Election Judges Needed in the 42nd Ward

Alderman Reilly is looking for qualified applicants to serve as Election Judges for the March 18th Primary Election.

Election  Judges are assigned to polling places, and they are responsible for  making sure that the polling place opens and closes on time, and that  the election is run smoothly.

Election  judges earn $170 for their service, provided they complete a very brief  training session prior to Election Day. For more information on  training and qualifications, please visit https://www.chicagoelections.com/page.php?id=16.

If you are interested in becoming an Election Judge in the 42nd Ward, email office@reillyforchicago.com or call Matt Cain at 312-274-0042.

April LSC Elections – Candidate Applications Extended Deadline March 14th

All parents and community members who want to strengthen their local schools and have a positive impact on student achievement are encouraged to run for their Local School Council (LSC).

Local School Council Election Dates –

Elementary Schools: Monday, April 7, 2014

High Schools: Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Candidate Nomination Applications Due: March 14, 2014

  More information is available at the Chicago Public Schools website.

Reminders and Grace Period Voter Registration for March 18th Primary

In a Primary Election, citizens vote to determine which candidate will represent their political party in the General Election.

Grace Period Voter Registration

Grace Period Voter Registration is the safety-net program for those who missed the standard deadline to register – Tuesday, February 18, 2014.

Grace Period Voter Registration is offered through March 15, 2014 and requires the voter to register or update their records in-person at the Election Board Offices, located at 69 W. Washington Street, 6th Floor. They are open from 9:00am – 5:00pm Mondays through Saturdays, and 9:00am – 3:00pm on Sunday.

Voters need to bring at least two forms of identification,  and at least one ID must the address of their new/updated registration. After registering, “grace period” participants vote during the same visit. Those who use Grace Period registration/voting cannot use Early Voting, Absentee Voting or Voting in the Polling Place on Election Day and must vote during the same visit when they register.

Early Voting

Early Voting for the 2014 Primary Election will be offered from Monday, March 3 through Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the following locations near the 42nd Ward:

Access Living
115 W. Chicago Avenue
9:00am – 5:00pm
Open Mondays through Saturdays

Museum of Broadcast Communications

360 N. State Street

9:00am – 5:00pm Open Mondays through Saturdays

Board of Elections

69 W. Washington Street Lower Level Conference Room Open 9:00am – 5:00pm Mondays through Saturdays,

9:00am – 3:00pm Sundays

A list with all of the locations where early voting is available is viewable here .

During Early Voting:

  • Voters registered in the      City of Chicago may use any Early Voting site in the city, regardless      of where the voters live.
  • Voters don’t need a reason      or excuse to use Early Voting — but voters do need to present      government-issued photo identification.
  • Ballots cast in Early      Voting are final. After casting ballots in Early Voting, voters may not      return to amend, change or undo a ballot for any reason. It is a felony to      vote more than once — or to attempt to vote more than once — in the same      election.

Absentee Voting Any registered voter in Illinois may cast an absentee ballot by mail.  Voters do not need a reason or excuse to vote absentee by mail.

February 6, 2014 is the first day that civilian voters in the United States may apply to cast an absentee ballot in March 18, 2014 Primary Election.

Qualifications for Absentee Voting:

  • Anyone registered to vote in Chicago are eligible to      cast absentee ballots.  However, the voter must file a completed and      signed request for absentee ballot by the legal deadline.
  • Applications for military and civilians overseas must      be received at the Election Board by close of business on Monday, March      10, 2014.
  • Applications from voters in the United States must be      received at the Election Board by close of business on Thursday, March 13,      2014.

Please click here for detailed information about Absentee Voting.
Key Dates to Remember

  • February 19 through March 15,      2014: In-person Grace Period Voter      Registration offered at Election Board, 69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor.
  • March 3 through March 15, 2014: Early Voting offered at 51 sites throughout the city
  • March 10, 2014: Military/Civilian Overseas voter applications must be received by Election      Board. Fax and email applications accepted.
  • March 13, 2014: All      other absentee applications must be received by Election Board.
  • March 16 to 17, 2014: In-person absentee voting offered at the Election Board, 69 W. Washington      St., 6th Floor.
  • March 17, 2014: Last      day absentee ballots may be postmarked and certified by the voter or      delivered in person to Election Board.
  • March 18, 2014: If      a voter failed to submit an absentee ballot with a postmark before      Election Day (March 17 or earlier), the voter may submit the unused      absentee ballot to the judges at the polling place designated for that      voter’s precinct and cast a ballot in person.
  • April 1, 2014: Last day that a mailed      absentee ballot (postmarked or certified March 17 or earlier) may arrive      at the Election Board to be included in the count.

