Block Club Chicago

Little Village Group Displaying Photos Taken By A Violence Prevention Activist To Highlight Community Loss

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 16:00:00 +0200

LITTLE VILLAGE — Local activists are hosting a photography exhibition this weekend to illustrate community disinvestment and how trauma has affected the neighborhood.

Little Village resident Dolores Casteñeda, a founder of the violence prevention group Padres Angeles, is displaying her photos to show the impact violence has had on the community, particularly youth.

The photos are being shown with a unique method — they’re printed out and sewn into quilts that are handmade by women in the community. The exhibition, titled Quilts: Loss & Violence, is 6-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at Manz Hall, 2658 S Central Park.

Casteñeda said the subject of photos ranges from funerals from victims of gun violence to young people in mourning. She said her focus is to reach young people in the neighborhood who are grappling with how to overcome their trauma.

“I want people to understand this kind of violence is not just one instance, but it’s a root,” she said. “It’s a total disinvestment in the community.”

Casteñeda said her daughter was a victim of gun violence, but thankfully survived. She said she wants others to know what that experience can look like.

“I know it’s a terrible trauma in your family,” she said.

Casteñeda said the exhibition is open to anyone inside or outside the community, especially youth and anyone who’s lost someone to gun violence.

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Infant Girl Fatally Shot In South Shore

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 04:56:45 +0200

SOUTH SHORE — A baby girl was fatally shot Friday night near Rainbow Beach Park in South Shore, police said.

The shooting happened around 6:45 p.m. in the 7700 block of S. South Shore Drive, police said.

The baby was inside a car when another car pulled alongside and someone inside opened fire, hitting the girl in the her head, police said, citing preliminary information. A 41-year-old man in a different car was shot in his eye area, police said. It wasn’t immediately known if the baby and man are related.

The Sun-Times reported the girl was 5 months old.

The girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition and pronounced dead, police said. The man went to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.

No one is in custody and detectives are investigating. No other information was immediately available.

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Hundreds Protest In Chicago After Supreme Court Strikes Down Roe V. Wade: ‘These Are Our Bodies’

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 00:40:00 +0200

DOWNTOWN — Hundreds of people flooded into Downtown Chicago on Friday afternoon to rebuke the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and drastically scale back reproductive rights throughout the country.

Joined by Gov. JB Pritzker and chanting, “my body, my choice” and “bans off our bodies,” protesters joined demonstrations organized by Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights and a coalition of local groups including ACLU of Illinois, the Chicago Abortion Fund and Planned Parenthood Illinois Action.

People carried signs reading:

“Get your rosaries off our ovaries.”

“I will not quietly go back to the 1950s.”

“Abortion is health care.”

“I think it’s important that people be out in the streets,” said Cindy Plante of Rogers Park. “This is an untenable situation. We are in a position now to have less rights than our moms in a country that supposedly stands for freedom. For us to be going backwards now when so many others are liberalizing abortion rights, I don’t even quite have the words. We need to make this country ungovernable if this is gonna continue.”

Melissa, a mom from Archer Heights, said she felt “every woman has the right to make the choice that’s right for her family.”

“I have had abortion and I can’t even imagine what my life would have been like had I not,” Melissa said. “I have a daughter I’m here for her. I’m the youngest of six daughters, so this is a very important moment in our history. We can’t go back to what women’s health was like prior to having this choice. These our are bodies. I know what’s best for me and my health and my family — nobody else.”

People gather in Federal Plaza on June 24, 2022 to protest the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, rolling back abortion rights throughout the U.S.

The protest at Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn Ave., comes among numerous demonstrations blasting the decision across the country.

It has been known since early May the Supreme Court had voted to overturned Roe v. Wade, but the nation’s highest court did not officially share its decision until Friday morning.

At 77, Coral Norris of Evanston has seen the battle for reproductive rights in the U.S. before and after Roe v. Wade.

“I’ve been fighting for this over 50 years,” Norris said. “I’m glad to see so many young people out here. I was in my 20s when abortion was illegal and I saw what happens to women when they try to get them, and one friend of mine almost died. Women are always gonna get abortions; it’s just important it’s safe.”

About half of states are expected to quickly ban abortions, and experts have said millions of people will soon live in abortion “deserts” where they cannot access care. Despite the ruling, local officials have pledged Chicago and Illinois will remain a “haven” where people can access abortions and other forms of reproductive health care. The city has also pledged $500,000 to help people.

Alex Esposito of Lakeview said they felt “sad, depressed, but now just angry.”

“I know Chicago is a safe place for abortion but I just wanted to demonstrate some solidarity with people in more precarious situations across the country, and I also think our local leaders need to help people have access to abortion in other states,” Esposito said. “I’m over the sad part and ready to do something.”

Plante, referring to Justice Clarence Thomas’ dissent that the court should also review decisions that legalized contraception, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage, said she feared rights for other marginalized people are in the crosshairs.

“Gay people are next; birth control is next. They’ve said as much,” Plante said.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Gov. JB Pritzker joins a protest in Federal Plaza protesting the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe V. Wade

Pritzker criticized the court’s decision when it leaked in the spring. He has said he will protect abortion access in Illinois; on Friday, he said he’ll call for a special session of the General Assembly so representatives can take action to further protect reproductive health care.

“In Illinois, we trust women,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Despite the action of the Supreme Court today overturning Roe v. Wade, the right to safe, accessible reproductive health care is in full force in Illinois – and will remain so.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, speaking at a news conference, said Chicago will continue to fight for a person’s right to choose — and she encourages people in need of care to come to the city for safe abortions and then stay permanently.

“While this feels painful, this is not the end of the fight,” Lightfoot said. “It’s a setback, for sure; but we have to be resolved to fight on because lives are hanging in the balance.”

Local reproductive health care providers have said they expect to see a surge in patients coming to them from outside Illinois as other states ban and heavily restriction abortions.

Local providers, like Planned Parenthood Illinois, had already been spread thin in recent years as nearby states clamped down on reproductive health care and more people had to travel to Illinois for care.

Now, Planned Parenthood Illinois could see double to five times as many out-of-state patients coming to Illinois for abortion care, its president has said.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

People gather in Federal Plaza on June 24, 2022 to protest the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, rolling back abortion rights throughout the U.S.

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Car Fire On DuSable Lake Shore Drive Snarls Afternoon Rush Hour Traffic; Driver Uninjured

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 00:11:26 +0200

CHICAGO — North Side traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive gridlocked Friday afternoon after a car caught fire in the middle of the road.

The fire broke out in a car the southbound lanes near Belmont Avenue, according to a Block Club reporter who witnessed it. Fire crews could be seen dousing the car, which was lodged up against the guardrail. At one point, there was an explosion inside the car.

