As you may have heard, starting today masks are once again required in all indoor public settings. The Chicago Department of Public Health is reinstating the indoor mask mandate because we have surpassed an average of 400 new Covid-19 cases daily.
Everyone regardless of vaccination status must wear a mask while indoors in public settings, including bars and restaurants, gyms, common areas of condos/residential buildings, and private clubs. As with previous mask mandates, masks can be removed during certain activities that require it, and in offices not open to the public, when you can distance.
The new public health order does not include capacity limits at public places, and masking remains optional in outdoor settings, where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower. Masks are recommended for unvaccinated individuals in crowded outdoor settings.
Today, I came across this extremely illuminating column Dr. J. Stacey Klutts is a clinical associate professor of pathology and clinical microbiology at the University of Iowa, which I’ve been sharing with both 33rd Ward residents and people in my life who might be hesitant about vaccination or masking. Dr. Klutts explains why both are so important right now — including a metaphor that I’ll be using in discussions: Compared to previous strains of the virus, Dr. Klutts explains, the Delta variant has mutations “that make it extremely effective in attaching to human cells and gaining entry. If the original COVID strains were covered in syrup, this variant is covered in ultrafast-drying Gorilla Super Glue (industrial strength).” This, plus a viral load 1,000 times higher in infected people than with previous strains, is what makes masking so important.
Dr. Klutts ends with these words: “Those of you in the south, particularly in Florida, know that the tsunami is already on your shores. If you weren’t already off the beach, you might be in trouble. However, if you are there and haven’t yet been affected, run like hell to metaphorical higher ground — get vaccinated, wear a mask.
I beg of you, watch that wave and don’t ignore it.”
I’ll be masking again up to protect myself and others, as well as continuing to try to reach those who are still unvaccinated. Please join me.
In This Week’s Newsletter
- Aug. 21: Back to school resource fair
- Aug. 21: Albany Park Defense Network block party
- Aug. 26: Flavors of Albany Park. Tickets now on sale
- Aug. 29: Global Gardens open house
- Aug. 29: Avondale Gardening Alliance Fair
- Covid-19 updates
- Resources for tenants & homeowners
- Small business highlights
- Construction + infrastructure
- Summer markets & concerts in the 33rd Ward
- Community bulletin board – click here for more events, job listings, and resources!
Quick Links
Aug. 21: Back to School Resource Fair
Don’t forget to stop by our back-to-school resource fair at Avondale-Logandale School tomorrow! We’ll have free backpacks, Covid-19 vaccines and flu shots, food, and more.
Aug. 21: Albany Park Defense Network Block Party
The Albany Park Defense Network, a group of neighbors fighting deportation and displacement, will hold a community block party this Saturday.
What: Community Dinner & Fundraiser! / ¡Cena comunitaria y recaudación de fondos!
When: Saturday, August 21, 2021, 1 p.m. to sunset
Where: Lawndale Ave., north of Leland and south of Lawrence
A core part of the network is helping community members who are impacted by deportations and immigration enforcement.
Stop by to help raise money for ongoing community defense work, learn about anti-deportation and anti-eviction work – and celebrate the end of the summer.
Along with music and food, there will also be a raffle of prizes. Face masks and hand sanitizer will be available and social distancing will be practiced.
Aug. 26: Flavors of Albany Park
We are excited to bring back Flavors of Albany Park on Thursday, August 26th, and support our diverse local restaurants. Tickets are now on sale!
For more information and to purchase tickets starting on Eventbrite: flavors2021.eventbrite.com
Experience the diverse, international cultures, and cuisines by tasting the delicious “Flavors of Albany Park” at our neighborhood restaurant crawl on Thursday, August 26th, from 5:00 pm-8:00 pm. Albany Park is “Chicago’s Gateway to the World” reflected by the diverse ethnic cuisines from 40+ participating restaurants. Restaurants will offer a sample of their food, a sweet treat, or a unique drink to all attendees.
Flavors of Albany Park explores THREE routes, 40+ restaurants!
1) Lawrence / Kimball
2) Kedzie
3) Montrose
Safety considerations: Flavors of Albany Park is an outdoor event, but we encourage you to bring your masks. You may need them for waiting in a short line or when you step inside a restaurant to pick up your sample. All together, Flavors will follow CDC, Chicago Department of Public Health, and Illinois Department of Public Health COVID19 guidelines.
