ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, Gladstone Park, located on Chicago's Northwest side, is home to a large population of Polish Americans; and
WHEREAS, Milwaukee Avenue is the backbone of the current and historical Polish population in Northwest Chicago; and
WHEREAS, an existing plaza (the "Plaza") located in the area bounded by Milwaukee Avenue, Elston Avenue, Holbrooke Street and Melvina Avenue sits at the heart of Gladstone Park; and
WHEREAS, the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce has maintained and used the existing plaza for various events and ceremonies throughout the year; and
WHEREAS, the headquarters of the Polish National Alliance, the Copernicus Foundation and a widely distributed Polish language newspaper are in the vicinity of the plaza; and
WHEREAS, Polish composer Frederic Chopin is one of the most cherished and beloved artists in Polish history, and his name carries a strong sense of cultural pride for Polish people; and
WHEREAS, popular arrangements of Chopin's compositions produced by Chicago area music publishers, including Sajewski Publishing, are still performed today; and
WHEREAS, Chopin's invocation of Polish folk music in his compositions represents an important and distinctly Polish contribution to the Romantic Movement; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Chopin Society hosts the Tenth Annual Chicago Chopin Festival in 2014, continuing their mission of presenting Polish and American music to the Polish American community in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, the dedication of this plaza to reflect this rich cultural heritage will honor the many Polish Americans who have settled on the Northwest side of Chicago and contributed to the greatness of our City; therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Section 1. The statements contained in the preamble hereof are hereby made part of this ordinance as if fully restated.
Section 2. An honorary designation is hereby conferred upon the Plaza, which shall hereafter be referred to as "Chopin Plaza".
...
Click here for full text