The car owner told a Block Club reporter he’d had trouble with his car battery and got his car back from the mechanic Thursday. He said he thinks the battery combusted while he was on the road and started the fire. The driver was not hurt.

Fire officials could not provide additional information.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Smoke from a car fire on DuSable Lake Shore Drive near Belmont Avenue on June 24, 2022

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

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How Chicagoans Can Help People In Nearby States (And Here) Access Safe Abortions

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 21:20:00 +0200

CHICAGO — The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, ending abortion protections and touching off protests around the country, including in Chicago.

It has been known since early May the Supreme Court had voted to overturned Roe v. Wade, but the nation’s highest court did not officially release its decision until Friday morning. About half of states are expected to quickly ban abortions, and experts have said millions of people will soon live in abortion “deserts” where they cannot access care.

Though abortion rights will be protected in Illinois, the state’s health clinics will likely face an even greater influx of patients and could see themselves stretched thin, experts have said. Planned Parenthood Illinois could see two to five times as many out-of-state patients — an estimated 20,000-30,000 — coming to Illinois for abortion care, its president has said.

Here are some local groups working to help people access safe abortions. Do you know of a local organization that should be added to this list? Email us.

Midwest Access Coalition

The Midwest Access Coalition “envisions a world in which all people have access to safe, free, legal abortions wherever they live.” The Chicago-based nonprofit helps people traveling to, from, and within the Midwest access a safe abortion. They assist with travel coordination and costs, lodging, food, medicine, childcare and emotional support.

MAC serves: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Donate here.

Chicago Abortion Fund

The Chicago Abortion Fund provides financial, logistical and emotional support to people seeking abortion services. The nonprofit organization also works to build collective power and foster partnerships for political and cultural change.

According to CAF, 80 percent of those requesting financial assistance for abortions came from out of state. The group hears from more than 500 people a month and works with people in all 50 states.

Donate to the Chicago Abortion Fund here. Split your donation between other abortion funds across the country by clicking here.

Find out how to get involved by joining the group’s Reproductive Justice Rapid Response list here.

Hope Clinic For Women

Just miles from the Missouri border, the Hope Clinic For Women has been providing safe medical care to people seeking abortion since 1974. The clinic serves primarily patients from nearby Missouri, where abortion is now outlawed.

The clinic collaborated with Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region last year to open a Regional Logistics Center, which provides support to people traveling to get healthcare and connects them with local abortion funds.

Donate to the Hope Clinic for Women and its affiliates by clicking here.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois

Aside from its full slate of reproductive health services, Planned Parenthood offers in-clinic abortions and medication abortions. The group also offers abortion pills by mail for folks who set up a telehealth visit here.

All donations made by June 30 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $250,000.

Planned Parenthood has a variety of ways to donate to all of its clinics across the country. Click here for more information.

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Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Uses Martial Arts Skills To Subdue Man Who Punched An Uptown 7-Eleven Employee

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 20:00:00 +0200

UPTOWN — A North Side jiu-jitsu instructor who went viral after stopping a teen from breaking into his car in 2019 made headlines again when he stopped someone attacking a convenience store employee last week, streaming the aftermath of incident on Facebook Live.

Idriz Redzovic, a third-degree black belt who teaches jiu-jitsu, has been practicing the martial art for more than 20 years. He was taking two of his kids for Slurpees at 7-Eleven, 1532 W. Lawrence Ave., the night of June 23 when he overheard a woman complaining about a man harassing her outside the store, he said.

The 19-year-old man eventually argued with and punched a 7-Eleven employee, police and Redzovic said, leading the martial artist to restrain and pin the man to the ground.

Redzovic continued to hold the man down while while waiting for police, he said. As witnesses began recording the aftermath, Redzovic started his own livestream lasting nearly 20 minutes.

“I wanted to document what was going on, because I wanted to have my side of the story,” Redzovic said. “I put my phone down and I just went Facebook Live just to be covered and show that I never hurt the guy. I wanted documentation where if something did happen, I’m protected legally.”

Credit: Alex V. Hernandez/Block Club Chicago

The 7-Eleven at 1532 W. Lawrence Ave.

The video shows Redzovic repeatedly asking the man to calm down as he struggles and pleads to be let go. Redzovic continued to restrain the man, asked if he needs water, and helped direct customers trying to leave the store to the rear exit after employees locked the front doors, the video shows.

“Look I wasn’t going to bother you until I stood there and saw you punch him in the face,” Redzovic said in the video.

Officers arrive around 13 minutes into the footage and handcuff the man.

Towards the end of the stream, police can be overheard asking someone “Do you want him arrested?” and someone off-camera responds, “Yeah, hell yeah.” Redzovic also can be seen asking officers to give the man some water.

Police charged the man with misdemeanor battery and retail theft, saying he’d shoplifted food from the store before punching the worker. The 19-year-old employee who was attacked declined comment when reached by phone.

Despite appearing calm in the video, Redzovic said his adrenaline was up and he hasn’t been able to sleep well since the incident.

“I was nervous about keeping the video up but I talked to some lawyers and they said I was fine,” Redzovic said. “I also talked to some older friends of mine that I respect and they told me there’s so much benefit from that video because it shows how to stay calm and how I protected the guy in the video from even hurting himself.”

Redzovic said he neglected to turn off the stream while officers were questioning him, giving police his contact information while the camera was still running. This has led to him receiving messages of encouragement, along with threats and people challenging him to fights, he said.

“I forgot I was live. My adrenaline was rushing and I was trying to stay calm and collected,” Redzovic said. “If I could go back I’d have done a few things differently …These messages are exhausting. I’m a little nervous. My mom is scared right now.”

But if he was put in that situation again he wouldn’t hesitate to intervene because of his religion, he said.

“I’m Muslim and a saying we have is that if you see evil, intervene with your hand and stop it. If you can’t do it with your hand, speak up with your tongue,” Redzovic said.

A different employee working at the 7-Eleven Thursday said he appreciated Redzovic stepping in to assist his coworker.

“The situation could have always been worse and our man here didn’t want to escalate that,” the employee said. “Also having done that in general, not everyone when faced with that responsibility of defending someone, not everyone will. That man did a public service.”

Redzovic was in the news for similar reasons when he stopped an 18-year-old from rummaging through his unlocked car parked outside his Lincoln Square martial arts school in 2019.

In that instance Redzovic used his skills to detain the teen while he called police and the teen’s father. He previously told Block Club he declined to press charges because he felt the teen had made a dumb mistake and he didn’t want to make things worse for him.

Redzovic also wishes the man he pinned down last week reevaluates his life, he said.

“I just wish the best for him. I don’t mean him any harm. I want him to know that,” Redzovic said.

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North Center Garden Walk Returns Sunday With 50 Gardens, 5 Lemonade Stands, Neighborhood Trolley

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:30:00 +0200

NORTH CENTER — Neighbors can enjoy live music and fresh lemonade made by neighborhood families while touring 50 home gardens and outdoor spaces during a garden walk in North Center Sunday.