Aug. 29: Global Gardens Open House
Global Garden Refugee Training Farm will be hosting a summer open house at the farm on on Sunday, August 29th from 4-6 PM! Neighbors are invited to connect with your neighbors and learn more about this wonderful project. This event is open to the public, but donations are encouraged! RSVP Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/ggrtf-summer-open-house… Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1dep64pQ5
Aug. 29: Avondale Gardening Alliance Fair
The Avondale Gardening Alliance Fair is back! From noon to 5 pm on Sunday the 29th, the community is invited to visit a number of yards and other locations in a walkable area of East Avondale. These sites offer demonstrations of an array of agricultural and gardening skills specifically tailored to urban living. Facebook event here. At 5 pm, the community will gather for an after party in Chief O’Neill’s garden to celebrate a growing and thriving hyper-local network of Avondale gardeners, urban farmers, and sustainable living enthusiasts. Facebook event for the after-party. Fairgoers can get a virtual map at https://avondalegardeningalliance.wordpress.com or can pick up a paper map at Concordia Place at 3300 N. Whipple during fair hours.
Covid-19 Updates
With school starting soon, it’s more important than ever to get your family vaccinated. There are some great, nearby options for people 12 and over to get vaccinated. Roosevelt High School at 3436 W Wilson Ave has a walk-up vaccine clinic on Wednesdays from 9AM – 1PM, no appointment, ID, or insurance required.
Let’s take care of ourselves and each other. As always, if you need help getting more information on where to get tested or vaccinated you can call us at 773-840-7880 or email us at info@33rdward.org
Resources for Tenants and Homeowners
Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced that it would extend the federal eviction moratorium for another two months in areas with substantial or high transmission of Covid-19. That currently includes all of Cook County and the city of Chicago.
If you have been served an eviction notice by your landlord or fear that you may, you can use a tool developed by the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Better Housing and Metropolitan Tenants Organization (MTO): https://rentervention.com/. This tool creates an Illinois Moratorium Declaration to protect you and your household from eviction for nonpayment of rent. You can also visit EvictionHelpIllinois.org, or call (855) 631-0811 for free legal aid, landlord-tenant mediation services, and connections to rental assistance programs.
If you know that multiple tenants in your apartment building are at risk of eviction and you are interested in creating a tenants’ union to collectively negotiate with your landlord, you can contact the Autonomous Tenants Union at 773-657-8700 or housing.atu@gmail.com.
Dealing with an old eviction on your record that makes it difficult to find new housing? A new Illinois law makes sealing old eviction records less difficult for tens of thousands of tenants statewide. You can use the website https://rentervention.com/ to help with this process.
Mortgage Assistance Program – Applications Ongoing
The Mortgage Assistance Program, provides assistance to low-to-moderate-income homeowners who have suffered an economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are having difficulty paying their mortgage.
The maximum amount of assistance available is $3,300. Grant amounts awarded will be based on the amount needed to bring your mortgage current.
Please note: Eligible homeowners will have the assistance paid directly to their mortgage servicer. If you received assistance in 2020 you are not eligible for this round of funds.
To be eligible you must:
- Be a resident of the City of Chicago
- Live in the home (single-family up to 4 units) for which you are applying for assistance. It must be your primary place of residence.
- Demonstrate your total household income was 120% or below the Area Median Income (AMI) prior to March 1, 2020. (Click to see table)
- Have a mortgage on your home that was current as of March 1, 2020, and is now delinquent. You may be on a forbearance plan.
- Have experienced a change in your financial status after March 1, 2020, due to the COVID-19 crisis
If you need assistance applying for mortgage assistance, you can also contact Neighborhood Housing Servicesat 800-831-7949 or email EmergencyAssistance@nhschicago.org.
Small Business Updates
Apply for a Back to Business Grant
The State of Illinois’ Back to Business(B2B) Grant Program opened on Wednesday, Aug. 18th. The program will award a total of $250 million to businesses across the state that experienced losses in 2020.
Grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 can be used to cover operational expenses and offset losses due to COVID-19. Businesses with revenues of $20 million or less in 2019 and a reduction in revenue in 2020 as a result of the pandemic are eligible to apply.
The application portal is now open. For more information, please go here. With questions and for help applying, please contact Steve Simmons, 773-929-5552 x2226, steve@northbranchworks.org
Business Recovery Payment Plan Program In accordance with the City’s plan to provide critical financial relief to Chicago’s business community, the Department of Finance is excited to launch the Business Recovery Payment Plan Program. Through this program, eligible business license holders can enter into a payment plan with as little as $25 down with terms up to 60 months. This will remove barriers for business owners that owe City debt and allow them to resolve holds on their business licenses with minimal burden. The Business Recovery Payment Plan Program is available through June 30, 2022 for most debt types. Learn more here.
Construction Updates
Summer is construction season, and we know residents want to be able to plan ahead for street closures and parking disruptions. As a periodic reminder, we keep a map of the ward updated with all the information we’ve received to date from city agencies, utility companies, and other project managers. You can check out the construction map here.
