3659 S. Halsted | Chicago, IL 60609 | 773.254.6677

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February 8th, 2026

Dear neighbors, 

We’ve seen some companies comply with Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Control directives to allow ICE agents into their stores. Some residents of our community have shared that this has made them feel uncomfortable shopping at those stores, and understandably so.  

Each agency within the federal government has the duty to uphold the Constitution. This includes the specific right to the protection of our private lives and our private homes. These rights, just recently, were protected in ways we may have been taking for granted, now that we see them being disregarded. I am very concerned about this overreach, and I’m sure many of you are, as well. 

In light of these changes, it’s important to know your rights. If any ICE or CBP agent comes to your door, you do not have to answer unless they are in possession of a signed judicial warrant. You can learn more about your rights here. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! With the Bears not in it, neither is my heart, but I did tune in for the commercials and the half time show! Did your team win? What were your favorite commercials? Did you scream Ricky Martin’s name when you saw him like I did? I don’t speak Spanish, but I felt every bit of that performance. My musical catalog is generally stuck between 1990 and 2005. While I’m not super familiar with his music, I get why Bad Bunny was selected and why he won six Grammys this year. 

It was my mistake last week to talk about Groundhog Day and not mention Woodstock Willie, our own groundhog who has perhaps even more validity than any other groundhogs, since the movie Groundhog Day was filmed in Woodstock, IL. Our Woodstock Willie did not see his shadow, so Chicago is once again on top with NO additional six weeks of winter. Thank you, Woodstock Willie. 

We lost a legend of the Stockyards, Otho Kortz. Otho was a cattle salesman for the Miller White Woods Cattle Firm from 1954-1971, so, he was there until the day they closed in 1971. 

Condolences to the Yau family on the loss of Pauline D. Yau, a teacher at James A. Ward, and of the Chinatown Cafe, both which were huge parts of the fabric of our community life. 

The Chicago/Cook County Lunar New Year kickoff event was this Tuesday. I was joined by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Commissioner John P. Daley and many more elected officials to kick off the celebrations. We also kicked off the Lunar New Year in Chinatown earlier today! This year, Lunar New Year falls on February 17th. It will be the year of the Horse according to the Chinese Zodiac. Are you curious about what the new year has in store for you? Check here.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City who is currently spending this month in Bridgeport. As part of his Live77 series where he is living in every neighborhood of the city for a month, visiting leaders, community organizations, local businesses and learning about each one. You may be familiar with the work of his organization – which started out organizing volunteers to help seniors shovel snow across the city. Learn more about it here or follow on FB.

Public Safety

This week is Identity Theft Awareness Week and the Illinois Comptroller’s office offers the following steps to ensure the safety of your identity. Keep a close eye on bank account and credit card activity, and regularly check accounts to make sure there are no suspicious withdrawals or purchases.

• Use strong passwords and multi-factor identification 
• If possible, avoid sharing full dates of birth, email addresses, and family members' names on social mediaCarry only the ID and credit cards you need, and not your Social Security card, in your wallet
• Shred documents that have personal information printed on them before throwing them away
• Beware of any company or person contacting you by email, phone, or text and asking for personal information unless they are companies with which you frequently do business. They may be trying to trick you.
• Check your credit history at least once a year through Equifax (800-525-6285), Experian (888-397-3742), or TransUnion (800-680-7289), each of which offers a free credit report annually.
• Protect children's personal information, including Social Security numbers. Credit freezes may be advised for kids under 16 in case a fraudster sets out to open an account in their name.

Upcoming in City Council 

Our next City Council meeting is Wednesday, February 18 at 10AM. The Committee on Finance will meet on Tuesday, February 9 at 10AM and Wednesday, February 11 at 10AM. The Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 10 at 10AM. 

Around the Ward 

Don't forget our office will be closed this Thursday, February 12th in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday. 

Five Below will have its grand opening on February 13. If we have any more store openings in that plaza, I think they will be quickly filled by new and exciting stores! 

The video for the zoning meeting I had on Monday for 3363 S. Morgan can be viewed here. 

We have an upcoming zoning meeting for 3237 S Parnell on Tuesday, February 17 at 5:30PM. 

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85423074235?

pwd=G6zLhc1ajoQvGVTNBeGGt1lk1DU×Fw.1&jst=2

Meeting ID: 85423074235

Password: 220371

Dial in: +1 312-626-6799

Phone Passcode: 220371

The Canaryville Improvement Association and CAPS meeting will be held at St. Gabe’s on Wednesday, February 18 at 6PM.  

The McKinley Park CAPS meeting will be happening on Tuesday, February 11 at 6:15PM. 

