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we've made up It's Been a Minute features people in the culture who deserve your attention Plus weekly wraps of the news with journalists in the know Exploring the biggest questions of our time with the help of the world's greatest thinkers A radio journal of news and culture produced from a Latino perspective and offbeat features from Chicago and around the world with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior shape our choices and direct our relationships Your guide to examining how the media sausage is made Important ideas and practical advice: Code Switch features fearless and much-needed conversations about race—and Life Kit offers practical advice on things in life no one prepared you for Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX Reveal is public radio’s first one-hour radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting A weekly program presented by the New Yorker magazine’s editor killer beats and the edgiest new talent in storytelling come together for a weekly show that straps audiences into an audio rollercoaster Radiolab is known for its deep-dive journalism and innovative sound design Created in 2002 by former host Jad Abumrad the program began as an exploration of scientific inquiry Over the years it has evolved to become a platform for long-form journalism and storytelling Radiolab is hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser Residents were able to safely escape after an apartment building and two homes caught fire Feb Residents were able to escape safely early Friday after a vacant apartment building and two houses caught fire in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side firefighters responded to the 4900 block of West Medill Avenue for the fire according to Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford which sustained “significant damage,” were able to safely escape The apartment was also damaged but not as badly Langford confirmed there were no injuries or displacements were reported No smoke detectors were found inside the apartment and the cause of the fire was being investigated Terms of Use • Privacy Notice • Cookie Policy • Terms of Sale A 17-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting Monday on the Northwest Side A 17-year-old boy was wounded in a Belmont Cragin shooting Monday night on the Northwest Side The boy was walking outside in the 2600 block of North Melvina Avenue when he was shot in the torso about 10:45 p.m. He took himself to West Suburban Hospital where he was in fair condition A man who was badly burned during an early Wednesday apartment fire in Belmont Cragin has died in the 2300 block of North Meade Avenue and firefighters pulled the victim from the flames He suffered a laceration to his neck and burns throughout his body and was taken in critical condition to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood Police and fire officials were investigating the cause of the fire Thousands of community members recently gathered outside Foreman College and Career Academy on Chicago’s Northwest Side They were celebrating Halloween at an annual Trunk or Treat put on by local volunteers Edgar Jared Vilchez was a guest speaker Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention where he shared his personal story about being a gun violence survivor If he had been late to school one day in 2022 he spoke at the Democratic National Convention Vilchez witnessed up close the shooting of a classmate in a drive-by near school grounds but the image of a blood-spattered sidewalk is ingrained in Vilchez’s memory “If I would’ve been late to school and walked on that same sidewalk Now a 19-year-old rising sophomore at Cornell University he spoke Thursday night as part of “A Conversation on Gun Violence,” with U.S “changed my story,” he told the audience during his brief remarks I started worrying about living to take another test that what happens in the news can happen to me too — that we can write and must write a new story if we choose to.” Vilchez became part of the Mayor’s Youth Commission a formal advisory board of teens who represent their peers and advise Chicago’s top leaders a gun violence prevention organization that he has now been a member of for two years According to a survey of 2,400 Chicagoans, 56% of Black respondents and 55.75% of Hispanic respondents saw someone shot by age 40, compared with 25.53% of white respondents. It’s not lost on Vilchez that his hometown has often been characterized as the most dangerous city in the U.S . On Monday, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance called Chicago the “murder capital of the United States of America” at a Kenosha, Wisconsin, news conference. While Chicago does have more killings than any other city, its murder rate is lower than many other cities. Gun violence “is not just happening in Chicago,” Vilchez said. “When you really look at our communities, is it that dangerous? What is making it that dangerous? Looking at the root causes is so important.” Now as an activist, he’s sharing his story to reach other young people like him. “We’re not using politics to influence [youth], we’re using personal stories, we’re using facts,” Vilchez said. As a Project Unloaded ambassador, Vilchez has produced fact-driven content while acting as an adviser for national campaigns. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Project Unloaded (@projectunloaded) “Youth are literally the backbone of [Project Unloaded] it’s so important to have that because we always hear the term The initiative models its strategies after the Truth Initiative a longtime campaign that has helped curb teen cigarette use since 1998 the nonpartisan initiative has reached more than 3 million people with its SNUG (Safer Not Using Guns) and Guns Change the Story campaigns that aim to inform youth about gun violence with personal and factual narratives on social media Studies show that living in a house where a gun is present doubles the chance of dying by homicide and triples the deaths by suicide in the home Homicide rates among Latino youth are twice as high when compared to white peers “We want to let you know that if you do decide to own a gun this is what you might also contribute towards,” Vilchez said Project Unloaded founder and president Nina Vinik says she’s proud of Vilchez spent his first spring break in college helping with school programming on gun violence and to see his leadership and his experience and his activism to be recognized in this forum with this platform is just so incredible,” Vinik said He hopes people walk away from his speech Thursday feeling hope “Hope is what we need in the topics that we are advocating for,” he said Vilchez got the call that he would be speaking at the convention two weeks ago “My mom was not only crying tears of joy when she heard her son would be represented on stage but also speaking to millions across this country,” said Vilchez who credits his mother as the force behind his activism “She inspires me to give back to my community,” he said Vilchez wants to continue advocating for issues around gun violence — and will possibly return to Chicago after his 2027 graduation whether that be at the federal or local level who will share his personal story about gun violence on the fourth and final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention sits in the United Center hours before he is scheduled to speak on Thursday Three men on horseback lead the Three Kings Day procession on Sunday in Belmont Cragin The procession symbolizes the journey taken by the three magi who presented the baby Jesus with myrrh Northwest Side Catholics marched along Belmont Avenue on Sunday afternoon to celebrate Three Kings Day honors the day the three wise men visited the baby Jesus and presented him with gifts of frankincense Sunday’s festivities began with a Mass at St the whole community is taking part in this manifestation of our faith by going to the streets and walking with the three wise men Hundreds of parishioners then lined up on Belmont Avenue for a procession led by three men on horseback dressed as kings and the other characters from the Nativity story: the holy family A band played and sang Christmas carols in Polish as the crowd walked down the street to St The celebration is about unity and diversity in the faith Ladislaus Churches walk in a procession Sunday between the two churches Celebrating Epiphany is a sacred tradition for Gosia Rula who has been attending the service and procession for at least 10 years “This honors the three wise men who decided to make the trip without knowing where the baby Jesus was born Three Kings Day is a national holiday in Poland — everyone has the day off and spends it with family Though Sunday’s procession in Belmont Cragin is bigger than the celebration in the small village Rula is from in Poland “It’s almost like another Christmas,” Rula said Three men on horseback lead a procession outside St Musicians perform on a float during the Three Kings Day procession Three Kings Day also celebrates the different places the wise men were from That diversity is also reflected in the St but there are also Latino and Filipino members That’s why we have this celebration in Polish Spanish and a little bit of Tagalog,” Gnoinski said Virgie Laspinas has been attending services for 35 years The multilingual Mass is also a celebration of the parish’s diversity “We appreciate being recognized as Filipino and as a part of this community and this church,” Laspinas said “We feel the unity through the different cultures Laspinas attended the parade and services with her friend Celebrating the three kings’ journey is a chance to unite with people “Those three kings came from different parts of the world so it doesn’t matter what language they speak peaceful,” parishioner Mary Ann Cabrera said Minerva Velásquez (left) and Genaro Alonso behind the counter of Taqueria IZTATL in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood The restaurant is one of several in the area participating in a health initiative to create diabetes-friendly options Behavioral therapist Zack Shurson likes to end his week by stopping at Belmont Cragin’s Grillicious to pick up an order bursting with color: the diabetes-friendly dish It’s a plate of chicken shawarma with a bed of yellow rice sprinkled with a large heaping of bright green lettuce “To have something that’s healthier versus other fast foods that I would go to eat I’d feel so lethargic,” the 35-year-old Shurson said of his former diet It’s a healthier alternative than what I used to eat in the past.” The nutritional value of the dish helped him lower his cholesterol and move away from prediabetes But the menu offering didn’t exist last year That’s when the social services organization Northwest Center started working with restaurants in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood to offer healthier options as a way to fight the growing rate of diabetes in the community The program started small with seven restaurants participating and its local focus grabbed Lurie Children’s Hospital’s attention the hospital started its new Vibrant Kids initiative in Belmont Cragin working to curb the disproportionately high rates of diabetes in the northwest neighborhood Mónica Bianco is a pediatric endocrinologist with Lurie She said the rate of type 2 diabetes has been growing in