This past Saturday, May 14th, our community experienced a major tragedy at the James Sneider Apartments located on the 7400 block of N. Rogers Ave. Three residents died in their units. This was due to poor management decisions as the building was never switched from heat to air conditioning in spite of the sweltering temps and ongoing complaints from tenants. Having convinced the building managers to at least turn off the heat and install portable AC in the community room earlier in the week while they still refused to switch over to AC in residents units, Alderwoman Maria Hadden of the 49th Ward asked me to join her at the building Saturday afternoon in response to the tragic deaths. She and I would spend the rest of the day and evening knocking on doors and marshaling resources for all the residents. I want to thank all the exceptional first responders and city departments who deployed every possible resource to help save the many other lives in the building. This is a tragedy on so many levels and for that reason, Alderwoman Hadden and I will be seeking policy change at both the state and city levels of government. Alderwoman Hadden has introduced legislation this week to bring multiple departments together to investigate what led up to the tragic deaths and what policies can be put in place to ensure this does not happen again. The city has a heat ordinance that requires landlords to keep temperatures at least at 68 degrees during the day and 66 degrees at night between Sept. 15 and June. However, there currently is no local cooling ordinance and the building management’s excuse was that they interpret the law as requiring the heat to be on until June. My office has recently connected with our Housing Committee Chair to look at exploring enforcement policies over property managers accepting public monies who fail to provide adequate habitable conditions. We are committed to exploring all possible policy routes at the state level to ensure another tragedy does not occur. |
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Sunday brought a chance to mix business with pleasure. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to support the 16th annual Andersonville Wine Walk. As a lover of wine, it was great to stroll and support our local businesses that were transformed into tasting destinations as shown in the photos below. I want to thank the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce for putting together such a great event. Supporting our local businesses is critical during these challenging times we face so if you have not yet please attend future events that have been organized by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce in the coming months.
Please click here to check out their future events. |
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Roe v. Wade Decision Watch |
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A couple of weeks ago my phone started blowing up on a late Monday night, I couldn’t have prepared myself for the news of the leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning the 1973 decision known as Roe v. Wade and the 1992 decision known as Planned Parenthood v. Casey. We still do not know exactly when a final decision is expected to be released but the Court usually saves big decisions like this for the end of the term in June. Since the draft leak, I have been working with legislators and advocates here and across the country to see how we can add further protections for those providing and receiving care. Simultaneous to the attacks on reproductive care, we’re also seeing sweeping attacks on those seeking gender-affirming care. Our work is focused on adding protections for patients, providers, and families of those whose access to life-saving care is under attack and ensuring that we are working together to protect each other. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
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My office along with Care for Real and Chinese Mutual Aid Association will be on hand to get constituents signed up for LIHEAP before the cutoff of funding May 31st. Please make sure to bring all of the documents requested below to submit an application. If you have further questions or are unable to come but would still like to sign up please email Wade at wade.repcassidy@gmail.com |
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Drinks & Conversation Event Next Week |
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Please join my staff and I next week at RP Social on Thursday, May 26th for a legislative conversation and some drinks to socialize! The event will run from 6:00-7:30 pm. We will be capping sign-ups at 40 people, so be sure to claim your spot.
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Museum Pass Sign-Up Sheet |
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Our office offers a museum pass that residents may borrow to attend Chicago-based and Chicagoland area museums. We lend out the museum pass for two consecutive days at a time. The pass also admits a total of four people per museum visit.
If you would like to borrow our museum pass, you can fill out our sign-up form at bit.ly/MuseumPass14. The pass will be first-come-first-serve for sign-ups so if there is a conflict with a date you chose, we will contact you by phone. |
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I had the pleasure of visiting our Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare site which is located at 1400 W Greenleaf Avenue. Earlier this year Trilogy rolled out its mental health emergency responder program. The First-response Alternative Crisis Team (FACT) is part of a larger statewide program providing alternatives to calling 911. When they get a call to the crisis line, a dispatcher determines if the situation needs mental health first responders. As we see an increase in mental health calls this summer Trilogy will be a critical provider for our community and I am so thankful to have them directly stationed in our district.
Trilogy currently provides services primarily on the North Side – covering Rogers Park, Edgewater, West Ridge, and Uptown, and then the suburbs of Skokie and Evanston.
Trilogy’s crisis response team can be reached by calling 800-FACT-400 (800-322-8400).
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I had the pleasure of attending Hooked on Fish's ribbon cutting. They are celebrating the grand opening of a new retail store, 1036 West Bryn Mawr Avenue. The store will offer sustainable seafood, something that is difficult to find in the Chicagoland area. Owner Karen Wollins says she is excited to bring the community fresh seafood options.
Hooked on Fish started almost 8 years ago as a delivery service. You can order online and then have the fish delivered to one of the many hubs around the city, or right to your very own home. While Karen plans on continuing the delivery service, you can now pick up your order from the retail store.
Karen and the whole team at Hooked on Fish will work with you to create a delicious meal, often encouraging you to try something you may have never had before, like Fjord Sea Trout. They will have recipes, sauces and produce on-hand to make sure you leave the store with a solid plan in place.
Right now, she says the plan is to be open Tuesday-Saturday for a couple hours in the afternoon.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Hooked on Fish!
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Renegade Craft Fair - Andersonville |
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Andersonville Midsummer Fest |
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Join us for Andersonville Midsummer Fest June 10th - June 11th. We will have a table from 10a-4p. Stop by and say hello! |
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Saturdays at Jarvis Square Artisan Market |
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The Jarvis Square Artisan Market will return to Jarvis Square (Greenview and Jarvis) for another season! The market brings local arts and craft vendors to the Jarvis Square Alfresco area where they can showcase and sell their creations. The market also has live music and food for patrons to enjoy.
