Saint Anthony Hospital is excited to welcome Tameeka Christian to our Community Wellness Program. Christian will assume the role of director on October 29, following Paula Casas, LCSW, and Leslie Fiedler, MPH, who held leadership roles at Community Wellness for more than seven years. Christian has 15 years of experience in communitybased work. She has organized community residents through schools, churches, block clubs, and other grassroots organizations to help create and implement strategies that address issues surrounding safety, crime, youth, and beautification. She has served on a variety of committees, including Parent Advisory Councils, Local School Councils, and Youth Ready Chicago, to address education, youth, economic development, food deserts, and community gardens.
She has worked closely with the Chicago Police Department’s local CAPS office to provide service projects for youth and to create initiatives to form partnerships with community residents, youth, and police officers. Prior to coming to Saint Anthony, Christian was a community organizer for the New Communities Program at the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation. As the director of our Community Wellness Program, she will manage the day-today operations of Community Wellness’ sites in Little Village and North Lawndale, which provide a comprehensive set of services to underserved families. Christian is a licensed professional counselor with a master’s degree in community counseling from Roosevelt University, and she is a life-long resident of the Austin community. “Tameeka brings valuable experience to Saint Anthony Hospital that will allow us to provide high quality programs and services in the North Lawndale and Little Village communities”, says James Sifuentes, Vice President, Mission & Community Development.
Alderman Michael D. Chandler is encouraging 24th Ward residents to access the programs and services for home energy efficiency improvements associated with the Retrofit Chicago Single Family sealing and attic insulation rebates (up to 70% of project costs); 3) Access to qualified contractors to complete recommended energy upgrades; 4) Access to a 0% interest for one year loan; and 5) Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR certification for homes that achieve energy savings of 15% or more. Historic Chicago Bungalow Association: 1) Free air-sealing and attic insulation; 2) Applicants must live in a certifiable Chicago Bungalow; 3) Household must be at or below 120% of Area Median Income (approx: $90,950 for a household of 4).
Peoples Gas Natural Gas Savings Program: 1) Free insulation of faucet aerators, showerheads, pipe insulation, and programmable thermostats; 2) Rebates up to $600 for qualifying boilers, furnaces and water heaters; and 3) Rebates for boiler reset controls and attic insulation projects. Commonwealth Edison: 1) Discounts on ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products and washing machines; 2) $250.00 rebate for central air conditioning units purchased with furnace; 3) Financing repaid through ComEd bill for ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators, washing machines and central A/C units; and 4) Pickup of old, second hand refrigerator and freezer- get $35.00 for each unit (Limit 2).
Information on this and other home improvement programs can also be found on Alderman Michael D. Chandler’s website: www. aldermanchandler.com. Residential Partnership program. The Partnership is designed to provide homeowners with a simple, one-stop process to access programs that encourage energy efficiency. By calling Energy Impact Illinois at 855-9-IMPACT (855-946-7228) homeowners can learn more about all of the money saving energy efficiency programs available to them and can request a home energy assessment. Homeowners can save up to 30% on their energy bills through the programs being offered by the partnership. Specifically, the Partnership consists of groups such as: 1) Energy Impact Illinois; 2) Historic Chicago Bungalow Association; 3) City of Chicago MeterSave; 4) Peoples Gas Natural Gas Savings Program; and 5) Commonwealth Edison Smart Ideas For Your Home Program. Available programs offered under the Partnership include the following: Energy Impact Illinois: 1) $99.00 Home Energy Assessment; 2) Up to $1,750 in air
Thirty entrepreneurs from Chicago’s West Side will be selected to participate in a one-year program and receive up to a $6,000 grant for start-up business expenses. Participants will attend 15 weekly classes to develop a business plan, work with experienced business mentors each month for a year, and join a community of innovators on Chicago’s West Side. Students who successfully save $1,500 of their own income receive matching funds of $6,000 from Bethel, for a total of $7,500 toward business start-up costs. “We’re working to build a vibrant economy on Chicago’s West Side and we know small businesses are the key,” said Lori Vallelunga, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Bethel New Life. “By equipping entrepreneurs who have good ideas for new businesses, together we will create critical jobs in our community.”
