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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Mary E McDowell portrait makes its way to the local library A winter wonder fest in Back of the Yards Explore the neighborhood’s cuisine with a new food guide Second Annual Back of the Yards Tree Lighting Ceremony Namaste Charter School to host Open House
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Dependable Community Journalism Serving Back of the Yards, Little Village, Pilsen, Brighton Park, Archer Heights, Bridgeport, Stockyards, and West Englewood since 2010.
1823 West 47th Street Chicago, IL 60609 773-523-4416 www.thegatenewspaper.com
PUBLISHED BY
The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council Craig Chico, BYNC President cchico@bync.org Edwin Garcia, BYNC Director of Finance egarcia@bync.org Gloria Talamantes, editor editor@thegatenewspaper.com
Mary E. McDowell portrait makes its way to the local library By Gloria Talamantes The Back of the Yards Chicago Public Library branch welcomed the portrait of Mary E. McDowell in mid-Dec. It will be housed and available for visitors to see in-person during their hours of operation. Mary E. McDowell was one of the founders of the University of Chicago Settlement and a social reformer also known as the “Angel of the Stockyards.” In 1906, when the Universtiy of Chicago Settlement buildings were erected their purpose was to serve the needs of the people in the community. It meant nursery school for children three to six-years-old and it also meant citizenship classes, sewing clubs, afterschool activities, and other special interest groups for people of all ages. Much like today, the Back of the Yards neighborhood was an immigrant community and having her portrait sit in the local library brings the portrait and a piece of neighborhood history full circle. The more than 90-year-old portrait was painted by artist Paul Trebilcock. The portrait once hung at the Mary McDowell Settlement House at 4630 S. McDowell Ave. before it was demolished. After the building’s demolition, in the ‘70s the painting hung at University of Chicago’s Social Science Department said Joseph Manzo, Vice President of the Mary E. McDowell Settlement Alumni Association (MMSAA).
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Along the library manager, Pedro Leon, Manzo and MMSAA were able to find the portrait a home and made accessible to the public in Back of the Yards. “With the assistance of Pedro Leon, the library manager and the Associate Dean of the Social Science Department, Este Gur, it is now on display within the library,” said Manzo. Leon is thrilled to have the painting at the Back of the Yards branch and says that a lot of McDowell’s values and morals of helping the immigrant community ring true to him and to the library. “Like McDowell, we believe in creating lifelong learners and being a safe space that tailors its services specifically for the community,” said Leon. MMSAA wants McDowell’s portrait to remain accessible to the public and for people to research the impactful work she did in the neighborhood. Visitors can take advantage of researching McDowell’s legacy, the impact she made in the community and in the city of Chicago during the early years of the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The Back of the Yards Chicago Public Library is located at 2111 W. 47th St. For more information and hours you can call (312) 747-9595.
Back of the Yards Chicago Public Library branch manager, Pedro Leon stands next to the Mary E. McDowell portrait. (Photo coutesy of Joseph Manzo)
A winter wonder fest in Back of the Yards
The Sanchez-Diaz family enjoy the hot chocolate before seeing Santa (The Gate/ Gloria Talamantes)
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Families receive their gifts and wait in line to take their photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus (The Gate/Gloria Talamantes)
By Gloria Talamantes While many people take advantage of the holiday events that occur in Chicago’s downtown area, many families in Back of the Yards continue the holiday traditions of the neighborhood. Participating in local posadas, school holiday parties, local church celebrations and the annual Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council’s (BYNC) Toy Giveaway is all common for families who live in the community. On Saturday, Dec. 14, hundreds of families from Back of the Yards lined up across the soccer field at Davis Square Park to receive Christmas gifts for their children. Once inside, families were met with hot chocolate. Shortly after warming up, families patiently waited to walk through the gym and up the stairs that led to Santa and Mrs. Claus. Year after year, the event is free for all families. The amount of money it costs to take a family outing to downtown can rack up quickly especially when a family consists of many members. And while some families might have the means, other families may not be as fortunate and may be struggling to make ends meet. Parents like Maria Cortez who has four
children between six and 12-years-old says that they have been coming to the Toy Giveaway for the last four years. For them, it’s worth the wait. “The line was a little long, but we made it and everything went well. I save money not having to spend on gifts by coming here,” said Cortez. She also explains that for her, the holiday season is really about spending time with family and she enjoys doing just that. “Being with family and friends, eating tamales and mole, that’s what it is about.” Families like Kamieka Porter’s family also celebrate the holidays by cooking and spending quality time together. Porter expressed that she was grateful that her two daughters are getting to take photos with Santa. She also mentioned to us that the giveaway helps her out.“If I don’t get a chance to get them the toy that they want, then they can get a toy from Santa and that makes them very very happy and I don’t have to go far from home,” she said. For over 10 years BYNC coordinates the event to ensure that families in Back of the Yards get to experience celebrating the holiday season in the neighborhood says BYNC President and CEO, Craig Chico. “It wasn’t just about getting toys for kids because
9th District Commander Randall Darlin greets children who are waiting in line (the Gate/ Gloria Talamantes)
most families can find a wherewithal to give their kids something. It’s not as though they can’t, but for those few that can’t, it really helps out.” It was equally important to give the kids and the families in our community a day to celebrate the season he said. “Especially for the younger kids to see Santa without having to go downtown and pay for parking and pay for a photo with Santa and spend a lot of money. It’s just something that’s a little out of reach for some of our families.” The annual event is like a mini winter wonder fest that people can access easily from their home. Each year people and busineses help to make the event possible. This year, the Peace and Education Coalition Alternative High School students helped with gift wrapping during their annual Thanksgiving Service Day. A day where both school campuses visit various agencies in the neighborhood to help with community service including other local schools. Local grade schools also spread the word for students and families to write their letters to Santa. Simultaneously, while collecting letters from youth and families, BYNC collects donations from various businesses.
