Dear Neighbor,

I had a great time attending events across the ward this past weekend.

On Saturday, I started my day by joining more than 30 volunteers with the Trash People of Logan Square at Algonquin Park in Avondale to pick up trash and litter throughout the surrounding residential blocks and along major streets. The cleanup also happened to coincide with the block party on the 2900 block of N Washtenaw. Thank you to everyone who came out to clean the neighborhood.

Later that day, I stopped by the Irving Park Community Garage Sale. I picked up some toys for my niece and nephew and talked with residents about the nearby sewer and water main project. I am grateful to the project contractor for working to keep the neighborhood as clean and accessible as possible so the garage sale could go on as planned.

That evening, I attended Dog Days of Summer, a street festival hosted by the Comfort Station on the Milwaukee Avenue promenade. I had the honor of serving as one of the judges for the dog show, where our category was “Mayor of Logan Square.” After judging more than 20 contestants and reviewing their campaign materials, we selected Zanahoria as our first place winner and the new Mayor of Logan Square! She is bilingual, energetic, beautiful, and very sweet.

On Sunday, despite the heavy rain, the Battle for the Eagle event still brought rappers, graffiti artists, and hip-hop dancers together in Logan Square. I watched some of the dance competition and was amazed by the skill, creativity, and athleticism of the performers. I am grateful to the Renegades of Funk for organizing this free cultural event for our neighborhood, a tradition that has been going strong for more than 40 years.

On Monday, I joined leaders from across Cook County to stand with Marimar Martinez, a young woman from Brighton Park who was shot by a Border Patrol agent during Operation Midway Blitz last year. During the immigration enforcement operation, a federal agent crashed his vehicle into Marimar’s car, falsely claimed that she had tried to attack them with her vehicle, and then shot her five times. Marimar and other survivors are now filing police reports seeking accountability for the abuses they experienced at the hands of federal immigration agents.

If the federal government will not investigate crimes committed by its agents, local and state authorities must. No federal uniform puts anyone above the law.

Next week, our office is co-hosting two back-to-school fairs in the 35th Ward where families can pick up school supplies, groceries, food, and other resources. On Thursday, August 20, we will be at Nixon Elementary School, 2121 N. Keeler Ave., from 1 to 3 p.m. On Friday, August 21, we will be at Kosciuszko Park, 2732 N. Avers Ave., from 3 to 6 p.m. Please swing by and bring the kids!

Sincerely,

Anthony J. Quezada

Alderman, 35th Ward

Community Resources:

• Food Bank Locator and SNAP Updates

• Utility Billing and Relief

• Immigration Resources | Family Support Hotline 855-435-7693

• Parking Ticket Relief

• Tenants Rights Resources

Ward Updates

Upcoming Ward Nights

Our upcoming ward night is August 24th. Appointments are  available. We schedule Ward Night visits by appointment to ensure ample time for residents to discuss community concerns and opportunities with the alderman. To schedule an appointment to meet with the Alderman during Ward Night, please email us at [email protected] or call us at (773)-985-3510 during our hours of operation (9am - 5pm, Monday through Friday).

Logan Square Megamall Plaza Community Identifier Feedback

Community feedback is being gathered to help shape the design of a new identifier for the new Megamall plaza. Community identifiers are built elements that celebrate the cultural history of a neighborhood and serve as gateways, destinations, and local wayfinding landmarks. We invite you to take this survey and choose the identifier concept you prefer for the plaza.

This survey will close Friday 8/21/26 by 6:00PM.

Call for Artists: Request for Qualifications- 35th Ward Mural Projects

In 2025, 35th Ward residents voted to dedicate funding through the 35th Ward Participatory Budgeting Program for Public Art and Beautification of Public Spaces. Two winning project proposals were the installation of murals on viaducts at 3401 N Kimball and 3040 N Sacramento. The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), in partnership with the 35th Ward Office, invites professional artists, artist teams, and arts organizations based in Chicago to submit qualifications. You can find more information and apply here. This call is open through August 28, 2026.

Belmont Equitable Transit Oriented Development (ETOD) Study Survey

Have thoughts on potential transit-oriented improvements near Belmont and Kimball in Avondale? Help shape the Belmont Blue Line ETOD Plan by taking a community survey through Aug. 31 and adding ideas to the interactive map. Complete the survey at bit.ly/BelmontSurvey and learn more at Chicago.gov/BelmontETOD.

Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation Upcoming Waitlist Opening

On Monday, August 17th at 9am, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp will be opening their waitlists for the La Paz Place (4-bedroom) and

Victory Apartments Preservation (2-bedroom) Apartments. Those interested in applying should visit the application website submit their pre-application. Applicants will receive their waitlist number in the mail. Applicants who do not have access to a computer can call the Bickerdike office at 773-227-6332 to be sent an application in the mail. You can also check out future waitlist opportunities here. 

