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Feds say second shooter of Jaslyn Adams fled to Miami
Vol. 35 No. 20
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May 19, 2021
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austinweeklynews.com
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Also serving Garfield Park
@AustinWeeklyChi
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Riot Fest Lineup announced, page 9
Housing plans push limits of affordability
Two proposed ‘affordable’ housing programs for West Side would require prospective homeowners to make at least 120% of Area Median Income By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Two West Side aldermen — Ald. Michael Scott (14th) and Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) — are working with two different developers to build single-family and two-flat homes in their wards that the city is describing as “affordable,” but that fall outside of 100 percent of the citywide Area Median Income (AMI) and are even more beyond the means of the average North Lawndale household. Developers are proposing to make eight houses “affordable” and two houses marketrate. The affordability is determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is based on income levels throughout the entire Chicago area rather than a specific neighborhood. Through the City Lots for Working Families program, city officials are seeking to increase the supply of affordable homes by selling cityowned vacant lots to developers for $1 a lot. In return, the developer agrees to make at least 75 percent of the newly built homes affordable to residents earning between 120 percent and 140 percent of AMI. Homes must remain affordable for at least five years. According to the most recent numbers, this means individuals looking to acquire the “afSee HOUSING on page 5
Documenting local leaders
ALEX ROGAL/Staff Photographer
Susan Stall and Tameka Wilson collaborated on the exhibit, Everyday Activists,” which features photographs of activists working in Oak Park and Austin. Read more on page 3.
Whites and Asians got more than half of Loretto vaccines The vaccines were supposed to be administered to Black West Siders
By KELLY BAUER & DAVID JACKSON Block Club Chicago & Better Government Association
More than half of Loretto Hospital’s early on-site coronavirus vaccine doses went to white and Asian people — although city officials expected it to prioritize the West
Side’s Black and Latino communities, a recently revealed audit shows. The hospital also admitted to vaccinating ineligible people at Trump Tower and a luxury Gold Coast jewelry shop, but it downplayed other questionable vaccinations in the report, which was obtained by
Block Club Chicago and the Better Government Association. The report, which details what Loretto found after its staff audited its vaccination program, says 30 percent of people See LORETTO on page 8
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Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
Activist exhibit bridges Oak Park and Austin By MICHELLE DYBAL
T
Arts Editor
hrough photos and stories, a new installment at the Oak Park Art League (OPAL), “Intersection: Art & Words,” demonstrates the good work being done in Austin and Oak Park by everyday people. The exhibit is titled, “Everyday Activists.” A project devised by Susan Stall of Arbor West Neighbors, Oak Park, and Tameka Wilson of Triton College, River Grove, the two teamed up to find, photograph and interview nearly 20 people from the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and Oak Park. Beginning in August 2020, Stall, former president of Arbor West and current chair of its Advocacy Committee, began contacting activists she knows. Wilson, a Maywood resident and student at Triton who has now earned Associates Degrees in Intercultural Relations and Arts & Sciences with a focus in photography, worked on the project as a photography intern through Triton College. In addition to photographing the subjects, Wilson interviewed half the participants and created the look of the photos in the exhibit. Stall worked on interview questions and creating short narratives from the interviews. Israel Rivas assisted with photography and some of his photos are in the exhibit. When Stall, a sociologist who studies community organizing, heard about Wilson’s background, she thought they could join forces to bring everyday activists to light because “community activists work almost every day, often invisible.” Starting with people she knew, including Alicia Plomin, marketing & development manager for Austin Coming Together, Stall gathered recommendations. As they talked to participants, they learned of others who are “doing important work on the ground,” and the project developed from there. “The excitement of people about it has been really wonderful,” Stall said. “I didn’t know exactly how it was going to look. I didn’t know how we were going to get the stories out.” “My biggest takeaway from this,” Wilson said, “is the majority of our everyday activists don’t see themselves as activists. They saw themselves as everyday people. I love the modesty. It wasn’t just one or two, it was the majority. … They would say they see themselves as someone who is just doing what needs to be done in the community.” The installment divides participants into categories — Environment and Sustainability; Civic Engagement; From the Bottom Up; Youth Mentoring and Empowerment; Art and Words Activism; and Faith- and Rights-based
AUSTIN WEEKLY
news
Equity Editor/Ombudsman/Editor Michael Romain Senior Editor Bob Uphues Contributing Reporter Igor Studenkov Reporting Partners Block Club, Austin Talks Columnist Arlene Jones Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Digital Strategist James Kay Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Javier Govea, Mark Moroney ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
