Austin Weekly News 090220

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Vol. 34 No. 36

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Galewood Sears development to get a new owner,

September 2, 2020

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austinweeklynews.com

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Also serving Garfield Park

@AustinWeeklyChi

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West Side overdoses surge amid pandemic

Shutdown makes it harder to access addiction help

By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago

Drug overdoses have skyrocketed this year — and Black and Latino communities are being devastated.

About 1,400 people in Cook County have died of opioid overdoses, already surpassing last year’s death toll, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Half of the people who died of overdoses this year are Black.

Black people are being hospitalized for overdoses at seven times the rate of white people, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data from June.

The West Side has long been the epicenter of the opioid epidemic, and multiple community programs have sprung up to support people struggling with addiction. But by March, the coronavirus pandemic had swept in, shifting attention from the opioid crisis to another.

The shutdown and social distancing guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus made it more difficult for health and treatment centers to provide clinical care, recovery groups and counseling to those suffering from opioid addiction.

Combined with the hopelessness from the pandemic, those challenges have contributed to a devastating rise in overdoses and deaths, experts said.

“We saw a great number of patients that came in that were overdosed,” said Sherrie Spencer, chief nursing officer at Saint Anthony Hospital in Lawndale. “The anxiety of COVID, it does lead to people drinking more and using more. Because See OPIOIDS on page 3

SHANEL ROMAIN

CANDY MAN: Austin native Alex Hardin inside of Sugar Dealers, the new candy store he opened last week in suburban Maywood. Hardin said when he moved to the suburb in 1998 from Austin, there weren’t many neighborhood candy shops like there were on the West Side.

The basics of voting, especially by mail What to do, what you’ll need, and who to contact

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

The Nov. 3 Presidential Election will be an unprecedented election in U.S. history, with many people forced to rely on mail-in voting to cast their ballots just as the U.S. Postal Service is being pushed into a state of disarray by the Trump administration.

Here is some basic information about voting by mail that may ease some of those concerns:

How do I register to vote?

But what about voting by mail?

You can register to vote online, in person or through the mail. The deadline for online registration is Oct. 18. The deadline for registering by mail is Oct. 6.

You can also register to vote on Election Day, Nov. 3, but only at your home precinct, which is the place where you are assigned to vote based on your residency.

For more about registering and the qualifications for voting, visit the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners’ website: https://chicagoelections.gov/en/ register-to-vote-change-of-address.html.

You can also call (312) 269-7936.

You can register to vote by mail by going online to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners website at: https://chicagoelections.gov/en/registerto-vote-change-of-address.html.

The deadline for registering to vote by mail is 5 p.m. on Oct. 29. Applications musts be submitted in person, by mail, email or fax. The election board explains that while Oct. 29 is the legal deadline to apply, “votes who apply by Sept. 24 will be the first to receive ballots when mailings begin in late September and

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Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

AUSTIN WEEKLY

news Editor Michael Romain

Senior Editor Bob Uphues Contributing Reporters Bonni McKeown, Igor Studenkov Reporting Partners Block Club, Austin Talks Columnist Arlene Jones Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designer Debbie Becker Sales & Marketing Representavies Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck Provided

NEW HANDS: Workers demolish the old Sears at Harlem and North avenues in Galewood earlier this year. The development has since gotten a new owner.

West Side sears to get new owner

John Novak has purchased the Galewood property from Seritage Growth Properties

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The former Sears property on the corner of Harlem and North Avenues is about to have a new owner. John Novak, founder of Novak Construction has purchased the extensive property for an undisclosed amount from its previous owner Seritage Growth Properties, according to Alderman Chris Taliaferro (29th).

The sale was expected to close last week.

“I’m glad that someone is purchasing the property with the intent of redeveloping it,” said Taliaferro.

It is not the only former Sears property in Chicago about to be sold by Seritage Growth Properties. That company, created five years ago to repurpose the real estate portfolio of the failing Sears chain, has been clobbered by the real estate recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to one report, the stock value of Seritage has declined by 75 percent in 2020. . The Chicago-based Sears property borders on three other municipalities: Elmwood Park, River Forest and Oak Park.

Redevelopment of the original building is well underway with all exterior walls having been removed.

“It looks like Seritage had financial

difficulties as a result of COVID-19,” said Taliaferro. “And I don’t know how long that property would have sat there under their control.”

Last summer, Chicago City Council approved plans for Seritage, in partnership with Tucker Development, to repurpose the main building as a five-story story mixed-use project with 161 rental units, a national grocery store chain, a health club and ground-floor retail space. The plans also included 462 parking spaces. Seritage could not be reached for comment.

It is unclear what Novak intends to do with the property once the purchase goes through. Novak has not yet responded to requests for comment. However, Taliaferro said Novak is on vacation at the moment.

Taliaferro intends to speak with Novak upon his return.

“It’s the specifics of the redevelopment that I’m most anxious to talk to Mr. Novak about,” the alderman said.

Taliaferro hopes that Novak will develop the site into both commercial and retail space, comparable to what Seritage and Tucker Development intended to build.

“In a perfect world, I hope that they will continue the same development scheme, or one that’s very similar to the same development scheme that the community supported,” he said.

Taliaferro believes it unlikely that Tucker Development will continue working on the property.

“John Novak has his own development

company and his own construction company, so I don’t believe that they’ll be looking to hire outside construction or development teams,” said Taliaferro.

