Block Club Chicago

Chicago AIDS Run Splitting Into Local Neighborhood Routes This Year, Giving West Siders A ...

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 20:00:48 GMT

NORTH LAWNDALE — Chicago’s annual AIDS Run & Walk will be broken into several local events in neighborhoods this year, helping to minimize crowds and bringing HIV advocacy into communities most impacted by the disease, like North Lawndale.

The event, which usually draws thousands of participants, is typically held at Soldier Field. This year’s route will go through Douglass Park, making it easier for West Side families and caregivers to get involved, raise awareness and raise money to help end the HIV epidemic, advocates say.

The AIDS Run & Walk kicks off Monday at Douglass Park, with other events in Uptown, Lakeview, Dunbar Park, Washington Park, Hyde Park and the Loop. For more information, to participate or make a donation, go to aidsrunwalk.org

“I think that it’s a lot more accessible to our community to have it in the park,” said Bijou Hunt, director of Mount Sinai Hospital Infectious Disease Center, which houses the HIV programs.

Caregivers and participants will also show up in full force for the run, Hunt said, which “gives us a chance to do some education about HIV.”

North Lawndale, East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park are among the neighborhoods with the highest rates of HIV infections and the highest number of people living with HIV in the city, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. They also experience some of the most severe economic hardship.

Mount Sinai routinely screens for HIV for any patient getting bloodwork in the emergency department, which Hunt said helps identify a lot of HIV-positive cases among people seeking other kinds of care.

Once a case is identified, patients get access to medical treatment as well as case management and mental health services.

“The community that we serve, they demonstrate very high incidence and prevalence of both HIV and Hepatitis C. But also a lot of members of our community do not seek routine or regular care,” Hunt said. “And we know that our African American population suffers a disproportionate burden of HIV.”

Much of the hospital’s HIV work is funded by grants, but Sinai depends on money raised by the AIDS Run & Walk for things that fall outside the operating budget.

Sinai’s programs not funded by grants help HIV patients get access to food, warm clothing for the winter and transportation for “addressing the social determinants of health.”

“If you have a patient who’s struggling with housing, or to pay bills or find food, that’s going to be a more pressing concern for them than making sure that they have their medication refill or attending their appointments,” Hunt said.

Those social determinants of health can create deep disparities among those suffering from many types of disease, according to Simone Koehlinger, chief program officer of the AIDS Foundation Chicago that organizes the event. The run helps highlight how homophobia, transphobia, race, income and access to health care all impact the spread of HIV in Chicago, she said.

“There are people who could easily have been able to prevent HIV if they’d had a decent place to live, had better access to food, to a job, and to a neighborhood that was safe to be in,” Koehlinger said.

Having more presence in the neighborhoods also helps dispel some of the stigma and silence around HIV, further fueled by misinformation about the disease and its treatments, Koehlinger said.

People being treated for HIV can achieve an undetectable viral load that makes it functionally impossible to transmit the disease. People with HIV can also live full, long lives thanks to medical innovations, and people vulnerable to it can prevent getting HIV with pre-exposure prophylaxis medications, she said.

The run will also showcase the unsung beauty of North Lawndale and give residents an opportunity to celebrate their own neighborhood, said Dr. Nancy Glick who leads Sinai’s Infectious Disease Center.

“People will come here and see not just what’s in the newspaper every day,” she said. “I think that it is beneficial for the community to be recognized. We have this beautiful park right here in North Lawndale.”

And since Lawndale is an area disproportionately impacted by HIV, it is a neighborhood where the resilience of people living with the disease and the advancements in HIV treatments should be recognized, she said.

“This really provides an opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate all the successes, to celebrate people who are living very full lives and doing well,” Glick said.

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

Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Help Clean Up Englewood Again! #TheHoodTakeover, Part 2, Is On This Weekend

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:45:00 GMT

ENGLEWOOD — Shamica Wilson didn’t know what she was in for when she decided to organize one of the largest cleanup events on the South Side earlier this month. All she knew was that she wanted to do something for the community that raised her.

Setting a goal to remove trash from 21 blocks along Racine Avenue in three days was an ambitious undertaking, but it seemed possible, Wilson said.

The #TheHoodTakeover drew volunteers from all over the city but the amount of waste that had accumulated along Racine was too much to handle in one weekend, Wilson said.

So this weekend she’s doing it again and she could use more volunteers and equipment. #TheHoodTakeover, part two will run from Saturday to Monday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Wilson will meet a team of volunteers at 6243 S. Racine Ave. Saturday morning.

Last time, she and other volunteers cleared seven of the 21 blocks. This time, she hopes to finish the rest.

“I was so grateful that people came out, but some lots we had to leave alone because we didn’t have enough people and we didn’t have the right equipment to handle them,” Wilson said.

“We had about 60 volunteers. We worked all day, in the rain, getting drenched. There were lots next to vacant buildings that hadn’t been taken care of for years. We found a saw in one of the lots, a knife that was stuck in the grass. Pampers, tires, big wooden planks, broken glass, everything.”

The Englewood mom is collecting donations to purchase cleaning supplies for volunteers who are unable to bring their own. If anyone has cleaning supplies they’re willing to loan out, they can contact Wilson at DestinyResurrection@gmail.com.

Brooms, dustpans, litter pickers, plastic gloves and garbage bags are on her wish list, along with a truck to haul away the garbage.

Volunteers can register here before the event kicks off Saturday morning, but it isn’t required. Volunteers should be dressed comfortably for the job. Those who can’t make it right at the event kickoff can email Wilson for an exact location of the group.

“If Black Lives Matter, this should matter too,” said Wilson. “This is our home. We have to take care of it.”

Do stories like this matter to you? Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

After Strike, University Of Illinois Hospital Nurses Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:30:36 GMT

MEDICAL DISTRICT — Following a weeklong strike, the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) and the University of Illinois Hospital have reached a tentative four-year contract agreement.

The union and hospital announced the agreement Thursday. The strike ended last weekend. Throughout negotiations, the nurses called for safe staffing and improved personal protection for nurses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The contract includes hiring 160 full-time nurses over the next year to cut down on caseloads, improved wages and more precautions to ensure safety of nurses and patients.

The 1,400 nurses represented by the union are scheduled to vote to ratify the contract Monday through Wednesday. Union leaders will announce the result of the vote Oct. 1.

The contact, which would be in effect from August 2020 through August 2024, will be ratified if the majority of members vote in favor.

“We are gratified to achieve this hard-fought victory after months of negotiations—this represents a vast improvement compared to where we were before the strike and we are happy to see that the hospital recognized the importance of safe staffing,” INA President Doris Carroll said in a statement.

provided

The agreement comes after nearly four months of negotiations.

