dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Constable: Two young men died fighting in Vietnam, and their high school class has never forgotten

The parade is canceled and the annual Memorial Day ceremony has moved online , but the Arlington High School Class of 1964 wo n't let the holiday pass without remembering the fun they had with classmates Bob Conti and Bill Dabbert , who died in 1969 fighting for our country in Vietnam .
`` I think of them both almost every day , '' says Jim Ewart , 74 , of Elk Grove Village .
Forced to cancel their annual dinner that draws as many as 50 people and the presenting of a wreath in honor of their fallen classmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of Arlington Heights , are asking the Class of 1964 to post stories about Conti and Dabbert on the private `` Arlington High School Arlington Hts .
Il .
Alumni '' page on Facebook .
`` He had a lot of friends , '' Essie Dabbert , 93 , says of her son , Bill .
She still lives across the street from Memorial Park , usually the site of Memorial Day ceremonies , in the house she and her late husband , Bernie , bought in 1958 and filled with children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Patricia and a pack of neighborhood friends .
`` When we moved in the landscaping was beautiful , '' she remembers .
`` We were there one week , and one tree was home plate and they had a baseball field in the yard .
In the winter , I had the puck in the freezer for when they played hockey . ''
That bustling family scene also played out nearby at the home of Louis and Dorothy Conti , where Bob , who was elected president of his high school class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older brother , Paul , and enjoyed family gatherings with siblings Bruce , Barbara , Suzanne , and Michael .
`` I 'm certain he would have been a good dad , '' Paul Conti , 75 , of Glen Ellyn , says of his brother , who was in the class behind him .
An all-conference wrestler in high school who went on to wrestle at Lafayette College in Easton , Pennsylvania , First Lt. Robert F. Conti , 23 , was the commanding officer on Nov. 24 , 1969 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the North Vietnamese Army hidden in nearby trees .
He maneuvered his men into effective fighting positions and ran back into the gunfire to rescue a wounded comrade .
During the ensuing battle , he was mortally wounded by fragments from a mine .
He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star for `` his heroic and determined efforts '' to save a life , and his `` courage , superb leadership , and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger . ''
His body was flown to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before a graveside service at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia .
`` The entire family was there , '' remembers Paul , who said his father 's relatives from Philadelphia and his mom 's family members from Utica , New York , also came .
`` Everybody was upset he was gone , but it was part of the duty .
It was one of the few times I saw my dad cry . ''
A star player and later head football coach at Colgate University , Louis Conti was a World War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 sorties during the Korean War .
He rose to the rank of major general , commanded the first Marine Air Reserve Group at the Naval Air Station in Glenview , and is buried beside his son and wife at Arlington National Cemetery .
`` We were a Marine Corps family .
That 's just the way it was , '' Paul says .
`` How do I say it ?
Duty to our country .
That was the way we were raised . ''
Certain to be drafted after his graduation from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school in his last semester to spend time with his family and friends .
`` Bill was everybody in the family 's favorite .
Even though my parents would never say that , we knew , '' Bob Dabbert says .
`` He was so close to our family .
If anybody had any problems , they 'd go to Bill to solve them , '' his mother remembers .
`` He was just so thoughtful with everybody . ''
When friends suggested he flee to Canada or find another way to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If I do n't go , somebody 's going to have to go in my place , '' Bob Dabbert remembers his brother saying .
His friends slept in the living room on the night before his family took him to O'Hare Airport for his return to duty and a trip to Vietnam .
`` He said , 'Do n't worry about me .
I 'll be back . '
But he did not come back , '' his mom remembers .
At 23 years old , Bill Dabbert , who earned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cartoon character Donald Duck , was an Army private with the 25th Infantry Division on June 28 , 1969 , when a booby trap with two 105 mm rounds exploded and killed him .
`` He was only over there for 23 days .
We were still getting letters from him after he was killed , '' Bob Dabbert says .
`` It changed all of us in different ways .
It was tough .
Still is today . ''
Bill Dabbert 's grave is in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Arlington Heights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2008 , is also buried .
The wreath and annual dinner in honor of Dabbert and Conti is always emotional .
`` You always have a lump in your throat , '' Essie Dabbert says .
`` I get teary-eyed about it .
I just think it 's a tremendous honor to him and our family , '' Paul Conti says .
`` We never lose those we love , '' Ewart says of his classmates from Arlington High School , which closed in 1984 .
`` They are always with us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced when we were with them are always with us .
Death only changes the way we relate to them , the way we communicate . ''
The lives of Conti and Dabbert ended early , but not before they made lasting impacts .
`` These guys were nice , really nice , '' Gleason says , remembering how Conti helped end a hazing ritual for guys who earned a varsity letter playing sports and turned it into a day of volunteer work at the school .
`` For some reason , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were all kids , the first of the Baby Boomers .
We just liked each other . ''
The group , which also has donated $ 4,341 to seven veteran groups in recent years , hopes to share stories in person , with hugs and laughs and tears at next year 's Memorial Day observances .
`` This is a wonderful thing they do , '' Bob Dabbert says .
He says his brother and Conti were `` special , '' but notes that they have peers from a half-century ago who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` A story like this has been described 58,000 times , '' Bob Dabbert says , referring to all the U.S. soldiers killed during the Vietnam War .
`` It changed so many lives . ''

Constable: Two young men died fighting in Vietnam, and their high school class has never forgotten
Noting that if he didn't go to Vietnam, someone else would be sent in his place, Bill Dabbert of Arlington Heights had barely begun his Army service in Vietnam when the 23-year-old was killed after stepping on a land mine. Courtesy of Dabbert family
A standout wrestler and president of the Arlington High School Class of 1964, Bob Conti was awarded a Silver Star posthumously for his actions during the Vietnam War. The Marine braved enemy fire and saved a wounded Marine, but was killed by an explosive. Courtesy of Conti Family
Every year the Arlington High School Class of 1964 presents a wreath at Memorial Park in honor of classmates Bill Dabbert and Bob Conti, who were killed in Vietnam. Last year, Vietnam veteran and classmate Bill Baumgart presented the wreath. Courtesy of Bob Johnson
With other friends still on the porch of the Dabbert home in Arlington Heights, Bill Dabbert, right, poses for this photo with buddy Barry Tossi. Five years after his graduation from Arlington High School, Dabbert was killed in Vietnam. Courtesy of Dabbert family
Bob Conti, left, was awarded a Silver Star posthumously for his actions during the Vietnam War. At right, Bill Dabbert of Arlington Heights had barely begun his Army service in Vietnam when he was killed after stepping on a land mine. Courtesy of Conti family, left, and Dabbert family
This story has been updated to reflect that Louis Conti was a star football player and later head coach at Cornell University.
Burt Constable
The parade is canceled and the annual Memorial Day ceremony has moved online, but the Arlington High School Class of 1964 won't let the holiday pass without remembering the fun they had with classmates Bob Conti and Bill Dabbert, who died in 1969 fighting for our country in Vietnam.
"I think of them both almost every day," says Jim Ewart, 74, of Elk Grove Village. Forced to cancel their annual dinner that draws as many as 50 people and the presenting of a wreath in honor of their fallen classmates, Ewart and John Gleason, 73, of Arlington Heights, are asking the Class of 1964 to post stories about Conti and Dabbert on the private "Arlington High School Arlington Hts. Il. Alumni" page on Facebook.
"He had a lot of friends," Essie Dabbert, 93, says of her son, Bill. She still lives across the street from Memorial Park, usually the site of Memorial Day ceremonies, in the house she and her late husband, Bernie, bought in 1958 and filled with children Bill, Bob, Jack, Nancy and Patricia and a pack of neighborhood friends.
Having raised her family in a house across the street from Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, Essie Dabbert never misses the Memorial Day remembrance that honors fallen soldiers, including her son, Bill Dabbert. Nadine Flint, the sister of Barry Tossi, a classmate and dear friend of Bill, comforts her during last year's ceremony. - Courtesy of Bob Johnson
"When we moved in the landscaping was beautiful," she remembers. "We were there one week, and one tree was home plate and they had a baseball field in the yard. In the winter, I had the puck in the freezer for when they played hockey."
That bustling family scene also played out nearby at the home of Louis and Dorothy Conti, where Bob, who was elected president of his high school class, wrestled in the basement with his older brother, Paul, and enjoyed family gatherings with siblings Bruce, Barbara, Suzanne, and Michael.
"I'm certain he would have been a good dad," Paul Conti, 75, of Glen Ellyn, says of his brother, who was in the class behind him.
An all-conference wrestler and president of his class at Arlington High School, Bob Conti joined the Marines. Every Memorial Day, the Class of 1964 honors classmates Conti and Bill Dabbert, who were killed in Vietnam. - Courtesy of Conti Family
An all-conference wrestler in high school who went on to wrestle at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, First Lt. Robert F. Conti, 23, was the commanding officer on Nov. 24, 1969, when his Marine company came under heavy fire from the North Vietnamese Army hidden in nearby trees. He maneuvered his men into effective fighting positions and ran back into the gunfire to rescue a wounded comrade. During the ensuing battle, he was mortally wounded by fragments from a mine. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star for "his heroic and determined efforts" to save a life, and his "courage, superb leadership, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger."
His body was flown to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, before a graveside service at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
"The entire family was there," remembers Paul, who said his father's relatives from Philadelphia and his mom's family members from Utica, New York, also came. "Everybody was upset he was gone, but it was part of the duty. It was one of the few times I saw my dad cry."
A tightknit Marine family in Arlington Heights, father and Major Gen. Louis Conti and his wife, Dotty, raised children Suzanne and Michael, sitting, and Barbara, Paul, Bruce and Bob, standing from left. - Courtesy of Conti Family
A star player and later head football coach at Cornell University, Louis Conti was a World War II pilot who later flew more than 100 sorties during the Korean War. He rose to the rank of major general, commanded the first Marine Air Reserve Group at the Naval Air Station in Glenview, and is buried beside his son and wife at Arlington National Cemetery.
"We were a Marine Corps family. That's just the way it was," Paul says. "How do I say it? Duty to our country. That was the way we were raised."
Certain to be drafted after his graduation from Western Illinois University, Bill Dabbert left school in his last semester to spend time with his family and friends.
"Bill was everybody in the family's favorite. Even though my parents would never say that, we knew," Bob Dabbert says.
"He was so close to our family. If anybody had any problems, they'd go to Bill to solve them," his mother remembers. "He was just so thoughtful with everybody."
Sister Nancy must have taken this photograph of the Dabbert family in their Arlington Heights home, since she is not shown with siblings, from left, Bob, Bill, Patricia and Jack, and parents Essie and Bernie Dabbert. Bill Dabbert, in uniform, was killed in Vietnam on June 28, 1969. - Courtesy of Dabbert family
When friends suggested he flee to Canada or find another way to avoid fighting in Vietnam, he refused. "If I don't go, somebody's going to have to go in my place," Bob Dabbert remembers his brother saying.
His friends slept in the living room on the night before his family took him to O'Hare Airport for his return to duty and a trip to Vietnam. "He said, 'Don't worry about me. I'll be back.' But he did not come back," his mom remembers.
At 23 years old, Bill Dabbert, who earned the nickname Duck for his impression of cartoon character Donald Duck, was an Army private with the 25th Infantry Division on June 28, 1969, when a booby trap with two 105 mm rounds exploded and killed him.
"He was only over there for 23 days. We were still getting letters from him after he was killed," Bob Dabbert says. "It changed all of us in different ways. It was tough. Still is today."
Bill Dabbert's grave is in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Arlington Heights, where his dad, who died in 2008, is also buried.
This haunting photograph taken during a 2015 trip to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., shows the reflections of Essie Dabbert and her sons Bob, left, and Jack Dabbert. Her son Bill's name is on that wall because the Arlington Heights native was killed in action in 1969. - Courtesy of Dabbert family
The wreath and annual dinner in honor of Dabbert and Conti is always emotional.
"You always have a lump in your throat," Essie Dabbert says.
"I get teary-eyed about it. I just think it's a tremendous honor to him and our family," Paul Conti says.
"We never lose those we love," Ewart says of his classmates from Arlington High School, which closed in 1984. "They are always with us, even after death. Those feelings we experienced when we were with them are always with us. Death only changes the way we relate to them, the way we communicate."
The lives of Conti and Dabbert ended early, but not before they made lasting impacts.
"These guys were nice, really nice," Gleason says, remembering how Conti helped end a hazing ritual for guys who earned a varsity letter playing sports and turned it into a day of volunteer work at the school. "For some reason, there were no stars in our class. We were all kids, the first of the Baby Boomers. We just liked each other."
Members of the Arlington High School Class of 1964 gather every Memorial Day weekend to honor classmates Bob Conti and Bill Dabbert, who were killed in Vietnam in 1969. This year the group is meeting on Facebook. - Courtesy of Bob Johnson
The group, which also has donated $4,341 to seven veteran groups in recent years, hopes to share stories in person, with hugs and laughs and tears at next year's Memorial Day observances.
"This is a wonderful thing they do," Bob Dabbert says. He says his brother and Conti were "special," but notes that they have peers from a half-century ago who also should be remembered on Memorial Day.
"A story like this has been described 58,000 times," Bob Dabbert says, referring to all the U.S. soldiers killed during the Vietnam War. "It changed so many lives."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--May 23 COVID-19 cases per county; search by ZIP code

