Local Farmers Market Spotlight
Glenwood Sunday Market (GSM), a farmers market located in Rogers Park, is a program of Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA). The GSM’s mission is to provide access to fresh, locally produced food which both promotes healthy diets and supports family farms within the region. Their top priority in 2020, as it has been for the past decade, is to sustain our local food system. 

Over the past 12 weeks the Market Team has attended countless webinars and meetings with farmers, local food advocates, health officials and other farmers markets around the country. Working together has helped develop a new set of best practices for the 2020 season. The plan for the 2020 market is that it will operate as a pre-order, pre-pay and pick-up market. RPBA is thankful that the State of Illinois and City of Chicago rightfully classified farmers markets and agriculture as essential businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. And, that the City of Chicago approving farmers markets to open beginning on June 6, 2020. The Rogers Park farmers market will be open for business weekly on Sundays from June 21 until October 25! 

Glenwood Sunday Market, like all farmers markets opening in the city, has created a new operational plan that will be implemented throughout 2020. The location for this year is the vacant lot at 1233-41 W. Pratt Blvd. The space allows for ample social distancing, one-way walking paths, a clear entry and separate exit plus easy access for vendors. The beloved Glenwood Avenue cobblestones will be missed but knowing our local businesses can begin to re-open and cars parked on the street won’t get ticketed and towed during an already stressful time softens the sadness. 

Glenwood Sunday Market invites shoppers to set up an account on the What’s Good App. It’s easy to pre-order and pre-pay and then pick everything up on Sundays at the market between 9 am – 2 pm. You select the time you want to pick up and vulnerable populations are invited to select the 1 – 2 pm time slot. Shoppers can use any debit, credit and even their Link card! You must register your link card prior to purchasing . GSM is pleased to continue to give Link shoppers a matching grant to help offset the cost of their food purchases this season. 

The Market Team has been and continues to work diligently with their partners Chicago Farmers Market Collective, City of Chicago, Illinois Farmers Market Association, State of Illinois Departments of Agriculture and Health, Catholic Charities, LinkUp Illinois and many others as we all work to find ways to navigate our new world. 
The logistics of setting up the 11th annual Andersonville Farmers Market (AFM) were a little more challenging this year. “I never thought I’d have to plan a farmers market in a pandemic!” says Joan Oberndorf, AFM manager. One major Covid-19 related shift: the Andersonville Farmers Market is currently operating as an online marketplace in partnership with the hosting platform What’sGood . “Shoppers can download the WhatsGood app or register online to shop, and can purchase from all our vendors with just one order. It’s a quick and easy way to shop!” says Sara Dinges, the Executive Director of the Andersonville Sustainable Community Alliance, the 501c3 that runs the market. 

The online market opens at 8AM every Friday and closes on Monday at 11PM. Customers come to the market site on Catalpa Avenue from 3-7PM on Wednesday to collect their orders from the market vendors.“Our first market pick up went great,” says Oberndorf. “It was wonderful to reconnect with our vendors and shoppers!” The market is also considering moving to a hybrid model when the city enters phase four in July. “A hybrid market would allow people the choice to pre order or walk up and purchase, combining the best of both options,” says Oberndorf.

Access to food with a shorter supply chain is even more important during Covid-19, and while the market can’t operate as a gathering space, being a source for fresh, local food for the community feels more critical than ever. “Everything sold at the market is grown or produced within a 200 mile radius,” says Dinges. “Our goal is to offer access to fresh, local food to the community.” Unfortunately the market is currently facing a significant financial challenge. “The costs of running the market this season are higher, and we’ve lost several income streams this season, which leaves us with a big deficit,” says Oberndorf. The market is currently running a giving campaign to try and address their budget shortfall.

Other Covid-19 related changes in place at the market include requiring all shoppers and vendors to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines, periodic disinfection of vendor booths, and handwashing/hand sanitizing stations at the entrance and within the market. The beginning of the market from 3-3:45PM is reserved for elderly and at risk customers. Dinges and Oberndorf plan to continue to re-assess and evaluate their current market model as the season progresses, but stress that their top priority is keeping customers, vendors and staff safe by following city, state and CDC protocols.

Despite all these challenges “we’re committed to continuing to support local food systems and connect the Andersonville community with our amazing, wonderful vendors,” says Dinges. “We hope everyone will ‘come and shop’ the online Andersonville Farmers Market!”