Irving Park Department of Water Management Project 7578 Updates

DWM expects to begin the installation of a new sewer main heading West on W. Waveland Ave between N. St. Louis Ave and N. Central Park Ave. They will also continue catch basin installation on W. Waveland Ave between N. St Louis Ave and N. Kimball Ave.Please also note that Saw cutting for the sewer and sewer trench on W Waveland Ave between N. St Louis Ave and N. Central Park Ave is scheduled on Tuesday, August 18th. Next week, DWM plans on continuing with the lead service line replacements in the area - each respective home owner should receive notice on when this work will commence.

*Kimball Ave ROAD CLOSURE (between Elston and Addison) UPDATE*

Underground sewer main and watermain work in the intersection of W. Waveland Ave x N. Kimball Ave was completed on the week of 8/17/2026 – the road closure is set to be opened to traffic on Monday, August 17th, 2026.

Fullerton Avenue Arterial Resurfacing

This week the contractor started paving the final surface for stage 1 of the project (Karlov to Lockwood), which is expected to be completed next week. In stage 2 of the project (Karlov to Kimball), structural adjustments were completed this week. Next week, the contractor will remove concrete, frame and pour new concrete, and install new catch basins within the project area. 

Upcoming Paseo Prairie Garden Work Days

The Friends of Paseo Prairie Garden will be hosting upcoming volunteer work days. Each work day will be held from 10am-11:30am at Paseo Prairie Community Garden, located at 2614 N Kedzie, and volunteers can assist with weeding, trash pickup, watering and planting.

Upcoming dates:

Saturday August 15th

West Chicago Township Property Assessment Appeals NOW OPEN

Residents of the 35th ward that reside within the West Chicago township may a file an appeal of their assessment until August 21st.  Check your township here. If you think the estimated market value of your home is incorrect, you should file an appeal if you have not done so recently. This is the last year for appeals until the next reassessment year for Chicago, meaning if people have appealed already once since 2024, there is no need to reappeal this year. Our joint office with Commissioner Jessica Vazquez, located at 2934 N Milwaukee, Unit C, is taking appointments for appeals, please call (312) 603-6386 to schedule an appointment.

Cook County Board of Review Pre-File Appeals NOW OPEN

The Cook County Board of Review has officially opened the tax year 2026 session and ALL property owners may Pre-File an appeal with the Cook County Board of Review now OR you can wait and file an appeal when your township appeal period opens. If you have already had a reduction through a successful appeal in the last 2 years, we would not encourage you to file another appeal this year. As a reminder you can appeal your assessment every year with the Cook County Assessor's Office and with the Cook County Board of Review. You can appeal online via this link. If you need assistance, feel free to call the office of Commissioner Jessica Vásquez at 312-603-6386 or stop into our shared office at 2934 N. Milwaukee Unit C.

Small Business Improvement Fund - Chicago Program Highlight

The Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) opens for applications in September in the Fullerton/Milwaukee TIF district. Apply at chicago.gov/sbif by Sept. 30, and register for an informational webinar at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2 bit.ly/sept26sbif

Policy and Zoning Updates

Request to Lift Liquor Moratorium for New Taproom at 3658 W Wrightwood

The 35th Ward Office has received a request to lift the moratorium on new consumption on-premises liquor licenses on West Wrightwood Avenue between Central Park Avenue and Lawndale Avenue. 

Brutalist Brewing, Chicago’s first co-operatively owned brewery, is seeking to lift the moratorium to establish a new taproom at 3658 W Wrightwood Ave. In line with 35th Ward Office policy, the applicants will be in attendance at the next CAPS meeting for beat 2524 on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 6:30 pm at Kosciuszko Park, 2732 N Avers, to introduce themselves and answer questions from neighbors. 

In line with our process for evaluating requests to lift liquor moratoriums, we will accept feedback on this request following the CAPS meeting until Friday, September 5, at 5 pm.  At the end of this feedback period, the Alderman will determine whether to introduce an ordinance to lift the moratorium in the City Council based on the feedback we receive.

Update on Zoning Map Amendment Request for 3019-3021 W Belmont

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, our office hosted a community-driven zoning and development meeting to gather feedback on a zoning map amendment request for 3019-3021 W Belmont Ave. In response to the feedback received at this meeting, the applicant has opted to amend the proposal to incorporate the community input. We will provide an update when there is a revised proposal for review.

35th Ward Participatory Budget Process

The 35th Ward invites you to submit infrastructure improvement ideas for brick-and-mortar projects for our Participatory Budgeting program to be implemented in 2027. Ward residents get to submit ideas and vote on how the 35th Ward office and the Volunteer PB Committee prioritizes Aldermanic Menu Program funds.