Monday, February 16 is President’s Day and my office will have no hours on Monday. We will return to regularly scheduled hours on Tuesday. 

Have a good week, 

Alderwoman Lee

Vote By Mail!

You may now apply online to Vote By Mail for the March 17, 2026 Primary Election– click here to get started!

To apply online, please enter your first and last name (no middle name), address (Street Direction and Street Name) and five number zip code to proceed. Please do not leave any spaces after the numerical value in the online form.

You will be asked to choose one Political Party ballot type for the upcoming election: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Non-Partisan (referenda only). Per Illinois Election Code, voters may only choose one ballot and cannot vote multiple Party ballots.

Prefer to always vote from the comfort of your own home? You may also apply online to join the Vote By Mail Permanent Roster ahead of the next election –click here to join the Permanent Roster!

You may request to have your Vote By Mail ballot sent out of city or state, but not out of the country. Choose your best option for delivery in Step 3 of the Online Application. You may choose to receive your Vote By Mail ballot in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, or Tagalog in Step 4.

You may also choose to join the Accessible Vote By Mail Program in Step 3. This program allows voters with disabilities to access and mark their ballots through an online system and then print out their ballots and mail in those ballots. Please note: You will not receive a ballot in the mail. Voters with disabilities will access and mark their ballot electronically – this is not online voting.

When you apply online to Vote By Mail, the Board will send you emails:

• When your ballot is mailed to you,
• When the Board receives your Ballot Return Envelope, and
• When your ballot has been processed and counted.

The Board will tentatively start mailing ballots by Feb 5, 2026. All Vote By Mail ballots come with postage-paid Ballot Return Envelopes.

When you receive your Vote By Mail ballot, you may return it through standard US mail and must postmark it before or on Election Day, March 17, 2026. You may also submit the Ballot Return Envelope in a secured drop box at any Chicago Early Voting site before and on Election Day.



Questions? Learn more here or call 312-269-7967 or email [email protected]

Sign Up to Be an Election Judge!

• You must be a US citizen and a registered voter in Cook County - and you can earn up to $230 for your service. Being bilingual is especially helpful.
• High School Juniors and Seniors can also apply. Do you know a student with a GPA above 3.0 and an interest in government? Let them know they can serve as an election judge and see how democracy works from behind the polling place curtain.
• You can go to pollworker.chicagoelections.gov or call 312-269-7984 to learn more and apply.

Wentworth AR Construction Project:

A Street Resurfacing & ADA compliant corners project between Cermak and 24th Pl on Wentworth began in October and will take approximately 3 months to complete.

• Street resurfacing operations will commence once ambient temperatures reach 45 degrees, and it's weather permitting.

Ongoing Project - Water Main, Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement Project:

Schedule: 2/2/2026 - 2/6/2026 (Weather Permitting)

The work between Lowe and Canal has resumed today and will be ongoing this week on the north side of Pershing.

One lane open in each direction (east and west) during construction hours from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Northernmost westbound lane between Lowe and Wallace is permanently closed due to pipe and hydrant installation. Impact on traffic is low from 7am to 9am but we will keep monitoring.

• Pershing Rd from Wallace to Canal - A water main was found to be broken while the Contractor was excavating adjacent to it, water shutdown & repairs completed.



• North side of Pershing from Lowe to Canal - pipe installation completed between Lowe & Wallace. Pipe installation is ongoing between Parnell & Normal, conflict with the water main alignment while removing large abandoned gas main.

• North side of Pershing from Stewart to Wentworth - Conflict with ComEd resolved by changing WM alignment. Expected to start in 4-6 weeks

• South side of Pershing from Emerald to Union - Fully completed.

• South side of Pershing from Union to Lowe - final connection delayed, conflict with ComEd manhole at Union & Cbase partially completed.

• West side of Lowe from Pershing South - WM installation and testing completed. Time conflict with business operation, coordinating for the best time to water shut down.

• North side of Pershing (Halsted to Emerald) - Abandonment at Emerald completed. Abandonment at Halsted completed. Abandonment at NEX of Union expected to be completed in mid-February 2026. Cbase partially complete.

• Water Shutdowns - The buildings listed below were within the limits of the shutdown on February 26, 2026. Repairs were completed at 2:00 p.m.
• 538 W Pershing (restaurant)
• 3859 S Parnell (single family home)
• 514 W Pershing (restaurant)
• 452 W Pershing (restaurant)
• 431 W Pershing (storage building)
• 415 W Pershing (med lab)
• 426 W Pershing (storage building)

• Pipe Installation - ongoing between Lowe and Canal (North side of Pershing)

• Final Connections and Concrete Cap - Completed on the south side of Pershing between Halsted and Lowe.