The online Andersonville Farmers Market is open from 8AM Friday-11PM Monday. Pick up for preorders is Wednesday from 3-7PM at their new site located on Catalpa Ave. between Clark St. and Ashland Ave. (onsite purchasing is not currently available.) For more information please visit andersonvillemarket.org . The market is proud to accept Link and be part of the Link Up Illinois program. You must register your link card prior to purchasing. To donate to the market’s giving campaign go to https://fundly.com/giveavillefarmersmarket .
After much consideration Edgewater Farmers Market and Loyola Farmers Market have both been cancelled this year.
COVID-19 Count as of today:
462 new COVID cases, 26 deaths
18,219 tests run in the last 24 hours


If you have questions related to COVID-19 you can contact the Illinois Department of Public Health :
Hotline : 800-889-3931
Email : dph.sick@illinois.gov

City of Chicago's Department of Public Health :
Hotline : 312-746-4835
Email : coronavirus@chicago.gov
City of Chicago: Mayor Announces Timeline for Indoor Dining, Bar and Brewery Service
In alignment with the State's timeline of entering phase four on Friday, June 26 Mayor Lightfoot has agreed to reopen indoor dining, bars and breweries. Starting in phase four restaurants will be able to have patrons indoors at 25% of their usual capacity.
Secretary of State: Preregistration Now Open
The Secretary of State's Office is now offering preregistration sign up for those looking to visit a local facility. With preregistration, customers will be prompted to:
  • Choose a license type (REAL ID or standard driver’s license/ID card);
  • Choose an application type (renewal or corrected);
  • Input designations (organ donor or veteran);
  • Choose any corrections to be made to the information on file (examples: address, date of birth, eye color, gender, hair color, height, name, Social Security number or weight);
  • Choose the type of required documentation and enter data from those documents (i.e., certified birth certificate for a REAL ID);
Customers using the preregistration application must still bring all of the required paperwork to the Driver Services facility for verification.

In addition, they are encouraged to bring the printed preregistration receipt to the facility for the clerk to scan the barcode. However, if the customer does not bring in the receipt, the clerk can enter the customer’s driver’s license/ID card number to access the preregistration application information. To qualify for the preregistration application process, a customer must have an Illinois driver’s license/ID card that is not suspended, canceled or revoked and has not been expired for more than one year.

As a reminder, Driver Services facilities statewide are open to serve ONLY new drivers, customers with expired driver’s licenses/ID cards and vehicle transactions through July 31. White also reiterated to the public that expiration dates for driver’s licenses/ID cards and vehicle registration stickers have been extended until Oct. 1, 2020 so customers do not need to rush into a facility. Preregistration information can be found here .
Vote By Mail:  Request Your Ballot Now
A few weeks ago during the consolidated session the General Assembly passed a bill to expand vote by mail for this year's election. Everyone who voted in the 2018 general election, the 2019 consolidated election and the 2020 primary will receive an application for a vote by mail ballot by August 1, 2020. For those who are interested in requesting a mail in ballot online applications are now open here . Chicago voters who apply online between now and September 24 will be among the first to receive ballots. Ballot mailings will begin September 24-October 5.
Assistance for Small Businesses: Business Interruption Grants (BIG)
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is rolling out the Business Interruption Grants (BIG) program. This program is a series of grants totaling over $540 million for shops, restaurants, salons, fitness centers and more to help them stay afloat through this time of crisis and ensure they have the resources to open safely in the coming months. The first round focuses on small businesses located in disproportionately impacted areas whose operations have been severely restricted or completely shut down. Grant applications are now open. Learn more by visiting the  DCEO website . 
ComEd Assistance: Customer Payment Supports
ComEd has recently announced new supports for customers:
  • Protection from cut off of services that goes beyond ICC’s March 18, 2020 Emergency Interim Order to include the suspension of disconnections and the waiver of new late fees until either the state moves to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan or Aug. 1, 2020, whichever comes first.
  • Bill Assistance for Eligible Low-Income Customers. ComEd will provide additional bill assistance for eligible, low-income households earning less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level. 
  • More Flexible Payment Arrangements. Customers will have additional flexible payment options, including longer payment plans in which payments will be spread out over up to 18 months for residential customers, or 24 months for low-income customers and customers experiencing financial hardship.
  • Extended Fee Relief. ComEd will continue to waive reconnection fees for those eligible residential customers disconnected prior to March 18, 2020 and will waive new residential deposit requirements for an extended period of time. 

Customers who are challenged in paying their outstanding balances and electric bills should contact ComEd’s customer care team as soon as possible at 800-334-7661, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to take advantage of new and existing assistance options. More information is also available at ComEd.com/CARE.
Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy
State Representative, 14th District

Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

5533 N Broadway

Chicago IL 60640
773-784-2002(phone)
773-784-2060(fax)