The event is noon-5 p.m. Sunday and organized by the North Center Neighbors Association.

Organizers are asking for a $5 donation and for people to register for a self-guided tour. They can pick up maps of the participating gardens in the North Center Town Square, 4100 N. Damen Ave., or at Alexander Graham Bell School, 3730 N. Oakley Ave.

There will be a trolley to pick up and drop off visitors at designated locations throughout the tour. Proceeds from the event benefit Common Pantry.

The event will open and close with a Taoist gong ceremony at 2112 W. Grace St. performed by Lisa Hish. It’s dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Wenscott, who died in 2014 from cancer. She was the owner of the Tai Chi Center of Chicago, association member Jim Nathan said.

For more information, visit the event’s website.

The live music schedule and a list of neighborhood lemonade stands are below.

Live music

1-3 p.m. — Analise and the Backsliders at #14 Grace St. Garden, 2112 W. Grace St.
1-3 p.m. — Ice Bombe – Kid Friendly Duet! At #44 Eco Haven, 2525 W. Cullom Ave.
1-3 p.m. — Hot Club 4545 at North Center Town Square, 4100 N. Damen Ave.
2-4 p.m. — Anne and Friends at #21 Eden Lite, 3943 N. Seeley Ave.
2-4 p.m. — Adjacent Cruise at #38 Pruitt Paradise, 2022 W. Pensacola Ave.
2-4 p.m. — Jugo de Mango at #25 Neglect or Self Agency, 2037 W. Bradley Pl.
2:15-4:15 p.m. — Heather Riordan at #3 Deana Curcio’s Corner, 3856 N. Oakley Ave.

Lemonade Stand Locations

3906 N. Hoyne Ave. — Hosted by Edie and Friends
2525 W. Cullom Ave. — Hosted by Carolyn Byerly-Dean
2047 W. Pensacola Ave. — Hosted by Kelley Curtain
2021 W. Bradley Pl. — Hosted by Jessica Mead
Irving Park Road & Oakley Ave. — Hosted by Samantha Dahlin/O’Shea

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What Roe V. Wade Being Overturned Means For Illinois

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:16:24 +0200

CHICAGO — The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, ending decades of abortion protections in the United States.

But Chicago and Illinois officials have vowed to protect reproductive health care locally and turn the city into a “haven” where people from out of state can travel for safe abortions.

Here’s what the ruling means for Chicago and Illinois:

Chicagoans, Illinoians Can Still Get Abortions

Abortions are still protected in Chicago and throughout Illinois, and Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act requires private insurance to cover abortion services.

It wasn’t always that way. Illinois previously had a “trigger law” that would have kicked in and made abortions illegal if Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The trigger law was eliminated in November 2017 under then-Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Then, in 2019, lawmakers signed off on a law to protect reproductive health care — including abortions — throughout the state. That law is in effect.

And officials have said they will protect that law and find ways to expand reproductive health care.

Reproductive Care Will Be Protected For The Future, Officials Vow

Lightfoot and Pritzker have repeatedly vowed to protect reproductive care and fight any attempts to restrict or ban abortions in Chicago and Illinois.

Pritzker — running for re-election this November — has said Illinois will remain a pro-choice state so long as he is governor.

“Let me make this explicit and clear to women throughout our state, the Midwest, and our nation: Illinois will be a safe haven for the exercise of your reproductive rights,” Pritzker said in a Friday speech. “In Illinois, Roe v. Wade is still the law, and it will remain the law as long as we have a pro-choice legislature and a pro-choice governor.

“Here, we trust you to make your own decisions about your reproductive health. We will defend your right to bodily autonomy.”

Pritzker said he’ll call for a special session of the General Assembly so representatives can take action to further protect reproductive health care.

And Lightfoot has said she is devastated by the Supreme Court’s decision, but she will fight to defend abortion protections in Chicago and to help out-of-staters.

“As part of Chicago’s Justice for All pledge, we promise that here in Chicago, we will continue to fight to protect the right to choose — no matter what the Supreme Court says or what other surrounding states do,” Lightfoot said in a statement Friday. “We cannot and will not let this setback be a lasting defeat.”

More Out-Of-Staters Expected To Come To Chicago, Illinois For Abortions

Local reproductive health care providers have said they expect to see a surge in patients coming to them from outside Illinois as other states ban and heavily restriction abortions.

Now, Planned Parenthood Illinois could see double to five times as many out-of-state patients coming to Illinois for abortion care, its president has said. Many states around Illinois are expected to immediately or quickly ban or heavily restrict abortion access, leaving millions in the Midwest in “abortion deserts” where they can’t get care.

Health care providers have said they need long-term support to deal with locals who need care and out-of-state patients. Officials have expressed concern that people in other states who can’t come here for that care could die, be injured, go without care or be forced to carry a pregnancy.

“Illinois is such a critical state in our region. It’s dire — people are going to be forced to remain pregnant,” Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, previously said.

Chicago has created a $500,000 fund to help people — including out-of-staters — access safe abortions and reproductive health care in the city.

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Second Phase Of Hyde Park’s Harper Court Development Slated To Break Ground This Year

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:00:35 +0200

HYDE PARK — Harper Court has yet another redesign, as a new set of developers pitched an overhauled vision for the second phase of the massive, long-stalled Hyde Park office and lab building to residents Thursday.

The project, which has been in the works for the better part of a decade, looks to redevelop a large parcel at the corner of East 52nd Street and South Harper Avenue with an approximately 300,000-square-foot, 13-story lab and office building in the heart of downtown Hyde Park. The second phase is slated to break ground later this year.

Neighbors peppered the new builders with questions, but generally praised the redevelopment’s economics and aesthetics.

Originally presented in 2010, the project has been sent back to the drawing board at least twice after neighbors voiced concerns about building height and other issues. The most recent iteration of the development, aired in 2019 by Maryland-based developer Wexford Science and Technology, would have included a 17-story lab and office building.

Trammell Crow, a Chicago-based developer, has since taken over the primary developer, working in partnership with Beacon Capital, according to Ald. Sophia King (4th).

“The players have changed,” attorney Langdon Neal said. “However, the design and details of the project I think have been greatly improved over the last 2-1/2 years.”

Credit: Provided

A rendering shows what Harper Court could look like.

Phase one of the Harper Court project included a now-complete Hyatt Hotel off Harper Avenue and a separate, approximately 400,000 square foot office building on the parcel’s southeast corner.

According to developers, the new, 215-foot building is about 50 feet shorter than the Wexford design, and will include nine floors of lab and office space. Parking and a mechanical floor will go above retail establishments on the ground level, serving as a buffer between the retail use and upstairs lab and office space.

