dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Acting legend Kirk Douglas dies at 103

Acting legend Kirk Douglas dies at 103

Kirk Douglas , the intense , muscular actor with the dimpled chin who starred in `` Spartacus , '' `` Lust for Life '' and dozens of other films , helped fatally weaken the blacklist against suspected Communists and reigned for decades as a Hollywood maverick and patriarch , died Wednesday , his family said .
He was 103 .
`` It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103 , '' his son Michael said in a statement on his Instagram account .
`` To the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years , a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to . ''
Kirk Douglas ' death was first reported by People magazine .
His granite-like strength and underlying vulnerability made the son of illiterate Russian immigrants one of the top stars of the 20th century .
He appeared in more than 80 films , in roles ranging from Doc Holliday in `` Gunfight at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gogh in `` Lust for Life . ''
He worked with some of Hollywood 's greatest directors , from Vincente Minnelli and Billy Wilder to Stanley Kubrick and Elia Kazan .
His career began at the peak of the studios ' power , more than 70 years ago , and ended in a more diverse , decentralized era that he helped bring about .
Always competitive , including with his own family , Douglas never received an Academy Award for an individual film , despite being nominated three times -- for `` Champion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beautiful '' and `` Lust for Life . ''
But in 1996 , the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him an honorary Oscar .
His other awards included a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute .
He was a category unto himself , a force for change and symbol of endurance .
In his latter years , he was a final link to a so-called `` Golden Age , '' a man nearly as old as the industry itself .
In his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of performer , more independent and adventurous than Clark Gable , Spencer Tracy and other giants of the studio era of the 1930s and 1940s , and more willing to speak his mind .
Reaching stardom after World War II , he was as likely to play cads ( the movie producer in `` Bad and the Beautiful , '' the journalist in `` Ace in the Hole '' ) as he was suited to play heroes , as alert to the business as he was at home before the camera .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when many actors still depended on the studios , and directed some of his later films .
A born fighter , Douglas was especially proud of his role in the downfall of Hollywood 's blacklist , which halted and ruined the careers of writers suspected of pro-Communist activity or sympathies .
By the end of the '50s , the use of banned writers was widely known within the industry , but not to the general public .
Douglas , who years earlier had reluctantly signed a loyalty oath to get the starring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' provided a crucial blow when he openly credited the former Communist and Oscar winner Dalton Trumbo for script work on `` Spartacus , '' the epic about a slave rebellion during ancient Rome that was released in 1960 .
( A few months earlier , Otto Preminger had announced Trumbo 's name would appear on the credits for `` Exodus , '' but `` Spartacus '' came out first . )
`` Everybody advised me not to do it because you wo n't be able to work in this town again and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young enough to say to hell with it , '' Douglas said about `` Spartacus '' in a 2011 interview with The Associated Press .
`` I think if I was much older , I would have been too conservative : 'Why should I stick my neck out ? '
'' Douglas rarely played lightly .
He was compulsive about preparing for roles and a supreme sufferer on camera , whether stabbed with scissors in `` Ace in the Hole '' or crucified in `` Spartacus . ''
Critic David Thomson dubbed Douglas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one minute bearing down on plot , dialogue and actresses with the gleeful appetite of a man just freed from Siberia , at other times writing not just in agony but mutilation and a convincingly horrible death . ''
Douglas ' personal favorite was the 1962 Western `` Lonely are the Brave , '' which included a line of dialogue from a Trumbo script he called the most personal he ever spoke on screen : `` I 'm a loner clear down deep to my very guts . ''
The most famous words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , but not by him .
In `` Spartacus , '' Roman officials tell a gathering of slaves their lives will be spared if they identify their leader , Spartacus .
As Douglas rises to give himself up , a growing chorus of slaves jump up and shout , `` I 'm Spartacus ! ''
As Michael Douglas once observed , few acts were so hard to follow .
Kirk Douglas was an acrobat , a juggler , a self-taught man who learned French in his 30s and German in his 40s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to crash through , like the stroke in his 70s that threatened -- but only threatened -- to end his career .
He continued to act and write for years and was past 100 when he and his wife published `` Kirk and Anne : Letters of Love , Laughter , and a Lifetime in Hollywood . ''
He was born Issur Danielovitch to an impoverished Jewish family in Amsterdam , N.Y. His name evolved over time .
He called himself Isidore Demsky until he graduated from St. Lawrence University .
He took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his way through the American Academy of Dramatic Arts , choosing `` Douglas '' because he wanted his last name still to begin with `` D '' and `` Kirk '' because he liked the hard , jagged sound of the `` K. '' Douglas was a performer as early as kindergarten , when he recited a poem about the red robin of spring .
He was a star in high school and in college he wrestled and built the physique that was showcased in many of his movies .
He was determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teen and convincing the dean to approve a student loan .
And he was tough .
One of his strongest childhood memories was of flinging a spoonful of hot tea into the face of his intimidating father .
`` I have never done anything as brave in any movie , '' he later wrote .
Beginning in 1941 , Douglas won a series of small roles on Broadway , served briefly in the Navy and received a key Hollywood break when an old friend from New York , Lauren Bacall , recommended he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strange Love of Martha Ivers . ''
He gained further attention with the classic 1947 film noir `` Out of the Past '' and the Oscar-winning `` A Letter to Three Wives . ''
His real breakthrough came as an unscrupulous boxer in 1949 's `` Champion , '' a low-budget production he was advised to turn down .
`` Before 'Champion ' in 1949 , I 'd played an intellectual schoolteacher , a weak schoolteacher and an alcoholic , '' Douglas once said in an interview with the AP .
`` After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy .
I did things like playing van Gogh , but the image lingers . ''
He had long desired creative control and `` Champion '' was followed by a run of hits that gave him the clout to form Bryna Productions in 1955 , and a second company later .
Many of his movies , such as Kubrick 's `` Paths of Glory , '' `` The Vikings , '' `` Spartacus , '' `` Lonely Are the Brave '' and `` Seven Days in May , '' were produced by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1960s and Douglas turned to other media .
In the 1970s and 1980s , he did several notable television films , including `` Victory at Entebbe '' and `` Amos , '' which dealt with abuse of the elderly .
In his 70s , he became an author , his books including the memoir `` The Ragman 's Son , '' the novels `` Dance With the Devil '' and `` The Gift '' and a brief work on the making of `` Spartacus . ''
`` We are living in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press in 2014 .
`` I have done about 90 movies .
That means that every time I was pretending to be someone else .
There comes a time in your life when you say , well , 'who am I ? '
'' he said .
`` I have found writing books a good substitute to making pictures .
When you write a book , you get to determine what part you are playing . ''
Douglas also became one of Hollywood 's leading philanthropists .
The Douglas Foundation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has donated millions to a wide range of institutions , from the Children 's Hospital Los Angeles to the Motion Picture & Television Fund .
In 2015 , the foundation endowed the Kirk Douglas Fellowship -- a full-tuition , 2-year scholarship -- at the American Film Institute .
As a young man , Douglas very much lived like a movie star , especially in the pre- # MeToo era .
He was romantically linked with many of his female co-stars and dated Gene Tierney , Patricia Neal and Marlene Dietrich among others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband in `` A Letter to Three Wives '' and how he and the actress `` rehearsed the relationship offstage . ''
He had been married to Diana Dill , but they divorced in 1951 .
Three years later , he married Anne Buydens , whom he met in Paris while he was filming `` Act of Love '' ( and otherwise pursuing a young Italian actress ) and she was doing publicity .
He would later owe his very life to Anne , with whom he remained for more than 60 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Todd , then the husband of Elizabeth Taylor , offered the actor a ride on his private jet .
Douglas ' wife insisted that he not go , worrying about a private plane , and he eventually gave in .
The plane crashed , killing all on board .
Douglas had two children with each of his wives and all went into show business , against his advice .
Besides Michael , they are Joel and Peter , both producers , and Eric , an actor with several film credits who died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later generations came to regard Kirk as Michael 's father .
Michael Douglas not only thrived in Hollywood , but beat his dad to the Oscars with a project his father had first desired .
Kirk Douglas tried for years to make a film out of Ken Kesey 's cult novel `` One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest . ''
In the 1970s , he gave up and let Michael have a try .
The younger Douglas produced a classic that starred Jack Nicholson ( in the role Kirk Douglas wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning for best picture , director , actor , actress and screenplay .
`` My father has played up his disappointment with that pretty good , '' Michael Douglas later told Vanity Fair .
`` I have to remind him , I shared part of my producing back-end ( credit ) with him , so he ended up making more money off that movie than he had in any other picture . ''
`` And I would gladly give back every cent , if I could have played that role , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film credits in the '70s and '80s included Brian De Palma 's `` The Fury '' and a comedy , `` Tough Guys , '' that co-starred Burt Lancaster , his longtime friend who previously appeared with Douglas in `` Seven Days in May , '' `` Gunfight at the O.K .
Corral '' and other movies .
A stroke in 1996 seemed to end his film career , but Douglas returned three years later with `` Diamonds , '' which he made after struggling to overcome speech problems .
`` I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent movies came back , '' he joked .
In 2003 , Douglas teamed with son Michael ; Cameron Douglas , Michael 's 24-year-old son ; and ex-wife Diana Douglas , Michael 's mother , for `` It Runs in the Family , '' a comic drama about three generations of a family , with a few digs worked in about the elder Douglas ' parenting .
In March 2009 , he appeared in a one-man show , `` Before I Forget , '' recounting his life and famous friends .
The four-night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Culver City was sold out .
`` I 've often said I 'm a failure , because I did n't achieve what I set out to do , '' Douglas told the AP in 2009 .
`` My goal in life was to be a star on the New York stage .
The first time I was asked by Hal Wallis to come to Hollywood , I turned him down .
'Hollywood ?
That trash ?
I 'm an actor on the Broadway stage ! '
'' • Associated Press writer Bob Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this story also was written by former AP staffer Polly Anderson .

