dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-17--Feder: Larry Lujack, Dick Biondi rock into new Hall of Fame

Chicago radio legends Larry Lujack and Dick Biondi have been named charter inductees in the Hall of Fame of the @ @ @ @ @ Museum on Route 66 under construction in Joliet , according to Robert Feder .
Lujack @ @ @ @ @ , was elected by museum members in the DJ category .
Biondi was named recipient @ @ @ @ @ Achievement Award and also will be inducted in the Hall of Fame .

Feder: Larry Lujack, Dick Biondi rock into new Hall of Fame
Chicago radio legends Larry Lujack and Dick Biondi have been named charter inductees in the Hall of Fame of the new Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 under construction in Joliet, according to Robert Feder.
Lujack, who died in 2013, was elected by museum members in the DJ category. Biondi was named recipient of the Founder's Lifetime Achievement Award and also will be inducted in the Hall of Fame.
Read the full story here.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-17--Astros pitcher Martes suspended for 2020 following drug test

NEW YORK -- Houston Astros pitcher Francis Martes was suspended for the 2020 season following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing substance under baseball 's major league drug program .
Martes tested positive for Boldenone , the commissioner 's office said Monday .
Boldenone is sold under the brand name Equipose and is used commonly on horses .
A 24-year-old right-hander , Martes is on the Astros ' 40-man major league roster but has n't pitched in the big leagues since 2017 .
He was suspended last March 12 for 80 games following a positive test for Clomiphene , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been used by some athletes to counter side effects of steroids use .
Martes returned Aug. 21 and made two starts for the rookie level Gulf Coast Astros and one for Quad Cities of the Class A Midwest League .
He was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 5 1/3 innings .
Martes ' ban is n't quite the Houston-related cheating punishment fans and players have clamored for around baseball .
The Astros have been pummeled via the press by opposing teams since opening spring training , with many expressing disappointment that no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Martes did not have a statement , the players ' association said .
`` Throughout our system , players are educated through MLB 's drug prevention and treatment programs , '' the Astros said in a statement .
`` We hope that Francis will learn from this experience moving forward . ''
He is the second player suspended this year under the big league program .
Colorado pitcher Justin Lawrence was suspended for 80 games following a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone ( DHCMT ) .
Lawrence also has yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Astros pitcher Martes suspended for 2020 following drug test
FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2017 file photo Houston Astros relief pitcher Francis Martes walks toward the dugout after being pulled during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Houston. Martes was suspended for the 2020 season following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing substance under baseball's major league drug program. Martes tested positive for Boldenone, the commissioner's office said Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. Boldenone is sold under the brand name Equipose and is used commonly on horses. Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Houston Astros pitcher Francis Martes was suspended for the 2020 season following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing substance under baseball's major league drug program.
Martes tested positive for Boldenone, the commissioner's office said Monday. Boldenone is sold under the brand name Equipose and is used commonly on horses.
A 24-year-old right-hander, Martes is on the Astros' 40-man major league roster but hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2017.
He was suspended last March 12 for 80 games following a positive test for Clomiphene, a women's fertility drug that has been used by some athletes to counter side effects of steroids use. Martes returned Aug. 21 and made two starts for the rookie level Gulf Coast Astros and one for Quad Cities of the Class A Midwest League. He was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 5 1/3 innings.
Martes' ban isn't quite the Houston-related cheating punishment fans and players have clamored for around baseball. The Astros have been pummeled via the press by opposing teams since opening spring training, with many expressing disappointment that no players were suspended for their sign-stealing scam.
Martes did not have a statement, the players' association said.
"Throughout our system, players are educated through MLB's drug prevention and treatment programs," the Astros said in a statement. "We hope that Francis will learn from this experience moving forward."
He is the second player suspended this year under the big league program. Colorado pitcher Justin Lawrence was suspended for 80 games following a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT). Lawrence also has yet to make his big league debut.
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dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Constable: How two Waukegan brothers went from 'undocumented' to the Ivy League

As Ivy League graduates with the `` golden tickets '' of great jobs , unlimited potential and the passion to help others , Waukegan brothers Irvin and Topiltzin Gomez say they recognize how `` privileged '' they are .
As outspoken immigrants who provide the `` undocumented perspective , '' Dartmouth College alum Irvin , 27 , and Topiltzin , 23 , who earned his diploma at Yale University , also remember the help they got from the Schuler Scholar Program and others along the way .
The path to Ivy League degrees for the Gomez brothers began Aug. 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mexican border town of Agua Prieta , where they said goodbye to their parents .
`` We met up with coyotes and then we split up , '' remembers Irvin , who was 10 years old when his parents paid those smugglers $ 6,000 to sneak him and his brother into the United States .
`` This is the person who will take you to the border while your parents would walk through the desert around a security checkpoint , '' Irvin remembers being told as he , his brother , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed the stranger .
`` We got put into a car .
We were told to be asleep in the back , '' says Irvin , who faked slumber while U.S. Border Patrol agents checked the driver 's paperwork at the border .
`` Then we just drove through . ''
The children ended up with a collection of other immigrants for the night at a house in Tucson , Arizona .
`` Where are my parents ? ''
Topiltzin , who was just 5 years old , remembers thinking .
An American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had bacon for the first time the morning before my parents arrived , '' he says , explaining how his childish memories of that precarious pilgrimage focus on foods such as that bacon , grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets .
`` I was just there for the ride . ''
Reunited with their parents , the Gomez family 's odyssey was n't over .
`` We had a three-day drive in a van without seats and 10 or 12 people , '' Irvin says .
The van dropped off undocumented immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gomez family to the boys ' uncle 's home in Waukegan , where 11 people shared a one-bedroom apartment .
Their father , who had spent the previous year working as a busboy at a suburban Old Country Buffet before returning to Mexico to fetch his family , had a good-luck charm of the Virgen de Juquila , whose saintly life fuels a holiday in their homeland of Oaxaca , Mexico .
`` My dad gave it to me when I went off to Dartmouth , '' says Irvin , who graduated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Hampshire .
Irvin also saved the decorative throw pillow he used while sleeping on the floor after his arrival in the U.S. Those stories now fuel his essays on applications to graduate schools such as Harvard , Stanford , Wharton , MIT and Northwestern , as he pursues his MBA .
Irvin 's example inspired Topiltzin , who graduated in 2018 from Yale in New Haven , Connecticut , with a degree in ethics , politics and economics , and is working on programs to curb poverty .
It was n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Hey , that 's us , '' he remembers thinking , recalling how his father worked at a doughnut shop , a pizza place , Toys R Us , Old Country Buffet , and a warehouse to support his family while their mom ran the household .
`` He had to drop out in third grade because there was only enough money for one of the five siblings to go to school , '' Irvin says of his dad .
`` He saw the possibility of something better , '' says Topiltzin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I know from talking to both of them , they are committed to working hard and giving back to their parents , who sacrificed so much for them , '' says Gayle Meyers , director of college and alumni programs at the Schuler Scholar Program , which helped both of them earn scholarships to pay for college and plays a key role in the brothers ' success .
The not-for-profit agency was founded and funded by Lake Bluff entrepreneur Jack Schuler , former president and chief operating officer of Abbott Laboratories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sharman , with the goal of helping students of color , low-income families and first-generation college-bound students from local high schools get on the path to college degrees .
`` I think of it as opening doors to students who have the ability , but might not have the opportunity , '' Meyers says .
The program , which began in 2001 with Waukegan High School , now links students from 15 local high schools to more than 80 colleges and universities .
It boasts 304 students in college now and another 450 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to summer camp in Wisconsin , attend plays , visit museums and national parks , and take trips to see colleges .
`` I was the beneficiary of a ton of support .
I was the most-privileged underprivileged kid , '' Topiltzin says , crediting Schuler for providing him the background to chime in when a Yale classmate talked about seeing the opera `` Carmen . ''
Always academically driven , Irvin says he still needed to learn how to work within the system .
`` Everyone knew how to play the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sidelines .
You were meant to be a player , but you 're watching from the stands , '' Irvin remembers .
The brothers , who have Mexican passports and never leave the U.S. , both have permits to work legally in the U.S. After working in banking in Boston , Irvin is manager of sales operations and enablement for Catalant Technologies , a startup software company in Boston .
Irvin holds the mortgage on the house he bought his parents and says he wants to be `` the safety net '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pittsburgh-based Honeycomb Credit , which uses creative community financing to support small businesses .
`` Giving back .
That 's why we 're here , '' says Irvin , who serves as a mentor and inspiration to students who do n't have the advantages he now has .
Both brothers remain involved in Waukegan , Schuler and other programs aiming to help the less fortunate , including their parents .
`` My dad sees his kids doing something cool , and now he wants to do something cool , '' says Topiltzin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discover `` what his entrepreneurial venture might be . ''
In the meantime , the father remains proud of the journey his sons have taken .
`` He wears either a Dartmouth hat or a Yale hat to work every day , '' Irvin says .
`` He must have 15 or 20 hats . ''

