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15 West

@15west.org
4.3K followers 417 following 122 posts

We're a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to connecting people mile by mile in Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods and suburbs. We’re getting news to people of all abilities. Read the latest: 15west.org

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15 West @15west.org · 29/09/2026
Pothole? School budget? Property taxes? Who’s on the ballot? 🤔 In partnership with Oak Park Public Library this October we’ll be leading Civics 101: Who Does What in Oak Park?, a free two-part workshop. oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/who-does-what-village-oak-park-135838
Illustrated flyer in blue, orange, and cream. A girl with long flowing dark hair floats upward, reaching toward a glowing envelope icon with a cursor, while a boy above her shouts into a megaphone. Below, a magnifying glass sparkles over an open book, with swirling ribbons connecting the scene. Text reads: "Civics 101: Who Does What in Oak Park? Pothole? School budget? Property taxes? Who's on the ballot? Find out who's actually in charge. 10/6 + 10/13, 5:30–7:00 p.m., 834 Lake St., Oak Park, IL, Veterans Room. Free, all welcome, no civics degree required.
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15 West @15west.org · 22/09/2026
Subdistricts, but make them pizza. 🍕😭 Because election language can be A LOT. Our latest ASL explainer breaks it down. 📹 Jenica Teregeyo, ASL Video Reporting Fellow Read our full accessible voting guide: bit.ly/accessiblevoting26 #accessibility #deafcommunity #voting
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15 West @15west.org · 05/09/2026
Chicagoans will elect the city’s entire school board for the first time this November. Our latest story goes over what the board controls, what it doesn’t, and who families should turn to when they need answers. www.15west.org/featured/you...
15west.org
Your Principal, Your School’s Budget, Your Classroom: Who Actually Makes the Decisions?
Chicagoans will elect the city’s entire school board for the first time this November. Here’s what the board controls, what it doesn’t, and who families should turn to when they need answers.
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15 West @15west.org · 26/08/2026
Villapalooza got BIGGER. Three stages, vendors, skaters and neighbors filled La Villita Park as the fest returned for its biggest edition yet. We spoke to Dee JayQuality and MC “Demo” about the importance of local festivals and Little Village’s influence on music. www.15west.org/featured/at-...
15west.org
At Villapalooza, Little Village Takes Center Stage
With three stages, vendors, and neighborhood artists filling La Villita Park, Villapalooza shows how a festival can grow without losing the community that made it.
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15 West @15west.org · 16/08/2026
What if the most important thing growing in a community garden isn’t food? 🌱 On Chicago’s West Side, paid urban agriculture programs are giving young people space to work, lead and imagine what comes next. Read our latest story: www.15west.org/featured/on-...
15west.org
On the West Side, the Farm Is the Classroom
Two West Side agriculture programs show how paid work, responsibility and belief in young people can widen the futures they imagine
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15 West @15west.org · 15/08/2026
Spotted in the wild: 15 West in print! 😍
A hand holds the July 15, 2026 issue of The Culture newspaper outdoors. The front page features an illustrated Chicago street scene with a CTA train and voting imagery beneath the headline, “Beyond Campaign Promises: What State Representatives Actually Do on the West Side.”A hand holds page 8 of The Culture, featuring the 15 West story “Beyond Campaign Promises: What State Representatives Actually Do on the West Side” by Nel Afenya. The page includes an illustration of a woman casting a ballot, surrounded by envelopes and an “I Voted!” sticker.A hand holds page 9 of The Culture, the continuation of 15 West’s story about the role of state representatives. The newspaper page includes illustrations of West Side residents and neighborhood scenes, along with a sidebar introducing 15 West as a resident- and volunteer-powered newsroom.
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Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
The biggest misconception about Local School Councils? They don’t do anything. Local School Councils remain the most direct way West Side residents can influence decisions at their neighborhood schools. But participation remains a challenge. @15west.org reports: blockclubchi.co/4yMKpbH
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15 West @15west.org · 26/07/2026
Nelly brought the 2000s to Brookfield Zoo on July 25. 🎶 But how does a zoo become a concert venue? Learn how: www.15west.org/brookfield-z...
