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Ald. Taliaferro wants to raise awareness about community policing initiative,
Vol. 35 No. 5
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February 3, 2021
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W. Side anti-violence group to help CPS confront school safety
Partner organizations will host focus groups to get input from school communities By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago
A neighborhood group with decades of experience preventing violence on the West Side is helping Chicago Public Schools find ways to keep schools safe without relying on police. Austin-based violence prevention group BUILD Chicago will be on the steering committee leading the district’s efforts to create traumainformed safety practices that could serve as alternatives to the school resource officer program. The alternative safety programs will be developed with community input gathered during engagement events in February. BUILD is among four other neighborhood organizations on the committee: the Ark of St. Sabina, Mikva Challenge, Voices of Youth in Chicago Education and COFI. District officials were criticized last year for choosing not to end CPS’ contract with Chicago police, which has school resource officers at 55 schools. Student and teacher advocates say schools are no place for police, as the presence of officers fuels the school-to-prison pipeline and traumatizes Black students, who are most likely to be disciplined or even arrested by officers for small infractions. The debate over on-campus cops came to a head after January 2019, when two school resource See ANTI-VIOLENCE on page 8
Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
BLACK-OWNED: Businesses and buildings along 71st Street in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood on Jan. 4, 2021. Graduate students at UIC are offering consulting services to West Side businesses, as part of a competition organized by Earth’s Remedies, a nonprofit led by two West Side siblings. Read more on page 9.
Garfield Park vaccination forum addresses myths, fears
The Jan. 25 forum was organized by the Garfield Park Wellness Collaborative and the Garfield Park Community Council. By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
The Garfield Park Rite to Wellness online town hall on COVID-19 vaccines ended up illustrating exactly the kind of fears it was trying to address. The Jan. 25 forum was organized by
the Garfield Park Wellness Collaborative and the Garfield Park Community Council to explain the science behind the two vaccines that are currently used, address common myths and fears about the vaccines, and give residents and community organizations a chance to ask questions to the Rush University Medical Center doc-
tors. During the course of the forum, two West Side medical professionals offered starkly different perspectives on the vaccines. Beverly Miles, of West Garfield Park, a See VACCINATION FORUM on page 8
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Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
As crime fears rise, Galewood residents seek police presence
Ald. Chris Taliaferro has tried acquainting residents with the city’s District Coordination Officers, an updated version of old-fashioned beat cops. By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) held a virtual meeting on Jan. 20 to address Galewood residents’ concerns about the increase in quality-of-life crimes, such as burglaries and car thefts. Taiaferro held the meeting at the request of residents, who wanted to air their concerns directly to police officers. Most of the discussion centered on vehicle thefts, which have been on the rise in recent weeks. The alderman said he wanted to bring attention to the District Coordination Officers (DCO), who are police officers charged with reaching out to residents and connecting them with local police officers and whatever services they need to address their issues. Several residents complained that they didn’t know the local DCO, let alone how to reach them. Taliaferro’s staff agreed to put
their contact information in the upcoming ward email newsletter and the officers encouraged residents to take advantage of it. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taliaferro regularly invited police officers to his monthly community meetings to report on crime issues in the community and give residents a chance to ask questions and raise concerns. But with the pandemic raging, the community meetings were halted, and Community Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) beat meetings have been intermittent. In a follow-up interview, Byron Watson, Taliaferro’s chief of staff, explained that, after Galewood experienced “a few robberies” in December 2020, residents asked for a meeting with local police officers. “We scheduled the meeting [on Dec. 29] and it was poorly attended, so we rescheduled,” he said. “It was also a way to explain the DCO program to residents to better take advantage of the program.” The DCO program was originally introduced in 2019, in the 25th District, which includes Galewood and the rest of Austin north of Division Street. The program was rolled out as part of the Chicago Neighbor-
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hood Policing Initiative community policing pilot. Each DCO is assigned an area made up of three beats and there is usually two DCO per area, to ensure that at least one officer is on duty on any given day. Daniel Arroyo and Mark Flechsig are DCO for the area that includes Beat 2513, which falls entirely within Galewood; Beat 2511, which includes most of Montclare; and Beat 2512, which is split between the two. During the Jan. 20 meeting, Taliaferro said that, in addition to robberies, he wanted to discuss “burglaries, garage thefts, bicycle thefts and anything that’s going on in Galewood,” and how the community can work with DCO to prevent them. “We’re entering a new year, [so we should] try our very best to not only look out for our own properties, but to look out for our neigh-
bors,” he said. “And that requires us to stay in contact with our DCO’s, so we can have issues and things with our community addressed.” Arroyo said that, in the past 28 days, his area has only seen one robbery, and it was in Montclare. But, at the same time, the area saw 20 vehicle thefts. While Chicago as a whole has seen an increase in carjacking in the past few weeks, Arroyo said that none of them happened in his area and that the vehicle thefts “are happening without any victims in the vehicles.” Another 25th District officer on the call said that one of the contributing factors is that drivers leave their motors running to warm up without keeping an eye on the car. The police officers have put together a flier of burglary and car theft prevention tips. Once it is approved by their higher-ups, they plan to “flier up the neighborhood.” Taliaferro said that his office will also put out a flier of its own. “I joke about it, but I do stand out at the door as my vehicle is warming up,” the alderman said. “I’ll stand at the door and watch it.” To sign up for the 29th Ward newsletter, use the link on the ward website, at https:// aldtaliaferro.com/.
CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com
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Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
AUSTIN WEEKLY
news Editor Michael Romain
Senior Editor Bob Uphues Contributing Reporters Bonni McKeown, Igor Studenkov Reporting Partners Block Club, Austin Talks Columnist Arlene Jones Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designer Debbie Becker Sales & Marketing Representavies Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck Google Earth
TAX SUPPORT: The Chicago Anodizing Company in West Garfield Park recently expanded its West Side facility. The Chicago City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 27 to support a tax break for the company, which will help offset the cost of the expansion.
West Garfield Park manufacturer gets tax break for expansion
Chicago Anodizing Company would use savings to help pay off construction loan. By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
The Chicago City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 27 to support a Class 6(b) property tax classification incentive for West Garfield Park-based Chicago Anodizing Company, 4112 W. Lake St. The tax credit will support the company’s recent expansion to the neighboring lots at 4118-4136 W. Lake St. The incentive temporarily lowers the regular property tax rate for industrial properties to encourage industrial development. In 2020, Chicago Anodizing built a 20,5680-square foot warehouse and office addition to its existing facility, which is expected to create six additional jobs. The company took on $1.46 million in debt to finance most of the project costs and the incentive is expected to save the firm $172,494 in property taxes over the next 12 years, according to the company’s application for the tax credit. The Chicago Department of Planning and Development members supported the incen-
tive, arguing that, even with it in place, the property would generate more in taxes than a vacant lot and jobs would be created on the West Side in the process. The Chicago Anodizing Company was founded in 1947 and it’s been based out of the same West Garfield Park building ever since. The company applies finishes to aluminum products through the process known as anodizing. According to its website, the parts that the company anodizes are used in everything from cars to dental equipment. Some of its customers include Ford, General Motors and Lockheed Martin. In Cook County, property tax rates are based on their use. Normally, industrial properties are taxed at 24 percent. The Class 6(b) tax incentive classification lowers that to 10 percent for the next 10 years, then increases it by 5 percent a year over the next three years, until it returns to regular level. While the Office of the Cook County Assessor makes the ultimate decision, it won’t grant approval unless the municipality where the property is located signs off on it. During the Jan. 21 meeting of the City Council’s Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, Emmett Morrissey, a financial planning analyst for the planning department’s financial incentives division, explained that the vacant lot next
to Chicago Anodizing building has been “informally used as a parking lot” for years. The company spent a total of $2.13 million on the project, using $95,000 to buy the land and a total of around $1.8 million to build the new, taller warehouse and office space addition. Although 26 percent of the funds came from equity, the rest came from loans, he said. According to Morrissey’s presentation, the vacant lot generated $1,730 a year, which would translate into $20,760 over the next 12 years. If the Class 6(b) incentive is granted, the property would bring in almost seven times that — $141,502 over the next 12 years. However, the presentation also indicated that it would pay $313,996 in property taxes if the incentive isn’t granted, which would bring $39,781 more in taxes than if the incentive is granted. Morrissey also touted the fact that the incentive would allow Chicago Anodizing to keep 60 jobs and hire six more people to accommodate the expansion. Co-owner John Serritella didn’t respond to a request for comment by deadline. The committee voted unanimously to support the Class 6(b) application and it was approved by the full City Council as part of a package of measures previously approved at the committee level.
CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com
Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner ≈ Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich ≈ GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA Board of Directors Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson , Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer ≈ HOW TO REACH US 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 773-626-6332 FAX 708-467-9066 CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com ONLINE www.AustinWeeklyNews.com TWITTER @AustinWeeklyChi Austin Weekly News is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. It is distributed free of charge at locations across Austin and Garfield Park. Our hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advertising rates are available by calling our office. Printed entirely on recycled paper. © 2020 Growing Community Media NFP.
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Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
Free COVID HELP bot can help you get legal aid
The free bot was developed by attorneys to help residents struggling due to coronavirus find resources By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago
A virtual legal assistant can help people struggling with finances get relief during the coronavirus pandemic. The artificial-intelligence-powered tool, called COVID HELP, was developed to provide accurate legal information and connect people with local legal aid programs and other resources. It can help with a range of issues, including personal debt, bankruptcy, bills, unemployment, estates, wills and guardianship. The most common issues for people using the platform are housing problems, like if they’re facing eviction or foreclosure, said Conor Malloy, an attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, which helped build COVID HELP. People seeking assistance can go to covidhelpillinois.org to talk with the bot. There, users enter their ZIP code so COVID HELP
Provided
BOTTOM LINE: Rentervention connects tenants with free legal letters, guides them how to use the letters, and can also help get them free legal aid for more complex issues.
can provide legal guidance specific to the laws of a person’s municipality and give referrals to local legal aid organizations. COVID HELP asks users a series of questions about their issue. Then, it connects them to legal information and articles that can help them find a solution. “It’s not going to be a super-duper deep dive, but it’s to be able to start understanding the situation, understanding the laws
that may affect you and how to probably get out of the fix that you’re in … to stabilize your situation,” Malloy said. For a resident who is struggling to pay utility bills, COVID HELP would inform them of what their rights are and what types of actions they can take to make sure their situation doesn’t worsen. It would also connect the person to local programs for assistance paying those bills and refer them to a nearby
legal aid clinic if they need additional help, Malloy said. About half of people who have used COVID HELP have been referred to free legal aid attorneys specializing in that person’s issue, Malloy said. The legal groups developed the tool so Illinoisans would have a single place to go to get the most useful information for their problems. The legal landscape is confusing and constantly shifting as statewide policies on evictions and limits on debt collection change frequently, Malloy said. COVID HELP builds off of other artificial intelligence web bots developed by the attorney collaborations: Rentervention, a bot designed to help tenants resolve issues with landlords, and Benny, a virtual assistant for those struggling to access unemployment benefits. For issues related to landlord disputes, evictions, and unemployment, COVID HELP hands users off to the other bots, which can create legal letters and refer them to pro bono attorneys through a virtual legal clinic. Pascal Sabino is a Report for America corps member covering Austin, North Lawndale and Garfield Park for Block Club Chicago.
CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org
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Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
The village children are crying for our help
T
roy Pearson, 15, was killed during the commission of an alleged carjacking attempt. His crew was in a stolen vehicle when they attempted to steal a Chevy Impala. The driver of the Chevy was armed and during the getaway, the bullet-ridden *Move In 15th 15th *Move Inby ByJanuary February stolen vehicle they were using Furnished Apartment—Does include TV Furnished Apartment—Does include TV Furnished Apartment—Does include TV to attempt to steal the Chevy Upto to$500 $500 for for *Move professional moving expenses In bymoving January 15th Up professional expenses crashed. 