Austin Weekly News 071421

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Vol. 35 No. 28

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July 14, 2021

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Rep. Ford talks cannabis equity

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Also serving Garfield Park

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M Metra t updates d t service i schedule, page 2

Austin ALDI reopens doors

Remodeled grocery store at 5629 W. Fillmore St. held grand reopening July 8

By ZACH CUNNING AustinTalks

Austin’s ALDI grocery store cut the ribbon for their grand reopening on July 8.

The recently remodeled store, located at 5629 W. Fillmore St., closed for renovations June 2 as part of an ongoing nationwide update and expansion to existing ALDI grocery stores, the company said in a press release.

The store features a full selection of fresh produce, meats, dairy and dry goods, as well as household products and other items.

ALDI represents one of a small but growing number of stores and markets where Austin residents can shop for their groceries, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.

They are one of only two major chain stores providing groceries in Austin; the other is a Walmart located at 4650 W. North Ave., which was also recently remodeled and reopened last November.

Before the pandemic, Austin had three grocery stores. The Save A Lot shutdown in midDecember, as reported by ABC7.

At the time, Rep. La Shawn Ford said Save A Lot’s decision would be devastating for residents who rely on walking or public transit to get their groceries, ABC7 reported.

Azariah Baker works for By the Hand Club for Kids’ Austin Harvest. The youth-led fresh See ALDI on page 9

Speaking Out

Photo by AustinTalks

Rev. Ira Acree (left) and Rev. Marshall Hatch Sr. speak Thursday near the site where the 15th District police commander and a sergeant were shot over the holiday weekend. Read more on page 3.

Cook County workers demand higher pay, better treatment Workers with SEIU Local 73 have been on strike for more than two weeks

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Natasha Brewer, a 48-year-old North Lawndale woman, works in the sterile processing department at Stroger Hospi-

tal in Chicago. She said that the hospital is severely understaffed.

“They build new hospitals, but they don’t employ new people,” she said. “It’s just a hard place to work without the proper people to work in it. Now, they want to increase

S W E N LASH! F

the insurance, but they don’t want to give us a pay raise, so that’s a decrease in pay.

They do all these surgeries, but don’t have proper staffing. Equipment breaks and See STRIKE on page 4

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Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

Metra increases rush hour and off-peak trains The new schedule moves Metra closer to pre-pandemic service

By IGOR STUDENKOV

The new schedule adds two mid-morning trains that leave Downtown Chicago at 9:05 a.m. and 9:40 a.m., making all stops. It also adds two afternoon rush hour trains that leave Chicago at 4:05 p.m. and 5:05 p.m. The former only stops at Oak Park and Berkeley at 4:21 p.m. and 5:21 p.m., respectively. The latter stops at all stations except Kedzie.

Contributing Reporter

Metra has increased weekday service levels on all of its lines. The change, which started on July 12, brings Metra’s operating schedule in the west suburbs closer to what it was before the pandemic.

In a statement, Metra officials said they plan to offer more pre-pandemic off-peak options while also increasing service as more workers return to offices and vaccination becomes more widespread.

The Union Pacific West line, with serves Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood, as well as Oak Park, River Forest, Maywood, Melrose Park, Bellwood and Berkeley, will get four new trains in each direction, though only half of those trains stop at stations in all of those communities.

The Milwaukee District West line, which serves Chicago’s Austin, Galewood and Montclare neighborhoods, will get three more inbound trains and four more outbound trains, though only one train in each direction will serve those stations.

And the BNSF Line, which has one station in Riverside and three stations in Brookfield, will see the biggest increase of the three, though Brookfield’s non-downtown stations will see their off-peak and evening service frequencies reduced.

Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski stated that the transit agency expects the ridership to rebound in the coming months.

“These new schedules are intended to help our customers’ transition back to a regular work commute providing them with more choices and flexibility,” he stated. “We expect ridership to continue to increase as the summer progresses and will continue to monitor conditions and make schedule adjustments that are responsive to our custom-

Milwaukee District West Line

Courtesy of Metra

ers’ needs.”

For more detailed information on the new Metra schedules, visit: metrarail.com/ riding-metra/service-updates/alternateschedules.

Union Pacific West Line While the schedule changes add four trains in both directions, the stations that will benefit most from it are the Oak Park station, which is located near Harlem Avenue, right next to Harlem/Lake Green Line ‘L’ station, and the Berkeley station, 5800 W. Park Ave.

The new schedule adds two rush hour inbound trains that arrive in Downtown Chicago at 7:20 a.m. and 8 a.m.

The former makes all stops, while the latter only stops at Berkeley and Oak Park at 7:30 a.m. and 7:38 a.m., respectively. The schedule also adds two inbound off-peak trains that will arrive in Chicago at 11:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. While the latter makes all stops, the former skips Bellwood station at 105 Fredrick Ave., Maywood station at 450 W. St. Charles Rd., as well as Kedzie station in East Garfield Park, though it does stop at Melrose Park station, which sits at Maywood/Melrose Park border at 1801 W. Main St.

