■
West Side student musicians play Ravinia
PAGE 7
Distributed by
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2022 QUARTER 2
June 8, 2022
THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018. THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.
FROM AN EYESORE TO A
BEACON OF HOPE
FREE Vol. 36 No. 23
How the Austin community is transforming a closed school into the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation
June 8, 2022
■
Also serving Garfield Park
Renovated West Side stadium gives students pride, CPS says The Rockne Stadium in Austin is getting a new turf field, an upgraded track and other renovations to modernize the outdated CPS athletic facility By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago
A West Side stadium used by Chicago Public Schools sports teams will be brought up to date with renovations to the fields, track, locker rooms and other outdated parts of the facility. The $10.7 million upgrades to the Knute Rockne Stadium at 1117 S. Central Ave. will be completed in two phases between this summer and next. The improvements are part of a Chicago Public Schools campaign to modernize district facilities, including the six stadiums owned by the district. Rockne Stadium is dedicated to elementary through high school athletics programs, and it See ROCKNE STADIUM on page 4
■
austinweeklynews.com
@AustinWeeklyNews
@austinweeklynews
@AustinWeeklyChi
ACT Special Section SEE INSIDE
OFF TO THE
RACES! SEE MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 2
Runners take off on Franklin Boulevard in West Garfield Park during Bank of America’s 13.1 half-marathon on Sunday, June 5. This was the company’s first marathon event on the West Side.
SHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor
LGBTQ advocate brings critical resources to Austin Zahara Bassett, the founder of Life is Work in Austin, brings her personal story to organization that provides resources to the LGBTQ community on the West Side
By SAMANTHA CALLENDER Community Narrative Reporter
A lack of community concern and aid is what prompted longtime West Side resident Zahara Bassett to found Life is Work, a Black and Brown trans social service agency at
WS ! NEF H S A L
See BASSETT on page 8
You can get local news delivered right to your email in-box. Sign up for FREE at AustinWeeklyNews.com