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Up to $500 for professional expenses Up to Gift $500Card for$250 professional expenses $250 (after 90Card days(after ofmoving residency) Apartment—Does include TV Gift 60Furnished days of residency) Each time as juveniles, they $500 Gift Card after 30 days of residency) $250 Gift CardApply (after 60 days of residency) • Restrictions Up to $500 for professional moving expenses •$250 Restrictions are released back into society Gift Card•Apply (after 60 days of residency) Restrictions Apply $250 Gift Card (after 60 days of residency) *Move In by January 31st and into the same environ$250 Gift Card (after 90 days of residency) Apartment—Does include TV • Furnished Restrictions Apply ments where they repeat the behavior and Restrictions Apply Up to $500 for professional moving•expenses continue doing what got them arrested to *Move InCard by January 31stof residency) 2800 W. Fulton Chicago IL, 60612 $250 Gift (after 60 days 2800 W. Fulton Chicago IL, 60612 2800 W. Fulton Chicago IL, 60612 begin with. Furnished Apartment—Does includeby TVGardant Management Solutions www.hw-chicago-slf.com | Managed When I initially read the news reports www.hw-chicago-slf.com | Managed by Gardant Management Solutions www.hw-chicago-slf.com | Managed by Gardant Management Solutions *The chosen gifts for will not exceed the stated total. Must present flyerMust at move-in to receive incentives. Incentives received after 60 days of residence. Up $500 professional moving expenses • to Restrictions Apply *The chosenthe gifts will not exceed thepresent stated total. present flyer at move-in to receiveIncentives incentives. received Incentivesafter received after 60 days of residence. about how Troy died, I smiled. I’m not *The chosen gifts will not exceed stated total. Must flyer at move-in to receive incentives. 60 days of residence. 2800 W. Fulton Chicago2800 IL, 60612 W. Fulton Chicago IL, 60612 $250 Gift Card (after 60 days of residency) going to lie. I was glad. I felt he got what www.hw-chicago-slf.com | Managed bySolutions Gardant Management Solutions www.hw-chicago-slf.com | Managed by Gardant Management he deserved. I went to his Facebook page, gifts will at notmove-in exceed the total. Must present flyer at move-in to receive incentives. received after 60 days of residence. *The chosen gifts will not exceed the stated total. *The Mustchosen present flyer to stated receive incentives. Incentives received after 60 days ofIncentives residence. • Restrictions Apply and there he was holding a gun pointed at 2800 W. Fulton Chicago IL, 60612 the camera. He was displaying what far www.hw-chicago-slf.com | Managed by Gardant Management Solutions too many of our young people do. A false *The chosen gifts will not exceed the stated total. Must present flyer at move-in to receive incentives. Incentives received after 60 days of residence. bravado, because that is what the world 2800 W. Fulton Chicago IL, 60612 he existed in expected/accepted of him. Nobody critiqued him. His behavior was www.hw-chicago-slf.com | Managed by Gardant Management Solutions *The chosen gifts will not exceed the stated total. Must present flyer at move-in to receive incentives. Incentives received after 60 days of residence. considered normal. Mickey’s is the place! As I read through all the things he had posted, my feelings about his death slowly 1/2 Slab Dinner Full Slab Dinner began to change. I saw him as a person and B.B.Q. RIBS & CHICKEN $11.99 $17.99 not just a news story. He wasn’t lost, just BURGERS & HOT DOGS includes fries or baked potato, coleslaw and garlic bread misdirected and as an elder in the village, my voice needs to resonate about saving our children by any means necessary. We must demand the kind of juvenile justice system that gives these children a
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realistic second chance — a system that actually works and not becomes an endless cycle of the same insanity going on over and over and over again. Where is Black leadership on this growing problem of juveniles carjacking cars? We have so many problems that it’s hard to find one that becomes the top priority, because others pop up that seem even more pressing. But our youth are our future. We can’t just throw them away and expect them to become the productive citizens that we need. I still advocate for accountability out of their parents. There are responsibilities that come from giving birth to a child that requires parents to be held accountable. If we are to be a village, then, as villagers, we must begin to voice our concerns. Some children will need to be removed from their environments. That’s the reality. Others, if they can remain in the home, will need constant monitoring by social services. The monetary investment we put in our children now will pay off in the future. We need a nationwide service organization that can take in some of these children and place them far away from the environment that they are accustomed to, in order for them to have the opportunity to become the individuals that they can be. In order for any of this to occur, we must all begin to speak up. And for once, I am proud that looking at social media, there’s a lot of black folk talking about this. But besides talk, we need actions. What role will you play in helping to ensure that our young people have all the opportunities that we had available to them?
ARLENE JONES
Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
Growing Community Media & A Tribe Called Aging Present
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Appreciating the beauty of impermanence, a quarterly Film Series encouraging everyone to embrace and respect our aging population and the transformation of our society.
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Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
VACCINATIONS Dispelling myths from page 1
Provided
PEACE BUILDERS: BUILD promotes safety in the community using trusted relationships to intervene before violence happens.
