Austin Weekly News 021319

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AUSTINWEEKLY news ■

Vol. 33 No. 7

Austin mourns beloved blues and soul singer,

February 13, 2019

austinweeklynews.com

Also serving Garfield Park

@AustinWeeklyChi

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@AustinWeeklyNews

G P Gov. Protzker t k ppushes h wage hike, page 6

Famous comedian wants to build youth center on West Side Hannibal Burress says he’s bought office building, has early plans for project By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

Comedian and Galewood native Hannibal Buress is planning to open a community youth center in the community where he grew up, at Monumental Office building, 6120-6114 W. North Ave., 29th Ward Ald. Chris Taliaferro announced during a candidate forum on Feb. 5, held at Michele Clark High School, 5101 W. Harrison St. During a follow-up interview, Taliaferro said that Buress approached him with the proposal “about a month ago.” The alderman said that the proposal is still in the initial stages and that he wants to hold community meetings deeper into the planning process. Buress is a comedian, a writer and an actor whose career took off roughly a decade ago. In October 2014, his comedy routine touching on rape allegations against Bill Cosby went viral, bringing renewed scrutiny to the allegations. In a Dec. 21, 2017, interview with the Chicago Reader, Buress said he grew up near See BURRESS on page 4

Different plans

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Candidates listen to questions asked by NAACP members on Saturday, Feb. 9, during the Chicago mayoral candidate forum at Malcolm X College in Chicago. The forum was put on by the Chicago Westside NAACP in partnership with Austin Coming Together. More photos on page 10.

Leaders do post-mortem on Hatchery’s outreach efforts

During Jan. 24 City Bureau event, experts dissected what went right, wrong with The Hatchery’s engagement process By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

Mike Tomas, the executive director of the Garfield Park Community Council, readily admitted that the community benefit agreement

for the much-discussed Hatchery food incubator didn’t work out quite as he had hoped. The admission came during a public meeting on Jan. 24 at 345 Art Gallery, 345 N. Kedzie Ave. The meeting, hosted by City Bureau, a South Side-based nonprofit journalism lab,

Proud to partner with Austin Talks

is formally called a Public Newsroom and City Bureau hosts them regularly as ways to inform and engage Chicago residents on a range of issues. At last month’s Newsroom, various community groups, including the Community Council, explored ways the incubator succeeded and failed at engaging community residents. See HATCHERY on page 4

austintalks.org INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? Contact Dawn Ferencak 708.613.3329


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