Kelly's Update

This week was a little lighter than usual as I took a little break midweek to spend time with my oldest brother who was passing through town on an epic post-retirement road trip. It was fun to catch up with him - our lives have never really intersected as he’s 16 years older than I am and by the time I was aware of anything, he was already in the Air Force and headed to England where he spent a big chunk of his career.

Before Vince got here, I was pleased to join several of my colleagues to hear Speaker Welch share his perspective as our state’s first Black Speaker, his interactions with the 6 other Black Speakers around the country, and expectations for the approaching Veto and Lame Duck sessions. It’s not expected that we’ll use all of the scheduled days for Veto Session, especially given the requirement for a supermajority vote for a law to take effect before July 1 of next year. Any action we take after the first of the year would only require a simple majority.

Speaker Welch standing at the podium flanked by fellow General Assembly members after his speech.

I was also pleased to get to spend some time with my former colleagues and seatmates, Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Greg Harris as we all showed our support for the important work of the Better Government Association. I have enjoyed working with them over the years on criminal justice reform, government transparency, and elections and ethics reform. Their research and reporting provide incredibly useful tools to craft policies that make sense. It was also fun having the band back together, even if it was just for a couple of hours and Greg struggles with the selfie game. Hearing from Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg about how she approaches her work and what tools would make her more effective was especially interesting.

Rep. Cassidy sitting alongside former State Rep. Harris and former State Senator Steans

Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg speaking.

Last week’s newsletter was so chock full, I forgot to share an unexpected way I spent part of my week. Folks who follow my socials got a real-time play-by-play, but my week began with seeing a Facebook post by a constituent I’ve worked with on disability issues who was so frustrated by the Chicago Park District’s failure to keep a boardwalk at Hollywood Beach. This boardwalk is specifically intended to provide beach access to folks with mobility issues, families with strollers, and others access to the beach clear that he went down to the beach in his motorized chair with a shovel and a broom and spent four hours attempting to clear a path himself.

Reading about that and how sore and injured Benji was the next day made my blood boil. I reached out to the Park District’s regional supervisor to request that someone take care of it, but he was more concerned with finding out how I got his phone number than his responsibility to our constituents. Given our history in Rogers Park of doing the Park District’s job for them, I suggested that he could get someone out there by the end of the next day or I’d take matters into my own hands again. He promised it would be cleared, and I told Benji to keep me posted. Shocking, the path was not cleared the next day or the day after. So when Benji reached out to tell me that, I put out a call on Facebook for anyone who had a shovel and a little time to meet me there so we could get it done once and for all. 

I didn’t think it was possible to fall more deeply in love with this community, but three neighbors immediately jumped in to help. Having not planned to shovel sand at the beach that day when I left for work, I was wearing a dress, pearls, and dressy shoes, but I didn’t think I had time to go change. I bought some bottles of water in case folks hadn’t brought any and lucked into a pair of flip-flops on the clearance rack. I had to have been quite the sight tromping across the park in a dress, pearls, bright blue flip flops, and toting a big yellow snow shovel, but a rep’s gotta do what a rep’s gotta do. James, EJ, and Jeffrey were already there hard at work, and we were soon joined by a man who had gone to the beach to treat himself for what felt like a great job interview that day and decided to pay his good luck forward by joining in. In the space of 2-3 hours, we were able to move the bulk of the sand out of the way, and Benji was back on his beloved beach during what was arguably one of the most perfect beach weeks ever.

Rep. Cassidy hard at work!

The next day, Benji met some Park District workers who had come out to survey the task ahead and promised to come back with the appropriate equipment to move a wall of sand that had built up on one side of the walk. I haven’t heard back yet about whether that’s been taken care of, but if it isn’t, the walk will get buried again soon. In the hopes of confirming that this work was done and aiming to get proper snow fencing installed to prevent the walk from getting buried again, I reached out to the CEO of the District at the end of last week but still haven’t heard back which suggests the Park District cares as much about our constituents with disabilities as they did about preventing drownings when we worked to get life rings installed.