Developers plan to build on top of the former Jolly Pumpkin pizzeria and brewery, and demolish the building that housed the Park 52 restaurant. Other existing retail on Harper and 52nd Street will remain, while green space on the nearly three-acre parcel will include seating and an outdoor amenity venue for STEM-based events, developers said. They also touted additional parking and the elimination of outdoor loading docks.

“We dropped the scale,” project lead Johnny Carlson said. “We’re really excited about what this building will look like when it’s complete.”

With the project adjacent to the University of Chicago campus, developers added that they have received a commitment from the school to occupy about 50,000 square feet of the proposed building. Although other tenants remain uncertain, Carlson envisioned a mix of “early-stage” and Fortune 200 companies.

A prior version of the project saw the University committing to about 20 percent of the building’s office space.

According to assessors’ records, the property was purchased by a limited liability company called Lake Park Associates, Inc. in 2013. The LLC is managed by Brett Padgett, who serves as the associate vice president of finance at the University of Chicago.

Carlson said the development group is looking to break ground by late 2022, with an occupancy date set for 2024.

At the hearing Thursday, developers faced questions from neighbors about how the building would fulfill its minority and women-owned business requirements, as well as how the project would impact noise and traffic in the busy area.

“Obviously, we already have congestion over there. And that’s without this going on. 52nd Street has become a bit of a nightmare,” resident Joyce Feuer said. “So what are the plans for the surrounding area?”

Carlson said developers are hoping to add 15-minute pickup and dropoff locations if CDOT signs off, and referenced the interior loading docks. He also said the building would have no outdoor mechanical units beyond the rooftop, and that the project would exceed its minority and women-owned business requirements in both construction and tenancy.

Developers also plan to hire a site-specific community engagement coordinator, Carlson said.

Troy Ratliff, president of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, praised the development from the business perspective.

“It is great to see that corner being invigorated,” Ratliff said. “I’m also happy to see that the university is committing in the neighborhood.”

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With Roe V. Wade Overturned, Protests Planned In Chicago

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 16:25:55 +0200

CHICAGO — The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, ending abortion protections.

It has been known since early May the Supreme Court had voted to overturned Roe v. Wade, but the nation’s highest court did not officially share its decision until Friday morning. About half of states are expected to immediately ban abortions, and experts have said millions of people will soon live in abortion “deserts” where they cannot access care.

Despite the ruling, local officials have pledged Chicago and Illinois will remain a “haven” where people in need can access abortions and other forms of reproductive health care. The city has also pledged $500,000 to help people access abortions and reproductive care.

A protest is planned for 5 p.m. Friday at Federal Plaza, 219 S. Dearborn St. It’s being organized by Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights.

Gov. JB Pritzker criticized the court’s decision when news about it leaked in the spring. He has said he will protect abortion access in Illinois; on Friday, he said he’ll call for a special session of the General Assembly so representatives can take action to further protect reproductive health care.

Rep. Bobby Rush, a Democrat representing portions of Chicago, criticized the decision in a statement Friday.

“… The U.S. Supreme Court has turned back the clock on women’s rights by denying them autonomy over their own bodies,” Rush said. “This decision currently hurts poor, rural and disadvantaged women in conservative states the most, but it has the potential to affect every woman in this country as it opens the door for a future GOP-controlled Congress to pass a national ban.”

The American Civil Liberties Union’s Illinois branch has also vowed to protect abortion care in Illinois. In a Friday statement, Ameri Klafeta, the organization’s director of the Women’s and Reproductive Rights Project, slammed the decision as “reckless.”

“People in nearly half of the states across the country are likely to lose the right to make fundamental decisions over their own body very soon,” Klafeta said in a statement. “This is cruel and will disproportionately impact people of color and those economically disadvantaged.

“Abortion remains safe and legal in Illinois — that message needs to be heard all across the state. Clinics that provide abortion in this state will remain open and patients can make appointments.”

Illinoisans’ right to reproductive health care is protected by a 2019 state law. But the ruling is still expected to impact Chicago and the rest of the state, as the city’s and state’s clinics will likely become the closest legal abortion providers for millions of people in the Midwest.

Dozens of states — including several around Illinois — have “trigger laws” that kicked in as soon as Roe v. Wade was overturned, making abortion illegal. Many have already put tight restrictions on abortion that have forced people in need of care to come to Illinois.

Because of those laws, Illinois health clinics will likely face an even greater influx of patients and could see themselves stretched thin, experts have said.

Officials said they’re also concerned that women outside of Illinois would suffer and some would die without being able to access the care they need.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Vintage Shops Relocate To Pilsen’s Bustling 18th Street In Hopes Of Getting More Foot Traffic

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 16:13:00 +0200

PILSEN — More vintage shops are setting up on 18th Street in Pilsen.

The owners of 18th Street Vintage and Just One Vintage — which operate as different businesses in the same storefront — relocated their brick-and-mortar store from 1616 W. 18th Place to 1549 W. 18th St. in hopes of growing and attracting more foot traffic. The shops opened in the new storefront last week.

“We were on a residential street, so I felt a lot of people missed us,” said Jesus Diaz, owner of Just One Vintage. “So the next logical move was to move over to 18th Street.”

Just One Vintage and 18th Street Vintage, which was founded by Elena Saenz, have operated in the neighborhood for about five years, Diaz and Saenz said.

Just One Vintage focuses on reselling sportswear and streetwear, Diaz said. He started by selling his old clothes after moving out of his mother’s house, he said.

“I was just doing it for fun, but I’ve always been a fan of sportswear,” Diaz said. “I caught the bug. I started selling a few jerseys, and I saw that there was something in it.”

Saenz said she was inspired to strike out in the reselling business after being inspired by Diaz.

“When I started reselling online, I had a corporate job and I was feeling really burnt out and I didn’t feel like I had a creative outlet,” Saenz said. “I saw what [Diaz] was doing and I kind of wanted something to have an outlet.”

Saenz started reworking vintage pieces to give them a modern twist. For example, she would turn an oversized vintage T-shirt into a bodysuit, she said.

Credit: Provided

The owners said this space on 18th Street is almost twice as big as their original space.

The shops’ new space is almost twice as large as the original, which they hope allows them to host pop-ups, open mic nights and other events, they said.

The duo also recently started refurbishing and selling vintage furniture, so they’re excited to have more room for that, they said.

Saenz said she’s excited to join the community of other vintage and resale shops on 18th Street.

“I think people get an idea … we have competition with each other yada yada, but it almost feels like they each have their own personality and we all bring something different to the table that another shop might not have,” she said.

Just One Vintage and 18th Street Vintage are open noon-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.

Credit: Provided

Just One Vintage focuses on vintage streetwear and sportswear, while 18th Street Vintage puts on a modern twist on some vintage pieces.