Since the outbreak began , there have been 55,227 cases in the suburbs , 51.2 % of the state 's total , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
There have been 2,417 deaths in the suburbs , almost 50.5 % of all deaths in Illinois .
Here are cases per county and some towns .
Not every town with cases is included .
• As of Saturday , suburban Cook had 29,015 cases and 1,352 deaths , according to the state ( visit bit.ly/dhIDPHcovid19 ) .
In Chicago : 41,402 cases and 1,894 fatalities .
Top suburb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health and medical examiner 's office : 1,310 cases and 69 deaths in Des Plaines , 598 cases and 20 deaths in Wheeling , 496 cases and 6 deaths in Mount Prospect , 479 cases and 12 deaths in Streamwood , 443 cases and 7 deaths in Palatine , 429 cases and 30 deaths in Glenview , 391 cases and 7 deaths in Schaumburg , 348 cases and 6 deaths in Hoffman Estates , 345 cases and 14 deaths in Arlington Heights , 260 cases and 34 deaths in Park Ridge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grove Village , 242 cases and 8 deaths in Rolling Meadows , 193 cases and 3 deaths in Prospect Heights , and 75 cases and 10 deaths in Buffalo Grove ( Cook County portion ) • The county reported 6,904 cases and 337 deaths Saturday .
Top counts : 647 cases and 6 deaths in Addison , 636 cases and 7 deaths in West Chicago , 504 cases and 4 deaths in Glendale Heights , 424 cases and 8 deaths in Bensenville , 423 cases and 28 deaths in Naperville ( DuPage portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Carol Stream , 289 cases and 11 deaths in Lombard , 260 cases and 7 deaths in Aurora ( DuPage County portion ) , 214 cases and 27 deaths in Elmhurst , 189 cases and 15 deaths in Downers Grove , 184 cases and 2 deaths in Villa Park , 173 cases and 17 deaths in Wheaton , 125 cases and 17 deaths in Willowbrook , and 125 cases and 2 deaths in Glen Ellyn , • The county listed 7,331 cases and 234 deaths as of Saturday .
Lake County did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all numbers remain the same as Friday 's .
Find town-by-town data at https : //bit.ly/dhlakecovid19data .
Top counts : 2,140 to 2,144 in Waukegan ; 295 to 299 in Mundelein ; 200 to 204 in Gurnee ; 160 to 164 in Round Lake ; 135 to 139 in Vernon Hills ; 105 to 109 in Buffalo Grove ( Lake County portion ) ; 100 to 104 in Wauconda ; 75 to 79 in Lake Zurich ; 65 to 69 in Libertyville ; 65 to 69 in Grayslake ; and 30 to 34 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed 5,575 cases with 152 deaths on its website Saturday at kanehealth.com .
Top counts : 2,522 cases in Aurora ( Kane County portion ) , 1,291 in Elgin ( Kane portion ) , 531 in Carpentersville , 219 in South Elgin , 208 in St. Charles , 121 in North Aurora , 116 in Geneva , 89 in Batavia , and 34 in Algonquin ( Kane County portion ) .
• There have been 1,375 cases and 69 deaths in McHenry County , according to the health department 's website Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 257 deaths in Will County , according to the health department 's website Saturday .
• Cases per town include 282 in Naperville ( Will County portion ) and 54 in Aurora ( Will portion ) .

May 23 COVID-19 cases per county; search by ZIP code
Interactive map
Suburbs' portion
Since the outbreak began, there have been 55,227 cases in the suburbs, 51.2% of the state's total, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 2,417 deaths in the suburbs, almost 50.5% of all deaths in Illinois.
Here are cases per county and some towns. Not every town with cases is included.
Cook County
• As of Saturday, suburban Cook had 29,015 cases and 1,352 deaths, according to the state (visit bit.ly/dhIDPHcovid19). In Chicago: 41,402 cases and 1,894 fatalities.
Top suburb counts from the Cook County Department of Public Health and medical examiner's office: 1,310 cases and 69 deaths in Des Plaines, 598 cases and 20 deaths in Wheeling, 496 cases and 6 deaths in Mount Prospect, 479 cases and 12 deaths in Streamwood, 443 cases and 7 deaths in Palatine, 429 cases and 30 deaths in Glenview, 391 cases and 7 deaths in Schaumburg, 348 cases and 6 deaths in Hoffman Estates, 345 cases and 14 deaths in Arlington Heights, 260 cases and 34 deaths in Park Ridge, 243 cases and 9 deaths in Elk Grove Village, 242 cases and 8 deaths in Rolling Meadows, 193 cases and 3 deaths in Prospect Heights, and 75 cases and 10 deaths in Buffalo Grove (Cook County portion)
DuPage County
• The county reported 6,904 cases and 337 deaths Saturday. Top counts: 647 cases and 6 deaths in Addison, 636 cases and 7 deaths in West Chicago, 504 cases and 4 deaths in Glendale Heights, 424 cases and 8 deaths in Bensenville, 423 cases and 28 deaths in Naperville (DuPage portion), 410 cases and 24 deaths in Carol Stream, 289 cases and 11 deaths in Lombard, 260 cases and 7 deaths in Aurora (DuPage County portion), 214 cases and 27 deaths in Elmhurst, 189 cases and 15 deaths in Downers Grove, 184 cases and 2 deaths in Villa Park, 173 cases and 17 deaths in Wheaton, 125 cases and 17 deaths in Willowbrook, and 125 cases and 2 deaths in Glen Ellyn,
Lake County
• The county listed 7,331 cases and 234 deaths as of Saturday. Lake County did not update its information Saturday afternoon and all numbers remain the same as Friday's. Find town-by-town data at https://bit.ly/dhlakecovid19data. Top counts: 2,140 to 2,144 in Waukegan; 295 to 299 in Mundelein; 200 to 204 in Gurnee; 160 to 164 in Round Lake; 135 to 139 in Vernon Hills; 105 to 109 in Buffalo Grove (Lake County portion); 100 to 104 in Wauconda; 75 to 79 in Lake Zurich; 65 to 69 in Libertyville; 65 to 69 in Grayslake; and 30 to 34 in Lake Villa.
Kane County
• The county confirmed 5,575 cases with 152 deaths on its website Saturday at kanehealth.com. Top counts: 2,522 cases in Aurora (Kane County portion), 1,291 in Elgin (Kane portion), 531 in Carpentersville, 219 in South Elgin, 208 in St. Charles, 121 in North Aurora, 116 in Geneva, 89 in Batavia, and 34 in Algonquin (Kane County portion).
McHenry County
• There have been 1,375 cases and 69 deaths in McHenry County, according to the health department's website Saturday.
Will County
• There have been 5,012 cases and 257 deaths in Will County, according to the health department's website Saturday.
• Cases per town include 282 in Naperville (Will County portion) and 54 in Aurora (Will portion).