Constable: How two Waukegan brothers went from 'undocumented' to the Ivy League
Brothers Irvin and Topiltzin Gomez were good students as boys in Mexico. After emigrating to Waukegan, they went to Ivy League colleges and says they are "privileged" to help other low-income youths thrive as well. Courtesy of the Gomez family
As Ivy League graduates with the "golden tickets" of great jobs, unlimited potential and the passion to help others, Waukegan brothers Irvin and Topiltzin Gomez say they recognize how "privileged" they are.
As outspoken immigrants who provide the "undocumented perspective," Dartmouth College alum Irvin, 27, and Topiltzin, 23, who earned his diploma at Yale University, also remember the help they got from the Schuler Scholar Program and others along the way.
The path to Ivy League degrees for the Gomez brothers began Aug. 1, 2002, on a road outside the Mexican border town of Agua Prieta, where they said goodbye to their parents.
"We met up with coyotes and then we split up," remembers Irvin, who was 10 years old when his parents paid those smugglers $6,000 to sneak him and his brother into the United States.
"This is the person who will take you to the border while your parents would walk through the desert around a security checkpoint," Irvin remembers being told as he, his brother, and the young daughter of a family friend followed the stranger.
"We got put into a car. We were told to be asleep in the back," says Irvin, who faked slumber while U.S. Border Patrol agents checked the driver's paperwork at the border. "Then we just drove through."
The children ended up with a collection of other immigrants for the night at a house in Tucson, Arizona.
"Where are my parents?" Topiltzin, who was just 5 years old, remembers thinking. An American breakfast put him at ease.
"I had bacon for the first time the morning before my parents arrived," he says, explaining how his childish memories of that precarious pilgrimage focus on foods such as that bacon, grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets. "I was just there for the ride."
Irvin Gomez was 11 and his brother Topiltzin Gomez was 6 in this photo taken shortly after they were brought to Waukegan from Mexico. - Courtesy of the Gomez family
Reunited with their parents, the Gomez family's odyssey wasn't over.
"We had a three-day drive in a van without seats and 10 or 12 people," Irvin says. The van dropped off undocumented immigrants in Utah and Minnesota before delivering the Gomez family to the boys' uncle's home in Waukegan, where 11 people shared a one-bedroom apartment.
Their father, who had spent the previous year working as a busboy at a suburban Old Country Buffet before returning to Mexico to fetch his family, had a good-luck charm of the Virgen de Juquila, whose saintly life fuels a holiday in their homeland of Oaxaca, Mexico.
"My dad gave it to me when I went off to Dartmouth," says Irvin, who graduated in 2014 from the prestigious school in Hanover, New Hampshire. Irvin also saved the decorative throw pillow he used while sleeping on the floor after his arrival in the U.S. Those stories now fuel his essays on applications to graduate schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT and Northwestern, as he pursues his MBA. Irvin's example inspired Topiltzin, who graduated in 2018 from Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, with a degree in ethics, politics and economics, and is working on programs to curb poverty. It wasn't until college that he understood poverty.
"Hey, that's us," he remembers thinking, recalling how his father worked at a doughnut shop, a pizza place, Toys R Us, Old Country Buffet, and a warehouse to support his family while their mom ran the household.
"He had to drop out in third grade because there was only enough money for one of the five siblings to go to school," Irvin says of his dad.
"He saw the possibility of something better," says Topiltzin, whose friends often call him T.P.
"I know from talking to both of them, they are committed to working hard and giving back to their parents, who sacrificed so much for them," says Gayle Meyers, director of college and alumni programs at the Schuler Scholar Program, which helped both of them earn scholarships to pay for college and plays a key role in the brothers' success. The not-for-profit agency was founded and funded by Lake Bluff entrepreneur Jack Schuler, former president and chief operating officer of Abbott Laboratories, and his daughter, Tanya Schuler Sharman, with the goal of helping students of color, low-income families and first-generation college-bound students from local high schools get on the path to college degrees.
"I think of it as opening doors to students who have the ability, but might not have the opportunity," Meyers says. The program, which began in 2001 with Waukegan High School, now links students from 15 local high schools to more than 80 colleges and universities. It boasts 304 students in college now and another 450 alums, Meyers says. The kids go to summer camp in Wisconsin, attend plays, visit museums and national parks, and take trips to see colleges.
Having already seen his brother Irvin, second from left, graduate from Dartmouth College, Topiltzin Gomez would do the same at Yale University. Their parents crossed the border from Mexico and came to Waukegan in pursuit of opportunities for their sons. - Courtesy of the Gomez family
"I was the beneficiary of a ton of support. I was the most-privileged underprivileged kid," Topiltzin says, crediting Schuler for providing him the background to chime in when a Yale classmate talked about seeing the opera "Carmen."
Always academically driven, Irvin says he still needed to learn how to work within the system.
"Everyone knew how to play the game, and I was watching from the sidelines. You were meant to be a player, but you're watching from the stands," Irvin remembers.
The brothers, who have Mexican passports and never leave the U.S., both have permits to work legally in the U.S.
After working in banking in Boston, Irvin is manager of sales operations and enablement for Catalant Technologies, a startup software company in Boston. Irvin holds the mortgage on the house he bought his parents and says he wants to be "the safety net" for his family. Topiltzin works for Pittsburgh-based Honeycomb Credit, which uses creative community financing to support small businesses.
"Giving back. That's why we're here," says Irvin, who serves as a mentor and inspiration to students who don't have the advantages he now has. Both brothers remain involved in Waukegan, Schuler and other programs aiming to help the less fortunate, including their parents.
"My dad sees his kids doing something cool, and now he wants to do something cool," says Topiltzin, who is working with his father to discover "what his entrepreneurial venture might be."
In the meantime, the father remains proud of the journey his sons have taken.
"He wears either a Dartmouth hat or a Yale hat to work every day," Irvin says. "He must have 15 or 20 hats."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-17--Republican Senate challengers voice concerns about socialism, Islamic jihadists, crime

Fears of socialism and Islamic jihadists are among the motivations for the Republicans running to challenge Democrat Dick Durbin for his long-held Senate seat .
They also cited crime , America 's involvement in wars around the globe and the future of health care as top concerns .
The GOP candidates in the March 17 primary are Casey Chlebek , Mark Curran , Peggy Hubbard , Robert Marshall and Tom Tarter .
The winner will face Durbin , a four-term incumbent from Springfield , in November .
The Republican candidates talked about why they 're running and other issues in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chlebek , a retired information technology professional from Glenview , cited socialism as his top concern .
A native of Poland who grew up during communist rule there , Chlebek said he could educate Americans about the possible outcomes of socialist practices and policies if elected senator .
`` I offer a very special and unique qualification , '' he said .
Curran is an attorney from Libertyville who served as Lake County 's sheriff from 2006 to 2018 .
He first was elected sheriff as a Democrat but switched to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint interview , Curran also expressed fears about socialism .
The Democratic Party is moving `` further and further '' to the left , he said , and liberty is being eroded .
`` The Constitution is becoming increasingly irrelevant , '' Curran said .
Curran also voiced concern about mass shootings and what he called `` an increase in jihadist attacks . ''
`` We see the possibility of those coming to America in greater numbers , '' Curran said .
Hubbard is a former Democrat , too .
She said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party has changed .
`` The Democratic Party left me , '' she said .
`` They left a lot of Americans behind in their views . ''
A Belleville resident who has worked as a police officer and an IRS analyst , Hubbard spoke at length about the horrors of violent crime -- particularly in poor , urban areas .
`` The violence is rampant , '' she said .
`` We are zipping children up in body bags in Chicago . ''
Hubbard said she wants to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and have been forgotten by other politicians .
Marshall , a radiologist and former Burr Ridge trustee , is a perennial candidate who has bounced back and forth between the two major political parties .
From 1990 to 1998 , he ran for governor , state senator , U.S. representative and U.S. senator as a Republican .
From 2010 to 2018 , he ran for U.S. senator , U.S. representative and governor as a Democrat .
Marshall said he 's a Vietnam War veteran whose `` main passion '' is opposing America 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's time for us to get out , '' Marshall said .
`` These wars are unending wars .
These are wars that you can not win . ''
Wars create `` millions of refugees '' who want to relocate here , Marshall said .
`` We 've created our own immigration problem from all these wars , '' he said .
Tarter , a urological oncologist from Springfield , said he decided to run for the Senate because he and his wife did n't see candidates with name recognition or enough funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't going to sit by and watch a Durbin coronation , '' Tarter said .
Tarter said he 's particularly alarmed by Democrat-led plans for a national , government-run health care system .
`` The number one issue in the general election ( is ) going to be health care , '' he said .

Republican Senate challengers voice concerns about socialism, Islamic jihadists, crime
Upper from left, Casey Chlebek, Mark Curran and Peggy Hubbard and, lower from left, Robert Marshall and Tom Tarter are the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in the March primary.
Fears of socialism and Islamic jihadists are among the motivations for the Republicans running to challenge Democrat Dick Durbin for his long-held Senate seat.
They also cited crime, America's involvement in wars around the globe and the future of health care as top concerns.
The GOP candidates in the March 17 primary are Casey Chlebek, Mark Curran, Peggy Hubbard, Robert Marshall and Tom Tarter.
The winner will face Durbin, a four-term incumbent from Springfield, in November.
The Republican candidates talked about why they're running and other issues in a joint interview with the Daily Herald.
Chlebek, a retired information technology professional from Glenview, cited socialism as his top concern. A native of Poland who grew up during communist rule there, Chlebek said he could educate Americans about the possible outcomes of socialist practices and policies if elected senator.
"I offer a very special and unique qualification," he said.
Curran is an attorney from Libertyville who served as Lake County's sheriff from 2006 to 2018. He first was elected sheriff as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party in 2008.
In the joint interview, Curran also expressed fears about socialism. The Democratic Party is moving "further and further" to the left, he said, and liberty is being eroded.
"The Constitution is becoming increasingly irrelevant," Curran said.
Curran also voiced concern about mass shootings and what he called "an increase in jihadist attacks."
"We see the possibility of those coming to America in greater numbers," Curran said.
Hubbard is a former Democrat, too. She said she's running as a Republican now because the Democratic Party has changed.
"The Democratic Party left me," she said. "They left a lot of Americans behind in their views."
A Belleville resident who has worked as a police officer and an IRS analyst, Hubbard spoke at length about the horrors of violent crime -- particularly in poor, urban areas.
"The violence is rampant," she said. "We are zipping children up in body bags in Chicago."
Hubbard said she wants to be the voice for people who are struggling financially and have been forgotten by other politicians.
Marshall, a radiologist and former Burr Ridge trustee, is a perennial candidate who has bounced back and forth between the two major political parties.
From 1990 to 1998, he ran for governor, state senator, U.S. representative and U.S. senator as a Republican. From 2010 to 2018, he ran for U.S. senator, U.S. representative and governor as a Democrat.
Marshall said he's a Vietnam War veteran whose "main passion" is opposing America's involvement in foreign wars.
"It's time for us to get out," Marshall said. "These wars are unending wars. These are wars that you cannot win."
Wars create "millions of refugees" who want to relocate here, Marshall said.
"We've created our own immigration problem from all these wars," he said.
Tarter, a urological oncologist from Springfield, said he decided to run for the Senate because he and his wife didn't see candidates with name recognition or enough funding seeking the post. "I wasn't going to sit by and watch a Durbin coronation," Tarter said.
Tarter said he's particularly alarmed by Democrat-led plans for a national, government-run health care system.
"The number one issue in the general election (is) going to be health care," he said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-17--Developer publicly denies role in push for Elk Grove term limits