Chicago over the last 30 years but it’s increased even more sharply in the few years since the COVID-19 pandemic “We started to work immediately to see if there were any communities that we could identify higher those communities were located on the South and West Sides of the city,” Bianco said Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in Streeterville the hospital launched an initiative in Belmont Cragin to curb the disproportionately high rates of diabetes in the northwest neighborhood the ZIP code for Belmont Cragin (60639) had 50 juvenile patients receive a type 2 diabetes diagnosis by far the highest rate of any ZIP code in Chicago The area with the second-highest number of new juvenile diagnoses was 60085 in suburban Waukegan which saw almost half the number of cases at 29 Part of how the hospital chose where to focus its efforts is a community health needs assessment “We see a really high need in Belmont Cragin Austin and Hermosa when we look at it in a couple of different ways,” said Stephanie Folkens The hospital saw each neighborhood had a disproportionate number of kids using the emergency department and that children in these neighborhoods had low scores on the childhood opportunity index That index measures the quality of resources and conditions available to a child such as access to healthy food and green space Northwest Center received funding from the Illinois Public Health Institute to partner with local restaurants on diabetes-friendly options making it easier for people to eat healthy in the neighborhood Community workers were careful to keep the effort centered on the neighborhood and accessible by asking restaurants not to reinvent the wheel “We didn’t want to change what (the restaurants) had in house we didn’t want them to outsource ingredients we also wanted them to be culturally relevant,” Northwest Center community health worker Vince Aponte explained Getting the effort off the ground took a lot of door-to-door campaigning Aponte and his colleagues visited a variety of restaurants in Belmont Cragin to chat with waitstaff and restaurant owners about their vision for the program Each restaurant has the creative license to develop its own diabetes-friendly dish there are common threads to the dishes themselves: more protein Minerva Velásquez owns Taqueria IZTATL on Cicero Avenue Her restaurant serves a diabetes-friendly spin on a classic taco plate and the clients are responding well,” said Velásquez in Spanish A diabetes-friendly dish at Taqueria IZTATL on Cicero Avenue in Belmont Cragin Its chicken adobado is served with yellow rice The community-focused model started by Northwest Center will be a cornerstone of Lurie’s Vibrant Kids program 24 children are registered for the program which will work with families who have members experiencing prediabetes or diabetes group lessons with a registered dietician and visits to Belmont Cragin restaurants for their diabetes-friendly dishes participants will eat a healthy meal at Taqueria la Paz on Armitage Avenue while learning about nutritious beverages and selecting food when away from home Bianco said the overall goal is to see a decrease in type 2 diabetes in children “That is something that takes time,” Bianco said “I do not expect to see that within a couple of years or anything like that It is something that will be a slow change but ideally that would be the ultimate goal.” Adora Namigadde is a metro reporter at WBEZ and hosts the morning episodes of The Rundown podcast. You can follow her at @adorakn Two men were outside in the 6000 block of West Belden Street in Belmont Cragin when someone fired shots shortly before 2 a.m. were outside in the 6000 block of West Belden Street when someone fired shots shortly before 2 a.m. was taken to Loyola University Medical Center with a gunshot to the head The older man was shot in the back and shoulder and was listed in good condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center CHICAGO (CBS) -- The FBI was investigating an attempted bank robbery on Saturday in north suburban Niles a suspect walked into a Fifth Third Bank branch on Golf Road The bank employee then told the suspect that cash was not available at that bank branch the FBI also responded to an incident at a Fifth Third Bank branch in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood Saturday afternoon on the Northwest Side of Chicago The FBI did not provide any details or confirm if there was a robbery It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were connected Todd Feurer is a web producer for CBS Chicago He has previously written for WBBM Newsradio A man was killed and a woman wounded in a shooting Saturday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side in the 3000 block of North Cicero Avenue when someone in another car fired shots after pulling alongside them were both wounded and drove themselves to Community First Medical Center where Lewis was pronounced dead and the woman was listed in critical condition police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said A 50-year-old man was stabbed to death Friday in a domestic-related attack Dwayne Woods suffered a cut to the neck about 4:30 p.m Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood A person of interest was taken into custody 2024Chicago police said a shooting in the Cragin neighborhood that left a 46-year-old man wounded involved a CCL holder.CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man was critically wounded after an altercation with a concealed carry license holder in the Cragin neighborhood Tuesday morning in the 5200-block of West Fullerton Avenue Police said a 46-year-old man got into an altercation with another man who took out a handgun