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Aurora police searching for missing girl

The Aurora Police Department is searching for 13-year-old Lizbeth J. Alonzo .
Alonzo is a Hispanic female , approximately 5-feet-4 @ @ @ @ @ hair .
She was last seen on Thursday at approximately 10:30 p.m. in the 800 @ @ @ @ @ wearing a red West Aurora High School gym T-shirt with white lettering .
Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ any information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Aurora Police Department at ( @ @ @ @

Aurora police searching for missing girl
The Aurora Police Department is searching for 13-year-old Lizbeth J. Alonzo.
Alonzo is a Hispanic female, approximately 5-feet-4 and 160 pounds with black hair. She was last seen on Thursday at approximately 10:30 p.m. in the 800 block of Bowditch Avenue, wearing a red West Aurora High School gym T-shirt with white lettering.
Anyone who has seen Alonzo or has any information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Aurora Police Department at (630) 256-5900.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Illinois reports 2,352 new COVID-19 cases, 75 more deaths Saturday

The Illinois Department of Public Health Saturday announced 2,352 new cases of COVID-19 infection in the state and 75 additional @ @ @ @ @ As of Saturday , the department had reported a total of 107,796 cases in the @ @ @ @ @ , among 100 counties .
The age of cases ranges from younger than a year @ @ @ @ @ .
Within the past 24 hours , laboratories have reported 25,114 specimens for a total @ @ @ @ @ seven-day rolling positivity rate , from Thursday , May 14 , through Wednesday , May @ @ @ @ @ .
The breakdown of new cases in Cook and its collar counties is as follows @

Illinois reports 2,352 new COVID-19 cases, 75 more deaths Saturday
The Illinois Department of Public Health Saturday announced 2,352 new cases of COVID-19 infection in the state and 75 additional deaths from the disease.
As of Saturday, the department had reported a total of 107,796 cases in the state, including 4,790 deaths, among 100 counties.
The age of cases ranges from younger than a year old to older than 100.
Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 25,114 specimens for a total of 722,247.
The statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate, from Thursday, May 14, through Wednesday, May 20, is 13%.
The breakdown of new cases in Cook and its collar counties is as follows:
• Cook County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 30s, 2 females 50s, 4 males 50s, 6 females 60s, 8 males 60s, 7 females 70s, 8 males 70s, 6 females 80s, 5 males 80s, 1 unknown 80s, 8 females 90s, 2 males 90s.
• DuPage County: 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+
• Kane County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 70s
• Lake County: 1 male 60s
• Will County: 2 male 50s, 2 females 80s
• Winnebago County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Addison couple weds on front steps of their home

The low hum of a leaf blower faded into the background as wedding music filled an Addison neighborhood Saturday .
@ @ @ @ @ Sal Scianna and Monika Strak held their wedding ceremony on their front steps .
About @ @ @ @ @ safely in the street , sidewalk , lawn and parkway as Rev .
Scott Howington @ @ @ @ @ Confetti and cheering rained down on the couple after they exchanged vows .
The couple @ @ @ @ @ in Puerto Vallarta , Mexico , but the resort they had booked is closed due @ @ @ @ @ said that he was able to get a refund for the airfare and the couple @ @ @ @ @ a later date .
The couple also plans to hold a wedding reception some time @ @ @

Addison couple weds on front steps of their home
The low hum of a leaf blower faded into the background as wedding music filled an Addison neighborhood Saturday.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Sal Scianna and Monika Strak held their wedding ceremony on their front steps.
About 50 family and friends gathered safely in the street, sidewalk, lawn and parkway as the Rev. Scott Howington performed the short service.
Confetti and cheers rained down on the couple after they exchanged vows.
The couple had originally planned to honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, but the resort they had booked is closed due to the pandemic.
Scianna said that he was able to get a refund for the airfare and the couple will plan a honeymoon at a later date. The couple also plan to hold a wedding reception some time next year.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-22--Missed our livestream with Like Language? Here's where you can watch it

The Daily Herald and Chicago Sound Check dove into week four of the Chicago Sound Check Presents concert/interview series with @ @ @ @ @ Like Language .
The alternative pop duo talked about life during the lockdown and how @ @ @ @ @ creativity and jobs .
Treating viewers to four of their favorite songs , the Murrays @ @ @ @ @ next single , `` Used to Be Something , '' coming out Friday , May @ @ @ @ @ little bit about the plight of Chicago 's local music venues , specifically Beat Kitchen @ @ @ @ @ gave them a chance when they were first starting out .
The event , which @ @ @ @ @ was sponsored by White Claw Hard Seltzer , can be found on Chicago Sound Check @ @ @ @ @ chicagosoundcheck.com .

Missed our livestream with Like Language? Here's where you can watch it
Kristen and Matt Murray of Like Language joined us Friday, May 22, for a livestream concert/interview to talk about the upcoming single "Used to Be Something." Courtesy of Darren Vorel
The Daily Herald and Chicago Sound Check dove into week four of the Chicago Sound Check Presents concert/interview series with Matthew and Kristen Murray of Like Language.
The alternative pop duo talked about life during the lockdown and how it's played into their creativity and jobs.
Treating viewers to four of their favorite songs, the Murrays also shared information about their next single, "Used to Be Something," coming out Friday, May 29.
We talked a little bit about the plight of Chicago's local music venues, specifically Beat Kitchen and Subterranean as places that gave them a chance when they were first starting out.
The event, which streamed live on Instagram and was sponsored by White Claw Hard Seltzer, can be found on Chicago Sound Check's Facebook page and at chicagosoundcheck.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Latest nursing home stats: State now identifies only those with current outbreaks

Illinoisans will no longer be able to sift through historical data on coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes .
State public health officials on Friday published figures only for long-term care facilities that are dealing with current outbreaks , or at least one case within the previous 28 days .
That means nursing homes ravaged by COVID-19 earlier in the pandemic were n't included in the latest weekly list released by the Illinois Department of Public Health .
`` In an effort to share with Illinois residents the current burden of COVID-19 in the state , IDPH is publishing on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the state , '' spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said via email .
`` IDPH is also providing the total number of cases and deaths among residents of long-term care facilities since the beginning of the pandemic . ''
The state 's totals show at least 7,914 laboratory-confirmed cases and 2,099 deaths among residents .
At least 2,152 residents and employees have died , according to the updated data for facilities with current outbreaks .
Meadowbrook Manor of Bolingbrook again had the highest number of deaths -- 38 -- followed by Villa at Windsor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 33 .
AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo called the reporting change `` troubling because it keeps viewers from seeing historical data on people who have contracted the virus . ''
`` This information is crucial , especially for those who are in the already difficult position of seeking a facility they can trust , '' Gallo said in a statement .
`` Without an accurate history of COVID-19 reports at nursing homes , people seeking a long-term care facility wo n't have ample information to ensure that their loved one will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracting COVID-19 . ''
Last week , before the reporting change , the statewide death toll stood at 1,975 .
The Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook , a 150-bed facility associated with 58 COVID-19 cases and 11 cases as of last Friday , was one of the nursing homes that dropped off the list .
Below is a look at the outbreaks in many suburban facilities , with the number of cases followed by the number of deaths : The Grove By the Lake 52 8