You can also use the city’s ChiStreetWork portal, where you can search by address.
Wilson Bridge Closure
The beams beneath the bridge had rusted over and need to be replaced. When work began, one lane was left often for traffic, but after a number of incidents of motorists driving the wrong way, the bridge has been fully closed.
The full closure will allow the team to work faster, moving the expected end date for this project up to Friday, Aug 27.
Street Resurfacing
West Irving Park Road from North Ravenswood Avenue to North Kolmar Avenue.
Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin on August 23. Bigane Paving Co. is the general contractor for this project and Wight & Company is providing resident engineering services for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
The work will include ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance, bus pad construction, pavement patching, milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, and striping.
During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work. All work on this corridor is scheduled to be completed November 30, 2021.
North Sacramento Avenue from North Elston Avenue to North Milwaukee Avenue
Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin on August 16, 2021, pending clearance from and coordination with existing utilities, and weather permitting. Bigane Paving Co. is the general contractor for this project and Wight & Company is providing resident engineering services for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
The work will include ADA sidewalk improvements, curb and gutter removal and replacement as needed for ADA and drainage compliance, pedestrian refuge island, pavement patching, milling and paving the existing asphalt pavement, and striping.
During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work. All work on this corridor is scheduled to be completed October 29, 2021.
Filming in Avondale Monday 8/23 to Saturday 8/28
Crews will be filming scenes for the show “Ripple Effects” in Avondale next week. In order to park essential vehicles and equipment, streets in the area will be posted with “No Parking” signs during the following times:
7AM Monday 8/23 to 8PM Tuesday 8/24 on the Northside of Diversey (Albany to Whipple) 8PM Tuesday 8/24 to 8AM Saturday 8/28 on the Northside of Diversey (Sacramento to Kedzie), Southside of Diversey (Albany to Whipple), Southside of Diversey (Kimball to Kedzie), both sides of Albany (Diversey to 2820 N Albany) and East side of Albany (Diversey to Schubert) 8AM to 6PM Saturday 8/28 on the Northside of Diversey (Albany to Whipple)New Residential Lighting Construction
New Residential Lighting Construction
A residential lighting project on Campbell from Belmont to Barry will begin in the next few weeks, pending clearance from existing utilities. This work is part of the Chicago Department of Transportation’s Residential Roadway Lighting Improvement Citywide Program. City Lights LTD is the general contractor for this project.
The work will include new underground conduit, cable, new davit arm light poles with piggybacks, foundations, LED fixtures, Smart Lighting Nodes, and streetlight controllers.
During construction, temporary “No Parking” signs will be periodically installed as required for each activity listed above. These temporary signs will restrict parking during working hours, while adhering to rush hour restrictions, for the completion of the work. All work on this project is scheduled to be completed in a few months.
New Bike Lanes on Montrose Ave.
Good news, cyclists: The Montrose Ave. bike lanes that 33rd Ward residents voted for in our most recent participatory budgeting cycle are ready to go! Wishing everyone a fun, safe ride to your destination.
Summer Concerts & Markets in the 33rd Ward
Have you checked out our area’s newest pop-up market yet? Join us again tonight at 4433 N Kedzie!
Night Out in the Parks
This great tradition has returned for 2021! We compiled a list of the events in the 33rd Ward–including at Brands, River, and Horner Park–here. Check out the full list of events at www.nightoutintheparks.com.
Lot Jams
Join us this summer for evenings of free, family-friendly entertainment in our community. Mark your calendars and check back for more details soon! ALL SHOWS take place between 7:00pm-9:00pm. Thanks as always to the North River Commission for coordinating this great series of events, and to our local businesses for hosting. Find more info on the line-up here.
Next lot jams is this Thursday, Aug. 5!
Farmer’s Markets
The Horner Park Farmers Market has now kicked off its 7th season! The market will be at the corner of California and Montrose every Saturday, open from 9:00am-1:00pm. Come by for fresh produce, baked goods, coffee, meat, live music and more! For more information, check out the Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and on Instagram, or go to the webpage. The HPFM is every Saturday morning through October 2.
While you’re there, explore the flora and fauna of Horner Park with a great audio tour for families! From Block Club Chicago:
Monday: 12:00 PM – 7 PM
Tues – Thurs: 10 AM – 5 PM
Friday: 9 AM – 4PM
️E-mail info@33rdward.org anytime for service requests or general queries
️ Call us at 773-840-7880 during business hours
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter
Check out our ward website for info on services and events: https://www.33rdward.org/
Best,
Rossana Rodriguez