Last Friday, my office and I participated in the CPS Back to School Bash at Eugene Field Elementary School and it was a hit! It was so great to see families and students out participating in fun events and dancing as well as getting their supplies so they are ready to take on the new school year. 

And speaking of it being a hit, did I mention I survived my time in the dunk tank! Mayor Lightfoot came out to throw the official first pitch, followed by Alderwoman Hadden and a handful of students in attendance. You can see a couple of amazing action shots below. 

Illinois State Fair 

The Illinois State Fair in Springfield is happening from 8/11 through 8/21!  The theme of this year's fair is "Grow With Us," Illinois Department of Agricultures has a tent spotlighting Illinois farmers, complete with three booths allowing visitors to sample and purchase home-grown food and groceries, an area for kids which allows little ones to ride a tractor or pet a piglet and even a stage for shows spotlighting Illinois farmers. 

My office and I will be in attendance for a few days out of the week next week. Please continue to call and email as usual and we will get back to your messages as soon as possible. Watch out for our newsletter next week as we highlight some of the fun things we get to see while at the Illinois State Fair! For information about the state fair please click here. 

After a ton of work and dedication by my staff and interns, we are proud to announce that our new website is finally live! Visit repcassidy.com to see what's new.

We also dedicated a section of our website to keeping you updated on the Reproductive Rights and the Dobbs Decision working group efforts. Learn more by clicking on the "Reproductive Rights" tab of the Issues section or visit repcassidy.com/reproductive-health.

North Side resident Edgar Bonilla has opened a new burger joint -- Burger Bite -- inspired by old school diners on Route 66.

The restaurant is attached to a gas station but feels separate. The menu features classic diner fare, including meat and veggie burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs. Sides include French fries, onion rings, chicken strips, and nachos. Customers can also round out the meal with a variety of desserts and milkshakes.

Bonilla has been in the restaurant industry for nearly half his life, often working at local eateries. He knew that he would never truly be satisfied, however, until he built something of his own. His hard work has payed off, considering he has yet to receive one negative review.

The restaurant is located at 1500 W. Devon Ave. To read more, visit Block Club Chicago.

For all your eyecare needs, go visit the recently opened Village Eyecare in Edgewater (6200 N Clark). Outfitted in a beautiful space with comprehensive technology, the husband-and-wife doctor team is committed to offering top quality care, housing fashionable options, and forging strong community connections.

Donate while you still can! We are collecting book bags and other school supplies for CPS students from now until August 19th before the school year begins on August 22nd.

Please drop off any donations at:

• Rep. Cassidy's Office -- 5533 N. Broadway
• 49th Ward Office -- 1447 W. Morse
• Women & Children First -- 5233 N. Clark
• R Public House -- 1508 W. Jarvis

The Edgewater Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the return of Bands on Broadway, an exciting summer musical event. This year, there will be live music in the community every Friday night in August.

Sixteen restaurants have signed up to host 22 bands on their outdoor patios August 5th, 12th and 19th from 6 - 9pm. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear local bands perform everything from Jess and Blues to American classics. In addition to the patio performances, there will also be one large concert in the parking lot of St. Ida on August 26. We hope these events will encourage people to support local restaurants these last few weekends of the Summer.

All performances are free, but restaurant reservations are recommended. For more information on participating restaurants and bands, click here. 

The popular #D chalk fest will return to Rogers Park this month! National and local street artists will convene on Howard between Paulina and Ashland, using the street as a canvas to bring vibrant and colorful pieces of art to life.

The free event will take place Saturday, August 27 from 11am - 8pm. For more information, visit the Rogers Park Business Alliance's website. 

The back-to-school celebrations continue! Join Rep. Cassidy's office, along with Alderman Osterman, Congresswoman Schakowsky, and Sen. Simmons, to celebrate the season with the 48th ward.

Date & Time: Monday, August 15th from 5-7pm

Location: Senn High School -- 5900 N Glenwood

We are proud to be a sponsor for the 2022 Glenwood Ave Arts Fest, a free festival featuring over 120 artists, local food and drink, and live entertainment in Rogers Park! Attendees will also have the opportunity to browse and purchase handmade artworks directly from creators on the cobblestone streets of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District.

The 21st annual Fest will take place the weekend of August 19-21.

The event offers free admission for all ages with easy access off the Morse CTA stop (1400 W. Morse) 

For more information, click here. 

Cat Walk returns and is bigger than ever! Tree House's annual bar crawl in support of our resident cats is expanding with six bars. Join them for a community celebration and fundraiser at partner bars throughout Ravenswood and Andersonville! Featuring music, drink specials, and cat-themed games, this event is not-to-be-missed. The event sells out early, so don't wait. . .

The event will take place Saturday, August 13th. For more information and to buy tickets, click here. 

Join the Leone Beach Park Advisory Council for a variety of programming throughout the month of August! There's something for everyone.

