■
Registration for Austin POWER 5K Run and Walk now open
PAGE 9
FREE Vol. 36 No. 37
September 14, 2022
■
Also serving Garfield Park
■
austinweeklynews.com
@AustinWeeklyNews
@austinweeklynews
@AustinWeeklyChi
Urban b Prep grads d look to future, page 5
South, West side fans fear Bears’ flight could alienate Youth coaches and fans said move risks distancing team and its community programs from people who already have a hard time seeing them play By MACK LIEDERMAN Block Club Chicago
The Bears are closer to ditching Chicago for the suburbs, which would make their games even more inaccessible to South and West Side fans, residents said. Bears officials will reveal conceptual plans for a “transit-oriented, mixed-use entertainment district anchored by a stadium” at a community meeting Thursday in suburban Arlington Heights. The team signed a purchase agreement for the now-closed Arlington Park racetrack in September 2021, although that deal has not closed. The proposed new stadium would be off the Arlington Park stop along the Union Pacific Northwest line. While the Bears have repeatedly threatened to leave the city, South and West side youth coaches See BEARS on page 6
SHANEL ROMAIN/Staff
Raven Lewis, a dancer with Move Me Soul dance company, teaches a West African-inspired dance to festival attendees at the GhanAgain Festival at Austin Town Hall Park on Sept. 10.
Festival brings Ghana to the West Side
GhanAgain Festival held Sept. 10 designed to expand the minds of young people, organizer said By SHANEL ROMAIN Community Narrative Reporter
MY PEDIATRICIAN GAVE ME CONFIDENCE ABOUT VACCINATING MY CHILD
“Helps to get the kids off the block and into the world.” Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures (CAYTA), a nonprofit that promotes travel for West Side young people, held their second annual GhanAgain Festival on Sept. 10 at Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St. The free event is designed to encourage community members to reconnect to their African roots. See GHANAGAIN on page 12
UMI B.
CHI.GOV/REALSTORIES