Acting legend Kirk Douglas dies at 103
Kirk Douglas, left, and his son Michael pose in this May 31, 1992, file photo in New York. Kirk and Michael appeared in their first movie together, a comedy called "Smack in the Puss,'' that began filming in February 2001. Associated Press
Actor Kirk Douglas, left, in the title role as a Roman slave and gladiator, battles Woody Strode in the role of gladiator Draba in a scene from "Spartacus" filmed in Hollywood, Ca., April 1959. Associated Press
In this file photo dated March 25, 1985, actors Burt Lancaster, left, and Kirk Douglas, right, stand with Peter Shaffer, winner of the best adapted screenplay Oscar for "Amadeus," during the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Ca., March 25, 1985. Associated Press
In this Feb. 23, 1948, file photo, Kirk and Diana Douglas celebrate the completing of her latest picture, "The Sign of the Ram" in Los Angeles. Diana was his first wife. Associated Press
Actor Kirk Douglas presents the award for best supporting actress during the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. = Associated Press
Actor Kirk Douglas attends a ceremony honoring his son actor Michael Douglas with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Los Angeles. Associated Press
In this May 28, 2008, file photo, Kirk Douglas is pictured during an event to dedicate his 400th playground at Lillian Elementary in Los Angeles. Associated Press
Kirk Douglas, the intense, muscular actor with the dimpled chin who starred in "Spartacus," "Lust for Life" and dozens of other films, helped fatally weaken the blacklist against suspected Communists and reigned for decades as a Hollywood maverick and patriarch, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 103.
"It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103," his son Michael said in a statement on his Instagram account. "To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to."
Kirk Douglas' death was first reported by People magazine.
His granite-like strength and underlying vulnerability made the son of illiterate Russian immigrants one of the top stars of the 20th century. He appeared in more than 80 films, in roles ranging from Doc Holliday in "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" to Vincent van Gogh in "Lust for Life."
He worked with some of Hollywood's greatest directors, from Vincente Minnelli and Billy Wilder to Stanley Kubrick and Elia Kazan. His career began at the peak of the studios' power, more than 70 years ago, and ended in a more diverse, decentralized era that he helped bring about.
Always competitive, including with his own family, Douglas never received an Academy Award for an individual film, despite being nominated three times -- for "Champion," "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "Lust for Life."
But in 1996, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him an honorary Oscar. His other awards included a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.
He was a category unto himself, a force for change and symbol of endurance.
In his latter years, he was a final link to a so-called "Golden Age," a man nearly as old as the industry itself.
In his youth, he represented a new kind of performer, more independent and adventurous than Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and other giants of the studio era of the 1930s and 1940s, and more willing to speak his mind.
Reaching stardom after World War II, he was as likely to play cads (the movie producer in "Bad and the Beautiful," the journalist in "Ace in the Hole") as he was suited to play heroes, as alert to the business as he was at home before the camera. He started his own production company in 1955, when many actors still depended on the studios, and directed some of his later films.
A born fighter, Douglas was especially proud of his role in the downfall of Hollywood's blacklist, which halted and ruined the careers of writers suspected of pro-Communist activity or sympathies. By the end of the '50s, the use of banned writers was widely known within the industry, but not to the general public.
Douglas, who years earlier had reluctantly signed a loyalty oath to get the starring role in "Lust for Life," provided a crucial blow when he openly credited the former Communist and Oscar winner Dalton Trumbo for script work on "Spartacus," the epic about a slave rebellion during ancient Rome that was released in 1960. (A few months earlier, Otto Preminger had announced Trumbo's name would appear on the credits for "Exodus," but "Spartacus" came out first.)
"Everybody advised me not to do it because you won't be able to work in this town again and all of that. But I was young enough to say to hell with it," Douglas said about "Spartacus" in a 2011 interview with The Associated Press. "I think if I was much older, I would have been too conservative: 'Why should I stick my neck out?'"
Douglas rarely played lightly. He was compulsive about preparing for roles and a supreme sufferer on camera, whether stabbed with scissors in "Ace in the Hole" or crucified in "Spartacus."
Critic David Thomson dubbed Douglas "the manic-depressive among Hollywood stars, one minute bearing down on plot, dialogue and actresses with the gleeful appetite of a man just freed from Siberia, at other times writing not just in agony but mutilation and a convincingly horrible death."
Douglas' personal favorite was the 1962 Western "Lonely are the Brave," which included a line of dialogue from a Trumbo script he called the most personal he ever spoke on screen: "I'm a loner clear down deep to my very guts."
The most famous words in a Douglas movie were spoken about him, but not by him.
In "Spartacus," Roman officials tell a gathering of slaves their lives will be spared if they identify their leader, Spartacus. As Douglas rises to give himself up, a growing chorus of slaves jump up and shout, "I'm Spartacus!"
Douglas stands silently, a tear rolling down his face.
As Michael Douglas once observed, few acts were so hard to follow. Kirk Douglas was an acrobat, a juggler, a self-taught man who learned French in his 30s and German in his 40s.
Life was just so many walls to crash through, like the stroke in his 70s that threatened -- but only threatened -- to end his career. He continued to act and write for years and was past 100 when he and his wife published "Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood."
He was born Issur Danielovitch to an impoverished Jewish family in Amsterdam, N.Y. His name evolved over time. He called himself Isidore Demsky until he graduated from St. Lawrence University.
He took the name Kirk Douglas as he worked his way through the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, choosing "Douglas" because he wanted his last name still to begin with "D" and "Kirk" because he liked the hard, jagged sound of the "K."
Douglas was a performer as early as kindergarten, when he recited a poem about the red robin of spring. He was a star in high school and in college he wrestled and built the physique that was showcased in many of his movies. He was determined, hitchhiking to St. Lawrence as a teen and convincing the dean to approve a student loan. And he was tough. One of his strongest childhood memories was of flinging a spoonful of hot tea into the face of his intimidating father.
"I have never done anything as brave in any movie," he later wrote.
Beginning in 1941, Douglas won a series of small roles on Broadway, served briefly in the Navy and received a key Hollywood break when an old friend from New York, Lauren Bacall, recommended he play opposite Barbara Stanwyck in "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers."
He gained further attention with the classic 1947 film noir "Out of the Past" and the Oscar-winning "A Letter to Three Wives."
His real breakthrough came as an unscrupulous boxer in 1949's "Champion," a low-budget production he was advised to turn down.
"Before 'Champion' in 1949, I'd played an intellectual schoolteacher, a weak schoolteacher and an alcoholic," Douglas once said in an interview with the AP. "After 'Champion,' I was a tough guy. I did things like playing van Gogh, but the image lingers."
He had long desired creative control and "Champion" was followed by a run of hits that gave him the clout to form Bryna Productions in 1955, and a second company later.
Many of his movies, such as Kubrick's "Paths of Glory," "The Vikings," "Spartacus," "Lonely Are the Brave" and "Seven Days in May," were produced by his companies.
His movie career faded during the 1960s and Douglas turned to other media.
In the 1970s and 1980s, he did several notable television films, including "Victory at Entebbe" and "Amos," which dealt with abuse of the elderly.
In his 70s, he became an author, his books including the memoir "The Ragman's Son," the novels "Dance With the Devil" and "The Gift" and a brief work on the making of "Spartacus."
"We are living in a town of make-believe," he told The Associated Press in 2014. "I have done about 90 movies. That means that every time I was pretending to be someone else. There comes a time in your life when you say, well, 'who am I?'" he said. "I have found writing books a good substitute to making pictures. When you write a book, you get to determine what part you are playing."
Douglas also became one of Hollywood's leading philanthropists. The Douglas Foundation, which he and Anne Douglas co-founded, has donated millions to a wide range of institutions, from the Children's Hospital Los Angeles to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
In 2015, the foundation endowed the Kirk Douglas Fellowship -- a full-tuition, 2-year scholarship -- at the American Film Institute.
As a young man, Douglas very much lived like a movie star, especially in the pre-#MeToo era. He was romantically linked with many of his female co-stars and dated Gene Tierney, Patricia Neal and Marlene Dietrich among others.
He would recall playing Ann Sothern's husband in "A Letter to Three Wives" and how he and the actress "rehearsed the relationship offstage."
He had been married to Diana Dill, but they divorced in 1951. Three years later, he married Anne Buydens, whom he met in Paris while he was filming "Act of Love" (and otherwise pursuing a young Italian actress) and she was doing publicity.
He would later owe his very life to Anne, with whom he remained for more than 60 years. In 1958, the film producer Michael Todd, then the husband of Elizabeth Taylor, offered the actor a ride on his private jet. Douglas' wife insisted that he not go, worrying about a private plane, and he eventually gave in. The plane crashed, killing all on board.
Douglas had two children with each of his wives and all went into show business, against his advice.
Besides Michael, they are Joel and Peter, both producers, and Eric, an actor with several film credits who died of a drug overdose in 2004.
Later generations came to regard Kirk as Michael's father. Michael Douglas not only thrived in Hollywood, but beat his dad to the Oscars with a project his father had first desired.
Kirk Douglas tried for years to make a film out of Ken Kesey's cult novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
In the 1970s, he gave up and let Michael have a try. The younger Douglas produced a classic that starred Jack Nicholson (in the role Kirk Douglas wanted to play) and dominated the Oscars, winning for best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay.
"My father has played up his disappointment with that pretty good,'' Michael Douglas later told Vanity Fair. "I have to remind him, I shared part of my producing back-end (credit) with him, so he ended up making more money off that movie than he had in any other picture."
"And I would gladly give back every cent, if I could have played that role," the elder Douglas said.
Kirk Douglas' film credits in the '70s and '80s included Brian De Palma's "The Fury" and a comedy, "Tough Guys," that co-starred Burt Lancaster, his longtime friend who previously appeared with Douglas in "Seven Days in May," "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" and other movies.
A stroke in 1996 seemed to end his film career, but Douglas returned three years later with "Diamonds," which he made after struggling to overcome speech problems.
"I thought I would never make another movie unless silent movies came back," he joked.
In 2003, Douglas teamed with son Michael; Cameron Douglas, Michael's 24-year-old son; and ex-wife Diana Douglas, Michael's mother, for "It Runs in the Family," a comic drama about three generations of a family, with a few digs worked in about the elder Douglas' parenting.
In March 2009, he appeared in a one-man show, "Before I Forget," recounting his life and famous friends. The four-night show in the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City was sold out.
"I've often said I'm a failure, because I didn't achieve what I set out to do," Douglas told the AP in 2009. "My goal in life was to be a star on the New York stage. The first time I was asked by Hal Wallis to come to Hollywood, I turned him down. 'Hollywood? That trash? I'm an actor on the Broadway stage!'"
• Associated Press writer Bob Thomas contributed to this report. Biographical material in this story also was written by former AP staffer Polly Anderson.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Elgin entrepreneur inspires kids with popcorn book