In his first public statement since filing suit against Elk Grove Village a year ago , local developer Mario Gullo on Monday continued to deny involvement in anonymous robocalls and mailers pushing a term limits referendum , saying such accusations by village officials are only a distraction from his fight for the rights of private property owners .
`` As my lawyers have repeatedly stated in writing to the mayor and the village 's attorneys on my behalf , I am not behind any recent political activity directed against the village , including robocalls , mailers or the term limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement released Monday afternoon by his attorney , Kim Walberg .
`` The village knows this but continues to lie and make false accusations in order to divert attention from its ongoing attempts to ride roughshod over people 's property rights . ''
Gullo , president of George Gullo Development Corp. , filed suit against the village in February 2019 to block a forcible annexation of properties he owns along Higgins Road .
His statement Monday comes nearly three weeks after Mayor Craig Johnson lashed out at him and other political opponents during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being behind robocalls and campaign-style mailers ahead of a March 17 term limits referendum that could remove the longtime mayor from office .
In an half-hour speech from the village board dais Jan. 28 , Johnson said he was going to start `` naming names , '' and he accused Gullo and others of conspiring on the term limits campaign .
The mayor insinuated that the developer 's motivations were financial .
Gullo 's gravel lots are used for leased truck parking , and `` truck parking is a cash business , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gullo said the mayor was implying that he avoids paying taxes , which `` is an outright lie and is clearly defamatory . ''
He said he does n't operate a cash-only business and does pay all taxes .
`` If the mayor has proof of what he has accused me of or implied I am guilty of , he should offer it , '' Gullo wrote .
`` Otherwise he needs to focus on running the village and stop preying on private citizens to advance his own political career and divert residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disregard of private property rights . ''
Following a Daily Herald story published Monday that noted Gullo 's involvement in a lawsuit that blocked a developer 's plan to build a warehouse next to homes and one of Gullo 's businesses in unincorporated Elk Grove Township , Gullo said he and other plaintiffs `` succeeded in stopping that effort , '' and likewise would succeed in their annexation suit against the village .
Attorneys for Gullo and the village are due in court for a status hearing Wednesday .

In his first public statement since filing suit against Elk Grove Village a year ago, local developer Mario Gullo on Monday continued to deny involvement in anonymous robocalls and mailers pushing a term limits referendum, saying such accusations by village officials are only a distraction from his fight for the rights of private property owners.
"As my lawyers have repeatedly stated in writing to the mayor and the village's attorneys on my behalf, I am not behind any recent political activity directed against the village, including robocalls, mailers or the term limit referendum," Gullo wrote in a statement released Monday afternoon by his attorney, Kim Walberg. "The village knows this but continues to lie and make false accusations in order to divert attention from its ongoing attempts to ride roughshod over people's property rights."
Gullo, president of George Gullo Development Corp., filed suit against the village in February 2019 to block a forcible annexation of properties he owns along Higgins Road. His statement Monday comes nearly three weeks after Mayor Craig Johnson lashed out at him and other political opponents during a village board meeting, accusing them of being behind robocalls and campaign-style mailers ahead of a March 17 term limits referendum that could remove the longtime mayor from office.
In an half-hour speech from the village board dais Jan. 28, Johnson said he was going to start "naming names," and he accused Gullo and others of conspiring on the term limits campaign. The mayor insinuated that the developer's motivations were financial. Gullo's gravel lots are used for leased truck parking, and "truck parking is a cash business," Johnson said.
On Monday, Gullo said the mayor was implying that he avoids paying taxes, which "is an outright lie and is clearly defamatory." He said he doesn't operate a cash-only business and does pay all taxes.
"If the mayor has proof of what he has accused me of or implied I am guilty of, he should offer it," Gullo wrote. "Otherwise he needs to focus on running the village and stop preying on private citizens to advance his own political career and divert residents' attention from the village's ongoing disregard of private property rights."
Following a Daily Herald story published Monday that noted Gullo's involvement in a lawsuit that blocked a developer's plan to build a warehouse next to homes and one of Gullo's businesses in unincorporated Elk Grove Township, Gullo said he and other plaintiffs "succeeded in stopping that effort," and likewise would succeed in their annexation suit against the village.
Attorneys for Gullo and the village are due in court for a status hearing Wednesday.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-17--Arlington Heights proposes TIF district to give southern entryway a glow-up

Arlington Heights officials have proposed setting up what would become the sixth tax increment financing district in the village 's history to help rejuvenate the southern entryway to town .
The economic development tool -- in which property taxes above a certain point would be funneled into public and private projects instead of local governments like schools , parks and the library -- is proposed for a 65-acre area along Arlington Heights Road , from the Jane Addams Tollway to Seegers Road .
The district would primarily encompass properties fronting the east side of Arlington Heights Road , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holiday Inn Express hotel and Mitsuwa Marketplace , and would also include several properties on the southeast corner of Arlington Heights and Algonquin roads , where a developer has proposed building a town center concept of commercial and residential uses .
The TIF proposal , unveiled during a village board meeting Monday night , is one more step in a multiyear effort to revitalize an area that includes empty office buildings and vacant land , but that village officials believe is primed for redevelopment .
In 2018 , the village published a 50-page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended a host of improvements , from installing landscaped medians to relocating sidewalks 8-10 feet away from curbs , among other suggestions to upgrade the area 's aesthetics and walkability .
Last year , the village board loosened zoning standards on 17 acres of the southeast Arlington Heights/Algonquin corner with an eye toward creating the town center -- including multifamily homes , entertainment , restaurants , offices and a hotel -- with density that could mirror the village 's downtown .
Bradford Allen , a Chicago-based commercial real estate firm that owns several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a master developer , indicated that TIF assistance could be helpful in making the project come to fruition , according to Village Manager Randy Recklaus .
Money generated by the special taxing tool could help pay for an estimated $ 80 million in redevelopment project costs throughout the entire 65-acre area , such as the pedestrian and aesthetic enhancements suggested in the 2018 corridor plan , village officials said .
While village officials since that time have floated the possibility of a TIF as a funding source , it was n't until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bona fide proposal .
As part of the consent agenda , the board approved setting a public hearing on the TIF proposal for 7:30 p.m. April 15 at village hall .
`` We wanted a vision for our southern corridor , and wanted to make sure the village is doing everything it can , '' Recklaus said .
A joint review board composed of representatives of local government taxing bodies in the proposed district is also scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. March 18 at village hall .
The village board could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district in early May .

Arlington Heights proposes TIF district to give southern entryway a glow-up
Arlington Heights officials have proposed setting up what would become the sixth tax increment financing district in the village's history to help rejuvenate the southern entryway to town.
The economic development tool -- in which property taxes above a certain point would be funneled into public and private projects instead of local governments like schools, parks and the library -- is proposed for a 65-acre area along Arlington Heights Road, from the Jane Addams Tollway to Seegers Road.
The district would primarily encompass properties fronting the east side of Arlington Heights Road, such as the Arlington Executive Court office complex, Holiday Inn Express hotel and Mitsuwa Marketplace, and would also include several properties on the southeast corner of Arlington Heights and Algonquin roads, where a developer has proposed building a town center concept of commercial and residential uses.
The TIF proposal, unveiled during a village board meeting Monday night, is one more step in a multiyear effort to revitalize an area that includes empty office buildings and vacant land, but that village officials believe is primed for redevelopment.
In 2018, the village published a 50-page South Arlington Heights Road Corridor Plan that recommended a host of improvements, from installing landscaped medians to relocating sidewalks 8-10 feet away from curbs, among other suggestions to upgrade the area's aesthetics and walkability.
Last year, the village board loosened zoning standards on 17 acres of the southeast Arlington Heights/Algonquin corner with an eye toward creating the town center -- including multifamily homes, entertainment, restaurants, offices and a hotel -- with density that could mirror the village's downtown.
Bradford Allen, a Chicago-based commercial real estate firm that owns several properties on the corner and is working with a master developer, indicated that TIF assistance could be helpful in making the project come to fruition, according to Village Manager Randy Recklaus.
Money generated by the special taxing tool could help pay for an estimated $80 million in redevelopment project costs throughout the entire 65-acre area, such as the pedestrian and aesthetic enhancements suggested in the 2018 corridor plan, village officials said.
While village officials since that time have floated the possibility of a TIF as a funding source, it wasn't until the board meeting Monday that it became a bona fide proposal. As part of the consent agenda, the board approved setting a public hearing on the TIF proposal for 7:30 p.m. April 15 at village hall.
"We wanted a vision for our southern corridor, and wanted to make sure the village is doing everything it can," Recklaus said.
A joint review board composed of representatives of local government taxing bodies in the proposed district is also scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. March 18 at village hall.
The village board could consider an ordinance to set up the district in early May.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-17--What should become of Route 53 corridor? Lake board candidates weigh in

