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Articles by Michael Romain
We've Launched Proviso Votes
IPA HEADLINES By Michael Romain, publisher Village Free Press The Village Free Press has joined with several nonpartisan organizations—from local nonprofits to libraries—to form Proviso Votes, an initiative dedicated to providing information and awareness about critical community issues ahead of elections in Proviso Township.
Proviso Sees A Slate Of Business Openings As Others Close Or Sell - Village Free Press
Berkeley village officials cut the ribbon for Mi Monarca, a new business at 5817 St. Charles Rd. that sells charcuterie boards. | Courtesy Village of Berkeley/Facebook Monday, September 25, 2023 || By Michael Romain || There was a slate of ribbon cuttings for new businesses in the Proviso Township area on Sept. 23, while some companies closed their doors for good. Berkeley village officials cut the ribbon for Mi Monarca, 5817 St. Charles Rd. on Saturday.
Black studies degree prepares graduates for a wide range of careers
Calvin Holmes , who majored in African American studies at Northwestern University, says he stumbled into the academic discipline. The discovery would change his life. "I took a class my junior year and fell in love with it," says Holmes, 58. "It spoke to me." Holmes is president of the Chicago Community Loan Fund, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution certified by the U.S. Treasury Department.
Black studies scholars defend the academic field's contributions as they fight for its future
Earlier this month, Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin delivered the annual Leon Forrest Lecture, named for the late novelist who once chaired Northwestern University's African American studies department. Griffin, the William B.
Westside Health Authority has aspirations for shuttered CPS building
When Chicago Public Schools in 2013 closed 49 schools across the city, four were in the Austin neighborhood. Robert Emmet Elementary School, on the bustling corner of Madison Street and Central Avenue, the heart of a vital commercial corridor, shut its doors the next year. "It became a visible eyesore," says Morris Reed, CEO of Westside Health Authority, the Austin community development nonprofit that purchased the empty building from CPS for $75,000 in 2019.
The forgotten King
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Cash bail reform’s a matter of principle, not data
Illinois gun-rights advocates not negotiating ‘how to build a better mousetrap’ (The Center Square) – With lame duck session for the Illinois statehouse to begin in just a few days, all eyes are on what happens with a proposed gun ban. House Bill 5855 would ban the future sale of nearly 100 different semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols and require current owners to register them with Illinois State Police.
East takes place in West holiday tourney
Skip to content The Proviso East boys’ varsity basketball team came in third place in the 61st Annual Proviso West Boys Holiday Basketball Invitational, held Dec. 26 through Dec. 29 at Proviso West’s main gymnasium in Hillside. The Pirates beat St. Rita 66-61 in overtime on Dec. 29 to capture the third-place prize. The victory came after a 78-50 loss to Kenwood on Dec. 28. A win over Kenwood would have put the Pirates in the tournament championship.
Chicago office building named after veteran Austin politician
A public building in one of the ritziest areas of Chicago is now named after a longtime Austin elected official. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the agency responsible for protecting the region’s water quality, announced on Dec. 14 that its office building at 100 E. Erie St. is now the Barbara J. McGowan Main Office Building. McGowan served on the MWRD Board of Commissioners from 1998 until 2022, when she retired.
West Side Lives - Austin Weekly News
Austin resident Sarah Hardnette, 34, became a firefighter for District 2 in 2021. She recently spoke with us about the journey. On her motivation to become a firefighter As a child, I saw my friend get saved across the street in a fire, which prompted me to want to become a firefighter. She got burned and was stuck in the house. Her ears were burned and they saved her.
Bethel New Life opens new pantry amid realignment
Sharif Walker, the president and CEO of Bethel New Life, one of the largest social service nonprofits on the West Side, has major ambitions for the organization, which has significantly downsized over the years. Walker’s vision was on display earlier this month with the grand opening of Bethel Daily Bread, a community wellness hub pantry funded by Amazon Fresh. The new hub, located on Bethel’s 9-acre campus at 4950 W.