• Saturday, August 6, 12 pm - Dune tour (meet at the Loyola Park tennis courts)
• Thursday, August 18, 7:30 pm - All that Glows Bioluminescence (meet at Loyola Park)
• Saturday, August 20, 9:30 am - Workday (meet at the Dune restoration site pier)
• Saturday, August 27, 1 pm - Mindfulness in Nature (meeting location TBA)
• Sunday, August 28, at 9:30 am - Workday (meet at Leone Park, 1222 W. Touhy)

For more information and to sign up to receive emails from the Leone Beach Park Advisory Council, email leone.nature@gmail.com. 

Help clean and weed the Vedgewater Garden with the Peterson Garden Project on Monday, August 15th. Volunteers will help pick up trash, clean tools, clean water troughs, and more!

For more info and to register, click here. 

The annual Newgard yard sale will take place on Saturday, August 20, from 9 am to 4 pm, on the 6400-6700 blocks of Newgard. This annual yard sale was crowned the Reader's Best Neighborhood Yard Sale in the past. Swing by and see what great deals you can snag! 

Teachers at Sullivan High School are hosting a Community Conversation in the Sky Room in the field house at Loyola Park, 1230 W. Greenleaf, on Saturday, August 12, from 2 pm to 4 pm. The Community Conversation will focus on increasing employment opportunities for youth and young adults with disabilities. 

To sign up to attend, click here.

PJ Footwear will host its first annual Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 13, from 11 am to 4 pm at Willye White Park, 1610 W. Howard. There will be something for everyone, from hair cuts to arts and crafts. They will also be giving away school supplies to prepare students as they enter the upcoming school year. 

Jackalope's 13th Annual Gala returns to the Colvin House Friday, August 19. This year, the gala celebrates home - in every sense of the word. Jackalope hopes to celebrate their newly renovated space at the Broadway Armory and the Edgewater Community, which has embraced the company since its humble origins 14 years ago. 

The night's events include an open bar, a red-carpet experience, silent auction, performances, music, and more!

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here. 

As a fall 2022 recipient of an Openlands TreePlanters grant, the Edgewater Environmental Coalition (ECC) is once again collecting candidate locations for the new trees in the neighborhood.

For this initiative, EEC contributes direction and community organizing, and Openlands provides education, event day organization, supplies, expertise, and quality control. On planting day, the Openlands Forestry Crew and certified TreeKeepers will supply tools, trees, mulch, and training for volunteers. 

Scan the QR code in the flyer above to submit a request. The deadline to submit is August 24th.

August 12th Update:

• Total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 IL residents: 208
• Daily new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 IL residents: 3.8
• Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by IL COVID-19 patients: 6%
• Statewide Totals: 3,620,877 confirmed cases and 34,539 deaths

For more details regarding the status of COVID in Illinois click here.

Please click here to see the status of COVID in our zip codes.

Being vaccinated and boosted is critical to limit the major impacts of future pandemic waves we are to face as new variants come along. Please be up to date with your vaccines and continue to test when needed.

To find a vaccine clinic within the City of Chicago click here.

For questions or info regarding COVID-19 testing click here.

If you have questions related to COVID-19 you can contact the

Illinois Department of Public Health:

Hotline: 800-889-3931

Email: dph.sick@illinois.gov

City of Chicago's Department of Public Health:

Hotline: 312-746-4835

Email: coronavirus@chicago.gov

Chicago Department of Public Health is hosting a couple MPV Vaccination events this Saturday, August 13th. Use the QR codes to make an appointment. You can also continue to keep up with any MPV updates from our office at repcassidy.com/mpv-information.

The state sales tax holiday is a ten-day period (August 5th through August 14th, 2022) during which consumers can purchase qualifying clothing and back-to-school related items and pay a reduced sales tax rate. The sales tax for this period will be 1.25% before returning to the normal rate of 6.25% on August 15th. See the above list for qualifying items.

Take advantage of this tax holiday for your family's back-to-school shopping! Or, if you're able, consider donating to our Back-to-School Drive for our district's CPS students -- we are collecting school supply donations at the office (5533 N Broadway) and other neighborhood locations until August 19th. 

Howard Area Community Center has a community computer lab. The community computer lab is open to the public Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm at 7468 N. Paulina. 

Fall is around the corner! Explore the Chicago Park District fall program offerings beginning August 1. Registration will begin online starting August 8 and August 9. Most fall programs begin the week of September 12, with the exception of the Park Kids After School Program starting on August 22. Visit Chicago Park District's registration page for more information.

Mary Crane Center is now hiring teaching and support positions at their early childhood education center at 1545 W. Morse Ave. For more information or to send your resume, email enorthern@marycrane.org

City Colleges of Chicago has a long history of serving the citizens of Chicago and assuring affordable education is available to all. They strive to provide world-class educational services to their diverse student body, ensuring all their students leave CCC college-ready, career-ready and prepared to pursue their life goals. 

CCC is looking to fill several positions in their Student Services and Administration/Management Departments. To learn more about these opportunities, click here. 

The Chicago Lighthouse is a life-changing community of care for people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, or Veterans. They depend on a strong team of talented, driven, and compassionate people to help our organization grow and thrive.

Full-time positions offer the following benefits:

• 22 paid days off (vacation and holidays)
• Medical and dental insurance
• Short/long term disability
• Company-paid pension plan

To learn more, click here. 

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

5533 N Broadway

Chicago IL 60640