The proposed Route 53 extension from Lake-Cook Road north to Grayslake through central Lake County may be dead , but a lot of land has been set aside over many years for the road 's path .
What could or should become of that corridor ?
The Republicans competing for their party 's nomination to the Lake County Board 's District 7 seat say there are possibilities , but also potential pitfalls , if the land becomes available .
Incumbent Steve Carlson of Grandwood Park , a retired consultant in medical data analysis , has held the seat since 2002 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sixth term .
He is being challenged in the March 17 primary by Gurnee Trustee Greg Garner , a retired pharmaceutical salesman .
He was appointed to the village board in 2005 and then elected to four consecutive terms .
District 7 includes portions of Gurnee , Third Lake and surrounding unincorporated areas .
County board members also serve as commissioners of the Lake County Forest Preserve District .
Carlson and Garner discussed the Route 53 corridor and other issues in a recent Daily Herald endorsement interview .
`` Transportation obviously is very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I think if 53 is dead , all the other roads have to be improved to deal with the congestion , '' Garner said .
Cost would be the main consideration if any of the Route 53 corridor becomes available , said Garner , adding that Lake County residents have been taxed enough .
`` My concern would be at what point does it increase the taxpayers ' taxes at the end of the day .
As my mom used to say , a good idea is not necessarily a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has opposed the Route 53 plan his entire tenure on the board , said the county has done and will be pursuing hundreds of millions in roadwork in coming years .
Completed projects , including the Rollins Gateway underpass at Route 83 , Millburn Route 45 bypass and Washington Street underpass/widening , are examples of how the county has dedicated a special regional sales tax to address traffic trouble spots , he added .
`` There 's a bunch of things we need to do , but the other issue we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with the ( Route 53 ) corridor , '' Carlson added .
He said it 's popular to say the corridor , owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation , should become forest preserves .
But only about half is suitable for that purpose , and it is unlikely the state would give it away , he added .
Acquiring any of that land likely would mean asking voters for money , according to Carlson .
`` I 'm not going to turn around specifying a referendum but I think that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referendum if the state of Illinois would say , 'Look , we 're either going to sell you or give you this land .
Do you want it ? '
'' Carlson said .
The winner March 17 will advance to the November general election to face Democrat Carissa Casbon of Warren Township , who is running unopposed in the primary .

What should become of Route 53 corridor? Lake board candidates weigh in
The proposed Route 53 extension from Lake-Cook Road north to Grayslake through central Lake County may be dead, but a lot of land has been set aside over many years for the road's path.
What could or should become of that corridor?
The Republicans competing for their party's nomination to the Lake County Board's District 7 seat say there are possibilities, but also potential pitfalls, if the land becomes available.
Incumbent Steve Carlson of Grandwood Park, a retired consultant in medical data analysis, has held the seat since 2002. He is seeking reelection for a sixth term.
He is being challenged in the March 17 primary by Gurnee Trustee Greg Garner, a retired pharmaceutical salesman. He was appointed to the village board in 2005 and then elected to four consecutive terms.
District 7 includes portions of Gurnee, Third Lake and surrounding unincorporated areas. County board members also serve as commissioners of the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
Carlson and Garner discussed the Route 53 corridor and other issues in a recent Daily Herald endorsement interview.
"Transportation obviously is very important to the residents of Lake County, and I think if 53 is dead, all the other roads have to be improved to deal with the congestion," Garner said.
Cost would be the main consideration if any of the Route 53 corridor becomes available, said Garner, adding that Lake County residents have been taxed enough.
"My concern would be at what point does it increase the taxpayers' taxes at the end of the day. As my mom used to say, a good idea is not necessarily a great idea," Garner said.
Carlson, who has opposed the Route 53 plan his entire tenure on the board, said the county has done and will be pursuing hundreds of millions in roadwork in coming years.
Completed projects, including the Rollins Gateway underpass at Route 83, Millburn Route 45 bypass and Washington Street underpass/widening, are examples of how the county has dedicated a special regional sales tax to address traffic trouble spots, he added.
"There's a bunch of things we need to do, but the other issue we haven't addressed yet is what to do with the (Route 53) corridor," Carlson added.
He said it's popular to say the corridor, owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation, should become forest preserves. But only about half is suitable for that purpose, and it is unlikely the state would give it away, he added.
Acquiring any of that land likely would mean asking voters for money, according to Carlson.
"I'm not going to turn around specifying a referendum but I think that would be a really good reason for a referendum if the state of Illinois would say, 'Look, we're either going to sell you or give you this land. Do you want it?'" Carlson said.
The winner March 17 will advance to the November general election to face Democrat Carissa Casbon of Warren Township, who is running unopposed in the primary.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Round Lake Beach police ask for help in search for missing man

The Round Lake Beach Police Department requests help in locating a 79-year-old resident last seen about noon on Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ 6 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds , according to a news release issued early @ @ @ @ @ driving a green 1999 Ford Ranger with Illinois license plate 91108X .
Authorities say he @ @ @ @ @ him in danger .
Anyone with information on Luna-Santos ' whereabouts should call police at @ @ @ @ @ dial 911 .

Missing Round Lake Beach man located by Buffalo Grove police
A 79-year-old Round Lake Beach man reported missing Monday has been located in Buffalo Grove, police announced this morning.
Buffalo Grove police located Gonzalo Luna-Santos, according to a statement issued by Round Lake Beach police via the Law Enforcement Alerting Portal. Further details about the circumstances of Luna-Santo being found were not provided.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Trump commutes Blagojevich's sentence, whistleblower calls move 'appalling'

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has commuted the 14-year prison sentence of disgraced former Gov .
Rod Blagojevich , telling reporters the former governor 's sentence was `` ridiculous . ''
`` Yes , we commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich , '' Mr. Trump told reporters just before boarding Air Force One for a campaign trip to the west coast .
`` He served eight years in jail , a long time .
He seems like a very nice person , do n't know him . ''
Trump 's decision was described as `` appalling and frightening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Pam Davis on Tuesday .
The head of the Naperville hospital wore a wire to provide evidence of a shakedown scheme against Edward that led to convictions of Blagojevich confederates and helped build the federal case against the governor , who was found guilty of corruption and imprisoned in March 2012 .
Davis , who is retired , said both Trump and Blagojevich `` totally abused the power entrusted to each of them . ''
`` I recognize it was a long sentence , '' Davis said .
`` One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ( Blagojevich ) never took individual responsibility for what he had done .
He never apologized , he had zero remorse . ''
Though Trump said he did n't know Blagojevich , he questioned and fired the former governor from `` The Celebrity Apprentice '' on the eve of Blagojevich 's trial in 2010 , telling him , `` You have a hell of a lot of guts . ''
On Tuesday , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said , `` Illinoisans have endured far too much corruption , and we must send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will no longer be tolerated .
President Donald Trump has abused his pardon power in inexplicable ways to reward his friends and condone corruption , and I deeply believes this pardon sends the wrong message at the wrong time . ''
In 2017 , an appeals court in Chicago took just three days to reject a request from Blagojevich for a new sentencing hearing , agreeing his 14-year prison term for corruption was a stiff punishment but saying it was well within the sentencing judge 's discretion .
The U.S. Supreme Court refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving few options beyond an appeal to Trump .
Commutation reduces the penalty for a crime but does not eliminate a conviction , according to The New York Times .
The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission is moving to permanently take away Blagojevich 's law license .
A hearing previously scheduled Tuesday , Feb. 25 , in Chicago `` will go forward as scheduled , '' said ARDC spokesman Steve Splitt .
Blagojevich was accused of soliciting campaign donations from Maywood Park horse-racing track owner John Johnston in exchange for legislation benefiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis , and putting the former U.S. Senate seat of Barack Obama up for sale .
Davis ' involvement began in 2003 when construction executive Jacob Kiferbaum approached her regarding Edward 's plan to build a $ 218 million hospital in Plainfield .
If Davis hired his company and a politically connected financing firm , Kiferbaum promised , the then-Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board , appointed by Blagojevich , would approve the Plainfield project .
Health board member Stuart Levine , Kiferbaum and their confederate Tony Rezko , a Blagojevich fundraiser , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Edward Hospital shakedown .
Edward never received approval for the hospital .
The three trials served as opening acts for the main event involving the governor , although the Edward issue did not surface in the Blagojevich case .
`` I think the most egregious piece was his interfering with health care .
For anyone to do that is unconscionable and unethical ... taking away someone 's right to lifesaving treatment .
He never thought about that , '' Davis said .
Trump had given Blagojevich $ 7,000 in campaign donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 'tragedy ' in 2011 when Blagojevich got the federal prison sentence .
• Daily Herald staff reporter Barbara Vitello and Daily Herald wire services contributed to this report .