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After Fire Destroys Morgan Park Family’s Home, Loved Ones Raising Money To Help Injured Couple Heal

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 16:12:00 +0200

MORGAN PARK — A family who’s lived in Morgan Park for nearly 50 years needs help after they lost their home in a fire that left two people severely injured.

The family’s house at 10801 S. Prospect Ave. caught fire June 18, displacing Anthony and Laura Cordero — who had lived there since 1974 — and their two great-nephews. The Corderos, who are visually impaired, were severely injured as they escaped the fire. They remain hospitalized on ventilators with second-degree burns, said their great-niece, Kira Andrews.

Credit: Provided/Kira Andrews

The family’s home located at 10801 S. Prospect Ave. before it was destroyed June 18.

Andrews created a GoFundMe to raise money for the Corderos’ medical costs, temporary housing and other basic necessities. They have raised about $8,700 so far with a goal of $50,000.

Anthony Cordero, 73, is a retired Chicago Public Schools teacher who taught Spanish and worked as a counselor at Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. Laura Cordero, 75, managed their home and family.

“I want people to know that they’re just good, older people,” Andrews said. “We assume he must have led them out because of how their burns are, and they’re both visually impaired, so I know they must have been terrified.”

The Corderos are not able to speak at this point, and Anthony Cordero remains in critical condition. Their family has been visiting them every day, Andrews said.

Andrews said her entire family lived in the house at one time or another— Andrews’ mother grew up in the house, and the Corderos helped her raise Andrews and her two brothers there.

“Our house was like the house that everybody could come whenever anybody needed a place to stay,” Andrews said. “We’re a big communal family; we’ve all always lived together.”

You can donate to the family’s fundraiser here.

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Invasive Asian Carp Is Rebranded As Delicious ‘Copi’ As Officials Try ‘If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em’ Approach

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:43:00 +0200

SOUTH DEERING — Its texture is like chicken, and the flavor wavers between tuna and trout. Once it’s smoked, you wouldn’t even know it’s the invasive species that’s trolled Illinois’ waterways for years.

But thank to a rebranding effort by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, detrimental Asian carp has a new name — copi — and it is hitting fish markets and restaurants across the state.

Ready to try it out? Some Chicago locations are serving it.

“The new name and brand are designed to address public misconceptions about this delicious top-feeding fish, which is overrunning Midwest waterways,” according to a Department of Natural Resources news release.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Copi, the newly rebranded Asian Carp, is smoked and served up at Calumet Fisheries in South Deering, on June 23, 2022. Pictured are two cuts of smoked copi – one with garlic and pepper and the other plain.

The made-up name copi is short for “copius,” a nod to the massive swaths of invasive fish experts have fought to keep at bay for years.

The carp were imported from Southeast Asia to clean algae from fish farm retention ponds in southern states. But they found their way up the Mississippi River after escaping during floods.

The intruders have posed a threat to Lake Michigan by out-competing native species for food and space, so state officials have schemed for decades how to thwart them, including setting up electrified barriers along their path north.

The latest campaign intends to rebrand the fish’s well-known, infamous name into something people might want to have for dinner. Goodbye, invasive Asian carp. Hello, unfamiliar and potentially intriguing copi.

“By one estimate, 20 million to 50 million pounds of copi could be harvested from the Illinois River alone each year, with hundreds of millions more in waterways from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast,” according to the Department of Natural Resources.

At famed Calumet Fisheries, 3259 E. 95th St., copi is being smoked to serve.

“[We] gotta help each other out. I feel like us doing this, we’re doing good for the lake,” said Ivan Huerta, assistant manager at Calumet Fisheries.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Copi, the newly rebranded Asian carp, is advertised and sold at Calumet Fisheries in South Deering on June 23, 2022.

Copi branding was visible around the fish shop Thursday, a day after the rebranding campaign began. Betty Washington was making her way to the restaurant’s door when she heard about copi.

At first, Washington said she wouldn’t try it because of Asian carp’s reputation — but she was surprised to hear of its finer flavors.

Washington was steadfast in her mission, though.

“I came really to get me some smelts,” Washington said.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Calumet Fisheries in South Deering on June 23, 2022.

Jack Eaves, waiting for his order of smoked sable inside the shop, said he would definitely dine on copi, as he wants to play a role in “helping [Mother Nature] out.”

Prince King, stopping by for shrimp, pondered the fish’s new name and wondered if more people would start to fish for copi once they know of its flavors and negative impact on the ecosystem.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Copi, the newly rebranded Asian carp, is smoked and served up at Calumet Fisheries in South Deering on June 23, 2022.

Those who want to try copi can find it sliced, smoked, seared and served up at various restaurants, fish markets, distributors and more. All are listed on a state website.

“It’s a local fish,” Huerta said, noting it’s not like a farm-grown or flown-in cut served at restaurants. He’s hoping it’ll hit the shop’s displays by Saturday.

At Calumet Fisheries, copi is smoked the same as the salmon and sable: almost all day long in the adjacent shack.

Huerta hopes the fish’s stigma will lift as sales begin.

“Some people are gonna be confused with copi, but once they try them out and they really like the taste, they’ll like it,” he said.

And what would the fish pair well with?

“Me personally, I would definitely crack a beer,” Huerta said. “For sure a beer, along with some french fries or something.”

Here’s a list of Chicago spots selling copi:

Restaurants

Herb, 5424 N. Broadway
Ina Mae Tavern, 1415 N. Wood St.
Mole Village Restaurant, 2302 S. Blue Island Ave.
Gaijin, 950 W. Lake St.

Fish Markets

Calumet Fisheries, 3259 E. 95th St.
Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop, 2070 N. Clybourn Ave.

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Frustrating, Months-Long Armitage Avenue Water Main Project In Logan Square Could Finally End Next Week

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:33:00 +0200

LOGAN SQUARE — A water main project on Logan Square’s Armitage Avenue that has dragged on for six months and caused headaches for people along the stretch could finally wrap up in the next few days.

Armitage Avenue between Kedzie and Western avenues has been reduced to one-way traffic since January as crews replace the street’s century-old water main, part of the city’s larger effort to upgrade old water mains.

The city’s Department of Water Management was aiming to finish construction earlier this month, but the project was delayed because of bad weather, supply chain disruptions and scheduling issues with utility companies, city spokeswoman Megan Vidis said.

Now the project is targeted for completion by the end of June, Vidis said. Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st), who represents most of stretch, warned against relying too heavily on the city’s completion date because the project timeline has been pushed back at least twice.

The end can’t come soon enough for some neighbors and small business owners.

With the street closed to westbound traffic and dozens of parking spots eliminated, navigating and parking in the area have proven difficult. The construction has also stirred up dust clouds that have made walking the street unpleasant, some said.

Credit: Courtesy of Natalia Waclawska

Logan Square resident Phil Renda made a sign, poking fun at the lengthy Armitage Avenue water main project.