and fired a shot The 46-year-old man was wounded in the chest and transported to Mt Chicago shootings: Tracking gun violence in 2024 Area Five detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood owner of Potter & Potter Auctions in Belmont Cragin adjusts an animatronic figure that was used in Marshall Field’s holiday window displays in the early 1980s The volunteer Salvation Army worker is holding a tambourine that she “beats” when the figurine is plugged in the woman’s cheeks are too pink — as if she needs to come in out of the State Street cold And her blue eyes express the pleading weariness of someone whose work helping the poor is never done “Think about how many people were examining these things — literally peering through the glass of thousands of people over the course of the season,” explains Gabe Fajuri owner of Potter & Potter Auction House on the Northwest Side Fajuri is talking about the remarkable attention to detail of some of the three dozen or so animatronic figurines plucked from the Marshall Field’s Christmas window displays of the early 1980s — all of which will go on the auction block Sept There’s a woman in elegant flapper attire whose stiff upright posture and haughty expression suggest she’s accustomed to getting what she wants There’s a man in a heavy tweed suit reading a newspaper (not the Chicago Sun-Times Animatronics that were used in Marshall Field’s window displays in the early 1980s are stored at Potter & Potter Auctions in Belmont Cragin One figurine features a man reading a newspaper in the department store’s Walnut Roon while another shows a young Victorian-era boy getting his dog to “sit up” for a treat The figurines — about half human size — were on display at Field’s from 1982 to 1984 The theme for those years was “Christmas at Marshall Field’s,” with each window representing a different era in the store’s holiday history Amy Meadows was a window trimmer in her early 20s and part of the team that installed these figurines in 1982 and 1983 “It was challenging because you are working in a very tight space,” says Meadows “You had to work with the carpenters to assemble the set pieces was keeping the windows well stocked with “snow,” actually kosher salt Meadows’ job often meant she was on her hands and knees and working 10-plus-hour days But even she succumbed to the Christmas magic “When you came (to Marshall Field’s) for Christmas it was chicken pot pie under the great tree it was visiting Santa in Cozy Cloud Cottage it was the Salvation Army,” Meadows recalls “There was so much sentiment and pride and joy that people found.” Bundled-up children press against the windows of the Marshall Field’s store on State Street on Nov The wagon figure is now part of an auction for a young man to want to propose to his girlfriend outside the Christmas windows So the Field’s staff might arrange for a model train to emerge from a tunnel puffing smoke and with a sign sitting atop a car that read: “Will You Marry Me?” The items going on the auction block don’t include a train but there’s a horse-drawn Marshall Field & Company delivery wagon A horse-drawn delivery wagon filled with gifts is the single largest object from the early 1980s Marshall Field’s Christmas windows And what’s likely to draw lots of attention: a model of the store’s famous exterior clock “That is something anybody can identify with whether or not it’s part of the Christmas window display People still see that every day when they go downtown on State Street I’d say that’s the piece that will bring the highest price,” Fajuri says Fajuri says the motors work on about half of the figurines that are to be sold; the others A replica of the iconic Marshall Field’s clock awaits its fate at Potter & Potter Auctions This one is made of wood and is about three feet tall But walking through the gloriously cluttered Potter & Potter warehouse at 5001 W you might wonder what someone would want with a bunch of 3-foot-high How many houses have you been to where people have made a real commitment to the season and set up their own exhibit?” Fajuri says The auction pieces didn’t come from a Marshall Field’s — or rather They were housed most recently at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in storage they were included as part of the museum’s annual Christmas display “Having a collection is a little bit like having a garden: You periodically change out and do new things,” says Kathleen McCarthy the museum’s director of collections and head curator explaining why the figurines are being sold To learn more about the upcoming auction, go to www.potterauctions.com. A collection of animatronic figures that were used in Marshall Field’s window displays are stored at Potter & Potter Auctions Shoppers walk Monday along North Belmont Avenue near North Central Avenue in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood Politicians don’t stop in Belmont Cragin — ever At least that’s what some residents of the Northwest Side neighborhood insist Many of them couldn’t tell a reporter who is on the ballot next month or why they should even care about casting their votes “Politicians don’t really show their face in all the years that I’ve lived here,” 30-year resident Melissa Quintana said or our representatives — I literally know nothing.” What residents readily share is their concerns that the obstacles that lie in front of them are becoming ever more difficult to overcome the quality of education and the struggles of small businesses are all making life more challenging why don’t we have that here?” asked Annette Cabasa and rent was never a big concern for us until I will say the last 10 years — ever since the recession I want to say.” Belmont Cragin is bound by