Kelly's Update

Phew! What a Pride Month we had! We’re all still recovering and coming down from the joyful celebrations of Pride we got to be a part of this month, culminating in an amazing new tradition: the Jarvis Square Family Pride March! For the last few years, I’ve skipped the traditional parade that for me has lost a lot of the connection to the activist origins of the celebration in favor of the more intimate Jarvis Square Family Pride. For some, the giant spectacle of the parade is a highlight of the year and that’s awesome. For me, especially in these truly fraught moments, I wanted more connection with my community, and the smaller north side celebration is exactly that. Our team joined up with my colleague Lindsey LaPointe from the 19th district to staff the kids’ activities tent. Given the heat, we made a last minute decision to add a kiddie pool and some sprinkler toys, which were a big hit. We had an amazing performance from Miss Aimee Leigh that had all the kids rocking. While she was performing, kids were at our booths making their own pride flags and signs. It was so much fun to see the kids marching around the square that we’re already talking about how to make it even bigger and better next year!

Photos from Jarvis Square Family Pride!

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve heard a great deal of news about the federal “Big” bill that promises to strip millions of people's access to healthcare across the country to finance more tax breaks for the wealthy. I’m grateful that we’ve done a lot of work here in Illinois to try to minimize the potential harms that this administration is causing, but I am deeply concerned about our state’s ability to continue to absorb cuts to federal funds and sustain levels of critical services. On Tuesday, the bill was passed by the Senate and returns to the House for approval. The President has set a goal for final passage of July 4th.

As we head into the holiday weekend, our office will close at 1pm on Thursday, July 3rd and reopen on Monday, July 7th. We will also be moving to a biweekly newsletter schedule for the summer months, but look out for promotion of events in-district on our socials. Please keep this in mind if you are submitting events to be promoted in our newsletter.

I’m looking forward to spending some time in my garden, maybe catching a Cubs game, and just enjoying the heart of our beautiful city’s summer. There will be grilling, of course. There’s always room on the grill for the 14th district's own Romanian Kosher Sausage, but the boys always beg for my marinated skirt steak, so I’d better stock up on the charcoal. What’s on your grill this holiday weekend?

Representative Cassidy and Alderwoman Hadden at the 49th Ward's 626 Day Block Party & Town Hall

Rep. Cassidy, Fiona, Ro, and Rauly at the 626 Day Block Party

Team Cassidy (including Ro, Delaney, Rauly, and Taylor) attending Senator Mike Simmons' Pride Press Conference

Need to Know Info

Our office welcomes our new Constituent Advocate, Delaney Kaufman! Delaney has recently graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor's in Political Science with a concentration in International Politics and a minor in Applied Diplomacy.

She was originally born in Chicago and spent her early childhood in the city’s south suburbs. At 10, she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she finished her coming of age, before returning to Chicago for college. She has held internships in several government offices before including the Office of Congressman Mike Quigley, an Oireachtas Parliamentary Member in Ireland, and our office having been a former summer intern! She was the president of her collegiate acapella group for three years and likes to cook new, fun recipes, read a good book (and spend money on books, which are two different hobbies), and try new coffee shops with her partner. 

We are very excited to have Delaney joining our team once again. You will be seeing more of her, tabling at summer fests and attending events around the district!

In anticipation of Independence Day, our office will be closing early at 1pm on Thursday, July 3rd. Our office will be closed all day on Friday, July 4th, in observance of the holiday. Please direct any correspondence to info@repcassidy.com, and we'll get back to you when we return on Monday!

The Transfemicide Working Group is holding 3 Community Meetings to hear from YOU on how to make Chicago safer for the trans and nonbinary community.

The meetings are being held on June 10 6:30p-8p at the Amundsen Park Fieldhouse (Westside), July 10 6:30p-8p at the Jackson Park Fieldhouse (Southside) and July 30 6:30p-8p at Broadway Armory Park (Northside). 

It is an opportunity to share your experiences and tell the City ways in which they can work to ensure the safety of trans and nonbinary people.

This working group stems from an executive order by Mayor Brandon Johnson, which you can read more about here.

Neighborhood Shoutout

This past weekend cafe Loaves and Witches celebrated their 1st birthday through weekend celebrations. From June 27 - 29th the cafe held festivities including drag, trivia, live music, brunch, markets and more in celebration.

We thank you for serving our community and we look forward to the many years to come!

District Events

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Mobile Unit will be available and free for all vets who are eligible for VA healthcare on a walk-in basis on July 10 from 8:30 AM - 12PM at 5917 N Broadway Street. The services offered are comprehensive health check-ups/screenings, immunization for disease prevention, holistic care and connecting with a primary care provider.

Are you passionate about making meaningful change in your community? Would you like to discuss your ideas for making Chicago a better place with other residents? Then, you should join A Just Harvest's Community Listening Session. Together, they will talk about the concerns had and work to develop solutions. Using your input, A Just Harvest will tailor their work to meet the needs of the community. Your voice matters! So, join A Just Harvest on July 12th at noon in their Wellness Center located at 7649 N. Paulina St.

The Rogers Park Chicago Public Library Branch is hosting an event for kids ages 5-10 for a mixing colors, painting canvases and blowing bubbles event. The event is Thursday, July 17th from 2 PM - 4 PM.

Join for a fun-filled taco crawl and spice up your taste buds!

RPBA is throwing a fiesta for TACOS and all the incredible Rogers Park spots along Camino Clark that serve up this beloved handheld treat! Tacos aren't just a meal they're a cultural treasure and a delicious tribute to Mexico's vibrant culinary heritage. Come and enjoy an afternoon dedicated to tacos, with plenty to savor and celebrate!