The whole experience has been another learning opportunity for me as well. Over the years, I’ve seen the roll-out mats that are put out ostensibly to facilitate access, but usually seem to be blown around, or too short to be useful and I’ve often thought there has to be a better way. The boardwalk is certainly an improvement over a giant unsecured yoga mat, but the current design makes no sense given how easily it’s buried under blowing sand. It’s at ground level and there’s about 6 feet of snow fence on one side of one section. I’m not an expert on this stuff by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn’t seem to have been well thought out or inclusive of the input of folks who might have to use it.

Our team has begun researching to learn more about best practices for accessible recreation and will be looking to introduce legislation around the issue, possibly creating a task force to examine state and local policies and recommend best practices. We’re very much in the exploration phase here and are looking forward to working with stakeholders to start a critically important dialogue about prioritizing access.

I’m looking forward to spending a few days at a criminal justice policy forum focusing on incarcerated women convened by the National Conference of State Legislators next week. We will be visiting some programs that have shown to be promising practices and sharing feedback on efforts in our own states to look for better policies in this area, including our recently passed law allowing criminalized survivors of gender-based violence to petition for resentencing when their victimization was not contemplated at their original trial. Click here to read more on that bill.

Finally, I was also pleased to see Rolling Stone Magazine feature a topic I’ve spoken about a lot since the Dobbs decision - people fleeing states with health care and speech bans and relocating here in Illinois. I’ve introduced HB5152 which would provide a tax credit for anyone relocating here because of these bans, including patients, families, providers, and teachers. One challenge with a policy like this is how difficult it is to estimate how many people will take advantage of it. While it’s pretty clear that any cost associated with the tax credit would be very quickly eclipsed by the reality of someone living and working here and paying taxes, there’s simply no way to quantify how many people are making this move, which led me to describe it as an uncountable diaspora. 

The article featured a family who moved from my home state of Florida and became one of many families who turned to the amazing folks at The Phoenix Center in Carbondale for help getting settled. They described the family making a trip to Chicago for the Pride Parade this year and taking a detour to visit Lake Michigan so they could feel that connection to the water that is so much a part of Florida life. That resonated with me so much as the beach and lake are such an important touchstone for me to remember where I came from.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has announced that the Illinois Flag Commission will begin accepting public submissions for a new state flag design! Beginning Tuesday, September 3 through Friday, October 18, the Illinois Flag Commission will accept design ideas online or via mail for consideration. 

The Illinois Flag Commission was created in 2023 after Senate Bill 1818, sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner (48th District—Springfield) and State Representative Kam Buckner (26th District—Chicago) was signed into law. The commission will select 10 designs based on how they reflect the identity of Illinois. The bill allows for the commission to evaluate if a new state flag would better represent the state’s diversity of urban, suburban and rural communities and inspire renewed state pride among Illinoisans. 

There is an opportunity for the public to participate in the process with an online public survey for Illinois residents to vote on their favorite designs or to keep the current flag. After public feedback is received, the commission will report its findings to the Illinois General Assembly and its members will vote on whether to adopt a new flag or retain the current flag design.

For any questions, please visit the Illinois Flag Commission website or contact ilflagcommission@ilsos.gov.

Voting While Trans

Learn about the rights of trans voters at Voting While Trans: Voter Education Workshop! Join us on Wednesday September 25, 2024 at 6:00 PM at the Harold Washington Library Center, 8th Floor Meeting Room for an informative session on everything you need to know about voting as a trans person.

Our workshop will cover topics such as voter registration, navigating ID requirements, understanding your rights at the polls, the impact of Voter ID laws, and more. Whether you're a first-time trans voter, looking to brush up on your knowledge, or an ally wanting to gain the tools to support the trans people in your life, this event is for you!

Come learn, ask questions, and get registered to vote. Trans voices matter, and trans people should feel empowered to exercise their right to vote!

Presented by Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, Chicago Therapy Collective, Chicago Votes, and Life is Work.