While the line makes five stops in Austin, with two stops serving northern Austin and three stops serving Galewood, most of the added trips bypass those stations entirely.

Under the current schedule, three of those stations are flag stops, so even the trains that do serve them don’t stop there unless there’s a passenger at the platform or a rider requests the stop.

Those stations include Grand/Cicero station at Austin/Belmont Cragin border, 1833 N. Cicero Ave., Hanson Park station at Austin/Hanson Park border, 5621 W. Armitage Ave, and Mars station, which serves Galewood’s Mars Chocolate plant at 2019 N Oak Park Ave. The regular stations include Galewood station at 2031 W. Narragansett Ave. and Montclare station at Galewood/Montcare border at 7007 W. Medill St. Under the expanded schedule, those stops get one late afternoon inbound train that arrives in Downtown Chicago at 6:01 p.m. and one rush hour train that leaves downtown Chicago at 4:35 p.m. While that doesn’t add as much as other stations further out into the suburbs, it does mean that, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., the line serves Austin and Galewood once an hour instead of once every two hours.

CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com

Two promotions at Growing Community Media Veterans step up in edit design and development

Javier Govea and Mary Ellen Nelligan, two longtime staff members at Growing Community Media, have accepted promotions to new roles at the nonprofit publisher.

Govea is now editorial design manager for the newsroom. In this role he will lead both print and digital editorial design for GCM’s four flags – Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest.

Govea is now in his second run at GCM, having rejoined the newsroom one year ago. He was an editorial designer with Wednesday Journal Inc. for several years

previously. He has also worked as an editorial page designer for Pioneer Press/ Chicago Tribune.

Nelligan takes on the newly created post of development manager for the nonprofit. As Growing Community Media JAVIER GOVEA NFP enters its second full year, Nelligan will focus on growing membership donations, connecting with potential larger

donors and working with foundations on grant opportunities.

Nelligan has worked in sales and sales administration at GCM for several years. She has been active in development efforts and this MARY ELLEN NELLIGAN promotion will allow her to focus on that work.

GCM is currently looking to hire for a new position as Development and Sales Coordi-

nator to assume some work previously done

by Nelligan.

“Javier is a great editorial designer. Creative, accurate, experienced,” said Bob Uphues, senior editor and editor of the Landmark.

“Javi solves problems and is incredibly steady on deadlines.”

“Mary Ellen is so clear thinking, so organized, so thoughtful and passionate about the work we are doing,” said Dan Haley, publisher of Growing Community Media. “This promotion is really recognition of the outstanding work she has done for us through the process of becoming a nonprofit and now growing that aspect of our work.”

Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

West Side ministers speak out against gun violence Pastors gathered during July 8 press conference to call on city leaders to do more to combat shootings

By ZACH CUNNING AustinTalks

West Side faith leaders gathered on July 8, in the wake of Chicago’s most violent weekend this year, to call on institutions, including their own, to do more to combat the violence.

The Rev. Ira Acree, of Greater St. John Bible Church, said the over 100 shootings and nearly 20 homicides from the past three-day holiday weekend “is totally asinine. This is unheard of, it’s unacceptable, and certainly, we will not bite our tongues.”

They were gathered on the corner of North Long Street and West Washington Boulevard, about half a block from the spot where Chicago Police Department 15th District Commander Patrina Wines and a CPD sergeant were shot in the early hours of July 5.

Wines was shot in the foot and the sergeant was grazed in the leg, according to the Sun Times.

CPD spokesperson Karie James said in an emailed statement both are still recovering but declined to say when they would be returning to work.

“It seems like now, that no one is off limits. a 1-year-old child shot in the head. The police commander, shot,” Acree said.

Marshawn Feltus, a resident and homeowner, said the early Monday morning shooting happened just steps away from his house.

“As a person that cannot be a concealed carry member, how am I supposed to protect myself and my family when the image of a police commander is being shot and hurried off of a block where I rest my head? It’s unacceptable,” he said.

Feltus called on the community to come MARSHAWN FELTUS together to make the 100 block of North West Side resident Long Street and the surrounding blocks “the prototype for the city of what the community can do.”

Acree said when violence has gotten bad in the past, churches opened their doors to give youth a safe space.

He called on faith leaders who “are in hibernation in your studios, come on out and open those churches up and give these youth a place to hang out and a place where they can be safe.”

Pastor Cy Fields, of New Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, said faith leaders needed to reach out to the community “because our enough has not been enough.”

The pastors said it was also time for politicians to end the blame game and come together to form a comprehensive plan to end the violence.

“We have enough people pointing the finger,” Acree said.

He said he was tired of hearing those in power blame each other.

“Don’t just blame, do something.”

The Rev. Marshall Hatch Sr., of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, said the mayor, county board president and governor need to get out of “their own little cycles” and come up with a comprehensive violence reduction plan for the community.

Feltus said in an interview, while there’s no one answer to solving the violence, “collectively, there’s a number of things that can be done.”

“If it had not been for the police commander, what type of attention would these residents have gotten so that their voices can be heard?”

