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AUSTIN WEEKLY news ■
Commissioner Boykin prepares for reelection bid,
Vol. 31 No.38
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October 4, 2017
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austinweeklynews.com
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Also serving Garfield Park
@AustinWeeklyChi
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@AustinWeeklyNews
Meet Louis Carr, page 5
Residents eye spot for proposed West Side library Three locations were proposed for a full-fledged Galewood Montclare branch library By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Residents who want the city to build a larger, full-fledged Galewood Montclare library branch recently took their pitch directly to the Chicago Public Library Board of Directors. The group of residents, called the Committee for the New Galewood Montclare Library, suggested three options that would make their vision possible. The options included expanding the Rutherford Sayre Park fieldhouse location or building a brand-new space, which could possibly be located at the now vacant Sears store located at the corner of North Ave. and Harlem in Galewood. The funding for any of the options could come from an outside entity, members said. Tom Drebenstedt, a committee co-chair, said during a Sept. 25 library board meeting that the neighborhoods of Galewood and Montclare have shared a library since the original branch library opened in 1923 inside of the same fieldhouse where it curSee LIBRARY on page 4
ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
‘No seat, no peace’
Karl Brinson, president of the Chicago Branch Westside NAACP chants “no seat, no peace” along with others in attendance on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, during a rally outside of City Hall on LaSalle Street in Chicago.
Resident: ‘It’s expensive to be poor’
The state will decide whether to hike check-cashing fees at currency exchanges by nearly 50 % By WENDELL HUTSON Contributing Reporter
Low wage earners said they are worried about being able to make ends meet now that currency exchanges have won state approval to increase their check-cashing fees, including for government checks.
“I cash my paycheck every two weeks at a currency exchange because I do not have a bank account,” said Jonathan Carrington, 47, who lives in Austin. “But if the fee to cash a check goes up, I’m not sure how I will make it considering I’m struggling already.” Carrington, who works as a customer service representative for a telemarketing
company, said he pays $6 to cash his weekly paycheck at a currency exchange. “Those who have less usually end up paying more. The poor is already getting hit with higher taxes and fees while the rich gets avoids paying anything,” added CarSee CURRENCY EXCHANGE on page 9
Austin Chamber of Commerce on the move... 773.854.5848 • www.austinchicagochamber.com