A fun , inspiring story told by an exuberant guy who brings popcorn treats -- what kid would n't want that for school storytime ?
Chris Sumner , owner of Mama Lee 's Gourmet Popcorn , has been hopping across elementary schools in Elgin Area School District U-46 to read from his recently self-published book , `` Popa Pop-a-Lot 's Poptastic Adventures : Follow Your Dreams . ''
The book is intended to be the first of a series , said the 32-year-old Sumner , who on Monday visited Fox Meadow Elementary School in South Elgin .
`` How can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
How can I give them some tools that will help them throughout their life journey ? ''
he said .
`` That 's kind of the purpose behind the book . ''
The book is about the importance of loving yourself and believing in yourself .
Kids need to be inspired to think about their passions and futures , because by the time they get to high school , many have no idea what they want to do in life , Sumner said .
The students at Fox Meadow Elementary responded enthusiastically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told them about growing up making popcorn with his mother and wanting to write children 's books .
He shared trivia about popcorn , like Nebraska being the state that produces the most popcorn , and asked the students what they want to be when they grow up .
A veterinarian , a marine biologist , the president of the United States , they answered .
`` I want to be famous , '' one said .
No matter what you want to do , follow your dreams and do n't let others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 32-year-old , who is married with two children , regularly speaks to high schoolers about what it 's like to be an entrepreneur .
Mama Lee 's Gourmet Popcorn also has locations in Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee and Ford City Mall in Chicago ; a fourth one is coming to Lincolnwood Mall in Lincolnwood , he said .
Sumner 's book cover illustration was done by Matthew Chagoya , 16 , a junior at Elgin High School who met Sumner when he came to talk to his class last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they wanted to be when they grew up , Matthew responded he wanted to be an animator or cartoonist .
Sumner looked at his drawings and asked Matthew if he 'd want to illustrate the cover for his upcoming children 's book .
Matthew said at first he hesitated because the task seemed daunting .
`` But then I 'm like , if I skip this , I 'm never going to get another chance , '' he said .
`` So I went with it . ''
He worked `` diligently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which includes the Tower Building in downtown Elgin , and is happy and proud of the final product , he said .
`` I accomplished something this young , at this age , '' he said .
Sumner , who published his book in December , said he 's already done about 65 readings to elementary school classes in the Elgin area , plus a couple in Chicago .
His next goal is to create a `` Popa Pop-a-Lot '' cartoon animation series , he said .

Elgin entrepreneur inspires kids with popcorn book
A fun, inspiring story told by an exuberant guy who brings popcorn treats -- what kid wouldn't want that for school storytime?
Chris Sumner, owner of Mama Lee's Gourmet Popcorn, has been hopping across elementary schools in Elgin Area School District U-46 to read from his recently self-published book, "Popa Pop-a-Lot's Poptastic Adventures: Follow Your Dreams."
The book is intended to be the first of a series, said the 32-year-old Sumner, who on Monday visited Fox Meadow Elementary School in South Elgin. "How can I inspire children at an early age? How can I give them some tools that will help them throughout their life journey?" he said. "That's kind of the purpose behind the book."
The book is about the importance of loving yourself and believing in yourself. Kids need to be inspired to think about their passions and futures, because by the time they get to high school, many have no idea what they want to do in life, Sumner said.
The students at Fox Meadow Elementary responded enthusiastically to Sumner's bubbly energy as he told them about growing up making popcorn with his mother and wanting to write children's books. He shared trivia about popcorn, like Nebraska being the state that produces the most popcorn, and asked the students what they want to be when they grow up.
A veterinarian, a marine biologist, the president of the United States, they answered. "I want to be famous," one said.
No matter what you want to do, follow your dreams and don't let others bring you down, Sumner told them.
The 32-year-old, who is married with two children, regularly speaks to high schoolers about what it's like to be an entrepreneur. Mama Lee's Gourmet Popcorn also has locations in Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee and Ford City Mall in Chicago; a fourth one is coming to Lincolnwood Mall in Lincolnwood, he said.
Sumner's book cover illustration was done by Matthew Chagoya, 16, a junior at Elgin High School who met Sumner when he came to talk to his class last year.
When Sumner asked the students what they wanted to be when they grew up, Matthew responded he wanted to be an animator or cartoonist.
Sumner looked at his drawings and asked Matthew if he'd want to illustrate the cover for his upcoming children's book.
Matthew said at first he hesitated because the task seemed daunting. "But then I'm like, if I skip this, I'm never going to get another chance," he said. "So I went with it."
He worked "diligently and patiently" on his illustration, which includes the Tower Building in downtown Elgin, and is happy and proud of the final product, he said. "I accomplished something this young, at this age," he said.
Sumner, who published his book in December, said he's already done about 65 readings to elementary school classes in the Elgin area, plus a couple in Chicago. His next goal is to create a "Popa Pop-a-Lot" cartoon animation series, he said.
• Staff photographer Rick West contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Constable: Sugar Grove library offers waffle-maker, microscope, air compressor

You can , of course , still swing by the local library to pick up a wonderful book .
But patrons of the Sugar Grove Public Library have been visiting its Library of Wonderful Things to check out more unusual items , such as a waffle-maker , a selfie stick , mobile Wi-Fi hot spots , a punch bowl , an air compressor , a snow-cone machine , a microscope , a karaoke machine , a Roku streaming TV device , cookie cutters or a ukulele .
`` We 've gotten hot spots , Roku , the laminator , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says Char Buerger , who visits the library with her husband , Mike , daughter Isabella , 13 , and sons Logan , 11 , Vinny , 6 , and Gabe , 3 .
`` We 're always there getting something different . ''
Isabelle used the laminator to apply a plastic coating to pieces of a memory game she designed for an early childhood education project in class .
With Logan playing summer football , that meant lots of trips in the car , where Buerger used the hot spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` My kids , if they start working on homework in the car on the way home from school , they connect to the hot spots , '' Buerger says .
While some felt the internet would do to libraries what the asteroid did to dinosaurs , libraries are kicking it these days .
A new Gallup poll proclaims visiting the library the most common cultural activity engaged in by Americans .
Responders said they visit the library an average of 10.5 times a year -- nearly twice as often as people attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more than go to sporting events ( 4.7 times a year ) , live theatrical or musical events ( 4 times a year ) or museums or casinos ( both 2.5 times annually ) .
Circulation at the Sugar Grove library is up 40 percent since 2016 , says Director Shannon Halikias .
Patrons check out an average of 42 items a month from the Library of Wonderful .
`` We put a lot of thought into the first wave of items .
I think it 's part of our mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 're having a birthday party and looking for entertainment , you can check out a karaoke machine , '' she adds .
The punch bowl ( donated by a resident ) and the snow-cone machine might also be a fun addition .
A lot of homework these days is online .
`` Not every family can afford the internet , '' Halikias says , noting the mobile hot spots give families free internet for home use or a road trip .
`` This is really popular with home-school parents , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air compressor is pretty cool because you would n't think a library would have that . ''
A flat tire or other car emergency might be solved with a trip to the library .
`` I 'm actually going to put some jumper cables in there , '' Halikias says , noting that a couple of patrons have walked out of the library to discover dead batteries this winter .
Some of the items available are designed for `` cultural enrichment and education , '' while others are `` quirky and fun , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant to broaden horizons .
`` It makes me go wow when I see what kids can do when they have resources and support , '' Halikias says .
Her sons , Lio , 16 , and Luke , 14 , are avid library-goers .
Lio recorded a rap in a studio in a Naperville library , she says , noting she 'd love to add that option to the Sugar Grove library so patrons can record music or host podcasts .
The library has applied for a Live and Learn Construction Grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Halikias says the library also is looking for donations to the Library of Wonderful .
Adaptive technology and devices such as wheelchairs or crutches are on the wish list , as are a chocolate fondue fountain , a posthole digger , a sewing machine and fishing rods .
It can be fun to try new things .
`` My husband actually tried out the ukulele , '' Buerger says , opting for her kids ' gentle review of his performance .
`` They all got a kick out of it .
@