Grand Avenue to the south Kenton Avenue to the east and Nashville Avenue to the west As voters prepare to cast their ballots in state the Sun-Times talked to residents to find out what’s on their minds Many said they wish their elected officials would do the same Quintana said over the last three months she has made it a priority to learn the names of the politicians who represent her “Everyone in my circle doesn’t know about their alderman know their names or even know what ward they live in,” Quintana said “Even with the potential candidates that are running I still have no idea who’s running for reelection “I can only speak for myself and my circle of people — I’ve never seen heard from or anything of a politician,” Quintana said says many in Belmont Cragin feel as if politicians skip their neighborhood leaving residents without the motivation to keep up with politics said she understands the importance of voting but it’s hard to commit to doing so when politicians have done so little to win her support not to mention the time pressures of everyday life Her desire to become more politically active was largely sparked by her role in Belmont Cragin’s Community Ambassador Program — a city initiative to create friendly atmospheres in shopping corridors While she said she doesn’t know much about national or state issues she knows the community is in desperate need of basic things why don’t we have any garbage cans?” Quintana said as she chuckled in disbelief The dozens of people who spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times said the neighborhood’s long history of being a working-class community that puts its head down and doesn’t stir the pot contributes to it so often being forgotten It should be a neighborhood with more clout considering it is the fifth-largest community area in the city and home of the largest Hispanic population in Chicago Of the more than 78,000 people who call Belmont Cragin home the Belmont Cragin community area is divided among multiple wards and state representative districts meaning residents of nearby blocks can have different representatives in the City Council or state Legislature The neighborhood is roughly split among three Illinois House districts as well as the 30th which fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle That’s a half-dozen different local elected officials all representing different slices of the neighborhood A group of people cross North Central Avenue in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood on Monday The three wards all went strongly Democratic in the 2020 presidential election giving Joe Biden between nearly 74% and a little over 80% of their votes The numbers were comparable in the 2018 governor’s race Pritzker’s winning totals ranging from about 78% to nearly 83% While many residents said they worry about housing Belmont Cragin actually presents more affordable living than neighboring Logan Square and Avondale As she sat in the computer room of the Senior Suites of Kelvyn Park Cabasa reflected on being pushed out of Avondale because of housing costs She said being able to qualify for housing at the senior center but she recognizes others in similar situations may not have been so lucky discusses being priced out of Avondale and her hopes for more affordable housing and protecting abortion rights Being housing insecure for much of the last two years has her worried about affordable rent She’s on a fixed income and can’t take the blow of her rent suddenly increasing She isn’t sure who is on the ballot this November but the policies she advocates have a generally liberal bent she hopes he will focus on bringing some form of rent control Thirty years ago Cabasa said she moved into a Bucktown apartment with her infant and her rent was just $275 for two bedrooms but that is something I will never see again,” Cabasa said A religious woman who often refers to the Bible when she talks Cabasa said another issue dear to her was the national fight over the right to have an abortion and a woman still should have the choice whether she wants to have an abortion or not,” Cabasa said “It’s not anyone else’s decision but that woman and she shouldn’t have to give a reason for it.” some residents are more politically tuned in Alonso Zaragoza has operated the social media group called Belmont Cragin United He initially launched the group on the social media platform Myspace but he has since migrated the group to Facebook where it boasts 41,000 members is inundated with hundreds of messages daily and he feels he has his finger on the pulse of the neighborhood “People are really struggling to survive here and they are working 60 to 70 hours a week,” Zaragoza said “They don’t have the time to go on the news and learn about which politicians are supporting what when they are just constantly working to keep their doors open and lights on.” said he started becoming politically active only after launching the community group’s social media account He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for 36th Ward alderman in 2015 something he said he has no interest in doing again Alonso Zaragoza (left) is shown with former Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia in 2015 when Garcia was running for mayor in the April runoff against Rahm Emanuel Zaragoza lost his bid for alderman earlier that year an independent who said he plans to vote Democrat this election said candidates need to stop overlooking Belmont Cragin “I think politicians need to really spend at least one day touring the community with residents and our local nonprofits to really see what we are going through,” Zaragoza said “I don’t think they really know what is happening here.” Zaragoza said he is not