■ Aisha Oliver: Getting uncomfortable with conditions PAGE 8
FREE Vol. 39 No. 16
April 23, 2025 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Speciall section, page B1
A New Beginning walks the talkies From pews to
pulpits, locals respond to pope’s death
Youth development nonprofit in Austin offers STEM programming, life-skill development and mentoring By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
On a Wednesday around 4:30 p.m., four Frederick Douglass High School students met at a new youth development nonprofit in Austin to build walkie-talkies from a kit of wooden blocks and circuit boards. The after-school project for those interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math is just one of the offerings at A New Beginning Starts Now. A New Beginning Starts Now opened on Chicago Avenue in January after Eric McKennie founded the nonprofit and received a state grant to fund its launch at the end of last year. The nonprofit aims to give back to the community’s youth through STEM education, life skill development, job readiness, mentoring and vocational training referrals. “Everything I do is a giveaway,” McKennie said. “That’s what the money is for,” from the walkie-talkie kits to recording equipment for an upcoming podcast with young hosts, to free weekend events. A New Beginning Starts Now’s first event was a free skate jam in February that was attended by over 100 people. On Saturday, the nonprofit partnered with 15 vendors to collect items for a closet and toiletry pantry, and host a resource and job fair, at Austin College Career High School.
‘I didn’t expect it today. But I did expect it.’ By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
MYISHA OWENS
Students build walkie-talkies at A New Beginning Starts Now’s administration office headquarters. In June, the nonprofit will host a summer kick-off event at La Follete Park. Through get-togethers in Austin and programming at A New Beginning Starts Now’s headquarters, the nonprofit aims to teach anti-bullying and conflict resolution.
“The pinnacle doesn’t really get higher than that in our community because everything is so violent,” McKennie said. McKennie, 62, is a contractor by trade and has been flipping houses for over 20 See NONPROFIT on page 7
Like many Chicago area Catholics, lifelong Oak Park resident Don Giannetti awoke to the news Monday that Pope Francis had died. “This morning when I was in bed, I had my cellphone with me, and I heard the dings and I thought it might be the pope,” Giannetti said. “It wasn’t a surprise, but it was sad. I didn’t expect it today. But I did expect it.” Shortly afterward, the 89-year-old attended 8:30 a.m. mass at St. Edmund, where the bells tolled in honor of Pope Francis, 88, the pope since 2013. Rev. Carl Morello, pastor of St. CatherineSt. Lucy and St. Giles in Oak Park, had received a call from another priest Monday morning informing him of the pope’s passing. He said he was shocked it happened Easter Monday, the day after blessing a throng of the faithful in St. Peter’s Square in Rome and meeting with J.D. Vance, vice president of the U.S. and a critic. See POPE FRANCIS on page 9
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