Havana Cigar Convenience Store at 2947 W. Armitage Ave. has seen a significant drop in sales since construction began, store manager Paula Lopez said.

Lopez said the store sometimes only makes $100 a day, about $400 less than it typically made on summer days last year, and the owner is thinking about selling the business.

“The owner is not making anything out of it,” Lopez said. “He’s keeping it open just for the people who work here. He has to pay us out of his pocket.”

Business is down 40-50 percent at New Kedzie Cleaners at 3138 W. Armitage Ave., owner Mauricio Ortiz said.

Further east, new skincare and wellness shop The Sunday Standard at 2837 W. Armitage Ave. also is feeling the effects of reduced foot traffic. It opened in November, just a couple months before the construction project began.

Owner Emma Zwissler said she chose Logan Square’s Armitage Avenue because it’s a busy corridor that’s home to a lot of small businesses; but so far, the street hasn’t lived up to expectations: far fewer people have been walking around with the construction.

“This is a hard time already to be a business owner. There’s a lot of other things going against smaller businesses right now, so having the street closed for almost six months is definitely not lovely,” Zwissler said.

Credit: Mina Bloom/Block Club Chicago

A stretch of Armitage Avenue in Logan Square has been reduced to one-way traffic for about six months.

Meanwhile, drivers are routinely finding dangerous work-arounds, endangering themselves and others, neighbors said.

“Our alley has turned into a super highway going westbound,” neighbor Phil Renda said. “If I’m pulling out of my garage, we’re not able to go east because of the high level of cars.”

Renda, who lives on Armitage Avenue at Point Street, recently put up a quirky sign on his fence, poking fun at the lengthy city project. The sign is a play on the classic Uncle Sam poster, “I want YOU for the U.S. Army.” It reads: “I want YOU to finish Armitage.”

“The whole purpose of the sign was joint commiseration,” Renda said. “When I’m out doing stuff in the front yard, I hear people laugh and take a photo of it because we’re all in it together, we’re all suffering through it.”

La Spata said he “really and truly empathizes” with business owners and neighbors who are struggling to navigate the street.

“We have worked consistently, as an office, to provide information on this, to provide accountability to the Department of Water Management on getting this work done,” La Spata said. “I want [neighbors] to know that they are not alone in feeling their frustration on this.”

Congestion concerns are a major barrier to creating safe, multimodal streets. Removing car lanes inevitably worsens traffic, right?

13 months of street closures in my neighborhood have created a sort of natural experiment to test that theory. (Spoiler: it's wrong) (1/7) pic.twitter.com/Bw9AzqndaU
— Jeremy Glover (@JGrantGlover) June 21, 2022

Not all neighbors are complaining about the construction. In fact, some said it’s led to a vastly improved pedestrian experience because there are fewer cars on the road. They said negative experiences have been overblown.

Neighbor and urban planner Jeremy Glover analyzed the city’s bus speed data in Bucktown, Logan Square and Hermosa and found there was “no real change” on the surrounding arterial streets after Armitage Avenue was converted to one-way traffic. Armitage Avenue east of Western Avenue also was shut down due to construction last year.

Glover, who until recently worked for Metropolitan Planning Council with a focus on transportation policy, said while he didn’t do a “scientific” analysis, it’s a strong indication that repurposing lanes doesn’t lead to worse traffic.

“A common argument against reducing lanes is that the traffic will just go elsewhere and jam other roads up. We know that’s not true, and the data here, in my view, show it, Glover said.

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TaKorea Cocina Closing Sunday After 3 Years In Ukrainian Village — But Entire Staff Hired At Nearby Restaurant

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:10:00 +0200

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — Mexican-Korean fusion restaurant TaKorea Cocina will close Sunday after almost three years in business.

The restaurant at 1022 N. Western Ave. offers bulgogi steak tacos, kimchi burgers, rice bowls and more. Owner Robert Magiet, who has become known for charity work around the city, said the decision to close came down to ultimately not having enough business to support his family and staff.

“If you have a niche food like we have, it’s just hard to compete with other restaurants that are more mainstream, like pizzas and burgers,” Magiet said. “Like one thing that was hard for us to get were family orders on a weeknight, because not many kids want to eat a Korean-flavored burrito, whereas every child will eat burgers or fries or pizza.”

But Magiet isn’t going too far. He’s joining Bucktown restaurant The StopAlong, 1812 N. Milwaukee Ave., as a managing partner. He’ll help oversee menu development and catering, among other responsibilities.

And Magiet said his entire staff at TaKorea are coming with him to work at StopAlong.

Magiet will continue his charitable work through his nonprofit, West Town Feeds, which he started a few years ago to provide food, toys and other necessities to neighbors in need.

During the pandemic, Magiet delivered thousands of free meals to neighbors and regularly bought dozens of tamales from struggling street vendors, taking the food to homeless encampments.

“Everything that I was doing with TaKorea will continue with StopAlong as far as, you know, helping provide single mothers with pizzas for their children, and things like that. That’s going to all continue,” he said.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Robert Magiet, local father and restaurateur, serves as a volunteer crossing guard at the busy intersection of Chicago and Campbell avenues in Ukrainian Village on Nov. 4, 2021.

Magiet said his experiences through West Town Feeds inspired him to get more involved in the community the past three years. He serves on park advisory councils and has become a fixture at neighborhood association meetings.

Last fall, Magiet even stepped in as a volunteer crossing guard at Chicago and Campbell avenues after hearing reports of people almost getting hit by cars at the busy intersection.

Magiet’s activism led Chicago Public Schools to temporarily assign a crossing guard to the intersection, which is about a block south of Chopin Elementary School, 2450 W. Rice St.

Credit: Quinn Myers/Block Club Chicago

Robert Magiet gives new crossing guard JonTisha Wilson a few pointers at the intersection of Campbell and Chicago in Ukrainian Village on Nov. 9, 2021

TaKorea is the second restaurant on the 1000 block of North Western Avenue to close this month. Last week, Jeff & Judes deli shut down after almost two years in the neighborhood, also citing financial difficulties.

Magiet said he doesn’t think it’s the location that hurt his business as much as the kind of food he was selling. But he has been vocal about the damage delivery app fees from companies like UberEats and Grubhub have had on his bottom line.

“Just last year, we paid $93,000 in third-party app fees alone,” Magiet told the Sun-Times in April. “We hope to make a 20 percent profit on a given year — that is sort of the rule of thumb — but when half your orders are coming from third-party apps and they are taking 30 percent of each order, then we aren’t making any profit.”

Magiet said the decision to close Takorea is bittersweet. H his four kids have made the restaurant their own since he opened in 2019, drawing pictures on the walls and hosting lemonade stands, he said. But he’s also excited for his next chapter.