“We are so appreciative to the businesses in the Stockyards, Archer Avenue Corridor, Back of the Yards and all the businesses and individuals who contribute to making this happen,” said Chico. While families wait in line, Santa’s helpers take their tickets that are collected at the second floor landing and bring out gifts for all the kids in the family. After taking their photos, children picked up gloves, scarves and hats that were donated by a local business. The annual Toy Giveaway is a mainstay holiday tradition in the neighborhood for many families to enjoy without having to come out of pocket. For more information about the event or volunteer opportunities email BYNC at community@bync.org.
The Porter family waits in line for their gifts (The Gate/Gloria Talamantes)
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Explore the neighborhood’s cuisine with a new food guide By Gloria Talamantes Whether it’s breakfast lunch or dinner, Back of the Yards has it all and the new Back of the Yards Food Guide is helping customers save money. Compiled inside the small pamphlet you can find more than 15 participating businesses in Back of the Yards. You’ll find some of your favorite restaurants, coffee shops, and supermarkets with unique savings each. Fabiola Flores, Special Service Area (SSA) #10 Program Manager and Back of the Yards Business Development Coordinator said that this is a good way to get foot traffic into businesses and get more people to shop locally. The Food Guide contains various options for patrons to take advantage of, with each discount reflecting the products or dishes that each
business offers. Flores hopes this prompts consumers to choose local rather than use meal delivery services. She is also promoting the food guide to Swap-O-Rama shoppers with the goal that they explore what the neighborhood restaurants have to offer. “A lot of people are starting to use Uber Eats and Grub Hub. They shop outside of the neighborhood and we want to promote spending on the local economy and I think this might be a good way to keep the dollars inside the community and hopefully, it will also attract shoppers who visit Swap-O-Rama on the weekends,” said Flores. According to Second Measure’s data, Uber Eats is the fastest meal delivery service in the
United States. Recently, they announced that it was working on something similar to their ride-sharing service. These meal deliveries would allow Uber drivers to pick up multiple orders from the same restaurant and deliver to people who ordered in close proximity to each other. Uber Eats would have to figure out their thirdparty data sharing before customers get on board though making the food guide a great option for consumers who aren’t looking to share where they live or other personal data. While technology advances the local small businesses also get up to speed. Businesses like Monarca P.L.A.C.E 7 amongst others in the neighborhood offer Uber Eats, GrubHub and Amazon’s food delivery service. The food guide is one of a few strategies
to help businesses get more foot traffic and incentivize customers with savings and with a chance to win a $100 raffle. Each participating location has a box where customers can enter their raffle. There is a limit per transaction and customer. However, you can redeem one coupon each time you visit, allowing you to enter the raffle multiple times depending on the frequency of your visits through March 31st. To pick up your free Back of the Yards Food Guide you can visit the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council, 1823 W. 47th Street, Davis Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield Ave, Cornell Square Park, 1809 W. 50th Pl. and the local Aldermanic office, 2736 W. 47th St.