Start-up entrepreneurs who live and will locate their businesses on Chicago’s West Side (zip codes 60612, 60622, 60623, 60624, 60639, 60644, 60647, 60651, 60707) are eligible to apply. “We expect to help launch twenty new businesses this year – including construction, culinary, landscaping, cleaning, or other businesses,” said Curtis Roeschley, Director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Bethel New Life. “Bethel’s Entrepreneurship Training Program is for serious entrepreneurs who have identified the area of business they want to pursue, but want guidance to minimize risk and maximize success.” Interested applicants can attend an optional orientation workshop at the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Bethel New Life, 1140 N. Lamon Ave., Chicago, IL 60651.
Tuesday, October 23 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 1 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Monday, November 5 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
To apply, go to www.bethelnewlife. org and follow the yellow link to more information and Bethel’s online survey/ application. Applications are due no later than November 7, 2012 but priority will be given to applications received by October 31st. “Our community faces challenging economic conditions, but West Siders have long known that if there aren’t jobs, you create them,” said Vallelunga. “Our community has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and track record of small business development. We are excited to provide opportunities for new entrepreneurs to develop the skills and access the resources that they will need to build their business and to strengthen our community.” The program is generously funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Bethel New Life has been dedicated to revitalizing Chicago’s West Side communities since 1979. Bethel’s assetsto- opportunity approach has equipped thousands of people and small businesses for success.
The deadline for Absentee Voting is November 1, 2012. Early Voting started October 22nd, and will go through November 3, 2012. The 24th Ward Early Voting Location is Douglass Branch Library, located at 3353 West 13th Street. You may vote there between 9:00 am and 5:00 p.m. A list of all Early Voting locations is found at http://www.chicagoelections. com/page.php?id=9. As you vote for President Obama, I ask that you vote “Yes” on the question of whether Chicago Public Schools should have an elected school board. CPS board members are appointed by the Mayor and not elected by the people. They answer to the Mayor and ignore us. CPS plans to close 120 schools over the next few years with no input from the community. Many of these schools will be on the West Side. West Siders pay taxes to the system but have no representation on the Board of Education. We need school board members who can feel our pain, have a genuine concern for our community and take action. In short, we need a school board elected by the people, for the people!
We thank those of you who circulated or signed petitions so that the voters can weigh in on the question as to whether Chicago should have an elected school board. As a result of your work, 4 community coalitions from around the City of Chicago were able to collect over 15,000 signatures to get the referendum on the ballot in 327 precincts in 35 wards across the City of Chicago!!! This includes the 24th Ward (except Precinct 7); 1 precinct in the 27th Ward; 7 precincts in the 28th Ward and 6 precincts in the 29th Ward. Visit http://www.scribd.
com/doc/110017113/Elected-School- Board-Advisory-Referendum-Precincts to view of list of wards and precincts in which the advisory referendum will be available. You can verify your ward and precinct by looking at your voter registration card. You can also go online and check your registration at http://www. chicagoelections.com/voterinfo.php If you live in one of the precincts where the referendum is available, you will find it on your ballot, and it will be the very last item. Again, we ask that you vote “Yes”.
Voting “Yes” on this referendum question will allow community groups and elected officials to assess the level of interest Chicago voters have in an elected school board. The election results will be shared with state representatives and senators in our efforts to change the law in Springfield to make it possible to have an elected school board in Chicago. As it stands Chicago is the only city in Illinois with an appointed board of education. Join me in supporting democracy in public education by voting “yes.” For further information as to how you can get involved, call Dwayne Truss at 773- 879-5216 or Valerie F. Leonard at 773- 521-3137. PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. Sincerely, Valerie F. Leonard Co-Founder, Lawndale Alliance
SHIFTY (**1/2) This British import delivers minimal results from its interesting character driven scenario. The title character is a local drug dealer who hides his activities while living under his older brother’s roof after their parents kick him out. Then Shifty is reunited with his best friend, Chris who resurfaces back in town after a four year prison stint that involved a rumor and scandal to a tragic accident. Shifty values friendship stronger than Chris who claims to but doesn’t. When Chris decides to hang out with Shifty on one of his drug runs that leads to Shifty being stalked by a desperate customer who happens to be a married man trying to hide his addiction. The man tracks down the duo down taking the drugs that now jeopardizes Shifty’s life with a rival dealer (Jason Flemyng) that leads to a violent future Shifty much somehow avoid. An interesting but dry melodrama. R; 85min. Breaking Glass Home Video
SMASHED (***) Mary Elizabeth Winstead delivers a convincing performance of an alcoholic school teacher, Katie Hannah who lives with her equally hung-over, unemployed husband, Charlie played by Aaron Paul of “Breaking Bad” fame in this cautionary tale on substance abuse It is apparent from the opening scene that what transpires is a daily occurrence. Katie Hannah (Winstead) awakens to her alarm clock tired and inebriated, trying to ready herself for work. This includes taking a morning shot from a liquor bottle for breakfast. And even though she manages to drive herself to the public school, she won’t exit the car until she takes another shot. Soon after, Katie tries to fake her hangover while teaching her class until she throws up during her lesson. Then she tries to rebound by trying to mislead her pupils to believe she’s pregnant.
