Early Voting/Vote by Mail
Tonight - Community Meeting for
1810-1820 N. Wells
Tomorrow - Public Safety Meeting
Business Interuption Grants
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Dear Neighbors,
With the November 3rd election fast approaching, I want to let you know that this year's 43rd Ward Early Voting Site will be at Lincoln Park High School, 2001 N Orchard St. Given COVID-19 public health guidelines and an expected high turnout this election, the high school will provide ample room for voters and election judges to be safely spaced out, especially with a high expected turnout for this election. There is also ample parking.
The Chicago Board of Elections will also be providing a secure dropbox for mail-in ballots at every Early Voting site. Early voting will begin Thursday, October 1, at the downtown super site (191 N. Clark), and will begin in the Ward on Wednesday, October 14.
Final determinations on Election Day polling places will be announced soon and I will share updates as they are available. If you haven't already, I encourage you to make a plan for the upcoming election. The COVID-19 pandemic adds an extra layer of complexity to voting this year, and it is important that you and your family and friends are prepared and able to safely vote. Visit the Chicago Board of Elections website for information on Early Voting, and Election Day voting.
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Submit Your Application
to Vote By Mail
Beware of False Robocalls
It's getting closer to Election Day. To keep safe during COVID-19, please apply NOW to Vote By Mail. To make sure you get your ballot in time, please apply no later than late October.
Please be aware that Chicago residents
have been receiving robocalls claiming that mail-in-voters will have their information stored in a public database that can be used by police officers and credit card companies.
These robocalls are false. According to the Chicago Board of Elections, "The Board of Elections has never used nor will it use any information regarding a voter for anything except to verify the voter's identity for election purposes." ABC Chicago reported on the story.
If you receive such a phone call, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says to call the Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-386-5438.
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Virtual Community Meeting
Proposed Redevelopment of 1810 - 1820 N. Wells
TONIGHT
Tuesday, September 22
6:00 p.m.
Join my office and the Old Town Triangle Association (OTTA) at a virtual community meeting to discuss a proposed redevelopment of 1810 -1820 N. Wells St., the former site of A New Leaf and a garage. The three lots are located within the Old Town Triangle Landmark District, and contain one 1-story building at 1810-12, one 3-story building with basement at 1816-18, one 2-story building with basement at 1820, and a 2-story coach house on the rear of 1816-18 N. Wells St.
The applicant proposes to renovate the existing buildings while erecting a new 3-story front addition to the structure located at 1810-12 N. Wells, the one-story former garage building at the southern lot of the complex. No buildings will be demolished. The proposal consists of 18 residential units with 18 parking spaces and approximately 4,000 square feet of commercial space. The site has a zoning designation of B1-3, which will not change.
This will be a virtual meeting via Zoom Webinar. The development team and their representatives will provide an overview of the project, as well as to answer questions from the audience regarding this proposal. My office will conduct the discussion, take notes and record your comments.
Register for the webinar using the link above.
After registering for the webinar, you will receive an email with the link for and instructions how to access the Zoom meeting. Please plan to log into Zoom and access the meeting 10-15 minutes before the official start time, so that there is enough time to troubleshoot any technical problems and familiarize yourself with its features.
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43rd Ward Public Safety Forum
Wednesday, September 23
6:00 p.m.
I am hosting a public safety forum to discuss our heightened concerns about crime in our Ward and on the Near North Side. We have an impressive line-up of speakers to discuss
the current state of affairs, progress under the City's new public safety strategy, crime statistics, and safety advice for our community. Speakers will include:
18th District Police Commander Jill Stevens
19th District Police Commander Chris Papaioannou
Mayor's Office for Public Safety Deputy Mayor Susan Lee
Deputy First State’s Attorney Jennifer Coleman
State's Attorney Chief Data Officer Matthew Saniie
OEMC Camera Program Manager Jocelyne Williams
911 Center Police Communications Officer Beverly Carrington
Please join us at this important conversation to get your questions and concerns addressed. Sign up here. After registering for the webinar, you will receive an email about an hour before the start of the meeting with the link for and instructions how to access the Zoom meeting. Please plan to log into Zoom and access the meeting 10-15 minutes before the official start time, so that there is enough time to troubleshoot any technical problems and familiarize yourself with its features.Please email us questions at [email protected]. We would like to collect as many questions as possible in advance to make sure we have answers at the meeting. |
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CPD Policing Policy Surveys
The Chicago Police Department is asking for your input for a series of surveys on several important policing policies, and will begin conducting discussions with community members and individuals with first-hand experience in order to improve and create new policies.