A look at what’s ahead for the West Side in 2023
In February, West Siders will elect a mayor, alderpersons and, for the first time, members of the new local police advisory councils. In the area of economic development, many major projects are still years from completion, except the controversial fire and police training academy. Other unfinished business includes the search for commissioners to run Special Service Area 77, a taxing district covering West Garfield Park’s Madison/Pulaski corridor.
High on still life
Karen Mansfield, a retired labor attorney, had never taken an art class before stepping inside of Jesse Howard’s drawing class at the Oak Park Art League several years ago. “I had absolutely no talent and I really had to push myself, but it’s something I wanted to conquer,” Mansfield said. “And I stuck with it.
D209 superintendent accused of intimidation
Teachers, students and some board members are accusing Proviso Township District 209 Supt. James Henderson and his administration of intimidation after a student and teacher critical of Henderson were suspended and terminated, respectively. The disciplinary actions happened a month after the teacher and student delivered scathing public comments critical of the district administration at a board meeting in November that prompted allegations of racism from some board members.
D209 approves 5% tax levy
During a regular meeting on Dec. 13, the Proviso Township High School District 209 school board voted 5-2 in favor of officially adopting the administration’s recommended 4.7 percent tax levy. Village officials said the levy amounts to $67.8 million, a roughly $3 million increase over the 2021 tax levy extension of about $64.6 million. The 2021 tax extension was about 2% over the 2020 extension, officials said. At a meeting on Nov.
D209 school board race fleshed out
Eight people are running for the three open seats on the Proviso Township High School District 209 school board in what is likely to be a contentious campaign ahead of the April 4, 2023 election. Incumbent school board members Theresa Kelly and Claudia Medina have filed to run for reelection while Ned Wagner will not seek reelection. All three candidates were on the first slate created by the Proviso Together party. Kelly, Medina and Wagner were elected together in 2015 and again in 2019.
Rebels without a pause
In the 1990s, the house at 1124 N. Austin Boulevard in Oak Park was one of the centers of Chicago’s underground hip-hop scene. “It was like a hip-hop Animal House,” recalled Brian “Meta Mo” Hines, a well-known MC and member of the influential group Rubberroom, during a recent YouTube interview. “It was debauchery and it was beats and rhymes and all kinds of stuff going on in that house. It was legend, on the real,” he said.
The new Jim Crow - Austin Weekly News
In her new book, The White Wall: How Big Finance Bankrupts Black America, New York Times finance reporter Emily Flitter shares the absurd experiences of Black banking professionals like Ricardo Peters, a JPMorgan Chase employee. For instance, Peters was “assigned a three-letter identification code for use inside JPMorgan’s computer systems, and the code was APE.” When he asked a superior to change the code, which had invited teasing from his coworkers, his request was denied.
D209 seeks 5% tax levy increase
During a regular meeting on Nov. 15, the Proviso Township High School District 209 school board voted 5-2 in favor of approving the administration’s recommended 5% tax levy, the maximum the district is allowed to levy under state’s tax cap law. The board will officially adopt the levy, which is around half the district’s total revenue for the upcoming fiscal year, at its next meeting on Dec. 13.
Cernan Center at Triton marks 50th anniversary of Apollo 17
Skip to content This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission — the last time humans walked on the Moon. Triton College’s Cernan Earth and Space Center, named after the mission’s commander, Proviso Township High School graduate Eugene Cernan, is marking the occasion with an exhibition that runs through April 10, 2023. Cernan grew up in nearby Maywood and Bellwood, and he graduated from what was then Proviso Township High School in 1952.
Shop Local 2022 - Austin Weekly News
The West Side has plenty of art, culture and commerce for people seeking unique gift ideas this holiday season. There’s a diverse range of options, from Ida Nelson’s popular artisan ice cream to Shaquita Thorpe’s holistic massages. Here’s what you can buy: The Roasted Leaf Cigar & Coffee Shop, 5925 W. Chicago Ave. To paraphrase a famous actor, some people meditate; others smoke cigars. At the Roasted Leaf’s calming and spacious lounge, you can do both.