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OurNeighborsTable Market Every Saturday |
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The Glenwood bar has partnered with local artists to host a series of art markets called OurNeighborsTable running every Saturday through May 28th. The program will feature a variety of artists, bakers, and music makers. |
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Chicago continues to remain at a medium risk level for COVID-19 transmissions with severe potential to enter at a high-risk level. At the Medium Community Level, people at risk of severe health outcomes are advised to take additional precautions to protect themselves from the virus, including masking up in indoor spaces. The state continues to see a rise in cases. Illinois health officials reported 40,193 new COVID-19 cases over the past week. There have been at least 3,249,534 total COVID cases as of Wednesday, including at least 33,761 related deaths in the state since the pandemic began. Hosptialziations also continue to rise as shown in the graph above.
May 20th Update:
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Total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 IL residents in the past 7 days: 45.1
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New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 IL residents in the past 7 days: 102
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The percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by IL COVID-19 patients: 19%
The above graph highlights the 7-day rolling average for hospital admissions. Hospitalization rates continue to slowly rise. The state does feel prepared in the event of a surge 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.
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To find a vaccine clinic within the City of Chicago click here.
For questions or info regarding COVID-19 testing click here.
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COVID-19 Count as of Friday, May 20th:
Statewide Totals: 3,249,534 confirmed cases and 33,761 deaths
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
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The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering different grants to allow communities to create or update regional or local economic plans to promote recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Grants
Connect Illinois Broadband Grant Program
What: Connect Illinois seeks to achieve ubiquitous broadband access for homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions. Applications should be classified under one of three categories: (a) Broadband Access for in unserved or underserved areas; (b) Broadband Innovation for economic development; or (c) Urban Broadband for expanded access and/or innovation in qualified Illinois cities. All Connect Illinois projects must include infrastructure expansion scalable to speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload upon deployment. Allowable costs include network design, project planning, equipment, construction, and deployment of middle mile and/or last mile infrastructure.
Potential Applicants: Businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, school districts, and local governments. Proposals covering unserved and/or underserved areas are eligible for Connect Illinois grant funding.
How Much: $350 million total, maximum grant size of $10 million. Preference given for a 50% match, but it is not required for an application to be competitive.
Deadline: Rolling through 2024, or until funds are depleted
Apply: Information can be found HERE.
Federal Grants
Build to Scale
What: B2S strives to increase the capacities of regions to support innovations, entrepreneurs, and startups that are growing technology-driven businesses, creating high-skill, high-wage jobs, and building the industries of the future. This opportunity includes two separate programs: 1) the Venture Challenge; and 2) the Capital Challenge. The Venture Challenge is to serve companies challenging the status quo of established markets or commercializing technologies, as well as furthering job creation within their businesses. The Capital Challenge is for the formation of investment funds that seek to raise equity-based capital to deploy in startups.
Potential Applicants: Local governments. Nonprofits, institutions of higher education, EDOs, laboratories may apply if they are supported by a local government.
How Much: 1:1 match required. For the Venture Challenge: $750,000. For the Capital Challenge, funding comes at 2 levels – “Form” and “Deploy”. Form is up to $300,00, and Deploy is between $300,000 to $750,000.
Deadline: 6/13/2022
Apply: Information can be found HERE.
EDA Economic Development Research and National Technical Assistance Program
What: Grants under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities. These grants seek to promote critical, cutting-edge research and best practices with practitioners in the economic development field. They also support a small number of projects that provide technical assistance at a national scope.
Potential Applicants: Local governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, individuals, or for-profit organizations.
How Much: $1.5 million
Deadline: Rolling
Apply: Information can be found HERE.
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Mental Health Awareness Essay Contest
Deadline Next Week!
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month! In honor of this month, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is holding an essay contest for teenagers aged 16-18 to promote communication about youth mental needs and reduce stigma for seeking mental health treatment. Winners could be eligible for a prize of $750. Submissions are due by May 24, 2022.
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The Simple Good Visual Arts Showcase with Eugene Field |
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Youth Employment Opportunities with One Summer Chicago |
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Nominate a Senior for This Year's Senior Hall of Fame |
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Is there an older adult in your life who has a history of helping and inspiring others? Nominate them for induction into the Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame!
The Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame was established by the General Assembly in 1994 to honor older adults’ accomplishments and contributions to their communities. Each year, four Illinoisans age 65 or older are inducted into the Hall of Fame for their work in community service, education, arts or the labor force.
Nominees must be:
- At least 65 years old
- A current Illinois resident or a former resident who lived in Illinois for the majority of their life.
Posthumous nominees will also be considered.
Illinois Department on Aging staff will thoroughly review all applications and ultimately submit no more than 44 finalists per category to the judges. The judges will select one winner in each category for induction into the 2022 Hall of Fame.
Illinois Department on Aging
Division of Community Relations and Outreach
One Natural Resources Way, #100
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The City of Chicago DCASE is Hiring |
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The City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is hiring. See information about each job position being offered below.
Program Director - Cultural Affairs
Cultural Affair Coordinator II, Chicago Film Office, Permits, Production
Student Intern
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Nano Cleaning Company is Hiring |
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Sincerely,
Kelly Cassidy
State Representative, 14th District
Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy
5533 N Broadway
Chicago IL 60640
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773-784-2002(phone)
773-784-2060(fax)
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