Keith W. leads at Discovery Recovery AA meeting in Chicago
In a short talk that began noting that there was a lot of diversity in the midst of a crowded north side church basement during a nice quiet evening. A fine cool late, Windy Chicago evening it was, thanks to Rose who got the meeting started with a brief quiet time. “Twenty minutes to talk, 56, coast to coast on a piece of toast, I drank and drugged to much” Keith continued. This progressively fatal disease progressed into what the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous written by Bill W.. (Williams) and over 100 other Alcoholics refer to as – anything but a real alcoholic I am. “Yes, I too wanted to stop and get off. I was a pay period binger willing to stop between pay periods. Stopping never worked. In the year1986, they changed the policy and procedures at my job because of my alcoholic behavior. Though I never went to treatment for the right reason, CATC’s, where sobriety all began now owned by The Cook County Jail, where ironically I’ve worked for over 30 years.
On the 4th floor thanks be to God, But I now will be retiring in just a few days, Amen. September sixth 1989 I was taking 4 to 5 day lunch breaks believe it or not, and again, One More I Took. It was too sad and despicable. Paid on Friday, broke by Monday. Over and over again, folks knew. Denial / Refusal Thorndale & Broadway on pay day again, broke again. I found THAT PAYPHONE. I wasn’t stealing. I put a call out to my Dad who just said no. You ain’t nothing. No, No, no, he said, No Money. My life, my job, my money. Dad is cheap maybe just, I t h o u g h t so I called back and asked for just $20 or so maybe. . . Continue reading Keith W.’s 12 Step Lead
Ron Walters, Gospel Artists perfromed at the event
This is a follow up to the story that I did on the Gospel Artist Ron C. Walters. I Interviewed the Gospel Artist at a show called The 9th Annual Mighty Men & Women of GOD. This show was hosted by John Barbush. This Organization was founded by: Dr. Larry Love. This Organization was about creating UNITY & PEACE, and mostly stopping the violence. This show was giving people from all over a chance to use their energy and Talents and show their expressions through performing arts. The entire show was about dismantling the Culture of Violence going on in Chicago and The United States. John Barbush talked about there being over 2,000 people killed in Afghanistan and over 5,000 gunned down in the city of Chicago in the past 10 years. Chicago is now known as The Murder Capital of the World. I don’t know about you, but, that’s a distinction I am not proud of, and hopefully we will change that real soon.
24TH Ward Alderman Michael Chandler is encouraging all 24th Ward residents interested in developing a successful small business to take advantage of the upcoming NextSTEP Business Classes being sponsored by Chicago Urban League. The NextSTEP business classes are offered free of charge and helps to provide hands-on learning with the goal to assist prospective entrepreneurs in developing the skills to write a business plan, conduct market research and financial forecasting that can be used to start or grow an existing business. The series of workshops and classes associated with the program are geared to educate emerging entrepreneurs on how to prepare business plans and provide fundamental training in business best practices and financial literacy.
Ausitn plays games in their practice jerseys. They were never issued game uniforms, but they say they don’t care about appearance, they just want to win.
Austin running backcornerback Christopher Thompson also plays wide receiver
Coach Terry Carter gives his quarteback Donta Thompson a few pointers.
Wide receiver Kewon Spriggs is having an excellent season at the wide receiver position.