“Even in the short term, it’s definitely a good move for my family and will definitely give me more opportunity to provide for my family, which ultimately at the end of the day is what’s really important,” he said.

TaKorea will be closed Saturday before reopening 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday for its final day.

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Diapers, Kids Clothes And More To Be Given Away On Southwest Side In Honor Of Young Mother Killed Buying Used Stroller

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0200

ARCHER HEIGHTS — Free diapers, kids clothing, baby food and more are available Saturday for families thanks to a Southwest Side group.

The Southwest Collective is back with its monthly Freebies for Families event, hosting giveaways the last Saturday of every month. People can grab what they need from the United Credit Union parking lot noon-2 p.m. Saturday at 45th Street and Pulaski Road.

Donations for the event are accepted 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the same location. The group asks for same-day donations since they don’t have a place to store items.

There will also be at-home COVID-19 tests and masks available.

The Southwest Collective launched Freebies For Families in 2019 after the murder of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez. The pregnant 19-year-old was lured into a home in the Scottsdale neighborhood with the promise of getting a stroller in exchange for baby clothes. Instead, she was strangled and her baby boy was cut from her body. Her baby later died.

In response, Southwest Collective worked to establish a broader network of families supporting one another, allowing people to give away what baby supplies they could and others to take what they needed.

The next giveaways are July 30 and Aug. 27.

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Uptown Tent Camp Moved So City Can Repair Viaduct After Fires, But Residents Say ‘We’re Going Back’

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0200

UPTOWN — Residents of a tent encampment under a DuSable Lake Shore Drive viaduct in Uptown have moved as the city fixes the area, which has been damaged by fires.

The residents left the Lawrence Avenue viaduct Tuesday, when crews with the Chicago Department of Transportation started cleaning up and repairing the infrastructure after two fires at the encampment.

Tent city residents willingly relocated to nearby parkland and have been told they can return to the viaducts once work is finished, officials and residents said. The residents plan to do just that.

“Let them do it,” said Tom Gordon, the leader of the viaduct tent city. “When they’re done, we’re going back. They don’t got a choice.”

After previously cleaning up the debris following two fires that destroyed tents and displaced residents, city crews began power washing and spray painting the Lawrence Avenue viaduct this week, said CDOT spokesperson Erica Schroeder.

Crews are also repairing and replacing lights and electrical infrastructure damaged in the fire, Schroeder said. The work is expected to be completed next week.

Credit: Joe Ward/Block Club Chicago

Tom Gordon inspects the remnants of a fire that broke out in the encampment in the Lawrence Avenue DuSable Drive viaduct, where Gordon and others live., on June 7, 2022.

The city’s transit agency has agreed to repair and repaint the viaduct if there are any future fires at the encampment, Ald. James Cappleman (46th) said in an email to constituents.

The Department of Family and Support Services continues to work with the residents to offer housing, Cappleman said. Those who don’t accept the housing offers will be allowed to return to the viaduct, he said.

There are about 18 residents of the Lawrence and Wilson avenue viaducts in Uptown, Gordon said. Since being relocated Tuesday, three residents of the camp and one pet dog have taken the city up on offers to move to motels, Gordon said.

There are at least two others who would go to motels and are waiting for the city to return and facilitate the move, he said.

“I have two people, with dogs, that want to go, but [the city] hasn’t come back,” he said.

Credit: Joe Ward/Block Club Chicago

A tiny wooden home has been relocated from a viaduct under Du Sable Lake Shore Drive in Uptown.

The most recent viaduct fire took place June 6, when an “unknown incendiary device” caught fire and destroyed two tents and a tiny wooden house, according to residents and police. The residents who lost their belongings were put up in other tents.

In late March, six residents of the Lawrence Avenue tent city were displaced after a fire allegedly involving propane tanks broke out under the viaduct.

Another fire took place April 13 in the park property just west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Lawrence Avenue, in a tent that was unoccupied at the time.

No one has been injured in the fires. Residents of the camps have feared the fires will be used as a reason to evict them from their years-long home near the lakefront.

Cappleman and some neighbors have said the fires are an increasing danger to the camp residents, people traveling Lawrence Avenue to get to the lakefront and drivers on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The addition of wooden houses and tents on wood bases makes the situation more dangerous, Cappleman has said.

After the second fire, Cappleman asked the city to relocate the residents’ tents to adjacent parkland. City officials turned down his request, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office is working to address the issue, he said.

Lightfoot’s office is considering forming a task force to look at the issue of incendiary devices like propane tanks in tent cities and considering an ordinance that would fine those giving propane to encampment residents, Cappleman previously said.

Thirty residents of the tent city were placed in housing following “accelerated moving events” in 2021, Chandra Libby, director of homeless outreach for the city’s Department of Family and Support Services, said at a recent Uptown community meeting.

Credit: Joe Ward/Block Club Chicago

City crews power wash and paint the Lawrence Avenue viaduct in Uptown following fires in the viaduct’s tent encampment.

Gordon and some of the camp residents chose a shady spot west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive for their temporary home. Most of their possessions have moved with them, including tents, dog crates and overflow items. A good Samaritan brought by food, including a box of apples, after the camp was relocated, residents said.

Gordon and other camp residents said they declined the city’s offer for housing.

Some of the residents said being brought to motels often strands them in parts of the city they don’t know. Shelters can be just as unsafe as sleeping in the park, with plenty more restrictions, they said.

Plus, Gordon said he has to look over the camp. He works with the Park District on removing tents and belongings that have been abandoned, he said.

“I’ve got a camp to watch,” Gordon said. “People here don’t want shelter; they want housing.”

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Chicago Board Of Education Approves $9.4 Billion Budget For 2022-23

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:40:00 +0200

CHICAGO — Chicago’s Board of Education unanimously approved the district’s $9.4 billion operating and capital budget for the 2022-23 school year, designating that half will go directly to schools’ budgets.

During Wednesday’s board meeting, members urged district leaders to make a plan for how to manage resources once federal COVID relief funds expire in 2024.

The approved spending plan is a $200 million — or about 2 percent — increase over the previous year’s budget. It includes $8 billion in operational expenses, $645 million in school infrastructure improvements, and $769 million to service the district’s debts.

But parents and union leaders argue that schools are still not getting what they need to address academic and mental health fallout from the pandemic.

CEO Pedro Martinez said CPS will focus on academic and mental health recovery. The district, he said, was trying to use federal funds to give the district a “runway for three years.”

About $4.6 billion will go directly to schools — a slight increase over this school year. The district has increased per pupil spending by about 8 percent even as the district has seen enrollment declines accelerated by the pandemic.

The district will add 1,600 teaching and staff positions. It will also include $100 million for early childhood programs and $30 million for summer school programming.

CPS leaders said Wednesday that the district has spent about 45 percent of $2.8 billion in federal emergency COVID relief funds so far. They plan to spend another $730 million of those dollars for the 2022-23 school year.