Blagojevich is out of prison, back home; ex-Naperville hospital CEO calls commutation 'appalling'
The front page of the Daily Herald on Dec. 8, 2011 after from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to prison. Daily Herald
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich shakes hands with a supporter Wednesday as he arrives home in Chicago after his release from Colorado prison late Tuesday. Blagojevich walked out of prison Tuesday after President Donald Trump cut short the 14-year prison sentence handed to the former Illinois governor for political corruption. Associated Press
Disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is out of federal prison after President Donald Trump on Tuesday commuted his sentence, telling reporters the 14-year prison term was "ridiculous."
"Yes, we commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich," Trump told reporters just before boarding Air Force One for a campaign trip to the west coast. "He served eight years in jail, a long time. He seems like a very nice person, don't know him."
The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that as of 7:24 p.m. Central Tuesday, Blagojevich was no longer in their custody. Then he was seen in Denver International Airport, where he soon boarded a flight to Chicago.
After landing at O'Hare shortly before midnight Tuesday, Blagojevich spoke with WGN Channel 9 as he walked down the United concourse.
"It's great to be home. There's no place like home," he said.
Blagojevich confirmed that he had spoken to his family, including wife, Patti. "Patti's the best person I've ever known. I'm blessed," he said.
In Denver, he thanked the president and proclaimed his innocence.
"I'm profoundly grateful to President Trump, and it's a profound and everlasting gratitude," Blagojevich told WGN. "He didn't have to do this; he's a Republican president and I was a Democratic governor. I'll have a lot more to say tomorrow."
A news conference is scheduled at 11 a.m. Wednesday at their Chicago home.
Blagojevich was accused of putting the former U.S. Senate seat of Barack Obama up for sale, soliciting campaign donations from Maywood Park horse-racing track owner John Johnston in exchange for legislation benefiting the racing industry, and trying to extort former Edward Hospital CEO Pam Davis.
The former governor said in Denver he "followed the law every step of the way."
"I've said that all along, and that's absolutely the case, and they're the ones who did wrong and I think eventually the truth will win out, and the Bible teaches that," ABC 7 Chicago reported him saying.
"I'm going to fight against the corrupt criminal justice system that all too often persecutes and prosecutes people who did nothing wrong, who over-sentences people, show no mercy, and who are in positions who have no accountability," Blagojevich said. "They can do whatever they want. They can put you into prison for things that aren't crimes."
The bureau earlier would not say when or how Blagojevich would be released from the Englewood Federal Correctional Institution in Colorado, saying release plans are not discussed for safety and security reasons.
"My first thought was, 'I wonder if I have time to get a run in,'" Blagojevich said, according to ABC 7.
In 2010, a jury agreed only that he lied to the FBI but deadlocked on the other charges, prompting a retrial. After nine days of deliberations in June 2011, jurors found Blagojevich guilty of 18 counts. A judge sentenced him to 14 years in prison that December, and he reported the following March. An appellate court in 2015 overturned five of those counts, particularly targeting the prosecution of the Senate seat scheme, but the court's affirmation of the other charges still justified the sentence, it said.
Davis described Trump's decision as "appalling and frightening." The head of the Naperville hospital wore a wire to provide evidence of a shakedown scheme against Edward that led to convictions of Blagojevich confederates and helped build the federal case against the governor.
Now retired, she said both Trump and Blagojevich "totally abused the power entrusted to each of them."
"I recognize it was a long sentence," Davis said. "One of the reasons it was a long sentence is that (Blagojevich) never took individual responsibility for what he had done."
Trump had donated twice to Blagojevich's campaign. He questioned and fired the former governor from "The Celebrity Apprentice" on the eve of his trial in 2010, telling him, "You have a hell of a lot of guts."
Trump's action Tuesday shook Illinois Republicans.
"I guess he's not concerned about the state of Illinois for next November," House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said, referring to the general election.
"I'm never going to be able to figure out how the president messages, nor the decision making that he does," Durkin said. "That's something he's going to have to explain, but I think he needs to explain to the people of Illinois who saw a governor destroy the integrity of this office but also did some very, very terrible things to the finances of this state."
This is the front entrance of the federal prison in which former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in Englewood, Colo. President Donald Trump on Tuesday commuted the 14-year prison sentence of the former governor. He had been found guilty of crimes that included seeking to sell an appointment to Barack Obama's old Senate seat and trying to shake down a children's hospital. - Associated Press
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker also criticized the commutation o n Tuesday.
"Illinoisans have endured far too much corruption, and we must send a message to politicians that corrupt practices will no longer be tolerated," he said in a statement. "President Donald Trump has abused his pardon power in inexplicable ways to reward his friends and condone corruption, and I deeply believe this pardon sends the wrong message at the wrong time."
In 2017, an appeals court in Chicago took just three days to reject a request from Blagojevich for a new sentencing hearing, agreeing his 14-year prison term for corruption was a stiff punishment but saying it was well within the sentencing judge's discretion.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up a Blagojevich appeal, leaving few options beyond an appeal to Trump.
Commutation reduces the sentence for a crime but does not eliminate the conviction.
The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission is moving to permanently take away Blagojevich's law license. A hearing previously scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 25, in Chicago "will go forward as scheduled," commission spokesman Steve Splitt said.
Davis' involvement began in 2003 when construction executive Jacob Kiferbaum approached her regarding Edward's plan to build a $218 million hospital in Plainfield. If Davis hired his company and a politically connected financing firm, Kiferbaum promised, the then-Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, appointed by Blagojevich, would approve the Plainfield project.
Health board member Stuart Levine, Kiferbaum and their confederate Tony Rezko, a Blagojevich fundraiser, all were convicted on corruption charges in relation to the Edward Hospital shakedown. Edward never received approval for the hospital.
The three trials served as opening acts for the main event involving the governor, although the Edward issue did not surface in the Blagojevich case.
"I think the most egregious piece was his interfering with health care," Davis said. "For anyone to do that is unconscionable and unethical ... taking away someone's right to lifesaving treatment. He never thought about that."
Former Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam Jr. described the commutation announcement as "heartwarming," adding that he never believed his client's actions amounted to criminal behavior.
"I couldn't be happier," Adam said. "I'm ecstatic ... to put a family back together on a case which in my humble opinion didn't call for a 14-year sentence."
Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has supported a shorter sentence for the ex-governor.
"Former Gov. Blagojevich betrayed the people of Illinois and engaged in a pattern of corrupt behavior for which he was held accountable and which cost him more than seven years of freedom," Durbin said.
Trump had given Blagojevich $7,000 in campaign donations over the years. He called it a "tragedy" in 2011 when Blagojevich got the federal prison sentence.
Could Blagojevich, a former congressman and state representative, run for office again?
When the General Assembly impeached and removed him from office in 2009, it also unanimously voted to bar him from holding public office again in Illinois. But he could run for federal office again, including U.S. Congress, because there's no constitutional provision saying a conviction disqualifies a person from it.
• Daily Herald staff reporter Barbara Vitello, The Associated Press and Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--A timeline (with our front pages) of Blagojevich's criminal case

Highlights from imprisoned former Illinois Gov .
Rod Blagojevich 's political career and legal saga : 2002 : Blagojevich , billing himself an anti-corruption candidate , wins the Illinois gubernatorial election .
June 2004 : Influential Republican Stuart Levine resigns from a powerful Illinois health board , marking the first public indication that the Blagojevich administration is under federal investigation .
June 2006 : In a letter , U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald says he has witnesses to `` very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud '' in the Blagojevich administration .
October 2006 : Antoin `` Tony '' Rezko , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on federal charges of using his political influence to squeeze kickbacks from companies seeking to do business with the state .
Businessman Stuart Levine pleads guilty to mail fraud and money laundering as part of the Rezko scheme and agrees to cooperate .
Dec. 9 , 2008 : Federal agents arrest Blagojevich on corruption charges at his Chicago home .
January 2009 : The Illinois House votes 114-1 to impeach Blagojevich , the first Illinois governor in history to be impeached .
The Illinois Senate votes unanimously to remove Blagojevich from office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is indicted with five co-defendants -- his last chief of staff , John Harris ; fundraiser Christopher Kelly ; a former chief of staff , Lon Monk ; Springfield power broker William F. Cellini ; and his brother , Rob Blagojevich .
Aug. 16 , 2010 : After deliberating 14 days , a deadlocked jury reaches a verdict on just one count -- lying to the FBI .
Prosecutors immediately announce in court they will retry Blagojevich .
Prosecutors later drop all charges against Rod Blagojevich 's co-defendant brother , Rob Blagojevich .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of deliberations , jurors find Blagojevich guilty of 18 counts , including allegations that he tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama 's old Senate seat .
Jurors reached a not guilty verdict on one count and deadlocked on two others .
July 2015 : 7th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals dismisses just five of 18 counts and rules prosecutors did not prove Blagojevich broke the law when he tried to get a Cabinet position in President Barack Obama 's administration in exchange for appointing Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he sought contributions in exchange for a Senate seat appointment were upheld.Court says Blagojevich can be retried or resentenced on the counts that remain .
Aug. 9 , 2016 : After prosecutors decline to retry Blagojevich , trial Judge James Zagel resentences him on the 13 counts that still stand .
Even with the reduced numbers of convictions , Zagel refuses to lower the original 14-year sentence .
December 2016 : Blagojevich submits a request to Obama to have his sentence commuted , but Obama does not act on the request before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blagojevich again asks a U.S. appeals court to nullify his 14-year prison term and order a third sentencing hearing .
April 21 , 2017 : An appeals court in Chicago rejects the request from Blagojevich for another sentencing hearing .
May 31 , 2018 : President Donald Trump says he is thinking about clemency for Blagojevich and Martha Stewart .
Both had connections to Trump 's `` Celebrity Apprentice '' reality television show .
April 16 , 2018 : The U.S. Supreme Court for the second time in two years refuses to hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 : Blagojevich 's lawyers file paperwork with the Justice Department asking Trump to commute his sentence .
Aug. 8 , 2019 : Trump tweets that the White House is still reviewing the possibility of commuting Blagojevich 's sentence.Trump broaches the issue several times in proceeding months .
But amid pushback from Republicans and Democrats , the prospects of a pardon appear to diminish .
Feb. 18 , 2020 : Trump commutes the 14-year prison sentence of Blagojevich , calling the sentence `` ridiculous . ''