ANTIVIOLENCE
Homegrown solutions from page 1 officers were shown on video assaulting a 16-year-old student at Marshall High School. Officers dragged the student down a flight of stairs and used a Taser on her three times. The video received national attention. The student allegedly disobeyed a teacher who told her to put her phone away and was kicked out of class before staff called officers. The teen was charged with aggravated battery against the officers, but the charges were later dropped. “When young people have conflicts with each other or conflicts with teachers or conflicts within school, we know that there’s sometimes a deeper issue there,” said Juan Villalobos, director of community engagement at BUILD. With a “whole school” approach to safety, everybody in the learning community is involved in keeping students physically and emotionally safe, including teachers, counselors, janitors and support staff, Villalobos said. “That means emotional support. That means trauma-informed support. That means finding better solutions to resolving conflict,” he said. The trauma-informed alternatives to cops, known as the Whole School Safety Programs, will be built from community input collected by BUILD and other partners. Parents, teachers, students and school staff will be able to share their ideas for keeping schools safe at focus groups that will be held through the end of February. Residents can sign up to participate in the focus groups on the CPS website. The steering committee will share community feedback with CPS for consideration. Local school councils for each of the 55 schools that have an on-campus officer can incorporate the Whole School Safety Program strategies into their safety plans as the district prepares its
annual budget. “The end goal is to make system-wide changes that stop the criminalization of students,” said Verneé Green, Mikva Challenge Illinois executive director. “Students deserve safe spaces in which to learn and grow, and it is crucial to engage and listen to student and community voices to improve student safety in schools.” The engagement process is not aimed at pressuring school communities into getting rid of on-campus officers, said Jamey Makowski, BUILD’s director of core programs. Instead, the safety recommendations will empower school communities with a much broader set of tools for preventing violence by “providing them with as many options as possible for how to handle their safety,” she said. Safety recommendations that could come out of the series of focus groups could include a shift toward restorative justice practices and greater investment in mental health resources, Makowski said. To be effective in mediating conflict, those resources must be embedded into every aspect of the school, rather than just a single project, she said. The changes can’t be “some training for a week … that’s unrealistic and cannot happen,” she said. “This would be a whole different way of them doing things. One thing we’ve already heard is, let’s create an ongoing, sustainable restorative justice initiative.” BUILD has done violence intervention work since 1969, using long-term relationships and street outreach to mediate conflict and stop violence and retaliation before it happens. “When you have the right people in the building … people who have lived experiences and know this work, you catch things before they happen, and you hear about them. They come to you first, and that is that the beginning of that prevention,” he said. Pascal Sabino is a Report for America corps member covering Austin, North Lawndale and Garfield Park for Block Club Chicago.
CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org
registered nurse and community activist who ran for 28th Ward alderman in 2019, said that she was “terrified” of getting the vaccine, especially after the treatment she said she got when she caught the disease in April 2020. Drea Slaughter, of Austin, who works at the University of Chicago health system, said that she already got vaccinated and it made her feel more comfortable with being in the community. The panelists readily acknowledged that, given the history of medical experimentation on African-Americans and disparities in treatment, the hesitation was understandable, but they tried to to emphasize that the vaccine was important in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The panelists also said that Rush would do its part, bringing vaccines to housebound seniors and doing community vaccination sites once vaccination expands to the general population. The Garfield Park Wellness Collaborative was launched in 2020 to address the many factors affecting the health and wellness of their patients. The wellness collaborative was set up to address the community’s wellness needs and ultimately build a community wellness center. Dr. David Ansell, Rush’s vice president for community health and equity, explained during the forum that they wanted to address worries about the two COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available. “We know there’s a lot of people who want to get the vaccine and a lot of vaccine hesitancy, because of the history,” he said. Dr. Laura Deon, who also works at Rush, said that one of the major concerns they’ve heard from people was that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines would alter their DNA. Deon said that “The mRNA doesn’t stay in the body permanently — the only thing that’s left are the antibodies,” Deon said. “The vaccine definitely won’t change the DNA.” She touched on side-effects of the vaccines, which include redness and swelling around the injection site and fatigue saying that they don’t usually last more than three days, but if they do, patients should reach out to their doctors or their nearest healthcare provider as soon as possible. Leon said that allergic reactions are extremely rare, with only one out of 1.8 million vaccinated individuals experiencing one. “All [vaccination] sites have epinephrine close by, so if you have an allergic reaction, they’d be able to treat you right away,” she added. Deon said that, as of Jan. 25, only around three percent of residents of the two zip codes that make up West and East