Cook County Jail is looking for poll watchers to poll watch during elections inside the jail! Applications must be completed by persons 18 years of age or older and submitted by 12:00P.M. on Friday, October 18, 2024. Once the application deadline has been met, the CCDOC will no longer accept applications for CCDOC poll watcher security credentials for the November 5, 2024 Presidential General Election. The CCDOC will conduct a criminal background check on all applicants and those applicants will be notified of the results via the e-mail address provided within their application. Persons who do not successfully pass the CCDOC credentialing process will be provided the opportunity to appeal the denial.

CCDOC poll watcher security credentials are separate and apart from the requirements for obtaining poll watching credentials from the Cook County Clerk’s Office or the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. No poll watcher will be permitted entry into to the CCDOC unless they have CCDOC pre-approved security credentials AND poll watching credentials from the Cook County Clerk’s Office or Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

You can find the application online here!

Neighborhood Shoutout

Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining reopened this week after having to close in August due to the construction of a neighbor. With construction completed the restaurant is ready to receive customers and serve amazing food once again. “I had to do what was safe for everyone,” Sang said, adding that it feels like she “had to start basically from scratch” to reopen the restaurant. The restaurant is at 6580 N Sheridan and is open Wednesday through Friday from 3 pm - 9 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 4 pm - 9 pm. Reservations are required and can be made here.

In the District

Events in Rogers Park

You are invited to join the team of changemakers that is building education equity, expanding teen employment access, and cultivating brave, compassionate leaders in our community by supporting Family Matters' 35th Annual Walk-A-Thon! The event will be held on Saturday, October 5th beginning at 7711 N Marshfield Ave. Registration will begin at 10AM and the walk will begin an hour later at 11am.

See full details from Familly Matters Below:

Family Matters’ 35th Annual Walk-A-Thon! 

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Family Matters (7731 N. Marshfield Avenue, Chicago, IL)

Registration & Breakfast: 10:00 a.m.

Group Photo & Send-Off: 10:50 a.m.

Celebratory Community Picnic, Health Fair & Carnival: 12:30 p.m.

Your contribution to this much-anticipated fundraiser will make a significant difference to the youth and the families who call Family Matters "a home away from home." We are looking forward to a day filled with stories, music, carnival games, and food, and we so hope that you can join us.

How to participate: 

Create a Walk-A-Thon fundraising page:

Click on Create/Join a Team to the right of Team Leaderboard

Fill out Sign Up form

Choose "Join an existing team" or "Create your own team" located at the top of the pop-up window; follow directions for either choice

Set a fundraising goal

Tell your potential donors why you are fundraising for Family Matters

Click on "Join this fundraiser" located at the bottom of the screen in a blue box

Share the page with your supporters via email, text, and/or social media

All proceeds will fund Family Matters’ programs:

The Family Matters School, a specialized Pre-K through 3rd grade school designed for children who thrive outside of a traditional classroom.

Partners in Learning, a tutor/mentoring program, designed to build education equity, where youth in grades 1 through 12 are paired with a dedicated tutor/mentor for the school year.

Project RISE, a teen job skills training and leadership development initiative.

Community Engagement, an initiative which brings the community together to work on various projects.

The Lifeline Theater (6912 N Glenwood) is reviving its annual concert reading series on Saturday, October 19th starting at 11 am! This concert reading series will feature a reading of Dorothy L Sayers' Gaudy Night, a riveting mystery. This reading will feature the original cast and all proceeds will go towards supporting Lifeline's work. Additionally, as a part of the ticket, a light brunch, drinks, and desert will be served.

More information about the performance and information on how to purchase tickets can be found HERE.

The 24th District Police Department is hosting its monthly meeting on Sunday, September 22nd at 3 PM at the Northtown Library (6800 N Western). On the schedule for discussion the the upcoming police budget.

The meeting is also available for viewing online, which you can register for and access by clicking HERE.

Events in Edgewater

Join us for our popular community music jam sessions for musicians of all levels! Singers and listeners are also invited.

Percussion instruments will be provided and participants are welcome to play them to keep a beat and enhance the music.

Participants may bring portable keyboard/piano, guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, violins, violas, cellos, basses, or autoharps. Brass and woodwind instruments are also welcome. Sorry – no electric guitars, electric bass, or drum kits.