IN LEAGUE: Tameka Wilson (above), of Maywood, and Susan Stall (below), of Oak Park, inside of the “Everyday Activists” art exhibit at the Oak Park Art League on May 10 in Oak Park. Activism. There are three or four activists in each category. From the Bottom Up includes “block club organizers” such as Deondre Rutues, of Austin, who, through Network of Neighbors, finds leaders for each block by going door to door in a 40-block radius. Wilson photographed Rutues at community events. She said she took photos that are more “spot on, directly looking at me, more engaged.” Faith- and Rightbased Activism includes Oak Parker Clara L., her last name omitted to protect her because of what she does. Besides antiracism work, she fights for refugee rights and has harbored an undocumented person in a church basement. Environment and Sustainability features Liz Abunaw of Austin, founder of 40 Acres Fresh Market, whose mission is “to increase access to affordable, high-quality, fresh food in underserved areas.” While currently operating pop-ups and delivery service, she’s working to convert an old Salvation Army building into a large, local market for Austin residents — 40 Acres’ first brick-and-mortar location. Stall said the exhibit “really crosses a lot of disciplines, everything from psychology to intercultural studies to sociology to political science and the arts. I like to mix and match lenses, the way people look at things.” Wilson said their goal from the start was
representing all types of people. “We were really working at: diverse by gender, diverse by age, diverse by ethnicity and race, diverse by types of activism,” Stall added. The photos are accompanied by a booklet with a narrative on each activist, edited down from an hour-long interview. “The word part was totally made to complement the photo part,” Stall said, “read the narrative as they are looking at that photo and that really enriches the experiences.” While the exhibit is currently open during regular gallery hours, the official exhibit opening is on Friday, May 14, when OPAL will be open longer to accommodate more visitors. A panel discussion, which includes a Spoken Word performance, will be held on Thursday, May 20. The panelists include Everyday Activist participants, who will share their passions, but also discuss how to cross “that Austin Boulevard bridge,” according to Stall. “We’d like to see this [be] more than just an exhibit. … It’s such a burning issue. I’d really like to have the panel grapple a bit with the people who come,” she said. Everyday Activists will travel to Austin Public Library, 5615 W. Race Ave., Chicago, this summer. Another panel discussion event will be held there. See Everyday Activists at OPAL’s Intersection: Art & Word through May 26. Gallery hours, Tuesdays through Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m.; opening, May 14, 1 to 9 p.m., The panel is on Thursday, May 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Masks must be worn inside the gallery. More: oakparkartleague.org. 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park.
Sales & Marketing Representavies Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck 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. © 2021 Growing Community Media NFP.
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Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
W. Side clergy want Pritzker to diversify pot industry
Pastors say lucrative cannabis industry not accessible enough to Black and Brown people By SUZANNE McBRIDE AustinTalks
In a common refrain they’re getting tired of repeating, three influential West Side ministers pressed Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration to do more to open the state’s fledgling but lucrative cannabis industry to Black and Brown people. “The process was not transparent, so when we blinked and looked up, everybody had dispensaries but people in our communities,” said Cy Fields, senior pastor of New Landmark Missionary Baptist Church. Fields was among ministers attending the Leaders Network‘s May meeting who spoke out forcefully about the way Illinois officials have doled out its first licenses to operate cannabis dispensaries. The state’s first cannabis czar, former state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, briefly addressed the group, noting that 15 months after Illinois legalized recreational marijuana officials are working on legislation with state Rep. La Shawn Ford to handle the “unanticipated” problems that have arisen. One of those problems, according to advo-
cates for communities like the West Side hard hit by the war on drugs: No licensed marijuana business in the state has a person of color as a majority owner. Under Ford’s plan, 110 new recreational cannabis licenses would be issued to existing applicants in a second lottery, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. In addition, five licenses that were never issued would be doled out to new applicants in a “Social Equity justice Involved Medical Lottery.” Ford’s proposal revises the qualifications for earning social equity status to more specifically target people of color and those living in areas disproportionately harmed by the drug war, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. “That will put hundreds of people” in the lottery,” said Danielle Perry, who was named the state’s cannabis regulation oversight officer last year. “It’s a blessing what (Ford is) doing. And it’s providing people with a second and a third chance” to get a license. That did not sit right with some of the ministers attending Tuesday’s virtual meeting. “We can’t say this is good news … This is not good, this is not right,” said Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church. “As a moral leader, even though I don’t push can-
Austin Talks
During a recent Zoom session, West Side clergy, including Rev. Ira Acree, bottom right, urged Gov. Pritzker to do more to open the state’s fledgling but lucrative cannabis industry to Black and Brown people. nabis, by the same token I want to use our moral forces to expose the hypocrisy and the diabolical fashion our communities have been treated.” Now, Black and Brown business people must compete against the “Big Boys” whose communities weren’t harmed by the war on drugs, Acree said, adding there needs to be affirmative action to ensure Black communities get some of the licenses. Last fall, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced that just 21 of the more than 900 dispensary applicants made the cut for the state’s first cannabis lottery. Facing several lawsuits and criticism that many of the groups that qualified for the lottery included clouted and deep-pocketed
individuals, Gov. Pritzker decided last year that losing applicants would be given another chance to fix their applications and challenge their scores. “It’s hard to believe it was an accidental mishap. We’re always having to play catch up,” said Rev. Marshall Hatch Sr., senior pastor of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Fields told Perry, the governor’s point person on cannabis, that the Leaders Network wants to be very clear about their concerns and what they expect from the governor: “We will not forget this. Make no mistake, this issue is important, and we’re very passionate. … We won’t let this go.”