Constable: Sugar Grove library offers waffle-maker, microscope, air compressor -- and books
You can, of course, still swing by the local library to pick up a wonderful book. But patrons of the Sugar Grove Public Library have been visiting its Library of Wonderful Things to check out more unusual items, such as a waffle-maker, a selfie stick, mobile Wi-Fi hot spots, a punch bowl, an air compressor, a snow-cone machine, a microscope, a karaoke machine, a Roku streaming TV device, cookie cutters or a ukulele.
"We've gotten hot spots, Roku, the laminator, a Kindle, the binoculars and the telescope," says Char Buerger, who visits the library with her husband, Mike, daughter Isabella, 13, and sons Logan, 11, Vinny, 6, and Gabe, 3. "We're always there getting something different."
Isabelle used the laminator to apply a plastic coating to pieces of a memory game she designed for an early childhood education project in class. With Logan playing summer football, that meant lots of trips in the car, where Buerger used the hot spot to stay connected to the internet.
"My kids, if they start working on homework in the car on the way home from school, they connect to the hot spots," Buerger says.
While some felt the internet would do to libraries what the asteroid did to dinosaurs, libraries are kicking it these days. A new Gallup poll proclaims visiting the library the most common cultural activity engaged in by Americans. Responders said they visit the library an average of 10.5 times a year -- nearly twice as often as people attend movies (5.3 times a year), and more than go to sporting events (4.7 times a year), live theatrical or musical events (4 times a year) or museums or casinos (both 2.5 times annually).
- Brian Hill | Staff Photographer The Sugar Grove Public Library's wall of wonderful lets patrons check out items such as mobile Wi-Fi hot spots, an air compressor, cookie cutters, a waffle-maker or a ukulele, says Shannon Halikias, director of the library.
Circulation at the Sugar Grove library is up 40 percent since 2016, says Director Shannon Halikias. Patrons check out an average of 42 items a month from the Library of Wonderful.
"We put a lot of thought into the first wave of items. I think it's part of our mission," Halikias says.
"If you're having a birthday party and looking for entertainment, you can check out a karaoke machine," she adds.
The punch bowl (donated by a resident) and the snow-cone machine might also be a fun addition.
A lot of homework these days is online. "Not every family can afford the internet," Halikias says, noting the mobile hot spots give families free internet for home use or a road trip.
"This is really popular with home-school parents," she says of the microscope. "The air compressor is pretty cool because you wouldn't think a library would have that." A flat tire or other car emergency might be solved with a trip to the library. "I'm actually going to put some jumper cables in there," Halikias says, noting that a couple of patrons have walked out of the library to discover dead batteries this winter.
- Brian Hill | Staff Photographer These binoculars used by Shannon Halikias, director of the Sugar Grove Public Library, are among the unusual items patrons can check out from the Library of Wonderful Things.
Some of the items available are designed for "cultural enrichment and education," while others are "quirky and fun," she says. They all are meant to broaden horizons.
"It makes me go wow when I see what kids can do when they have resources and support," Halikias says. Her sons, Lio, 16, and Luke, 14, are avid library-goers. Lio recorded a rap in a studio in a Naperville library, she says, noting she'd love to add that option to the Sugar Grove library so patrons can record music or host podcasts.
The library has applied for a Live and Learn Construction Grant from the state to improve the building, but Halikias says the library also is looking for donations to the Library of Wonderful. Adaptive technology and devices such as wheelchairs or crutches are on the wish list, as are a chocolate fondue fountain, a posthole digger, a sewing machine and fishing rods.
It can be fun to try new things.
"My husband actually tried out the ukulele," Buerger says, opting for her kids' gentle review of his performance. "They all got a kick out of it."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Schaumburg might pay to extra bury power lines between major redevelopments

Along with the major redevelopments on both sides if Meacham Road between the I-90 tollway and Algonquin Road in Schaumburg , village officials now intend to bury power lines in the area .
A coincidentally timed road improvement at the intersection of Meacham and Algonquin is driving this expensive opportunity , rather than the ongoing work at the Veridian development on the former Motorola campus to the west or the village 's planned entertainment district to the east .
`` It makes sense from an aesthetic perspective , '' said Trustee Brian Bieschke , who chairs the village 's transportation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is slated to be a showcase . ''
The full village board next Tuesday will consider the transportation committee 's unanimous recommendation to make a $ 55,909 down payment to ComEd toward the design of burying the lines from Thoreau Drive near the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center north to Algonquin Road .
This is 10 % of the estimated total cost of burying the lines .
If officials ultimately decide to go ahead with burial , the village would be responsible for the entire cost , Schaumburg Transportation Director Karyn Robles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be the status quo , but modifications raising the pole height and probably requiring lines to hang above the roadway to avoid interfering with a cell tower on the southeast corner of Meacham and Algonquin .
The village expects to use funds from that area 's tax increment financing district to pay for whatever project emerges from ComEd 's study .
A more detailed and accurate cost estimate is also expected .
The village previously has invested in the burial of power lines along Schaumburg , Roselle and Wise roads when maintenance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom Dailly said .
`` It just looked terrible , '' he said of Schaumburg Road before that change .
`` The whole thing was : Let 's make our community look better .
You 're not going to get a cheaper time to do this . ''
A further benefit , he said , is the service improvement from power lines no longer vulnerable to bad weather .
Nevertheless , he was on the losing side of a 4-2 vote in 2016 that rejected burying the power lines along Plum Grove Road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 3 per month to residents ' electricity bills for five years .
The TIF district expected to fund the Meacham Road improvement works by having frozen the amount of property taxes local governments receive from it at the level of its first year .
For 23 years after that , any increases in the district 's property taxes go into a municipally held fund for public improvements .

Why Schaumburg might pay extra to bury power lines between major redevelopments
Along with the major redevelopments on both sides of Meacham Road between the I-90 tollway and Algonquin Road in Schaumburg, village officials now intend to bury power lines in the area.
A coincidentally timed road improvement at the intersection of Meacham and Algonquin is driving this expensive opportunity, rather than the ongoing work at the Veridian development on the former Motorola campus to the west or the village's planned entertainment district to the east.
"It makes sense from an aesthetic perspective," said Trustee Brian Bieschke, who chairs the village's transportation committee. "This part of Schaumburg is slated to be a showcase."
The full village board next Tuesday will consider the transportation committee's unanimous recommendation to make a $55,909 down payment to ComEd toward the design of burying the lines from Thoreau Drive near the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center north to Algonquin Road. This is 10% of the estimated total cost of burying the lines.
If officials ultimately decide to go ahead with burial, the village would be responsible for the entire cost, Schaumburg Transportation Director Karyn Robles said.
The alternative to burial would not be the status quo, but modifications raising the pole height and probably requiring lines to hang above the roadway to avoid interfering with a cell tower on the southeast corner of Meacham and Algonquin.
The village expects to use funds from that area's tax increment financing district to pay for whatever project emerges from ComEd's study. A more detailed and accurate cost estimate is also expected.
The village previously has invested in the burial of power lines along Schaumburg, Roselle and Wise roads when maintenance projects made the timing right, Mayor Tom Dailly said.
"It just looked terrible," he said of Schaumburg Road before that change. "The whole thing was: Let's make our community look better. You're not going to get a cheaper time to do this."
A further benefit, he said, is the service improvement from power lines no longer vulnerable to bad weather.
Nevertheless, he was on the losing side of a 4-2 vote in 2016 that rejected burying the power lines along Plum Grove Road between Higgins and Wiley roads by adding $3 per month to residents' electricity bills for five years.
The TIF district expected to fund the Meacham Road improvement works by having frozen the amount of property taxes local governments receive from it at the level of its first year. For 23 years after that, any increases in the district's property taxes go into a municipally held fund for public improvements.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Report: Contractor from Lombard kidnapped in Afghanistan

An American contractor from Lombard was captured by Taliban-aligned militants in Afghanistan last week , triggering a country-wide recovery effort @ @ @ @ @ to the report posted Wednesday on the magazine 's website , Mark R. Frerichs was @ @ @ @ @ , a province in the southeastern part of the country .
Frerichs , 57 , @ @ @ @ @ and the managing director for International Logistical Support , a U.S. government contractor , Newsweek @ @ @ @ @ LinkedIn account , he has worked as a civil engineer in several conflict zones from @ @ @ @ @ past 10 years , Newsweek said .
Newsweek said that while no group has claimed @ @ @ @ @ U.S. officials believe the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network orchestrated the operation .