Latest nursing home stats: State now identifies only those with current outbreaks
Illinoisans will no longer be able to sift through historical data on coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes.
State public health officials on Friday published figures only for long-term care facilities that are dealing with current outbreaks, or at least one case within the previous 28 days.
That means nursing homes ravaged by COVID-19 earlier in the pandemic weren't included in the latest weekly list released by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
"In an effort to share with Illinois residents the current burden of COVID-19 in the state, IDPH is publishing on its website current outbreaks at long-term care facilities across the state," spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said via email. "IDPH is also providing the total number of cases and deaths among residents of long-term care facilities since the beginning of the pandemic."
The state's totals show at least 7,914 laboratory-confirmed cases and 2,099 deaths among residents.
At least 2,152 residents and employees have died, according to the updated data for facilities with current outbreaks.
Meadowbrook Manor of Bolingbrook again had the highest number of deaths -- 38 -- followed by Villa at Windsor Park in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood with 33.
AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo called the reporting change "troubling because it keeps viewers from seeing historical data on people who have contracted the virus."
"This information is crucial, especially for those who are in the already difficult position of seeking a facility they can trust," Gallo said in a statement. "Without an accurate history of COVID-19 reports at nursing homes, people seeking a long-term care facility won't have ample information to ensure that their loved one will be both cared for and protected from contracting COVID-19."
Last week, before the reporting change, the statewide death toll stood at 1,975. The Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook, a 150-bed facility associated with 58 COVID-19 cases and 11 cases as of last Friday, was one of the nursing homes that dropped off the list.
Below is a look at the outbreaks in many suburban facilities, with the number of cases followed by the number of deaths:
SUBURBAN COOK
Addolorata Villa 57 3
Albany Care 6 0
Alden Estates Des Plaines 8 1
Alden Estates of Barrington 3 0
Alden Poplar Creek 10 0
Amita Health Holy Family 2 0
Aperion Plum Grove 2 0
Asbury Court 3 0
Avantara Park Ridge 3 1
Avanti Wellness & Rehab 35 8
Avenues to Independence 11 0
Bella Terra Morton Grove 17 3
Bella Terra Streamwood 2 0
BRIA River Oaks 61 0
Brookdale Des Plaines 13 5
Brookdale Northbrook 3 2
Brookdale Prospect Hts. 2 0
Citadel of Northbrook 4 2
City View Multi-Care Center 242 12
David Webb Jr. Complex 3 2
Edward Hines VA Comm. 2 0
Elevate Care Northbrook 46 7
Elevate Saint Andrew 10 4
Evergreen Senior Living 14 7
Generations at Applewood 51 13
Generations At Oakton 14 9
Generations at Regency 64 19
Glenview Terrace 91 25
Glenwood Health Care/Rehab 14 1
Golfview Developmental 94 11
Grace Point Place 21 7
Grosse Pointe Manor 5 1
Harbor House 5 2
Heather Manor 3 0
Holy Family Villa 8 3
Inverness Health and Rehab 10 0
Lake Cook Rehab 11 6
Landmark of Des Plaines 73 17
Lee Manor Rehab/Nursing 9 1
Lieberman Geriatric Center 16 1
Lincolnwood Place 28 11
Lydia Health Care Center 18 3
Madden Mental Health 13 0
ManorCare Arlington Hts. 18 1
ManorCare Elk Grove Village 8 3
Mather Place 6 2
Meadowbrook Manor 17 3
Midway Neuro and Rehab 39 9
Northbrook Inn Memory Care 11 3
Park Lawn Residential Center 2 0
Paul's House 42 4
Pearl of Rolling Meadows 3 0
Pershing Garden 13 2
Prairie Manor 18 8
Presence Nazarethville 5 0
Presence St. Benedict 3 0
Presence Villa Scalabrini 3 0
Resurrection Nursing 32 3
Revere Court of S. Barrington 8 2
RML Specialty Hospital 16 0
Sheridan Village 42 15
St. Joseph Home 2 0
Sunrise of Park Ridge 41 10
Sunrise of Schaumburg 3 0
Symphony at Aria 21 3
Symphony of Hanover Park 5 1
Reserve Arlington Hts. 2 1
The Sheridan of Park Ridge 9 3
Vine at Countryside 15 2
Vi at the Glen 9 0
Victory Centre of Sierra Ridge 9 1
Waverly Inn 2 0
Weinberg Community 6 0
Windsor Estates 31 14
DUPAGE COUNTY
Abbington Rehab & Nursing 67 5
Alden Estates of Naperville 87 21
Alden of Old Town East 3 0
Alden Trails 5 0
Alden Valley Ridge 36 11
Alden Village Bloomingdale 20 1
Aperion Care West Chicago 36 4
Arista Healthcare Naperville 10 0
Artis Senior Living Elmhurst 42 19
Artis Senior Living of Bartlett 25 12
Aspired Living of Westmont 13 3
Beacon Hill Lombard 36 2
Belmont Village Carol Stream 26 1
BRIA of Westmont 124 14
Bridgeway Senior Living 33 5
Brookdale Burr Ridge 8 2
Brookdale Glen Ellyn 4 1
Brookdale Lisle 32 6
Burgess Square 32 3
Cedarhurst of Naperville 5 1
Clarendale of Addison 3 0
DuPage Care Center 5 0
Forestview 94 7
Harbor Chase of Naperville 5 0
Harvester Place 37 13
Lacey Creek Supportive Living 2 0
Lexington of Bloomingdale 61 14
Lexington of Elmhurst 28 11
Lexington of Lombard 29 8
Lexington Square Lombard 3 0
ManorCare Hinsdale 164 27
Meadowbrk Manor Naperville 33 2
Naperville Manor 9 1
Oakbrook Care 86 16
Oak Trace 9 2
Oak Trace Skilled Nursing 2 0
Park Place Health/Wellness 2 0
Park Place of Elmhurst Assisted 2 0
Providence Healthcare/Rehab 69 13
Ray Graham Iona Glos 25 1
St. Patricks Residence 5 0
Sunrise of Bloomingdale 6 1
Sunrise of Willowbrook 7 2
Tabor Hills Healthcare 36 2
Tabor Hills Supportive Living 2 0
Terra Vista Oakbrook Terrace 7 0
The Grove of Elmhurst 16 0
The Radcliff Wood Dale 2 0
Westbridge Wheaton 9 4
West Chicago Terrace 8 0
Westmont Manor 44 11
West Suburban Nursing/Rehab 12 0
Wheaton Village 47 7
Windsor Park 93 23
Winfield Woods 2 0
Wynscape Health/Rehab. 2 0
KANE COUNTY
Alden Courts of Waterford 7 0
Alden of Waterford 33 7
Arden Courts of Geneva 7 0
Asbury Gardens 54 10
Avondale Estates of Elgin 30 1
Batavia Rehabilitation 3 0
Bickford of Aurora 29 7
BRIA of Geneva 112 24
Brighton Garden of St. Charles 3 0
Citadel of Elgin 5 0
Elmwood Terrace 24 4
Presence Fox Knoll 9 2
Fox River Rehab/Healthcare 47 10
GreenFields of Geneva 3 0
Grove of St. Charles 10 0
Heritage Health Therapy 38 1
Jennings Terrace 2 0
Northern Illinois Academy 13 0
River Glen 6 0
Sunnymere 8 0
Symphony of Orchard Valley 114 14
The Grove of Fox Valley 6 0
The Sheridan at Tyler Creek 3 0
Tower Hill Healthcare 117 14
LAKE COUNTY
Avantara Long Grove 91 7
Balmoral Care Center 9 2
Bayside Terrace 12 0
Claridge Health Center 60 14
Elevate Care Riverwoods 55 10
Libertyville Manor 5 1
Radford Green at Sedgebrook 31 5
Riverside Foundation 61 5
Rolling Hills Manor 4 0
Symphony Buffalo Grove 5 1
The Grove By the Lake 52 8
The Solana Deer Park 2 0
The Wellshire Lincolnshire 5 1
Victory Centre 4 0
MCHENRY COUNTY
Alden Terrace of McHenry 70 10
Cross Roads Care Center 68 9
Fair Oaks Health Care Center 10 1
Florence Nursing Home 31 4
Hearthstone Village 2 0
Revere Court of Crystal Lake 12 2
Sheltered Village 41 9
The Fountains at Crystal Lake 38 12
The Springs at Crystal Lake 39 8
WILL COUNTY
Arbor Terrace 35 4
Clarendale of Mokena 25 3
Heritage Woods 5 0
Lakeshore Rehab 4 0
Meadowbrook Manor of Bolingbrook 188 38
Presence Villa Franciscan 64 12
Spring Creek Nursing Home 7 1
St. Coletta's of Illinois 2 0
St. James Manor 45 16
Sunny Hill Nursing Home 45 15
Symphony of Joliet 130 25
The PARC of Joliet 51 10
Timbers of Shorewood 2 0
Victorian Village 9 1
Willow Falls 8 2
Willow House 18 0


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Palatine Park District wants to replace bridges in sections of popular trail

Palatine Park District has received a $ 200,000 state grant that would be used to help pay for replacement of two bridges and other work for sections of a popular regional bicycle and pedestrian trail that officials say long have been needed .
Officials said the project would improve Palatine Trail , an off-road path connecting major destinations and green spaces within and bordering the village , such as Deer Grove Forest Preserve .
In addition , the 25-mile Palatine path links to surrounding communities and is part of Illinois Bike Trails and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would include upgrades for a Salt Creek bridge west of a Hicks Road underpass and another span over the water just north of Palatine Public Library .
Park board commissioners recently approved the $ 708,031 project , which would be about $ 49,000 below what was budgeted .
With the $ 200,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources , the park district 's cost would be $ 508,031 .
`` We 've been talking about this for 15 years at least , '' Palatine park board member John `` Jay '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bridge inspection report in 2015 , two spans over Salt Creek were identified as nearing the end of useful life , according to the park district 's grant application .
Plans call for realigning and replacing the bridges over Salt Creek .
The work would include fixing the bridges ' abutments , replacing sections of the trail and creating an 8-foot width between rails .
Superintendent of Parks and Planning Jim Holder said the village of Palatine also must grant final approval for the project .
He said work might begin in seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ village gives the OK. Holder said the path would be closed possibly up to six weeks in the area of the work .
`` With construction chain link there , nobody can just rip it down and get through , '' he said .
Initial construction of Palatine Trail went from 1972 to 1974 , according to the park district .
Extensions were built periodically from 1987 to 2007 .
Holder said a trail detour would begin near Ashwood Park and lead bicyclists and pedestrians east to Carpenter Drive and a traffic signal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would reconnect with the trail on the east side of Hicks .
Schaefges Brothers Inc. of Wheeling would do the bulk of the work for not more than $ 677,186 .
Officials said the district hired Schaefges for previous projects including a Family Aquatic Center renovation and construction of Eagle Park .

Palatine Park District wants to replace bridges in sections of popular trail
Palatine Park District has received a $200,000 state grant that would be used to help pay for replacement of two bridges and other work for sections of a popular regional bicycle and pedestrian trail that officials say long have been needed.
Officials said the project would improve Palatine Trail, an off-road path connecting major destinations and green spaces within and bordering the village, such as Deer Grove Forest Preserve.
In addition, the 25-mile Palatine path links to surrounding communities and is part of Illinois Bike Trails and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's regional greenways and trails. The project would include upgrades for a Salt Creek bridge west of a Hicks Road underpass and another span over the water just north of Palatine Public Library.
Park board commissioners recently approved the $708,031 project, which would be about $49,000 below what was budgeted.
With the $200,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the park district's cost would be $508,031.
"We've been talking about this for 15 years at least," Palatine park board member John "Jay" Cozza said.
After completion of a bridge inspection report in 2015, two spans over Salt Creek were identified as nearing the end of useful life, according to the park district's grant application.
Plans call for realigning and replacing the bridges over Salt Creek. The work would include fixing the bridges' abutments, replacing sections of the trail and creating an 8-foot width between rails.
Superintendent of Parks and Planning Jim Holder said the village of Palatine also must grant final approval for the project. He said work might begin in seven weeks at the earliest, provided the village gives the OK.
Holder said the path would be closed possibly up to six weeks in the area of the work.
"With construction chain link there, nobody can just rip it down and get through," he said.
Initial construction of Palatine Trail went from 1972 to 1974, according to the park district. Extensions were built periodically from 1987 to 2007.
Holder said a trail detour would begin near Ashwood Park and lead bicyclists and pedestrians east to Carpenter Drive and a traffic signal that meets Hicks Road. The users would reconnect with the trail on the east side of Hicks.
Schaefges Brothers Inc. of Wheeling would do the bulk of the work for not more than $677,186. Officials said the district hired Schaefges for previous projects including a Family Aquatic Center renovation and construction of Eagle Park.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Residents celebrate Vernon Hills skate park's opening weekend

Several people Saturday were taking advantage of the opening of a new skate park this weekend at the Sullivan Community Center/Family Aquatic Center parking lot area in Vernon Hills .
Holly Aronoff of Vernon Hills and her husband , Ryan , were at the Vernon Hills skatepark with their 3 children .
Her brother , Billy Coulon and his company , Evergreen Skateparks of Portland , Oregon , built the skate park .
`` It just felt like it was meant to be when I saw they were building a park here , '' said Holly Aronoff , adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built a skate park in Villa Park , of the possibility to bid on the $ 305,000 Vernon Hills Park District project .
`` I was like , 'Billy , you have to try to build it in our neighborhood . '
It 's an art form for him . ''
Due to social distancing guidelines , only 10 park district residents will be allowed to use the skate park at a time , during reserved 1-hour time slots .
Reservations must be made at www.vhparkdistrict.org and are only available to Vernon Hills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entrance and park district staff and Vernon Hills police monitor the skate park .
Face coverings are required .