Shop Local 2022: An Austin, North Lawndale And Garfield Park Gift Guide
Credit: Danielle Deschaine Want to support Block Club’s gift guides and our other local journalism? Subscribe here or click here to gift a subscription. If you do it today, you’ll get a free 16-by-20-inch Chicago neighborhood print of your choice! AUSTIN — The West Side has plenty of art, culture and commerce for people seeking unique gift ideas this holiday season. There’s a diverse range of options, from Ida Nelson’s popular artisan ice cream to Shaquita Thorpe’s holistic massages.
West Side Lives - Austin Weekly News
Army Veteran Jacqui Hunter, 44 has big plans on pitching his Soo Fresh Soo Clean Catering Business this December at bee love cafe, with the mission of feeding the homeless fresh meals and employing formerly incarcerated individuals. We spoke to him about how his love and his career ambitions. Where are you from? I’m from Austin and North Lawndale. You know those 14 people that just got shot on Halloween? That’s where I’m from. I was literally out there that day.
West Side Lives - Austin Weekly News
We encountered Dwayne Hunter, 43, of West Garfield Park, at an anti-violence resource popup event at California and Polk on Nov. 10, where he was representing the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, an Austin-based nonprofit that promotes peace and violence prevention in the city. Hunter works full-time for the nonprofit. He talked about his work and why he believes it’s so effective.
Looking for a food bank? That’s gotten a lot easier - Forest Park Review
The Thierer Family Foundation, an organization that helps nonprofits become more impactful through technology, announced on Oct. 25 that the Vivery platform is now available to all U.S. food banks and pantries. The Greater Chicago Food Depository has been utilizing the platform for roughly a year and is reporting significant progress, Crain’s Chicago Business reported.
New data portal shows suburban health outcomes - Forest Park Review
Last month, Cook County health officials announced that they’d launched a new, publicly available data portal called the Cook County Health Atlas. The data shows nearly 1 in 5 adults in Forest Park are living with depression. The ratio is similar across Cook County. The data also shows that roughly 24 percent of adults in Forest Park reported binge drinking, defined as having at least five drinks for men and four drinks for women on occasion within the last month.
Plaque at Westgate honors Mt. Carmel Baptist Church
The 1100 block of Westgate in Oak Park is among the most valuable areas in the village. On Saturday, in the shadow of the luxury Emerson Apartments high-rise, a crowd of several dozen people gathered to remember the history of plunder underneath the cobblestone pavement and to install a permanent marker outlining the story of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. The church was built by Oak Park’s early Black community in 1905, just a few decades after Emancipation and Reconstruction.
Living Fresh Market fleshes out plans for Maywood store
The developers of Living Fresh Market, the grocery store at 7520 Roosevelt Rd. in Forest Park, gave the public a glimpse of what a second Maywood location might look like during Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker’s town hall meeting on Oct. 27. Village officials announced in August that the Living Fresh owners were eyeing the former Maywood Market at 615 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood for its second location.
West Sider, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson Is Running For Chicago Mayor: ‘We Are Going To Bring A Revival To This City’
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, long floated as a potential mayoral candidate, has launched his bid for City Hall. Johnson, a middle school teacher and Chicago Teachers Union organizer, announced his candidacy for mayor at a kickoff event Thursday morning at Seward Park, 375 W. Elm St. More than 100 supporters representing unions, political groups and neighborhoods joined Johnson on Thursday near the former Cabrini-Green homes, including Alds.
$5K reward offered for murder of West Side hoops standout
David Scott was enjoying the fruits of success. The property owner, whose family owns People Cab Company in Bellwood, was on the verge of becoming a McDonald’s franchisee. In 2000, his life changed. Scott was carjacked and shot while driving in suburban Maywood. “That’s why I’m so committed to this village,” the businessman said during an Anti-Gun Violence Dove Release on Oct. 23 held just outside of the Fred Hampton Aquatic Center, near 4th Avenue and Fred Hampton Way in Maywood.
Let’s vote for the good life
Recently, I’ve taken to nature as a way to temporarily escape the near-constant reminders of war, floods, famine, drought, nuclear apocalypse, wildfires, methane-belching rivers, Donald Trump and Elon Musk. This summer, I wandered the expansive, 180-acre Buffalo Creek Reservoir in Long Grove, a quaint little town known for its historic covered bridge about a half-hour drive from the west suburbs, and quietly paced the boardwalk that meanders through the wetlands at Lippold Park in Batavia.
