AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/emma-mitts/page/6/)
Churches in Austin are leading efforts to get West Side residents to complete the 2010 Census form. Much is at stake, says Friendship Baptist Church pastor Reggie Bacchus.
State Rep. Deborah Graham (D-Oak Park), who will be sworn in Friday morning as the next 29th Ward alderman, will help choose her replacement in the Illinois House. The four-term state representative will be one of seven elected Democratic Party officials who will interview and select who will represent the state’s 78th District, which includes some of the west suburbs and parts of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, and be the Democratic nominee for that seat in the November general election. Graham’s replacement must be named 30 days from the date she steps down from the Illinois General Assembly. Having a successor in place will be important as lawmakers could be preparing to cast votes on critical matters such as the state budget and a possible tax hike. Graham is participating in the process as the committeeman from the 29th Ward.
By Wendy Wohlfeill
Officials at a far West Side organization fear if client demand continues to rise, more and more recently released prisoners will be left fending for themselves. Roger Ehmen, director of Westside Health Authority’s Prisoner Re-Entry Center, said a recent jump in numbers shows the dire need for the program in Austin. Ehmen said the center saw an increase of 104 percent more clients over the last two years. In 2008, the office helped just over 5,000 clients, while last year the program assisted close to 11,000. The biggest concern now is that the numbers will continue to rise, and many more ex-offenders in need will be left without services.
By Wendy Wohlfeill
Charles Ezzard speaks with ease and confidence, pausing from time-to-time as if visually sifting through the past chapters of his life. He recounts times of hardship, yet immediately changes pace when speaking about his future. His face lights up as he states his goals, such as finishing school and giving back to the community. Ezzard sits in a bustling office in Austin, while snow falls outside on a brisk winter afternoon. Inside this well-kept space, half of a dozen men sit at computers placed against one wall searching on-line job postings, while others work on resumes and speak to caseworkers.
Sharon Morgan sits at her desk surrounded by piles of paperwork and a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee. As she shuffles through the paperwork, she marks her calendar on the day where she plans to speak to her 7th and 8th grade students about completing applications for the best high schools in the city. With the application deadline for Chicago’s best college and career academies quickly approaching on Jan. 20, Morgan reassures herself that her students will be equipped with all the necessary tools to apply. Morgan is the director of Community Outreach and Graduate Support at Austin’s Catalyst School-Circle Rock, one of Austin’s newest K-8th college preparatory charter schools.
Local officials in Austin say if Chicago Public School leaders don’t create more high school seats in the West Side neighborhood, more youth will end up in the streets of Chicago’s toughest areas. But CPS officials say Austin residents will have to be content with their three Renaissance 2010 high schools. Austin High School, the only public school in the community, shut its doors four years ago. Its successor, Austin Community Academy, which was open for one year, was shut down by Mayor Richard M. Daley and converted into three small high schools with an attendance of 1,038 students, compared to the 6,000 students the academy held. Austin officials worry that rising crime rates will climb even higher if CPS officials don’t take action to bring back Austin High School.