Ongoing Project - Lead Services Line Replacement (LSLR):

• 3000 - 3100 S Union Ave.
• Restoration will start upon all the LSLR projects completion.

Sewer Project

A Sewer Project is estimated to begin in September 2025 between 3500-3900 S Parnell, with work expected to take approximately one year to complete.

• Jan 20 to end of April – Water service replacements along Parnell Ave.
• Feb to June: Replace sewer main along Parnell Ave.
• October to December: Construction @ 35^th intersection.
• Spring 2027: Street restoration/landscaping.

Access for residents will be maintained throughout the project. Parking may be restricted during the daytime between 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM.



• 35th St & Parnell - a full closure of the intersection and detour of eastbound and westbound 35th St. traffic.
• Once the work at 35^th and Parnell is completed, the contractor will mobilize to 39^th and Parnell and begin installing sewer south to north until they connect to this structure they're installing at 35^th Street.

Sewer Main & Lead Service Line Replacement

Completed: 1/26/26 – 1/30/26

• DWM continued mainline sewer on W 33^rd St from S Emerald Ave to S Union Ave.
• DWM installed new Manhole in the intersection of W 33^rd St and S Union Ave.

 Schedule: 2/2/26 – 2/6/26

• Due to an emergency sewer repair, DWM will be temporarily demobilizing from the project site to address a collapsed sewer at a different location. DWM will be remobilizing back to 33^rd and Union once the emergency repair has been completed (Updates to come soon).
• Meade to be working in the intersection of 33^rd and Union to raise existing Com-Ed package in the intersection.

Road Closures / Traffic Control:

• The intersection of S Union Ave and W 33^rd St will be closed until further notice to allow Meade to safely work in the intersection to raise Com-Ed’s duct.

• During working hours, no residential parking will be allowed on W 33^rd St between S Emerald and S Lowe Ave (No Parking Signs have been posted).

Schedule: 10/1/2025 - 3/30/2026

Full Closure of 33rd Street at Emerald Ave. for sewer repair.

No parking or traveling during working hours (7 am - 4 pm). Upon completion of the sewer main installation, LSLR replacement will follow.

Most Recent Updates - 2/6/2026



• Peoples Gas’s contractors are continuing activities for the environmental cleanup project at 2730 S. Eleanor Street.

• The batch plant mixing silos were installed at the site last week, and will remain in place until late 2026.

• We continue to haul soil offsite from the western portion of the site in trucks. This activity is ongoing, and may include noise from trucks, excavators and concrete removal.

• 24-hour air monitoring is taking place and will continue during all intrusive activity.

• As a reminder, if you have questions about this project, please contact the Peoples Gas project number at 877-380-0522.



• We will post a red flag on the fence at the site entrance in the unlikely event that all remediation work on the site is stopped due to on-site, real-time air monitoring readings that remain elevated following implementation of mitigation measures (in accordance with our EPA-approved Air Monitoring and Fugitive Emissions Management Plan). Note that our plan is already designed to prevent air-quality-based health risks to site workers or the public, and the red flag would be posted for visual communication to the community.

Photo of the Week

Celebration of the Lunar New Year - The Year of the Horse!

at Cook County Building on February 3rd 2026

11th Ward

School and Parish Information

The 11th Ward office is happy to announce has a free ‘Constituent Education Resource Card’ available to residents wishing to visit select museums and zoos in the Chicagoland area. Constituents can reserve our Constituent Education Resource Card on a first come first serve basis (more instructions below), to visit any of the following museums in 2026:

• Adler Planetarium
• The Art Institute of Chicago
• Brookfield Zoo
• Chicago Botanic Garden
• Chicago Children’s Museum
• Chicago History Museum
• Dusable Museum of African American History
• The Field Museum
• Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Museum of Science and Industry
• National Museum of Mexican Art
• National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• John G. Shedd Aquarium

Only one group of up to four (4) can reserve the pass at a time. The pass must be picked up and brought back to the 11th Ward Office. Constituents need to call for an appointment to come to the office to pick up the pass before visiting the museums. We recommend calling two business days before your scheduled visit.

It is strongly recommended that families utilizing the card contact the museum they plan to visit to learn if pre-registration is required to visit. 

9th District Police District Council & Beat Meeting Schedules

The office has extended hours on Monday nights until 7:00 p.m., is open on the first Saturday of each month from 9:00am - 12:00 pm, if it's a holiday weekend, the office will

be open the following Saturday and/or Monday.

Alderwoman Lee will be happy to see residents on Monday nights from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. If you'd like to make an appointment, please call the ward office at 773.254.6677.

11th Ward Office| 3659 South Halsted Chicago, IL 60609 | 773-254-6677