundraising
Environmental
Preservation- Bungalow & Blooms Tour on Saturday at 9:30 AM

President’s Report
Bike & Pedestrian Survey
Habitat for Humanity – Marlene Hensrud
Foreclosure Ordinance
Community Conversations – July 20, 27 and Aug 4 at 6:30 PM
Elgin Alive: Green Urbanism – July 20, 6:30 PM at Gail Borden

Upcoming Dates
July 24 – Bungalows & Blooms tour
August 16 –  SWAN Meeting – Steve Stroud, “There Used to Be”
September 20 - SWAN Meeting

The City of Elgin is hosting a series of Community Conversations throughout the summer to solicit residents input on neighborhood and community wide issues, and to express their thoughts on the future direction of the city. The meetings will be held at five sites, located in different neighborhood areas of Elgin.

All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Residents unable to attend the meeting nearest their home are encouraged to attend any of the other meetings scheduled at other locations.

The Community Conversations are scheduled for the following dates and locations:

Thursday, July 8 at The National Bank, 3151 US Highway 20, at the corner of Nesler and Rt. 20.
Tuesday, July 13 at Provena St. Joseph Hospital Auditorium, 77 N. Airlite
Tuesday, July 20 at Boys and Girls Club of Elgin, 355 Dundee Avenue
Tuesday, July 27 at Elgin Art Showcase, 8th Floor of the Professional Building, 164 Division St.
Wednesday, August 4, Elgin Recreation Center, 1080 E. Chicago Street

Spanish translation will be available at the meetings on July 13 and August 4. A sign interpreter is available upon prior request.

For more information email strategicplan@cityofelgin.org or call 847-214-5861.

For more information call 847-931-5667

Do you have ideas for improving conditions for bicyclists and walkers in Elgin? Are there aspects of bicycling and walking you particularly like or dislike? What keeps you from walking or biking more? The city’s new Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee wants to hear from you. Take this quick survey and give feedback about areas that need better lighting or other improvements: http://www.cityofelgin.org/forms.aspx?FID=159

From the City of Elgin:

A special tree limb and brush collection to assist residents sustaining damage from last Friday’s storms will begin Wednesday, June 23. Service will run through Wednesday, June 30 and includes Saturday, June 26.

“Regular trash collection will continue as scheduled,” said Parks Superintendent Jim Bell. “But tree limbs and brush too large for normal pickup will be collected the day after a neighborhood’s regularly scheduled trash pickup.”

Residents are encouraged to cut brush and limbs in 4-foot lengths, bundle in piles less than 50 pounds and place curbside for normal trash collection. But for material too large and cumbersome to handle, Elgin’s forestry crews will be out the day after a neighborhood’s regular trash pickup day.

“For city crews to pickup this material, it must be placed curbside,” said Bell. “Crews will not be able to go on private property.”

The service is being offered to residents at no cost.

Door Sale Josh Harris is selling all the items he has been storing from Will’s antique store. The sale is today and tomorrow only at 570 N Spring Street. He has 240 wood doors ($10 each), interior and exterior, all styles! Over 1000 sets of hardware, vintage register grates, three claw foot tubs ($100 each), plinth blocks, rosettes, and more! Everything is priced to sell, and everything must go!

SWAN Garage Sale – Once again, we’ll be hosting a neighborhood garage sale on June 25-27. We’ll be advertising the sale (including items available) in the local paper, online and on our blog. The more who participate, the more people we can attract, so spread the word to your friends and neighbors. The fee to participate is just $5. Send your name, address, phone, email, list of items you’re planning to sell, and the $5 fee to Erin Curtin no later than June 16 to be included in our advertisements. You can contact Erin at 847-341-7620 or erinecurtin@gmail.com.

“Together We’re Elgin…A Community Cookout” will be held on this Saturday, June 5 from 12-5pm at the City of Elgin Plaza between City Hall and the Hemmens. The event will include a Not for Profit fair and lots of activities and games. There will be live bands playing, including two local favorites, Vehicle and The Reverends. This is a free event to everyone. Food is free as well (while supplies of hot dogs, burgers, chips and more last). For more information, contact Jeff at 847.888.9486, visit https://www.itndeli.com or e-mail itndeli@gmail.com. I believe several SWAN people are going to be there – I plan to be there by 1 PM or so.

Gone Fishin’ Lately? The City of Elgin, with the help from the Izaak Walton League of America, proudly present Ike’s Fish for Fun event on Saturday, June 5 from 9-11am at Walton Island. Fish for Fun features a fishing derby for youths 15-years-old and younger. Awards are presented for the largest catch in each category. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Depending on weather, time and location is subject to change. This is a FREE event! Call 847.531.7000 for updated information.

It’s summer in the city, so there’s lots more happening. Check out the DNA blog for lots of specials and events downtown (opera and symphony, celebrations for Flag Day and Juneteenth, specials at Elgin Public House and Al’s Café), or the City Events page for tons of family-friendly activities. Gail Borden is also kicking off its summer reading program, a comic book exhibit, and a visit from Spider-Man.

Our next meeting will be Monday, June 21 at 7 PM at Zion Lutheran Church. Jason Pawlowski from the Downtown Neighborhood Association will join us – hope to see you then!