Garfield parks received the vaccines, although she noted that until recently, the vaccine was only available to medical workers and residents of long-term care facilities, which affects the numbers. Ansell said that Rush recently got permission to vaccinate “homebound elders” in their homes, and that “there will be teams going into neighborhoods like East Garfield Park to do hyper-local vaccinations.” When asked whether people who already had COVID-19 should get vaccinated, Deon and Ansell said that they should, because it’s not clear how long the immunity will last, although Deon added that they don’t have to hurry. Miles, a West Garfield Park native who returned to her community in 2016 after serving in the U.S. Army for 15 years, currently works as a registered nurse at Edward Hines VA Hospital near west suburban Maywood. Miles said that she got COVID-19 in April 2020 and is still dealing with some symptoms. “I was in ICU last April with COVID-19, and I don’t know if they knew I was a nurse and could see the poor treatment I received,” Miles said. “Doctors were afraid to come into my room.” She said that it reminded her of the racism she saw while working at various West Side hospitals, as well as her own family’s history with the medical system. “[It made me feel like] they’re not looking at me as a professional, they’re looking at me as a Black woman,” she said. “So that’s my fear. I’m terrified [of getting vaccinated]. I won’t lie,” While Miles recognized the importance of vaccines, she said that Rush and others need to do more to address the fears. Ansell responded that he understood how she was feeling, and that he wanted to talk to Miles privately after the forum to address her concerns. “We want our medical professionals, if they feel comfortable, to be the communicators,” he said. “I do think those conversations have to come from people who are trusted, like you.” Slaughter said that, while there were African-Americans who had concerns about the vaccines, “there are just as many of us who feel comfortable about getting vaccinated.” “The side-effects were minimal for me,” Slaughter said. “I’m glad I’m vaccinated. I feel better being in the community, because I am vaccinated.” Ansell said that, at Rush, Black and Hispanic employees were initially more reluctant to get vaccinated than white employees, but the gap has narrowed over time after one-on-one and group conversations about their fears. “There is mistrust of the medical field and it’s a well-earned mistrust, with historic and present acts of scientific racism and other things,” he reflected. “I think a lot of people we talked to wanted to wait and see.”
CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com
Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
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UIC students hone consulting chops helping W. Side business
The free consulting service is part of a pitch competition organized by a West Side nonprofit. By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago
Graduate students at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s business school are giving free consulting service to a West Side business. The free business advice is part of a consulting competition organized by Earth’s Remedies, a nonprofit led by two West Side siblings who mobilized last summer to give $40,000 in grants to local businesses hit by the pandemic and the social unrest. Teams of grad students will compete against each other to develop the best business strategies and consulting solutions responsive to the specific needs of Austin entrepreneur Crystal Dyer. Dyer is the founder of Gone Again Travels, which she touts as Chicago’s first and only Black-owned travel agency storefront.
Dyer wants the student consultants to help her business pivot to adjust to people’s new travel habits during the pandemic. “With COVID, I had to really look at how to maximize my business coming out of it,” Dyer said. The competition will also help Dyer plan a new business model for after the pandemic that emphasizes group vacations and different destinations. “I was doing a lot of Europe,” she said. “Now I’m pivoting to Africa.” The pitch presentations are open to the public, so West Side residents, entrepreneurs and business owners can learn more about how consulting works and walk away with tips on how they might improve their own businesses. The grad student teams will present their pitches virtually 9:30 a.m. Feb. 6. Register to watch the presentations on the UIC website. “This is going to target certain levels of her business and how she can not only improve, but help with her brand awareness, help with her reach, help with different internals going on like marketing, finance, and also how to engage further within the community,” said Charles Pickett, who co-
founded Earth’s Remedies with his sister, Mercedes Pickett. The Pickett siblings developed the consulting competition as a way for UIC to “give their students real-world experience and impact the community,” Mercedes Pickett said. The partnership gives the business school a bigger presence on the West Side, which can create pathways for young people to get interested in business and consider attending the university, Pickett said. The contest is like a live case-study on how to improve business processes. Previously, the students were just using textbook case studies, which helps the students learn but doesn’t have an impact on the community, Mercedes Pickett said. “We’re feeding two birds with one seed,” she said. Earth’s Remedies did a pilot of the consulting contest with UIC in October, where students competed to pitch business strategies for how the Picketts could improve their nonprofit. The student’s recommendations helped Earth’s Remedies improve its social media messaging, navigate tax exemptions and make a plan for establishing a brickand-mortar location.