Residents celebrate Vernon Hills skate park's opening weekend
Several people Saturday were taking advantage of the opening of a new skate park this weekend at the Sullivan Community Center/Family Aquatic Center parking lot area in Vernon Hills.
Holly Aronoff of Vernon Hills and her husband, Ryan, were at the Vernon Hills skatepark with their 3 children.
Her brother, Billy Coulon and his company, Evergreen Skateparks of Portland, Oregon, built the skate park.
"It just felt like it was meant to be when I saw they were building a park here," said Holly Aronoff, adding that she told her brother, who also built a skate park in Villa Park, of the possibility to bid on the $305,000 Vernon Hills Park District project. "I was like, 'Billy, you have to try to build it in our neighborhood.' It's an art form for him."
Due to social distancing guidelines, only 10 park district residents will be allowed to use the skate park at a time, during reserved 1-hour time slots.
Reservations must be made at www.vhparkdistrict.org and are only available to Vernon Hills residents. IDs are checked at the entrance and park district staff and Vernon Hills police monitor the skate park. Face coverings are required.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-22--Watch video of Arlington Heights Memorial Day ceremony

The 101st Arlington Heights Memorial Day ceremony will be online this year .
While observing COVID-19 precautions , officials have honored the nation 's fallen heroes with a special video .
It contains most parts of the village 's traditional Memorial Day ceremony with some added features .
The nearly 40-minute video can be seen at https : //youtu.be/4vWruTysnmQ .
Greg Padovani , the chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights , delivers the opening speech .
Air Force veteran Matt Zaubi , pastor of seniors and care at the Orchard Evangelical Free Church of Arlington Heights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High school freshman Madeline O'Dell sings the national anthem ( from last year 's ceremony ) .
Speakers include Army veteran and Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes ; Brig .
Gen. Kris A. Belanger , commanding general of the 85th Army Reserve Support Command ; and Guillaume Lacroix , consul general of France to the Midwest .
They each provide heartfelt speeches followed by the reading of the names of Arlington Heights ' fallen heroes .
The program also includes a 21-gun salute and taps .
The video concludes with a collection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 to 2019 .

Watch video of Arlington Heights Memorial Day ceremony
The 101st Arlington Heights Memorial Day ceremony will be online this year.
While observing COVID-19 precautions, officials have honored the nation's fallen heroes with a special video. It contains most parts of the village's traditional Memorial Day ceremony with some added features.
The nearly 40-minute video can be seen at https://youtu.be/4vWruTysnmQ.
Greg Padovani, the chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee of Arlington Heights, delivers the opening speech.
Air Force veteran Matt Zaubi, pastor of seniors and care at the Orchard Evangelical Free Church of Arlington Heights, provides the invocation and closing prayer.
High school freshman Madeline O'Dell sings the national anthem (from last year's ceremony).
Speakers include Army veteran and Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes; Brig. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the 85th Army Reserve Support Command; and Guillaume Lacroix, consul general of France to the Midwest.
They each provide heartfelt speeches followed by the reading of the names of Arlington Heights' fallen heroes.
The program also includes a 21-gun salute and taps.
The video concludes with a collection of "Remembering Our Veterans" photos from 2012 to 2019.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-23--Baseball Way Back: Hawk could have brought a pennant to South Side in 1967

For parts of four decades , I grew accustomed to hearing the voice over my television exclaiming `` He gone ! ''
and `` You can put it on the board , yes ! ''
This time , that familiar , iconic voice was on my phone .
I told Ken `` Hawk '' Harrelson that he was in the Cleveland Indians lineup for the very first game I saw at old Comiskey Park .
When he joked that he went `` 0-for-4 , '' I could n't really contradict him , since my scorecard with Carlos May on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the conversation drifted , I was curious to know what happened in 1967 , when a dust-up between him and owner Charles O. Finley led to his release from the Kansas City A 's in August , and how the White Sox made a bid for his services .
The Sox were in the thick of a pennant race that involved four closely bunched teams , including the Red Sox , the Twins and the Tigers .
The Sox pitching staff was formidable , with Joe Horlen , Gary Peters and Tommy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the team was a collection of hitless wonders .
The answer seemed to come from out of the sky .
On Aug. 18 , The Associated Press reported that Finley had suspended pitcher Lew Krausse indefinitely without pay for `` conduct unbecoming a major league ball player , '' stemming from an Aug. 3 incident that Krausse said involved several players on a flight from Boston to Kansas City .
Finley also banned the serving of alcohol to A 's players on commercial flights .
The team , mired in last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
On Aug. 19 , the players issued a statement accusing Finley of undermining player morale by using informers to spy on players .
The team declared its support of Manager Alvin Dark and his coaching staff .
Finley reacted by firing Dark on Aug. 20 for losing control of the players .
The players were devastated .
Dark , they had hoped , would someday lead them to a pennant .
It was in the AP report of the players ' reaction on Aug. 20 that Harrelson was quoted uttering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of Kansas City : `` Finley made a big mistake .
He 's a menace to baseball . ''
At the time , the 25-year-old first baseman was in the midst of a two-month offensive tear , hitting about .315 in that span .
He said , `` The only guy really at that time that was swinging the bat better than I was was Yaz ( Carl Yastrzemski ) and he won the Triple Crown . ''
As Hawk tells it , the team was in Washington , D.C. , getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The writers were trying to get somebody to say something about Charlie firing Alvin , and nobody was saying anything , so finally I just opened up on him and called him ( a jerk ) and everything else . ''
The following morning , Aug. 21 , Finley called Harrelson at his Baltimore hotel .
`` He said , 'Son , have n't I been like a dad to you ? '
And I said , 'No , sir , you have not , Mr .
Finley . '
'' Finley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so Harrelson could issue a full retraction .
`` And I said , 'Mr .
Finley , I 'm not going to retract one word of what I said . '
`` Well , when I said that , he just blew up .
He started cussing me out .
I told him , 'Wait a minute .
We both know that if you were standing right here , you would n't be saying all these words . '
'' A short while after that call ended , Finley called him back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment , you are no longer a member of the green and gold , '' before slamming down the phone .
Harrelson said he then called Joe Reichler , assistant to baseball Commissioner William Eckert , to assess the situation .
Reichler told him , `` He put you up on irrevocable waivers , and that means that the only person that can take you off of these is you yourself , and I know you 're not going to do that . ''
As soon as Harrelson hung up the phone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team to call was the White Sox .
General Manager Ed Short said , `` I understand you and Charlie had an argument . ''
He continued , `` Well , I got ( Manager ) Eddie Stanky right here and I want you to talk to him for a minute . ''
Stanky told him , `` Hawk , you know we got the best pitching in the league .
We feel like if you come over here , we 'll win this thing . ''
So far , so good .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the phone and told him , `` I 'm not going to get in a bidding war . ''
`` And when he said that , '' Hawk said , `` something else triggered in my head . ''
Short offered him $ 100,000 , a hefty sum at the time -- Hawk was making $ 12,000 .
`` But you got to take it right now .
I 'm not going to call you back if you do n't take it right now . ''
Hawk said , `` Finally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that 's fair .
I 've got to have time to think this thing over . '
He said , 'Well , if you do n't take it now , I 'm not going to call you back . '
And I said , 'Well , I 'm sorry , I 'm not going to take it . '
'' Short never called back .
Hawk immediately called Alvin Dark , who told him , `` I think you are going to get at least $ 150,000 out of this and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win the pennant . ''
Both predictions came true for Hawk , who made his Red Sox debut Aug. 29 .
Short told the press a different story .
In a newspaper report on Aug. 22 , he claimed that Harrelson had called him and said he was available .
Short said , `` I told Harrelson that Eddie Stanky and I would kick it around , but that it was too early to make any offers . ''
In an Aug. 26 report , Stanky confirmed that the Sox made a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know Mr. Short made a very respectable bid for him . ''
It proved a missed opportunity for the White Sox , who finished fourth , three games behind Boston .
The Sox would have to wait until 1972 before they tasted another winning season .

