Chicago City Council names street after Fil-Am goodwill ambassador

At street naming, first row left to right: Dr. Cleo Casambre, Angela Mascarenas, Almira Gilles, Rochelle Que (sister), Rosalina Salazar (mother), Alderwoman Samanta Nugent, Sophie Lopez. Second row left to right: Elmo Siap, Alaina Que, Marcos Que, Andrew Que. CONTRIBUTED

CHICAGO – The City Council of Chicago unveiled the “Honorary Ronald Lucius Salazar Way” to honor Salazar’s legacy in bringing cultural awareness to all Chicagoans.

Newly elected Alderwoman Samanta Nugent of the 39th Ward, Salazar’s family, and community members attended the unveiling on Sunday, June 3.

Salazar was born in Manila to Rosalina and the late Faustino Salazar of Northern Samar. He graduated with an architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and worked as an architect for Teng and Associates from 1995-2000.

Goodwill ambassador

Salazar passed away at the age of 53 in Chicago on January 26, 2019. He worked for 18 years as planning coordinator of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Planning.

As a dedicated city employee, Salazar helped assemble and coordinate numerous exhibitions, neighborhood farmers’ markets, film festivals, concerts, community street fairs and Park District events across the city including the Maxwell Street Market, the popular Taste of Chicago, and the annual Christkindlmarket held in the Richard J. Daley Civic Center Plaza.

Salazar was seen as a community goodwill ambassador as he dedicated his life to spreading cultural awareness to Chicagoans from all walks of life. He was actively involved with a number of organizations to promote awareness and appreciation of Philippine history and culture, including the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago, the Chicago Cultural Alliance, the Philippine American Cultural Foundation, the Field Museum’s Philippine Co-Curator Team, the CIRCA Pintig Theater group and the Piyesta Pinoy.

Honorary Ronald Lucius Salazar Way ordinance

The City Council of Chicago on April 20, 2019 through the sponsorship of former 39th Ward Alderwoman Margaret Laurino passed an ordinance reading as follows:

Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Chicago:

Section 1. Pursuant to section 2-8-040 of the Municipal Code of Chicago, which allows erection of honorary street name designations, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation shall take the necessary action for standardization of North Elston Avenue between North Cicero Avenue and North Kimberly Avenue as “Honorary Ronald Lucius Salazar Way.”

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