Friday May 18, 2012

Attention Bowmanville Neighbors!

It’s not too late to sign up for the June 2nd BCO Street Sale.

The deadline for your entry form is tomorrow Saturday May 19th.

We will squeeze you in if you hurry and drop off your application form to Barb Wolke at 2311 W Farragut. Please drop off ASAP as the maps and packages are being finalized for distribution. We work hard to get buyers from all over Chicago-land for your used treasures. Don’t Miss out! The 2012 Street Sale is now only 2 weeks away!

Click here to download the Entry Form_or go the BCO Web Site at http://bcochicago.org/events/streetyard-sale

For questions email events@bcochicago.org or call (866) 837-1006

April 16, 2012

Two upcoming events in Bowmanville

1)      On Wednesday April 18^th at 5:00 PM

K’s Dugout (1930 West Foster) is hosting an Open House for the Griffin Arts Center.  (see flyer for more info)

Griffin Open House.PDF

2)      On Tuesday April 24^th at 6:30 PM

The Bowmanville Community Organization, Edgewater Community Council, and the NorthEdgeGroup will be sponsoring a Tax Appeal Workshop at Tempel Steel’s training room.  See flyer to RSVP

Tax Appeal Workshop.PDF

BCO e-blast 12-25-2011

 Happy Holidays !

BINGO for BOWMANVILLE!

Monday, January 2, 2012 • BINGO starts at 7 pm

Join your neighbors and friends for a fun night out eating, drinking and playing BINGO.

You’ll also be supporting the BCO GreenSpace Initiative –what a great combination!

HamBINGO will be held at Hamburger Mary’s (5400 N. Clark Street – Clark and Balmoral) on Monday, January 2, 2012 from 7 PM until around 9 PM in the downstairs Dining Room. Bingo cards will cost $5 each. These cards are reused for all BINGO games that evening.

Prizes will be plentiful.

Proceeds will directly help support the development of the 5384 North Bowmanville greenspace project. We invite you to invite your friends, family, neighbors and strangers on the street for a fun night out for a good cause – support of the Bowmanville GreenSpace.  Bring your appetite so you can, as Hamburger Mary’s says best, “Eat, drink and be…Mary!” BINGO starts at 7 PM. Seating will be limited so come a few minutes early.

Words of warning about cars in our neighborhood: Dec 18^th on Bell Ave, south of Bowmanville Ave – a neighbor had her catalytic converter cut out and stolen from her Honda Element. The previous week at Farragut and Hoyne another neighbor had tires stolen from her Infiniti and the car was left on milk crates. Be on the lookout for suspicious activity and PLEASE call 911. And keep one eye on cars parked on the street. Ho ho humbug.

Holiday Lights Recycling! Again this year there is a drop box in the lobby of the North Community Bank at Farragut & Western. Drop off any string lights to be recycled - during business hours. Fill the bin! Ours was the most full across the city last year. Proceeds from this location’s recycling effort benefit BCO GreenSpace.

October 6, 2011

There are great events and opportunities to take advantage of in Bowmanville:

·BCO Bargain #2: $25 off at DORADO – the next in our series of Membership Perks

Dorado has teamed up with the BCO to offer a special discount to BCO members this month. Dine in on any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday during October and get $25 off your pre-tax bill. Make your plans. Head over to enjoy their unique fusion of Mexican and French cuisine. Our neighbors rave about it! One discount per dinner group. Dorado will have a current member list. Dorado is at 2301 W Foster Avenue and is a BYOB restaurant. www.doradorestaurant.net

If you know of a business that would like to offer a BCO Bargain contact membership@bcochicago.org .