Report: Contractor from Lombard kidnapped in Afghanistan
An American contractor from Lombard was captured by Taliban-aligned militants in Afghanistan last week, triggering a country-wide recovery effort, Newsweek reported.
According to the report posted Wednesday on the magazine's website, Mark R. Frerichs was kidnapped last Friday in Khost, a province in the southeastern part of the country.
Frerichs, 57, is a former Navy diver and the managing director for International Logistical Support, a U.S. government contractor, Newsweek reported. According to his LinkedIn account, he has worked as a civil engineer in several conflict zones from Iraq to Sudan during the past 10 years, Newsweek said.
Newsweek said that while no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, U.S. officials believe the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network orchestrated the operation.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Glenbard students send Valentine greetings to veterans

Roses are red , violets are blue , this Valentine 's Day , Glenbard High School District 87 students are saying thank you .
The students at all four high schools spent time after classes Wednesday to write and decorate valentines from the heart for hospitalized veterans .
The teens expressed their appreciation through `` Valentines for Veterans , '' an annual effort spearheaded by the village of Glendale Heights to send good wishes to the men and women who are spending the holiday in Illinois veterans hospitals or veterans homes .
`` Thank you !
For serving our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in one valentine .
The tradition began in the 1990s , when Gina Thorson , then the Glendale Heights public relations coordinator , started the project after reading a newspaper story about veterans in hospitals and long-term care facilities rarely receiving mail .
`` This is our random act of kindness for Glendale Heights , '' Thorson told the Daily Herald in 2004 .
`` We want to recognize these individuals and let them know they are not forgotten . ''
At a Glendale Heights village board meeting Thursday , Nicole Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will recognize the schools , businesses and community groups that contributed to the collection drive , coinciding with National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Month .
Then , the valentines will be shipped Friday morning .
In previous years , the village has collected upward of 5,000 cards for veterans , Lewis said .
Glenbard 's Advocating Character Through Service ( ACTS ) Committee also provided pizza and art supplies for students to create the handmade valentines .

Glenbard students send Valentine greetings to veterans
Roses are red, violets are blue, this Valentine's Day, Glenbard High School District 87 students are saying thank you.
The students at all four high schools spent time after classes Wednesday to write and decorate valentines from the heart for hospitalized veterans.
The teens expressed their appreciation through "Valentines for Veterans," an annual effort spearheaded by the village of Glendale Heights to send good wishes to the men and women who are spending the holiday in Illinois veterans hospitals or veterans homes.
"Thank you! For serving our country," Glenbard East senior Nazish Khan wrote in one valentine.
The tradition began in the 1990s, when Gina Thorson, then the Glendale Heights public relations coordinator, started the project after reading a newspaper story about veterans in hospitals and long-term care facilities rarely receiving mail.
Thorson died in 2012 from leukemia.
"This is our random act of kindness for Glendale Heights," Thorson told the Daily Herald in 2004. "We want to recognize these individuals and let them know they are not forgotten."
At a Glendale Heights village board meeting Thursday, Nicole Lewis, the village's human resources manager, will recognize the schools, businesses and community groups that contributed to the collection drive, coinciding with National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Month.
Then, the valentines will be shipped Friday morning.
In previous years, the village has collected upward of 5,000 cards for veterans, Lewis said.
Glenbard's Advocating Character Through Service (ACTS) Committee also provided pizza and art supplies for students to create the handmade valentines.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Quigley's primary challenger says be tougher on Trump

Chicago attorney Brian Burns is running to the left of 10-year incumbent Mike Quigley in the 5th Congressional District Democratic primary election , and he says Congress should have been tougher on President Donald Trump .
Burns said he would 've walked out of Trump 's State of the Union address as one way to demonstrate how he 'd take a stronger stance .
Quigley , a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that led the Russia investigation , said he has held the president accountable , but there are limits .
`` The State of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and while I may not respect this president , I respect the process , '' Quigley said during an interview Wednesday with the Daily Herald Editorial Board .
`` And I want the schoolchildren who watch this to appreciate that -- that we listen to each other .
Even if I disagree strongly with this president , I indicate that disagreement in the traditional democratic way -- how I vote . ''
The two Chicago residents are running to represent a district that is centered on the city 's North Side but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plaines , Elk Grove Village , Bensenville , Elmhurst , Oak Brook and Oakbrook Terrace .
Burns and Quigley -- on the phone from Washington , D.C. -- debated the issues the morning after the president 's address to Congress , and hours before his acquittal on impeachment charges in the Senate .
Burns , 32 , the interim chief compliance officer at Pangea Money Transfer , argued that congressional Democrats should have taken a stronger posture during impeachment proceedings by threatening to withhold defense funding -- and going as far as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify .
`` If you really want to stop this president , if you really want to enforce the subpoena , you can do it , '' Burns said .
`` You can force his hand by cutting off funding for the things that he wants to do . ''
Quigley , 61 , first elected to the congressional seat in 2009 , said a government shutdown would be `` wildly damaging and expensive , '' while it would have `` fueled ( Trump 's ) fire . ''
The candidates disagree on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All , while Quigley supports Medicare `` for all who want it , '' adding he does n't want to force people off their existing health insurance plans if they want to keep that coverage .
`` You can be aspirational and pragmatic at the same time , '' Quigley said .
Quigley has n't yet endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate , promising to make an announcement after Super Tuesday , March 3 .
Burns is supporting U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders because of his views on health care , climate change and income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to limit himself to a single 2-year term in Congress .
`` Starting from the middle is not the way that we make the changes that we need , '' Burns said .
`` We need to start with the aspirational . ''

Quigley's primary challenger says be tougher on Trump
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley questioned witnesses last November during the House Intelligence Committee's impeachment hearings. The 10-year incumbent from Chicago is facing a Democratic primary challenge in his bid for another term in Congress. Associated Press
Chicago attorney Brian Burns is running to the left of 10-year incumbent Mike Quigley in the 5th Congressional District Democratic primary election, and he says Congress should have been tougher on President Donald Trump.
Burns said he would've walked out of Trump's State of the Union address as one way to demonstrate how he'd take a stronger stance. Quigley, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that led the Russia investigation, said he has held the president accountable, but there are limits.
"The State of the Union is part of the democratic process, and while I may not respect this president, I respect the process," Quigley said during an interview Wednesday with the Daily Herald Editorial Board. "And I want the schoolchildren who watch this to appreciate that -- that we listen to each other. Even if I disagree strongly with this president, I indicate that disagreement in the traditional democratic way -- how I vote."
The two Chicago residents are running to represent a district that is centered on the city's North Side but stretches to suburbs including Rosemont, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Bensenville, Elmhurst, Oak Brook and Oakbrook Terrace.
Burns and Quigley -- on the phone from Washington, D.C. -- debated the issues the morning after the president's address to Congress, and hours before his acquittal on impeachment charges in the Senate.
Burns, 32, the interim chief compliance officer at Pangea Money Transfer, argued that congressional Democrats should have taken a stronger posture during impeachment proceedings by threatening to withhold defense funding -- and going as far as a government shutdown -- to compel witnesses to testify.
"If you really want to stop this president, if you really want to enforce the subpoena, you can do it," Burns said. "You can force his hand by cutting off funding for the things that he wants to do."
Quigley, 61, first elected to the congressional seat in 2009, said a government shutdown would be "wildly damaging and expensive," while it would have "fueled (Trump's) fire."
The candidates disagree on health care. Burns supports Medicare for All, while Quigley supports Medicare "for all who want it," adding he doesn't want to force people off their existing health insurance plans if they want to keep that coverage.
"You can be aspirational and pragmatic at the same time," Quigley said.
Quigley hasn't yet endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate, promising to make an announcement after Super Tuesday, March 3.
Burns is supporting U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders because of his views on health care, climate change and income inequality. If elected, Burns vowed to limit himself to a single 2-year term in Congress.
"Starting from the middle is not the way that we make the changes that we need," Burns said. "We need to start with the aspirational."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-05--Former St. Viator coach pleads not guilty to sexual abuse charge

Retired St. Viator High School coach Joseph Majkowski entered a not guilty plea Wednesday on a charge of sexually abusing @ @ @ @ @ was initially charged in July 2019 with misdemeanor disorderly conduct after , authorities say , @ @ @ @ @ to four 15-year-old students .
Those charges are still pending .
The sexual abuse allegation @ @ @ @ @ when a girl told therapists Majkowski inappropriately touched her in his office .
She and @ @ @ @ @ investigators .
Police arrested Majkowski on the sexual abuse charge in December 2019 .
Majkowski @ @ @ @ @ For 24 of them , he coached boys basketball .
He stopped coaching in 2011 @ @ @ @ @ the head of the school 's counseling department .
Majkowski retired from that position at @ @ @ @ @ school year , school officials said .