Baseball Way Back: Hawk could have brought a pennant to South Side in 1967
Chicago White Sox broadcaster Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson throws out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox, Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018, in Chicago. Associated Press
For parts of four decades, I grew accustomed to hearing the voice over my television exclaiming "He gone!" and "You can put it on the board, yes!"
This time, that familiar, iconic voice was on my phone.
I told Ken "Hawk" Harrelson that he was in the Cleveland Indians lineup for the very first game I saw at old Comiskey Park.
When he joked that he went "0-for-4," I couldn't really contradict him, since my scorecard with Carlos May on the cover is buried somewhere in storage.
As the conversation drifted, I was curious to know what happened in 1967, when a dust-up between him and owner Charles O. Finley led to his release from the Kansas City A's in August, and how the White Sox made a bid for his services.
The Sox were in the thick of a pennant race that involved four closely bunched teams, including the Red Sox, the Twins and the Tigers.
The Sox pitching staff was formidable, with Joe Horlen, Gary Peters and Tommy John, all sporting ERAs under 2.50. But the team was a collection of hitless wonders.
The answer seemed to come from out of the sky.
On Aug. 18, The Associated Press reported that Finley had suspended pitcher Lew Krausse indefinitely without pay for "conduct unbecoming a major league ball player," stemming from an Aug. 3 incident that Krausse said involved several players on a flight from Boston to Kansas City. Finley also banned the serving of alcohol to A's players on commercial flights.
The team, mired in last place, 16½ games back, lashed out.
On Aug. 19, the players issued a statement accusing Finley of undermining player morale by using informers to spy on players. The team declared its support of Manager Alvin Dark and his coaching staff.
Finley reacted by firing Dark on Aug. 20 for losing control of the players.
The players were devastated. Dark, they had hoped, would someday lead them to a pennant.
It was in the AP report of the players' reaction on Aug. 20 that Harrelson was quoted uttering the words that would earn him his ticket out of Kansas City: "Finley made a big mistake. He's a menace to baseball."
At the time, the 25-year-old first baseman was in the midst of a two-month offensive tear, hitting about .315 in that span.
He said, "The only guy really at that time that was swinging the bat better than I was was Yaz (Carl Yastrzemski) and he won the Triple Crown."
As Hawk tells it, the team was in Washington, D.C., getting ready to travel to Baltimore, and "The writers were trying to get somebody to say something about Charlie firing Alvin, and nobody was saying anything, so finally I just opened up on him and called him (a jerk) and everything else."
The following morning, Aug. 21, Finley called Harrelson at his Baltimore hotel.
"He said, 'Son, haven't I been like a dad to you?' And I said, 'No, sir, you have not, Mr. Finley.'"
Finley said he arranged for a news conference so Harrelson could issue a full retraction.
"And I said, 'Mr. Finley, I'm not going to retract one word of what I said.'
"Well, when I said that, he just blew up. He started cussing me out. I told him, 'Wait a minute. We both know that if you were standing right here, you wouldn't be saying all these words.'"
A short while after that call ended, Finley called him back to inform him, "As of this moment, you are no longer a member of the green and gold," before slamming down the phone.
Harrelson said he then called Joe Reichler, assistant to baseball Commissioner William Eckert, to assess the situation. Reichler told him, "He put you up on irrevocable waivers, and that means that the only person that can take you off of these is you yourself, and I know you're not going to do that."
As soon as Harrelson hung up the phone, it started ringing. And the first team to call was the White Sox.
General Manager Ed Short said, "I understand you and Charlie had an argument." He continued, "Well, I got (Manager) Eddie Stanky right here and I want you to talk to him for a minute."
Stanky told him, "Hawk, you know we got the best pitching in the league. We feel like if you come over here, we'll win this thing."
So far, so good. That is, before Short got back on the phone and told him, "I'm not going to get in a bidding war."
"And when he said that," Hawk said, "something else triggered in my head."
Short offered him $100,000, a hefty sum at the time -- Hawk was making $12,000. "But you got to take it right now. I'm not going to call you back if you don't take it right now."
Hawk said, "Finally, I said, 'I don't think that's fair. I've got to have time to think this thing over.' He said, 'Well, if you don't take it now, I'm not going to call you back.' And I said, 'Well, I'm sorry, I'm not going to take it.'" Short never called back.
Hawk immediately called Alvin Dark, who told him, "I think you are going to get at least $150,000 out of this and I think whoever you go to is going to win the pennant."
Both predictions came true for Hawk, who made his Red Sox debut Aug. 29.
Short told the press a different story. In a newspaper report on Aug. 22, he claimed that Harrelson had called him and said he was available.
Short said, "I told Harrelson that Eddie Stanky and I would kick it around, but that it was too early to make any offers."
In an Aug. 26 report, Stanky confirmed that the Sox made a pitch to Hawk, saying, "I know Mr. Short made a very respectable bid for him."
It proved a missed opportunity for the White Sox, who finished fourth, three games behind Boston. The Sox would have to wait until 1972 before they tasted another winning season.
• Reach Steve at szalusky@dailyherald.com


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-24--'It's a nightmare': COVID-19 survivors cope with the virus aftermath

They do n't know where they got it .
Or how .
Or why .
But they know they 're part of a global pandemic that has sickened at least 107,000 people in Illinois alone .
They 're COVID-19 survivors , and they 've faced a battle with some symptoms shared and others varying person to person .
They 're COVID-19 survivors , and in many ways , their bout with the virus is n't over , as its effects can linger .
`` For many of the most severe cases , there 's going to be a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make in their lives , at least initially , '' said Dr. Mahesh Ramachandran , chief medical officer at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton .
Here are some of their stories .
Sami Uctum had trouble walking when he began physical and occupational therapy as one of 50 COVID-19 patients admitted to Marianjoy since mid-April .
`` When I first got to Marianjoy , I could basically walk 10 feet , and that 's using a walker , '' the 55-year-old Glen Ellyn man said .
He 's had persistent weakness in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days on a ventilator at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in March .
Occupational therapy sessions at Marianjoy and now at home address the numbness with exercises to flex the ulnar nerve .
`` They exhibit weakness in their muscles , and they have neurological damage typically in the hands and in their feet that cause them problems with balance , weakness and pain as well , '' Ramachandran said of patients who needed extended periods on ventilators .
Uctum , a father of two and software developer , is also trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he felt from having hallucinations in ICU .
`` I 'd blame people , 'Why 'd you do this to me ? '
And they did n't do anything .
Let 's just say I had a lot of apologizing to do afterward . ''
He has n't regained his full endurance , but he recently walked more than a mile with his wife .
`` That was a good milestone , '' he said .
When Joann Magoch got sick with symptoms that seemed like COVID-19 , she did everything she could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother -- from getting sick , too .
The two lived on opposite sides of the Bloomingdale condo they share and , Magoch , 63 , thought it was working .
Even as her symptoms worsened over a span of nearly two weeks , culminating with a four-day stay at Amita Health Adventist Medical Center GlenOaks in Glendale Heights from March 29 to April 1 , her mother remained OK. That changed on April 3 , when Magoch heard coughing and went into her mother 's room wearing a mask and gloves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her back on the floor , having taken a fall .
She called 911 .
Barrett , whose 90th birthday is next month , needed hospitalization at GlenOaks , too , starting April 3 and ending April 21 , when she began a 15-day stay at Amita Health Rehabilitation Institute in Elk Grove Village .
The ordeal has been exhausting , Magoch said , and in many ways , it 's not back to life as usual yet .
Magoch still tires easily and only recently has settled back into her typical sleep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disruptions and sleepless nights .
She lost her appetite , but it slowly has returned .
Barrett gets winded when she takes a few steps around the house using a cane .
Her daughter said Barrett repeats herself more than she used to and remains confused about some of what happened during her hospital and rehab experience .
`` It takes a lot out of you .
It 's a nightmare , '' Magoch said about the virus .
`` I do n't wish it on anybody . ''
Magoch and her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and placed on a ventilator , though both also battled pneumonia .
Magoch said her worst symptom was long-lasting fatigue , but Barrett struggled with fever , headaches and low oxygen levels .
`` They had to put her on oxygen right away , '' Magoch said .
`` She had a really tough time . ''
Magoch credits prayer and her mother 's inner strength with keeping her off the ventilator .
`` I 'm religious to a point , '' she said , `` but I 'd never prayed so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had come true by Mother 's Day , when Barrett was back home , carefully sharing the condo with Magoch and distancing as much as possible .
The memories of not being able to visit her mother in the hospital or rehab center are haunting , but they 're tempered with recollections of health care workers setting up video chats or throwing a goodbye party .
The guilt of possibly having infected her mother remains , but so does the uncertainty and impossibility of knowing how either mom or daughter caught the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magoch said .
`` We 're survivors . ''

'It's a nightmare': COVID-19 survivors cope with the virus aftermath
They don't know where they got it. Or how. Or why. But they know they're part of a global pandemic that has sickened at least 107,000 people in Illinois alone.
They're COVID-19 survivors, and they've faced a battle with some symptoms shared and others varying person to person.
They're COVID-19 survivors, and in many ways, their bout with the virus isn't over, as its effects can linger.
"For many of the most severe cases, there's going to be a lot of adaptations and changes they're going to make in their lives, at least initially," said Dr. Mahesh Ramachandran, chief medical officer at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton.
Here are some of their stories.
Building endurance
Sami Uctum had trouble walking when he began physical and occupational therapy as one of 50 COVID-19 patients admitted to Marianjoy since mid-April.
"When I first got to Marianjoy, I could basically walk 10 feet, and that's using a walker," the 55-year-old Glen Ellyn man said.
He's had persistent weakness in his ring and pinkie fingers after spending 11 days on a ventilator at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in March. Occupational therapy sessions at Marianjoy and now at home address the numbness with exercises to flex the ulnar nerve.
"They exhibit weakness in their muscles, and they have neurological damage typically in the hands and in their feet that cause them problems with balance, weakness and pain as well," Ramachandran said of patients who needed extended periods on ventilators.
Uctum, a father of two and software developer, is also trying to come to grips with the personal embarrassment he felt from having hallucinations in ICU.
"I'd blame people, 'Why'd you do this to me?' And they didn't do anything. Let's just say I had a lot of apologizing to do afterward."
He hasn't regained his full endurance, but he recently walked more than a mile with his wife.
"That was a good milestone," he said.
Recovering together
When Joann Magoch got sick with symptoms that seemed like COVID-19, she did everything she could to prevent her roommate -- her 89-year-old mother -- from getting sick, too.
The two lived on opposite sides of the Bloomingdale condo they share and, Magoch, 63, thought it was working. Even as her symptoms worsened over a span of nearly two weeks, culminating with a four-day stay at Amita Health Adventist Medical Center GlenOaks in Glendale Heights from March 29 to April 1, her mother remained OK.
That changed on April 3, when Magoch heard coughing and went into her mother's room wearing a mask and gloves. There she found Betty Barrett flat on her back on the floor, having taken a fall. She called 911.
Barrett, whose 90th birthday is next month, needed hospitalization at GlenOaks, too, starting April 3 and ending April 21, when she began a 15-day stay at Amita Health Rehabilitation Institute in Elk Grove Village.
The ordeal has been exhausting, Magoch said, and in many ways, it's not back to life as usual yet.
Magoch still tires easily and only recently has settled back into her typical sleep schedule after more than a month of disruptions and sleepless nights. She lost her appetite, but it slowly has returned.
Barrett gets winded when she takes a few steps around the house using a cane. Her daughter said Barrett repeats herself more than she used to and remains confused about some of what happened during her hospital and rehab experience.
"It takes a lot out of you. It's a nightmare," Magoch said about the virus. "I don't wish it on anybody."
Magoch and her mother both are grateful they avoided being intubated and placed on a ventilator, though both also battled pneumonia. Magoch said her worst symptom was long-lasting fatigue, but Barrett struggled with fever, headaches and low oxygen levels.
"They had to put her on oxygen right away," Magoch said. "She had a really tough time."
Magoch credits prayer and her mother's inner strength with keeping her off the ventilator.
"I'm religious to a point," she said, "but I'd never prayed so much in my life."
The prayers had come true by Mother's Day, when Barrett was back home, carefully sharing the condo with Magoch and distancing as much as possible.
The memories of not being able to visit her mother in the hospital or rehab center are haunting, but they're tempered with recollections of health care workers setting up video chats or throwing a goodbye party.
The guilt of possibly having infected her mother remains, but so does the uncertainty and impossibility of knowing how either mom or daughter caught the virus.
"We're lucky," Magoch said. "We're survivors."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-24--House OKs $40 billion state budget

