AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/improve/)
In its first year, the campaign to improve Austin garnered $13 million in investments. That includes a record $10 million gift from BMO Bank. “It’s been a really momentous year. There’s been a lot of success,” said Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming Together. The nonprofit, launched in 2010, is the driving force behind the quality-of-life plan.
More than a dozen organizations working on Chicago’s West and South Sides met last week as part of the initiative “Operation Save Lives,” organized by state Rep. La Shawn Ford. “What we have today is a group of organizations and people that are saying that we can help our communities, and we are demanding that the state, the city, the county and the federal government support us,” Ford said.
Dozens of residents and other stakeholders have been meeting monthly to come up with a detailed action plan to improve the city’s most-populated neighborhood. The process is being led by Austin Coming Together and LISC Chicago.
Dozens of people working on a five-year, quality-of-life plan met last week to determine next steps. Austin Coming Together is leading efforts to produce the plan, which is expected to be unveiled this summer.
Will you organize a group? Join state Rep. La Shawn Ford and other community leaders 5:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at St. Martin De Porres Church.
Austin Coming Together will hold a town hall meeting Aug. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Austin Town Hall.
Longtime resident Renna Thomas urges voters to think carefully as they go to the polls and choose our leaders.
Local resident Terry Redmond challenges fellow West Siders to make Austin the beautiful place it can be.
Watch the video to learn about changes being made to make it easier to commute in and around the West Side.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports the Austin technology academy more than doubled its student performance over the last decade, thanks to Principal Shawn L. Jackson and engaged parents.