Once he speaks with Novak, Taliaferro intends to hold a virtual meeting to keep the community informed of any new details.

Block Club Chicago reported Aug. 28 that Novak is in the process of purchasing the former Sears location at Six Corners – Irving Park Road, Milwaukee Avenue and Cicero Avenue – from Seritage as well.

Judith Alexander, chair of the North Avenue District, said it’s too soon to tell what the sale of the Harlem Avenue and North Avenue Sears property means for her district.

“We don’t know much about Novak Construction,” Alexander said. “They seem like a very reputable company.”

Alexander said she “looks forward” to getting to know Novak and learning more about his intentions.

“We are sorry that we probably will not be working with Tucker Development,” she said. “We have very high regard for them.”

Like Taliaferro, Alexander would like Novak to implement the redevelopment plans Chicago City Council approved last summer.

“Time is money in the development world, and it takes a long time to get plans developed and approved, so they may decide to just go ahead with that,” she said. “And I hope they do.”

CONTACT: stacey@oakpark.com

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Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

OPIOIDS

Cases rising from page 1

Illinois Department of Public Health

this fear leads people to self-medicate.”

State Rep. La Shawn Ford convened the West Side Heroin and Opioid Task Force in 2016 to address the overwhelming concentration of overdoses on the West Side. Ford said the task force now is focused on helping people struggling with addiction see doctors, counselors and attend recovery meetings.

Many fighting opioid addiction use behavioral health support, group meetings and medication-assisted recovery drugs like methadone, suboxone or vivitrol to help break addiction. But the pandemic forced many 12-step recovery programs to shut down, and it’s been much harder to have face-to-face visits with counselors and doctors for treatment, Ford said.

“People were not able to go in to see their providers,” Ford said. “It’s very difficult to have people who struggle with substance use disorder to have arrived at a structured program, only to be later kicked off of that particular schedule and program, asking them to adjust.”

At Saint Anthony, the medical stabilization unit that offers short-term treatment for opioid use and coordinates longer-term recovery was forced to downsize to accom-

modate the surge in coronavirus patients.

As the hospital shifted to respond to the pandemic, Spencer said fewer patients were coming to the hospital for opioid addiction treatment.

“We did see that patients were reluctant to come into the hospital to seek care, and that could be due to fear and anxiety of COVID,” Spencer said.

Dr. Thomas Huggett of the Lawndale Christian Health Center said he was forced to stop seeing patients in-person in March.

Huggett has been able to see patients virtually, but he said the transition to telehealth has made it hard for some patients to get treatment, especially since there are far fewer options for walk-in care.

Lawndale Christian’s Breakthrough Clinic at Kedzie and Carroll avenues was also forced to close temporarily. The clinic is a critical resource for several homeless shelters, and Huggett said many patients he serves at Lawndale Christian are experiencing homelessness.

Without easy access to a clinic within walking distance, people are much less likely to seek care, Huggett said, especially since many patients hear of the clinic through word-of-mouth from others in recovery.

The Kedzie corridor near the clinic has been a hotspot for overdoses, Huggett said.

Patients experiencing homelessness also have another barrier to getting clinical care: They often lack the phones and computers needed for virtual care. That makes it par-

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ticularly difficult for new patients to get prescriptions and treatment.

“Most of the folks that I’ve started on medication for a opioid use disorder are experiencing homelessness up and down that Kedzie corridor,” Huggett said.

“I have one patient who has a phone, I think he lets about five other people use his phone to call me. They don’t have Provided their own phones.”

Most 12-step group COPING WITH COVID-19: The exterior of Saint Anthony Hospital. meetings in the area Bottom left, a chart showing that opioid overdoses are many were canceled for times higher among Black people in Illinois. some time, Huggett said. With fewer op“With the online meetings in particular, tions for face-to-face counseling, there is a there’s not that sense of community and lot less social support and accountability for warmth for somebody who is new,” Hernanthose in recovery. dez said.

“It’s just very social in nature. That’s part Without the face-to-face connection, it of the support. So if that’s taken away from is also harder for people to find a sponsor, you, it makes recovery just so much more which Hernandez said is an important part challenging,” Huggett said. of recovery.

Like other addiction programs, Phoenix Recovery groups recently have been exRecovery Support Services in Austin has panding outreach to improve access to had to make changes to accommodate so- treatment. Saint Anthony’s opioid unit recial distancing rules. The organization is opened in mid-July and already has served the only state-licensed recovery home in more than 84 patients. Even when there the neighborhood, and it’s had to limit resi- isn’t enough capacity, the hospital and other dential treatment to only folks coming from treatment centers don’t turn away patients other recovery homes. and can help to find an appropriate program.

Since it is a residential center, organizers Many previously shuttered 12-step meethave been able to continue their own in-per- ings are reopening. Treatment centers like son group meetings and counseling. But Ex- Healthcare Alternative Systems have inecutive Director Vauna Hernandez said the creased their mental health service offeralready low capacity for inpatient treatment ings while stepping up social distancing and in the area has been diminished. sanitation measures.