Former St. Viator coach pleads not guilty to sexual abuse charge
Retired St. Viator High School coach Joseph Majkowski entered a not guilty plea Wednesday on a charge of sexually abusing a minor.
The 65-year-old was initially charged in July 2019 with misdemeanor disorderly conduct after, authorities say, he sent inappropriate text messages to four 15-year-old students. Those charges are still pending.
The sexual abuse allegation surfaced in October 2019, when a girl told therapists Majkowski inappropriately touched her in his office. She and her mother subsequently spoke with investigators. Police arrested Majkowski on the sexual abuse charge in December 2019.
Majkowski coached for 35 years. For 24 of them, he coached boys basketball. He stopped coaching in 2011 but remained on staff as the head of the school's counseling department.
Majkowski retired from that position at the end of the 2018-19 school year, school officials said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-06--Ogden 6 employees pushing petition to save longtime theater in Naperville

Two employees of Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres have started an online petition to save the longtime movie house from a Costco development plan that would force it to close or relocate .
Krysten Holley and Sarah Verrey thought they 'd gather about 100 signatures on their change.org request to preserve their workplace , a spot they say holds emotional memories for many guests .
Since posting the petition `` Save Ogden 6 Theatre '' about noon Monday , they have gathered 10,553 signatures and counting .
`` We 're so surprised at the amount this has spread , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dedication to try and save something so small in the city of Naperville , '' Holley said .
Ogden 6 has been at 1227 E. Ogden Ave. since the mid-1970s and owned by Classic Cinemas since 1996 .
CEO and owner Chris Johnson said he had no idea Holley and Verrey , both employees since 2016 , planned to start a petition .
He said he 's been floored by the response .
`` I am encouraged .
I think it 's fantastic that people care so much , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attachment to the theater and that it 's special and different and unique in its own way . ''
The theater would have to close or move if Costco buys the site where it rents its space at Ogden Mall on Naperville 's northeast side .
The mall is anchored by an H Mart Asian grocer and the shell of a Kmart that has stood vacant for seven years .
Christine Jeffries , president and CEO of the Naperville Development Partnership , said Costco plans to buy the 33-acre site , leaving in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a CVS and a Panera Bread on roughly 17 acres , while using the other 16 to build its second store in Naperville and a gas station .
With the help of the Development Partnership , Johnson said , he is considering other sites where he could move the theater , even visiting one further west of the site on Wednesday morning .
He said he 's nervous that moving from the intersection of Ogden and Naper Boulevard would put him too close to competing theaters or too far from customers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Westmont .
But the thousands of signatures on his employees ' petition provide some measure of the public 's devotion .
Holley and Verrey said they were moved to start the petition to attract the attention of Costco officials and city council members by showing them how much people value Ogden 6 .
Reading posts on the petition site has shown how the theater combines memories , nostalgia and tradition .
`` That 's something people wo n't get from other , bigger movie theater franchises , '' said Holley , 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people wo n't get those memories at Costco . ''
Verrey , 19 , of Naperville , said she 's already dreamed of bringing her future children to the theater where she enjoyed shows growing up , originally watching second-run movies until the screens switched to new releases after a 2018 renovation .
`` It blows my mind how much emotion and the great memories people have at this theater , '' Verrey said .
`` It would be such a tragedy to let another big-name business like Costco come and demolish something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it is company policy not to comment on future warehouses until they are about three months from opening and details are available .
The city council is expected to begin discussions Feb. 18 about potential sales tax rebates to help offset the cost of site work Costco would need to complete to build a store , such as demolishing the former Kmart , a strip of other small businesses or vacant storefronts and the theater .

Ogden 6 employees pushing petition to save longtime theater in Naperville
Employees of Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres in Naperville say they have made strong connections with customers and heard emotional stories of the theater's significance in people's lives. That's why two of them have started a petition to save the theater from a Costco warehouse proposal that would require it to move or shut down. Courtesy of Krysten Holley
Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres employees Krysten Holley, left, and Sarah Verrey, center, seen here with former employee Alejandra Rodriguez, have started an online petition to save the theater where they work. The theater would be forced to move or close if a plan moves forward to build a Costco warehouse on the site. Courtesy of Krysten Holley
Two employees of Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres have started an online petition to save the longtime movie house from a Costco development plan that would force it to close or relocate.
Krysten Holley and Sarah Verrey thought they'd gather about 100 signatures on their change.org request to preserve their workplace, a spot they say holds emotional memories for many guests.
Since posting the petition "Save Ogden 6 Theatre" about noon Monday, they have gathered 10,553 signatures and counting.
"We're so surprised at the amount this has spread, at the amount of people that have this dedication to try and save something so small in the city of Naperville," Holley said.
Ogden 6 has been at 1227 E. Ogden Ave. since the mid-1970s and owned by Classic Cinemas since 1996.
CEO and owner Chris Johnson said he had no idea Holley and Verrey, both employees since 2016, planned to start a petition. He said he's been floored by the response.
"I am encouraged. I think it's fantastic that people care so much," he said. "It shows there's an emotional attachment to the theater and that it's special and different and unique in its own way."
The theater would have to close or move if Costco buys the site where it rents its space at Ogden Mall on Naperville's northeast side.
The mall is anchored by an H Mart Asian grocer and the shell of a Kmart that has stood vacant for seven years. Christine Jeffries, president and CEO of the Naperville Development Partnership, said Costco plans to buy the 33-acre site, leaving in place the H Mart, a bank, a CVS and a Panera Bread on roughly 17 acres, while using the other 16 to build its second store in Naperville and a gas station.
With the help of the Development Partnership, Johnson said, he is considering other sites where he could move the theater, even visiting one further west of the site on Wednesday morning.
He said he's nervous that moving from the intersection of Ogden and Naper Boulevard would put him too close to competing theaters or too far from customers who already make the drive from Downers Grove and Westmont. But the thousands of signatures on his employees' petition provide some measure of the public's devotion.
Holley and Verrey said they were moved to start the petition to attract the attention of Costco officials and city council members by showing them how much people value Ogden 6. Reading posts on the petition site has shown how the theater combines memories, nostalgia and tradition.
"That's something people won't get from other, bigger movie theater franchises," said Holley, 21, of Naperville. "Obviously, people won't get those memories at Costco."
Verrey, 19, of Naperville, said she's already dreamed of bringing her future children to the theater where she enjoyed shows growing up, originally watching second-run movies until the screens switched to new releases after a 2018 renovation.
"It blows my mind how much emotion and the great memories people have at this theater," Verrey said. "It would be such a tragedy to let another big-name business like Costco come and demolish something like that."
A Costco spokeswoman said it is company policy not to comment on future warehouses until they are about three months from opening and details are available.
The city council is expected to begin discussions Feb. 18 about potential sales tax rebates to help offset the cost of site work Costco would need to complete to build a store, such as demolishing the former Kmart, a strip of other small businesses or vacant storefronts and the theater.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-06--MLK's daughter calls for 'dismantling, disrupting' systemic racism

Disrupt .
Dismantle .
Be the light that snuffs out the darkness of racism .
That was the message Bernice King , daughter of the late Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. , conveyed to hundreds gathered Wednesday at Wheaton College for its inaugural Rodney Sisco Symposium .
The event , dedicated to diversity , equity and inclusion practices , honored the life and legacy of the late Rodney Sisco , longtime Wheaton College director of the Office of Multicultural Development who died in 2018 .
King emphasized the need to dismantle and disrupt structural and systemic racism and living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a `` fierce urgency to follow Christ , '' she said .
`` We are indeed living in a very difficult , challenging and tumultuous times , '' she said .
King described a global resurgence of white supremacist ideologies and a rise in nationalistic fervor , widening income and wealth gaps , catastrophic environmental threats , a justice system that disproportionately incarcerates poor black and brown people , rising militarization of police and `` out of control police officers who have no regard for the value of black lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump , democracy itself is at stake , King said .
`` In light of an extreme , politically and ideologically polarized climate in our nation , we perhaps are on the brink of some unrest , '' she said .
`` In light of continual racial hate , discrimination , systemic racism and resultant disparities in every arena of American life , we 're in some very dark times .
In light of the increasing , ethnic , racial , religious and cultural diversity and yet the lack of true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some very dark times . ''
Her words and oratory style , evocative of her Southern Baptist upbringing , echoed her legendary father 's speeches frequently eliciting affirmations and outbursts of `` preach on '' from the ecumenical and distinctively diverse audience .
`` We need some light in this nation and world , '' King said .
`` Darkness is ensuing and threatening to overtake our very humanity . ''
Christians , King said , are responsible for bringing that light .
She urged audience members to not only profess but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocate , King is the CEO of Atlanta-based Martin Luther King Jr. Center for nonviolent social change founded by her mother , Coretta Scott King , in 1968 .
It 's both her parents ' legacies that King honors and carries , she said .
`` When my father was assassinated , he was one of the most hated men in America .
And now he is one of the most loved men in the world , '' King said .
`` And you do n't get to that place without an individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the responsibility to carry forth your work . ''