A HUGE thank you to our fabulous Preservation Committee for their stellar Bungalows & Blooms tour this Saturday. We had a fantastic turnout, with about 35 people from around and beyond Elgin. We had two tour groups, lead by Sarosh Saher and Jennifer Fritz-Williams from the city. Feedback was VERY enthusiastic, and the attention to detail made a huge difference. We had donated refreshments and period music playing while the tours gathered, and afterwards we held a raffle. Thanks to Dawn Hartney, Pat Hill, Kathy Moore, Laura Davies and everyone else who pitched in. We’re looking forward to a second tour in July – stay tuned for details.

Elgin Alive! – Our Water will be presented tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18, from 6:30 – 8:45 PM at Gail Borden. The Water Working Group of the Sustainability Master Plan will present. Learn about Elgin’s Storm Water System and Best Management Practices for treating rainwater as an asset, not a waste product.

The Elgin Public Museum has a couple interesting sessions in the next two weeks. The first is complimentary: Climate Change Lecture & Discussion Series: The Human Factor, Computing the Future, is this Wednesday, May 19 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM. The second, Toward Green Urbanism: Reimagining Elgin in Collaboration with Nature, is on Thursday, May 27 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM. There is a $6 admission fee. For full details or to RSVP, call 847.741.6655 or email epm@cityofelgin.org.

The 33rd Annual Elgin Fox Trot Race will be Monday, May 31. Registration for the 5k, 10 mile or 2 mile family fun run is now available online. Register before May 19 to guarantee a t-shirt. I’ll be participating for the first time, and I know a couple other SWAN members will be running. Join us!

Together We’re Elgin is a community cookout for the entire city of Elgin to bring the entire community of Elgin together and become one. This event will be hosted by In The Neighborhood Deli, The Elgin Rotary, Elgin Community Network, and the City of Elgin. Other generous partners are Nick’s Pizza and Goodfella’s in Elgin, and two bands, Vehicle and The Reverends, will be playing as well. There will be a not for profit fair so our great local organizations may showcase their services as well as activities and games for the kids. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and have a great time. We will be serving hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, and drinks until we run out. This event is totally free, food too. The organizers need volunteers for 3 different shifts. 9-12am, 12-3 pm, and 3-6 pm. Please email Jeff Turner at itndeli@gmail.com or call at 847-888-9486 to volunteer or to donate. The Daily Herald also ran an article with more details.

SWAN and the Elgin History Museum will present a walking tour of some of the bungalows and gardens that make SWAN a wonderful place to live. Join us on Saturday, May 15 at 12:30 PM at Zion Lutheran Church (330 Griswold Street).

See the “Bungalow Belts” on Orange Street and Morgan Street that contain Chicago Bungalows, and Sears Bungalows on Orange and Oak Streets. What are the characteristics that make a bungalow? What decorative features are unique to bungalows? There are 7 different types of bungalows, defined by roof type and all are present in the Southwest neighborhood. Architectural specialist Sarosh Saher will be your guide.

Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased the day of the tour.

Hats off to the Preservation Committee for organizing a spectacular tour!

There are several events going on over the next couple weeks! Here are some of the highlights:

May is Preservation Month
May is Preservation Month in the City of Elgin, and there are several activities planned for all interests. Besides our own Bungalow & Blooms Tour on Saturday, May 15 (contact Pat Hill to volunteer, or Liz Marston at 847-742-4248 to register), there are several other events. For details, see the full brochure.

Mayor’s Awards
Join us on Thursday, May 13 in the Heritage Ballroom of the Centre to celebrate the Mayor’s Awards. Not only will twelve (!) more SWAN homes receive plaques, but our very own Dawn Hartney, Kathy Moore and Stacey Reynolds will receive Mayor’s Awards for their stellar efforts to further historic preservation through last spring’s Trolley Tour and their plaquing campaign. This is a huge achievement, and we should all be very proud, so join us to celebrate! For more information, visit the City’s site.

The Great Unveiling
We’ll be kicking off Preservation Month on Saturday, May 1 with the Great Unveiling. We’ll be teaming up with NWNA to remove vinyl and aluminum siding from some local homes. We’ll kick off the event at 9 AM at 318 South Street!  We’ll then move on to 248 Michigan and 221 Michigan. Th  city will provide donuts and coffee at each house.  Please bring gloves, ladders, and safety goggles and wear appropriate clothing. Of course, the more people that show up, the faster we will get done, so spread the word! For more information, contact: Jennifer Fritz-Williams (847) 931-6004 or fritz-williams_j@cityofelgin.org

Bikes on Parade
Make sure you stop by Gail Borden Library to see the bike decorated by our very own Dawn and Kathy. Great job, ladies!

Councilman Rich Dunne Town Hall
Councilman Rich Dunne will be holding a town hall meeting to mark the 1st anniversary of his swearing in on the City Council.  The event will be held on Thursday, April 29th, 7PM at the VFW Hall on Weld Road.  Please come to learn what is going on in City Hall.

National Street Area Planning Meeting
This is the third in a series of meetings during which residents can voice their opinions about the future of the National Street coridor and area around the Metra station. The first two meetings have been eye-opening, with proposals for major rezoning and redevelopment. At this meeting, on Tuesday, May 4 at 6:30 PM at Gail Borden Library, the consulting team will present the final concept plan of the National Street Station Area. This will be your last opportunity to share your thoughts with the consulting team regarding the growth and development of the area, prior to its final adoption by the City Council. For more information, visit the Downtown Neighborhood Association blog.

Stay in Touch
If you’re on Facebook, join the group here so you can see the latest and add pictures. You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ElginSWAN,

We’ll see you at the next membership meeting on Monday, May 17 at 7 PM.