Rapper Nelly smiles and raises one arm onstage under blue concert lighting, wearing sunglasses, chains and a sleeveless Brookfield Zoo Chicago shirt. Text reads: “Nelly performed at Brookfield Zoo. Here’s how the East Mall became a concert venue.”
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15 West @15west.org · 13/07/2026
A new athletic field opened in #Berwyn. Just steps away, a pile of dirt tells a different story. Read more about it: www.15west.org/featured/whe...
15west.org
‘Where Are Kids Supposed to Go?’
David Avila asked the question while opening Berwyn's newest athletic field. Just steps away, a pile of dirt marks a flood relief project that remains on hold.
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NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 11/07/2026
Same Keyne, same 🥹. I got an email from the post office to check our P.O. Box and was absolutely gagged to see that @15west.org, in its infancy, had been awarded 2nd Place for Youth Emerging Audiences by Local Media Association. Thank y’all for recognizing us! Oh, and GOOO SPAIN 😤! #goool
Kenye, Lamine Yamal’s brother, is cropped and framed next to a photo that shows a glass award recently awarded to newsroom 15 West, for second place Youth Emerging Audiences Award by the Local Media Association.
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15 West @15west.org · 17/06/2026
At Jem Junkies, custom grillz and tooth gems are both craft and care 💎 Learn how co-founders Kristy Ramsey and Kimberly “Kim” Randall built a Black- and queer-owned Chicago studio are building clients up through safety, design, and confidence with NaBeela’s story: www.15west.org/featured/jem...
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15 West @15west.org · 09/06/2026
Can plastic be redeemed? Our latest story explores artist Cody Norman, whose coral-like sculptures at Garfield Park Conservatory transformed discarded plastics into forms of adaptation, repair, and possibility. Read NaBeela (@nabeelawashington.com)’s full story: www.15west.org/featured/cod...
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15 West @15west.org · 28/05/2026
“Black people need services too,” Asia Bee said. Her Austin nonprofit, Darrin’s Voice, supports autistic youth and families through creative programming, caregiver resources, and community-centered care. Read NaBeela (@nabeelawashington.com)’s full story for 15 West: www.15west.org/featured/one...
A black and white photo of a mother and son deeply embraced in a huge. The mother in this photo is Asia Bee hugging her son, Darrin.A young Black male teen in a navy pullover is seen sitting with his arm out-stretched out of frame. The text "Bee created Darrin's Voice a nonprofit named after her 14-year-old son" are floating beneath this photo on a deep yellow rectangle.Three young teen males are seen. One is leaning over a younger one who is seated. His hands guide the younger one's hands during a painting session. The third teen smiles beside the two.
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15 West @15west.org · 25/05/2026
🚨 A FOIA response from Chicago Fire Dept. confirms the cause is listed as undetermined because collapse and heavy damage made it impossible for investigators to safely determine an exact origin. Residents described how quickly conditions changed inside their homes.
Boarded up house and gated off property on Fulton st.
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15 West @15west.org · 15/05/2026
The Continental Pageant is more than a competition. It's set the stage for performance, legacy, community, and queer resilience ❤️ Founded in Chicago in the 80s, the pageant continues to shape drag pageantry locally and beyond. Read Alondra Carmona’s full story: www.15west.org/featured/ins...
Angelise K. LaRue.Drag performers posing near the end of the competition.
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15 West @15west.org · 12/05/2026
A new Little Village mural is turning grief into a public call for cancer prevention. Residents gathered for the unveiling of “En Memoria a las Víctimas de Cáncer,” honoring community members lost to cancer and urging prevention, screening, and care 🎗️ Explore our latest story by Araceli Ramirez.
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15 West @15west.org · 10/05/2026
REPOST from our student reporter, Erica Afenya: “I had the privilege of attending the 49th annual Peter Lisagor awards on behalf of 15 West. Thank you to Chicago Headline Club Foundation for having me!”
Two seated women smile near a round table at an awards ceremony.
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15 West @15west.org · 20/04/2026
🚨 DEVELOPING—A fire burned through at least two residential homes in West Garfield Park this morning. Chicago Fire and Police are on scene. Residents gather as crews work to contain the blaze. More details as they become available. #WestGarfieldPark #Chicago #BreakingNews #15West
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15 West @15west.org · 19/04/2026
Access shouldn't depend on your ZIP code 🚫 Our latest story explores data from @cdph.bsky.social and disability access on Chicago's West Side, where residents face uneven infrastructure and limited neighborhood resources.