Hospital CEO Michael Zenn said he was “pleased” with the agreement.

“We are grateful that our nurses chose to return to work on September 19, following a seven-day strike. This is in the best interest of our patients and our UI Health family,” Zenn said in a statement.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

TBOX Bar Crawl Won’t Go On As Planned After City Denies Permit Because Of Coronavirus

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:01:00 GMT

WRIGLEYVILLE — TBOX, the Christmas-themed bar crawl that brings thousands of inebriated partygoers to Wrigleyville every winter, was denied its request to hold the event during the coronavirus pandemic.

The city is not issuing any special event permits for in-person outdoor festivals, athletic events or non-essential markets, said Christine Carrino, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. That includes the Twelve Bars of Christmas bar crawl.

Christopher Festa, who started TBOX in 1996, told Eater he wasn’t happy the city rejected his permit, but he understood why, calling his event “literally the exact opposite of social distancing.”

The bar crawl has an infamous reputation of its partygoers causing drunken mayhem and violence in the neighborhood, including in 2014 when one man stabbed another with a broken beer bottle at the now-closed Red Ivy.

According to Eater, Festa hoped TBOX, which was set for Dec. 12, could go on this year while adapting to the coronavirus pandemic to offer a safer experience.

“I really wanted to have the event if there was a huge sentiment of people that would feel safe attending and that it would be a happy, lighthearted event — not something politicized, or with dark cloud of fear or concern over it,” Festa said.

According to TBOX’s website, Festa started the bar crawl to “have a party without my friends trashing my one-bedroom apartment.” But supporting bars through the winter months has always been part of its mission.

After six months of coronavirus-related shutdowns, capacity limits and other restrictions, Wrigleyville bar owners have said many are struggling to stay afloat and some close for good this winter without support.

The city promised to crack down on large gatherings at bars after droves of young people — many without face masks — flocked to Wrigleyville when bars reopened in June.

Weeks later, city officials blamed a spike in new coronavirus infections among 18- to 29-year-olds on young people not following safety guidelines at the bars.

Jake Wittich is a Report for America corps member covering Lakeview, Lincoln Park and LGBTQ communities across the city for Block Club Chicago.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

New Albany Park Affordable Apartment Building With Child Care Could Break Ground In 2021

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:00:46 GMT

ALBANY PARK — A new six-story affordable housing development in Albany Park could break ground in early 2021 if the city approves its zoning request.

Developer Celadon Holdings announced in April plans for an apartment building focused on affordable housing at an empty lot at 3557 W. Lawrence Ave. after the city granted the project highly competitive tax credits.

Celedon is partnering with the Renters Organizing Ourselves to Stay (ROOTS) initiative created by Communities United, a nonprofit focusing on affordable and quality housing. It’s one of two Albany Park projects ROOTS is working on.

Aron Weisner, one of the developers, said during a Thursday community meeting they are planning to start construction early next year and units could be available to rent by late 2021 or early 2022.

“It’ll hopefully go before zoning board of appeals before the end of the year because we want to start building this as soon as possible early in the new year,” Diane Limas, Communities United’s board president, told Block Club.

Proposed affordable housing development at 3557 W. Lawrence Ave.

provided

The apartments were already desperately needed in the neighborhood, advocates say, and the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent economic crisis has only accelerated the need for this type of housing.

DePaul University’s Institute for Housing Studies has identified Albany Park as having a high share of lower-income renters, families, and seniors who are vulnerable to displacement due to rising housing costs.

During the meeting at least two neighbors also asked developers how soon they could apply live in the new building once it’s built.

The building plans to feature 12 one-bedroom, one-bath apartments; 33 two-bedroom, one-bath apartments; and 5 three-bedroom, two-bath apartments.

It also also would include on-site laundry, a public gathering space, 13 car parking spaces, 50 bicycle parking spaces and three murals that local artists will be able to decorate throughout the seasons.

The developer is also pursuing a transit oriented designation, which means it wouldn’t need additional parking spaces for the property since it is near the Brown Line and Lawrence Avenue bus routes.

The new construction is aimed at helping families who earn 15 percent, 30 percent and 60 percent of the average median income levels for the Albany Park area.

Additionally the new building will have 8 “unrestricted workforce” apartments aimed at helping families who earn 80 percent of the average median income level in the area.

Sixteen apartments will benefit from Multi-Year Affordability through Upfront Investment Component rental subsidies. These are aimed at helping people at 15 percent and 30 percent of the average median income levels who may be crowding into apartments with relatives and friends to avoid homelessness.

Concordia Place also plans to open an early childhood care center on the ground floor of the new building and will offer high quality free or low-cost child care residents of the building who have children, Weisner said.

Resident Crescencia Delgado said she and her family could benefit enormously from this type of housing.

“I’ve lived in an apartment with my brother so I can afford to pay the rent,” Delgado said in Spanish. “We had to do this because I didn’t want to take my kids out of school and take them to another neighborhood where they wouldn’t know anyone.”

Over three years they moved to three different apartments in the area, she said.

“I like the idea of having a building with accessible rents because right now my kids have grown older and I’d like to have an apartment with more space for them here instead of having to look for apartments in another place. It give me the opportunity to keep living in this neighborhood,” Delgado said.

Some neighbors said they were concerned 13 parking spaces would not be enough for an area already congested with cars. Some also said they felt the design doesn’t fit in with the rest of the buildings in the area.

John Friedmann, president of the North River Commission, was also concerned the developer had not yet announced who the on-site building management company would be.

“One of the reasons that we haven’t yet identified our management partner for this project is that we are really working with the idea of measuring twice and cutting once to make sure we get the right manager for this property,” Weisner said. “We also have to get that manager approved by the city of Chicago … Ultimately that’s going to be subject to the city’s approval but obviously whoever we select will be done in tandem with our community partners.”

During her campaign and since being elected, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (33rd) has been a proponent of keeping neighborhoods affordable and working to prevent people from being priced out due to rising rents and gentrification.

The 33rd Ward is still soliciting neighborhood feedback on the development and Rodriguez asked neighbors to contact her office to submit comments on her website.

Proposed affordable housing development at 3557 W. Lawrence Ave.

provided

Activists Attempt To Create Community Garden On Old Gas Station Site — Even Though Affordable Housing Is Being Built There

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Virtual Tiny Dog Race Will Raise Money For One Tail At A Time Sunday

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:55:42 GMT

CHICAGO — One Tail at a Time is hosting a virtual tiny dog race fundraiser Sunday.