Marshall High basketball game honors slain teammate
Dyanla Rainey’s hardwood heroics helped the Marshall High School Commandos win a state title in 2018. Recently, the team paid homage to its former star by playing a charity game to raise money to help solve her tragic murder. Rainey, 22, was fatally shot outside of her Maywood home on July 24. In August, Maywood Police said that they suspect someone driving a 2004 Buick Regal was involved in the shooting. Police said the car’s Illinois license plate is BE25791 but that the plate may have changed.
Replica Gun At Forest Park Walmart Sets Off Active Shooter Rumors
Two male juveniles were apprehended Sunday afternoon after a replica gun in their possession set off speculation on social media that there may have been an active shooter event at the Forest Park Walmart, 1300 Des Plaines Ave. in Forest Park. “It was just a replica gun. No one was shot,” said Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins.
West Side Lives - Austin Weekly News
We came across Dante Colbert, 40, while driving near North Avenue and Leclaire. He was standing outside of Starbucks but he wasn’t an employee. He was selling a range of items displayed on a table. He’s the owner of the “Boy you got everything” store. On his inventory I’ve got Donuts, granola bars, cookies, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, hot dogs, polishes, tacos, steak burgers, sloppy Joe sandwiches, and donuts and cookies.
Discarded chairs take on new meaning at Austin nonprofit
Abri Bey, 33, said she’s always been into the idea of reupholstering furniture, but was never able to find a way into the practice. That changed when she entered A Better Tomorrow for Today’s Teens, a youth empowerment nonprofit at 3441 W. Chicago Ave. in Austin. Earlier this year, Bey, an Austin native who lives in West Garfield Park, was among a group of about seven women who, over seven weeks, transformed six discarded chairs into works of art.
Teaching white supremacy
In his first week of school as the new principal at Hinsdale South High School, Patrick Hardy was called the N-word and characterized as a pedophile twice, according to a recent Patch report, which referenced an email message Hardy sent to the high school community in September. “When I introduced myself and asked him to pull his pants up or shirt down to cover his undergarments, he responded by stating, ‘You’re a grown man.
Referendum to ask voters to pay for Forest Preserve
A referendum question will appear on the ballot in November that is as unassuming as the wetlands and prairies and woodlands many commuters pass by without so much as a nod. The Nov. 8 ballot measure will ask voters if they’d be willing to increase their property taxes so that the Forest Preserve District of Cook County — which is tasked with protecting nearly 70,000 acres of natural and recreational land across the county — might bring in another $43.5 million a year in revenue.
Two Sisters closes Austin restaurant and eyes e-commerce
The restaurant associated with Two Sisters Catering, 4800 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago, quietly closed for business this summer. As she clears out the restaurant her business called home for more than a year, owner Veah Larde is reflecting on the reasons behind the decision to shutter her carryout restaurant and contemplating plans for the future.
West Side Lives - Austin Weekly News
Senior Pastor John Zayas, of Grace and Peace Church was born and raised in Chicago. His church is one of the welcoming hubs for migrants of Chicago. I interviewed Zayas earlier this week while he was coordinating relief efforts for asylum-seeking migrants bused into Chicago from states like Texas and Arizona. On his roots in the ministry I’ve been in the ministry for over 35 years.
Austin church welcomes migrants bused from border states
On Wednesday afternoon, a room inside of the Revive Center, the nonprofit arm of Grace and Peace Church, 1856 N. Leclaire Ave. in Austin, hummed with activity. Volunteers organized large boxes food and coordinated showers, among other duties. Since August, the church and its nonprofit have welcomed dozens of asylum-seekers who have been bused from Republican-led states like Texas, Florida and Arizona.
Applications open for income, business grants
Residents of Cook County will soon be able to apply for a program that will send them $500 for two years. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County commissioners announced on Sept. 14 that the application window for the Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot program will be open from Oct. 6 through Oct. 21. The program will send monthly payments to 3,250 residents in the county. Payments are expected to start in December.