“It is limited because the facilities have to “We’re constantly expanding so that we’re kind of limit the people that come in,” she able to accommodate the need in the comsaid. munity,” Hernandez said. “But we definitely And with few in-person 12-step meetings, need more resources to deal with this epiHernandez said the recovery community demic.” has adapted by using virtual meetings. But Pascal Sabino is a Report for America corps those meetings just aren’t a perfect substi- member covering Austin, North Lawndale tute for the kind of support that comes with and Garfield Park for Block Club Chicago.

CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org a typical group.

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Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

Austin native’s candy store sells sweet nostalgia Alex Hardin’s Sugar Dealers in suburban Maywood a compliment to Austin’s many candy stores, owner says

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

When Alex Hardin, 31, moved to Maywood from Chicago’s Austin community in 1998, he noticed something missing.

“It wasn’t as many candy stores like it is in the city,” said Hardin. “We had all types

of candy stores out there. Out here, you only got the gas station, where you can get the top candy. But with candy stores, you’ve got every kind of candy — from back in the day when you were a kid.”

Hardin’s desire to replicate those candy stores of his youth in Chicago prompted him to open Sugar Dealers, 711 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood, last week.

It’s Hardin’s first brick-and-mortar store, but he’s no stranger to business. The serial entrepreneur, who attended Garfield Elementary and Proviso East High School, said that he has his hands in other ventures, as well.

“I do a lot of business online,” he said on Saturday from inside of his new shop. “I sell used cars, I have three clothing lines, I’ve got my own book.”

Even the uniform jerseys worn by his employees are products of his entrepreneurialism — they’re

SHANEL ROMAIN

SWEET TEETH: Ra’Mya Neal and Rey Collins sit inside of the new Sugar Dealers candy store in Maywood. The store is owned by Austin native Alex Hardin, bottom left. products of one of his clothing lines, he said.

Hardin said that, since opening last week, business has been pretty good, with new customers discovering his candy store each day.

The bestsellers, however, happen to be three non-candy items, he said — the snowballs, nachos and Italian beefs.

Hardin is also playing up another sweet deal.

Proud to partner with Austin Talks

“I’ve got the cheapest ATM in Maywood,” he said, referencing the $2 surcharge to use the cash-dispensing machine in his store.

“Other ATMs start at $2.50 and go up.”

Sugar Dealers is open 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

For more info, email Hardin at bookaloefranklin@gmail.com or call (708) 200-6990.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

austintalks.org INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? Contact Lourdes Nicholls 708.613.3329 Lourdes@oakpark.com

Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

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Study shows Black and Brown essential workers’ transit woes

Analysis from Active Transportation Alliance shows that workers had to risk contracting coronavirus at, and en route to, work

By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago

Essential workers living in Chicago’s Black and Brown neighborhoods have had to continue taking public transit during the coronavirus pandemic despite the risk, new research shows.

The analysis from the Active Transportation Alliance suggests many frontline workers had to risk exposure to coronavirus not only at their jobs, but also on the city’s buses and trains. The research also shows essential workers tend to live in communities of color on the South and West sides — communities where coronavirus has hit the hardest.

The CTA introduced social distancing and mask requirements to protect riders on trains and buses, but many people have complained the rules aren’t enforced and riders don’t wear masks and crowd together.

Shalonda Hayden is a frontline worker at Loretto Hospital in Austin who takes the bus to work just before the morning rush.

Her bus ride typically isn’t too crowded, and since she works in the medical field she knows how to protect herself from exposure with personal protective equipment.

“But it’s still a risk,” Hayden said. “You never know who sat in the seat before you.

You never know who touched the rails trying to get into the bus.”

The analysis looked at how public transportation patterns changed after the statewide shutdown began in March in response to the pandemic, tracking data through mid-May. After the stay at home order began, ridership dropped across the board.

But in Black and Latino neighborhoods on the South and West sides most impacted by coronavirus, the drop in transit ridership

Madison Hopkins/BGA

AT RISK: Karen Williams, 57, rides a CTA bus next to a sign instructing riders to “Please Practice Social Distancing” in April. Williams takes two buses from her home in Englewood each day to care for two elderly clients, work the state has deemed essential during coronavirus. was significantly smaller than in white, affluent neighborhoods on the North Side.

Those areas where transit ridership was not as impacted by the pandemic align with the parts of the city where residents are more likely to be essential workers, according to an analysis by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning that was used for the study.

According to researchers from the Active Transportation Alliance, essential workers who weren’t afforded the opportunity to work remotely had to rely on transit despite the risks, and so their ridership patterns were less diminished.

In more affluent areas, ridership dropped by as much as 90 percent after the stay at home order started, according to the Active Transportation Alliance’s analysis. But in other areas, particularly on the South and West sides, ridership fell by as little as 60 percent at some stations.

“People were still traveling to and from work at a greater rate than communities in the North Side who were at a higher rate working from home,” said Alex Perez, advocacy manager for the Active Transportation Alliance.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning analysis on essential workers is based on American Community Survey data from the Census Bureau from 2014 to 2018. That data finds essential workers are disproportionately Black and Hispanic, and particular frontline fields are overrepresented by people of color.

The research shows Hispanic people made up 21 percent of workers in the area, but they account for nearly 40 percent of food service workers and construction workers.

Likewise, Black people make up under

14 percent of the regional workforce but account for over 36 percent of health care support workers.

“These are jobs where people don’t have the privilege of working from home,” Perez said.

Black and Latino residents also made up the bulk of coronavirus fatalities in Chicago.