The Logan Square-based animal shelter will hold its Tiny Dog 500 starting 3 p.m. Sunday online, pitting adorably small dogs against one another for a friendly race. The dogs will race in person, but the competitions will be streamed online.

It’s free to watch the races, but those who buy a spectator ticket for $30 online will get four beers, two koozies and a vegan s’mores kit. Pickups are Friday and Saturday. Other ticket options are available for $20 and $15.

The race will have three categories of Chicago-area rescue dogs: feather-weight, light-weight and senior dog, according to a news release from the shelter. All of the dogs are 20 pounds or lighter.

Money raised through the race will help the shelter rescue animals and place them in permanent homes.

Coronavirus Kills 25 People In Illinois And 2,514 More Cases Reported

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:39:35 GMT

CHICAGO — Coronavirus killed 25 more people in Illinois during the past day.

Among the victims were seven people in Cook County. At least 8,563 people have died from coronavirus in Illinois.

Another 2,514 cases were reported in the past day, as well, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 283,885. The state’s positivity rate rose slightly to 3.6 percent.

As of Thursday night, 1,637 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Illinois, including 371 people in the ICU and 124 people using ventilators.

In Chicago, an average of 300 new cases are being reported and two people dying per day. The city’s positivity rate was at 4.6 percent.

COVID-19 has killed at least 2,940 people in Chicago, and there have been 78,306 confirmed cases.

Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Census Count Must Continue Until End Of October, Federal Judge Rules

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:27:38 GMT

CHICAGO — With less than a week before the census deadline, a California federal judge ordered the Trump administration to extend the census count until the end of October.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Census Bureau to continue the count until Oct. 31, according to the New York Times.

The National Urban League, other civil rights groups and the cities of Chicago and Los Angeles sued the government, saying the schedule would likely produce inaccurate numbers of hard-to-count communities.

Koh agreed.

In the decision, which is expected to be appealed, Koh said the shortened schedule would impact political representation and the distribution of federal funding.

Census participation helps determine federal funding for critical services including education, child care, workforce training and health care.

Chicago took the Trump Admin to court—and we won. But we still have to each do our part to make sure every Chicagoan is counted by October 31. Critical federal funding is on the line for our communities. Text your friends, get it done today: https://t.co/tt2S9o2ivo. https://t.co/4bHV898Hhm
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) September 25, 2020

Koh’s ruling comes after the federal government has shifted the timeline for reporting the count. In April, the census deadline was extended until Oct. 31 because of the coronavirus pandemic. But in August, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross shortened the previous timeline to Sept. 30.

The changing timelines have sent groups scrambling to get people counted.

Across the country, census counts are lagging behind as the deadline approaches. In 2010, nearly 66 percent of Chicagoans took part in the 2010 Census. Currently, just under 60 percent of Chicagoans have filled out the census, according to Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

The state risks losing $195 million per year for each 1 percent of the population undercounted.

Illinois could also lose two congressional seats to census-based redistricting.

Earlier this week, Lightfoot urged Chicagoans to fill out the census in order to get federal funding for parks, schools and infrastructure projects.

“Everyone benefits when we are counted and we get our fair share of resources from the federal government,” she said.

The census can be filled out online or over the phone by calling 844-330-2020.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Shootings Are Up In Albany Park, Ravenswod Manor, And Neighbors Are Looking For Solutions

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 16:01:00 GMT

ALBANY PARK — Shootings have more than doubled in the 17th Police District on the Northwest Side, which includes Albany Park and Ravenswood Manor, and neighbors are frustrated police and elected officials have yet to put a stop to them.

A crowd of about 45 people attended a public safety meeting Wednesday where some questioned and criticized police and elected officials, asking why there aren’t more officers, why the current officers don’t seem to be taking the shootings seriously and if violence interruption teams promised by the city have been deployed.

The public safety meeting was the first to be done in-person since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Police data shows there had been 20 shootings and five murders in the district by this point of 2019, while 49 shootings and eight murders have been reported so far this year. Police have said the violence stems from escalating gang-related conflicts.

And there was gunfire near St. Edward Catholic School, 4343 W. Sunnyside Ave., just hours before Wednesday’s meeting. No one was wounded in the incident, which happened about 1:30 p.m. in the 4600 block of North Lowell Avenue near to the school, said Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th).

One woman, who said she is a mother at St. Edward, said she was frustrated it took hours for the school, police and elected officials to notify the school’s community about the gunfire. It happened when children were being dismissed from class and going home, she said.

“We need more officers. … Where are the officers who are driving around the district all day long now?” the woman said. “I don’t want to keep hearing that we have resources. That’s pretty much a political lie.”

One couple at the meeting, who declined to give their names, criticized police for not investigating thoroughly when there was gunfire early Saturday by their home near the intersection of North Harding and West Granville avenues.

They said officers responded to their 911 call but didn’t appear to get out of their cars or talk to neighbors until they came by again much later in the day to collect bullet shell casings.

“I know you guys are overwhelmed; however, it took a long time for the police to come, and they never knocked at my door to see if I had any information,” the woman said.

Police didn’t have information Thursday about the incident.

Other neighbors who spoke at the meeting also urged officials to focus on bringing violence interrupters and other resources — like mental health care — to the neighborhood to prevent the shootings.

“I really want to know where the violence prevention money is and when are the violence interrupters going to be on the streets,” said Irving Park resident Caitlin Brady.

Brady pointed to last week’s shooting of Hector Alvarez Jr., 38, of Albany Park, as an example of how adding more police hasn’t helped the district. The married father of five remains hospitalized after his family said he was mistaken for someone else when he was shot in Ravenswood Manor.

“Hector was not a gangbanger, and now he’s fighting for his life,” Brady said. “I am tired of us doubling down on failed solutions. We have been adding cops for years and the violence continues to go up.”

Albany Park neighbor Sandra Gutstein launched a petition Tuesday asking for local officials to invest more money in community outreach, housing stability and violence interrupter programs, among other things, instead of more police. The petition had more than 580 signatures Friday.

“We’re just not seeing resources put towards preventative measures like they are for police,” Gutstein said before the meeting, which she did not attend. “I’m not saying we don’t need every resource available to try and stop these shootings. But social services and mental health approaches have had their funding cut back over and over again by the city.”

Last week, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (33rd) said Mayor Lori Lightfoot agreed to send violence interrupters and more police resources to the area to curb the gun violence.

And as of last week, the 17th District is using tactical units, gang investigation teams and community safety teams to address the gang activity, Rodriguez said at Wednesday’s meeting.

