Vaccine Town Hall
Carjacking Arrest
Indoor Dining Capacity Increases
Office Closed Friday & Monday
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Dear Neighbors,
As you know, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) ratified an agreement to resume limited in-person instruction beginning this week. Under the agreement, optional in-person learning resumed on Thursday, Feb. 11, for pre-k and cluster (special education) program staff and students, and K-8 will phase in over the weeks ahead.
- Kindergarten through fifth grade staff return February 22 and students return March 1.
- Grades sixth through eighth grade staff return March 1 and students return March 8.
CPS and CTU will also form a joint task force to safely reopen high schools. We agree it is important to get our students back to school, and congratulate the parties on this agreement.
We will closely monitor the return to in-person learning and keep you updated.
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Vaccine Virtual Town Hall
with the Chicago Department of Public Health
Thursday, February 18th
6 p.m.
Please join our office for a Town Hall meeting with medical staff from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) about the vaccine rollout.
Registration is required, and the Zoom link will be sent out to attendees about an hour before the event.
We will try to answer as many as possible during the session and are asking that all participants submit their questions in advance here.
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Carjacking Suspect Arrested
As we learned in our February 2nd carjacking forum, Chicago Police have added more officers to the Vehicular Hijacking Task Force, and city-wide units have been assigned to many areas including Lincoln Park, Old Town, Gold Coast and Downtown. As a result of this and other increased investigative activity, this week police arrested 5 individuals (including two juveniles) responsible for four carjackings.
One of the arrestees is Robert Pinkston, 39, of the 14200 block of S. Parnell Ave. in Riverdale, Illinois, who was apprehended by the CPD Fugitive Task Force on February 9, 2021 and charged with Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking with a firearm.
He was identified as the offender who displayed a handgun and took a vehicle by force from a 30-year-old male victim on November 27, 2020 in the 1200 block of N. Clark in the 18th (Near North) District. The offender was placed into custody without incident and charged.
If you are interested in following this case through the court advocacy program, please contact Officer Al Robinson at [email protected].
If you missed it, you can watch our forum on CanTV.
Please stay vigilant, be aware of your surroundings, and if you witness or are the victim of a crime, call 911.
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New Covid Dining Capacities
Mayor Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) have announced new indoor dining guidelines. Indoor service at bars, restaurants and events can expand to 25% capacity or 50 people per room - whichever is less -- effective yesterday, February 11.
Additional easing of restrictions, including the expansion of indoor capacity to 40%, will be possible once the city reaches at least the “ Moderate Risk” level in the following metrics: COVID cases diagnosed per day, COVID test positivity, Emergency Department visits for COVID-like illness and total number of ICU beds occupied by COVID patients.
Capacity can then increase to 50% after two weeks (one incubation period) of successfully maintaining at least the “Moderate-Risk” level across all four metrics.
We will continue to keep you updated on Covid restrictions.
I strongly support the efforts of our restaurants to re-open. The best way you can help to get our restaurants re-opened is for everyone to abide by the restrictions. Stay safe!
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Get Text Alerts to Get the Info You Need
The cold is likely to last for the rest of the week. We encourage you to sign up to receive alerts from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) to stay up-to-date on weather conditions and emergencies, as well as COVID.
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Notify Chicago: Sign up for emergency alerts at NotifyChicago.org.
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CHILAKE: For lakefront notices, text “CHILAKE” to 7-8-0-1-5
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COVID: For COVID-19 updates, text “COVID19” to 6-7-2-8-3
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CHIBIZ: For business updates, text “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3
Additional information is available here.
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Trash Alerts
So long as we are in snow season, it's very important to shovel the area around your garbage cans. As you know, our garbage collection system depends on our employees being able to bring your can to the truck so it can be dumped by machine into the truck. If you shovel snow all around or on top of cans, they cannot be dislodged. Let's all be part of the solution by clearing the area in front of and around our cans. Thanks.
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Prevent Frozen Pipes
Make sure you are doing everything you can to prevent frozen pipes and costly repairs! Chicago’s Department of Water Management reminds everyone to follow these easy steps:
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Maintain proper heat throughout your home. This means everywhere there are pipes in your home.
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Insulate pipes. Particularly those outside or on the perimeter of the residence.
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Continuously run a trickle of water. Make sure to keep the water moving on each floor of your home especially in areas farthest from the from where the main water service comes into the home.
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If pipes do freeze, use a heating pad or hair dryer to thaw them.
Click here for more helpful tips. |
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Lincoln's Birthday and President's Day Closings
All City of Chicago offices and our ward office will be closed on Friday, February 12 in observance of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, and on Monday, February 15 in observance of President's Day. To file a Service Request during this time, please call 3-1-1 or visit 311.chicago.gov.
The 43rd Ward Virtual Service Office will reopen on Tuesday, February 16 at 9:00 a.m.
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Financial Management Assistance
A new Financial Navigators’ program is now available to help residents deal with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The service is free and available by phone to provide customized response plans and immediate action steps to help residents better manage expenses and maximize income. Assistance is available in both English and Spanish.
To sign up for the Financial Navigator Program, please complete the web form here. A financial navigator will then send a short service agreement and call the resident to begin a one-on-one session. During the session, the navigator will identify the next steps to resolve the individual’s financial issues.
This initiative is administered through the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services’ Workforce Development Division, in partnership with Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) and Heartland Alliance. The Financial Navigators initiative is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Citi Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and the Wells Fargo Foundation.
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Help Our Local Restaurant
Urban Nomads
Avoid Eviction
Zuke, his wife Jane, and Mike have put their life savings into this Asian Fusion restaurant, where you can get both a Nomad burger (pictured here) and very good bulgogi. Check out their Menu.
The owners have applied for a PPP loan, but it has not yet come through, and they are behind in their rent. They'd love your business so they can make a rent payment while waiting for their loan. Please think about them this week, and order a nice meal - or stop by to dine in.
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It's Valentine's Day. Shop Local!
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2423 N. Clark
If you’re looking for a new breakfast or brunch spot, look no further. The Stray Hen Café on Clark is open for delivery. My favorites are the veggie hash and the breakfast bowls.
The menu also features breakfast classics like omelets and pancakes, or sandwiches if you’re in the mood for lunch.
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2349 N. Lincoln
Verve Wine welcomes curious drinkers and those looking for inspiration.
Their team is there to help you find the perfect bottle for any occasion. For safety reasons, they are currently only open for delivery and curbside pickup, so please shop online.
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This year has been incredibly challenging for our businesses, especially those that have just opened, so we will be dedicating a portion of the newsletter to support them. If you know a business that has opened in the last twelve months, please send it to us so we can feature it in our new business spotlight! |
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Order From Our Local Restaurants |
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Happy Valentine's Day to all. The cold weather brings a perfect time to spread some love to all you care about. |
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