A man of color with visible limb difference stands beside text that reads ‘Neighborhood conditions for adults with disabilities.’Text on a yellow textured background reads 'The data is stark.

A city report found that 1 in 4 Chicago adults lives with a disability, and the South and West Sides have higher percentages of disabled residents than the North Side. 

In Austin alone, more than 26,000 residents were living with a disability in 2024.'
Text on lavender textured background reads 'But access is bigger than one event or one program.

Advocates at Access Living 
say disabled residents are also navigating major challenges around housing, transportation, healthcare, and food access— especially on the South and West Sides.' 

Near the bottom, hands raise to spell out the word "access" using sign language.Text on a yellow textured background reads 'The Chicago Neurodiverse Social Club hosts free and low-barrier events across the city, with a focus on accessible venues, transit, noise levels, and flexible environments for neurodivergent adults.'

An older woman seated in a wheelchair waves near the lower right edge of the image.
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NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 12/04/2026
So so so proud of my neighbors! We did that y’all 🥹. #BerwynProud
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15 West @15west.org · 12/04/2026
101 lbs. 13 volunteers. 2 hours. 😮‍💨 Earlier today, neighbors across #Berwyn came together for our FIRST block cleanup — and they weren’t playing around. 3 routes. 13 bags. Over 100 lbs of trash off our streets, alleys, and litter hot spots near train tracks.
A group of Berwyn residents pose in front of Berwyn Rec ahead of a community cleanup. Some kneel, others stand and smile A resident in a lavender jacket, black track pants, and orange nitrile gloves wheels back more trash collected on her route in a black cart.8 white bags of trash on the groundA mom and daughter clean vehicular debris from the sides of train tracks. The mother kneels as a train goes by behind her. Her daughter watches.
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15 West @15west.org · 09/04/2026
👀 Have you heard? Today is #LocalNewsDay, a day to celebrate the local news you trust and info that keeps our communities informed. At 15 West, we’re honored to serve the West Side of Chicago and suburbs every day. Support local by reading our latest stories on 15west.org and/or subscribing.
Orange Local News Day (April 9) celebratory graphic
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Mindy Weisberger @laminda.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Every time I'm in Pittsburgh, @alternatehistories.bsky.social is on my list for a visit. Their art is delightful, and their latest shirt design is raising funds for a group that does rapid response training for safely witnessing and documenting immigration enforcement activity
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15 West @15west.org · 29/03/2026
Humans vs trash, 2-0 😤. Join us this #earthday & #localnewsday for a #Berwyn community cleanup in Ward 2. Use this form to request cleanup on your block: bit.ly/BerwynWard2C... DM or Email programs@luckyjefferson.com to volunteer!
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15 West @15west.org · 24/03/2026
One of our own @nabeelawashington.com 🥹
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15 West @15west.org · 13/03/2026
For #OakPark residents, the upcoming March 17 referendum on a $40 million indoor aquatic center is raising questions, mainly because the ballot doesn’t mention that the Ridgeland Common outdoor pool would be replaced.
An illustration of a red ballot box labeled "BALLOTS" in the foreground of an outdoor pool deck, surrounded by yes/no ballot papers flying through the air.
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15 West @15west.org · 11/03/2026
For more than 20 years, Anita Piotrowski kept a sketch tucked in a drawer. Then she retired, and used fabric to bring it to life.
Piotrowski holding up her Art Institute quilt. | NaBeela Washington/15 West
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15 West @15west.org · 10/03/2026
For longtime #LittleVillage residents, September 2025 was unlike anything they had ever seen. And even though the National Guard withdrew from their operation in December, fear stayed behind.
The "Bienvenidos a Little Village" arch on 26th Street silhouetted against a colorful sunset sky.
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Ryan, from MySpace @ryanfrommyspace.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
ALL MY CHICAGO PEOPLE. LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIAN: Don’t know which judicial candidates to vote for this primary election? @injusticewatch.org has researched all of the candidates for their 2026 Cook County judicial election guide. #CheckYourJudges 2026primary.injusticewatch.org
2026primary.injusticewatch.org
March 2026 Cook County Judicial Election Guide | Injustice Watch
Injustice Watch's guide to the March 2026 Cook County judicial primary elections.