A timeline (with our front pages) of Blagojevich's criminal case
Highlights from imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's political career and legal saga:
• 1993: Blagojevich begins a three-year stint as an Illinois state representative.
• 1997: Blagojevich begins a six-year tenure in Congress.
• 2002: Blagojevich, billing himself an anti-corruption candidate, wins the Illinois gubernatorial election.
• June 2004: Influential Republican Stuart Levine resigns from a powerful Illinois health board, marking the first public indication that the Blagojevich administration is under federal investigation.
• June 2006: In a letter, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald says he has witnesses to "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" in the Blagojevich administration.
• October 2006: Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a top Blagojevich fundraiser, is indicted on federal charges of using his political influence to squeeze kickbacks from companies seeking to do business with the state. Businessman Stuart Levine pleads guilty to mail fraud and money laundering as part of the Rezko scheme and agrees to cooperate.
• Nov. 7, 2006: Blagojevich is re-elected.
• Dec. 9, 2008: Federal agents arrest Blagojevich on corruption charges at his Chicago home.
• January 2009: The Illinois House votes 114-1 to impeach Blagojevich, the first Illinois governor in history to be impeached. The Illinois Senate votes unanimously to remove Blagojevich from office.
• April 2, 2009: Blagojevich formally is indicted with five co-defendants -- his last chief of staff, John Harris; fundraiser Christopher Kelly; a former chief of staff, Lon Monk; Springfield power broker William F. Cellini; and his brother, Rob Blagojevich.
• Aug. 16, 2010: After deliberating 14 days, a deadlocked jury reaches a verdict on just one count -- lying to the FBI. Prosecutors immediately announce in court they will retry Blagojevich. Prosecutors later drop all charges against Rod Blagojevich's co-defendant brother, Rob Blagojevich.
• June 27, 2011: After nine days of deliberations, jurors find Blagojevich guilty of 18 counts, including allegations that he tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama's old Senate seat. Jurors reached a not guilty verdict on one count and deadlocked on two others.
• March 2012: Blagojevich reports to Colorado prison to begin a 14-year sentence.
• July 2015: 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismisses just five of 18 counts and rules prosecutors did not prove Blagojevich broke the law when he tried to get a Cabinet position in President Barack Obama's administration in exchange for trying to appoint Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to Obama's old U.S. Senate seat.
Counts in which he sought contributions in exchange for a Senate seat appointment were upheld.
Court says Blagojevich can be retried or resentenced on the counts that remain.
• Aug. 9, 2016: After prosecutors decline to retry Blagojevich, trial Judge James Zagel resentences him on the 13 counts that still stand. Even with the reduced number of convictions, Zagel refuses to lower the original 14-year sentence.
• December 2016: Blagojevich submits a request to Obama to have his sentence commuted, but Obama does not act on the request before he leaves office in January 2017.
Blagojevich again asks a U.S. appeals court to nullify his 14-year prison term and order a third sentencing hearing.
• April 21, 2017: An appeals court in Chicago rejects the request from Blagojevich for another sentencing hearing.
• May 31, 2018: President Donald Trump says he is thinking about clemency for Blagojevich and Martha Stewart. Both had connections to Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" reality television show.
• April 16, 2018: The U.S. Supreme Court for the second time in two years refuses to hear Blagojevich's appeal.
• June 5, 2018: Blagojevich's lawyers file paperwork with the Justice Department asking Trump to commute his sentence.
• Aug. 8, 2019: Trump tweets that the White House is still reviewing the possibility of commuting Blagojevich's sentence. Trump broaches the issue several times in proceeding months. But amid pushback from Republicans and Democrats, the prospects of a pardon appear to diminish.
• Feb. 18, 2020: Trump commutes the 14-year prison sentence of Blagojevich, calling the sentence "ridiculous." He is released that evening and quickly gets on a plane to Chicago.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Suburban Boy Scouts councils expect business as usual in wake of national group's bankruptcy

Stressing that they are independent financial entities , regional Boy Scout councils serving the suburbs expect operations to continue as usual after Tuesday 's bankruptcy filing by the national organization .
Facing hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits , the Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Wilmington , Delaware , in anticipation of assembling a victim compensation plan .
Similar to other local chapters , the Boy Scouts of America Northeast Illinois Council anticipates business as usual despite the national group 's bankruptcy .
The Vernon Hills-based Northeast Illinois Council serves at least 11,000 youths and 3,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County .
`` The Northeast Illinois Council has not filed for bankruptcy , '' Scout Executive/CEO Nick Roberts said in a statement .
`` Meetings and activities , district and council events , other Scouting adventures and countless service projects are taking place as usual .
In short , there should be no change to the local Scouting experience . ''
Chicago-based Pathway to Adventure Council issued a similar statement , noting the local organization -- not the national Boy Scouts -- provides programming , financial , facility and administrative support to individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago-area camps and local donations .
About 21,000 youth members and roughly 8,000 adult volunteers are in the Pathway to Adventure Council 's wide service area that includes Downers Grove , Palatine , Barrington , Arlington Heights , Schaumburg , Elk Grove Village , Lake Zurich , Chicago and northwest Indiana .
Lisa Szczupaj , a committee member for Boy Scout Troop 209 that 's served the Palatine area since 1964 , said that while the organization of about 100 members is self-funded , there would be concern if the national organization folded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` the behind-the-scenes business office we have at our jobs . ''
For example , Troop 209 is covered by insurance obtained through Boy Scouts of America , which Szczupaj said has buying power unavailable to the local units .
`` If they 're not there it becomes significantly more complicated , '' she said .
Accusations against Boy Scouts of America have n't affected Troop 209 , which is part of Pathway to Adventure and sponsored by the First United Methodist Church Men 's Club in Palatine , Szczupaj said .
Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suburbs , with about 13,000 Scouts and 4,000 volunteers in DuPage , Kane , Kendall , DeKalb and portions of Will and Cook counties , spokeswoman Maria Feitlich said .
Like the others , it is legally separate , distinct and financially independent from the national organization .
`` Earlier ( Tuesday ) , the Three Fires Council communicated with our local stakeholders about the BSA announced restructuring , '' Feitlich said .
`` We will continue to communicate with our stakeholders to assure them that the Scouting program for their scouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Headquartered in Irving , Texas , Boy Scouts of America began 110 years ago .
Scores of lawyers are seeking settlements on behalf of several thousand men who say they were molested by scoutmasters or other leaders decades ago but are only now eligible to sue because of recent changes in statute-of-limitations laws .
Until last spring , the organization had insisted it never knowingly allowed a predator to work with youths .
But one day after an Associated Press report in May , Boy Scouts chief executive Mike Surbaugh wrote to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim was untrue .

Suburban Boy Scouts councils expect business as usual in wake of national group's bankruptcy
Stressing that they are independent financial entities, regional Boy Scout councils serving the suburbs expect operations to continue as usual after Tuesday's bankruptcy filing by the national organization.
Facing hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits, the Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Wilmington, Delaware, in anticipation of assembling a victim compensation plan.
Similar to other local chapters, the Boy Scouts of America Northeast Illinois Council anticipates business as usual despite the national group's bankruptcy. The Vernon Hills-based Northeast Illinois Council serves at least 11,000 youths and 3,000 adults in Lake County and northern Cook County.
"The Northeast Illinois Council has not filed for bankruptcy," Scout Executive/CEO Nick Roberts said in a statement. "Meetings and activities, district and council events, other Scouting adventures and countless service projects are taking place as usual. In short, there should be no change to the local Scouting experience."
Chicago-based Pathway to Adventure Council issued a similar statement, noting the local organization -- not the national Boy Scouts -- provides programming, financial, facility and administrative support to individual units. Pathway to Adventure also controls Chicago-area camps and local donations.
About 21,000 youth members and roughly 8,000 adult volunteers are in the Pathway to Adventure Council's wide service area that includes Downers Grove, Palatine, Barrington, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Lake Zurich, Chicago and northwest Indiana.
Lisa Szczupaj, a committee member for Boy Scout Troop 209 that's served the Palatine area since 1964, said that while the organization of about 100 members is self-funded, there would be concern if the national organization folded.
She likened the national organization to "the behind-the-scenes business office we have at our jobs." For example, Troop 209 is covered by insurance obtained through Boy Scouts of America, which Szczupaj said has buying power unavailable to the local units.
"If they're not there it becomes significantly more complicated," she said.
Accusations against Boy Scouts of America haven't affected Troop 209, which is part of Pathway to Adventure and sponsored by the First United Methodist Church Men's Club in Palatine, Szczupaj said.
Three Fires Council in St. Charles also serves the suburbs, with about 13,000 Scouts and 4,000 volunteers in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, DeKalb and portions of Will and Cook counties, spokeswoman Maria Feitlich said. Like the others, it is legally separate, distinct and financially independent from the national organization.
"Earlier (Tuesday), the Three Fires Council communicated with our local stakeholders about the BSA announced restructuring," Feitlich said. "We will continue to communicate with our stakeholders to assure them that the Scouting program for their scouts continues to operate as before."
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Boy Scouts of America began 110 years ago. Scores of lawyers are seeking settlements on behalf of several thousand men who say they were molested by scoutmasters or other leaders decades ago but are only now eligible to sue because of recent changes in statute-of-limitations laws.
Until last spring, the organization had insisted it never knowingly allowed a predator to work with youths. But one day after an Associated Press report in May, Boy Scouts chief executive Mike Surbaugh wrote to a congressional committee acknowledging the group's previous claim was untrue.
• Daily Herald wire services contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Is new Costco worth $5.5 million incentive? Naperville has decision to make.