He said elected officials, from aldermen to the mayor, need to start listening to the “little people,” the homeowners and community members who are experiencing these events in real time.

“So, it’s yes, getting the community involved but also in conjunction, if we elected these people then we want to be heard. We want our voices to be heard,” he said.

Feltus said community members want their issues, and their proposed solutions, to be taken seriously.

“If it had not been for the police commander, what type of attention would these residents have gotten so that their voices can be heard?” he asked.

During Thursday’s press conference, a local resident got out of the car she was riding in to ask the gathered faith leaders why no one seemed to be actively trying to inform the community of what was going on.

Feltus said the woman pulling over and voicing her concerns demonstrated a frustration throughout the community: “Those are the things that need to be heard, where’s the public forum to hear these concerns?”

“Don’t credit her, you know, for being angry. Credit her for she’s concerned,” he said.

The ministers have planned a community meeting for 3:30 p.m.

July 10 at New Mount Pilgrim MB Church, 4301 W. Washington Blvd.

CONTACT: austintalks.org@gmail.com

AUSTIN WEEKLY

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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 Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Mark Moroney 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.

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Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

STRIKE

Making noise from page 1 they don’t want to fix it. It’s a lot of reasons we’re out here — not just one.”

Brewer is among roughly 2,500 Cook County workers who have been on strike for 15 days now.

On July 9, Brewer stood near the Cook County courthouse in Maywood with several dozen of her fellow SEIU Local 73 members. The union is demanding parity with other unions representing Cook County employees.

In late June, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office reached contract agreements with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Nurses United and the Teamsters.

But members of SEIU Local 73, which includes DIAN PALMER maintenance workLocal 73 president ers, administrative personnel and medical personnel like certified registered nurse anesthetists, say their negotiations with Preckwinkle’s administration have stalled.

One of the main points of contention is the Preckwinkle administration’s unwillingness to budge on its offer of an 8.5 percent pay raise that the union argues is inadequate to cover other proposed expenses.

For instance, the union argued that there is currently no incentives rewarding longterm workers, no pay raises for the county’s lowest-paid workers, such as housekeepers and custodians, and no raises to cover health insurance increases.

“They are charging us more for our health insurance and cutting our benefits at the

“They are charging us more for our health insurance and cutting our benefits at the same time.”

PROVIDED

‘RESPECT US’: Members of SEIU Local 73 demonstrate outside of the county building Downtown. same time. And they didn’t offer raises to cover the health insurance increase which amounts to a pay cut for all workers,” said Dian Palmer, the president of Local 73.

“Their offer creates problems and offers no solutions. We cannot let this continued disrespect stand.”

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a “letter from the county sent to commissioners and management said, “Based on the County’s calculations, the average pay increase for SEIU members over the life of the contract is in alignment with all other unions which have reached tentative agreements. (This does not include the value of upgrades and adjustments to wage scales which provide an even greater salary increase to employees.)”

Workers who were out in Maywood on July 9, however, said that their grievances go

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well beyond pay increases.

Sylvia Kizer, 60, said she’s been working in housekeeping with the county for 29 years.

Since the pandemic struck, Kizer said, she’s contracted COVID-19 twice.

“I caught it in December 2020 and then again in March 2021,” she said. “I know I caught COVID on the job. I have to ask for personal protection equipment (PPE) and I work with biohazards. I’ve worked in areas where we’re not informed that the patient has COVID. It’s a lack of respect, a lack of dignity, a lack of necessity. They don’t see us as grown people and they don’t see us as human beings.”

Joyce Klein, a 33-year-old social worker with the county, said that she’s been supporting COVID patients during the pandemic and making sure they get appointments with their doctors.

“That’s hard when the hospital is so severely understaffed,” she said. “The coordination is always impossible, but during the pandemic it became even more so.”

Ericka White, 52, a 30-year county employee who said she was laid off roughly 10 years ago before the SEIU fought for 18 months to get her job back, explained why she was in Maywood on Friday.

“This fight is necessary, because many, many county employees are very low wage workers,” White said. “I’m blessed to make a decent salary, but there are so many of us that don’t. Finally, somebody is fighting on their behalf. Finally, we have the courage and strength to fight for ourselves. We know we deserve better, so we’re going to keep fighting until there’s no fight left.”

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

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New Austin facility provides space for residents to heal The new Renaissance Living Room is a space to relax, receive mental health resources

By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

West Siders who are experiencing a mental health crisis or simply feeling overwhelmed can stop by a one-of-a-kind resource to relax and get some help.

The Renaissance Living Room, at 5244 W. Chicago Ave., looks more like a home than a doctor’s office, with chairs, tables, couches and warm lighting.

The facility is designed to provide a lowpressure, calming environment. Anyone who comes in can talk to one of the recovery support specialists, typically people who have experienced mental health challenges in the past and are trained to help people in similar situations. If visitors are interested, they can also get help from trained therapists and get connected to other resources. All services are free and confidential.

The Living Room opened in the midst of the pandemic, so much of their work has hap-

pened over the phone. But as the COVID-19 restrictions eased, they have been able to accept more in-person clients.