Choose from two tempting routes, each showcasing local culinary gems.

Limited tickets will be available.

The crawl will take place along Clark St. between Devon Ave. and Rogers Ave.

There will be a very, very limited amount of tickets the day of Taco Crawl available at registration. 

You can purchase tickets and find out which restaurants are participating at the RPBA website.

On Tuesday, July 8th, from 10am to Noon, Republic Bank is hosting an event to help employees and business owners prepare for immigration action. Participants will learn about their rights under the law as a resident of Chicago, what to expect during an interaction with federal ICE agents, how to plan for a family or business emergency, and available legal resources.

Tuesday, July 8th, 10:00am-12:00pm

Republic Bank

2720 W Devon Ave

You will need to register online here.

The Indo-American Center is hosting a free Immigration Law Open House for 2 days, from 4 PM - 7PM, in each of the following months: July, August, and September. The Immigration open house, located at 6328 N California Ave, will provide consultations only and are limited to 30 minutes. Walk-ins are also welcome.

You can register online here.

Theatre

Update: Lifeline Theatre announced a one-week extension of the run of their Jeff recommended, world premiere adaptation of War of the Worlds, based on the novel by H.G. Wells. Performances now run through July 20, 2025!

Based on the novel by H.G. Wells

Adapted by ensemble member John Hildreth

Directed by ensemble member Heather Currie

Jeff recommended!

Breaking news: the Martians have landed…in Chicago! Our world is watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than ours, yet just as mortal. They regard Earth with envious eyes as they craft their violent plans to destroy us. How on Earth will we survive? This world premiere adaptation of the novel by H.G. Wells brings razor-sharp satire to this infamous thriller. Ensemble members John Hildreth and Heather Currie, the team behind Cat’s Cradle, reimagine this sci-fi masterpiece for a modern audience.

Running May 23 – July 20, 2025

$45 Regular Run: June 6 – July 13 (Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.); Military, senior, and student discounts available

Tickets can be purchased here.

Nearly every history textbook will attribute this invention to Thomas Edison. But as with most of his inventions, the story is much more complicated. In fact, French inventor Louis Le Prince perfected such an apparatus years before Edison even thought of applying for a patent. But here's the twist! Le Prince intended to travel to New York to unveil his invention and solidify his place in history, until he vanished mid-transit from a moving train without a trace; leaving the way open for Edison to reveal his own oddly similar creation. Now Le Prince's widow Lizzie and his son Adolphe must pick up the trail of their missing husband and father and fight to defend his legacy against America's celebrity inventor Thomas Edison himself.

Half Victorian-era mystery, half courtroom drama, The Curious Circumstances of Louis Le Prince explores how we struggle with unresolved tragedies and how we remember (or don't remember) the people in our history.

Fri Jun 20, 2025 - Sat Jul 19, 2025

1623 W Howard St

Dates and tickets can be found here.

Weekly Farmers Markets

The Edgewater Monday market is Chicago's only Monday farmers market featuring a diverse lineup of more than 40 vendors, including food, activities and more!

The market is every Monday from 3pm - 7pm, June through September in the Broadway Armory parking lot (5917 N. Broadway).

Check out a list of vendors here.

The Andersonville Farmers Market is back at a brand new location at 1500 W Winona! The market will be there every Wednesday through October 22nd from 3pm to 7pm featuring over 40 local vendors!

Click here for a list of vendors and pop up vendors!

Glenwood Sunday Market (GSM) is a farmers market in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, devoted to providing local, sustainably grown, and produced foods that are also organic whenever possible. Composed entirely of farmers and food artisans who work in a local food shed, their mission is to make sustainable, regionally produced foods accessible to the whole community. 

You can learn more about vendors and food access programs here!

Youth & Teen

The Senn Summer Arts Workshop is an opportunity for rising 7th and 8th grade students to create, build performance skills, and develop their artistic abilities over the summer. The workshop runs from July 14-25 from 9am-12pm at Senn High School. The workshop is free of charge! Register online.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 Student Advisory Council (SAC). The ISBE SAC provides students with an opportunity to build advocacy and leadership skills and lend their voices to policy development and important issues in education. The SAC meets with stakeholders, policymakers, and community partners virtually and in-person each month to examine research, brainstorm new ideas, and develop policy recommendations to present to the Board from a student perspective.​ You can learn more about the board on ISBE's Student Voices Page.

Applications are open until June 30th. You can apply here.

The Ballotpedia Fellows Program launched in June 2020 to provide high school and college students interested in politics with a service opportunity that helps develop subject matter expertise in political research. The program has grown over the years, and we welcome interested students, volunteers, and lifelong learners from all walks of life.

Fellows contribute 5-10 hours of work per week throughout the 8-week program, which can be completed at your discretion in order to accommodate your school schedule, extracurricular activities, and work commitments. By researching assigned local candidates and gathering key data points such as contact information, social media profiles, websites, and more, Ballotpedia Fellows play a crucial role in expanding the information available to voters nationwide.

Due to the competitive nature of this volunteer program, we require interested U.S. citizens or visa holders to apply with a resume and cover letter. Applications for the Ballotpedia Fellows Program now open! The Summer 2025 cohort will run from Monday, July 14 through Friday, September 12.

Hiring

Edgewater Chamber of Commerce and Rogers Park Business Alliance are joining forces to bring you a Happy Hour Networking! Mix and mingle with the Edgewater and Rogers Park business communities after hours. Everybody is invited. Don't forget to bring business cards! 

No cost for RPBA paid members (*with advance RSVP) and a $20 for Non-Members. Admission includes light bites and beverages.

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

1507 W. Morse Ave

Chicago IL 60626