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The Daily Northwestern Thursday, February 1, 2024
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New cannabis shop to open South Evanston member-turned-entreprewho co-founded OKAY venture to combine neur Cannabis. The bakery-dispensary bakery, dispensary tentatively plans to host a By SAUL PINK
daily senior staffer @saullpink
At a new South Evanston business set to open next month, customers will be able to purchase coffee, croissants and cannabis all under one roof. A bakery connected to Evanston’s second dispensary will open mid-February at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Howard Street in a joint venture between OKAY Cannabis and West Town Bakery. Patrons hoping to indulge in cannabis products or regular baked goods — or both — must enter the bakery from the street. A neon green sign above a door next to the bakery’s counter points cannabis-seeking customers to the dispensary, which can only be accessed through the bakery. “You can come here for a cup of coffee in the morning and get a pastry. You don’t ever have to go to the dispensary, but you can if you want to,” said Ameya Pawar, a Chicago City Council
grand opening on Feb. 15 but is awaiting final inspections from the state, according to John Aldape, the director of concept development for The Fift y/50 Restaurant Group, which owns both OKAY Cannabis and West Town Bakery. The bakery will be open from 7 a.m. into the evening to cater to commuters using the Chicago Transit Authority’s Howard Station, serving everything from pastries and local coffee to West Town Bakery’s signature “cakeballs.” On the other side of a bright green wall, the dispensary will carry a range of cannabis products, mostly sourced from local craft cultivators. Before entering the dispensary, customers must get their ID checked and be added to a visitor log, in compliance with state law. West Town Bakery and OKAY Cannabis opened a similar business in Wheeling, Illinois last year. The bakery and dispensary also have adjacent locations in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood
» See OKAY CANNABIS, page 6
Daily file photo by Jacob Wendler
NUGW’s demands for an increased stipend, comprehensive healthcare and financial support for international workers are still on the table in contract negotiations.
NUGW authorizes strike pledge
Graduate workers’ union puts pressure on University to meet demands By SAMANTHA POWERS
daily senior staffer @sqpowers04
The Northwestern University Graduate Workers launched a
pledge Monday to strike if the University does not meet its remaining contract demands. The meeting had record-high attendance, with more than 1,000 graduate workers from the Evanston and Chicago
campuses joining in person and over Zoom, organizers told The Daily. After 13 bargaining sessions held since June 2023, the union and the University have reached tentative agreements
on 24 of NUGW’s 32 proposed articles. However, NUGW’s core demands — including an increased stipend, comprehensive healthcare and financial
» See NUGW, page 6
Project helps create savings accounts Mayor talks city, Organizations help parents open college funds for elementary students By EDWARD SIMON CRUZ
the daily northwestern @edwardsimoncruz
In 2018, YWCA Evanston/ North Shore and the Evanston Community Foundation began creating college savings accounts and providing financial support for children participating in a pilot program aptly named Savings for Success. The groups initially partnered with parents at Community Organizing and Family Issues before contacting pre-K programs and childcare centers. Savings for Success began offering savings accounts for kindergarten students in two schools at Evanston/ Skokie School District 65 for the 2022-23 school year. And, starting with the 202324 school year, kindergarten students in any District 65 school will be able to benefit from the program. The program’s webpage cites a study conducted at Washington University in St. Louis, which found that
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low-to-moderate-income children with college savings under $500 are three times more likely to attend college and four-and-a-half times more likely to graduate. However, the program’s benefits extend beyond monetary support. It enables students and families to begin planning for their futures, according to YWCA Director of Economic Advancement Kristin Drake. “The earlier you can start with starting to save, the better, not only in regards to the amount of money that you’re saving but also … ingraining concepts around financial practices and healthy financial practices and knowledge around that,” she said. According to the program’s webpage, families can create a Bright Start 529 saving plan to store their children’s college savings. Students automatically receive $50 by enrolling in Savings for Success, and those receiving free and reduced-price meals at school receive an additional $50. Students can receive up to
leadership at ASG you start to make a judgBiss on controversey, then ment call,” Biss said. “Are you judgement calls after willing to do what you believe be the right thing, which is Ryan Field rebuild toconsistent with the long-term By SHUN GRAVES and JERRY WU
the daily northwestern @realshungraves @jerrwu
Illustration by Isabel Su
All families of District 65 kindergarten students can enroll in the program.
$100 in additional funds, for a total of $200, if their families continue to deposit funds in their accounts, join YWCA’s financial education programs or participate in YWCA’s Walk Into Your Future event
in May. ECF will fund the program, and is including donations from community members. YWCA and Evanston Cradle
» See SAVINGS, page 6
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss spoke about making challenging “judgment calls” on divisive issues and joked about his time as a state legislator in a discussion with NU’s Associated Student Government Wednesday night. Wearing a casual pullover and patterned green socks, Biss spoke with ASG senators about taking risks as a leader and ticking off milestones throughout his political career. His hourlong talk took place amid a tumultuous moment in town-gown relations, but Biss did not directly mention the still-brewing Ryan Field controversy during his talk. “Sometimes there will be times where you don’t feel that community support, and
goals of the community?” In November, Biss cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the contentious plan to rebuild and host concerts at Northwestern’s football stadium — a decision which drew criticism from residents and local activists. He told The Daily after the meeting that the Ryan Field vote counted among his hard judgments. During the meeting, he also discussed the Margarita Inn, a controversial shelter operated by Connections for the Homeless. Despite initial pushback from some residents, people eventually “came around” to supporting a permanent shelter there, he said. Biss’ talk spanned the breadth of his political experience. Prior to his entry into politics, he served as an assistant math professor at the University of Chicago. Biss
» See BISS, page 6
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8