# 15 West > We make the news easier to understand and reduce misinformation about our world. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### News for everyone. URL: https://www.15west.org/about/ Last updated: 2026-08-01T16:49:26.000Z ***15 West*** is a resident and student-powered newsroom dedicated to connecting people mile by mile, block by block, throughout Chicago’s West Side and neighboring suburbs. Made possible by Cook County's Digital Equity Impact Grant, 15 West is [*Lucky Jefferson*](https://luckyjefferson.com/?ref=15west.org)'s nonprofit newsroom. Lucky Jefferson is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2018, and we're building one of the first newsrooms designed for readers of all abilities. **Our Mission:** Make news easier to understand and reduce misinformation about the world around us. We're neurodiverse-first, delivering accessible journalism to everyone, no exceptions. ■ ■ ■ Support local journalism Your support means that one more person can access hyperlocal stories, accountability journalism, and news in their language—news that actually serves their community, not just extracts from it. [Support 15 West ](#/portal/support) You can follow us on [BlueSky](https://bsky.app/profile/15west.org?ref=15west.org), and [Instagram](https://instagram.com/15westnews?ref=15west.org). --- ## **Noticias para todos.** 15 West es una sala de prensa impulsada por residentes y estudiantes que conecta el lado oeste de Chicago y los suburbios vecinos, milla por milla, cuadra por cuadra. Posible gracias a la subvención de Equidad Digital del Condado de Cook, 15 West es el medio de noticias sin fines de lucro de [*Lucky Jefferson*](http://luckyjefferson.com/?ref=15west.org). Lucky Jefferson es una organización 501(c)(3) fundada en 2018, y estamos construyendo una de las primeras salas de prensa diseñadas para lectores de todas las habilidades. **Nuestra misión:** Hacer que las noticias sean más fáciles de entender y reducir la desinformación sobre el mundo que nos rodea. Neurodiversidad primero, entregando periodismo accesible para todos, sin excepciones. ■ ■ ■ Support local journalism Your support means that one more person can access hyperlocal stories, accountability journalism, and news in their language—news that actually serves their community, not just extracts from it. [Support 15 West ](#/portal/support) You can follow us on [BlueSky](https://bsky.app/profile/15west.org?ref=15west.org), and [Instagram](https://instagram.com/15westnews?ref=15west.org). --- ## Our Supporters & Partners ![The Field Foundation](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/FF_logo_green.png) ![DePaul University Urban Research Collaborative](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Urban-Collaborative-Logo.png) ![City Bureau](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/City_Bureau_Logo.png) ![Cook County Digital Equity](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Cook-County-Digital-Equity.png) ![The Field Foundation](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/FF_logo_green.png) ![DePaul University Urban Research Collaborative](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Urban-Collaborative-Logo.png) ![City Bureau](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/City_Bureau_Logo.png) ![Cook County Digital Equity](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Cook-County-Digital-Equity.png) ![The Field Foundation](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/FF_logo_green.png) ![DePaul University Urban Research Collaborative](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Urban-Collaborative-Logo.png) ![City Bureau](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/City_Bureau_Logo.png) ![Cook County Digital Equity](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Cook-County-Digital-Equity.png) ![The Field Foundation](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/FF_logo_green.png) ![DePaul University Urban Research Collaborative](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Urban-Collaborative-Logo.png) ![City Bureau](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/City_Bureau_Logo.png) ![Cook County Digital Equity](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Cook-County-Digital-Equity.png) ### Writing for 15 West URL: https://www.15west.org/pitching/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T20:19:22.000Z ***15 West*** is short for 15 miles west. We cover Chicago's West Side and near-west suburbs, up to 15 miles west of downtown. This area has long been underserved by traditional media. Our mission is to provide communities like Berwyn, Cicero, North Lawndale, Garfield Park, and Austin the in-depth, locally-focused news they deserve. We're looking for writers who reflect the West Side—BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) journalists, neurodivergent journalists, people with lived experience(s) in the criminal justice system, writers from neighborhoods that rarely make headlines, and those with deep expertise in issues that matter here, from music to election processes. **We're committed to accessible news.** All our stories meet plain language standards and are screen reader compatible. Need accommodations for pitching or writing? Let us know at [stories@15west.org](mailto:stories@15west.org). ****We are closed for pitches until January 2027.** #### Why Write for 15 West? We respond to every pitch (no ghosting!) Fair pay, transparent rates Accessible editorial process We have a soft spot for the West Side (although we love the South Side too). #### What We Cover We focus on West Side stories that matter to the people living them: ****Community & Culture.** Hyperlocal news, neighborhood happenings, local artists and venues, the stuff that makes your block unique. ****Systems & Justice.** Criminal justice reform, educational equity, healthcare access, civic participation—stories about how power works and who it serves. ****Solutions & Voices.** Grassroots problem-solving, innovative community approaches, and perspectives from people who rarely make headlines (including our 55+ residents). ****If it affects communities west of Chicago and isn't getting enough attention, pitch it.** #### Pay Transparency While we are a fairly new newsroom, we want to hit the ground running in how we believe people should be treated. ****Writing** For writers with ****fewer than 3 bylines** (clips or professional writing samples), we pay $160 per story (500-800 words). For writers with **3 or more bylines**, we pay $200 per story (500-1,000 words). ****Photography** For ****new** and ****experienced** photographers you can review [our rate card](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HlqWVu707nMyuH6cPjC1XPyM75m1DLe6km%5Fn9oBPYmQ/edit?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org). ****Translation** For translation, we pay $0.12/word. ****Reimbursements** For assignments requiring travel outside of Chicago city limits or more than 30 minutes of transit, transportation costs will be fully reimbursed, including travel to and from the venue. If ****overnight** travel is necessary, hotel accommodations and airfare will also be covered. **All reimbursements must be pre-approved and submitted with itemized receipts*. If you anticipate travel costs, please reach out in advance to confirm coverage. ****News Accessibility Study** If you are an individual with disabilities, neurodivergence, and/or someone who speaks languages other than English, we are conducting a news accessibility study and are paying participants $25 for approximately 15 minutes of their time. Please [email us](mailto:programs@luckyjefferson.com) to participate. ****Volunteering** **If you're interested in volunteering your time instead of receiving compensation, please let us know.* #### Corrections If you believe **15 West* has published inaccurate information: ****Submit a request for corrections** [****here**](https://cryptpad.fr/form/?ref=15west.org#/2/form/view/n4x6CVc5C6ltpTr2Ps91Mnc+b8Nz8X4IhskOBy552Uk/)****.** **For more info or to read our corrections policy,* [**click here*](https://www.15west.org/policies/)**.* ## When Pitching *15 West* Keep it to the point. Tell us a little about yourself. If you've been published before, share links or point us to a website. We'll do our best to get back to you within one week. We're currently prioritizing shorter-form content (500-1000 words). Not sure how to structure your pitch? We got you. [ Download Our Pitch Guide ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/12QDQ3oaNacDKjkRZ765Wb-5XUSccAQz6AKkYS1Q9dvY/edit?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) What are journalists missing in our community? We want to hear from you **stories@15west.org**. Got a lead on corruption, misconduct, or something that needs investigating? Something out of the ordinary or spicy? Send that to (or request our Signal) **tips@luckyjefferson.com**. ****We are closed for pitches until January 2027.** --- We, too, are working journalists and hate the silent treatment and harm that everyday journalists experience. **We prioritize original journalism and community stories over promotional content.** Every pitch will receive a response, and we will update this page when we are temporarily closing our inbox to accepting new story ideas. 👋🏽 You can follow us on [BlueSky](https://bsky.app/profile/15west.org?ref=15west.org), and [Instagram](https://instagram.com/15westnews?ref=15west.org). ### Learn to report the news. URL: https://www.15west.org/learn/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T01:34:19.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Flickinger.jpg) ## You already have a story**.* Learn to report the news. ## Training Series Regardless of your education, ability, language, or experience, our free workshops take you from understanding media to creating it and publishing it. You don't need a journalism degree, perfect English, or any prior experience. Just show up ready to learn. 15✶ Average attendees per session — intentionally small, so everyone gets heard. 75%✶ Of participants go on to publish original work on 15 West. ## **The news was made for you. So were our workshops.** Understand media → Report it → Publish it 01 Session One Foundations of Media Literacy Walk away knowing how to read the news critically, recognize who's telling the story, and why it matters. 02 Session Two Storytelling & Community Reporting Leave with the confidence to find, report, and frame a story rooted in your own community's experience. 03 Session Three Publishing Local Voices End the series with a clear path to publishing your own work, on 15 West and beyond. ## **Something for everyone** 🎒 Students Whether you're exploring journalism for the first time or looking to publish real work — you belong here. We've helped students earn their first bylines. 🏘️ Community Members You don't need a degree or a platform. If you live on the West Side, and have something to say, we want to help you say it. 📚 Educators Looking for media literacy tools that actually meet students where they are? These workshops were created for every day people. 💼 Organizations We can bring workshops to where your community already gathers, customized by audience, format, and need. Ready? All sessions are free, and open to everyone. The only thing you need to bring is yourself. [Register for a workshop](https://events.humanitix.com/host/15-west?ref=15west.org) [Get notified of future sessions](https://www.15west.org/learn/#/portal/) **Enjoy stories by workshop alumni** 👇🏽 ### Our People URL: https://www.15west.org/15-west-crew/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T13:28:07.000Z ![Portrait](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/portrait1-edited.png) Editor/Photographer NaBeela Washington ![Portrait](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Keila_illust-edited.png) Editor/Translation Keila Gallardo Cubas ![Portrait](https://luckyjefferson.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Iris-Jing.png) Editorial & Outreach Associate Iris Jing ## **Resident Reporters** (residents reporting on home, [through our training](https://www.15west.org/learn/) or their own experience) --- Araceli Ramirez Lauren Neher Alondra Carmona ## **Contributing Reporters** (voices beyond our usual neighborhoods) --- Yassine H. Bouhlel (Translation) Liana Ordonez ## Student Reporters --- Esme Escalera (*Reporting/Editing*) Nel Afenya (*Reporting/Editing*) Georgia Rau (*Reporting/Editing, Special Assignments*) ## Photographers / Videographers --- Mina Gregory (Video Producer) ## Designers --- Lydia Smithey Sean Wall Rae Rae Villarreal Thy Hoang ### Past Contributors 🫡 --- Ivana Jarmon / Caroline Keane / Zoë Takaki / Arturo Fernandez / Maya Swan-Sullivan / Genesis Falls / Kenn Cook Jr. / Kristian Parker / Nasser N. Adams Jr. --- Have a story idea? Email [stories@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com). Need to reach someone specific? We'll connect you with the right person. ### 15 West Privacy Policy URL: https://www.15west.org/15-west-privacy-policy/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T20:39:59.000Z At 15 West, our mission is to seek the truth and help people understand the world, particularly as it relates to the West Side of Chicago and our local community. We want you to understand how we handle your personal information. We also want you to know your rights and choices. This policy describes how we handle your personal information when you use the following "15 West Services": - Our website and its subdomains - Our email newsletters - Our pages or ads on social media networks, like our Facebook and Instagram pages - Anywhere we gather information from or about you and refer you to this Privacy Policy How we handle information about you depends on which 15 West Services you use and how you use them. For example, we use different information about newsletter subscribers than website visitors. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at [info@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:info@luckyjefferson.com). ## Table of Contents 1. What Information Do We Gather About You? 2. What Do We Do with the Information We Collect about You? 3. To Whom Do We Disclose or Share the Information We Gather? 4. What Are Your Rights and Choices? 5. How Long Do You Retain Data? 6. How Do You Protect My Information? 7. Are There Guidelines for Children? 8. How Is Information Transferred Internationally? 9. What Is Our Legal Basis? 10. What about Third-Party Services? 11. How Are Changes to this Privacy Policy Communicated? 12. How Can You Contact Us? ## 1\. What Information Do We Gather About You? The information we gather about you depends on the context. By and large, it's information about you that can personally identify you — either on its own or when combined with other information. ### 1(A) Information Collected through 15 West Services #### Information You Voluntarily Give Us **For Registration** When you sign up for a 15 West Service (whether via a subscription or a free account as a registered user), we collect personal identifiers such as your contact information, including your name and email address, and account credentials. We may also ask you to create an account or display name and select a profile picture. Once you're registered, we assign you a unique ID number. For some 15 West Services, you can instead sign up by linking your Apple, Facebook, or Google account. You may voluntarily choose to provide additional personal information in your User Profile. **For Billing** To process payments or donations, we collect and use your payment information. This can include your name, your address, your telephone number, your email address, your credit or debit card information and any other relevant information. **For User-Generated Content** We offer you the ability to post content that other users can read (e.g., comments). Anyone can read, collect and use any personal information that accompanies your posts. We do not have to publish any of your content. If the law requires us to take down, remove or edit your content, we will comply. **For Contests, Sweepstakes and Special Offers** From time to time, we offer certain opportunities through contests, sweepstakes, or other special promotions and offers. When you sign up for these, you give us your name, email and any other required information. **For Reader Surveys and Research** We gather personal information through questionnaires, surveys and feedback programs to better understand our community's needs and interests. **During Contact with Our Customer Service Team** We collect information from you when you contact customer service. This can include your name, contact information, information about your account and any other information you choose to provide. **Your Contacts and Friends** Some of our services allow you to connect with other users. You may be able to provide us with access to your contacts so that you can find your friends and invite others to join 15 West Services. #### Information Collected Automatically When you use 15 West Services, we collect some information automatically using technologies including cookies, web beacons, tags and scripts. The categories of personal information we collect automatically include: **Identifiers and Device Information** - Your IP address - Cookie identifiers - Your operating system and browser - Your browser language - Device identifiers - The unique ID that we assign to you when you register **Geolocation Information** We use location information such as your city, state, zip code, to personalize content provided to you, including more relevant local news and weather updates. This is particularly important for our West Side Chicago coverage. **Usage Data** We collect information about your interactions with our websites and apps, such as the URLs of pages you visit, how long you spent on a page, access times, search queries, and other details about your use of our Services. ### 1(B) Inferences; Information We Create or Generate We infer new information from other data we collect, including using automated means such as machine learning. These inferences include information about your likely preferences or other characteristics (e.g., article topics, local interests). ### 1(C) Information Collected from Other Sources **Other Users** Other users may provide us with your information — for example as part of a refer-a-friend campaign. **Social Media Platforms and Other Third-Party Services** If you provide your social network account credentials to us or otherwise sign in to 15 West Services through a third-party site or service, you understand some content and/or information in those accounts may be transmitted into your account with us. ## 2\. What Do We Do with the Information We Collect about You? ### 2(A) We Provide 15 West Services We use your information to help you use and navigate 15West.org, such as: - Making a 15 West available to you - Arranging access to your account - Providing customer service - Responding to your inquiries, requests, suggestions, or complaints - Completing your payments and transactions - Sending service-related messages ### 2(B) We Personalize Your Experience We track your interests and reading habits to personalize your experience, highlighting articles about West Side Chicago and local topics you might be interested in. ### 2(C) We Allow You to Share User-Generated Content Any information you disclose in your content becomes public — along with your chosen display name or username and uploaded photo, if any. ### 2(D) We Develop Products and Services, and Do Analysis We analyze data on our users' subscriptions, registered account activity, and other usage behaviors to understand how users interact with 15 West Services and to improve and develop our services. ### 2(E) We Carry Out Administrative or Legal Tasks For auditing, legal, or regulatory purposes and to comply with legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations. ### 2(F) We Offer Sweepstakes, Contests, and Other Promotions You can take part in our sweepstakes, contests, and other promotions. ### 2(G) We Allow for Personalized Advertising We gather data and work with service providers and third parties to show you personalized ads and measure their performance. ### 2(H) We Advertise or Market 15 West Services to You We market our 15 West Services to you, sometimes using marketing vendors. ### 2(I) We Aggregate Personal Information into Larger Findings Sometimes we aggregate or de-identify information so that it can no longer identify you. This helps us better understand and represent our users. ## 3\. To Whom Do We Disclose or Share the Information We Gather? ### 3(A) Within 15 West Our affiliates may access your information for the purposes listed in this policy. ### 3(B) With Service Providers We work with service providers to carry out certain tasks, including: - Processing your payments - Maintaining technology and related infrastructure - Offering you customer service - Serving and targeting ads - Managing promotions - Detecting security incidents ### 3(C) With Other Third Parties As of June 27, 2025, there are no situations when we disclose your information to third parties beyond our payment processing services service providers, such as: - Legal compliance requirements - Event sponsors (when disclosed) - In the event of a business reorganization or sale ## 4\. What Are Your Rights and Choices? ### 4(A) In General **Communications Preferences** - **Email**: You can unsubscribe from emails by following the instructions near the bottom of the email or by contacting us at [info@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:info@luckyjefferson.com) - **Push Notifications**: You can opt out by adjusting your device settings - **Text Messages**: You can opt out by replying "STOP" **Access, Correct, Change/Update, Delete or Restrict Processing** You may exercise the following choices: - Access, modify, or delete the personal information we have about you - Be informed of or receive an electronic copy of the personal information we have about you - Restrict, or object to, how we process personal information about you To exercise these rights, contact us via email at [info@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:info@luckyjefferson.com). **Managing Your Account** You can update your account information through your account settings. **Browser and Platform Controls** - Most web browsers allow you to delete or reject cookies - Some browsers support [Global Privacy Control](https://globalprivacycontrol.org/?ref=15west.org) (GPC) - Mobile devices provide options to limit tracking **Opt Out of Targeted Advertising** You have the right to opt out of targeted advertising and "sales or sharing" of personal information as defined under applicable law. **Delete My Account** You have the ability to delete your registered user account. Contact us at [info@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:info@luckyjefferson.com) to request account deletion. ### 4(B) California Privacy Rights If you are a California resident, you have certain rights with respect to your personal information, including rights to know, correction, deletion, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information. ## 5\. How Long Do You Retain Data? We store your personal information for as long as needed, or permitted, based on the reason why we obtained it. When deciding how long to keep your information, we consider: - How long have we had a relationship with you - Whether we are subject to any legal obligations - Whether we have taken any legal positions ## 6\. How Do You Protect My Information? We protect your personal information with appropriate organizational, technological, and physical safeguards — but we cannot guarantee its absolute security. We recommend that you use complex and unique passwords for your 15 West accounts. ## 7\. Are There Guidelines for Children? 15 West Services are intended for a general audience and are not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly gather personal information from children in a manner not permitted by law. ## 8\. How Is Information Transferred Internationally? 15 West is based in Berwyn, Illinois. If you are located outside the United States, your information is collected in your country and then transferred to the United States. ## 9\. What Is Our Legal Basis? In some jurisdictions, we only collect, use, or share information about you when we have a valid reason, including: - The consent you provide to us - The performance of our contract with you - Compliance with a legal obligation - The legitimate interests of 15 West ## 10\. What about Third-Party Services? As of June 27, 2025, 15 West services does not contain links to third-party websites, resources, vendors, or advertisers. ## 11\. How Are Changes to this Privacy Policy Communicated? We will post any changes on this page. If we make a significant change in how we collect, use, or share your personal information, we will notify you at least 30 days prior to the changes taking effect via email or prominent notice within 15 West Services. ## 12\. How Can You Contact Us? If you have any questions, email us at [info@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:info@luckyjefferson.com). *15 West* is referred to in this Privacy Policy as "15 West," "we" or "our." ### Intern Onboarding URL: https://www.15west.org/intern-onboarding/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T23:45:13.000Z # Welcome to *15 West* Learn more about us and develop your first story idea! 👋 ## Hi, Reporter! Welcome to your first day at *15 West*! This onboarding tour will help you understand who we are, what we do, and how to start thinking like a community journalist. #### Your Mission Today: As you explore each station of our newsroom, you'll learn about *15 West*'s approach to journalism **and** start building ideas for your first story. By the end of this tour, you'll have: - A clear understanding of our mission and values - Initial thoughts on potential story topics - Questions to guide your first reporting - A rough concept to discuss with your supervisor Click the button below to begin. Begin Tour → 🎯 ## Our Mission Every great newsroom has a north star. At *15 West*, our mission is to provide **community-centered journalism that serves the West Sides of Chicago and neighboring suburbs**. #### What Makes Us Different: - **Hyperlocal Focus:** We cover stories that matter specifically to West Side neighborhoods - **Community-Centered:** We center the voices and experiences of community members - **Solutions-Oriented:** We don't just report problems—we explore solutions and community initiatives - **Accessible:** We write for our neighbors, not for awards or insider audiences - **Trust-Building:** We're not parachute journalists—we're committed to ongoing relationships ### Our Core Values: **🤝 Community First** We serve residents, not clicks **👂 Listen Deeply** Understanding before reporting **✊ Dignity & Respect** Every story honors humanity **🌱 Long-term Commitment** Building lasting relationships #### 💭 Think About It: What does "community-centered journalism" mean to you? How is it different from traditional news coverage? ← Back Next: Stories → 📚 ## Our Stories Let's look at what we cover. We organize our journalism around seven key coverage areas: #### Our Coverage Areas: - **NextDoor Happenings:** Hyperlocal news, community stories, plus local artists, venues, and cultural events - **Modern Literacy:** Learning gaps, digital divides, educational equity, and when tech moves faster than schools - **Creative Solutions:** Innovative approaches to community issues and grassroots problem-solving - **Criminal Justice Reform:** Policy changes, community programs, and justice system improvements - **Civic Participation:** Local government, voting, community organizing, and how to get involved - **Health Empowerment:** Community health resources, healthcare access, and wellness initiatives that put residents in control - **Aging/55+:** News, resources, and stories related to older adults ### What to Look For in Great Community Journalism: **Click each element to learn more:** **🎤 Direct Quotes from Community Members** Strong stories let community members speak for themselves. We use substantial, meaningful quotes, not just soundbites. We capture people's voices, not just their information. **🏘️ Specific Neighborhood Context** We don't just say "West Side", we name specific neighborhoods, streets, and landmarks. We help readers see and feel the place we're describing. **🔍 Why It Matters** We clearly explain the impact on real people's lives. Why should our readers care? How does this affect their daily experience or their community? #### 💭 Story Brainstorm #1: Looking at our seven coverage areas above, which ones spark your interest? Pick 1-2 areas and jot down what draws you to them or what questions you have. ← Back Next: Community Focus → 🗺️ ## Our Community Focus The West Side of Chicago isn't one monolithic place; it's a diverse collection of neighborhoods, each with its own character, history, and stories to tell. #### West Side Neighborhoods We Cover Include: - **Austin** - **North Lawndale** - **East Garfield Park** - **West Garfield Park** - **Humboldt Park** - **West Town** - **Near West Side** - And dozens of others.. ### Understanding Your Beat: As a reporter, you need to understand the neighborhoods you're covering. This means: - **Walking the streets** \- Notice what businesses exist, what gathering places attract people - **Talking to residents** \- What do they care about? What changes have they seen? - **Learning the history** \- What shaped this neighborhood? What stories live in this place? - **Identifying leaders** \- Who organizes, who speaks up, who brings people together? - **Seeing the systems** \- How do transportation, schools, services, and institutions work (or not work)? #### 💭 Story Brainstorm #2: Think about a West Side neighborhood you want to explore. What would you want to learn about it? What questions do you have? What might be happening there that deserves coverage? ← Back Next: Source Network → 🤝 ## Our Source Network The most impactful stories in journalism are possible because of the commmunity you build with others. We prioritize building authentic relationships with community members who become trusted sources and collaborators. #### Types of Sources You'll Need: - **Community Residents** \- Everyday people with lived experience - **Local Leaders** \- Organizers, activists, block club presidents - **Business Owners** \- Shop owners, entrepreneurs - **Service Providers** \- Teachers, social workers, librarians - **Experts** \- People with specific knowledge or skills - **Officials** \- Aldermen, commissioners (but not only these voices!) ### Building Trust, Not Extracting Stories: The difference between exploitative journalism and community-centered journalism is relationship: #### ✅ DO: - Introduce yourself and explain your purpose clearly - Listen more than you talk - Respect people's time and boundaries - Follow up and maintain relationships - Share your story with sources before publication - Give people agency over how they're portrayed #### ❌ DON'T: - Show up only when you need something - Make assumptions about people or their experiences - Rush through conversations to get quotes - Disappear after the story publishes - Portray people as victims without their input #### 💭 Story Brainstorm #3: For the story idea you're developing, who would you need to talk to? List 3-5 types of people whose perspectives would be essential. ← Back Next: Pitch Desk → 💡 ## Our Pitch Desk You've learned about our mission, studied our coverage areas, explored West Side neighborhoods, and thought about sources. Now it's time to start shaping your first story idea! #### Elements of a Strong Story Pitch: - **The Hook:** What's the story? (1-2 sentences) - **Why Now:** Why does this story matter right now? - **Why Us:** Why is this a 15 West story? How does it serve our community? - **The People:** Whose voices will we center? - **The Reporting:** What will you need to do to report this? - **The Impact:** What will readers learn? How might this story help the community? ### Start Developing Your Idea: #### 💭 Your Story Concept (Draft): Based on everything you've explored, describe a story idea you'd like to pursue. Don't worry about getting it perfect—this is just a starting point for discussion with your supervisor! #### 🎯 Next Steps After This Tour: - Review your notes from each section - Do some initial research on your story idea - Identify 2-3 sources you could potentially reach out to - Reach out to us to share your concept - Be ready to refine and develop the idea further ← Back Complete Tour → 🎉 ## Congratulations, Reporter! You've completed the 15 West newsroom tour! You now have a foundation for understanding our mission and approach to community journalism. Mission Expert Story Analyzer Community Navigator Source Builder Story Pitcher ### 📝 Your Story Development Notes: Save these notes! They'll be valuable as you continue developing your first story with your supervisor. #### 🚀 Ready for the Next Step? Now that you've completed this tour: - Save your notes from this tour - Continue with your Week 1 onboarding - Attend a community event to gather more observations - Email us to share your story idea - Start building your source list 📋 Copy All Notes ↻ Restart Tour ### Research URL: https://www.15west.org/research/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T18:36:29.000Z ## Making News Accessible # Research from 15 West Supported by DePaul University **1 in 4 people** in West Side Chicago have disabilities, are neurodivergent, or are learning English. Most local news isn't built for them. We partnered with **DePaul University's Student Urban Research Corps** to understand what needs to change. 54 questions (all multiple choice) 16 minutes to complete $25 compensation Cook County residents prioritized ### Help Us Continue This Research Live in Cook County? Share your experience with local news accessibility and earn $25\. [Take the Survey](https://bit.ly/newsaccessibility?ref=15west.org) ## West Side Communities Need Accessible News Data from **The Chicago Health Atlas (2019-2023)** reveals the scale of accessibility barriers in our coverage area. Nearly **40,000 residents** across five West Side communities live with disabilities that affect how they access information. 10,067 ### Vision Difficulty Blind or low-vision residents who need screen readers, Braille, or audio alternatives to access local news 15,529 ### Cognitive Difficulty Residents with challenges in memory, concentration, or decision-making who benefit from plain language and clear structure 7,473 ### Hearing Difficulty Deaf or hard-of-hearing residents who need captions, transcripts, and visual alternatives West Garfield Park Faces the Highest Barriers **26.3% of West Garfield Park residents** have some form of disability — more than 1 in 4 people. The community has a **7.2% vision difficulty rate**, more than double the citywide average, and a **10.9% cognitive difficulty rate**, the highest among West Side communities. These numbers reflect deep health disparities, including diabetes-related vision loss, that disproportionately impact Black and Latine communities on the West Side. ### Disability Rates by West Side Community | Community | Population | Vision Difficulty | Cognitive Difficulty | Any Disability | | ------------------ | ---------- | ----------------- | -------------------- | -------------- | | West Garfield Park | 17,423 | 7.2% | 10.9% | 26.3% | | North Lawndale | 34,817 | 4.2% | 8.3% | 20.7% | | Austin | 96,753 | 4.9% | 6.6% | 18.0% | | East Garfield Park | 19,995 | 5.2% | 6.9% | 16.9% | | Humboldt Park | 53,832 | 2.9% | 5.4% | 13.3% | | TOTAL | 222,820 | 4.5% | 7.0% | 17.8% | **The reality:** When nearly 18% of West Side residents live with disabilities, accessible journalism becomes critical. ## Who We Heard From 94% ### People with Disabilities Visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive disabilities that affect how people access news 100% ### Neurodivergent Readers ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other ways of processing information 24% ### English Language Learners Speakers of Spanish, Polish, Arabic, and other languages in our communities ## What's Getting in the Way 88% Complex Language & Jargon 15 out of 17 survey participants prefer news that breaks down complex topics into simpler language. Academic language, technical terms, and unexplained acronyms create barriers for neurodivergent readers and English language learners. 59% Dense Formatting 10 out of 17 participants have difficulty reading text-heavy articles. Long paragraphs, small fonts, and poor contrast make reading exhausting or impossible for many people. 24% English Only 4 out of 17 participants need translations or subtitles in their preferred language. No translation options means entire communities are locked out of local news about their own neighborhoods. No Visual Alternatives Missing alt text, poor image descriptions, and inaccessible infographics exclude people who use screen readers or process information differently. Blind and low-vision readers need text descriptions of all visual content. Hard to Navigate Websites that don't work with screen readers, confusing menus, and unclear structure make it hard to find what you need. Survey participants consistently reported difficulty navigating news websites and apps. The Bottom Line When news is only accessible to some, we fail our communities. Accessible journalism isn't a "nice to have" — it's essential for democratic participation. ## What Actually Works ### Plain Language Short sentences, simple words, and clear structure make news accessible to all reading levels ### Better Design High contrast, larger fonts, and plenty of whitespace improve readability for everyone ### Audio Versions Podcast-style news and text-to-speech options serve auditory learners and visually impaired readers ### Multiple Languages Spanish translations and multilingual content reach more of our diverse communities ### Mobile First Responsive design ensures news works on all devices and screen sizes ### Image Descriptions Detailed alt text enables screen reader users to understand visual content ## How 15 West Will Use This Research We're not just documenting the problem, we're using these findings to report differently from day one. This research informs everything from how we write headlines to how we design our website. Accessibility Guidelines in All Reporting Every story will meet plain language standards, include proper alt text, and be screen reader compatible from day one. Website Redesign with Universal Design Building our platform with high contrast, clear navigation, and multilingual support as core features, not afterthoughts. Media Literacy Workshops for West Side Residents Free community workshops teaching critical news consumption skills, tailored for neurodivergent and multilingual audiences. Training for Journalists in Accessible Writing Comprehensive training programs ensuring our entire team understands and implements accessibility best practices. ### Validating Accessibility Barriers Nationwide 17 participants across 8 states confirmed consistent barriers in accessing local news While this research captured experiences nationwide, our reporting focuses exclusively on Chicago's West Side, where Chicago Health Atlas data shows **10,000 residents with vision difficulty** and **15,500 with cognitive difficulty** face these same barriers. ## Understanding the Barriers **In partnership with DePaul University's Student Urban Research Corps**, we are conducting accessibility research to establish what barriers prevent people from accessing local news. While our survey reaches participants nationwide, the barriers they identify—complex language, missing alt-text, poor navigation—are the same barriers facing the **25,000+ West Side residents living with vision and cognitive difficulties**. 54 questions (all multiple choice) 16 minutes to complete $25 compensation Cook County residents prioritized ### Help Us Continue This Research Live in Cook County? Share your experience with local news accessibility and earn $25\. [Take the Survey](https://bit.ly/newsaccessibility?ref=15west.org) ### About This Research This survey is being conducted in partnership with DePaul University's Student Urban Research Corps to inform accessible journalism practices at 15 West, a hyperlocal newsroom serving Chicago's West Side. [15west.org](https://15west.org/?ref=15west.org) [Contact Us](mailto:research@luckyjefferson.com) ### Policies URL: https://www.15west.org/policies/ Last updated: 2026-08-01T17:03:53.000Z #### Editorial independence Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions. We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Our organization may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but our organization maintains editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content. Our organization will make public all donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per year. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with the [Institute for Nonprofit News](https://inn.org/?ref=15west.org)' membership standards. ■ ■ ■ #### ****Funding & Ethics** We are committed to transparency in every aspect of funding our newsroom. Accepting financial support does not mean we endorse donors or their products, services, or opinions. ****Revenue Sources** We accept gifts, grants, and sponsorships from individuals, organizations, and foundations to support our general operations, coverage of specific topics, and special projects. **15 West* is **Lucky Jefferson*’s nonprofit newsroom. Lucky Jefferson is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: [87-3213109](tel:87-3213109)). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. ****Editorial Independence** Our news judgments are made independently—not based on or influenced by donors or any revenue source. We do not give supporters the right to assign, review, or edit content. Our editorial decisions center the voices and needs of Chicago's West Side and suburban communities, particularly those traditionally excluded from mainstream media narratives. ****Donor Transparency** We make public all revenue sources and donors who give $5,000 or more per year. We do not accept donations from anonymous sources, government entities, political parties, elected officials, or candidates seeking public office. We will not accept donations from sources that present a conflict of interest with our work, compromise our independence, or contradict our mission to serve BIPOC communities, immigrants, people with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, and other underrepresented voices. All philanthropic and major gift donors are listed on the [Lucky Jefferson Supporters page](https://luckyjefferson.com/about?ref=15west.org). ****Disclosure Examples:** ****When we receive foundation support for specific coverage:** **This reporting was made possible by a grant from The Field Foundation, which supports 15 West's coverage of digital equity issues affecting West Side communities.* ****When reporting on a partner organization:** **Disclosure: DePaul University is a partner organization of 15 West and provides support for our journalism training programs.* ****When covering topics related to our funders:** **Disclosure:* [**The Cook County Digital Equity Initiative*](https://digitalequity.cookcountyil.gov/?ref=15west.org) funds **Lucky Jefferson*, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that publishes journalism as **15 West*. ****When freelance contributors have relevant affiliations:** **Reporter Samantha Jones contributed to this story. Jones is a former employee of organization.* ****When we receive government program support:** **Disclosure: Lucky Jefferson, which publishes journalism as 15 West, received an IMPACT Grant through The Cook County Digital Equity Initiative & City Bureau to support our community journalism operations.* ■ ■ ■ #### Conflict of Interest This policy sets out our expectations for the conduct of our newsroom and editorial contributors. This code reflects our commitment to community-centered journalism that serves Chicago's West Side with integrity and transparency. Our Mission and Values **15 West* is a resident- and student-powered newsroom dedicated to connecting people mile by mile, block by block, throughout Chicago's West Side and neighboring suburbs. Made possible by Cook County's Digital Equity Impact Grant, **15 West* is the nonprofit newsroom of [**Lucky Jefferson*](http://luckyjefferson.com/?ref=15west.org), a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: [87-3213109](tel:87-3213109)). We are designing one of the first news spaces for readers of all needs, abilities, and competencies. Our goal is to make the news easier to understand and reduce the chances that someone is misinformed about the world around them. We're neurodiverse first, getting news to people of all abilities. It is an essential prerequisite for success in community journalism that we tell the truth, and that our readers believe us to be telling them the truth. **15 West*'s credibility rests on our readers' confidence that: - Our facts are accurate and fairly presented - Our analyses represent our best independent judgments rather than our preferences or those of our sources - There are no hidden agendas in any of our journalistic undertakings - Our coverage decisions prioritize community needs over funder interests - Our journalists maintain appropriate professional boundaries with sources The impact of our work on West Side communities, and on their lives and fortunes, places special responsibilities upon all 15 West contributors and staff. ****How We Do Our Work - Sources and Attribution** We strive to identify all the sources of our information, shielding them with anonymity only when they insist upon it and when they provide vital information — not opinion or speculation; when there is no other way to obtain that information; and when we know the source is knowledgeable and reliable. To the extent that we can, we identify in our stories any important bias such a source may have. Editorial staff and contributors should assess with supervisors the appropriateness of any unnamed sources in stories. When a source chooses to provide material to **15 West* anonymously, editors and reporters should take special care to verify its authenticity. ****Professional Boundaries with Sources** Staff and contributors must maintain appropriate professional boundaries with sources to preserve journalistic independence and credibility. ****Romantic and Sexual Relationships:** - Staff and contributors should not develop romantic or sexual relationships with sources they are actively covering or reasonably expect to cover - If a romantic or sexual relationship develops with a source, the staff member or contributor must immediately disclose this to their editor and will be reassigned from coverage of that source and related topics - Staff and contributors should not cover or write about current or former romantic or sexual partners ****Personal Relationships:** - Staff and contributors should avoid developing close personal friendships with sources they regularly cover, as this can compromise objectivity and create conflicts of interest - If a meaningful personal friendship develops with a source, this must be disclosed to an editor, who will determine appropriate reassignment or disclosure in stories - Staff and contributors should not cover close personal friends or family members ****Financial Relationships:** - Staff and contributors may not enter into business relationships with sources they cover - Staff and contributors may not accept employment, consulting fees, or other compensation from sources or organizations they cover - Staff and contributors may not solicit donations or financial support from sources for any purpose ****When in doubt about whether a relationship with a source is appropriate, consult with your editor immediately.** These boundaries exist to protect both the integrity of our journalism and the trust our West Side communities place in us. Exception: Staff and contributors may cover community events or public meetings where friends or family are present as community members, provided they are not the primary focus of the story and the relationship is disclosed to the editor ****Newsgathering Standards** - We don't misidentify or misrepresent ourselves to get a story. When we seek an interview, we identify ourselves as 15 West journalists. - We don't pay for interviews. - We don't plagiarize. - Nothing in our work should be fabricated. We don't use composite characters or fictional ages, places or dates in our stories. ****Fairness and Completeness** Overall, we must be fair. Community journalism requires special diligence with respect to fairness. Whenever we portray someone in a negative light, we should make a real effort to obtain a response from that person. We should give them a reasonable amount of time to get back to us before we publish. - No story is fair if it omits facts of major importance or significance. Fairness includes completeness. - No story is fair if it misleads or deceives the reader. Fairness includes honesty — leveling with the reader. - Any time a question of fairness or accuracy is raised about any aspect of our work, the reporters involved should discuss the issue with their supervising editor and decide what response is warranted. When mistakes are made, they need to be corrected — fully, quickly and ungrudgingly. ****Financial Conflicts of Interest - Gifts and Services** **15 West* staff and contributors should not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any payment, loan, services, equipment or any other benefit or thing of value, or any gift, entertainment or reimbursement of expenses, of more than nominal value (defined as $25 or less), from: - Suppliers or vendors - Any company, individual or institution that furnishes or seeks to furnish news, information, material, equipment, supplies or services to 15 West - Anyone else with an actual or prospective business relationship with 15 West or Lucky Jefferson - Sources or subjects of coverage We accept no free trips. We neither seek nor accept preferential treatment that might be rendered because of the positions we hold. ****Personal Investments** Staff and regular contributors should avoid any investments that could create actual or perceived conflicts with their coverage area. For example: - Contributors covering local real estate development should not own property or investments that would benefit from development decisions they're reporting on - Contributors covering local business should disclose any financial interests in businesses they report on Upon being hired or beginning an assignment, staff and regular contributors will be asked to affirm that they have no investments or business dealings that would violate this policy with respect to their beat or assignment. If unable to make this affirmation, the contributor will be reassigned to avoid any potential conflict. ****Disclosure to Readers** We disclose in the text of a story if: - The subject of our reporting is a donor to **Lucky Jefferson* or **15 West* - The subject of our reporting is Cook County government (our funder through the Digital Equity Impact Grant) - A resident reporter/reporter has a personal or financial relationship with the subject - A resident reporter/reporter has donated money or time to an organization featured in the story - A partner organization (such as DePaul University or Cicero Independiente) is involved in the story ****Public Life and Political Activity** **15 West Media* is a nonprofit news outlet of **Lucky Jefferson*, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As a community news publisher, we maintain editorial independence from partisan political processes. ****Political Activity** All editorial staff and contributors should refrain from: - Making political contributions to candidates or parties - Participating in partisan politics — including signing petitions supporting candidates, attending political rallies, displaying lawn signs, wearing campaign paraphernalia or displaying any other form of political partisanship - Publicly endorsing candidates or political parties ****Issue-Oriented Activities** Editorial personnel may participate in issue-oriented activities, such as expressing support for human rights or denouncing discrimination because of a person's race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, or immigration status. For example, working at **15 West* would not preclude a contributor from: - Marching in a Pride parade - Attending a community meeting about housing equity - Participating in cultural celebrations - Speaking at events about media literacy, journalism access, or digital equity - Advocating for disability rights and neurodiversity acceptance However, it would not be permissible for a contributor to participate in a rally supporting or organized by a political party or candidate. ****Important consideration:** Events can take on a partisan tone. Editorial personnel should avoid any actions that could make a reasonable reader doubt their ability to report fairly or with neutrality on the subjects of their coverage. This includes participating in groups or activities that advocate for a specific policy or political solution in the contributor's coverage area. ****Civic Participation** **15 West* does not dissuade staff or contributors from participating actively in or donating to civic, charitable, religious, public, social or residential organizations. Such activities are permitted, and even encouraged, to the extent that they: - Do not detract from performance or effectiveness at work - Are disclosed to the contributor's direct supervisor - Do not otherwise violate this policy ****When in doubt about whether an activity creates a conflict, ask your editor.** Community Partnerships and Affiliations Because **15 West* operates through partnerships with residents and community organizations and is volunteer-powered, special attention must be paid to potential conflicts: ****Partner Organizations** Staff and contributors should disclose to their editor if they: - Have donated money or time to a partner organization (such as DePaul University, Cicero Independiente, or other community partners) - Serve on a board or committee of an organization that may be covered - Have family members employed by or affiliated with organizations we cover - Volunteer with organizations they may cover ****Coverage Decisions** When covering partner organizations, funders (including Cook County government), or organizations where contributors volunteer, we will: - Include a disclosure note in the story - Ensure editorial decisions are made independently - Give readers context about any relationships that could be perceived as conflicts Editorial personnel whose stories involve organizations to which they have donated money or time should disclose that fact to their editor as soon as possible. If the donation of money or time was substantial enough that a reasonable reader might question the contributor's motives, then a discussion should be had about disclosing that information in a note attached to the story or reassigning the contributor. ****For Volunteers, Interns and Student Contributors** Because **15 West* is resident and volunteer-powered, we recognize that many contributors have deep ties to the communities we cover. This is a strength of our model, but it requires extra vigilance about conflicts of interest. Volunteer contributors, student interns, and resident journalists working with **15 West* should: - Disclose any affiliations with organizations they may cover - Disclose any personal relationships with individuals they may cover - Follow the same ethical standards as staff journalists - Consult with supervising editors about potential conflicts - Understand that their published work carries the same ethical obligations as that of professional journalists - Recognize that community involvement is valued, but must be balanced with journalistic independence ****Confidentiality** Any and all information and other material obtained by a **15 West* contributor in connection with their work is strictly the property of **15 West*. Such information should never be disclosed to anyone outside the organization, including friends and relatives, other than for reporting purposes. In no event should any information obtained in connection with 15 West work be disclosed privately to anyone until such information has been made available to the public. ****Social Media** In an era of growing scrutiny of journalists' social media activity, it is more important than ever to consider the repercussions of actions in the public arena. **15 West* contributors are custodians of our newsroom's reputation in the communities we serve. ****Contributors should:** - Avoid posting content on social media that could reasonably lead readers to question their impartiality on topics they cover - Be mindful that social media activity is public and permanent - Consult with editors about potential conflicts arising from social media activity - Not use social media to advocate for or against subjects of their coverage ****Following and Enforcing This Policy** **15 West* takes this policy very seriously. All staff and regular contributors are responsible for compliance with all aspects of this code. ****The most important guidance: When in doubt, ask.** ****Reporting Concerns** If you have questions, concerns, or become aware of potential violations of this policy: 1. First, speak with your direct editor or supervisor 2. If uncomfortable doing so, contact **Lucky Jefferson*'s managing director 3. In serious cases, contact **Lucky Jefferson*'s board chair Reports will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation. ****Non-Retaliation** No staff member or contributor who in good faith reports a violation of this policy will suffer harassment, retaliation or adverse consequence. Anyone who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including dismissal from the program or termination of the contributor relationship. ■ ■ ■ #### Corrections The trust of our West Side communities is one of our most precious priorities, earned every day through our publication of accurate and fact-based journalism. Our readers know they can trust us to get the big things right because we are sticklers on the small details, too. ****Our Commitment to Accuracy** Mistakes will happen. When they do, we correct the information as soon as possible, and we are transparent about exactly what we got wrong and what is right so the magnitude of the error is clear. We correct all errors, no matter how small or how quickly we're able to fix them after publication. ****When We Make Corrections** We will correct factual errors that cause or could cause harm to a business, organization, official, or person related to information we reported. This includes: - Incorrect names, titles, or affiliations - Inaccurate dates, times, or locations of events - Misstatements of fact that misrepresent a person's actions, statements, or positions - Errors in data, statistics, or financial information - Misidentification of individuals in photos or videos - Incorrect contact information or addresses that could misdirect readers - Any factual error that unfairly damages someone's reputation or could lead to real-world harm ****When We** ****Do Not** **Make Changes** To preserve the integrity of the public record and maintain transparency, we will not make changes to published stories or social media posts for: - Minor stylistic preferences or word choice changes that do not affect factual accuracy - Updates to ongoing stories (these warrant new stories or clearly labeled updates) - Requests to remove accurate information that a source regrets sharing - Clarifications that do not correct factual errors - Changes requested for SEO or promotional purposes ****Exception:** We will consider requests to remove personally identifying information in cases involving victim safety, minors, or other extraordinary circumstances where publication could cause ongoing harm. These decisions will be made in consultation with editorial leadership. ****How We Make Corrections - Online Stories** When we correct an error in a digital story, we: 1. ****Fix the error immediately** in the story text 2. ****Add a correction notice** at the bottom of the story that includes: 3. - The date and time of the correction - What was incorrect - What the correct information is - An acknowledgment if a person or organization brought the error to our attention ****Example correction notice:** **Correction: November 16, 2025, 3:45 p.m.* **An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the location of the community meeting as Austin Town Hall. The meeting took place at Cicero Community Center. This story has been updated to reflect this correction.* ****Social Media Posts** When we correct an error in a social media post: 1. ****We do not delete or edit the original post** unless the error could cause ongoing harm to a person, business, organization, or official 2. ****We post a new, separate correction** that: 3. - Links to or quotes the original post - Clearly states what was wrong and what is correct - Uses clear language like "Correction:" at the beginning ****Example social media correction:** **Correction: Our earlier post stated the park district meeting would be held Tuesday. The meeting is actually scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m. We apologize for the error.* For errors that could cause significant harm, we may delete the original social media post and replace it with corrected information, along with a note explaining that a previous version contained an error. ****Print or Other Formats (when applicable)** For any materials published in print format (flyers, zines, etc.), we will: - Publish corrections in the next available edition or distribution - Post corrections on our website immediately - If possible, notify distribution points about the correction ****Clarifications vs. Corrections** ****Clarifications** are used when our original story was accurate but could be misunderstood or needs additional context. Clarifications are labeled as such and added to the story with an editor's note. ****Example clarification:** **Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the proposed development would require approval from both the village board and the zoning commission.* ****Corrections** are used when we published inaccurate information. These are always labeled as corrections. ****How to Report a Possible Error** If you believe **15 West* has published inaccurate information: ****Submit a request for corrections** [****here**](https://cryptpad.fr/form/?ref=15west.org#/2/form/view/n4x6CVc5C6ltpTr2Ps91Mnc+b8Nz8X4IhskOBy552Uk/)****.** ****Social Media:** You can also message us on \[Instagram/Blue Sky\] @15westnews When reporting a possible error, please include: - A link to the story or a description of where you saw the information - What you believe is incorrect - What you believe the correct information is - Your contact information so we can follow up if needed We take all error reports seriously and will investigate promptly. We may contact you for additional information or clarification. ****Our Process for Investigating Errors** When we receive a report of a possible error: 1. ****We investigate immediately** \- An editor reviews the original reporting, sources, and any additional information provided 2. ****We verify the facts** \- We check our notes, interview recordings, documents, and re-contact sources when necessary 3. ****We make a determination** \- If we determine an error was made, we correct it immediately 4. ****We respond to the person who reported the error** \- We let them know what action we took, whether we made a correction, and thank them for helping us maintain accuracy ****Accountability** **15 West* editors review corrections regularly to identify patterns and prevent recurring errors. We use corrections as learning opportunities to improve our journalism and our systems. All staff and contributors are expected to: - Take accuracy seriously in their reporting and writing - Verify information before publication - Report potential errors to editors immediately - Participate in good faith in the correction process - Learn from mistakes to prevent future errors ****Accessibility of Corrections** In keeping with our mission as a neurodiverse-first newsroom, we ensure corrections are: - Written in clear, plain language - Easy to locate on our website and in stories - Available in alternative formats when requested - Communicated through multiple channels when appropriate ****Contact Information** To report a possible error: - ****Submit a request for corrections** [****here**](https://cryptpad.fr/form/?ref=15west.org#/2/form/view/n4x6CVc5C6ltpTr2Ps91Mnc+b8Nz8X4IhskOBy552Uk/)****.** ■ ■ ■ #### Privacy At **15 West*, our mission is to seek the truth and help people understand the world, particularly as it relates to the West Side of Chicago and our local community. We want you to understand how we handle your personal information. We also want you to know your rights and choices. This policy describes how we handle your personal information when you use the following "**15 West* Services": - Our website and its subdomains - Our email newsletters - Our pages or ads on social media networks, like our Facebook and Instagram pages - Anywhere we gather information from or about you and refer you to this Privacy Policy How we handle information about you depends on which **15 West* Services you use and how you use them. For example, we use different information about newsletter subscribers than website visitors. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at [info@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:info@luckyjefferson.com). Table of Contents 1. What Information Do We Gather About You? 2. What Do We Do with the Information We Collect about You? 3. To Whom Do We Disclose or Share the Information We Gather? 4. What Are Your Rights and Choices? 5. How Long Do You Retain Data? 6. How Do You Protect My Information? 7. Are There Guidelines for Children? 8. How Is Information Transferred Internationally? 9. What Is Our Legal Basis? 10. What about Third-Party Services? 11. How Are Changes to this Privacy Policy Communicated? 12. How Can You Contact Us? 1\. What Information Do We Gather About You? The information we gather about you depends on the context. By and large, it's information about you that can personally identify you — either on its own or when combined with other information. 1(A) Information Collected through **15 Wes*t Services - Information You Voluntarily Give Us ****For Registration** When you sign up for a **15 West* Service (whether via a subscription or a free account as a registered user), we collect personal identifiers such as your contact information, including your name and email address, and account credentials. We may also ask you to create an account or display name and select a profile picture. Once you're registered, we assign you a unique ID number. For some **15 West* Services, you can instead sign up by linking your Apple, Facebook, or Google account. You may voluntarily choose to provide additional personal information in your User Profile. ****For Billing** To process payments or donations, we collect and use your payment information. This can include your name, your address, your telephone number, your email address, your credit or debit card information and any other relevant information. ****For User-Generated Content** We offer you the ability to post content that other users can read (e.g., comments). Anyone can read, collect and use any personal information that accompanies your posts. We do not have to publish any of your content. If the law requires us to take down, remove or edit your content, we will comply. ****For Contests and Special Offers** From time to time, we offer certain opportunities through contests, or other special promotions and offers. When you sign up for these, you give us your name, email and any other required information. ****For Reader Surveys and Research** We gather personal information through questionnaires, surveys and feedback programs to better understand our community's needs and interests. ****During Contact with Our Customer Service Team** We collect information from you when you contact customer service. This can include your name, contact information, information about your account and any other information you choose to provide. ****Your Contacts and Friends** Some of our services allow you to connect with other users. You may be able to provide us with access to your contacts so that you can find your friends and invite others to join 15 West Services. Information Collected Automatically When you use **15 West* Services, we collect some information automatically using technologies including cookies, web beacons, tags and scripts. The categories of personal information we collect automatically include: ****Identifiers and Device Information** - Your IP address - Cookie identifiers - Your operating system and browser - Your browser language - Device identifiers - The unique ID that we assign to you when you register ****Geolocation Information** We use location information such as your city, state, zip code, to personalize content provided to you, including more relevant local news and weather updates. This is particularly important for our West Side Chicago coverage. ****Usage Data** We collect information about your interactions with our websites and apps, such as the URLs of pages you visit, how long you spent on a page, access times, search queries, and other details about your use of our Services. 1(B) Inferences; Information We Create or Generate We infer new information from other data we collect, including using automated means such as machine learning. These inferences include information about your likely preferences or other characteristics (e.g., article topics, local interests). 1(C) Information Collected from Other Sources ****Other Users** Other users may provide us with your information — for example as part of a refer-a-friend campaign. ****Social Media Platforms and Other Third-Party Services** If you provide your social network account credentials to us or otherwise sign in to **15 West* Services through a third-party site or service, you understand some content and/or information in those accounts may be transmitted into your account with us. 2\. 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We will post any changes on this page. If we make a significant change in how we collect, use, or share your personal information, we will notify you at least 30 days prior to the changes taking effect via email or prominent notice within **15 West* Services. 12\. How Can You Contact Us? If you have any questions, email us at [info@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:info@luckyjefferson.com). **15 West* is referred to in this Privacy Policy as "**15 West*," "we" or "our." --- **Last Updated:** December 8, 2025 ### Authors URL: https://www.15west.org/authors/ Last updated: 2025-12-16T17:17:44.000Z _No content available._ ### Welcome to Neighborhood Watch URL: https://www.15west.org/neighborhood-watch/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T14:36:33.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ### Reporter Onboarding URL: https://www.15west.org/reporteronboarding/ Last updated: 2026-01-04T00:52:20.000Z ## **🎉 Welcome to 15 West!** Thanks for signing your freelance agreement. Here's what happens next: ■ ■ ■ **STEP 1:** **Complete Payment & Tax Forms** You will soon receive an invite from **Gusto**. This is how you will be paid and where you can provide tax information. ■ ■ ■ **STEP 2:** **Get Inspired!** - Read our [Reporting Guide](https://drive.proton.me/urls/2GX9T5MBZ0?ref=15west.org#8vtpLkGA8iVO) (**PW**: 15westie) - Read [past stories](https://15west.org/?ref=15west.org) ■ ■ ■ **STEP 3: Write!** Email your draft and/or photos to your editor or stories@luckyjefferson.com ■ ■ ■ **Questions? Reach out anytime.** NaBeela Washington & Keila Cubas *15 West* Co-Editors ### How We Show Up URL: https://www.15west.org/organizing/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T15:35:22.000Z ## ***15 West*** organizing is how local news becomes local action. We listen to what our communities need, build relationships, and show up. Covering a story or getting our hands dirty. We do both. ## ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-19-at-10.31.50---AM.png) Volunteers at our first block cleanup on ****April 11, 2026**. --- ## What we're up to Next (and how to get involved) ### October 2026 Berwyn Block Cleanup - Ward 2 • Find your street and request volunteers. • **Top "litter hot spots" get cleaned on** ***DATE TBD** **.** • Spread the word to your neighbors. [→ Request Your Block ](https://bit.ly/BerwynWard2CleanUp?ref=15west.org) *\*form is in ENGLISH and ESPAÑOL* ■ ■ ■ ⚠️ Outlined map is eligible for litter cleanup. [→ Request Your Block](https://bit.ly/BerwynWard2CleanUp?ref=15west.org) ■ ■ ■ **Interested in volunteering?** Email [programs@luckyjefferson.com](mailto:programs@luckyjefferson.com) and we'll get you on the list! --- #### Berwyn's Official Ward Map [****Download**](https://www.berwyn-il.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/6945/638918848646630000?ref=15west.org) ### Chicago School Board Voting: An Accessible Guide URL: https://www.15west.org/chicago-school-board-voter-guide/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T07:21:00.000Z *Updated for the Nov. 3, 2026 election.* ## **Why vote?** This November, Chicago voters will elect all 21 members of the Board of Education, completing the transition to a fully elected school board. Each voter will choose one representative from their school board subdistrict and the Board president. The Board approves the CPS budget, sets districtwide policies and priorities, hires and evaluates the CPS CEO, and makes decisions about issues including school actions, contracts and some personnel matters. ## **I need to find my School Board district** Your School Board district determines which local Board of Education candidates will appear on your ballot. 1. Go to[ chicagoelections.gov](https://chicagoelections.gov/?ref=15west.org). 2. From the menu at the top of the page, select “Districts & Maps.” 3. Select “Address Lookup” from the drop-down menu. 4. Enter your address and select “Submit.” 5. Scroll down to your voting information. 6. At the bottom of the section titled “District information,” find your School Board district. ### I cannot use the online lookup Call the Chicago Board of Elections at (312) 269-7900 and ask which School Board district you live in. [**Head here**](https://chicagoelections.gov/?ref=15west.org) to find your district. Under where in the voter guide should this go: ### I want to see who's on my ballot Your ballot for the Board of Education has two parts: - One candidate for Board president. Every Chicago voter votes for this race. - One candidate to represent your school board district. Only voters in your district vote in this race, so the district candidates on your ballot depend on where you live. - You'll choose one candidate for each. #### ****See the exact candidates on your ballot** 1. Go to [chicagoelections.gov](https://chicagoelections.gov/?ref=15west.org). 2. From the menu at the top of the page, select "Voting." 3. Select "Your Voter Information." 4. Enter your name and address, then select "Submit." 5. Select "View Sample Ballot" to see the candidates who will appear on your ballot. Your sample ballot lists every candidate for your district and for Board president, exactly as they'll appear when you vote. ### I want to learn more about the candidates A sample ballot shows you the names, but not what each candidate stands for. To learn more before you vote: - Read 15 West's candidate explainers for a plain-language look at who's running in select districts and what they want to change. - Look up each candidate's campaign website or social media for their priorities in their own words. - Check nonpartisan candidate questionnaires from outlets like [Chalkbeat Chicago](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/?ref=15west.org), [WTTW](https://www.wttw.com/?ref=15west.org), or the [League of Women Voters of Chicago](https://www.lwvchicago.org/voter-information?ref=15west.org). ### **I want to understand what I'm voting for** Not sure what the Board of Education actually does? Read 15 West's explainer, ["Your Principal, Your School's Budget, Your Classroom: Who Actually Makes the Decisions?"](https://www.15west.org/featured/your-principal-your-schools-budget-your-classroom-who-actually-makes-the-decisions/), a plain-language guide to what the board controls, what it doesn't, and who to turn to when you need answers. ## **I need to register or check my registration** ### I have an Illinois driver's license or state ID 1. Go to[ chicagoelections.gov](https://chicagoelections.gov/?ref=15west.org). 2. From the menu at the top of the page, select “Voting.” 3. Select “Register to Vote/Change Name or Address.” 4. Select “Register online.” 5. On the application, select “Register to Vote or Update an Existing Registration.” 6. Complete and submit the application. 7. You will receive confirmation of your registration. You must be a U.S. citizen and be 18 years old by Election Day, Nov. 3, to vote in the general election. ### I don't have a driver's license or state ID You can still register to vote, but you cannot use Illinois' online voter registration system. #### ****Show registration options without a driver’s license or state ID** Illinois’ online voter registration system requires an Illinois driver’s license or state ID. If you do not have one, you can still register using a paper application or register in person. If you register in person during grace-period registration or on Election Day, bring two forms of identification. At least one must show your current address. ****Acceptable documents can include:** a utility bill, student or employee ID, lease, government document or another approved form of identification. [Learn more about registering without an Illinois driver's license or state ID.](https://www.elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/RegisterToVoteOnElectionDay.aspx?ref=15west.org) ## **I need to find my polling place** 1. Go to the [Illinois Polling Place Lookup](https://ova.elections.il.gov/PollingPlaceLookup.aspx?ref=15west.org). 2. Enter your ZIP code and select “Submit.” 3. Enter your address. 4. Select “Submit” again to see your polling location. Check your polling place again shortly before Election Day in case the location changes. ### Do I need ID? [Most registered Illinois voters do not need to show ID to vote.](https://www.aclu-il.org/know-your-rights/know-your-rights-voting-illinois/?ref=15west.org) Some first-time voters who registered by mail may be asked for identification if their identity was not previously verified. ### What happens when I get there? Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Check in with an election judge, receive your ballot and mark it privately. After completing your ballot, you will place it into the ballot scanner or tabulator. ## **I want to vote before Election Day** Chicago offers [early voting](https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/early-votingvote-centers?ref=15west.org) before Election Day. - October 1: Early voting begins downtown. - October 19: Early voting expands to all 50 wards. - November 2: Last day of early voting. - November 3: Election Day. Accessible voting equipment is also available at early voting locations. ## **I need an accessible polling place** Chicago provides accessibility information for polling locations. Check your current polling place and its accessibility information before you go. [Check Chicago Board of Elections accessibility information.](https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/accessibilityvoters-disabilities?ref=15west.org) ### I have difficulty entering my polling place If a temporary or permanent physical disability prevents you from entering an inaccessible polling place, you can request curbside voting. Contact the Chicago Board of Elections to request curbside voting by close of business Monday, Nov. 2. Two election judges will bring a ballot to you outside the polling place. **Chicago Board of Elections:** (312) 269-7900 **TTY:** (312) 269-0027 [**Head here**](https://chicagoelections.gov/voting/accessibilityvoters-disabilities?ref=15west.org) for more information about accessible voting. ## **I need help seeing, reading, or marking my ballot** ### I am blind or have low vision Accessible ballot-marking devices are available at polling places. The device can read the ballot aloud using headphones so you can listen privately while making your selections. ### I have difficulty marking a paper ballot Accessible voting equipment is available for voters who need assistance independently reading or marking their ballot. Ask an election judge for the accessible voting option when you check in. ## **I need someone to help me vote** If you need assistance because of a disability, you can ask an election judge for help or bring someone you trust to assist you. #### I am Deaf, hard of hearing or use ASL Election judges should be prepared to communicate with Deaf and hard-of-hearing voters using methods such as written notes, gestures and demonstrations. If you use an interpreter, election judges should speak directly to you, not to the interpreter. If you want to ask about ASL interpretation or another communication accommodation before you vote, contact the Chicago Board of Elections: ****Phone:** (312) 269-7900 ****TTY:** (312) 269-0027 ***15 West is confirming with the Chicago Board of Elections whether voters can request an ASL interpreter in advance and, if so, what the request deadline and process are.** If you need language assistance, you may also bring someone you trust to help you understand or translate your ballot, as long as that person is not your employer or a representative of your labor union. ## **I need voting help in another language** Chicago provides translated election materials and assigns bilingual election workers based on language needs. If you need language assistance that is not available at your polling place, you can contact the Chicago Board of Elections or one of the nonpartisan Election Protection hotlines. Chicago Board of Elections: (312) 269-7900 Election Protection hotlines: - English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) - Spanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) - Arabic/English: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) - Asian languages/English: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) [Learn more from Election Protection.](https://866ourvote.org/state/illinois/?ref=15west.org) ## **I want to vote from home or by mail** ### Standard vote by mail Illinois voters can request a mail ballot instead of voting in person. Because federal litigation involving mail voting is ongoing, check the Chicago Board of Elections for the latest instructions before requesting or returning a mail ballot. ### I have a print disability Voters with a print disability can request an accessible vote-by-mail ballot that can be received electronically and marked using their own assistive technology. #### How accessible vote by mail works Chicago voters with a print disability can use the accessible vote-by-mail system to receive and mark their ballot electronically using their own assistive technology. This can include technology such as a screen reader or other tools a voter already uses to read and navigate digital content. For the 2026 election, the completed ballot must still be printed and physically returned to the election authority. It cannot be returned electronically. Chicago voters can access the accessible ballot through the [****OmniBallot system**](https://in.omniballot.us/sites/18/demo/app/home?ref=15west.org). ### Current mail-voting update Illinois vote-by-mail remains available. Because federal litigation is ongoing, check the Chicago Board of Elections for the latest instructions before requesting or returning a mail ballot. #### Read the current mail-voting legal update ⚠️ **Updated Aug. 26, 2026:** The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily lifted a lower-court order that had blocked parts of President Donald Trump's executive order concerning mail voting. The Supreme Court did not decide whether the executive order itself is lawful, and legal challenges are continuing. What this means for Illinois voters right now: Illinois election officials say the state's vote-by-mail process has not changed. Because the litigation is ongoing, check [chicagoelections.gov](https://chicagoelections.gov/?ref=15west.org) for the latest information before requesting or returning a mail ballot. ## **I want to prepare before Election Day** Before you leave home: - Look up your School Board district. - Confirm your polling place. - Check your polling place's accessibility information if you need accommodations. - Bring an ID if you have one. Most registered Illinois voters do not need to show one. - Bring notes or a sample ballot if that helps you vote. - Save the Chicago Board of Elections phone number: (312) 269-7900. - Save the Election Protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). - Give yourself extra time if you plan to use accessible voting equipment or request assistance. - Check[ chicagoelections.gov](https://chicagoelections.gov/?ref=15west.org) for any last-minute election updates. - Review your sample ballot and learn about the candidates. ## **Something went wrong. What do I do?** ### They say I'm not registered or my name isn't on the voter list Ask an election judge to check your registration and explain your options. You may be able to register or update your registration and vote at the polling place. ### I may need a provisional ballot In certain situations, you may be eligible to cast a provisional ballot. **A provisional ballot** is counted if election officials later determine that you were eligible to vote. You will receive information explaining how to check the status of your ballot. ### My polling place isn't accessible Tell an election judge what accommodation you need. If you cannot resolve the problem, contact the Chicago Board of Elections or Election Protection while you are still at the polling place. ### The accessible voting equipment isn't working Tell an election judge that you need to use accessible voting equipment and explain the problem. If the issue is not resolved, contact the Chicago Board of Elections or Election Protection. ### I was denied assistance or told I cannot vote Ask an election judge to explain why and what options are available to you. If you believe there is a problem with your voting rights, contact: **Chicago Board of Elections:** (312) 269-7900TTY: (312) 269-0027 **Election Protection:** 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) If there is a problem, try to resolve it before leaving the polling place. ### Republish this story URL: https://www.15west.org/republish/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T20:41:05.000Z Loading republishing options… ## Posts ### Your Principal, Your School’s Budget, Your Classroom: Who Actually Makes the Decisions? URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/your-principal-your-schools-budget-your-classroom-who-actually-makes-the-decisions/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T14:55:46.000Z On Nov. 3, Chicago voters will decide who sits on the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education. All 21 seats are up for election. Fifty-one people originally filed to run. After challenges to their petition signatures, 44 are expected to appear on the ballot, though six candidates remain tied up in appeals in Cook County Circuit Court. Each voter picks two candidates: the board president, chosen citywide, and one member to represent the district where they live. Understanding what the school board does, and does not do, has never been more important. ## **What does the school board vote on?** The board votes on a range of things: district policies, the yearly budget, school improvement and accountability measures, some school opening and closing decisions, contracts and spending, and certain hiring and firing decisions that state law says the board must approve, according to Shelia Pegues-Porter, the Board Communications Manager for the Chicago Board of Education. The board also hires and evaluates the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, sets districtwide priorities and goals, and can dismiss certain board-appointed administrators, officers, and school employees. Pegues-Porter uses an analogy to explain the difference between the board and the CEO. “The Board operates from the balcony, seeing the full picture, while the Supt/CEO and her team are on the dance floor managing the daily work,” Pegues-Porter said. The board's decisions can carry real weight. On July 30, the board rejected the budget proposed by the CPS CEO and passed a revised plan that reversed plans for more than 1,000 layoffs, [according to WBEZ Chicago](https://www.wbez.org/wbez-newsletter/2026/07/31/the-rundown-an-unprecedented-budget-play-from-cps-board?ref=15west.org). Board members who supported the change said the layoffs would harm students. But the amended plan counts on $150 million in state funding that has not been confirmed, and it passed by a narrow 11-7 vote. The adopted budget still includes hundreds of staff cuts in classrooms and central offices, even after funding was restored for many positions. One decision that stood out to CPS parent and former CPS student Emily Rasmussen came in 2014, when the board made school lunch free for all students. Rasmussen’s daughter, now 20, was in elementary school at the time. “I grew up getting reduced or free lunch, and it was very stigmatizing … Everybody knew you were getting free or reduced lunch,” Rasmussen said. “Now … they're all on the same level.” Between fiscal years 2026 and 2027, the district has proposed spending less on teaching positions as enrollment declines, along with cuts to central-office and citywide budgets. ## **What the school board does *not* do** The board doesn't do everything. Individual schools and local school councils handle hiring principals and approving each school's internal improvement plans. Individual schools and the district CEO oversee school staff and day-to-day operations. The school board does not write daily lesson plans or run classrooms. The CPS Board of Education is different from the Illinois State Board of Education ([ISBE](https://www.isbe.net/?ref=15west.org)). The CPS board governs Chicago Public Schools, while ISBE oversees public education statewide. ISBE distributes state and federal education funding, issues educator licenses, monitors school performance and recommends education policy to state officials. In short, the CPS board doesn’t operate at the statewide level or run individual schools. It sits between local schools and the state. ## **Who actually decides?** ### Who hires my principal? The local school council hires the school’s principal. At most CPS schools, the Local School Council, or LSC, selects and evaluates the school’s contract principal and can award the principal a four-year performance contract. Schools without an LSC use a separate CPS appointment process. ### Who can close a school? The Board of Education ultimately votes on school closures, but district-managed CPS schools are currently covered by a Board-approved moratorium on closures, consolidations and phase-outs through the 2026-27 school year. A separate state-law moratorium ended in [January 2025](https://www.ctulocal1.org/posts/is-cps-preparing-to-cut-and-close-schools-in-2025/?ref=15west.org). When a school action is proposed, the CPS CEO initiates the process. Before the Board can vote, CPS must hold two community meetings and one public hearing, and state law requires public notice and prevents the Board from making a decision less than 60 days after the proposal is announced. ### Who decides whether my school gets more funding? Funding decisions are shared. CPS determines how district resources are distributed to schools, while the Board approves the districtwide operating budget and capital plan. At the individual school level, principals develop their budgets with input from their Local School Councils. LSCs approve the school budget and budget transfers and can request revisions. So while an LSC does not decide how much money CPS initially gives a school, it has a direct role in deciding how that school’s available funds are used. ### Who controls curriculum or classroom rules? Teachers make many day-to-day decisions about lesson plans and classroom routines, within school and district requirements. The state sets learning standards, while CPS, schools and teachers make decisions about curriculum and how those standards are taught. ### Who should families contact when something goes wrong? It depends on the problem. Start as local as possible — the school or the local school council. If the issue involves districtwide policy or state law, the appropriate CPS office, Board of Education member or state agency may be the next step. ### **How can I speak to the Board or follow what it is doing?** [Residents can watch Board meetings online](https://www.cpsboe.org/meetings?ref=15west.org), attend meetings, register to speak during public participation or submit written comments. The Board posts meeting schedules, agendas, actions and other meeting records on its website. The Board also offers monthly office hours as another way to speak with a Board member. Depending on availability, residents can request a 15-minute virtual meeting through the Board office. ### **What does the Board president actually do?** Chicago voters will also elect the Board president citywide. Beginning in January 2027, the president will preside over Board meetings but will vote just like every other Board member. State law does not give the president veto power. ### **Why this election matters** This November's election is historic. For the first time, voters will elect all 21 members of the board. The board used to be fully appointed by the mayor. A 2021 state law, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, created a hybrid model where some members were elected and some appointed; this election completes the shift to a fully elected board. The winners take office in January 2027. Board seats are unpaid, and some worry this discourages people from lower-income households from running. On Nov. 3, voters will choose the board president and one member from their own area, a chance to elect someone from their immediate community, which could bring more local representation to the board. ### **Not sure which district you're in or how to vote?** See [15 West's accessible voter guide](https://www.15west.org/chicago-school-board-voter-guide) for a step-by-step district lookup. **15 West is a community newsroom covering Chicago's West Side. This story was produced with support from Press Forward Chicago, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust investing in local news and information.** #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) ### كيف تبني مؤسسة Ojala ما افتقده مجتمع المسلمين اللاتينيين في شيكاغو URL: https://www.15west.org/ojala-foundation-latino-muslim-community-ar/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T20:30:06.000Z **التقرير الأصلي: سمية صديقي** **الترجمة العربية: ياسين حويج بوهلال** لكنهم، قبل مغادرتهم، ينقلون شيئًا آخر أيضًا: معلومات عن أماكن رصد عناصر وكالة إنفاذ قوانين الهجرة والجمارك (ICE). حيث قال جوردان إسبارزا-كيلي، عضو مؤسسة Ojala ومنسق الاتصالات في[ مجلس العلاقات الأمريكية الإسلامية](https://www.cairchicago.org/?ref=15west.org) (CAIR) في شيكاغو: «هم لا يقرأون الأخبار كل يوم، وليس بالضرورة أن يكونوا على اطلاع بما يجري. وأثناء إيصالنا هذه المساعدات، نخبرهم بأنهم يبحثون عن أشخاص… ومجرد كوننا من أوائل المجموعات التي تصل إلى هؤلاء الناس ساعد في إبقائهم على اطلاع». وبالنسبة إلى Ojala، ليس ذلك سوى جزء من يوم جمعة معتاد. فقد أمضت المؤسسة ذات الطابع الديني سنوات في بناء شيء نادر في الجانب الغربي من شيكاغو: مساحة يشعر فيها المسلمون اللاتينيون بأنهم في وطنهم، وجارٌ يقف إلى جانب الجميع. وقالت ألما كامبوس، الشريكة المؤسسة لمؤسسة Ojala: «من المهم بالنسبة إلينا أن نتمكن من إيصال الموارد إلى من يحتاجون إليها. فقد فَقَدَ بعض الناس وظائفهم، ولم يعد لدى آخرين أي دخل، وكان البعض يخشى مغادرة منازلهم». ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-ae9cd3e3-3fa6-4d0c-bd2a-a159acc0f1ab.jpeg) **يتحدث أحد قادة مجتمع Ojala إلى الحاضرين. | الصورة مقدمة من* ***جوردان إسبارزا-كيلي** في إطار مبادرة لمساعدة المشردين، تواصل Ojala خدمة سكان الجانب الغربي من شيكاغو على مدى السنوات الثماني الماضية، ويلتقي أكثر من اثني عشر متطوعًا أسبوعيًا بالقرب من تقاطع شارع ويسترن أفينيو مع الشارع التاسع عشر. وقال إسبارزا-كيلي: «من خلال هذا البرنامج، تمكنوا من تقديم الطعام والملابس والإمدادات إلى أعداد كبيرة من الناس في هذه المنطقة ذات الغالبية اللاتينية، كما أنهم غالبًا ما يكونون أول من يتواصل مع هؤلاء الأشخاص لفترات طويلة». ورغم أن مقر Ojala يقع في بروين، فإن المؤسسة ذات الطابع الديني تعمل على إنشاء مساحة آمنة للمسلمين اللاتينيين في مختلف أنحاء منطقة شيكاغولاند. وقالت كامبوس: «بينما كنا نحاول بناء أنفسنا وتكوين أسرنا، قررنا أن نبني المجتمع بأكمله، وكل من يأتي في طريقنا». ولا يقتصر حضور المؤسسة على هذه الفئة وحدها. وقال إسبارزا-كيلي: «هناك في الواقع مجموعة من الطلاب يجتمعون على درج Ojala كل صباح قبل ذهابهم إلى المدرسة، وهم ليسوا مسلمين. ومع ذلك، بنينا علاقة معهم، وأصبحوا يعرفوننا ويعرفون العمل الذي نقوم به». ومن[ مهرجان محمد علي للأفلام المعنية بالعدالة](https://muslimciviccoalition.org/events/muhammad-ali-justice-film-festival?ref=15west.org) في الكلية الإسلامية الأميركية، إلى[ المؤتمر السنوي للجمعية الإسلامية الأمريكية (MAS)](https://masconvention.org/?ref=15west.org)، تتعدد الطرق التي تخدم بها Ojala مجتمعات مختلفة في أنحاء المدينة. وبالنسبة إلى كثير من المسلمين اللاتينيين الذين اعتنقوا الإسلام، كانت Ojala واحدة من أولى الأماكن التي شعروا فيها بأنهم ممثلون حقًا. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-e2369530-db85-4fa3-854f-2dcca324ebc2.jpeg) **العلمان الفلسطيني والمكسيكي في احتفال Ojala بعيد الفطر. | الصورة مقدمة من* ***جوردان إسبارزا-كيلي** فبينما تحاول وسائل الإعلام الرئيسية أحيانًا جمع المجتمعات المختلفة في قالب واحد وإطلاق تسميات نمطية عليها، فإن التنوع داخل المجتمع اللاتيني واسع. وقال إسبارزا-كيلي: «أدركت أن بإمكاني أن أكون مكسيكيًا ومسلمًا، وأن هذين الأمرين لا يتعارضان إطلاقًا». وأضاف: «لا توجد ثقافة ذات هوية واحدة ومتشابهة لدى الجميع… ولم يحظَ المجتمع المكسيكي في شيكاغو بتمثيل يُذكر في وسائل الإعلام الوطنية، ولذلك صنعنا ثقافتنا بأنفسنا». وقد تكون الأعياد والمناسبات الدينية موحشة أحيانًا، لكن Ojala تتيح للمسلمين الذين اعتنقوا الإسلام فرصة للتواصل والشعور بالانتماء. وقالت إسماري مونتيروسو: «أعتقد أن كل من وُلد مسلمًا محظوظ جدًا، لأن أمورًا مثل مساءلة أنفسنا، أو وجود شخص نتناول معه السحور والإفطار، هي أمور يضطر كثير منا، نحن الذين اعتنقنا الإسلام، إلى القيام بها بمفردنا». ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-83c27497-dce8-4cde-8562-1fa41d85b543.jpeg) **طفل يمد يده لمداعبة حمار. | الصورة مقدمة من جوردان إسبارزا-كيلي* تعمل مؤسسة Ojala حاليًا على افتتاح أول مسجد يقوده لاتينيون في بروين. وقد تحصلت المؤسسة على عقار يقع على بعد بضعة شوارع من منطقة نورث بروين بارك في مايو/أيار 2025\. ويدخل مركز Ojala الإسلامي حاليًا مرحلته الثالثة من أجل التحول إلى مسجد ومركز مجتمعي متكاملين يخدمان أفراد المجتمع وجيرانهم على حد سواء. وخلال شهر رمضان، فتح المسجد أبوابه أمام المجتمع لأداء الصلوات الخمس يوميًا. مع استمرار المؤسسة غير الربحية في النمو، فإنها تخلق المزيد من فرص التواصل والخدمة أمام أشخاص من مختلف الخلفيات. وقال إسبارزا-كيلي: «احتفال عيد الفطر في Ojala هو أحد أكثر الاحتفالات تنوعًا… هكذا ينبغي أن نكون؛ ينبغي أن نكون جميعًا معًا، نستمتع بصحبة بعضنا بعضًا، ونستمتع بجمال ثقافات الجميع وتقاليدهم وعاداتهم». أما إسماري مونتيروسو، وهي ممن اعتنقوا الإسلام، والتي حضرت احتفال عيد الفطر في Ojala عام 2025، فقالت: «إن القدرة على الاحتفال بالعيد مع أشخاص لديهم تجارب مشابهة لتجربتي أمر يمنحني شعورًا كبيرًا بالراحة». وبالنسبة إلى كامبوس، فإن المسجد امتداد للرؤية ذاتها، إذ تقول: «الإسلام ليس دينًا مخصصًا لمجموعة واحدة من الناس؛ فهو يتجاوز الثقافات، وهو للجميع». #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) ### What If It Isn’t Trash Yet? URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/what-if-it-isnt-trash-yet/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T12:40:26.000Z Interlocking rhythms pass among people of all ages in the bustling air of Chicago’s Union Park. The instruments? Donated cans, balloons, medicine bottles, beads, and keyboard keys transformed into handmade drums and shakers. On the West Side of Chicago, CCRx’s Imagination Station brings creative reuse to parks, schools, libraries, museums, and community organizations through hands-on workshops. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Copy-of-IMG_20250921_123429771_HDR-1-1.jpeg) Provided by CCRx. For Nakia Brown, a teaching artist with Imagination Station, “one of the most rewarding parts of teaching is watching people discover their own creative potential.” Brown said many participants arrive at events like Chicago Park District’s “[Night Out in the Parks](https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/night-out-in-the-parks?ref=15west.org)” unsure of their artistic abilities or whether they can complete a project they started. Brown said small prompts and encouragement can help participants begin experimenting and gain confidence in what they are making. “Rather than offering the same project everywhere, we design activities that reflect the audience, setting, and goals of each event,” Brown said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Arts-in-the-Dark-1--1.JPG) Arts in the Dark caterpillar made using donated materials. | Provided by CCRx. In North Lawndale, CCRx partnered with [A Taste of Lawndale](https://www.lawndalepopupspot.org/events?ref=15west.org) for participants to make “Recyclo-Pouches,” or wallets created from donated vinyl banners. CCRx has also reused materials through collaborations with [Opera-Matic](https://opera-matic.org/?ref=15west.org), a Humboldt Park public art organization. In the 2023 Arts in the Dark Parade down State Street, CCRx helped bring back a giant 40-foot-long caterpillar puppet made with materials previously donated by Opera-Matic. The objects in people’s homes go through lifetimes. A tile, used textbook, or shell collected at the beach can carry memories and stories. But eventually, many of those objects are no longer wanted or needed. Electronics are left behind in apartment buildings. Old papers and ephemera are thrown away. Furniture is abandoned along busy streets. Those discarded objects are part of a much larger waste stream. According to the [Global Waste Index 2025](https://www.sensoneo.com/global-waste-index/?ref=15west.org), the average person in the U.S. generates an estimated 951 kilograms of municipal waste per year, including 447 kilograms sent to landfills. Launched in 2017 by artist Barbara Koenen, Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange began with pop-up ‘swap’ events that tested whether Chicago had a need for redistributing unused materials to teachers, nonprofits, artists, and community groups across Chicago. CCRx has since grown into an organization with a warehouse that collects donations imbued with their own history and meanings—unwanted office inventory, secondhand furniture, and deinstalled exhibition materials, including materials from the Chicago Architecture Biennial. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/1000049538.jpg) Provided by ****Gloria I. Rivera**. Interdisciplinary artist and muralist Gloria I. Rivera is one of the artists who uses CCRx materials in community workshops throughout Chicago. Rivera said she first learned about CCRx through the Chicago Park District’s [Teens Re-Imagining Art, Community & Environment](https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/trace?ref=15west.org) program. “I have worked as a contracted artist through \[them\] a handful of times, and during one of those contracts, they had an agreement with CCRx where we would go and pick up items that we needed for the programming to be provided,” Rivera said. “And from that point forward, it was like, oh wow, yeah, this has to be a go-to for me.” Rivera has used CCRx materials in projects with [Healing Arts Chicago](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp%5Finfo/healing%5Farts.html?ref=15west.org), [Bill of Writes Storytellers (BOWS)](https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/199089/bill-of-writes-storytellers-bows-a-civic-arts-teaching-and-learning-experience?ref=15west.org), and the [Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca.html?ref=15west.org). While preparing for a community plant swap with DCASE, Rivera found a new use for glass vessels she had previously overlooked at the CCRx warehouse. The jars could hold plants being propagated in water while also serving as canvases for participants to decorate. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/1000049385.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/1000049427.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/1000049407.jpg) Reused glass jars decorated with yarn. | Provided by ****Gloria I. Rivera**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/1000049421.jpg) Reused glass jar decorated with yarn. | Provided by ****Gloria I. Rivera**. She said the 30 jars, along with large bundles of yarn and fabric, cost less than $40 at CCRx. Purchasing the same materials new, she estimated, would have cost well over $300. “Having CCRx has been a godsend because the costs and means to be able to run programming is always one of the biggest issues. The way that CCRx runs the program and the low cost of being able to get materials and supplies from them is amazing and has been very very helpful,” Rivera said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/1000049424.jpg) Provided by ****Gloria I. Rivera**. CCRx’s mantra is that “trash is just a failure of imagination.” The organization relies on staff, interns, and volunteers to sort those materials and find new uses and recipients for them. Tyler Roth, warehouse operations manager at CCRx, said, “\[CCRx\] is about the transformation of objects. Yes, we get shirts at the thrift store that we don't like, but we can crop them. But \[transformation\] also doesn't just stop at clothing.” Open three days a week by appointment, Chicagoans who visit the warehouse can fill boxes with materials that can be turned into something new. Volunteers help give some of those materials another purpose. Roth described volunteers binding discarded paper into small journals that visitors can use for notes or as sketchbooks. “Every paperclip \[the team\] finds, every single piece of paper gets used or recycled appropriately, not just trashed because we're overwhelmed,” Roth said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Tyler-R-.png) Provided by ****CCRx**. In the longer term, CCRx hopes to expand into a larger depot open five days a week, with a greater emphasis on serving small businesses and artists who need larger quantities of materials. Roth said, “Part of our goal for moving locations is also re-tying in the circular economy of it all.” One example is the temporary world of film sets. When a local movie studio borrows a large quantity of binders, papers, and desk organizers for a set depicting an abandoned building turned into a police precinct, CCRx plans for these materials to be returned afterward so that they make their way to teachers, classrooms, or other users. In an age of fast-paced trends and digital consumerism, creative reuse pushes against the everyday impulse to buy things new, often in bulk, before fully knowing whether they are needed or useful. For CCRx, that means encouraging people to first consider what they already have, what can be found secondhand, and what someone else may be ready to pass along. Creative reuse can be simple: giving, receiving, and redirecting materials before they become waste. As Roth explained, if someone is moving at the end of a lease and cannot take everything with them, the question becomes what can happen to those belongings next. They might be donated, listed online, or passed directly to someone who needs them. “I would first say that we are all artists. \[People\] just don't sometimes realize how that creativity unfolds within our life. And if you allow yourself to think outside the box and not be scared to \[reach out to\] the people, the team members at CCRx, there is more than likely a solution for what you're looking for at a fraction of the cost at CCRx,” Rivera said. Creative reuse is an exercise in problem-solving, asking people to see possibilities in what might otherwise become waste. A dresser handed from one neighbor or friend to another may seem like an ordinary exchange. But in a circular economy, it means one fewer object has reached the end of its life before it needed to. **Learn more:** [Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange](https://www.creativechirx.org/events-workshops?ref=15west.org) offers warehouse appointments, workshops, and public events. Readers can find current event and donation information on CCRx’s website. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) ### He Watched His Mother Advocate For Special Ed Support in CPS. Now, He’s Voting for Change URL: https://www.15west.org/he-watched-his-mother-advocate-for-special-ed-support-in-cps-now-hes-voting-for-change/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T18:43:58.000Z ### *This story was originally published by Borderless Magazine.* [*Sign up for its newsletter to learn the latest about Chicago’s immigrant communities*](https://borderlessmag.ac-page.com/signup?ref=15west.org)*.* ### At the age of 10, Froylan Suarez became the person his family relied on to navigate the education system his immigrant parents did not always understand. Suarez, a first-generation CPS alum, would translate parent-teacher meetings, help his mother navigate enrollment paperwork and advocate alongside her for his younger brother’s special education support — which included securing a special education classroom assistant. For Suarez and his family, the challenges reflected a broader challenge of how first-generation students often face additional systematic barriers when accessing school resources and gave him a firsthand look at how CPS budget cuts impact students and their families. As Chicago voters prepare to submit their ballot this November for the first fully elected school board in 30 years, Borderless Magazine spoke to Suarez about his experiences navigating school as a first-gen student, his search for representation and how those experiences encouraged him to vote in the [upcoming school board elections](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/07/14/five-school-board-candidates-removed-from-ballot/?ref=15west.org). ## The weight of translation I was always right next to my mother, as she was fighting for my little brother’s services, either as a translator or as support for her since I was 10 years old. My mom was involved with my brother’s middle school board for 12 years. It was always inaccessible for us due to language barriers. In elementary and middle school, I always had to translate conversations between teachers and my mom due to lack of translators. When the school’s administration changed, [there were budget cuts my brother and I did not understand.](https://www.wbez.org/education/2025/09/17/cps-special-education-teachers-aides-cuts-and-new-positions-leaves-students-lost-behind-and-unserved-legally-required?ref=15west.org) I think they negatively impacted students – especially those in the special needs program. My mom and I would discuss those changes for months because we were stressed. We worried that my brother would get moved into a farther location or that he would be left without a school that could assist his needs. She would give me updates of how my brother’s classmates transferred schools or were in the process of doing so and noticed [fewer special needs students attending classes after budget cuts.](https://www.chicagoreporter.com/how-will-cps-changes-affect-special-education-in-chicago/?ref=15west.org) We would just discuss the uncertainty instead of directly messaging the school board because we didn’t feel empowered to push for administrative change. It always felt like people who could not speak the English language were overlooked. That lack of access affected my education. My experience with CPS was different every year. I would be anxious because I never knew what to expect; the nerves were normal, but they were also based on previous classroom experiences. I was filled with pessimism and always expected the worst to happen. I never took bilingual classes, so all of my homework was in English and it would be difficult for my mom to help me. In kindergarten, I got my first F because we didn’t understand the directions in my assignment. I struggled with transitioning to high school because I lacked the resources and knowledge of academic programs to properly decide which schools to apply to. I researched the same schools as my peers. My parents had no idea which schools would benefit me. I felt like I was on my own to figure it out. Looking back, those experiences defined me as a first-gen student and it might be similar to others. ## Seeking representation My mom has always taught me to look beyond what I got taught in school. As I grew up, I realized systemic barriers limited good education. It wasn’t just about language but representation. A good education allows students to explore perspectives in history. We should not just focus on one lens. We need to look at the different lenses each historical event has to offer and how it impacted different facets of that time. I noticed there were many stories that didn’t focus on perspectives I could share. I think it always sort of excluded Hispanic voices – they didn’t at least focus on them and I began to look into Hispanic history in the U.S. or Mexico. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I started learning about indigenous history in Mexico and their colonization. I think many students didn’t know that history beforehand unless they sought it out themselves. I would learn about my culture by asking my mom about her family tree and our family history. I was also lucky to be studying in a diverse school where I could meet people who were interested in that history and have conversations about it with them. I think the environment plays a huge role for the success of students. They might experience less anxiety if they are surrounded by people with similar backgrounds. ## Voting for change All the time I spent with my mother as she fought for my brother has motivated me to advocate for an increase in funding towards special needs services this election. I want to represent the students and what they can accomplish. This is the first fully elected [school board election we have had in 30 years.](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/05/27/51-candidates-running-for-the-2026-chicago-school-board-election/?ref=15west.org) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-33.png) First-gen high school graduate Forylan Suarez wants to make a difference by voting in the first fully elected school board election in Chicago in 30 years.| ****Max Herman**/Borderless Magazine I want to vote in order to make a difference in the system and because my parents can’t. My parents are unable to vote in school board elections due to their citizenship status and lack of awareness of it. I want people to know that voting matters more than they think – every vote counts. It’s more important now since we are in such a divisive time and we’re finally given the choice to give our voice and opinions. *Clarification 8/12/26: The photo caption in this piece has been updated to clarify that this is Chicago’s first fully elected school board election in 30 years.* *This story is part of Borderless Magazine’s three-part series Beyond The Classroom highlighting the experiences of parents, students and educators navigating the intersections of immigration, education and civic life.* *The story was produced with support from Press Forward — an initiative investing in local news and information — and uses Borderless Magazine’s collaborative as-told-to method. To learn how we make stories like these, check out our* [*as-told-to visual explainer*](https://borderlessmag.org/as-told-to-method/?ref=15west.org)*.* *Samantha Monje is a Northwestern University journalism student and Pathways intern for Borderless Magazine. Contact Samantha at* [*samantha@borderlessmag.org*](mailto:samantha@borderlessmag.org) ### En Villapalooza, Little Village Toma el Centro del Escenario URL: https://www.15west.org/at-villapalooza-little-village-takes-center-stage-2/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:06:31.000Z El sábado, La Villita Park estaba prendida con los sintenizadores en [Villapalooza](https://www.villapalooza.org/?ref=15west.org) con la música del DJ Stage desbordándose a lo largo del parque y la plaza de skate. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-25.png) ****Los De La Homan**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0210-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0320-1.jpg) \[IZQUIERDA\] **Mala Vida**. \[DERECHA\] **Fantasma Negra**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* A una corta distancia, Quinto Imperio le tocó una serenata a los oyentes desde el escenario La Luna. En ese mismo momento, Los De La Homan tocarón en el escenario El Sol mientras YOE tocaba su mix en el escenario de DJ. Después, Mala Vida atrajó más gente al sector campo, donde los oyentes se perdían en la música antes de que Ricky Gutierrez, más conocido como [“Dee JayQuality](https://www.deejayquality.com/?ref=15west.org), empezara su presentación. Los tres escenarios compartieron el parque con un mercado de vendedores, skaters moviéndose en la plaza de concreto y vecinos circulando entre las presentaciones y las areas verdes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-26.png) Los asistentes disfrutan los raspados recién hechos. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-27.png) La pista de skate estaba animada durante las presentaciones. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West*prep El enfoque en el vecindario es intencional. Villapalooza empezó siendo mucho más pequeño en 2011, cuando su primer festival se realizó en el estacionamiento de la tienda de licor de Moreno, según Alexis Ramirez, más conocido como “[Demo](https://www.instagram.com/demo.ramirez/?ref=15west.org),” un músico de Little Village quien ahora ayuda a organizar el evento. Luego se movió al área de una escuela del vecindario antes de expandirse a La Villita Park. Ramirez describió la edición de este año como el Villapalooza más grande hasta ahora. Mucho antes de que ayudara a agendar las presentaciones y pensara sobre las operaciones del festival, él era uno de los artistas en el escenario. Ya que su presentación estaba cerca de la parte de Little Village donde creció, Ramirez dijo que sus presentaciones atraían amigos, vecinos y gente que ya lo conocia. Los organizadores también se dieron cuenta de que cuando sus presentaciones terminaban, muchas de las personas se iban, dijo Ramirez. Ellos eventualmente le preguntaron si es que quería ser el anfitrión del festival y cantar entre otras presentaciones. Años después, Ramirez dijo que ve su trabajo con Villapalooza como un servicio a su vecindario. Dijo que ya no quiere que le paguen por su rol en el festival. Ramirez también ha visto al festival aprender sobre lo que resuena con la audiencia. Él recuerda ocasiones donde los organizadores trajeron a artistas de afuera de Chicago o artistas con muchos seguidores en otra parte, esperando atraer a la audiencia de Villapalooza. Sin embargo, algunas presentaciones no pudieron mantener una multitud, él dijo. Esas experiencias empujaron a los organizadores a reconsiderar como se debía de ver su desarrollo. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-28.png) Una asistente durante la presentación de Los De La Homan. **| NaBeela Washington/** **15 West* Empezaron solicitando comentarios de los asistentes, preguntándoles sobre sus presentaciones favoritas y que querían ver en futuros festivales. Ramirez dijo que la mayoría de respuestas le mostraba a los organizadores algo engañosamente simple: la gente quería más presentaciones locales. Para Ramirez, eso significa que agendar artistas era sobre las relaciones al igual que las credenciales. Dijo que la mayoría de veces él va al concierto de un artista o una fiesta de lanzamiento, escucha el trabajo y compra mercancía antes de proponer Villapalooza. El festival opera con las limitaciones de un evento local sin fines de lucro, él dijo, haciendo que la confianza sea especialmente importante al negociar con los artistas. El camino de Gutierrez al festival empezó a solo unas cuadras de distancia. Mientras creció cerca de la Avenida 24 y la Avenida Spalding, Gutierrez dijo que fue en la escuela primaria cuando encontró un teclado abandonado mientras caminaba a casa a través de un callejón. La mitad de las teclas no funcionaban, pero se la llevó a casa de todos modos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-29.png) ****"Dee JayQuality"**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/15 West Al no poder leer la música, él aprendió más que nada por oído. Él escuchó a sus parientes practicar música mexicana tradicional cerca de donde estaba e intentó reproducir lo que escuchaba en el teclado. Al mismo tiempo, la casa de música de Chicago empezó a captar su atención. Una de las personas que Gutierrez volvería a ver tiempo después a través de Villapalooza había sido parte de su educación musical temprana. Juan Zarate, uno de los anfitriones del festival, trabajó en el quiosco de mixtapes donde Gutierrez compraba música de niño. A los inicios de sus veinte años, Gutierrez estaba produciendo música con Ramirez y otros artistas de Little Village a través de un grupo llamado Flatline Vendetta. Ellos grababan en el vecindario, y Gutierrez dijo que empezó a darse cuenta de cuanto talento musical existía a su alrededor. También se dió cuenta de que era que eran pocas las veces que Little Village era mencionada en conversaciones sobre raperos y productores emergentes de Chicago. "Hay mucho talento en Little Village,” dijo Gutierrez. Él esperaba que eventualmente su nombre fuera mencionado junto con esos nombres. [Un remix que él hizo de para un comercial de McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish](https://deejayquality.com/track/1188677/filet-o-fish-juke-remix?ref=15west.org) ayudó a impulsarlo a ser DJ. Luego, una canción relacionada con un video viral de Tyrese Gibson alcanzó a New York DJ Funkmaster Flex y la pusieron en Hot 97, dijo Gutierrez. Gutierrez dijo que siguió trabajando en otras canciones con artistas mexicanos incluyendo Santa Fe Klan y Thalía. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-30.png) Recientemente, como parte del colectivo de Houston [Bombón](https://www.bombontexas.com/?ref=15west.org), Gutierrez contribuyó al remix creado para la [FIFA’s World Cup Sonic ID project](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/houston-world-cup-2026-host-city-sonic-id?ref=15west.org). Él lo describió como estudiar las tradiciones musicales de Houston - su música de estilo chopped-and-screwed y trap con influencias country reflejadas en la guitarra de las canciones - mientras ayudaba a construir la versión de la cuidad del tema del tornamento. Incluso mientras su música se expandia más allá de Chicago, Gutierrez nunca abandono el escenario en Little Village. Él dijo que aplicó a Villapalooza por varios años y que lo rechazaban repetidamente. Aún así, el festival seguía siendo la meta. Gutierrez eventualmente tocó en el festival hace dos años, pero en el horario temprano con una audiencia pequeña. Este año, él quería una oportunidad en el horario de más tarde. Antes del festival, Gutierrez dijo que estaba especialmente emocionado por encontrarse con gente que conoció al crecer y esperó que el mercado de vendedores le dieran a los negocios del vecindario la misma oportunidad para ser vistos. De todos los lugares donde ha tocado desde esas sesiones tempranas en Little Village, el describió como Villapalooza fue diferente. "Para mí, es como si estuviera volviendo a casa para esto," dijo Gutierrez. Ramires ve ese deseo de regresar como parte de algo que Villapalooza esta pasando al futuro. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-31.png) ****Tropa Magica**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/15 West Las presentaciones del vecindario más jóvenes usualmente abren los conciertos, ganando acceso al mismo festival que una vez les dio un lugar para cantar. Para Ramirez, la distinción común entre un festival de la comunidad y un festival de música no entiende el punto. "La identidad de la comunidad, el orgullo de la comunidad," dijo Ramirez cuando le preguntaron que perdería Little Village sin el festival. "Hicimos esto de niños, y ahora es una batuta generacional. Tú sigues." ### At Villapalooza, Little Village Takes Center Stage URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/at-villapalooza-little-village-takes-center-stage/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T23:35:07.000Z La Villita Park was ablaze with synthesizers at [Villapalooza](https://www.villapalooza.org/?ref=15west.org) on Saturday, with music from the DJ Stage spilling across the park and into its skate plaza. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0047.jpg) ****Los De La Homan**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0210.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0320.jpg) \[LEFT\] **Mala Vida**. \[RIGHT\] **Fantasma Negra**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* A short walk away, Quinto Imperio serenaded listeners from the La Luna Stage. At the same time, Los De La Homan performed on the El Sol Stage while YOE mixed a set on the DJ Stage. Later, Mala Vida drew more people onto the floor, where listeners lost themselves in the music before Ricky Gutierrez, better known as [“Dee JayQuality](https://www.deejayquality.com/?ref=15west.org),” began his set. Three stages shared the park with a market of vendors, skaters moving through the concrete plaza and neighbors circulating between performances and green space. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0140.jpg) Festivalgoers enjoy freshly made raspados. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0155.jpg) The skate park was bustling during performances. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* That neighborhood focus is intentional. Villapalooza began much smaller in 2011, when its first festival was held in the parking lot of Moreno’s Liquors, according to Alexis Ramirez, known as “[Demo](https://www.instagram.com/demo.ramirez/?ref=15west.org),” a Little Village musician who now helps organize the event. It later moved to the grounds of a neighborhood school before expanding into La Villita Park. Ramirez described this year’s edition as the biggest Villapalooza yet. Long before he helped book performers and think through festival operations, he was one of the artists onstage. Because he was performing near the part of Little Village where he grew up, Ramirez said his sets regularly drew friends, neighbors and people who already knew him. Organizers also noticed that when his performances ended, much of the crowd left too, he said. They eventually asked him to host the festival and perform between other acts. Years later, Ramirez said he sees his work with Villapalooza as service to the neighborhood. He said he no longer wants to be paid for his role with the festival. Ramirez has also watched the festival learn what resonates with its audience. He recalled occasions when organizers brought in artists from outside Chicago or performers with established followings elsewhere, expecting them to draw Villapalooza audiences. Instead, some sets struggled to hold the crowd, he said. Those experiences pushed organizers to reconsider what growth should look like. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0059.jpg) A festivalgoer during Los De La Homan's set. **| NaBeela Washington/** **15 West* They began soliciting feedback from attendees, asking about favorite performers and what they wanted to see at future festivals. Ramirez said the responses often pointed organizers back toward something deceptively simple: people liked the local programming. For Ramirez, that means booking artists is as much about relationships as credentials. He said he often attends an artist’s show or release party, listens to their work and buys their merchandise before approaching them about Villapalooza. The festival operates with the limitations of a grassroots nonprofit, he said, making trust especially important when negotiating with performers. Gutierrez’s path to the festival began only blocks away. Growing up near 24th Street and Spalding Avenue, Gutierrez said he was in elementary school when he found a discarded keyboard while walking home through an alley. Half of its keys did not work, but he took it home anyway. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0446-1-1.jpg) ****"Dee JayQuality"**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/15 West Unable to read music, he learned largely by ear. He listened as relatives rehearsed traditional Mexican music nearby and tried to reproduce what he heard on the keyboard. Around the same time, Chicago house music began to capture his attention. One of the people Gutierrez would later encounter again through Villapalooza had even been part of his early musical education. Juan Zarate, one of the festival’s hosts, once worked at the neighborhood mixtape kiosk where Gutierrez bought music as a kid. By his early twenties, Gutierrez was producing music with Ramirez and other Little Village artists through a crew called Flatline Vendetta. They recorded around the neighborhood, and Gutierrez said he began to realize just how much musical talent existed around him. He also noticed how rarely Little Village entered conversations about where Chicago’s emerging rappers and producers came from. “There’s a lot of talent in Little Village,” Gutierrez said. He hoped his own name might eventually be among those associated with it. [A remix he made of a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish](https://deejayquality.com/track/1188677/filet-o-fish-juke-remix?ref=15west.org) commercial helped push him deeper into DJing. Later, a track built around a viral Tyrese Gibson clip reached New York DJ Funkmaster Flex and was played on Hot 97, Gutierrez said. Gutierrez said he went on to work on tracks involving Mexican artists including Santa Fe Klan and Thalía. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-24-at-8.23.56---PM.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%5Fa80%5FTJSNxQ&ref=15west.org) More recently, as part of Houston collective [Bombón](https://www.bombontexas.com/?ref=15west.org), Gutierrez contributed to a remix created for [FIFA’s World Cup Sonic ID project](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/houston-world-cup-2026-host-city-sonic-id?ref=15west.org). He described studying Houston’s musical traditions—from chopped-and-screwed music and trap to the country influences reflected in the track’s guitar—while helping build the city’s version of the tournament theme. Even as his music expanded beyond Chicago, Gutierrez never gave up on returning to a stage in Little Village. He said he applied to Villapalooza for several years and was repeatedly turned down. Still, the festival remained a goal. Gutierrez eventually performed at the festival two years ago, but during an earlier slot with a smaller crowd. This year, he wanted another chance at a later set. Before the festival, Gutierrez said he was especially excited to run into people he knew from growing up and hoped the vendor market would give neighborhood businesses the same opportunity to be seen. For all the places where he has performed since those early sessions in Little Village, he described Villapalooza differently. “For me, it’s like I’m coming home for this,” Gutierrez said. Ramirez sees that desire to return as part of something Villapalooza is now passing forward. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-22-0600.jpg) ****Tropa Magica**. | ****NaBeela Washington**/15 West Younger neighborhood acts regularly open shows, gaining access to the same festival that once gave him a place to perform. To Ramirez, the common distinction between a community festival and a music festival misses the point. “Community identity, community pride,” Ramirez said when asked what Little Village would lose without the festival. “We did this as kids, and now it’s a generational baton. You’re next.” #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) ### Una Caminata por el Parque Humboldt Revela la Música Más Allá del Escenario URL: https://www.15west.org/una-caminata-por-el-parque-humboldt-revela-la-musica-mas-alla-del-escenario/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:08:34.000Z Cuando fui a explorar el Parque Humboldt, esperaba que la música me encontrara rápidamente. Sin embargo, solo encontré silencio. Durante una de las tardes más calurosas del verano el parque estaba más callado de los esperado. Habían pocas personas afuera. Los pájaros cantaban por encima de los árboles mientras que las sirenas de la policía y las ambulancias pasaban por el vecindario. Los carros se movían por las calles cercanas, pero cada sonido desaparecía casi tan rápido como vino. Por un rato, eso se volvió la banda sonora de mi caminata. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-12.png) Una pared de CDs dentro de Lily's Record Shop. | ****Alexa Bermudez**/**15 West* Eventualmente me fuí del parque y seguí por la Calle Division. Cerca de Division y California, salsa comenzó a desbordarse desde una fachada hacia la vereda. El sonido me llevó a [Lily's Record Shop](http://lilysrecordshop.com/?ref=15west.org) (La Tienda de Discos de Lily), una tienda con una dueña y su familia manejándola por más de cuatro décadas. ![Foto más amplia donde se muestra la tienda. La tienda tiene polos, CDs en las paredes, tambores pequeños, recuerdos de Puerto Rico, etc.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-13.png) La música se hacía más fuerte a medida que me acercaba más a la entrada. Adentro, canciones de Héctor Lavoe, Marc Anthony, Willie Colón y Frankie Ruiz llenaron la tienda, mezclándose con los clientes que se movían a través del espacio y la actividad que seguía fuera de la tienda en la Calle Division. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-14.png) Vanessa Massas de Lily's Record Shop. | ****Alexa Bermudez**/**15 West* Conocí a Vanessa Massas, la manager de la tienda, y la fotografié mientras la música seguía. Las canciones alcanzaron la vereda, ofreciendo a quien sea que este cerca una pequeña conexión con la música Puerto Riqueña de adentro. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Lily-Record-Shop-Records.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Lily-Record-Shop-Records-2-1.jpg) La colección de vinilos de Lily's Record Shop. | ****Alexa Bermudez**/**15 West* La música me siguió más allá de la tienda de discos, aveces por los parlantes, otras veces a través de los momentos pequeños que eran fáciles de perderse. Cerca de la tienda, había un niño jugando con un tambor en la calle. Minutos antes, el vecindario parecia callado. Ahora, el tambor estaba en silencio en la vereda, y la salsa saliendo de Lily's Record Shop. ### En el West Side, el Cultivo es el Salón URL: https://www.15west.org/on-the-west-side-the-farm-is-the-classroom-2/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:06:18.000Z Milla Moore te dirá de frente que a ella no le gustan los insectos. Pero al pararse en el invernadero de North Lawndale, plantando semillas en una bandeja y poniendo los cultivos en macetas antes del día de la cosecha, la joven de 23 años esta pensando sobre cuantos vegetales su equipo van a procesar antes que la tarde termine. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-6.png) Milla Moore, 23 años. | Foto proporcionada por ****Chicago Botanic Garden** "Solo el ver la cantidad de verduras que procesamos todos los días como equipo es genial," dice. Hace dos años, Moore era una estilista sin una clientela estable. Ella decidió que quería más para su vida, aunque no te podría haber dicho a que se refería en ese momento. Aplicó al programa [Windy City Harvest Corps](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/urban-agriculture/programs/corps?ref=15west.org) instintivamente. Lo que ella encontró al otro lado fue algo que difícilmente se le podría llamar solo un trabajo. "Nunca supe lo esencial que eran las verduras frescas para un humano," dice. "Nunca supe realmente de su impacto hasta que me volví la persona ayudando a distribuirlas." Para Moore, la agricultura se volvió una carrera. Puede que no sea así para otros jóvenes trabajando en los jardines a lo largo del West Side de Chicago. En el Windy City Harvest y el Consejo Comunitario del Parque Garfield (Garfield Park Community Council / GPCC), los jóvenes son pagados por hacer trabajo significativo mientras que aprender como estar presentes, trabajar con otros, tomar responsabilidad, e imaginar lo que podría venir después. ## **Aumentando la mano de obra** [Windy City Harvest](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/urban-agriculture?ref=15west.org) es el programa educativo y de entrenamiento de agricultura urbana en el Jardín Botánico de Chicago con cultivos en North Lawndale y el Parque Washington. Su programa Corps dura 14 semanas, combinando cuatro días de trabajo en el cultivo con talleres y entrenamiento personal sobre preparación para trabajar. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-7.png) Cultivo en el Jardín de Ogden Youth. | Foto proporcionada por ****Chicago Botanic Garden** Los participantes ganan credenciales de manejo de comida, seguridad en el trabajo, y de conocimiento ambiental. Treinta personas se apuntan cada año, varios de ellos siendo de los vecindarios del West Side. Desde el 2009, más de 420 han participado en Corps, y el programa reporta una tasa de culminación de 80 por ciento. El 70 por ciento de participantes consiguen un trabajo en aproximadamente seis meses o menos, con sueldos que empiezan siendo $18 la hora. Casi un tercio se quedan en la agricultura, mientras que otros se van al paisajismo, trabajos en almacenes, servicio de comida, ventas, u otras industrias. La mitad de participantes que consiguen un tabajo siguen contratados luego de seis meses. Esos números también muestran donde acaba el alcance del programa de mano de obra. Conseguir un trabajo no garantiza que vaya a ser a largo plazo. Julie McCaffrey, la manager de relaciones públicas del Jardín Botánico de Chicago, dice que solo el entrenamiento agricultural no puede resolver todo lo que enfrentan los participantes. "Los participantes usualmente enfrentan la vida real, la cual viene con barreras significantes que incluyen la inestabilidad de vivienda, barreras legales y de transporte, y responsabilidades familiares," dice. El entrenamiento "debe venir con estructura, soporte, y recursos que sirven para la vida entera de los participantes." Una porción significativa de los participantes de Corps vienen del South Side y West Side de Chicago, incluyendo North Lawndale, Austin, el Parque Garfield, el Parque Humboldt y Little Village, dice McCaffrey. Moore se graduó de Corps, se movió al rol de Asistente de Producción, y ahora esta completando el entrenamiento de Windy City Harvest del 2026\. En dos años, ella quiere ser manager de un cultivo y con el tiempo tener el suyo propio. "El programa Windy City Harvest se volvió una gran parte de mi sistema de apoyo en relación a mi familia," dice Moore. El programa también cambió como ve su lugar en la comunidad. "Estoy más conectada con mi comunidad porque ahora traigo valor y beneficios no solo para mi salud, pero también para aquellos que no tienen acceso a verduras frescas," dice. También ha remoldeado como navega su vida. "A veces tener visión de túnel no es lo más sensato," ella dice, "porque una vez que estes fuera de ese túnel vas a ver cosas a tu alrededor que te van a inspirar a querer traer valor no solo para tí, pero para la gente a tu alrededor." ## **Comida como medicina, la agricultura como un camino** A unas millas más allá, los adolecentes trabajan en sus jardines comunitarios en el Parque West Garfield moviendo virutas de madera, sacando maleza y manteniendo los espacios que producen comida para su vecindario. El [Equipo Juvenil del Jardín del Consejo Comunitario del Parque Garfield](https://www.gpcommunitycouncil.org/programs/garden-corps?ref=15west.org) ha contratado adolecentes locales para prácticas de verano por más de una década. Los participantes trabajan en los jardines, en el Mercado del Vecindario y en eventos de la comunidad mientras desarrollan habilidades de horticultura, servicio al cliente, trabajo en equipo y preparación para trabajar. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-8.png) Angela Taylor, Directora de Bienestar del GPCC. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Angela Taylor, la Directora de Bienestar del GPCC y una de las fundadoras de la Red de Jardines, dice que algunos participantes regresan varios veranos. Para Marcus, de 17 años, este es su tercer año. La agricultura urbana no era parte de su planes de carrera cuidadosamente planeados cuando empezó en noveno grado. "Fue muy random para mí," él dice. "Realmente no pensé que estaría haciendo esto." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-9.png) Marcus, Líder del Grupo, 17 años. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Lo que lo hace volver es la comunidad. Él esta considerando estudiar leyes o comercio en la universidad. Joseph, también de 17 años, inicialmente quería pasar su verano en cualquier otro lugar. Su madre lo animó a intentar el programa; regresó y ahora dice que le encanta el trabajo. Él esta considerando estudiar economía. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-10.png) Joseph, 17 años. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Taylor no necesita que todos ellos se vuelvan granjeros. Lo que ella quiere es que vean las posibilidades. Más allá de las prácticas, el jardín ya mostró el camino que una persona puede tomar. Aziz Evans, ahora de 24 años, empezó la universidad en su camino estudiando terapia física, seguro de querer una carrera en medicina. Entonces el COVID-19 lo envió a su casa en su segundo año. Él vió como le costaba a las tiendas seguir abastecidas. "Me di cuenta de que la medicina que necesitaba seguir no era la de un hospital, pero de un cultivo," él dice. "La comida es la medicina." Su primera práctica fue en GPCC, donde aprendió como identificar plantas, a cosecharlas y venderlas directamente al vecindario. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0173-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0141-2.jpg) \[IZQUIERDA\] Col Rizada creciendo. \[DERECHA\] Pepinos recién cosechados. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "Fueron el génesis de mis habilidades y conocimiento en agricultura urbana," él dice. "Antes no sabía como identificar una planta de col rizada, como identificar una planta de col gallega verde." Evans cambió su título, se apuntó a prácticas en el cultivo estudiantil de la universidad, cofundó Jannah Farms y ahora está [Stein Learning Gardens](https://www.sabinagardens.org/?ref=15west.org), trabajando con cultivos a lo largo de la comunidad del West Side. Ahora esta buscando un terreno para hacer suyo. ## **Lo que creer hace posible** El trabajo en el GPCC es pagado. Su página web menciona como los potenciales internos pueden esperar unas 20 horas de trabaja a la semana; Taylor dice que los miembros del cohorte de este año pueden trabajar máximo 30 horas a la semana y ganar $17.50 la hora. Algunos de ellos usan el dinero para sus gastos escolares o sus hermanos menores. Taylor quiere que vean que su labor tiene valor. "Volver a su casa con algunos ceros extras en su cheque, eso hace a una persona diferente," ella dice. Pero el trabajo pagado no los esconde de lo que pasa fuera de los cultivos. Cuando preguntamos si hay algo que el programa no puede resolver, Taylor respondió 'la violencia.' El jardín no la puede remover de la comunidad. Lo que puede ofrecer, ella dice, es un lugar donde los jóvenes sientan que la gente se preocupa por ellos y que pueden pedirle ayuda a un adulto confiable cuando lo necesiten. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-11.png) El personal de la Red de Jardín trabajando en el área de fresas de la Calle Fulton. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "Este es un espacio seguro para ayudarlos a que sientan que los estamos cuidando, y un refugio si es que lo necesitan," dice Taylor. "No vamos a tomar el lugar de un padre de familia. Pero queremos que se sientan seguros y que vamos a cuidar de ellos." La red de Jardines que Taylor ayudó a construir ahora abarca más de tres acres a lo largo de nueve cultivos comunitarios, la mayoría de ellos siendo terrenos protegidos para preservar el uso comunitario, según el GPCC. La red creció gracias a una subvención federal que financió 32 de los cultivos en el Parque Garfield, aunque no todos siguen activos hoy en día. Los miembros comparten herramientas, jornadas laborales y el invernadero comunitario que empieza con más de 2,000 semillas cada año. La financiación es otra limitación. EL GPCC sigue con el recaudo de fondos para mantener el Equipo Juvenil. Taylor dice que una donación anónima de este año, aparte del dinero ya recaudado, le dió confianza de que el programa pueda regresar el próximo año. Lo que ambos programas pueden controlar es lo que pasa cuando un jóven llega: el trabajo, las expectativas, los adultos atentos y las oportunidades para desarrollar responsabilidad. Taylor es intencional sobre asegurarse que el líder del grupo no se vuelva la voz de todos los demás. "Necesito que todos tengan una voz," ella dice. "Si no la tienen, quiero que la encuentren para que ellos, cuando vayan más allá de este espacio, se lleven algo." Trabajar en la agricultura puede revelar caminos que puede que ellos no vieron inicialmente. "Esto no es solo agacharse y limpiar la maleza," dice Taylor. Ella quiere que ellos vean que hay ciencia y negocios detrás de lo que cosechan. Para Evans, lo que empezo solo como prácticas se convirtió en algo que espera construir por generaciones. "Mi madre llegó hasta el primer piso. Yo voy a construir un segundo piso. Mis nietos van a construir el tercero," él dice, "para que cada generación no tenga que empezar desde el suelo. Ya deberíamos ser la Torre Sears." ### On the West Side, the Farm Is the Classroom URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/on-the-west-side-the-farm-is-the-classroom/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T20:45:57.000Z Milla Moore will tell you upfront that she doesn't like bugs. But standing in a greenhouse in North Lawndale, seeding trays and potting up crops before the day's harvest, the 23-year-old is thinking about how much produce her crew will process before the afternoon ends. ![Milla Moore, 23. | Provided by Chicago Botanic Garden](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Milla-Moore-Windy-City-Harvest-Chicago-Botanic-Garden-1.jpg) Milla Moore, 23\. | Provided by ****Chicago Botanic Garden** "Just to see the amount of produce that we process as a team every day is amazing," she says. Two years ago, Moore was a hairstylist without a stable clientele. She decided she wanted more for herself, though she could not have told you exactly what that meant. She applied to [Windy City Harvest Corps](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/urban-agriculture/programs/corps?ref=15west.org) on instinct. What she found on the other side was harder to name than a job. "I never knew how essential fresh produce can be to one human," she says. "I never really knew the impact until I became the one helping to distribute it." For Moore, agriculture became a career. For other young people working in gardens across Chicago's West Side, it may not. At Windy City Harvest and the Garfield Park Community Council, young people are paid to do consequential work while learning how to show up, work with others, take responsibility, and imagine what might come next. ## **Growing a workforce** [Windy City Harvest](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/urban-agriculture?ref=15west.org) is the Chicago Botanic Garden's urban agriculture education and training program, with farms in North Lawndale and Washington Park. Its Corps program runs 14 weeks, combining four days of farm work with Friday job-readiness workshops and individual coaching. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Farm-on-Ogden-Youth-Farm-Windy-City-Harvest-20250624-DSC_2114.jpg) Farm on Ogden Youth Farm. | Provided by ****Chicago Botanic Garden** Participants earn food handling, workplace safety, and environmental literacy credentials. Thirty enroll each year, many from West Side neighborhoods. Since 2009, more than 420 people have participated in Corps, and the program reports an 80 percent completion rate. About 70 percent of participants are placed in jobs within roughly six months, with starting wages averaging about $18 an hour. Roughly a third stay in agriculture, while others move into landscaping, warehousing, food service, retail and other industries. About half of participants placed in jobs remain employed at the six-month mark. Those numbers also show where a workforce program's reach ends. Job placement does not guarantee long-term employment. Julie McCaffrey, Chicago Botanic Garden's public relations manager, says agricultural training alone can't solve what participants are up against. “Participants are often facing real life, which comes with significant barriers including housing instability, transportation and legal barriers, and family responsibilities,” she says. Training "must be paired with structure, support, and resources that respond to participants' whole lives.” A significant share of Corps participants come from Chicago's South and West Sides, including North Lawndale, Austin, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park and Little Village, McCaffrey says. Moore graduated from Corps, moved into a Production Assistant role, and is now completing the 2026 Windy City Harvest Apprenticeship. In two years, she wants to be a farm manager and eventually own her own farm. "The Windy City Harvest program became a big part of my support system in relation to my family," she says. The program has changed how she sees her place in her community, too. “I am more connected to my community because I am now bringing value and health benefits for not only myself but for those who don't have access to fresh produce," she says. It has also reshaped how she moves through the rest of her life. "Sometimes it's not always wise to have tunnel vision," she says, "because once you are out of that tunnel you will see things around you that inspire you to want to bring value to not only yourself but others around you." ## **Food as medicine, farming as path** A few miles over, teenagers move among community gardens in West Garfield Park, hauling wood chips, pulling weeds and maintaining spaces that produce food for their neighborhood. The [Garfield Park Community Council's Youth Garden Corps](https://www.gpcommunitycouncil.org/programs/garden-corps?ref=15west.org) has employed local teenagers in paid summer internships for more than a decade. Participants work in gardens, at the Neighborhood Market and at community events while building horticulture, customer service, teamwork and job-readiness skills. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0015.jpg) Angela Taylor, GPCC's wellness director. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Angela Taylor, GPCC's wellness director and one of the Garden Network's founders, says some participants return for several summers. Marcus, 17, is in his third year. Urban agriculture was not part of a carefully mapped career plan when he started as a freshman. "It was so random for me," he says. "I really did not think I would be doing this." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0027.jpg) Marcus, Peer Leader, 17\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* What keeps him coming back is the community. He is considering studying law or business in college. Joseph, also 17, initially wanted to spend his summer elsewhere. His mother encouraged him to try the program; he returned and now says he loves the work. He is considering economics. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0055.jpg) Joseph, 17\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Taylor does not need all of them to become farmers. She wants them to see possibilities. Beyond the internships themselves, the garden has already shown what one path can look like. Aziz Evans, now 24, started college on a physical therapy track, certain he wanted a career in healthcare. Then COVID-19 sent him home his sophomore year. He watched grocery stores struggle to stay stocked. "It dawned on me that the healthcare I needed to pursue was not in a hospital setting, but it was in farming," he says. "Food is medicine." His first internship was at GPCC, where he learned plant identification, harvesting and how to sell directly to the neighborhood. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0173.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0141.jpg) \[LEFT\] Lacinato kale growing. \[RIGHT\] Freshly harvested cucumbers. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "They were the genesis of my skill set and knowledge of urban agriculture," he says. "Before them, I did not even know how to identify a kale plant, how to identify a collard green plant." Evans changed his major, interned at a university student farm, co-founded Jannah Farms and is now based at [Stein Learning Gardens](https://www.sabinagardens.org/?ref=15west.org), working with community farms across the West Side. He is searching for land to own. ## **What belief makes possible** GPCC's work is paid. Its website tells prospective interns to expect about 20 hours a week; Taylor says members of this year's cohort can work up to 30 hours and earn $17.50 an hour. Some use the money for school expenses or younger siblings. Taylor wants them to see that their labor has value. "When they go home with some hundreds on that check, that makes a different person," she says. But paid work does not insulate them from what happens outside the gardens. Asked what the program cannot solve, Taylor names violence. The garden cannot remove it from the surrounding community. What it can offer, she says, is a place where young people feel cared for and can reach trusted adults when they need help. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/2026-August-04-0127.jpg) Garden Network staff tending the Fulton St strawberry patch. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "This is a safe space for them to help them feel cared for, and a refuge if need be," Taylor says. "We will not take the place of a parent. But we want them to feel safe and that we're going to take care of them." The Garden Network Taylor helped build now spans more than three acres across nine active community gardens, most held in a land trust to preserve the space for community use, according to GPCC. The network grew out of a federal grant that funded 32 garden lots across Garfield Park, though not all remain active today. Members share tools, workdays and a community greenhouse that can start more than 2,000 seedlings a year. Funding is another constraint. GPCC continues to fundraise to sustain the Youth Garden Corps. Taylor says an anonymous donation this year, on top of money already raised, gave her confidence the program can return next summer. What both programs can control is what happens when a young person arrives: work, expectations, attentive adults and opportunities for responsibility. Taylor is intentional about making sure the most experienced youth leader does not become the voice for everyone else. "I need them to all have a voice," she says. "If they don't, I want them to find their voice so that they, when they go beyond this space, they carry something with them." Working in agriculture can reveal paths they may not initially see. "This ain't just bending over weeding," Taylor says. She wants them to see that there is science and, increasingly, business behind what they grow. For Evans, what started as an internship has become something he hopes to build on across generations. "My mother made it to the first floor. I'm going to build the second story. My grandchildren are going to build a third story," he says, "rather than every generation starting all the way from the ground up. We should be the Sears Tower by now." #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) ### A Walk Through Humboldt Park Reveals Music Beyond the Stage URL: https://www.15west.org/a-walk-through-humboldt-park-reveals-music-beyond-the-stage/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T16:18:04.000Z When I set out to explore Humboldt Park, I expected music to find me quickly. Instead, I found silence. On one of the hottest afternoons this summer, the park was quieter than expected. Few people were outside. Birds chirped above the trees while police and ambulance sirens passed through the neighborhood. Cars moved along the nearby streets, but each sound disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived. For a while, that became the soundtrack of my walk. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Lily-Record-Shop-Interior-1-1.jpeg) A wall of CDs inside Lily's Record Shop. | ****Alexa Bermudez**/**15 West* I eventually left the park and continued down Division Street. Near Division and California, salsa began spilling from a storefront and onto the sidewalk. The sound led me to [Lily's Record Shop](http://lilysrecordshop.com/?ref=15west.org), a woman-owned business run by the same family for over four decades. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Lily-Record-Shop-Interior-2-1.png) The music grew louder as I approached the entrance. Inside, songs by Héctor Lavoe, Marc Anthony, Willie Colón and Frankie Ruiz filled the shop, blending with customers moving through the space and the activity continuing outside on Division Street. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Lily-Record-Shop-Vanesa-1.jpeg) Vanessa Massas of Lily's Record Shop. | ****Alexa Bermudez**/**15 West* I met Vanessa Massas, the shop's manager, and photographed her as the music continued. The songs reached the sidewalk, offering anyone nearby a brief connection to the Puerto Rican music playing inside. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Lily-Record-Shop-Records.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Lily-Record-Shop-Records-2.jpeg) Lily's Record Shop's record collection. | ****Alexa Bermudez**/**15 West* Music followed me beyond the record shop, sometimes clearly through speakers, other times through smaller moments that were easy to miss. Near the store, a child had been playing a drum outside. Minutes earlier, the neighborhood seemed quiet. Now, the drum sat silent on the sidewalk, salsa drifting from Lily's Record Shop. ### ¿Cuál es la mentira más grande sobre los Consejos Escolares Locales? Que no hacen nada URL: https://www.15west.org/cual-es-la-mentira-mas-grande-sobre-los-consejos-escolares-locales-que-no-hacen-nada/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:08:05.000Z Este Noviembre los votantes en Chicago van a ayudar a formar el futuro de Escuelas Públicas de Chicago (o Chicago Public Schools / CPS) al votar por la primera [Junta de Educación totalmente elegida](https://www.votechicagoschoolboard.org/?ref=15west.org) de la cuidad. Pero, para los padres y miembros de la comunidad que quieren influenciar las decisiones en la escuela de su vecindario, una de las oportunidades más poderosas ocurre cada mes. La mayoría de Escuelas Públicas de Chicago - expecto por algunas escuelas chárter- tienen [Consejos Escolares Locales (CEL)](https://www.cps.edu/about/local-school-councils/?ref=15west.org), un grupo de padres, profesores, estudiantes, personal y miembros de la comunidad que ayudan con la [recomendación de directores, aprueban el presupuesto escolar, y llevan las preocupaciones de la comunidad directamente a los líderes escolares y distritales. ](https://www.cps.edu/globalassets/cps-pages/about-cps/local-school-councils-lscs/2024-lsc-reference-guide-english.pdf?ref=15west.org) El CEL tiene un rol especialmente importante en los vecindarios del West Side, donde las disparidades de tamaño de las juntas distritales escolares de Chicago son más pronunciadas. Según un análisis de los datos de matriculación del vigésimo día entre el 2025 y el 2026, el Distrito 5 incluye 100 escuelas que sirven a 35,593 estudiantes de vecindarios como Austin, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park y North Lawndale— muchas más escuelas que otros distritos. En comparación, el Distrito 4, el cual incluye varias escuelas de los vecindarios del North y Northwest Side, tiene 34 escuelas sirviendo a 23,000 estudiantes. Ya que cada junta escolar distrital es representada por dos miembros del subdistrito, cada miembro de la junta del Distrito 5 representa unas 50 escuelas, mientras que cada mienbro de la junta del Distrito 4 representa unas 17. Este desiquilibrio hace que el CEL sea una de las maneras más directas que tienen los residentes del West Side para influenciar las decisiones que afectan a las escuelas de sus vecindarios. **Encuentra la junta escolar de tu distrito usando este mapa interactivo.