Happy Friday Neighbors,

Happy Women’s History Month! As we take the time to remember the struggles, accomplishments and progress achieved by our sisters through history and here in Chicago, I want to take the time to celebrate one of our own who is making history in her own right - our 40th Ward Chief of Staff, Cat Sharp.

As many of you know, Cat was under indictment by the Trump Administration for activity related to protest at the Broadview Detention Center. I was there with her as we rallied and protested a fascist government that is kidnapping people, ripping apart families, and unconstitutionally weaponizing government against its peoples. We were tear gassed for doing so, we were pepper sprayed. For exercising her first amendment right, Cat and five others were met with Trumped up conspiracy charges.

We are happy to share that yesterday we found out that Cat’s case was DROPPED and she is now FREE of the weight of those false charges and vindicated. We all knew Justice would be served, and to have it be official now brings a relief to us all here at the 40th Ward Office!

I’ve known Cat for years and as she joined our team, she has served as our Chief of Staff with distinction, and a with heartfelt care for community. She is a fighter, an organizer, and someone I am proud to call a dear friend. The role of Chief of Staff is one of a thought partner, a leader, and someone who is committed to helping those in need. Cat has always been exemplary in that regard, so to see her do continue to be while going through everything she had been going through just cements the type of character she has.

I am grateful for Cat and for the news. Justice was served, Justice will continue to be served, and our country is a better one because we have women like Cat Sharp who will speak up and not be silenced by weak men in powerful seats. I will always stand with Cat and have her back. Our ward should be very proud!

I also want to shout out another powerful woman, Angelique Guzman, an 18 year old intern at our office who was NOMINATED by the Community Commission on Public Safety and Accountability to be a Youth Commissioner! Angelique (or AG as we affectionately call her) is one of the leaders who organized the student rally at River Park a number of weeks ago. I am proud of her and look forward to watching her grow and succeed! With leaders like Cat, AG, and District Councilor Deirdre O’Connor (who now authors our Public Safety section), our future looks brighter!

In other news, we had our town hall this past week! We covered a variety of topics, so check it out at this link! (link to YouTube)

Also, this weekend is the last weekend before the Illinois Primary elections, so

GO VOTE.

GO VOTE.

GO VOTE!

Our democracy needs you!

Yours in Service and Community,

Andre Vasquez

Lincoln Avenue Streetscape

The second and final phase of the Lincoln Avenue Streetscape Project is nearing the finish line! Contractors are currently working on finishing up the Ainslie Arts Plaza and modernizing the Western Avenue traffic signal.

The installation of new traffic signal equipment on Western and Ainslie is set to begin on March 10th!  The installation will take approximately 4-5 days to complete, and temporary lane closures will be necessary at the intersection. The left turn restriction from westbound Ainslie onto southbound Western will not be in effect immediately. We will provide additional updates regarding the timeline for the left turn restrictions, as once the traffic signal is installed the Division of Electrical Operations will conduct an inspection and then program the new signal phases. The current lane configuration and signal timing will remain in place until then.

Completion is expected by the end of March. Visit 40thward.org/lincolntrafficchanges for more information!

Ashland Resurfacing & Traffic Signal

Construction will resume this week on Ashland Avenue! The contractor will start installing bus pads next week from both School to Montrose and Foster to Ridge. Saw-cutting will likely begin today, followed by removal from next Monday. After completing the concrete bus pads on both phases and on both sides of the street, the next step will be to complete the concrete medians on both phases. For more on details and timeline, visit the project page.

Construction for the Ashland and Berwyn traffic signal is on hold, as contractors ran into some unexpected material issues. Once they have an estimated delivery date for those materials, we will update the timeline for completion. In the meantime, we are checking in regularly to make sure the light is operational as soon as possible.

Mikva Challenge Summer Fellowship

Applications are due March 20th for Mikva Challenge's Summer Fellowship Program! This six-week paid program places approximately 50 young people after their senior year in high school to serve as Fellows in the offices of city, county, state, and federal officials across the city of Chicago for 30 hours per week, for between June and August. The 40th Ward will be hosting one Summer Fellow, so please apply if you're a high school senior who would like to work with our office!