But Rodriguez has said bringing in more officers is not an effective solution for preventing crime.

In January, the district had 209 officers assigned. That’s fluctuated: At one point, there were 253 officers in the area, and now there are 225, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the Police Department hasn’t given her straight answers on how it decides to staff its districts or if having 225 officers in the 17th District is considered a normal staffing level.

Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th), Rossana Rodriguez (33rd), Carlos Rosa (35th) and State Rep. Jamie Andrade Jr. addressed neighbors at the Sept. 23 meeting.

alex v. hernandez/block club chicago

Rodriguez and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), who was also at the meeting, have championed efforts to at least partially defund the Police Department and focus the city’s resources on mental and physical health care, violence interruption work and other violence prevention measures.

Violence interrupters from Metropolitan Family Services are already in Albany Park and are working to identify “problem buildings” that may be related to the ongoing shootings, Rodriguez said.

“Violence interrupters can step in when we are facing those issues and start having those conversations to prevent these issues from escalating,” she said.

Marisa Goldberg, a North Mayfair resident, said the rise in violence has been worrisome — but it was good to see support for violence interruption work at Wednesday’s meeting.

“There are shooting happening just blocks from our houses,” Goldberg said. “We’ve had shootings in the past, but nothing like we’ve seen in the last couple weeks.

“But I was very happy to see there was support tonight for violence interrupters. I think people don’t understand that having violence interrupters come here doesn’t mean that there will be fewer police officers here. They don’t understand those are two different things and that’s why they’re afraid about those kinds of resources coming to the area.”

Rocked By Shootings, Albany Park Neighbors Stage Peace March, Vigil: ‘It Seems Like Things Are Getting Worse’

As Another Shooting Interrupts Meeting On Albany Park Gang Violence, City Says Help Is Coming To 17th Police District

Alderman Wants More Mental Health Workers, Not Police — But Neighbors Want More Cops After Shooting Spike

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Breonna Taylor To Be Honored At Downtown Rally By My Block, My Hood, My City

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 15:21:28 GMT

CHICAGO — My Block, My Hood, My City is holding a rally in honor of Breonna Taylor this weekend.

The Say Her Name Rally is planned for noon Saturday at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. Participants will honor Taylor, a Black woman whom police killed in Louisville, Kentucky, and will call for justice in her slaying.

My Block, My Hood, My City will use the rally to raise money for groups that serve and are led by Black women, according to an email from founder Jahmal Cole.

Those interested in attending the rally can RSVP online. People can also donate to the Black Women-Led Organization Fund online.

One Louisville officer has been charged with wanton endangerment for shooting into neighbors’ homes during the raid — but no one has been charged with killing Taylor, who was sleeping when an officer fatally shot her.

Thousands Of Students Are Missing From Chicago’s Virtual Classrooms. ...

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 14:13:37 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools said that 49,000 students failed to log into classrooms on the first day of remote learning, a figure it has now winnowed down to fewer than 6,900 after expanded outreach efforts.

The figures released at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting offer the first look at how many of Chicago’s 300,000 students the school district is still trying to contact. They are a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges that Chicago faces in connecting with students remotely.

After school buildings closed in the spring, the district also reported thousands of missing students. Now, with a fresh start to the school year, officials detailed new protocols to find them, including tens of thousands of phone calls to vulnerable students, a mass flyering campaign led by Safe Passage workers, and security guards trained for home visits.

District leaders said they have continued to get in touch with new students this week, the third since school started, in large part due to their broad outreach efforts. As of last Friday, the number of students marked “did not arrive” was 2,680.

“We did have a smooth opening to the school year,” LaTanya McDade, chief education officer, said. “We extended the time to allow phone calls and outreach, and saw results with kids engaging with school.”

Those outreach efforts have expanded significantly this school year compared to last spring, when the responsibility for tracking down the thousands of students who fell out of touch in the first weeks of remote learning fell primarily on individual schools. (A revised figure released by the district at the end of the year counted 559 students as off-the-grid for most of the spring.)Become a Chalkbeat sponsor

Since August, central office staff, bus aides, and Safe Passage workers have been making daily phone calls to students who are homeless, attending Chicago schools for the first time or in key transitions such as ninth grade. The staff members let them know school was starting, and checked to see if students had internet and device access.

As of Tuesday, nearly 35,000 families had received those calls, according to the district. Safe Passage workers, who are usually employed to stand on street corners before and after school to look out for students as they commute, handed out nearly 60,000 flyers around the city.

This school year the district will also take a more centralized approach to home visits. The district trained 1,317 security officers to visit students that schools couldn’t reach by other means, with a focus on the 100 schools with lowest attendance.

It has also spent $50 million to get low-income students internet access, with an ambitious goal of signing up 100,000 students. So far, about a quarter of that number have signed up.

Still, board members expressed concern Wednesday about efforts to contact students. Not only have some Chicago communities been deeply affected by COVID-19 deaths and financial uncertainty, enrollment also affects district finances.

“Chief McDade, how are we going to contact the 6,900 students?” board president Miguel Del Valle asked Wednesday.

In response, McDade said outreach efforts would continue. “All of the efforts I described have not stopped,” she said. “In the coming weeks, we will be able to give a more accurate picture.”

District officials also said the number of students who registered but didn’t come to class was not a function of remote learning, and that there was often a gap between students who registered and the district’s final 20th day enrollment calculation.

Last spring, a Chalkbeat analysis showed that the schools that struggled most to contact all of their students were in Black and Latino communities hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic; they also were more likely to have a higher percentage of Black students and students who receive subsidized lunch.

At the start of each school year, some students who register for Chicago schools never show up, either because they moved out of the district or choose to send their children to charter or private schools. The district marks those students as “did not arrive” after the first day of school.

This year, rather than removing students from the class rolls, schools were instructed to continue marking all registered students as absent, while the district, and individual schools, continued outreach efforts.

Attendance data from the first day of school showed 84% of students attended on the first day, down 10 percentage points from the 94% rate the district met the last several years. Those numbers varied widely at the campus level, with some schools reaching attendance rates upwards of 95%, while others reported closer to 60% of students participating on the first day. Schools that had trouble reaching students in the spring tended to have lower attendance rates.

Even as they have received district support, individual schools have still worked to create parent engagement systems and help families adjust to remote learning.Become a Chalkbeat sponsor

At Brunson Math & Science Specialty School in Austin, one of the neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID-19, only 52% of students logged on the first day, far below the district average of 84%.