House OKs $40 billion state budget

SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House passed a $ 40 billion state budget late Saturday that relies heavily on federal funding .
The spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1 now heads to the Senate .
The bill passed on a largely party-line vote of 68-44 .
The coronavirus pandemic that prompted Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to issue a statewide stay-at-home order left businesses across the state closed .
Between that and the 1 million Illinois residents out of work , lawmakers say the state will have just under $ 37 billion in revenue .
As a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hole in the budget .
The budget deal was worked out largely out of public view over the past two and a half months as lawmakers worked remotely in various informal `` working groups , '' and it continued to undergo changes in recent days in advance of the House debate .
House Democrats called the plan a way to get through the worst of times .
Republicans called it a power grab by Democratic Gov .
J.B. Pritzker , whom they said would have the control of billions of dollars in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken a toll on us all , physically , emotionally , spiritually , '' House Majority Leader Greg Harris , D-Chicago , said on the makeshift floor at the Bank of Springfield Center .
`` There are a lot folks who need help out there across the state of Illinois .
And we have a chance to make that help available .
`` And again , this would be paid by the federal government . ''
The budget also includes $ 20 million grants from the Illinois Dept .
of Public Health to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the highest percentage of Medicaid patients and aimed to help hospitals `` disproportionately impacted by the COVID pandemic , '' Harris said .
School districts will receive the same amount of funding as they received in 2020 .
The plan also keeps higher education spending flat to last year 's budget .
It also fully funds the certified contributions for pensions .
The 68-44 vote in the House to pass the budget bill appeared to fall largely along party lines , with Republicans arguing it relied too heavily on borrowing and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 've heard today is a budget that is balanced only on a wing and a prayer , '' said Republican Rep. Tom Demmer , of Dixon , the House GOP 's chief budget negotiator .
Also Saturday , the House and later the Senate passed legislation pushed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to change the tax structure for a casino in the city .
The legislation would also extend from two to six years the amount of time casino owners would have to make a reconciliation payment .
The Tribune reported that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , until July 1 , 2021 , the time by which gaming applicants must pay license fees.The measure moved to the Senate .
`` The idea is to make this work for Chicago so we can fund the vertical capital , put people to work , not only for Chicago but for everywhere in the state of Illinois , '' said sponsoring Rep. Bob Rita , a Blue Island Democrat .
`` This is good for everyone for jobs and development -- having a Chicago casino be real . ''
A measure cleared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 billion in borrowing from the Federal Reserve 's newly created Municipal Liquidity Facility authorized under the CARES Act , which is being used to balance the budget .
• Capitol News services , the Chicago Sun-Times and The Associated Press all contributed .

House OKs $40 billion state budget
Illinois State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, left, gets an elbow-bump from Illinois State Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, after his remarks thanking other members of the aisle during debate on SB 2135 during an extended session of the Illinois House of Representatives at the Bank of Springfield Center, Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. The Illinois House of Representatives is holding session at the center instead of the Illinois State Capitol because it allows for safe social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP, Pool)
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House passed a $40 billion state budget late Saturday that relies heavily on federal funding.
The spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1 now heads to the Senate. The bill passed on a largely party-line vote of 68-44.
The coronavirus pandemic that prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue a statewide stay-at-home order left businesses across the state closed. Between that and the 1 million Illinois residents out of work, lawmakers say the state will have just under $37 billion in revenue. As a result, lawmakers looked to Washington to fill the hole in the budget.
The budget deal was worked out largely out of public view over the past two and a half months as lawmakers worked remotely in various informal "working groups," and it continued to undergo changes in recent days in advance of the House debate.
House Democrats called the plan a way to get through the worst of times. Republicans called it a power grab by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, whom they said would have the control of billions of dollars in federal funds.
"This crisis has taken a toll on us all, physically, emotionally, spiritually," House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, said on the makeshift floor at the Bank of Springfield Center. "There are a lot folks who need help out there across the state of Illinois. And we have a chance to make that help available.
"And again, this would be paid by the federal government."
The budget also includes $20 million grants from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health to nine hospitals in the state, chosen by the highest percentage of Medicaid patients and aimed to help hospitals "disproportionately impacted by the COVID pandemic," Harris said.
School districts will receive the same amount of funding as they received in 2020. The plan also keeps higher education spending flat to last year's budget. It also fully funds the certified contributions for pensions.
The 68-44 vote in the House to pass the budget bill appeared to fall largely along party lines, with Republicans arguing it relied too heavily on borrowing and not enough on fiscal restraint.
"What we've heard today is a budget that is balanced only on a wing and a prayer," said Republican Rep. Tom Demmer, of Dixon, the House GOP's chief budget negotiator.
Also Saturday, the House and later the Senate passed legislation pushed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to change the tax structure for a casino in the city.
The legislation would also extend from two to six years the amount of time casino owners would have to make a reconciliation payment. The Tribune reported that the legislation also delays by a year, until July 1, 2021, the time by which gaming applicants must pay license fees.The measure moved to the Senate.
"The idea is to make this work for Chicago so we can fund the vertical capital, put people to work, not only for Chicago but for everywhere in the state of Illinois," said sponsoring Rep. Bob Rita, a Blue Island Democrat. "This is good for everyone for jobs and development -- having a Chicago casino be real."
A measure cleared Friday allows for the authorization of $5 billion in borrowing from the Federal Reserve's newly created Municipal Liquidity Facility authorized under the CARES Act, which is being used to balance the budget.
• Capitol News services, the Chicago Sun-Times and The Associated Press all contributed.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-24--Trump falsely claims Michigan sent absentee ballots but later replaces tweet

President Donald Trump last week took to Twitter to criticize the Michigan secretary of state and falsely claim the state was illegally sending absentee ballots to voters ahead of this year 's elections .
`` Breaking : Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election .
This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State , '' Trump tweeted on Wednesday .
The president is wrong , according to FactCheck.org .
The state sent registered voters an application for an absentee ballot , not the actual ballot .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's Jocelyn Benson , '' she wrote .
`` And we sent applications , not ballots .
Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa , Georgia , Nebraska and West Virginia . ''
The day before Trump 's tweet , Benson said Michigan would be sending the applications to 7.7 million registered voters to participate in the primary election in August and the general election in November .
`` By mailing applications , we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original tweet and later replaced it , changing `` absentee ballots '' to `` absentee ballot applications , '' FactCheck said .
The president has spoken out against mail-in ballots in the past , FactCheck said .
Election experts have said a mail-in voting system would not benefit one political party over the other .
Obama was n't the first to criticize successor Former President Barack Obama earlier this month said Trump mishandled the response to the coronavirus .
`` It would have been bad even with the best of governments .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Obama said during a call with past members of his administration .
In response , Trump retweeted a post that claimed , `` Barack Hussein Obama is the first Ex-President to ever speak against his successor , which was long tradition of decorum and decency . ''
The president added , `` He got caught , OBAMAGATE ! ''
Not so , according to PolitiFact.com .
Obama is far from the first .
Ex-presidents criticizing their successors goes back at least as far as Herbert Hoover .
`` Trump 's claim is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 'speak against ' or 'successor , ' '' Rutgers University historian David Greenberg told PolitiFact .
Hoover , who lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 , took a shot at Roosevelt 's New Deal during the 1936 Republican convention .
`` Their product is the poisoning of Americanism , '' Hoover said .
Harry Truman , who followed Roosevelt , said his successor , Dwight Eisenhower , was `` using every trick and device to pry our water power , and our forest , our parks and oil reserves out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pockets of a few selfish corporations . ''
Since then , many ex-presidents have criticized their successors , including Gerald Ford finding fault with Jimmy Carter 's anti-inflation program and Carter speaking out against Ronald Reagan 's global policies .
`` For much of the past century , Republicans have spoken ill of Democrats , and Democrats have done the same with Republicans , '' PolitiFact said .
A false claim circulating on social media says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to pass a new law that would allow people to came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away to be quarantined , according to The Associated Press .
Since H.R .
6666 was introduced in the House of Representatives on May 1 , parts of the bill have been misrepresented online , the AP said .
Rep. Bobby Rush , a Chicago Democrat who introduced the bill , responded on his website .
`` I can assure you that ( the posts ) are completely false , '' Rush said .
`` This bill does not authorize anyone to enter your home , for whatever reason , without your permission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove anyone from your home because of the coronavirus . ''
The bill would give $ 100 billion to local organizations to help with testing and contact tracing at mobile sites and door-to-door outreach in hot spots and medically underserved areas , the AP said .
A photo showing a large flock of flamingos congregating in the Grand Canal in Venice , Italy , is fake , according to Snopes.com .
The manipulated image , supposedly showing the birds re-emerging while Italians were quarantined , was created by digital artist Kristina Makeeva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 : when people stay at home -- city is filled with other residents , '' Makeeva captioned the piece .
Some people inquired whether it was a real photograph , Snopes said .
To a user who asked , `` Is this real ? ''
Makeeva simply replied , `` No . ''
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News .
Contact him at boboswald33 @ gmail.com .