Music will be provided. We’ll play songs of varying styles, including folk, country, pop, standards, jazz, classical, Broadway, and seasonal. 

Registration is encouraged but walk-ins are welcome. 

Saturday, September 21, 1-2 p.m. Edgewater Branch Library 6000 N. Broadway

6018 | North, Edgewater's Home for experimental art, is debuting a new exhibit called "Myth of the Organic City" starting Sunday, September 22 that will run through February 23, 2025. They will be hosting an opening reception on Sunday from 3-7 PM that features a culinary performance by Pruthvish Dangat! The exhibit will be open following this debut reception every Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 PM.

From 6018 | North's website:

Myth of the Organic City presents a historical and contemporary overview of Chicago’s design and land use, from its indigenous roots through 20th century infrastructure projects to present-day developments. The exhibition includes maps, landscape designs, installations, wall drawings, sculptures, and multimedia works by more than 25 artists.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT

Learn more HERE.

Have you ever said to yourself, “Gee, I wish I could get a guided tour through some of the antique homes in Edgewater”?

The Edgewater Historical Society has been offering at least one Home Tour every year since 1989. On Sunday, September 22, 2024 (rain or shine), we will be featuring the West Edgewater neighborhood and, for $25 per person, you will receive a guided tour through several of its historic homes. You will also receive a souvenir Tour Booklet containing a map of the neighborhood and descriptions of each home on the Tour.

At each home, a volunteer docent will greet you and tell you something about the exterior of the house. You will then be escorted with others in a group to tour the inside of the house, where another volunteer docent will highlight some of the features of the interior.

Reservations are not required but can be found online prior to event here. You can also register on the day of at the Rosehill Cemetery Entrance at 5800 N. Ravenswood between Noon and 4:00 p.m. and receive your Tour Booklet and map. The homes are on Rosehill, Edgewater, Hollywood, and Bryn Mawr, and will be open from Noon until 5:00 p.m.

The Breakers at Edgewater Beach (5333 N Sheridan Rd) is hosting a Blood Drive on Monday, September 30th from 9 AM-2 PM! They are partnering with the American Red Cross Association to co-host this event.

To register for this event and schedule a time to donate, click on this LINK.

Events in Andersonville

Find the perfect vintage piece for your collection at this Andersonville market, where you can shop antiques, home decor, jewelry, clothing, music and other trinkets from over 45 vendors! The market is located at 1500 W Catalpa between Clark and Ashland, the market will also be extended into the St. Gregory's parking lot at Ashland and Catalpa for this final market of the year!

Open from 10am-4pm with a $5 suggested donation.

Help Keep Andersonville Beautiful – Join Our Clean-Up Party! We're calling on all Andersonville residents, friends, and neighbors to help us maintain the beauty of our district! Keeping our community clean is vital, and we truly appreciate and value your support in making this happen. While the light poles that were removed will eventually be replaced, some areas have become unsightly as stumps have filled with trash. Although we don't have a replacement date yet, we can still take action now to keep Andersonville looking its best.

By joining us, you'll not only be helping to clear trash and debris but also contributing to sustainable efforts—we’ll be recycling all cigarette butts through TerraCycle, a program dedicated to recycling hard-to-recycle waste.

All ages welcome! Children under 13 must be accompanied by a parent. Children 13 and above must have a parent complete a waiver.

Details:

Bags Provided: We will provide trash bags for the clean-up.

What to Bring: Please bring your own gloves.

Perks: All participants will receive a t-shirt and enjoy lunch after the event!

Your participation helps us keep Andersonville a welcoming and clean space for everyone. Thank you for helping us maintain the beauty of our beloved community!

Saturday September 28th from 9am-12pm. Please sign up here.

Get ready to celebrate creativity in Andersonville like never before! The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to bring you the 20th annual Andersonville Arts Weekend, turning our neighborhood into a lively, walkable art gallery from Friday, October 4th to Sunday, October 6th.