for rent control but rent is becoming unbearable as wages have remained stagnant you could find a two-bedroom apartment for $900 but now that runs at the minimum of $1,200 “Then there is the difficulty of just buying a home here,” Zaragoza said. “There is this three-flat near Armitage and Laramie that is going for over $800,000 I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything residential sell that high here before.” who also lives at the Senior Suites of Kelvyn Park said one of her biggest interests is the quality of education She worked at the Chicago Board of Education for more than 40 years “My concern is about the children and the special needs children,” Brooks said “They are not getting the proper education or care in neighborhoods like this.” Brooks said the move to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic left a lot of children and families behind She hopes whoever is elected can help bring those kids back to where they should be “There just needs to be more aid for students with disabilities because they have been forgotten about even before the pandemic,” Brooks said “We can’t continue to forget about the needs of those children.” A woman holds the hand of a child as they cross North Central Avenue near West Belmont Avenue Jose Corea opened Tepalcates Mexican Restaurant at 5131 W He said he considers himself a Democrat but has been jaded by the sport of politics They need to get rid of these paid parking meters on Fullerton “Too many promises made and rarely any results.” Corea said he believes the parking meters have hindered his business But one thing this self-identified Democrat said he knows for sure: He won’t be voting for Pritzker He also can’t tell you who Republican challenger Darren Bailey is either “I’ve seen too many things from [Pritzker] that I don’t like,” Corea said A man walks in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood Monday explains how participating in the Summit taught him that while change takes time he has the power to shape his community’s future It was March 2019 when Zair arrived in Washington, DC, for the first time to participate in the Changemakers Summit, and he had already been working with the youth of UnidosUS Affiliate Northwest Center on his passion project since 2018 more bike-friendly for the youth and future generations living there Belmont Cragin has the largest percentage of youth in the city of Chicago—23% compared to the 17.1% of the city at large That was Zair’s main motivation to embark on this four-year journey—he believed strongly that the young people of Belmont Cragin deserved a mode of transportation that worked for them just as many other parts of the city already had: bike lanes there were absolutely no Divvy stations [bike share program in Chicago] or Divvy bikes in Belmont Cragin: the nearest one was literally about a mile and a half away and that’s not walking distance at all,” Zair explains “I went to school at a different part of the city and in that part of the city you saw them everywhere […] and I thought: ‘Why can’t we have that in Belmont Cragin?’” Bike lanes were also lacking in Belmont Cragin: “When you’re riding your bike because a car accident can happen,” Zair continues there was only one mile of total bike lanes in his neighborhood and there were 200 miles of bike lanes in total city-wide: that meant that “other neighborhoods in the city were obviously better served and had more safe bike passages.” “although it’s just one little neighborhood in the northwest side of the city,” Zair says “we have the largest concentration of youth under the age of 18 in the city.” For him it was a must for a neighborhood with almost 20,000 youth to have more bike lanes and successful bike share programs Once Zair and other group of teenagers at Northwest Center identified the issue it was time to act: “That motivated us to meet with our elected officials our state representatives also.” They were ready to raise awareness and their elected officials heard them and agreed about the importance of the topic “That could’ve been a little discouraging; it wasn’t [and] met with Senator Durbin to present this issue to him,” Zair continues and the feeling Zair felt after this meeting with Senator Durbin at Changemakers Summit in March 2019 was completely different to the ones he had previously we came from city officials who [brushed us off] and this department…’ He gave us all these suggestions and threw us very good information He was 15 years old when he met Senator Durbin: it was a big deal for him and the other youth to talk to their Senate representative who was giving them the encouragement they needed to not give up very motivating,” Zair continues describing […] If I could attribute this whole program to something—what really started it I would say it was coming back from that meeting with Senator Durbin They immediately started to organize in their community “We hosted strategic bike rides: we would ride to certain parks certain small businesses…just a quick one-hour bike ride parents all over the community…community residents community business owners to take part of these bike rides.” they run a survey: what had the riders noticed Zair and the group heard the same feedback confirming what they were already sharing with their representatives: “They would say but I’m not going to risk myself because there’s no bike lanes,’” says Zair: “That only motivated us further.” and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Now that they brought feedback from the community at large ranging from children to parents and grandparents We started in 2018 and we just barely finished a few months ago,” Zair shares “It went from a group of youth who are