Currently, anyone can walk in between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or call or text ahead of time.

The Living Room plans to move into a larger space at 4835 W. Chicago Ave., closer to the intersection of Chicago and Cicero avenues, which will allow it to expand hours and see even more clients.

The Living Room is an extension of Renaissance Social Services, 2501 W. Washington Blvd., a nonprofit that launched in 1997 to help low-income Chicagoans keep their homes. The nonprofit has since expanded into other services, including providing physical and mental health resources.

Michael Banghart, the nonprofit’s executive director, said that his organization noticed that “a significant cluster” of clients lived on the West Side. The nonprofit wanted to bring its services to Austin, but in a way that responded to the community’s most urgent needs.

Banghart said that the organization consulted West Side United’s strategic plan, as well as the Austin Quality of Life Plan spearheaded by the Austin Coming Together coalition.

PROVIDED

CALMING INTERIOR: A photo taken inside of the Renaissance Living Room on the West Side.

“Three years ago, when we were working on the strategic plan, one of the goals was to be more responsive to what we were seeing, the needs in the community,” Banghart said.

“The Austin and West Garfield Park area had the highest amount of crime and poverty, as well as a lot of health needs, but not many mental health resources.”

Banghart said the nonprofit’s long-term goal is to open a facility they would share with interested West Side service organizations.

“We will continue to talk and listen to what people want and see what role we can play in the area,” he said. “We’re not the saviors of Austin. We want to see where we can fit into a bigger solution and make things better.”

The Living Room is currently operating out of a space that it leases from the Westside Health Authority. Banghart said that they are tentatively planning to have a grand opening in the new space, which will also be leased from WHA, on Aug. 16 at noon. They plan to move into the new space before then, he said.

As part of the expansion, the Living Room is looking to hire recovery support specialists and social workers from Austin.

Interested residents can call or text at (312) 350-2784. For more information about Renaissance Living Room, visit https://www.renaissancelivingroom.org/.

CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com

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Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

Block Club Convention coming to West Side

The 24th Ward Block Club Convention to convene July 17 at Douglass Park Fieldhouse

By PASCAL SABINO AustinTalks

A convention to rejuvenate block clubs on the West Side will be held later this month as neighbors try to make their communities more safe and welcoming.

The 24th Ward Block Club Convention will be hosted 10 a.m.-noon July 17 at the Douglass Park Fieldhouse, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive. The convention will give residents a chance to learn more about how they can form a block club and revive one that has gone defunct, and it will equip neighbors with city resources to organize a club and host events.

“To create a better model of public safety, we have to have communities and blocks engaged. We want to show folks who might not have a block club, how you can get involved … and the resources you may find to help cultivate a block club,” said Ald. Michael Scott (24th), who sponsored the event.

The convention was organized with the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, Chicago Public Schools and the Local Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy district, which often supports block clubs and the events they host. Open Books will also be at the convention to share literacy resources as part of the North Lawndale Reads initiative.

Being part of a block club makes the neighborhood a nicer place to live and allows residents to band together to make improvements, said Carol White, secretary for the block club at 12th Street and Spaulding Avenue.

“They’re like a support group for me.

They help the families when there’s a death in the family. We organize things like block days and dinners. We help keep the neighborhood clean,” White said.

The block club also keep residents connected and informed about the events, resources and opportunities that are avail-

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Andrea Watson/DNAinfo

Milik Clay (center) is makes a block club sign for 65th and Peoria in 2017 with My Block, My Hood, My City. able, especially for older people and those who don’t have internet access, White said.

“Some people might not know all the things the alderman has in his office. If you’re looking for help, jobs or anything like that … we get paperwork from the office and distribute it through the neighborhood, like the jobs, the energy programs, self-help things, or if you need a handyman,” White said.

Working together as a block club makes it easier for residents to get certain services and resources from the city, White said.

When the group hosts block parties, the city helps provide things like food, bouncy houses and police, she said. In the winter, the block club gets help from workers from the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation to shovel snow and keep pathways clear for older people, she said.

Families living on the 1800 block of Ridgeway Avenue work together as a block club to make sure the garbage gets collected, the snow gets shoveled and the area stays clear of litter, said club President Carl Johnson.

And since the families have relationships with one another, they watch each other’s

backs and keep an eye out on what happens on the block.

“Just in case anything happens, we can call each other. If somebody’ sitting on your porch that don’t belong there … we’ll ask them to move. … We don’t allow any drug selling,” he said.

White’s block club helps her feel safer, as well. Residents who aren’t part of a block club should consider forming one since it is a way to take action on some of the challenges the area has, she said.

“A lot of people feel like crime is creeping into the neighborhood. … They feel like, ‘Should we move?’ Instead of moving, try to band together with the block club and get the police to work with us, like we do,” White said. “We watch out for each other in the neighborhood.”