Second Annual Back of the Yards Tree Lighting Ceremony
Families gather to see the local holiday tree come to life (The Gate/Jaime Barron)
By Gloria Talamantes The bone-chilling cold didn’t stop hundreds of neighborhood families from gathering around to decorate Christmas trees to celebrate the coming of the holidays in Back of the Yards. Shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, everyone counted down in unison to see the neighborhood Christmas tree come to life with twinkling holiday lights. The reasonably new neighborhood tradition is in its second year and celebrated in the grassyarea space between the Yards Plaza on 47th Street and Damen Avenue and the GoLo Gas Station. Organized by Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC), the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony included participation from the various neighborhood schools, families, school staff, residents, local businesses along with the 9th District Chicago Police Department. The tree lighting ceremony included activities for children, carolers, pan dulce from Panaderia La Central, hot chocolate and champurrado. Hot chocolate provided by the local restaurant, Las Esperanzas and the champurrado donated by La Michoacana was a saving grace for many attendees. The warm beverages were necessary as the temperatures weren’t as pleasant as last year’s unseasonably warm temperatures. “I was really happy that they had conchas and hot chocolate because I’m cold and it warmed my soul a little and it was really good,” said Betsy
Calvillo. Calvillo is a freshmen basketball player and student who attends the Back of the Yards College Preparatory (BOTYCP). She was extremely excited to see that her grade school, San Miguel School was a part of the Christmas tree decorating this year. “I see more schools have trees this year, last year at my old school [San Miguel], we didn’t have a tree but this year they do and I just see more faces, more people and it’s nice. We came here on behalf of the basketball team to support and to be with the community,” said Calvillo. “I’m happy they are doing this. Last year, I came and it was pretty cool to see all these schools come together and see all these people come and help and all these beautiful Christmas trees– makes the community more beautiful and brings us all together.“ Every year, BYNC invites local schools to participate in the ceremony. Each participating school gets assigned a tree to decorate with students, families, staff and neighborhood kids. Amongst the participating school’s and community groups, were Seward Communication Arts Academy, Lara Academy, Hedges Fine and Performing Arts School, Chavez Multicultural Academic Center, Hamline Elementary School, San Miguel, 9th District Chicago Police Department, Richards Career Academy, Back of the Yards College Preparatory and the BYNC Ballet Folklorico.
Parents and children from the schools also gathered around the BYNC tent just past the stage to drop off their Letters to Santa, another neighborhood tradition that goes hand-in-hand with the neighborhood’s annual Toy Giveaway which typically takes place at Davis Square Park just before Christmas. But unlike the Annual Toy Giveaway, the Christmas tree lighting takes place entirely outdoors. A big tree sits front and center surrounded by the smaller ten trees that the schools and groups decorate. Leading the countdown of the tree lighting was Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) and BYNC President and CEO Craig Chico. The event was created to promote unity in the community and bring people from all over the neighborhood together. “We thought we would bring everyone together and we’d start with our students and our schools. We knew if we got our kids we could get the families together and more importantly we wanted the kids to know how to mingle and get along and realize that they can cross 47th and cross Ashland or cross any other boundaries in life,” said Chico. “We are really proud and so thankful to have the participation of all the schools, seven grammar school and two high schools, to get our business folks out and engaged, our elected officials, our clergy and our staff.” Hedges Elementary School students sang Mi
Burrito Savanero, a classic Spanish Christmas carol. Monse Huesca, 12, says that she loves the song because she has memories of her and her family singing it karaoke-style as a little girl every Christmas with her family. Although she didn’t feel confident about performing for a large crowd, she said that having sung it for many years during Christmas helped her but so did her friends. “I was kind of scared and I wasn’t the bravest but I got confidence because of my friends who were up there with me,” said Huesca. “So, I felt that I was with friends and they had my back.” Initially, she hadn’t planned to sing. “They just gave me the sheet when I came. So, technically I had to get ready quickly and I’ve also been singing that song ever since I was a little girl,” said Huesca. As soon as the Christmas carols ended, families went toward the back area where more than 100 Christmas trees were being given away to Back of the Yards families. Many parents looked happy to be ending the night with a new Christmas tree to light up and decorate at home. “It was an all-welcome event and we want to continue to do it every year,” said Chico. For more photos of the event visit the BYNC’s social media page at www.facebook.com/ BYNCorg/
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Namaste Charter School to host Open House News Wire The 2019-2020 Namaste Charter School applications for students in grades Kindergarten - 8th will be available beginning Jan. 8, 2019, and are due by 4:00 pm on March 1, 2019. The lottery will take place on Tuesday, Mar. 26. Namaste Charter School currently serves 485 students in grades Kindergarten through eighth grade and is now accepting applications for the fall 2019 school year for students of all grade levels. The school promotes curiosity and lifelong
student success by implementing and sharing a holistic educational model. Combining health and wellness with academic rigor in a safe and inclusive environment. The school’s commitment to the physical, social-emotional, and academic well-being of its students, along with the dedication and support of its families and staff, create a unique school culture that improves each student’s individual capacity to learn and reach higher academic achievement – an innovative and successful year-round program that has been lauded in the Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Sun-Times, WGN News, DNA info, on NBC’s The Today Show, CNN and many other media outlets. As a leader in holistic education, Namaste’s curriculum is designed to feed both the minds and bodies of its students through daily rigorous instruction in balanced literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, and 60 minutes of physical education; nutritional breakfast and lunch menus; and movement opportunities during morning and afternoon recess. The school also offers a SpanishEnglish dual language program option, an
afterschool programming option, and a school day running from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Monday – Thursday and 8:30 am - 1:30 pm on Fridays. Namaste Charter School is open to all Chicago residents. Applications can be found on the school’s website at www. namastecharterschool/admissions, or at the school’s main office at 3737 S. Paulina, Chicago, IL 60609. All applications must be submitted by 4:00 pm on Friday, Mar. 1. For more information, please call 773-715-9558 or visit www.namastecharterschool.org.
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