Trump falsely claims Michigan sent absentee ballots but later replaces tweet
President Donald Trump last week took to Twitter to criticize the Michigan secretary of state and falsely claim the state was illegally sending absentee ballots to voters ahead of this year's elections.
"Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election. This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State," Trump tweeted on Wednesday.
The president is wrong, according to FactCheck.org. The state sent registered voters an application for an absentee ballot, not the actual ballot.
Michigan's "rogue secretary of state" tweeted a response.
"Hi! I also have a name, it's Jocelyn Benson," she wrote. "And we sent applications, not ballots. Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia."
The day before Trump's tweet, Benson said Michigan would be sending the applications to 7.7 million registered voters to participate in the primary election in August and the general election in November.
"By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote," Benson said.
Trump deleted his original tweet and later replaced it, changing "absentee ballots" to "absentee ballot applications," FactCheck said.
The president has spoken out against mail-in ballots in the past, FactCheck said. Election experts have said a mail-in voting system would not benefit one political party over the other.
Obama wasn't the first to criticize successor
Former President Barack Obama earlier this month said Trump mishandled the response to the coronavirus.
"It would have been bad even with the best of governments. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster," Obama said during a call with past members of his administration.
In response, Trump retweeted a post that claimed, "Barack Hussein Obama is the first Ex-President to ever speak against his successor, which was long tradition of decorum and decency." The president added, "He got caught, OBAMAGATE!"
Not so, according to PolitiFact.com. Obama is far from the first. Ex-presidents criticizing their successors goes back at least as far as Herbert Hoover.
"Trump's claim is simply not true under any possible definition of 'speak against' or 'successor,'" Rutgers University historian David Greenberg told PolitiFact.
Hoover, who lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, took a shot at Roosevelt's New Deal during the 1936 Republican convention. "Their product is the poisoning of Americanism," Hoover said.
Harry Truman, who followed Roosevelt, said his successor, Dwight Eisenhower, was "using every trick and device to pry our water power, and our forest, our parks and oil reserves out of the hands of people and into the pockets of a few selfish corporations."
Since then, many ex-presidents have criticized their successors, including Gerald Ford finding fault with Jimmy Carter's anti-inflation program and Carter speaking out against Ronald Reagan's global policies.
"For much of the past century, Republicans have spoken ill of Democrats, and Democrats have done the same with Republicans," PolitiFact said.
Law won't remove people from their homes
A false claim circulating on social media says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to pass a new law that would allow people to came into your home and take family members away to be quarantined, according to The Associated Press.
Since H.R. 6666 was introduced in the House of Representatives on May 1, parts of the bill have been misrepresented online, the AP said.
Rep. Bobby Rush, a Chicago Democrat who introduced the bill, responded on his website.
"I can assure you that (the posts) are completely false," Rush said. "This bill does not authorize anyone to enter your home, for whatever reason, without your permission, nor does it allow the government to remove anyone from your home because of the coronavirus."
The bill would give $100 billion to local organizations to help with testing and contact tracing at mobile sites and door-to-door outreach in hot spots and medically underserved areas, the AP said.
No flamingos in Venice
A photo showing a large flock of flamingos congregating in the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, is fake, according to Snopes.com.
The manipulated image, supposedly showing the birds re-emerging while Italians were quarantined, was created by digital artist Kristina Makeeva and posted on Instagram.
"Art 2020: when people stay at home -- city is filled with other residents," Makeeva captioned the piece.
Some people inquired whether it was a real photograph, Snopes said.
To a user who asked, "Is this real?" Makeeva simply replied, "No."
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-22--After a loss, you may need to strengthen your 'sense of self'

There is a colloquial way of talking in the South and Old West -- `` I 'm fixin ' to go '' -- meaning `` I am getting ready to go . ''
In Minnesota when I was growing up , local people also had regional ways of talking , such as `` I 've been thinkin'… '' or `` Just sayin… '' Well , `` I 've been thinkin , ' `` I lived 44 years with my dear husband , Baheej , which is more time than I lived before him , or after .
So actually we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That creates a very strong bond if they were good and happy years , which ours were .
This has lots of implications for lifestyle , identity , comfort and affection .
And it 's a lot to lose .
Not that I lost all of that , but his death has had a big impact .
Such a huge combination of losses , as many of us have experienced , makes losing a beloved spouse , dear family member or a longtime friend especially hard .
This also applies to people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A big part of life centered around caring for the child , teaching and guiding the child while growing up , enjoying adult children and grandkids -- and now life changes drastically and family gatherings are never the same .
This personal identity issue is very complicated .
Our identities get so closely bound to the roles of wife , husband , parent , friend -- even though one still has his or her own identity and sense of self after losing a loved one .
Yet the loss of longtime affection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sad .
Baheej was especially affectionate , creative and kind , so that 's a lot to be without now .
Happy memories help of course , but they are no substitute for life .
So , in my case , losing 44 years of being together as a couple and all that comes with it has been devastating .
As you all know , I 've found ways to cope and manage , but grief is not easy for any of us .
And `` I got to thinkin , ' `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old ?
It 's been almost eight years since Baheej died .
So I am eight years older than when he died on Aug. 11 .
I am catching up with him ; he was 14 years older than I am , although we did not feel an age difference .
In many ways , Baheej was `` younger '' than me because of his personality .
I 'm still surprised he went first , because he had such a joyful and happy nature , and his death was so sudden and unexpected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives , so maybe I 'll be one of those , despite these days of `` stay-at-home '' coronavirus .
My Grandmother Anderson was 84 .
My mom also lived to be 84 .
Mom 's elder sister Virginia was 93 .
I have cousins and friends in their 80s and 90s .
My father was 80 and he would have lived to be much older except the anesthesia for his knee replacement surgery went wrong .
Tragically , he never came fully out of the anesthesia .
Me ?
Really old ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do with these `` after years , '' the years without the presence of a person who was such a big part of our lives for a huge stretch of years -- often for most of our lives ?
The point is : As odd as it seems , we must strengthen our own personal identity and lifestyle without him or her , whether a spouse , partner , child , parent or friend .
As with all grief , we find ways of coping with it .
It 's easier said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give up memories or talking about all those wonderful years together .
We do , however , need to find positive ways to strengthen our sense of self , such as finding and adopting enjoyable activities for ourselves , and developing a new lifestyle that can be sustained without our loved one .
Also , enjoy old friends but be open to making new ones .
They help , too , by relating to you in your current situation , rather than the past .
Joining new groups is a positive way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in new activities .
Of course , under current `` stay at home '' conditions , one ca n't attend groups or go out to meet new friends .
It may be a long haul , but eventually we will be able to resume our exercise groups at the local fitness center , go to our favorite restaurants and attend our outside interest groups .
In the meantime , stay in touch with old and new friends by email , texting , video chats and even letters .
Develop fun in-home activities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
Keep the cheer .
That 's what I 'm doing .
• Susan Anderson-Khleif of Sleepy Hollow has a doctorate in family sociology from Harvard , taught at Wellesley College and is a retired Motorola executive .
Contact her at sakhleif @ comcast.net or see her blog longtermgrief.tumblr.com .
See previous columns at www.dailyherald.com/topics/Anderson-Kleif-Susan .

After a loss, you may need to strengthen your 'sense of self'
There is a colloquial way of talking in the South and Old West -- "I'm fixin' to go" -- meaning "I am getting ready to go." In Minnesota when I was growing up, local people also had regional ways of talking, such as "I've been thinkin'…" or "Just sayin…"
Well, "I've been thinkin,' " I lived 44 years with my dear husband, Baheej, which is more time than I lived before him, or after. So actually we spent most of my life together. That creates a very strong bond if they were good and happy years, which ours were.
This has lots of implications for lifestyle, identity, comfort and affection. And it's a lot to lose. Not that I lost all of that, but his death has had a big impact.
Such a huge combination of losses, as many of us have experienced, makes losing a beloved spouse, dear family member or a longtime friend especially hard.
This also applies to people who raised children and then lost a child. A big part of life centered around caring for the child, teaching and guiding the child while growing up, enjoying adult children and grandkids -- and now life changes drastically and family gatherings are never the same.
This personal identity issue is very complicated. Our identities get so closely bound to the roles of wife, husband, parent, friend -- even though one still has his or her own identity and sense of self after losing a loved one. Yet the loss of longtime affection, friendship and companionship are all so sad.
Baheej was especially affectionate, creative and kind, so that's a lot to be without now. Happy memories help of course, but they are no substitute for life.
So, in my case, losing 44 years of being together as a couple and all that comes with it has been devastating. As you all know, I've found ways to cope and manage, but grief is not easy for any of us.
And "I got to thinkin,' " what if I live to be really old? It's been almost eight years since Baheej died. So I am eight years older than when he died on Aug. 11. I am catching up with him; he was 14 years older than I am, although we did not feel an age difference. In many ways, Baheej was "younger" than me because of his personality. I'm still surprised he went first, because he had such a joyful and happy nature, and his death was so sudden and unexpected.
Many in my family lived long lives, so maybe I'll be one of those, despite these days of "stay-at-home" coronavirus. My Grandmother Anderson was 84. My mom also lived to be 84. Mom's elder sister Virginia was 93. I have cousins and friends in their 80s and 90s. My father was 80 and he would have lived to be much older except the anesthesia for his knee replacement surgery went wrong. Tragically, he never came fully out of the anesthesia.
Me? Really old? We shall see.
So what can we do with these "after years," the years without the presence of a person who was such a big part of our lives for a huge stretch of years -- often for most of our lives?
The point is: As odd as it seems, we must strengthen our own personal identity and lifestyle without him or her, whether a spouse, partner, child, parent or friend. As with all grief, we find ways of coping with it. It's easier said than done.
We don't need to give up memories or talking about all those wonderful years together. We do, however, need to find positive ways to strengthen our sense of self, such as finding and adopting enjoyable activities for ourselves, and developing a new lifestyle that can be sustained without our loved one.
Also, enjoy old friends but be open to making new ones. They help, too, by relating to you in your current situation, rather than the past. Joining new groups is a positive way to meet new friends and get engaged in new activities.
Of course, under current "stay at home" conditions, one can't attend groups or go out to meet new friends. It may be a long haul, but eventually we will be able to resume our exercise groups at the local fitness center, go to our favorite restaurants and attend our outside interest groups. In the meantime, stay in touch with old and new friends by email, texting, video chats and even letters. Develop fun in-home activities.
"Just sayin'…" we can do this. Keep the cheer. That's what I'm doing.
• Susan Anderson-Khleif of Sleepy Hollow has a doctorate in family sociology from Harvard, taught at Wellesley College and is a retired Motorola executive. Contact her at sakhleif@comcast.net or see her blog longtermgrief.tumblr.com. See previous columns at www.dailyherald.com/topics/Anderson-Kleif-Susan.