** Bernard Clay, de 75 años, ha servido a la comunidad como representante del CEL de la [Escuela Secundaria Michele Clark por ocho años](https://www.micheleclark.org/?ref=15west.org). Él cree que los CELs comprometidos con su labor son especialmente importantes para las escuelas del West Side porque ellas enfrentan "una falta de recursos, una terrible falta de recursos." Clay dijo que uno de sus retos más grandes era involucrar a los padres. Él no cree que el problema sea falta de interés. En lugar de eso, dijo que el CEL no ha hecho un esfuerzo concentrado en recrutar a los padres. "Los padres son realmente los consumidores de la educación," dijo Clay Un obstáculo, dijo Clay, es el tiempo que eligen. Varias reuniones del CEL son durante horas laborales o muy temprano por la tarde como para que los padres que trabajan puedan asistir. También mencionó que el CEL "gasta más recursos en entrenamiento para padres que en recrutarlos." Aunque él considere el entrenamiento importante, Clay dijo que las reuniones y el entrenamiento debería ser ofrecido durante la tarde o los fines de semana para que más padres puedan atender. #### ¿Conoce Tus Derechos: Qué pasa si una reunión del CEL no está abierta al público? Según el miembro del CEL de la Escuela Secundaria Michele Clark Bernard Clay, los residentes que crean que la reunión del CEL no fue promocionada correctamente o que estaba cerrada para el público puede que sean capaces de impugnar la reunión bajo el Acta de Reuniones Abiertas de Illinois. El Especialista de Relaciones del CEL Marcus Pittman dijo que los consejos están obligados a publicar el horario de la reunión de antemano, y el incumplimiento de los requisitos de una reunión pública pueden resultar en la cancelación o reprogramación de la reunión. Si crees que tu Consejo Escolar Local esta violando el Acta de Reuniones Abiertas, puedes aprender más o presentar una denuncia a través de la [Oficina de Acceso Público del Fiscal General de Illinois](https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/?ref=15west.org). Los oficiales del CEL admiten que hacer las reuniones accesibles sigue siendo un reto para ellos. El Especialista de Relaciones del CEL, Marcus Pittman, dijo que los consejos están obligados a publicar el horario de la reunión de antemano bajo el [Acta de Reuniones Abiertas de Illinois](https://www.champaigncountyil.gov/FOIA/OMA%5FReference%5FGuide.pdf?ref=15west.org), y que el CPS aveces recibe quejas de los residentes que no estaban al tanto del horario o las fechas de las reuniones. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image.png) Pittman durante el segundo curso de Reuniones Efectivas el 14 de Julio para los miembros del CEL. "La verdad es que si recibimos quejas sobre reuniones secretas que no todos conocen," dijo Pittman. Durante las visitas escolares, Pittman dijo que una de las cosas que revisa es si es que los horarios de las reuniones estan publicados donde la gente pueda verlos con facilidad. Si los horarios no estan publicados como corresponde, los consejos puede que tengan que cancelar o reprogramar sus reuniones. Publicar el horario, dijo Pittman, "es la responsabilidad del presidente." Incluso si las reuniones son debidamente promocionadas y abiertas al público, varios CELs aún tienen problemas para llenar los asientos. Solo el Distrito 5 tiene 36 escuelas con roles del CEL abiertos como el representate de padres y de la comunidad. Los residentes pueden usar el [Mapa de los miembros del CEL](https://schoolinfo.cps.edu/map-lscmembers/?ref=15west.org) para identificar las vacantes y aprender como involucrarse. Las próximas elecciones del CEL serán en la primavera del 2028, pero los candidatos pueden empezar con el papeleo para participar en la carrera en Octubre del 2027. Aquellos que esten interesados en servir al CEL de su escuela no tienen que esperar a la siguientes elecciones necesariamente. Cuando una vacante para un padre o un miembro de la comunidad se abre, los residentes elegibles puedes llenar la vacante si son [aprobados en una votación de los miembros actuales del CEL.](https://www.cpsboe.org/content/documents/sec.%5F6-28.pdf?ref=15west.org) Además, los residentes no tienen porque unirse al CEL para que sus voces sean escuchadas. Cualquier persona puede atender la reunión mensual escolar, donde el foro esta abierto para los comentarios del público. Bernard Clay cree que los residentes deberían atender las reuniones y hablar durante la hora de comentarios públicos porque "es la mejor forma de democracia." "La mentira más grande sobre los CELs es sobre como no hacen nada," dijo Clay. Mientras Chicago se prepara para su primera junta de educación elegida, los CELs siguen siendo una de las maneras más directas que tienen los miembros de la comunidad de involucrarse con la eduación local. Y si más padres atendieran a las reuniones, dijo Clay, "se sentirían empoderados y sentirían que pueden hacer un cambio." #### 🍎 Como Involucrarte con tu Consejo Escolar Local ¿****Cómo estan estructurados los Consejos Escolares Locales?** Cada Consejo Escolar Local esta hecho de padres, representantes de la comunidad, profersores, personal de la escuela y estudiantes. El representante de los padres y la comunidad, y los estudiantes que son miembros son elegidos, mientras que los profesores y el personal son elegidos por sus colegas. ****Los CELs más tradicionales incluyen:** - 6 representantes de padres - 2 representantes de la comunidad - 2 representantes de los profesores - 1 representante del personal no académico - 1 representante de estudiantes (solo estudiantes de secundaria) ****Encuentra el CEL de tu escuela:** Usa el [mapa de miembros del CEL del CPS](https://schoolinfo.cps.edu/map-lscmembers/?ref=15west.org) para ver quien sirve en el consejo de tu escuela, vacantes abiertas, y aprende como involucrarte. ****Atiende una reunión:** Las reuniones del CEL estan abiertas al público. Revisa la página web de tu escuela o contacta a la escuela para más información sobre la próxima reunión, y revisa el horario para aprender que se discutirá. ¿****Quieres saber que más puede hacer tu CEL?** El CPS tiene una [Guía de Referencia sobre los Consejos Escolares Locales](https://www.cps.edu/globalassets/cps-pages/about-cps/local-school-councils-lscs/2024-lsc-reference-guide-english.pdf?ref=15west.org) detallando las responsabilidades del consejo, incluyendo la aprobación del presupuesto, la evaluación del director, la planificación de las mejoras en la escuela, y los requisitos de las reuniones públicas. ¿****Interesado en servir?** Los padres y miembros de la comunidad pueden entrar en la carrera por una vacante en el CEL siempre y cuando cumplan con los requisitos. Las próximas elecciones estan programadas para la primavera del 2028, y se espera que los candidatos apliquen en Octubre del 2027. ### The biggest misconception about Local School Councils? They don't do anything. URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/the-biggest-misconception-about-local-school-councils-they-dont-do-anything/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T22:35:29.000Z Come November, Chicago voters will help shape the future of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) by electing the city’s [first fully elected Board of Education](https://www.votechicagoschoolboard.org/?ref=15west.org). But for parents and community members looking to influence decisions at their neighborhood school, one of the most powerful opportunities happens every month. Most Chicago Public Schools–except for some charter schools–have [Local School Councils (LSCs)](https://www.cps.edu/about/local-school-councils/?ref=15west.org), a group of parents, teachers, students, staff, and community members that help [recommend and evaluate principals, approve school budgets, and bring community concerns directly to school and district leadership](https://www.cps.edu/globalassets/cps-pages/about-cps/local-school-councils-lscs/2024-lsc-reference-guide-english.pdf?ref=15west.org). LSCs play an especially important role in West Side neighborhoods where disparities in the size of Chicago's school board districts are most pronounced. According to an analysis of CPS' 2025–26 20th-day [enrollment data](https://www.cps.edu/about/district-data/demographics/?ref=15west.org), District 5 includes 100 schools serving 35,593 students in neighborhoods like Austin, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale—more schools than any other district. By comparison, District 4, which includes several North and Northwest Side neighborhoods, has 34 schools serving about 23,000 students. Because each school board district is represented by two subdistrict members, each District 5 board member represents roughly 50 schools, while each District 4 board member represents about 17\. That imbalance makes Local School Councils one of the most direct ways for West Side residents to influence decisions affecting their neighborhood schools. **Find your school board district using the interactive map below.** Bernard Clay, 75, has served as the community representative on [Michele Clark High School](https://www.micheleclark.org/?ref=15west.org)’s LSC for about eight years. He believes engaged LSCs are especially important for West Side schools because they face "a lack of resources, a terrible lack of resources." Clay said one of the biggest challenges is getting parents involved. He doesn’t believe the problem is a lack of interest. Instead, he said CPS has not made a concerted effort to recruit parents. “Parents are really the consumers of education," Clay said. One obstacle, Clay said, is timing. Many LSC meetings are held during the workday or too early in the evening for working parents to attend. He also argued that CPS "spends more resources on training the parents than actually recruiting the parents." While he considers training important, Clay said meetings and training should be offered during the evening or on weekends so more parents can attend. #### Know Your Rights: What if an LSC meeting isn't open to the public? According to Michele Clark High School LSC member Bernard Clay, residents who believe an LSC meeting was not properly noticed or was improperly closed to the public may be able to challenge the meeting under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. LSC Relations Specialist Marcus Pittman said councils are required to post meeting agendas in advance, and failure to follow public meeting requirements can result in meetings being canceled or rescheduled. If you believe your school's Local School Council is violating the Open Meetings Act, you can learn more or file a complaint through the [Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Bureau](https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/?ref=15west.org). CPS officials acknowledge that making meetings accessible remains an ongoing challenge. LSC Relations Specialist Marcus Pittman said councils are required to post meeting agendas in advance under the [Illinois Open Meetings Act](https://www.champaigncountyil.gov/FOIA/OMA%5FReference%5FGuide.pdf?ref=15west.org), and CPS occasionally receives complaints from residents who were unaware of meeting dates or agendas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Marcus-P.jpg) Pittman during July 14 Effective Meetings Course 2 for LSC members. "We actually do sometimes get complaints about secret meetings being held, and not everybody knows about it," Pittman said. During school visits, Pittman said one of the first things he checks is whether meeting agendas are posted where the public can easily see them. If agendas are not properly posted, councils may have to cancel or reschedule meetings. Posting the agenda, he said, "is the responsibility of the chairperson." Even when meetings are properly noticed and open to the public, many LSCs still struggle to fill open seats. District 5 alone has 36 schools with vacant parent and community representative LSC seats. Residents can use [CPS' LSC Members Map](https://schoolinfo.cps.edu/map-lscmembers/?ref=15west.org) to identify vacancies and learn how to get involved. The next LSC elections will be held in the spring of 2028, but candidates can begin filing paperwork to run as early as October 2027\. Those interested in serving on their school's Local School Council do not necessarily have to wait until the next election. When a parent or community member seat opens up, eligible residents can fill the position if [approved by a vote of the current LSC members](https://www.cpsboe.org/content/documents/sec.%5F6-28.pdf?ref=15west.org). Further, residents do not have to join an LSC to make their voices heard. Anyone can attend each school’s monthly meeting, where the floor is open for public comments. Bernard Clay believes residents should attend meetings and speak up during public comment because “it’s the best form of democracy.” "The biggest misconception about LSCs is that they do not do anything," Clay said. As Chicago prepares for its first fully elected school board, LSCs remain one of the most direct ways for community members to get involved with local education. And if more parents attended meetings, Clay said, “they would be empowered and feel that they could make a change.” #### 🍎 **How to Get Involved with Your Local School Council** ****How are Local School Councils structured?** Each Local School Council is made up of parents, community representatives, teachers, school staff and students. Parent, community representative and student members are elected, while teachers and non-teacher staff are selected by their peers. ****Most traditional LSCs include:** - 6 parent representatives - 2 community representatives - 2 teacher representatives - 1 non-teacher staff representative - 1 student representative (high schools only) ****Find your school's LSC:** Use [CPS’ LSC members map ](https://schoolinfo.cps.edu/map-lscmembers/?ref=15west.org)to see who serves on your school's council, find open seats, and learn how to get involved. ****Attend a meeting:** LSC meetings are open to the public. Check your school's website or contact the school for the next meeting date, and review the agenda beforehand to learn what issues will be discussed. ****Want to know what your LSC can actually do?** CPS publishes a [Local School Council Reference Guide](https://www.cps.edu/globalassets/cps-pages/about-cps/local-school-councils-lscs/2024-lsc-reference-guide-english.pdf?ref=15west.org) outlining council responsibilities, including budget approval, principal evaluation, school improvement planning, and public meeting requirements. ****Interested in serving?** Parents and community members can run for open LSC seats as often as they meet the eligibility requirements. The next LSC elections are scheduled for spring 2028, with candidate filing expected to begin in October 2027. #### Download our LSC zine! Learn about Local School Councils with our 1-page zine! [****Download here**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/13fohdgDUmOIrxvZNduDa5nt9Q7f02zOg/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org). **15 West is a community newsroom covering Chicago's West Side. This story was produced with support from Press Forward Chicago, an initiative of The Chicago Community Trust investing in local news and information.** --- #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@15west.org?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Brookfield Zoo Convierte al East Mall en un Local para Conciertos. Así es Como Funciona URL: https://www.15west.org/brookfield-zoo-convierte-al-east-mall-en-un-local-para-conciertos-asi-es-como-funciona/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:08:57.000Z El día antes del concierto de Roaring Nights, el East Mall del [Brookfield Zoo de Chicago](https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/?ref=15west.org) empezó a cambiar. El personal trajó el escenario, luces LED grandes y parlantes. Los artistas y los equipos de producción llegarón al día siguiente para la prueba de sonido antes de que los visitantes empezaran a llenar el área. "Básicamente, el zoológico se vuelve un local para Roaring Nights," dijo Kelsey Mauro, la vicepresidenta asociada de comunicaciones del zoológico. Los dos últimos conciertos del 2026 en el zoológico son el de Blues Traveler, el 24 de Julio, y el de Nelly, el 25 de Julio. Ambos conciertos, ya sin entradas disponibles para el 18 de Julio, empiezan a las 7:30pm. El East Mall abre a las 5:30 para los asistentes que compraron la entrada de $35 con Early Access, y a las 6pm para los asistentes con tickets de entrada general. DJ Trife está programado para ser el telonero en el concierto de Nelly. Las entradas incluyen un pase de un día al zoológico, un permiso para el estacionamiento en la entrada principal, y pases para el carrusel y la rueda de la fortuna. Pero preparar el escenario para un gran concierto dentro de un zoológico plantea preguntas sobre accesibilidad, el bienestar de los animales, y la misión protectora de la organización. ### **Organizando conciertos dentro de un zoológico** Los conciertos no son algo nuevo en el Brookfield Zoo. Su primer concierto importante fue durante su aniversario de 50 años en 1984, cuando los Beach Boys, Johnny Cash con June Carter Cash, y los Osmond Brothers se presentaron en el campo de fútbol de la Secundaria Riverside-Brookfield. Desde entonces el zoo le ha dado la bienvenida a artistas como Barenaked Ladies, Kenny Rogers, y Third Eye Blind. Los conciertos usan asientos para áreas verdes en lugar de asientos reservados. Los asistentes pueden traer sus propios asientos, mantas, comida del exterior, y bebidas no alcohólicas. Las pantallas grandes le permiten al público que esta lejos del escenario ver a los artistas, dijo Mauro. ### **Accesibilidad en los eventos al aire libre** Mauro dijo que Roaring Nights incluye dos áreas accesibles separadas con sogas. Una esta cerca al escenario y la otra más atrás, para los asistentes que deseen estar lejos de los parlantes. La segunda área le da a los asistentes una opción extra, en el caso que no quieran "los parlantes a todod volúmen en sus caras," comentó ella. El Brookfield Zoo también ofrece bolsas sensoriales de [KultureCity](https://www.kulturecity.org/?ref=15west.org) en Servicio al Cliente cerca de las entradas al norte y sur del local. Las bolsas contienen audífonos que reducen el sonido, lentes de reducción de estroboscópicos, fidgets sensoriales, un termómetro de emociones, y materiales de comunicación visual. El KultureCity en el zoológico refleja la participación del personal en el entrenamiento del programa de apoyo sensorial sin fines de lucro. Las señales en el zoológico identifican las áreas que presentan experiencias sensoriales fuertes como sonidos u olores fuertes entre otras. El zoológico también señala las áreas tranquilas donde los asistentes pueden descansar. La [guía para eventos temporales de la Red Nacional ADA](https://adata.org/guide/planning-guide-making-temporary-events-accessible-people-disabilities/?ref=15west.org) recomienda que los organizadores consideren la visita completa del asistente, incluyendo los caminos hacia el local, las condiciones del terreno, los servicios higiénicos, los servicios de comunicación, y la información publicada antes del evento. [La sección de Roaring Nights en la página web del Brookfield Zoo](https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/events/roaring-nights-concerts?ref=15west.org) presenta una lista de las puertas para el concierto, sillas en el área verde de la sección general, y los servicios higiénicos disponibles. Pero no hay información detallada sobre dónde están las zonas accesibles, cuál es la capacidad, o cuántas personas pueden llevar como acompañantes. **Los visitantes que necesiten más información sobre la accesibilidad** en el concierto de Roaring Nights pueden revisar la guía de accesibilidad del zoológico en [brookfieldzoo.org/accessibility](https://brookfieldzoo.org/accessibility?ref=15west.org), o pueden contactar con el personal por adelantado enviando un email al [accessibility@brookfieldzoo.org](mailto:accessibility@brookfieldzoo.org) o por teléfono al **(708) 688-8000**. #### ¿****Qué hace un evento temporal accesible?** La Red Nacional ADA recomienda que los visitantes discapacitados sean capaces de obtener información antes del evento, poder interactuar y moverse en el local, atender presentaciones y usar servicios como los servicios higiénicos. Para los eventos en áreas verdes, las rutas accesibles deberían ser firmes, estables, y a prueba de resbalones. El césped funciona cuando la tierra es firme y el césped esta bien cortado, pero la lluvia puede hacer que se ponga embarroso y se vuelva difícil de moverse. La publicidad del evento también debería señalar el estacionamiento para discapacitados, servicios higiénicos y otros servicios, junto con las instrucciones para solicitar apoyo adicional. ### ¿**Qué tanta bulla puede haber en un zoológico?** Mauro dijo que el Brookfield Zoo usa un límite de 95 decibeles, el cuál es medido en la parte trasera del local, un umbral de que se usa para proteger el bienestar de los animales. Ese límite es específicamente para el Brookfield Zoo, ya que los efectos del sonido varían dependiendo de los animales y sus entornos. [El Programa de Ciencia de Bienestar de Animales del Lincoln Park Zoo](https://www.lpzoo.org/science-project/measuring-the-impact-of-light-and-sound-on-animal-welfare/?ref=15west.org) menciona que cada animal escuchan de manera diferente a los humanos y entre ellos. Debido a eso, los investigadores juntaron sus lecturas de decibeles con las observaciones del comportamiento de los animales y los lugares que los animales eligieron como su hábitad. [Y un estudio preliminar en el Melbourne Zoo](https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2035?ref=15west.org) encontró cambios de comportamiento entre los pingüinos y pecaríes durante los conciertos. Los investigadores registraron niveles de sonido de aproximadamente 73 decibeles en la exhibición de pecarís, y dijeron que esos niveles podrían suponer una preocupación para su bienestar. Sin embargo, no pudieron determinar si los cambios indicaban estrés o si es que los animales se estaban ajustando a su nuevo entorno. ### **Otros zoológicos también tienen música en vivo** Varios zoológicos también agregan música en su programación, aunque la escala y el formaton varían. El "Animals and All That Jazz" del Indianapolis Zoo presenta músicos regionales, y el acceso está incluido con el pase al zoológico, mientras que el "Tunes and Blooms" del Cincinnati Zoo combina actuaciones locales con sus jardines primaverales. El Toledo Zoo & Aquarium presenta actuaciones regionales gratis en su anfiteatro histórico, así como entradas para conciertos de artistas nacionales por separado. Esos programas varían de pequeñas actuaciones que son parte de una visita regular al zoológico, a conciertos que son partes de giras grandes, como los conciertos en Brookfield y Toledo. Roaring Nights encaja dentro de la práctica regional de usar los zoológicos para programas culturales sin sugerir que todos los zoológicos se están volviendo locales para conciertos. ### **Los conciertos y el bienestar animal** El Brookfield Zoo también presenta conciertos como una manera de apoyar su trabajo. "Lo que estamos intentando hacer es traer más diversidad a lo que ofrecemos y darle a la gente algo nuevo e interesante, una nueva manera de experimentar el zoológico, dijo Manuro. La sección de Roaring Nights en la página web dice que el concierto apoyará el cuidado de animales y su protección, aunque no muestra como los ingresos de las entradas serán distribuidos. "Tus entradas ayudan bastante a nuestros esfuezos de protección," dijo Mauro. "Te puedes divertir y colaborar con la protección de animales." Roaring Nights combina un día en el zoológico con un concierto por la tarde. Para el Brookfield Zoo, los conciertos también prueban como un zoológico puede operar como un local grande de entretenimiento mientras equilibra las necesidades de los visitantes con el bienestar de sus animales. ### Brookfield Zoo turns its East Mall into a concert venue. Here’s how it works. URL: https://www.15west.org/brookfield-zoo-turns-its-east-mall-into-a-concert-venue-heres-how-it-works/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T23:36:20.000Z The day before a Roaring Nights concert, [Brookfield Zoo Chicago](https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/?ref=15west.org)’s East Mall begins changing. Crews bring in a stage, large LED screens, and speakers. Artists and production teams arrive the following day for sound checks before concertgoers fill the lawn. “Basically, the zoo turns into a Roaring Nights concert venue,” said Kelsey Mauro, the zoo’s associate vice president of communications. The final two concerts of the zoo’s 2026 series are Blues Traveler on July 24 and Nelly on July 25\. Both shows, which were sold out as of July 18, begin at 7:30 p.m. The East Mall opens at 5:30 p.m. for guests who purchased the $35 Early Access for Conservation add-on and at 6 p.m. for general admission ticket holders. DJ Trife is scheduled to open the Nelly concert. Concert tickets include same-day zoo admission, parking at the Main Entrance, and rides on the carousel and Ferris wheel. But staging a major concert inside a zoo raises questions about accessibility, animal welfare, and the organization’s conservation mission. ### **Hosting concerts inside the zoo** Concerts are not new to Brookfield Zoo. Its first major concert was held during its 50th anniversary celebration in 1984, when the Beach Boys, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, and the Osmond Brothers performed on the football field at Riverside-Brookfield High School. The zoo has since hosted artists including Barenaked Ladies, Kenny Rogers, and Third Eye Blind. The concerts use general admission lawn seating rather than assigned seats. Guests may bring chairs, blankets, outside food, and nonalcoholic beverages. Large screens allow people farther from the stage to see the performers, Mauro said. ### **Accessibility at outdoor events** Mauro said Roaring Nights includes two roped-off accessible seating areas. One is closer to the stage, while the other is farther away for guests who want more distance from the speakers. The second area gives visitors another option if they do not want “extremely loud speakers in front of your face,” she said. Brookfield Zoo also offers [KultureCity](https://www.kulturecity.org/?ref=15west.org) sensory bags at Guest Services near its North and South gates. The bags contain noise-reducing headphones, strobe-reduction glasses, fidget tools, a feeling thermometer, and visual communication materials. The zoo’s KultureCity designation reflects its participation in the nonprofit’s staff training and sensory-support program. Signs throughout the zoo identify areas that may have strong sounds, smells, or other sensory experiences. The zoo also identifies quieter areas where visitors can take a break. The [ADA National Network’s guide for temporary events](https://adata.org/guide/planning-guide-making-temporary-events-accessible-people-disabilities/?ref=15west.org) advises organizers to consider the full visitor experience, including paths across the venue, ground conditions, restrooms, communication services, and information provided before the event. [Brookfield Zoo’s Roaring Nights page](https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/events/roaring-nights-concerts?ref=15west.org) lists the concert entrances, general admission lawn seating, and available bathrooms. It does not publicly explain where the two accessible concert areas are located, how many people they accommodate, or whether companions may sit in them. **Guests who need more detailed information about accessibility** at Roaring Nights can review the zoo’s accessibility guide at [brookfieldzoo.org/accessibility](https://brookfieldzoo.org/accessibility?ref=15west.org) or contact staff in advance at [accessibility@brookfieldzoo.org](mailto:accessibility@brookfieldzoo.org) or by phone at **(708) 688-8000**. #### ****What makes a temporary event accessible?** The ADA National Network recommends that disabled visitors be able to obtain information before an event, reach and move through the site, attend performances, and use amenities such as restrooms. For lawn events, accessible routes should be firm, stable, and slip-resistant. Grass may be usable when the soil is firm and the grass is cut short, but rain can make a lawn muddy or difficult to navigate. Event publicity should also identify accessible parking, restrooms, and available services, along with instructions for requesting accommodations. ### **How loud can a zoo concert get?** Mauro said Brookfield Zoo uses a 95-decibel limit measured toward the back of the venue, a threshold she said is intended to prioritize animal welfare. That limit is specific to Brookfield Zoo, while the effects of sound can vary among animal species and environments. [Lincoln Park Zoo’s Animal Welfare Science Program](https://www.lpzoo.org/science-project/measuring-the-impact-of-light-and-sound-on-animal-welfare/?ref=15west.org) notes that animals hear differently from humans and from one another. Its researchers therefore pair decibel readings with observations of animal behavior and where animals choose to spend time within their habitats. [And a preliminary study at Melbourne Zoo](https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2035?ref=15west.org) found behavioral changes among penguins and peccaries during concerts. Researchers recorded average sound levels of about 73 decibels at the peccary exhibit and said the exposure could present a welfare concern. They could not determine, however, whether the changes indicated stress or whether the animals were adjusting to changes in their environment. ### **Other zoos host live music too** A number of zoos also incorporate music into their programming, although the scale and format differ. The Indianapolis Zoo’s Animals and All That Jazz features regional musicians and is included with zoo admission, while the Cincinnati Zoo’s Tunes & Blooms pairs local performances with its spring gardens. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium hosts free regional performances in its historic amphitheater as well as separately ticketed concerts by national artists. These programs range from smaller performances that extend a regular zoo visit to major touring concerts like those presented by Brookfield and Toledo. They place Roaring Nights within a broader regional practice of using zoo grounds for cultural programming without suggesting that every zoo is becoming a concert venue. ### **Concerts and animal care** Brookfield Zoo also presents the concerts as a way to support its work. “What we were really trying to do is really diversify what we’re offering and giving people something new and interesting and a new way to experience the zoo,” she said. The Roaring Nights event page says the series supports animal care and conservation, although it does not provide a public breakdown of how ticket revenue is distributed. “Your tickets are helping support a lot of our conservation efforts,” Mauro said. “You can have fun and contribute to conservation.” Roaring Nights combines a day at the zoo with an evening concert. For Brookfield Zoo, the series also tests how a zoo can operate as a major entertainment venue while balancing the needs of visitors with the welfare of its animals. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) ### ‘Where Are Kids Supposed to Go?’ URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/where-are-kids-supposed-to-go/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T23:37:07.000Z Bonnie Bolger lived at the corner of East Avenue and Pershing for 40 years without a drop of water in her basement. In August 2025, it flooded for the first time. She lost everything in her finished basement. Insurance didn't cover the damage, she said, and she received no assistance from the city. Then, this spring, water sprayed through her basement windows while she and her 22-year-old son ran outside in the dark to check whether the street drains were clogged. “This is horrible! … just blew my mind. I told Public Works the sewer wasn’t covered with debris. We checked and tried to push the water along but it was too late.” Bolger's experience is no longer unusual. Her sister, who lives near 35th Street and Wesley Avenue, has dealt with basement flooding nearly every year for five decades, she said. Across Berwyn, residents describe a city where flooding has quietly become the new normal: basements soaked, streets swamped, and sewers overwhelmed by storms that once would have been manageable. In the same Facebook thread, Connie Arroyo described her street flooding on both sides simultaneously, with the sewers clogged and useless. Another resident, KJ Sadler, warned that as more homeowners install check valves to protect their own basements, floodwater has nowhere to go but into the streets and, eventually, through the doors and windows of homes in the lowest-lying areas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-13-at-7.25.25---AM.png) Resident shares their flooding experiences in the Berwyn Community Facebook group. City officials have known this for years. Berwyn's own [2018 Stormwater Management Plan](https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/Berwyn-Stormwater-Management-Plan%5FAdopted-071018.pdf?ref=15west.org) documented seven major flooding events between 2010 and 2017\. Records obtained by 15 West through a public records request to the City of Berwyn showed a single storm in April 2013 generated $1.27 million in FEMA assistance payments to 303 Berwyn households. The plan identified Janura Park, a community park at 28th Street and East Avenue, as a priority site for underground stormwater detention infrastructure expected to serve approximately 24 acres of residential neighborhood along Euclid Avenue, Wesley Avenue, and Clarence Avenue—an estimated 200 or more homes. Internal city emails obtained by 15 West show an early draft of the city’s May 2026 public update also described the project as benefiting more than 200 homes. The version ultimately released to the public instead described it as serving “47 participating homes.” *15 West asked the city to clarify the relationship between the two figures.* That was 2018\. Seven years later, the detention system remains on hold. The most visible sign of the unfinished project is a large pile of excavated soil sitting in Janura Park. ![The dirt pile on January 10, 2026. | NaBeela Washington/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/IMG_8510.jpeg) The dirt pile on January 10, 2026\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* **A New Field. An Old Dirt Pile.** On July 12, 2026, Mayor Robert Lovero stood at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Berwyn Community Field, an artificial turf athletic field at 29th Street and East Avenue, just steps from Janura Park. The mood was bright. In front of him, Township Supervisor David Avila, the project's biggest financier, described Berwyn’s need for more places for children to play. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A7880.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A7947.jpeg) \[****LEFT**\] Tony Martinucci giving remarks. \[****RIGHT**\] Moment of ribbon cutting. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A7996-1.jpeg) First youth league game after ribbon cutting. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “Where are kids supposed to go?” Avila said at the ceremony. “Where can they exercise and play soccer, play the games they love?” The new athletic field answers that question for hundreds of Berwyn families. Funded through a township partnership and championed by Mayor Robert Lovero, Recreation Director Anthony "Tony" Martinucci, and Township Assessor Jacqueline Pereda, the field is expected to serve hundreds of young athletes each season. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A7867.jpeg) David Avila speaking at the “community field” ribbon-cutting | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Just steps away, however, another city project remains unfinished. Its most visible sign is a large pile of excavated soil moved from the athletic field into Janura Park, where it has sat while the city's long-planned flood mitigation project waits for federal funding. At the ribbon cutting, Martinucci explained what the pile is for. “What's going to happen is there's a water reclamation project for storm sewers, that's going to go under there,” he said, “and it's going to be their grant—or whatever—is then going to pay to put two, maybe three, T-ball fields.” The soil first appeared in November 2025. Residents would wait nearly six months before the city publicly explained why it was there. **“I Do Not Have Any Information On This”** The City of Berwyn's May 19 press release described the project as "ongoing," noted that permits and clearances had been finalized, and explained near the end that construction had stalled because federal funding had been frozen following disruptions at the Department of Homeland Security. The $5 million grant has been frozen since at least early 2026. Records obtained by 15 West show city officials had been discussing Janura Park as a temporary “dumpsite” months before residents were publicly told why the soil had been moved there. The records also show that contractor Team REIL Inc. had been coordinating with city officials as early as August 2025 about using Janura Park as a temporary dump site for the soil. In an August 29, 2025, progress report, Team REIL Assistant Project Manager Monica Thompson noted that engineers had met with city staff “to design a dumpsite at Janura Park” and that the city had agreed to provide trucks to haul soil there. A September 5th update from Team REIL Project Manager Jeff Koehler noted a tentative start date of September 15th for the soil move. The emails were copied directly to Mayor Robert Lovero's city email account. When 15 West asked who authorized moving the soil to Janura Park, Senior Engineer Nicole Campbell responded: “I do not have any information on this.” Yet emails obtained by 15 West show city officials had discussed using Janura Park as a temporary "dumpsite" months earlier. **The Question No One Is Answering** Judy Gall, a Berwyn resident whose family has dealt with flooding since her house was built in 1942, put it plainly in a Facebook comment: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/data-src-image-dddb720c-d198-47f1-8475-4eb7a9f43a6c.png) Resident shares their flooding experiences in the Berwyn Community Facebook group. For residents like Gall and Bolger, the stalled Janura Park project is the difference between a dry basement and a ruined one. Between a home that can be sold and one that cannot. The $5 million grant that would fund the underground detention system, and eventually the T-ball fields Martinucci described, is tied up in a federal funding freeze affecting FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant projects nationwide following disruptions at the Department of Homeland Security. [The City of Berwyn says](https://www.berwyn-il.gov/Home/Components/News/News/550/?ref=15west.org) it is waiting for updates from contractors and project partners. No timeline has been provided for when construction will resume. "Nothing has improved," Bolger said. "And no one seems to be doing anything about it." *15 West requested comment from Mayor Robert Lovero's office and the City of Berwyn. We will update this story if city officials respond or if a construction timeline is announced.* #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) --- #### Read the public records behind this story ****We believe readers should be able to review the same documents we use in our reporting.** Details in this story are based in part on public records obtained by 15 West through a request to the City of Berwyn. Those records include: - Emails between city staff and contractors discussing the Janura Park soil relocation - Progress reports documenting plans for the temporary soil stockpile - Internal communications surrounding the city's May 2026 public update - Documents related to the stalled Janura Park flood mitigation project [****Download the records**](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19lNOqftoc-n8PJ906SJLPA0fs66a7Uo4?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=15west.org) #### Resources for Berwyn homeowners dealing with flooding ****Report flooding to the City of Berwyn** The city asks residents to report flooding, sewer backups, and storm damage through its online flood reporting form. Reports help the city document where flooding occurs and may inform future planning. ****Report flooding** [****here**](https://cityofberwyn.formstack.com/forms/report%5Fflooding%5Fissues?fbclid=IwY2xjawTA2RBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFnNGhJYnpEbGlhUGp1VVNFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkomnOG1pSxRg1-iaXi3PHe2RwpNs--0l6118RGD6B17s8kE0DyPukIU8Nx3%5Faem%5FOXu4Cq1XYxB5vRhZqXHSAw&ref=15west.org). ****Document damage** If your home floods: - Take photos and videos before cleaning up. - Consider downloading the [Polycam app](https://poly.cam/?ref=15west.org) to take scans of your property. - Save receipts for emergency repairs and damaged belongings. - Contact your insurance company as soon as possible. \*Documentation can be important for insurance claims and any future disaster assistance programs. ****Stay safe** Floodwater can hide open manholes, electrical hazards, or fast-moving currents. - Avoid walking or driving through standing water whenever possible. - Keep children away from flooded streets and alleys. - Wait until it is safe before entering a flooded basement if electrical systems may have been affected. ****Check on neighbors** Storms can be especially difficult for older adults and residents with mobility challenges. The City of Berwyn encourages residents to check on neighbors who may need assistance. ****Senior Services** - English: (708) 788-2660 ext. 6489 - Ayuda en Español: ext. 6492 ****Know something we don't?** Have you experienced repeated flooding? Have photos of Janura Park before or after the soil was moved? Have documents or information related to the stalled flood mitigation project? ****Email 15 West at** [****stories@15west.org**](mailto:stories@15west.org)****.** We'd like to hear from you. #### What can Berwyn homeowners do to reduce flooding while they wait? Some residents are taking steps to reduce water around their homes. Berwyn resident ****Ian Feigle** said planting trees and installing rain gardens has helped reduce water infiltration on his property. He said he has not experienced basement seepage in more than a year after making those changes. Experts also recommend considering: - Planting native trees and deep-rooted vegetation - Installing rain gardens to absorb stormwater - Keeping gutters and downspouts clear - Directing downspouts away from foundations where appropriate - Considering a check valve or backflow prevention device if recommended for your property These measures cannot replace city stormwater infrastructure, but they may help reduce localized flooding while larger mitigation projects remain delayed. ### "¿Adónde Van a ir los Niños?" URL: https://www.15west.org/adonde-van-a-ir-los-ninos/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:20:21.000Z Bonnie Bolger vivía en la esquina de la Avenida Este y Pershing por 40 años sin una gota de agua en su sótano. En Agosto del 2025, se inundó por primera vez. Ella perdió todo lo que tenía en su sótano. Su seguro no cubrió los daños, dijo ella, y no recibió ninguna ayuda de la cuidad. Durante la primavera, el agua se coló a través de las ventanas de su sótano mientras ella y su hijo de 22 años corrían afuera en medio de la noche para revisar si es que alguna alcantarilla estaba tapada. "¡Horrible!...no podía creerlo. Le dije a la gente de Obras Públicas que la alcantarilla no estaba cubierta con escombros. Revisamos e intentamos sacar toda el agua, pero ya era muy tarde." La experiencia de Bolger ya no es inusual. Su hermana, quien vive cerca de la Calle 35 y la Avenida Wesley, también a lidiado con su sótano inundándose casi cada año por cinco décadas, dijo ella. En varias partes de Berwyn, los residentes describen una cuidad donde las inundaciones se han vuelto la nueva realidad de una manera sigilosa: sótanos empapados, calles inundadas, alcantarillas desbordadas y tormentas que alguna vez fueron manejables. En el mismo hilo en Facebook, Connie Arroyo describió la inundación simultánea de su calle por los dos lados, con las alcantarillas tapadas e inútiles. Otro residente, KJ Sadler, advirtió que mientras más gente instale válvulas de retención en sus hogares para proteger sus sótanos, más agua iría a las calles y, eventualemente, se colaría por las puertas y ventanas de los hogares de las áreas más pobres. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-12.png) Los residentes comparten sus experiencias con inundaciones en el grupo de Facebook de la Comunidad de Berwyn. El comentario dice: "Bonnie Bolger esto se va a volver la nueva realidad. Mientras más casas tengan válvulas de retención, (la cuidad ya no puede usar esos sótanos para mantener el agua de las tormentas), ya para cuando el sistema de alcantarillado se inunde, va a ir a inundar las calles. Casas en las zonas más pobres de Berwyn se van a inundar de verdad con el agua llegando desde las puertas y ventanas. Es el mismo problema, el sistema de alcantarillado de Berwyn no tiene la capacidad para aguantar tormentas constantes." Los funcionarios locales saben eso desde hace años. El [Plan de Gestión de Aguas Pluviales de Berwyn del 2018](https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/Berwyn-Stormwater-Management-Plan%5FAdopted-071018.pdf?ref=15west.org) documentó siete inundaciones mayores entre el 2010 y 2017\. Los registros obtenidos por 15 West a través de un permiso a la Cuidad de Berwyn para acceder registros públicos mostraron que una sola tormenta en Abril del 2013 generó $1.27 millones en pagos de ayuda de FEMA a 303 hogares en Berwyn. El plan identificó al Parque Janura, un parque comunitario en la Avenida 28 y la Avenida Este, como un lugar de prioridad para ser un tanque de retención de lluvias que se espera que cubra aproximadamente 24 acres del área residencial a lo largo de las Avenidas Euclid, Wesley y Clarence - un estimado de 200 o más casas. Los emails internos de la cuidad obtenidos por 15 West muestran un boceto de la actualización pública de Mayo 2026 de la cuidad, el cual también describe el proyecto como algo que podría beneficiar a más de 200 viviendas. Sin embargo, la versión que fue revelada ante el público describió el proyecto como algo que podía servir a "47 viviendas participantes." *15 West le pidió a la cuidad que explicara la relación entre las cifras.* Eso fue en 2018\. Siete años más tarde, el tanque de retención sigue en pausa. La señal más visible del proyecto sin terminar es la gran pila de tierra excavada en el Parque Janura. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-14.png) La pila de tierra el 10 de Enero del 2026\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* **Un Campo Nuevo. Una Pila de Tierra Vieja** El 12 de Julio del 2026, el Alcalde Robert Lovero estuvo presente para una ceremonia de corte de cinta en el nuevo Campo Comunitario de Berwyn, un campo atlético con césped artificial entre la Avenida 29 y la Avenida Este, solo a unos pasos del Parque Janura. El ambiente era de alegría. Al frente suyo, el Supervisor de la Municipalidad, David Avila, el mayor financiador, describió la necesidad de Berwyn por más lugares donde los niños puedan ir a jugar. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A7880.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A7947-1.jpg) \[****IZQUIERDA**\] Tony Martinucci hablando. \[****DERECHA**\] Hora del corte de la cinta. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-19.png) El primer juego de la liga juvenil luego de la ceremonia. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "¿Adónde van a ir los niños?" dijo Avila en la ceremonia. "¿Dónde se pueden ejercitar y jugar fútbol, jugar los juegos que aman?" El nuevo campo atlético responde esa pregunta para cientos de familias en Berwyn. Luego de ser financiado a través de una colaboración municipal y apoyada por el Alcalde Robert Lovero, el Director de Recreación Anthony "Tony" Martinucci, y la Asesora Municipal Jacqueline Pereda, el campo espera servir a cientos de jóvenes atletas cada temporada. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-15.png) David Avila hablando en la ceremonia de corte de cinta del "campo comunitario." | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Pero a solo unos pasos yacía otro proyecto sin terminar de la cuidad. La señal más visible era la larga pila de tierra excavada que fue movida del campo atlético al Parque Janura, donde se ha quedado mientras la cuidad espera financiación federal para su proyecto de mitigación de inundaciones, la cual fue planeada desde hace tiempo. En la ceremonia, Martinucci explicó para que era la pila de tierra. "Lo que va a pasar es que va a haber un proyecto de recuperación de lluvia, las cuales van a estar aquí abajo," dijo "y su subvención - o lo que sea - va a pagar por dos, puede que tres, campos de Tee-ball." La tierra apareció en Noviembre del 2025\. Los residentes tendrían que esperar casi seis meses para que la cuidad explicara porque estaba ahí. **"No Tengo Información Sobre Eso"** La conferencia de prensa de la Cuidad de Berwyn del 19 de Mayo dijo que el proyecto estaba "en processo," mencionó que los permisos y autorizaciones estaban finalizados, y cerca del final explicó que la construcción había parado porque la financiación federal se detuvo abruptamente luego de las disrupciones al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. Los 5 millones de dólares para el proyecto se quedaron inmovilizados desde inicios del 2026. Los registros obtenidos por 15 West muestran que los funcionarios de la cuidad habían discutido sobre el Parque Janura como un "vertedero" temporal meses antes de decirles a los residentes públicamente porque habían movido la tierra ahí. Los regristros también muestran al contratista Team REIL Inc. coordinando con los funcionarios de la cuidad en Agosto del 2025 sobre usar el Parque Janura como un vertedero temporal para la tierra. En un informe del progreso del 29 de Agosto del 2025, la Asistente del Director del Proyecto de Team REIL, Monica Thompson, anotó que los ingenieros se habían reunido con personal de la cuidad "para diseñar un vertedero en Janura Park" y que la cuidad había accedido a dar camiones para mover la tierra ahí. En el 5 de Setiembre hubo una actualización de parte del Director del Proyecto Jeff Koehler, quien mencionó que el 15 de Setiembre era una fecha tentativa para empezar a mover la tierra. Los emails fueron copiados directamente a la cuenta de email del Alcalde Robert Lovero. Cuando 15 West preguntó quién autorizó el transporte de la tierra al Parque Janura, la Ingeniera Superior Nicole Campbell respondió: "No tengo información sobre eso." Sin embargo, los emails obtenidos por 15 West mostraban que los funcionarios de la cuidad discutieron sobre usar al Parque Janura como un "vertedero" temporal meses antes. **La Pregunta que Nadie Esta Respondiendo** Judy Gall, una residente de Berwyn con una familia que ha estado lidiando con inundaciones desde que su casa fue construida en 1942, fue bastante directa en un comentario de Facebook: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-16.png) Los residentes comparten sus experiencias con inundaciones en el grupo de Facebook de la Comunidad de Berwyn. El comentario dice: "Lo mejor que puedes hacer es hacer que la cuidad arregle nuestro sistema de alcantarillas para acomodar toda el agua. Especialmente en nuestro pabellón. Siempre entra agua a mi casa desde 1942\. Los interceptores del MWRD no son el problema. Es Berwyn. Las alcantarillas nunca han sido adecuadas. Yo se de esto porque mi hermano estaba a cargo de esto por 30 años en MWRD. Ya me cansé. Al fin estoy pensando en mudarme. Si pudiera vender una casa en estas condiciones." Para los residentes como Gall y Bolger, el proyecto pausado en el Parque Janura es la diferencia entre un sótano seco y uno arruinado. Entre una casa que se puede vender y una que no. La subvención de 5 millones de dólares que financiaría el sistema de retención subterráneo, y los campos de Tee-ball que Martinucci describió, esta atado por la interrupción de fondos, afectando los proyectos nacionales de mitigación de riesgos del FEMA luego de las disrupciones en el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. [La Cuidad de Berwyn dice](https://www.berwyn-il.gov/Home/Components/News/News/550/?ref=15west.org) que esta esperando por actualizaciones de parte de contratistas y socios del proyecto. No se ha dado una fecha de cuando se reanudará la construcción. "Nada ha mejorado," dijo Bolger. "Y parece que nadie esta haciendo algo al respecto." *15 West pidió un comentario de la oficina del Alcalde Robert Lovero y la Cuidad de Berwyn. Actualizaremos esta historia si es que los funcionarios de la cuidad responden o se anuncia una fecha para la construcción.* ### Who runs Berwyn's Democratic Party? Meet the new committeeperson. URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/who-runs-berwyns-democratic-party-meet-the-new-committeeperson/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T23:38:29.000Z On March 17, Alderman Rob Pabon won the race for Democratic Committeeperson of Berwyn Township committeeperson. His predecessor, Robert Lovero, serves as the mayor and had been the town’s Democratic Committeeperson for 20 years. On the campaign trail, Pabon noticed many constituents were unaware of the committeeperson’s role. While talking to residents, one of his goals was to make sure that changed. A committeeperson is an unpaid role focused on civic education for a particular party within a community. They are in charge of telling people when elections take place, who candidates are, and what policies mean. A committeeperson role is separate from elected government jobs like mayor or alderman. A committeeperson does not make laws or spend tax dollars. Instead, they work within a political party to keep residents informed about upcoming elections, candidates, and what ballot measures mean. Many people did not know about Pabon’s campaign or what it was for, though community members were open to learning more, said Maria Rodriguez, the campaign's Youth Intern. They voiced their support for term limit implementation, a measure Pabon had placed on the ballot in his capacity as alderman, she said. The policy passed with 85% of the vote. “People didn't know what a committeeperson does … That's kind of a testament to what our previous committeeperson wasn't doing for years,” Pabon said. *Lovero did not respond to a request for comment* Pabon also introduced participatory budgeting, a process where residents vote on how a portion of the city’s budget is spent. “The level of power that's been condensed in \[Lovero’s\] party with him in general is just troubling for that amount of time and for the ways in which he has been leading,” Pabon said. The committeeperson’s role is different from governing roles, such as the mayor or alderman, who are responsible for using tax dollars to directly improve the day-to-day lives of constituents, Pabon said. committeepersons do not create policy, but they can facilitate political education and help connect residents with candidates and elected officials. Berwyn’s local politics are unique — the town has a strong mayoral system, meaning that, compared to other townships, Berwyn’s mayor holds more power. In strong mayor systems, the mayor typically holds power to veto decisions, appoint and remove departmental heads, and propose a budget, in addition to overseeing day-to-day operations and enforcing laws and ordinances, according to [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mayor-council%5Fgovernment?ref=15west.org). In Berwyn specifically, the mayor also holds the title of liquor commissioner, meaning the mayor can dictate who receives a liquor license. Because Lovero simultaneously held the roles of mayor and committeeperson, Pabon and some campaign members allege that he might have had a personal interest in limiting civic education and participation to stay in power. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Rob-Pabon-9-1.jpg) 5th Ward Alderman Rob Pabon. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Pabon’s career has largely been focused on community organization, he said. His background includes nonprofit work and advocacy against housing injustice, illiteracy, education issues and immigration issues. “I lead in a way that's facilitated more as a convener, bringing people together to try to find how they want to get engaged civically in their community,” Pabon said. Pabon shared that Lovero places emphasis on special interest groups and political allies rather than constituents. In contrast, Pabon hopes to prioritize connections with residents, particularly working-class families, he said. Some of Pabon’s supporters expressed concern about local corruption in Berwyn, and they consider Pabon’s win a step in the right direction. Julie Lehrman, a campaign volunteer, said she thought that the town’s budget often goes toward the police department or politicians’ “pet projects.” Pabon himself said the campaign “beat Goliath.” Lehrman thinks that while many politicians provide mere “lip service,” Pabon will focus on real change, she said. Throughout the campaign, several factors worked against Pabon. First, Lovero was an established member of Berwyn’s political scene. Second, his budget was roughly $90,000 higher than Pabon’s, said Erik Beckwith, Pabon’s campaign manager. Third, voter turnout in the town is historically low. In January, Pabon spent weeks in the hospital battling pneumonia. By the time he recovered, he had 32 days to run a campaign. The campaign’s top priority in this short time was to go into the community and talk to as many voters as possible, Beckwith said. By election day, Pabon had knocked on several thousand doors, with the help of volunteers, Pabon said. “We accomplished so much in so little time due to the labor, sweat and tears of a multi-racial, multigenerational coalition of neighbors whose voices were more powerful than patronage donations,” Pabon said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-05-at-10.03.15---PM-2.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-05-at-10.05.44---PM-1.png) Gubernatorial Primary Election results 2022 \[****LEFT**\] and 2026 \[****RIGHT**\]. The election saw increased turnout among young, first-time voters, Pabon said. Total ballots cast went from 4,343 in 2022 to 6,362 in 2026 — a 46% increase, according to [Cook County Clerk data](https://results326.cookcountyclerkil.gov/?ref=15west.org). Despite his success, Pabon says he isn’t chasing a bigger political career. He described wanting to create space for others to step into leadership and take on roles within the party. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Rob-Pabon-Cover.jpg) Pabon at Janura Park, where he coached previously. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “\[Pabon\] is somebody who understands that he's a public servant rather than a superstar,” Lehrman said. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Get Republishing Guidelines ](https://www.15west.org/republish/) --- #### Curious about election data? ****View election data** on the [Cook County Clerk's website](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections?ref=15west.org). ****Watch our** [****58 second video**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1idHyCTEMriFCYGY-otejLmaRBuXdXNsL/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) guide. ****Follow our step by step** guide: ****Begin** at the Clerk’s main elections page: [https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections?ref=15west.org) - Click "See Election Results" in the "I WANT TO" box ****OR** - ****Scroll down** to **Results and* **Election Data* and click into the database. \* The Clerk archives results back to 1998 and provides a dropdown for ****2026**. ****Select** **Election Results* **then** choose ****2026** from the dropdown and click **APPLY*. \* You’ll see the ****March 17, 2026 Gubernatorial Primary** listed. - Under **Races*, ****select** **Township* - Under **Township*, ****select** **Berwyn* ****You can search by race** and click ****search** to view all suburban Cook County results, or narrow by: - - **Governor & Lieutenant Governor, Illinois – DEM/REP* - **Attorney General* - **Secretary of State* - **Treasurer* - **Comptroller* - **U.S. House districts* - **Local committeeperson races* \*These results include Berwyn because Berwyn is part of ****Suburban Cook County**. ****Filter by Precinct** \- Use the precinct filter to isolate Berwyn precincts. \- Berwyn precincts appear under ****Berwyn Township** in the dropdown. ****Download Precinct/Township Data** - For full spreadsheets: \- Go to ****cookcountyclerk.com/results**, select ****2026**, then click - ****View** under **Online Results*. \* A download option provides Excel files with ****all precinct-level data**, including Berwyn. We've linked to the full 2026 data [here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CZCst4Bk66Je4eC9JcWejnIRJt5reiML?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org). ### ¿Quién Maneja el Partido Demócrata en Berwyn? Conoce al nuevo Miembro del Comité URL: https://www.15west.org/quien-maneja-el-partido-democrata-en-berwyn-conoce-al-nuevo-miembro-del-comite/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:19:37.000Z El 17 de Marzo, el Concejal Rob Pabon ganó la carrera electoral para ser el nuevo Miembro del Comité Demócrata del Municipio de Berwyn. Su predecesor, Robert Lovero, ahora es el alcalde, y fue un miembro del comité local del Partido Demócrata por 20 años. Durante su campaña, Pabon notó que varios electores no sabían de que trataba el rol de miembro del comité. Al hablar con los residentes, una de sus metas era asegurarse de que eso cambiara. Un miembro del comité es un rol no pagado que se enfoca en la educación cívica de un partido dentro de la comunidad. Estan a cargo de decirle a las personas cuando empiezan las elecciones, quiénes son los candidatos, y de que tratan sus políticas. El rol de miembro del comité es un trabajo aparte de otros cargos públicos electos como alcalde o concejal. Un miembro del comité no hace leyes o usa los impuestos. Ellos trabajan dentro del partido político para mantener a los residentes informados sobre próximas elecciones, candidatos, y que significan las medidas de votación. Aunque varias personas no sabían de la campaña de Pabon o de que se trataba, los miembros de la comunidad estaban dispuestos a aprender, dijo Maria Rodriguez, la Interna Juvenil de la campaña. Ella dijo que mostraron su apoyo por la implementación del límite del mandato, una medida que Pabon había incluido en las elecciones mientras era concejal. La póliza pasó con 85% de los votos. "La gente no sabía que hace un miembro del comité...Eso es un testamento a todo lo que el miembro del comité anterior nunca hizo en todos esos años," dijo Pabon. *Lovero no respondió a la solicitud de comentario.* Pabon también introdujo el presupuesto participativo, el proceso donde los residentes votan para decidir como se gasta una porción del presupuesto de la cuidad. "El nivel de poder que se ha juntado en el partido de Lovero durante su mandato en general es inquietante considerando el tiempo y las maneras en la que estaba liderando," dijo Pabon. El rol de miembro del comité es diferente de otros cargos en el gobierno como alcalde o concejal, quienes son los responsables de usar los impuestos para mejorar el día a día de los electores, dijo Pabon. Los miembros del comité no crean pólizas, pero facilitan la educación política y ayudan a los residentes a conectar con los candidatos y oficiales electos. La política local de Berwyn es única — la cuidad tiene un sistema de alcaldía fuerte, lo cual significa que, a comparación de otras municipalidades, el alcalde de Berwyn tiene más poder. Según [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mayor-council%5Fgovernment?ref=15west.org), en un sistema de alcaldía fuerte, el alcalde usualmente tiene el poder para vetar decisiones, añadir y remover jefes departamentales, y proponer el presupuesto, aparte de supervisar las operaciones del día a día y la aplicación de leyes y ordenanzas. En Berwyn específicamente, el alcalde también tiene el título de comisario de bebidas alcohólicas, lo cual significa que el alcalde puede determinar quién recibe una licencia para servir alcohol. Debido a que Lovero desempeñó simultáneamente los roles de alcalde y miembro del comité, Pabon y algunos miembros de campaña alegaron que puede que tuviera un interés personal al limitar la educación y participación civil para mantenerse en el poder. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-10.png) Concejal del 5to Pabellón Rob Pabon. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* La carrera de Pabon se ha concentrado por la mayor parte en organización de la comunidad, dijo Pabon. Su experiencia incluye trabajo sin fines de lucro y defensa en contra de la injusticia habitacional, el analfabetismo, problemas en la educación y problemas migratorios. "Yo lidero de una manera que es más que nada como ser un coordinador, reuniendo a la gente para intentar encontrar cómo quieren involucrarse cívicamente en su comunidad," dijo Pabon. Pabon compartió que Lovera pone énfasis en grupos de interés especial y aliados políticos en lugar de los electores. En cambio, Pabon espera priorizar la conexión con los residentes, particularmente familias de clase trabajadora. Algunos de los seguidores de Pabon expresaron su preocupación sobre la corrupción local en Berwyn, y consideran que la victoria de Pabon es un paso en la dirección correcta. Julie Lehrman, una voluntaria de la campaña, dijo que ella pensó que el presupuesto de la cuidad usualmente iba al departamento de policía o "proyectos" de políticos. El mismo Pabon dijo que la campaña "derrotó a Goliat" Lehrman cree que aunque varios políticos sean "solo palabras," Pabon se enfocará en cambios de verdad, dijo ella. A lo largo de la campaña, diversos factores intentaron detener a Pabon. Primero, Lovera era un miembro establecido en la escena política de Berwyn. Segundo, su presupuesto tenía 90,000 dólares más que el de Pabon, dijo Erik Beckwith, el manager de campaña de Pabon. Tercero, el número de votantes es históricamente bajo. En Enero, Pabon pasó semanas en el hospital combatiendo neumonía. Cuando se recuperó solo tenia 32 días para dirigir una campaña. La prioridad más importante de la campaña en ese corto periodo de tiempo fue ir a a comunidad y hablar con la mayor cantidad de votantes posible, dijo Beckwith. Para el día de las elecciones, Pabon había tocado varias puertas con la ayuda de los voluntarios, dijo Pabon. "Logramos mucho en tan poco tiempo por el trabajo, sudor y lágrimas de una coalición multi-racial y multigeneracional de vecinos con voces más poderosas que donaciones de patrocinadores," dijo Pabon. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-05-at-10.03.15---PM-2--1--1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-05-at-10.05.44---PM-1--1--1.png) Resultados de las Elecciones Primarias del 2022 \[****IZQUIERDA**\] y 2026 \[****DERECHA**\]. La elección vió un incremento en el número de votantes entre los jóvenes que votarón por primera vez, dijo Pabon. El total de votantes pasó de 4,343 en el 2022 a 6,362 en el 2026 - un incremento de 46%, de acuerdo con los [Datos del Secretario del Condado Cook](https://results326.cookcountyclerkil.gov/?ref=15west.org). A pesar de su éxito, Pabon dice que no va a perseguir una posición política más alta. Él describió el deseo de crear un espacio para que otros den el primer paso para ser líderes y ocupen roles dentro del partido. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-11.png) Pabon en el Parque Janura, donde anteriormente entrenó a otras personas. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “\[Pabon\] es alguien que entiende que él es un servidor público en lugar de una celebridad," dijo Lehrman. ### Más Allá de las Promesas de Campaña: Qué Hacen los Representantes del Estado en el West Side URL: https://www.15west.org/mas-alla-de-las-promesas-de-campana-que-hacen-los-representantes-del-estado-en-el-west-side/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:07:20.000Z La mayoría de gente de Chicago puede nombrar al presidente con confianza - pero son menos los que pueden nombrar a sus oficiales electos locales. ¿Quién determina que recursos van a las escuelas locales o las clínicas? ¿Quién toma las decisiones sobre las viviendas y el transporte público? ¿Quién influye en la seguridad pública en las comunidades locales? Entender quien tiene el poder sobre las leyes, los presupuestos y servicios públicos le permite a los residentes navegar mejor el sistema que forma el día a día. Un representante del estado trabaja en la Cámara de Representantes de Illinois, donde representan a los distritos mientras forman la legislación y los gastos del estado. En el West Side de Chicago, los residentes confrontan con regularidad escuelas con poca financiación, inseguridad de vivienda, atención medica inadecuada, y violencia en la comunidad. Entender las responsabilidades del representante de estado y los problemas que estan bajo su control puede ayudar a los residentes a abogar sus necesidades y hacer que los oficiales de responsabilicen. ![Una chica admirando los votos de una caja que dice "Vota." En frente de la chica hay un sticker celeste que dice "Yo voté"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-1.png) Ilustración de ****Lydia Smithey** La participación cuidadana empieza con el conocimiento. Saber exactamente lo que cada oficial electo puede cambiar de una manera realista le permite a los residentes hacer que se responsabilicen. Varios de los problemas que los residentes enfrentan todos los días estan directamente conectados a las decisiones hechas en Springfield. Para las escuelas en el West Side, las brechas en la financiación afectan todo, desde el salario de los profesores hasta el tamaño de las clases, el cual esta relacionado con la seguridad del edicifio de la escuela. Estas condiciones estan determinadas más que nada por la financiación y como es asignada a través el presupuesto estatal. Los representantes del estado tienen un rol importante al formar y aprobar ese presupuesto. ![Ilustración representa a un hombre escribiendo legislaciones que terminan afectando a las escuelas, hospitales y el resto de la cuidad.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-2.png) Ilustración de ****Lydia Smithey** [La Shawn K. Ford](https://lashawnkford.com/?ref=15west.org), quien ha servido como un representante del Distrito 8 por casi dos décadas, describió su rol así: "Mi trabajo es ir a Springfield y aprobar un presupuesto...para financiar la educación para los estudiantes en K-12 y en grados más altos, la seguridad pública, salud, y servicios sociales." Aparte de eso, el representante del estado sirve como un punto de contacto entre los residentes y las agencias del estado. "Cuando la gente pide ayuda al Departamento de Penitenciarias, el Departamento de Servicios Humanos, \[o\] cualquier agencia del estado, nosotros les ayudamos," dijo Ford. Aún asi, varios residentes siguen escépticos respecto a la política estatal y cuestionan si las decisiones del gobierno harán algun cambio importante. Las promesas de campañas no siempre se vuelven un cambio visible en las comunidades. Entender el rol del representante del estado le permite a los residentes no solo pedir servicios constitutivos, sino también desafiar a los oficiales a cumplir sus promesas. Los representantes del estado influyen en si es que las brechas en los logros se abren o se cierran. En los últimos años, los legisladores de Illinois han financiado iniciativas de tutoría, introdujeron tecnología moderna en las aulas junto con libros electrónicos, y reformaron las políticas de expulsión de los alumnos para combatir el camino que lleva a algunos alumnos de la escuela a la prisión Además, la financiación estatal ofrece subvenciones que hacen la universidad y la escuela vocacional más accesible. Estas decisiones influencian directamente las oportunidades para los estudiantes graduados. ![Ilustración de dos niños dibujando el mapa de Chicago de color celeste. En el mapa también apuntan al West Side con una flecha y cuatro edificios.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-3.png) Ilustración de ****Lydia Smithey** El acceso a la salud pública también esta formada por las decisiones a nivel estatal. En el West Side, [las altas tasas de enfermedades crónicas](https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/cdph/community-health/healthy-chicago/Healthy-Chicago-Report-v10-EN-ax.10.24.2025.pdf?ref=15west.org), combinadas con un acceso limitado a cuidados suficientes, generan disparidades continuas. Las iniciativas de salud a nivel estatal en Illinois han incluido inversiones en prevención y pruebas de VIH, legislación que afecta la cobertura del seguro de salud, y programas para expandir el acceso a comida saludable en comunidades desatendidas. El gobierno estatal también esta involucrado en las cuestiones de seguridad. [La Brigada de Seguridad Pública y Prevención contra la Violencia](https://ilacp.memberclicks.net/public-safety-and-violence-prevention-task-force?ref=15west.org) trabaja para reducir daños y apoyar a la gente que vuelve a entrar a la sociedad luego de su encarcelamiento. La iniciativa enfatiza la prevención junto con estrategias tradicionales de seguridad pública. Aún asi, entender los límites del gobierno estatal es igual de importante. Ford mencionó que puede que algunos residentes no sepan la diferencia entre las responsabilidades estatales, federales, del condado, y de la cuidad. Varios de los problemas que afectan el día a día de los residentes son manejados por diferentes niveles del gobierno. El gobierno federal supervisa temas como el Seguro Social, inmigración, pasaportes, y los impuestos federales a través de agencias como la [Administración del Seguro Social](https://www.ssa.gov/es?ref=15west.org), el [Departamento del Estado de los E.E.U.U](https://www.state.gov/?ref=15west.org), y el [Servicio de Impuestos Internos](https://www.irs.gov/es?ref=15west.org). A nivel del condado, el gobierno es responsable por servicios como los tribunales, las cárceles, los impuestos de propiedad, y los sistemas de salud públicos. En el condado de Cook, estas responsabilidades son llevadas a cabo por agencias como el [Departamento de Penitenciarias del Condado de Cook](https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/locate-inmate?ref=15west.org), la [Oficina del Tasador del Condado de Cook](https://rpie.cookcountyassessor.com/about-cook-county-assessors-office?ref=15west.org), y el [Departamento de Salud del Condado de Cook](https://cookcountypublichealth.org/?ref=15west.org). El gobierno de la cuidad maneja servicios locales esenciales como salubridad, el mantenimiento de carreteras, servicios de agua, la policía, y protección contra incendios a través de los departamentos que incluyen el [Departamento de Calles y Saneamiento](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets.html?ref=15west.org), el [Departamento de Gestión del Agua de Chicago](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/water.html?ref=15west.org), y los [Departamentos de Policía y Bomberos de Chicago](https://www.chicagopolice.org/?ref=15west.org). Ford describió el tipo de servicios constitutivos que su oficina maneja, incluyendo ayudar a los residentes con sus licencias de conducir suspendidas, problemas con los beneficios SNAP, y programas de ayuda para adultos mayores. Todos estos servicios fueron proporcionados a través de contacto directo— por el teléfono, email o en persona—entre el representante del estado y los residentes. Los representantes del distrito pueden conectar a los residentes con agencias estatales, de la cuidad y del condado que manejan los problemas que no son regulados por el estado. Conectar con los oficiales electos es más facil que nunca. El ayuntamiento une a la comunidad para hablar sobre sus preocupaciones de manera física, pero la tecnología le permite a los residentes conectar con su representantes desde cualquier parte. Los representantes del estado se mantienen en comunicación con los residentes a través de email, publican declaraciones públicas, usan redes sociales para conectar con los jóvenes, y la mayoría de veces uno puede conectarse con ellos por teléfono. Puede que las elecciones cambien quien toma el mando en la oficina del presidente, pero los residentes tienen la oportunidad de manejar las políticas locales a través de la participación cuidadana y al hacer que los oficiales electos se hagan responsables. Entender lo que los representantes del estado pueden— y no pueden—hacer es un paso para asegurarse que las promesas políticas se conviertan en cambio material. ### Beyond Campaign Promises: What State Representatives Actually Do on the West Side URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/beyond-campaign-promises-what-state-representatives-actually-do-on-the-west-side/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T23:32:30.000Z Most Chicagoans can confidently name the president—but far fewer can name their local elected officials. Who determines whether local schools or clinics receive resources? Who makes decisions about housing and public transit? Who influences public safety in local communities? Understanding who holds power over laws, budgets, and public services allows residents to better navigate the systems that shape daily life. A state representative serves in the Illinois House of Representatives, where they represent districts by shaping state legislation and spending. On Chicago’s West Side, residents regularly confront underfunded schools, housing insecurity, inadequate healthcare, and community violence. Understanding the responsibilities of state representatives and the issues that fall under their control can help residents advocate for their needs and hold officials accountable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Lydia-Smithey-4.webp) Illustration by ****Lydia Smithey**. Civic engagement begins with knowledge. Knowing exactly what elected officials can realistically change allows residents to hold them accountable. Many of the issues residents encounter every day are directly connected to decisions made in Springfield. For schools on the West Side, funding gaps impact everything from teachers’ salaries to class sizes to the safety of school buildings. These conditions are primarily determined by how funds are allocated through the state budget. State representatives play a key role in shaping and passing that budget. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Lydia-Smithey-5.png) Illustration by ****Lydia Smithey**. [La Shawn K. Ford](https://lashawnkford.com/?ref=15west.org), who has served as 8th District representative for nearly two decades, described part of the role this way: “My job is to go to Springfield and pass a budget… to fund education for K-12 and higher ed, public safety, healthcare, and social services.” In addition, the state representative serves as a point of contact between residents and state agencies. “When people need help with the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services \[or\] any state agency, we help them,” said Ford. Still, many residents remain skeptical of state politics and question whether government decisions result in meaningful change. Campaign promises do not always translate to visible change within communities. Understanding the role of state government allows residents to not only seek constituent services but also challenge officials to follow through on their promises. State representatives influence whether achievement gaps widen or close. In recent years, Illinois lawmakers have funded tutoring initiatives, introduced updated classroom technology and electronic textbooks, and reformed student expulsion policies to address the school-to-prison pipeline. In addition, state funding provides grants that make college and trade school more affordable—these decisions directly influence post-graduate opportunities for students. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Lydia-Smithey-3.webp) Illustration by ****Lydia Smithey**. Access to healthcare is also shaped by state-level decisions. On the West Side, [higher rates of chronic illness](https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/cdph/community-health/healthy-chicago/Healthy-Chicago-Report-v10-EN-ax.10.24.2025.pdf?ref=15west.org) combined with limited access to sufficient care create ongoing disparities. State-level health initiatives in Illinois have included investments in HIV prevention and testing, legislation affecting health insurance coverage, and programs designed to expand access to healthy food in underserved communities. The state government also addresses questions of safety. [The Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force](https://ilacp.memberclicks.net/public-safety-and-violence-prevention-task-force?ref=15west.org) works to reduce harm and support people reentering society after incarceration. The initiative emphasizes prevention alongside traditional public safety strategies. Still, understanding the limits of state government is equally important. Ford shared that some residents may not know the difference between state, federal, county, and city responsibilities. Many of the issues that affect residents' daily lives are handled by different levels of government. The federal government oversees matters such as Social Security, immigration, passports, and federal taxes through agencies like the [Social Security Administration](https://www.ssa.gov/?ref=15west.org), [the U.S. Department of State](https://www.state.gov/?ref=15west.org), and the[ Internal Revenue Service](https://www.irs.gov/?ref=15west.org). At the county level, the government is responsible for services including courts, jails, property taxes, and public health systems. In Cook County, these responsibilities are carried out by agencies such as the [Cook County Department of Corrections](https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/locate-inmate?ref=15west.org), the [Cook County Assessor’s Office](https://www.cookcountyassessoril.gov/?ref=15west.org), and the [Cook County Department of Health](https://cookcountypublichealth.org/?ref=15west.org). The city government manages essential local services such as sanitation, road maintenance, water services, policing, and fire protection through departments including the [Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/streets.html?ref=15west.org), the[ Chicago Department of Water Management](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/water.html?ref=15west.org), and the [Chicago Police and Fire Departments](https://www.chicagopolice.org/?ref=15west.org). Ford described the types of constituent services his office handles, including helping residents navigate suspended driver’s licenses, SNAP benefit issues, and senior care programs. These services were all provided through direct contact—via phone, email, or in person—between the state representative and residents. District representatives can connect residents to federal, city, and county agencies to address problems that are not handled by the state. It is easier than ever before to connect with elected officials. Town halls physically bring the community together to voice their concerns, but technology allows residents to connect to their representative from anywhere. State representatives maintain email correspondence with residents, publish public statements, use social media accounts to connect with younger audiences, and can often be reached directly by phone. Elections may change who holds office, but residents have the opportunity to shape local politics through civic engagement and by holding elected officials accountable. Understanding what state representatives can—and cannot—do is one step toward ensuring that political promises translate to material change. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) --- #### ****Know the Terms** ****Civic engagement** The ways people participate in their communities and government, such as voting, attending public meetings, contacting elected officials, volunteering, or advocating for local issues. ****State Representative** An elected official who serves in the Illinois House of Representatives, represents a specific legislative district, votes on state laws, and helps shape the state budget. ****Constituent Services** Help provided by an elected official's office to residents navigating government agencies or resolving issues with state programs and services. ****State Budget** The annual spending plan that determines how state tax dollars are allocated to programs such as education, healthcare, transportation, and public safety. ****Illinois General Assembly** Illinois' state legislature, made up of the House of Representatives and Senate, where lawmakers debate and pass state laws. ****Springfield** The capital of Illinois, where the General Assembly meets and conducts state business. ****SNAP** The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal food assistance program administered by states that helps eligible households purchase groceries. ****Accountability** The expectation that elected officials explain their decisions, answer to the public, and can be held responsible for their actions. ****Health disparities** Preventable differences in health outcomes or access to healthcare experienced by different communities, often influenced by factors such as income, race, neighborhood, or access to medical services. ### Summer Smash Fans Praise Performances While Raising Concerns About Organization and Accessibility URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/summer-smash-fans-praise-performances-while-raising-concerns-about-organization-and-accessibility/ Last updated: 2026-06-27T13:29:53.000Z Summer Smash [brought more than 50,000](https://www.billboard.com/lists/summer-smash-2026-day-1-chief-keef-north-west-lil-uzi-vert/?ref=15west.org) hip-hop fans together for performances from Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, and Skrillex. But many attendees said long lines, parking headaches, communication issues, and accessibility concerns nearly overshadowed the music. **June 10 / Will-call frustrations test attendees' patience** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/wristband-pickup-1-1.jpg) Attendees in line for early Summer Smash wristband pickup outside SeatGeek Stadium before the festiva****l. | NaBeela Washington**/**15West* Just days before Summer Smash opened, frustrations had already begun to surface. 15 West arrived at SeatGeek Stadium around 4:20 p.m. on June 10 for “early wristband pickup” and did not leave until after 6 p.m. The atmosphere was tense. Some attendees said they had been waiting longer, with many expressing frustration after navigating public transportation or traveling long distances to the stadium. Staff attributed delays to severe thunderstorms and lightning earlier that day, a setback many attendees understood. Frustrations grew, however, as festivalgoers received little communication through Summer Smash's text and email systems and faced an additional unannounced 30-minute delay after being told wristbands would be available at 5:30 p.m. Many attendees who purchased pre-sale tickets nearly a year earlier questioned why they were still required to navigate in-person will-call pickup. As the wait stretched on, strangers commiserated with one another, united by a shared desire to finally begin the weekend. **June 12 / Traffic, delays, and Lil Uzi Vert's late-night set** Heavy traffic along Harlem Avenue slowed arrivals Friday, with 15 West reaching SeatGeek Stadium around 7:52 p.m. Despite purchasing a three-day parking pass in advance, nearby lots were already full, forcing a roughly one-mile, 32-minute walk to the festival entrance. This challenge raised broader questions about accessibility and navigation for attendees with mobility needs. 0:00 /0:11 1× Chief Keef's hometown set extended past its scheduled time as he welcomed G Herbo and Sexyy Red to the stage. By 10 p.m., fans waiting near the Lyrical Lemonade stage were still asking whether Lil Uzi Vert would perform. Uzi finally appeared at 10:27 p.m., more than 25 minutes after his new scheduled start, wearing an all-white outfit accented by a slick Jerry curl and facial piercings. The wait proved worthwhile. Performing songs from *Pink Tape*, including “Flooded the Face” and “Suicide Doors,” along with fan favorites like “Just Wanna Rock,” Uzi delivered one of the night's biggest moments. After the show, some attendees remained stuck in distant parking lots well after midnight. **June 13 / Organizers adjust while Baby Keem and 2hollis steal “EDM Day”** Before arriving Saturday, attendees received a text message from Summer Smash acknowledging weather-related challenges earlier in the week and promising faster entry, expanded water stations, and improvements throughout the festival grounds. Arriving shortly before 2 p.m., 15 West found parking quickly. Entry moved smoothly, but lines at one of the festival's front water stations remained long throughout the afternoon, while another station closer to the Lyrical Lemonade stage had little to no wait. As the day unfolded, performances began to overshadow many of the frustrations from earlier in the weekend. Rapper Ian energized fans with songs including “End Up Gone” and “Sh\*t Sad,” while 2hollis kept the momentum going with performances of “Jeans,” “Crush,” "Nerve” and “Cliche.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/wheelchair-user.jpg) Crowd at Summer Smash during sets leading up to Baby Keem. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* Baby Keem delivered one of the weekend's strongest performances. Making his first festival appearance in five years, Keem ran through songs including “vent,” “ORANGE SODA,” “family ties” and “16.” Unlike some artists who rely heavily on backing tracks, Keem's set stood out for its live delivery and stage presence, reminding fans why they had waited years to see him return to the festival circuit. “My grandma call me Booman,” Keem told the crowd before closing out a performance that many attendees considered one of the weekend's highlights. **June 14 / Fans face the music amid lingering frustrations** 15 West arrived at Summer Smash on Sunday around 2:45 p.m. and immediately ran into one of the most common complaints attendees raised all weekend: parking. After spending time searching for a spot, 15 West eventually purchased a parking pass for $65\. While entry into the festival itself was relatively smooth through the no-bag line, frustrations surrounding logistics became a recurring theme throughout the day. Several attendees described issues with communication leading up to the festival, particularly surrounding wristbands and entry procedures. Jayleen Aguilera, a Chicago resident attending her third Summer Smash, said she heard about delays with wristband deliveries and experienced long wait times entering the festival grounds earlier in the weekend. “Friday was a little bit crazy,” Aguilera said. “It took like an hour, hour and a half.” Others pointed to challenges navigating large crowds. Eychaja Harrington, who attended her first Summer Smash this year, said one of her biggest concerns involved crowd behavior inside mosh pits. “I feel like it’s kind of more male-dominated in the mosh pits,” Harrington said. “It’s a bunch of guys pushing up on you.” Concerns about organization extended beyond the festival grounds. Throughout the weekend, posts [across Reddit, ](https://www.reddit.com/r/LyricalLemonade/?ref=15west.org)[TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTS8CvgKU/?ref=15west.org), and other social media platforms highlighted complaints about long entry lines, water station issues on Friday, and confusion surrounding will-call wristband pickup. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-b7382b38-0118-4feb-ae75-0ced27cf0360-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-5adbba2a-e403-4dea-b4ae-081ddc632cb6-1.png) Reactions across the Reddit platform. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-108a8150-838c-44c5-b520-767e2539e381.png)](google.com/url?q=https://www.reddit.com/r/LyricalLemonade/s/Pnt2JW7R69&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1782568946411295&usg=AOvVaw2tkNxesJhagznrYzwur62P) One attendee told 15 West that a friend arrived at the festival around 4 p.m. Friday and was not admitted until approximately 7 p.m. Samaya Leonard, a South Side Chicago resident attending both Friday and Sunday, described this year’s festival as the most disorganized she had experienced. “They need to be way more organized next year,” Leonard said. “\[It was\] very unorganized.” Despite these frustrations, attendees largely agreed that Summer Smash remains an important event for Chicago’s hip-hop community. “It means a lot,” Aguilera said. “Cole Bennett does a lot for Chicago, especially for artists that are really trying to make a name for themselves.” As attendees reflected on the weekend, Lyrical Lemonade founder Cole Bennett also shared his perspective in a public Instagram story: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Cole-Bennet-Response-1-1.PNG) Cole Bennett's response to the fans via IG story. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “It’s definitely a way for everybody to get together,” she said. “It’s a nice thing to look forward to in the summer. It’s like our little Rolling Loud.” Accessibility presented a more complicated picture. According to Summer Smash's [website](https://thesummersmash.com/info-faq?ref=15west.org), the festival offers ADA-accessible viewing areas, accessible parking, and accessible restrooms. Multiple ramps were visible throughout the venue, and attendees were observed using wheelchairs and crutches to navigate the festival grounds. Leonard also noted that accessibility accommodations appeared available. “I saw a couple people in wheelchairs,” she said. “There’s ramps and stuff. I would say it’s accessible.” *Ahead of the festival, 15 West contacted Summer Smash's media team seeking additional information about ADA accommodations, sensory considerations, and navigation tips for attendees with disabilities. No response was received.* As a result, questions remain about how attendees with mobility or sensory needs experience crowded performances and whether accommodations extend beyond those listed publicly. Spotty cell service, overcrowding, and limited trash disposal contributed to frustrations for some festivalgoers. Still, the music remained the main attraction. Fetty Wap delivered one of the strongest crowd responses of the evening, performing fan favorites including “Trap Queen,” “My Way,” “679,” and “Again.” JT energized the audience with a performance supported by highly choreographed dancers, while headliner Lil Baby impressed attendees by arriving on time, performing across the entire stage, and maintaining strong crowd engagement throughout his set. Playboi Carti closed out the night with multiple mosh pits forming throughout the crowd. While often viewed as chaotic from the outside, one nearby mosh pit remained organized and respectful, highlighting the sense of community many attendees associate with the festival. 0:00 /0:17 1× Mosh pit during Carti's set. | ****Alexa Bermudez**/**15 West* When asked why they continue returning to Summer Smash despite the challenges, attendees pointed to the same reasons: the artists, the atmosphere, and the people. “The people, the food, the artists, the experience,” one attendee said. As 15 West left the festival Sunday night, another challenge emerged: traffic. Although performances ended around 10:40 p.m., exiting the parking lot took nearly two hours. For some attendees, the frustrations of the weekend raised questions about returning. For others, the performances and sense of community remained enough reason to come back. Like the festival itself, the mood surrounding Summer Smash was complicated but not without hope. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) --- #### Planning to attend Summer Smash next year? Explore [****15 West's Accessibility Guide**](http://access.15west.org/?ref=15west.org) for information on ADA accommodations, venue navigation, transportation and tips for festivalgoers with disabilities. ### Cymande Resurge con un Impulso Fresco y Raíces Profundas URL: https://www.15west.org/cymande-resurge-con-un-impulso-fresco-y-raices-profundas/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:05:48.000Z Escucha a Steve Scipio de Cymande 0:00 /1046.208345 1× Incluso luego de que [Cymande](https://cymandeofficial.com/?ref=15west.org) dejara de ir de tour en medio de los 70s, su música persistió. Décadas después, la banda volvió al escenario y estan mirando hacia el futuro. Cymande trae ese impulso a [Fitzgerald el 25 de Junio](https://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/tm-event/cymande-at-fitzgeralds-outdoors/?ref=15west.org) mientras ordena su material sin usar para su próximo proyecto. Steve Scipio, el cofundador y bajista de Cymande, dijo que la meta sigue siendo la misma: preservar el espíritu original mientras hacen música que hable de los tiempos que corren. Mucho antes de las muestras y la atención renovada, Scipio y el cofundador Patrick Patterson vivieron a solo cinco puertas de distancia en Londres. Sus padres se conocían, y ambos chicos empezarón a experimentar con la música a temprana edad. Cuando uno tenía una idea, el otro corría a su casa a trabajar en ella. "Era más que nada una familia," dijo Scipio. Esa cercanía se volvió la fundación de la música de Cymande. Patrick desarrolló las ideas rítmicas en la guitarra mientras que Scipio respondía con líneas de bajo que movían la melodía por su cuenta. La mayoría de las canciones de la banda nacieron de ese intercambio. Scipio rechaza la idea de que el bajo es solo soporte instrumental. Al ser influenciado por la síncopa que escuchó en la música de Miles Davis, él cree que el bajo debe expresarse a sí mismo. La música de Cymande refleja esa filosofía con sus líneas de bajo que hacen más que anclar el ritmo. Antes de Cymande, Scipio y Patterson tocaban juntos en un grupo de jazz llamado Metre. Tiempo después, se unieron al grupo de Bateristas Africanos de Ginger Johnson, esas experiencias ayudaron a formar el ritmo africano y las influencias de jazz que se volvieron centrales en el sonido de Cymande. Con el tiempo, esas conexiones los llevaron a formar el grupo de seis personas y a una reunión con el productor John Schroeder, quien llevó la banda al estudio para su álbum début *Cymande*. Pero para la mitad de los 70s, el grupo ya se sentía frustrado. Scipio recordó sentir que los músicos negros ingleses recibían menos reconocimiento que los artistas que venían de los Estados Unidos. "Solo éramos unos negros locales, y los medios dominantes en ese entonces no estaban interesados en músicos negros ingleses," dijo. En 1975, la banda dejó de lado salir de tour, creyendo que solo iba a ser un breve descanso. Sin embargo, Scipio y Patterson se volvieron abogados civiles y se mudaron al Caribe. La pausa duró más tiempo del que imaginaron. Décadas después, artistas más jóvenes como Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, y The Fugees fueron "el instrumental del renacimiento de la banda," como Scipio lo describió. Para Scipio, reunirse con algunos de los músicos que usaron muestras de Cymande fue gratificante. Ahora ve que el panorama de hoy en día es diferente al que encontró en los 70s. Los servicios de streaming, Youtube, y plataformas como TikTok han hecho que sea mucho más fácil para artistas jóvenes alcanzar a su audiencia sin tener que depender de un puñado de "guardianes." Y mientras Cymande se prepara para otra noche en el escenario, Scipio sigue agradecido por la oportunidad de compartir su música. "Para quienes escuchen o lean esto, espero que encuentren el tiempo de venir al concierto, intentáremos y tendremos una tarde agradable," dijo. Ve por tus entradas para el concierto [aquí](https://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/tm-event/cymande-at-fitzgeralds-outdoors/?ref=15west.org). Y mira [adonde irán en el futuro](https://cymandeofficial.com/tour/?ref=15west.org). ### Cymande Reemerges with Fresh Momentum and Deep Roots URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/cymande-reemerges-with-fresh-momentum-and-deep-roots/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T22:27:12.000Z Listen to Steve Scipio of Cymande 0:00 /1046.2302040816326 1× Even after [Cymande](https://cymandeofficial.com/?ref=15west.org) stepped off the road in the mid-1970s, their music persisted. Decades later, the band is back onstage and looking ahead. Cymande brings that momentum to [Fitzgerald's on June 25](https://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/tm-event/cymande-at-fitzgeralds-outdoors/?ref=15west.org) while sorting through unused material for a forthcoming studio project. Steve Scipio, Cymande's co-founder and bassist, said the goal remains the same: preserve the original spirit while making music that speaks to today. Long before the samples and the renewed attention, Scipio and cofounder Patrick Patterson lived just five doors apart in London. Their parents knew each other, and both boys started experimenting with music at an early age. When one came up with an idea, he'd run to the other's house to work it out. “It was more like a family,” Scipio said. That closeness became the foundation of Cymande's music. Patrick developed rhythmic ideas on guitar while Scipio answered with bass lines that carried melodies of their own. Most of the band's songs grew from that exchange. Scipio rejects the idea of bass as merely a support instrument. Influenced in part by the syncopation he heard in Miles Davis records, he believes the bass should express itself. Cymande's grooves reflect that philosophy, with bass lines that do more than anchor the rhythm. Before Cymande, Scipio and Patterson played together in a jazz group called Metre. Later, they joined Ginger Johnson's African Drummers, experiences that helped shape the African rhythms and jazz influences that became central to Cymande's sound. Those connections eventually led to the six-member lineup and to a meeting with producer John Schroeder, who brought the band into the studio for its debut album, *Cymande*. But by the mid-1970s, the group had grown frustrated. Scipio recalled feeling that Black British musicians received less recognition than artists coming from the United States. “We were just local Black guys, and the mainstream media at the time were not interested in Black British musicians,” he said. In 1975, the band stepped off the road, expecting only a short break. Instead, Scipio and Patterson built careers as civil lawyers and moved to the Caribbean. The pause stretched far longer than they imagined. Decades later, younger artists including Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, and The Fugees were “instrumental in the rebirth of the band,” as Scipio described it. For Scipio, meeting some of the musicians who sampled Cymande's work has been gratifying. He sees today's landscape differently from the one he encountered in the 1970s. Streaming services, YouTube and platforms like TikTok have made it easier for young artists to reach audiences without relying on a handful of gatekeepers. And as Cymande prepares for another night onstage, Scipio remains grateful for the chance to share the music. “Whoever listens to this or reads it, I’m hoping that they find the time to come to the show, and we’ll try and have a very enjoyable evening,” he said. Grab tickets to the show [here](https://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/tm-event/cymande-at-fitzgeralds-outdoors/?ref=15west.org). Plus, see where the band is [headed next.](https://cymandeofficial.com/tour/?ref=15west.org) --- #### Know Before You Go ****📍 June 25 at Fitzgerald's |** [Click to ****purchase tickets**](https://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/tm-event/cymande-at-fitzgeralds-outdoors/?ref=15west.org) ****Doors open:** 5:00 pm **/ Show begins:** 7:00 pm ****Arriving hungry?** Babygold Barbecue will be available on-site. ****Getting there** Street parking is limited. Consider arriving by rideshare, bicycle or rickshaw. ****Bring the whole family** The show is open to all ages. ****Need accommodations?** Email [contact@fitzgeraldsnightclub.com](mailto:info@fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.) or call (708) 788-2118 ### Jem Junkies está Haciendo Espacio para la Suavidad URL: https://www.15west.org/jem-junkies-esta-haciendo-espacio-para-la-suavidad/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:19:07.000Z Antes de poder sentarme, Kristy Ramsey ya estaba haciendo conversación. Me preguntó sobre como estuvo el camino y el trabajo. Para cuando nuestra entrevista empezó dentro de [Jem Junkies](https://www.jemjunkies.com/?ref=15west.org), el estudio queer y negro de grillz y gemas para dientes que ella co fundó con Kimberly “Kim” Randall, yo ya me sentía menos como una reportera y más como si fuera una visita en la sala de alguien. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-5.png) Las dueñas de Jem Junkies, Kim \[izquierda\] y Kristy \[derecha\]. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* Ese sentimiento, Ramsey explicó después, es intencional. "Siempre le digo a las personas, apenas acabemos...te puedes quedar si gustas, ver TV, hablar," dijo ella. En Jem Junkies, la comodidad es tratada como parte del servicio. Los clientes vienen para sus grillz personalizados y sus gemas para dientes, pero la mayoría de veces se quedan por la conexión, seguridad, o simplemente la sensación de estar en un lugar donde no tienen que explicarse. Para Ramsey y Randall, crear ese tipo de atmósfera importa tanto como el producto final. "Uno no sabe que este pasando en sus vidas," dijo Ramsey. "Solo el hecho de tener compañía y sentir que pueden hablar o decir cualquier cosa es gigante, y creo que eso es más grande que el negocio mismo." La pareja empezó Jem Junkies luego de atender el Festival Villain Arts Tattoo, una convenció de tatuajes en Chicago, en 2025\. Luego de tatuarse códigos Morse a juego, pasearon hasta llegar a un puesto donde un artista estaba poniendo cristales en los dientes de las personas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-6.png) Gemas para dientes de cerca. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* Randall había visto esas gemas para dientes antes, pero estos diseños se sentian diferentes — mariposas y otros diseños complejos que "no sabía que fuera posibles" con gemas para dientes. En el camino a casa, las dos empezaron a imaginar como sería crear un espacio que fuera de ellas. No mucho tiempo después, ambas entrenarón con higenistas y creadores de grillz en California y Arizona, empezaron a buscar vendedores, y lanzarón su primer pop-up en el Show de Arte Black Boy de Chicago. "Todo el rato tuvimos una multitud," dijo Randall. "No pudimos con todos." Pero lo que se quedó con ellas no fue solo la demanda. Fue la manera en la que la gente abordaba el trabajo mismo. "La gente invierte y piensa en el," dijo Ramsey. La joyería dental no es nueva. Los adornos para los dientes han existido en varias culturas por siglos, mientras que los grillz se volvieron asociados con la cultura hip-hop en los 80s, 90s y los 2000, popularizados por artisas como Slick Rick, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Nelly, y Paul Wall. Las gemas para dientes, por otro lado, surgieron durante la pandemia en las épocas altas de TikTok e Instagram, donde las tendencias de moda se volvieron mucho más visuales, rápidas, e increíblemente compartibles. Pero Ramsey y Randall ven Jem Junkies como algo que existe fuera del ciclo de tendencias desechables. El duo describe su trabajo no como una novedad, sino como una manera de personalización— una manera en la que sus clientes marcan sus logros, experimentan con estilos, o reclaman su confianza en su sonrisa. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-7.png) Los asistentes preparan moldes de grills para el taller sobre como hacer grills. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* Durante un taller de tres horas sobre [como hacer tus propios grillz](https://www.jemjunkies.com/grillz-making-class-chicago?ref=15west.org) el 19 de Abril, los asistentes se movierón de mesa a mesa comparando diseños, haciendo preguntas sobre como esculpir la cera y tipos de cortes, y debatiendo si es que sus piezas son minimalistas o experimentales. En medio de la tarde, la conversación se pausó por un rato por un brindis para celebrar el compromiso reciente de la pareja antes de que los clientes volvieran a sus discusiones sobre sus diseños y sus citas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A2194.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/1L3A2201-1.png) Asistentes y dueñas brindan para celebrar el compromiso de la pareja. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* Para los pedidos de gemas para dientes, las citas empiezan la mayoría de veces con una conversación. Randall le pregunta a los clientes que tipo de look quieren: sutil o atrevido, minimalista o muy visible. Ella los guía a través de la ubicación y los preparativos antes de pegar la gema al diente cuidadosamente. De ahí toca la revisión en el espejo. "¿Es esto lo que quieres exactamente?" pregunta. Si la respuesta es no, lo ajusta. Randall, una ex gimnasta universitaria, aborda el trabajo con la presición de alguien que solía perseguir la perfección. Ella admite que al principio estaba nerviosa sobre empezar un negocio, especialmente si se compara con Ramsey, quien se describe a si misma como una emprendedora serial. Pero con el tiempo, se sintió atraída por el proceso creativo y las reacciones de los clientes cuando al fin se ven al espejo. "La gratificación de acertar y hacer a la gente feliz porque acertaste," dijo Randall. "Realmente la disfruto." Ese cuidado también va para las consultas de grillz. Los clientes eligen las gemas y los diseños de manera colaborativa, tratando las piezas como marcas de memorias o logros la mayoría de veces. Ramsey recordó a un cliente que ordenó un grill personalizado luego de obtener su PhD. Uno de los dientes tenía cortes con las letras “PhD.” "Se vuelve parte de su historia," dijo Ramsey. El duo también ve la conexión del trabajo con un linaje cultural amplio. Desde hace mucho tiempo los grillz han funcionado como expresiones de estilo, estatus, e indentidad en la cultura de la gente negra, evolucionando a lo largo de las décadas hasta convertirse en un elemento de moda de lujo y arte que uno puede vestir. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-8.png) Kim organizando las gemas. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* "Cogemos m\*erda y la hacemos oro," dijo Ramsey. "Es parte de nuestra cultura." Pero las dinámicas emocionales del espacio son tan importantes como las piezas acabadas. Ramsey dice que la mayoría de veces los clientes se abren en las citas, a veces hasta quedarse luego de que el servicio haya acabado, solo para seguir hablando. Para el duo, ser un espacio LGBTQIA+ friendly no es solo una palabra que este de moda, sino una práctica reflejada en como interactúan con los clientes. "Solo el saber que tenemos un espacio LGBTQ+ en común hace que se sientan más seguros de venir, y eso va para cualquier persona, pero es especial para las personas en nuestra comunidad," dijo Ramsey. Ese sentido se cuidado se extiende más allá de la estética. En una industria llena de kits de DIY y vendedores temporales, Jem Junkies tiene mucho cuidado en lo que seguridad y transparencia se refiere. Las gemas para dientes se pegan usando métodos similares que se usan para los brackets. Ya que la práctica se ha vuelto más conocida, algunos dentistas y oficinas de ortodoncia han empezado a mandar a sus clientes a artistas entrenados. Ramsey y Randall evitan extracciones, y aconsejan a sus clientes que vayan al dentista. En el futuro, la pareja espera poder lanzar una extensión de su negocio que pueda ayudar a cubrir gastos dentales a personas que no se lo podría permitir. La idea creció luego de que varios clientes fueran al negocio pidiendo un grillz para cubrir dientes perdidos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-9.png) Kristy Ramsey mostrando su grill. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* “¿Qué pasaría si tuvieran el dinero para un diente de verdad," dijo Ramsey, "y luego van por un grill para mejorar su sonrisa?" Para Ramsey y Randall, esa posibilidad refleja lo que han intentado construir desde que abrieron Jem Junkies: un espacio donde las personas se pueden ir sintiéndose mejor que cuando llegaron. ### Jem Junkies Is Making Space for Softness URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/jem-junkies-is-making-space-for-softness/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T13:56:14.000Z Before I could take a seat, Kristy Ramsey was already making conversation. She asked about my drive over and work. By the time our interview began inside [Jem Junkies](https://www.jemjunkies.com/?ref=15west.org), the Black- and queer-owned grillz and tooth gem studio she co-founded with Kimberly “Kim” Randall, I felt less like a reporter and more like a guest in someone's living room. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Kim---Kristy---COVER-1.jpg) Jem Junkies owners Kim \[left\] and Kristy \[right\]. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* That feeling, Ramsey explained later, is intentional. “I always tell people, once they're done … you could just hang out if you want to, and watch TV and talk,” she said. At Jem Junkies, comfort is treated as part of the service. Clients come in for custom grillz and tooth gems, but often stay for connection, reassurance, or simply the feeling of being somewhere they don’t have to explain themselves. For Ramsey and Randall, creating that kind of atmosphere matters just as much as the finished product. “You don't know what they're going through in their personal lives,” Ramsey said. “Just to have company and feel like they can talk or say anything is really huge, and I think it’s greater than this business.” The couple started Jem Junkies after attending Villain Arts Tattoo Festival, a Chicago tattoo convention, in 2025\. After getting matching Morse code tattoos, they wandered over to a booth where an artist was placing crystals on people’s teeth. ![Gems close-up. | NaBeela Washington/15West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Tooth-Gems.jpg) Tooth gems close-up. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* Randall had seen tooth gems before, but these designs felt different—butterflies and intricate layouts she “had no idea were even possible” with tooth gems. On the ride home, the two started imagining what it would look like to create a space of their own. Soon after, they trained with hygienists and grillz makers based in California and Arizona, began sourcing vendors, and launched their first pop-up at the Black Boy Art Show in Chicago. “We had a crowd the entire time,” Randall said. “We just couldn’t handle it.” But what stayed with them wasn’t only the demand. It was the way people approached the work itself. “People invest in it and think about it,” Ramsey said. Dental jewelry itself is not new. Tooth adornment has existed across cultures for centuries, while grillz became closely associated with hip-hop culture through the 1980s, ’90s, and early 2000s, popularized by artists such as Slick Rick, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Nelly, and Paul Wall. Tooth gems, meanwhile, surged during the pandemic-era rise of TikTok and Instagram, where beauty trends became increasingly visual, fast-moving, and highly shareable. But Ramsey and Randall see Jem Junkies as existing outside the cycle of disposable trends. The pair describe the work less as a novelty and more as a form of personalization—a way for clients to mark achievements, experiment with style, or reclaim confidence in their smile. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Grillz-making-setup.jpg) Attendees prepare grills molds during a grills-making workshop. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* During a three-hour beta [grillz-making workshop](https://www.jemjunkies.com/grillz-making-class-chicago?ref=15west.org) on April 19, participants moved between tables comparing designs, asking questions about wax sculpting and open-face cuts, and debating whether to keep their pieces minimal or experimental. Midway through the afternoon, conversation paused briefly for a toast celebrating the couple’s recent engagement before clients drifted back toward design discussions and appointments. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1L3A2194.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1L3A2201.png) Attendees and owners toast to celebrate the couple's engagement. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* For tooth gem requests, appointments often begin with conversation. Randall asks clients what kind of look they want: subtle or bold, minimal or highly visible. She walks them through placement and preparation before carefully bonding the gem to the tooth. Then comes the mirror check. “Is this exactly what you want?” she asks. If the answer is no, she adjusts it. Randall, a former college gymnast, approaches the work with the precision of someone used to chasing perfection. She admits she was initially nervous about starting the business, especially compared to Ramsey, who describes herself as a serial entrepreneur. But over time, she found herself drawn to the creative process and the reactions clients have when they finally see themselves in the mirror. “The gratification of getting something right and making people happy because you got it right,” Randall said, “I really enjoy that.” That care carries into grillz consultations too. Clients choose gems and designs collaboratively, often treating the pieces as markers of memory or achievement. Ramsey recalled one client who ordered a custom grill after earning her PhD. One of the teeth was cut with the letters “PhD.” “It becomes part of their story,” Ramsey said. The pair also sees the work as connected to a broader cultural lineage. Grillz have long functioned as expressions of style, status, and identity within Black culture, evolving over decades into both luxury fashion and wearable art. ![Kim organizing tooth gems. | NaBeela Washington/15West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Kim-organizing-gems-1.jpg) Kim organizing gems. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* “We take sh**\***t and make them into gold,” Ramsey said. “That’s part of our culture.” But the emotional dynamics of the space are just as important as the finished pieces. Ramsey says clients often open up during appointments, sometimes staying after services are done simply to continue talking. For the duo, being LGBTQIA+-friendly isn’t a buzzword but a practice reflected in how they interact with clients. “Just knowing we have that LGBTQ+ space in common makes it feel safer for them to come in, and really for anybody, but especially for people in our community,” Ramsey said. That sense of care extends beyond aesthetics. In an industry filled with DIY kits and temporary vendors, Jem Junkies is careful about safety and transparency. Tooth gems are bonded using methods similar to those used for braces. As the practice has become more mainstream, some dental and orthodontic offices have begun offering the service or referring clients to trained artists. Ramsey and Randall avoid removals themselves, instead directing clients back to dental professionals. Long term, the couple hopes to launch a nonprofit arm connected to the business that could help cover dental care for people who otherwise couldn’t afford it. The idea grew after multiple clients came in asking for grillz to cover missing teeth. ![Kristy Ramsey flashing her grill. | NaBeela Washington/15West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Kristy-1.jpg) Kristy Ramsey flashing her grill. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15West* “What if they had the money to actually get a tooth,” Ramsey said, “and then get a grill to enhance their smile?” For Ramsey and Randall, that possibility reflects what they've tried to build since opening Jem Junkies: a space where people leave feeling better than when they arrived. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Una Conversación con Julián Mercado URL: https://www.15west.org/una-conversacion-con-julian-mercado/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:18:28.000Z *Nota del editor: Esta entrevista fue editada por longitud y claridad. El retrato es cortesía de* **Matthew Martinez*.* El cantante y compositor Mexicano de 29 años hizo un espacio para si mismo en la música Mexicana a través de su combinación de sierreño y corrido. Su mezcla de sonidos tradicionales y contemporáneos lo ha llevado a colaborar con artistas como Gerardo Ortiz y Calibre 50. Luego de firmar con Double P Records, Mercado ganó más visibilidad, incluyendo una invitación para unirse al tour DINASTÍA como invitado especial. Con 1.4 millones de oyentes en Spotify y sus lanzamientos recientes como “24/siete” y “Trabajando, Trabajando,” él continúa expandiendo su alcance mientras mantiene sus raíces firmes en la narración y composición de canciones. En esta conversación, Mercado refleja sobre su viaje musical, el apoyo que lo mantiene motivado, y la la conexión que espera construir con los oyentes a través de su trabajo. **¿Qué es lo que más te gusta de hacer música?** **JM:** Lo que más me gusta de hacer música es la emoción que viene a mi cuando acabo la canción. Cuando la escuchas y notas esas emociones que se quedan, eso es lo que más sientes en la canción. Es todo un proceso, desde escribirla hasta grabarla. **¿Haces algo antes de un concierto?** **JM:** Me gusta comer. Prefiero estar lleno cuando voy a cantar. **Haz estado haciendo música Mexicana por 15 años. ¿Qué es lo que te ha motivado todos estos años?** **JM:** El apoyo del público, esa es mi mayor motivación.Ver como el público sigue apoyándote, siguen escuchando tus canciones, como crece. A veces lanzas una canción, y tal vez no tiene mucha energía detrás, no mucho impacto, pero luego lanzas otra, y todo cambia. Eso es lo que te motiva a seguir lanzando música. La última canción que sacamos se llama “24/siete,” esta llendo bien. Nuestro lanzamiento previo incluía una llamada “Agua y Aceite,” una colaboración con Efecto Elegante, y sigue siendo bastante popular. **Cuéntanos más de "24/siete." ¿Cómo quieres que los fans se sientan al escucharla?** **JM:** Esa es una canción mi hermano mayor compuso con Gerardo Mercado, uno de los colaboradores, y Antonin Padilla, una figura musical que esta haciendo mucho ruido con sus composiciones y sus proyectos. Me gusta. Mi hermano me mostró esa canción. Me dijo, 'Sabes, escribimos esta canción el otro día.' Me gustó el momento en el que la escuché. Le dije, 'Si sabes que tenemos que grabarla.' Luego decidimos hacerla una colaboración. Pero lo que espero que el público tome de la canción es como habla de la motivación que la gente tiene al empezar, que empezarón al ser niños, que han estado luchando desde entonces, pero con una actitud alegre. Osea, mantén tu espíritu en alto, elevalo, y sigue adelante. **¿Cómo fue unirse a Double P Records? ¿Cómo evolucionó la relación que eventualmente te volvería un invitado especial en el tour DINASTÍA?** **JM:** El salto para llegar ahí fue por la amistad que tengo con Peso Pluma; él es mi amigo. Abrió puertas para mi en Double P Records y me invitó a ser parte de ellos, así es como llegue aquí. Peso siempre ha apoyado mi música. No lo esperaba, la verdad. Vino de la nada. Recibí la invitación y aceptamos. **¿Hay algún momento en particular del tour que fuera especial o memorable para tí?** **JM:** Es bastante difícil de explicar porque uno tiene que vivirlo. Cada momento es especial, especialmente para alguien que fue invitado a un tour tan grande e importante junto con gente de peso en la música regional Mexicana. El último día fue muy memorable porque había llegado el momento de decir adiós a todos. Sabiendo que al día siguiente todos irían por su propio camino, me llevaré la experiencia conmigo para siempre. **¿Por qué es importante que artistas como tu, Peso y Tito conecten con los fans a través de la música?** **JM:** Realmente siento que la música que hacen es motivacional. Escuchas una de sus canciones, y automáticamente te sientes feliz, o triste, porque tienen canciones que son bastante emocionales, como “daño.” Cuando pones una de sus canciones, incluso si es tu primera vez escuchándola, incluso si no te sabes la letra, tu primera reacción es alegre. Y creo que así es como conectan con el público. Quiero invitar al público a ir a uno de sus conciertos y ver como se recarga su energía. Tienen una manera muy genial de conectar con el público, y yo conecto de manera diferente. Algún día, espero conectar de la manera en la que ellos conectan con todo. ### A conversation with Julián Mercado URL: https://www.15west.org/a-conversation-with-julian-mercado/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T13:29:37.000Z *Editor's Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Portrait courtesy of *Matthew Martinez*.* The 29-year-old singer-songwriter from Mexico has carved out a place for himself in música Mexicana through his blend of sierreño and corrido music. His mix of traditional and contemporary sounds has led to collaborations with artists such as Gerardo Ortiz and Calibre 50. After signing with Double P Records, Mercado gained wider exposure, including an invitation to join the DINASTÍA tour as a special guest. With 1.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and recent releases such as “24/siete” and “Trabajando, Trabajando,” he continues to expand his reach while staying rooted in storytelling and songwriting. In this conversation, Mercado reflects on his musical journey, the support that keeps him motivated, and the connection he hopes to build with listeners through his work. **What do you like most about making music?** **JM:** What I like most about making music is the emotion that comes through when a song is finished. When you listen back and hear all those emotions that are stored in it, that's what you feel the most. It's that whole process, from when you write it until you start recording it. **What’s something you do before every concert?** **JM:** I like to eat. I like to always be full when I go singing. **You've been making música Mexicana for about 15 years now. What has kept you motivated all these years?** **JM:** The support of the public, that's my biggest motivation. Seeing how the public continues to support you, how they continue to listen to your songs, and how it keeps growing. Sometimes you release a song, and maybe it doesn't have that much drive, that huge impact, but then you release another one, and it's like that. That's what motivates you to keep releasing more. The last song we released, called “24/siete,” is going well. Our previous release included one called “Agua y Aceite,” a collaboration with Efecto Elegante, and it continues to do very well. **Tell us more about "24/siete." What feeling would you like fans to experience when they hear it?** **JM:** That is a song that my older brother composed with Gerardo Mercado, one of the collaborators, and Antonin Padilla, a figure in music who is making a lot of noise with his compositions and his projects. I like him. My brother showed me that song. He said, ‘You know, we just wrote this song the other day.’ I liked it from the moment I heard it. I told him, ‘You know we have to record it.’ We then decided to do it as a collaboration. But what I hope the audience gets from listening to it is how it talks about the motivation of people who are starting, who started as kids, who have been struggling since, but with a cheerful attitude. Like, keep your spirits up, lift them up, and just keep moving forward. **How was it to join Double P Records? How has that evolved into a relationship that eventually led to you becoming a special guest on the DINASTÍA tour?** **JM:** The leap to get there was because of the friendship I have with Peso Pluma; he's my friend. He opened doors for me to Double P Records and invited me to be part of them, and that's how I got there. Peso has always supported my music. I wasn't expecting it, to be honest. It just came out of nowhere. I received that invitation, and we went. **Was there a particular moment during the tour that was special or memorable for you?** **JM:** It's very difficult to explain because the only way is to experience it. Every moment is special, especially for someone who was invited for the first time on such a big and important tour alongside the biggest names in regional Mexican music. The very last day was really memorable because the moment had arrived to say goodbye to everyone. Knowing that the next day everyone would go their separate ways, I'll carry it with me forever. **Why is it important that artists like you, Peso, and Tito connect with fans through music?** **JM:** I truly feel that the music they make is motivational. You listen to one of their songs, and you automatically feel happy, or very sad, because they have songs that are very emotional, like “daño.” When you put on one of their songs, even if it's your first time hearing it, even if you don't know the words, your first reaction is to feel cheerful. And that's how I feel they connect with the audience. I invite all the audience to see one of their shows and watch how they recharge their energy. They have a really cool way of connecting with the audience, and I connect in a different way. Someday, I would like to connect the way they connect with everything. ### Cody Norman Imagines a Future for Plastic URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/cody-norman-imagines-a-future-for-plastic/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T12:00:54.000Z The plastic forms nestled among towering cacti and desert blooms at Garfield Park Conservatory are not made from coral at all. Instead, the sculptures in [*Becoming: Where Plastic Meets Nature*](https://garfieldconservatory.org/event/becoming-where-plastic-meets-nature/?ref=15west.org) are built from discarded toys, detergent bottles, flower pots, and other plastic waste that has been shredded, melted, and reshaped into forms inspired by marine ecosystems. ![Man [Cody Norman] in a vibrant floral shirt, seated, legs crossed against a grey background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Cody-Norman.jpg) Cody Norman. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Created by Chicago-based artist Cody Norman, the exhibition asks a question that sits at the center of many environmental conversations: if plastic has become a permanent feature of modern life, how do communities adapt to it? Rather than imagining a world without plastic, Norman's work explores how people, nature, and public spaces might respond to a material that is likely to remain part of the landscape for generations. During an Earth Day artist talk on April 22, Norman said a childhood spent surfing in Florida and years of learning about microplastics pushed him to rethink both his artistic practice and the materials he uses. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/2026-April-22-0219.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Artist-Talk.jpg) \[LEFT\] Cody Norman and Artist Talk attendees. \[RIGHT\] Jordan Campbell, Cody Norman at Artist Talk. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Rather than treating plastic as waste, he began treating it as a medium in its own right. Many of the coral- and mangrove-inspired works in the exhibition were created using recycled consumer plastics processed through equipment Norman built or modified himself. Toy plastics become fan-like coral structures. Detergent caps are transformed into lamp-like forms that echo mangrove roots. Plastic lumber created through Redemptive Plastics, the community initiative he co-founded with Jordan Campbell, becomes public seating. Based out of [Alt Space](https://www.altspacechicago.com/?ref=15west.org) at 5645 W. Lake Street in the Austin neighborhood, [Redemptive Plastics](https://www.altspacechicago.com/redemptive-plastics?ref=15west.org) works with households and partners on Chicago’s West Side to collect and rework local plastic, tying Norman’s studio practice directly to the communities surrounding Garfield Park. Norman’s process is highly improvisational. As he dyes and builds with plastic using a custom tool mounted on a robot arm, he thinks of the work like a live performance: “It’s always gonna be different. It’ll be like if you go see the same band two nights in a row, it’s gonna be close, but always a little different.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/2026-April-22-0125.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/2026-April-22-0106.jpg) \[LEFT\] Dangling Hoya carnosa in bloom. \[RIGHT\] Koi fish swim at the heart of the Fern Room.| **NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Throughout the exhibition, nature serves as both subject and teacher. Norman frequently references biomimicry, a design approach that learns from how plants and animals already solve problems. He looks at the way coral fans out and branches, how certain species “ventilate” and filter the water around them, and how plants slowly bend and reach toward light over time. Mangrove trees are another recurring influence. Norman described their root systems as natural filters that trap material moving through waterways and noted growing research into the role mangroves play in capturing microplastics while supporting complex ecosystems. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/2026-April-22-0086.jpg) Lower half of **Plasticus ventalina I*, (Black) 2021\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* In the studio, those observations are translated into form. When Norman uses toy plastics to extrude long, branching shapes, he’s thinking about ventilator corals and the currents they live in. When he builds lamp-like structures from shredded detergent caps, he draws on the forms of mangrove roots that shaped his childhood experiences along the Florida coast. By the time visitors move through the conservatory, these lessons from coral, mangroves, and other plants show up as plastic forms that feel oddly familiar, mirroring the surrounding leaves, roots and branches. The result is an environment where the line between living organisms and synthetic ones starts to blur, asking visitors to notice how closely the plastic objects are borrowing from the plants that surround them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/2026-April-22-0146-1.jpg) **Plasticus canistraria*, 2023\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Some of his sculptures, especially the large, tree- and coral-like structures, are designed to invite touch. As he explains: “Go give it a hug. It’s meant to be touched. I’ve been one of those people that always is in an art gallery wanting to touch the material,” he tells the audience. As someone who has always wanted to feel the material in galleries, he’s now building pieces that invite that kind of contact instead of discouraging it. Earlier versions of similar pieces, he recalls, ended up being colonized by spiders, ants, and other insects. For him, the fact that “things really started to inhabit it” was a sign that he was doing a “decent enough job … emulating nature.” At Garfield Park Conservatory, those references exist alongside living collections of plants from around the world. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/2026-April-22-0018.jpg) **Untitled* (series in-progress), 2026\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Mangroves, which appear throughout Norman’s research and sculptures, are increasingly being studied for their ability to trap and absorb microplastics. Coral reefs around the world are also facing growing pressures linked to pollution and climate change. By placing plastic-derived sculptures among living plants—from the arid Desert Room to the dense, humid Fern House—the exhibition invites visitors to consider the complicated relationship between human-made materials and the natural environment. Yet, Norman’s work is not centered on catastrophe, but on what’s possible. That philosophy extends into Redemptive Plastics, where volunteers and community members sort, process, and remake discarded materials into benches, public furniture, and educational projects. During the artist talk, Campbell described the group’s approach as adding a fourth “R” to the familiar environmental framework of “reduce, reuse, and recycle”: “We wanted to add the fourth R, which was to redeem.” For Campbell and Norman, redemption means restoring value to things that have been discarded—whether that is a piece of plastic, a public space, or a community member seeking new opportunities. Norman is equally clear that individual artworks alone cannot solve the larger crisis. Policy and collective behavior still matter. Norman discussed reading so much “doom and gloom” about plastics that it feels heavy and overwhelming, even as he keeps working with the material. He argues that local, incremental shifts, from how households sort recycling to how cities treat single-use plastics, still matter. Rather than presenting plastic solely as pollution, *Becoming* asks visitors to consider what responsibilities come with living alongside a material that is unlikely to disappear. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/2026-April-22-0045.jpg) **Untitled* (series in-progress), 2026\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* At Garfield Park Conservatory, the answer is neither simple nor complete. Instead, it appears in the shape of coral-like forms made from toys, benches built from detergent bottles, and conversations about how communities might reimagine what has been thrown away. [As visitors walk through the exhibition](https://art.newcity.com/2026/05/27/becoming-a-walk-through-our-own-destruction/?ref=15west.org), they encounter works that began as waste but now occupy the same space as living collections that have adapted and evolved over generations. Together, the living plants and plastic sculptures offer a simple reminder: humans adapt, too. ■ ■ ■ [*“Becoming: Where Plastic Meets Nature”*](https://garfieldconservatory.org/event/becoming-where-plastic-meets-nature/2026-04-08/?ref=15west.org) *is currently on view at the Garfield Park Conservatory through June 7, 2026.* #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Chicago activists see May Day strike as a call for worker power URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/chicago-activists-see-may-day-strike-as-a-call-for-worker-power/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T12:45:02.000Z Workers across Chicago joined a nationwide May 1 strike protesting Trump administration policies on immigration enforcement and international relations. Organizers of the strike included the [Party for Socialism and Liberation](https://pslweb.org/?ref=15west.org) (PSL), the [Consejo de Resistencia](https://www.instagram.com/consejoderesistencia/?ref=15west.org), the [Chicago Teachers Union](https://www.ctulocal1.org/?ref=15west.org), and [the ANSWER Coalition](https://www.answercoalition.org/?ref=15west.org). Chicago-based activist and May Day organizer Lily Eagla said organizers wanted the strike to call attention to what they described as "endless wars." By stepping away from work, school, and consumer spending for a day, organizers hoped to illustrate the collective power workers hold in the U.S. economy. “The goal with the strike will be to have a significant effect on the U.S. economy, and to send a message to the U.S. government that the people of the United States … do not agree with what they're doing,” Eagla said. She added that while government officials may already be aware of public opposition, the strike would "make them care that we care." “We want to send a message first to the people at the top, but also to the other workers,” Eagla said. “… You're working all day long, you're going to school, you're catching up with the news if you want. And all you see is just the burden of reality that your government is constantly perpetuating. And the only way out is through, and the only way through is by organizing together.” Chicago is no stranger to strikes. The Haymarket affair, during which a bomb exploded at a labor rally in Chicago's Haymarket Square, helped [inspire](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/571.html?ref=15west.org) International Workers' Day on May 1. The day is internationally recognized as a celebration of workers. However, according to Brandon Jaimes, an organizer with Chicago’s chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, May Day is less prominent in the U.S. in relation to other nations. “So many countries across Europe, China, in Latin America, celebrate this as a commemoration of workers, and the United States is actually one of the few countries in the world where there is no formal designation or recognition by the government of the role that workers play in supporting society,” Jaimes said. “There is Labor Day, but that's separate from this international celebration of workers across the globe.” Jaimes said mobilizing people from every sector would empower workers and show their value. “It would just have this paralyzing effect on the city that would really show that it is the working people of Chicago that make things run, and in spite of the assaults of the Trump administration, when we unify in this way, we show where the power really lies, which is with the people,” Jaimes said. Organizers said this year's May Day mobilization was particularly prominent. Alithia Zamantakis, an educator and organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, said the pro-Palestinian movement helped fuel this year's May Day mobilization. “I think it's really prominent because people have just come out of this wave of demonstrations and actions in solidarity with Palestine for the last 3 years after October 7th,” Zamantakis said. The strike followed a "National Shutdown" action on Jan. 30, 2026, a mass mobilization in response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota. “That introduced a lot of people to the idea of a general strike,” Eagla said. Organizers also compared the strike to the 2006 "Day Without an Immigrant" demonstrations, which protested anti-immigrant legislation known as the [Sensenbrenner bill](https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/4437?ref=15west.org). Zamantakis said mass mobilizations on May 1 that year helped defeat the bill. Organizers said interest in International Workers' Day continues to grow. Thousands of people participated in May Day demonstrations across Chicago this year, including a large march from Union Park to Daley Plaza. “People often feel so helpless. They're like, ‘Things can't change,’ but the reality is, our history of being able to change things is just hidden from us, and May Day is a great way to actually shine a light on that history,” Zamantakis said. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Peso Pluma and Tito Double P Bring DINASTÍA to Chicago URL: https://www.15west.org/peso-pluma-and-tito-double-p-bring-dinastia-to-chicago/ Last updated: 2026-05-24T23:54:53.000Z Thousands of fans filled the United Center May 7–9 as Peso Pluma and Tito Double P closed out their [***DINASTÍA*** tour](https://dinastiatour.com/?ref=15west.org) with three sold-out Chicago shows. The audience sang along word-for-word, and many wore black, mirroring Tito and Peso’s aesthetic during the concert. The crowds reflected the broad reach of música Mexicana across generations of Latino listeners in Chicago. With artists such as Swae Lee, Ivan Cornejo, and Feid joining them as special guests, the concert highlighted the duo’s growing influence across Latin music. Swae Lee performed “Black Beatles,” Ivan Cornejo joined Peso for “Reloj,” and Feid performed “Luna." This mix of artists created a diverse experience that introduced new sounds to fans of música Mexicana. #### What is música Mexicana? ****Música Mexicana** is a genre that includes regional Mexican styles such as **corridos* **tumbados* and **banda*. It has expanded beyond traditional audiences and gained mainstream popularity in recent years. Learn more about this style through [Billboard's Mexican music dictionary](https://www.billboard.com/lists/regional-mexican-music-explained-corridos-mariachi-nortena/?ref=15west.org). Through their joint project, *DINASTÍA*, Peso, and Tito Double P explore themes of legacy, ambition, and perseverance, connecting with fans who see themselves reflected in the music. Many fans took selfies, waved Mexican flags, and chanted Peso Pluma’s name around the arena. For younger fans especially, música Mexicana reflects individuality, preservation, and belonging, helping *corridos tumbados* (or trap corridos) reach wider audiences. In a city where nearly 30% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, [according to U.S. Census Bureau data](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chicagocityillinois/RHI725224?ref=15west.org), Peso Pluma and Tito Double P’s music continues to resonate across generations. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/Peso-P-1.jpg) Peso Pluma performing at the United Center. | ****Nathan Borja**/**15 West* Juancarlos Pina, who attended Friday’s show, said the album reminded him of his time boxing. “The album makes you really hyped up,” Pina said. “Especially since I used to box back then, it gives me that feeling again.” Songs like “La People” and “Dopamine,” with their fast-paced production and heavy bass, drew some of the loudest crowd reactions of the night. Another fan, Ernesto Jose Rodriguez, said he feels connected to the music because of its emotional honesty and relatability. Rodriguez said seeing Peso Pluma and Tito Double P perform in Chicago felt meaningful because of the city’s large Latino population and shared connection to música Mexicana. “I see him as a singer with a great influence in the world of music above all, and I feel connected with the lyrics,” Rodriguez said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/Tito-and-Peso-1.jpg) Peso Pluma and Tito Double P perform together. | **Nathan Borja**/15 West At one point, Peso Pluma became emotional while reflecting on his journey and encouraged fans to believe they could build a better future for themselves, regardless of where they came from. Toward the end of the concert, Peso Pluma told fans he hoped to take the tour to stadiums next year. Peso Pluma has more than 47 million monthly listeners, according to Spotify, helping push corridos tumbados further into mainstream music spaces. Peso Pluma, whose real name is Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, rose to international fame after “Ella Baila Sola” became one of the highest-charting regional Mexican songs on the [Billboard Hot 100](https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/eslabon-armado-peso-pluma-ella-baila-sola-breakdown-1235314741/?ref=15west.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/Tito-Pink-1.jpg) Tito Double P performing. | ****Nathan Borja**/**15 West* Before launching his solo career, Tito Double P collaborated with Peso as a songwriter on tracks including “PRC,” “AMG,” and “El Belicón”. He later pursued his own music career. Together, the cousins have become two of the most recognizable names in contemporary música Mexicana. With just 14 tracks, their album [***DINASTÍA***](https://open.spotify.com/album/3kJfKZWulX2oyatVMvDx6a?ref=15west.org) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, another sign of the genre’s mainstream reach. Their music reminds listeners that where they come from can remain part of who they become. ### Peso Pluma y Tito Double P Traen DINASTÍA a Chicago URL: https://www.15west.org/peso-pluma-y-tito-double-p-traen-dinastia-a-chicago/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:06:57.000Z Millones de fans llenaron el United Center del 7 al 9 de Mayo mientras Peso Pluma y Tito Double P cerraban su [tour ***DINASTÍA***](https://dinastiatour.com/?ref=15west.org)con sus tres conciertos en Chicago con entradas agotadas. La audiencia cantó palabra por palabra, y varios de ellos se vistieron de negro para reflejar la estética de Tito y Peso durante el concierto. Las multitudes reflejaron el gran alcance de la música mexicana a lo largo de varias generaciones de oyentes latinoamericanos en Chicago. Con artistas como Swae Lee, Ivan Cornejo, y Feid uniéndose a ellos como invitados especiales, el concierto remarcó la influencia en crecimiento del dúo en la música latina. Swae Lee cantó “Black Beatles,” Ivan Cornejo se unió a Peso para “Reloj,” y Feid tocó "Luna." Esta mezcla de artistas creó una experiencia diversa que introdujo nuevos sonidos a los fans de la música mexicana. #### [¿](https://www.diccionariodedudas.com/signos-de-interrogacion/?ref=15west.org)Qué es la música mexicana? ****La música mexicana** is un género que incluye los estilos de la música regional mexicana como **corridos* **tumbados* y **banda*. Se ha expandido más allá de la audiencia tradicional y ganó popularidad en los medios dominantes en los últimos años. Aprende más de este estilo en el [diccionario de música mexicana de Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/lists/regional-mexican-music-explained-corridos-mariachi-nortena/?ref=15west.org). A través de su proyecto *DINASTÍA*, Peso, y Tito Double P exploraron temas como el legado, la ambición, y la perseverancia, conectando con fans que se ven reflejados en su música. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/Tito---Pleso.gif) Varios fans se tomaron selfies, olearon banderas mexicanas, y entonaron el nombre de Peso Pluma en el estadio. Para los fans más jóvenes específicamente, la música mexicana refleja individualidad, protección, y el sentido de pertenecer, ayudando a que los *corridos tumbados* (o trap corridos)alcancen una audiencia mayor. En una cuidad donde casi el 30% de residentes se identifican como hispanos o latinos, según la [Agencia de Datos del Censo de E.E.U.U.](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chicagocityillinois/RHI725224?ref=15west.org), la música de Peso Pluma y Tito Double P continúa resonando a lo largo de las generaciones. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-15.png) Peso Pluma cantando en el United Center. | ****Nathan Borja**/**15 West* Juancarlos Pina, quien atendió el concierto del viernes, dice que el álbum le hizo recordar cuando hacía boxeo. "El álbum te da energía," dijo Pina "Especialmente porque solía boxear en ese entonces, me da ese sentimiento otra vez." Canciones como “La People” y “Dopamine” despertaron algunas de las reacciones más fuertes de la noche con sus producciones rápidas y bajos pesados. Otro fan, Ernesto Jose Rodriguez, dijo que se siente conectado a la música por su honestidad emocional y la capacidad de poner identificarse con ella. Rodriguez dijo que ver a Peso Pluma y Tito Double P cantar en Chicago se sintió significativo por la gran población latina de la cuidad y por poder compartir esa conexión con la música mexicana. "Lo veo como un cantante con gran influencia sobre todo en el mundo de la música, y me siento conectado con las letras," dijo Rodriguez. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-16.png) Peso Pluma and Tito Double P perform together. | **Nathan Borja**/15 West En cierto momento, Peso Pluma se puso emocional mientras reflejaba en su viaje y animó a los fans a creer que pueden construir un futuro mejor para ellos mismos, sin importar de donde sean. Casi al final del concierto, Peso Pluma le dijo a sus fans que espera poder hacer un tour de estadios el próximo año. Peso Pluma tiene más de 47 millones de oyentes mensuales, según Spotify, ayudando a empujar los corridos tumbados en los espacios de música dominantes. Peso Pluma, el cual tiene como nombre real Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, se alzó a la fama internacional luego de que “Ella Baila Sola” se volviera una de las canciones regionales mexicanas más altas en el ranking de [Billboard Hot 100](https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/eslabon-armado-peso-pluma-ella-baila-sola-breakdown-1235314741/?ref=15west.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-17.png) Tito Double P cantando. | ****Nathan Borja**/**15 West* Antes de lanzar su carrera como solista, Tito Double P colaboró con Peso como escritor para canciones como “PRC,” “AMG,” y “El Belicón”. Luego de eso, él empezó con su propia carrera musical. Juntos, los primos se volvieron los nombres más reconocibles en la música mexicana contemporánea. Con solo 14 canciones, su álbum [***DINASTÍA*** ](https://open.spotify.com/album/3kJfKZWulX2oyatVMvDx6a?ref=15west.org)debutó como canción número 1 en la lista de Álbumes Latinos de Billboard, otra señal del alcance que tiene el género en el medio dominante. Su música le hace recordar a los oyentes que el lugar de donde vinieron puede seguir siendo parte de ellos. ### One Austin Mom Couldn't Find Support for Her Autistic Son. So She's Building It. URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/one-austin-mom-couldnt-find-support-for-her-autistic-son-so-shes-building-it/ Last updated: 2026-05-24T12:15:09.000Z Asia Bee made a decision that many parents never feel ready to make: to turn her private struggles with autism into a public commitment to other families. Working out of borrowed community spaces in Chicago, like the Austin Public Library, Bee's striving to build the kind of practical, everyday support she couldn’t find when her son was first diagnosed. For many Black families in neighborhoods like Austin, that kind of sustained autism support remains difficult to access. [Darrin’s Voice](https://www.darrinsvoice.org/?ref=15west.org) is a place to breathe: a few hours where children can paint or listen to music and their parents or caregivers don’t have to apologize. As Bee and other mothers trade stories across Austin, the project also becomes a record of what’s missing—the long-term autism support that fully reaches Black families, and the ways parents have taught themselves to fill those gaps. Named after her 14-year-old autistic son, Darrin, the nonprofit grew out of the years when Bee was improvising alone—playing music, dancing through meltdowns, and using art to structure their days—because she couldn’t find steady guidance or programs in her own neighborhood. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/1L3A9073.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/1L3A9062.jpg) The Austin branch of the Chicago Public Library where Darrin’s Voice holds programming for autistic youth and their families. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Now, that improvisation has taken on a formal shape. Darrin’s Voice recently launched a recurring two-hour Saturday program that gives autistic kids space to regulate through art while parents and caregivers connect in the next room. In February, Bee brought together a small group of women, most of them mothers, for one of the organization’s early informational sessions. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/Darrin-s-Drawing.jpeg) Darrin painting during a "Community Canvas" event. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “From three till … about eight, it was just turmoil, for lack of a better word … inconsistent sleeping patterns, eating, not eating. Meltdowns, crying … I don't know what to do. Depressed. Lost my husband. I've lost my mother. I really don't have a strong support system … I was really like drowning,” Bee said. The session was a preview of what Bee hopes to address in communities struggling to find care for children with autism. “... Everybody like, just go to the doctor,” Bee said. “But the doctors … don’t have any information for you. They don’t give you any direction \[on\] how to \[support or navigate\] your child’s behavior, any support groups for parents, how to help them when they’re sleeping, when they’re not sleeping, when they’re not eating. There’s nothing there to teach you how to communicate with your child.” ![Asia Bee smiles widely.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/Asia-Bee--Founder-of-Darrin-s-Voice-.jpeg) Asia Bee, founder of Darrin’s Voice, created the organization after struggling to find sustained autism support for her son and other families in Austin. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* She shared that many programs end at ages 20–22 and that “there are no programs” truly designed for their ongoing needs, especially in predominantly Black communities. In response to that vacuum, she’s built her own communication pathway through art, using painting, collage, and sensory materials to help children express emotions and needs nonverbally and to give parents a shared language when traditional systems fail them. “... this is a continuous thing that I’m going to work diligently to make sure that parents, children, everybody can \[get\] what they need,” she said on stage in front of the group. ![Darrin paints at a table while his brother Darraun laughs beside him and Bee’s nephew leans over to help.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/006.jpeg) Darrin paints during a Darrin’s Voice activity as his brother Daraun laughs beside him and Bee’s nephew helps guide him. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Loreal, Bee’s cousin and the mother of a 25-year-old child with autism, was also in attendance and shared that her own experiences mimicked Bee’s. “I think the most help, unfortunately, that you’re going to get is when they’re in grade school,” she said. “If there’s any time that you need to advocate for your child, advocate for resources… because you have to think about the long run. They’re only going to be a kid for so long, and then the rest of the time they’re going to be an adult,” she said. Families seeking more substantial support can enroll in [PUNS](https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=47620&ref=15west.org), the Illinois Department of Human Services' statewide database for individuals with developmental disabilities. But enrollment doesn't guarantee services, and selections are based on funding availability, meaning families can wait years before hearing back. Loreal shared, “They do have respite care, but it’s 75 hours a year. That’s it,” she said. “Seventy-five hours. I could blow through that just like six hours going to the grocery store and back … if you need to just go out and take a break, or you just want a date with yourself.” At Darrin’s Voice’s April 24 gathering, Siju, a parent and nurse, explained why services seem to vanish as children age: Medicaid will fund supports for life if a child is diagnosed before age two, but many Black families don’t receive a timely diagnosis. “There are programs for older children,” she said, “but they would have had to have been diagnosed before two … so they can’t get into them.” When that window closes, the help “really stops after six, especially after ten,” leaving an almost complete void between 18 and 24. After failing to find care in their own backyards, both Loreal and Bee pointed to the abundance of resources not afforded to Black neighborhoods like Austin. “\[I\] got him integrated in a school system that is not in my area … in a north side area which is predominantly Hispanic, and they have a plethora of resources. They have \[a\] speech therapist, occupational therapist, etc, etc, so I take him out of \[the\] neighborhood to get what he needed as far as education,” Bee said. It was in these schools that these mothers learned to advocate for themselves, how to craft an IEP for their child, and how to bridge the gap between care at home and in school. “That school taught me what I needed to do to help my child,” Bee said. ![A Darrin’s Voice parent and caregiver form lies on a table beside a pencil.