32nd Ward Newsletter

32nd Ward Newsletter September 5, 2025

Greetings!

This weekend, Roscoe Village Neighbors will be celebrating the 30th year of Retro on Roscoe! The event line up is available here. Retro on Roscoe is a huge fundraiser for the Roscoe Village Neighbors who use the funds they raise for great things like streetscaping and donations for school capital projects and classroom tools. Bring your family and have a great weekend of fun!

As I mentioned last week, City Council members were briefed on the Johnson Administration's mid-year City budget projections and the budget outlook is scary. The City will likely be at about a $1.15 Billion budget gap. Moody's released a outlook statement a few days ago that dropped Chicago from a positive outlook to stable. This is not a downgrade, but close to it. While we have a diverse and strong economic base, the rating agency warned against any "abandonment of the city's advance pension payments, return to scoop-and-toss debt practices, borrowing for operations or decline in the adjusted available operating fund balance" that could lead us to an actual downgrade. While I am positive we can get through this in the long run, mismanagement of local government resources and policies that damage the economic base do take their toll. As we get closer to the budget deadlines at the end of the year, I hope the Council as a whole can push back against the compounded policies that we've seen over the past couple years that led to downgrades and higher borrowing costs for taxpayers.

Electric scooter and Divvy bike complaints have been increasing lately as more and more users leave them in all the wrong places like in front of neighbor's gates, on ADA ramps, in crosswalks, etc. This weekend, we had to report several Divvys and a large number of scooters thrown down the river embankments or in the river. If you see any of these illegally placed or dumped bikes and scooters, please submit a complaint via 311 on the phone, via the city 311 website, or our office. For Divvy's, click here, and for scooters, click here. All customer service questions related to Divvy bikes should be directed to Divvy Customer Care at 1-855-553-4889 or www.divvybikes.com/contact. Click here for more information on scooter complaints. Scooters and Divvy bikes are also not allowed to be ridden on Chicago's sidewalks.

While the information and news surrounding the actual use of the National Guard in Chicago has been confusing, there have been no National Guard placed in the City as of this evening. The Chicago Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights (IMRR) has prepared some materials for anyone needing to learn more about how to plan for the National Guard and Immigration officers coming to Chicago. Congressman Quigley's office has also prepared "Know Your Rights" and immigration materials that you can access here in English and Spanish.

Have a nice weekend.

Alderman Scott Waguespack

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON 32nd WARD FLU CLINIC

We are very disappointed to inform you that the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will not be able to host individual flu and vaccine clinics at aldermanic offices as they have done in the past. Our office received notification stating:

"This year, due to significant loss of federal funding from the CDC, CDPH must

reduce the number of vaccination events we offer. Unfortunately, this means we are unable to coordinate a dedicated vaccination event in every ward as we have in years past. We no longer have the resources (i.e., staffing or funding) to engage the mobile vaccination teams we have hired in the past to support these ward events."

Our flu and vaccine clinics has always been a successful service we've provided for the last 18 years. It's always well attended and has been so important to our seniors and other vulnerable residents who have limitations when traveling. We cannot express enough our disappointment.

That being said, CDPH will be:

Hosting vaccination events at all Family and Support Services Senior Centers and with Family Flu clinics at City College of Chicago locations throughout the fall and early winter on Saturdays
Updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines will also be available at all CDPH walk-in clinics & Care Van
Planning to host a variety of pop-up vaccination events with community-based organizations in community areas that have been disproportionately impacted by morbidity, premature mortality, and low life expectancy due to viral respiratory illnesses, in alignment with Healthy Chicago 2025.
Please note that you can also get no cost flu vaccines through Jewel Osco and other participating clinics and see the info on the clinic being hosted by Congressman Quigley below.

Our office will continue to support public funding towards outreach events such as the flu and vaccine clinic. We are committed to helping our residents stay healthy!

2025 Street Cleaning Calendar

Next week, street sweeping will occur in sections 19, 20, and 1 (Bucktown and Roscoe Village). Click on the map above to see your section's schedule.

Please be on the lookout for signs and make sure to move your vehicle on your scheduled day (south and east sides of the street are normally done on the first day, north and west on the second; please watch for signs). Sweepers will do more than one pass on the block in their initial cleaning but will not come back to clean sections outside of their officially scheduled day.