More information is available at the Chicago Board of Elections website.

Traffic Rerouted around 409 W. Huron

A water tower on the roof of 409 W. Huron Street was found to be tilted and leaking water. As a precaution, the Chicago Fire Department immediately ordered the shutdown of surrounding streets, including Huron, Erie, Sedgwick and Hudson Streets.

In addition to Chicago Fire Department personnel, the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Department of Buildings, and Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) are also on-site to secure the area and direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic. These City agencies are working together to coordinate the scene, conduct any required evacuations, and ensure the appropriate utility companies are on standby. At this time, several streets have been closed, although the CTA service has not been affected.

Please monitor local news reports for real-time updates on this issue. Please use caution if traveling in the area, expect delays, and adhere to instruction from safety and security personnel on site.

Report Potholes to 311

Recent snow, salt treatments and thaw-freeze cycles this winter season have led to a significant increase in the number of potholes on city streets.

 The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) continues to work diligently to keep up with the growing number of potholes.  CDOT uses the City’s 3-1-1 system to help them identify potholes that require repair.Please note – in order to report potholes, a specific address is required. A pothole service request can be placed through Chicago’s 311 system by calling 3-1-1, visiting the 311 City Services website, texting “311” to CHItext, or emailing Alderman Brendan Reilly’s office directly.The City of Chicago has also launched a new “Pothole Tracker,” which allows Chicagoans to monitor a week’s worth of pothole patching activity by CDOT.Pothole Tracker, powered by the City’s Open Data Portal at www.cityofchicago.org/potholetracker, gives Chicagoans a snapshot of the potholes that CDOT crews have filled during the past seven days.On the Pothole Tracker site, each blue dot is a location where a resident has reported a pothole and CDOT crews have subsequently been busy repairing roadways. An information box on each dot provides the service request number, the date of the completed work and the total number of potholes repaired on each block.

 

Since the start of the new year, CDOT crews have patched more than 50,000 potholes in streets in alleys across Chicago, using 1,000 tons of asphalt patching material.  In 2013, CDOT repaired more than 625,000 potholes.

Chicago Cultural Center Winter Open House-Feb. 21st

chicago cultural centerThe Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) cordially invites all Chicago residents and visitors to attend the Chicago Cultural Center Winter Open House.

Friday, February 21, 2014

11:00am – 7:30pm

Chicago Cultural Center

78 E. Washington Street

Chicago IL, 60602Live entertainment begins at 11 a.m. with the Juicebox performance  series and continues with a Wired Fridays mid-day DJ dance party at  noon. The Open House concludes with opening receptions for two new  exhibitions, Mecca Flat Blues and Thirty-Five Years of Public Art, and  LiveWire Chicago’s premiere of Assistance by Leslye Headland across the  street at the Storefront Theater at 7:30pm.

 All events are FREE unless  noted.  A full schedule of events is available here.

Voter Registration Deadline is Feb. 18th for March Primary

In a Primary Election, citizens vote to determine which candidate will represent their political party in the General Election.

Voter Registration  There are several ways to register to vote before the Tuesday, February 18, 2014 deadline:

  1. Complete the Illinois Voter Registration Application
  2. Visit the Chicago Board of Elections at 69 W. Washington, 6th Floor
  3. Visit an IL Secretary of State’s Office  if obtaining new driver’s license or state ID
  4. Register through an active deputy registrar
  5. NEW in 2014! 17-year-olds (born on or before November 4, 1996) can register and vote in the March 18, 2014 Primary      Election

To check on the status of your voter registration, please click here.

Grace Period Voter Registration

February 18, 2014. 5:00pm Mondays through Saturdays, with Sunday hours to be determined. Voters need to bring at least two forms of identification,  and at least one ID must the address of their new/updated registration. After registering, “grace period” participants vote during the same visit. Those who use Grace Period registration/voting cannot use Early Voting, Absentee Voting or Voting in the Polling Place on Election Day and must vote during the same visit when they register.