CONTACT: austintalks.org@gmail.com
WELLNESS corner
Four reasons to shop at a farmers market
By ZION BARNETT
Forty Acres Fresh Market
Grocery shopping has long been a necessity for people nationwide and globally. Though it may look different today, the trading of goods and resources is one of human-
ity’s most ancient activities. Today, the personable interaction that occurs between a buyer and seller is most apparent at local farmers markets. Farmers markets offer one the opportunity to communicate and connect with the people behind the product. If this is an aspect of
“The” Friendship BAPTIST CHURCH Rev. Dr. Reginald E. Bachus, Pastor 5200 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60644 773-378-6600 fbcchicago.org facebook.com/friendshipbcchicago JOIN US FOR ONLINE SERVICES • FACEBOOK @FriendshipBCChicago • YOUTUBE @The Friendship Baptist Church of Chicago
Sundays - 9:30 AM Sunday School • 11:00 AM Worship Service
Wednesdays - 6:00 PM Bible Study
shopping that interests you, here are some more benefits of shopping at farmer’s markets.
Support small/local businesses Most if not all of the vendors at farmers markets are local, small businesses. These businesses rely on their community’s support and engagement for success as they compete against large chains. So, spending your dollar with a small business goes a long way, especially since they will be there to thank you for your contribution.
Environmentally friendly Farmers markets lead to fewer carbon dioxide emissions. Most of the vendors are farmers and small businesses who traveled short distances, as they are from the community or surrounding neighborhoods and cities.
Get some fresh air As Covid-19 has shifted our reality, most of us aren’t getting out like we use to. Farm-
ers markets offer you and your family the opportunity to spend a bit more time in the beautiful spring and summer weather, as opposed to indoor shopping.
Interact with the community Along with talking with vendors about their product, locals from your community and surrounding area will be there as well. Have a good time and interact with your neighbors while maintaining a safe distance and wearing a mask. If you are in Austin or its surrounding communities and would like to shop at a farmers market, you can do so! From June 10 through Sept. 30, Austin will have its own weekly farmers market at Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake Street. Come and see Forty Acres Fresh Market, along with other local vendors and farmers every Thursday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., for an abundance of produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, prepared meals and more.
CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com
Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
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HOUSING
Affordable for whom? from page 1 fordable” homes through the City Lots program must make between $74,880 and $87,360 — more than the city’s $62,400 AMI level for 1-person households. Two-person and 3-person households earning between 120 percent and 140 percent of the citywide AMI make between $85,560 and $99,820, and between $96,240 and $112,280, respectively. According to American Community Survey data, roughly 85 percent of households in North Lawndale earn incomes of less than $75,000. Roughly 74 percent of North Lawndale households make less than $50,000. Ald. Scott was not immediately available for comment on May 14 to explain why the city is calling housing that falls well outside of average income in the city and in his ward “affordable.” When contacted on Friday afternoon, Brian O’Donnell, a coordinating planner with the Chicago Department of Housing, acknowledged that the houses aren’t necessarily affordable to most people living in West Side communities like North Lawndale. “There are a lot of developments going on in North Lawndale,” O’Donnell said. “One development isn’t going to meet every need. I don’t know what to tell you.” In North Lawndale, GMP Development is looking to buy 10 lots near the west edge of Douglass Park, mostly on the section of Troy Street between 13th Street and Roosevelt Road. Nath Construction is looking to buy 10 lots scattered throughout West Humboldt Park and East Garfield Park. Scott said that GMP’s proposal is part of his broader effort to reverse population declines throughout North Lawndale. Burnett, whose ward includes most of the lots Nath Development is interested in buying, is looking to fill vacant lots on residential streets and shore up the supply of housing before the neighborhoods gentrify. The proposals cleared the Chicago Community Development Commission on May 11. They will still need to clear the Chicago Plan Commission, the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Housing and Real Estate, and the full City Council. As with other deals involving city property, other developers can submit alternative proposals. If the City Council approves the sale to GMP and Nath, construction is expected to start in the fall of 2021. During the May 11 meeting, Chicago Planning and Development Commissioner Maurice Cox said that the proposals would complement the city’s efforts to bring development to major North Lawndale and West Humboldt Park commercial corridors. “I think there’s a clear strategy here. You build the rooftops and the amenities will come,” he said. “[Businesses] will be looking for cluster developments on residential
PROVIDED
An architectural rendering of proposed homes slated for development on the West Side. streets. Are there new homeowners moving in? Are there homes being rehabbed? And then, you’ll see a very robust response.”