MLK's daughter calls for 'dismantling, disrupting' systemic racism
In a speech Wednesday at Wheaton College, Bernice King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., talks about systemic racism, her father's legacy and how Christians should walk the path of Christ. Courtesy of Les Barker/Wheaton College
Disrupt. Dismantle. Be the light that snuffs out the darkness of racism.
That was the message Bernice King, daughter of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., conveyed to hundreds gathered Wednesday at Wheaton College for its inaugural Rodney Sisco Symposium.
The event, dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion practices, honored the life and legacy of the late Rodney Sisco, longtime Wheaton College director of the Office of Multicultural Development who died in 2018.
King emphasized the need to dismantle and disrupt structural and systemic racism and living up to her father's legacy.
There is a "fierce urgency to follow Christ," she said. "We are indeed living in a very difficult, challenging and tumultuous times," she said.
King described a global resurgence of white supremacist ideologies and a rise in nationalistic fervor, widening income and wealth gaps, catastrophic environmental threats, a justice system that disproportionately incarcerates poor black and brown people, rising militarization of police and "out of control police officers who have no regard for the value of black lives."
With the impeachment and acquittal of President Donald Trump, democracy itself is at stake, King said.
"In light of an extreme, politically and ideologically polarized climate in our nation, we perhaps are on the brink of some unrest," she said. "In light of continual racial hate, discrimination, systemic racism and resultant disparities in every arena of American life, we're in some very dark times. In light of the increasing, ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity and yet the lack of true inclusion and equity, we are living in some very dark times."
Her words and oratory style, evocative of her Southern Baptist upbringing, echoed her legendary father's speeches frequently eliciting affirmations and outbursts of "preach on" from the ecumenical and distinctively diverse audience.
"We need some light in this nation and world," King said. "Darkness is ensuing and threatening to overtake our very humanity."
Christians, King said, are responsible for bringing that light. She urged audience members to not only profess but to literally follow Christ.
A peace advocate, King is the CEO of Atlanta-based Martin Luther King Jr. Center for nonviolent social change founded by her mother, Coretta Scott King, in 1968. It's both her parents' legacies that King honors and carries, she said.
"When my father was assassinated, he was one of the most hated men in America. And now he is one of the most loved men in the world," King said. "And you don't get to that place without an individual, or perhaps individuals, who take on the responsibility to carry forth your work."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-06--Bears team chaplain tells of keeping the faith to Arlington Heights crowd

As team chaplain for the Chicago Bears for the past five years , Pastor Jonathan Wilkins says people often tell him : `` Your prayers are n't being answered . ''
Wilkins imparted the power of prayer to an early morning gathering of religious and community leaders Thursday during the 33rd annual Arlington Heights Mayor 's Community Prayer Breakfast .
`` Prayer provides strength , it provides hope , and it grants us the love we need through the transitions of life , '' said Wilkins , who delivered the event 's keynote address at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which also included prayers , scripture readings and musical performances by the Northwest Community Healthcare Choir , started as an offshoot to the national breakfast that began in 1953 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower .
Wilkins , also a leadership development manager at real estate company CBRE , spoke about how his faith helps him get through life 's transitions , which he compared to the change between one season and another , or mandatory prerequisite courses in college .
`` As I 've learned , God will enroll you in classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` And yet as our ultimate teacher , God requires for us to endure certain seasons that can be immensely challenging . ''
Take , for example , what Wilkins says he experienced June 13 , 2019 .
It was the day he and his family was laying his father to rest after he had terminal cancer .
Later that day , Wilkins ' wife gave birth to the couple 's baby boy .
`` I 'd like to think that both my natural father and my heavenly father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Wilkins said .
`` We do n't always know why certain things happen , but you talk about full circle .
The range and the rhythm of emotions vacillating between a deep and sincere sadness , to complete uncontrollable joy . ''
`` Through the transitions , God is good , no matter how difficult life is . ''

Bears team chaplain tells of keeping the faith to Arlington Heights crowd
As team chaplain for the Chicago Bears for the past five years, Pastor Jonathan Wilkins says people often tell him: "Your prayers aren't being answered."
His response?
"Your faith is wavering."
Wilkins imparted the power of prayer to an early morning gathering of religious and community leaders Thursday during the 33rd annual Arlington Heights Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast.
"Prayer provides strength, it provides hope, and it grants us the love we need through the transitions of life," said Wilkins, who delivered the event's keynote address at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel on Algonquin Road.
The local event, which also included prayers, scripture readings and musical performances by the Northwest Community Healthcare Choir, started as an offshoot to the national breakfast that began in 1953 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Wilkins, also a leadership development manager at real estate company CBRE, spoke about how his faith helps him get through life's transitions, which he compared to the change between one season and another, or mandatory prerequisite courses in college.
"As I've learned, God will enroll you in classes you did not sign up for," he said. "And yet as our ultimate teacher, God requires for us to endure certain seasons that can be immensely challenging."
Take, for example, what Wilkins says he experienced June 13, 2019.
It was the day he and his family was laying his father to rest after he had terminal cancer. Later that day, Wilkins' wife gave birth to the couple's baby boy.
"I'd like to think that both my natural father and my heavenly father had a hand in this happening," Wilkins said. "We don't always know why certain things happen, but you talk about full circle. The range and the rhythm of emotions vacillating between a deep and sincere sadness, to complete uncontrollable joy."
"Through the transitions, God is good, no matter how difficult life is."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-06--Elgin symphony music director Andrew Grams leaving next year

Andrew Grams , the Elgin Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor who for six years has charmed audiences with his knack for making classical music approachable , announced he will leave at the end of the 2020-21 season .
`` After enjoying the privilege of being the Elgin Symphony Orchestra 's music director for seven extraordinary seasons of music-making , I make this decision proud of the work we 've done to raise the level of the orchestra and all we have achieved in making the connection to the community it serves even stronger , '' Grams said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these accomplishments , I have discovered in myself a passion for teaching and sharing music in different ways and I now seek to open time in my diary to allow me to pursue more of this kind of work . ''
Grams was hired in 2014 in Elgin and has conducted concerts ranging from traditional masterworks to holiday singalongs and the best of John Williams .
Grams ' contract ends in 2021 .
`` We are deeply grateful for the considerable time , artistry and enthusiasm that Maestro Grams has devoted to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Erik Malmquist , the orchestra 's director of artistic planning and operations .
`` His vibrant energy and positive spirit will be missed by musicians and audiences alike . ''
A committee of ESO musicians , staff members , board members and members of the greater Elgin community will be in charge of conducting a replacement search .
The search will likely officially launch in about a month or so , once the committee is done defining the parameters , said Ashley Schoen , senior director of marketing for ESO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the 2020-21 season this weekend , Schoen said .
Grams will conduct the opening and closing concerts , with guest conductors for the rest , she said .
`` I sincerely hope to be able to assist in attracting music director candidates to continue the work I have begun .
Of course I intend to maintain a close relationship with the ESO and to continue to serve this great community well into the future , '' Grams said .
Founded in 1950 , the Elgin Symphony Orchestra was named `` orchestra of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently in 2016 , by the Illinois Council of Orchestras .

Elgin symphony music director Andrew Grams leaving next year
Andrew Grams, music director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, announced he'll leave at the end of the 2020-21 season, when his contract ends. Photo courtesy of Paolo Cascio
Andrew Grams, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor who for six years has charmed audiences with his knack for making classical music approachable, announced he will leave at the end of the 2020-21 season.
"After enjoying the privilege of being the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's music director for seven extraordinary seasons of music-making, I make this decision proud of the work we've done to raise the level of the orchestra and all we have achieved in making the connection to the community it serves even stronger," Grams said in a news release Thursday.
"Thanks to these accomplishments, I have discovered in myself a passion for teaching and sharing music in different ways and I now seek to open time in my diary to allow me to pursue more of this kind of work."
Grams was hired in 2014 in Elgin and has conducted concerts ranging from traditional masterworks to holiday singalongs and the best of John Williams. Grams' contract ends in 2021.
"We are deeply grateful for the considerable time, artistry and enthusiasm that Maestro Grams has devoted to the ESO and to our community of supporters," said Erik Malmquist, the orchestra's director of artistic planning and operations. "His vibrant energy and positive spirit will be missed by musicians and audiences alike."
A committee of ESO musicians, staff members, board members and members of the greater Elgin community will be in charge of conducting a replacement search. The search will likely officially launch in about a month or so, once the committee is done defining the parameters, said Ashley Schoen, senior director of marketing for ESO.
The orchestra will announce the lineup for the 2020-21 season this weekend, Schoen said. Grams will conduct the opening and closing concerts, with guest conductors for the rest, she said.
"I sincerely hope to be able to assist in attracting music director candidates to continue the work I have begun. Of course I intend to maintain a close relationship with the ESO and to continue to serve this great community well into the future," Grams said.
Founded in 1950, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra was named "orchestra of the year" four times, most recently in 2016, by the Illinois Council of Orchestras.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-06--Kidnapped contractor's Lombard dad: I have deep faith my son will be found

The father of a Lombard man kidnapped in Afghanistan says he trusts the president and the FBI to find his son , an American contractor believed taken last week by Taliban-aligned militants in Afghanistan .
`` I 'm a person of deep faith , so my trust in God is an anchor for me , '' Art Frerichs said about his son , Mark R. Frerichs , in a statement released through a family friend .
`` I also have deep faith in President Donald Trump , the FBI , and our military officials to help secure the safe release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's no other information available to share at this time .
I am very grateful for all of the wonderful gestures of kindness and prayers being offered .
Please continue those . ''
Frerichs declined to reveal more details about his 57-year-old son 's past , including that of his childhood in Lombard and his years in the Navy , for security concerns .
But former classmates of Mark Frerichs posted on Facebook that they attended Glenbard East High School with him .
According to a report posted by Newsweek magazine , Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the managing director for International Logistical Support .
The Virginia-based firm is a U.S. government contractor .
According to his LinkedIn account , he has worked as a civil engineer in several conflict zones from Iraq to Sudan during the past 10 years , Newsweek said .
While no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping , U.S. officials believe the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network orchestrated the operation .
`` I am aware of reports that an American citizen from Illinois has been taken captive in Afghanistan .
My staff and I are working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Defense ) to gather more information , '' Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Thursday .
`` My heart goes out to the family of this individual and we will all work hard to get him released . ''
Marvin Weinbaum , director of Afghanistan and Pakistan studies at the Middle East Institute in Washington , said the Khost area , where Frerichs was working , is a difficult and dangerous area for contractors .
The territory is controlled by the Haqqani network .
He said the network is `` notorious for kidnapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more brutal than most , '' Weinbaum said .
`` People are taken occasionally because of who they are rather than what they do , '' Weinbaum said .
`` Probably , they did n't single him out as someone they wanted .
But he was picked up as anybody might have because he was exposed . ''
Weinbaum said the first step for those who want to free Frerichs is to identify that a group has him and that he 's in good shape , then determine what the kidnappers want .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ income for the Taliban and the Islamic State , '' he said .
`` Kidnapping is right up there with smuggling , poppy growing and the rest .
That means not just Americans or foreigners but it means Afghans , too . ''
Weinbaum said the last major kidnapping in Afghanistan involved two professors from American University in Kabul in 2016 .
The two men -- one American , one Australian -- were held by the Taliban until November 2019 .
They were released just hours after three senior commanders of the Haqqani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a while , '' he said .
`` Even with a ransom , you may not hear for quite a while as to who 's claiming it and what they want .
And sometimes this is communicated not publicly but rather through informal sources . ''
`` So there may very well be a response , but we should n't necessarily expect it will be soon . ''

