chicagosun-times--2020-10-15--Illinois lawmakers hear from housing advocates, bank officials to address racial inequities in homeo

Illinois lawmakers hear from housing advocates, bank officials to address racial inequities in homeownership

State legislators Thursday listened to the equitable housing concerns of various community groups and bank officials as they collectively brainstormed policy changes that would make homeownership accessible to more Black and Latino residents .
While lending practices and banks are regulated on the federal level , state Sen. Camille Lilly , D-Chicago , said the goal is to implement policies that could hold the financial institutions accountable for their lending practices in Illinois .
“ We are looking at improving the quality of life , as said over and over again , ” Lilly said at the over three hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Investing in the community , investing in the people will do just that.
” Many who testified Thursday pointed to how lending opportunities for Blacks too often rely on credit scores and suggested that down payment assistance , the creation of a community credit union and widespread changes in the home appraisal process could help alleviate obstacles for the African American community .
Asiaha Butler , president of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood ( R.A.G.E ) , said legislation similar to the Homestead Act of 1862 , which provided land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beneficial .
Decades of housing policies that have hurt Black homeowners has led to so much distrust in banks that many Englewood residents don ’ t want to own a home , Butler said .
Her own home , which has fluctuated in price since she moved in , is currently valued less than how much she paid for the property in 2002 .
“ I have no equity in my home , ” Butler said to lawmakers during the hearing prompted by an investigation by WBEZ and City Bureau examining disparities in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have no wealth that I can pass along to my children.
” Donna Clarke , the interim president of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago , suggested training more residents in communities of color on how to appraise properties .
A shortage in appraisers could be a reason why evaluations are done without the person having first-hand knowledge about a specific neighborhood , added Ben Jackson , executive vice president of Illinois Bankers Association .
The current system , based on determining the worth of a property by looking at past values , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ depresses property values in these communities , ” Clarke said .
Jackson proposed eliminating the apprenticeship process those seeking to become appraisers are required to undergo .
He described the apprenticeship program as a barrier for those seeking to get into the field , particularly people of color .
Jackson also suggested that there could be alternative methods to evaluating property especially those tied to smaller loans .
Some properties in rural areas don ’ t need appraisals if it can be proved that an appraiser wasn ’ t available , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago Sun-Times reported on how home appraisals add to the inequities Black homeowners face by highlighting the experience of Christina Jordan who received a higher appraisal on her Oakland condo when she didn ’ t disclose her race .
Elvia Malagón ’ s reporting on social justice and income inequality is made possible by a grant from the Chicago Community Trust .

State legislators Thursday listened to the equitable housing concerns of various community groups and bank officials as they collectively brainstormed policy changes that would make homeownership accessible to more Black and Latino residents.
While lending practices and banks are regulated on the federal level, state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, said the goal is to implement policies that could hold the financial institutions accountable for their lending practices in Illinois.
“We are looking at improving the quality of life, as said over and over again,” Lilly said at the over three hour hearing before the Senate Financial Institutions Committee. “Investing in the community, investing in the people will do just that.”
Many who testified Thursday pointed to how lending opportunities for Blacks too often rely on credit scores and suggested that down payment assistance, the creation of a community credit union and widespread changes in the home appraisal process could help alleviate obstacles for the African American community.
Asiaha Butler, president of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E), said legislation similar to the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided land to U.S. citizens, would also be beneficial. Decades of housing policies that have hurt Black homeowners has led to so much distrust in banks that many Englewood residents don’t want to own a home, Butler said. Her own home, which has fluctuated in price since she moved in, is currently valued less than how much she paid for the property in 2002.
“I have no equity in my home,” Butler said to lawmakers during the hearing prompted by an investigation by WBEZ and City Bureau examining disparities in home lending practices in Chicago.
“I have no wealth that I can pass along to my children.”
Donna Clarke, the interim president of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, suggested training more residents in communities of color on how to appraise properties. A shortage in appraisers could be a reason why evaluations are done without the person having first-hand knowledge about a specific neighborhood, added Ben Jackson, executive vice president of Illinois Bankers Association.
The current system, based on determining the worth of a property by looking at past values, “destroyed wealth for existing homeowners” and “depresses property values in these communities,” Clarke said.
Jackson proposed eliminating the apprenticeship process those seeking to become appraisers are required to undergo. He described the apprenticeship program as a barrier for those seeking to get into the field, particularly people of color.
Jackson also suggested that there could be alternative methods to evaluating property especially those tied to smaller loans. Some properties in rural areas don’t need appraisals if it can be proved that an appraiser wasn’t available, he said.
Earlier this month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on how home appraisals add to the inequities Black homeowners face by highlighting the experience of Christina Jordan who received a higher appraisal on her Oakland condo when she didn’t disclose her race.
Elvia Malagón’s reporting on social justice and income inequality is made possible by a grant from the Chicago Community Trust.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to correct state Rep. Camille Lilly’s title.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-15--‘Honest Thief’: To tell the truth, this is not one of Liam Neeson’s best

When I heard Liam Neeson was playing a criminal mastermind known as “ The In and Out Bandit ” in the new thriller “ Honest Thief , ” I was hoping against hope he got that moniker because he celebrated every successful heist by sending a big sack of In-N-Out Burgers to the frustrated feds .
But this gray and brooding and plausibility-defying actioner is set not in California but in and around Boston , and Neeson ’ s Tom Carter has been given that name by the FBI because when he hits a bank in the dead of night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s in and out , just like that !
As opposed to what , the Lingering Bandit , who takes his sweet time and waits until he hears sirens before making a run for it ?
Let ’ s also make it clear Tom Carter is nothing at all like the middle-aged-but-not-to-be-trifled with characters Neeson has played in the “ Taken ” trilogy , “ The Commuter , ” “ Non-Stop , ” “ Cold Pursuit , ” “ Unknown , ” “ The Grey , ” “ Run All Night ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” OK ?
This guy is completely different from all those other stoic and rugged individualists who find themselves thrust into the most extreme circumstances imaginable and will do anything to set things right .
Nothing like them at all .
Neeson ’ s Tom is a former Navy demolitions expert with a particular set of skills ( sorry ) who for the better part of a decade has been pulling off a series of seamlessly executed bank robberies .
But now he calls the FBI , identifies himself as the In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despises ) and says , “ I ’ ve robbed 12 banks in seven states … in eight years … I have $ 9 million.
” He wants to turn over the cash — he hasn ’ t spent a dime of it , for ludicrous reasons explained much later on — and surrender , in exchange for a lenient sentence .
Why ?
Because Tom has fallen in love with Kate Walsh ’ s Annie , and he ’ d like to come clean , do his time , have a fresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking over his shoulder , waiting for the feds to swoop in .
He wants to become the Sorry ‘ Bout That Bandit !
Tom meets with FBI agents Nevins ( Jai Courtney ) and Hall ( Anthony Ramos ) to turn himself in and hand over the cash .
Big mistake , Tom .
Huge .
These guys are corrupt — Nevins in particular is a homicidal maniac — and next thing you know , things go horribly wrong , murder is afoot , Tom and Nevins are engaged in mortal combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and onto the street , just as Annie is arriving to meet Tom , and that ’ s how Annie finds out there ’ s a little more to Tom than he ’ s told her .
Neeson and Walsh are lovely together ; it ’ s nice and quite rare to see such a giddy , crazy-for-you romance between two characters who are over 50 .
And the reliable character actor Jeffrey Donovan is terrific as Agent Meyers , a good-guy fed who carries around a dog with him because that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent divorce settlement .
( I ’ m thinking FBI agents probably don ’ t bring pups to work , but there you have it . )
But this is one of those second-rate action movies where smart people keep having to do dumb things just to keep the plot rolling , and nearly every scene has us asking , “ Why would you do THAT ?
” The In and Out Bandit should have anonymously donated his loot to charity and disappeared into the mist with Annie when he had the @ @