Principal Carol Diane Wilson said that wasn’t for lack of trying. Over the summer her staff updated the contact information of more than 300 parents, planned outreach meetings, and asked students to reach out to their friends, all in an effort to secure engagement at the school, where 84% of students are low income. Over the first few days of school, the number of students logging in climbed to 83% as parents overcame internet issues and difficulties logging in.

Still Wilson said she expected a drop in enrollment, largely driven by the COVID-19 crisis. “COVID has run rampant in this area. We have a lot of parents coming in to get food distribution, we have a lot of families that are doubling up,” said Wilson. “I do foresee a drop in enrollment and I’m just hoping that once this pandemic is done, enrollment will increase.”

Suder Montessori Magnet School, in the wealthier West Loop neighborhood and with only 45% of students living below the poverty line, started the first day with a 98% attendance rate. The principal, Bosede Bada, said the spring was a disaster.

In an effort to better prepare for fall, her staff conducted a digital needs survey over the summer. Then, for the first week of school, Bada and her staff cleared their schedules to address technology issues. Many students logged on, but some did not. “The children that need the most support are the children that we often have a very hard time getting in contact with,” Bada said.

Now, she hopes to continue to build relationships in her school so students stay engaged. “When you have a strong connection with a child or a family, you have to leverage that connection to get the students engaged.”

Still, even as students log on, schools must turn their attention to keeping them engaged. The district has returned to pre-pandemic attendance taking.

Foreman College and Career Academy had the highest percentage of students in the district who didn’t log into remote learning in the spring, with 26%. On the first day of school this year, Foreman had 71% attendance.

Jessica Cipicchio, a special education teacher at Foreman, said that most of her students eventually came to class, but they still struggled to regularly engage while juggling school, work and family responsibilities, all made more urgent by the pandemic. “This online learning is hard,” Cipicchio said. “We are seeing a lot of things we saw in the spring.”

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

When And How Will Chicago Decide About Reopening School Buildings? Parents Press For Answers.

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 13:37:45 GMT

CHICAGO — Allison Gorsuch, the mother of a Chicago kindergartner, made an impassioned appeal in front of the city’s school board this week: Spell out soon how the district will decide whether to bring students back to school buildings and when.

The decision on whether to bring students back into school buildings on Nov. 9 is looming for Chicago, the country’s third-largest district. During its Wednesday meeting, the district’s governing board largely focused on how remote learning has gone two and a half weeks in, offering positive reviews about what leaders feel was a strong start to the year. Board members did not broach the issue of how and when the district will make a call about the next quarter.

But on social media and in after-school meetups, parents have started wondering whether a return to in-person learning is still on the agenda. And on Twitter, the district’s teachers union has suggested the district is again eyeing a blend between in-person and remote learning — and has already strongly questioned whether officials can do it safely.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Jianan Shi, head of the parent advocacy group Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, urged district leaders to include families in their decision making, noting seven weeks remain until the end of the current quarter. He said that remote learning is an imperfect scenario for many students and their parents but urged the district to proceed cautiously as it weighs shifting course.

“Let’s not rush into hybrid learning the same way we rushed into remote learning,” he said.

A district spokeswoman said after Wednesday’s meeting that the district will have more information about second quarter decision making at a later date. At an education townhall Thursday sponsored by the media outlet Politico, schools chief Janice Jackson praised teachers’ efforts to make the most out of remote learning. But she said plainly that children need to be in school buildings and the district still aspires to return them there.Become a Chalkbeat sponsor

“There are things that I think are critically important to child development that children are missing out on in a remote environment, which is why we are working extremely hard to get them back in school,” she said.

New York City was alone among the country’s largest school districts in starting the year with a hybrid approach including some in-person instruction. But last-minute changes of plans and miscommunication with families have made for a troubled start. This week, Miami-Dade, the fourth-largest district nationally, announced it plans to go back to full-time in-person learning next month. Meanwhile, some suburban Chicago parents have begun protesting and calling on their districts to reopen school buildings.

New York City’s last-minute switch could be a lesson for Chicago. Here, some parents have said a timely decision about the second quarter would help them plan and prepare.

Chicago district leaders had initially hoped to launch the school year with a blend of in-person and remote learning, with families having the option of choosing fully online learning. But amid an uptick of COVID-19 cases in the city, parent surveys that revealed safety concerns about in-person learning, and strong pushback from its teachers union, the district backed off from that plan. Officials said at the time that they would revisit the possibility of a partial return to school buildings during the second quarter — a decision they said they would base on the public health situation.

At the Wednesday meeting, board members spoke positively of the start of the school year in Chicago, congratulating district leaders and educators on what many of them felt was a smooth beginning marked by innovation and hard work.

“As a parent, I am hearing learning,” said Sendhil Revuluri, the board’s vice president. “I am also hearing joy.”

District leaders said they are encouraged by remote attendance numbers so far — LaTanya McDade, the chief education officer, touted a “strong start” to the year — but said the goal is to continue improving the quality of virtual learning.

“We are not spiking the ball at the 20-yard line,” said Jackson. “We still have a lot of work to do.”

But some parents urged the district to release its criteria for a return to school buildings as soon as possible — and spoke candidly of the challenges of learning online, especially for younger students. Gorsuch, the parent of a kindergartner at Pulaski International School, said her child and his teacher are working hard to make remote learning work. But for a 5 year old, the screen time is too much, and the time for crucial small group work and one-on-one support is not nearly enough, she said.

“I’m not asking for schools to reopen before it’s safe,” she said. “But I am asking that this not be a lost year for our youngest students.”

Another parent, Danielle Tobin, also said her family has been overwhelmed by the demands of remote learning, despite “ideal conditions:” students who have access to the technology they need and parents at home to supervise and guide them. She seconded the call for a head start on planning for the second quarter.

“The solution is to plan now and communicate to parents what the plan is,” she said.

Chicago has floated a plan to bring in some special education students earlier, but the union has balked, citing safety concerns.

Stacy Davis Gates, the union’s vice president, said district leaders have not yet tackled the issue of planning for the second quarter in weekly meetings they’ve held with the union, where the focus has been on improving virtual learning. She said it is time for the district to explain how it will approach the decision and address calls from the union for coronavirus testing and contact tracing protocols, which she said would be essential for a safe return.

“The difficulty I have at this point is that I don’t have a plan to react to,” she said. “You can’t say yes or no without any plan.”

She added, “It’s irresponsible and very magical thinking that we can treat a return to school idea flippantly. These questions are about life and death.”

In August, when officials were still backing a hybrid plan that involved some in-person learning, the district had said a daily average of 400 new COVID-19 cases over the course of a week would trigger an all-virtual learning approach, but they were watching other metrics closely. Scenarios such as a daily average of 200 cases coupled with a rapid increase in the rate of positive tests could also prompt a shift. It’s not clear if those metrics would still apply to the second quarter.