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CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org

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Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

7

Ford talks cannabis equity during virtual town hall The West Side lawmaker touted progress on legislation aimed at infusing equity in the industry during July 8 event

By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

During a Cannabis Equity virtual town hall held July 8, State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-8th) and Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s former Chicago City Council floor leader, touted some progress on proposed legislation that would give minority business owners more opportunities to get cannabis dispensary licenses while emphasizing that they still have a lot of work to do to address the current disparities.

Since the sale and cultivation of recreational cannabis has been legalized in Illinois, the licenses have been snapped up by white-owned businesses. Several Black and Hispanic community leaders, including Ford, complained that the situation was unfair to minority communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs.

Ford and Villegas held the virtual town hall to discuss where the legislation currently stands and to give their constituents the opportunity to ask questions. Ford touted a bill that could give minority-owned businesses more opportunities to get dispensary licenses, while Villegas mentioned an ordinance that would lift the existing caps on the number of licenses.

Both lawmakers agreed that, with conventional funding sources cut off, the state and the city should do more to help

PROVIDED

State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford. minority-owned dispensaries get off the ground.

On May 22, the Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 1443, which would increase the number of cannabis dispensary licenses available during the first round of the lottery from 75 to 175.

At least 50 of those licenses must go to “social equity applicants,” or companies that are at least 51 percent owned by individuals who either were arrested for marijuana-related offenses before cannabis was legalized or live in “disproportionately impacted areas.”

These areas are census tracts with high rates of poverty or high rates of marijuana-related arrests and convictions. Nothing in the bill explicitly requires the social equity applicants to

be Black or Hispanic.

The legislation also gives social equity applicants a better chance to get a license in a lottery and requires that at least 50 new dispensary licenses be issued by Dec. 21, 2022. The bill is currently waiting for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.

During the July 8 forum, Ford touted the bill as a major step forward, saying that he “got that commitment from the administration” that it will be signed.

“We need to have a better shot to make sure that the cannabis industry is more diverse,” he said. “I am convinced that now Illinois is in a better situation to have a more diverse [cannabis] industry.”

During a City Council meeting on June 25, Villegas introduced an ordinance that would increase the number of dispensaries owned by the people of color. Under the current zoning regulations, the city is divided into seven “cannabis districts,” with the number of dispensaries in each district capped at 14, while banning dispensaries in the Loop.

This was set up to ensure that dispensaries are spread equally in all parts of Chicago, but Villegas argued not only did it not make the industry more equitable, but it drove some applicants away from the city.

“Currently, there are 19 licensed adult-use dispensaries, none of which are owned by people of color,” he said. “Sixteen are located in just four cannabis zones. [Several] opted out of Chicago and decided to locate in the suburbs or an adjacent county.”

Ford and Villegas agreed that one of the major obstacles for minority applicants has been financing, especially since banks don’t lend to businesses in an industry that’s still illegal under federal law. Ford said he would be in favor of using state funds to issue loans.

CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com

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Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

T

Knowing better and doing better

here’s an old saying: “If they knew better, they’d do better!” Perhaps at one time there was truth to that saying.

But after watching all the snapbacks that have come down when people try to point out the “know better” so that folks can “do better,” well, it’s easy to understand why I am no longer a believer.

Recently comedian Monique lovingly chastised black women for going out, and even traveling, wearing those “popping fresh” nasty looking bonnets on their head, bedroom slippers on their feet and pajama bottoms covering their butts.

She didn’t ask the women to get all glammed up to get on a plane, but at the same time she reminded them that when they were out in public, they were representing us as a people. In a nutshell, if black women want to be seen as queens, they can’t be out traipsing about looking like the chambermaids or worse.

Well the pushback was immediate and strong. Because truthfully, there is a segment of the black community that has gotten lazy. So instead of taking the time to do their hair, or even hiding it under a nice hat or head wrap, they keep on the bonnet. I don’t care what color it is, the majority of the folks running around wearing those bonnets look atrocious. Why spend all the money on the glamorous hairdos if you’re not going to show it off all the time? The majority of time the weave that the women are wearing is not going to last forever. So

instead of protecting it, show it off at all times!

And it’s not just women.

The Turkey Leg Hut restaurant in Texas, recently announced that they were going to enforce a dress code.

They are a family establishment and not a club. So they had some simple requests that should make everybody happy when they’re sitting down to consume their meal.

Some of the rules are: ■ No excessively revealing clothes. I mean really, do you want to see somebody’s butt hanging out while you’re trying to eat?

■ No obscene language or baggy clothes. Cuz we know there are some folks who can use the word MF’er as a noun, pronoun, adjective, prepositional phrase, etc!

There’s also something about seeing a male with those pants hanging under his butt that is just not appetizing when you’re trying to sit down and eat at the Hut, whose dress rules also include no house attire, bonnets, slippers and pajama bottoms. No exposed undergarments or swimsuits.

Their rules didn’t seem to be unreasonable. But the folks who appear to not “know better,” did not appreciate the rules that would make them “do better.” Many of them snapped back online, including making derogatory comments about where the restaurant is located. Truthfully, just because a restaurant is in the ’hood does not mean we have to display the worst elements of the ’hood.

But then again, as I said before, some folks just don’t want to do better!