When I heard Liam Neeson was playing a criminal mastermind known as “The In and Out Bandit” in the new thriller “Honest Thief,” I was hoping against hope he got that moniker because he celebrated every successful heist by sending a big sack of In-N-Out Burgers to the frustrated feds. But this gray and brooding and plausibility-defying actioner is set not in California but in and around Boston, and Neeson’s Tom Carter has been given that name by the FBI because when he hits a bank in the dead of night and cleans out the safe, he’s in and out, just like that!
‘Honest Thief’
Untitled Briarcliff Entertainment presents a film directed by Mark Williams and written by Williams and Steve Allrich. Rated PG-13 (for strong violence, crude references and brief strong language). Running time: 99 minutes. Now showing at local theaters.
As opposed to what, the Lingering Bandit, who takes his sweet time and waits until he hears sirens before making a run for it?
Let’s also make it clear Tom Carter is nothing at all like the middle-aged-but-not-to-be-trifled with characters Neeson has played in the “Taken” trilogy, “The Commuter,” “Non-Stop,” “Cold Pursuit,” “Unknown,” “The Grey,” “Run All Night” or “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” OK? This guy is completely different from all those other stoic and rugged individualists who find themselves thrust into the most extreme circumstances imaginable and will do anything to set things right. Nothing like them at all.
Neeson’s Tom is a former Navy demolitions expert with a particular set of skills (sorry) who for the better part of a decade has been pulling off a series of seamlessly executed bank robberies. But now he calls the FBI, identifies himself as the In and Out Bandit (a name he despises) and says, “I’ve robbed 12 banks in seven states … in eight years … I have $9 million.” He wants to turn over the cash — he hasn’t spent a dime of it, for ludicrous reasons explained much later on — and surrender, in exchange for a lenient sentence. Why? Because Tom has fallen in love with Kate Walsh’s Annie, and he’d like to come clean, do his time, have a fresh start in life and not always be looking over his shoulder, waiting for the feds to swoop in. He wants to become the Sorry ‘Bout That Bandit!
Tom meets with FBI agents Nevins (Jai Courtney) and Hall (Anthony Ramos) to turn himself in and hand over the cash. Big mistake, Tom. Huge. These guys are corrupt — Nevins in particular is a homicidal maniac — and next thing you know, things go horribly wrong, murder is afoot, Tom and Nevins are engaged in mortal combat and tumbling out of a hotel window and onto the street, just as Annie is arriving to meet Tom, and that’s how Annie finds out there’s a little more to Tom than he’s told her.
Neeson and Walsh are lovely together; it’s nice and quite rare to see such a giddy, crazy-for-you romance between two characters who are over 50. And the reliable character actor Jeffrey Donovan is terrific as Agent Meyers, a good-guy fed who carries around a dog with him because that’s the only thing he got in a recent divorce settlement. (I’m thinking FBI agents probably don’t bring pups to work, but there you have it.) But this is one of those second-rate action movies where smart people keep having to do dumb things just to keep the plot rolling, and nearly every scene has us asking, “Why would you do THAT?” The In and Out Bandit should have anonymously donated his loot to charity and disappeared into the mist with Annie when he had the chance.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-15--Matt Nagy: Bears ‘love our running back situation here right now’

Hours before Le ’ Veon Bell decided to join the Chiefs on Thursday , Bears coach Matt Nagy repeated that he ’ s content with his running back room — even without pass-catcher Tarik Cohen , who is out for the season .
“ I just know how we feel and how I feel and we love our running back situation here right now , ” he said .
“ So again , I think that Le ’ Veon is a good football player and a good running back and leaving that up to [ general manager ] Ryan [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just really happy with our situation here and we feel like we have guys … Catching the ball and doing things — we have guys that can do that , and run the ball between the tackles.
” Nagy ’ s mentors — Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach —will carve out a spot for Bell in an offense similar to the one the Bears run .
The Jets cut Bell on Wednesday after he voiced his displeasure with both his playing time and head coach .
Bell starred for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting out the 2018 season because of a contract dispute .
The Jets guaranteed him $ 27 million just last year .
Returner/running back/receiver Cordarrelle Patterson , who playfully sends social media messages to Bears free-agent targets , Tweeted earlier this week that he was out of the recruiting business .
“ I ’ m giving up being the GM , ” he joked Thursday .
“ I ’ m leaving that to somebody else .
”

Hours before Le’Veon Bell decided to join the Chiefs on Thursday, Bears coach Matt Nagy repeated that he’s content with his running backs room — even without pass catcher Tarik Cohen, who is out for the season.
“I just know how we feel and how I feel, and we love our running-back situation here right now,” he said. “So, again, I think that Le’Veon is a good football player and a good running back, and [I’m] leaving that up to [general manager] Ryan [Pace]. But we’re just really happy with our situation here, and we feel like we have guys. . . . Catching the ball and doing things, we have guys that can do that, and run the ball between the tackles.”
Nagy’s mentors — Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach — will carve out a spot for Bell in an offense similar to the one the Bears run.
The Jets cut Bell on Wednesday after he voiced his displeasure with his playing time and coach Adam Gase. Bell starred for the Steelers for five seasons before infamously sitting out the 2018 season because of a contract dispute. The Jets guaranteed him $27 million just last year.
Kick returner/running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who playfully sends social-media messages to Bears free-agent targets, tweeted this week that he was out of the recruiting business.
“I’m giving up being the GM,” he joked Thursday. “I’m leaving that to somebody else.”
Glass act
Kicker Eddy Pineiro is “still part of our plans” despite being on injured reserve with a groin problem, special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor said. Still, it appears Pineiro isn’t close to returning, as the Bears signed veteran Kai Forbath to the practice squad last week.
Tabor said Forbath will be insurance in case starter Cairo Santos gets hurt — or worse.
“I mean, obviously, there’s a lot of COVID issues going around right now,” Tabor said. “At that position, if someone would wake up in the morning with COVID, we’ve been in a lot of tight games, and you don’t have a guy that can go out and make a field goal. That’s concerning.
“Kai is a guy that’s obviously been in this league a long time. He’s really a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency [signing].”
Forbath has made 131 of 151 kicks in 10 seasons. He kicked in three games with the Cowboys and two with the Patriots last year.
This and that
Deon Bush remained out with a hamstring injury, but fellow safety Sherrick McManis practiced in full Thursday after dealing with a similar problem. Defensive lineman Brent Urban was limited with a knee injury.
† For the fifth consecutive day, no Bear tested positive for the coronavirus. On Saturday, practice-squad offensive lineman Badara Traore became the first Bear to test positive during the regular season.
“We feel like we’re going above and beyond,” Nagy said. “We hope our players feel that from us. And I think when you have a positive test result with [Traore], it doesn’t turn into a lot more — so far, knock on wood. And that’s a credit to how we’re doing things — and the players.’’


chicagosun-times--2020-10-15--Most CPS students won’t return to classrooms for start of 2nd quarter, sources say