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/Feb-21-Launch-Event-Survey.jpeg) A Darrin’s Voice parent and caregiver form asks families about their child’s diagnosis, challenges and support needs, helping the organization tailor programming beyond a one-size-fits-all model. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* For the women in the room, autism isn’t a personality or a hashtag; it’s paperwork, meetings, and a constant fight to secure basic services. “Don’t nobody want to be just a normal human being anymore. Everybody want it … autism is like the hot button now … they don’t understand what really goes into it,” said Loreal. Darrin’s Voice is offering companionship rather than therapy, checking in with mothers who need support, a break, or help finding time for themselves. The organization also gives parents a space where they don’t have to feel “ashamed” of chasing their kids or apologizing for their behavior in front of strangers. “Black people need services too. We need real working programs … We shouldn't have to go out to Naperville to get services for our children … We shouldn't have to go to schools outside of our neighborhoods for our children to get the needs that they need,” Bee said. ### Mural de Little Village honra las vidas perdidas por el cáncer URL: https://www.15west.org/mural-de-little-village-honra-las-vidas-perdidas-por-el-cancer/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:05:33.000Z En la Avenida Drake Avenue, Dolores Castañeda esta parada en frente a un mural de un celeste brillante, y mira los nombres pintados bajo las palabras: “En Memoria a las Víctimas del Cáncer.” Muchos de los nombres le pertenecen a personas que ella conoció en Little Village—hermanos de gente con las que iba a la iglesia, padres de colegas de trabajo, y caras familiares del vecindario. El nombre de su hermano, José Trinidad Vera Lule, es el primero en el pergamino colo crema del mural. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-18.png) Juan Manuel Cortina pinta los nombres para el mural “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” en la Calle 26 y la Avenida Drake el 21 de Marzo del 2026 en Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* Después de que Vera Lule falleciera de cáncer de colon en la cuarta etapa en Diciembre del 2025 a los 62 años, Castañeda quería una manera de honrar no solo a su hermano, pero también a muchas de las familias en Little Village cargando el mismo dolor. Más de 50 nombres de los residentes que perdieron contra el cáncer fueron enviados para el mural, volvieron la pared de la Calle 26 y la Avenida Drake en un memorial y un llamado para hacerle los exámenes de detección temprana. Castañeda describió a su hermano como "la luz de su casa," alguien que amaba cocinar y asegurarse de que la familia se juntara cada Domingo. José es uno de los muchos miembros familiares que ella ha perdido por el cáncer, incluyendo a su madre, quien murió de cáncer pancreático. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-19.png) Dolores Castañeda con una vela de conmemoración honrando a su hermano fallecido, Jose Trinidad Vera, en frente del mural en Little Village el 5 de Mayo del 2026\. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* "El cáncer es prevenible si es que se detecta a tiempo," dijo Castañeda. "Si tienes síntomas, incluso si estas ocupado la gente se tiene que dar el tiempo." Historias como las de Castañeda son comunes en las comunidades latinas, donde las barreras al cuidado preventivo pueden retrasar los diagnósticos. En el 2022, el cáncer fue una de las causas principales de muerte entre los latinos de Estados Unidos, según la [Sociedad del Cáncer en America](https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/cancer-facts-and-figures-for-hispanics-and-latinos/2024/2024-2026-cancer-facts-and-figures-for-hispanics-and-latinos.pdf?ref=15west.org). Usualmente, los pacientes son diagnosticados tarde por barreras como [falta de seguro, acceso lingüístico y cuidados preventivos limitados](https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/cancer-care-lags-for-hispanic-people-in-the-us1.html?ref=15west.org). Castañeda conoce esas barreras de manera personal y profesional. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-20.png) Cortina pinta cintas de cáncer para el mural “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” en la Calle 26 y la Avenida Drake el 13 de Enero del 2026 en Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* Como una residente de Little Village de mucho tiempo y organizadora basada en su fe, Castañeda trabaja como asistende de investigación que se enfoca en la participación de la salud de la comunidad, ayudando a abordar barreras económicas y sociales en vecindarios negros y latinos. Yamile Molina, quien lidera los esfuerzos de participación en prevención del cáncer en UI Health, apoyó el mural financieramente y contrató personal de habla hispana para una mesa de recursos durante la inauguración del 18 de Abril. Bajo carpas blancas a lo largo de la Avenida Drake, los vecinos se juntaron en la vereda con sus tacos gratis de Tacos El Muñeco y bebidas de Cafe La Tea. Un ligero zumbido de converasiones llenó la cuadra con gente que se detuvo a leer los nombres ya pintados en la pared, e hicieron fila para agregar más. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-24.png) Una familia sirviendose tacos durante el evento de inauguración del mural el 18 de Abril del 2026 en Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* Dándole la espalda al mural, una mesa azul de información de UI Health tenía panfletos, volantes y pequeñas rifas para promover la detección temprana del cáncer. Miguel Negrete, quien tenía puesto un polo rosado brillante que decía "¡Ten fe! Estamos todos juntos en esto," se paró al lado del árbol en el muro, su parte favorita de la pared, el cual tiene varios lazos que representan tipos distintos de cáncer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-22.png) Dolores Castañeda y otras personas posan para la foto durante el evento de inauguración del mural el 18 de Abril del 2026 en Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* Negrete dijo que su padre había fallecido de cáncer pancreático en la cuarta etapa luego de años de posponer visitas al médico mientras trabajaba largas horas para sostener a su familia. "Se levantaba a las tres de la mañana, manejaba el camión de comida y se iba directamente a quimio," dijo Negrete. "No puedes sostener a tu familia si estas enfermo." Él dijo que las barreras como el machismo, el cual varias veces desanima a los hombres a hablar de dolor o buscar ayuda médica, junto con la falta de seguro y el miedo entorno a los agentes de inmigración, evitan que muchos hombres latinos se traten con tiempo. Cerca de ahí, Mayra Avila se inclina sobre una hoja de registro y escribe el nombre de su hermana: Erica Avila. Su hermana, una enfermera registrada que creció en Little Village, falleció de cáncer de estómago hace casi dos años. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-23.png) Un asistente escribe el nombre de una de las victimas del cáncer durante el evento de inauguración del mural el 18 de Abril del 2026 en Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* "Siento que están siendo reconocidos en Little Village,” dijo Avila. "Muestra el valor de todos aquí." Luego de ver la inauguración del mural en redes sociales, Tomas Daniel Cortez dijo que el supo que quería visitarlo en persona. Una semana después, mientras paseaba a su perro por la Avenida Drake, se detuvo cuando vió a Cortina aún escribiendo nombres en la pared. Cortez le preguntó si es que su abuela y su tío podían ser incluidos luego de ver el mural. Ambos vivieron y trabajaron en Little Village por la mayoría de sus vidas. 0:00 /0:12 1× Cortina pinta mariposas monarca para el mural “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” en la Calle 26 y la Avenida Drake el 21 de Febrero del 2026 en Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* Para él, la Virgen de Guadalupe, las mariposas monarca y los nopales pintados en la pared hicieron que el mural se sientiera sin lugar a dudas como en casa. "Al tener sus nombres en la pared, se siente bonito, como si estuvieran en casa de alguna manera," dijo Cortez. Mientras la gente pasa y el tráfico se mueve por la Calle 26, el mural continua creciendo con cada nombre añadido en la pared. Castañeda dijo que la lista de nombres para el mural sigue abierta. ### Little Village mural honors lives lost to cancer URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/little-village-mural-honors-lives-lost-to-cancer/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T17:09:24.000Z On Drake Avenue, Dolores Castañeda stands in front of a bright blue mural and looks up at the painted names beneath the words: “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer.” Many of the names belong to people she knew in Little Village—siblings of people she went to church with, parents of coworkers, and familiar faces from the neighborhood. Her brother’s name, José Trinidad Vera Lule, is the first listed on the mural’s beige scroll. ![Cortina paints names for the “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” mural at 26th Street and Drake Avenue on March 21, 2026, in Little Village. | Araceli Ramirez/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/LV_01.jpg) Juan Manuel Cortina paints names for the “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” mural at 26th Street and Drake Avenue on March 21, 2026, in Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* After Vera Lule died from stage four colon cancer in December 2025 at age 62, Castañeda wanted a way to honor not only him, but the many families in Little Village carrying the same grief. More than 50 names of residents lost to cancer were submitted for the mural, turning the wall at 26th Street and Drake Avenue into both a memorial and a call for early cancer screenings. Castañeda described her brother as “the light of the house,” someone who loved cooking and made sure the family gathered every Sunday. José is one of several family members she has lost to cancer, including her mother, who died of pancreatic cancer. ![Dolores Castañeda holds a memorial candle honoring her late brother, Jose Trinidad Vera, in front of the mural in Little Village on May 5, 2026. | Araceli Ramirez/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/LV_11-1.jpg) Dolores Castañeda holds a memorial candle honoring her late brother, Jose Trinidad Vera, in front of the mural in Little Village on May 5, 2026\. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* “Cancer is preventable if it is caught in time,” Castañeda said. “If you have symptoms, even if you are busy, people have to make time.” Stories like Castañeda’s are common in Latino communities, where barriers to preventive care can delay diagnoses. In 2022, cancer was one of the leading causes of death among Latinos in the United States, according to the [American Cancer Society.](https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/cancer-facts-and-figures-for-hispanics-and-latinos/2024/2024-2026-cancer-facts-and-figures-for-hispanics-and-latinos.pdf?ref=15west.org) Patients are often diagnosed later because of barriers such as [lack of insurance, language access, and limited preventive care](https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/cancer-care-lags-for-hispanic-people-in-the-us1.html?ref=15west.org). Castañeda knows those barriers both personally and professionally. ![Juan Manuel Cortina paints cancer ribbons for the “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” mural at 26th Street and Drake Avenue on Jan. 13, 2026, in Little Village. | Araceli Ramirez/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/LV_09-1.jpg) Cortina paints cancer ribbons for the “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” mural at 26th Street and Drake Avenue on Jan. 13, 2026, in Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* A longtime Little Village resident and faith-based organizer, Castañeda works as a research assistant focused on community health outreach, helping address economic and social barriers in Black and Latino neighborhoods. Yamile Molina, who leads cancer prevention and outreach efforts at UI Health, helped support the mural project financially and staffed a Spanish-language resource table during the April 18 unveiling. Under white tents along Drake Avenue, neighbors crowded the sidewalk carrying free tacos from Tacos El Muñeco and drinks from Cafe La Tea. A light buzz of conversation filled the block as people stopped to read the names already painted on the wall and lined up to submit more. ![A family lines up for tacos during the mural unveiling event on April 18, 2026, in Little Village. | Araceli Ramirez/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/LV_08.jpg) A family lines up for tacos during the mural unveiling event on April 18, 2026, in Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* Against the mural, a blue UI Health information table held pamphlets, flyers and small giveaways for cancer prevention outreach. Miguel Negrete, wearing a bright pink shirt that read “Have Faith! We’re in this together,” stood beside the mural’s tree, his favorite section of the wall, where each ribbon represents a different type of cancer. ![Dolores Castañeda and others pose for a photo during the mural unveiling event on April 18, 2026, in Little Village. | Araceli Ramirez/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/LV_03.jpg) Dolores Castañeda and others pose for a photo during the mural unveiling event on April 18, 2026, in Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* Negrete said his father died from stage four pancreatic cancer after years of putting off doctor visits while working long hours to support his family. “He would wake up at three in the morning, run the food truck and then go straight to chemo,” Negrete said. “You can’t support your family if you’re sick.” He said barriers such as machismo, which often discourages men from talking about pain or seeking medical help, along with lack of insurance and fear surrounding immigration enforcement, keep many Latino men from getting care early. Nearby, Mayra Avila leaned over a sign-up sheet and wrote her sister’s name in pen: Erica Avila. Her sister, a registered nurse who grew up in Little Village, died of stomach cancer nearly two years ago. ![An attendee writes a name on the cancer victims list during the mural unveiling event on April 18, 2026, in Little Village. | Araceli Ramirez/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/LV_04.jpg) An attendee writes a name on the cancer victims list during the mural unveiling event on April 18, 2026, in Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* “I feel like they’re being recognized in Little Village,” Avila said. “It shows the value of everybody here.” After seeing the mural unveiling on social media, Tomas Daniel Cortez said he knew he wanted to visit in person. A week later, while walking his dog down Drake Avenue, he stopped when he saw Cortina still adding names to the wall. Cortez asked for his grandmother and uncle to be included after seeing the mural go up. Both lived and worked in Little Village for most of their lives. 0:00 /0:12 1× Cortina paints monarch butterflies for the “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer” mural at 26th Street and Drake Avenue on Feb. 21, 2026, in Little Village. | ****Araceli Ramirez/** *15 West* To him, the Virgen de Guadalupe, monarch butterflies, and nopales painted across the wall made the mural feel unmistakably like home. “To have their names on the wall, it feels nice to, in a way, bring them home,” Cortez said. As people pass by and traffic moves toward 26th Street, the mural continues to grow with each new name added to the wall. Castañeda said the list of names for the mural remains open. ### Los activistas de Chicago ven el May Day como un llamado al poder de los trabajadores URL: https://www.15west.org/los-activistas-de-chicago-ven-el-may-day-como-un-llamado-al-poder-de-los-trabajadores/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:05:09.000Z Los trabajadores a lo largo de Chicago se unieron en un paro el 1ero de Mayo para protestar en contra de las políticas de la administración de Trump sobre los agentes de inmigración y las relaciones internacionales. Los organizadores del paro incluyen el [Partido por el Socialismo y la Liberación](https://pslweb.org/?ref=15west.org) (Party for Socialism and Liberation / PSL), el [Consejo de Resistencia](https://www.instagram.com/consejoderesistencia/?ref=15west.org), el [Sindicato de Maestros de Chicago](https://www.ctulocal1.org/?ref=15west.org), y la [Coalición ANSWER](https://www.answercoalition.org/?ref=15west.org). La activista en Chicago y organizadora del 1ero de Mayo Lily Eagla dijo que los organizadores querían que el paro llamara la atención a lo que ellos describen como "una guerra sin fin." Al alejarse del trabajo, los estudios y los gastos diarios del consumidor por un día, los organizadores esperaron ilustrar el poder colectivo que los trabajadores tienen en la economía de los Estados Unidos. "La meta del paro será la de tener un efecto significativo en la economía de los Estados Unidos, y enviar un mensaje al gobierno de los Estados Unidos de que las personas del país ...no están de acuerdo con lo que están haciendo," dijo Eagla. Ella añadió que aunque puede que los oficiales del gobierno sepan de la oposición pública, el paro haría "que les importe que nos importe." "Queremos enviarle un mensaje primero a la gente que esta en la cima, pero también uno a los trabajadores," dijo Eagla."...Trabajan todo el día, van a estudiar, van a ponerse al día con las noticias si es que quieren. Y todo los que ven es la carga que es la realidad que tu gobierno esta perpetuando constantemente. Y la única forma de salir de eso es luchando, y la única manera de luchar es organizandonos." Chicago no desconoce los paros. El incidente de Haymarket en el cual una bomba explotó en una junta de trabajadores en el Haymarket Square de Chicago ayudó a [inspirar ](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/571.html?ref=15west.org)el May Day el 1ero de Mayo. El día es internacionalmente reconocido como una celebración a los trabajadores. Sin embargo, según Brandon Jaimes, un organizador de la sección del Partido por el Socialismo y la Liberación de Chicago, el May Day es menos prominente en los Estados Unidos en relación con otros paises. "Varios paises a lo largo de Europa, China, Latino América celebran esto como una conmemoración a los trabajadores, y Estados Unidos es uno de esos paises en el mundo donde no hay una designación formal or reconocimiento del rol que los trabajadores tienen en la sociedad por parte del gobierno," dijo Jaimes. "Esta el Día del Trabajador, pero ese es un día separado de esta celebración internacional para los trabajadores de todo el mundo." Jaimes dijo que mover a las personas de cada sector le daría poder a los trabajadores y mostrar su valor. "Tendría este efecto paralizante en la cuidad que realmente mostraría que son los trabajadores de Chicago los que hacen que todo funcione, y a pesar de los asaltos de la administración de Trump, cuando nos juntamos de esta manera vemos donde esta el poder realmente, con las personas," dijo Jaimes. Los organizadores dijeron que la movilización del May Day de este año fue particularmente prominente. Alithia Zamantakis, un educador y organizador de la Coalición ANSWER, dijo que el movimiento pro-Palestinia ayudó a avivar la movilización del May Day de este año. "Creo que es realmente prominente porque la gente acaba de salir de esta ola de demostraciones y actos de solidaridad con Palestinia por los últimos 3 años desde el 7 de Octubre," dijo Zamantakis. El paro le siguió a un "Bloque Nacional" el 30 de Enero del 2026, una movilización en masa en respuesta a la administración de Trump sobre los agentes de inmigración y las medidas severas en Minnesota. "Eso introdujó a muchas personas a la idea de un paro general," dijo Eagla. Las organizaciones también compararon el paro con las demostraciones del "Día sin Inmigrantes" del 2006, las cual eran para protestar la ley anti-inmigración conocida como la [Ley Sensenbrenner](https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/4437?ref=15west.org). Zamantakis dijo que las movilizaciones el 1ero de Mayo ayudaron a derrotar la ley. Los organizadores dijeron que el interés en el May Day sigue creciendo. Miles de personas participaron en la demostración a lo largo de Chicago este año, incluyendo una marcha gigante desde el Parque Union a la Plaza Daley. "La gente se puede sentir desamparada aveces. Son como, 'cosas que uno no puede cambiar,' pero la realidad es que nuestra historia de ser capaces de cambiar las cosas es escondida de nosotros, y May Day es una gran manera de arrojar luz en esa historia," dijo Zamantakis. ### Inside the Continental Pageant’s Legacy of Glamour and Resistance URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/inside-the-continental-pageants-legacy-of-glamour-and-resistance/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T18:06:15.000Z Sequins, choreography, towering wigs, and months of preparation culminate each year at the Continental Pageant, one of the country’s most prestigious drag and female impersonation competitions. [The Continental Pageant](https://www.continentalpageantry.com/?ref=15west.org), a female impersonation pageant, began in the 1980s under Chicago business owner Jim Flint. The pageant system is divided into six divisions: Miss Continental, Mr. Continental (for male contestants), Miss Continental Plus (for participants weighing over 220 pounds), Miss Continental Elite (for participants 45 and older), Mr. Continental Newcomer (performers with fewer than five years of experience), and Miss Continental Newcomer. “I started going with my little fake ID before I was 21, and I just fell in love with it … When I first went, I was like, this is something. This is amazing,” said Milani Ninja, a former Miss Continental Plus and Miss Continental contestant, about her introduction to The Continental Pageant. The pageant is the largest in the Midwest and attracts contestants from all around the world every year to Park West Theater, located in the city of Chicago. Inspired by Miss Gay America and Miss Universe, the pageant was created to be more inclusive of trans women who wanted to compete. “\[The\] Miss Gay America Pageant is for drag queens, but you had to be not transgender. If you had any hormones, any surgery, any silicone, any indication that you were trans or in the process of transitioning, you were not allowed to compete. So, Jim Flint saw it as discrimination against trans women, so he decided to create his own pageant, he created Miss Continental,” Ninja said. Before performers can compete at a national level, they must first win a preliminary competition. “It’s kind of like winning state or regionals,” Ninja said. Similar to Miss Universe, the pageant includes a bikini and talent section. Contestants take months to prepare for the talent portion, including choreography, custom dresses, props, and makeup, often self-funding their performances. “You have to have some sort of talent … what can you do up there that maybe no one else can? Or, how can you elevate it,” said Angelise K. LaRue, a contestant in the Mr. Newcomer division this year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/Angelise.jpeg) Angelise K. LaRue. | Provided by **Dan Neniskis** and ****Angelise**. What does it take to win the prestigious Miss Continental crown? As stated by Ninja and LaRue, poise and professionalism. “They call it the golden standard … it’s not about the way you look, but more about how you carry yourself,” LaRue said. “They want somebody that's going to elevate and treat this pageant as a business,” Ninja said. The winner of the pageant wins $2,000, though contestants say the value comes from recognition, exposure, and improving their art. “If you win Miss Continental, you become more famous, more well known … you get to travel the world, performing at preliminaries, different venues, different cities, different states, now, different continents. There's Miss Europe Continental, there's Miss South Africa Continental, they're going to have Miss Mexico Continental … and you know, once you win Miss Continental, you can raise your booking \[performance\] fee. It gives you \[credibility\] to charge more,” said Ninja. LaRue added that even participants who lose receive valuable feedback. “They'll bring your scores. What can you work on? And you know, you do want to try again next year. And if you think it was just a one-time experience, at least you experienced it,” LaRue said. As for the future of The Continental Pageant, the two queens envision different futures for the pageant. For Milani Ninja, “Before \[RuPaul’s\] drag race, you would see 40, 50, something, like 60-something girls competing, and now it's a little bit harder. You see 20, 30, sometimes in the teens … I would love to see Continental being shown on national TV, international TV. Because imagine … people that watch it from other countries decide to watch it on, let's say, Netflix or Hulu, and then next thing you know … I'm gonna fly in person, because I want to watch it in person,” LaRue has a different goal for the pageant: “I want to take it in the direction of advocacy … I love doing what I do, so much that I know that I can melt those two worlds together… For me, I see myself… going to an AIDS launch, being in the White House … I want to see myself in those faces … because the regular continental pageantry, the original \[participants\] … they paved it. They built the bricks. They did everything for us newcomers to run on it. That's how I see myself, reigning, paying homage to what they have done.” Although LaRue and Ninja expressed concern about political attacks targeting LGBTQIA+ communities, they also said pageants remain essential spaces for connection, visibility, even mental health. “Competing for a pageant … puts structure back into their lives,” Ninja said. “They're like, ‘You know what? No, I want to win this … I'm gonna better myself to make sure that I am competing at my best.’” For contestants like Ninja and LaRue, the stage is not only about winning and recognition, but about honoring those who paved the way while creating hopeful and lively spaces for the next generation. It makes us stronger because the communities that are being affected from the outside, that's when we come in … and we show the world … whether you're trans, whether you're gay, whether you're rejected or being pushed away from home for who you are, \[it\] made us strong enough to compete,” said LaRue. Through glamour, performance, and perseverance, Continental continues to prove that pageantry can be both an art form and an act of resistance that will continue to grow. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Organizers Work to Expand Disability Access on Chicago’s West Side URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/organizers-work-to-expand-disability-access-on-chicagos-west-side/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T20:19:25.000Z A [report ](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mopd/supp%5Finfo/disability%5Fdata%5Fchicago%5Faccessibility.html?ref=15west.org)released Feb. 9 by the city, “Neighborhood Conditions for Adults with Disabilities in Chicago,” examines the barriers people with disabilities experience across all 77 neighborhoods. Data collected annually through the Healthy Chicago Survey by the [Chicago Department of Public Health](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph.html?ref=15west.org) (CDPH), in collaboration with the [Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mopd.html?ref=15west.org) (MOPD), shows that one in four Chicago adults lives with a disability. The South and West sides of the city have a higher percentage of residents with disabilities than the North side, with more than 26,000 Austin residents living with a disability in 2024\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/04/chapasspotillu2.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/04/chapasspotillu1.png) Illustration: ****Eleni Chapas**/**15 West* Across all conditions assessed, adults with disabilities reported lower levels of community belonging, safety, trust in local government and law enforcement, and access to neighborhood resources. They also reported greater infrastructure and environmental challenges compared to Chicago adults without disabilities. MOPD Commissioner Rachel Arfa stressed the importance of the report’s findings. “I hope that people recognize, by numbers, through data, how many people with disabilities there are,” Arfa said. “I think it gives us an opportunity to continue to identify ways that we can improve and set up disability access for designing programs and services.” The report concludes, “inequities in neighborhood conditions for people with disabilities require a cooperative effort from City departments and agencies, policymakers, and communities to foster inclusive social and built environments.” [Resident-reported accessibility data](https://sidewalk-chicago.cs.washington.edu/?ref=15west.org) and community feedback also highlight recurring barriers across West Side neighborhoods, including broken sidewalks, missing curb ramps, unreliable transit access, and unsafe crossings—making everyday travel more difficult for people with disabilities. Outside of city initiatives, advocates and organizations are already working to address gaps. The [Chicago Neurodiverse Social Club](https://www.cayrconnections.org/cnsc?ref=15west.org) (CNSC) is a non-profit program hosted by [CAYR Connections](https://www.cayrconnections.org/?ref=15west.org), that organizes events for neurodivergent adults across the city, with several focused on the Northwest and West sides. Audrey Koziol, chair of the CNSC Steering Committee, formed the group three years ago while living in Oak Park. “I used to live in Champaign, Illinois. I was part of a similar neurodivergent support group and did some disability activism in college,” Koziol said. “I got to meet, socialize, and was friends with other disabled people on campus … I had moments in college where I was struggling, and they personally made the difference between me finishing my degree and me not finishing my degree.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/04/Chapas.SpotIllu3.png) Illustration: ****Eleni Chapas**/**15 West* After moving to Oak Park, Koziol struggled to find a support group close by that was of interest, explaining that Chicago did not offer many social clubs or programs open to all neurodivergent people. Koziol planned a test event held at an Oak Park library branch in March of 2023, expecting only a few people to attend. “I think we got over 15,” Koziol said. “It was way more than I expected. And it kind of just exploded from there.” Support groups in both English and Spanish, trips to the Shedd Aquarium and the Christkindlmarket, board game nights, and book clubs are among the 130 events CNSC has hosted. Most events are free and planned around accessibility to public transit. CNSC also prioritizes venues offering wheelchair accessibility, which Koziol notes is not always possible due to the age of many Chicago buildings. The environment of a space is also considered when selecting a venue. Typically, Koziol will book rooms with doors that can be shut, lights that can be dimmed, and the option to lower external noises. As CNSC expands, Koziol explains the challenges the group faces when organizing larger events in the city. “A general concern is around bureaucracy and confusion around how systems and processes work,” said Koziol. “At least from my side, as someone who has been trying to organize events in Chicago, the city has justified requirements for the permitting that you need to hold events and to charge people money to attend.” Although CNSC members have requested that the group host larger, donation-based gatherings, Koziol explains how difficult it’s been to find venues with a verified Public Place of Amusement license. “I think a lot of neurodivergent people are frustrated with processes that have multiple steps where you need to go to a website, fill out a form, fill out another form, and then that form doesn't work,” said Koziol, “... anything the city can do to simplify processes and make sure that when people are asking for a service \[it\] is easily explained, that it is a simple and quick process that people can access.” Access Living, a center for “service, advocacy, and social changes for people with disabilities,” has been organizing in Chicago for over 45 years to improve disability services. “... for a long time, we've already been saying that we need to see better for people with disabilities in terms of the environment, public safety, education, and all these other measures,” said Amber Smock, Vice President of Advocacy. [Access Living](https://www.accessliving.org/?ref=15west.org) provides various [services](https://www.accessliving.org/our-services/?ref=15west.org), including peer support groups that offer disabled Chicagoans a space to self-advocate and connect with resources many have difficulty finding, such as housing and employment. Smock describes the concern among group members who struggle to find information on accessible housing and reliable transportation to receive healthcare. Housing, as Smock states, is the number one inquiry Access Living receives. The organization has developed a [program](https://www.accessliving.org/our-services/housing-services/?ref=15west.org) that provides housing modifications to allow accessible movement and use of the home. On the South and West Side, Smock said issues related to food became particularly exacerbated by the [federal shutdown this fall](https://idhs.prezly.com/trumps-administration-snap-benefits-slated-to-be-cut-off-on-november-1?ref=15west.org). “People were coming in saying, ‘You know, I used to be able to hack it. But now I just really can't. I don't have any more money to buy food.’ ” Despite these challenges, Smock emphasizes community members’ deep connections to their neighborhoods. “... the answer is not to say, well, if we just make more accessible places to live on the North Side, then people with disabilities will want to live there,” said Smock, “So it's important to make sure that the money to make life more accessible goes to that neighborhood.” *The reporter contacted multiple West Side residents and community organizations in the course of reporting this story.* #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Chicago never stopped policing “immoral” women URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/chicago-never-stopped-policing-immoral-women/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T20:19:52.000Z From 1912 to 1915, the Chicago Police Department swept the city’s West and South Side red light districts for women deemed “immoral,” arresting those believed to be engaged in sex work in an effort to eliminate what officials called the city’s “social evil.” More than a century later, the city has reintroduced a similar approach: policing based not on actions, but on perceived intent. In 2018, the city passed[ Municipal Code 8-4-016](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago%5Fil/0-0-0-2643314?ref=15west.org). This statute (or law) criminalized “[Loitering for the Purpose of Prostitution](https://www.chicagoreporter.com/prostitution-loitering-ordinance-likely-to-target-women-of-color-for-arrest/?ref=15west.org)”(LPP). In practice, the ordinance allows officers to determine who appears to be engaging in prostitution-related activity, effectively policing intent rather than conduct. “These laws are another way to surveil people,” said Nikki, a Chicago-based activist for sex worker rights, housing, and labor issues. “Loitering laws have popped up during the wars on drugs and sex as a way to criminalize people. These \[Anti-Loitering Statutes\] are another way to overpolice people". **Origins of moral policing** Chicago’s history with the sex trade stretches back more than a century. In the 1860s, downtown streets were lined with saloons, brothels, and dance halls clustered in areas known as vice districts. These spaces operated openly, often with tacit protection tied to relationships with police. The most well-known “vice district” was The Levee, a stretch of four blocks within the Loop; however, there were also smaller districts within the West and South Sides. Sex as commerce boomed within Chicago's vice districts until the rise of the White Slavery hysteria. The term “[White Slavery](https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/whiteslaveryin00sumn?ref=15west.org)” originated in 1847 when abolitionist Charles Sumner described the Barbary slave trade, painting a vivid picture of women kidnapped and forced into the sex trade. Sumner’s narrative, combined with rapid social changes—including urbanization, women entering the workforce, immigration, and industrialization—helped fuel a broader myth that the average white American woman was being violated, drugged, and trafficked by a faceless foreign cabal. Chicago became a central hub for this moral panic, as politicians seized on the fear for personal and political gain. The origins of the efforts to criminalize sex trades lie in the White Slave Traffic Act—later renamed the Mann Act–of 1910\. Authored by Illinois Congressman James Robert Mann, [The Mann Act](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mann%5Fact?ref=15west.org) criminalized the transport of women across state lines for "immoral purposes". Though the Mann Act was aimed at combatting human trafficking, the vagueness of the law allowed for its use to criminalize consensual sexual activity. The Mann Act quickly became a carceral tool for the racialized political persecution of Jack Johnson, the first Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion, and legitimized the fear-mongering surrounding the White Slavery Hysteria. **Progressive era panic spreads** The moral panic caused by the progressive era White Slavery hysteria not only caused racialized arrests to protect racial purity but also led to the creation of a 400-page report, termed [*The Social Evil in Chicago*](https://www.chipublib.org/blogs/post/the-social-evil-in-chicago-a-chicago-history-classic/?ref=15west.org), by the Chicago Vice Commission. Historian Mark Thomas Connelly later [described](https://uncpress.org/9780807865217/the-response-to-prostitution-in-the-progressive-era/?ref=15west.org) the report as initiating a “collective act of ritual humiliation by urban America.” The report investigated the origins, causes, and current state of sex work within Chicago, stating that economic desperation, lack of education, and exploitation trapped women in the sex trade. *The Social Evil* was widely read and influenced multiple cities to conduct their own analyses, leading the moral panic surrounding sex work to spread and the dismantling of red light districts around the United States. Response to *The Social Evil* was swift. The city shuttered the most famous saloons and brothels in the main red light districts, later issuing warrants for many of the Levee's brothel owners. Chicago's commercialized sex districts disappeared by 1915, with authorities displacing sex workers, clients, and owners. **Connections to current policy** The effects of *The Social Evil* and the subsequent breakdown of the red light districts are apparent today. The collapse of the official red light districts caused the decentralization of sex work in Chicago, triggering yet another moral panic. Hot spots for street-based sex work emerged on the South and West sides, including Cicero, West Garfield Park, and Midway, well-known hubs for street-based sex work. In response, West Side residents quickly complained that a "Prostitution Crisis" was flooding their neighborhoods. In 2001, CPD began arresting sex workers and[ collaborated with the Cook County State's Attorney's office](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/11/30/near-north-cops-residents-celebrate-decline-in-prostitution/?ref=15west.org) to ensure that individuals with more than two sex work-related convictions would face a felony charge rather than a misdemeanor. In 2006, the[ Chicago Intersystem Assessment Work Group](https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/fss/supp%5Finfo/DV/ProstitutionSystemAssmtChicago.pdf?ref=15west.org) released a study assessing the state of the sex trades in Chicago. Similar to *The Social Evil,* this study cited the same reasons that individuals entered the sex trades: economic desperation, education, and exploitation. It recommended reducing the arrests of people involved in the sex trades, instead focusing on the demand side—a strategy termed the [Partial Decriminalization](https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/partial-decriminalization-sex-work-could-cause-more-harm-good?ref=15west.org) or End Demand Model. This strategy documented [negative outcomes](https://www.aclu.org/publications/sex-work-decriminalization-answer-what-research-tells-us?ref=15west.org), including increased stigma and violence against sex workers. Despite this study, CPD would continue to arrest thousands of sex workers until a drastic drop in arrests in 2014\. The Chicago Municipal government would pass Ordinance 8-4-016 in 2018, a loitering statute allowing the Chicago Police Department to profile individuals as sex workers. **Loitering statutes emerge** Under ordinance 8-4-016, officers must first warn people they are in a prohibited loitering area and order them to disperse, informing them that they “will be subject to arrest if they fail to obey the order promptly or engage in further prostitution-related loitering … during the next eight hours.” [Ordinance 8-4-016](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago%5Fil/0-0-0-2643314?ref=15west.org) is an arm of sexual policing called Loitering for the Purpose of Prostitution (LPP) Laws, which are also termed “Walking While Trans” and “Gendered Stop and Frisk” laws due to their disproportionate effect on transgender women, BIPOC, and individuals previously arrested under these statutes. Similar laws passed in[ New York](https://19thnews.org/2021/02/walking-while-trans-ban-advocates/?ref=15west.org),[ Washington, D.C.](https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/07/10/written-testimony-support-bill-20-760-repeal-prostitution-free-zone-amendment-act?ref=15west.org), and[ California](https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/3546490-california-governor-rolls-back-law-criminalizing-loitering-for-the-intent-to-engage-in-sex-work/?ref=15west.org) were repealed after activists, nonprofits, and legal advocates found that loitering statutes led to discriminatory practices. Task Force Program Director, Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame member, and former sex worker, Reyna Ortiz, witnessed the systemic oppression first-hand. "Police are the biggest fear of sex workers", Ortiz said. “They have the power to arrest, molest, and attest.” LPP Laws are a form of gendered surveillance stemming from moral panics of the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Laws policing existence encourage Chicago police to surveil, harass, and profile individuals in the name of reducing and eventually eliminating the "prostitution crisis". In a 2019 incident, a Black transgender woman reported being threatened with arrest and sexually assaulted by Chicago police sergeant [James Sajdak](https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2024/02/23/retired-chicago-police-sergeant-year-in-prison-sexual-assault?ref=15west.org), who profiled her as a sex worker. Sajdak was later convicted and sentenced to one year in prison. Despite being passed in 2018, there is no evidence that MCC 8-4-016 has been enforced. According to a Freedom of Information Act request to the Chicago Police Department, there are no records of Administrative Notices of Violation (ANOVs), arrests, or any system to track the verbal warnings officers are required to issue to those suspected of prostitution-related loitering. However, the same request identified ANOVs issued under related statutes, totaling more than $1,408,400 in fines since 2018. In 2023, the City of Chicago [reached a class action settlement](https://www.chicagopolice.org/general/stops-and-loitering-enforcement/?ref=15west.org) requiring reforms to how police conduct investigatory stops and enforce loitering ordinances, mandating changes to oversight, data collection, and accountability. Without clear records, there’s little way to know how a law based on perceived intent is actually being used, or who is most likely to be targeted by it. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Oak Park residents question wording of indoor pool referendum URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/oak-park-residents-question-wording-of-indoor-pool-referendum/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T14:12:47.000Z Oak Park residents will vote March 17 on a $40 million bond to fund a new indoor aquatic center, but the measure does not mention that the Ridgeland Common outdoor pool would be replaced. “My biggest concern is the language and the referendum, because it leaves out the fact that they're going to close \[the\] Ridgeland outdoor pool to build this indoor pool,” said resident Dawn Brightfield. The Park District of Oak Park held three meetings to address residents’ questions about a referendum to construct an indoor aquatics facility at the Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex. The last of these meetings was held on Feb. 25, and residents filled the room, some returning from earlier meetings. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/RCRC-Indoor-Aquatics-Facility-Addition-Concept-Study_2025-06-06_Page_25.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/RCRC-Indoor-Aquatics-Facility-Addition-Concept-Study_2025-06-06_Page_26.jpg) Visual mockups of Indoor pool design. | Provided by the **Park District of Oak Park** “We are trying to make sure that we are answering everyone's questions, so that they know what they're, in essence, voting for,” said Park District Executive Director Jan Arnold. The referendum would replace the Ridgeland Common outdoor pool with a new indoor aquatic center, including a 25-meter lap and free swim pool. The Park District said that the facility would also include a warm-water therapy pool, a splash pad with slides, new locker rooms, an updated lobby, and a party room. ![A level one floor plan for the Ridgeland Indoor Pool concept study by Perkins & Will, showing the layout of pools, locker rooms, activity rooms, offices, and support spaces for the Park District of Oak Park.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/RCRC-Indoor-Aquatics-Facility-Addition-Concept-Study_2025-06-06_Page_28-2048x1463-1.jpg) A level one floor plan for the Indoor Pool. | Provided by the **Park District of Oak Park** Arnold said that when she moved to Oak Park in 2010, residents had already been asking for an indoor pool, a demand reflected in surveys conducted by the Park District in 2019 and 2023\. In the [2023 survey](https://pdop.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PDOP-2023-Community-Survey-Results-010924.pdf?ref=15west.org), respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with several statements about the Park District’s services, including whether it “offers innovative programs and activities” and “meets my/our recreation and fitness needs.” The most common reason respondents gave for disagreeing with those statements was the lack of an indoor pool. One respondent wrote, “Community needs an affordable indoor pool; not happening here nor at the high school.” [The survey](https://pdop.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PDOP-2023-Community-Survey-Results-010924.pdf?ref=15west.org) also found that 69% of respondents supported building an indoor pool, including 35% who said they strongly supported it, regardless of a tax increase. 14% strongly opposed the proposal. Some residents, however, questioned whether the survey accurately reflected the broader community. ![A woman with gray hair and glasses wearing a maroon quilted jacket smiles at the camera inside a community meeting space, with other attendees visible in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Belinda-Avdek-1.jpg) Belinda Avdek, resident of Oak Park. | ****Georgia Rau**/**15 West* “The survey was for 550 people, and we have about 10,000 people in Oak Park, so it’s a small portion of what they represented,” said Belinda Avdek, who has lived in Oak Park for nine years. “And when they say \[69%\], of what? The survey didn’t mention demolishing Ridgeland in any of their questions. I think that was gross negligence on their part.” ❗ Oak Park has an estimated population of ****52,947**, [according to 2024 census data](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/oakparkvillageillinois/PST045224?ref=15west.org). Avdek, who attended with her daughter and grandson, said that the survey did not mention that the proposed aquatic center would replace the outdoor pool at Ridgeland Common. The proposed project will cost approximately $40 million and would use funds from 20-year general obligation bonds, which are typically used to fund similar projects, like roads or parks, according to [Investopedia](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/generalobligationbond.asp?ref=15west.org#:~:text=General%20obligation%20%28GO%29%20bonds%20stand,taxes%20to%20fulfill%20debt%20obligations.). To cover repayment of these bonds, property taxes in Oak Park would increase, according to the Park District. The Park District’s website includes a [tax calculator](https://ssccust1.spreadsheethosting.com/1/08/b1686179bb92c40f/Park%20District%20of%20Oak%20Park%20Mar26%20Referendum%20Bond%20Tax%20Calculator/Park%20District%20of%20Oak%20Park%20Mar26%20Referendum%20Bond%20Tax%20Calculator.htm?ref=15west.org) showing how property taxes could change. The average Oak Park home value is about $438,000, according to [Zillow](https://www.zillow.com/home-values/6268/oak-park-il/?ref=15west.org). At that value, the district estimates homeowners would pay about $163.72 more per year. Several residents said their main concern was not the tax increase but the potential closure of the outdoor Ridgeland Common pool. The meeting erupted in ad-libs when a concern was raised: the referendum on the ballot does not mention that the indoor pool will replace the outdoor Ridgeland Common pool. ![An illustration of a person floating on a yellow inner tube in blue water, seen from behind, with their legs kicked up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Inner_tube_Spot.png) Illustration: ****Rae Rae Villarreal/** *15 West* “The thing that I'm passionate about is that it's a calm setting,” Avdek said. “It's centralized, and being outside and outdoors is really healthy for kids, rather than being indoors all year round.” #### Concerned about disappearing outdoor spaces? Our parks, green spaces, and gathering spots are worth protecting. Explore what's in your neighborhood and find out how you can help keep these spaces thriving for generations to come. [****Oak Park Outdoor Recreation Areas Map**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ww%5FoW%5FZAQYkiRRE8B-7RL5K8Ja%5FzTffw/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) Park District Attorney Caitlyn Culbertson said that the vote is simply about the $40 million in bonds to be used for an indoor aquatic center, not the specifics of the plan. In response to residents’ concerns that Ridgeland Common was not specifically mentioned, she referred to it as “the only feasible location” for the aquatic center. Other questions from residents focused on the idea of a retractable roof, and whether or not this would give the “feel” of an outdoor pool. Making the roof retractable would cost an additional $3-6 million, Arnold said. Still, residents expressed their preference for an outdoor space. “Most of \[the voters\] would probably love to have an indoor pool, but they won't know when they go to vote that they're going to lose the outdoor pool at Ridgeland, and many of them have young children,” Brightfield said. ![An illustration of an outdoor swimming pool with a lounge chair and yellow-and-white umbrella on a pool deck with metal entry rails.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Pool_Spot.png) Illustration: ****Rae Rae Villarreal/** *15 West* Another outdoor pool in Oak Park is the RehmPool. Residents said they were concerned that, although this was an acceptable pool, without Ridgeland Common, Rehm would be overcrowded in the summertime. Residents also asked why the aquatic center had to be at Ridgeland Common. Arnold said that making it at the Community Recreation Center, where the meeting was held, might impact their ability to receive future grants. Additionally, if the referendum fails, the Ridgeland Common pool will require $10 million of maintenance by 2031 anyway. The Park District did not want to take any of the village’s green spaces, which Oak Park already lacks, for the project. “I know the usage of the pools. I know the condition of the pools, and that helped make the decision or the recommendation for this location,” Arnold said. After the 90-minute meeting, an hour of which addressed questions, some attendees lingered to discuss their concerns about the referendum. Some continued to share that voters were uninformed about the plan they would be voting for. “A lot of people are going to be really surprised when the wrecking ball comes along,” resident Jane Driscoll said. **Oak Park voters will decide on the referendum in the March 17 election.** ### Anita Piotrowski Al Fin es Visible URL: https://www.15west.org/anita-piotrowski-al-fin-es-visible/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:17:32.000Z Por más de veinte años, Anita Piotrowski guardó un boceto al fondo de su cajón. Era una composición: una casa cortada de una revista, una puerta verde de otra casa, una botella de vino que tenía una forma que le gustó. Ella intentó traer todo a la vida con acrílicos. Luego fue pasteles. Luego acuarelas. Nada funcionó. La imagen esperó, sin terminar, a que el método correcto la encontrara. Luego se retiró de su trabajo de seguros en 2023, y empezó a ordenar su colección de telas. Ahí fue cuando todo cambió. "Vi una de mis telas. Pensé, eso parece una puerta..." dijo Anita. "La tela empezó a hablarme." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image.png) **GiGi* de Piotrowski ganó el tercer lugar 2022\. | Proporcionado por ****Anita Piotrowski**. Lo que salió de ese momento fue un edredón de tela - parte appliqué, parte cosido a mano, parte material encontrado. La pieza de 11 x 14 que hizo de su boceto viejo terminó parte de la selección final de la la exposición semestral con jurado de la Liga de Arte de Oak Park. Ahora vive en Florida, como un regalo para su hermana. Ese primer pequeño edredón abrió algo. En los dos años desde que se retiró, Piotrowski ha trabajado en una colección de obras que se mueve entre Chicago y el Caribe: los leones del Instituto de Arte de Chicago, el Pabellón Pritzker del Parque Millennium, el reloj de Marshall Field, la isla de Vieques in Puerto Rico donde su padre vivía, y las [*soldaderas*](https://www.history.com/articles/women-mexican-revolution-soldaderas?ref=15west.org) de la revolución Mexicana. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-1.png) El edredón de Piotrowski representando Vieques. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Cuatro de esos edredones ahora están en la Biblioteca Pública de Chicago, en la sucursal del Parque Humboldt, donde ella también ella dará un taller de arte con edredones para principiantes el 21 de Marzo. Tickets para el evento ya están agotados. A los 66 años, ella llegó a donde está de la misma manera en la que aprendió a coser: enseñándose a si misma. **El Camino Largo** Piotrowski creció en en el lado suroeste de Chicago, en un vecindario llamado Sleepy Hollow, al este de Cicero y al sur del Aeropuerto Midway. Ella es Mexicana y Puerto Riqueña. Su padre era de Vieques; la familia de su madre, la cual es grande, llena las cuadras del vecindario. Ella aprendió rápido que cuando quieres algo, tienes que ver como lo consigues. "Mis padres me compraron a mi y a mi hermana una muñeca Midge," ella dijo, "pero solo podíamos comprar un atuendo. Y yo estaba como, pero yo quiero más ropa para mi Midge." Su madre le dijo que ella tendría que hacerle la ropa. Asi que puso una tela debajo de la muñeca, le trazó la figura, encontró la caja de galletas con agujas e hilo de su madre, y se puso a coser. Era un niña. Nadie le enseñó. Su abuela de su lado paterno fue una costurera en un distrito de moda en Nueva York. Ella no dejó ninguna enseñanza. Piotrowski no entiende del todo como la habilidad llegó a ella. "No sé si es natural," dijo "porque recién empezaba a aprender." Ella se obsesionaba con sus bocetos. Cosía. Tomó clases de perspectiva en un instituto. Eventualmente, encontró su camino. "Soy del tipo que salta y nada como loca," ella dijo "No te quieres ahogar, así que solo sigues nadando." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Anita-001-1-3.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Anita-002-1-5.jpg) ****\[IZQUIERDA\]** Piotrowski hablando sobre uno de sus primeros bocetos. ****\[DERECHA\]** Piotrowski hablando sobre su proceso. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West*. Lo que no hizo, por la mayoría de su vida adulta, fue hacer arte profesionalmente. Luego de acabar la secundario, fue directamente a trabajar en seguros. Se quedó ahí por décadas, crió tres hijos, compró una casa, y guardó sus cuardernos de bocetos en el fondo. "El trabajo era más que nada la manera de pagar las cuentas...y pagar la universidad de tres niños," dijo "Eso era todo." Su hijo Paul Hernandez, 43, un director de marketing, creció viéndola dibujar. "Su arte era mucho más avanzado que las figuras de palitos que uno ve de otros padres," el dijo. "Siempre supe que mi mamá tenía talento. Era algo que sabía." Con el paso del tiempo, Hernandez se dió cuenta de que habia heredado algo más que admiración. "Siempre tuve esta conexión natural con mi mamá," dijo "Podemos ver algo, hacerlo, y dibujarlo." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-2.png) Paul y Anita en una exhibición. | Provided by ****Anita Piotrowski** Ahora esta viendo como lo mismo ocurre de nuevo. "Mi hijo más joven también esta intentando volverse un artista." Él es el que puso las obras de Piotrowski en Reddit el año pasado, luego de que ella se creara una cuenta de Instagram para su arte. La respuesta los sorprendió a ambos. **Lo que la Biblioteca Vió** El camino al Parque Humboldt empezó con un rechazo. Piotrowski aplicó a una convocatoria abierta en la Biblioteca Harold Washington para artistas locales. Ella no fue seleccionada. Pero la biblioteca le dijo algo aparte: ella ahora estaba en el archivo colgante de artistas de la Biblioteca Pública de Chicago, un registro de artistas de Chicago que se remonta desde los 1900s. También le dijeron que las otras sucursales del vecindario a veces tienen exhibiciones y talleres, y que es bienvenida a contactarse. "No me importó que no me eligieran," dijo Piotrowski. "Ese era el premio. La gente va a ver mi arte." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Anita-014.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Anita-012.jpg) La entrada de la sucursal en el Parque Humboldt. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Ella misma contactó a la sucursal en el Parque Humboldt. Tenía sentido: la familia de su padre era de Puerto Rico, y sus primos solían vivir en el vecindario. "Todo lo que hace, ya sea un edredón de Puerto Rico o Chicago, en realidad es sobre quiénes somos como personas," dijo Hernandez. "Nacimos y crecimos en Chicago, y amamos compartir el arte con la cuidad. Piotrowski cogió sus obras y se reunió con la gerente de la sucursal Kristin LoDolce y Maria Maia, una bibliotecaria de la sección de adultos. LoDolce dijo que la decisión fue muy fácil. "Nos envió unas fotos de su trabajo, y nos encantó," dijo "He visitado la isla de Vieques yo misma, el lugar que dos de sus edredones muestran, y pensé que sus piezas realmente capturaron la calidez y el espíritu alegre de la isla. Cuatro edredones fueron elegidos para la exposición, LoDolce describió que la elección se basó en los temas de regresar al hogar, identidad, lazos familiares. Uno de ellos, *Sabíduria y Juventud*, muestra a la hija de Piotrowski cuando era joven sentada con su tía abuela en Vieques, con las palmeras y gallos en el fondo. Otro muestra el horizonte de Chicago desde el punto de vista de la calle. El contraste, dijo LoDolce , resonó con la comunidad que conoce los dos mundos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-4.png) Piotrowski al lado de su exposición en la surcusal del Parque Humboldt, donde se muestran cuatro de sus piezas. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “El Parque Humboldt es el corazón de la comunidad de Puerto Rico en Chicago, dijo LoDolce. "Varios de nuestros residents comparten esa experiencia de volver a la isla, o de balancear ambas culturas" La respuesta a la exhibición fue inmediata. "En el primer fin de semana luego de la apertura, tuvimos gente venir específicamente para verla luego de escuchar sobre ella en redes sociales," dijo LoDolce. El interés en el taller hizo que los cupos se llenaran rápidamente. Puede que añadan una segunda fecha. **Lo que la Jubilación Hizo Posible** Piotrowski ahora trabaja en un cuarto aparte que tiene en su departamento en Oak Park, donde tiene tres máquinas y todas las telas que pudo salvar luego de mudarse de su hogar más grande en Frankfort. Primero hace un boceto, toma fotos cuando puede, y deja que la tela decida lo que pasa después. "Pongo los bocetos bajo la tela, dibujo, y pienso sobre que telas me darán las texturas que quiero," ella dijo. Algunas piezas son cosidas a mano. Algunas son cosidas con la máquina. La meta siempre es la textura, lo único que no puedes tener de una fotografía. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Anita-004-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Anita-005-2.jpg) ****\[IZQUIERDA\]** Piotrowski mostrando so edredón **soldaderas*. ****\[DERECHA\]** Piotrowski con su edredón del Instituto de Arte****.** | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Ella ya aplicó para una exhibición en otra biblioteca de Chicago y esta planeando contactar a la sucursal de Beverly, la cuál Piotrowski acaba de aprender que esta cerca de una tienda de edredones y del distrito de arte. "Como dije, saltas y nadas ... y sigues nadando," ella dijo. Luego de décadas de ver a su madre trabajar, la imagen cobra sentido para Hernandez. "Estás hablando de la mujer que trabajo en seguros, trabajó como nadie por nosotros e hizo todo este asombroso trabajo," él dijo, "Y ahora puede mostrar su arte al resto del público. Nosotros, como familia, estamos muy emocionados por ella." --- *Los edredones de Anita Piotrowski están disponibles en la sucursal del Parque Humboldt de la Biblioteca Pública de Chicago.* *Su taller,* [*Como Hacer Arte con un Edredón* ](https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/events/6983b767d2bbe265eb2c3cb3?ref=15west.org) *tomará lugar el 21 de Marzo. *Ya no hay cupos disponibles*; fechas adicionales serán consideradas. Visita chipublib.org/events para más noticias.* ### Anita Piotrowski Finally Gets to Be Seen URL: https://www.15west.org/anita-piotrowski-finally-gets-to-be-seen/ Last updated: 2026-03-13T14:09:44.000Z For more than twenty years, Anita Piotrowski kept a sketch tucked in a drawer. It was a composite: a house clipped from one magazine, a green door from another, a wine bottle she liked the look of. She tried to bring it to life in acrylics. Then pastels. Then watercolors. None of it worked. The image waited, unfinished, for the right medium to find her. Then she retired from insurance in 2023 and started sorting through her fabric collection. That’s when everything changed. “I looked at one of my fabrics. I'm like, that looks like a door…" she said. "The fabric started speaking to me.” ![Fabric appliqué artwork titled 'GiGi' by Piotrowski, depicting a dark-haired woman in a red dress in front of a building with an arched green door, flanked by pink flowers and a small table with a bottle and bowl.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/First-Sketch-1-1-1-1.jpeg) Piotrowski's **GiGi* earned third place in 2022\. | Provided by ****Anita Piotrowski**. What came out of that moment was a fabric quilt — part appliqué, part hand-stitching, part found material. The 11-by-14 piece she made from that old sketch went on to place in the Oak Park Art League’s semi-annual juried show. It now lives in Florida, gifted to her sister. That first small quilt opened something. In the two years since retiring, Piotrowski, has built a body of work that moves between Chicago and the Caribbean: The Art Institute of Chicago’s lions, Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion, the Marshall Field Clock, her father’s island of Vieques in Puerto Rico, and [*soldaderas*](https://www.history.com/articles/women-mexican-revolution-soldaderas?ref=15west.org) of the Mexican Revolution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-015-1-1-1-1.jpg) Piotrowski's quilt depicting Vieques. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Four of those quilts are now on display at the Chicago Public Library's Humboldt Park Branch, where she's also set to lead a sold-out beginner art quilt workshop on March 21. At 66, she got there the same way she learned to sew: by teaching herself. **The Long Way Around** Piotrowski grew up on Chicago's southwest side, in a neighborhood called Sleepy Hollow, east of Cicero and south of Midway Airport. She's Mexican and Puerto Rican. Her father was from Vieques; her mother's family, a big one, filling the neighborhood's blocks. She learned early that when you want something, you figure it out. “My parents bought me and my sister a Midge doll,” she said, “but we could only get one outfit. And I was like, but I want more clothes for my Midge.” Her mother told her she'd have to make them. So she put the doll on a piece of cloth, traced around her, found her mother's cookie tin of needles and thread, and started stitching. She was a child. Nobody taught her. Her grandmother on her father's side was a seamstress in New York's garment district. She never passed anything down. Piotrowski doesn't fully understand how the skill arrived in her. “I don't know if it's nature," she said, "because I just started picking it up.” She sketched obsessively. She sewed. She took two classes in perspective at a junior college. She eventually found her way. “I'm kind of jump-off, swim-like-heck," she said. "You don't want to drown, so you're just going to keep swimming." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-001-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-002-1.jpg) ****\[LEFT\]** Piotrowski walking through an early sketch. ****\[RIGHT\]** Piotrowski talking through her process. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West*. What she didn't do, for most of her adult life, was make art professionally. After high school, she went straight into insurance. She stayed for decades, raised three kids, bought a house, and kept her sketchbooks in the background. “It was mainly just the job to meet the ends … to put three kids through college," she said. “That's all it really was.” Her son Paul Hernandez, 43, a marketing director, grew up watching her draw. “Her stuff was much more advanced than the stick figures you'd see from other parents,” he said. “I've always known my mom is talented. That's just been common knowledge.” Over time, Hernandez realized he’d inherited more than just admiration. “I've always found this natural connection to my mom,” he said. “We can look at something, we can make it, and we can draw it.” ![A young man and his mother stand side by side, a bouquet of roses between them, and pictures hanging on a gallery wall behind them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-and-Paul--1.jpeg) Paul and Anita at an exhibition. | Provided by ****Anita Piotrowski** Now he sees the same thing happening again. “My younger son is really trying to become an artist too.” He's the one who posted her work on Reddit last year, after she created an Instagram account for her art. The response surprised them both. **What the Library Saw** The path to Humboldt Park started with a rejection. Piotrowski applied to an open call at the Harold Washington Library for local artists. She wasn't selected. But the library told her something else: she was now listed in the Chicago Public Library's hanging files, a record of Chicago artists going back to the 1900s. They also told her that neighborhood branches sometimes host exhibits and workshops, and that she was welcome to reach out. “I didn't care that they didn't choose me,” she said. “That was the prize. People are going to see my art.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-014.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-012.jpg) The entrance of the Humboldt Park Branch. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* She reached out to the Humboldt Park Branch herself. It made sense: her father's family was Puerto Rican, and her cousins had lived in the neighborhood. “Everything that she does, whether it’s a quilt with Puerto Rico or Chicago, is really about who we are as people,” Hernandez said. “We’re Chicago, born and raised, and we love to share art back with the city.” Piotrowski brought in her work and sat down with branch manager Kristin LoDolce and Maria Maia, the adult librarian. LoDolce said the decision was easy. “She sent us some images of her work, and we were delighted,” she said. “I have visited the island of Vieques myself, where two of her quilts are set, and I just thought her pieces really captured the warmth and joyful spirit of the island.” Four quilts made the final display, chosen around what LoDolce described as the themes of homecoming, identity, and family ties. One of them, *Wisdom and Youth*, depicts Piotrowski's daughter as a child sitting with her great aunt in Vieques, palm trees and roosters in the background. Another shows Chicago's skyline from street level. The contrast, LoDolce said, resonated with a community that knows both worlds. ![Anita Piotrowski stands to the right of a large wood-framed glass display case mounted on a white wall inside a library. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-011-1.jpg) Piotrowski beside the display case at the Humboldt Park Branch where four of her pieces are currently on view. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “Humboldt Park is the heart of the Puerto Rican community in Chicago,” LoDolce said. “Many of our residents share that experience of going back to the island, or of straddling those cultures.” The response to the exhibit was immediate. “In the first weekend after it opened, we had folks coming in specifically to see it after hearing about it on social media,” LoDolce said. Interest in the workshop filled registration quickly. A second date may be added. **What Retirement Made Possible** Piotrowski now works out of a spare bedroom in her Oak Park condo, where she keeps three sewing machines and as many fabrics as she could salvage after downsizing from a larger home in Frankfort. She sketches first, takes photos when she can, then lets the fabric direct what comes next. “I'll put them down on the fabric, trace them out, and figure out which fabrics give me the textures I want," she said. Some pieces are hand-sewn. Some go through the machine. The goal is always texture, the thing you can't get from a photograph. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-004.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Anita-005.jpg) ****\[LEFT\]** Piotrowski holding her **soldaderas* quilt. ****\[RIGHT\]** Piotrowski with her Art Institute quilt****.** | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* She has already applied to exhibit at another Chicago library and is planning to reach out to the Beverly branch, which she recently learned sits near a quilt shop and arts district. “Like I said, you jump in and you swim … and you just keep going,” she said. After decades of watching his mother work, the picture comes into focus for Hernandez. “You're talking about a woman that worked in insurance, busted her ass for us, and did all this great work," he said. "And now she's actually able to showcase all of her art to the rest of the public. For us as a family, we're just super excited for her.” --- *Anita Piotrowski's quilts are on display at the Chicago Public Library's Humboldt Park Branch.* *Her* [*How to Make an Art Quilt* ](https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/events/6983b767d2bbe265eb2c3cb3?ref=15west.org)*workshop takes place March 21\. *Registration is full*; additional dates may be added. Visit chipublib.org/events for updates.* ### Luego de la Operación Midway Blitz, Little Village se rehúsa a desaparecer URL: https://www.15west.org/after-operation-midway-blitz-little-village-refuses-to-disappear-2/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T19:07:46.000Z Mayra Padilla nunca había visto algo como eso. "Nunca he visto agentes en cinco, cuatro SUVs por aquí, saliendo y molestando a una pobre señora de edad," dijo Mayra Padilla, una residente desde hace mucho tiempo. "Nunca he visto gas lacrimógeno. Nunca había visto armas tan de cerca." Desde Setiembre a Diciembre del 2025, las redadas federales de inmigración azotaron el vecindario del Southwest Side como parte de la [Operación Midway Blitz](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/09/08/ice-launches-operation-midway-blitz-honor-katie-abraham-target-criminal-illegal?ref=15west.org), una operación que tuvo como objectivo lo que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional llama "lo peor de los peores criminales indocumentados." Para los residentes de Little Village, el aumento de su presencia creó miedo y consecuencias económicas. "...Todo se detiene," dijo Rocio Padilla, otra residente. "Literalmente se siente como si todo se congelara...la gente no sale a la calle." Ella describió como las familias se escondían en sus casas, incluso se ha visto a algunos residentes correr hacia las tiendas para escapar de la calle. El 4 de Julio del 2025, el Presidente Donald Trump firmó la ley [H.R.1](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/all-actions?ref=15west.org), también conocida como la "[Bella Y Enorme Medida Legislativa](https://www.whitehouse.gov/obbb/?ref=15west.org)" (One Big Beautiful Bill / OBBB). La ley incluía $45 billones de dólares para financiar nuevos centros de detención de inmigrantes, incluyendo centros de detención para familias. En Setiembre, Little Village sintió el impacto de la OBBB. La presencia de ICE aumentó, y los residentes de Little Village dejaron de sentirse seguros en sus casas, en el vecindario que una vez fue su refugio. Little Village — conocido como La Villita — es uno de los vecindarios más vibrantes y culturalmente distintivos de Chicago. Ubicado entre la Avenida Western y la Avenida Cicero en el Southwest Side, es una comunidad con una alta concentración de residentes latinos, murales atrevidos, y negocios familiares que han servido a la gente por generaciones. El atestado corredor de negocios del vecindario es el segundo distrito de Chicago que genera más impuestos después del Magnificent Mile. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-4.png) Un vendedor ambulante le sirve a un cliente en Little Village. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Los restaurantes como [El Milagro](https://el-milagro.com/?ref=15west.org), [Los Comales](https://www.loscomales.com/?ref=15west.org), y [Los Mangos](https://www.los-mangos.com/?ref=15west.org) están junto a las icónicas tiendas de vestidos de quinceañera y vendedores ambulantes, creando un latido cultural. "Esa es nuestra cultura," dijo Mayra Padilla. “Donde come uno, comen dos … hacemos que te sientas bienvenido." El aumento de ICE tuvo un impacto que va más allá de la economía; fue la lenta destrucción de una comunidad que ya ha tenido que enfrentar otros obstáculos. Baltazar Enríquez, el Presidente del [Little Village Community Council](https://www.facebook.com/lvcommunitycouncil/), describió lo que él ve como una estrategia intencional para debilitar a la comunidad. "Yo destruiría su economía. Destruiré a sus familias llevándome a su panadero," dijo, argumentando que las redadas son motivadas por el miedo por la economía y poder político de los latinos. Otros miembros de la comunidad interpretan el enfoque como perfilado racial más que una prioridad de seguridad pública. Según los datos recolectados por la [Encuesta Comunitaria Americana](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.html?ref=15west.org) del 2016 al 2020 de [5 años](https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-kits/2021/acs-5-year.html?ref=15west.org), La Villita esta predominantemente formada por residentes latinoamericanos: 81% de identifican como latinoamericanos, 75% como mexicanos / mexicanos estado unidenses, 13% como africanos estado unidenses, y 37% nacieron en el extranjero. “Little Village tiene una concentración alta de inmigrantes, de hispanos ... muchas personas que aún no hablan inglés," dijo Rocio Padilla. "Siento que \[ICE\] no tienen un objetivo real, solo le están apuntando a cualquier cosa, y si le da a algo, ya fue." Los defensores locales temen que la presencia de ICE en la comunidad haya afectado a la salud mental de los niños, ya que hay estudiantes a los que les cuesta concentrarse en la escuela en medio de la ansiedad sobre la seguridad de sus familias. "Nuestra juventud está pasando por una depresión complicada...porque todo lo que ven es violencia, en sus casas...en la escuela...en las calles," dijo Enríquez. "Tienen miedo de que sus padres vayan al trabajo y no vuelvan a casa, y no solo tienen miedo, sino que tampoco son capaces de aprender." Jocelyn Tenorio, un voluntario con la [Asociación de Vendedores Ambulantes de Chicago](https://streetvendorsac.org/?ref=15west.org) y residente de Little Village, explicó como la presencia de ICE esta impactando la salud en general. "La manera en la que pensamos sobre como nuestro cuerpo guarda el trauma va más allá, más problemas de salud mental, más ansiedad que nuestros cuerpos sienten. Diría que esos son definitivamente los efectos a largo plazo que veo." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/08/image-5.png) Margarita Guerrero, una residente de Little Village por 60 años fuera de su casa. | ****Alondra Carmona/** *15 West* Los residentes han empezado a apoyarse en lugar de apartarse los unos de los otros. "La gente aquí no se siente segura, no sienten que haya apoyo de las autoridades," dijo Margarita Guerrero, una residente de Little Village por 60 años. "Nuestro concejal, nuestro representante dicen muchas cosas, pero no hay acción." Esa sensación de ser abandonados ha hecho que los residentes se organicen entre ellos. "Deberíamos unirnos ahora más que nunca y seguir ayudándonos entre todos," dijo Tenorio. Ella dice que la imposición y vigilancia de ICE son parte del mismo sistema manifestándose en diferentes maneras, y dejar que esas diferencias pongan a las comunidades en contra de otras sería un error. Los residentes aún mantienen la esperanza, construyendo redes y atendiendo talleres sobre sus derechos, incluso crean soporte financiero para apoyar a los vendedores de comida locales. "Compra de los negocios locales de aquí, porque sé que son los que más van a sufrir," dijo Mayra Padilla. Para Enríquez, el camino es claro: "Little Village es resistente, tiene gente resistente, y sabemos que luego de la tormenta saldrá el sol, solo tenemos que enseñarle a nuestra gente como seguir luchando, como seguir organizándonos." ### After Operation Midway Blitz, Little Village refuses to disappear URL: https://www.15west.org/after-operation-midway-blitz-little-village-refuses-to-disappear/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T10:08:48.000Z Mayra Padilla had never seen anything like it before. “I've never seen agents in five, four SUVs driving down the Village, getting out and harassing one poor old woman,” Mayra Padilla, a long-time resident, said. “I've never seen tear gas before. I've never seen guns this close.” From September to December 2025, federal immigration raids swept through the Southwest Side neighborhood as part of [Operation Midway Blitz](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/09/08/ice-launches-operation-midway-blitz-honor-katie-abraham-target-criminal-illegal?ref=15west.org), an enforcement operation targeting what the Department of Homeland Security calls “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.” For Little Village residents, the increased presence created fear and economic fallout. “... Everything stops,” said Rocio Padilla, another resident. “It literally feels like everything freezes … people don't come out.” She described families retreating indoors, with some residents seen running into nearby stores to get off the street. On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law [H.R.1](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/all-actions?ref=15west.org), also known as “[One Big Beautiful Bill](https://www.whitehouse.gov/obbb/?ref=15west.org)” (OBBB). The bill included a $45 billion fund to build new immigration detention centers, including family detention facilities. By September, Little Village felt the impact of OBBB. ICE presence increased, and residents of Little Village no longer felt safe in their home, in the neighborhood that had once been a haven. Little Village — known as La Villita — is one of Chicago’s most vibrant and culturally distinct neighborhoods. Located between Western Avenue and Cicero Avenue on the Southwest Side, the community has a high concentration of Latino residents, bold murals, and family-run businesses that have served generations. The neighborhood’s bustling business corridor is Chicago’s second-highest tax-generating district, next to the Magnificent Mile. ![Three people wait at an outdoor food vendor stand beneath a white tent, with a Venezuelan flag displayed behind the food display case.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/LV-002.jpeg) A street vendor serves customers in Little Village. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Restaurants such as [El Milagro](https://el-milagro.com/?ref=15west.org), [Los Comales](https://www.loscomales.com/?ref=15west.org), and [Los Mangos](https://www.los-mangos.com/?ref=15west.org) stand alongside iconic quinceañera dress shops and street vendors, creating a cultural heartbeat. “That’s our culture,” said Mayra Padilla. “Donde come uno, comen dos … where one person eats, two people can also eat … We will make you feel welcome.” Increased ICE presence had a broader impact that goes beyond economics; it's the slow destruction of a community that has already had to face other obstacles. Baltazar Enríquez, President of the [Little Village Community Council](https://www.facebook.com/lvcommunitycouncil/), described what he sees as a deliberate strategy to undermine the community. "I would destroy their economics. I will destroy families by taking the breadmaker," he said, arguing the raids are driven by fear of Latino economic and political power. Other community members interpret the targeting as racial profiling rather than public safety priorities. Based on data collected by the [American Community Survey](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.html?ref=15west.org) 2016-2020 [5-year estimates](https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-kits/2021/acs-5-year.html?ref=15west.org), La Villita is made up of predominantly Latinx residents: 81% identifying as Latinx, 75% as Mexican/Mexican American, 13% African American, and 37% foreign born. “Little Village has a high concentration of immigrants, of Hispanics … a lot of people that don’t even speak English yet,” Rocio Padilla said. “I feel like \[ICE\] don’t have a real target, they’re just aiming for something, and if it hits something, then that’s it.” Local advocates fear the increased ICE presence in the community has taken a toll on children’s mental health, with students struggling to concentrate in school amid anxiety about their families’ safety. “Our youth are going through a complicated depression … because they're seeing violence at home … in the school … in the street,” Enríquez said. “They're afraid for \[their parents\] going to work and not coming back home, and not only afraid, but they're also not able to learn.” Jocelyn Tenorio, a volunteer with the [Street Vendors Association](https://streetvendorsac.org/?ref=15west.org) of Chicago and Little Village resident, explained how ICE presence is impacting her overall health. “The way that we think of how our body stores that trauma, as far as like, even more mental health issues, even more anxiety that our bodies feel. So I would say those are definitely the kind of long-term effects that I see.” ![A woman smiles while holding a small gray and white dog on a porch, with a red brick building and snow-covered street visible behind her.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/Margarita-1.jpg) Margarita Guerrero, a 60-year resident of Little Village, outside her home. | ****Alondra Carmona/** *15 West* Residents have begun turning toward each other rather than away. “The people here, they don't feel safe, they don't feel like there's any support from the authorities,” said Margarita Guerrero, a 60-year resident of Little Village. “Our Alderman, our representative, they say a lot, but there's no action.” That sense of abandonment has pushed residents to organize among themselves. “We should be uniting more now than never, and continue showing up for each other,” Tenorio said. She argues that ICE enforcement and policing are part of the same system, manifesting in different ways, and letting those differences pit communities against each other would be a mistake. Locals remain hopeful, building networks and attending know-your-rights workshops, even creating financial support for local food vendors. “Buy from the local businesses here, because I know they're going to be hurting the most,” Mayra Padilla said. For Enríquez, the path forward is clear: “Little Village is resilient, has resilient people, and we know that after the storm, the sun's going to come out, and we just got to teach our people how to continue the fight, how to continue organizing.” #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com) --- #### How to Support Little Village - ****Shop local on 26th Street** *\-* [**El Milagro*](https://el-milagro.com/?ref=15west.org)**,* [**Los Comales*](https://www.loscomales.com/?ref=15west.org)**,* and [**Los Mangos*](https://www.los-mangos.com/?ref=15west.org) - [****Street Vendors Association of Chicago**](https://streetvendorsac.org/?ref=15west.org#involved) - [****Little Village Community Council**](https://www.facebook.com/lvcommunitycouncil/) - ****Know your rights workshops** *\-* [**En Lace*](https://www.enlacechicago.org/?ref=15west.org)**, Chicago Public Library (*[littlevillage@chipublib.org](mailto:littlevillage@chipublib.org)**),* [**Little Village Chamber of Commerce*](https://littlevillagechamber.org/%E2%AD%90-know-your-rights-empowering-our-community-%E2%AD%90/?ref=15west.org) - ****Contact your representatives** *\-* [**Find Your Ward and Alderman*](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/iframe/lookup%5Fward%5Fand%5Falderman.html?ref=15west.org)**,* [**Find your U.S. Rep*](https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative?ref=15west.org) - ****Donate or volunteer** ### Como la Fundación Ojalá esta Construyendo la Comunidad Latino Musulmana que Chicago Nunca Tuvo URL: https://www.15west.org/como-la-fundacion-ojala-esta-construyendo-la-comunidad-latino-musulmana-que-chicago-nunca-tuvo/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:16:41.000Z Cada Viernes en la tarde en el lado oeste de Chicago, los voluntarios de la [Fundación Ojalá](https://ojalafoundation.org/?ref=15west.org) dan comida y paquetes de cuidado para el invierno. Pero antes de irse, también dan otra cosa: noticias sobre donde se ha visto a ICE. "No estan leyendo las noticias todos los dias y no estan necesariamente informados. Mientras les dejamos cosas, les avisamos de que estan buscando a personas...ser uno de los primeros grupos que hablan con estas personas les ayuda a mantenerse informados," dijo Jordan Esparza-Kelley, miembro de Ojalá y Coordinador de Comunicaciones de [CAIR-Chigado](https://www.cairchicago.org/?ref=15west.org). Para Ojalá, ese es un Viernes cualquiera. La organización basada en la fe musulmana ha pasado años creando algo inusual en Berwyn: un hogar para Latinos Musulmanes, y un vecindario para todos los demás. "Es importante para nosotros ser capaces de llevarle recursos a la gente que más los necesitan. Algunas personas perdieron sus trabajos, algunas personas no tenían ingresos, otras personas tenían miedo de salir de sus casas," dijo Alma Campos, co-fundadora de la Fundación Ojalá. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-27.png) Un líder de la comunidad Ojalá hablándole a la audiencia. | Foto de ****Jordan Esparza-Kelley** Como parte de una iniciativa para ayudar a la población sin hogar, Ojalá ha servido a la población del oeste de Chicago consistentemente en los últimos ocho años. Más de una docena de voluntarios se reúnen cada semana cerca de la intersección de la Avenida Oeste y la Calle 19\. "Al hacer este programa, han sido capaces de ofrecer comida y ropa para tantas personas en esta zona predominantemente Latina, pero también son las primeras personas que interactúan con estas personas por largos periodos de tiempo," dijo Esparza-Kelley. Mientras Ojalá este es Berwyn, el grupo basado en la fe musulmana esta construyendo un espacio seguro para la población Latino Musulmana en Chicagoland. "Mientras intentábamos construirnos a nosotros mismos y nuestras familias, decidimos que íbamos a construir toda una comunidad y a todo el mundo que venga," dijo Campos. Su alcance va más allá de la demografía. "Hay un grupo de estudiantes que se reúnen en las escaleras de Ojalá todas las mañanas antes de ir a la escuela, y no son musulmanes. Sin embargo, hemos establecido una relación con ellos, y ahora nos conocen, y saben sobre el trabajo que hacemos," dijo Esparza-Kelley. Desde el [Festival de Cine de Justicia de Muhammad Ali](https://muslimciviccoalition.org/events/muhammad-ali-justice-film-festival?ref=15west.org) en la Universidad Musulmana Americana hasta la [Convención Anual MAS](https://masconvention.org/?ref=15west.org), Ojalá esta sirviendo a varias comunidades en la ciudad de distintas maneras. Para varios latinos convertidos musulmanes, Ojalá fue uno de los primeros lugares donde se vieron representados. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-28.png) Banderas de México y Palestinia en la celebración de Ei de Ojalá. | Foto de ****Jordan Esparza-Kelley** Aunque los medios dominantes intentan agrupar y etiquetar comunidades, hay diversidad en las personas que se identifican como Latinos. "Supe que podía ser mexicano y podía ser musulmán, y que esas cosas nunca estarían en conflicto," dijo said Esparza-Kelley, “Ninguna cultura tiene una identidad monolítica ...la comunidad mexicana de Chicago nunca ha tenido representación en los medios nacionales, y por eso creamos nuestra propia cultura. Mientras algunos feriados se pueden sentir solitarios, Ojalá crea la oportunidad de conexión entre los musulmanes convertidos, "Creo que cualquiera que nació en el Islam es bastante afortunado, porque para un convertido cosas como responsabilizarnos, tener a alguien con quien comer *suhoor* e *iftar* son cosas que la mayoría de veces tenemos que hacer solos," dijo la convertida Ismary Monterosso. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-29.png) Un niño intentando acariciar un burro | Foto de ****Jordan Esparza-Kelley** La Fundación Ojalá esta en medio del proceso de abrir la primera mezquita liderada por un latino en Berwyn. Consiguieron la propiedad a unas cuantas cuadras abajo del distrito norte del parque Berwyn en Mayo del 2025\. El centro Islámico Ojalá esta en la fase 3 de volverse una mezquita completamente funcional y un centro comunitario para servir a todos los vecinos y miembros de la comunidad. Este Ramadán, la mezquita abrió sus puertas a la comunidad para las cinco oraciones diarias. Mientras que la organización sin fines de lucro sigue creciendo, creará oportunidades de conexión y servicio para personas que todo tipo. Esparza-Kelley dijo, "La celebración de Eid de Ojalá es una de las celebraciones más diversas ...así es como debe ser, se supone que todos estemos juntos, disfrutando de la compañia y la belleza de las culturas, tradiciones y costumbres." Luego de atender la celebración de Eid de Ojalá en el 2025, Monterosso dijo "Ser capaz de celebrar el Eid con otros con experiencias similares es muy reconfortante." Para Campos, la mezquita es una extensión de esa misma visión. "El Islam no solo es para un grupo de personas, cruza culturas, y es para todos." ### How Ojala Foundation Is Building What Chicago's Latino Muslim Community Never Had URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/how-ojala-foundation-is-building-what-chicagos-latino-muslim-community-never-had/ Last updated: 2026-02-24T21:58:21.000Z Every Friday evening on Chicago's West Side, volunteers from [Ojala Foundation ](https://ojalafoundation.org/?ref=15west.org)hand out food and winter care packages. But before they leave, they pass along something else: word of where ICE has been spotted. “They are not reading the news every day and are not necessarily informed. As we're dropping stuff off, we are letting them know they are looking for people … being one of the first groups that reach these people just helped keep them informed,” said Jordan Esparza-Kelley, Ojala member and Communications Coordinator at [CAIR-Chicago](https://www.cairchicago.org/?ref=15west.org). For Ojala, that's just a Friday. The faith-based organization has spent years quietly building something rare in Berwyn: a home for Latino Muslims, and a neighbor to everyone else. “It is important for us to be able to get resources to people that need them. Some people lost their jobs, some people didn't have an income coming in, some people were scared to leave their homes,” said Alma Campos, co-founder of Ojala Foundation. ![A young man in a light blue robe speaks into a microphone outdoors, holding papers, while attendees listen in the foreground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/6b377562-c845-4578-aa40-03ca4c5f0f07-1.jpg) An Ojala community leader addresses attendees. | Provided by ****Jordan Esparza-Kelley** As part of an initiative to aid the unhoused population, Ojala has consistently served the West Side of Chicago for the past eight years. More than a dozen volunteers meet weekly near the intersection of Western Avenue and 19th Street. “In doing this program, they've been able to provide food and clothing supplies for so many people in this predominantly Latino area, but also are often the first people to interact with these people for long periods of time,” said Esparza-Kelley. While Ojala is based in Berwyn, the faith-based group is building a safe space for the Latino Muslim population across Chicagoland. “As we were trying to build ourselves and our families, we decided we're going to build up the whole community and everybody else that comes along the way,” said Campos. Their reach goes far beyond this specific demographic. “There's actually a group of students that meet on the stairs of Ojala every morning before they go to school, and they're actually not Muslim. However, we've established a relationship with them, and now they know us, and they know about the work that we do,” said Esparza-Kelley. From the [Muhammad Ali Justice Film Festival](https://muslimciviccoalition.org/events/muhammad-ali-justice-film-festival?ref=15west.org) at the American Muslim College to the [Annual MAS Convention](https://masconvention.org/?ref=15west.org), there are many ways in which Ojala is serving various communities within the city. For many Latino Muslim reverts, Ojala was one of the first places to experience representation. ![A Palestinian flag and a Mexican flag held together near a bare tree at an outdoor gathering on a sunny day.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/54209314-aabc-4020-9b30-7c426e51b4fc.jpg) Palestinian and Mexican flags at Ojala's Eid celebration. | Provided by ****Jordan Esparza-Kelley** Although mainstream media attempts to group and label communities, there is diversity to be found in people who identify as Latino. “I knew that I could be Mexican and I could be Muslim, and those things are never in conflict with each other,” said Esparza-Kelley, “No culture has a monolithic identity … the Chicago Mexican community has never really had a national media representation, and because of that, we created our own culture.” While holidays can be lonesome at times, Ojala creates opportunity for connection among Muslim reverts. “I think that anyone born into Islam is very blessed because for a revert, things like holding ourselves accountable, having someone to eat *suhoor* and *iftar* with are most things that we have to do alone,” said revert Ismary Monterosso. ![A child in a black hoodie pets a dark brown donkey inside a metal fence enclosure at an outdoor community event.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/85b82445-e800-409a-8d80-fa7b986147cd.jpg) A child reaches out to pet a donkey. | Provided by ****Jordan Esparza-Kelley** The Ojala Foundation is currently in the process of opening the first Latino-led mosque in Berwyn. They acquired a property a few blocks down from the North Berwyn Park District in May 2025\. The Ojala Islamic Center is in Phase 3 of becoming a fully functioning mosque and community center to serve community members and neighbors alike. This Ramadan, the mosque has opened its doors to the community for the five daily prayers. As the non-profit organization continues to grow, it creates opportunities for connection and service for people of all backgrounds. Esparza-Kelley said, “Ojala’s Eid celebration is one of the most diverse celebrations … this is how we're supposed to be, we're all supposed to be together, enjoying each other and enjoying the beauty of everyone's culture, traditions and customs.” Having attended Ojala’s Eid celebration in 2025, Monterosso said “Being able to celebrate with others for Eid with similar experiences is very comforting.” For Campos, the mosque is an extension of that same vision. “Islam is not just meant for one group of people, it crosses cultures, and it is for everyone.” #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) --- #### Story terms defined ****Revert** \- In Islam, a revert is someone who converts to the faith, based on the belief that everyone is born Muslim and is therefore "reverting" rather than converting. ****Suhoor and Iftar** \- **Suhoor* is the pre-dawn meal eaten before the daily fast begins during Ramadan; **iftar* is the meal eaten at sunset to break the fast. ****Ramadan** \- Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims, the followers of [Islam](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam?ref=15west.org). It celebrates the month during which the Prophet Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran, the holy book for Muslims, in the 7th century. ### Pilsen Has Lived Through One Bad Demolition. Residents Are Fighting to Make Sure Fisk Is Different. URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/pilsen-has-lived-through-one-bad-demolition-residents-are-fighting-to-make-sure-fisk-is-different/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T16:44:13.000Z Filiberto Ramirez grew up in Pilsen just blocks from the Fisk site, and later spent years working at the Crawford coal power station in the 1980s. As a young worker, he shoveled coal in constant clouds of dust that settled on clothing, food, and in workers' lungs—especially during breaks. “The companies knew how dangerous this stuff is,” Ramirez said. No one else in his family has a history of respiratory illness. He does. Today, Ramirez lives with asthma, a condition he says developed after years inside the plant. Several of his former coworkers now suffer from chronic respiratory diseases as well. Leila Mendez has lived across the street from the Fisk plant her entire life. Mendez moved to the neighborhood from Puerto Rico in 1967 at age nine, when her father purchased an apartment building across from the Fisk coal plant—the same building her and her siblings were raised in. In 1998, she was diagnosed with cancer despite no family history of the disease, and this year she was diagnosed with breast cancer and emphysema, a chronic lung condition most commonly associated with smoking. Yet, neither Mendez nor her family members have ever smoked. “The look the doctor gave me when she confirmed that this was because I grew up next to the coal plant, it shocked me,” she recalled. Illness has shaped her family history as well: her sister died at 21 after years of neurological decline, and her father, who never smoked, died of lung cancer at the age of 94\. Now 67, she has spent the past decade working with P.E.R.R.O., speaking at public meetings and press conferences. #### ❓Who is P.E.R.R.O.? Since 2004, the [Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization](https://pilsenperro.org/?ref=15west.org), a.k.a. P.E.R.R.O., has organized around the principles of ****environmental justice**—the belief that communities facing economic and racial inequities deserve equal protection from environmental harm. The organization began with just five community members and has since grown into a space grounded in collective care and multicultural practice. Meetings (often bilingual) begin with shared food and personal check-ins before turning to strategy. [According to Block Club Chicago](https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/29/pilsen-neighbors-urge-city-to-reject-fisk-power-station-demolition-permits/?ref=15west.org), Mendez told city officials at a September 2025 hearing on the future of the Fisk site:[ “I'm here to fight for the children, the people of all ages, seniors like me, that have been affected, and for the people that have died. Halt the demolition if you are not ready to do it properly.](https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/53244/monsters-los-monstruos?ref=15west.org)” In the final months of the year, after weeks of unanswered emails, P.E.R.R.O. organizers marched to City Hall to demand justice and accountability for Pilsen residents. This time, City Hall listened. ![A wide shot of protesters spread across the entrance of a government building. A coffin-shaped sign reading "Fisk Kills" is visible in the foreground. Demonstrators hold signs and an "Environmental Justice" banner is laid on the ground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/Fisk-3-1-1.jpeg) P.E.R.R.O. organizers and residents demand accountability from the city. | Provided by ****Zitlalli Paez** That organizing led to a major victory when the group successfully halted the Fisk demolition until proper toxic chemical testing could be conducted. Members say their work extends beyond stopping demolition: they are also advocating for the adaptive reuse of the site, arguing it could be transformed into a community-centered space. Still, organizers say the fight is far from over. #### ❓What is adaptive reuse? ****Adaptive reuse** means repurposing an existing building or site for a new use rather than demolishing it. For communities like Pilsen, it offers an alternative to demolition that could ****reduce environmental risk** while preserving a site's cultural and historical significance. Built in the early 1900s and decommissioned in 2012, the Fisk coal plant has long posed serious environmental and health risks to surrounding neighborhoods. In the years following its closure, [studies began ](https://www.pilsenperro.org/ej/air-of-injustice%5Fenglish.pdf?ref=15west.org)linking plant emissions to increased rates of [asthma](https://www.pilsenperro.org/coal/Harvard%5FCALPUFF.pdf?ref=15west.org) and cancer within the community. The history of environmental damage in this community is far too familiar. On April 11, 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a contractor for Hilco Redevelopment Partners (now HRP Group) imploded the smokestack of the former Crawford coal plant, releasing a massive cloud of hazardous dust that blanketed homes, streets, and yards across Little Village. The incident resulted in a [$12.25 million settlement](https://borderlessmag.org/2024/03/20/hilco-crawford-coal-plant-littlevillage-settlement-lvejo-environmental-justice/?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=23519276343&gbraid=0AAAAACB8dyg%5FNt%5FisJ4Dp37Jk1GjfT3HN&gclid=CjwKCAiAwNDMBhBfEiwAd7ti1BFE6VkFJEnCCi9dZpth-RnVWoPGDLo6VyXKt-x9b6zxixtdORBwABoCkV0QAvD%5FBwE&ref=15west.org) and exposed serious failures in required environmental control measures for hazardous demolitions. The dust contained fine particulate matter, including coal residue and other potentially toxic materials. In the aftermath, residents reported breathing difficulties and other respiratory symptoms, with many pointing to increased cases of[ asthma](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33734848/?ref=15west.org) and cancer. Both the Crawford and Fisk power plants rank [among the largest contributors](https://chicagotalks.colum.edu/crawford-fisk-plants-allowed-to-violate-clean-air-act-chicago-citizens-suffering/?utm%5F&ref=15west.org) to particulate air pollution in Chicago. The facilities are [owned by Midwest Generation](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1134016/000104746911001492/a2202146z10-k.htm?utm%5F&ref=15west.org), an offshoot of California-based Edison International, a corporation that supplies electricity to Commonwealth Edison. Yet [none](https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/pass-chicago-s-clean-power-ordinance-residents-say/?ref=15west.org) of the power generated at either plant is sold to Illinois utilities. As a result, Chicago residents absorb the environmental and health impacts of coal plants built without proper pollution controls, even as the energy produced is exported beyond the state. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/1L3A9154-1.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/03/1L3A9147.JPG) ****\[LEFT\]** Close-up of the dormant Fisk plant. ****\[RIGHT\]** Main entrance of the Fisk plant. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* *Midwest Generation and Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP Group) did not respond to multiple requests for comment sent in January*. Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, who represents Chicago’s 25th Ward encompassing Pilsen and parts of Little Village, has been a vocal advocate for protecting communities most directly impacted by the legacy of coal plant pollution. “My children and I live in close proximity to the site,” he said. “We take all the costs, and they reap all the benefits. They treat our communities like dumping grounds,” he added. Sigcho-Lopez noted that in the past year, the city succeeded in reopening the Department of Environment, but stressed that holding polluters accountable remains an ongoing struggle. After multiple requests for a meeting, he said they were granted just 30 minutes with company representatives earlier this year—a discussion that focused largely on projected economic gains and job creation, with little attention to long-term health impacts or environmental safeguards. “All we want is to sit down with representatives of the company and have an honest conversation,” he said. Organizers and residents point to specific chemicals on the site that they say have not been adequately tested, underscoring the potential risks of the Fisk demolition. P.E.R.R.O. members are particularly concerned about coal combustion residuals. #### ❓What are coal combustion residuals? Coal combustion residuals are the byproducts left behind when coal is burned for energy. They include coal ash, fly ash, bottom ash, slag, and chemicals used in coal cleaning. These materials can contain heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, selenium, nickel, and antimony, which are[ toxic](https://www.epa.gov/coal-combustion-residuals/coal-combustion-residuals-ccr-basics?ref=15west.org) even at low levels. When disturbed during demolition, they can spread through airborne dust, contaminated soil, or water runoff. Those concerns were echoed by physicians at the [Environmental Toxins & Your Health Conference](https://actionnetwork.org/events/teach-in-environmental-toxins-your-health?ref=15west.org) hosted by [Stand Up for Science Chicago](https://www.standupforscience.net/?ref=15west.org) on February 19, 2026\. Dr. Sharmilee M. Nyenhuis of the University of Chicago and Dr. Robert M. Sargis of the University of Illinois Chicago emphasized that air pollution’s effects are cumulative and now rank among the leading global causes of death. Sargis described methylene chloride as “one of the main chemicals released by industry and registered by the EPA,” warning that it can trigger chest pain, damage the central nervous system, and, at high levels, cause unconsciousness or death. Nyenhuis added that asphalt and diesel exhaust—a “mixture of gas and fine soot particles” from industrial activity—increases pulmonary inflammation, raises blood pressure, and adversely affects brain activity. “When the federal government is in the pockets of corporations and denies the facts of science and climate change, we must turn to local governments and demand that they hold the line,” Sigcho-Lopez said. For Zitlalli Paez, a President at P.E.R.R.O., the struggle over Fisk cannot be separated from the broader pressures facing Pilsen residents. In preparation for the Fisk rally, one gathering became an art build, blending protest-making with reflection. Paez said these rituals are essential for “transforming grief, fear, and exhaustion into sustained action.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/Fisk-6.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/Fisk-5.jpeg) ****\[LEFT\]** Members write postcards to city officials. ****\[RIGHT\]** Handwritten postcards and protest signs from P.E.R.R.O.'s art build ahead of the City Hall rally. | Provided by ****Zitlalli Paez** Paez emphasized that “the stakes are higher than before,” arguing that decisions about the site must be led by those who live with the consequences. She said demolition is too often treated as inevitable despite its documented health risks. “These places become part of the community historically and culturally,” she added, suggesting the site could be repurposed in ways that honor that history rather than risk further environmental harm. In September 2012, the City of Chicago created a [Fisk and Crawford Reuse Task Force](https://delta-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Fisk%5FCrawford%5FReuse%5FTask%5FForce%5FSept-2012.pdf?ref=15west.org) to explore redevelopment possibilities. Although the plans were never finalized, the task force reflected a broader effort to consider alternatives to demolition, a practice that continues nationwide and often carries significant environmental consequences. When Crawford was operating, coal was stored outdoors in massive mounds and sprayed with chemical solutions to suppress dust, largely before strong environmental regulations existed. Today, the land beneath the former plant is known to be contaminated, yet it has since been redeveloped into a Target distribution warehouse. That history shapes Ramirez’s fear about Fisk. Coal plants like Fisk operated for decades, allowing toxic materials to accumulate in walls, smokestacks, and surrounding soil. Demolishing them without strict safeguards risks releasing generations of pollution back into the community. “I don’t want to see history repeated in our community,” Ramirez said. “This stuff is essentially poison.” #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### In the first live-streamed genocide, Chicago challenges media narratives on Gaza URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/in-the-first-live-streamed-genocide-chicago-challenges-media-narratives-on-gaza/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T12:23:36.000Z A woman stood at a Chicago gallery last August, staring at a photograph of a Palestinian child smiling. It was the first photograph she had ever seen of any Palestinian smiling, she told organizers. Four months into a ceasefire that is violated almost [daily](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/16/us-declares-phase-two-of-gaza-ceasefire-but-what-did-phase-one-deliver?ref=15west.org) by Israel's missile strikes on Gaza, mainstream news organizations are accused of setting the stage for genocide. In Chicago, artists, educators, and journalists are confronting media bias through education and art. Photojournalist Ismail Abu Hatab was planning an exhibition of photos he took in the summer of 2024 in Deir al-Balah refugee camp, located in the south of Gaza, when he was killed by an Israeli missile strike in June 2025. The exhibition, [*Between Sky and Sea*](https://wallsturnedsideways.org/sky-and-sea-project/?ref=15west.org)*,* went on at [Walls Turned Sideways](https://wallsturnedsideways.org/?ref=15west.org) in East Garfield Park in July and August 2025, featuring sounds and photos from Deir al-Balah and a tent to recreate conditions inside the camps. “Ismail believed that transmitting feeling is more powerful than transmitting news,” said Ghada Hamwi, an organizer with [ByPalestine](https://www.instagram.com/bypa.bypalestine/?ref=15west.org), or ByPa, the organization created by Hatab to promote Palestinian art and stories. Matt Perry is an author and organizer with ByPa, who was a friend of Hatab and was heavily involved in organizing the Chicago exhibition. “The name *Between Sky and Sea* means those are the literal boundaries of their life. There's no place to go. There's the sea on one side, there's no Gaza left on the other. So it's just sky and sea.” Perry said. That observation reflects a broader pattern in American media coverage. Reports from [*Prism*](https://prismreports.org/2025/03/05/media-bias-gaza-cop-city/?ref=15west.org) and [*The Intercept*](https://theintercept.com/2024/01/09/newspapers-israel-palestine-bias-new-york-times/?ref=15west.org) showed a pro-Israel bias that has been pointed out by critics long before October 7, 2023\. *The Intercept*'s analysis found that coverage of Palestinians in major US outlets focused disproportionately on death, suffering, or Hamas, with far less humanizing coverage compared to Israelis. “Within that, there's a lot of photos of familial exchanges, people playing volleyball, children laughing, reading, elders passing on information, in addition to hurt, grieving, and suffering.” Perry continued. ![Several photographs arranged on floral-patterned fabric backgrounds. The photos show various scenes including groups of people walking, a woman in a pink hijab, and coastal scenes with laundry hanging. The fabrics feature bright flowers in turquoise, white, and navy patterns.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/WomanBSS.JPG) Photographs amid colorful floral fabrics, depicting community, resilience, and daily life in Gaza. | Provided by ****Bobby Vanecko** The everyday moments that are relatable to many such as eating breakfast, watching the news, going to work or school are not seen. Hamwi said, “It reveals the daily suffering caused by siege and war, while simultaneously emphasizing that the Gazan people do not surrender. Instead, they continue to resist through life itself, creating meaning, dignity, and hope out of nothing.” Palestinians are rarely given space to tell their own stories within mainstream news. When they are, they often face questioning that forces them to prove their innocence rather than share their viewpoints. More people are turning to alternative news outlets and stories from the occupied Palestinian territories and global solidarity movement. “I grew up with immigrant parents and my dad would always question American foreign policy. Most Americans don't really look at people who are Muslims and/or Arabs with their full humanity.” [Rummana Hussain](https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/rummana-hussain?ref=15west.org), a journalist-turned-columnist and South Asian Muslim who writes for the *Chicago Sun-Times*, has long been aware of the biases that exist in the newsroom. “I actually wrote my final paper for grad school at Northwestern on the languages used to describe Palestinians and the languages used to describe Israelis,” Hussain said. “The language that was used to describe Palestinians and Israelis were completely different. There's definitely dehumanizing language when it comes to Palestinians.” [Dr. Eman Abdelhadi](https://inthesetimes.com/authors/eman-abdelhadi?ref=15west.org) is a Palestinian-Egyptian American sociology professor at University of Chicago who researches Muslim-American experiences with a focus on gender. She has written about the Palestinian solidarity movement and Muslim-American [experiences](https://inthesetimes.com/article/muslims-palestine-islamophobia-palestine-israel-gaza?ref=15west.org) through 9/11 and resurgences in Islamophobia after 10/7. “CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, these institutions have a lot of blood on their hands and have been deeply culpable in manufacturing consent for these war machines and projects that have killed millions of innocents,” Abdelhadi said. “The so-called ‘War on Terror’ killed 27 million people. It destroyed Afghanistan, so much of the Middle East, and took so many lives across the world. It's absurd to expect us to trust these sources.” A [Gallup](https://news.gallup.com/poll/692948/u.s.-back-israel-military-action-gaza-new-low.aspx?ref=15west.org) poll from July 2025 shows that only 32% of Americans approve of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, a number that’s been steadily falling. Another [Gallup](https://news.gallup.com/poll/651977/americans-trust-media-remains-trend-low.aspx?ref=15west.org) poll from October 2024, shows that Americans’ trust in the media is at a record low. Perception of bias in media is one of the factors that leads to so much distrust in the media. “I think that for many people watching these sources justify what was so clearly a genocide alongside footage of children being pulled out of the rubble, it dealt a final kind of death blow to the legitimacy of these mainstream institutions and the very power structures that financed this with our money, our tax dollars, against popular protest, against the will of the American people,” Abdelhadi said. ![Several photographs clipped to a clothesline with wooden clothespins, showing various scenes including ocean views and people at a beach. Additional photos are visible in the background on what appears to be a desk or table surface.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/02/PhotosonClothesline.JPG) Photographs hang on a clothesline and capture moments of everyday life in Gaza. | Provided by ****Bobby Vanecko** Art is another avenue to confront dehumanizing depictions. Qais Assali, a Palestine-born University of Chicago graduate, artist, and fine arts professor, is making art out of dehumanizing language. [Branding Conflict](http://brandingconflict.com/?ref=15west.org) is an art project that “upends ideas of place, invisibility, erasure, nationalism, propaganda, war games, gender discourse, and resistance.” Branding Conflict consists of many related projects, and the newest is the [Glossary of Dehumanization: Words That Kill Palestinians and SWANA Affiliates](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8aZEbcOLQGU4%5F3fnKegtOwVNggJUPiSjLE111DrHvaMpiYA/viewform?ref=15west.org). This project will use art and data visualizations to explore how language is used in the “widespread pre-articulation of genocide.” News audiences have been presented with a narrative that many consider dehumanizing to Palestinians for a long time. In the age of social media, there are many narratives and perspectives available to audiences than ever before. Palestinians in Gaza are documenting their own lives through photos and videos, sharing moments of resilience, family life, and community that rarely make it into mainstream news coverage. The images that come out of Gaza speak for themselves, even as more journalists are slain while trying to share information with the public. There have been 265 journalists [killed](https://www.palestinechronicle.com/after-265-journalists-killed-in-gaza-herzog-says-media-barred-for-protection/?ref=15west.org) since October 7th, according to Palestine Chronicle. Their work offers the humanizing portraits of Palestinian life that exhibitions like *Between Sky and Sea* aim to preserve. Younger demographics have an even lower approval rating of Israel’s actions in Gaza, with only a nine percent approval rating from American adults between the ages of 18 and 34\. Trust in national news organizations has been steadily declining across all age demographics, and young adults have the [least](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/29/how-americans-trust-in-information-from-news-organizations-and-social-media-sites-has-changed-over-time/?ref=15west.org), according to the Pew Research Center. Hussain reflected that many journalists are feeling exhausted from current events in the U.S., along with major events and the surrounding discourse of the past few years. She continued, “As long as we're pushing the needle, even just a little forward, it's better than it going backwards. I do see a lot of hope in the younger generation. I get very invigorated looking at how they talk about things that I wouldn't even think about. I can be old-fashioned in some ways that I look at the newsroom, but I do like the energy from the younger generation and the questions they bring up. A lot of the ideas they have give me hope.” #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### De Terrenos Vacíos a Jardines de Resistencia URL: https://www.15west.org/de-terrenos-vacios-a-jardines-de-resistencia/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T22:31:52.000Z Paula Acevedo es una de las directoras de [El Paseo Community Garden](https://elpaseogarden.org/?ref=15west.org), un santuario en el barrio de Pilsen, en Chicago, que no siempre fue lo que es hoy en día. En 2009, el espacio era un terreno vacio, abandonado y contaminado por su pasado industrial. En cambio, hoy día alberga huertos privados y colectivos, un bosque comestible basado en principios de permacultura, un puesto agrícola con precios negociables y un santuario para las mariposas monarca. Pero la transformación de este lugar “no estuvo sin desafíos*"*, recuerda Acevedo, co-directora de El Paseo. En 2016, esos retos se intensificaron cuando la ciudad de Chicago presentó el proyecto Paseo Rails-to-Trails, una iniciativa para crear una nueva “vía verde urbana”. Aunque se presentó como una inversión para la comunidad, el proyecto también implicaba un aumento en el valor de las propiedades y, como pasa en muchos barrios en gentrificación, un aumento de los alquileres. Para El Paseo, la amenaza era inmediata: un proyecto pensado para crear más espacios verdes podía terminar desplazando a las mismas personas del barrio, a las que el jardín comunitario quiere apoyar. El Paseo forma parte de un movimiento creciente, donde la gente en los barrios están transformando terrenos vacíos en huertos urbanos para cosechar en comunidad. Estos espacios permiten cultivar alimentos, reconectarse con la tierra y cuidar colectivamente sus espacios. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/01/IsabelAtienza_LuckyJeffersonSubmission-1.jpg) Illustration: **Isabel Atienza**/**15West* Los huertos urbanos suelen surgir cuando comunidades que viven en la ciudad, sin acceso a grandes extensiones de tierra, identifican una necesidad. Estas necesidades pueden incluir la falta de alimentos frescos, de espacios verdes o de lugares dedicados a la cultura y la sanación colectiva. Ante esto, la comunidad se organiza para convertir terrenos abandonados en espacios compartidos que fortalecen y benefician al barrio. **La Historia Profundamente Politica** Mucho antes de que se usará el término *huerto urbano*, estos espacios ya existían como lugares de supervivencia, resistencia y organización comunitaria. Uno de los primeros ejemplos documentados surgió en [Detroit en la década de 1890](https://communityofgardens.si.edu/exhibits/show/historycommunitygardens/vacantlot?ref=15west.org). Más adelante, durante [la expansión suburbana de los años setenta](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/suburban-sprawl-1970s.html?sortBy=relevant&ref=15west.org), muchas familias, predominadamente blancas de clase alta, se mudaron a los suburbios, mientras que los comunidades de color quedaron en los centros de ciudades con cada vez menos inversión governamental. Como respuesta, residentes urbanos comenzaron a convertir terrenos abandonados en huertos para enfrentar la falta de alimentos frescos, la injusticia ambiental y el abandono del gobierno. Más de 50 años después, estas mismas comunidades vuelven a enfrentar desafíos similares: menos apoyo de los gobiernos locales, criminalización política, recortes a programas de justicia social y un acceso limitado a alimentos sanos. Frente a esta realidad, comunidades del West Side de Chicago están creando redes de soberanía alimentaria, cultivando sus propios alimentos y reduciendo su dependencia de sistemas alimentarios costosos, al mismo tiempo que amplían el acceso a espacios verdes comunitarios. Este movimiento ya se ve en todo el West Side de Chicago. Algunos de los huertos urbanos más conocidos son el [Maxwell Street Community Garden (MSCG)](https://www.maxwellstreetgarden.org/about-1?ref=15west.org) y el [Urban Growers Collective (UGC)](https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/our-story?ref=15west.org). El MSCG cuenta actualmente con 60 parcelas y se ha convertido en un espacio comunitario muy activo, con programas regulares que incluyen talleres y clases sobre apicultura, yoga, jardines de mariposas y educación sobre el sistema “de la granja a la mesa”. Por su parte, el UGC gestiona ocho granjas urbanas en Chicago, con un total de 11 acres de tierra cultivada y una producción aproximada de 23,000 libras de alimentos al año. Su trabajo se enfoca en llevar alimentos frescos a comunidades BIPOC. Además, a través de programas de formación para [*cultivadores*](https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/grower-apprenticeship?ref=15west.org) y [*herbolarios*](https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/herbalism-apprenticeship?ref=15west.org), el UGC ofrece aprendizaje práctico en agricultura, herbolaria y trabajo colectivo, ayudando a formar a nuevas generaciones y a fortalecer la relación de jóvenes con la tierra dentro de la ciudad. Junto a estas organizaciones más grandes, huertos vecinales como El Paseo nos recuerdan que también es posible cultivar y cuidar espacios verdes en nuestros propios barrios. En [Berwyn](https://www.15west.org/forgotten-to-flourishing-heritage-students-transform-school-garden/), estudiantes están haciendo un trabajo parecido, transformando el jardín olvidado de su escuela en un espacio comunitario lleno de vida. Para El Paseo, este camino también implicó enfrentar directamente la amenaza del desplazamiento. **El movimiento que está creciendo** En respuesta, los residentes de Pilsen se unieron con un objetivo común: cambiar la historia y “cambiar el patrón” sobre quién tiene acceso y controla la tierra en este país. Acevedo explica que, “la desconexión cultural e histórica de nuestras comunidades con la tierra” , muchas personas no se imaginan al principio que estos espacios verdes también les pertenecen. Al enfocarse en los ancianos y en miembros de la comunidad BIPOC, busca romper la idea de que los espacios verdes son solo para los ricos y afirmar que siempre han sido parte de la vida de las comunidades de color. El jardín sigue prosperando; pero su mayor cosecha siempre han sido las conexiones que genera. #### Want to grow your own urban garden? Download this Zine [Download in ****English**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hIiV73hwkzKZBaiistmHVO3bT716xCoh/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) [Download in ****Spanish**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QIClEDILIumKW4iGtAoGzL3TytiLFXn8/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) Acevedo describe cómo cuidar la tierra enseña, a la vez, responsabilidad, reciprocidad y cuidado colectivo. “Cuando trabajas la tierra, obtienes lo que inviertes”, dice, recordándonos que cuidar de los demás es una práctica. En una sociedad cada vez más individualista, el trabajo comunitario revive la responsabilidad compartida, mostrándonos que el cuidado es un esfuerzo conjunto y no solo una carga individual. Para muchas personas que cruzan sus puertas, la jardinería es un regreso a la memoria, a la cultura y a tierras cercanas al corazón pero lejanas físicamente. “Para mucha gente, estar y trabajar con la tierra les recuerda a su hogar”, dice Acevedo. En una comunidad tan vibrante y diversa, la tierra se convierte en un puente hacia prácticas tradicionales de alimentación y resistencia. Lo que crece en El Paseo va más allá de la comida. En un país donde el acceso a la tierra ha sido por mucho tiempo un privilegio, este huerto sostiene algo más radical: que los espacios para la comunidad son un derecho y un esfuerzo colectivo. También es una forma de reparación y de reconexión con la tierra, sembrando valores que las futuras generaciones recordarán y continuarán. “No se trata solo de tomates, también se cultiva la comunidad”. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### From Vacant Lots to Gardens of Resistance URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/from-vacant-lots-to-gardens-of-resistance/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T22:30:48.000Z Paula Acevedo leads the [El Paseo Community Garden](https://elpaseogarden.org/?ref=15west.org), a green sanctuary in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood that didn't always look this way. In 2009, this was a “brownfield” site, land abandoned and polluted from past industrial use. Today, it offers private and collective beds, a permaculture food forest, a [U-pick](https://elpaseogarden.org/community-harvest/?ref=15west.org) sliding-scale farm stand, and a monarch butterfly sanctuary. But transforming this space “was not without challenges,” recalls Acevedo, co-director at El Paseo. In 2016, those challenges deepened when the City of Chicago introduced its [Paseo Rails-to-Trails proposal](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press%5Froom/press%5Freleases/2016/march/Mayor%5FEmanuel%5FAnnounces%5FPaseo.html?ref=15west.org), promoting a new “urban greenway”. While framed as an investment in community space, the project also signaled an expected rise in property values, and, as in many gentrifying neighborhoods, higher rents often follow. For El Paseo, the threat felt immediate: a development meant to promote access to green space could end up displacing the very residents the garden exists to serve. El Paseo is part of a growing movement across the region, where communities are transforming vacant spaces into urban gardens as a practice of cultivating their own food systems, reconnecting with the land, and taking action to nourish their neighborhoods. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/01/IsabelAtienza_LuckyJeffersonSubmission.jpg) Illustration: **Isabel Atienza**/**15West* Urban gardens typically form when a community living inside the city, without access to large plots of land, identifies a gap. The gaps range from a lack of access to fresh food, green spaces, culturally centered spaces, and/or collective healing. The community then organizes to transform an unused or neglected piece of land into a shared space that benefits the community in all these ways. **The deeply political history** Long before the term “urban garden” existed, these spaces appeared throughout history as sites of survival, resistance, and community self-determination, one of the earliest recorded examples emerging in [1890s Detroit](https://communityofgardens.si.edu/exhibits/show/historycommunitygardens/vacantlot?ref=15west.org). During the [suburban sprawl of the 1970s](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/suburban-sprawl-1970s.html?sortBy=relevant&ref=15west.org), wealthier white families moved to the suburbs while Black, Latine/x, and immigrant communities were left in increasingly disinvested city centers. In response to these growing challenges, urban residents began transforming abandoned lots into gardens to confront food insecurity, environmental injustice, and government neglect. 55 years later, these same communities are once again facing neglect from city governments, political criminalization, the end of funding for social justice initiatives, and a lack of food access in the most economically vulnerable parts of the city. Facing these pressures, West Side Chicago community members are creating networks of food sovereignty, growing their own food and relying less on costly external food systems, while expanding access to green community spaces. This movement is already visible across the West Side, where some of the most recognized urban gardens include the [Maxwell Street Community Garden](https://www.maxwellstreetgarden.org/about-1?ref=15west.org) (MSCG) and the [Urban Growers Collective](https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/our-story?ref=15west.org) (UGC). MSCG currently offers 60 garden beds and has grown into a vibrant neighborhood space with regular programming, including workshops and classes on beekeeping, yoga, butterfly gardens, and farm-to-table education. UGC now operates eight urban farms across Chicago, totaling 11 acres of cultivated land and producing roughly 23,000 pounds of food each year, with a focus on distributing fresh produce to BIPOC communities. Through initiatives like the [Grower](https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/grower-apprenticeship?ref=15west.org) & [Herbalism](https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/herbalism-apprenticeship?ref=15west.org) Apprenticeship Programs, which offer hands-on training in farming, herbalism, and cooperative work, UGC is also cultivating the next generation of growers and strengthening the youth's connection with land in their own cities. Alongside these larger organizations, smaller neighborhood gardens like El Paseo are reminding and inspiring us of the possibility of cultivating and sustaining growing spaces in our own corners of the city. [In Berwyn, students are doing similar work](https://www.15west.org/forgotten-to-flourishing-heritage-students-transform-school-garden/), transforming their school's forgotten garden into a thriving community space.For El Paseo, that meant confronting the threat of displacement head-on. **The movement taking root** In response, Pilsen residents organized around a shared goal: to rewrite the narrative and “change the pattern” of who gets to access and steward land in this country. Acevedo explains that, “given the cultural and historical disconnect that our communities suffer from land,” many do not initially imagine themselves belonging in these green spaces. By centering elders and BIPOC community members, she hopes to dismantle the false idea that green spaces are amenities reserved for the wealthy, and to affirm that these spaces have always belonged to communities of color, too. The garden continues to thrive; however, its greatest harvest has always been the connections it grows. #### Want to grow your own urban garden? Download our zine [Download in ****English**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hIiV73hwkzKZBaiistmHVO3bT716xCoh/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) [Download in ****Spanish**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QIClEDILIumKW4iGtAoGzL3TytiLFXn8/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) Acevedo describes how tending the land teaches responsibility, reciprocity, and collective care. “When you work with the land, you get back what you put in,” she says—a reminder that mutual care is a practice. In an increasingly individualistic society, working in community restores the practice of *shared* responsibility, reminding us that care is a collective effort rather than an individual burden. For many who come through the gates, gardening is also a return to memory, to culture, to lands near to the heart yet physically far. “For a lot of people, being and working with the land reminds them of home,” Acevedo says. In such a vibrant and diverse community, the soil becomes a bridge to traditional practices of nourishment and resistance. What takes root at El Paseo goes beyond food. In a country where access to land has long been treated as a privilege, this garden insists on something more radical: that spaces for community care are both a right and a collective effort. It is also a practice of repairing and rematriating the land—planting values for future generations to remember and continue. “It’s not just about tomatoes, you grow community.” #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Candlelight Vigil Reunites All Fred Hampton and Mark Clark Survivors After 56 Years URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/candlelight-vigil-reunites-all-fred-hampton-and-mark-clark-survivors-after-56-years/ Last updated: 2025-12-13T15:23:28.000Z The cold, dry December air didn't stop people from gathering at 2337 W. Monroe St. on Dec. 3 to mark 56 years since Chicago police assassinated Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton and Peoria Defense Captain Mark Clark. The vigil marked the last night Hampton and Clark spent alive before being killed in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 1969\. One person in attendance, Dr Howard Ehrman, had worked directly with Fred Hampton and Ronald Satchel in the past, a year before starting medical school. "The neighborhood's changed a little bit from 56 years ago,” he said while studying the street. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7221-1.JPG) Dr. Howard Ehrman before event start. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* In 2020, he co-founded the [People’s Response Network](https://prn.mayfirst.info/?ref=15west.org), a group of activists, organizers, and public workers that has sought to expand the city’s health network and social services. "We've \[People's Response Network\] been around \[for\] almost six years, and we started ... under Mayor Lightfoot and the previous health initiative \[Protect Chicago 77 initiative\]," shared Ehrman. He is also the founder of Mi Villita Neighbors, an organization that hosted COVID-19 testing and flu shot drives across the city. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7176.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7249.JPG) ****\[LEFT\]** Refreshments being served before start of the ceremony. **\[RIGHT\]** Yusef Omowale of the Illinois Chapter. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Around us, the community assembled, not as strangers, but as inheritors. Residents, organizers, elders, and the very Black Panthers who were present for Hampton’s assassination. Even Fred Hampton Jr., who had opposed the preservation efforts, was present, though standing apart, voicing his own vision for how his father should be remembered. He led a coalition against National Register recognition, according to [the Sun-Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025/12/03/black-panther-heritage-fred-hampton-mark-clark?ref=15west.org). And at Wednesday's event, he interrupted the proceedings with an [impromptu press conference](https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/04/new-near-west-side-memorial-coincides-with-anniversary-of-black-panther-leaders-killing/?ref=15west.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7202.JPG) The plaque of Site 2 of the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Shortly after disruptions, the testimonies began, and the past was made present. "We were trying to make a revolution, and we were not respected," said Joan Foster McCarty. "Some of us have decided to come together and really push for the legacy of the Black Panther Party to be remembered, and that is what we're here for today." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7296.JPG) McCarty during opening remarks. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* McCarty was a former member of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. During the vigil ceremony, she introduced herself as someone whose life was profoundly changed by joining the Party in 1969\. She was active in student organizing as part of the Black Student Organization in Illinois, where she met Fred Hampton and Bobby Rush. Following McCarty was Nwaji Nefahito. Nefahito shared with the audience that she was one of the survivors present in the house that night and had been shot twice. Concluding her remarks, Nefahito expressed solidarity with “power to the people.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7327.JPG) Nefahito sharing her experience with the crowd. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Blair “Brother BJ” Anderson, another survivor of the raid, emphasized the importance of balancing emotion with strategy: “Revolution is political first, then it is also personal and passionate … we were very passionate. In fact, we had to calm our passion and get to our political analysis,” Anderson shared. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7353.JPG) Anderson reflecting on his experience. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Ultimately, this passion became the blueprint. To some, “power to the people” wasn’t just a slogan, but a national threat. [And in 1968](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/31/1152784993/the-real-black-panthers-2021?ref=15west.org), FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover declared that the Black Panther Party "without question, represents the greatest threat to the internal security of the country." Former congressman Bobby Rush, a co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, voiced what came next. "The FBI made plans to kill Fred Hampton and every leader in Illinois," said Rush. His voice cut through the frigid evening. "Fred Hampton's murder was the only political assassination in the history of this nation that was officially sanctioned by the US government." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7314.JPG) Rush during the dedication ceremony. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* The FBI and Chicago police exchanged memos containing information and instructions for the purpose of destroying the Black Panther Party, with crucial documentation revealing informant William O'Neal's role in the conspiracy to execute Hampton, according to [Digital Chicago](https://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/fred-hampton-50th/the-assassination?ref=15west.org), a collaborative project between Lake Forest College and the Chicago History Museum. But this dedication ceremony wasn't about death. It was about what persisted. Mark Clark established a [free breakfast program](https://ilbpp.org/news-and-updates/focus-on-peoria?ref=15west.org) for children at Ward Chapel AME Church in Peoria, Illinois. This program has been recognized as an important part of the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois. This initiative not only provided meals but also helped organize people and demonstrated how communities could come together to solve their own problems. As the ceremony wound down, people moved through the crowd to light their candles, a single flame passing from candle to candle, illuminating the block. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7429.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7431.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/IMG_8004.PNG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7421.JPG) The crowd preparing their candles. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "We'll have this moment of silence," said McCarty. "Where we'll think about the sacrifice that these two brothers made, and the sacrifice that so many of us have made. A moment of love … a moment of resistance … a moment to understand that we will win." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/1L3A7423-2.JPG) A moment of silence. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* In that silence, the wind carried away any doubt. Then, Fred's song, "Someday We'll Be Together" by Diana Ross & The Supremes, played. "Long live the spirit of Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton and Defense Captain Mark Clark and all the other revolutionaries that have committed their lives to this struggle," someone called into the night. Each candle blazed on. Just like the breakfast programs that fed children. Just like the free clinics. Just like the political education classes. Just like the People's Response Network, offering help when the city was at capacity. As the ceremony ended, attendees were left with a reminder from McCarty. “… someday, we'll be together, and we will win." --- Watch the full ceremony [here](https://youtu.be/1FTwRioDzGM?ref=15west.org). ### After Playoff Run, Chicago Winds Find New Talent for Year 2 URL: https://www.15west.org/after-playoff-run-chicago-winds-find-new-talent-for-year-2/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T01:26:41.000Z [The Chicago Winds](https://www.thechicagowinds.com/?ref=15west.org) reached the [Women's National Football Conference](https://www.wnfcfootball.com/event-details/2025-eastern-conference-finals-tournament?srsltid=AfmBOopZmlmKk8rNu04Rl%5F2aW9K9eJj8Y6m5Ddr1eOq300XmkIbJ0CNz&ref=15west.org) playoffs in Gallatin, Tennessee, during their debut season and are now recruiting for Year 2. Their first game of the new season will take place on March 28, 2026, against the Tennessee Trojans. Formed by the Austin native and former football player Angelique Smith in 2023, the team held its tryouts Saturday, October 18, at Columbus Park in Oak Park. Before the tryouts, the team partnered with [Got Her Back](https://www.igotherback.com/?ref=15west.org) girls' football camp to host a free event for girls aged six to 18 years old. ![Angelique Smith and Breezy, mascot for Chicago Winds, watch tryouts. | Zoë Takaki/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/Angelique---Mascot.jpeg) Angelique Smith and Breezy, mascot for Chicago Winds, watch tryouts. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* The event was busy, with everyone from toddlers to experienced football players in attendance. Everyone got involved, tossing around the ball, running drills, and forming connections. The WNFC is one of two main professional women's tackle football leagues in America, alongside the Women's Football Alliance. The WNFC formed in 2017 and currently has 17 different teams across the country. The league is volunteer-based, with them not paying salaries to their players. The Chicago Winds did well during their first season, making it to the playoffs, winning five out of seven games. They also had several players break WNFC records, including their quarterback, Sarah Teubner, throwing the most touchdowns ever in a regular season, wide receiver Dajour Miles setting a new record for receiving yards and touchdowns, and linebacker Madeline Violet breaking a record for most tackles. They also won some titles, with Sarah Teubner winning the MVP award and Dajour Miles winning Rookie of the Year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/Sarah.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/Sarah-2.jpeg) Sarah Teubner helps train a participant in the Got Her Back girls' football camp. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* “Last season exceeded my expectations from every level, from coaching staff to our leadership team to our players,” said Smith. She is excited for this upcoming season, saying that they have seen improvement in their returning players, are excited to add some new rookies, and plan on adding new coaches to their staff. She said the tryouts are competitive, with 89 people trying out for one of only 53 spots on the team. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/tryouts-2.jpeg) Athletes hit the field to earn their spot with the Chicago Winds for the 2026 season. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* “The energy was high. You could feel how much women’s football continues to grow in Chicago. Our staff did a great job evaluating talent, and we left the day feeling confident about the direction we’re headed,” Smith said. Smith said the roster, which will be finalized and announced early December, will reflect a balance of returning veterans and newcomers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/Tryouts.jpeg) Players try out for the Chicago Winds 2026 season. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* “Our quarterback room looks especially strong this year, and a few of our defensive players have really set the tone with their physicality and communication,” Smith said. Like last year, the Got Her Back football camp took place before the tryouts, offering girls a free chance to play football and gain mentorship from Chicago Winds players. Leslie Robinson, volunteer with Got Her Back and running back for the Chicago Winds, said the turnout had doubled this year, with there being about 50 girls participating in the camp. She expects the event to increase even more next year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/tryouts-3.jpeg) Girls play flag football at the Got Her Back football camp. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* “I do think every year it's getting bigger. Last year, it was probably about half. We have a lot of interest, and we just hope that everyone who comes out with the interest ends up coming out and really feeling comfortable here,” Robinson said. At the camp, the girls combine drills, learn new skills and the rules of the game, and, of course, play football. At the end, the volunteers pass out awards to the girls for superlatives like fastest runner and best team player. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/tryouts-4-1.jpeg) Teammates showing the game is bigger than football. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* Robinson said that the girls come from all over Chicago, and Got Her Back worked with Chicago Public Schools to promote the event. She also said the event provides community and keeps people out of trouble. “It really helps them with having each other's back, being a part of something bigger than themselves… and really just celebrating women and athletics,” she said. “We just got to keep breaking down those barriers and those glass ceilings.” One of the participants, fourteen-year-old Avery Johnson, said this is her second year coming to the camp, and that the experience is life-changing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/Avery-J.jpeg) Avery Johnson accepts an award at the Got Her Back girls' football camp. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* She has been playing flag football for a couple of years, and originally started playing with the Villa Park Warriors, a youth league that offers a girls' flag football team. Johnson said the camp makes her a better player through education, practice, and mentorship, and she is happy to be able to make friends and play amongst girls her age. “There's a lot of great people here. I'm a really shy person, so I was honestly expecting …to not be talking at all. But everybody's so incredibly friendly,” Johnson said. Johnson hopes for there to be more opportunities for girls-only football in the future, hoping to play flag football in college. The team's marketing director, Iris Olimpia, says the team plans to work with Got Her Back and a few other volunteer opportunities throughout the season, especially on the West and South Sides of the city, where the team primarily plays. She also said the team is partnering with Diva Cup—a reusable menstrual cup—inspiring the team to launch a campaign to bring period awareness. Once the camp ended, players eager to try out immediately filled the field, stretching and practicing an hour before the tryouts began. Many returning players were excited to see their teammates after the off-season. Shayna Guerra, offensive line for the Chicago Winds, said finding the Chicago Winds provided a sense of belonging. “Being a bigger, taller, brawnier woman, it's not always easy to find your community, find a place where you don't stick out for the wrong reasons,” Guerra said. Guerra said the team's closeness and desire to improve are what make them able to stand up against long-standing teams. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/12/Closeness-Chicago-Winds.jpeg) Players huddle in excitement at tryouts for the 2026 season. | ****Zoë Takaki**/**15 West* “We're having dinner, and going over plays, explaining concepts, building up the football IQ from the bottom, because a lot of us are not as seasoned as a lot of the other teams in our conference who have been playing together as a unit for 10 plus years, but I think we came together really strong, really fast,” Guerra said, with last season being her first season playing professional football. Other players have also said they are new to the sport, with football often being inaccessible to them as girls. Sarah Teubner attests to that, saying, “99% of our team knew absolutely nothing about football, and so the trajectory of our learning curve is just going to keep getting higher.” Teubner moved to Chicago to play for the Winds, and says that she has found her home through the sport and her team. “I never want to leave. This is exactly where I want to be, and these are my best friends, some of my favorite people. It means everything to me, pretty much my whole identity is that I'm a Chicago Wind,” Teubner said. ### Vigilia con Velas Reúne Sobrevivientes de Fred Hampton y Mark Clark Luego de 56 Años URL: https://www.15west.org/candlelight-vigil-reunites-all-fred-hampton-and-mark-clark-survivors-after-56-years-2/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T02:05:42.000Z El aire de Diciembre era frío y seco, pero no impidió a la gente juntarse en la calle W. Monroe 2337 el 3 de Diciembre para marcar 56 años desde que la policía de Chicago asesinara al Presidente Fred Hampton y al Capitán de Defensa de Peoria Mark Clark. La vigilia marcó la última noche en la cual Hampton y Clark estuvieron vivos antes de ser asesinados en la mañana del 4 de Diciembre de 1969\. Una persona que atendió al evento, Dr Howard Ehrman, había trabajado con Fred Hampton y Ronald Satchel en el pasado, un año antes de empezar la facultad de medicina. "El vecindario cambió un poco luego de 56 años," dijo mientras estudiaba en la calle. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-14.png) Dr. Howard Ehrman antes de que empezara el evento. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* En el 2020, él cofundó [People’s Response Network](https://prn.mayfirst.info/?ref=15west.org) (Red de Ayuda de la Gente), un grupo de activistas, organizadores, y trabajadores públicos que ha buscado expandir la red de salud y servicio sociales de la cuidad. "Nosotros \[People's Response Network\] hemos estado activos \[por\] casi seis años, y empezamos ... bajo el Alcalde Lightfoot y la previa iniciativa de salud \[iniciativa Protect Chicago 77\]," mencionó Ehrman. Él también es el fundador de Mi Villita Neighbors, una organización que ofrecía pruebas de COVID-19 y campañas móviles de vacunas contra la gripe por toda la cuidad. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1L3A7176.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1L3A7249.jpg) \[IZQUIERDA\] Refrescos siendo servidos al inicio de la ceremonia. \[DERECHA\] Yusef Omowale de la sucursal de Illinois. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* A nuestro alrededor, la comunidad se reunió no como extraños, pero como descendientes. Residentes, organizadores, adultos mayores, y los mismos Black Panthers que estuvieron presentes en el asesinato de Hampton. Incluso Fred Hampton Jr., quien se habia opuesto a los esfuerzos de preservación, estuvo presente, aunque separado, expresando su propia visión de como su padre debería ser recordado. Él encabezó la coalición en contra del reconocimiento del Registro Nacional, de acuerdo al [Sun-Times](https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025/12/03/black-panther-heritage-fred-hampton-mark-clark?ref=15west.org). Y en el evento del Miércoles, él interrumpió el acto con una [conferencia de prensa improvisada](https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/12/04/new-near-west-side-memorial-coincides-with-anniversary-of-black-panther-leaders-killing/?ref=15west.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-15.png) La placa de Site 2 del Sendero del Patrimonio del Partido Black Panther en Illinois. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Poco tiempo luego de las interrupciones, los testimonios empezarón, y el pasado se volvió el presente. "Estabamos intentado hacer una revolución, y no nos estaban respetando" dijo Joan Foster McCarty. "Algunos de nosotros hemos decidido juntarnos y realmente insistir con el legado del Partido Black Panther para que sea recordado, y esa es la razón por la cual hoy estamos aquí." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-16.png) McCarty durante la apertura. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* McCarty fue un ex miembro de la sucursal de Illinois del Partido Black Panther. Durante la ceremonia de la vigilia, ella se presentó a si misma como alguien cuya vida había cambiado profundamente luego de unirse al partido en 1969\. Ella era activa en una organización estudiantil parte de la Organización Estudiantil de Color en Illinois, donde ella conoció a Fred Hampton y Bobby Rush. Luego de McCarty le siguió Nwaji Nefahito. Nefahito compartió con la audiencia como ella fue una de los sobrevivientes presentes en la casa aquella noche en la que le dispararon dos veces. Al finalizar sus observaciones, Nefahito expresó solidaridad con "el poder para las personas." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-17.png) Nefahito compartiendo su experiencia con el público. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Blair “Brother BJ” Anderson, otro sobreviviente del asalto, recalcó la importancia de balancear la emoción con la estrategia: "La revolución es política primero, luego también es personal y apasionada ...éramos bastante apasionados. A decir verdad, tuvimos que calmar nuestra pasión y empezar con nuestro análisis político," compartió Anderson. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/image-18.png) Anderson reflexionando sobre su experiencia. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* A la larga, esta pasión se volvió modelo. Para algunos "el poder para las personas" no solo era un slogan, pero una amenaza nacional. [Y en el 1968](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/31/1152784993/the-real-black-panthers-2021?ref=15west.org), el Director del FBI J. Edgar Hoover declaró que el Partido Black Panther "sin lugar a dudas, representa la amenaza más grande para la seguridad interna del país." El ex congresista Bobby Rush, un cofundador de la sucursal de Illinois del Partido Black Panther, mencionó lo que vino después. "El FBI planeó matar a Fred Hampton y todos los líderes de Illinois," dijo Rush. Su voz cortó la helada tarde. "El asesinato de Fred Hampton fue el único asesinato político en la historia de esta nación que fue oficialmente aprobada por el gobierno de EE. UU." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/07/Bobby-Rush.jpg) Rush durante la ceremonio de dedicación. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* El FBI y la polícia de Chicago intercambiaron memos que contenían información e instrucciones con el propósito de destruir el Partido Black Panther, con crucial documentación revelando el rol del informante William O'Neal en la conspiración para ejecutar a Hampton; según el [Digital Chicago](https://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/fred-hampton-50th/the-assassination?ref=15west.org), un proyecto colaborativo entre la Universidad Lake Forest y el Museo de Historia de Chicago. Pero esta ceremonia de dedicación no fue sobre la muerte. Fue sobre lo que persistió. Mark Clark estableció el [programa de desayunos gratis](https://ilbpp.org/news-and-updates/focus-on-peoria?ref=15west.org) para niños de la Iglesia Ward Chapel AME en Peoria, Illinois. Este programa ha sido reconocido como una parte importante del Sendero del Patrimonio del Partido Black Panther. Esta iniciativa no solo proporcionó comidas pero también ayudó a la gente a organizarse, y demostró como las comunidades pueden unirse para resolver sus propios problemas. Cuando la ceremonia llegaba a su fin, la gente se movió entre la multitud para prender sus velas, una solo llama fue pasando persona por persona, iluminando la cuadra. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1L3A7429.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1L3A7431.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/IMG_8004.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1L3A7421.jpg) La multitud preparando sus velas.| ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "Vamos a guardar un momento de silencio," dijo McCarty. "Donde pensaremos sobre el sacrificio que nuestros dos hermanos hicieron, y el sacrificio que muchos de nosotros hicimos. Un momento de amor...un momento de resistencia...un momento para entender que vamos a ganar." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-20.png) Un momento de silencio. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* En ese silencio, el viento se llevó todas las dudas. Después de eso, sonó la canción de Fred, "Someday We'll Be Together" de Diana Ross & The Supremes. "Larga vida al espíritu del Vicepresidente Fred Hampton y del Capitán de Defensa Mark Clark, y de todos los revolucionarios que han entregado sus vidas a esta lucha," dijo alguien en medio de la noche. Cada vela brilló. Igual que el programa de desayuno que le daba de comer a los niños. Igual que las clínicas gratuitas. Igual que las clases de educación política. Igual que la Red de Ayuda de la Gente, ofreciendo ayuda cuando la cuidad estaba en su límite. Cuando la ceremonia acabó, los asistentes se quedaron con un recordatorio de parte de McCarty. “…algún día, nos uniremos todos, y ganáremos." Mira la ceremonia completa [aquí](https://youtu.be/1FTwRioDzGM?ref=15west.org). ### Chicago's Community Organizers Build Rapid Response Model as ICE Shifts Focus Nationwide URL: https://www.15west.org/chicagos-community-organizers-build-rapid-response-model-as-ice-shifts-focus-nationwide/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T01:27:19.000Z Federal agents have thrown [tear gas](https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/13/federal-agents-deploy-tear-gas-in-albany-park-as-neighbors-block-immigration-arrest/?ref=15west.org) at protesters, deliberately caused [car crashes](https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/14/federal-agents-cause-crash-tear-gas-protesters-on-southeast-side-street/?ref=15west.org), and [detained high school students](https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/10/23/feds-make-arrests-deploy-tear-gas-during-face-off-with-protesters-near-little-village-discount-mall?ref=15west.org) as young as 16 in Chicago over the past month, prompting community organizations to urgently mobilize residents in response. From Pilsen to Belmont Cragin to Uptown, hundreds of volunteers are attending trainings, assembling emergency kits, and building rapid response networks to protect immigrant families. On the evening of Oct. 9, the cafeteria at Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen was packed with city residents. Pilsen Unidos Por Nuestro Orgullo ([PUñO](https://pilsenunidos.org/?ref=15west.org)), a Pilsen Neighbors Community Council task force, hosted one of several Migra Watch trainings that have been running since June. ![Pilsen neighbors gather for migra watch and rapid response training | Lauren Neher/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Pilsen-neighbors-gather-for-migra-watch-and-rapid-response-training-1.jpg) Pilsen neighbors gather for Migra Watch and rapid response training. | **Lauren Neher**/**15 West* This training session, organized in collaboration with [City Bureau](https://www.citybureau.org/?ref=15west.org), brought in attendees who cited: wanting to learn how to support immigrant families in their communities, becoming better educated on the issue, and plugging into a potential network for grocery and rental assistance for immigrants who are scared to leave their homes as reasons for coming to the session. Personal ties to immigration and the fallout from enforcement policies were anonymously expressed on Post-it notes and placed on tables in the center of the cafeteria. “My dad is an immigrant + his whole family immigrated here from Colombia, so as a Latina woman + a person who wants to protect others – it is important to me”, detailed one attendee. Another wrote, “ICE broke up my family. F— em!” Once the session began, organizers from PUñO presented information on legislative and judicial protections—including the difference between a signed judicial warrant and an administrative order—enforcement tactics, how to distinguish ICE from the Chicago Police Department and other federal agencies, and key phrases to memorize in Spanish. A walkthrough of how to record ICE activity was followed by volunteers from the audience role-playing a situation in which they may encounter and record ICE. After the presentation finished, those who lived in Pilsen were invited to join and train for PUñO’s neighborhood Migra Watch and rapid response teams. Mimi Guiracocha, an organizing lead with PUñO, emphasized PUñO’s ability to respond to the needs of Pilsen’s immigrant community as a coalition of many organizations contributing to the work. “We have churches … social service groups, … individual organizing groups, politicians, elected officials that are part of this work,” Guiracocha said. “...We're able to do all the parts of our response, from the legal support to the advocacy efforts to the rapid response to ... direct support with people and getting them groceries or helping them with dropping off kids.” ![Mimi, an organizing lead with PUñO, explains how to distinguish federal agencies based on badge type | Lauren Neher/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Mimi.-an-organizing-lead-with-Puno--explains-how-to-distinguish-federal-agencies-based-on-badge-type-1.jpg) Guiracocha, an organizing lead with PUñO, explains how to distinguish federal agencies based on badge type. | ****Lauren Neher**/**15 West* Throughout October, ​​[Pilsen Defense & Access](https://www.pilsendefenseaccess.com/?ref=15west.org) launched a fundraiser benefitting the work of PUñO. Funds were used to print and distribute Know Your Rights Materials, provide equipment and supplies for the Migra Watch team, and according to PUñO’s Instagram, [assist 30 local families with groceries and food support](https://www.instagram.com/p/DRC3cZ9EeiM/?img%5Findex=1&ref=15west.org). The following week, [Whistlemania I](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CfovDBCZx/), an event organized by [Belmont Cragin United](https://www.facebook.com/belmontcraginunited/), took place at several locations throughout the Northwest and West sides. Belmont Cragin restaurants and businesses in Avondale, Logan Square, Portage Park, Austin, and Hermosa hosted hundreds of volunteers. All seven locations reached capacity. ![Hundreds showed up to Whistlemania I throughout the Northwest and West sides | Lauren Neher/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Hundreds-showed-up-to-Whistlemania-I-throughout-the-Northwest-and-West-sides-1.jpg) Hundreds attend Whistlemania I throughout the Northwest and West sides. | ****Lauren Neher**/**15 West* The success of this first event kicked off a follow-up event, Whistlemania II. Whistlemania II took place in 47 different locations and surrounding suburbs, with the majority held on Oct. 29, according to a [Facebook post](https://www.facebook.com/alonsochicago/posts/pfbid025vpD6tKAqvNadtJDVnxDBGWvLTfJ9C3sTN4QGgxL2ogrpwvNrojBuJJd6Grd77KMl) from Alonso Zaragoza, co-founder of Belmont Cragin United. Additional whistle assembly events were hosted in Elgin, IL, on Nov. 8, Elmhurst, IL, on Nov. 12, and in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Nov. 6. Volunteers at Pizzeria Martello’s in Hermosa assembled kits that included whistles, ACLU of Arizona [Know Your Rights](https://www.acluaz.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights/?ref=15west.org) pamphlets, a [zine](https://signalfirespdx.com/media/files/whistle-packet/PDX%5FWhistle%5FZine%5FBilingue.pdf?ref=15west.org) explaining how to use whistles to alert neighbors of ICE activity, and a script card that both citizens and non-citizens may use to assert their 4th and 5th Amendment rights. All written materials were provided in English and Spanish. ![Volunteers assemble whistle kits at Pizzeria Martello's in Hermosa | Lauren Neher/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Volunteers-assemble-whistle-kits-at-Pizzeria-Martello_s-in-Hermosa.jpg) Volunteers assemble whistle kits at Pizzeria Martello's in Hermosa. | ****Lauren Neher**/**15 West* Christina John, a resident of West Logan Square, spoke about attending the event. “I wanted to help volunteer and do the practical part of it, but also just connect with the neighborhood more,” John said. “I live by Rico Fresh, a grocery store where there was a huge incident last weekend outside of [Funston Elementary](https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2025/10/09/funston-elementary-logan-square-school-tear-gas-johnson?ref=15west.org).” The northside nonprofit, [Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago](https://advancingjustice-chicago.org/?ref=15west.org), organized a virtual Safety Planning and Risk Assessment workshop as a part of the coalition’s [A Just Chi](https://advancingjustice-chicago.org/what-we-do/leadership/a-just-chi/?ref=15west.org) campaign. The workshop, held on Oct. 15, was one of the campaign’s monthly general meetings. Around 50 participants were split into breakout groups to analyze their overall risk from federal enforcement initiatives through self-assessment and reflection. “I think it's really important for us to take a step back and really think about what our vulnerabilities \[are\], what our capacities \[are\], and what … threats … are outside of that … how do we then engage with the actions that are happening in our lives”, asked Anooshka Gupta, the Organizing Manager at Advancing Justice Chicago. Advancing Justice Chicago also hosts Know Your Rights training and canvassing events in the Uptown/Edgewater area, where they're located. According to Gupta, around 70 people were in attendance, and an additional 20 people arrived to canvass on Sunday, Oct. 19\. A Know Your Rights event for local businesses was held at the [Vietnamese Association of Illinois](https://hnvi.org/?ref=15west.org) on Oct. 21\. “Business owners from all around the surrounding area came to see what they could do with their businesses for Know Your Rights purposes”, said Gupta. “I would say that there has been a big appetite for it.” *\*This piece was edited with support from Liana Ordonez and Gemma Mueller, part of 15 West’s Reporting/Editing Internship.* --- #### 📢 Future Trainings [PUñO](https://pilsenunidos.org/?ref=15west.org) [Belmont Cragin](https://www.instagram.com/belmontcraginunited/?ref=15west.org) [The Vietnamese Association of Illinois](https://www.instagram.com/vai%5Fchicago/?ref=15west.org) [Advancing Justice Chicago](https://www.instagram.com/advancingjusticechicago/?ref=15west.org) ### Viva la Vida: Honoring Memory Through Dance in Chicago URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/viva-la-vida-honoring-memory-through-dance-in-chicago/ Last updated: 2025-11-27T16:14:22.000Z Under green and pink papel picado, the room fills with the stomp of leather heels and skirts that flare with every turn. Music drowns out every voice as dancers trade smiles and corrections, their steps sharpening for Día de Muertos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Lesley-Chavez---Valente-Maldonado.JPG) Main company dancers Lesley Chavez and Valente Maldonado share a laugh during rehearsal breaks at the Collaborative Institute of Cultural Arts in Brighton Park on Oct. 21, 2025\. | ****Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* The holiday, rooted in Indigenous Mexican traditions, is celebrated annually on Nov. 1 and 2\. People mark the day with ofrendas and gatherings that honor those who have died. In the corner of the dance floor, Collaborative Institute of Cultural Arts (CICA) founder Samuel Barriga watches closely, tapping his wooden staff against the floor to bring the motion to a halt. The pause was brief. On Nov. 2, the dancers performed Viva la Vida, CICA’s Día de Muertos showcase honoring loved ones through dance, music, and storytelling. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Main-company-ensemble.jpg) CICA’s main company ensemble rehearses on the Historic Main Stage on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. **| Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* The show gave families who cannot return to Mexico a way to relive those memories here in Chicago. This year’s program highlighted the coastal state of Veracruz, home to son jarocho, a folk tradition shaped by [Afro-Indigenous and Spanish influences](https://folkways.si.edu/jose-gutierrez-los-hermanos-ochoa/la-bamba-sones-jarochos-from-veracruz/latin-world/music/album/smithsonian?ref=15west.org). Barriga, who immigrated from Michoacán at six, started the Collaborative Institute of Cultural Arts in 2017 after years of teaching with the Mexican Dance Ensemble. He wanted CICA to be an incubator for young artists, offering training, scholarships, and community programs that connect discipline with cultural pride. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Samuel-Barriga.JPG) CICA founder Samuel Barriga instructs dancers during rehearsal at the Collaborative Institute of Cultural Arts in Brighton Park on Oct. 28, 2025. **| Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* “It’s part of your culture, part of your folklore,” Barriga said. “Like food your mom makes that you’ve never had anywhere else. You might not have been back to where it comes from, but it’s always good to know where you come from.” Heritage is at the heart of every class inside CICA’s Brighton Park studio, where students gather weekly to rehearse ballet folklórico. Among them is Andrea Serrano, 16, who dances, plays violin, and now co-teaches younger members of the group. “Right now, the Latino community needs to stay united more than ever,” Serrano said. “Performances like these highlight the beauty and joy within our culture. Continuing our traditions shows the strength and pride we hold when we come together to celebrate our heritage.” During Hispanic Heritage Month, the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events [awarded](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPokqJrDVgi/?img%5Findex=4&igsh=amRuNzJ2amRhamdx&ref=15west.org) CICA a $10,000 community grant for its work promoting cultural awareness. Barriga said the funds will be used to upgrade the studio’s flooring. For many families, the value of the space goes far beyond the walls and floors. The studio has become one of the few places where children can stay connected to their roots. With increased ICE activity in Chicago, Barriga said some parents came to rehearsals less often, and students made sure their classmates still got there. Nora Quintana, who enrolled her two daughters after hearing about the program from a relative, said she struggled to find anything similar in her neighborhood. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Dancers-apply-makeup-.JPG) Dancers apply makeup backstage before the start of CICA’s “Viva la Vida” performance on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. | ****Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* “It’s nice to see the younger generations learning the dances and where they come from,” Quintana said. “The teachers are very dedicated. They even bring instructors and materials from Mexico. It feels authentic.” One of those instructors is Ari Cervantes, CICA’s music director from Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. During rehearsal, he guided dancers through their turns with the quick strum of his jarana jarocha, a small guitar-like instrument from his home state. Cervantes, who has worked with CICA for seven years, said music can serve as a guide. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Ari-Cervantes-.jpg) Ari Cervantes, CICA’s music director, rehearses with student dancers at the Collaborative Institute of Cultural Arts in Brighton Park on Oct. 29, 2025\. | ****Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* “Music builds a steady foundation for performers,” he said. “It helps them feel and understand the rhythm, not just dance to it.” Among those following Cervantes’s rhythm was Naim Pérez, 17, who has been dancing with CICA for eight years From the back of the studio, Naim Pérez watched Cervantes set the tempo, his feet hitting the floor in time before he joined the men’s chants. “I used to be really shy,” Pérez said. “CICA helped me come out of my shell. Seeing people smile when we dance makes it all worth it.” After years of training, some dancers now balance performing with teaching. Joselyn Vargas, a longtime member of CICA, spent this season both instructing the beginner class and performing with the main company. “It’s surreal,” Vargas said. “For a lot of these kids, I was their first teacher. Now I get to share a stage with them. It feels like closing a circle.” She said preparing for Viva la Vida meant long nights and missed family time, but the commitment was shared by everyone in the group. “We’re all sacrificing something,” Vargas said. “If we’re going to be here, it’s because we want to be here. Let’s enjoy it to the fullest.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Lesley-Chavez.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Regina-Maldonado.JPG) ****\[LEFT\]** Lesley Chavez, a dancer and singer with CICA, performs “La Llorona” live for the audience on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. ****\[RIGHT\]** Regina Maldonado, a main company dancer with CICA, performs during the “Viva la Vida” show on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. | ****Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* As weeks of preparation came to an end, the dancers performed beneath the same pink and green papel picado, now hanging inside the Athenaeum Center. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Altar.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/-Xantolo-dancer.JPG) ****\[LEFT\]** Performers prepare an altar honoring loved ones as part of CICA’s annual Día de los Muertos showcase, “Viva la Vida,” on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. ****\[RIGHT\]** A performer wearing a skull mask dances in a Xantolo routine, a tradition from Mexico’s Huasteca region In Veracruz, during CICA’s “Viva la Vida” performance on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. | ****Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* With the curtain still closed, families from across Chicagoland took their seats and silenced their phones. Backstage, dancers hurried through last-minute fixes. A girl read a book to steady her nerves. Young boys searched for their missing sombreros. A small group stood quietly before a framed photo on the altar. ![Audience members watch CICA’s main company ensemble perform during “Viva la Vida” on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. | Araceli Ramirez/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Audience-Reacts.JPG) Audience members watch CICA’s main company ensemble perform during “Viva la Vida” on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. | ****Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* For longtime ballet folklórico performer Alyssa Calderón, 23, performing during this time of year carries a deeper meaning, even amid the tensions that surround her community. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Advanced-group-bows.JPG) Advanced group dancers take their final bow during on Nov. 2, 2025, at The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago. | ****Araceli Ramirez**/**15 West* “Something so beautiful about our culture is that we take a really hard and complex idea of life and what the end of it may look like and make it something beautiful,” Calderón said. “When performing, we continue to represent the beauty of the tradition and how we come together.” *\*This piece was edited with support from Liana Ordonez and Gemma Mueller, part of 15 West’s Reporting/Editing Internship.* ### Estuvimos Aquí, pt 2 URL: https://www.15west.org/estuvimos-aqui-pt-2/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T02:02:35.000Z *En la primera parte, documentamos las caras del desplazamiento a través de el West Side de Chicago. Pero más allá de los vagones y la esquinas de la calle, otra historia se revela - una de resistencia.* **Esta es Parte 2: la infraestructura del cuidado.** Este ensayo fotográfico explora el desplazamiento del West Side de Chicago no solo a través de la ausencia y lucha, pero a través de las personas y lugares que eligen ser parte de la solución. Resalta las calladas pero poderosas maneras en las que la comunidad se organiza para ayudarse los unos a los otros. Servir significa estar presente en tiempos de incertidumbre, creando espacios donde la dignidad permanece intacta, y haciéndole recordar a aquellos que se sienten olvidados que aún hay personas que los ven, y que son amados. Al enfrentar el desplazamiento - ya sea a través de la inseguridad residencial, dificultades económicas, o la lenta erosión de la estabilidad - la presencia se vuelve un acto radical. La pastora Reshorna Fitzpatrick de la Iglesia Baptista Stone Temple en el lado norte de Lawndale encarna esa manera de pensar. Por años, ella y la congregación han hecho que la iglesia sea más que una casa de devoción - es un santuario para aquellos que puede que no tengan casa, comida, o simplemente necesiten un lugar para descansar. Guiada por su creencia que dice que "mi superpoder es servir. Si no estoy sirviendo, no estoy viviendo," la Pastora Reshorna continúa creando un espacio donde el cuidado, la dignidad, y la comunidad están tan al centro de todo. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/05/image.png) Pastora Reshorna en su escritorio. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-adf1aa93-4aae-4c23-b2eb-d942ed49d9ab.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-2495e464-4fab-466f-a38a-8dea2ec73baa.jpg) Miembro de la comunidad Kevin Hunt | **Genesis Falls**/**15 West* [Stone Temple](https://www.churchapps.tv/mcms/stmbc2/?CFID=07647d1f-7348-4c9b-bf14-5a61d7186c77&CFTOKEN=0&ref=15west.org) se ha convertido en un centro donde los vecinos se reúnen, una ancla para aquellos a la deriva de la incertidumbre. Su historia de casi un siglo guarda historias de migración, derechos civiles, y perseverancia colectiva. Hoy en día, bajo el liderazgo de la Pastora Reshorna, la iglesia continúa sirviendo a la gente como un recordatorio de que la solución al desplazamiento no solo esta presente en pólizas o sistemas, pero en los pequeños actos que crean una ola de cuidado: sirviendo comida, ofreciendo conversación, proveyendo ropa, y creando programas para la juventud. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-7.png) Dos miembros de la comunidad conversando. ****| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* Uno de los actos de cuidado toma lugar en los eventos de distribución de comida de la iglesia. Cada cierto tiempo, durante la semana, las escaleras y las aceras afuera de Stone Temple se llenan de cajas con vegetales frescos, alimentos básicos para la despensa, y comida recién hecha esperando a ser recibida. Los voluntarios se mueven con rapidez, pero con ternura; saludando a las familias y vecinos por nombre. No es una transacción, pero un momento de reconocimiento. Cada caja representa alivio, estabilidad, y un recordatorio de que a alguien le importa lo suficiente como para cerrar la brecha. Para muchos, estas distribuciones son salvavidas - iluminando la carga del desplazamiento a su vez que la comunidad ayuda con el peso. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-8.png) La entrada de la Iglesia Baptista Stone Temple. ****| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-9.png) Miembros de la comunidad esperando en la fila afuera de Stone Temple para recibir vegetales frescos, alimentos básicos, y comida recién preparada. ****| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* A solo unas cuadras, otra historia se revela en el jardín conectado a la iglesia. Lo que antes era un lote abandonado ahora florece con vegetales, hierbas, y flores. Es más que un jardín, es un símbolo de reclamación: un espacio marcado por la negligencia convertido en nutrición. Los vecinos cuidan de la tierra juntos, los niños aprenden de donde viene la comida, y los mayores comparten su sabiduría sobre como plantar y cosechar. En una comunidad más que nada conocida por su escasez, el jardín es un lugar de abundancia. Le ofrece a los residentes el conocimiento de que algo hermoso puede crecer en medio del desafío. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-bbf1004f-79c3-4a8d-86ec-7ee0500b1310-2.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-861b11cb-e558-4d8c-bc29-eccee3855b4e-2.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-1c481834-6193-4974-bcb9-99a4d69fd08a-2.jpg) ****\[IZQUIERDA\]** Letrero de Stone Temple Heritage Garden. ****\[CENTRO\]** Lechuga esperando a ser recogida. ****\[DERECHA\]** Mosaico de arte Lawndale.) ****| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* El West Side de Chicago carga con las cicatrices del desplazamiento y la fuerza de las comunidades que se rehúsan a desaparecer. El desplazamiento es real aquí, pero también es la resistencia. Muy a menudo, historias de estos vecindarios son aplastados por las primicias sobre crimen y pobreza. Lo que pasan por alto son los pozos profundos de creatividad, resistencia, y liderazgo que se alzan cada día. Las distribuciones de comida, el jardín, los programas de mentorias, y las puertas abiertas de Stone Temple son todos recordatorios de que las comunidades no están esperando por soluciones pasivamente, sino que las están creando. La Pastora Reshorna Fitzpatrick nos recuerda cada cierto tiempo que *"la comunidad es un lugar donde la gente habla sobre establecer un ecosistema donde no existe la escazes."* Cada foto de este ensayo sostiene la calma y el movimiento, ausencia y presencia. Ellas reflejan la dualidad del desplazamiento; estando aquí y no estando aquí, con raíces y sin raíces. Ellas también revelan la fuerza de la conexión, la sutil manera en la que la gente se sostiene los unos a los otros. Estas imágenes no solo son sobre personas, pero también contexto y ambiente, recordandonos que ninguna historia existe en aislamiento. He llegado a darme cuenta que servir no es siempre sobre tener recursos; es sobre la intención. La voluntad de realmente reconocer a alguien y hacer un espacio para ellos. Para algunos, esto puede que sea una comida. Para otros, puede que sea escuchar sin juzgar. Para la iglesia, ha significado construir iniciativas que crean caminos hacia la estabilidad, a la vez que ofrecen recordatorios diarios de que aquellos que experimentan el desplazamiento no son definidos por el. Esta serie no es un intento de romantizar la lucha o sugerir que la resistencia reemplaza un cambio sistemático. En vez de eso, existe como una invitación de reconocer las capas del desplazamiento y el rol que cada uno de nosotros para responder al desplazamiento. Servir es ir a donde los sistemas faltan. Ser parte de la comunidad es entender que el bien de uno esta atado al bien de todos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-11.png) Miembros de la comunidad esperando en la fila para recibir cajas con vegetales frescos. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-3d4fd432-89bf-46f3-a355-9e339d9692aa.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-65907485-75d7-411e-b47f-7c11ea0014de.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/data-src-image-8cde9752-09a7-456e-85ef-eb12c7ebc207.jpg) ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* El espíritu de la comunidad es estar presente, de caminar, y de compartir la carga y la esperanza. En el West Side, el espíritu esta vivo. Juntos, somos testigos de ello. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-12.png) Afuera de Stone Temple. ****| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ### a mascletà for burning and flowering: Natasha Mijares on ritual, resistance, and rebirth URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/a-mascleta-for-burning-and-flowering-natasha-mijares-on-ritual-resistance-and-rebirth/ Last updated: 2025-12-17T04:45:53.000Z ## Translating Fire into Healing In *a mascletà for burning and flowering*, artist Natasha Mijares reimagines the Valencian tradition of mascletà through text, textile, and performance. > "There is an art of gathering what to burn." > > — From Mijares' performance text Her work explores the tension between destruction and renewal, the body and the collective, and the rituals we inherit and reinvent. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0466.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0475.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0468.JPG) ****\[LEFT\]** Kettle and cups adorn a wide wooden plank ahead of Mijares' performance. ****\[CENTER\]** A basket of raw wool-wrapped twigs. ****\[RIGHT\]** A black kettle used to serve and welcome the audience into Mijares performance. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* 💥 What is Mascletà? ↓\[click to expand\] Originating in Valencia, Spain, the mascletà is a centuries-old tradition intrinsically tied to Las Fallas, the city's most important festival held each March. Unlike nighttime fireworks displays that prioritize visual spectacle, mascletàs take place in broad daylight—the focus is entirely sonic and physical. Hundreds of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices are synchronized to create rhythmic explosions that build in intensity and speed, culminating in a thunderous crescendo called the *terremoto* (earthquake). The sound reverberates through spectators' chests and bones, creating what many describe as a collective, almost meditative experience of controlled chaos. The tradition has deep roots in Valencia's historic pyrotechnic industry and has evolved from religious celebrations into a form of communal art. During [**Las Fallas**](https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/events-valencia/festivities/the-fallas?ref=15west.org), mascletàs are performed daily at 2 PM in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, drawing massive crowds who stand in silence, bodies absorbing the percussion. It's less about watching and more about feeling, a shared physical experience that transcends individual boundaries. ## **About the Artist** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/Natasha-Meditation.jpg) Mijares' performs a meditation for a seated audience. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Natasha Mijares (she/they), 32, is an artist, writer, curator, and educator who received her MFA in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She/they have exhibited at MECA International Art Fair in Puerto Rico, The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, TCC Chicago, and Locust Projects, with published work in Container, Vinyl Poetry, The Gravity of the Thing, and Hypertext Magazine. --- ## Q&A with Natasha Mijares **How does this work engage with the violence embedded in traditions we inherit or return to?** > NM: I think we’re in a cultural \[moment\] right now that necessitates looking back in history to inform our present and our future. A lot of people are charting paths or \[are\] already on their way to “escaping” America and the current conditions we are in. > My family is working on acquiring Spanish citizenship through the birthright citizenship program, as our lineage traces back to Spain from Cuba. What irks me about this process is that we are returning to our colonizer in this gesture; so my decision in picking a Spanish ritual is to comment on the fact that the traditions of our country, and many others, are violent in nature and we are stuck in a cycle of violence no matter where we turn... > "What does it take to escape America? I have run out of altars. We circle back to ourselves each time ..." > > — From the performance text **You describe serving rose tea and inviting the audience to throw wool-wrapped twigs into a fire. What are you hoping to burn and what do you hope blooms from this collective act? Do you feel this is an act of resistance in a time when more people are coming together to protest?** > NM: In my version of the mascletà, I served rose tea to reference the pink and blue smoke that emerges out of the fireworks. Rose tea, as it is steeped, starts as a blueish purple, and then it darkens to red with time. I \[then\] read text I wrote that explores bodies, dance, nature, deception, and the geopolitical overtones to the mascletà and how we embrace and escape them at the same time. > I am hoping that this version of the mascletà is burning the hate and terror we are seeing every day in our country and that it will bloom the love and care we are seeing from our neighbors in response. I think that resistance and protest is a specific political act and I find this performance to be more of a spiritual signal of that energy, actual resistance and protest calls for deep action, which should also be practiced. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0464.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0469.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0486.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0492.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0497.JPG) ****\[FROM TOP LEFT TO BOTTOM RIGHT\]** A red cushion for guests, kettle and cups. A black kettle and raw wool-wrapped twig and mason jar. Mijares pouring tea at the start of the performance. Guests lifting their tea during Mijares' meditation. Guests after placing their twigs in the fire, the conclusion of Mijares' performance. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* **You mention moving 'away from self-centeredness and toward collective care.' How does gathering what to burn become a practice of interdependence rather than individual catharsis?** > NM: There are many practices for deciphering this ... Ask yourself: how can I shape my life to be more in connection to and in service of my neighbors, my environment, my community, and how do I involve others in my life to create the cyclical power of interdependence? We need to involve one another more in our lives and stop being afraid of burdening others. > ... That takes people rewiring how they move and act in the world for everyone to get on the same page. We *can* live in a world in which we have boundaries *and* respect one another; *AND*we can have deeper connections to one another that make the act of organizing and pushing back against injustice a natural and instinctual step. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0526-1.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0519.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0560.JPG) ****\[LEFT\]** Mijares in conversation with guests and friends. ****\[CENTER\]** and guest laughing. ****\[RIGHT\]** A guest expresses gratitude for Mijares' performance. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* > "We engage in our own flowering every time we phone a friend, help a neighbor, smile at a dog. We desire so deeply to be a part of the flower bed." > > — From the performance text ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0538.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0513.JPG) ****\[LEFT\]** Wildflowers bloom in Leisure's garden. ****\[RIGHT\]** A table of refreshments after Mijares' performance. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Mijares' mascletà is not just a performance, it's a ritual of reckoning. It asks us to confront inherited violence, to choose what we burn, and to imagine what might bloom in its place. --- ## Visitor Information **Hours:** Sundays, 2:00-5:00 PM, Oct 19 - Nov 16 2025 **Admission:** Free and open to all ages **What's on View:** A textile piece, consisting of nylon mesh, embroidery floss, beads, chains, and lag screw hook, is on display in front of the gallery; the piece is accompanied by a video of the October 19 opening performance (**approximately 25 minutes**). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/IMG_4932-1.jpg) **caged,* 2024, nylon mesh, embroidery floss, beads, chains, lag screw hook, fan. | ****Natasha Mijares**/Provided The video captures Mijares performing a poetic meditation on combustion, bodies, flowering, and ritual, followed by a collective moment where audience members throw wool-wrapped twigs into a bonfire in the gallery's garden. The work weaves together themes of colonization, escape, nature, and the violence embedded in tradition, echoing the Valencian mascletà's own complicated history. **Location:** 2444 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622 **Contact:** Leisure Gallery \[[website](https://leisure.place/about/?ref=15west.org)\] | \[[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/leisure.chicago/?ref=15west.org)\] | Natasha Mijares \[[website](http://www.natashamijares.com/?ref=15west.org)\] | \[[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/natmija?ref=15west.org)\] *See accessibility details below.* ### Accessibility Score: 4.25/5 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🚶🏼 Mobility ●●●●● Fully accessible indoor viewing 👂🏽 Sensory ●●●●○ Controlled environment; video content 🧠 Cognitive ●●●●● Self-paced viewing (drop-in hours) 💬 Communication ●●●○○ Video captioning available; English language 💰 Economic ●●●●● Free admission ⏰ Time ●●●○○ Limited hours (Sundays only, 2-5PM) 🫱🏽‍🫲🏿 Participation ●●●●● Fully passive viewing experience 📍 Transit ●●●●○ Multiple CTA options (49, 70 buses; Red/Blue lines) **Access Details:** Leisure's main entrance has two steps. They have a wheelchair accessible entrance and the space is built to ADA standards. Seating available for video viewing. Video includes audio at conversational volume. Climate-controlled space, estimated 6-15 visitors at a time. Accessible restroom near rear of gallery. Content note: Video includes fire and smoke imagery. **Getting There:** CTA: 49 Western Bus, 70 Division Bus, Red and Blue lines | Street parking available on Division St **Accommodations:** Please let Leisure know if you require any accommodations and they'll be happy to assist: [office@leisure.place](mailto:office@leisure.place) \*Accessibility scoring is standard practice in our arts coverage.\* ## ### We Are Here, pt. 2 URL: https://www.15west.org/we-are-here-pt-2/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T15:19:17.000Z *In* [*Part 1*](https://www.15west.org/we-were-here/)*, we documented the faces of displacement across Chicago's West Side. But beyond the train cars and street corners, another story was unfolding - one of organized resistance.* **This is Part 2: the infrastructure of care*.* This photo essay explores displacement on the West Side of Chicago not only through absence and struggle, but through the people and places who choose to be part of the solution. It highlights the quiet yet powerful ways communities organize to hold one another up. To be of service means showing up in moments of uncertainty, creating spaces where dignity remains intact, and reminding those who feel forgotten that they are still seen and loved. In the face of displacement—whether through housing insecurity, financial hardship, or the slow erosion of stability—presence becomes a radical act. Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick of Stone Temple Baptist Church in North Lawndale embodies that ethos. For years, she and her congregation have made the church more than a house of worship—it is a sanctuary for those who may be unhoused, food insecure, or simply in need of a place to breathe. Guided by her belief that “my superpower is serving. If I’m not serving, I’m not living,” Pastor Reshorna continues to create a space where care, dignity, and community are at the center of everything. ![Pastor Reshorna at her desk. | Genesis Falls/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-60c9e6b0-0574-4cf5-a04e-fe9e1d91be0c.jpeg) Pastor Reshorna at her desk. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-adf1aa93-4aae-4c23-b2eb-d942ed49d9ab.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-2495e464-4fab-466f-a38a-8dea2ec73baa.jpeg) Community member Kevin Hunt. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* [Stone Temple](https://www.churchapps.tv/mcms/stmbc2/?CFID=07647d1f-7348-4c9b-bf14-5a61d7186c77&CFTOKEN=0&ref=15west.org) has become a hub where neighbors gather, and an anchor for those drifting in uncertainty. Its near century-long history holds stories of migration, civil rights, and collective perseverance. Today, under Pastor Reshorna’s leadership, the church continues to serve as a reminder that the solution to displacement is not only in policy or systems, but in the small acts of care that ripple outward: serving food, offering conversation, providing clothing, and creating programs for youth. ![Two community members conversing. | Genesis Falls/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-e0a5b8bb-31f6-469c-92ba-6f8400f45bc1.jpeg) Two community members conversing. **| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* One of those acts of care takes place in the church’s food distribution events. On any given week, the steps and sidewalks outside Stone Temple are filled with boxes of fresh produce, pantry staples, and hot meals waiting to be handed out. Volunteers move quickly yet tenderly, greeting families and neighbors by name. It is not a transaction, but a moment of recognition. Each box represents relief, stability, and a reminder that someone cares enough to stand in the gap. For many, these distributions are lifelines—lightening the burden of displacement as the community steps in to share the weight. ![The entrance to Stone Temple Baptist Church. | Genesis Falls/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-a206e14a-36f4-4b90-98d5-f6b26b6b3b06.jpeg) The entrance to Stone Temple Baptist Church. | **Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![Community members line up outside Stone Temple to receive fresh produce, pantry staples, and hot meals. | Genesis Falls/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-83926269-2e7f-42c6-bcf6-13e9d238cf45.jpeg) Community members line up outside Stone Temple to receive fresh produce, pantry staples, and hot meals. ****| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* Just a few blocks away, another story unfolds at the community garden connected to the church. What was once an abandoned lot now blooms with vegetables, herbs, and flowers. It is more than a garden, it is a symbol of reclamation: a space marked by neglect turning into nourishment. Neighbors tend the soil together, children learn where food comes from, and elders share wisdom about planting and harvesting. In a community often written about only in terms of scarcity, the garden is a site of abundance. It grounds residents in the knowledge that something beautiful can grow in the midst of challenge. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-bbf1004f-79c3-4a8d-86ec-7ee0500b1310.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-861b11cb-e558-4d8c-bc29-eccee3855b4e.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-1c481834-6193-4974-bcb9-99a4d69fd08a.jpeg) ****\[LEFT\]** Stone Temple Heritage Garden signage. ****\[CENTER\]** Lettuce waiting to be picked. ****\[RIGHT\]** Lawndale mosaic art. | **Genesis Falls**/**15 West* The West Side of Chicago carries both the scars of disinvestment and strength of communities that refuse to disappear. Displacement is real here, but so is resistance. Too often, stories about these neighborhoods are flattened into headlines about crime or poverty. What’s overlooked are the deep wells of creativity, resilience, and leadership that rise here every day. The food distributions, the garden, the mentorship programs, and the open doors of Stone Temple are all reminders that communities are not waiting passively for solutions, they are creating them. Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick often reminds us that “*a CommUnity is a place where people commune together in the unity to establish an ecosystem where no lack exists.*” Each photo in this essay holds both stillness and movement, absence and presence. They reflect the duality of displacement, being here and not here, rooted and uprooted. They also reveal the strength of connection, the subtle ways people hold one another steady. These images are not just about subjects, but about context and environment, reminding us that no one’s story exists in isolation. I’ve come to realize that service isn’t always about having resources; it’s about intention. The willingness to truly recognize someone and make space for them. For some, this may mean offering a meal. For others, it may mean listening without judgment. For the church, it has meant building initiatives that create pathways for stability, while also offering daily reminders that those experiencing displacement are not defined by it. This series is not an attempt to romanticize struggle or suggest that resilience replaces systemic change. Instead, it exists as an invitation to recognize the layers of displacement and the role each of us plays in responding to it. To be of service is to step in where systems fall short. To be of community is to understand that the wellbeing of one is tied to the wellbeing of all. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-c2bbf59d-0437-4f3d-89c4-40146ff0328f.jpeg) Community members line up to receive boxes of fresh produce. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-3d4fd432-89bf-46f3-a355-9e339d9692aa.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-65907485-75d7-411e-b47f-7c11ea0014de.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-8cde9752-09a7-456e-85ef-eb12c7ebc207.jpeg) ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* The spirit of community is to stand beside, to walk with, and to share in both struggle and hope. On the West Side, that spirit is alive. Together, we bear witness to it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-7bc07b5a-c372-4a5c-9442-f7514ab61902.jpeg) Outside Stone Temple. ****| Genesis Falls**/**15 West* --- [We Were HereIn the first of three parts, a photo essay explores how Chicago’s West Side communities insist on presence and dignity in the face of displacement, revealing the persistence of life where others see only absence.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/icon/15-West-Sketch-2-1.PNG)15 WestGenesis Falls![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/thumbnail/We-Were-Here-pt-1-Head-1.jpg)](https://www.15west.org/we-were-here/) ### Eating Our Way Home: Addis Cafe URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/eating-our-way-home-addis-cafe/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T22:10:13.000Z Kalkidan “Kalki” Tesfaye has quietly built one of the West suburbs' most magnetic third spaces. With [Addis Cafe](https://www.facebook.com/Cafeaddis/), she presents a radical proposition: a coffee shop that functions less like a business and more like an extension of her living room. Like everything Tesfaye does, the space is, first and foremost, about connection. “Everybody's welcome,” she says, settling onto a plush leather couch with a cortado (her favorite) and that signature smile that makes strangers feel like family. ![Kalkidan "Kalki" Tesfaye, owner of Addis Cafe. | NaBeela Washington/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Addis-Portrait_EAW.jpg) Kalkidan "Kalki" Tesfaye, owner of Addis Cafe. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* The cafe follows a philosophy that's both simple and subversive in an era of laptop farms and grab-and-go culture. She's created something that feels increasingly rare—a place where world music drifts through conversations, where the owner joins you on the couch, where the boundaries between host and guest intentionally blur. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0368.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0401.JPG) \[LEFT\] Kalki and her favorite drink (The Cortado).\[RIGHT\] Customers dine outside. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “Sometimes people don't get it,” she says of her approach. “This country is just ‘run run run’ … you can’t even enjoy the taste of coffee”. But that's not what Addis is about. **What was your professional background before the cafe?** > KT: I studied architecture. What I loved about it was the creating part, right? But I don't like sitting in the office. My brother and I had an Ethiopian restaurant \[Addis Restaurant\] in Berkeley for 11 years. I was born in Ethiopia, then moved to California in my sophomore year of high school. I went to high school in Oakland and later college in Berkeley, all in the Bay Area. **Why did you start this cafe?** > KT: I moved from California, and I was looking for something to do, and I've always loved coffee. 10 years later, we're here. I wanted something for my kids, to have that same experience I had—a diverse community where they feel like they don't stick out, feeling accepted. **What makes *Addis* unique?** > KT: Our customers are like a whole world in one space. On any given day, you'll see people from all backgrounds, hear different languages, and sense that everyone feels comfortable here. It's very diverse. Even our music reflects that; we play world music, American jazz, old school soul, and music from all over Africa and South America. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0407.JPG) The front exterior of Addis Cafe at 801 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304\. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* > The coffee shop, or any service industry, should be about **what** you serve, not just ‘coffee’, \[and\] genuine connection and care. We make everything from scratch here \[like pour-over Ethiopian coffee, corn-based waffles, or chai\]. It’s about serving quality things people enjoy, and also creating a place where everybody’s welcome. **How does this inform your approach to coffee?** > KT: You're supposed to have a moment and enjoy the coffee smell, have a conversation. So because of that, we never, ever have coffee made. You have to order it, and wait for it. It forces you to have a moment. And you know, this whole country is just run, run, run. I don't think you even enjoy a sip of coffee, just drinking it, that you even know what you're drinking, right? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0380.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0397.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0396.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0365.JPG) \[TOP LEFT to BOTTOM RIGHT\] Pour over coffee. Fresh scones. Fresh muffins. Salted Caramel Latte and Cortado. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* **Describe the significance of coffee in Ethiopia?** > KT: In Ethiopia, people buy the green beans. They wash it and roast it, and make the coffee right there. And right there, while people are reading, in the afternoon, this is the outlet for women ... They call their friends and neighbors while they're making the coffee, \[and\] they use it as therapy. They talk about their issues, their household stuff. While they're making the coffee and drinking it, by the time they go home, all that frustration is gone, and they're relieved, because \[they\] have somebody to talk to and let it out. **In a society where women’s frustrations are not regularly given space, this communal act becomes a form of resistance, an emotional outlet shaped by tradition, connection, and care.* **How do you create a welcoming space?** > KT: I want people to just be comfortable and not have to worry about who they are or what language they speak. That is not allowed here. I want people to just come and enjoy the coffee, be comfortable, and go home. Be happy. It doesn't matter if you're homeless here; you can come sit here, have something. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0442.JPG) Kalki in conversation with regulars. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* **What do you love most about running the cafe?** > **KT:** I love coming here; my husband's so jealous. I tell him, the day I hate it, that’s the day I'm gonna let it go. I love the community. It's my happy space. > Not too many people go to work, and really like it, right? Just seeing people drinking your coffee, watching them take the first sip of it, it's very satisfying. As if on cue, a regular walks in: another guest in Kalki’s living room. She waves him over. Mark VerHalen has been coming to Addis Cafe for four years. “This isn't just a coffee shop—it's a place where everybody seems to get along well with each other,” he tells me as Kalki works near the espresso machine. He pauses, watching her work. “She's created something special.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSC_0418-1-1.JPG) \[SEATED LEFT\] Mark VerHalen, a regular of four years. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Whether you're drawn by their from-scratch recipes and Ethiopian-grown ingredients, Seattle-roasted espresso, the ginger turmeric tea, or simply the warmth of connection, Addis offers more than just a drink: it offers a place to belong. *\*This piece was edited with support from Liana Ordonez and Gemma Mueller, part of 15 West’s Reporting/Editing Internship.* ### Construcción en la Estación Austin Fuerza Pasajeros a Caminar una Cuadra Extra URL: https://www.15west.org/construccion-en-la-estacion-austin-fuerza-pasajeros-a-caminar-una-cuadra-extra/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:15:42.000Z Los transeúntes del lado Oeste han añadido una cuadra extra a su caminata diaria desde Junio, cuando el CTA cerró la puerta principal de la estación Austin para una renovación de $25 millones para hacer la Línea Verde accesible en silla de ruedas. El proyecto es parte del programa[*Todas las Estaciones con Accesibilidad*](https://www.transitchicago.com/accessibility/asap/?ref=15west.org) de la Autoridad de Tránsito de Chicago, el cuál tiene como meta que todas las estaciones de tren sean accesibles bajo el estándar de ADA para el 2038 ya sea con mejoras o reemplazando elevadores. [De acuerdo al CTA](https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-celebrates-start-of-accessibility-improvement-work-at-austin-green-line/?ref=15west.org), 104 de 146 estaciones de tren actualmente cumplen con los estándares de accesibilidad, y Austin es una de las 14 estaciones en diferentes etapas de planificación o construcción. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-22.png) La entrada original de la estación Austin esta cercada mientras que el personal trabaja en mejorar la estación para hacerla accesible bajo los estándares ADA. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* La estación Austin, una de las más antiguas en la Línea Verde, esta pasando por sus mejora más significativa en décadas. La estación abrió en 1899 y fue reconstruida en 1962, sirviendo a generaciones de residentes en el lado Oeste. El CTA comenzó en Marzo, y la construcción aumentó en Junio con el cierre de la entrada principal. Durante la ceremonia de inaguración llevada a cabo el 31 de Marzo, el Alcalde Brandon Johnson dijo, "La inaguración de hoy en la estación Austin representa nuestro compromiso para todos en Chicago. La accesibilidad no es un lujo ni es opcional; es un derecho fundamental." La Presidenta de la Autoridad de Tránsito de Chicago Nora Leerhsen y otros dignatarios se unieron a Johnson en la ceremonia. Para los defensores de los derechos de los discapacitados, la renovación representa un proceso esperado por mucho tiempo. Como dijo el Presidente y CEO de Access Living, Karen Tamley, "Esta inaguración es mucho más que un hito de la construcción, es una promesa de más independencia y oportunidad para todos." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-23.png) Matthew Miller se sube a la Límea Verde que ha hacia el centro desde la estación Austin. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* Para el residente Matthew Miller, subir 28 pasos cargando su scooter eléctrico de 28 libras no es ideal, pero manejable. "Puede que tome las escaleras aunque haya un ascensor, pero no sería el fin del mundo. Al regresar a casa me bajo en Ridgeland solo para evitar la construcción." Otros encuentran el desvío más disruptivo, como Amari M., quien también usa un scooter eléctrico, que dice que "no harían esto en el centro ¿Es que no hay manera de acabarlo más rápido?" Sin noticias del CTA, algunos pasajeros sienten que los han dejado en la oscuridad sobre cuando vendrá la calma. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-24.png) Pasajeros salen de la estación Austin a través de una entrada temporal entre Corcoran Place y la Avenida Mason. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* *El CTA no ha respondido a los correos preguntando por una actualización sobre la línea temporal del proyecto.* La construcción ha cerrado parte de la acera de Corcoran Place entre el Bulevar Austin y la Avenida Mason. Los pasajeros tienen que cruzar hasta el lado opuesto de Corcoran Place o seguir la área cercada a la entrada temporal en Mason, casi una cuadra de la entrada original. Jane A., una estudiante universitaria que vive en el área y pidió que no se usara su nombre completo, fue tomada por sorpresa. "No esperaba que la entrada principal estuviera cerrada, y al principio intenté encontrar la nueva entrada. Pero sé que es lo mejor para la cuidad." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-25.png) Jane waits for a downtown bound Green Line train at the Austin station. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* La construcción, la cual incluye la instalación de un ascensor nuevo y una escaladora que se conecta con la plataforma, se espera que este completa a inicios del 2026\. Otras mejoras incluyen la reconstrucción de las escaleras, la nueva rampa complatible con las normas ADA, extensión de la plataforma, y otras mejoras para la estación. Hasta entonces, los pasajeros continuarán navegando el desvío, alargando sus viajes diarios, mientras que esperan por una estación que sirva a todos los residentes, a pesar de su mobilidad. Esta inconveniencia últimamente resalta como los años de accesibilidad ignorada han forzado a los residentes del West Side a soportar el peso del progreso tardío. ### Austin station construction forces riders to walk extra block URL: https://www.15west.org/austin-station-construction-forces-riders-to-walk-extra-block/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T22:41:52.000Z West Side commuters have been adding an extra block to their daily trek since June, when the CTA closed the main entrance to Austin station for a $25 million renovation to make the Green Line stop wheelchair accessible. The project is part of the Chicago Transit Authority's [*All Stations Accessibility Program*](https://www.transitchicago.com/accessibility/asap/?ref=15west.org), which aims to make all rail stations ADA accessible by 2038 by upgrading or replacing elevators. [According to the CTA](https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-celebrates-start-of-accessibility-improvement-work-at-austin-green-line/?ref=15west.org), 104 out of 146 rail stations are currently meeting accessibility standards, and Austin is one of 14 stations in various stages of planning or construction. ![The original entrance to the Austin station is shown fenced off as crews work on updating the station to make it ADA-accessible.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/AXF_5013.jpg) The original entrance to the Austin station is fenced off as crews work on updating the station to make it ADA-accessible. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* Austin station, one of the oldest on the Green Line, is now undergoing its most significant upgrade in decades. The station first opened in 1899 and was rebuilt in 1962, serving generations of residents on the West Side. The CTA broke ground on the project in March, and construction ramped up in June with the main entrance closure. During the groundbreaking ceremony held on March 31st, Mayor Brandon Johnson said**,** “Today’s groundbreaking at Austin Station represents our shared commitment to equity across Chicago. Accessibility is not a luxury nor is it optional; it is a fundamental right." Chicago Transit Authority acting president Nora Leerhsen and other dignitaries joined Johnson at the ceremony. For disability rights advocates, the renovation represents long-overdue progress. As Access Living President & CEO, Karen Tamley said, “This groundbreaking is more than a construction milestone, it’s a promise of greater independence and opportunity for all.” ![A man with a bright yellow backpack, named Matthew Miller, boards a Green Line train bound for downtown from the Austin station.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSCF0354.jpg) Matthew Miller boards a Green Line train bound for downtown from the Austin station. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* For resident Matthew Miller, climbing the 28 steps carrying his 25-pound electric scooter isn’t ideal, but it's manageable. “I might still take the stairs even if there was an elevator, but it’s not a deal breaker. Coming home, I get off at the Ridgeland stop, just to avoid the construction.” Others find the detour to be more disruptive, as Amari M., who also uses an electric scooter, said, “They wouldn’t do this downtown. Is there no possible way to finish this work faster?” Without updates from the CTA, some riders feel left in the dark about when relief will come. ![A variety of riders are shown exiting the Austin station through a temporary entrance located at Corcoran Place and Mason Avenue. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/AXF_4786.jpg) Riders exit the Austin station through a temporary entrance located at Corcoran Place and Mason Avenue. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* *The CTA has not responded to emails asking for an update on the project's timeline.* Construction has closed part of the sidewalk on Corcoran Place between Austin Boulevard and Mason Street. Riders must either cross to the opposite side of Corcoran Place or follow the fenced-off area to a temporary entrance at Mason, roughly a block from the original entrance. Jane A., a college student who lives in the area and who asked not to use her full name, was caught off guard. “I wasn’t expecting the main entrance to be closed, and I was trying to find the new entrance at first. I know it’s what’s best for the neighborhood.” ![A woman in a bright orange sweatshirt is shown waiting for a downtown bound Green Line train at the Austin station. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/10/DSCF0385A.jpg) Jane waits for a downtown bound Green Line train at the Austin station. | ****Arturo Fernandez**/**15 West* Construction, which includes the installation of a new elevator and escalator connecting the platform, is expected to be completed by early 2026\. Other improvements include the reconstruction of the stairs, a new ADA-compliant ramp, extension of the platform, and other station enhancements. Until then, riders will continue navigating the detour, lengthening their daily trips, while awaiting a station that will serve all residents, regardless of mobility. This inconvenience ultimately highlights how years of deferred accessibility have forced West Side residents to bear the burden of belated progress. ### Forgotten to flourishing: Heritage students transform school garden URL: https://www.15west.org/forgotten-to-flourishing-heritage-students-transform-school-garden/ Last updated: 2025-09-25T14:22:44.000Z “When I got here … the outside looked like nothing,” said Sister Sharon Dillon, reflecting on her arrival at South Berwyn District 100's [Heritage Middle School](https://heritage.bsd100.org/?ref=15west.org) six years ago. “And I was just like, how can such a positive inside school \[not look\] positive outside? And then I noticed all these garden beds, and they were just all weeds.” A lot has changed since then. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/Garden--Full--2---plus-barn.png) Heritage Middle School garden plots. | ****Maya Swan-Sullivan**/**15 West* Now, Heritage Middle School's seven garden beds burst with cucumbers, collard greens, tomatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, and jalapeños, plus herbs like mint, basil, parsley, and thyme. Marigolds in the first bed will be picked by neighbors and school staff for Day of the Dead altars. During their class period, Dillon's sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade science students check each bed to see what needs weeding and what can be harvested. Most eighth graders have been working on the garden for over two years. For some students, the importance of gardening is simple. “We need food,” said Lucas Prankus, an eighth-grade student in Dillon's class. Dillon said her favorite part is “watching the kids really enjoy the dirt, like finding the worms, finding something, and asking me what it is.” She said the kids always get so excited when things begin to grow. And “that just keeps getting better and better every year.” Sofia Garcia Marquez, an eighth-grade student in Dillon's class, says her favorite thing to see grow is the flowers. She sometimes picks jalapeños to take home. “My mom likes it,” Marquez said. Somaya Price’s favorite memory from the class has been “coming out here enjoying the air, and planting.” The garden has boosted students' confidence, according to Dillon. It's been good for the students' esteem to be able to “go out and say ‘hey my class did this, look at what we did’ and to show their friends something \[concrete\] that they’re doing,” she said. Dillon’s classes have also helped to make outside areas around the school more vibrant by engaging in clean-up projects. “When we do Earth Week, we go out and we pick up all the trash around the neighborhood ... I can hear them sometimes, ‘I can't believe someone threw down trash there’, they're developing habits themselves to respect the Earth, that the Earth is where our food comes from,” Dillon said. In class, they use toilet paper rolls to plant garlic. Now, “before they even throw a box away, they'll say, ‘Sister Sharon, do you need this for something?’” The most striking impact is students' newfound understanding of food sources. “I don't think before my class, they knew that food was grown, like they just would go to the grocery store, they didn't realize it came from the ground,” she said. This movement extends beyond Heritage. [Berwyn Roots](https://www.facebook.com/p/Berwyn-Roots-A-Community-Garden-Movement-100079656108941/)—a gardening organization located at Serenity and Proska parks—currently hosts Family Days on select Sundays, for community members to work in the garden. On Fridays, they also collaborate with the public library, offering storytime in the park. They have two community fridge locations for the items that they harvest. “We're kind of focusing now on the things that are harder to afford, the herbs, the spices, fresh teas ... in the future, we're hoping we will be able to put bushels of fruit in these community fridges to support them,” said Julie Roth, co-founder of Berwyn Roots. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/Garden--Full--1.png) Marigolds spring forth from the students' garden. | ****Maya Swan-Sullivan**/**15 West* Those working with kids in gardens are noticing their previous lack of exposure to how food grows and ends up on their plate. “The idea of, like, eating something straight out of the ground, it just blows their mind,” Roth said. Initially, students are hesitant. “It's been really interesting seeing them be kind of afraid to touch things … they don't want to taste things, they don't want to smell things,” Roth said. “But then by the time they leave for the day, \[there\] might be like, a handful of things they're taking home with them to try to taste.” After making do with their own materials for the first couple of years, Dillon made a call to Home Depot and asked for donations to help with the garden. In the spring of 2022, “they put the nutrients we needed in our soil,” Dillon said. “They turned all our beds. They fixed our trees, which were dying all around the campus.” Dillon also received a grant from KidsGardening, which provided materials to cover the beds and prevent animals from eating the plants. “If you don't cover it, the squirrels and the rabbit will eat them,” said Alex Adan, an eighth-grade student in Dillon's class. The students work in the garden almost year-round. When they reach the first frost, they pick the green tomatoes, place them in newspaper, and into a brown bag in the closet. After a few weeks, they ripen. Outside, they turn the soil and put mulch over the beds until spring. Dillon’s classes also engage in cooking projects. In the past, when they made pizzas, Dillon brought in fresh tomato sauce she made from the tomatoes they grew in the garden. Urban farming requires creative solutions. Roth said that in their gardens, they don’t grow in the ground very often and try to teach people ways to make it accessible. “For example, we grow some things in pots and buckets, like food-grade buckets,” she said. “You know, most people can find a bucket or a pot sitting in an alley and have access to that.” Berwyn Roots does most of its gardening in raised beds to avoid potentially harmful poison or runoff in the ground soil. “We do vertical gardening a lot to conserve space, growing things up instead of out,” Roth said. One of Dillon’s goals is to get a grant for a new watering system. She also wants to add a greenhouse and start composting in the cafeteria, and use it as fertilizer. Maintaining a garden takes a lot of work. During the students' summer break, Dillon came about once a week to make sure the garden was weeded, watered, and the food was harvested. She noted that sometimes she shows up to the school as early as 6:15 a.m. to take care of the garden beds. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/Sis-Dillion---Hard-Work.png) Sister Dillon weeding. | ****Maya Swan-Sullivan**/**15 West* Roth emphasized the effort it takes as well. “The impact is so great, but you have to have a very strong, sustainable group to maintain it,” she said. For Dillon, the work is worth it. “I think composting in general is important from the Earth to the Earth, and then I would love to see a compost system in the cafeteria and throughout the school, because we are considered a healthy school,” she said. “And to me, that's like one more step.” ### Estuvimos Aquí URL: https://www.15west.org/estuvimos-aqui/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T02:03:07.000Z "Puertas cerrándose." Ese sonido aún resuena en mis oídos. Para la mayoría, es solo un anuncio de tránsito, un detalle de fondo en el ritmo del día a día de Chicago. Pero para mí, se volvió una memoria; noches en las cuáles no tenía donde quedarme y tomaba trenes por su calidez, moviendome en círculos mientras la cuidad dormía. En esos trenes, aprendí lo que significa ser desplazado: cargar todo lo que tienes en una maleta, moverse constantemente y aún así sentir que no perteneces a ninguna parte. Este trabajo empieza con esa memoria, pero se extiende más allá de mi ser. Pertenece a la gente y lugares de West Side de Chicago, North Lawndale, Austin, y más allá. Aquí, la negligencia sistémica esta escrita en el paisaje mismo. Lotes vacíos llenan cuadras. Casas tapiadas en silencio. Escuelas cierran mientras las licorerías se multiplican. Y en este ambiente, el desplazamiento toma varias formas: un aviso de desalojo deslizado bajo la puerta, una familia abarrotada en un apartamento, una carpa asentada bajo un viaducto. Aún así, estas imágenes e historias insisten en su presencia. Las personas en estas fotografías no son estadísticas o sombras. Son madres protegiendo a sus hijos, hombres juntando los pedazos de sus jornadas, amigos compartiendo comida, vecinos cuidándose entre ellos. Los lentes de mi cámara son una manera de recordar y afirmar: *Te veo. Estuvimos aquí.* --- El desplazamiento es a menudo definido como la ausencia de vivienda, recursos, seguridad. Pero cuando veo a través del visor, veo algo más: la persistencia de la vida. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-2.png) **Una mujer alimenta, mira a las palomas cerca de la esquina de la calle West Side, la silueta de los edificios a la distancia* **.** | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* Las fotografías revelan las manos agrietadas amarrando pasadores antes de un día largo de trabajo, los brazos de una madre que cierran el zip del abrigo de su hijo con el viento a sus espaldas, risas afuera de un albergue, el humo rizado de un cigarrillo compartido. Estos no son detalles pequeños; son retratos de dignidad. Nos recuerdan que incluso en la inestabilidad, la gente crea rutinas, se cuidan los unos a los otros, e insisten con su alegria. Al mismo tiempo, veo las redes de personas que sostienen a su comunidad cuando los sistemas fallan. En West Side, la supervivencia no es un acto individual, es colectivo. Trabajadores de servicios de asistencia distribuyen kits de higiene y botiquines. Iglesias abren sus puertas para servir comida y ofrecer un espacio seguro. Los centros comunitarios se transforman centros donde los vecinos organizan colectas de alimentos, clínicas de asistencia jurídica y programas para jóvenes. Los albergues no solo ofrecen camas, pero también reconocimiento de que esas personas importan. Puede que estos actos no salgan en las noticias de la tarde, pero son salvavidas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-3.png) **Una sala de reuniones comunitarias vacía.* | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* He visto a la comunidad preparar sandwiches y dárselos a los que más lo necesitan. Puede que estos gestos parezcan pequeños, pero sus efectos se expanden, creando conexiones que desafían la lógica de la escasez. No son actos de caridad; sino actos de solidaridad, arraigados a la idea de que *nosotros nos cuidamos entre nosotros*. Documentar estos momentos es esencial porque revelan no solo la lucha, pero también la resistencia. Nos hacen recordar que en los lugares que las instituciones han abandonado hay gente creando sus propias maneras de cuidarse y de pertenecer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-4.png) **Interior de un edificio vacío.* | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* La mayoría del tiempo,el West Side es reducido a sus estereotipos: estadísticas criminales, indices de pobreza, titulares que le quitan matiz al vecindario. Lo que quiero capturar con mis fotografías es la realidad de la comunidad, la cual es mucho más compleja, que se rechaza ser borrada. La resistencia toma varias formas: una reunión comunitaria llena de voces, un mural proclamando orgullo, un letrero que declara *La Vivienda es un Derecho Humano*. Aveces la resistencia es más silenciosa: una mirada a la cámara que dice, *estoy aquí, importo.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-5.png) **Bajo el paso sobre nivel.* | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/image-6.png) **En la intersección de una calle en West Side.* | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* Este ensayo fotográfico, **Estuvimos Aquí**, es mi manera de insistir para que esa presencia sea recordada. Marca el primer paso en un trabajo mucho más grande para documentar el desplazamiento, resistencia, y cuidado en Chicago de manera visual. Cada imagen le pide al espectador que se detenga por un momento, que vea lo que es usualmente ignorado, y que reflexione en su propio rol en la tela que es la cuidad. ¿Que significa pertenecer? ¿Quién es excluido de ese derecho? ¿Como avanzamos hacia un Chicago donde la vivienda no es un privilegio para algunos, pero una garantía para todos? El sonido de "Puertas cerrándose" siempre persistirá en mi, pero su significado ha cambiado. Ya no significa aislamiento o perdida. Ahora también indica la posibilidad de abrir la oportunidad de adentrarse en otro espacio, de empezar otra vez, de imaginar un futuro donde todos tienen un lugar para descansar. A través de la memoria, retrato y testimonio, estoy construyendo un registro que dice claramente: los que han sido desplazados no son invisibles. No son desechables. Son parte de esta cuidad, y no serán olvidados. Estuvimos aquí. Estamos aquí. Y este es solo el comienzo. La segunda parte continuará esta historia con los lentes apuntando a las redes de cuidado y comunidad que se alzan para enfrentar el desplazamiento. ### We Were Here URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/we-were-here/ Last updated: 2025-09-14T00:43:03.000Z “Doors closing.” That sound still echoes in my ears. For most, it’s just a transit announcement, a background detail in the daily rhythm of Chicago. But for me, it became a memory, nights when I had no place to stay and rode trains for warmth, moving in circles as the city slept. On those trains, I learned what it meant to be displaced: to carry everything you own in a bag, to move constantly and still feel like you belong nowhere. This work begins with that memory but extends far beyond me. It belongs to the people and places of Chicago’s West Side, North Lawndale, Austin, and beyond. Here, systemic neglect is written into the very landscape. Vacant lots stretch for blocks. Boarded-up houses sit in silence. Schools close while liquor stores multiply. And within this environment, displacement takes many shapes: an eviction notice slipped under a door, a family crowded into one apartment, a tent pitched under a viaduct. Yet what these images and stories insist on is presence. The people in these photographs are not statistics or shadows. They are mothers protecting their children, men piecing together day labor, friends sharing food, neighbors checking in on one another. My lens is one way of remembering and affirming: *I see you. We were here.* --- Displacement is often described only through the absence of housing, of resources, of security. But when I look through the viewfinder, I see something else: the persistence of life. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-18e53d7f-bfbe-4875-86a8-13428ffc604b.png) A woman feeds, watches pigeons near a West Side street corner, downtown skyline in distance. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* The photographs reveal cracked hands tying shoelaces before a long day of work, a mother's arms as she zips her child into a coat against the wind, laughter exchanged outside a shelter, smoke curling from a shared cigarette. These are not small details; they are portraits of dignity. They remind us that even in instability, people build routines, care for one another, and insist on joy. At the same time, I witness the networks of care that hold communities together when systems fail. On the West Side, survival is not an individual act; it is collective. Outreach workers in vans distribute hygiene kits and medical supplies. Churches open their doors to host meals or offer a safe space. Community centers transform into hubs where neighbors organize food drives, legal aid clinics, and youth programs. Shelters offer not just beds, but recognition that people matter. These acts may not make the evening news, but they are lifelines. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-541dcec4-3b9e-47fa-8dd9-124529fcbd0e.png) An empty community meeting room. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* I have witnessed the community prepare sandwiches and pass them out to those in need. These gestures may seem small, but they ripple outward, creating connections that defy the logic of scarcity. They are not acts of charity; they are acts of solidarity, rooted in the belief that *we take care of ourselves.* Documenting these moments is essential because they reveal not just struggle, but resilience. They remind us that where institutions have abandoned, people create their own forms of care and belonging. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-acc86473-8eb5-486c-9683-013785292cd3.png) Interior of a vacant building. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* Too often, the West Side is reduced to stereotypes: crime statistics, poverty rates, headlines that strip neighborhoods of nuance. What I aim to capture in my photographs is the deeper reality of a community that refuses erasure. Resistance takes many forms: a grassroots meeting buzzing with voices, a mural proclaiming pride, a protest sign declaring *Housing is a Human Right.* Sometimes resistance is quieter: a gaze into the camera that says, *I am here, I matter.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-25bfcb99-308a-4d51-a4e9-888b2b302c22.png) Under a transit overpass. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-35eb450c-913f-4209-9fef-844b36acfabd.png) At the intersection of a West Side street. | ****Genesis Falls**/**15 West* This photo essay, ***We Were Here***, is my way of insisting that presence be recognized. It marks the first step in a larger body of work to visually document displacement, resilience, and care across Chicago. Each image asks viewers to slow down, to see what is too often ignored, and to reflect on their own role in the city’s fabric. What does it mean to belong? Who is excluded from that right? How do we move toward a Chicago where housing is not a privilege for some, but a guarantee for all? The sound of “Doors closing” will always linger in me, but its meaning has shifted. It no longer signifies only isolation or loss. Now, it also signals the possibility of opening the chance to step into another space, to begin again, to imagine a future where everyone has a place to rest. Through memory, portrait, and testimony, I am building a record that says clearly: those who are displaced are not invisible. They are not disposable. They are part of this city, and they will not be forgotten. We were here. We are here. And this is only the beginning. Part two will continue this story, turning the lens toward the networks of care and community that rise in the face of displacement. ### Grandma Irma's Cocina Feeds Everyone URL: https://www.15west.org/grandma-irmas-cocina-feeds-everyone/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T01:25:33.000Z No matter what language you speak, how much money you have, or what type of food you like, you will be fed at [La Cocina de Irma](https://www.instagram.com/la%5Fcocina%5Fde%5Firma/?ref=15west.org). The restaurant, located at 4224 W 31st in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, is run by Irma Ceballos, mother of five and Cicero resident. Previously, Irma worked at another Mexican restaurant, Taquaria Los Comales, for 36 years as a waitress. After so many years of working for someone else—and with her natural ability to connect with people—she was inspired to follow her dreams and open up her own space, where she could share her family recipes and warmth with the community. It’s a family affair, from her husband being a dishwasher to her kids cooking and serving, every person working at the restaurant is a family member. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/CHILA-IN-PAN.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/IRMA-MID-ACTION.jpg) The Sanchez family before and during a breakfast rush. ****| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “Working with my family is fun. We bump heads a lot, but it's definitely fun,” said Miguel Sanchez, Irma’s son, who recently quit his job as a salesman at Home Depot to work for the restaurant full-time. “I was a little hesitant at first,” said Irma’s youngest daughter Fernanda Sanchez after hearing her mom’s idea to open a Mexican restaurant. “After COVID, I could see businesses were still struggling. And that's when my mom told me, ‘The only thing you can regret in life is not going for it.’” The restaurant opened in December 2023\. Before that, Irma was selling her cooking from her personal kitchen on the weekends for a little over a year and a half, almost two years. She offered three dishes: barbacoa, menudo, and carne en su jugo. Each weekend, she would make 250 gallons of each dish, and they worked until they sold out. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/TRIFECTA.png) Barbacoa, menudo, and carne en su jugo. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “We would start at six in the morning, and we would finish at four or five in the afternoon. Full-time job. The whole kitchen and the house was destroyed completely. But, it was pretty good,” said Miguel. This demand inspired Irma to open up a brick-and-mortar. The restaurant has a wide range of customers, from teachers and students from the neighboring school (Little Village Lawndale High School), to warehouse workers, to retired neighbors. The restaurant has long been known as a welcoming space for everyone in the neighborhood, with many regulars referring to the owner as “Grandma Irma” for her warmth and generosity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/CUSTOMERS.jpg) Two customers share a traditional Mexican meal including menudo and chilaquiles. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* During an ICE raid back in April, while agents were conducting immigration enforcement actions nearby, they entered the restaurant only to use waste facilities, but Irma insisted on serving them coffee and food without charge. This act of kindness, along with the restaurant’s open-door policy, reinforced its reputation as a safe space, a place where people could find comfort and community even in uncertain times. As Fernanda put it, “We were trying to not provoke more worry, there’s already enough in this world. So I feel like this place is a little safe spot.” Beyond creating a safe space, the family has won over customers through warm hospitality. “There are many other restaurants in the area. So at first, people were a little hesitant to try us. But I'm a very giving person. I'm like, ‘I'll give you a taco. Try this out. You let me know how it is. I won't charge you for it,’ and they fell in love.” said Fernanda. "Now everybody's receiving us with open arms.” Miguel said the restaurant not only does dine-in service, but provides lots of to-go orders, often feeding teams of workers for their lunch break, with entrees starting at $3.90\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/HOLDING-PLATES-2.JPG) Miguel holding Irma's most popular dishes. **| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* The restaurant offers a large menu, with over 70 items. Dishes include chilaquiles (both green and red), mole (which can be sweet or spicy), steamed beef, quesabirria, burritos, huaraches, sopes, and potatoes with a spicy homemade sauce. They also serve a variety of fresh-squeezed juices—like orange, green, carrot, and beet juice—as well as Café de Olla, a traditional Mexican coffee. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/IMG_5159.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/MODERN-CUISINE.JPG) Pictured \[Left\] Papas Bravas, \[Right\] Hamburguesas con papas fritas **| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "This food reminds me of homemade food, really, really good. Sometimes it just reminds me of how my mom made the menudo,” said Maria, who travels from Melrose Park to eat at the restaurant. Many of the recipes are family traditions from the Chihuahua and Sinaloa areas of Mexico, and all the sauces and aguas frescas are made in-house. Many of the ingredients they use are sourced from community members, buying watermelons, cactus, and other produce from local vendors. “Even the coffee just takes you back. We get people trying the coffee, and they start crying. They say ‘This has brought back so many memories from when I used to live in Mexico,’” said Miguel. Miguel explained that their Café de Olla is a traditional Mexican coffee, made in a pot with ingredients like orange peels and cinnamon, though the full recipe is a family secret. “Even people who say they don’t drink coffee end up loving it,” he said. “It’s not your typical Starbucks or Dunkin’; it’s something special that really brings people back to their roots.” However, the menu has the ability to change with what Irma wants to cook. “If someone sees the menu and they're like, ‘I just don't like any of this,’ my mom will be the type to say ‘What do you like? I'll see what I have,” said Fernanda. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/IMG_5136-1.JPG) Seated customers place their orders. **| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* This willingness to accommodate any customer reflects Irma's philosophy for her restaurant's purpose. “I am happy, but my mission is never complete—I must feed many people. Here, every person, even the most humble, is welcomed with love and respect. Whether they have money or not, in my kitchen they will always find a full plate and a full heart, and they will leave satisfied,” said Irma. ### La Cocina de Irma Alimenta a Todos URL: https://www.15west.org/la-cocina-de-irma-alimenta-a-todos/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T01:25:47.000Z No importa que idioma hables, que tanto dinero tengas, o que tipo de comida te guste, siempre tendrás comida en [La Cocina de Irma](https://www.instagram.com/la%5Fcocina%5Fde%5Firma/?ref=15west.org). El restaurante, ubicado en 4224 en la calle 31 W en el vecindario de Chicago, es manejado por Irma Ceballos, madre de cinco y un residente de Cicero. Anteriormente, Irma trabajó para otro restaurante Mexicano, Taquaria Los Comales, como mesera por 36 años. Luego de muchos años trabajando para alguien mas– y considerando su habilidad natural para conectar con las personas– ella se inspiró a seguir sus sueños y abrir su propio local, donde podría compartir sus recetas familiares y su calidez con la comunidad. Es un negocio familiar, desde su esposo lavando los platos hasta sus hijos cocinando y sirviendo, cada persona que trabaja en el restaurante es un miembro de la familia. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/CHILA-IN-PAN.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/IRMA-MID-ACTION.jpg) **La familia Sanchez antes y durante el apuro del desayuno.* ****| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* . "Trabajar con mi familia es divertido. Discutimos bastante, pero es muy divertido," dijo Miguel Sanchez, hijo de Irma, quien recientemente renunció a su trabajo de vendedor en Home Depot para trabajar en el restaurante a tiempo completo. "Tenía mis dudas al principio," dijo la hija más joven de Irma, Fernanda Sanchez, luego de escuchar la idea de su madre de abrir un restaurante Mexicano. "Luego del COVID, vi que habían negocios que aún estaban sufriendo. Y ahí es cuando mi mamá de me dijo 'De lo único que te vas a arrepentir en la vida es de no hacerlo.'" El restaurante abrió en Diciembre del 2023\. Antes de eso, Irma vendía su comida desde su cocina personal durante los fines de semana por un poco más de un año y medio, casi dos años. Ofrecía tres platos: barbacoa, menudo, y carne con jugo. Cada fin de semana ella hacia 250 galones de cada plato, y todos trabajaban hasta que se agotaban todos los platos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/TRIFECTA.png) **Barbacoa, menudo, y carne con jugo*. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "Empezábamos a las seis de la mañana, y terminábamos a las cuatro o cinco de la tarde. Trabajo de tiempo completo. Toda la cocina y la casa terminaba destruida. Pero todo iba bien," dijo Miguel. La demanda inspiró Irma a abrir un restaurante tradicional. El restaurante tiene una gran variedad de clientes, desde profesores y estudiantes de la escuela del vecindario (Secundaria Little Village Lawndale), hasta trabajadores de almacén y vecinos retirados. El restaurante ha sido conocido por bastante tiempo como un lugar donde todos son bienvenidos, con varios regulares llamando a la dueña "Abuela Irma" por su calidez y generosidad. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/CUSTOMERS.jpg) **Dos clientes comparten un plato de comida Mexicana tradicional incluyendo menudo y chilaquiles*. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Durante un ataque de ICE en Abril, mientras los agentes enforzaban medidas migratorias, entraron al restaurante solo para usar los servicios higiénicos, pero Irma insistió en servirles café y comida sin cobrarles. Este acto de bondad, junto con la póliza de aceptar a todos, reforzó su reputación de ser un espacio seguro, un lugar donde las personas podían encontrar comfort y comunidad incluso en tiempos inciertos. Como dijo Fernanda, "Estábamos tratando de no provocar más preocupación, ya hay suficiente en este mundo. Por eso creo que este lugar se siente como un rincón seguro." Más allá de crear un espacio seguro, la familia se ha ganado a sus clientes a través de su calidad hospitalidad. "Hay muchos restaurantes en esta área. Por eso al inicio, la gente dudaba en venir. Pero yo soy el tipo de persona al que le gusta dar. Yo soy tipo 'Te daré un taco. Prueba. Dime que tal esta. No te lo voy a cobrar' y se enamoran." dijo Fernanda. "Ahora todos nos reciben con brazos abiertos." Miguel dijo que el restaurante no solo da servicio adentro del local, pero también da varias órdenes para llevar, las cuales alimentan a equipos de trabajadores durante su almuerzo, con entradas empezando en $3.90\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/HOLDING-PLATES-2.JPG) **Miguel con uno de los platos más populares de Irma.* **| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* El restaurante ofrece un menú amplio con más de 70 platos. Los platos incluyen chilaquiles (verdes y rojos), mole (los cuáles pueden ser dulces o picantes), ternera al vapor, quesabirria, burritos, huaraches, sopes, y papas con salsa casera picante. También sirven una gran variedad de jugos recién hechos - hay jugos de naranja, verde, zanahoria, y betabel - así también como Café de Olla, un café tradicional de México. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/IMG_5159.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/MODERN-CUISINE.JPG) **\[Izquiera\] Foto de las Papas Bravas, \[Derecha\] Hamburguesas con papas fritas.* **| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* "Esta comida me recuerda a la comida casera, muy, muy buena. Aveces me hace acordarme de como mi mamá hacía menudo," dijo Maria, quien viaja desde el Parque Melrose para comer en el restaurante. Varias de las recetas son tradiciones de la familia de Chihuahua y Sinaloa en México, y las salsas y aguas frescas son hechas en el mismo local. Varios de los ingredientes que usan son de los mismos miembros de la comunidad, ellos compran sandías, cactos, y otras frutas y verduras de vendedores locales. "Incluso el café te hace regresar. Hay gente que prueba el café, y empiezan a llorar. Dicen 'Me ha traído recuerdos de cuando vivía en México,'" dijo Miguel. Miguel explicó que su Café de Olla es un café Mexicano tradicional, hecho en una olla con ingredientes como cáscaras de naranja y canela, aunque la receta completa es un secreto de la familia. Incluso la gente que dice que no toma café terminan amándolo," dijo, "no es tu típico Starbucks o Dunkin'; es algo especial que realmente le recuerda a la gente de sus raíces." Sin embargo, el menú tiene la habilidad de cambiar con lo que sea que Irma quiera cocinar. "Si alguien ve el menú y dicen algo como 'no me gusta nada de esto,' mi mamá es esa persona que dice '¿Que te gusta? Veré que tengo,' dijo Fernanda. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/09/IMG_5136-1.JPG) **Clientes sentados pidiendo sus órdenes.* **| NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Esta voluntad de acomodar a cualquier cliente refleja la filosofía del propósito del restaurante de Irma. "Soy feliz, pero mi misión nunca termina – tengo que alimentar a tantas personas. Aquí, cada persona, incluso la más humilde, es bienvenida con amor y respeto. No importa si tienen dinero o no, en mi cocina siempre encontrarán un plato lleno y un corazón lleno, y siempre se irán satisfechos," dijo Irma. ### Summer Smash Brought the Heat. Chicago’s Still Feeling It. URL: https://www.15west.org/summer-smash-brought-the-heat-chicagos-still-feeling-it/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T02:52:36.000Z Two months after Lyrical Lemonade and SPKRBX Events' Summer Smash festival wrapped up at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, the event's impact on Chicago's hip-hop scene is still being felt. The June 20-22nd festival, known for its signature fusion of gritty, mosh-pit rap, delivered a year that felt like a transitional chapter somewhere between growing pains and maturity. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf6KbZpwfuMfrkElrvzRCCt7WYr2xR3iTLA_JtbnYhIzZE8TKjRnfA3GOSWSIgVpMOo-wKD1zWIAUfedgOHqq3zRlvh9xuDTQvRJxrSl0DOp7JVkTaZwBbAXQ494ETZDTM3qxhftw?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfAc5jZmVf_bJZSQW8XXadgtNP2cqRaxfzzATaCta30bXCfmVT6ZcqE1AzhkvCAik2fX0tvz8qInkAa76-gaOiRVFET61AplAKGCABdPvvmBZ2Fb-zJJUd60EtxpzRy1YLDP-knIA?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) Inside SeatGeek Stadium. | **Kristian Parker**/**15 West*. The three-day festival drew more than 100,000 people, with more than sixty acts spread across two stages and one tent. Future, Chance the Rapper, Sexyy Red, and Young Thug were headliners for a lineup that was stacked with fan favorites. Attendance reportedly dipped, however, according to a longtime festival-goer, Malani Hughes. “There were more people last year; this year feels about 50 percent smaller,” she said. The smaller crowd may have reflected the weekend’s extreme heat and rising ticket costs. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfghg7mmFpoRUoiL2lw6PVlkPFKDBGpFNz-Rmh87bm7145Xgiuqwe7YTqTY3Q_eWwwv4YMamTYL-pI1LSgqUpyOnvvtoVrz37JMrqImhJD7jP7CW5icuKYaQZNQXoZ7j2C80HTS?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcnBJbLgqAUo20yhbUzJsGXi8T0DbJCH-2zl7fEI9CQuySpeYrHao3BpPDqBJzf5U__bN2fgMqDw4WUt_JKQRdwjq2UdxiNiS19ru_qeyfUrGtg8g9OXlnhrW208UTGWtbZc_ZvcQ?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) Attendees pack SeatGeek Stadium. | **Kristian Parker**/**15 West* Still, SeatGeek proved to be a solid home for a festival of this scale. The infrastructure was better suited than in previous years, as the stadium offers a more structured environment than the festival’s prior home in Douglass Park. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcV7kLU_Z_4ilcyzbo7TGSLmkUR03fenU6RU8JQSZRAkKZCU5XL4kPX2OUE_PHbpqGa4JPqqFfB6cddnQcuYgAbwOJDOYrGXKLnwZ3felF5hYLz61B5kF0C1f38I1Ms6Cc-o8DhMg?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdL_qKddmnFdTCFThz7hpOkb0a8gQaN1xpE8MDJLihRTfliDv8xWJPcDAP_hGKg5LusK31_LbZBbQDki5jR6n2qK6pA0Wo9-DsnqY9Ti42fS05l9gKZiYvJfFhD3U-Mkw1mkkihvg?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe8ag-6hut9UuARtCKLBucwMnffZ_5pybRvxrn7jT3U4Wu-klIVAyNARC5tyBU4lBDSnVmhv_AtSMFwA3FK8Uf6H4KF6e-so_gImm3_0vriOgeC8h9OiYQboLQBWOwOBTwvZhqcyw?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) G Herbo getting the crowd hype. | **Kristian Parker**/**15 West* The weekend delivered its share of highs. Don Toliver and Yeat’s entrance made a statement, as they parachuted together from a helicopter for their arrival. Lil Tecca’s set drew one of the strongest crowds of Saturday, followed by headlining acts Sexyy Red and Future. G Herbo reminded everyone why he’s a South Side champ, bringing out his son Yoshon to perform his first song. The crowd bounced and rocked as they cheered on the seven-year-old, who goes by the rapper name “Baby Crash.” Herbo hyped him up with pride, never leaving his side throughout the entire performance. Chance the Rapper’s vibrant and immersive stage design fit his semi-nostalgic setlist, performing mostly songs from 2016 *Coloring Book* such as “Blessings,” “No Problem,” and “All Night.” He expressed heartfelt gratitude to his fans. “I just want to say thank you so much to anyone that’s a day one supporter. If you look around, and you see all these people, this is something that you built. This wasn’t built by a label, the industry, or machine; this was built by y'all,” Chance said. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeapQr9psFuq2Z5cV2Sw_vjgDCNUQzKTQp7sKIbCbE4KnYH-0dGyCQPFLfaaTfh8gdu2B_S6dG743SiPwRyClgz1gHVRp9Gxnp27ySjqXbucHmcdX3IJLzCVE9K3LlDTLwpYXgXPg?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) Attendees between sets. | **Kristian Parker**/**15 West* Multiple attendees noted that parking was overpriced ($62/day or $135 for the weekend) while set times weren't always reliable. Sound quality was also inconsistent, with only the major headliners or local favorites consistently maintaining high-quality, balanced audio throughout their sets. Despite the extreme heat, attendees came prepared and maintained a certain level of respect throughout the festival. Even in the peak heat and amid large, tight crowds, most attendees maintained their space and showed patience. ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdMwrTb8M60Td_CI_Gx6424hjg1n-Vb-B54MFRT0t3v1hFY4OL-RVRwNvxm2EvFvJruhOkCSspwfmZbBDBRWSH9-JOJIv-VSglYoAnSu8pbZ1CMJy1T_k27J4SjxCRhIPQPB-MwPA?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdCqhrUvTErw5PizilxKL3LJfgiOYxoLZp8kFx6F6_II4TuKOA_n2Yl91IcDhF1Ma54Lssxps2yW60yS7Lp3VDN5LPhAbJtZFmqjoDTo4vL0tXJ05_XnNjdBylpXVtQ5Nq-83pGEQ?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) Attendees pose despite the heat. | **Kristian Parker**/**15 West* ### **Trippie Redd** ![](https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe2CXMWWJ5WuwpsyMKr6ytBTdhD72Cpy6Y9CNuYNsIumAsJuaKzUKR1xf3Kc7HywClItyScrsAnYydqshJjIEcgIh2JZWbdC4n0rye1b-w4bq48PhHEP138U2lhgBOxwC7t9N9Whg?key=uYUIjnGrlIplG1XrAJv_LA) Trippie Redd mid-performance****.** | **NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Three days after welcoming his first daughter with rapper Coi Leray on June 17, Trippie Redd burst onto the Summer Smash stage with a different energy, one that blended the euphoria of new fatherhood with the raw emotion that has defined his career since 2017. The Ohio artist's performance transported audiences through a sonic time capsule, opening with cuts from his breakthrough era before seamlessly weaving through fan favorites from 2021's *Trip At Knight* and his most recent 2024 release, *A Love Letter to You 4*, featuring “The Grinch.” Despite an exhausting week balancing personal milestones with professional commitments, Trippie's stage presence remained hypnotic, his melodic delivery cutting through the Chicago air with the same vulnerability that first captivated listeners in the late 2010s. His signature blend of emo-rap and rock sensibilities resonated deeply with the crowd, who screamed every word back to him, creating an emotional exchange that seemed to energize the artist. ### **Ski Mask The Slump God** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Ski-Mask-2-1.jpg) Ski Mask The Slump God paying tribute to Juice Wrld | **NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Fresh off the release of “Jumpy”, his new collaboration with Indonesian rapper Rich Brian, Ski Mask The Slump God brought his signature theatrical energy to Summer Smash, though his set carried deeper emotional weight than others. The Florida rapper, ditching his trademark multi-colored durag, delivered his contagious flow across hits like “Nuketown” and “Catch Me Outside,” maintaining the nostalgic-themed aesthetic that has defined his sound. However, it was his tribute performances that revealed another layer. He dedicated three songs to fallen friends: “Lean With Me” and ”Legends” for Juice WRLD and “Look At Me!” for XXXTentacion. The interludes softened his set’s frenetic energy, creating moments of reverence within the chaos. These weren't just covers, but deeply personal tributes to his juvenile detention cellmate and Members Only collective co-founder, XXXTentacion, whose 2018 death fundamentally changed the trajectory of Ski Mask’s career. The tributes demonstrated Ski Mask's commitment to honoring those who shaped both his artistry and the genre itself. His animated delivery and stage presence remained intact, but the emotional undertones revealed an artist balancing the celebration of life with acknowledgment of loss, a complexity that continues to define his evolution beyond his initial breakthrough. ### **Jasiah** ![Jasiah dancing and encouraging the crowd to rage. | NaBeela Washington/15 West](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/Jasiah-Dancing-2-1.jpg) Jasiah dancing and encouraging the crowd to rage. | **NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Three months after releasing his debut studio album *No Holds Barred*, the twenty-eight-year-old Dayton, Ohio rapper proved his endurance under Summer Smash's punishing conditions. Opening with “Almighty Siah” the album's commanding first track, Jasiah immediately established his presence before playfully admitting to the crowd, “I thought only thirteen people was gone show up,” a humble moment that belied the passionate fanbase that had gathered despite the 95-degree heat and 106-degree heat index. What followed was a masterclass in sustained intensity. The producer, songwriter, and vocalist—who notably rejects the “rapper” label—powered through fan favorites like “Art of War,” “Break Shit,” and “Crisis,” his guttural screams cutting through the oppressively warm air. Jasiah’s trap-metal hybrid sound, evolved from his underground days as Malachi Pate through various aliases, showcased the range that has defined his career since Cole Bennett's 2019 “Crisis” video launched him into mainstream consciousness. The set's progression from aggressive anthems like “Will Smith” and “On the Hunt” to more melodic “Sarah” demonstrated his artistic versatility, while closing with “Ghostkilla,” a collaboration with 1nonly, brought the energy full circle. Despite conditions that would drain most performers, Jasiah's relentless delivery proved that his “No Holds Barred” era represents an artist fully committed to his craft, regardless of the elements. ### **1900Rugrat** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2026/06/1900Rugrat-1.jpg) 1900Rugrat mid-performance. | **NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* 1900Rugrat commanded attention with the magnetic presence of an artist on the precipice of something bigger. The crowd moved in synchronization with every gesture, defying the stiff humidity as he delivered “One Take Freestyle”—the track that launched him into widespread recognition in 2024, and “Cheat Codes” with his distinctive voice splitting the sweltering stadium atmosphere. Following the familiar trajectory of SoundCloud-era pioneers like Ski Mask and XXXTentacion, 1900Rugrat built his foundation through social media uploads before transitioning to his debut studio album *Porch 2 The Pent*, released in February 2025\. His performance showcased the raw charisma that has quickly distinguished him in hip-hop's crowded landscape, but also raised intriguing questions about artistic longevity. Watching him command the Summer Smash stage, one couldn't help but wonder whether his future lies in deepening his current sound or following the genre-fluid path of artists like Post Malone, who successfully expanded beyond hip-hop's boundaries. For now, though, 1900Rugrat remains firmly planted in his lane, his distinct vocal delivery and stage presence suggesting an artist confident in his current direction. His performance felt like witnessing a pivotal moment: a rising talent proving he belongs while the music world watches to see which direction he'll choose next. #### Republish This Story This story is available for republication under a **Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License**. You may republish this article with attribution to the author and 15 West, but you cannot modify the text. [Request Republishing Guidelines ](mailto:stories@luckyjefferson.com?subject=Republishing%20Request:%20[ARTICLE%20TITLE]&body=I%20would%20like%20to%20republish%20this%20story.%20Please%20send%20republishing%20guidelines.) ### Residentes de los Lados Oeste y Sur Cuestionan el Plan Más Reciente de la Cuidad en Contra de Las Altas Temperaturas URL: https://www.15west.org/residentes-de-los-lados-oeste-y-sur-cuestionan-el-plan-mas-reciente-de-la-cuidad-en-contra-de-las-altas-temperaturas/ Last updated: 2025-11-17T00:13:04.000Z Residentes de los lados Oeste y Sur fueron al Refectorio en el Parque Columbus el [15 de Julio](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995-heat-wave-commemoration-and-defusing-disasters-project-showcase-tickets-1471370321239?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&ref=15west.org), esperando a ver planes de la cuidad que talvez al fin los iba a proteger del calor extremo. Luego de la apertura del Alcalde Brandon Johnson y la Jefa de Sustentabilidad Angela Tovar, vieron escenas de “Cocidos: Supervivencia para cada Código Postal” – un sombrío recordatorio sobre más de 739 vecindarios que perdieron la vida durante la ola de calor en Chicago en 1995\. Lo que siguió fue una ojeada al Indice de Vulnerabilidad al Calor de Chicago, con contexto de parte de el Consejo de Planeación Metropolitana, y datos de la Doctora Jennifer Chan de la Universidad Northwestern, antes de un panel de discusión sobre la crisis de salud pública en Chicago. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Mayor-Brandon-Johnson.jpeg) ![Angela Tovar, Commissioner and Chief Sustainability Officer of City of Chicago’s Department of Environment welcoming Brandon Johnson.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Heat-Index-2.png) ****Izquierda**: Alcalde Brandon Johnson llega al Refectorio en el Parque Columbus. ****Derecha**: Angela Tovar, Commisionara y Jefa de Sustentabilidad del Departamento del Medio Ambiente de Chicago dándole la bienvenida a Brandon Johnson. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Mientras la cuidad desvelaba su nuevo Indice de Vulnerabilidad al Calor (IVC) – una herramienta basada en datos desarrollada por el Instituto Buffett de Northwestern y [socios](https://buffett.northwestern.edu/research/global-working-groups/defusing-disasters.html?ref=15west.org) variando desde departamentos de salud de la cuidad hasta organizaciones como Personas por la Recuperación Comunal (People for Community Recovery) y Elevar (Elevate) – activistas ambientales de la comunidad y residentes cuestionaron la habilidad de la cuidad para apoyar a los más vulnerables de los efectos del calor. Sus preocupaciones reflejaron sentimientos del documental: “Todos sabemos como se ve un vecindario saludable,” dijo Linda Rae Murray, M.D. MPH, jubilada Jefa Funcionaria de Medicina del Departamento de Salud Publica del condado Cook. “No se trata de mansiones. Es sobre acceso a tiendas de alimentos, cafés, centros para refrescarse, y un gobierno que escucha cuando le decimos que estamos sufriendo.” Se dice que el nuevo Indice de Vulnerabilidad al Calor es el primero en Chicago de su clase en integrar datos de la comunidad informada con indicadores de salud publica y sobre el medio ambiente. La herramienta, desarrollada por investigadores de Northwestern en colaboración con la Cuidad de Chicago y socios locales, identifica cuales vecindarios enfrentan más riesgos durante eventos de calor extremo. Usando 46 variables, estatus socioeconómico, exposición al medio ambiente, falta de infraestructuras, y datos medicos incluidos, el IVC muestra las vulnerabilidades en los vecindarios para hacer las intervenciones más focalizadas, 0:00 /0:56 1× **La Doctora Jennifer Chan de Northwestern presenta los datos del próximo Indice de Vulnerabilidad al Calor (IVC), resaltando las comunidades con riesgos elevados de tener fallecidos relacionados al calor. Los datos muestran las áreas más vulnerables a tener días calurosos y húmedos - particularmente durante olas de calor – están concentradas en los lados sur y oeste de Chicago.* | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “Talvez Austin y Edgewater tengan el mismo puntaje de vulnerabilidad, pero cuando lo examinas ves que el puntaje de vulnerabilidad de Austin es determinado por su falta de árboles, y el puntaje de vulnerabilidad de Edgewater se debe a un gran porcentaje de gente de tercera edad que vive sola,” explicó Ben Barrett, un estudiante investigador de Northwestern, dando un ejemplo hipotético. Este tipo de detalles, señala Barrett, permite soluciones adaptadas y localizadas, desde plantar árboles hasta mejorar la difusión en la comunidad o los servicios de emergencia. Durante la sesión Q&A del evento, un participante planteó un punto crítico sobre la metodología del Indice de Vulnerabilidad al Calor, cuestionando si es que el planteamiento del mapeo captura adecuadamente las variaciones en cada vecindario. La crítica sugirió que mientras algunas áreas parezcan uniformes en una escala general, el analizar calle por calle podría revelar desigualdades significantes en factores como la cubierta arbórea. Para algunas personas presentes, especialmente gente de Austin, North Lawndale, y Pullman, la nueva herramienta trae escepticismo. Estos vecindarios, moldeados por mentiras y desinversiones por mucho tiempo, han aprendido a cuestionar las promesas de la cuidad. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Heat-Index-4-1-1.png) **Rachel Williams compartiendo sus experiencias con el calor y la vigilancia policial con la audiencia.* | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “¿Tu realmente crees que la gente se quiere sentar por ahi cuando ya entienden a la policia y sus polizas fuera de control y piensan ‘Si, ese es un lugar seguro para mi’? Ni siquiera es un lugar seguro para cuando te estan persiguiendo – ¿crees que te vas a poder refrescar ahi?” dijo Rachel Williams, miembro del Colectivo de Doulas en Chicago que vive en el área Roseland/Pullman. “Tenemos uno de los hospitales más sucios, pero la gente entiende que si also sale mal, tienen que ir ahi para refrescarse. Tenemos que ser intencionales al construir instituciones...La mayoría de vecindarios negros y de color tienen una plétora de iglesias. ¿Acaso todas estan funcionando? ¿Estan seguros de tener ventilación? Me acuerdo que cuando tenia cuatro años en el ‘95 yo iba a las iglesias para refrescarme. Eso significa investir en espacios que parezcan improbables – no solo para el servicio de los Domingos, pero para cuando la gente lo necesite.” Williams fue una de las cuatro mujeres hablando en el panel aquella tarde. Un residente de Chatham de hace mucho tiempo, el Reverendo Booker Vance habló con nosotros sobre su experiencia durante la ola de calor en 1995\. “Luego de esa crisis de calor...empezamos a ver a la cuidad y otras entidades tratando de armar cosas preventivas con comunidades educativas,” mencionó. “Pero...el calor solo estaba tapando otros retos ambientales y sociales que ya estaban impactando algunos de nuestros vecindarios y algunas comunidades, y necesitabamos ver otras cosas que se tenian que resolver.” ![A man in a bright orange shirt and pants, Reverend Booker Vance, presents a question for panelists.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Heat-Index-3.png) **Reverendo Booker Vance presentando una pregunta a los panelistas.* | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Vance tenia un poco de fe en que la administración de Johnson iba a priorizar arreglar los problemas ambientales que iban en aumento y agobiaban comunidades mal atentidas. “..20 años más tarde y se han hecho algunas mejoras. El Alcalde Johnson esta intentando hacer cosas. Pero como ya oiste...el problema no solo tiene una dimensión, es multidimencional. Aparte de trabajos, vivienda, agua y distribución de agua, y el impacto que el calor tiene en las comunidades, tenemos que creater un plan de batalla que sea multifacético para lidiar con esto.” Mientras la administración de Johnson ha mencionado que apoya iniciativas ambientales, como [la Ordenanza de Justicia Hazel Johnson](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press%5Froom/press%5Freleases/2025/april/Hazel-Johnson-Cumulative-Impacts-Ordinance.html?ref=15west.org) y un renovado [Plan de Acción Ambiental](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/progs/env/climateaction.html?ref=15west.org), varios residentes estan preguntando que sigue. Algunos estan preocupados y dicen que, a pesar de las promesas, la verdadera implementación suele atrasarse cuando los recursos de la cuidad estan en su límite. Ya que Chicago tiene déficit de [$982.4 millones en su presupuesto](https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/obm/supp%5Finfo/2025Budget/2025-Overview-DIGITAL.pdf?ref=15west.org) y no tiene fuentes de financiamiento claramente identificadas para combatir el calor, aparte de los $152.1 millones asignados a regular departamentos como el Departamento de Medio Ambiente, varias preguntas quedan sobre que tan realista es esperar a que de verdad cumplan sus promesas. ❓ ****La Ordenanza de Justicia Hazel Johnson** se asegura que Chicago tenga **la imagen completa* a la hora de decidir donde poner industrias contaminantes. **Se pregunta:* ¿**Cuanto daño ya esta afectando este vecindario?* En lugar de solo ver un problema, este ****mira el efecto cumulativo** – los efectos combinados de la contaminación, estrés, vivienda precaria, y otras dificultades que se acumulan con el tiempo y dañan la salud de las personas. Esta ordenanza ayuda a proteger comunidades que ha sido afectadas por daños ambientales por generaciones. El IVC aún no es público, y la cuidad no ha especificado cuando será accesible. Northwestern y el Departamento de Salud Publica de Chicago estan trabajando para ponerlo en una plataforma de la cuidad. Los defensores esperan que la transparencia y la inversión focalizada convierta los datos en acción para asegurarse que la historia no se repita de nuevo. ### West, South Side Residents Question City's Latest Extreme Heat Plan URL: https://www.15west.org/west-south-side-residents-question-citys-latest-extreme-heat-plan/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T01:24:47.000Z West and South Side residents came to Columbus Park Refectory on [July 15](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995-heat-wave-commemoration-and-defusing-disasters-project-showcase-tickets-1471370321239?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile&ref=15west.org), expecting to learn how the city might finally protect them from extreme heat. After Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar's opening remarks, they watched scenes from “Cooked: Survival by Zip Code”—a sobering reminder of the more than 739 neighbors who lost their lives during Chicago’s 1995 heat wave. What followed was a glimpse into Chicago's Heat Vulnerability Index, context from the Metropolitan Planning Council, then data from Northwestern University's Dr. Jennifer Chan, before a panel discussion about Chicago's public health crisis. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Mayor-Brandon-Johnson.jpeg) ![Angela Tovar, Commissioner and Chief Sustainability Officer of City of Chicago’s Department of Environment welcoming Brandon Johnson.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Heat-Index-2.png) ****Left**: Mayor Brandon Johnson arrives at Columbus Park Refectory. ****Right**: Angela Tovar, Commissioner and Chief Sustainability Officer at the City of Chicago’s Department of Environment welcoming Brandon Johnson. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* While the city unveiled its new Heat Vulnerability Index Report (HVI)—a data-driven tool developed with Northwestern's Buffett Institute and [partners](https://buffett.northwestern.edu/research/global-working-groups/defusing-disasters.html?ref=15west.org) ranging from city health departments to community organizations like People for Community Recovery and Elevate—environmental community activists and residents question the city's ability to support those most vulnerable to the effects of a warmer climate. Their concerns echo sentiments from the documentary: "We all know what a healthy neighborhood looks like," said Linda Rae Murray, M.D. MPH, a retired Chief Medical Officer of Cook County Department of Public Health. “It's not about mansions. It's about access to grocery stores, coffee shops, cooling centers, and a government that listens when we say we're suffering.” The new Heat Vulnerability Index is said to be the first of its kind in Chicago to integrate community-informed data with public health and environmental indicators. Developed by researchers at Northwestern in collaboration with the City of Chicago and local partners, the tool identifies which neighborhoods are most at risk during extreme heat events. Drawing from 46 variables, including socioeconomic status, environmental exposure, infrastructure gaps, and medical data, the HVI maps out neighborhood-level vulnerabilities to guide targeted interventions. 0:00 /0:56 1× Northwestern’s Dr. Jennifer Chan presents data from the forthcoming Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI), highlighting communities with elevated risk of heat-related deaths. The data shows that areas most vulnerable to hot and humid days—particularly during heat waves—are concentrated on Chicago’s South and West Sides. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “Austin and Edgewater may have the same combined vulnerability score, but when you break it down you see that Austin's vulnerability score is driven by a lack of trees, and Edgewater's vulnerability score is driven by a high percentage of seniors living alone,” explained Ben Barrett, a student researcher at Northwestern, giving a hypothetical example. This kind of detail, Barrett notes, allows for more tailored, localized solutions, from planting trees to enhancing community outreach or emergency services. During the event’s Q&A session, a participant raised a critical point about the Heat Vulnerability Index's methodology, questioning whether the current mapping approach adequately captures neighborhood-level variations. The critique suggested that while some areas might appear uniform at a broader scale, street-by-street analysis could reveal significant disparities in factors like tree cover. For some in attendance, especially those from Austin, North Lawndale, and Pullman, the new tool brings skepticism. These neighborhoods, long shaped by redlining and disinvestment, have learned to question city promises. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Heat-Index-4-1-1.png) Rachel Williams sharing her experiences on heat and policing with the audience. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* “You really think folks want to sit somewhere when they already understand police over-police our communities and think, 'Oh yeah, it's a safe place for me to go'? It ain't even a safe place for you to go when you're being harassed—you think you'll keep cool there?” said Rachel Williams, a member of the Chicago Doula Collective who lives in the Roseland/Pullman area. “We have one of the crappiest hospitals, but folks understand if something goes wrong, they'll go there to keep cool. We have to be intentional about building up institutions ... Most Black and Brown neighborhoods have a plethora of churches. Are they running consistently? Are they making sure they have ventilation? I remember as a four-year-old in '95 going to churches to stay cool. That means investing in spaces that may be the most unlikely—not just for Sunday service, but when folks need it most.” Williams was one of four women speaking on the panel that evening. Longtime Chatham resident Reverend Booker Vance spoke with us about his experience during the 1995 heat wave. “Out of that heat crisis … we began to see the city and other entities trying to put together some preventative stuff with educating communities,” he said. “But … the heat was only masking a lot of other environmental and social challenges that were impacting some of our neighborhoods and community, and we needed to look at other things that need to be done.” ![A man in a bright orange shirt and pants, Reverend Booker Vance, presents a question for panelists.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Heat-Index-3.png) Reverend Booker Vance presenting a question for panelists. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Vance expressed cautious faith in the Johnson administration to prioritize addressing rising climate-related issues plaguing underserved communities. “... 20 years later, and we have some improvements. Mayor Johnson is trying to do some things. But as you heard ... the problem is not just one-dimensional, it's multi-dimensional. Besides jobs, housing, water and water distribution, and heat impacts on communities, we have to create a multi-faceted battle plan for dealing with this.” While the Johnson administration has signaled support for climate initiatives, such as the [Hazel Johnson Environmental Justice Ordinance](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press%5Froom/press%5Freleases/2025/april/Hazel-Johnson-Cumulative-Impacts-Ordinance.html?ref=15west.org) and a renewed [Climate Action Plan](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/progs/env/climateaction.html?ref=15west.org), many residents are asking what comes next. Some voiced concern that, despite the promises, real implementation often stalls when city resources are stretched. With Chicago facing a [$982.4 million budget deficit](https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/obm/supp%5Finfo/2025Budget/2025-Overview-DIGITAL.pdf?ref=15west.org) and no clear funding sources identified for heat interventions, beyond the $152.1 million allocated to regulatory departments like the Department of Environment, questions remain about how much follow-through West and South Side communities can realistically expect. ❓ The ****Hazel Johnson Environmental Justice Ordinance** makes sure Chicago looks at the **full picture* when deciding where to put polluting industries. It asks: **How much harm is already happening in this neighborhood?* Instead of looking at just one issue, it looks at ****cumulative impacts**—the combined effects of pollution, stress, poor housing, and other challenges that stack up over time and hurt people’s health. This ordinance helps protect communities that have faced environmental harm for generations. The HVI is not yet publicly available, and the city has not specified when it will be accessible to the public. Northwestern and the Chicago Department of Public Health are working to host it on a city platform. For advocates, the hope is that transparency and targeted investment will turn data into action and ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself. ### El Silencio No Basta: Líderes de Berwyn Presionan por Transparencia URL: https://www.15west.org/el-silencio-no-basta-lideres-de-berwyn-presionan-por-transparencia/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T23:55:58.000Z “Varios residentes no saben que esta pasando. No saben que sucede,” observó Janel King. Luego de casi 19 años en Berwyn, King notó un patrón: los residentes van a ella por información básica sobre los recursos de la cuidad porque no pueden encontrar las respuestas en otro lado. Ahora, como la nueva Comisaria de Parques Distritales, esta determinada a cerrar esa brecha de información. King fue juramentada el 20 de Mayo del 2025\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Janel-King.jpg) Janel King sentada en el Centro de Recreación de Berwyn. | ****Kenn Cook Jr.**/**15 West* Pero el camino de King a su posición no fue directo. Hace dos años, ella postuló para ser parte de la junta escolar y solo perdió por ocho votos. Ese retroceso no redujo su compromiso al servicio público. Con experiencia profesional culinaria en gestión de comidas y bebidas, King ha hecho voluntariado en Berwyn desde secundaria, desde el maratón de Chicago hasta el Festival de Cine One Earth. Luego de perder en la junta escolar, King se dió cuenta de que “aún hay esa necesidad por representación BIPOC” en el liderazgo de Berwyn. Para ella, la falta de información que los residentes viven es un síntoma de una desconexión más profunda. “Siento que tenemos bastante, varias personas de color se estan mudando a Berwyn, ellos viven en Berwyn...pero la representación en el ayuntamiento, en las posiciones de la cuidad, en la mayoría de...bibliotecas, juntas, parques, en la junta escolar...no representan eso, y es decepcionante,” dijo. ![A quiet neighborhood park featuring lush green grass, mature trees, and a paved walking path. A person rides a bicycle along the path, passing benches and a tall lamp post.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Berwyn-Proksa-Park.jpg) Una persona joven monta su bicicleta en una vía del parque Proksa. | ****Kenn Cook Jr.**/**15 West* Esta desconexión se volvió aun más aparente durante la campaña de King en la primavera del 2025, cuando brillantes letreros de neón aparecieron en Berwyn declarando “$669 millones en deuda.” Los letreros, creados por Patricia Ostaszewski, residente de Berwyn desde hace mucho tiempo, fueron diseñados para provocar una conversación sobre transparencia. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Patricia-O.jpg) Patricia Ostaszewski en el Centro Recreativo de Berwyn | ****Kenn Cook Jr.**/**15 West* Esta abrumadora cifra vino directamente de los datos de la [Oficina del Tesorero del Condado Cook](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org) sobre el año fiscal 2023, y representa la deuda total de todos los organismos tributarios de Berwyn. Según los regristros del condado verificados por 15West, la cuidad de Berwyn tiene una deuda de más de $350,584,806 (sin contar compromisos por pensiones), mientras que el [Distrito Escolar 201](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org) añade otros $215,607,651\. [La Universidad Comunitaria Morton](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org), el [Distrito Escolar del Sur de Berwyn 100](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org), el Distrito Escolar del Norte de Berwyn 98, y los dos parques distritales – todas las cuales imponen impuestos a los residentes de Berwyn – contribuyen al saldo que queda. Los funcionarios municipales no comentaron sobre la cifra de la deuda. “Queria compartir algo factual e imparcial para alentar a la gente a parar y pensar, y talvez explorar más del problema. Datos y números son la manera más efectivas para plantar un punto la mayoría de veces,” explicó Ostaszewski. Para ambas mujeres, esta deuda representa un problema mayor en el manejo de las finanzas de Berwyn. “No es solo sobre cuanto debemos, sino también como estamos priorizando los gastos, como planeamos para el futuro, y como comunicamos esas decisiones con los residentes,” dijo Ostaszewski. Ella señaló que la infraestructura vieja como el Centro Recreativo de Berwyn, el cual “necesita mejoras con urgencia” y solo un techo nuevo podria costar cientos de millones. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Berwyn-Rec.jpg) La entrada principal del Centro Recreativo de Berwyn | ****Kenn Cook Jr.** */15 West* King afirma otras priorizades injustificadas similares. “Veo como se ven sus escuelas. Veo lo que tienen. Veo los parques que tienen,” dijo comparando Berwyn con comunidades cercanas. “Si estas pagando esa cantidad, esta cantidad de impuestos, impuestos inmobiliarios… debería estar reflejado en nuestras escuelas, nuestros parques,...la policía, todo lo demás..y no lo hace.” Ambas lideresas creen que la transparencia es la clave para aclarar estos problemas. King notó que “aunque los parques distritales, especificamente los del sur, hayan sido transparentes sobre en donde se gasta, el gobierno de la cuidad de Berwyn, no obstante, es otra historia.” Ostaszewski sugirió varias soluciones: “contratar una reforma (abordar dudas sobre los contradados bajo mecenazgo) aclarar las políticas financieras como las pautas del manejo de deudas, más auditorías financieras independientes, y evaluaciones de desempeño internas.” ❓ ****Una contratación bajo mecenazgo** es cuando alguien consigue un trabajo en el gobierno basado en sus conexiones políticas, lealtad, o relaciones en lugar de sus cualificaciones o merito. Ella imagina “un tablero online sobre el presupuesto, intuitivo y disponible para el público, que le pueda dar a la comunidad la abilidad de rastrear a donde va y como se usa el dinero en tiempo real – pero apenas tenemos una página web intuitiva, y las personas ya tienen problemas pagando la cuenta del agua en línea.” Más allá de la transparencia financiera, hay nuevas iniciativas ambientales planeadas para el parque distrital. King planea introducir programas de educación sobre composta e impulsar prácticas sostenibles en eventos en los parques. “El desperdicio de comida es un problema grande aquí,” dijo King, señalando que su familia ya hace composta. Ella imagina reemplazar plásticos de un solo uso en eventos como Oktoberfest con alternativas compostables, haciendo las celebraciones en Berwyn más inclusivas y con conciencia ecológica. Para King, mejorar la transparencia empieza con hacer la información más accesible. Ella esta trabajando con un residente para crear una página web centralizada con todos los eventos y programas en Berwyn. “Como conseguimos que la gente aproveche estos programas e ideas, al igual que los programas que son específicamente para otros residentes, no solo para personas mayores, no solo para niños, pero para todos en medio?” Para ambas mujeres, el camino hacia delante es claro: Berwyn necesita líderes que escuchen, informen, e incluyan. Mientras King se establece en su nuevo rol y Ostaszewski continua advocando por transparencia, ellas representan el movimiento creciente de residentes que se rehusan aceptar un “no se” o silencio como respuesta. --- Contacta a [Janel King](https://www.facebook.com/JanelforBerwyn/) al [**jking@berwynparks.org**](mailto: jking@berwynparks.org) y participa en [Berwyn Awake](https://www.berwynsawake.org/?ref=15west.org). #### City of Berwyn Financials [Review or Download](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vGpfj2Q6c1RaZOafPfKT9Phew5vUh5gw/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) [City of Berwyn's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1okOcmvSomejmciw6s6-c4045U8xzgVuy/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) ### Silence Isn't Good Enough: Berwyn Leaders Push for Transparency. URL: https://www.15west.org/featured/silence-isnt-good-enough-berwyn-leaders-push-for-transparency/ Last updated: 2025-07-18T13:20:10.000Z “A lot of residents don't know what's happening. They don't know what's going on,” Janel King observed. After nearly 19 years in Berwyn, King noticed a pattern: residents reaching out to her for basic information about city resources because they couldn't get answers elsewhere. Now, as the newly elected Park District Commissioner, she's determined to bridge that information gap. King was sworn in on May 20, 2025. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Janel-King.jpg) Janel King seated at Berwyn Recreation Center. | ****Kenn Cook Jr.**/**15 West* But King's path to the Park District wasn't straightforward. Two years ago, she ran for school board and lost by just eight votes. That setback didn't diminish her commitment to public service. With a professional background in culinary and food and beverage management, King volunteered in Berwyn since high school, from the Chicago Marathon to the One Earth Film Festival. After her school board loss, King realized there was “still that need for BIPOC representation” in Berwyn's leadership. For her, the lack of information that residents experience is symptomatic of a deeper disconnect. “I feel like there's so much we have, so many Black people that are moving here to Berwyn \[that\] do live in Berwyn … but the representation for city council, city positions, most … library boards, park district, school board… are not representative of that, and it's disappointing,” she said. ![A quiet neighborhood park featuring lush green grass, mature trees, and a paved walking path. A person rides a bicycle along the path, passing benches and a tall lamp post.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Berwyn-Proksa-Park.jpg) A young person rides a bicycle along a trail in Proksa Park. | ****Kenn Cook Jr.**/**15 West* This disconnect became even more apparent during King's campaign in spring 2025 when bright neon signs appeared throughout Berwyn declaring “$669 million in debt.” Created by Patricia Ostaszewski, a longtime Berwyn resident, the signs were designed to spark conversation about transparency. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Patricia-O.jpg) Patricia Ostaszewski at Berwyn Recreation Center | ****Kenn Cook Jr.**/**15 West* The staggering figure came directly from the [Cook County Treasurer's office](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org) fiscal year 2023 data, and represents the total debt across all Berwyn taxing bodies. According to county records verified by *15 West*, the City of Berwyn **alone** carries $350,584,806 in debt (excluding pension liabilities), while [School District 201](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org) adds another $215,607,651\. [Morton Community College](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org), [Berwyn South School District 100](https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/taxingdistrictdebtandpensiondata.aspx?ref=15west.org), Berwyn North School District 98, and both park districts—all of which levy taxes on Berwyn residents—contribute to the remaining balance. *City officials did not respond to requests for comment about the debt figures.* “I wanted to share something factual and unbiased to encourage people to pause and think, and perhaps explore the issue further. Facts and numbers are often the most effective way to make a point,” Ostaszewski explained. For both women, this debt figure represents larger concerns about Berwyn's financial management. “It's not just about how much we owe, it's about how we're prioritizing spending, planning for future needs, and communicating those decisions to residents,” Ostaszewski said. She pointed to aging infrastructure like the Berwyn Recreation Center, which “desperately needs updating” and could cost hundreds of thousands just for a new roof. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/Berwyn-Rec.jpg) The front entrance of the Berwyn Recreation Center | ****Kenn Cook Jr.**/**15 West* King affirms similar misplaced priorities. “I see what their schools look like. I see what they have. I see what their parks have,” she said, comparing Berwyn to neighboring communities. “If you're paying that amount, this amount of tax, property taxes … it should reflect our schools, our parks, … the police, everything else … and it doesn't.” Both leaders believe transparency is key to addressing these issues. King noted that while “... the park district, specifically for South parks, has been transparent in where they're spending,” the Berwyn city government, however, is a different story. Ostaszewski suggested several solutions: “hiring reform (addressing concerns about patronage hires), clearer financial policies like debt management guidelines, more independent financial audits, and especially internal performance reviews.” ❓ ****A patronage hire** is when someone gets a government job based on their political connections, loyalty, or relationships rather than their qualifications or merit. She envisions “a publicly available, user-friendly budget dashboard online that could give the community the ability to track how money is being allocated and spent in real time - but we barely have a user-friendly website, and people are also having issues just paying their water bill online.” Beyond financial transparency, there are new environmental initiatives planned for the Park District. King plans to introduce composting education programs and push for sustainable practices at park events. “Food waste is a big thing here,” King said, noting that her family already composts. She envisions replacing single-use plastics at events like Oktoberfest with compostable alternatives, making Berwyn's celebrations both inclusive and environmentally conscious. For King, improving transparency starts with making information accessible. She's working with a resident to create a centralized webpage for all Berwyn events and programs. “How do we get people to get these different programs and ideas, as well as programs that are specifically for different residents, not just seniors, not just kids, but everybody else in between?” For both women, the path forward is clear: Berwyn needs leaders who listen, inform, and include. As King settles into her new role and Ostaszewski continues advocating for transparency, they represent a growing movement of residents who refuse to accept “I don't know” or silence as an answer. --- Contact [Janel King](https://www.facebook.com/JanelforBerwyn/) at [**jking@berwynparks.org**](mailto: jking@berwynparks.org) and get involved with [Berwyn Awake](https://www.berwynsawake.org/?ref=15west.org). #### City of Berwyn Financials [Review or Download](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vGpfj2Q6c1RaZOafPfKT9Phew5vUh5gw/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) [City of Berwyn's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1okOcmvSomejmciw6s6-c4045U8xzgVuy/view?usp=sharing&ref=15west.org) ### En Key Glock Confiamos URL: https://www.15west.org/en-key-glock-confiamos/ Last updated: 2026-03-30T22:25:11.000Z En la noche del Martes, una multitud de fans leales y diversos se juntaron en el Salón de Baile Byline Bank Aragon, esperando ansiosos para ver a Key Glock y Paper Route Empire. El DJ de Paper Route Empire Rocksteddy emocionó a la gente inmediatamente con canciones de los pioneros del rap de Chicago Chief Keef y Lil Durk. El DJ criado en Memphis ha marcado la cultura hip-hop de Chicago. Mientras los fans y DJ Rocksteddy cantaban juntos el éxito viral de Chief Keef “Earned it,” Rocksteddy cambió las letras irrespetuosas de la canción que Chief Keef habia escrito para sus rivales de otras pandillas. La infame línea “take a Tooka blunt then I burned it” (toma un porro de Tooka y lo quemé) fue cambiada por “take a yellow pack then I burned it” (toma un paquete amarillo y lo quemé), lo cual es más aceptable y menos ofensivo. Los fans le mostraron cariño a Zo Trapalot, Artista de Paper Route Empire, Jay Fizzle, y Paper Route Doo mientras abrían para Glock. Los fans se volvieron locos cuando Glock pisó el escenario a las 8 p.m. Baterías trap y 808s llenaron el salón de baile mientras los fans gritaban al unísono, palabra por palabra, canciones remarcables como “She Ready”, “Let's Go”, “Ambition For Cash”, “Mr Glock”, y “Russian Cream”. Glock tuvo presente la música de su mentor Young Dolph cuando invitó a los fans a cantar canciones populares de Young Dolph, como “100 Shots” y “Major”, creando una experiencia inmersiva para los fans. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/06/Key-Glock-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/06/Key-Glock-3-1.jpeg) **Key Glock en medio de canciones en su show Glockaveli.* | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* John Craft, un nativo de Memphis de 37 años que ahora llama a Chicago su hogar, representa el tipo de fan transplantado que Glock une con su música sin importar la cuidad. Mientras crecia en Memphis, Craft se sumergió en la cultura hip-hop de la cuidad desde temprana edad – su madre trabajaba con la Fundación Musical de Memphis, proporcionando subsidios del gobierno a artistas emergentes, incluyendo Three 6 Mafia en sus dias antes de hacerse famosos. “Yo crecí conociendo a Three 6 Mafia personalmente,” recordó mientras explicaba como su familia ayudo al grupo influyente asegurar fondos para convertir sus primeras canciones en formato CD. Ahora que vive en Chicago, Craft encarna la diaspora de Memphis de la cual la música de Glock habla – fans que llevan el orgullo de su cuidad a donde vayan. “Como que nos hacemos amigos, sabes, solo uno puede reconocer a otro,” dice sobre los transplantes de Memphis. “Si veo a alguien con un gorro de Grizzlies, voy a caminar por todo el mercado porque siempre hay solo como cinco o seis de nosotros en el mismo lugar.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/IMG_2391.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/IMG_2405-Edit.jpg) **Craft afuera del Salón de Baile Byline Bank Aragon*. | ****Ivana Jarmon**/**15 West* La música trap de Memphis es en esencia arenosa y cruda, con letras basadas en la vida de la calle. Según [The Commercial Appeal](https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/01/21/memphis-rap-three-6-mafia-8-ball-mjg-yo-gotti-project-pat-playa-fly/6626570002/?ref=15west.org), el hip-hop en Memphis empezó a finales de los 1980s pero despegó a principios de los 90s y los 2000s. El DJ de Memphis, DJ Spanish Fly, es conocido como “el padrino del hip-hop de Memphis.” Los artistas de hip-hop de Memphis como Al Kapone, Playa Fly, Lil Noid, Evil Pimp, y Tommy Wright desarrolllaron su sonido siguiendo el modelo de DJ Spanish Fly; de hecho, varios artistas a fines de los 80s y a inicios de los 90s tenian que ir con el para ser escuchados. Aunque el hip-hop del Lado Oeste de Chicago es diferente al hip-hop de Memphis en varios aspectos, ambos hablan sobre los efectos perjudiciales de la cultura de la calle. Artistas como Saba ofrecen raps introspectivos sobre como es crecer en el Lado Oeste de Chicago. Sada da detalles sobre los problemas que ha enfrentado como la depresión y la pérdida de su amigo Walter, al cual “mataron por un abrigo.” El menciona eso en su canción “Busy/Sirens.” Glock también ha expresado como lidió con el duelo y la pérdida de su amigo y antiguo CEO Young Dolph en canciones como “Proud" y “Work.” Ambos artistas expresaron traumas similar a través de su música, pero Saba rapea con instrumentalización suave y conmovedora mientras que los ritmos de Glock abarcan el bajo contundente de 808s, baterías, y sintetizadores oscuros que capturan la esencia arenosa del hip-hop de Memphis. Este enfoque compartido en las realidades de la cultura de la calle, aunque sea desde diferentes ángulos, explica la fuerte recepción de Glock y Paper Route Empire en Chicago. Ambas escenas entienden los problemas, aunque se expresen de manera distinta. Todos estos lazos modernos tienen raíces profundas en la historia del hip-hop de Memphis. Ramon “Tempo” Sanchez, un ingeniero de sonido de 36 años que ha trabajado con Glock y Paper Route Empire, confirma que las conecciones van más allá de la apreciación musical. “Definitivamente hay conecciones. Los he grabado a el y a PRE antes y de verdad tienen a gente de Chicago en su entorno. Incluso tienen a un artista de Chicago llamado Chitana que también esta en PRE. El Lado Oeste ha tenido bastante visibilidad desde Twista, pero ha ido en aumento con artistas como Sicko Mobb, DCG, Pronto Spazzout, Von of 1700, etc.” DJ Spanish Fly estuvo entre la primera ola de artistas de hip-hop de Memphis que mezclaron el bajo pesado de 808s, producción lenta, letras oscuras, y sonidos inspirados en el películas de terror con rap, impulsando el subgénero a lo que es hoy. Uno puede escuchar los elementos de su producción en grupos icónicos como Three 6 Mafia – el colectivo de Memphis conformado por DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Lord Infamous, con Project Pat (hermano de Juicy J) desarrollando un rol importante no oficial en su popularidad. Three 6 Mafia, junto con Project Pat, tomaron el sonido del hip-hop de Memphis y lo hicieron famoso. Hay indicios de Three 6 Mafia en artistas modernos de hoy en día como A$AP Rocky, y Chief Keef. La canción de A$AP Rocky, “Gunz N Butter,” no solo incluye a Juicy J, sino también tiene una pista de la canción “Still Ridin’ Clean” de Project Pat del 2002\. Chief Keef agregó una pista de “Slob on my knob” de Three 6 Mafia para su canción “Like It’s Yo Job” para su albúm del 2021 *4nem*. Ya que Chief Keef estaba usando pistas de Three 6 Mafia, es claro como la influencia de Memphis llegó a Chicago. Usuarios de TikTok también han tomado canciones populares de Project Pat e hicieron remixes que se volvieron éxitos virales en redes sociales, haciendo que canciones que debutaron a inicios del 2000s resurgieran otra vez. Casi cuatro décadas después, el sonido que DJ Spanish Fly ayudó a crear aún es relevante hoy en día. Glock se apega fuertemente a sus raíces, canalizando la misma producción característica que se originó en la cuidad a fines de los 80s y 90s. Es evidente que los fans realmente aman ese sonido porque la energía nunca murió en el Salón de Baile Aragon esa noche del Martes. Glock transforma ese sonido en algo más suave y juvenil, manteniendo la cruda y pesada producción de 808 mientras lanza versos con una confianza serena. Aparte de cantar canciones de su álbum más reciente *Glockaveli*, Glock también metió algunas favoritas del público de álbumes pasados como *Glock Bond, Glockoma, Yellow Tape, Yellow Tape 2,* y *Glockoma 2* en el set list. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/06/Key-Glock-4.JPG) **Key Glock agradeciendo a sus fans durante el concierto.* | **Nasser N. Adams Jr.**/**15 West* La confianza que Glock se ha ganado de los fans no es solo sobre su música, es sobre su rechazo a comprometer su identidad como persona de Memphis por la aceptación general. Craft, viendo a la audiencia conformada por nativos de Memphis y residentes de Chicago, resume el ascenso de Glock perfectamente: “En cuanto a elegir entre una conección auténtica con Memphis y éxito en general, no creo que el vaya a tener que elegir, porque si quieres que te paguen, tienes que salir de Memphis.” ### In Key Glock We Trust URL: https://www.15west.org/in-key-glock-we-trust/ Last updated: 2026-03-30T22:24:36.000Z On Tuesday night, a crowd of loyal, diverse fans flocked to the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, anxiously awaiting entry to see Key Glock and Paper Route Empire perform. Paper Route Empire’s DJ Rocksteddy immediately got the crowd hyped with hit songs from Chicago Rap pioneers Chief Keef and Lil Durk. The Memphis-bred DJ is dialed into Chicago’s hip-hop culture. As fans and DJ Rocksteddy sang along to Chief Keef’s viral hit song “Earned It”, Rocksteddy changed disrespectful lyrics from the song that were aimed at Chief Keef’s rival gang members. The infamous line “take a Tooka blunt then I burned it” was changed to “take a yellow pack then I burned it”, something more acceptable and less offensive. Fans showed love to Paper Route Empire’s Artist Zo Trapalot, Jay Fizzle, and Paper Route Doo as they opened for Glock. Fans went insane once Glock touched the stage after 8 p.m. Trap drums and 808s filled the ballroom as fans screamed along, word for word, to notable songs like “She Ready”, “Let's Go”, “Ambition For Cash”, “Mr Glock”, and “Russian Cream”. Glock kept his late mentor Young Dolph's music alive when he invited fans on stage to rap popular songs by Young Dolph, like “100 Shots” and “Major”, creating an immersive experience for the fans. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/06/Key-Glock-2.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/06/Key-Glock-3-1.jpeg) Key Glock in between songs of his Glockaveli show. | ****NaBeela Washington**/**15 West* Jon Craft, a 37-year-old Memphis native who now calls Chicago home, represents the kind of transplant fan that Glock's music unites across city lines. Growing up in Memphis, Craft was immersed in the city's hip-hop culture from an early age—his mother worked with the Memphis Music Foundation, providing government grants to emerging artists, including Three 6 Mafia in their pre-mainstream days. “I grew up knowing Three 6 Mafia personally,” he recalls, explaining how his family helped the influential group secure funding to convert their early work to CD format. Now living in Chicago, Craft embodies the Memphis diaspora that Glock's music speaks to—fans who carry their hometown pride wherever they land. “We kind of buddy up, you know, just you can spot each other,” he says about Memphis transplants. “If I see somebody with a Grizzlies hat, I will walk across the entire market, because there's always only like five or six of us at any given place.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/IMG_2391.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/07/IMG_2405-Edit.jpg) Craft outside of Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom. | ****Ivana Jarmon**/**15 West* Memphis trap music at its core is gritty and raw, with lyrics rooted in street life. Memphis hip-hop started in the late 1980s but took off in the early 90s and 2000s, according to [The Commercial Appeal](https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/01/21/memphis-rap-three-6-mafia-8-ball-mjg-yo-gotti-project-pat-playa-fly/6626570002/?ref=15west.org). The Memphis DJ, DJ Spanish Fly, is referred to as “the godfather of Memphis hip-hop”. Memphis hip-hop artists like Al Kapone, Playa Fly, Lil Noid, Evil Pimp, and Tommy Wright developed their sound under DJ Spanish Fly's blueprint; in fact, many artists in the late 80s and early 90s had to go through him to be heard. While West Side Chicago hip-hop is unlike Memphis hip-hop in many aspects, it does talk about the detrimental effects of street culture. Artists like Saba deliver introspective raps about growing up on the West Side of Chicago. Saba elaborates on the struggles he’s faced like depression and losing his friend Walter, who was “killed for a coat”. He cites this in his song “Busy/Sirens”. Glock has also expressed dealing with grief and the loss of his friend and former CEO Young Dolph in his songs “Proud" and “Work”. Both artists express similar trauma through their music, but Saba raps over smooth, soulful instrumentation while Glock’s beats encompass hard hitting 808s bass, drums, and dark synths that capture the gritty essence of Memphis hip-hop. This shared focus on street culture's realities, albeit from different angles, explains Glock and Paper Route Empire's strong reception in Chicago. Both scenes understand the struggle, even if they express it differently. And these modern-day ties have deep roots in Memphis hip-hop history. Ramon “Tempo” Sanchez, a 36-year-old Berwyn audio engineer who has worked with Glock and Paper Route Empire, confirms that connections run deeper than musical appreciation. “There are definitely connections. I’ve recorded him and PRE \[Paper Route Empire\] before and he actually has Chicago people in his entourage. They even have a Chicago artist named Chitana that’s in PRE as well. West Side has had a lot of visibility going back to Twista, but has been growing with artists like Sicko Mobb, DCG, Pronto Spazzout, Von of 1700, etc.” DJ Spanish Fly was among the first wave of Memphis hip-hop artists to blend heavy 808 bass, slowed-down production, dark lyrics, and horror-inspired sounds over rap vocals, pushing the subgenre to what it's become today. You can hear elements of his production in iconic groups like Three 6 Mafia—the Memphis collective featuring DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Lord Infamous, with Project Pat (Juicy J's brother) playing a key unofficial role in their popularity. Three 6 Mafia, alongside Project Pat, took the Memphis hip-hop sound and made it mainstream. Hints of Three 6 Mafia permeate modern artists today like A$AP Rocky, & Chief Keef. A$AP Rocky’s song “Gunz N Butter” not only features Juicy J, but it also samples Project Pat’s 2002 song “Still Ridin’ Clean”. Chief Keef sampled Three 6 Mafia”s “Slob on my knob” for his song “Like It’s Yo Job” off his 2021 *4nem* album. With Chief Keef sampling Three 6 Mafia, it’s clear how the Memphis influence has reached Chicago. TikTok users have also taken popular songs from Project Pat and grown them into viral social media hits by remixing them, causing songs that debuted in the early 2000s to resurface again. Almost four decades later, the sound that DJ Spanish Fly helped create is still relevant today. Glock sticks heavily to his Memphis roots, channeling the same signature production that originated from the city in the late '80s and '90s. It’s evident that fans absolutely love this sound because the energy never died at the Aragon Ballroom that Tuesday night. Glock transforms that sound into something smoother and more “playa” like, maintaining the raw, 808-heavy production while delivering verses with poised confidence. In addition to performing songs from his most recent album *Glockaveli,* Glock also mixed his set list with fan favorites from previous albums like *Glock Bond*, *Glockoma*, *Yellow Tape*, *Yellow Tape 2*, and *Glockoma 2*. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8c/c0/8cc04b81-01f0-453f-af72-f04e72a8c60c/content/images/2025/06/Key-Glock-4.JPG) Key Glock acknowledging fans during his performance. | **Nasser N. Adams Jr.**/**15 West* The trust Glock has earned from fans isn't just about his music; it's about his refusal to compromise his Memphis identity for mainstream acceptance. Craft, watching from the crowd as both a Memphis native and Chicago resident, sums up Glock’s rise perfectly: “As far as having to choose an authentic Memphis connection to mainstream success, I don't think he's going to have to choose, because if you want to get paid, you got to get out of Memphis.” ### News for everyone URL: https://www.15west.org/news-for-everyone/ Last updated: 2025-06-30T17:22:34.000Z **Are you ready for #news for everyone?** Who are we? In case you haven't read our [about](https://www.15west.org/about/) page, *15 West* is a resident and volunteer-supported newsroom dedicated to connecting people mile by mile, block by block, throughout neighborhoods west of Chicago. We were formed by 501(c)(3) arts publisher *Lucky Jefferson*. Made possible by Cook County’s Digital Equity Impact Grant, we want to be one of the first news spaces to intentionally cater to readers of all needs, abilities, and competencies. We aim to increase understanding of the news and diminish the likelihood that someone is misinformed about the world around them. **We’re neurodiverse first, getting news to people of all abilities.** — **Noticas para todos.** ¿Quiénes somos? *15 West* es una sala de prensa fiscalmente patrocinada y operada por voluntarios que se dedica a conectar a las personas a lo largo de los barrios del oeste de Chicago; milla por milla, cuadra por cuadra. Gracias al aporte del condado de Cook para el Impacto en la Equidad Digital, queremos ser uno de los primeros espacios de noticias que sirva a lectores de todas las necesidades, habilidades y competencias. Nuestro fin es aumentar la comprensión de noticias y disminuir la posibilidad de que alguien esté mal informado sobre el mundo a su alrededor. **Neurodiversidad antes que nada, llevando noticias a gente de todas las habilidades.** --- **Follow us on** [**Blue Sky** ](https://bsky.app/profile/15west.org?ref=15west.org)**and** [**Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/15westnews/?ref=15west.org)**.**