Margaret Croke - State Representative

The first-annual Chi-Care 5K will take place this upcoming Saturday, September 21st, from 9:30AM-12PM at Montrose Harbor. Chi-Care is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization that has been making a significant impact in the Chicago area by supporting individuals experiencing homelessness and addressing food insecurity. Each week, Chi-Cares distributes 1,000 meals throughout Chicagoland, including at train stations and through partnerships with shelters and community organizations.

For more information on this 5K run, walk, virtual run, and kids run or on the essential work of Chi-Care, please visit: https://runsignup.com/Race/IL/Chicago/ChiCare5K

The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce their first ever Lincoln Park Salon & Spa Week! 20 Lincoln Park salons and spas are offering 25% off selected services now through September 27th. For more information on participating businesses and services, please visit: https://www.lincolnparkchamber.com/salonspa/.

Happy Mexican Independence Day! On this day in 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla made a speech, known as the Grito de Dolores, rallying the people to seek their independence. We take today to celebrate the culture and history of the Mexican community in Illinois and across the country.

Lincoln Central Association's Evening in the Garden celebrates the close of summer, their garden volunteers, and the garden harvest. This garden party is used to honor the heart put into many neighborhood achievements including retiring police officers and especially the volunteers who make our parks such special gathering places. This event will take place on Sunday, September 15th from 5-7PM at Fire Station Park (1990 N Larrabee St) and will include food, wine and beverages from neighborhood restaurants and businesses. The event is free and open to the public.

East Lake View Neighbors' annual Oktoberfest will take place on Sunday, September 15th from 3:30-7:30PM at Murphy's Bleachers (3655 N Sheffield). This event will feature a door prize, silent auction, pig roast, traditional German food and drink, and a live band. All proceeds will benefit local charities.

To purchase your ticket ahead of time, please visit: ElvnOktoberfest24.eventbrite.com.

We will never forget the memory of those who lost their lives, the bravery of those first responders, and the heroism of all those who stepped up to help during one of most horrific days in United States history. 23 years later, we honor those lost and find strength in all who gave of themselves to help others.

Sara Feigenholtz, State Senator, Ann M. Williams - State Representative, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and I are bringing professional licensing services to Lincoln Park on September 19th!

Personnel from IDFPR will be present to provide one-on-one assistance with applications and answer any questions you may have. Please note that you must bring all documents necessary for licensure for best results. To RSVP, please fill out the form found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdegnOPAh3QagvZQx6Wj3syAJk-jiEhcb8Bxs3gM4iQp9_MWQ/viewform

Our diaper and baby wipe donation drive with Old Town Triangle Association and Alderman Timmy Knudsen, Ward 43 is going strong, with over 127 diaper cases and 55 baby wipes collected so far! My office and I stopped by the Old Town Triangle Art Center earlier this week to pick up and deliver a whole car load of donations to a local domestic violence shelter.

Thank you to those who have donated thus far, and if you wish to join in our efforts, please visit our Amazon Wishlist here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1XF6995W2BEKS?ref_=wl_share.

On Tuesday, I had the honor of attending the Illinois Secretary of State's announcement of the Lifesaving Education and Awareness on Donation (LEAD) program at our very own Walter Payton College Prep. This program will allow for students to volunteer as "ambassadors" to educate our communities on the importance of organ and tissue donation. These student ambassadors will be eligible for service-credit hours that can fulfill volunteering requirements at some schools and honor programs. For more information on this program, please visit www.lifegoeson.com.

Cook County Government is currently in the process of determining which American Rescue Plan programs to continue beyond 2026, and they want your input. To take their quick survey, please visit: https://arpa.cookcountyil.gov/survey.

Chicago nonprofit After School Matters' Fall application is now OPEN!

Teens ages 14-18 can apply for after-school programs to tap into their creativity, explore their passions, learn new skills, and earn money! Fall programs run from September 23rd through December 14th.

For more information, please visit www.afterschoolmatters.org.