The vast majority of Chicago Public Schools students won ’ t return to classrooms for the second quarter of the academic year as public health conditions worsen this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic , according to three sources with knowledge of the school system ’ s plans .
In a call with principals Thursday , officials said most of CPS ’ 300,000 students at the 500-plus district-run , non-charter schools will continue learning from home as the second quarter gets underway in early November , sources said .
Preschool students and children in special education cluster programs , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of their unique difficulties with remote learning , sources said .
A decision on all other students returning to in-person learning for the third quarter in February is still under consideration .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS officials have not made their plans public but said earlier this week that an announcement would come “ very soon.
” A CPS spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment Thursday .
The mayor and district leaders have long hoped that in-classroom schooling would be possible sooner than later .
Over the summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would have sent most students back to school two days a week .
That proposal was put on hold when the city saw a rise in COVID-19 cases and infection rates leading up to the school year , and officials said they would re-consider implementing that plan at the start of the second quarter Nov. 9 .
Lightfoot said in late September that she was “ very much concerned ” about the long-term impact of teaching CPS ’ youngest students remotely and had directed schools officials to develop “ very specific plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into ” the fold , hinting those kids could return to buildings .
There were 14,300 students enrolled in preschool programs at CPS last year .
It ’ s still unclear how many are in the system this year and how strong of an impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on enrollment .
Special education cluster programs , meanwhile , are designed for students requiring a significantly modified curriculum with moderate to intensive supports in a separate classroom from general education classmates for a majority of the day .
In anticipation of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has been adamant against reopening school buildings , tweeted that “ a 3 p.m. meeting has been called for principals today , presumably for CPS and the mayor to inform school administrations of their plans to return SPED and early childhood ed students back to unsafe school buildings in November.
” In a later emailed statement announcing a Friday morning news conference , the CTU called CPS ’ plan “ dangerous ” and said the move “ defies the science and puts thousands of students , family members and educators at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor ’ s excuse for pushing early learners and special education students back into schools is driven by CPS claims that these students are not being served well by remote learning , ” the union said .
“ But CPS has rejected every union proposal to improve remote learning for all students , or to improve services for the district ’ s most vulnerable special needs children.
” The CTU pointed to an arbitrator ’ s ruling earlier this month that said CPS officials have not proven their schools are safe for workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of an unfair labor practice complaint filed by the union and is under appeal by the district .
In August , the CTU was planning a potential strike vote as it rallied for buildings to remain closed at the start of the school year .
Hours after that news broke , word came out that CPS officials would back off their hybrid learning plan and announce a return to full-time remote learning in the fall .

The vast majority of Chicago Public Schools students won’t return to classrooms for the start of the second quarter next month as public health conditions worsen this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to three sources with knowledge of the school system’s plans.
In a call with principals Thursday, officials said most of CPS’ 300,000 students at the 500-plus district-run, non-charter schools will continue learning from home as the quarter gets underway in early November, sources said. The quarter ends in early February.
Preschool students and children in special education cluster programs, however, will return to classrooms next month because of their unique difficulties with remote learning, sources said.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
“They focused on the students that are most vulnerable and need in-person services the most,” said one person familiar with the plan.
A decision on when other students will return to in-person learning is still under consideration.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS officials have not made their plans public but said earlier this week that an announcement would come “very soon.” A CPS spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The mayor and district leaders have long hoped that in-classroom schooling would be possible sooner than later. Over the summer, CPS unveiled a hybrid learning plan that would have sent most students back to school two days a week. That proposal was put on hold when the city saw a rise in COVID-19 cases and infection rates leading up to the school year, and officials said they would re-consider implementing that plan at the start of the second quarter Nov. 9.
Lightfoot said in late September that she was “very much concerned” about the long-term impact of teaching CPS’ youngest students remotely and had directed schools officials to develop “very specific plans for outreach to bring those children back into” the fold, hinting those kids could return to buildings.
There were 14,300 students enrolled in preschool programs at CPS last year. It’s still unclear how many are in the system this year and how strong of an impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on enrollment.
Special education cluster programs, meanwhile, are designed for students requiring a significantly modified curriculum with moderate to intensive supports in a separate classroom from general education classmates for a majority of the day.
In anticipation of an announcement, the Chicago Teachers Union, which has been adamant against reopening school buildings, issued a statement announcing a Friday morning news conference and calling CPS’ plan “dangerous.” The union said the move “defies the science and puts thousands of students, family members and educators at risk from the deadly pandemic.”
“The mayor’s excuse for pushing early learners and special education students back into schools is driven by CPS claims that these students are not being served well by remote learning,” the union said. “But CPS has rejected every union proposal to improve remote learning for all students, or to improve services for the district’s most vulnerable special needs children.”
The CTU pointed to an arbitrator’s ruling earlier this month that said CPS officials have not proven their schools are safe for workers or students. That determination was the result of an unfair labor practice complaint filed by the union and is under appeal by the district.
In August, the CTU was planning a potential strike vote as it rallied for buildings to remain closed at the start of the school year. Hours after that news broke, word came out that CPS officials would back off their hybrid learning plan and announce a return to full-time remote learning in the fall.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--Dear Abby: How can I help friends’ daughter who might be on meth?

DEAR ABBY : The 22-year-old daughter of close friends of ours has been living in a van during the pandemic .
Her parents , my husband and I heard her on her cellphone talking about a party where her friends were doing meth .
No one reacted except me .
I said , “ That ’ s terrifying !
” and she answered , “ Right ?
” I can not stop worrying about this young woman , who I have watched grow since she was a baby .
The red spots on her face , which I had assumed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What can I do ?
I had offered her the use of our driveway , if needed , but I don ’ t want meth users here because I have two college-age sons , so now I regret even that .
I feel since she broached the topic she was asking for help .
Her mom let it completely slide .
Help !
— SICK WITH WORRY IN COLORADO DEAR SICK : The baby you watched grow up is now an adult .
If you think she was asking for help because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her and offer to help her get it .
IF she says she wants to move her van to your property , explain that as long as she is using and/or partying with contemporaries who do , the offer is off the table .
As to her parents who , from what you wrote , appear to be clueless , tell them you are alarmed and why , and urge them to go online and educate themselves about the symptoms of meth addiction , which include facial sores .
DEAR ABBY : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very outgoing , and I would like to think of myself as the same , but I work hard .
He always makes plans for the weekends , but sometimes I just want to stay home , relax and get the house in order .
The problem is , he insists we go and do something like day or overnight trips hours away every weekend .
I encourage him to go visit our friends because I know I can trust him , and I need some alone time !
Am I wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DEAR PEACEFUL : You are not wrong .
You are as entitled to your feelings as your husband is to his .
Things should not always have to be his way .
The two of you need to work out a compromise .
( Compromise is the secret ingredient in happy marriages . )
If he feels the need to get away and it doesn ’ t bother you because you trust him , you should be entitled to time at home to get the place — and your head — straight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s second wife .
His first wife died of cancer eight years ago .
His late wife ’ s mother still calls him her son-in-law and introduces him as such .
She also asks him to help her with things around the house , like getting mulch and remodeling the bath .
She invites all of us over to holidays , but I can ’ t help but feel awkward .
Am I overreacting ?
Shouldn ’ t she find someone else to help her now that bond is broken ?
— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE PRESENT : If the bond were broken , your husband ’ s former mother-in-law would find someone else , and your husband would help her to do it .
He may still feel like a member of that family .
Please be smart and less defensive .
The woman is making an effort to include you in her celebrations .
Accept the gesture for what it is and be gracious .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips , and was founded by her mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .
What teens need to know about sex , drugs , AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “ What Every Teen Should Know.
” Send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Teen Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: The 22-year-old daughter of close friends of ours has been living in a van during the pandemic. Her parents, my husband and I heard her on her cellphone talking about a party where her friends were doing meth. No one reacted except me. I said, “That’s terrifying!” and she answered, “Right?”
I cannot stop worrying about this young woman, who I have watched grow since she was a baby. The red spots on her face, which I had assumed were from acne, now haunt me. What can I do?
I had offered her the use of our driveway, if needed, but I don’t want meth users here because I have two college-age sons, so now I regret even that. I feel since she broached the topic she was asking for help. Her mom let it completely slide. Help! — SICK WITH WORRY IN COLORADO
DEAR SICK: The baby you watched grow up is now an adult. If you think she was asking for help because she is addicted to methamphetamine, talk to her and offer to help her get it. IF she says she wants to move her van to your property, explain that as long as she is using and/or partying with contemporaries who do, the offer is off the table.
As to her parents who, from what you wrote, appear to be clueless, tell them you are alarmed and why, and urge them to go online and educate themselves about the symptoms of meth addiction, which include facial sores.
DEAR ABBY: I have a wonderful husband. He is very outgoing, and I would like to think of myself as the same, but I work hard. He always makes plans for the weekends, but sometimes I just want to stay home, relax and get the house in order. The problem is, he insists we go and do something like day or overnight trips hours away every weekend. I encourage him to go visit our friends because I know I can trust him, and I need some alone time! Am I wrong for that? — PEACEFUL AND STILL
DEAR PEACEFUL: You are not wrong. You are as entitled to your feelings as your husband is to his. Things should not always have to be his way. The two of you need to work out a compromise. (Compromise is the secret ingredient in happy marriages.) If he feels the need to get away and it doesn’t bother you because you trust him, you should be entitled to time at home to get the place — and your head — straight.
DEAR ABBY: I am my husband’s second wife. His first wife died of cancer eight years ago. His late wife’s mother still calls him her son-in-law and introduces him as such. She also asks him to help her with things around the house, like getting mulch and remodeling the bath. She invites all of us over to holidays, but I can’t help but feel awkward. Am I overreacting? Shouldn’t she find someone else to help her now that bond is broken? — IN THE PRESENT IN INDIANA
DEAR IN THE PRESENT: If the bond were broken, your husband’s former mother-in-law would find someone else, and your husband would help her to do it. He may still feel like a member of that family. Please be smart and less defensive. The woman is making an effort to include you in her celebrations. Accept the gesture for what it is and be gracious.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--Capt. Bill Pinkney: Bringing sea lessons and a remarkable life to the Chicago Maritime Museum Festiv