Naperville City Council members are set to discuss whether replacing a longtime big-box vacancy with a new Costco is worth $ 5.5 million in sales tax incentives .
The council could offer a rebate to entice the warehouse grocer and retailer to open its second store in town during a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the municipal center at 400 S. Eagle St. Costco has told city officials it needs $ 5.5 million to profitably operate a store at the site of a vacant former Kmart on East Ogden Avenue .
`` Without the incentive , Costco will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Bill Novack , director of transportation , engineering and development , wrote in a memo .
The city has worked for at least the past five years to fill the vacancy left by Kmart , which closed in April 2013 , Novack said in the memo .
Officials set a goal under one of the city 's four major initiatives to `` actively seek to fill vacant spaces at Ogden Mall , Iroquois Mall and the northwest corner of Ogden Avenue and Naper Boulevard . ''
Costco wants to locate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Naperville warehouse on Route 59 near 75th Street has become too busy for its own good , Novack 's memo said .
`` Costco reports that when demand is too high in a single location , some customers choose to visit the store less frequently due to crowding or visit other stores in other communities , '' the memo said .
So city staff members have devised a way to get Costco the $ 5.5 million it needs to build a new store on East Ogden -- in an area of northeast Naperville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has looked for sites for the past five years .
The incentive plan would give back 75 % of the city 's portion of the state-imposed sales tax and 75 % of the city 's own home-rule sales tax on all purchases made at the new Costco .
It is projected to pay out the $ 5.5 million within five years of the store 's opening , Novack 's memo said , based on expected sales tax receipts starting at $ 1.25 million in the first year and growing to $ 1.73 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expire when $ 5.5 million is paid back to Costco or when 15 years passes -- whichever comes first .
It would not rebate any of the motor fuel tax from the gas station Costco plans to build .
The incentive also is projected to keep the amount of sales taxes the city receives from both Costco locations at or above the amount it draws from one Costco store now , Novack said in the memo .
The offer of $ 5.5 million would be the fifth-largest tax incentive the city has granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from $ 1.4 million to Main Street Promenade to $ 10 million to Marriott Chicago Naperville .
In each case , Novack said in the memo , the city has been `` strategic in its limited use of economic development incentives , setting a goal and using incentives to achieve that goal . ''
In the potential Costco deal , the wholesaler would buy the western 18.5 acres of the Ogden Mall site and would tear down much of the strip mall , including the space rented by the popular Classic Cinemas Ogden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Classic Cinemas and owner of Ogden 6 , said his business would be forced to move or close if the deal goes through .
The city and the Naperville Development Partnership are helping Johnson consider potential alternate sites .
An online petition to save the theater in place has drawn 20,707 signatures since it was established by two Ogden 6 employees Feb. 3 .

Is new Costco worth $5.5 million incentive? Naperville has decision to make.
Naperville City Council members are set to discuss whether replacing a longtime big-box vacancy with a new Costco is worth $5.5 million in sales tax incentives.
The council could offer a rebate to entice the warehouse grocer and retailer to open its second store in town during a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the municipal center at 400 S. Eagle St.
Costco has told city officials it needs $5.5 million to profitably operate a store at the site of a vacant former Kmart on East Ogden Avenue.
"Without the incentive, Costco will not proceed with a store at this location," Bill Novack, director of transportation, engineering and development, wrote in a memo.
The city has worked for at least the past five years to fill the vacancy left by Kmart, which closed in April 2013, Novack said in the memo. Officials set a goal under one of the city's four major initiatives to "actively seek to fill vacant spaces at Ogden Mall, Iroquois Mall and the northwest corner of Ogden Avenue and Naper Boulevard."
Costco wants to locate a store at Ogden Mall because its other Naperville warehouse on Route 59 near 75th Street has become too busy for its own good, Novack's memo said.
"Costco reports that when demand is too high in a single location, some customers choose to visit the store less frequently due to crowding or visit other stores in other communities," the memo said.
So city staff members have devised a way to get Costco the $5.5 million it needs to build a new store on East Ogden -- in an area of northeast Naperville, Lisle or Warrenville where the company has looked for sites for the past five years.
The incentive plan would give back 75% of the city's portion of the state-imposed sales tax and 75% of the city's own home-rule sales tax on all purchases made at the new Costco. It is projected to pay out the $5.5 million within five years of the store's opening, Novack's memo said, based on expected sales tax receipts starting at $1.25 million in the first year and growing to $1.73 million in the fifth.
The deal would expire when $5.5 million is paid back to Costco or when 15 years passes -- whichever comes first. It would not rebate any of the motor fuel tax from the gas station Costco plans to build.
The incentive also is projected to keep the amount of sales taxes the city receives from both Costco locations at or above the amount it draws from one Costco store now, Novack said in the memo.
The offer of $5.5 million would be the fifth-largest tax incentive the city has granted since 2008, with other incentives ranging from $1.4 million to Main Street Promenade to $10 million to Marriott Chicago Naperville.
In each case, Novack said in the memo, the city has been "strategic in its limited use of economic development incentives, setting a goal and using incentives to achieve that goal."
In the potential Costco deal, the wholesaler would buy the western 18.5 acres of the Ogden Mall site and would tear down much of the strip mall, including the space rented by the popular Classic Cinemas Ogden 6 Theatres.
Chris Johnson, CEO of Classic Cinemas and owner of Ogden 6, said his business would be forced to move or close if the deal goes through. The city and the Naperville Development Partnership are helping Johnson consider potential alternate sites.
An online petition to save the theater in place has drawn 20,707 signatures since it was established by two Ogden 6 employees Feb. 3.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Name a family from the suburbs on 'Family Feud' Feb. 25. Answer: The Bobeks

Growing up , the five Bobek siblings were immersed in their Polish heritage .
Their parents spoke their native language in the home and they insisted each child learn the culture , and that began with music .
`` There was no question in our house .
We all learned to play the violin , '' says Jan Bobek of Bolingbrook , the middle of the five siblings -- including two from his mother 's first marriage -- who now teaches music and orchestra at Willowbrook High School .
Turns out , their parents were right .
Embracing their Polish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an open casting call for the game show `` Family Feud '' -- held back in 2018 at the Schaumburg Convention Center -- the Bobeks looked for a way to stand out .
Showcasing their heritage by wearing authentic Highlander folk costumes from the southern region of Poland , where their family originated , and playing their instruments paid off .
The Bobeks were among those selected from more than 200 families that auditioned , to advance to the next round in Hollywood .
The five siblings were flown to California for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competing on the show for the chance to win $ 20,000 .
Their episode airs at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 on WPWR channel 50 .
They signed a nondisclosure contract and could not reveal how they did , but their time spent on the set with host Steve Harvey was a blast .
Besides Jan , the Bobek family includes Jeff Gal of Bartlett , Danuta Gal of Wood Dale , Matt Bobek of Harwood Heights and Dan Bobek of Chicago .
In all , their 22-minute episode took nearly two hours to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harvey and the show staff .
Yet Bobek expects that his family 's introduction survived the cutting room floor , and it included the siblings playing some of their traditional music .
`` Everyone , including Steve Harvey , was so welcoming , '' Jan Bobek says .
`` It 's true what they say , that once you 're on 'Family Feud , ' you 're part of the family .
They 're very supportive and want you to do well . ''
The Bobeks brought their stage presence with them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kapela Hajducy , which translates to a band of brigands , or bandits , from a mountainous region .
Jan Bobek likens them to the Polish version of Robin Hood and his Merry Men .
As a group , they perform regularly at the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America , or the Highlander House , on Archer Avenue on Chicago 's Southwest Side .
However , they also play at private events .
Jan Bobek still plays his violin , while his siblings play the viola , stand-up bass and two on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name and colorful costumes reflect their heritage from the Highlanders region in Southern Poland , along the Tatra Mountains , where family members from both sides lived , and of which there is a strong cultural identity , particularly in the Chicago area .
`` A big part of our identity is our culture , '' Jan Bobek says , `` so it is nice to be able to represent our culture in front of a mainstream audience .
`` The Highlanders survived incredible hardships over the years , '' he adds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardships led to a feeling that they could do anything .
They 're just a people of great pride and tenacity . ''
The Bobeks embody those same values , as demonstrated by how they made it through several rounds of auditions to make it to national television .
`` I know it 's only a game show , '' Jan Bobek says , `` but these Polish people made it to Hollywood . ''

Name a family from the suburbs on 'Family Feud' Feb. 25. Answer: The Bobeks
Members of the Bobek family wore traditional costumes and played music during their appearance on "Family Feud." From left are Jeffrey Gal, Jan Bobek, Matt Bobek, Daniel Bobek and Danuta Gal. Courtesy of Family Feud
Growing up, the five Bobek siblings were immersed in their Polish heritage. Their parents spoke their native language in the home and they insisted each child learn the culture, and that began with music.
"There was no question in our house. We all learned to play the violin," says Jan Bobek of Bolingbrook, the middle of the five siblings -- including two from his mother's first marriage -- who now teaches music and orchestra at Willowbrook High School.
Turns out, their parents were right. Embracing their Polish roots has served them well. At an open casting call for the game show "Family Feud" -- held back in 2018 at the Schaumburg Convention Center -- the Bobeks looked for a way to stand out.
Showcasing their heritage by wearing authentic Highlander folk costumes from the southern region of Poland, where their family originated, and playing their instruments paid off.
Members of the Bobek family represented their Polish roots while competing on "Family Feud." Their episode airs Feb. 25. - Courtesy of Family Feud
The Bobeks were among those selected from more than 200 families that auditioned, to advance to the next round in Hollywood. The five siblings were flown to California for a three-day stay that ultimately ended with them competing on the show for the chance to win $20,000.
Their episode airs at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 on WPWR channel 50. They signed a nondisclosure contract and could not reveal how they did, but their time spent on the set with host Steve Harvey was a blast.
Besides Jan, the Bobek family includes Jeff Gal of Bartlett, Danuta Gal of Wood Dale, Matt Bobek of Harwood Heights and Dan Bobek of Chicago.
In all, their 22-minute episode took nearly two hours to shoot and included lots of banter with Harvey and the show staff. Yet Bobek expects that his family's introduction survived the cutting room floor, and it included the siblings playing some of their traditional music.
"Everyone, including Steve Harvey, was so welcoming," Jan Bobek says. "It's true what they say, that once you're on 'Family Feud,' you're part of the family. They're very supportive and want you to do well."
"Everyone, including Steve Harvey, was so welcoming," Jan Bobek, far right, says of his family's appearance on the game show "Family Feud." The five Chicago-area siblings wore traditional Polish costumes while competing. Their episode airs Feb. 25. - Courtesy of Family Feud
The Bobeks brought their stage presence with them. They perform in a family band called Kapela Hajducy, which translates to a band of brigands, or bandits, from a mountainous region. Jan Bobek likens them to the Polish version of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
As a group, they perform regularly at the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America, or the Highlander House, on Archer Avenue on Chicago's Southwest Side. However, they also play at private events.
Jan Bobek still plays his violin, while his siblings play the viola, stand-up bass and two on the tambourine, adding percussion.
Their name and colorful costumes reflect their heritage from the Highlanders region in Southern Poland, along the Tatra Mountains, where family members from both sides lived, and of which there is a strong cultural identity, particularly in the Chicago area.
"A big part of our identity is our culture," Jan Bobek says, "so it is nice to be able to represent our culture in front of a mainstream audience.
"The Highlanders survived incredible hardships over the years," he adds, "and their ability to overcome these hardships led to a feeling that they could do anything. They're just a people of great pride and tenacity."
The Bobeks embody those same values, as demonstrated by how they made it through several rounds of auditions to make it to national television.
"I know it's only a game show," Jan Bobek says, "but these Polish people made it to Hollywood."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Avon Township trustees to consider censuring supervisor Wednesday