Officials have said those groups are also more likely to have certain underlying health conditions, like diabetes and heart disease, that make coronavirus infection more likely to be deadly.

The Active Transportation Alliance research showed driving patterns mimicked the changes in CTA ridership.

Data on crashes involving cars, pedestrians and bikes showed North Side neighborhoods reported significant decreases in collisions during the pandemic, likely because there have been fewer residents commuting to work. But in Black and Latino neighborhoods on the South and West sides, there was no major difference between the number of crashes in 2019 and 2020.

“What we found was that folks who are essential workers tended to live in neighborhoods that were low-income that we have identified as what we call ‘economically disconnected communities,’” said Jesse Elam, deputy executive director at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

Those neighborhoods also overlap with the areas that have seen the most coronavirus deaths, the findings show. Neighborhoods like South Shore, Austin, Little Village and Uptown — where coronavirus mortality rates and total deaths were highest through mid-May — are also areas where many

essential workers who rely on transit live.

Elam said similar disparities in economic opportunity and access to public resources account for the coronavirus deaths and the concentration of frontline workers in certain neighborhoods.

“We know that a lot of this has to do with economic opportunity that is available to racial minorities and those of lower incomes. That certainly plays into a lot of other factors, whether it’s health outcomes, employment, access to education, lots of other things,” Elam said.

Anthony Stewart, a 62-year-old food service worker who lives in Austin, said he often feels unsafe when traveling on trains and buses because of the crowds. On some routes where buses come infrequently, passengers pile into the bus to avoid having to wait half an hour or more for the next ride.

As more people begin returning to work, Stewart worries people must compete for limited space on public transit and are not social distancing.

“People are not wearing masks, people are not social distancing, people are coughing,” Stewart said.

The crowds also cause tensions among passengers who are frustrated about the risk of getting coronavirus. Stewart has seen several fights break out on public transit, usually because of propel coughing or standing too close.

“I’m more worried about getting killed by ‘rona violence than by coronavirus,” Stewart said. “That scares me more than the disease itself.”

Pascal Sabino is a Report for America corps member covering Austin, North Lawndale and Garfield Park for Block Club Chicago.

CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org

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Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

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BEGINNING SEPT 13

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Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES is provided by:

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Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

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Call Editor Michael Romain at 773-626-6332 michael@austinweeklynews.com

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Smartphones as a crime-fighting tool

everal months ago, I sent my daughter a photo of a favorite spice mix that we normally order over the internet. I told her that since a local grocery store now carried it, we could get it from them to avoid the higher prices and shipping charges.

Well, lo and behold, months later she’s looking for the spice mix trying to avoid those expensive charges. And for the life of me, I could not remember which store I was in when I sent her the picture. I went to several locations of the chain store hoping that it was the original store, but none of the aisle layouts for that particular item was the same as the one I recalled.

Then I remembered that Google has a location timeline that tracks your every move.

So I went into it, looked up the date of the text and Google told me everywhere I had been that day. And the store I was in? It was the one out in Arlington Heights, a location I had completely forgotten ever going to.

I got to thinking about that feature after I heard the news regarding the latest horrific shooting at a local restaurant. One man was shot and killed while four others were injured. I also thought about that Oak Street shootout that killed the local rapper. Our criminals know to use stolen cars or stolen plates, when they go to do their dastardly deeds.

But what they don’t do, is leave those smartphones at home.

Maybe it is time for our do-nothing-of-significance Congress to come up with a mandated law that requires every smart phone maker and internet to track your location if the phone senses gunshots and tattletales on the cellphone owner, as well.

CPD already uses ShotSpotter, which accurately detects when and where the shots were fired. I am pretty sure the technological wizards could mimic it on the reverse end by having the cellphones tattletale that a person fired shots or was near where shots were fired. That kind of technology

ARLENE JONES

would be built into the phone so that it could not be removed without invalidating the entire system. I think the police would love to go through thousands of phone numbers and corresponding subscriber’s names to eliminate possible suspects, as opposed to having nothing to work with, at all.

Of course nothing is ever fail proof. A person could have someone else’s cell phone.

But are our criminals really that smart?

Not really! They’re opportunistic and to fight crime, the police have to be smarter in every way and utilize every tool.

One of the tools the Illinois legislature could implement is a return to the death penalty. I know a lot of innocent men were caught on death row. But what freed them? It was a science that very little of us understood when DNA came out as a tool to identify suspects or to subsequently vindicate them.

And while questions remain about the death penalty being a deterrent, the option for these shooters to lose their own life should never be taken off the table. The criminal element is quite willing to take lives but rarely do they stand around risking their own life. They still run and hide after doing their dastardly deed, confident that they will not be caught.

Death penalty eligible crimes should immediately include shootings on expressways and school shootings.

There should also be a law saying that the media cannot report that the police have no suspects. It has always bothered me when either the print media or the television news reporters say that. Their reports should always say the police are following leads, so that the criminal element is worried that they will be caught. The criminals should never be comforted by hearing anything less.

AUSTIN WEEKLYNEWS Send your letter to the editor to Austin Weekly News, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

Let’s Remember this September, we matter and were counted!

By DONALD DEW

There is still time to be counted. But time is running out.

T

he U.S. Census Bureau recently announced a deadline of Sept.

30 to submit census data. That means the time is now for everyone to be counted.

We’ve all been heartbroken over the persistent and intractable racial inequity that exists in this country. But what can we do about it as individuals?

We should protest injustice. We should vote. And we should be counted.

Not many people equate the Census with racial equity. But Census data is used to allocate resources for education, childcare, workforce training and

health care. If we are undercounted, we lose resources that are rightfully ours. Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. Census data also draws political boundaries, which matters a lot to our representation in the halls of government. If we are undercounted, our state could lose congressional seats and more. All this matters a great deal.

Most of all, the census is our history. It is the record of who lived here, at this time and this place. It is the record of how diverse a nation we were. Please be a part of that record.

The reason why communities of color are undercounted in every census are varied. Some of it has to do with a distrust of government or a deep cynicism that anything will ever change. But no matter the reason,

we should not let it stop us from being counted. In fact, the historic undercount of Black and brown communities should make our commitment to being counted even stronger. It is our right and our obligation.

There are not many things we can do that take only ten minutes but will last for

centuries. But that’s what the census is; a small amount of effort to be counted in a ledger that is kept for all time.

If you have not filled out the 2020 Census, please do so today. Go to www.2020census.gov/ or call 844-3302020.

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Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

Governor tightens mask rules for bars, restaurants

New state guideline attempts to help stop uptick in COVID cases

By MARIA MAXHAM Staff Reporter

and service tables,” according to the release.

Previously, customers in Illinois establishments were required to wear masks when leaving their table but were allowed to remove then once seated; now, they must wear them any time an employee approaches to interact with them, even while they’re seated.

In the news release, Pritzker said, “Illinois

Customers of bars and restaurants in Illinois must wear masks “during any interaction” with employees, whether indoors or outdoors. The new guideline went into effect on Aug. 26.

On Aug. 25, Governor J. B. Pritzker announced this new rule, and a news release was issued by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

“Face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth when patrons are approached and served by staff including but not limited to when employees take patron orders, deliver food and beverages,

By MICHAEL ROMAIN

residents continue to take important steps to protect the safety of our loved ones and neighbors. However, due to a recent uptick in cases, we must take additional precautionary steps when we are out in public. Based on conversations and input from industry and business leaders, the State of Illinois is implementing updated guidelines which will allow restaurants and bars across the state to stay open while helping protect the health and safety of patrons and staff.”

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the IDPH, said in the release, “Going out for food and drinks should not be a reason or an excuse to let our guards down in the fight against COVID-19. IDPH and DCEO are updating current guidance to make it clear that face coverings should be worn in any situation where we are interacting with those outside

of our immediate circles. We will continue to adapt our guidelines and institute additional precautions to help protect all residents that make up our communities.”

Some regions of Illinois have seen additional mitigation efforts enforced because of high percent positivity rates. A ban on indoor dining at bars and restaurants is being put into effect for Will and Kankakee counties, as the COVID-19 percent positive rate in that region has passed the threshold of eight percent for three days in a row as it did from Aug. 22 to 24.

Region 4 in the southern part of the state is also seeing additional mitigation, such as earlier closing times for bars and tighter limits on gatherings. Region 4 includes Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington counties.

Suburban Cook County is Region 10, and, while still below the criteria for additional mitigation, has seen a steady increase in the COVID-19 positivity rate, going from 4.1 percent on July 9 to 6.8 percent on Aug. 22.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

A con ‘as old as Jim Crow and older’

Editor

The irreverent investigative reporter Greg Palast has written perhaps the most important book of the year, which I recommend everyone run out and get (preferably from The Book Table). The first page of Palast’s How Trump Stole 2020 should shock you out of complacency about this upcoming election, as it shook me.

“The End. Donald Trump was re-elected President on November 7, 2018. Two years before a single ballot was cast.”

Palast demonstrates that in key swing states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona, the Republican Party has wrongly removed hundreds of thousands of voters from the rolls based on the false assumption that they’ve moved out of the state and thrown

out hundreds of thousands of provisional ballots filled out by those people who must prove their eligibility, since they were falsely removed from the rolls in the first place.

Palast calls this the “purge.” It’s how Donald Trump “won” in 2016, which is to say he didn’t win, at all.

“Trump didn’t win in 2016,” Palast writes.

“And I’m not talking about Trump losing the popular vote. Trump lost the Electoral College. That is, he lost if you count all the votes burgled, jacked, swiped, shoplifted, purloined, filched, fiddled and snatched from citizens not of a whitish hue. And unless we wise up, 2020 will be deja vu all over again.”

One of the most notorious purges happened in Georgia, where Republican Gov. Brian Kemp removed more than 340,000 voters from the rolls — most of them Black and Brown — because they allegedly moved away, when in

Greg Palast’s guide to protecting your vote • Read the directions the ballot and follow them.

• Check your registration now.

• Don’t mark ballots with red pens, pencils or crayons. Don’t use an ‘x’ or checkmark unless it says so. If using a machine, check your choices before sending your ballot off. If using a punch card, turn it over and scrape off the chads.

• Vote early in-person when no one’s around, weekdays if possible.

• Av oid fi lling out provisional ballots like the plague.

• Act out (join voting rights action groups like rainbow/push).

• Stay alert!

• Relay this message to your friends, loved ones and enemies in swing states (this last tip is my own).

fact they never moved; indeed, were still paying Georgia income taxes.

That’s how Kemp, the former Secretary of State who pulled off this purge while he was running for governor, ended up eking out a “win” against Stacey Abrams, his Democratic opponent — which is to say, he didn’t win at all.

“Federal law requires Georgia and other states to give a provisional ballot to anyone who claims to be wrongly missing from voter rolls,” Palast writes.

“But Georgia law does not allow those ballots to be counted if the voter is not on the rolls, right or wrong. Tough luck, Raheim.”

Or Christine Jordan, a 92-year-old woman who likely would have voted for Abrams in 2018, if she hadn’t been thrown out of the polling station, because her name had mysteriously vanished from the state’s voter rolls. Jordan, by the way, is the cousin of Martin Luther King, Jr. “There were enough provisional ballots and other ballots and uncounted absentee ballots to defeat Brian Kemp — if only they were counted,” Palast writes. “However, whether provisional or challenged ballots are counted was up to the Secretary of State: Brian Kemp.”

According to former president Barack Obama’s Presidential Commission on Elections, “Black and Hispanic voters are twice as likely as other voters to get the provision-

al ballot.”

And voting by mail presents even more challenges, Palast writes. In 2016, according to the Elections Assistance Commission, half a million mail-in ballots “were simply rejected, not counted.

“But that’s the tip of the ballot-berg of uncounted mail-in votes,” Palast writes. “The MIT study Losing Votes by Mail puts the total loss of mail-in votes at a breathtaking 22 percent. Move to 80 percent mail-in voting and 25 million will lose their vote.”

How can they do this? Well, they make laws that make tossing ballots out a highly partisan and subjective affair, and that make voting deliberately tedious.

Voting by mail “is not as simple as ‘pick and lick’ — choosing a candidate and sticking a ballot in an envelope,” Palast writes.

“Eight states, including the swing states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Carolina, require mail-in voters to have the ballot witnessed by a registered voter.” And all but six states “‘verify’ your ballot signature against your registration signature. Partisan officials decide if there is a ‘match.’”

By the way, Illinois is a “verify” state … OK, enough of this. I’m terrified, and I haven’t even made it to the middle of the book, yet. Go out and buy it. Brace yourself.

Read it through or skip to the end, where there’s a super helpful guide to protecting your vote.

CONTACT: michael@austinweekynews.com

MICHAEL ROMAIN

Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

VOTING

ON GROWING UP: Frank Brim, the co-founder of the Garfield Park Little League and director of baseball operations for BASE Chicago, talks about a tragedy that informed his life.

The basics from page 1 early October.”

For more info about voting by mail or to apply for a mail ballot, click here. You can also call (312) 269-7967.

What if I’m anxious about mailing my ballot?

You actually don’t have to put your ballot in the mail if you don’t want to. Those who applied for mail ballots will start receiving them

by Sept. 24, according to the elections board. You’ll get a postage-paid return envelope if you want to mail the ballot and the board is urging voters to do that as early as possible once they receive their ballots.

But if you want to avoid the mail, you can take your ballot to a Secured Drop Box that will be located inside every early voting site in Chicago.

“If you could not apply for a mail ballot by the Oct. 29 deadline, OR if you applied and did not receive your mail ballot, or if you lose the ballot, or if you cannot return the ballot with a postmark on or before Election Day, call 312-269-7967 on or before Thurs., Oct. 29 to alert us that you have not received your ballot; or use early voting through Tue., Nov. 3; or cancel your mail ballot and receive and cast an Election Day ballot at the polling place assigned to your precinct on Tues., Nov. 3,” the elections board explains.

“If the voter has the mail ballot, that ballot should be surrendered to the election judges. If the voter does not have the mail ballot, the voter may cast a provisional ballot after completing a provisionalballot affidavit.

When, if ever, will I need ID? You only need an Illinois driver’s license or a state ID to register online or in person before Election Day. In order to register to vote in person on Election Day, you need two pieces of ID, one of which must show your current address.

You may be asked to show ID if an Election Judge challenges your right to vote (i.e., if you’re voting at a precinct on Election Day that is different from your home precinct). But even if you can’t show ID at that exact moment, you can still cast what’s called a Provisional Ballot, which is a ballot that doesn’t get counted until you prove your eligibility. For more info on when you need ID and when you don’t, visit: https://www.chicagoelections.gov/en/when-you-need-id-tovote.html.

What’s the difference between a mail ballot and an absentee ballot?

An absentee ballot is a mail ballot cast by someone who can’t vote in person. In Illinois, there’s functionally no difference between the two.

I went to prison. Can I vote?

Yes, if you’re a formerly incarcerated individual, you can vote in Illinois. You can also vote from jail while you’re awaiting trial, since you haven’t been convicted of a crime.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

9

Provided

West Side Lives Frank Brim, 63, on a tragedy that shaped him

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Frank Brim, 63, is the co-founder of the Garfield Park Little League and current director of baseball operations for the BASE Chicago, a youth baseball league on the West Side. The Austin resident recently talked about the moment when, as a teenager, he learned that both of his grandparents were lynched in Mississippi.

The knowledge, he said, was almost his undoing.

This is the first part of a multi-part West Side Lives interview with Brim.

We teach our kids, if you can’t take care of your school work, that means you can’t get on the field. If you can’t get on the field, you’re a waste to the recruit.

Your grades, your GPA, your reputation in school, all that means something. I didn’t know that. I had people telling me I would play Major League Baseball from the time I was 10 years old, but I did nothing in high school. Well, I shouldn’t say that.

On why he rebelled in high school In 1945, my grandmother and grandfather were hung in Mississippi and I didn’t find out until my freshman or sophomore year of high school. The Klan hung my grandmother and grandfather and they blamed it on my grandfather, saying he hung his wife and then he hung himself — with his hands tied behind his back he hung himself.

When I learned that, I wanted nothing to do with white people. I didn’t want any white teachers, I rebelled against the system. I said, ‘Look, if the white man is teaching it, I don’t want anything to do with that.’ I was really, really, really angry. It affected me academically. It got to the point where I didn’t even want to be in the same room with white people.

That was in 1975. And since 1975, what happens is, I

had white teammates who became my brothers. And it became, ‘Well, not all white people are bad. This dude is a ride-or-die friend.’ And then when I got in the fire department, I had some people who clearly didn’t want me there, but there were some white guys who were like family to me. We became real friends. And so, the idea that I don’t want to have anything to do with white people kind of diminished and it became people are people.

But I went through a period where I was immobilized by that information [learning about his grandparents’ lynching]. I knew why my father kept it from me. It’s helped shape me. I have a white friend, a commercial real estate developer, he’s a good dude. We sit down and have real conversations. He wants his kids from Glen Ellyn to sit down and talk, so they can have that understanding of what Black people went through in this country.

But it’s very seldom appropriate for me to tell that story, though. What will I say? ‘Well, let me tell you my story. My grandmother and grandfather were hung and they blamed my grandfather for doing it and swept it under the rug. I never got a chance to meet them.’

On the information’s impact on his father It destroyed my father. It destroyed him and his brothers and sister. They moved up here to get away from that South and when my father got here, he was so paranoid, but I understand his paranoia now.

If we were going on a vacation or something, or going back down to Mississippi, he would put tape across the door to make sure nobody came into the house. He would tell us, ‘You looking at that television. That television is looking at you.’ So, I started thinking my daddy was crazy, but no, he was responding to the issues of his past.

He joined the Nation of Islam when he got here. He was on Elijah Muhammad’s security team, because he had a sense of power and he was attracted to the unity the Muslims offered. My father could have written a book. He went through a lot.

He was out of my life for a lot of years, but he taught me baseball and we were connected that way.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

Want to tell your story?

This is part of a series called West Side People, which are interviews designed to introduce our readers to their fellow West Siders. If you or someone you know wants us to share a story about a West Side native or current resident, email us at: michael@austinweeklynews.com.

10

Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

REAL ESTATE FORÂ SALE

deadline: 9:30 am Monday office hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday

CLASSIFIEDS TO PLACE AN AD HELP WANTED ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER PART-TIME Part-time Electrician’s Helper.

Must have own transportation.

Call for more info.

708-738-3848 HAPPY KIDD’S WEST INC. 6928 W 16th St Berwyn, IL 60513 We are seeking a Director and 2 teachers. Director must be qualified and have Associate’s degree or equivalent. Teachers must be director or teacher qualified. Mon thru Fri. working with Infants to 6 yrs old. Compensable salary negotiable based on experience.

Call 773-619-5545 or fax resume to 773-728-5437.

PART TIME DRIVER Local Co. seeking part time driver to deliver parts around Chicago area. Must be able to lift 75lbs.

Must be able to pass drug test and have valid IL DL. Email resume: HR@sievertelectric.com

CITY RENTALS 4BDRM/2BAS SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE FOR RENT 4br/2ba, fridge, stove, washer/dryer, bsmt, lvng rm, dining rm, enclosed front porch, central heat. Avail Sept 1st. $50 app fee for all applicants over 18..

708 363 0270

SUBURBAN RENTALS OAK PARK: ROOSEVELT/ OAK PARK AVE. CORRIDOR 2BR 4RMS close to blue line. On site laundry, parking, heat & water incl. $1200/ month 708-383-9223

CALL: 773-626-6332 | FAX: 708-467-9066 | E-MAIL: classifieds@AustinWeeklyNews.com Place your ad online anytime at AUSTINWEEKLYNEWS.COM/CLASSIFIED ROOMS FORÂ RENT AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro.

Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/wk and up.

773-637-5957

ITEMS FOR SALE CABINET AND HUTCH Beautiful ranch oak cabinet and hutch, bought at Marshall Field’s.

Cabinet dimensions 49W x 28H x 18D. Hutch dimensions 49W x 29H x 11D. $199.00 708-488-8755 LENOX CHINA 5 piece place settings Lenox china, Tuxedo pattern WATERFORD GLASSES Colleen pattern, 2 water goblets, 2 wine glasses, 5 double old fashioned glasses IRISH CARDIGAN Men’s size large.

708-386-6160 VINTAGE HOWELL RED CHAIRS 6 beautiful vintage red chrome steel dining chairs by furniture maker Howell (St. Charles, IL) from the 1950s. All chairs in great condition.

Small tears in two of the seats and extremely minor tear in third.

Other three are in excellent condition. Wear is consistent with age/ vintage condition and all chairs have been temporarily repaired to prevent further tearing.

Price is $100/chair or $500/set of 6.

Delivery available.

773-780-6315

SUBURBAN RENTALS Apartment listings updated daily at:

WANTED TO BUY WE BUY RECORDS!!

We pay cash for your jazz, soul, punk, metal, rock, reggae, country records! Give us a call at 773-3726643. We make house calls!!

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

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

CEMENT

Drives Walks Patios Stamped Concrete Curbs/Gutters Garage Floors Foundations Water Control / Management

devegaconcrete.com ¡ 708-945-9001

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

HANDYMAN

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

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

773-637-0692

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

Rake up some extra cash With a fall garage sale.

Call our Classified Dept. to advertise: 773/626-6332

CEMENT

CEMENT

COMMERCIAL ˜ INDUSTRIAL ˜ RESIDENTIAL

708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<6 Â&#x2021; )281'$7,216 Â&#x2021; 3$7,26 67(36 Â&#x2021; &85% *877(56 Â&#x2021; 6,'(:$/.6 612: 3/2:,1* Â&#x2021; 67$03(' &2/25(' $**5(*$7( &21&5(7( FREE ESTIMATES LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED To Be Given Away, Items for Sale and Lost & Found classified ads run free in Austin Weekly News! Call 773/626-6332 to place your ad.

All types of roofing repairs Commercial - Residential Call for free estimate

773-637-0692

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,â&#x20AC;? as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20003978 on August 5, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of JAY SIMON PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS with the business located at: 4328 W 21ST STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60623.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: JAMES W. SIMON IV, 4328 W 21ST STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60623, USA. Published in Austin Weekly News 8/19, 26, 9/2/2020

CLASSIC PAINTING

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,â&#x20AC;? as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County.

Registration Number: Y20004100 on August 13, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of KYLA BLEDSOE with the business located at: 5125 W CRYSTAL ST 1ST FLOOR, CHICAGO, IL 60651. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: KYLA BLEDSOE 5125 W CRYSTAL ST 1ST FLOOR CHICAGO, IL 60651, USA.

Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

PLASTERING

MAGANA

MIDWEST ROOFING

PAINTING & DECORATING

Ask for John

â&#x20AC;&#x153;QUALITY IS OUR FOUNDATIONâ&#x20AC;? ESTABLISHED IN 1987

Selling your home by owner? Make it stand out!

Advertise here. Call 708-613-3342 to place your ad.

ROOFING

Residential Commercial Industrial Licensed Bonded Insured Free Estimates ¡ Veteran Owned

C O N C R E T E C O N S T RU C T I O N

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

CEMENT

McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 â&#x20AC;˘ ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

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

Published in Austin Weekly News 8/19, 8/26, 9/2/2020

Illinois Classified Advertising Network EVENTS

GUN SHOW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 11-12-13, Fountain Hall Sturtevant/Racine,WI Friday 3pm-8pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 9am-3pm. Large selection of Guns & Ammo.

More info: 563-608-4401 www.marvkrauspromotions.net

WANTED TO BUY FREON WANTED: We pay $$$ for cylinders and cans.

R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals.

Call 312-598-1758 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

Attention Home-Improvement Pros!

Reach the people making the decisions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; your target demographic.

Place an ad in Austin Classified! Call 773/626-6332

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,â&#x20AC;? as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20004177 on August 19, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of GARDEN OF SECRETS SEAMOSS with the business located at: 1124 N MASON, CHICAGO, IL 60651. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JOHNNAE MITCHELL 1124 N MASON CHICAGO, IL 60651 Published in Austin Weekly News 8/26, 9/2, 9/9/2020

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION CILICI, LLC Plaintiff, -v.TORAMY CAMPBELL, CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A., URBAN PARTNERSHIP BANK Defendants 18 CH 09239 1342 NORTH MASSASOIT CHICAGO, IL 60651 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on March 27, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 7, 2020, 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 1342 NORTH MASSASOIT, CHICAGO, IL 60651 Property Index No. 16-05-220-0180000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, two story multi unit home with a detached two car garage.

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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;AS ISâ&#x20AC;? condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

(773) 626-6332 | FAX: (708) 467-9066 | E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@AUSTINWEEKLYNEWS.COM

11

CLASSIFIEDS

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year

AustinWeeklyNews.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088.

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

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 264856 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 09239 TJSC#: 39-2183 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 # 18 CH 09239 I3153652

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P. Plaintiff, -v.KEVIN ANDERSON, MARLA J SMITH ANDERSON, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO BELL FEDERAL SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION, CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A., LVNV FUNDING LLC, NEIGHBORHOOD LENDING SERVICES, ONEMAIN FINANCIAL OF ILLINOIS, INC., SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO AMERICAN GENERAL FINANCIAL SERVICES OF ILLINOIS, INC., STATE OF ILLINOIS Defendants 2018 CH 13968 1645 SOUTH CHRISTIANA 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 January 8, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 25, 2020, 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 1645 SOUTH CHRISTIANA AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60623 Property Index No. 16-23-405-0060000 The real estate is improved with a red brick, multi-family home with no garage.

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088.

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

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 269731 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 2018 CH 13968 TJSC#: 40-362 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 # 2018 CH 13968 I3155007

local employees... happy employees!

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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

Go to AustinWeeklyNews.com/classified today!

STARTING A NEW BUSINESS? Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in Austin Weekly News Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Call 773/626-6332

Contact Mary Ellen Nelligan for more information.

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

12

Austin Weekly News, September 2, 2020

Classes start Sept 8th