Capt. Bill Pinkney: Bringing sea lessons and a remarkable life to the Chicago Maritime Museum Festival

Bill Pinkney jumped off the rocks with friends near the Jackson Park Yacht Club as a teenager .
While flying through the air , he realized he couldn ’ t swim .
“ I nearly drowned , ” he said last week from his home in Puerto Rico .
Capt .
William “ Bill ” Pinkney had a remarkable life , especially related to water .
“ Not had , but having a remarkable life , ” Pinkney , 85 , corrected .
“ Still working on it.
” On Thursday , he is the keynote speaker , via video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He will address 10 things he learned at sea that are applicable to life .
In June 9 , 1992 , he became the first African-American to sail solo around the world when he finished a 22-month journey on “ Commitment , ” via the difficult route around the southern capes .
The video of the journey , narrated by Bill Cosby , won a Peabody Award .
“ Captain Bill Pinkney ’ s Journey ” was much used grade-school text .
The late poet Maya Angelou wrote the cover recommendation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pinkney ’ s autobiography .
People he ’ s had contact with—presidents , captains of industry , artistic sorts—is the most remarkable of anybody I ’ ve interviewed in 25 years of this column .
His resume is the first of any interviewee to include limbo dancer .
After sailing solo , Pinkney would lead excursions of the Middle Passage slave routes and became a captain of the recreation of the Amistad .
Pinkney grew up near 31st and Indiana , so the 31st Street Beach was a favorite spot to walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was on the other side of the lake , ” he said .
He did a lot in his life to find that out , including joining the Navy .
“ I spent eight years in and loved it , ” he said .
“ I always lived near water and was involved in water.
” Helping with a fundraiser for a museum is not surprising .
Pinkney was on the board of the Mystic Seaport Museum , which led the recreation of the Amistad .
Growing up , he loved Chicago ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Science and industry was my favorite because I was there when they brought the submarine across , ” he said .
Lake Michigan taught him much about sailing .
He sailed six or so Macs ( Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac ) .
When he had trouble finding people to sail with him , he started sailing solo .
“ One thing led to another , a slippery slope , and I am sailing around the world by myself , ” he said .
His solo sail around the world wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African-American sailors .
He simply wanted to write some inspiration for his grandchildren .
But , at his elementary school reunion , he mentioned planning to sail around the world .
He was asked to do something for classes .
Word reached Marge Harrigan , who administered curriculum for the Chicago Public Schools .
“ At that point , I lost control of it , ” Pinkney said .
Major sponsorship came from Boston for the solo trip , so students in Boston were added .
Sailing solo , he communicated with 30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communications awaited when he reached ports .
His life was so remarkable I was compelled to ask if he met , felt or saw God while sailing around the world .
“ Oh yes , ” he said .
“ You see the face of God in the beauty and majesty of the ocean , and you see God in the strength , force and power there .
And you realize that man is not the strongest thing on earth , not even the hydrogen bombs or B52s have that strength and power.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarkable life stood out , he said , “ No .
It is a progression , never knowing what the next step is going to be , but being willing to do it when the possibility presents itself.
” When I asked him if he would recommend that young people chase their dreams , he said , “ Yes , but there is a difference between a dream and a fantasy .
A dream is from your own efforts .
Fantasy is what happens to you .
If you ’ re 5-6 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , if you want to be involved , go to law school and become an agent .
Fantasies happen to you .
Dreams are things you can make happen with help.
” CMM Festival , now a “ gala-gone-virtual , ” raised $ 35,000 of the hoped for $ 100,000 by Monday .
The big fundraising will be the Paddle Raise , led by auctioneer Greg Dellinger and reenactors Abraham Lincoln and Louis le Voyageur .
Some of the funds will be for a permanent Bill Pinkney exhibit .
After the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is featured in a music festival .
More information on CMM , which sits the east bank of Bubbly Creek in the basement floor of the Bridgeport Art Center at 35th and Racine , is at chicagomaritimemuseum.org .