I'm proud to announce that I received a 100% rating on The Illinois Environmental Council's 2024 Environmental Scorecard! My voting record reflects where I stand on tackling climate change, fighting for clean air and water, and protecting open spaces we all enjoy. I stand with IEC in making it a priority to safeguard our environment for generations to come.

Our Diaper and Baby Wipe Drive with the Old Town Triangle Association and Alderman Timmy Knudsen, Ward 43 will continue through September 29th. Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far, and a huge thank you to Amazon.com for their generous donation of 64 diaper cases and 35 cases of wipes, bringing us to a total amount of 96 diaper cases and 51 baby wipe cases collected so far!

Donations will be accepted at the Old Town Triangle Art Center (1763 N North Park), Alderman Knudsen's office (2423 N Halsted), or our office (3223 N Sheffield, Suite A).

To make a donation online, please visit our Amazon Wishlist at: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/afV7VUU?ref_=wl_share

It’s simple: our kids deserve to feel safe at school. I’m so proud that ahead of this school year, Governor JB Pritzker signed my legislation to make Illinois one of five states in the country to ban corporal punishment in private schools. With this policy, we’re sending a strong message that it is never okay to inflict pain on a child. I spoke with the Associated Press about why I championed this bill — Read here:

‘Hitting kids should never be allowed’: Illinois bans corporal punishment in all schools Legislation that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law this month bans physical punishment in private schools while reiterating a prohibition on the practice in public schools, first implemented 30 years ago.

State Representative Kam Buckner and I are looking out for those looking out for us!

With DNC festivities to begin this week, the amazing State Representative Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar suggested we Illinois House Members band together to donate care packages to support the police officers who will be keeping us safe.

While not the best looking care packages, I hope the things inside come in handy to our 18th District officers next week!

Please see the link below for information on CTA bus reroutes for the Democratic National Convention. These reroutes will take place from 10PM tonight through Friday, August 23rd.

NOTE: these reroutes will not take place in the 12th district, but near the United Center and McCormick Place.

Reroutes for Democratic National Convention - CTA The following navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move through main tier links and expand / close menus in sub tiers. Up and Down arrows will open main tier menus and toggle through sub tier links. Enter and space open menus and escape closes t...

My team and I visited the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center today. The museum does the critical job of preserving the stories of those who endured the atrocities of genocide and leaves museum goers with the powerful message that everyone has the power to stand up for others to prevent ongoing and future tragedies. Thank you to the Museum's Associate Director, Kim Lutz, for guiding us through.

Meet Jordy, our PAWS Chicago pet for August!

Jordy is a gorgeous young pup, who’s super smart and ready to master more skills to make him into the best pup he can be. He’s very treat-motivated, so that’s going to be easy work! He is a very sweet-natured pup who loves to be in on the action, and already knows lots of commands like “sit, stay, and down”. Jordy is high energy and loves to work and train. He’s also very intelligent, so he’ll need both physical and mental enrichment activities to exercise his mind and body. And as he loves to be active, Jordy would make a fabulous running buddy!

If you're interested in adopting Jordy or another furry friend, please visit https://www.pawschicago.org/pet-available-for-adoption/showdog/82612.

To combat the ongoing diaper and baby wipe shortage faced by our city's shelters, we're resuming our Diaper Drive with the Old Town Triangle Association and Alderman Timmy Knudsen, Ward 43.

Donations will be accepted at the Old Town Triangle Art Center (1763 N North Park), Alderman Knudsen's office (2423 N Halsted), or our office (3223 N Sheffield, Suite A).

To make a donation online, please visit our Amazon Wishlist at: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1XF6995W2BEKS?type=wishlist

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. Join the 18th and 1st Chicago Police Districts and various community members and entites for this evening on the town on August 6th, from 5-8PM at 175 N State Street. Be sure to stop by our table for some goodies!

Join the community in celebrating Ella Jenkins’ 100th Birthday on Sunday, August 4th, from 12:30-2:30PM with music, birthday treats, giveaways, and activities for kids.

A leading performer of children's music for over fifty years, Ella Jenkins has been honored by the DuSable Museum of African American History. Affectionately named "The First Lady of the Children's Folk Songs,” Ella was a recipient of the 2004 GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award and has been recognized by many other prestigious arts and culture organizations.