Please take the time to help clear the curb in front of your property to keep the sewers flowing well. Any landscaping debris should be bagged and put in the alley by your trash cans. Please do not sweep landscaping debris into the street. Piles of leaves and heavy garbage also clog the sweepers and will cause significant delays. Other large objects like branches and metal will also damage the sweepers, so please remove them from curbs.

Residents can view street sweepers in real time using the Sweeper Tracker online tool.

Public Safety Section

September CAPS Meetings

14th Police District

1432- September 17, 6pm

Holstein Park

2200 N. Oakley

1434- September 24, 6pm

Bucktown Wicker Park Library

1701 N. Milwaukee

caps.014district@chicagopolice.org

14th District Twitter

14th District CAPS- 312-744-1261

19th Police District-

1921- September 17, 6:30pm

Police Auditorium

2452 W. Belmont

1931- September 24, 6:30pm

Boys and Girls Club

2915 N. Leavitt

1933- September 9, 6:30pm

Illinois Masonic

836 W. Wellington

caps.019district@chicagopolice.org

19th District Twitter

19th District CAPS- 312-744-0064

Cortland Street Bridge Closure

CDOT is planning on closing the Cortland Street Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River starting on September 22, 2025. The work will include stringer, floorbeam and truss member replacement. New concrete filled grating, timber sidewalks, railing, lighting and paint system. Work will also include rehabilitation of the existing bridge house. This scope of work will necessitate full closure of the Cortland Bridge and establishment of a detour. The sidewalk will remain open for a few months after project start until project progression requires closure.

The estimated duration of this work is 18-24 months. A full closure of the roadway will be implemented on the 22nd.

Alley Reconstruction

This is a notice for an alley reconstruction project for the alley located between Wilmot/Milwaukee/Oakley/Leavitt. The Public Building Commission (PBC) of Chicago has awarded a contract to Capitol Cement Company, Inc. and we want to alert you regarding the anticipated project schedule.

• Contractor Mobilization: September 2025

• Alley Reconstruction: September 2025 to November 2025

• New Landscaping: October 2025 to November 2025

In accordance with the Chicago Municipal Code, the PBC is granting permission to the contractor to begin the workday at 6:00am and to end the workday at 7:00pm, Monday through Friday; 8:00am to 5:00pm on Saturdays (if needed); and 9:00am to 5:00pm on Sundays (if needed) for the duration of the Project. We are coordinating with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) on these activities.

After School Matters Applications Open!

Chicago nonprofit After School Matters (ASM) is now accepting applications from Chicago teens for their Fall programs, which run from September 23 - December 13. Teens ages 14-18 can choose from hundreds of programs in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM, to discover their passions, develop new skills for life beyond high school, and earn a participation stipend in the process.

Please join me in empowering today’s teens to apply for an ASM Fall program and earn money to explore their future. Teens can apply here.

Together, we are helping support the future of Chicago!

For more information about ASM and how you can support Chicago teens, visit: www.afterschoolmatters.org

CEDA Utility Assistance

Lincoln Park Uncorked: A Lincoln Avenue Wine Stroll

Sip delicious, seasonal wines at Lincoln Park Uncorked along Lincoln Avenue while sampling light bites from select local restaurants and bars. Take a pedicab ride between designated tasting spots to keep the evening flowing. Don’t miss this perfect night out - explore Lincoln Avenue one pour at a time!

Thursday, September 18

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Lincoln Avenue between Diversey and Webster

Check-In Location: Junior Chefs Kitchen, 2448 N. Lincoln

Tickets can be purchased here.

Fall Wine Wobble - Early Bird Tickets

Division St.

September 25th, 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Sip, Stroll, and Shop Local This Fall!

We couldn’t wine-d down the excitement for fall—so why wait? Celebrate the season’s arrival in one of Chicago’s most vibrant neighborhoods: Wicker Park!

Join us for the Fall Wine Wobble-Wicker Park Edition, a festive evening of sipping fine wines, nibbling tasty bites, and discovering the best of local small businesses on Division Street—from spas and art galleries to jewelry boutiques and more! EARLY BIRD TIX SALES END 9/7!

Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend

Get ready to refresh, recharge, and feel your best during Lincoln Park Health & Wellness Weekend!

Health & Wellness Showcase featuring free mini-spa services

Open and free to public featuring free mini-spa services including chair massage, mini facial, ear acupuncture, skin treatment, brow & lash consultation, and more.

Saturday, September 6, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lincoln Common Plaza, 2335 N. Lincoln

Free Outdoor Workout Classes

Click here to sign up for classes.