·Bowmanville Fall Festival and RPMS Pumpkin Patch: October 15^th, 1-4pm

Event flyer at: www.bcochicago.org/events/halloween

We need your help to make this event happen! To volunteer or help with supplies please click: www.mysignup.com/bcofallfestival and www.mysignup.com/bcofestsupplies

Don’t miss this great event in our community. Bring winter coats to benefit Care for Real. There will be much to enjoy. Take part in the Berwyn Mural dedication. Enjoy great entertainment including Bowmanville’s own John Maloney accompanying Pete Special for funky blues, plus Hayward Bluegrass and also Lisa DeRosia of Wiggleworms. Buy your bulbs and local honey at the BCO GreenSpace booth, and pumpkins at the RPMS pumpkin patch. Nosh on sausages from Bowmanville’s own Chef Martin, or sample the fare of a few local food trucks. Get in on the costume parade led by SheBoom’s talented drummers. Games, crafts, facepainting, cookie decorating, slime grab, and The Kids Table cooking demonstrations. Plus a basketball shootout and Lil Sluggers t-ball. Whew. Be there! We have many local business sponsors and local talent pitching in this year.

·Berwyn Mural dedication: OCT 15th, 2:30pm at the Bowmanville Fall Festival

At the mural dedication we will celebrate our collective community spirit, and the artistry and contribution of so many people. Please join us to congratulate the community on what we have accomplished, and to thank the artists, the donors, the supporters and ALL the volunteers who have made the project possible.

·BCO Open Meeting & Election: THURS OCT 20^th, 7pm at Scooterworks (5410 N Damen Ave)

This meeting is open to all residents and friends of Bowmanville! Come out to meet new and returning board members who are eager to start their new term of service to the Bowmanville community. The 2011-2012 Slate can be viewed here: www.bcochicago.org/about-the-bco/board-of-directors

Join us to elect the incoming board, learn more about what’s happening in your community, nosh, and catch up with your neighbors. Things we will be talking about include the proposed West Ridge Nature Preserve, the proposed zoning changes along Bowmanville Ave, the progress of our GreenSpace initiative, completion of the mural and much more. If you can help with food, drinks or raffle prizes or setup/cleanup for the meeting please sign up here: www.mysignup.com/bcoopenmeeting .

·Watch for the Fall Issue of the Bowmanville Bee in mailboxes – coming soon!

Rosehill Cemetery – Nature Preserve

The city has been in protracted negotiations with the owners of Rosehill Cemetery for nearly 10 years in an effort to acquire undeveloped land along Western Avenue for a nature preserve. Last week Alderman O’Connor issued a letter and re-zoning map to residents of the Bowmanville community to keep us abreast of a deal that is now forthcoming. According to current plans, the city hopes to close on the transaction in November 2011. The proposed 20.5 acre Nature Preserve – to be called the West Ridge Nature Preserve – will be designed and developed in 2012 by a process to be led by the Chicago Park District with citizen input.

Included in the plan is a zoning change affecting the southwest portion of the cemetery, which includes land along Bowmanville Avenue. This opens up the possibility of development of a senior housing facility in the future, with exact uses still bound by a longstanding cemetery covenant. No project is underway for the land targeted for re-zoning at this time.

The BCO GreenSpace committee, along with the BCO Planning & Development committee, already has a list of items or concerns to be considered if and when a planned development emerges for the land. We will continue to gather input to influence that process. One goal of the BCO GreenSpace committee remains as it has been – to acquire of as much of that land as possible for dedicated green space open to our community.

While it is very important for you to contact Alderman O’Connor directly with your feedback (773-769-1140 or ward40@cityofchicago.org), you can also submit your concerns to planning@bcochicago.org to ensure that the BCO can continue to help advocate for the interests of our neighbors.

The text of the Alderman’s letter and map can be viewed in full at this link: http://www.aldermanoconnor.com/4967/proposed-rosehill-nature-preserve/

Alderman Letter about Nature Preserve

Rosehill – map for rezoning

Click here to download a copy  

September 20, 2011

TO: All Members: Bowmanville Community Organization

FROM: Nominating Committee: Bowmanville Community Organization

RE: 2011-2012 Slate Announcement

In accordance with the Bylaws of the Bowmanville Community Organization, Article XI, Section II, the Nominating Committee submits the following slate of candidates for a one (1) year term of office for the year 2011-2012 to be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Bowmanville Community Organization on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at ScooterWorks Chicago, 5410 N. Damen Ave.