ARLENE JONES

“There’s … something about seeing a male with those pants hanging under his butt that is just not appetizing when you’re trying to sit down and eat …”

AUSTIN WEEKLY NEWS Mail your letter to the editor to: Austin Weekly News, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 or email michael@austinweeklynews.com

PROVIDED

College and Career Academy

Austin schools to see increase in budgets next year Chicago Public Schools released it’s nearly $7B operating budget earlier this year

By SHELBY E. HAWKINS AustinTalks

Eleven Austin public schools will see an increase in their 2021-22 budgets, while two others will see no increase or a drop.

Chicago Public Schools released its $6.9 billion operating budget earlier this year, with district officials noting that nearly 95% of its campuses will see a budget increase next year. School-level budgets make up about 60% of the district’s operating budget, according to Chalkbeat.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that 94% of schools — 482 of 513 — will see increases in their budgets, in large part due to $70 million in federal coronavirus relief funding — “an initial drop in the bucket from nearly $3 billion the district received through three bills passed by Congress last year.”

The budgets released in April identify how much money each principal will be given to spend at their school. A districtwide, centralized budget will be released this summer and include money for building renovations and other special projects, according to the Sun-Times.

Here’s a list of Austin schools’ operating budgets, as announced earlier this spring: ■ Austin College and Career Academy High School: Number of students 2020-21: 235 FY2021 Total: $3,040,164 FY2022 Total: $3,189,064 % Change: 4.89%

■ George Rogers Clark Elementary School: # of Students 2020-21: 182 FY2021 Total: $2,593,369 FY2022 Total: $2,724,642 % change: 5.06% ■ Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School: # of students: 524 FY2021 Total: $6,085,957 FY2022 Total: $6,213,557 % Change: 2.09% ■ Oscar DePriest Elementary School: # of students: 483 FY2021 Total: $6,065,827 FY2022 Total: $6,195,427 % change: 2.13% ■ Frederick A. Douglass Academy High School: # of students: 50 FY2021 Total: $1,458,080 FY2022 Total: $1,458,080 % change: 0% ■ Edward K Ellington Elementary School: # of students: 432 FY2021 Total: $5,081,316 FY2022 Total: $5,149,116 % change: 1.33% ■ Julia Ward Howe Elementary School: # of students: 376 FY2021 Total: $3,898,099 FY2022 Total: $3,973,827 % change: 1.94% ■ George Leland Elementary School: # of students: 366 increase in enrollment FY2021 Total: $4,329,978 FY2022 Total: $4,349,149 % change: 0.4% ■ Spencer Technology Academy: # of students: 437 FY2021 Total: $4,329,978 FY2022 Total: $4,394,861 % change: 1.49% ■ Ella Flagg Young Elementary School: # of students: 589 FY2021 total: $5,982,697 FY2022: $6,096,383 % change: 1.91% ■ Brunson Math & Science Specialty School: # of students: 413 FY2021 Total: $4,304,379 FY2022 Total: $4,304,379 % change: 0% ■ Leslie Lewis Elementary School: # of students: 454 FY2021 Total: $4,356,771 FY2022 Total: $4,362,771 % change: 0.2% ■ John Hay Community Academy: # of students: 283 FY2021 Total: $3,235,311 FY2022 Total: $3,239,311 % change: 0.2%

CONTACT: austintalks.org@gmail.com

Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

9

Pritzker signs bill expanding covered Medicaid services Signing ceremony also highlights statewide blood shortage

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois

Illinois residents who have health coverage through Medicaid now have access to a broad range of services including mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, smoking cessation and dental services.

Gov. JB Pritzker on July 6 signed Senate Bill 2294, which passed unanimously out of both chambers during the spring legislative session.

“This legislation that I’m signing into law today is a product of our passionately dedicated, bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators who are part of the Medicaid legislative working group,” Pritzker said at a bill signing ceremony in suburban Chicago. “… For all the naysayers that always seem to bad-talk the state of Illinois, few other states can say that they have an annual commitment shared across both sides of the aisle to hash out how to make health care access for millions of Illinoisans who rely on Medicaid even better.”

Among many provisions, the bill provides that people covered under Medicaid will continue to be eligible throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency and for up to 12 months after the emergency expires.

It also calls on the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a program for implementation of certified community behavioral health clinics by Jan. 1, 2022, and to develop a “comprehensive behavioral health strategy” that is to be submitted to the governor and General Assembly by July 1, 2022.

Other provisions include recognizing veteran support specialists as mental health professionals under the state’s Med-

ALDI

New look from page 1 market at 423. N Laramie is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

As previously reported by AustinTalks, she chose to be part of Austin Harvest, in part, because kids and teens didn’t realize Austin is a food desert.

“We thought of the food being out of reach as a typical thing,” Baker said.

