Bowmanville Community Organization

05/12/2026

The 2012 Beat Meeting is at 7pm May 13, 2026 at St. Gregory Gym 1609 W. Gregory St.

05/08/2026

05/07/2026

UPDATE!!! More tulip bulbs available today as of 5/13 10am. Happy Planting!

Tulip bulbs are being removed from Michigan Avenue and delivered to the vacant lot at 403 South Central Park. This lot is there right now as of 5/7 on the east side of Central Park and is directly south of New Horizons Community Garden (which is on the southeast corner of Central Park and Van Buren).

There will be more loads of tulip bulbs delivered this week and next. First come first served. This post is not being monitored.

04/23/2026

This Saturday! 🌎☀️
The forecast is looking good for the Bowmanville Earth Day Cleanup, and we’d love to see you out.

Saturday, April 25
9 AM–12 Noon
Drop in anytime at:

📍 BCO Gateway Garden pergola (Ravenswood & Summerdale)
📍 BCO GreenSpace (near 5386–5410 N Bowmanville)

We’ll have gloves, bags, coffee, cider and donuts ready. Come solo, bring the kids, or recruit a neighbor.

We’re also collecting non-perishable food donations for Nourishing Hope, if you’re able to bring something along.

A little time outdoors, a little neighborhood care, a lot of community.

(And thank you again to Earth Day Art Contest winner Isabelle Festa for the beautiful artwork inspiring this year’s event.)

Rain date: Sunday, April 26. Weather updates here if needed.

04/17/2026

With more rain expected in the Chicago area starting Friday evening, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) encourages area residents and business owners to reduce water use during and after the storm to help prevent flooding and protect water quality:

* Delay showers and baths
* Flush less frequently
* Wait to run the dishwasher or washing machine

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood watch for northern Cook County, in effect from 3 p.m. this afternoon through late Friday. With more than 3.15 inches of rain falling across the Chicago area between Tuesday and Thursday, the NWS reports that approximately 5.47 inches of rain have fallen so far this month—well above the normal April total of about 2 inches. This month’s rainfall is on pace to rival the April record of 8.68 inches, the wettest April on record. Meteorologists note that increasingly frequent heavy rain events are consistent with broader trends linked to a changing climate. Additionally, this marks the sixth overflow action alert in the past two months.

“Our staff is managing billions of gallons of water at our seven water reclamation plants and through our Tunnel and Reservoir Plan to protect our water environment and mitigate flooding,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “As we deal with this fast-changing weather this week, we encourage everyone to conserve water, when possible, to create more capacity in our systems.”

Learn how to prepare for stormwater at this link: https://mwrd.org/community-action/you-can-help-prevent-flooding-and-protect-water-quality.

Learn more about Combined Sewer Overflow prevention here: https://mwrd.org/community-action/overflow-action

Sign up to receive Overflow Action Alerts via text
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/YhH2xGP/MWRDSignup

Learn what you should do during flooding:
https://mwrd.org/community-action/what-you-should-do-during-flooding

For more information and explanations about how the MWRD’s infrastructure and waterway system operate, visit these links:

Learn about the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP)
https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/tunnel-and-reservoir-plan-tarp

Understand how the Chicago Area Waterway System works
https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/reducing-flooding/chicago-area-waterway-system-caws

Learn about the types of sewer systems in Cook County
https://mwrd.org/community-action/understanding-your-sewer

Request a presentation for your community
https://mwrd.org/education/speakers-and-outreach

Tour our facilities
https://mwrd.org/education/tours

Municipal partners can explore stormwater partnership opportunities
https://mwrd.org/stormwater/partnerships

# # #

The top of the MWRD’s website displays a notification if an Overflow Action Alert is active. Visit mwrd.org.

Overflow Action Alerts are a joint initiative of the MWRD and Friends of the Chicago River

Read the press release:
https://mwrd.org/news/mwrd-issues-overflow-action-alert-5

04/17/2026

REMINDER: Our spring shred event is coming up this Saturday, April 18th, from 11am-2pm! Celebrate Earth Day by bringing up to two boxes of paper to shred to 5333 N Western, along with any medications or hard-to-recycle items you want to recycle! We also encourage you to bring any diapers, hygiene products, and non-perishables to donate to our friends at the Friendship Network so they can continue to do their good work in supporting neighbors in need.

Hope to see you there!

04/16/2026

We’re pleased to announce this year’s Earth Day Art Contest winner: Isabelle Festa, a Bowmanville resident and 3rd grader at Chappell. Her artwork captures the spirit of the day beautifully.

Join us for the Bowmanville Earth Day Cleanup on:
Saturday, April 25, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

To participate, stop by anytime during the event at one of our two locations:
• BCO Gateway Garden pergola (Ravenswood & Summerdale)
• BCO GreenSpace (near 5386–5410 N Bowmanville)

BCO volunteers will be there with gloves, trash bags, and assigned areas to help get you started. Come on your own, bring your family, or invite a neighbor.

We’ll have coffee, cider, and donuts available to keep everyone fueled.

This year, we’re also collecting non-perishable food donations for Nourishing Hope. If you’re able, please consider bringing an item to support neighbors in need.

It’s a great way to spend time outdoors, connect with the community, and help care for Bowmanville.

In case of inclement weather, updates will be posted here. Rain date: Sunday, April 26.

04/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17WACKqj9P/

Free Oak Trees! The MWRD's Restore the Canopy, Plant a Tree free sapling program has begun.

The MWRD’s 2026 saplings include bur, pin, red, and swamp white.

Native trees can help reduce flooding by soaking up rainwater. Trees also produce oxygen, keep neighborhoods cooler, provide habitat for wildlife, lower energy bills and store carbon dioxide to help address climate change. Since our tree program began in 2016, we have distributed more than 100,000 free native trees.

Free trees are available for pick up every Wednesday from April through October from 9 a.m. to noon at MWRD water reclamation plants.

Calumet Water Reclamation Plant
400 E. 130th St., Chicago

Egan Water Reclamation Plant
550 S. Meacham Road, Schaumburg

Hanover Park Water Reclamation Plant
1220 Sycamore Ave., Hanover Park

Kirie Water Reclamation Plant
701 West Oakton St., Des Plaines

O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant
3500 Howard St., Skokie

Stickney Water Reclamation Plant
6001 W. Pershing Road, Cicero

Details: https://mwrd.org/community-action/native-landscaping/restore-canopy

04/02/2026

April 11, 2026 will be the first tour of the year; 10 AM and we meet at the Rosehill gates 5800 N. Ravenswood. The tour is free and will be held outdoors if weather permits. If it is inclement, we will have a tour inside our fascinating and lovely Community mausoleum. The tours are two hours long. Tours are held on the 2nd Saturday of the month through November, 2026.

04/01/2026

Spring is almost here, and so is street sweeping season! Street sweeping begins on April 1st (we promise this is not an April Fool’s joke). Visit 40thward.org/2026streetsweeping and check out our map to see when your street is scheduled to be swept!

03/18/2026

The BCO Spring Open Meeting is tomorrow!

Join us at Spiteful Brewing Tap Room (2024 W. Balmoral).

Doors open at 6:30 PM
Meeting begins at 7:00 PM

First beer is on the BCO for members, and sandwiches will be served (while they last).

We’ll share updates on upcoming events, hear from invited elected officials or their team members, and open the floor for neighborhood discussion.

Hope to see you there.