Outside Chicago Public Schools headquarters before Wednesday’s meeting, community organizers denounced the district’s spending plan. Jazmin Cerda, a parent organizer with Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, said the district should fully restore budgets at schools that saw cuts to continue to help with the fallout from the pandemic.

Under the initial capital plan, the district looked to build a high school on the Near South Side. But Martinez removed the high school from the capital budget agenda ahead of Wednesday’s vote amid mounting criticisms.

As part of the $644.5 million in capital investments, the district will focus on repairing roof and mechanical systems, modernizing restrooms, and making school buildings ADA compliant.

According to a presentation from district officials, Near West Side schools are set to receive over $58.7 million in repairs. Albany Park schools will see $23.4 million, West Town will see $18.6 million, and Belmont Cragin schools will see $15.6 million in repairs.

During Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Lori Lightfoot also announced plans to spend $115 million from special taxing districts on the city’s public schools. Among the projects that could be funded by tax increment financing, or TIF, funds are: $12.42 million for Whitney M. Young High School, $11.51 million for Hope Learning Academy, and $10.13 million for Charles R. Darwin Elementary.

The district first announced its campus budgets in April, drawing criticism because the preliminary proposal called for budgets to shrink on 40 percent of campuses amid significant pandemic-era enrollment losses, even though the district allocated more dollars to schools overall.

Advocates called for holding school budgets harmless for the third year in a row as the city’s schools continue to navigate the impacts of the pandemic. The district restored about $24 million in funding as part of the 2022-23 budget.

Mauricio Peña is a reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, covering K-12 schools. Contact Mauricio at mpena@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Celebrate Greek Culture At Gold Coast Greek Fest This Weekend

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 14:35:00 +0200

GOLD COAST — The Gold Coast Greek Fest is back this weekend with food and free entertainment.

The three-day festival is 5-10 p.m. Friday and noon-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at Annunciation Cathedral of Chicago, 1017 N. La Salle St.

Greek food, including gyros, souvlaki, loukoumades and a variety of pastries, will be served along with local craft beer, wine, coffee and other drinks, according to organizers. The festival is kid-friendly with bounce houses, play spaces and games. Live Greek music will be performed at night, and attendees can enter raffles.

“Our annual festival extends our Greek culture, food and fun to thousands of our friends and neighbors in Chicago,” cathedral Dean Stamatios Sfikas said in a news release. “We welcome the community and every year enjoy seeing such a diverse crowd of young and established families, singles and couples, and groups of friends that take part in our celebration of summer.”

A portion of this year’s festival proceeds will be donated to Project Hope, which partners with local networks to provide food security and stable housing to people in need.

Annunciation Cathedral is the oldest Greek Orthodox parish in Chicago, celebrating 130 years in the city.

Treats from the Gold Coast Greek Fest. [Provided]

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South Side Alderpeople Want City Hearing After Grocery Stores Leave Englewood, Auburn Gresham, West Garfield Park

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 02:00:00 +0200

AUBURN GRESHAM — With two grocery stores closed in the South and West sides, and another on its way out, City Council members are calling for a hearing with city, state and federal officials to address a lack of food access in underserved communities.

Standing outside an abruptly closed Aldi in Auburn Gresham, Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) — whose ward includes Back of the Yards, Gage Park, Brighton Park and West Englewood — announced a City Council resolution Thursday for a hearing “to examine the failure of the city of Chicago food access policies to meet the needs of underserved residents.”

Lopez, who also is running for mayor in 2023, wants local leaders to testify about food insecurity, food access, operating grocery stores in neglected neighborhoods and other issues surrounding closed stores before the council’s Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development.

Alds. David Moore (17th) and Stephanie Coleman (16th) joined Lopez at the press conference. Moore’s ward includes the shuttered Aldi while Coleman represents the area where the Whole Foods in Englewood Square is closing.

Along with a West Garfield Park Aldi, three grocery stores have left underserved Chicago neighborhoods in less than a year.

Thirty-eight alderpeople signed onto the two-page resolution as of Thursday afternoon, in which Lopez said city leaders must “reimagine the entire food access system” and create “models, policies, and programs that are sustainable opportunities in all communities.”

Lopez, Moore and Coleman could not immediately be reached for further comment.

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) at a City Council meeting on June 22, 2022.

Lopez’s resolution comes in the wake of Aldi, 7627 S. Ashland Ave., closing June 12, shocking residents who said they did not know the store was shutting down until they visited recently to find the building boarded up with a “closed” banner along the side.

An Aldi spokesperson said the company made the “difficult decision” to close due to “repeated burglaries and declining sales.”

“Out of concern for our employees and customers, keeping this store open was no longer a sustainable option,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

Moore told the Sun-Times the store’s lease lasted until the end of the year and the location recently received a liquor license. Even the owners of the building weren’t notified ahead of the closure, Moore said.

Aldi at 3835 W. Madison St. in West Garfield Park also closed with little warning in October, creating a food desert in a neighborhood battling food scarcity. Neighbors didn’t know about the closure until a sign was removed and workers were seen clearing the store.

In a similar statement, a spokesperson said they closed because of “consistently declining sales and the fact that we’ve operated this location at a loss for several years.”

Credit: Provided/Tim Thomas

In April, Whole Foods announced the company would close two Chicago locations, including the Englewood store at 832 W. 63rd St. A Whole Foods spokesperson said the store would close “in the coming months.”

The store, which opened in September 2016, arrived as a pledge from then-Mayor Rahm Emmanuel to bring fresh food options to a food desert and welcome more investment in the community.

The project received $13.5 million in federal tax credits, according to Crain’s, and the city dedicated $10.7 million in tax-increment financing for infrastructure advancements to open the store.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed the closure on high prices and Emmanuel’s lack of communication with neighbors.

She vowed to work alongside community leaders and residents to bring a store to the location that best fits neighbors’ needs.

“We’re going to work our tails off to get a new alternative — one that the community wants and can access and participate in,” Lightfoot said in May. “It shouldn’t be that we’re plopping something down in a community where we haven’t engaged with them, we haven’t talked to relevant stakeholders to see if it’s something that they want, they need and that they’re going to be able to take advantage of.”

Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

The Whole Foods Market in Englewood Square 63rd near Halsted in Englewood on Sept. 15, 2021.

No hearing date has been set, but Lopez called on the public health and planning and development officials to share strategies on how they plan to handle the rapid closing of stores in underserved communities, and their goals to “end food security in Chicago.”

His resolution asks for federal departments, like the United States Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Food Council, to share testimonies on the current food, retail and health climate for city departments.

Local institutions like the University of Chicago are asked to share studies to help city departments “craft a successful food access strategy” that is affordable, appropriate and benefits neighbors, according to the resolution.

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