AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/community/page/38/)
Rickie P. Brown Sr., president of the West Side Historical Society, says the National Guard is not the answer to stopping violence; it’s up to residents and leaders to make changes to restore order and improve the quality of life for citizens.
In response to recent acts of violence across the city and nationwide, Chicago faith leaders met this week to discuss ways to prevent it and their plan for a petition drive next month.
They ended the summer program that provided cultural, career-building and community service experiences with a Rites of Passage celebration Aug. 4.
In an Aug. 9 press release, the YMCA reported it will shut down services at the West Side location, moving members to the McCormick Tribune YMCA.
While some express support for the city’s plan, others remain concerned the West Side was not singled out for specific projects.
The Aug. 1 service at Greater St. John Bible Church will go to the streets to launch a petition drive to ban assault weapons and pray for those killed by violence.
The free Aug. 1 event will present a 3:30 p.m. performance of “The Taming of the Shrew,” one of many stops by the theater parks tour running through Aug. 19.
The event, aimed at uniting the community, was put on by the Central Austin Neighborhood Association and the Third Unitarian Church.
Crain’s Chicago Business talks to owners about the financial toll and fear resulting from the rash of thefts and homicides in the West Side community.
At the July 6 service, mourners celebrated the the 7-year-old’s life, while urging residents to put an end to the violence responsible for her death.