Early Voting Early Voting for the 2014 Primary Election will be offered from Monday, March 3 through Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the following locations near the 42nd Ward:

Access Living

115 W. Chicago Avenue- 9:00am – 5:00pm  Open Mondays through Saturdays

 

Museum of Broadcast Communications

360 N. State Street

9:00am – 5:00pm Open Mondays through Saturdays

 

Board of Elections

69 W. Washington Street Lower Level Conference Room Open 9:00am – 5:00pm Mondays through Saturdays,

9:00am – 3:00pm Sundays

  A list with all of the locations where early voting is available is viewable here .

City of Chicago Cold Weather Reminders

From the City of Chicago, here are are some cold weather reminders for our residents:

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

The Chicago Department of Public Health reminds residents to take extra precautions to stay warm and avoid hypothermia and frostbite. Residents should avoid unnecessary trips outside, and if it is necessary to go outside, wear several loose fitting layers of warm clothing. When shoveling snow, work slowly and take frequent breaks to avoid exhaustion. Be sure to winterize your home and vehicles, and keep cell phones charged with extra batteries for emergencies.

FIRE SAFETY TIPS

The Chicago Fire Department does not recommend that residents use space heaters, but acknowledges that people may rely on them during cold winter months. To minimize the dangers of space heaters, the Fire Department recommends only using heaters that are UL certified as safe and never use an extension cord with a space heater, which can cause the cord to overheat and burn. Most importantly, never allow a space heater within three feet of anything that can burn, especially bedding.

“Sadly, we have found that fires have started because children have moved a space heater closer to the bed for more heat after parents have gone to bed for the night,” said Jose Santiago, Fire Commissioner. “Residents should also check and replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, especially this close to the holiday season. Batteries may have been borrowed for new electronics or toys.”

Fire officials also encouraged residents to check to ensure their carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. With furnaces running during normal cold weather, a small carbon monoxide leak might not be noticed, but with heaters running non-stop to match the extreme cold, that small leak could become a deadly source of fumes. Carbon Monoxide detectors are designed to alert you before you feel sick, so if yours goes off get to fresh air and call 911.

 

New Illinois Law for Disabled Parking Placard Usage

A new Illinois law narrowing the use of disability parking placards went into effect Wednesday, January 1st. The law allows free metered parking only for drivers who receive placards based on their doctor’s attesting that they meet certain criteria as defined in the law.As of January 16th, the City of Chicago is now issuing tickets to motorists in violation of this new law.

The new Secretary of State-issued yellow and gray placards will allow qualified drivers to park for free at a meter. Blue placards will still be issued and will entitle people to park in parking lots, but they will not be permitted to park for free in metered spots.

 

To qualify for a new yellow and gray placard, drivers must have their doctor attest that they cannot do one of the following:

  • Feed parking meters “due      to the lack of fine motor control of both hands.”
  • Feed meters because they      need to use a wheelchair.
  • Reach above their heads      “to a height of 42 inches above the ground.”
  • Walk more than 20 feet due      to an orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular or lung condition.

Anyone ticketed for violating the new law in the Central Business District (CBD) will receive a $65 fine. Violations in areas outside the CBD will be $50.To learn more about changes to the Persons with Disabilities Parking Program, please click here or visit the FAQ page.

Gene Siskel Film Center to Host “Neigborhood Night” Feb. 17th

images 2On Monday, February 17, the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., the only movie theater in the Chicago’s Loop Theatre District, will host its second Neighborhood Night, an evening of community and quality cinema.

Last July’s event was such a success that the Film Center is eager to host a second one. The Film Center welcomes local workers, visitors, and most notably area residents to experience the unique cinema. Attendees will enjoy member ticket prices for the night, paying only $6 per screening, while Film Center members pay $5. A reception courtesy of Whole Foods Market will run from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A wide array of films are scheduled for the evening:

BAY OF ANGELS (6:00 p.m.), by director Jacques Demy, an elegant French tale of love and destruction; 7 BOXES (6:00 p.m.), a humorous Paraguayan thriller; Juliette Binoche in Auguste Rodin biopic, CAMILLE CLAUDEL 1915 (7:45 p.m.), directed by noted filmmaker Bruno Dumont; and IN NO GREAT HURRY (8:00 p.m.), a documentary by Thomas Leach that focuses on the late pioneer of color photography, Saul Leiter.

For tickets and more information, visit http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/.