North Lawndale The GMP Development would buy the lot at 1200 W. Troy St. lot on the west side of the street, but the remaining nine would be purchased on the east side, where only one house is currently standing. It would buy vacant lots at 1217 S. Troy St., 1225-1227 S. Troy St., 1235-1239 S. Troy St. and 1245-49 S. Troy St. During the May 11 meeting, O’Donnell mentioned that some homes would be twoflats and some would have garden apartments, but didn’t specify the exact breakdown. GMP officials weren’t available for an interview by deadline. Scott said that he has been concerned about “depopulation” of North Lawndale. “What we’re attempting to do is to jumpstart the market on the east end of the 24th Ward and put some quality affordable housing in an area that desperately needs it,” he said. Scott said that he wants to start with the east side of North Lawndale, because the land there “was most valuable and easiest to sell.” He is working with two other developers to build houses further west, with the goal of building 1,000 houses. “It would be beneficial to not only my community, but to folks who want to come back to the community,” Scott said. “Back in the early-to-mid 1990s, there were over 100,000 people that resided in the commu-
nity, and that’s because of the location and the housing stock.” The alderman praised GMP Labs, a construction apprenticeship program GMP Development runs with several West Side nonprofits geared toward Black youth, saying that it takes “those young men on the street who want to drop the vices that they have and pick up a hammer. “It’s important to know their dedication to not only the North Lawndale community, but to our Black and Brown people,” Scott said.
West Humboldt Park/East Garfield Park Neelam Dwivedi, who runs Nath Construction with her husband, Pashupati Nath, said that they have been in business for four decades and they have been rehabbing homes in East Garfield Park since 2003, “before anybody else was there.” Burnett said that, while his ward didn’t have as many vacant lots as in North Lawndale, there are still gaps in the residential streets. “The challenge is you can’t get anyone to develop unless there’s a city program, because the market isn’t there,” he said. Burnett said he was familiar with Nath Construction from their work redeveloping properties that were part of the Cook County Land Bank program, and he felt that they did a “great job,” so he reached out to them. Nath Construction is looking to buy lots at 636 N. Trumbull Ave., 637 N. Trumbull Ave., 639 N. Trumbull Ave., 640 N. Trum-
bull Ave., and 643 N. Trumbull Ave., which, Dwivedi said, the company would redevelop first. The remaining five lots are at 428 N. Troy St., 600 N. Central Park Ave., 3401 W. Fulton Blvd. and 625 N. Christiana Ave. Dwivedi said that each house will have four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a twocar garage. If the homebuyers don’t want to use their garage, they will get credit toward the purchase price. Burnett said that he held several community meetings on the project and the response was largely positive. “The community is happy about it, but concerned about their taxes going up, which is a whole other story,” he said. “But I think this will enhance the community, it’s going to attract other development to neighborhoods and it’s going to bring jobs to the community.” Dwivedi said that company was “very open” to hiring local residents, but added that, because they’re a “small developer” that “doesn’t have much cushion,” they would aim to hire residents with experience. Dwivedi reflected that the process was longer and more complicated than she and her husband expected, but they were determined to see the project through. “Once you work hard, and when you’re forging yourself in the right direction, you have nothing to do but go forward,” Dwivedi said. “We’re hard-working, positive-thinking, and we’re looking forward to making an impact.”
CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com
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Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
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haven’t ranted in a while. So let me get some things that are bothering me off my mind. Where is the leadership in the city? Let’s start at the top. The current mayor is proving to be a complete failure — because she has no plans, no solutions. Chicago can only be a “respond as you go” situation for a mayor if the mayor has plans already. Because she hasn’t given much thought to solutions, she doesn’t have any. Plus her choice of a police superintendent from outside this city has been one of the biggest farces ever perpetrated on us. In a recent television broadcast, the superintendent started talking about violence on the freeways. I had to wonder if he thought we were in California. Because in this city, we have expressways! And words do matter. If the police superintendent does not know and understand the Chicago neighborhoods and their nuances, how can he effectively address the issues that are occurring there? I don’t know who is planning to run against “One-Term Lori,” but I wish they would hurry up and announce. Speaking of politics, where is the rest of the political leadership in this city? As I write this column, over 53 shootings have occurred. A 2-year-old was shot on Friday evening near 26th and California. Two police officers were shot in Lawndale on Sunday morning. Where is the political leadership (especially the Black leaders) to take a pro-active stance? We have Blacks as the head of the Cook
County board, the mayor, and the police superintendent. So relying on blaming the white man as the excuse is moot. What solutions are they advocating to address the issue? Children are being killed, and the silence from them is deafening. The murder of Jaslyn Adams in the drive-thru at McDonald’s should have resulted in massive demonstrations against the criminal element and not just a balloon release! The shootout at Grand and State in the parking garage which left Rapper Lil Reese injured should have brought a further outcry. Instead we hear nothing. Any politician from this city talking about running for a statewide seat when they have been completely incompetent at the local level should be laughed off the ballot. Lastly, let’s not forget about religious leadership and the lack thereof. If we had had a police-involved shooting, we would hear and see them at every opportunity. But if they don’t have the opportunity to grandstand, they’re invisible. And though I’m not a devotee of his, the archdiocese’s slow movement on the allegations against Father Pfleger has silenced one of the few voices that always spoke up. The rest of them have proven to be the charlatans they always were. It is time for some bold and decisive leadership to emerge. We need a new mayor! We need a new police superintendent! We need new ideas and solutions! We need people to truly be sick of being sick and tired!
ARLENE JONES
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Wednesday
A rant about lack of leadership
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The murder of
Jaslyn Adams in the drive-thru at McDonald’s should have resulted in massive demonstrations against the criminal element and not just a balloon release!
L E T T E R S
Support ‘bad apples’ law Please ask your state representative to support HB1727. Current Illinois law protects bad police officers through “qualified immunity,” so such officers are not held accountable for violating a citizen’s rights. Under HB1727, the Bad Apples in Law Enforcement Accountability Act, qualified immunity would not be a defense; instead such officers must show they acted reasonably under the circumstances. Qualified immunity does not protect citizens, communities
or quality officers. Currently civil suits for bad officers violating citizens’ rights are paid by cities, but these officers are not held responsible. The civil suit is paid for by taxpayers, not by the offending officer who is free to continue violating citizens’ rights. Remember, contact your state representative.
Tom Ard
Oak Park
Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
The HUB is a free online directory that connects people to free and reduced-cost health and human service programs in Chicago, west suburban Cook County, and southeast DuPage County. It is funded and supported by:
Mental health partners supporting mental health awareness:
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Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
LORRETO
Perpetuating disparities? from page 1 who got their shots at Loretto were white and 24 percent were Asian, while only 27 percent were Black and 12 percent Hispanic or Latino. In comparison, the population of Austin, the neighborhood the hospital serves, is 79 percent Black, 14.4 percent Latino, 4.8 percent white and .5 percent Asian, according to the Census’ American Community Survey five-year estimates. Loretto has been embroiled in scandal for months due to its vaccination program. Block Club reported on Loretto’s improper vaccination events and others in March, leading the city’s health department to cut off vaccine doses to Loretto. The hospital’s chief operating officer, Dr. Anosh Ahmed, also resigned amid the scandal. At the time, city officials said Loretto let “well-connected” people cut the line, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot said there should be an independent investigation into Loretto’s vaccinations. The hospital’s board ordered an audit March 25 — but it was the hospital itself that performed the review, against Lightfoot’s wishes. The hospital then tried to keep the audit from reporters. The internal audit was completed April 6, less than two weeks after it began, and provided to the Chicago Department of Public Health. A summary was sent to reporters, but the hospital refused to share the full audit. The Better Government Association and Block Club Chicago submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the city to get a copy of the audit, which was released Monday. The audit contains few details about the improper offsite vaccinations, does not say how officials determined questionable vaccinations were ultimately “eligible” and does not say how or if on-site vaccinations were investigated to ensure recipients were eligible. “Seventy percent of those vaccinated were people of color, and more than half of Loretto’s vaccinations distributed to Chicagoans went to Austin residents, which is a proud feat,” Loretto spokeswoman Becky Carroll said. “And we were equally proud to be among the first to provide vaccinations, per the city’s rules, to all available health care and frontline workers and other eligible individuals.” But city officials previously said the hospital was prioritized because it was expected to serve West Siders. “I’ve been very upfront about the fact that I’m deeply disappointed in the way Loretto not only, in my view, misappropriated vaccines … that were intended to serve the West Side community, a low-income, Black community that Loretto Hospital has a mission to serve,” Lightfoot said in March.
Improper Off-Site Vaccinations The hospital’s self-audit does not provide data about the people who got shots at individual off-site events or information about how those events happened. Loretto’s audit provides little information about its offsite vaccinations and why some were “decided eligible.” The report does disclose 70 people were vaccinated at Trump Tower, where Ahmed lived, and it acknowledges those recipients were not eligible for vaccinations. At the time, Chicago was in Phase 1B, and only frontline workers and people 65 and older were eligible. Another 49 people who got vaccinated at the Geneva Seal jewelry shop in the Gold Coast were also listed as ineligible in the audit.
