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AUSTIN WEEKLY news ■
Congressman Davis declares Aug. 7 ‘Chicago State University’ day,
Vol. 29 No. 30
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August 3, 2016
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austinweeklynews.com
@AustinWeeklyChi
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Also serving Garfield Park
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Special Education Guide pullout section
Austin boxers serve rounds of humility A family-owned West Side business is seeking to launch youth boxing program By TERRY DEAN AustinTalks
“Move your feet, don’t stand around!” shouts Sal Ahmed to his young fighter. The teenager follows Ahmed’s advice, dancing about the ring while solo shadow boxing. The gym is sweltering hot as temps outside reach 90plus, even with windows and doors wide open. The large ring takes up nearly all of the space. The gym itself is located just down the hall from the main entry of Garfield Park’s Gold Dome. The boxing gym, one of 20 in Chicago parks but the only one on the West Side, has been around for some 40 years. For Ahmed, who grew up in Austin, it’s a second home. He’s been a trainer for over 20 years after a brief stint as an amateur boxer himself. The young fighter he’s training on this day is his 16-year-old nephew, Yousif Sal. As the morning sparing sessions wrap up, the older fighters head out to make way for the neighborhood kids, who come in the afternoons to learn the sport. Ahmed likes to train youth as well as the older guys. His family, who owns Sunset Liquor in Austin, plans to open their own youth boxing program. “Boxing is good for the kids,” Ahmed said, speaking with a passion and speed as if he’s hyping up one of his fighters in between rounds. “A lot of kids that are in the street right now, with See BOXING PROGRAM on page 4
WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer
Rallying around peace
Congressman Danny K. Davis and a group of West Side students hold the peace torch on July 20 during a rally that also served as a a leg of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run in Austin. The torch has also been held by Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali, along with people in more than 140 nations. Read and see more pictures at austinweeklynews.com.
N. Lawndale fights for extended bus routes
The North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council eyes three bus lines for extension By LEE EDWARDS Contributing Reporter
The North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council’s transportation subcommittee held a July 26 town hall meeting at the Chicago Police Department’s 10th District station to address public transit concerns and to devise immediate solutions. Rochelle Jackson, a member of NLCCC’s
Transportation Sub-Committee, said the goal of the town hall was to enlighten the community on the current transit situation and discuss the best practices moving forward. She noted several new businesses and developments have entered the community since several Chicago Transit Authority bus routes were cancelled, changed or rerouted in 2008 and 2009 due to what CTA deemed to be low ridership.
“[CTA] just decided to cut us off not giving any wherewithal to the people who live in this area who would still ride this bus,” said Jackson. “There’s businesses in this neighborhood and when you’re cut off from transportation businesses leave so our underserved neighborhood becomes more underserved.”
Austin Chamber of Commerce on the move... 773.854.5848 • www.austinchicagochamber.com
See BUS ROUTES on page 4