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Austin Weekly News | 2021
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Late activist activist Mildred Mildred Wiley Wiley to to get get garden garden named named in in her her honor, honor, PAGE PAGE 4 Late 4
All democracy is local
Vol. 35 No. 15 ■ April 14, 2021 ■ austinweeklynews.com ■ Also serving Garfield Park Vol. 35 No. 15 ■ April 14, 2021 ■ austinweeklynews.com ■ Also serving Garfield Park
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Fort Maner buys Fort buys its Maner own fate, itsPAGE own fate, 5 PAGE 5
West Side Side West groups want want groups long-term vax vax long-term site in in Austin Austin site
With coronavirus cases rising, Austin With coronavirus cases rising, Austin residents are asking where they can residents are asking where they can get vaccinated locally — but there get vaccinated locally — but there aren’t many appointments available aren’t many appointments available By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago
West Side groups are trying to bring a vaccinaWest Side arethe trying to bring a vaccination clinic to groups Austin as city closes its temporary tion clinic to Austin the citysurging closes itscoronavirus temporary neighborhood sites as despite neighborhood sites despite surging coronavirus cases. cases. The Austin area had two Protect Chicago Plus Thewhere Austin area had two Protect Plus sites any adult residents couldChicago get vaccinatsites where any adult residents could get vaccinated. The program was meant to help neighborhoods ed. was meantensuring to help neighborhoods hit The hardprogram by the pandemic, vaccines were hit hard by pandemic, ensuring vaccines were provided in the those areas. But each Protect Chicago provided in those But each Protect Chicago Plus site was set toareas. last just eight weeks — and AusPlus was phased set to last just eight weeks Austin’s site already out first doses and— is and working tin’s already phased outcourse first doses and isdoses. working on completing people’s of second onSome completing people’s of second doses. out residents are course scrambling to figure Somethey residents areshots scrambling figure out where can get as casestoare spiking. where can are getbeing shotsreported as casesper are Nearly they 600 cases dayspiking. in ChiNearly arejump beingjust reported dayago. in Chicago — 600 a 24cases percent from aper week cago 24 percent just from a week ago. At — theasame time, jump the neighborhood’s main comAt thehealth same time, theLoretto neighborhood’s munity center, Hospital,main is notcomadmunity health center, is not administering first doses Loretto becauseHospital, it’s been embroiled ministering first dosesthe because been embroiled in scandals for giving shots it’s to ineligible people in scandals for giving the shots ineligible people outside Austin — including a to doctor’s family in outside Austin including a doctor’s family in the suburbs and—people at a luxury jewelry store the suburbs and people at a luxury jewelry store in Gold Coast. in Gold Coast. See COVID-19 on page 6 See COVID-19 on page 6
PROVIDED PROVIDED PULLING UP THE CITY: The fitness garden at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Pull Up The City is seeking to overhaul PULLING UPon THEthe CITY: ThSide, e fitness garden at Above and Beyond Family Center. Pull Up The City is seeking to overhaul vacant lots West so into fitness gardens similar to the one Recovery at Above and Beyond. vacant lots on the West Side, so into fitness gardens similar to the one at Above and Beyond.
West Side Side group group seeks seeks to to turn turn West vacant lots lots into into gardens gardens vacant Pull Up The City is fundraising to overhaul vacant lots in East Garfield Park and West Humboldt Park
Pull Up The City is fundraising to overhaul vacant lots in East Garfield Park and West Humboldt Park munity gardens that will host free fitness paign with a launch event on April 11 at the By PASCAL SABINO By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago Block Club Chicago
A West Side group recently launched an A West Side groupvacant recently launched an effort to transform lots into comeffort to transform vacant lots into com-
munity gardens that will host free fitness programs. programs. Pull Up The City has launched a GoPull Upto The launched a lots GoFundMe help City them has overhaul vacant FundMe to help them lots in East Garfield Park,overhaul Lawndalevacant and West in East Garfield Park,kicked Lawndale and West Humboldt Park. They off their camHumboldt Park. They kicked off their cam-
paign launch Community event on April 11 at the Abovewith and aBeyond Garden at Above and Beyond Community Garden Sacramento Boulevard and Lake Street. at Sacramento Boulevard and Lakelive Street. The launch event featured music, The launch event featured live music, See GARDENS on page 9 See GARDENS on page 9