The city’s current daily average for the past week is 296 cases, with a positivity rate that has decreased slightly over last week.

The district’s original plan for fall had called for two days of in-person learning a week, with one day of live virtual instruction and two days of more independent learning. The district had said it would take a slew of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19: grouping students in pods of roughly 15 students with spaced-out assigned seating, requiring face masks and daily temperature checks, hiring 400 additional custodians to deep clean schools, and other steps. The district also said it bought 1.2 million reusable cloth masks for students and employees, 40,000 containers of disinfectant wipes for classrooms, and 22,000 touchless infrared thermometers.

The union had voiced skepticism that the district could ensure the safety of educators and students; it had raised the possibility of a strike over that earlier back-to-school plan. In a survey last summer, 40% of teachers who participated said school should not resume in person until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes widely available.

Some experts believe a vaccine approved for children might not become available until next fall, after an adult vaccine is adopted.

At the Thursday townhall, Jackson said she worries that remote learning is exacerbating longstanding inequities, with wealthier families creating learning pods and providing enrichment activities for students while some of their peers fall behind.

“I’m guilty of doing the same thing because I want to keep my kids engaged and I want them to be active,” she said. “There are far too many students who don’t have that privilege because they aren’t in school.”

Cassie Walker Burke contributed to this report.

South Side Film Festival Returns Virtually With ‘No Lye,’‘Far East Deep South’ And More

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 13:24:00 GMT

CHATHAM — The Chicago South Side Film Festival is back for its fourth year, but with an all-virtual format during the coronavirus pandemic.

The festival has expanded over the years and generated national attention while spotlighting South Side stories and storytellers who don’t often get the opportunity to share their work.

Like many events this year, organizers of the 10-day event, which had been held at Chatham’s Studio Movie Grill since 2017, shifted to an online-only platform. While the workshops and breakout sessions are gone for now, the festival lineup remains as diverse, entertaining and informative as ever, said assistant producer Lex Curtis.

“Surprisingly, we had the same number of submissions as we had last year, and we had a lot of really great films. The hard part was trying to scale it down with a much smaller budget,” said Curtis, who has been co-organizing the festival with Founder Michelle Kennedy since its inception.

The virtual festival begins Friday and runs through Oct. 4. Through the Seed & Spark platform, viewers can buy individual tickets for single films or festival passes. The films will stream during certain times, allowing ticketholders to log on anytime during those windows to watch.

Movie tickets are $8 each and festival passes are $40.

The virtual festival kicks off with the screening of “No Lye: An American Beauty Story,” which follows the rise and fall of the Black-owned ethnic beauty industry in America.

Another feature being screened is “Far East Deep South,” a documentary that follows Baldwin Chiu, a Chinese American artist from California, as he travels to Mississippi to learn about his family’s historical struggles.

There is also a South Side & Beyond short film block, which will include screenings of multiple short films by diverse directors, followed by panel discussions.

A promotional poster for No Lye, which is headlining the 2020 Chicago South Side Film Festival.

PROVIDED.

Curtis credited partners like Seed & Spark — a film-centric crowdfunding platform — for helping the festival change formats. Sponsors were also a huge help, Curtis said.

“They were really supportive. The Illinois Institute for Technology and A Space for Creators really stepped up to sponsor some of our screenings. We had a hard time finding support, but a few of our community members definitely showed up to help fill some of our gaps,” Curtis said.

More information about the festival, tickets and passes are available at the festival website.

Do stories like this matter to you? Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Chicago Is Lagging Behind Other Cities In Creating Protected Bike Lines, Active Trans Says

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 13:19:16 GMT

CHICAGO — An influential bicyclist advocacy group is calling on the city and state to dedicate more funding and manpower to creating protected bike lanes.

The Active Transportation Alliance, which focuses on making travel safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, released an analysis Thursday where it said Chicago is lagging behind other cities when it comes to creating protected bike lanes. The report calls on the city and state to dedicate more funding and manpower toward creating the lanes.

The city’s worked for years on plans — like its Vision Zero initiative — to create more bike lanes and reduce bicycle and pedestrian deaths from crashes. But bicyclists keep getting killed; just earlier this month, a driver hit and killed a bicyclist on the Near West Side.

When running for office, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she wanted to create 50 miles of protected bike lanes and 100 miles of bike lanes overall.

It’s unclear what progress Lightfoot’s administration has made toward that goal. The Chicago Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment.

While normal bike lanes are typically set apart by just a line of paint, protected bike lanes have barriers that can better separate bicyclists from drivers. They’re safer and lead to more people riding bikes, according to the Active Trans report, yet protected bike lanes “remain scarce and so many streets remain uncomfortable for biking” in Chicago.

That’s particularly true on the South and West sides, where there are fewer miles of protected bike lanes — even though those areas see a disproportionate number of crashes and people have to travel further between destinations, according to the report.

Chicago faces four key barriers as it’s trying to build protected bike lanes, according to Active Trans: a lack of dedicated funding, shortage of staff in the Department of Transportation, more help needed from the state and, in some instances, opposition from politicians and community members.

The organization’s analysis offers solutions for those issues.

The group suggests Chicago’s plans for making streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians have “floundered because no dedicated funding exists for implementation.” The city should create a $20 million fund that will be used to create bike lanes and other infrastructure for walkers and bicyclists, especially on the South and West sides in corridors where there are a lot of crashes, according to Active Trans.

The group also recommends the city hire more full-time workers for the Chicago Department of Transportation, with an emphasis on creating full-time positions for bike, pedestrian and public transit planners and traffic engineers.

The state should pass legislation to strengthen the Complete Streets Law, according to Active Trans, and community members can help by electing “more walking and biking champions” to the legislature. They also suggested the state-run Illinois Department of Transportation needs to be reformed so it will better support efforts to make protected bike lanes in Chicago, since IDOT controls many major roads.

Finally, Active Trans suggests the Chicago Department of Transportation work more on community outreach and put a greater focus on racial equity.

Some residents have concerns about protected bike lanes, worried they’ll lose parking or traffic will slow down, according to Active Trans.

“The city’s outreach resources are limited so the people and organizations with the time and energy to speak out on their own are heard the most under the current process,” according to the group. “Meanwhile, the voices of people living in high-need Black and Brown communities on the South and West Sides are often overlooked.”