A rift in Avon Township government continues as trustees have called a special meeting to deal with several items involving Supervisor Terry Wilke , including a planned censure .
Credit cards , the budget process and appointing an independent counsel also are on the agenda for the meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the township office , 433 E. Washington St. in Round Lake Park .
Special meetings can be scheduled when three trustees request one in writing and attach an agenda .
Township trustees Michele Bauman , Paul Law and Steven Vaughn called for Wednesday 's session .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be discussed is further indication of tension between some trustees and Wilke , who they say is secretive at times and has acted without their consent .
A censure is a formal reprimand of an elected or appointed official showing general displeasure with the person 's behavior or actions .
Bauman , who has led the effort , said a letter outlining the reasons for the censure will be read at the meeting .
`` This is just a symbolic action but still makes a statement of how the trustees of Avon Township @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said .
Items for discussion Wednesday generally are meant to bring more transparency to township government `` so everyone knows what 's going on , '' according to Bauman .
For example , the agenda includes forming a finance committee composed of two trustees , two community members and Wilke .
Much of the contention has been related to financial decisions being made by Wilke without obtaining proper approval , according to Vaughn .
One of those actions was Wilke 's purchase last summer of a vacant home near the township @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bought the property for $ 1 from a `` green book '' of available Lake County properties as the first example in a township revitalization program .
But some trustees argued Wilke did n't have that authority .
Township voters at a special meeting Jan. 13 declared the move `` improper and invalid . ''
Wilke contends the issue was unclear legally .
Voters directed the township to hire an independent counsel to sort it out .
Wilke on Tuesday described the proposed censure as an empty gesture that amounted to `` political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law that was broken , '' he said .
The positions of all four trustees as well as supervisor are up for election in April 2021 .

Avon Township trustees to consider censuring supervisor Wednesday
A rift in Avon Township government continues as trustees have called a special meeting to deal with several items involving Supervisor Terry Wilke, including a planned censure.
Credit cards, the budget process and appointing an independent counsel also are on the agenda for the meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the township office, 433 E. Washington St. in Round Lake Park.
Special meetings can be scheduled when three trustees request one in writing and attach an agenda. Township trustees Michele Bauman, Paul Law and Steven Vaughn called for Wednesday's session.
The action and nature of the items to be discussed is further indication of tension between some trustees and Wilke, who they say is secretive at times and has acted without their consent.
A censure is a formal reprimand of an elected or appointed official showing general displeasure with the person's behavior or actions.
Bauman, who has led the effort, said a letter outlining the reasons for the censure will be read at the meeting.
"This is just a symbolic action but still makes a statement of how the trustees of Avon Township feel about his leadership as supervisor," she said.
Items for discussion Wednesday generally are meant to bring more transparency to township government "so everyone knows what's going on," according to Bauman.
For example, the agenda includes forming a finance committee composed of two trustees, two community members and Wilke.
Much of the contention has been related to financial decisions being made by Wilke without obtaining proper approval, according to Vaughn.
One of those actions was Wilke's purchase last summer of a vacant home near the township office in Round Lake Park. He bought the property for $1 from a "green book" of available Lake County properties as the first example in a township revitalization program.
But some trustees argued Wilke didn't have that authority. Township voters at a special meeting Jan. 13 declared the move "improper and invalid."
Wilke contends the issue was unclear legally. Voters directed the township to hire an independent counsel to sort it out.
Wilke on Tuesday described the proposed censure as an empty gesture that amounted to "political haymaking."
"There's no law that was broken," he said.
The positions of all four trustees as well as supervisor are up for election in April 2021.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Buffalo Grove man, 18, faces drug charges after search of home

Buffalo Grove police say officers recovered small amounts of illegal drugs and a large sum of money after serving a search warrant Thursday at a home that had been the subject of numerous calls for service and anonymous complaints , authorities said Tuesday .
The bust led to the arrest of a resident of the home , Henry Hashemi , 18 , on felony charges of manufacturing and delivering cannabis , possessing a fraudulent Illinois driver 's license and possession of instruments and materials used in the production of cannabis products , police said .
Police said they obtained a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1500 block of Anderson Lane in Buffalo Grove after receiving complaints and performing surveillance .
Hashemi was the only person in the residence when the search warrant was served Thursday , police said .
Lake County court records indicate he 's scheduled to appear in court on the charges March 3 .
`` Without the eyes and ears of our residents we would otherwise be unable to conduct these types of investigations , '' Police Chief Steven Casstevens said in an announcement of the arrest .
`` Once armed with information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimately results in a safer neighborhood for our community . ''

Buffalo Grove man, 18, faces drug charges after search of home
Buffalo Grove police say officers recovered small amounts of illegal drugs and a large sum of money after serving a search warrant Thursday at a home that had been the subject of numerous calls for service and anonymous complaints, authorities said Tuesday.
The bust led to the arrest of a resident of the home, Henry Hashemi, 18, on felony charges of manufacturing and delivering cannabis, possessing a fraudulent Illinois driver's license and possession of instruments and materials used in the production of cannabis products, police said.
Police said they obtained a search warrant for Hashemi's home on the 1500 block of Anderson Lane in Buffalo Grove after receiving complaints and performing surveillance.
Hashemi was the only person in the residence when the search warrant was served Thursday, police said. Lake County court records indicate he's scheduled to appear in court on the charges March 3.
"Without the eyes and ears of our residents we would otherwise be unable to conduct these types of investigations," Police Chief Steven Casstevens said in an announcement of the arrest. "Once armed with information, our officers conducted a thorough investigation which ultimately results in a safer neighborhood for our community."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-18--Former Mount Prospect, Palatine priest William Welsh dies

The Rev .
William P. Welsh , who helped lead Catholic parishes in Mount Prospect and Palatine , died last week at the age of 85 , the Archdiocese of Chicago announced Tuesday .
Welsh retired from the priesthood in 2004 , but continued to minister as chaplain for the Carmelite Sisters in Des Plaines .
A Chicago native , Welsh attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in the city and then the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein , leading to his ordination in December 1960 .
After ordination , Welsh served as assistant pastor at St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sabina Parish in Chicago , St. Benedict Parish in Chicago and St. Emily Parish in Mount Prospect .
He then served as associate pastor at St. Theresa Parish in Palatine , Infant Jesus of Prague Parish in Flossmoor and St. Lambert Parish in Skokie .
The Rev .
Louis Zake , a retired priest and one of Welsh 's classmates , remembers him as a great person with terrific parents .
`` He never put himself first ; he was always out there helping other people , always willing to listen if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zake said in a statement released by the archdiocese .
Visitation is set from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday , at St. Lambert Church , 8148 Karlov Ave. in Skokie .
Another visitation will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday , followed by a funeral Mass celebrated by Rev .
Nate Payne at St. Lambert .
A private interment will occur at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Alsip .
In lieu of flowers , memorial contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society , P.O .
Box 22718 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; The Discalced Carmelite Monastery , 1101 N. River Road , Des Plaines , IL , 60016 ; or a charity of your choice .

Former Mount Prospect, Palatine priest William Welsh dies
The Rev. William P. Welsh, who helped lead Catholic parishes in Mount Prospect and Palatine, died last week at the age of 85, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced Tuesday.
Welsh retired from the priesthood in 2004, but continued to minister as chaplain for the Carmelite Sisters in Des Plaines.
A Chicago native, Welsh attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in the city and then the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, leading to his ordination in December 1960.
After ordination, Welsh served as assistant pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Wilmette, St. Sabina Parish in Chicago, St. Benedict Parish in Chicago and St. Emily Parish in Mount Prospect.
He then served as associate pastor at St. Theresa Parish in Palatine, Infant Jesus of Prague Parish in Flossmoor and St. Lambert Parish in Skokie.
The Rev. Louis Zake, a retired priest and one of Welsh's classmates, remembers him as a great person with terrific parents.
"He never put himself first; he was always out there helping other people, always willing to listen if you had a problem or difficulty," Zake said in a statement released by the archdiocese.
Visitation is set from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, at St. Lambert Church, 8148 Karlov Ave. in Skokie. Another visitation will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, followed by a funeral Mass celebrated by Rev. Nate Payne at St. Lambert.
A private interment will occur at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Alsip.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123; The Discalced Carmelite Monastery, 1101 N. River Road, Des Plaines, IL, 60016; or a charity of your choice.