Dear Neighbors,
I hope you and your family are enjoying the last few weeks of Summer. As many of us prepare our children to return to school, take a look at some of the final Summer festivals coming up, including the Skokie Backlot Bash and the Taste of Evanston.
Recently, I was named to the House Firearms Safety and Reform Working Group, and we have begun our work to conduct a comprehensive review of proposals from across the political spectrum. Gun violence has shattered far too many communities, and our mission is to find meaningful solutions that keep our communities safe. If you are interested in updates regarding the working group and gun safety legislation, you can sign up for our action alert list HERE.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office should you need assistance or want to stay informed and learn more about what we are working on in Springfield. Our office is available weekdays during office hours at (847) 486-8810, you can also email us at info@gonggershowitz.com.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
District Updates
Earlier this month, I was honored to participate in the Edgar Fellows program at the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs. The program, hosted by former Governor Jim Edgar, is an annual program that gathers forty bipartisan public policy leaders across the State to find common ground to create policies that are respectful, understanding and forward-thinking.
This month our office has been busy out in the District taking advantage of the warm weather we have been having. My staff helped out at the Niles Township Food Pantry packing backpacks with school supplies for their annual backpack giveaway this year. The township is aiming to distribute over 2,500 backpacks to students before they head back to school later this month.
My staff was able to join with volunteers from State Representative Jonathan Carroll’s office to help unload the Northfield Township Food Pantry’s monthly donation delivery.
For the second time this year, we were able to get out to the Niles Township Community Garden and help harvest some of the vegetables we had helped plant earlier in the Summer. It was great to see the amount of produce going directly into the Food Pantry to be distributed to members of the community.
Glenview Chamber Food Drive – August through September
Our office will be serving as a drop off location for the Glenview Chamber of Commerce’s food drive to benefit the Northfield Township Food Pantry throughout August and September, you can view a list of most needed items HERE.
Electric Vehicle Rebate
As of July 1st, all Illinois residents can now access the Illinois Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program! This makes residents eligible to receive a $4,000 rebate for the purchase of an all-electric vehicle, or $1,500 for the purchase of an electric motorcycle. Residents seeking a rebate must submit an application by September 30, 2022. Learn more HERE.
Secretary of State License/ID Extension
Secretary of State Jesse White has announced that expiration dates for driver’s licenses, ID cards and learner’s permits are being extended until December 1, 2022. The previous extension was set to end on July 31, 2022. As a result, expired driver’s licenses, ID cards and learner’s permits will remain valid until December 1, 2022, so customers do not need to rush into Driver Services facilities.
District Shout Out:
The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center was recently awarded “Best Suburban Museum” by Better Chicago Magazine’s readers. Congratulations to the museum and their staff! You can see all of the museum’s current programming, including Shanghai: Safe Haven During the Holocaust, which runs until September 5th HERE.
Events and Opportunities:
- The Glenview Park District will be hosting Twilight Fireworks on Friday, August 19th at Gallery Park. Fireworks will begin around 8:20 PM, you can read more HERE.
- The Village of Skokie will host their annual Backlot Bash the weekend of August 26th to 28th. You can read more about the event, including scheduled musical performances at their website HERE.
- Skokie Park District will be having a Back to School Bash for 4th and 5th graders on September 9th at the Oakton Community Center you can register to attend HERE.
- This Fall, the Skokie Library will be hosting a multitude of events celebrating Assyrian culture. Including beginning Assyrian language courses, Assyrian cooking and children’s story hour with Assyrian books. All the courses are open to everyone and will run in November and December, more information HERE.
- Coming up next month is the Taste of Evanston on September 18th at the Charles Gates Dawes House, 225 Greenwood St, Evanston, IL. Proceeds from the event will go towards Connections for the Homeless and Reba Place Development Corporation, read more HERE.