Projects must be located within the 35th Ward and must be on the public way or the property of a City of Chicago sister agency, such as the Chicago Park District or Chicago Public Schools. You can review a map of the 35th Ward here: https://app.chicagoelections.gov/documents/general/35th%20Ward.pdf

Examples of common infrastructure improvement projects are:

• sidewalk repair

• street resurfacing

• alley resurfacing

• concrete alley aprons

• lighting improvements (piggy back lighting, new light poles)

• pedestrian sidewalk bump-outs (detached bump-outs or curb extensions)

• pedestrian refugee islands

• traffic circles

• protected or painted bike lanes

• curb and gutter replacement

• beautification improvements (light pole repainting, planters, murals)

  
  

Please contact our office if you have any questions at (773) 985-3510 or at [email protected].

Upcoming Community Events

Paradise Garden Logan Square Upcoming Events

Join Paradise Garden Logan Square (2214 N Drake) for a Classical Open Mic Night on Friday August 21st at 6pm. This is an opportunity for musicians in the classical realm of music to show off their talents. Please fill out this form by Tuesday, August 18th to be considered. Participation will be on a first come first serve basis.

Paradise Garden Logan Square is kicking off their Teen Screams in the Park horror film series with a showing of Night of the Living Dead on Saturday, August 22nd at 7:30pm. Free. Join us!

Friends of Avondale-Logandale Elementary Fundraising

Our neighbors at the Friends of Avondale-Logandale Elementary School are collecting donations to help build a bathroom and provide aftercare for their youngest scholars in Pre-Kindergarten. If you are interested in donating, please click the following link. For more information, email [email protected]

Constituent Resources

35th Ward Office Phone: 773-985-3510

35th Ward Office Email: [email protected]

DSS recycling and garbage schedule:  chicagorecycles.org

Parking Zone Lookup:   http://smartchicago.github.io/zone-parking/  

Snow Plow Tracker: https://plow-tracker-chicago.hub.arcgis.com/

Street Sweeping Schedule: 2026 Street Cleaning Schedule

Street Sweeper Tracker: www.cityofchicago.org/sweepertracker

Street Sweeper “We The Sweeple” App: https://www.wethesweeple.com/Elected Official Lookup: https://chicagoelections.com/en/your-voter-information.html

Backyard service rodent abatement: (312) 746-5230

35th Ward Staff

Scott Jaburek - Chief of Staff

Alberto Cuevas - Ward Superintendent

Sara Rodriguez - Neighborhood Services Director

Chas Sirridge - Policy Director

Juan Cardenas - Neighborhood Services Advocate

Food Resources

On May 1, nearly 120,000 neighbors in Illinois lost their SNAP benefits due to new work requirements and other eligibility changes. This is the largest drop in SNAP participation in our state’s history, and we know local hunger is rising.

No one should have to worry about putting food on the table while navigating these changes. If you or someone you know relies on SNAP, take action to protect your benefits or reconnect to SNAP today. You might qualify to apply for an exemption from the new work requirements. There are also free resources like Job Ready Illinois and Serve Illinois to help you connect to job training, work, and volunteering, if you are not exempt.

Visit SaveOurSNAP.org for resources or contact the Illinois Department of Human Services at 1-800-843-6154 to talk to someone about your benefits.

35^th Ward Food Access Sites

Chicago Hope Inc.

2505 N Kedzie Blvd

Regular Program Hours:

Monday- 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Thursday- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

New Community Covenant Church
2649 N Francisco Ave  

Regular Program Hours:

Wednesday 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Friday 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

St Sylvester Parish

2915 W Palmer St

Regular Program Hours:

Wednesday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Life Impacters Foundation
2100 N Kildare Ave  

[email protected]

Regular Program Hours:

Monday 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Wednesday 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

August Schedule for Northwest Side Solidarity Network Events - 3000 N Kedzie Ave (All food given on a first-come, first-served basis)

August Community Dinners  

Date: August 20th and August 27th

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm

Location: 3000 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

August Free Groceries

Date: August 19th

Time: 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Location: 3000 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

August Adult Health Screenings

Date: August 19th

Time: 10 am - 1:30 pm

Location: 3000 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Employment Opportunities

The Illinois Department of Human Services is hiring! Check out open positions here.

People’s Gas is also hiring! You can find open positions in the region on their website.

The City of Chicago is hiring for several positions. You can find these positions at www.cityofchicago.org/jobs.

To find open positions at the Chicago Park District, please visit this link.

Public Safety (CAPS) Meetings

CAPS meetings are an opportunity for residents to meet with the Community Engagement officers of their local police districts to discuss public safety concerns in their neighborhoods. The 35th ward includes portions of the 14th, 17th, and 25th districts of the Chicago Police Department. Visit the CPD website to find your beat.

Beat 2525 on Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30 PM at 2036 N Avers

Beat 2524 on Thursday, August 20 at 6:30 PM at 2732 N Avers