Bill Pinkney jumped off the rocks with friends near the Jackson Park Yacht Club as a teenager. While flying through the air, he realized he couldn’t swim.
“I nearly drowned,” he said last week from his home in Puerto Rico.
Capt. William “Bill” Pinkney had a remarkable life, especially related to water.
“Not had, but having a remarkable life,” Pinkney, 85, corrected. “Still working on it.”
On Thursday, he is the keynote speaker, via video, at the Chicago Maritime Museum Festival. He will address 10 things he learned at sea that are applicable to life.
On June 9, 1992, he became the first African American to sail solo around the world when he finished a 22-month journey on “Commitment,” via the difficult route around the southern capes.
The video of the journey, narrated by Bill Cosby, won a Peabody Award. “Captain Bill Pinkney’s Journey” was a much-used grade-school text. The late poet Maya Angelou wrote the cover recommendation to “As Long as It Takes,” Pinkney’s autobiography.
The people he has had contact with — presidents, captains of industry, artistic sorts — are the most remarkable of anybody I’ve interviewed in 25 years of this column. His résumé is the first of any interviewee to include limbo dancer.
After sailing solo, Pinkney would lead excursions of the Middle Passage slave routes and became a captain of the re-creation of the Amistad.
Pinkney grew up near 31st and Indiana, so the 31st Street Beach was a favorite spot to walk to.
“I often wondered what was on the other side of the lake,” he said.
He did a lot in his life to find that out, including joining the Navy. “I spent eight years and loved it,” he said. “I always lived near water and was involved in water.”
Helping with a fundraiser for a museum is not surprising. Pinkney was on the board of the Mystic Seaport Museum, which led the re-creation of the Amistad. Growing up, he loved Chicago’s museums.
“The Museum of Science and Industry was my favorite because I was there when they brought the submarine across,” he said.
Captain Bill Pinkney (center) at the Jackson Park Yacht Club. Provided
Lake Michigan taught him much about sailing. He sailed six or so Macs (Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac). When he had trouble finding people to sail with him, he sailed solo.
“One thing led to another, a slippery slope, and I’m sailing around the world by myself,” he said. His solo sail around the world wasn’t to be a model for other African American sailors. He simply wanted to write some inspiration for his grandchildren.
But, at his elementary-school reunion, he mentioned planning to sail around the world. He was asked to do something for classes. Word reached Marge Harrigan, who administered curriculum for Chicago Public Schools.
“At that point, I lost control of it,” Pinkney said.
Major sponsorship came from Boston for the solo trip, so students in Boston were added. Sailing solo, he communicated with 30,000 students in Chicago and Boston. Many communications awaited when he reached ports.
World Challenge Fund originator Bill Pinkney who has raised money for his lone world-wide sailing tour, hooked-up to computers & satellites to educate public school students around country, showing picture of boat to 6th grade class. The LIFE Images Collection via G
His life was so remarkable, I was compelled to ask if he met, felt or saw God while sailing around the world.
“Oh, yes,” he said. “You see the face of God in the beauty and majesty of the ocean, and you see God in the strength, force and power there. And you realize that man is not the strongest thing on Earth, not even the hydrogen bombs or B-52s have that strength and power.”
Asked if one thing in his life stood out, he said, “No. It is a progression, never knowing what the next step is going to be, but being willing to do it when the possibility presents itself.”
When I asked if he’d recommend that young people chase their dreams, he said, “Yes, but there’s a difference between a dream and a fantasy. A dream is from your own efforts. Fantasy is what happens to you. If you’re 5-6, playing in the NBA is a fantasy. However, if you want to be involved, go to law school and become an agent. Fantasies happen to you. Dreams are things you can make happen with help.”
The CMM Festival, now a “gala-gone-virtual,” raised $35,000 of the hoped-for $100,000 by Monday. The big fundraising will be the Paddle Raise, led by auctioneer Greg Dellinger and actors performing as Abraham Lincoln and “Louis le Voyageur.” Some of the funds will be for a permanent Bill Pinkney exhibit.
After the Paddle Raise, folk artist Lee Murdoch will be featured in a music festival.
More information on CMM, which sits on the east bank of Bubbly Creek in the basement floor of the Bridgeport Art Center at 35th and Racine, is at chicagomaritimemuseum.org.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--‘Bad Hair’: Cause of death is not natural — it’s a weave

Never has a Bad Hair Day had such dire consequences .
Six years after writer-director Justin Simien stirred things up with the timely and insightful social satire “ Dear White People ” ( which led to a Netflix series ) , he ’ s stretching the envelope again .
His 1980s-set horror comedy “ Bad Hair ” combines thought-provoking commentary about how Black women have felt pressured through the decades to “ do something ” about their natural hair with a wild B-movie fright fest with shades of “ The Ring ” and “ Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitch-perfect takeoffs on old-school music videos ; you DO remember music videos , yes ?
When someone gets a killer weave in “ Bad Hair , ” it ’ s a KILLER WEAVE .
The year is 1989 , and the smart and kind but unassertive Anna ( newcomer Elle Lorraine , making an impressive splash ) is working as a production assistant at Culture , an MTV-esque channel aimed at Black audiences .
With ratings stalling and Culture in danger of losing its cred , the smarmy head of the network , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beek , looking like he wandered off the set of “ American Psycho ” ) , brings in the famed former supermodel and media personality Zora ( Vanessa Williams , having a blast playing the Wicked Witch of the 1980s West ) to shake things up .
The brutally blunt Zora sees potential in Anna but would like her — as well as some of the more prominent on-air personalities at the network — to adopt a more sophisticated and glamorous look , starting at the top with a weave .
Laverne Cox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who runs a mysterious salon and gives Anna a long , luxurious weave , which causes Anna tremendous pain but also gives her the confidence to step up her game and take charge at work , and in the on-and-off relationship she has with a cocky , womanizing VJ ( Jay Pharoah ) .
But here ’ s the thing : Anna ’ s hair has a mind , a very evil and violent mind , of its own .
From time to time , it actually seems to hunger for human blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grows and GROWS , with tendrils that can penetrate human flesh or suffocate a victim or become a noose around the neck .
And let ’ s just say Anna isn ’ t the only Black woman in Los Angeles with lethal hair .
Writer=director Simien knows how to execute classic horror-movie scare moments , and there are a LOT of them in “ Bad Hair.
” The special effects are of the drive-in movie variety , but there ’ s something blood-curdling about the sounds the possessed hair makes when it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some fantastically disgusting gross-out moments .
( The Bernard Herrmann/Hitchock movie type score by Kris Bowers is effectively creepy as well . )
“ Bad Hair ” also works as a spot-on take on late 1980s pop music , with Simien writing songs and producing videos-within-the-movie that perfectly mirror works by the likes of Janet Jackson ( Kelly Rowland is terrific as a Janet-like pop star ) and Bell Biv DeVoe .
As the body count piles up , Anna learns more about the mythology behind what ’ s happening with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history and Native American superstition .
She also learns it ’ s not as simple as taking out the weave , because , well , because the spirits of witches are living within the hair , or something like that .
You just kinda have to go with it .
“ Bad Hair ” is filled with sharp and often funny extended cameos by the wonderful cast , including Blair Underwood as Anna ’ s learned Uncle Amos Bludso , who knows a lot about lore and legends ; Usher as a performer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Anna ’ s former mentor , who is distressed to see Anna falling under Zora ’ s spell , and Lena Waithe as Culture on-air personality Brook-Lynne , who knows she ’ s in the middle of something straight out of a horror movie and delivers some hilarious commentary even as she ’ s running for her life .
With a running time of 1 hour 55 minutes , “ Bad Hair ” might have benefited from a quick trim ( sorry ) , and it ’ s a real mess at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon shake off its genuinely scary and originally twisted delights .
The Chicago International Film Festival presents a screening of “ Bad Hair ” at 7 p.m. Friday at the ChiTown Movies drive-in , 2343 S. Throop St. Tickets : chicagofilmfestival.com