To attend this celebration, please reserve your ticket here:
https://www.oldtowntriangle.com/calendar-of-events/ #!event/register/2024/8/4/ella-jenkins-apos-100th-birthday

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) cordially invite you to attend the fifth open house public meeting concerning the improvement of US 41 North DuSable Lake Shore Drive (NDLSD), from Grand Avenue to Hollywood Avenue, in the City of Chicago, Cook County. The purpose of the meeting is to present the Recommended Preferred Multimodal Roadway Alternative and receive input from stakeholders on future design refinements. This meeting will take place next Thursday, August 8th, from 3-7PM at Harry S Truman College (1145 W Wilson).

Mary's been reading up on all that our beautiful Lincoln Park has to offer, have you?

I hope that you've been enjoying time spent outdoors this summer-- especially during July as it is National Parks and Recreation Month. Whether it be strolling through Lincoln Park, playing a match of pickleball or tennis at Oz Park, or visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo, the 12th district has so much to offer!

This is a friendly reminder to renew your professional license now before it expires in September! Please see the post from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation below for license types that may expire at the end of September.

***ATTENTION LICENSEES***

A number of licenses are now in renewal! If you see your license type listed, you can renew your license now by logging into your account at https://online-dfpr.micropact.com/. Beat the rush and renew before your license expires to avoid paying a late fee!

Need to retrieve your username or reset your password for your online account? Check out these helpful guides:

• Retrieve your username: https://tinyurl.com/bddh3pzx
• Reset your password: https://tinyurl.com/yc5485cb

Have other questions about the renewal process? Contact our call center at 1-800-560-6420 for assistance.

It was a beautiful day on Monday to celebrate the completion of the renovated Dorothy's Playlot at Oz Park! This project was the epitome of a true private-public partnership for the betterment of our community, and I hope that this new playground will provide a safe place for families to enjoy and make memories for years to come.

Thank you to the Chicago Parks Foundation, Chicago Park District, Alderman Timmy Knudsen, Ward 43, Oz Park Advisory Council, the Ishbia Family Foundation, and all the Oz Park neighbors for your partnership in this project!

Join the Cook County Assessor's Office and Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer's Office on Monday, July 22nd, at 6PM at Truman College for a Property Tax Reassessment Workshop. You will have the opportunity to hear from the Assessor's Office to help understand your reassessment notice & ask questions. Staff will be available for one on one assistance after the presentation.

Come celebrate the newly renovated Dorothy's Playground at Oz Park with Alderman Timmy Knudsen, Ward 43, the Chicago Parks Foundation, the Oz Park Advisory Council, and myself this Monday, July 22nd, at 10:30AM. I am so proud to have supported this project, and I cannot wait for it to be open to the public!

Summer camps can be life-changing experiences for children, and I am always happy to support programming for youth in our community. Thank you, Lincoln Park Zoo, for having me at your Illinois Summer Camp Day!

Join the 19th Police District Council for the second meeting of their two-part, interactive mini series on race and policing with Romeo Jackson. This important discussion about the intersection of policing and race will take place on July 24th at 6:30PM at Third Space Alliance (716 W Addison).

The council’s monthly meeting will be held on July 31st at St. Clement Church (642 W Deming).

To RSVP for either of these meetings, please visit https://bit.ly/19thDCMeeting.

Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce's Armitage & Halsted Sidewalk Sale returns this weekend, July 20-21, from 11AM-5PM each day. Enjoy open air shopping, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and amazing specials at over 20 locations! The sale will take place on Armitage, from Racine to Halsted, and on Halsted, from Armitage to Webster.

For more information, including participating businesses, please visit the LPCC’s website linked below.

Armitage & Halsted ​Sidewalk Sale - Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce (LPCC) is excited for the return of the Armitage & Halsted Sidewalk Sale! DATE Saturday & Sunday July 20-21, 2024 TIME 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM PLACE Armitage Avenue Halsted Street Get ready to shop ’til you drop at one of the most exciting events of the summer! En...