Rodney Williams, director of entrepreneurship and economic development at By The Hand Club, said a

Credit: Blueroomstream.com

Gov. JB Pritzker signs a bill into law expanding coverage under the state’s Medicaid plan for mental health, substance abuse treatment and a number of other services. icaid plan; coverage of both individual and group tobacco cessation programs; requiring in-patient treatment for anyone experiencing an opioid overdose or withdrawal if it’s determined to be medically necessary; coverage of kidney transplant medications regardless of a patient’s U.S. residency status; and providing a 10 percent increase, through March 31, 2022, in reimbursement rates for supportive living facilities, to be paid for with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. House Majority Leader Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat and member of the Medicaid working group, said this year’s bill is aimed at addressing many of the health care disparities that have existed in Illinois for years but which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s something we in the legislature do every year to improve health care for people in every corner of the state of Illinois, but this will be really the first post-COVID omnibus bill,” he said. “And in this, we’ve learned a lot of lessons from the last year about inequities and disparities and communities hardest hit by COVID. Many of these are covered by Illinois Medicaid. Some of these folks were not covered at all. So today is a step one of many steps to expand coverage and access to make it more user friendly and reduce disparities for people to get health care.”

Critical blood shortage Tuesday’s bill signing took place at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, a southwest suburb of Chicago, where health care officials were also conducting a blood drive to address a critical shortage that’s being experienced throughout the state and the country.

Bill Rhoades, chief medical officer at the hospital, said blood usage nationwide has risen about 10 percent recently, due largely to increased visits to emergency rooms.

Joy Squier, regional communications officer for the American Red Cross in Illinois, said the shortage is especially critical as the nation heads into the peak of summer activity.

“While summer is traditionally a time when blood donations do decline, this year is particularly challenging as many Americans receive their vaccinations, resume summer activities, and after more than a year of limited interactions, are doing what’s fun and what we all want to do,” she said. “But it’s leading to lower turnout.”

She said people can schedule an appointment to donate at a blood bank in their area by visiting the website RedCrossBlood.org, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

lack of access to fresh food doesn’t just mean physical accessibility, it also includes financial accessibility.

ALDI is seeking to address both concerns, ALDI Valparaiso Division Vice President Heather McCarthy said.

“We believe eating and living well is a right, not a privilege, and our prices back that up,” she said.

“We have fresh produce delivered to every store, including our remodeled Austin store daily, and we are passionate about providing the freshest produce at unbelievably low prices. Everything we do is to provide shoppers with the highquality, fresh foods they want at prices they love.”

CONTACT: austintalks.org@gmail.com

Photo by AustinTalks

ALL GOOD: Employees of the newly remodel ALDI in Austin inside of the store last week.

10

Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

TEACHER AND TEACHER AIDE MINI ME BUNCH seeks teacher and teacher aide to enhance and expand daycare serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Teacher must have at least Associates’ degree in Early Childhood Education.

Minimum 1 year experience preferred in each position. Must love children and be outgoing, patient, flexible. Contact 773-521-9499

OFFICE COORDINATOR The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Office Coordinator in Information Technology. This position will perform a variety of responsible and complex administrative duties for the IT Department; provide information and assistance to Village staff regarding requests for service; and provide administrative support to the IT Director and the IT staff. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/ jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than July 16, 2021.

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER Must have own transportation.

For more information CALL 708-738-3848 GRANTS SUPERVISOR The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Grants Supervisor in the Development Customer Services Department. This position will perform a variety of responsible for developing. Administering and coordinating activities related to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other grant-funded programs for the Village.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs.

Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than July 16, 2021.

POLICE RECORDS CLERK The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Police Records Clerk in the Police Department. This position will perform a wide variety of specialized clerical duties in support of the Police Department including processing and maintaining documents, correspondence and coding reports; and to provide information and assistance to the public. 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 no later than July 16, 2021.

BAND SAW WELDER TECH, GENL LABORER OPENINGS Local sharpening service has two openings: Band Saw Welder Technician and General Laborer position. Apply at 1233 Circle Ave., Forest Park, IL 708-209-1636

Starting a New Business?

Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Austin Weekly News • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

River Forest Public Schools District 90

District 90 is seeking qualified and experienced applicants for the following positions: • Speech and Language Pathologist (Roosevelt Middle School) • English Language Learners Teacher (Full-time at Roosevelt Middle School and Part-time FTE 0.50 at Lincoln Elementary School) • Social Worker (Roosevelt Middle School) • Physical Education Teachers, ( Full-time at Roosevelt Middle School and Part-time FTE 0.77 at Willard Elementary School) • STEM Teacher, Grades 6-8 (Roosevelt Middle School) • Instructional Specialist (Roosevelt Middle School) • Kindergarten Teacher Part-time FTE 0.50 (Willard Elementary School) For detailed qualifications requirements and job duties, please visit our website at https://www.district90.org/about/ employment for our complete list of employment opportunities.

General Qualifications: Valid Illinois Professional Education License with endorsement in field of study, a Master’s Degree is preferred and successful teaching experience with students in a classroom setting is preferred.

General Duties: Provide excellence in education by developing and implementing activities that encourage students to be life-long learners. Possesses knowledge of District policies and regulations relating to areas of responsibilities. Create an environment that is conducive to learning and appropriate to the developmental maturity and interests of each student.