Never has a Bad Hair Day had such dire consequences.
Six years after writer-director Justin Simien stirred things up with the timely and insightful social satire “Dear White People” (which led to a Netflix series), he’s stretching the envelope again. His 1980s-set horror comedy “Bad Hair” combines thought-provoking commentary about how Black women have felt pressured through the decades to “do something” about their natural hair with a wild B-movie fright fest with shades of “The Ring” and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” And oh yes, we get some pitch-perfect takeoffs on old-school music videos; you DO remember music videos, yes?
‘Bad Hair’
Untitled Hulu presents a film written and directed by Justin Simien. No MPAA rating. Running time: 115 minutes. Premieres Oct. 23 on Hulu.
When someone gets a killer weave in “Bad Hair,” it’s a KILLER WEAVE. The year is 1989, and the smart and kind but unassertive Anna (newcomer Elle Lorraine, making an impressive splash) is working as a production assistant at Culture, an MTV-esque channel aimed at Black audiences. With ratings stalling and Culture in danger of losing its cred, the smarmy head of the network, one Grant Madison (James Van Deer Beek, looking like he wandered off the set of “American Psycho”), brings in the famed former supermodel and media personality Zora (Vanessa Williams, having a blast playing the Wicked Witch of the 1980s West) to shake things up. The brutally blunt Zora sees potential in Anna but would like her — as well as some of the more prominent on-air personalities at the network — to adopt a more sophisticated and glamorous look, starting at the top with a weave.
Vanessa Williams (center) plays the sharp-tongued boss demanding more sophisticated looks from her staff, from head to toe. Hulu
Laverne Cox has a scene-stealing cameo as Virgie, who runs a mysterious salon and gives Anna a long, luxurious weave, which causes Anna tremendous pain but also gives her the confidence to step up her game and take charge at work, and in the on-and-off relationship she has with a cocky, womanizing VJ (Jay Pharoah). But here’s the thing: Anna’s hair has a mind, a very evil and violent mind, of its own. From time to time, it actually seems to hunger for human blood, and it grows and grows and grows and GROWS, with tendrils that can penetrate human flesh or suffocate a victim or become a noose around the neck.
And let’s just say Anna isn’t the only Black woman in Los Angeles with lethal hair.
Writer-director Simien knows how to execute classic horror-movie scare moments, and there are a lot of them in “Bad Hair.” The special effects are of the drive-in movie variety, but there’s something blood-curdling about the sounds the possessed hair makes when it’s out for the kill, resulting in some fantastically disgusting gross-out moments. (The Bernard Herrmann/Hitchock movie type score by Kris Bowers is effectively creepy as well.) “Bad Hair” also works as a spot-on take on late 1980s pop music, with Simien writing songs and producing videos-within-the-movie that perfectly mirror works by the likes of Janet Jackson (Kelly Rowland is terrific as a Janet-like pop star) and Bell Biv DeVoe.
As the body count piles up, Anna learns more about the mythology behind what’s happening with her hair, which ties in to slave history and Native American superstition. She also learns it’s not as simple as taking out the weave, because, well, because the spirits of witches are living within the hair, or something like that. You just kinda have to go with it.
“Bad Hair” is filled with sharp and often funny extended cameos by the wonderful cast, including Blair Underwood as Anna’s learned Uncle Amos Bludso, who knows a lot about lore and legends; Usher as a performer known as Germane D; Judith Scott as Anna’s former mentor, who is distressed to see Anna falling under Zora’s spell, and Lena Waithe as Culture on-air personality Brook-Lynne, who knows she’s in the middle of something straight out of a horror movie and delivers some hilarious commentary even as she’s running for her life.
With a running time of 1 hour 55 minutes, “Bad Hair” might have benefited from a quick trim (sorry), and it’s a real mess at times, but you won’t soon shake off its genuinely scary and originally twisted delights.
The Chicago International Film Festival presents a screening of “Bad Hair” at 7 p.m. Friday at the ChiTown Movies drive-in, 2343 S. Throop St. Tickets: chicagofilmfestival.com


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--Chicago cop hopes to help others escape his murdered mom’s fate on CPD’s Domestic Violence Unit

There are few better equipped than Officer Gino Garcia to talk to victims when calls come in to the Chicago Police Department Domestic Violence Unit .
The officer ’ s mother , Brenda Sexton , herself a police officer , was beaten to death by her boyfriend , on Aug. 14 , 2000 .
His mother was 31 .
Garcia was just six , and he and his siblings discovered her battered body .
Garcia grew up dreaming of following in his mother ’ s footsteps , achieving that dream when he joined the police force in 2016 .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was accepted to a unit where he can help other women escape his mother ’ s fate .
“ I was informed the Domestic Violence Unit was looking to add another officer , so I put in my resume and shared why I thought I was a fit for the job , ” Garcia said earlier this week , chatting at CPD ’ s Bronzeville headquarters , to highlight Domestic Violence Awareness Month .
“ I told our Domestic Violence coordinator that I wasn ’ t looking just to do roll call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the community , hands on , ” said Garcia , 27 , who started his new role on Aug. 28 .
It was the culmination of a journey for the Mount Greenwood resident , who keeps a framed photo of his mom in her uniform blues on his desk .
Garcia had been a patrol officer the past 3 1⁄ years — in the same Chicago Lawn Police District where his mother had also been assigned to patrol .
“ She was the whole reason for my joining the force — to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the U.S. will experience rape , physical violence , and/or stalking by an intimate partner — an average of 24 people per minute , with more than 12 million Americans impacted annually , according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline .
Women ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence , and studies find a high incidence of domestic violence among law enforcement families , with as high as 40 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who joined the force in 1997 , was a mother of five .
She had a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend , Sam Lupo , who was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 20 to 60 years in prison .
He had beat her to death with a baseball bat .
In news reports of the trial , Sexton ’ s family said the boyfriend was insanely jealous , and feared she would leave him .
“ That night , my mother and her boyfriend got into a horrible altercation .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about , ” Garcia recalled .
“ My mother ended up taking us kids to a haunted trail , and we stopped at my cousin ’ s house a few blocks away , to try to let things calm down.
” When they returned home , the fight was reignited , Garcia recounts .
“ Her boyfriend yelled at us to get our asses to bed .
I got scared , and cried myself to sleep , ” he said .
“ I woke the next morning to my brother saying , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t believe him .
He said , ‘ Go and look.
’ I went up to her room , and she was there , unresponsive.
” According to one study by the national hotline , women who called for help all shared a strong reluctance to turn to law enforcement .
One in 4 women reported they wouldn ’ t call police in the future .
More than half said calling police would make things worse .
More than two-thirds said they were afraid police wouldn ’ t believe them or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which triggered stay-at-home orders , unemployment and economic stress has only exacerbated the risk to domestic violence victims .
Murder-suicide rates — where a male partner kills a female and then himself — have spiked over the same time last year , statistics show .
“ There ’ s a lot to learn , as far as police general orders on domestic violence , what shelters and programs are out there , what resources to provide victims who need help , ” Garcia said .
“ But I ’ ve gotten where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can help other victims , ” said Garcia .
“ I want to get out there , do hands-on outreach , see who is at high risk , and help get them out of the situations they ’ re in — rather than just locking somebody up whose going to be out two days later.
” And he is sure his mother is smiling down on him : “ I know in my heart I have made her proud , representing not only who I am , but the officer that she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence , you can call the national hotline , at 1-800-799-SAFE ( 7233 ) ; or the Illinois statewide hotline , at 877-863-6338 .