COLIN BOYLE/Block Club Chicago
Loretto Hospital Those events happened when supply of vaccines was low and people were still desperate for shots. At the time, only frontline workers and people 65 and older were eligible for shots in Chicago. The West Side and Black and Latino people in Chicago have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19 — and a source who works at Loretto previously said people were calling the hospital daily, trying to get vaccinated, at the time of the improper vaccinations. The report lists several vaccinations that were “decided eligible” for various reasons: 258 shots at a suburban church attended by CEO George Miller, 21 shots at a Villa Park religious school and 10 people who live in the suburbs but were related to a doctor with ties to Loretto. The vaccinations at Miller’s Oak Forest church, which is 17 miles from Loretto, are listed as “decided eligible … outside of Chicago — healthcare in Chicago, work in Chicago, 65+.” But the report doesn’t say how or if the hospital determined if people who got shots at those events met those eligibility requirements. Similarly, no information is provided about why vaccinations at “IFS” — which appears to be the Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park, more than 11 miles from Loretto — were done and subsequently “decided eligible.”
Only 30 Percent Of People Who Got Loretto Shots Live In Austin, Audit Shows The hospital was picked to administer the first COVID-19 vaccine shots in Illinois because officials wanted to show Black and Latino people would be prioritized in vaccinations. Loretto, a small safety net hospital in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side, serves many lowincome people and Black and Latino Chicagoans. But the audit shows that, of 10,225 doses administered on-site, just 27 percent of people who got vaccinated at Loretto are Black. More than half of the people who got doses are white or Asian. The population of Austin is overwhelmingly Black. Just 4.8 percent of residents are white, and 0.5 percent are Asian. The hospital’s 5,443 off-site vaccine doses gave greater priority to Black and Latino people, though Black people still received far fewer shots than their proportion of the
area’s population: 31 percent of people who got shots offsite were Black, 39 percent were Hispanic or Latino, 21 percent were white and 4 percent were Asian. The audit also shows about 40 percent of all people who got shots though Loretto do not live in Chicago. Only 31.2 percent of all people who got shots through the hospital live in Austin. Of vaccinations done at the hospital, 49.7 percent were given to Chicago residents, and only 18.5 percent were given to Austin residents, according to the report. Loretto was not required to only vaccinate Chicagoans or people who live in Austin. Carroll said people eligible under the city’s guidelines, regardless of where they lived, could have gone to Loretto for their shots. The audit notes it was difficult to determine if people were eligible based on their residency. Using ZIP codes to determine a person’s residency was an “imperfect” method, as some ZIP code information was out of date, according to the audit. The report does not say if Loretto investigated if people who got vaccinated at Loretto Hospital were eligible — though WBEZ reported on ineligible county judges getting their shots at the hospital and Crain’s reported state Rep. Camille Lilly of Chicago, an executive at Loretto, gave the hospital a list of people she wanted vaccinated. The hospital has denied the list’s existence. The hospital conducted “a cross-sectional retrospective analysis” of 15,668 doses administered by Loretto on- and off-site as of March 15. It did not look at doses after that. “The design and methodology chosen for this audit was aimed at increasing transparency of the program, as well as providing insight into the demographics of patients served,” according to the report. Lightfoot has said she wanted an independent investigation of vaccine distribution at Loretto. “To be clear, there should be an independent investigation; I wasn’t expecting Loretto to audit themselves,” Lightfoot said in late March. “There should be an independent investigation to determine the specific uses for every dose they have been allocated.” Still, the city’s health department reviewed the audit and decided to set up a city-run clinic at Loretto in mid-April.
CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org
Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
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Feds: Alleged shooter in child’s murder fled to Miami Prosecutors allege Devontay Anderson, 21, is the second person who attacked Jaslyn and her father at a West Side McDonald’s drive-thru last month By BOB CHIARITO
North Parkside Avenue, was charged in a federal complaint April 29 with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in Jaslyn’s killing. The Federal authorities say the third man complaint in U.S. District Court was unsealed wanted for fatally shooting 7-year-old Jaslyn on May 12 and authorities are still trying to Adams last month has fled the state and a re- find Anderson. On May 13, the FBI offered a $10,000 for inward is being offered to help track him down. formation leading to his arrest. Devontay Anderson, 21, of the 100 block of Police and prosecutors said Jaslyn was with her father at the Homan Square McDonald’s drive thru April 18 when a silver Audi pulled up. Two men got out, one carrying a Draco, an AK-47 style of gun, the other brandishing a .40 caliber handgun. The pair ambushed Jaslyn and her father, firing at least 45 bullets at their car, prosecutors said. In the federal complaint, FBI Special Agent Steven Molesky said Anderson is the man who CREDIT: FBI brandished the Draco. An FBI flyer of Devontay Anderson, 21, who is wanted in Jaslyn was shot six times. Her father, Jontae Adams, Chicago on first-degree murder charges for fatally shooting was also shot but has 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams in April. Block Club Chicago
(Left) Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Jaslyn Adams, 7, was shot and killed while with her father in the drive-thru lane of the Homan Square McDonald’s. since been released from a hospital. Already charged and being held without bond are Demond Goudy, 21, who prosecutors believe shot the .40 caliber gun, and Marion Lewis, 18, who prosecutors believe drove the Audi. Lewis was arrested two days after Jaslyn’s murder after fleeing police and trying to carjack a family. Goudy, who was out on bond on four other felonies at the time of Jaslyn’s murder, was arrested a week later. The six-page complaint says Chicago Police linked Anderson to the shootings by viewing one of the co-offender’s Instagram accounts and corroborated it through Anderson’s
Facebook page. Based on that information, a Cook County judge issued an arrest warrant on April 26 for Anderson, charging him with first-degree murder, the complaint said. After identifying Anderson as one of the suspects, police obtained a court order allowing them to review GPS information from his Facebook account, which showed he was in Miami, Florida. Molesky wrote in the complaint he believes Anderson fled Illinois to avoid prosecution for Jaslyn’s murder, which is a federal crime.
CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org
Riot Fest lineup announced Nine Inch Nails to headline when popular Douglass Park festival returns in September By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago
Nine Inch Nails will headline Riot Fest’s return to Douglass Park in September. Three-day passes for the punk rock music fest Sept. 17-19 went on sale Friday but quickly sold out. One-day passes will go on sale next week when will be announced, organizers said. While $200 three-day passes are sold out, “ultimate” three-day passes that include VIP amenities, private bar and access to a private cabana, private restrooms and concierge service, were still on sale for $1,600 as of noon Friday. The current lineup for Riot Fest 2021 also includes the Smashing Pumpkins, Run The Jewels, Pixies, Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, DEVO, Coheed And Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, Sublime with Rome, NOFX, Dinosaur Jr., The Ghost Inside and Motion City Soundtrack.
Hip Hop acts at the festival will include Chicago natives Lupe Fiasco and Vic Mensa. Nine Inch Nails were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. The band previously performed at Riot Fest in 2017, and a survey of festival fans in 2019 ranked the Nine Inch Nails set as the top Riot Fest performance ever. The full lineup for the music festival is available on the Riot Fest website. More bands for the 2021 festival will be announced. Three-day passes for Riot Fest 2022 are also on sale now, the first time organizers have released tickets so far in advance. The 2022 music festival is set to be headlined by My Chemical Romance. Pascal Sabino is a Report for America corps member covering Austin, North Lawndale and Garfield Park for Block Club Chicago.
CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org
Riot Fest / Facebook
Riot Fest is staged in Douglas Park.
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Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
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Office located in Chicago. Candidates will be tested on all skill sets. Qualified Candidates should send their resumes and salary requirements to humanresources@icl-na.com
DRIVER NEEDED NOW HIRING DRIVERS!!!! Lucas Medi Car has an opening for a full time wheelchair van driver. To be considered must have: • a current Illinois driver license • be friendly and courtoues • have a good driving recoed • must be 18 years or older in age • pass a criminal background check To schedule an interview CALL (708) 442-7533, MONDAY THRU SUNDAY (10AM TO 4PM)