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15 West @15west.org · 25/02/2026
8% of Illinois Muslims identify as Hispanic. For Chicago’s Latino Muslim community, finding a space that felt like home meant building one yourself. For years, that’s exactly what Ojala Foundation has been doing in Berwyn: a home for Latino Muslims, and a neighbor to everyone else.
Palestinian and Mexican flags at Ojala's Eid celebration. Provided by 
Jordan Esparza-Kelley
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15 West @15west.org · 16/02/2026
How often have you seen Palestinian children smiling? A Chicago exhibition called “Between Sky and Sea” aimed to change that.
Photograph suspended on a clothesline capture moments of everyday life and a coastal scene in Gaza
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The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 24/01/2026
Mayor Frey: "I just saw a video of more than 6 masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death…How many times must local and national leaders must plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city."
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15 West @15west.org · 10/01/2026
Celebrating the remaining hours of an unseasonably warm day by honoring the people who aren’t afraid to get a little dirty to build something better. El Paseo Community Garden in Pilsen — once a polluted “brownfield” — is now a sanctuary where land stewardship, culture, and resistance grow.
A family of four water a larger than life, split down the middle tomato. There’s a silhouette of a city in the background and swirling green vines atop brown dirt.
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NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 19/12/2025
Here’s the story I’m most proud of writing in 2025. It says what many know. We don’t need more data or another white paper stating the obvious. We need ACTION - leaders with integrity. We need to give communities of color what they need to live FULL, thriving lives. Why is this so hard? 😔
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15 West @15west.org · 13/12/2025
56 years after the FBI-coordinated assassination, all survivors of the raid on 2337 W. Monroe St. gathered together for the first time. During the historic vigil, candlelight illuminated the West Side block as the site was dedicated as part of The Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois.
Woman looks down while holding a candle high in her left hand during a candlelight vigil and moment of silence to honor and remember the assassinations of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark on Dec 3.
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15 West @15west.org · 07/12/2025
After a record-breaking playoff debut, the #ChicagoWinds are recruiting for Year 2. 89 athletes competed for 53 roster spots at recent tryouts in Oak Park. "I never want to leave. This is exactly where I want to be," said quarterback Sarah Teubner.
Two athletes are seen hitting the field to earn their spot with the Chicago Winds for the 2026 season. A girl in bright pink shorts jumps up to catch a thrown football. A player behind her attempts to block it. | Zoë Takaki/15 West
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15 West @15west.org · 27/11/2025
“ICE broke up my family. F— em!” This isn’t just anger — it’s the lived reality of families torn apart by shifting immigration enforcement tactics.
A table of Volunteers assemble whistle kits at Pizzeria Martello's in the Hermosa neighborhood. Whistles, Know-Your-Rights zines and more are laid around the table.| Photo by Lauren Neher/15 West
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NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 09/11/2025
“There is an art of gathering what to burn.” In her latest exhibition, a mascletà for burning and flowering at Leisure Gallery, artist Natasha Mijares asks: What traditions do we inherit? What violence do they carry? And how do we choose what blooms in their place?
15west.org
a mascletà for burning and flowering: Natasha Mijares on ritual, resistance, and rebirth
Artist Natasha Mijares brings the Valencian tradition of mascletà to Humboldt Park through spoken word, textile, and performance.
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15 West @15west.org · 08/11/2025
On the West Side, the spirit of community is alive. “Stone Temple has become an anchor for those drifting in uncertainty. Today, under Pastor Reshorna’s leadership, the church continues to serve as a reminder that the solution to displacement includes small acts of care,” writes Genesis Falls.
Community members line up outside Stone Temple to receive fresh produce, pantry staples, and hot meals. | Genesis Falls/15 West.
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15 West @15west.org · 01/11/2025
One Google search led us to a coffee shop that feels like home. In part one of our new series, #EatingOurWayHome, we visit #AddisCafe — a West Suburban café where Ethiopian tradition meets community turned family.
