By Suzanne Hanney

Streetwise 

"Austin has one of the highest levels of lead in the city," said Patrick MacRoy, program director at the Chicago Department of Public Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.  The toxic effects of lead poisoning are well-established but there is help for area residents to combat the problem.    

By Dara Belic

SisterHouse is a substance abuse recovery home for women on Chicago's West Side that opened its doors in 1982. This month, the center affiliated with School Sisters of Notre Dame, celebrated its 25th anniversary at the John Hancock's Signature Room.

The success of the residential program at 851 N. Leamington St. increases each year, said Rochelle Sims, a certified alcohol and drug counselor and co-director of SisterHouse. Every year, a higher percentage of women achieve sobriety, Sims said.

SisterHouse was founded by Sister Anne Meyers as a safe haven for women coming out of prison.

Since 1992, 99 percent of the primarily homeless, middle-aged, African-American women who become SisterHouse residents come to the facility directly from detox programs rather than the streets, Sims said.

"We won't allow you to become a resident here unless you've been clean and sober for at least a month," said Sims.

Danny K. Davis beamed proudly at a press conference called to showcase the Second Chance Act, just passed by the House and headed for the Senate. Davis is sure it will pass the Senate, and told the crowd of 130 people that he paraphrased the biblical “Faith without works is dead” for President Bush, telling Bush, “Faith without money is dead.”

The measure will provide Federal funds and oversight for a variety of support programs aimed at the 600,000 ex-offenders who return to communities across the nation each year after being incarcerated. Melody Heaps, founder and president of TASC, Inc., an independent, not-for-profit agency that provides access to treatment for certain drug-involved individuals in Illinois who are referred by criminal justice, corrections, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems said that the Act will “change the very of what we're doing and break the arrest, release, recidivism, and re-arrest cycle.

By Tom Smith

The Chicago Teachers Union called Chicago's newest charter school, Henry Ford Academy: Power House High, the latest example of the "Wal-Marting" of public education.

The school's site is the former Sears, Roebuck and Co. world headquarters on S. Homan in the city's North Lawndale neighborhood. It is scheduled to open in August of 2008.

By Sal Cano

Despite having a student body of less than 200, members of Chicago Hope Academy's football team do not consider themselves underdogs. And they don't shy away from big challenges.

This year, the team has already played - and beaten - Roberto Clemente and Washington high schools, which have more than 1,500 students.

"We'll play anyone," said Mike Laneve, head coach of Chicago Hope Academy, a non-denominational Christian school located at 2189 Bowler St. in the Near West Side.

Laneve has watched his team, whose record is 3-4, play schools with winning traditions, such as St. Laurence High School (Catholic League Champions: 1972-74, ‘76, ‘77, ‘79, ‘82-‘85 and 1987).

By Dara Belic

More than 1,000 people are expected at the 1st Annual Employment and Resource Fair in Chicago's 2nd Ward this Fri., Oct. 5. The fair, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be held at Malcolm X College of Chicago at 1900 W. Van Buren St.

It is a unique opportunity for job seekers with special needs to find employment, said Floyd States, outreach manager for the Economic Information & Analysis division of the Illinois Department of Economic Security (IDES).

By Jamie Morgan

   Three alderman representing the Midwest and Roosevelt-Homan TIF Districts have set aside nearly $3 million to help residents fix up the outside of their homes.

   Homeowners in the districts, which roughly span east to west from Washington Boulevard to 16th Street and north to south from Western Avenue to Kostner Avenue, filled bright orange seats and stood against the walls in Marshall High School’s auditorium to hear more about the grant process.

   Attendees urged speakers to raise their voices so everyone could hear, and got restless when questions from audience members dragged on too long.

   Veteran Alderman Ed Smith (28th Ward) and City Hall newcomers Alderman Sharon Dixon (24th Ward) and Alderman Robert Fioretti (2nd Ward) joined with the Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago in the hopes of bringing more business to neighborhoods like Lawndale, stricken with empty lots.

By Jamie Morgan

More than 3,000 people who have been incarcerated are expected to attend an expungement summit being held on Saturday, June 9, which is aimed at offering people fresh hope for their futures.

By Tanya Thomas   ACTION ALERT(send your message about this problem to legislators right now) 

Budget cuts threaten a program that helps feed more than 500 women and children in some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. 

If the program, operated by the Westside Catholic Charities at 4640 W. Flournoy St., is cut, many women and children who live in Lawndale will be affected. The program is critical for residents of the Westside neighborhood, whose poverty rate is a staggering 45 percent, far more than the citywide rate of 11.4 percent, according to Heartland Alliance.

By Catherine Rigod

Some families and faculty at Brentano Elementary Math & Science Academy, 2723 N. Fairfield Ave., don't like that a condominium complex set to be built next to the Westside school will mean the loss of a teacher's parking lot and drop-off area for students.

Principal Reynes Reyes said the condo development will eliminate roughly 48 parking spots in addition to the drop-off area. Reyes said parents are not only concerned about morning and afternoon traffic jams outside the school, but they also worry the condos will increase the population of the area, making it harder for neighborhood children to get into the K-8 magnet.