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AUSTIN/OAK PARK 3BR Austin/Oak Park: Bright and spacious, 3-bedroom apartment w/ huge living room and dining room, appliances included. Rent $1175.00 plus utilities. Close to transportation and parks. Call 312-852-2814.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER River Forest Public Schools District 90 is seeking a Part-time (FTE 0.77) Elementary School Physical Education Teacher. Qualifications: Valid Illinois Professional Educator License with Grade-Appropriate Physical Education Endorsement; successful teaching experience in physical education preferred; master’s Degree is preferred. Job Duties: The part-time PE Teacher will work in partnership with the fulltime PE teacher to instruct students in Pre-K through 4th grade on how to develop habits of mind and actions that support good health, fitness and enjoyment of sport and play. The PE teacher will facilitate a learning environment that engages students in learning skills for sport and fitness, as well as SEL skills by growing confidence, sportsmanship and team spirit. Application Procedure: Interested candidates should complete the online application available at district90.org. Please do not send hard copies of supporting documentation, i.e.cover letters, resumes, licensure, etc. to River Forest Schools District 90; instead, upload these materials onto the online job application system for proper processing. .SEASONAL FARMERS’ MARKET ASSISTANT The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmers’ Market Assistant in the Development Customer Services Department. This position will provide administrative support to the Farmers’ Market Manager to allow growers and producers of food to sell directly to the public within established guidelines. This position requires work in inclement weather conditions; some heavy lifting of up to 50 pounds; walking or standing for sustained periods of time. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled
SECRETARY/ASSISTANT Part-time, very flexible small law office in Oak Park. Ability to navigate a desktop essential Email resume to: bob@downslaw.com
ROOMS FOR RENT
HELP WANTED
1040 NORTH BLVD OFFICE Sub-lease, Move right in. Private furnished window office 10×15 @1040 North Boulevard, walk to CTA green line and Metra train. Asking $600m + 1m SD. Includes all utilities and internet. Note: this is a 2nd-story walkup space. Conference rm, available. Call Michael @ 708 383-7900
FOREST PARK HIGHLY VISIBLE OFFICE/STORE AVAILABLE FOR LEASE 1350 SF w/ AC & HIGHLY VISIBLE MADISON STREET EXPOSURE. 7607 Madison Street. Village parking lot next door. Bright, clean office. Great Madison Street exposure! Call Francis 708-383-8574
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Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $125.00. New Mgmt. 312-212-1212
GARAGE SALES Riverside
GARAGE SALE 511 LONGCOMMON RD (RIGHT OFF HARLEM)
SAT MAY 22 9AM - 3PM
Glassware, dishes, Home Decor, Art Nouveau,small appliances, new XL men’s shirts, name brand purses & wallets, books, vinyl records, dresses, desk, cameras, binoculars, storage containers, holiday and much more.
ATTIC SALE Berwyn
ATTIC SALE CALL FOR APPOINTMENT 708-309-9091
CEMETERY PLOTS
FOREST HOME CEMETERY PLOTS 6 Plots in Sec. 49. Available in lots of 2. 708-366-4440
FLEA MARKET Berwyn
OUTDOOR FLEA MARKET & CRAFT FAIR TRINITY CHURCH 7022 RIVERSIDE DR. SATURDAY MAY 22 9AM-2PM 708-484-1818 (press 3)
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Apply in person after 3pm. KALAMATA Greek Cuisine 105 N Marion Street 708-628-3661
Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue. Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.
CEMENT
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Email: adinstubc@yahoo.com Always ready for Reasonable Pricing! emergency repairs
ITEMS FOR SALE HENREDON SOFA Black-gray Henredon sofa. Excellent condition. 84 in w x 34 in d. $249. 708-488-8755 DECK FURNITURE 48” white wicker table with glass top, 4 chairs with matching umbrella, smaller table and umbrella cover. Best offer. 708-528-0896
ALL POSITIONS AVAILABLE Bartenders Bussers Line Cooks Servers
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QUARTZ HEATER Patton tower quartz heater. Sun like radiant heat. 4ft tall x 6 in wide. Excellent condition. $59.00. 708-488-8755 ANTIQUE HALL TREE Antique American Hall Tree, solid oak. Excellent condition. 29”w x 78”h x 11”d, with covered shelf and
ITEMS FOR SALE
mirror. $159.00. 708-488-8755
BLONDE CHEST OF DRAWERS 5 drawers. Blonde wood. Very old. Excellent condition. $89.00 708-488-8755
BLONDE DRESSER WITH MIRROR 4 drawers. Blonde wood. Very old. Excellent condition. $89.00 708-488-8755 BRASS HEADBOARD Solid brass headboard. Originally from Marshall Field’s. $189.00. 708-488-8755 ELECTRIC HEDGE TRIMMER $50.00 708-488-8755
Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates Ask for John
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708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000 WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead or plastic – other misc. toys. Call Uncle Gary
708-522-3400
Starting a New Business? Call the experts before you place your legal ad! Publish your assumed name legal notice here. Call 708/613-3342
Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
LANDSCAPING BRUCE LAWN SERVICE Spring Clean-Up Aerating, Slit Seeding Bush Trimming, Lawn Maintenance brucelawns.com
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Graduation is almost here! Be part of something fun, something positive and celebrate! Being a student during COVID-19 has been especially challenging. During the first two weeks of June, Growing Community Media will publish graduation coverage across all of our four newspapers.
Give the Grads in your life a much deserved shout out! Place a personalized ad honoring your graduating high school, middle school or elementary student. The suggested cost is $60 per ad, but no ad will be turned away for inability to pay. If you would like to make an additional donation to defray the cost of another student’s ad, you can do that too!
Ads will run on June 2 and June 9. To place an ad visit: AustinWeeklyNews.com |
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Austin Weekly News, May 19, 2021
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