The city can help by working with existing community groups, special service areas and park advisory councils, according to Active Trans. It can also conduct racial equity impact assessments for major projects.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

11-Year-Old Austin Singer Turns Composer To Create Song For Chicago Children’s Choir

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 13:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN — Jamion Cotton was watching a TV show where a young boy was having a nightmare. The boy woke up and realized it was just a dream.

That sparked an idea for the 11-year-old.

Cotton, who lives in Austin, composed the song “Just A Dream,” which will be a centerpiece of Chicago Children’s Choir concert Saturday. Cotton created the song with his father and choir alumnus W. Mitchell Owens.

Cotton is part of the Austin Neighborhood Choir, which is organized by the Chicago Children’s Choir.

“I felt the music, the unity, the voice to bring people together,” Cotton said. “I made this music … to let the people know that even though you may be dreaming of bad things, to think about the good dreams. All the dreams of what you want to become. Because every dream matters.”

The concert, “Reverberation,” will be a program of virtual performances that will offer a glimpse into the stories behind the young singers. The event will feature a wide-ranging selection of works meant to inspire resilience, including U2’s “One,” Beyonce’s “Bigger” from “The Lion King: The Gift,” and the world premiere of the music video for Grammy Award-winning artist Common’s “God Is Love!,” recorded with the children’s choir last winter.

The program will include a video about Cotton’s life and his love for music, which is a followup to a previous video telling his story.

Jamion Cotton is a member of the Austin Neighborhood Choir.

Provided.

Cotton said he was inspired to write the song to lift people’s spirits. A dream is something people can hold onto to give them the hope and strength to make it through difficult challenges, he said.

“The times we’re going through right now is tough,” he said, but it’s important not to give in to hopelessness and to keep faith that things will get better with persistence.

The lyrics to the song also speak to Cotton’s younger self.

“I have those weary days,” he said. “I felt so scared when I was a little boy.”

Cotton hopes young people who hear his music will be uplifted and find the voice they need to pursue their dreams, to never give up and to leave their mark on the world.

“Even if they’re young, whatever they want to become, you have to set an example for them. Because they probably want to follow your legacy,” he said.

The Chicago Children’s Choir serves more than 5,000 kids, but when Josephine Lee, president and artistic director, met Cotton she was “completely enchanted by his talent and his presence, which was really just powerful and just so joyful and hopeful.”

Cotton is an old soul wise beyond his years, Lee said. His song was selected for the program since he embodies the spirit the choir strives towards.

“We try to be very intentional about the message and who we represent and whose voices we feel like need to be amplified,” Lee said.

Josephine Lee is the president and artistic director of the Chicago Children’s Choir.

Provided

The “Reverberation” virtual concert is an evolution of the annual gala the choir typically hosts. The singers all learned the songs remotely, and the choir did virtual rehearsals leading up to the concert.

Despite the challenges of going virtual to keep everybody safe from coronavirus, Lee said the shift has “opened up a whole new world” by allowing the kids to collaborate with young people in different neighborhoods in a whole new way. The concert gives kids from all different walks of life a platform to tell their stories and share their dreams through song, which Lee said showcases the power of music to “intentionally bring children together on common ground.”

“The choir is not just about singing. It’s about exploring one’s self and being in a safe space to share, and learn and collaborate and create,” Lee said.

The Reverberation concert begins 7:45 p.m. Saturday. You can RSVP here for the free event.

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

Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

After Losing Their Jobs During Coronavirus, Hair Stylists Open Their Own Edgewater Salons

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 12:55:00 GMT

EDGEWATER — The coronavirus pandemic caused the closure of two local hair salons, but former stylists at those salons are now opening their own businesses.

Following the stay at home order in March, Salon 64 on Berwyn Avenue and the Hair Cuttery on North Clark Street were forced to shut down.

At Salon 64, 1064 W. Berwyn Ave., the owner decided to retire rather than try to reopen during the pandemic. Hair Cuttery’s parent company filed for bankruptcy and closed all of its city stores, including the Andersonville location.

But those storefronts did not stay empty long, as stylists at the closed salons have opened their own businesses.

Studio 64

The former Salon 64 is now Studio 64, a salon themed after famed New York night club Studio 54.

It is the brainchild of Greg Nelson, a former stylist at Salon 64 who decided to take over the business after his boss’ retirement.

“My clients kept saying, ‘When is he going to hand this over to you?'” Nelson said. “He was just ready to retire, and I had all these ideas.”

The timing of Salon 64’s closure worked out for Nelson, even if it meant he was out of job.

The building that housed the salon had recently been sold to a new landlord, who didn’t want a vacancy. Nelson got a good deal on the space and decided to use his unemployment money to launch his own business.

Studio 64 has a renovated interior, including brightly colored walls with glitter. A red velvet rope hangs from the store’s front door, and disco ball chimes ring out when someone walks in.

“I took my inspiration from Studio 54,” Nelson said. “It’s brighter, more inviting.”

Studio 64 will eventually be a full-service salon, with coloring and manicures available. Pricing will be gender-neutral, so the cost of a service will be determined by the length of the hair, Nelson said.

Studio 64 is aiming for a Oct. 1 opening. After having dreams of owning his own salon, Nelson said he is happy to see it come to fruition, even if it’s during a pandemic.

“Every piece of the puzzle lined up for me,” he said. “Sometimes, the stars align.”

The Cuttery

Hair Cuttery’s bankruptcy has been Alonso Rodriguez’s gain, even though he also lost his job in the process.

The nationwide salon chain had been at 5539 N. Clark St. for more than 17 years. The stylists were ready to return to their chairs when the company abruptly announced it was closing.

“They told us the morning of [the scheduled reopening], ‘Your store won’t be open any more,'” Rodriguez said. “Fourteen of us were out of a job on a single day.”

Soon after that, Rodriguez saw a “for rent” sign in the former Hair Cuttery, its styling booths and furniture still in the shop.

The location already had a built-in clientele, so Rodriguez thought to try his hand at owning a salon. He joined with his boyfriend and a business partner to open The Cuttery on July 1.

“It was either [open it ourselves] or find someplace else to work,” Rodriguez said. “I couldn’t look for a job because everything was closed.”

Rodriguez was able to rehire five of his former coworkers — the most allowed to operate in the salon at one time.

Some customers returned right away, but Rodriguez said some are still nervous to venture out for things like haircuts. He said the store is doing about one-third of the business Hair Cuttery was doing before the pandemic.

The business should be enough to see him through the pandemic. Once that happens, Rodriguez said he will truly make the place his own, putting up new signs and awnings.

“That was always the goal,” he said of opening his own shop. “I just didn’t think it would happen this fast.”