Application: Apply online at www.district90.org. 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.

Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Call Mary Ellen for details: 773/626-6332

CITY RENTALS

CITY RENTALS

AUSTIN RENAISSANCE APARTMENTS

A HUD subsidized affordable Apartment property announces the opening of its waiting list for both One and Two Bedroom Apartments! Resident rent is approximately 30% of gross household income, some restrictions apply. Our property is located on Washington Blvd in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.

Apartments offered with an occupancy of one to four persons. Properties feature modern kitchens, include appliances, and offer onsite maintenance. Austin Renaissance will accept requests for application packages by U.S. Mail postmarked no later than , September 15, 2021. Send or email a written request for an application package that includes your name, mailing address. Daytime telephone number, Email address, and the number of persons in your household to: Town Center Realty Group LLC, PO Box 64, Huntley IL 60142-0064 or Email requests to mrpaul.tcrg@gmail.com Application packages available by mail or email delivery only. No walk-ins accepted.

Town Center Realty Group LLC

AustinWeeklyNews.com

SUBURBAN RENTALS

SUBURBAN RENTALS

Apartment listings updated daily at:

SUBURBAN RENTALS DOWNTOWN OAK PARK 1BR Small 1BR apartment in DTOP. Renovated and freshly painted.

Harwood floors. Walking distance to El. No pets. $850/mo, utilities included.

708-657-4226

SUBURBAN REAL ESTATE FOR SALE RIVERSIDE 3 FLAT FSBO Three above grade 2BR apts.

Unfinished basement w/ laundry & 1/2 BA. 4 car brick garage. Zoned for residential and office, if desired.

Well maintained. $529,000

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 708-446-1324

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT OAK PARK THERAPY OFFICE Oak Park: Free wifi; flexible leasing, and offices nicely furnished right down to the Kleenex. Secure building & friendly colleagues, often giving referrals to other office mates.

Shared Waiting room, Conference room & option to join Peer Supervision Group. Ideal for new practice or 2nd location.

708-383-0729

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

ROOMS FOR RENT Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave.

Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $125.00. New Mgmt.

312-212-1212

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

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.

708-522-3400

Attention! Home improvement pros!

Advertise your business in Austin Classified. Call 773/626-6332

CEMENT

CEMENT

MAGANA

C O N C R E T E C O N S T RU C T I O N “QUALITY IS OUR FOUNDATION” ESTABLISHED IN 1987

COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL

708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<6 )281'$7,216 3$7,26 67(36 &85% *877(56 6,'(:$/.6 612: 3/2:,1* 67$03(' &2/25(' $**5(*$7( &21&5(7( FREE ESTIMATES LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

ELECTRICAL

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

AIR CONDITIONING

AIR CONDITIONING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Air Conditioning Automotive A/C Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

HANDYMAN

HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

773-637-0692 Ask for John

LANDSCAPING BRUCE LAWN SERVICE Spring Clean-Up Aerating, Slit Seeding Bush Trimming, Lawn Maintenance brucelawns.com

708-243-0571

Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING

Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

Attention Home-Improvement Pros!

Reach the people making the decisions.

Place an ad in Austin Classified!

Call 773/626-6332

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: 1-800669-9777.

Austin Weekly News

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING, LLC Plaintiff, -v.SIMONE Y. DIXON, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF JEANNETT SMITH, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, FELICIA SMITHGALE, DAMON RITENHOUSE, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR JEANNETT SMITH (DECEASED) Defendants 2019CH10889 3823 W. GRENSHAW ST. CHICAGO, IL 60624 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 9, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 3, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 3823 W. GRENSHAW ST., CHICAGO, IL 60624 Property Index No. 16-14-327-0160000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-06919 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH10889 TJSC#: 41-981 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2019CH10889 I3171335

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm 3pm.. Please refer to file number 19-092360.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717 E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com Attorney File No. 19-092360 Attorney Code. 42168 Case Number: 20 CH 200 TJSC#: 41-565 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 20 CH 200 I3171286

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO WELLS FARGO BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE F/K/A NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET INVESTMENT LOAN TRUST, 2003-BC4 Plaintiff, -v.LESLIE WOLFE, CITY OF CHICAGO, AN ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, 1ST FEDERAL SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION OF WESTCHESTER, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN OCCUPANTS Defendants 20 CH 200 1839 SOUTH KEELER AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60623 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on March 18, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 3, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1839 SOUTH KEELER AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60623 Property Index No. 16-22-411-0390000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $64,036.91.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

11

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Hire Local.

Place an ad on AWN’s Local Online Job Board.

Go to AustinWeeklyNews.com/classified today!

Contact Mary Ellen Nelligan for more information.

(773) 626-6332 • maryellen@austinweeklynews.com

12

Austin Weekly News, July 14, 2021

BEGINS JULY 11

Chicago’s most iconic street, State Street, closes to traffic from Lake to Madison on select Sundays this summer and transforms into an open street full of surprises.

#SundaysOnState LoopChicago.com/Sundays

A PROJECT OF: