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New initiative seeks to help residents expunge marijuana records,

Vol. 34 No. 48

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November 25, 2020

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S p for Soup f th the SSoull iin Lawndale, PAGE 9

Advanced wound healing center comes to N. Lawndale hospital Sinai Health System opened its Center for Advanced Wound Healing on Nov. 20

By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

Starting Friday, North Lawndale residents and other West Siders will be able to get treatment for harder-to-heal wounds in their own community.

Sinai Health System’s Center for Advanced Wound Healing opened at its flagship hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital, 1500 S. Fairfield Ave. in North Lawndale, at 10 a.m. on Nov. 20.

Sinai Health System officials, as well as members of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council’s Health and Wellness Committee, touted the center as a welcome asset to the West Side.

The center is the second of its kind recently opened by Sinai Health System. The first Center for Advanced Wound Healing opened in October on the third floor of Holy Cross Hospital, 2701 W. 68th St., in the Marquette Park neighborhood.

During a meeting on Nov. 17, of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council’s Health and Wellness Committee, Bradley Riesteter, the center’s program director, said that the center See HEALING CENTER on page 9

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

MIGHTY GENEROUS: Around 150 families in Austin received free food from the nonprofit Your Passion 1st during a giveaway on Nov. 21. Read more on page 6.

Austin native debuts artwork at Museum of Contemporary Art Jesse Howard among 70 artists featured in “The Long Dream” exhibit

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Jesse Howard was among the first generation of Black students allowed to attend Austin High School just as the

West Side was integrating.

“We just had our 50-year reunion this year,” Howard said during a recent interview. “That whole generation, we did good. All we did was riot every day, because they didn’t want us there — mostly Italians and Irish.”

Howard recalls his childhood growing up in Austin with relish. In fact, the structural injustice of the place he once called home frames much of his artwork, which often features grotesque and

morphed faces and bodies suspended in protest, sleeping outside and under arrest.

Now, Howard is relishing his place among an entirely different class — the 70 Chicago area artists featured in a new exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art called “The Long Dream.”

“Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a renewed reckoning over racial justice and inequality, The Long See JESSE HOWARD on page 3

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Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

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Austin Weekly News, November 25, 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 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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JESSE HOWARD Showing up from page 1 Dream invites visitors to see the city of Chicago, the world, and themselves, through the eyes of more than 70 local artists whose work offers us ways to imagine a more equitable and interconnected world,” according to a summary of the exhibit on the museum’s website.

The exhibit is named after the 1958 novel

by Richard Wright, which is set in a small Mississippi town and follows the protagonist, Tyree Tucker, through a maze of corruption and exploitation.

Howard said that the museum selected to show three of his pieces. One of them, “The Bewitching Hour,” flirts with the themes of Wright’s novel.

“If you’ve ever heard your parents say, ‘Be careful of the bewitching hour,’ that means ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer that most of the crime and killing happens between midnight and five,” Howard said.

SHOWING AT THE MCA: Austin native Jesse Howard has his work at the Museum of Con“My parents would always say, ‘Don’t be out temporary Art in Chicago. Pieces on display include “Rage South Carolina Nine,” left, there during the bewitching hour.’ I created “The Bewitching Hour.” that piece with mixed media.

For instance, I used a disc for his eye.”

Howard said he considers another piece, “Rage South Carolina Nine,” his version of Norwegian Expressionist Edvard Munch’s 1893 painting “The Scream.”

Howard said his “Scream” was based on the tragic events that took place in 2015, at Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina.

“That was based on that young white boy who went out there in South Carolina, knocked on the church doors and during prayer time they let him in,” Howard said.

“He sat down with them and asked for the pastor. Then he pulled out a gun and blew the pastor away and started killing the women. I can’t express how that made me feel.”

Despite the pandemic, Howard, who now lives in suburban Maywood, has perhaps never been busier. In addition to showing at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Howard’s first solo exhibition is currently taking place at the South Side Community Art Center through Dec. 17.

The South Side center has postponed viewing reservations for Howard’s show due to the recent COVID-19 stayat-home restrictions implemented by the state. The MCA exhibition is happening through Jan. 17, 2021, but with restrictions.

For more info on the MCA exhibition, mcachicago.org/ Exhibitions. For more info on the South Side Community Art Center solo show, visit sscartcenter.org.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

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Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

New initiative launched to help expunge marijuana records

Leaf Illinois is a state-funded alliance of 20 nonprofits providing free legal representation

By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinois

A new state-funded initiative called New Leaf Illinois aims to connect Illinoisans who want to remove marijuana arrests or convictions from their records with 20 nonprofit organizations that provide free legal representation and information on expungements.

New Leaf Illinois was launched Thursday by the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, an organization created by a 1999 state law to distribute funding appropriated by the government to support nonprofit legal aid programs and initiatives. IEJF administers state appropriations to three programs – a broad legal aid grant program, a legal aid service for veterans, and, most recently, a marijuana offense expungement program.

As part of the 2019 Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act – the law that legalized marijuana for recreational use – arrests and convictions for certain marijuana offenses are eligible for expungement. Arrests and minor offenses are eligible for automatic expungement, while some convictions require a petition be filed in court.

The 2019 law also set aside a portion of the tax revenue generated from the legal sale of marijuana that must be put toward the expungement process. Through the IEJF, a portion of these funds are given as grants to New Leaf organizations to provide legal services.

Tax revenue from legal marijuana sales has also been earmarked for other services, like the R3 community investment program.

According to Leslie Corbett, IEJF executive director, the organization received a $1.6 million appropriation to create the New Leaf initiative, with $1.46 million being distributed as grants to the 20 member organizations and the remainder being used to administer the program.

IEJF estimates there are approximately 700,000 Illinoisans eligible for marijuana offense expungement, either through the

automatic process or the court filing route. Automatic expungement means the beneficiary doesn’t have to personally ask for expungement, but the process itself must still be carried out manually by the Illinois State Police and criminal justice officials on a case-by-case basis.

Due to the volume of records, ISP has set a 5-year timeline for when arrests and minor convictions will be expunged, in order of when the offense occurred. New Leaf Illinois offers to help applicants speed up the process if an arrest for a marijuana offense remains on their record.

“These individuals may have a criminal record that could make it harder for them to actually get a job, advance their education, or even be able to rent an apartment,” Gray Matteo-Harris, an IEJF board member and partner at the Fox Rothschild law firm, said at a news conference announcing New Leaf Illinois on Thursday.

“If you look at the data, Black and brown people and economically disadvantaged communities were disproportionately penalized by past criminalization. The

expungement process is one step toward repairing that harm for people who were previously arrested or prosecuted for something that is now legal for all of us,” she said.

Illinoisans with an arrest or conviction for marijuana can go to NewLeafIllinois. org and fill out a form to be paired with a legal professional from one of the 20 member organizations to determine what options are available to them. They can also call the New Leaf Illinois hotline at (855) 963-9532.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

Why I work at Growing Community Media and why I’m asking you to make a donation

Why I work at Growing Community Media and why I’m asking you to make a donation

One day several years ago, a candidate running for a local school board seat said she got involved in local school politics, in large part, because of an article she’d read in Forest Park Review. Moments like that are why I work for Growing Community Media. We have impact.

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Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

West Side Lives

Kennedy Bartley of United Working Families explains Mayor Lightfoot’s budget proposal

By CORLI JAY City Bureau

I would also implement vacancy taxes that would de-incentivize big developers from leaving properties vacant, especially in the midst of a housing crisis. Plus, I would include a corporate head tax, a luxury goods and service tax and a LaSalle Street tax [on the trading of financial assets such as stocks and bonds]. These are all progressive forms of revenue that don’t focus on austerity measures.

As the city anticipates this historic deficit, what kind of impact do you think next year’s budget will have on West and South Side communities?

Under neoliberal administrations, which privatize the public sector, large deficits typically result in austerity by way of cuts to spending for social services and layoffs.

This disproportionately affects Black and brown families, and typically these austerity budgets are balanced on the backs of the working class. So I foresee spending cuts to social services in the 2021 budget negatively affecting poor, working-poor and working-class folks.

This week’s West Side Lives was produced by our partners at City Bureau.

The City Council will vote on Chicago’s 2021 budget soon after wrapping up a contentious month of budget hearings.

This budget season United Working Families legislative director Kennedy Bartley has worked hard to make public policy information more Last week, the mayor reaccessible to workingportedly told City Council’s class communities as a Black Caucus that if they lobbyist, policymaker didn’t support her budget, and organizer. UWF is she won’t prioritize their a political organization wards, according to the that supports progressive KENNEDY BARTLEY Chicago Tribune. candidates and causes.

UWF Legislative Director Bartley’s day can range The fact that healthy from rubbing elbows at a dissent and advocacy for an equitable budcoalition meeting and penning a policy brief, get results in threats of violent anti-Blackto whipping votes for a piece of legislation in ness is a nod to Mayor Lightfoot’s belief that City Council. Part of that work is helping the City Council legislators shouldn’t act indegeneral public understand policies and decipendently of her agenda. sions that impact our daily lives.

[According to that Tribune article,] she Bartley spoke with City Bureau on the has also decided to attach the Welcoming budget process and how next year’s budget City ordinance to a budget…using a promay ultimately impact Chicago’s workinglonged struggle for immigrant protections class Black and brown communities. and rights as a political pawn. It is disrespectful to the communities that deserve to What’s your role in the city’s annual budbe centered in our politics and governing get process? and attempts to pit oppressed communities United Working Families wants to make against one another. the entire budget process more accessible, The federal government hasn’t been able to participatory and democratic. So that means breaking down what’s going on with the budpass a second round of COVID-19 relief funds. get and hosting policy meetings on the budWhat’s at stake if President-elect Biden get where everyone’s welcome to join. We doesn’t bring federal relief to Chicago? also turn the budget proposal into graphics It will result in increases to regressive taxand what not, that allows the information to ation [taxes that disproportionately impact be more accessible in layman’s terms. poor people] because we have to fill that gap.

Mayor Lightfoot’s budget proposal includes And again, we are under a neoliberal and austere administration with Mayor Lightlaying off city employees and raising foot. The city of Chicago relies heavily on property taxes so the city can close the LaSalle Street and Wall Street—that’s who billion-dollar budget gap. In your opinion, we are essentially beholden to. Without fedwhat are some other ways the city could eral relief, that gives the Lightfoot adminmake up for the deficit? istration further excuses to rely on the Ken I would defund the police, which makes up Griffins of the world to to fund our vital ser40% of the corporate fund, then tax the rich vices and to fund our communities, whilst and require nonprofits that are tax-exempt also being the purveyor of the harm to those to pay a lump sum of money in lieu of taxes. communities.

Speaking of Ken Griffin, he spent $54 million opposing the Illinois tax amendment that would have allowed higher tax rates on highincome families. It did not pass. What are your thoughts?

He put more money into [ads opposing] the ‘Fair Tax’ amendment than he would have to pay in additional taxes by paying his fair share. I don’t blame [the failure of the amendment on] the working-class folks. The way that it was even written, it never even said, “This is the ‘Fair Tax’ amendment.”

And the fact that if you skip the question, that’s an automatic no, or that it was just bogged down in legalese—it was made inaccessible.

City Council will soon vote on Lightfoot’s proposed 2021 budget. What role do aldermen play in representing their communities in the budget process?

Aldermen have a duty to their constituents to make the budget process as participatory and democratic as possible. In terms of City Council, we are in a better position than we have been in a very long time. We see aldermen acting independent of the mayor, not being rubber stamps and acting like true legislators, doing their jobs sticking up for their communities—namely the freshmen alderpeople that are United Working Families electeds.

The city released the results of its budget survey, revealing that the majority of respondents were from the North Side and West Side participation ranked lowest.

What steps do you think the city can take to reach and listen to West Side communities in the budget process?

We need to make sure that community organizations on the South and West Sides are well-funded, and therefore able to be a resource for folks seeking to be civically engaged.I appreciate the transparency of the city revealing this data, especially with it being revealed that 87% of survey respondents wanted to defund the police and instead fund social services.

With all the outreach in the world, if there is a deep seated distrust of government, then folks aren’t going to engage with gov-

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ernment in the first place. So I don’t think that this is a question of, how does the city best engage with the West and South Sides during the budget season? Instead, it’s: How does the city best engage with the West and South sides? Period.

How could the budget process be more democratic?

The Chicago Teachers Union makes the public very aware of budget negotiations when they’re happening, and when they go on strike the public is a member of the audience. However, [for the city’s budget] it is more of a negotiation between the mayor and [departments]. City Council isn’t as involved, so that makes public engagement a little more difficult.

Budget decision-making should happen on a ward-by-ward basis, like when aldermen get their menu money, not all of them make the spending of that money democratic or participatory. Another way the city budget can be made more democratic is by directly seeing the results of the city-wide surveys actually reflected in the mayor’s budget proposal.

Despite a growing grassroots movement that demands the defunding of Chicago police, our reporting showed that the police budget cut proposed by Lightfoot is minimal compared to the rest of the city’s budget. Is defunding the police possible in a city like Chicago?

It’s possible but it is a question of political will and priorities. It’s a question of white supremacy and a question of anti-Blackness and harm. It’s possible but it’s made difficult under the racist and harmful structures that we’re currently under. That’s where that distrust of government comes into play. Because people are like, you know, we never see ourselves or our needs reflected in the budget priorities.

This report was produced by City Bureau, a civic journalism lab based in Bronzeville.

For more stories on the 2021 budget, visit citybureau.org/budget.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

“The” Friendship BAPTIST CHURCH Rev. Dr. Reginald E. Bachus, Pastor

5200 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60644 773-378-6600

fbcchicago.org • facebook.com/friendshipbcchicago SUNDAY SCHEDULE 8:30AM 1st Sunday Communion 8:30AM Morning Worship Service 9:30AM Sunday Church School 11:00AM Mid-Morning Worship Service MIDWEEK SERVICES (Wednesday) 12:00PM Noon Bible Study 6:00PM Bible Study 7:00PM Prayer Meeting

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Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

Oak Park non-profit feeds Austin families About 150 families received food

cranberry sauce, vegetables and other classic Thanksgiving fare.

“I didn’t think that many people would come out to volunteer, so that was pretty awesome,” said Thomas.

By STACEY SHERIDAN Also included in the food packages were Staff Reporter COVID-19 safety necessities: hand sanitizer With help from other Chicago-area orga- and face masks. The volunteers also distribnizations, Oak Park-based non-profit Your uted a little something extra to brighten the Passion 1st was able to give food to 150 fami- homes of the families.

“We handed out flowers as well to the ladies lies in Austin. Families, masked and socially and to the gentlemen to bring home to the ladistanced, lined up dies in their family,” outside of William ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer said Thomas. “That V Banks Grand anksgiving food giveaway organized by Your Passion 1st PASSION FIRST: While the first ThRegion: was beautiful.”

Lodge, 5323 W. Lake Client: ComEd Bleed: US Campaign: OOH Print SECOND ROUND 10.25” 5.58” Language: English ahead to next year.

Your Passion 1stTrim:fed 150x families, Thompson is already thinking St., to receive food Agency Job #: B1241-021281-00 Notes: None is a relatively newLive: Saturday, Nov. 21.

AD #/AD ID: QEXL1050000 non-profi “It was powerDate Modified: November 19, 2020 9:17 AM t that of-Keyline Scale: 100%Passion 1st partnered with the hopes to grow the number of partnering oraway, Your CR: at: fers coaching, men-Output ful,” said Chris Amour Genesis Project, What About Us ganizations to break the record for families AD Round: toring and work-Page: Thomas, Your PasCharitable Enterprises Inc. and Zakat Chi- fed in a single food giveaway. force readiness cago. Austin-based Forty Acres Fresh Marsion 1st founder “Whatever that number is, I’d like to try NOT TO BE USED FOR COLOR APPROVAL and the organizer programs for the ket also and beat it,” he said. contributed food to the giveaway. of the food giveunderserved youth/ R. Swift ACD: A. Del Valle CD: G. Apfelbach PC: M. Bilbrey P: C. Capola AM: L. Mitchell BM: E. Schmidt Thomas acknowledged it is a lofty and “Everything happened pretty seamlessly,” away. of Chicago, while said Thomas. grandiose goal, but his reasoning behind his About 25 voluninspiring them to While the first Thanksgiving food give- desire to achieve record-status numbers is teers helped bag follow their pas- away organized by Your Passion 1st was purely altruistic. and distribute the sions.

“I just always want to help more families, able to successfully feed 150 families, Thompackages of corn, For the food give- as is already thinking ahead to next year. He more people.”

POWERING NEIGHBORS. EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES.

We power a city of neighborhoods. Whether through charitable contributions or sponsoring community initiatives in education, arts & culture and the environment, we’re proud to support the organizations and people that make each of Chicago’s neighborhoods a better place to live and work.

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Stronger Communities

Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

Listening, repeating back and apologizing works

W

hen I saw the trailer for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion, I was giggly. If there was one television show I enjoyed watching, that one was it. The Banks family encompassed all 360 degrees of the Black experience.

Uncle Phil represented the success of the Black male, even though he was morbidly obese.

Aunt Viv was originally a talented, slim, beautiful, dark-skin woman with a career. Hillary represented something rare — a clueless Black woman. Carlton showed that black males didn’t have to live down to a stereotype. Ashley was adorable. Jeffrey was a dignified butler.

And then there was the main character, Will Smith — talented, funny, urbane, fashion trendsetter, singer, rapper and on and on. The show’s demise occurred, but due to syndication, it lives on forever.

During the course of the show’s run, the original dark-skin Aunt Viv (Janet Hubert) was replaced with the light-skin Daphne Maxwell Reid. And over the years since it occurred, a feud between Janet and Will played out publicly. So it was good to see Janet Hubert make an appearance in the reunion episode. That was followed up with a more detailed sit-down between Will and her. Then there was an apology and an acceptance, followed by a Red Table Talk episode where Will dwelled even deeper into the why’s of it all.

It’s not often that a feud between two individuals gets to have a public dissection. From the original reasons why (from both individuals’ perspectives), we were able to hear the pain and the sorrow. This

epitomizes why there are always two sides to the story. Not only did Will Smith listen to Janet’s story, he repeated it back. Then he offered an apology. Those are the three steps that needed to be undertaken in order for it to work.

As I watched this entire scenario play out, I could see the pain leaving both individuals. It was so healing to see two very public individuals end their very public feud.

Sometimes one person makes too many assumptions about the other person without knowing the background of what was going on. And in each of their versions, they see the “rightness” to their actions even if their actions may not be right. But the moves a person makes to protect themselves can be misjudged by another when neither of them are fully aware of the “what’s” and the “why’s”. Then add to the mix, the age difference put power in the hands of the younger one who had less life experience and wisdom than the older one.

Will even turned to a psychologist to help him dwell further into the why’s of what had happened. It was good to see such a prominent black male acknowledge that addressing mental-health issues is not taboo.

It was also good to see somebody willing to seek deeper understanding, as opposed to the usual brushing off any attempt to do so, which, sadly and more often than not, the Black community tends to do.

Last year Tyler Perry and Spike Lee resolved their differences. This year it’s Will Smith and Janet Hubert. Maybe many of the feuding members of the Black community can take some guidance from these people and put their disputes to rest.

ARLENE JONES

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Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

West Side United gets $100,000 donation

American Medical Association Foundation, nonprofit arm of American Medical Association, donates money for treating high blood pressure

By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

The American Medical Association Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the American Medical Association, donated $100,000 to West Side United to help West Siders with high blood pressure get the care and support they need.

On Feb. 26, West Side United announced a partnership with AMA and the Northern Trust to address healthcare disparities on the West Side and provide funding for West Side economic development with a combined $6 million investment.

The newest donation will support this partnership, providing money to buy equipment and support to help residents manage blood pressure at home. The organizations involved in the partnership said that the sup-

port is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, since many residents may be putting off treatment due to concerns about getting the disease, and because high blood pressure can exacerbate their symptoms they do catch the virus.

West Side United was established by the Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital and five health systems that are based on and/or have hospitals on the West Side. The or- EXPANDING CARE: A visual of Chicago communities provided ganization’s mission is by West Side United. | Root Inc. to improve the health of West Siders while addressing external fac- will gain access to [blood pressure] measuretors, such as economic disinvestment and ment devices, with the provision of vital equipment and wrap-around support to eninequities in education.

The $6 million investment allowed them to able effective hypertension management at put money into businesses and community home,” she stated.

“The funds will also help facilitate fuorganizations throughout the West Side.

According to AMAF President Jacqueline ture initiatives such as a community-wide Bello, the donations will go toward helping pa- summit that will bring together West Side tients take care of their blood pressure at home [health care organizations] and other comand conducting more community outreach munity organizations to improve [blood pressure] control,” she said. about the dangers of high blood pressure.

AMA did not respond to request for com“Through the AMAF funds, underserved patients within the West Side community ment seeking more details about how the

funds may be used by deadline.

Lisa Hinton, the executive director of the American Heart Association Metro Chicago, said that getting blood pressure under control is more important during the pandemic.

“High blood pressure is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, and it may be a contributing factor for poor outcomes in people who have contracted COVID-19,” she stated. “This investment from the AMA Foundation comes at a critical time for patients on Chicago’s West Side, many of whom are managing chronic conditions at home during the pandemic. These resources will help members of the community improve their blood pressure control and live longer, healthier lives.”

West Side United Executive Director Ayesha Jaco said that the donation will go a long way toward reducing the life expectancy gap.

“One of our goals for community-based hypertension interventions is to equip residents with resources and tools that allow them to successfully manage their care beyond the walls of hospitals and health clinics,” she stated. “Our collaboration with the AMA and AHA expedites our ability to reach this goal.”

CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com

Why I work at Growing Community Media and why I’m asking you to make a donation

Why I work at Growing Community Media and why I’m asking you to make a donation

“Local journalism is instrumental in all communities and quality photos are such an important piece in telling stories. If you’d like to support Alex, the staff photographer for all of Growing Community Media, please donate.”

One day several years ago, a candidate running for a local school board seat said she got involved in local school politics, in large part, because of an article she’d read in Forest Park Review. Moments like that are why I work for Growing Community Media. We have impact.

Alex Rogals, Staff Photographer

Please support our independent community newsroom.

Right now your match is doubled by NewsMatch and our local supporters.

Visit www.GrowingCommunityMedia.com/donate and donate today!

Michael Romain, Equity reporter and columnist

Please support our independent community newsroom.

Right now your match is doubled by NewsMatch and our local supporters.

Visit www.GrowingCommunityMedia.com/donate and donate today!

Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

9

Lawndale neighbors pitch in to feed hungry amid pandemic

Soup for the Soul is 2-4 p.m. on Mondays at Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church

By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago

West Side neighborhood groups are raising money for a free meal program aimed at feeding community members through the spring.

The program, called Soup for the Soul, provides free soup to West Side residents in need. It’s a show of kinship between Lawndale neighbors pitching in to care for one another, said Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick, of Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church. Volunteers at the church, 3622 W. Douglas Blvd., give away the packages of fresh soup every Monday.

Soup for the Soul launched in response to the need for fresh food in North Lawndale, which has intensified because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s empowering [to engage] people who

are already in the community to come together and to show the power and the resilience that we have,” Fitzpatrick said.

“People are grateful to be able to help and to share. One thing about our community is that people are always willing to help and assist.”

Soup for the Soul is a collaboration between neighborhood groups on the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council’s GROWWS Committee, which works on projects to improve greening, public space and food access in the neighborhood. National non-profit Trust for Public Land gave the groups a small grant to launch the project.

The groups surveyed where and when food is available for people in North Lawndale.

They saw several food programs and food pantries each week, but noticed a major gap in availability of free food on Mondays, which they decided to fill.

The group is hiring local chefs to prepare the meals in Stone Temple’s commercial kitchen so the project also can benefit businesses that have been hurt by the pandemic.

The first batch of soup was cooked and individually packaged by ChiFresh Kitchen, a cooperatively-owned prepared meals business run by formerly incarcerated Black women.

The group gives away 200 portions of soup Mondays and they are raising money to cover the $700 weekly cost of the program.

Leftovers are placed in the Love Fridge at Stone Temple for anybody to take.

The program also provides residents an opportunity to get fresh produce through a partnership with the Urban Growers Collective, which stations its mobile farmers market, called the Fresh Moves Mobile Market, at the church at the same time as Soup for the Soul.

Visitors receiving soup are given a $10 voucher for produce from the market. They can buy additional fruits and veggies.

Organizers hope the free soup can make a difference for West Side residents who struggle to access healthy food, especially due to the economic fallout of the pandemic.

But the meal program is designed to be a service for the entire community that is a “dignified way of feeding people” regardless

of their circumstances, said Annamaria Leon, of the GROWWS Committee.

“It’s not a handout. We’re just feeding our neighbors. I eat the same soup myself. And if it wasn’t for COVID right now, we’d be having these meals together,” Leon said.

At its core, the project is about building community and a sense of connection, said Andrea Lee, external affairs manager at UCAN. “We wanted to not just feed the body, but feed the soul, too,” she said.

The GROWWS committee wants Soup For the Soul to evolve into a weekly community meal after COVID-19. The meals will bring neighbors together at the new community stage at Stone Temple to share food and build fellowship.

Soup for the Soul is 2-4 p.m. Mondays at Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 3622 W. Douglas Blvd., through March 31.

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

CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org

HEALING CENTER More care available from page 1 will treat hard-to-heal wounds resulting from a variety of conditions, including diabetes, obesity and chronic illness. They can also result from flawed skin grafts and infections, he said.

According to a Sinai Health System press release, the system decided to launch the wound centers because, according to its own research, the conditions that cause hard-toheal wounds are more prevalent in the communities it serves.

If left untreated, those wounds can hurt patients’ quality of life and may worsen, leading to conditions like amputated limbs.

In his presentation, Riesteter also pointed to the general disparity in access to health care in South and West sides.

“It’s exciting that we can offer wound care,” he said. “It’s not something that has been offered to communities on the South Side, and that’s something that’s really needed.”

Riesteter said he was particularly proud that the center will offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, where a patient is placed in a large tube filled with pure oxygen to help blood vessels and tissues grow. Each treatment, he explained, lasts two hours, with sessions typically happening five days a week over the course of at least eight weeks.

Provided

OPENING UP: Mount Sinai Hospital in North Lawndale, where a new Advanced Wound Healing center opened on Nov. 20.

“We’re excited to be able to offer that,” Riesteter said. “It’s not something every hospital system is able to offer and there are only a couple of hospitals in Chicago that offer hyperbaric.”

According to a program description forwarded to the committee members, the center will also offer Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, which draws fluid from the body to stimulate blood flow, as well as an array of bacterial treatments and advanced wound dressings.

When asked whether the patients needed to have insurance to take advantage of the center’s services, Riesteter said that Sinai Health System will work with uninsured patients.

“We’ll take a look at the Sinai program for charity care, if they qualify for that,” he said. “We want to work with patients, so

they receive care.”

Debra Wesley, the Health and Wellness committee chair and the head of Sinai Health System’s Sinai Community Institute, welcomed the wound center as a much-needed resource.

“Our community needs more than other communities, so we gotta have the best, top of the line care in our community, because, unfortunately, so many of us are vulnerable,” she said.

Sinai Health System spokesperson Dan Regan said that the Holy Cross center has had 33 patients so far, and the health system expects around 12 to 18 patients a week.

Due to the rising COVID-19 positivity and hospitalization rates, they decided to forgo a grand opening, but he expects that many patients will come through referrals and they

plan to do their own outreach to get the word out.

Regan said that the center will follow the same COVID-19 safety protocols as all of the system’s medical facilities, including requiring face masks for patients and doctors, as well as face shields and other personal protection equipment for the staff.

“Our intention is to keep the care center open [during the pandemic],” Regan said.

“There will be some tele-health where appropriate, but it will remain open, following the restrictions and provisions that the whole system is following.”

For more information about the Center for Advanced Wound Healing, call (773) 57HEAL (4325).

CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com

10

Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

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

CLASSIFIEDS TO PLACE AN AD HELP WANTED

CALL: 773-626-6332 | FAX: 708-467-9066 | E-MAIL: classifieds@AustinWeeklyNews.com Place your ad online anytime at AUSTINWEEKLYNEWS.COM/CLASSIFIED HELP WANTED

River Forest Public Schools District 90 is seeking a Part-time School Social Worker (One Day a Week) Qualifications: a) Valid State of Illinois Professional Educator License b) Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) preferred Job Duties: The School Social Worker provides needs-based behavioral and social-emotional services to the students, parents, and faculty/staff of a school. The role includes, but is not limited to, individual and group counseling with students; direct and indirect consultation with students and teachers; assessment, behavior planning and intervention implementation and monitoring; and universal screening/prevention of behavioral & social-emotional concerns. The individual hired for this position will be required to develop ISP goals, monitor progress towards goals and participate in annual reviews and re-evaluations as needed.

The School Social Worker hired for this position will work with D90’s team and provide services at one of the private and parochial schools located in River Forest. The social worker will collaborate with parents, faculty and administration at the private and parochial school to meet the needs of students. This individual fulfills the requirements of the role as stated in Rules and Regulations for Special Education. Apply online at district90.org 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.

PERSONAL ASSISTANTS TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Progress Center is hosting five personal assistant orientations in November. Personal Assistants earn $13.48 an hour to support people with disabilities so that they may live independently in their own homes, instead of institutions.

Duties may include dressing, bathing, cooking, toileting, and cleaning.

The orientations will be over zoom on November 13 (9:30 a.m.), 17 (9:30 a.m.), 21 (10 a.m.), 24 (9:30 a.m.), and 30 (9:30 a.m.). For information, contact garnold@progresscil or 708-209-1500.

SUBURBAN RENTALS OAK PARK 2BR 2BA CONDO Condo for rent on a great location near downtown oak park: 2 bedroom 2 bath condo, only electric bill not included. $1400 a month, $1400 deposit. For more information please call 224-475-7929.

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

ROOMS FOR 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 SMALL CHEST Small plastic chest with six dustproof drawers. Pretty burnt orange color, like new. 33”h x 12”d x 15”w.

708-488-8755 SMALL METAL FILE CABINET 13”W x 30”H x 10”D. 6 skinny drawers.

708-488-8755

ITEMS TO BE GIVEN AWAY FREE SPINET PIANO You arrange and pay for mover.

708-383-7993

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead or plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

SUBURBAN RENTALS

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

ELECTRICAL

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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.

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HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING

HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

847-888-9999

Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers

www. suregreen landscape.com

Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available Order online:

Credit Cards Accepted 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.

SUBURBAN RENTALS

Apartment listings updated daily at:

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.

Selling your home by owner?

Make it stand out!

Advertise here.

Call 708-613-3342 to place your ad.

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING

Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

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PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

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

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20005236 on November 18, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of SUMMERS HOUSE with the business located at: 3423 WEST CARROLL AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60624.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: ROSALIND E ADAMS 3423 WEST CARROLL AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60624, USA

Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates Ask for John

Published in Austin Weekly News 11/18, 25, 12/2/2020

HANDYMAN

HANDYMAN 773-637-0692

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION CITY OF CHICAGO, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION; Plaintiff, vs.

SSL HOLDINGS, INC.; WORLD BUSINESS LENDERS, LLC; WBL SPE II, LLC; COUNTY OF COOK DBA COOK COUNTY LAND BANK AUTHORITY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 11 M1 401659 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause on March 10, 2020, Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, at the hour of 11 a.m. in its office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described property:

COMMONLY KNOWN AS 532 N. SPRINGFIELD AVE., CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. P.I.N. 16-11-119-0330000.

Commonly known as 532 N. Springfield Ave., Chicago, IL 60624.

The property consists of vacant land.

Sale terms: 10% of the purchase price will be required to bid at the sale. The balance of the purchase price required by 12:00 p.m. the following day. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale which will entitle the purchaser to a Deed to the premises after confirmation of the sale.

For information call City of Chicago Department of Law/COAL, City Hall 121 North LaSalle Street, Suite 400, Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312) 7420007.

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 Dated: October 29, 2020 I3159432

Published in Austin Weekly News 11/25, 12/2, 12/9/2020

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

Registration Number: Y20005073 on November 4, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of 9D1 HUSKIES with the business located at: 6468 W. NORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60707. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DARNELL SHIELDS, JR 1815 N. LUNA CHICAGO, IL 60639, USA

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Attention HomeImprovement Pros!

Reach the people making the decisions – your target demographic.

Place an ad in Austin Classified!

Call 773/626-6332

STARTING A NEW BUSINESS IN 2021?

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

Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

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

CLASSIFIEDS

local happy employees... employees!

Public Notice: Your right to know • In print • Online • Available 24 /7/365

AustinWeeklyNews.com PublicNoticeIllinois.com

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

11

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78th District Thanksgiving - Half Ad-C.pdf

1

11/23/20

11:42 AM

Austin Weekly News, November 25, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving

C

From your Friends

M

Y

CM

Please stay safe and be well during the holiday season.

Please wear a mask. If at all possible, stay home with your family.

MY

CY

CMY

K

May the Lord bless and keep you all.

State Senator Don Harmon 39th District

State Representative Camille Y. Lilly 78th District

Coming Soon in December! Mask Monday Giveaway!

We are OPEN! RibFest Every Day!

Mickey’s is the place!

Mickey’s Rib Special B.B.Q. RIBS & CHICKEN BURGERS & HOT DOGS

1/2 Slab Dinner

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Full Slab Dinner

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Proud to partner with Austin Talks

includes fries or baked potato, coleslaw and garlic bread

525 N Harlem Ave, Oak Park (708) 848-3333 11am - 9pm Daily

3 Vienna Hot Dogs w/ Fries $ .49

8

Italian Beef Sandwich w/ Fries $ .49

8

Wednesday

Gyros Plate Dinner 1 lb meat, 2 pita breads, fries & 3 cups sauce $10.99

Every day Special!

Gyros with fries $7.99

1/4 Lb Double Cheeseburger

Big Mickey! $ .99

2

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