In this newsletter:

26th Ward Office Events •  26th Ward Office Updates  • Resources for Youth • Community Events • Public Notices • Job Opportunities

Neighbors, 

Our ward took a beating with the extreme weather events that passed through the city last week. I want to take a moment to thank Jorge, our Ward Supe and our Streets and Sanitation crews. Between back to back storms and confirmed tornadoes touching down across our region, our city has seen thousands of downed trees and limbs. Our crews have been out clearing them street by street, working straight through the weekend without pause while also keeping on track with garbage pick up and street cleaning. The city reported 7000 downed trees and 190 downed electrical lines that are still being picked up. Thank you to our Barrio Services Team for fielding calls and walk-ins. To every worker out there with a chainsaw and a truck making our blocks passable again, thank you.

Despite the storms we experienced last week, this past weekend was truly magical. Droves of Boricuas from all over the Midwest attended the three day festival and Saturday’s parade. Thousands of people lined Paseo Boricua to celebrate the 48th Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade. After the parade, the festival awaited parade attendees. The music kept everyone in motion, the food was delicious, and the children were enjoying the carnival. Every aspect of the festival and parade made us feel so proud of being Puerto Rican celebrating all the different parts that make up our culture and our identity. Thank you to the parade and festival organizers, volunteers, organizations, businesses, performers and every single person who made the parade and festival a success.

Rafael Cruz Way and Julio Osorio Way

Last Friday, we unveiled honorary street signs along California Avenue between Potomac and LeMoyne as Rafael Cruz Way and Julio Osorio Way, two Puerto Rican community members who were shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in June 1977. The uprising in response to the violence  later became known as the 1977 Division Street Riots. Thank you to Javier Vargas, who has been documenting this history, and the family of Rafael, who made the trip from Florida to share this special moment. May their memories be a blessing and our history never erased.

Park 514 Gets a Name - Patty Park

Green spaces in the 26th Ward are vital to the aliveness of our neighborhoods, and Park 514 is no exception. Located in the heart of our beautiful Humboldt Park community area, it is a space utilized by children, elders, and families every day. Any space that builds community deserves a proper name. Patty Park.

This has been years in the making. I want to thank Sisters Mary and Maggie and fellow advocates, whose relentless advocacy made this renaming possible. Their dedication to honoring Sister Patty is a testament to the love that holds this community together. Sister Patty was remarkable, and this park will carry her legacy forward.

Thank you to Supt. Ramirez-Rosa and the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners for your support. In the coming months, we will be organizing a celebration with the new park signs and a beautification plan where you can weigh in.

City Council Honors

At City Council this week, we shared a moment of silence for Riley O’Neil, a CDOT employee whose life was tragically cut short after being struck by a vehicle while he was biking. Riley was a lifelong Chicagoan raised in Rogers Park and led a major expansion of CDOT’s bicycle parking program. In honor of his contributions, CDOT will refer to the city’s bike racks as “Riley Racks.” This small honor will never replace his presence. I share my sympathies to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege to work with him.

Council also gave me an opportunity to honor four people who represent the best of Puerto Ricans in Chicago:

• 14th Police District Commander Ricky Rivera and Sgt Jaclyn Varela, who stewarded the collaboration with violence prevention organizations and the police department to ensure the safety of our parade and festivities

• Raquel Maldonado, area manager at Chicago Park District who has always maintained culturally competent programming in our parks

• Marisel Vera, boricua writer from Humboldt Park with an upcoming release of The Girls from Humboldt Park

• Jaqueline Lazu, DePaul University professor and author who has worked hard to document the history of Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez, and who recently released The Young Lords Speak

Additionally, I was able to share my whole hearted gratitude to Maya Lozano, this year’s Honorary Cacica. She is an HIV/STI health educator and counselor for PRCC’s Trans Empowerment Center and someone who has dedicated her life to uplifting our trans siblings.

Finally, I will be chairing a subject matter hearing on teen trends on Wednesday, June 24 at 11am at City Hall. Unlike all of the previous conversations about how to address teen trends, young people will give expert testimony, putting their lived experience and recommendations on record. Join us! [link to graphic]

See You at the Pride Parade

I am not going to pretend Pride season feels easy right now. Our community is facing real attacks at the federal level and people are scared. More and more people are leaving their home states just to find doctors who will treat them with basic respect, and many of them are ending up here in Illinois. This tells me our state is doing something just and right, and it tells me we cannot let up. I am committed to keeping Illinois a place our LGBTQ neighbors, whether they have lived here their whole lives or just arrived looking for safety, can count on.

I want to take a moment to thank our local organizations that support LGBTQ+ people all year round. They are the ones holding people up when policy fails them, and that work matters every single day, not just in June.

This is exactly why we are not skipping any moment to celebrate our community. We’ve always known how to hold grief and joy at the same time, that is how we survive. This year, I want to celebrate with you in person. Come find me at the parade. Whether you are marching, dancing, or just out there being gloriously, defiantly yourself, the 26th Ward is with you.

Office Closure and Garbage Pickup

Juneteeth is a celebration of Black freedom and also a reminder of the ongoing work of liberation. Our office will be closed this Friday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth. There will also be no garbage or recycling collection on Friday, with pickup schedules shifting by 24 to 48 hours. Make sure your bins are accessible 24 hours before your usual pickup time to avoid delays. 

Wishing you and your family a beautiful Juneteenth.

In Solidarity,

Alderperson Jessie Fuentes

26th Ward Office Updates

Community Resources

Immigration Rights Resources

Construction Projects

26th Ward Zoning

The 26th Ward's community-led zoning process requires anyone requesting a zoning change to first complete a zoning intake form. After review, they present their request to the Zoning Advisory Committee and answer questions. In some cases, they may also present at a community input meeting.

Reproductive Justice

If you know someone looking for reproductive justice resources in Chicago, they can go to this Department of Public Health resource page to use the City’s digital community resource directory. There is also a free talkline (1-888-493-0092) where operators are available to share information on various reproductive justice options.