TTHEHE NNORORTHTH LLAAWNDWNDALEALE 1211 S. Western, Suite 203 FREE Chicago, IL 60608 CCOMMUNITYOMMUNITY NNEWEWSS Since 1999, More News, More of Your Issues, and More of Your Community Voices. “News that Improves Your Lives” Serving North Lawndale, East & West Garfield, Austin, Pilsen, Humbolt Park, Near Westside & South Lawndale PUBLISHER : STRATEGIC HUMAN SERVICES VOLUME NO. 8 - ISSUE NO. 9 ISSN 1548-6087 April 26- May 9, 2006 PROVIDING INFORMATION ON RESOURCES AND EVENTS THAT IMPROVE THE LIFESTYLE OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY U TURN IN LIFE: A REAL AMERICAN DREAM INSIDE Church Members, Married, Productive Working Citizens, New home owners, Family Providers, Community Supporters THIS ISSUE Lawndale. It was not always so, landing her first dream job, she met according to this extremely the wrong the people and started using companionable couple. drugs and alcohol. Then Debra started Sitting in the living room of there using in her own neighborhood on the new Ezra home located on the 1500 Westside. “First, I use to look down at S. block of Millard Ave, I felt at ease, all the people when I first went to having a conversation about their road Lincoln Park, I didn’t want to speak. to success. Both grew up in the North I was arrogant. I talked about all Lawndale Community. “It’s funny we the folk here that were doing what they went to some of the same schools and were doing and I ended up in the even knew some of the same people basement with them on crates smoking but we had never met” said Debra. crack,” she said. In 1997, Debra got One of the schools they both introduced to a support group at attended was Penn Elementary. She Lawndale Community Church called also attended Lathrop, Frazier, Hess, Hope House by a young man who was and Westinghouse. “I was one of the getting high on drugs with her at the first graduates at Frazier Elementary, time, which now included heroin. She when they built that school in 1974”, had asked Assistant Pastor Jo Jo Atkins she said. “I grew up here and I always if they had any methadone something Darren and Debra Brown DR. TERRY MASON wanted to get out of the hood and I use to ease her pain out of heroin. His TALKS ABOUT living the American Dream. to pray to be an employee of Children’s response she said was “naw we do cold Darren and Debra Brown, a Everything mentioned in the subtitle Memorial Hospital and somehow I turkey here and we don’t have a HEALTH recently married couple after meeting and more has been accomplished by made it” said Debra. A while after women’s treatment center. “So I went PAGE - 4 and being friends through recovery, are these two model citizens in North moving to the Lincoln Park area after See Browns page 4 SYRON SMITH: THE PURPOSE OF THE VILLAGE Priscilla Lucas months before he could leave people on the block and find out their Chicago and anxious to leave he area of interest, then we can link them switched his enlistment to the Navy with other people who have the same and was out of the city in two weeks. people together for a area of interest,” said Smith. “I knew that wasn’t my life selling common cause. Smith was overseas in the Armed drugs,” Smith said and when he Syron Smith, is Forces when he got this idea to form joined the Navy he was running away the founder of the this organization and began to write from the high rate of murder that was National Block Club out detailed plans to unite occurring in city. University (NBCU). communities. “Everyday five or six of my He has taken this age “I joined the Navy in 1993,” he brothers; young black guys were old ideal and said. “I dropped out of my regular getting murdered… (By gang JUNE POINTER DIES broadened it by school and I started dealing drugs and violence and drugs) it was a true war OF CANCER developing a higher being out in the street. I went to Dunbar zone here in my eyes and I’m running PAGE - 5 level of serving one High School and left there in my last around with a 380 you know nervous another and linking year, and I ended up getting into a and ready to shoot anybody and that the blocks from community to program at Malcolm X College’s night wasn’t my life,” he said. community, city to city and country to school and they helped me get my high Smith attributes his three year Blocks clubs are not only a vital country. school diploma…the diploma was enlistment in the Navy for his part of the community they are “Our whole thing is block by from Roberto Clemente,” Smith adds. “discipline, structure and important in the development of block; because everyone lives on a He originally enlisted with the Air organization,” skills he learned as he neighborhoods and in uniting block, so if we can identify all the Force, but was told that it would be six See Smith page 14 BAD DRUGS CAUSE DEATHS ON WEST AND SOUTH SIDES ROBBINS SERVICE Last week, a mysterious substance, said the Cook County Medical STATION MAY possibly heroin mixed with another Examiner’s office. The results could BUSINESS OF THE drug, killed 25 people. The overdose take eight to 12 weeks. MONTH victims ranged in age from 17 