Members of the community have until October 15, 2020 to complete the surveys. Click the links below to take each survey:
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Business Interruption Grants
Applications for the second round of Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program funding are now open. This program is aimed to help Illinois small businesses suffering losses due to COVID-19 and recent civil unrest. This second wave aims to provide relief for all types of small businesses, with a focus on businesses located in disproportionately impacted areas.
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Lost Wages Assistance
Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced that Illinois will participate in the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program. The LWA will provide a supplemental $300/week to individuals who receive $100 or more in unemployment benefits.
Qualifying individuals will automatically receive LWA if they meet the following criteria:
Unemployment due to a COVID-19 related reason.
Are receiving benefits through a debit card or direct deposit.
Receiving at least a total amount of $100 per week through on of the following::
*Unemployment compensation, including regular State Unemployment Compensation
*Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)
*Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service Members (UCX)
*Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
*Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
*Extended Benefits (EB)
LWA is not a replacement to the additional $600/week known as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). The length of the LWA program is unknown but the state expects it to last approximately three weeks.
Find more information here.
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Welcome New Businesses
We are very excited to announce that Bob Mariano, former head of Mariano's, is opening his first Dom's Market in our neighborhood at the corner of Halsted and Diversey. This new concept will feature chef-cooked meals that can be eaten on-site, as well as a well-curated selection of fresh food for our grocery needs. This store will be a reimagining of the shopping center at that site. The store should open next year.
We are especially proud that several new businesses have also opened in our neighborhood, even in these trying times. Please drop by and patronize them to welcome them to the neighborhood.
Brown Bag Seafood just opened at 746 W Webster (in the Toast space) - with free delivery!
Stray Hen Cafe, 2423 N Clark Street, offering daily breakfast and lunch. Yummy.
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Free COVID-19 Testing
Edith Spurlock Homes
2640 N. Sheffield
Saturday Sept. 26 and Sept. 27
9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.
We are pleased to announce that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPS) and the James Addams Senior Caucus will be operating a free testing site this weekend to make sure seniors and others are getting tested for Coronavirus. The testing site will be outside and run by IDPS.
- Simple nasal swabs will be used
- No appointment necessary
- You will be called with results within 4-7 days.
- 100% free! If you have an insurance card, please bring it (but you don't need insurance to be tested).
- Anyone can get tested! You don't have to have symptoms or be sick.
Many thanks to the Jane Addams Senior Caucus for organizing with our residents at the Edith Spurlock Homes to bring this testing to our community. |
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Find Flu Shot Locations
It is critical that we all get flu shots. please visit chicagoflushots.org for an interactive map of locations currently offering flu vaccines.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season with rare exception. More information on who should and who should not get a flu vaccine is available here.
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Help Ensure Equitable Access for LaSalle Students
While LaSalle Language Academy currently has enough devices for students for remote learning, it needs mobile hotspots and gift cards for monthly service plans to bridge the gap between district support and what all their children need to succeed.
In addition to their in-school fundraising, LaSalle seeks community support of $3000 for:
- Hot Spots (at roughly $400 each)
- Monthly service unlimited data (roughly $80 each)
- Better technology for staff to access students.
You can help by donating here.
Donations of $500 or more may be recognized with a personalized brick in the LaSalle playground walkway. The bricks are intended to be a permanent fixture at LaSalle and are an additional way the school can offer support of any local businesses that may wish to be promoted in this way.
These requests are part of my office's ongoing efforts to ensure that all students who go to school in our ward have the support they need.
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Outdoor Children's Classes at Lincoln Common
Continue This Month
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Help Our Independent Music Venues
The arts are the lifeblood and economic engine of the 43rd Ward. Our Ward has 34 independent venues for the arts, and all are very hard hit by the pandemic.
Especially hard hit are the independent music venues - think of the Park West, Lincoln Hall, the Tonic Room, Kingston Mines, and Blues among many others. Without help, we may lose many of these venues - permanently. Watch this video and help support the #SaveOurStages campaign.
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Justice Ginsburg
Last Friday, we lost Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is fair to say that Justice Ginsburg did as much for women’s equality as any public figure in the last century and has been an inspiration to three generations of women.
The fights Justice Ginsburg made a difference in my own life and that of my family. In the 1970's, my sister was the first female buyer at Sears, Roebuck and Co. of anything other than women's clothing. She had to fight for her position at all times, especially when she became the first female professional at Sears to continue to work while pregnant.
Only four years before I started law school, students sued my school (the U of Chicago) because the school did not require law firms to interview women candidates for jobs. Justice Ginsburg's leading role in advocating for women's rights made a difference for all women in America.
We will miss her. May her memory be a blessing to all of us to continue to advocate for equality in this country.
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Keep wearing your masks and keep supporting our local businesses, |
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