Officers

*Note: the nominee for president has indicated he is available through January 2012. Help from members of the community and board will be needed to identify a volunteer willing to step into the president role beyond that time.

Contact planning@bcochicago.org for more info.

Directors

Nominating Committee for 2012

Board Members: Noelle Braun-Etheridge, Claire Shingler, Barbara Wolke, and Board Alternate: Jeff Graves

General Membership: Donna Bakke, Maria Gullo, Laura Novy, Carrie Mitchell and General Membership Alternate: Betty Redmond

Respectfully Submitted,

2011 Committee members: Jeff Graves, Betty Redmond, Laura Sabransky, John Paraoan, Barbara Wolke, Carrie Mitchell, Kelly Chester, Laura Novy, Dena van der Wal (withdrawn), with support from many generous volunteers.

September 10-2011

 Order Your Spring Bulbs Today

 View this also on the BCO website http://bcochicago.org

 You’ll be helping keep Bowmanville’s community gardens beautiful, too!

Choose from a glorious variety of 18 spring flowering bulbs – from daffodils, tulips and crocus to windflowers, hyacinth and iris. Each variety is sold in separate bags and each bag is $6. You’ll be keeping our community blooming too, because with every bag of bulbs you buy, a portion of the sale will benefit the Bowmanville Community Gardens.

This fundraising effort is jointly sponsored by the Garden and GreenSpace Committees of the Bowmanville Community Organization — working together to keep our neighborhood green and beautiful!

 Click here for the BCO Fall Bulb Sales Brochure

Ordering is easy…

 1. Download the brochure pdf and print out.* Click on the picture or the link

 2. Choose from 18 different bags of spring flowering bulbs. Each bag is $6. (Number of bulbs per bag varies, depending on type of bulb.)

 3. Fill out the order form with your name, street address, phone number and email address. List each bag separately along with the quantity desired.

 4. Figure the total cost of your order. Add the total number of bags and multiply by $6 per bag: ___ total # of bags x $6 each + $_____TOTAL ORDER

 5. Make check or money order payable to: BOWMANVILLE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION.

 6. Mail (or drop off) your completed order form and check or money order to: Anne Boyle, BCO GreenSpace Committee Chair, 2159 W Balmoral Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625.

Ordering deadline: Wednesday, September 21, 2011    (Your completed order form and check or money order must be received by 5 pm)

Bulbs will be available for pickup during the BCO/RPMS Fall Festival on Saturday, October 15, from 2-4 pm (on Ravenswood at Balmoral) and at other select locations to be announced.

 This fundraising effort is being held in cooperation with Dutch Mill Bulbs, a Pennsylvania company that has been offering flowering bulbs for fundraising for more than 50 years. Bulbs are guaranteed to bloom — or you’ll get a free replacement!

 * If you are unable to download or print, brochures are available at 2159 West Balmoral (on the corner of Leavitt and Balmoral)— they’ll be on the porch (entrance on Leavitt). Just take one!

The BCO Board of Directors wants YOU!  We are looking to fill a number of vacancies on the BCO Board with Bowmanville residents who will bring energy and ideas into the community process.   We invite you to nominate yourself or a friend or a neighbor you think would be an outstanding candidate for the BCO’s Board of Directors or Officers.

If you have any questions about the BCO, the nominating process or the responsibilities involved, call the BCO hotline at 866.837.1006

Thank-you. The 2011 Nominating Committee:

Jeff Graves, John Paraoan, Laura Novy, Carrie Mitchell, Laura Sabransky, Barbara Wolke, Betty Redmond

August 8, 2011

BCO Ice Cream Social

is this Sunday Aug. 14

Jumping Jack from 1 to 2 pm

Bring your kids to jump while you help us set up for the ice cream.

On the GreenSpace at Bowmanville & Bell

Contact events@bcochicago.org with questions

August 8, 2011

BCO Ice Cream Social

is this Sunday Aug. 14

Jumping Jack from 1 to 2 pm

Bring your kids to jump while you help us set up for the ice cream.

On the GreenSpace at Bowmanville & Bell

Contact events@bcochicago.org with questions