Filming Notice: Balmoral and Ravenswood

Students of DePaul University will be conducting sidewalk filming on the northeast corner of W. Balmoral Avenue and N. Ravenswood Avenue during the following dates without any parking restrictions: Friday, March 13th and Sunday, March 15th from 3:00pm-10:30pm.

If you have any questions, concerns, or accommodations, please contact the Chicago Film Office at 312-744-6415.

My Chi My Future Teen Bash

Tickets for the 2026 My CHI My Future Teen Bash, one of the biggest FREE events for teens in Chicago, are now available! Teens ages 13-19 are invited to attend this event on Saturday, March 28th from 12-4PM at the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier. Doors open at 12PM for a resource fair featuring summer job applications, and the main event begins at 1PM.The event is completely free, but all attendees must register for a ticket at this link.  

20th District Computer Hardware Recycling Event

Join the 20th District for an electronics recycling event on March 21st from 10am-1pm at the 20th District Station. Accepted items include: Monitors, desktops, laptops, batteries, lamps, tablets, projectors, routers, chargers, etc. Questions? Call 312-742-8770.

DANK Haus Stark Bier Fest

On Friday, March 20 from 7:30 PM–11:00 PM, the DANK Haus German American Cultural Center is hosting Stark Bierfest Stammtisch at DANK Haus German American Cultural Center (4740 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625). The evening celebrates Bavaria’s centuries-old Starkbier tradition with seasonal strong beer and lively Gemütlichkeit. RSVP at this link.

Free Induction Cooking Class!

On March 30th, from 6:00pm-7:00pm, the Chopping Block and 40th Ward Environmental Board are hosting a free induction cooking demo! With induction cooking on the rise, now is the perfect time to get familiar and comfortable with this powerful and efficient method of cooking. Spend an hour with a chef as they demo two recipes that utilize different heat and cooking times, so you can see first hand how precisely and evenly an induction burner operates. This event will also discuss all of the energy and safety benefits and cover compatible cookware. You’ll learn just how easy it is to prepare your favorite recipes using an induction burner. There will also be a raffle, with prizes including induction cooktops and compatible pans. RSVP here!

Public Safety Updates

Hi Neighbors,

This week, the 20th District Council met to hear from fellow District Councilor Jenny Schaffer of the 19th District about the ongoing effort to shift certain ticketing responsibilities away from the Chicago Police Department and instead assign them to Parking Enforcement Aides within the Department of Finance. This change would allow sworn officers to focus more on public safety priorities. We look forward to seeing the relevant city departments collaborate to move this pilot program forward!

We also heard from Ald. Vasquez about the continued work of the City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the initiatives currently underway to support immigrant communities across Chicago. Ald. Vasquez joined District Councilors for our first quarterly meeting, where we discussed citywide trends and shared concerns affecting our neighborhoods. The conversation focused on ways we can strengthen partnerships with community members and the Chicago Police Department to address ongoing challenges, including violence on the CTA and how CPD navigates interactions involving ICE. During the meeting, the District Councilors’ nominating committee also presented candidates to replace the three outgoing Commissioners on the seven-member Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.

While we are still awaiting the full release of CPD’s Workforce Allocation Study, District Councilors met to begin discussing how we can work with both CPD leadership and City Council to ensure clear accountability as the department begins implementing the study’s recommendations in the coming years. Establishing durable reporting and oversight mechanisms will be critical so that transparency and accountability remain consistent across future mayoral and CPD administrations.

We encourage neighbors to find their local District Council meeting and share their concerns! Community participation is essential in helping shape public safety priorities and ensuring that residents’ voices are part of the conversation. We look forward to sharing more updates with neighbors as this work continues!

Yours in Service,

Deirdre O’Connor

Illinois Secretary of State Text Scam Alert

Phishing text scams continue to be a persistent threat. A text claiming to be from “Illinois Secretary of State Final Notice” is a scam. The Secretary of State’s office DOES NOT send texts related to vehicle registration, driving privileges, or enforcement actions. Don’t click on any links.

Public Safety Trends

Overall, violent crime is down 16.2% in the 40th Ward for the year so far compared to last year! Citywide, violent crime is down 9.4%. See below for a breakdown of citywide and 40th Ward statistics across all categories.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 20th District Council meeting!