“All the steps they informed us about, we are implementing throughout this year,” Mercedes Pickett said. The siblings are working with UIC to replicate this model of community engagement so many other businesses on the West Side can benefit. “It won’t just stop here,” Charles Pickett said. “The best thing about this is we’re going to connect with professors to potentially do live case studies of other small businesses, Black and Brown, within the West Side of Chicago, and they can participate within these case studies and different classes.” Pascal Sabino is a Report for America corps member covering Austin, North Lawndale and Garfield Park for Block Club Chicago.
CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org
SPONSORED CONTENT
Garfield Park Conservatory Goes Virtual
G
arfield Park Conservatory has reimagined group visits and developed virtual options, including new virtual field trips. Educators lead students from preschool through high school on livestreamed visits for their classroom. The 45-minute virtual field trip will explore one of four themes: Intro to Plants Trip: Unveil the magical world of botany with this introductory exploration of all things plant through a sensory based tour! Grades Pre-K – 4. Pollination Trip: Explore the many interesting examples of how plants and pollinators co-evolved to perfect the process of pollination that we depend on for our own survival. Grades 1 – 5. Adaptation Trip: Take your students on a fascinating journey through time as you explore how plants have adapted to different environments throughout the years! Grades 3 – 12. Reproduction Trip: Find out how and why plants have developed
different ways of reproducing by looking at plants in the Fern Room, Palm House and Aroid House. Grade 5 - 12. “They were excited and talked about how interesting it was, and they had no idea chocolate “grew on trees” or that vanilla came from Mexico! They also were surprised they could visit for free and it’s nearby.” -4th grade teacher from Pickard Elementary Black History Month Trip: In February, join GPC educators to meet a wide variety of plants and discuss their connections with
Black history. As we learn about these plants and people, we will ask your students to think about their aspirations and help them to get inspired! This field trip is for all grades. In addition to field trips, Garfield Park Conservatory offers weekly virtual yoga classes, monthly lectures, and many hands-on classes. While the Conservatory is currently closed to visitors, we look forward to reopening safely. Learn more at www.garfieldconservatory.org.
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Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
deadline: 9:30 am Monday office hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday
CLASSIFIEDS TO PLACE AN AD HELP WANTED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST HEPHZIBAH CHILDREN’S ASSOCIATION PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE Hephzibah Children’s Association is a renowned social service agency in Oak Park, IL that has been helping children thrive and families flourish through innovative community-based programs. The Day Care Program is accepting applications for February – June, 2021 school year. We seek individuals to provide care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children. Positions are Monday through Friday from 12:15 – 6:00 pm. Responsibilities include assisting with and monitoring e-learning, supervising arts and crafts, activities, sports, group games, and indoor and outdoor play, lunch and snack, and homework help. The program begins in February and will be in Oak Park, IL serving 5-11-year-old (K-5th grade) children. The program will follow the safety guidelines of the IDPH regarding face masks, social distancing and cleaning & disinfecting. Requirements include: • Minimum of 6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work, or related college courses • Experience working with children If you are interested please contact: Amy O’Rourke, Director of Day Care by email at: aorrouke@hephzibahhome.org include letter of interest and resume. Hephzibah Children’s Association is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We value, advocate for and support diversity throughout our organization. We embrace a respectful, multicultural, environment for employees and the clients we serve.
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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION UMB BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR LVS TITLE TRUST VI Plaintiff,
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE vs. MIBA, LLC, FARAH ANVERALLY MOORE, MICHAEL RASHARD MOORE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants, 19 CH 8420 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, March 8, 2021 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-14-112-034. Commonly known as 3908 WEST CONGRESS PARKWAY, CHICAGO, IL 60624. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Mr. Ira T. Nevel at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 19-01400 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3163322
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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777. Austin Weekly News
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Austin Weekly News, February 3, 2021
As app-based drivers, the flexibility and freedom of being an independent worker is crucial to our livelihoods. Illinois has an opportunity to do more for app-based drivers by protecting our jobs and ensuring our flexibility.
Visit IndependentWorkIL.org to learn more. Paid for by the Illinois Coalition for Independent Work