There are few better equipped than Officer Gino Garcia to talk to victims when calls come in to the Chicago Police Department Domestic Violence Unit.
The officer’s mother, Brenda Sexton, herself a police officer, was beaten to death by her boyfriend, on Aug. 14, 2000. His mother was 31. Garcia was just 6, and he and his siblings discovered her battered body.
Garcia grew up dreaming of following in his mother’s footsteps, achieving that dream when he joined the police force in 2016.
He recently met another goal — he applied and was accepted to a unit where he can help other women escape his mother’s fate.
“I was informed the Domestic Violence Unit was looking to add another officer, so I put in my resume and shared why I thought I was a fit for the job,” Garcia said last week, chatting at CPD’s Bronzeville headquarters, to highlight Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“I told our Domestic Violence coordinator that I wasn’t looking just to do roll call. I wanted to be out in the community, hands on,” said Garcia, 27, who started his new role Aug. 28.
It was the culmination of a journey for the Mount Greenwood resident, who keeps a framed photo of his mom in her uniform blues on his desk. Garcia had been a patrol officer the past 3 1⁄ 2 years — in the same Chicago Lawn Police District where his mother had also been assigned to patrol.
“She was the whole reason for my joining the force — to follow in her footsteps,” Garcia said.
More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the U.S. will experience rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner — an average of 24 people per minute, with more than 12 million Americans impacted annually, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Chicago Police Officer Gino Garcia stands outside CPD headquarters on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, as the department marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Joining CPD’s Domestic Violence Unit was culmination of Garcia’s journey to follow in the footsteps of his police officer mother, who was beaten to death by her boyfriend when Garcia was 6. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Women ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence, and studies find a high incidence of domestic violence among law enforcement families, with as high as 40 percent of such families impacted.
Sexton, who joined the force in 1997, was a mother of five. She had a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend, Sam Lupo, who was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 20 to 60 years in prison. He beat her to death with a baseball bat. In news reports of the trial, Sexton’s family said the boyfriend was insanely jealous and feared she would leave him.
“That night, my mother and her boyfriend got into a horrible altercation. I don’t remember what it was about,” Garcia recalled. “My mother ended up taking us kids to a haunted trail, and we stopped at my cousin’s house a few blocks away, to try to let things calm down.”
When they returned home, the fight was reignited, Garcia recounts.
“Her boyfriend yelled at us to get our asses to bed. I got scared and cried myself to sleep,” he said. “I woke the next morning to my brother saying, ‘Our mom’s dead.’ I didn’t believe him. He said, ‘Go and look.’ I went up to her room, and she was there, unresponsive.”
According to one study by the national hotline, women who called for help all shared a strong reluctance to turn to law enforcement. One in 4 women reported they wouldn’t call police in the future. More than half said calling police would make things worse. More than two-thirds said they were afraid police wouldn’t believe them or do anything to intervene.
Chicago Police Officer Gino Garcia, who recently joined CPD’s Domestic Violence Unit, holds a framed photograph of his mother he keeps on his desk, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Garcia hopes to help women trapped in domestic violence, as tribute to his police officer mother, who was beaten to death by her boyfriend when Garcia was 6. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
The pandemic, which triggered stay-at-home orders, unemployment and economic stress has only exacerbated the risk to domestic violence victims. Murder-suicide rates — where a male partner kills a female then himself — have spiked over the same time last year, statistics show.
“There’s a lot to learn, as far as police general orders on domestic violence, what shelters and programs are out there, what resources to provide victims who need help,” Garcia said.
“But I’ve gotten where I wanted to be, where I can help other victims,” he said. “I want to get out there, do hands-on outreach, see who is at high risk and help get them out of the situations they’re in — rather than just locking somebody up whose going to be out two days later.”
And he is sure his mother is smiling down on him: “I know in my heart I have made her proud, representing not only who I am, but the officer that she would be today as well.”
If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence, you can call the national hotline, at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233); or the Illinois statewide hotline, at 877-863-6338.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--New kicker Kai Forbath a ‘break-glass-in-case-of-emergency’ for Bears

Kicker Eddy Pineiro is “ still part of our plans ” despite being on injured reserve with a groin problem , Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said on Thursday .
Still , it appears Pineiro isn ’ t close to returning , as the Bears signed veteran Kai Forbath to the practice squad last week.
’ Tabor said Forbath will be insurance in case starter Cairo Santos gets hurt — or worse .
“ I mean obviously there ’ s a lot of COVID issues going around right now , ” he said .
“ At that position , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning with COVID , we ’ ve been in a lot of tight games and you don ’ t have a guy that can go out and make a field goal .
That ’ s concerning .
“ Kai is a guy that ’ s obviously been in this league a long time .
He ’ s really a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency , is what he is.
” Forbath has made 131 of 151 kicks in 10 seasons .
He kicked in three games with the Cowboys and two with the Patriots last year .

Kicker Eddy Pineiro is “still part of our plans” despite being on injured reserve with a groin problem, Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said on Thursday. Still, it appears Pineiro isn’t close to returning, as the Bears signed veteran Kai Forbath to the practice squad last week.
Tabor said Forbath will be insurance in case starter Cairo Santos gets hurt — or worse.
“I mean obviously there’s a lot of COVID issues going around right now,” he said. “At that position, if someone would wake up in the morning with COVID, we’ve been in a lot of tight games and you don’t have a guy that can go out and make a field goal. That’s concerning.
“Kai is a guy that’s obviously been in this league a long time. He’s really a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency, is what he is.”
Forbath has made 131 of 151 kicks in 10 seasons. He kicked in three games with the Cowboys and two with the Patriots last year.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--13 shot, 2 fatally, in Chicago Thursday

13 shot, 2 fatally, in Chicago Thursday

Two people were killed and 11 others were injured in shootings Thursday across Chicago .
The latest fatal attack left one man dead and another injured that afternoon on the Southwest Side .
They were headed north in a vehicle about 1:40 p.m. in the 3700 block of South Western Avenue when they slammed into another vehicle , Chicago police said .
Paramedics responded to the crash and found that the men had been shot , but it wasn ’ t immediately clear where the shooting took place , according to police and fire officials .
A 20-year-old was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scene , police said .
The other man , 21 , was found with a gunshot wound to the back and taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition .
A woman , 39 , and a 3-year-old boy in the other vehicle were taken to Stroger with non-life threatening injuries .
Another man was shot to death early Thursday in Bronzeville on the South Side .
Imani Heath , 42 , was found in the driver ’ s seat of a parked vehicle about 12:50 a.m. in the 700 block of East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County medical examiner ’ s office said .
Heath , who lived in South Saint Paul , Minnesota , had been shot several times in the body , and was pronounced dead at the scene .
The day ’ s latest nonfatal shooting left a 31-year-old man wounded during a carjacking Thursday night in Austin on the West Side .
Two males walked up to him and fired shots as he got out of his vehicle about 11:20 p.m. in the first block of North Mayfield Avenue , according to police .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buttocks and taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition .
He told officers the shooters drove off in his vehicle .
About 10 minutes before that , another man was shot in Morgan Park on the South Side .
The man , 25 , was driving about 10:10 pm .
in the 1600 block of West 111th Street when someone fired shots , striking him in the legs , police said .
He drove himself to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where he was listed in fair condition .
Another person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the South Side .
About 7:55 p.m. , a male was in the 10600 block of South Oglesby Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain , police said .
He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition with a gunshot wound to the leg .
A man was shot during an argument about an hour and a half earlier in West Pullman on the Far South Side .
The man , 24 , was involved in an argument with a person he knew about 6:30 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avenue when the person pulled out a gun and fired shots , police said .
He was struck in the head and shoulder and taken to Roseland Community Hospital in critical condition .
Earlier that afternoon , a man was shot in the South Loop .
Paramedics picked him up about 1:35 p.m. in the 1000 block of South State Street , according to police .
He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to the hand .
About an hour and a half before that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Calumet Heights on the South Side .
They were traveling in a vehicle about 12:04 p.m. in the 2000 block of East 93rd Street when someone in another vehicle pulled alongside and opened fire , police said .
A 23-year-old man was struck in the leg and the other man , 28 , suffered a graze wound .
They were in good condition at Trinity Hospital .
Earlier that morning , a man was shot in Humboldt Park on the West Side .
The 34-year-old was arguing with two people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8:55 a.m. when one of them took out a gun and opened fire , striking the man in the thigh , according to police .
The 34-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , where his condition was stabilized .
About 15 minutes before that , two men were wounded in Austin .
They were walking to an L station about 8:40 a.m. in the 300 block of North Central Park Avenue when someone drove by and fired shots , police said .
A 23-year-old was shot once in his chest , once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoulder and once in his lower back .
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
The other man , 22 , was in good condition at the same hospital with a gunshot wound to his ankle .
Ten people were shot throughout the city on Wednesday , one of them fatally .