Free food and film showcase coming to Austin - Austin Weekly News
According to the Chicago Health Atlas, only 55% of Austin residents report having easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables. An upcoming film and food event seeks to address that challenge. Austin Eats, an initiative designed to expand access to fruits and vegetables and rewrite the narrative around food in Austin, and Austin Coming Together will screen two short documentaries that tell food stories on the West and South sides.
Vote like your life depends on it
Earlier this month, commuters across Chicago and the suburbs, including in Austin, were relieved to hear that labor unions and railroad companies agreed to a tentative deal, averting a strike by railroad engineers and conductors that would have shut down Metra service. The close call reminded me that the humdrum rhythm of our daily lives in this complex society is utterly dependent on people and processes that are increasingly invisible, taken for granted, and rarely cared for.
NBA player, Maywood native Sterling Brown now a TV host
Sterling Brown may be best known for his skills on the court, but that could change. If things go according to plan, the NBA forward could be the host of his own education and lifestyle show on a major TV network. The show, “How Cool Is This,” will have Brown, a forward with the Houston Rockets, exploring “discoveries, happenings and innovation in the STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] world [through] a multicultural lens,” according to a statement released by the show’s producers.
Cook County Clerk calls on veterans to be election workers
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, whose office runs elections in suburban Cook County, is calling on military veterans to sign up as election judges and poll workers in the Nov. 8 Gubernatorial Election. “We have a serious shortage of judges and poll workers,” Clerk Yarbrough said during a press conference on Sept. 20. “We’ve seen our number of election judges shrink significantly in recent years.” Yarbrough said the number of poll workers has fallen by 40 percent over the last eight years.
Cook County officials raise redesigned flag - Austin Weekly News
Cook County officials raised a newly redesigned flag at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Sept. 24. The flag-raising comes as the county nears its 200th anniversary. “I am humbled by the opportunity to have led this historic redesign of the new flag for the nation’s second largest county,” said Cook County Commissioner and Flag Advisory Panel Co-Chair Scott Britton in a statement. “The process empowered students from every corner of the County to creatively visualize the very best of what we represent.
West Side Lives - Austin Weekly News
I interviewed Dorothy Powell at the GhanAgain Festival at Austin Town Hall Park on Sept. 10. Powell, 90, grew up on the West Side but currently lives in Oak Park. She talked about her life in the city after having moved from Water Valley, Mississippi 83 years ago. She’s outlived her 10 siblings and three of her five children. On growing up in Austin I did a lot of things while on the West Side. I used to work for the Chicago Defender. I would go to different lounges like the Oasis to dance.
A West Side matriarch celebrates 100 years
Barbara Jones has lived on the 1000 block of North Leclaire in Austin for 12 years and during that time she’s considered her neighbor, Lethea Crump, to be a grandmother figure. That’s why it seemed natural for Jones to be the one to plan a special commemoration for Crump’s 100 birthday party. Community leaders and neighbors gathered on Crump’s porch on Sept. 22 to celebrate the woman many described as Mother Crump — a West Side matriarch. During Thursday’s gathering, Rev.
At Mars Candy meeting, residents ponder past when thinking about site’s future
At another public meeting related to the redevelopment of the Mars Candy Factory, 2019 N. Oak Park Ave. in Galewood, on Sept. 13, attendees leaned on Chicago’s history to imagine a plan for redeveloping the factory once the company closes it in 2024. Mars officials announced in January that they’ll close the Galewood site and move elsewhere. They said they’ll donate the facility to the community for stakeholders to use how they see fit.
Austin apartment building explosion injures at least 8
At least eight people have been hospitalized after an explosion Tuesday morning in an Austin apartment building, the Chicago Fire Department said. The department said three people were in serious to critical condition, but no fatalities have been reported. The explosion happened at about 9 a.m., inside a 35-unit apartment building at 5601 W. West End Ave. The explosion collapsed part of the building’s roof and broke windows. A car near the building was also crushed by falling bricks and debris.
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