Early Voting Begins
Ethics Victory
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Dear Neighbors:
Today, October 14th, marks the beginning of early voting sites opening across all 50 wards. Each ward-specific site will be open Monday-Friday: 8:30 am - 7 pm, and Saturday-Sunday: 9 am - 5 pm.
If you are not voting by mail, the best way to beat the crowds and ensure proper social distancing this election year is to vote early. The best time to vote is in mid-afternoon to avoid lines.
If you are voting by mail, you can also submit your ballot in a secure dropbox at any of the early voting sites.
Here are the closest early voting sites to our Ward:
- Ward 2 - Ogden Elementary School (24 W Walton St)
- Ward 43 - Lincoln Park High School (2001 N Orchard St)
You may vote at any early voting site in the City. For the full list of sites, click here.
Voter Registration
For information on how to register to vote or to change the address associated with your registration, click here. This process can be done online, by mail, or in person when you are at the polls to early vote or to vote on Election Day.
Vote By Mail
If you have not already requested a Vote by Mail ballot, you may do so at this link. You can check the status of your request for a Vote by Mail ballot at this link.
Voting in person on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3
Polling places are still being determined, but for the most part they will remain the same as the last election. Voters can check the Board of Elections website to find their precinct and polling place at this link.
The most important thing to remember: only vote once.
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Ethics Victory
Yesterday, the City Council Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight, which i chair, unanimously voted to defeat an attempt to water down a lobbying ban spearheaded by Alderman Matt O'Shea (19th) and myself.
Last December, City Council passed a ban on elected officials working as paid lobbyists - the, "boldest in the nation," according to Steve Berlin, the executive director of the Chicago Board of Ethics. Under our law, City elected officials (and many other employees) cannot be paid lobbyists in other jurisdictions. But our law takes that a step further - and bans elected officials from other jurisdictions from being a paid lobbyist for private clients in our City. This is an "historic and robust" change, making Chicago a leader in ethics reform.
As I told the Committee, "Many of us have worked our entire careers as aldermen to try to bring more transparency to our city government, to eliminate conflicts of interest ... and to remake the image of City Council." The Chicago Tribune reported.
I'm proud to chair this committee and to work with my colleagues to prevent us from going backwards on what was so hard-fought.
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CTA Repair Work at 2560 North Lincoln Ave.
From now through Friday, October 23, the roof will be replaced at the CTA property at 2560 N. Lincoln Avenue.
There will be intermittent closures of the alley behind 2525 - 2543 N. Sheffield Avenue and the alley behind 2566 N. Lincoln Avenue to accommodate this project. Noise from the project may include truck backup alarms, construction vehicle traffic, and CTA traffic flagger horns.
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Small Business Loan Program
The North Branch Works offers low-interest loans for businesses located in and around the North Branch, Addison, and Kennedy/Kimball Corridors and has expanded to include twelve neighborhoods to help business start and grow along the North Branch, including Lincoln Park.
Program Overview
- Startup businesses operating three years or less are eligible for loans up to $25,000.
- Existing businesses operating for more than three years are eligible for loans up to $50,000 or more.
- Loans can be used for business purposes including as working capital, equipment purchase, inventory, and leasehold improvements.
- 2-8% APR with terms from 6-36 months
To learn more about this opportunity, please see this information.
North Branch Works is a membership-based neighborhood organization that for more than three decades has served businesses and advocated for policies and programs that support thriving businesses, family-sustaining jobs, and healthy communities. To learn more about membership, click here. |
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Relief for Arts Venues
Theaters and music and arts venues can be eligible for $10,000 in relief through the Performing Arts Venue Relief Program announced by the city.
The city said 120 for-profit and nonprofit applicants will be awarded $10,000 each.
Applications will be accepted through October 23. To be eligible, each applicant must be in Chicago, have a Public Place of Amusement or Music and Dance license and primarily produce or present performing arts programming, including theater, dance, performance art and/or live music or live mixing by DJs.
To learn more and to apply, visit here.
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PPP Loan Forgiveness for Small Loans
If your business borrowed $50,000 or less through the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), you can be eligible for speedy loan forgiveness. To learn how you can qualify, click here.
You can click here for the instructions and here for the form needed to apply.
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Family and Halloween Activities |
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Remote Learning Center
Opens October 26
Greenhouse Theater
2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Remote Learning Center was created in reaction to the Covid Crisis and parents need for supervised remote learning. The Greenhouse Theater Center’s 5 theaters are being turned into classrooms for grades 3-8.
Click here to learn more. |
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Celebrate Halloween on Clark Street between Armitage and Diversey; and Diversey Parkway, between Orchard and Lakeview from Friday, October 16 – Saturday, October 31 with spooky specials, virtual activities, and voting on your favorite festive window displays.
This year the Costume Contest will be virtual! Take a picture of you, your kids, your family, or your pet and submit it according to these rules for the chance to win prizes!
You can vote on your favorite Halloween window displays here.
Check out this page for shopping specials along Clark Street.
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Halloweek Guidelines from the City of Chicago
Are you hoping to trick-or-treat with your family this year? The City is sponsoring Halloweek beginning October 18, you can download a toolkit of ways to celebrate Halloween this year.
Listed below are some guidelines to help you safely enjoy socially distanced trick-or-treating in your neighborhood.
- Masks aren’t just for trick-or-treaters this year! Everyone—including candy givers—should wear a face covering (multi-layered, covering the mouth and nose, without gaps around the face).
- Leave a light on or hang a Halloweek sign in your window to let others know your house is giving out candy safely.
- Handing out candy? Please socially distance and have hand sanitizer, too.
- Trick or treating? Stay on the move! Less congregating means more houses and more candy.
- Ensure there’s all treats and no tricks. Please don’t reach into candy bowls while trick or treating, and eat candy only at home after washing your hands.
- No Haunted Houses. They are truly spooky and dangerous this year.
- Keep your candy crew small. Trick-or-treating groups should be 6 people or less.
- No house parties large or small this year.
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Halloween Window Painting
Saturday-Sunday October 24th and 25th
Play2Day, 2369 N. Lincoln Ave.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., 2 hour time slots
Sunday:10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., 2 hour time slots
Lincoln Common will transform its storefront windows into spooky blank canvases for you to paint your own Halloween mini mural.
Costumes and creativity are encouraged; face masks are required.
All ages can register up to four people per window for $10 per group; registration includes a take-home paint set.
Several Lincoln Common retailers will be offering exclusive discounts throughout the weekend.
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Juvenile Protective Association
World Mental Health Day Fundraiser
COVID 19. E-Learning. Isolation. Guns.
Neighborhood violence. Abuse. Homelessness. Trauma. Neglect.
These are BIG problems for little kids...and they need JPA now more than ever.
Originally founded by Jane Addams in 1983, JPA has been located in Lincoln park at 1707 N. Halsted for more than 40 years and provides mental health support to more than 3,000 children in need.
You can help by donating to JPA's Virtual 5k, which has a goal of $31,000.
Every dollar donated goes to providing vital mental health services to Chicago's youth.
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Please continue to be safe, please be vigilant, please help keep our community healthy, |
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