This three-day arts extravaganza showcases a kaleidoscope of creativity—from visual art to theatre, dance, music, makers, film, culinary delights, student art, and even eye-catching public installations.

Don't miss the beloved traditions, including the Self-Guided Art Walk happening all weekend long, and the can't-miss Night of Parties on Friday, October 4th at 5 PM. Top it all off with our Fall Wine Walk on Sunday, October 6th—because art and wine are the perfect pair. Cheers to a weekend of art-filled fun!

Immerse yourself in the vibrant art of Andersonville Arts Weekend while enjoying a sip (or more) of wine! The Andersonville Fall Wine Walk turns local businesses into charming wine-tasting destinations. The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce is offering one route this year with a few extra stops running from 3 - 6PM.

Tickets are $45. Check in at the Andersonville Chamber office (1544 W Hollywood Ave) from 1-4:30PM. Tickets released after 4:30PM are first come, first served. Special thanks to In Fine Spirits for sponsoring!

To learn more about this event and to purchase tickets, click HERE!

Youth & Teen

Chicago Park District: Girls Day of Play

The Broadway Armory (5917 N Broadway) is hosting a FREE "Girls Day of Play" event on Friday, September 27th (which is a day off from school) from 9 am to 3 pm." This event brings girls across the neighborhood together to discover and embrace their abilities through sports, dance, culture, and the arts! Please note that this event is available for girls aged 6-12 and that participants should bring a bagged lunch (nut-free lunch preferred) and a water bottle (labeled with the participant's name).

To find out more about this event, please call the Broadway Armory directly (312-742-7502).

Chinese Mutual Aid Association Mentorship Programs

The Chinese Mutual Aid Association's Youth Department is offering two Adolescent Mentoring Programs: Young Women Warriors (YWW) and Young Men Making Moves (YMMM). Both programs are seeking new mentees and mentors as they start their new program year!

YWW and YMMM are programs for young people of color between 12 and 18 years old. Throughout the year, mentors and mentees come together to do fun activities, learn new skills, and navigate the challenges and triumphs of high school and college. The programs provide networks of adult professionals who help guide mentees throughout high school, college, and the beginning of their careers. 

To sign up for the YWW program, click HERE.

To sign up for the YMMM program, click HERE. 

Starting in October, YJC will be offering a recurring workshop that demystifies credit for young people. Participants will learn what credit is, how to build their credit, and how they can leverage their credit to achieve their goals. This one-hour workshop will be repeated every other month, with the first workshops taking place on October 10 and 31st from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. To sign up, email Lupita at lvavalle@youthjobcenter.org

If you are a young person aged 16-24 who's interested in pursuing a healthcare career but either don't know where to start or can't afford the training you need, we can help! YJC has partnered with TTI Medical School and Chicago Instruction Center to connect interested young people with training and certification in the following categories:

Patient Care Technician (PCT)

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

EKG Technician

Phlebotomy Technician Training Certification

Email our healthcare program coordinator Sara at algawerash@youthjobcenter.org to learn more

Job Openings

City Wide Job Fair

There will be a city-wide career fair on Thursday, October 10th from 10 AM-2 PM at Olive-Harvey College (10001 S. Woodlawn). This event has open registration. For assistance with resumes and interviewing skills, visit your neighborhood American Job Center, levelupajc.org

S&C Electric Company Hiring

S&C Electric in Rogers Park is seeking to hire team members for several key positions in their organization. S&C Electric is a 100% employee-owned team seeking several team members in the Rogers Park community to keep the lights on across the globe.

To learn more and apply, visit ww.sandc.com/careers.

Chicago Park District Hiring Inclusion Aide

The Chicago Park District Special Recreation Unit is currently seeking part-time year-round Inclusion Aides to support participants with disabilities in need who attend our park programs. Click HERE to apply!

Sentencing and Policy Advisory Council

The Illinois Sentencing and Policy Advisory Council (SPAC) has an open position for Senior Policy Advisor. This role will work on their research team to assist lawmakers and stakeholders in developing data-driven sentencing and corrections policies. The job posting can be found here.

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

1507 W. Morse Ave

Chicago IL 60626