passionate to engage residents city departments…and overtime we were able to plan Now we have an intricate bike share program,” which are placed in strategic locations at the ribbon cutting event at a park in Belmont Cragin where city officials and Divvy representatives spoke about the importance of this milestone Zair felt the satisfaction of having accomplished his passion project: “That was our big celebration But one of the biggest moments that stayed with him was something very powerful that happened: “There was a little girl who was swinging on the swings—her mom was there—having a good time And instead of having our elected official cut the ribbon or instead of having a city department official or any resident 10 years old: we had her cut the ribbon,” Zair tells This symbolism was what they needed for this moment because this symbolized how the next generation will be able to utilize these new bike lanes and bike sharing program as they grow up: “We had her cut the ribbon to symbolize that this is not just for me but it’s more important for the next generation of youth one with which Zair developed leadership skills and showed his passion for his neighborhood and future generations Zair and Northwest Center’s youth were able to: I’m born and raised in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago I’ve lived here for the majority of my life I’ve been involved with community organizing through Northwest Center for about four years now so I was very inspired and very passionate about certain things that I wanted to see in my neighborhood that’s why I got involved with Northwest Center Through that I was able to have an opportunity to work for the city of Chicago under one of the 50 aldermen: I work for Alderman Felix Cardona Jr so also in the Belmont Cragin and northwest side of Chicago I didn’t go to school here—I went to school in other parts of the city—and that only fueled my motivation for my community because I would see things in other neighborhoods that I would say “I am just someone very passionate about my community and I love to make change not only for me but for the next generation of children who in the next few years will become high schoolers and become youth and can also take advantage of the opportunities this neighborhood has.” Zair is now in college studying political science He doesn’t know yet if he will ever run for office; what he does know is that he wants to have an impact on his community that meeting with Senator Durbin made him realize the impact of our elected officials His words of wisdom for our future leaders: “If someone would have told you: ‘Oh just a high schooler,’ that’s an absolute lie if you want to bring change in your community more than capable of bringing about that change Don’t let anyone or anything discourage you.” Stay tuned to our upcoming Changemakers Summit on March 28 through the 30 and follow the hashtag #Changemakers22 in our social channels (@WeAreUnidosUS) to see our future changemakers in action Or simply highlight text to share on social or email nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization we have contributed to a stronger America by elevating the voice of Latinos and defending and advancing our community’s concerns Designed by SMNGA and FORMA Architecture the new school will connect to the Riis Park field house and replace the old building's gymnasium wing The upcoming complex includes a three-story classroom structure plus a multi-purpose building containing a gym The plan also calls for a new parking lot with spaces for 43 vehicles and improvements to the nearby playground.  Construction on the new school is scheduled to begin this fall, and the recent building permit is a good indicator that the project appears to be on track. If everything moves forward smoothly, the facility could be ready to open in time for the fall 2022 school year. George Sollitt Construction Company will serve as the general contractor according to information listed on the permit Belmont Cragin youth are fighting for equitable transportation access including bike lanes that are still needed in the neighborhood But organizations working there say there’s a Renaissance afoot in the Northwest Side neighborhood Morning Shift checks in with some of the groups working to make Belmont Cragin a great place to live and work Belmont Cragin is like a lot of Chicago.  executive director of the Northwest Side Housing Center 2024Chicgao firefighters battled a house fire on the city's Northwest Side Thursday No injuries were reported.CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago firefighters battled a house fire Thursday afternoon on the city's Northwest Side Chopper7 was over the scene of the fire around 3:45 p.m That call signaled a firefighter was in danger and needed help but was canceled shortly after it went out A Chicago Fire Department spokesperson wasn't able to say the reason for the call but officials said no injuries were reported The cause of the fire remains under investigation An 18-year-old man was fatally shot Friday evening in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side the teen was in the middle of the street in the 5100 block of West Fullerton Avenue when someone in a vehicle fired shots He was identified as Nikko Mercado by the Cook County medical examiner’s office An autopsy conducted Saturday ruled his death a homicide Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides was near the sidewalk in the 5600 block of West Diversey Avenue just before 6 p.m when someone approached him and shot him with a handgun A man was killed after a shooting in Belmont Cragin Monday evening He was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital where he later died