The Cuttery is open noon-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Chance The Snapper Is Now 5 Feet Long And Ruling Florida Gator Farm With An ‘Iron Chicago Fist’

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO — As Chance the Snapper continues to mature inside a Florida alligator sanctuary, he’s breaking out of his shell and assuming a role as a gator king.

Frank Robb, the Florida gator trapper who rescued Chance from Humboldt Park lagoon last year, visited Chance this week. He told Block Club the beloved alligator is still growing rapidly. Chance is also asserting himself as the “boss” of his pen, which includes about 20 other animals.

“He rules that area with an iron Chicago fist,” Robb said. “Nobody messes with Chance. He’s learning to be better about having roommates. … He’s scrapped it up a couple times.

“… You can always tell when a gator is laying on the peninsula. To them, that’s like you or me sitting up on a king’s throne. That’s what Chance is in those ponds, in those areas: He’s on the throne.”

Robb expects Chance to grow to be at least 9 feet within 10 years. He could eventually grow as long as 12 feet, Robb said.

“He’s looking like he’s been hitting the weight room. He’s like a little chubby kid that … got in shape,” Robb said. “He might end up being a 600-pound animal.”

Chance became national news last year when the then-4-foot alligator was spotted prowling an otherwise quiet Humboldt Park lagoon, setting off a week-long search that quickly brought on gator fever.

Chance the Snapper, pictured at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm this summer.

Courtesy of St. Augustine Alligator Farm

News crews flocked to the lagoon every morning. Music blared. T-shirts were sold. Adults and kids craned their necks trying to spot him.

The gator, nicknamed Chance the Snapper by Block Club readers, was eventually caught by Robb, who became an overnight sensation.

And since arriving at St. Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida last summer, Chance has grown by a foot.

“He’s living life as a very happy alligator,” Robb said. “He has no worries. He has no concerns. He gets fed every day. … He’s truly living life as a rockstar.”

Robb still primarily works as a gator trapper. You can follow his trapper work here.

Trappers don’t make a lot of money, Robb said. But thanks to Chance, Robb leveraged his newfound fame into launching his nonprofit dedicated to saving more alligators.

Gator catcher Frank Robb holds Chance the Snapper at a press conference.

Chicago Park District

Earlier this month, Robb published “Our American Alligator,” a book containing his family’s collective knowledge of alligators. Proceeds from book sales will support Robb’s nonprofit.

“This whole thing in Chicago has blessed me with other opportunities to provide benefits to these animals,” he said. “It still gets me emotional talking about it. So much good out of one little alligator, you know.”

Learn more about Robb’s nonprofit here. Buy Robb’s book here or donate to his mission here.

Mina Bloom contributed to this report.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

Man, 33, Shot On Lake Park Avenue In Hyde Park

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 02:29:48 GMT

HYDE PARK — A 33-year-old man was shot at in Hyde Park on Thursday night, according to Chicago Police.

The man was shot in the shoulder and hand around 8 p.m. on the 5300 block of Lake Park Avenue, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said.

The location of the shooting is on the same block of The Promontory. No one at the restaurant and music venue could immediately be reached for comment.

No further details were available.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

The Alley’s Lakeview Storefront Is Closing This Weekend As The Iconic Counterculture Store ...

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 02:00:00 GMT

LAKEVIEW — The Alley is closing its Lakeview storefront to expand its online business based out of the punk counterculture store’s warehouse in Avondale.

Customers have until 6 p.m. Saturday to shop at the Alley, 843 W. Belmont Ave., before the store closes for good.

The new store, located at 2630 W. Fletcher St., is set to open Oct. 10.

Mark Thomas, owner of the Alley, said business has “actually done well after Covid,” but it’s pivoting to its online store because “the future is the internet.”

Jake Wittich/Block Club Chicago

In a video shared on social media, owner Mark Thomas said the business needs more space to expand its online operations.

“We’ve done pretty good over here. We’ve actually done well after COVID,” Thomas said. “But the future is the internet.”

The new store will allow for virtual tours and have a video setup, photo gallery and vlogging booth to support its online operations, Thomas said.

View this post on Instagram

MOVING THIS SATURDAY( closing early 6:00PM) to Avondale to enlarge PLEASE Watch THE Video and share it. Reopening October 10

A post shared by The Alley Store (@thealleychicago) on Sep 22, 2020 at 1:41pm PDT

The building is also where the Alley handles manufacturing and houses 120 tenants from its Art Colony and Music Factory, which rents art studios out to musicians and other artists.

“We need to grow into this [and] change the business model,” Thomas said.

The Alley has an extensive collection of throwback punk and other counterculture fashion.

Jake Wittich/Block Club Chicago

Jake Wittich is a Report for America corps member covering Lakeview, Lincoln Park and LGBTQ communities across the city for Block Club Chicago.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.

30 More People Killed By Coronavirus In Illinois As 2,257 Cases Reported

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:34:17 GMT

CHICAGO — Another 30 people were reported to have died from coronavirus during the past day in Illinois.

Among the victims were seven people in Cook County. At least 8,538 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois.

Also, 2,257 cases were reported in the past day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois to 281,371. The state’s positivity rate held at 3.5 percent.

As of Wednesday night, 1,713 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Illinois, including 400 people in the ICU and 155 people using ventilators.

In Chicago, an average of 296 cases are being reported and two people dying per day. The city’s positivity rate was at 4.5 percent.

At least 2,938 people have died from coronavirus in Chicago and there have been 77,966 confirmed cases.

Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, urged Chicagoans not to travel to Wisconsin. The state was added to Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order this week, meaning anyone coming to Chicago from Wisconsin must quarantine for 14 days.

“Please don’t go to Wisconsin right now — unless you absolutely need to,” Arwady said during a livestream Thursday. “I’m sorry. It’s high-risk right now. And I don’t want you bringing that back to Chicago, that risk.”

People who do travel should continue to follow health guidance, like staying 6 feet from others and wearing a mask, even if regulations are looser in other places, Arwady said.

Arwady also encouraged Chicagoans to look after their mental health. There are free mental health resources available online, Arwady said, but people should reach out to a professional if needed or meditate and pray if that helps.

“I would be worried if someone was not feeling stressed or somewhat different in the time of COVID,” Arwady said.

And Arwady again said Chicagoans can help out by getting a flu shot. Anyone 6 months or older, with few exceptions, can safely get the vaccine, which can protect them from serious illness due to the flu this fall and winter.

Arwady and other officials have said everyone who can get the flu vaccine should this year, as it will help prevent Chicago’s and Illinois’ health care systems from being overburdened by people sick with the flu and coronavirus.

Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.