Kidnapped contractor's Lombard dad: I have deep faith my son will be found
The father of a Lombard man kidnapped in Afghanistan says he trusts the president and the FBI to find his son, an American contractor believed taken last week by Taliban-aligned militants in Afghanistan.
"I'm a person of deep faith, so my trust in God is an anchor for me," Art Frerichs said about his son, Mark R. Frerichs, in a statement released through a family friend. "I also have deep faith in President Donald Trump, the FBI, and our military officials to help secure the safe release of my son."
"There's no other information available to share at this time. I am very grateful for all of the wonderful gestures of kindness and prayers being offered. Please continue those."
Frerichs declined to reveal more details about his 57-year-old son's past, including that of his childhood in Lombard and his years in the Navy, for security concerns.
But former classmates of Mark Frerichs posted on Facebook that they attended Glenbard East High School with him.
According to a report posted by Newsweek magazine, Mark Frerichs is a former Navy diver and the managing director for International Logistical Support. The Virginia-based firm is a U.S. government contractor.
According to his LinkedIn account, he has worked as a civil engineer in several conflict zones from Iraq to Sudan during the past 10 years, Newsweek said.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, U.S. officials believe the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network orchestrated the operation.
"I am aware of reports that an American citizen from Illinois has been taken captive in Afghanistan. My staff and I are working closely with the State Department and (Department of Defense) to gather more information," Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Thursday. "My heart goes out to the family of this individual and we will all work hard to get him released."
Marvin Weinbaum, director of Afghanistan and Pakistan studies at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the Khost area, where Frerichs was working, is a difficult and dangerous area for contractors. The territory is controlled by the Haqqani network.
He said the network is "notorious for kidnapping."
"And they're probably more brutal than most," Weinbaum said.
Why take Mark Frerichs?
"People are taken occasionally because of who they are rather than what they do," Weinbaum said. "Probably, they didn't single him out as someone they wanted. But he was picked up as anybody might have because he was exposed."
Weinbaum said the first step for those who want to free Frerichs is to identify that a group has him and that he's in good shape, then determine what the kidnappers want.
"Kidnapping is a regular source of income for the Taliban and the Islamic State," he said. "Kidnapping is right up there with smuggling, poppy growing and the rest. That means not just Americans or foreigners but it means Afghans, too."
Weinbaum said the last major kidnapping in Afghanistan involved two professors from American University in Kabul in 2016. The two men -- one American, one Australian -- were held by the Taliban until November 2019. They were released just hours after three senior commanders of the Haqqani network were released.
"It may take a while," he said. "Even with a ransom, you may not hear for quite a while as to who's claiming it and what they want. And sometimes this is communicated not publicly but rather through informal sources."
"So there may very well be a response, but we shouldn't necessarily expect it will be soon."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-06--DuPage opioid deaths decrease by 2, but coroner still calls numbers 'not good'

Two fewer people died from opioid overdoses in DuPage County in 2019 than in 2018 .
But the slight progress -- from 98 opioid-related deaths two years ago to 96 last year -- is not enough to satisfy public health officials who have been working against the problem since the early 2010s .
`` I 'm very disappointed that we have not had a better change , '' DuPage Coroner Richard Jorgensen said .
`` It 's virtually the same number . ''
The 96 opioid-related deaths are the second-most the county has seen since 2012 , when Jorgensen began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total represents no material change since 2016 , when 95 people died in DuPage County from heroin and other opioids .
The death total in 2017 also was 95 .
`` We 've been on a plateau , '' Jorgensen said .
`` That 's not good . ''
Public health officials in DuPage and across the region and the country are finding it difficult to combat the trend of opioid deaths because of the challenges people face in finding treatment , paying for it and completing it to begin a life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one of the hardest addictions to overcome , and it 's extremely dangerous , '' Jorgensen said .
Another challenge since 2015 has been the presence of black-market fentanyl .
The powerful opioid is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin , and it can come in roughly 60 varieties -- some of them even stronger yet , Jorgensen said .
Deaths from fentanyl now have overtaken deaths from heroin in DuPage , with 33 people dying from fentanyl alone in 2019 , compared with 13 dying from heroin alone and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two .
Since 2014 , the DuPage Narcan Program has been equipping police officers with doses of an antidote that knocks opioids off the receptors they stimulate in the brain and allows users to begin breathing again .
The program in 2019 recorded its highest total of successful revivals at 207 .
`` If we would n't have saved all those lives , this would be not in very good shape at all , '' Jorgensen said .
Fourteen people with confirmed opioid use who were given Narcan through the program did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more saves than it did in 2018 and now has revived overdosing patients 605 times in six years .
Because of privacy rules , the county does not track data on whether any of the overdose reversals have revived the same person more than once .
Karen Ayala , executive director of the DuPage County Health Department , said the county 's Heroin/Opioid Prevention and Education Taskforce is working to improve access to treatment , education and recovery resources that can help people affected by opioids .
The county also plans to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has died from an opioid overdose , beginning with the 98 who lost their lives in 2018 .
Using funding from a $ 1.1 million federal grant , Jorgensen said , the county plans to establish an opioid fatality review team to delve into the reasons people started using opioids , could n't stop and eventually died .
`` We 're going to try to look at it in a completely new way to answer the question of 'Why ? '
'' Jorgensen said .
`` What have n't we found that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
We 're really trying to be open-minded . ''

DuPage opioid deaths decrease by 2, but coroner still calls numbers 'not good'
DuPage County Coroner Dr. Richard Jorgensen said the county has been "on a plateau" with the number of opioid overdose deaths in recent years, and "that's not good." Daily Herald file photo
Two fewer people died from opioid overdoses in DuPage County in 2019 than in 2018.
But the slight progress -- from 98 opioid-related deaths two years ago to 96 last year -- is not enough to satisfy public health officials who have been working against the problem since the early 2010s.
"I'm very disappointed that we have not had a better change," DuPage Coroner Richard Jorgensen said. "It's virtually the same number."
The 96 opioid-related deaths are the second-most the county has seen since 2012, when Jorgensen began studying and fighting the issue. But the total represents no material change since 2016, when 95 people died in DuPage County from heroin and other opioids. The death total in 2017 also was 95.
"We've been on a plateau," Jorgensen said. "That's not good."
Public health officials in DuPage and across the region and the country are finding it difficult to combat the trend of opioid deaths because of the challenges people face in finding treatment, paying for it and completing it to begin a life in recovery.
"Opioid addiction is just one of the hardest addictions to overcome, and it's extremely dangerous," Jorgensen said.
Another challenge since 2015 has been the presence of black-market fentanyl. The powerful opioid is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin, and it can come in roughly 60 varieties -- some of them even stronger yet, Jorgensen said.
Deaths from fentanyl now have overtaken deaths from heroin in DuPage, with 33 people dying from fentanyl alone in 2019, compared with 13 dying from heroin alone and 42 succumbing to a combination of the two.
Since 2014, the DuPage Narcan Program has been equipping police officers with doses of an antidote that knocks opioids off the receptors they stimulate in the brain and allows users to begin breathing again.
The program in 2019 recorded its highest total of successful revivals at 207.
"If we wouldn't have saved all those lives, this would be not in very good shape at all," Jorgensen said.
Fourteen people with confirmed opioid use who were given Narcan through the program did not survive. But the effort made 31 more saves than it did in 2018 and now has revived overdosing patients 605 times in six years.
Because of privacy rules, the county does not track data on whether any of the overdose reversals have revived the same person more than once.
Karen Ayala, executive director of the DuPage County Health Department, said the county's Heroin/Opioid Prevention and Education Taskforce is working to improve access to treatment, education and recovery resources that can help people affected by opioids.
The county also plans to take a deeper look at each person who has died from an opioid overdose, beginning with the 98 who lost their lives in 2018. Using funding from a $1.1 million federal grant, Jorgensen said, the county plans to establish an opioid fatality review team to delve into the reasons people started using opioids, couldn't stop and eventually died.
"We're going to try to look at it in a completely new way to answer the question of 'Why?'" Jorgensen said. "What haven't we found that we can find to turn this problem around? We're really trying to be open-minded."