to 73. In addition, in the 4100 block PAGE - 9 Since August 2005, the Chicago Police of West Ogden seven people were Department has confirmed 66 discovered after overdosing on what overdose deaths due to heroin. Chicago Fire Department officials ALSO INSIDE According to police reports, described as “some form of heroin.” heroin cut with Fentanyl, a Although many of the heroin CHICAGO PUBLIC prescription drug used by anesthesia overdoses were caused by the sufferers, was recovered by police in Fentanyl mixture, police officials said SCHOOLS February after a raid on the Southside. that it is unclear whether the drugs UNDERGOING A In February 10 people died as a result distributed last week was combined TRANSFORMATION of the lethal combination. with the prescription drug. Police During the recent rash of deaths, recovered samples of pink baggies in PAGE - 6 police in the Ogden District indicated the 500 block of East Browning Ave that a batch of the bad drugs was and at 64th Street and Ashland Ave. NORTH LAWNDALE distributed on the Westside. Two According to Dr. Terry Mason, JUVENILE JUSTICE Westside residents may have died as commissioner Chicago Department can cause spasms in the rib cage that A similar incidents were cited result of the drugs. A confirmation of Public Health, the drug Fentanyl can prevent breathing. Two men are also in Kenosha Wisconsin.where AWARENESS FORUM of what killed the men will not be is about 100 times stronger than in police custody for distributing several victims had to be brought PAGE - 11 known until after toxicology results, heroin. Mason said that Fentanyl tainted heroin, said police officials. of out of a coma,. has caused Visit us on our website at www.nlcn.org for more articles, information, photos and opportunities Page 2 THE NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY NEWS April 26 - May 9, 2006 HE ORTH AWNDALE T N L North Lawndale Community News COMMUNITY NEWS Winner of the The North Lawndale Community News is published bi- weekly by Strategic Human Services. Our purpose is to help 2005 SBC Beyond the Call Award inform our community on resources, events, and issues relevant to us and our neighboring communities. Our community includes those who live, work, worship in, and/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ or care about North Lawndale. Our focus is on positive, North Lawndale Community News productive solutions, that will improve the lifestyle of our Winner of the community members. 7th Congressional District 2004 Board of Directors Muhammed Shakur, Vice-Chairman Nicole Cabel-Pope, Director Education Champion Award Carolyn Lewis, Director Creative Scott, Director Bruce Miller, Treasurer Leroy Pacheco, Director Presented By Congressman Danny K. Davis & Vivian Lewis, Director Brent Michelle, Director Residents of the 7th Congressional District Betty Mason, Director Dennis Deer, Director Frank Bass, Director Founding Board of Director: Larry Leonard Advisory Board: NLCN 2006 Focus Cong. Danny K. Davis, Rev. Randall Harris, Fred Mitchell Laura Washington, Susan Munro, Marta Foster, Margaret Davis Health, Education & Consulting Editors and Writers: Joe Ann Bradley, Constanza Williams, Wilbert Cook, Bill Goosby, Fred Mitchell, Dr. Shemuel Israel, Tamiko Bowie- Welfare Ervin, Elia Qasim, Harris, Danita Bowie, Marquita Ware, The primary focus for SHS/ NCLN during 2006 will be C. L. Hunter, Warren Polk, David Schultz, Wilbert Bledsoe, Health, Education, and Welfare. Health is essential to a good Towanda Abbott, Reggie Lewis, Angelic Jones, Shelton life. Education is necessary for the pursuit of happiness Love, Jeffery Leving, JustNita, Nofiyah Israel, Nedra Logan- especially in an economy driven society. Welfare is Dye, Mary Moran, John M. Hagedorn, Richard Townsell, unavoidable in showing man’s humanity (love) toward man. Clemolyn (Pennie) Brinson, Paul Stewart, Deloris McCain, All year long NLCN will concentrate and focus on more Barron Willard, Priscilla Lucas, Todd Thomas, Renita articles related to health, education and our welfare through Williams, Kabuika Kamunga, Sophia Karalexis, X’ernona our newspaper, weblog, and website that serves the Westside Woods, Henry Hardee, Willie Paige,Jr. of Chicago. Founding Publisher & CEO: Isaac Lewis, Jr. There is a great disparity in the statistics of the health of Production/Layout Coordinator: Marquita Ware a majority of our community areas. This announcement of IT (Information Technology) Manager: Ronnie Allen newsprint is too small to go into great detail, but some resources that can help affirm the state of our health can be Managing Editor: Wilbert Bledsoe found in a survey conducted by the Sinai Health System titled Business Manager: Myleson Collins Improving Community Health Survey, “The State of Black Copy Editors: Angelic Jones and Crystal Robinson Health Care” published as a health supplement in a special Website Consultant: Lamont Simmons edition of the Philadelphia Tribune and the Chicago Tribune Photography: Community members and writers in November 2005 and “Natural Cures” at Marketing Consultant: Dr.