Owner Kalkidan “Kalki” Tesfaye of Addis Cafe
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15 West @15west.org · 18/10/2025
Accessibility, at whose expense? Riders have navigated a detour stemming from @chicagocta.bsky.social’s closure of the Austin station. The updates are long overdue, but commuters relying on the Green Line have experienced lengthened daily trips since June. Swipe ⬆️ for the TLDR.
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15 West @15west.org · 30/09/2025
Access shouldn’t be a barrier to growing something good. Six years ago, Sister Sharon Dillon saw only weeds where garden beds should be. Today, those same beds are thriving—thanks to her science students at Berwyn South 100’s Heritage Middle School.
15west.org
Forgotten to flourishing: Heritage students transform school garden
Heritage Middle School students are learning that food doesn't just come from grocery stores; it grows from soil, seeds, and hard work in their seven-bed community garden.
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15 West @15west.org · 16/09/2025
Displacement is often described only through the absence of housing, of resources, of security. “But when I look through the viewfinder, I see something else: the persistence of life,” writes Genesis Falls.
A young man smokes under a transit overpass. | Genesis Falls/15 West
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15 West @15west.org · 10/09/2025
Kicking off on Sept 13 is our FREE 3-week media training! Learn to decode misinformation, engage critically with media, and publish your own stories on 15West.org. Attend all 3 sessions to qualify for paid reporting on Chicago’s West Side. Open to anyone interested in community journalism!
Promotional flyer for “Media Literacy 101: From Resident to Journalist.” Features a person using media tools—microphone, camera, laptop—surrounded by colorful shapes. Text highlights free virtual trainings on Sept 13, 20, and 27, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM, for storytellers of all abilities. Logos for 15West.org, Cook County Government, and City Bureau appear at the bottom, along with a QR code for more info.
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15 West @15west.org · 03/09/2025
At La Cocina de Irma in Little Village, “Grandma Irma” feeds everyone—no matter what language they speak or how much money they have. ⬇️ Swipe for the TLDR or head here to read more: www.15west.org/grandma-irma...
15west.org
Grandma Irma's Cocina Feeds Everyone
After 36 years as a waitress, Irma Ceballos opened her own Mexican restaurant in Little Village, where family recipes and unconditional hospitality have made her a neighborhood pillar.
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15 West @15west.org · 21/08/2025
Enough time has passed—let’s talk Summer Smash. The energy and performances from Lyrical Lemonade’s festival still linger through Chicago’s hip-hop scene. Head here to read our reflection: www.15west.org/summer-smash...
A drawn person floats in a body of water over the words “Summer Smash Brought the Heat”
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15 West @15west.org · 01/08/2025
Chicago’s new “Heat Vulnerability Index” maps the neighborhoods most exposed to extreme heat. But in communities long overlooked by city planning, residents are asking: will data lead to action? Swipe ⬇️ for the TLDR or tap the link to read more: www.15west.org/west-south-s...
15west.org
West, South Side Residents Question City's Latest Extreme Heat Plan
Chicago’s new Heat Vulnerability Index aims to pinpoint the neighborhoods most vulnerable to extreme heat, but residents in historically disinvested areas question whether data will lead to real help.
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15 West @15west.org · 22/07/2025
👋🏽 We’re hosting media literacy workshops for anyone curious about misinformation and community journalism. Over 3 weeks you’ll learn to: • decode misinformation • critically engage with media • write your own narratives through hands-on training in digital publishing and community journalism
15west.org
Learn
News for everyone
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15 West @15west.org · 18/07/2025
Tired of unanswered questions and fragmented information, Janel King and fellow residents like Patricia Ostaszewski are creating new paths to transparency in #Berwyn. Scroll ⬇️ for the TLDR or click the link to read more! 15west.org/silence-isnt...
15west.org
Silence Isn't Good Enough: Berwyn Leaders Push for Transparency.
Tired of unanswered questions and fragmented information, Janel King and fellow residents are creating new paths to transparency in Berwyn.
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Lucky Jefferson (LJ) @luckyjefferson.com · 10/07/2025
Still so grateful for IFF’s support! 🥹 This is our largest gift to date. And with everything going on in the world, it feels surreal to be included among this list of organizations fighting for the arts. Learn more about our plans at the link below
A woman prepares a glue stick during a zine making workshop hosted by Chicago nonprofit arts publisher Lucky Jefferson
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