Two people were killed and 11 others were injured in shootings Thursday across Chicago.
The latest fatal attack left one man dead and another injured that afternoon on the Southwest Side.
They were headed north in a vehicle about 1:40 p.m. in the 3700 block of South Western Avenue when they slammed into another vehicle, Chicago police said. Paramedics responded to the crash and found that the men had been shot, but it wasn’t immediately clear where the shooting took place, according to police and fire officials.
Carlos Yanez, 20, was shot in the shoulder and pronounced dead at the scene, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. The other man, 21, was found with a gunshot wound to the back and taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition. A woman, 39, and a 3-year-old boy in the other vehicle were taken to Stroger with non-life threatening injuries.
Another man was shot to death early Thursday in Bronzeville on the South Side.
Imani Heath, 42, was found in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle about 12:50 a.m. in the 700 block of East 42nd Street, authorities said. Heath, who lived in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, had been shot several times in the body, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The day’s latest nonfatal shooting left a 31-year-old man wounded during a carjacking Thursday night in Austin on the West Side.
Two males walked up to him and fired shots as he got out of his vehicle about 11:20 p.m. in the first block of North Mayfield Avenue, according to police. The man was struck in the leg and buttocks and taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition. He told officers the shooters drove off in his vehicle.
About 10 minutes before that, another man was shot in Morgan Park on the South Side.
The man, 25, was driving about 10:10 pm. in the 1600 block of West 111th Street when someone fired shots, striking him in the legs, police said. He drove himself to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was listed in fair condition.
Another person was wounded hours earlier in Trumbull Park on the South Side.
About 7:55 p.m., a male was in the 10600 block of South Oglesby Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition with a gunshot wound to the leg.
A man was shot during an argument about an hour and a half earlier in West Pullman on the Far South Side.
The man, 24, was involved in an argument with a person he knew about 6:30 p.m. in the 11700 block of South Indiana Avenue when the person pulled out a gun and fired shots, police said. He was struck in the head and shoulder and taken to Roseland Community Hospital in critical condition.
Earlier that afternoon, a man was shot in the South Loop.
Paramedics picked him up about 1:35 p.m. in the 1000 block of South State Street, according to police. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to the hand.
About an hour and a half before that, two men were injured in a shooting in Calumet Heights on the South Side.
They were traveling in a vehicle about 12:04 p.m. in the 2000 block of East 93rd Street when someone in another vehicle pulled alongside and opened fire, police said. A 23-year-old man was struck in the leg and the other man, 28, suffered a graze wound. They were in good condition at Trinity Hospital.
Earlier that morning, a man was shot in Humboldt Park on the West Side.
The 34-year-old was arguing with two people in the 3700 block of West Iowa Street at 8:55 a.m. when one of them took out a gun and opened fire, striking the man in the thigh, according to police. The 34-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.
About 15 minutes before that, two men were wounded in Austin.
They were walking to an L station about 8:40 a.m. in the 300 block of North Central Park Avenue when someone drove by and fired shots, police said. A 23-year-old was shot once in his chest, once in his thigh, twice in the shoulder and once in his lower back. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. The other man, 22, was in good condition at the same hospital with a gunshot wound to his ankle.
Ten people were shot throughout the city on Wednesday, one of them fatally.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--Woman struck by vehicle, critically injured in South Shore

A woman is in critical condition after being hit by a vehicle Thursday in South Shore .
The 33-year-old was @ @ @ @ @ p.m. when a southbound Buick SUV struck her in the 7500 block of South Exchange @ @ @ @ @ .
The Buick then continued into a nearby pole .
The woman was taken to @ @ @ @ @ Center in critical condition , police said .
The driver of the Buick , a @ @ @ @ @ to the same hospital in fair condition .
A 10-year-old girl who was riding in @ @ @ @ @ , police said .

A woman is in critical condition after being hit by a vehicle Thursday in South Shore.
The 33-year-old was crossing the street about 10:15 p.m. when a southbound Buick SUV struck her in the 7500 block of South Exchange Avenue, Chicago police said. The Buick then continued into a nearby pole.
The woman was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said. The driver of the Buick, a 31-year-old woman, was taken to the same hospital in fair condition.
A 10-year-old girl who was riding in the Buick was not injured, police said.
The Chicago police Major Accidents Unit is investigating.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--South Loop town house fire displaces residents

A dozen people were displaced in a fire early Friday in the South Loop .
The blaze was reported about @ @ @ @ @ block of South Dearborn Street , according to Chicago police .
The fire damaged multiple @ @ @ @ @ nine adults and three children were displaced , police said .
No injuries were reported @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Fire Department officials .
The cause of the fire remains under investigation .

A dozen people were displaced in a fire early Friday in the South Loop.
The blaze was reported about 12:40 a.m. in the 1800 block of South Dearborn Street, according to Chicago police.
The fire damaged multiple town houses and at least nine adults and three children were displaced, police said.
No injuries were reported, according to police and Chicago Fire Department officials.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--Pritzker to extend eviction moratorium another 30 days: ‘Nothing really has changed’

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Friday he plans to extend the state ’ s moratorium on evictions another month .
Pritzker said adjustments made to the order are still being worked out , and the Friday announcement served purely as a heads up that the extension was coming .
“ Suffice to say though , there won ’ t be any major news , but we are looking at how we might make adjustments , ” Prtizker said at an unrelated news conference .
“ Remember , nothing really has changed in terms of the effect of COVID-19 and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on people ’ s jobs and their ability , or inability , to pay their rent or mortgage.
” More details on the October extension of the moratorium will be rolled out along with the executive order , Pritzker said .
Pointing to the number of people out of work , housing advocates and others have called for the governor to cancel rent and mortgage payments and lift the ban on rent control out of fear that too many will become homeless after the pandemic .
Before Pritzker extended the order in August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged the governor in a public letter to renew the moratorium until state and local agencies had finished issuing financial aid to homeowners and tenants .
Dart warned that letting the moratorium expire would put as many as 250,000 households in the county at risk of eviction during the coronavirus pandemic .
After the letter was published , a group of Chicago landlords pleaded for more help for building owners .
“ Many families are suffering a COVID-related loss of income but so are many of the people who provide them with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alliance said in a statement .
“ In this COVID era , the cost of providing housing has increased while rental income has declined due to the inability of many tenants to pay their rent .
”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday he plans to extend the state’s moratorium on evictions another month.
Pritzker said adjustments made to the order are still being worked out, and the Friday announcement served purely as a heads-up that the extension was coming.
“Suffice to say though, there won’t be any major news, but we are looking at how we might make adjustments,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference. “Remember, nothing really has changed in terms of the effect of COVID-19 and its effect on the economy, its effect on people’s jobs and their ability, or inability, to pay their rent or mortgage.”
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More details on the October extension of the moratorium will be rolled out along with the executive order, Pritzker said.
Pointing to the number of people out of work, housing advocates and others have called for the governor to cancel rent and mortgage payments and lift the ban on rent control out of fear that too many will become homeless after the pandemic.
But a group of landlords and building owners in Chicago said Friday that the governor’s decision jeopardizes their ability to maintain their buildings.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, left, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker appear at a Little Village news conference in September. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times file
“The Governor’s blanket eviction moratorium, among the most expansive in the nation, still offers no recourse for struggling neighborhood housing providers,” the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance, which represents smaller housing providers, such as landlords, said in a statement.
“Neighborhood and affordable housing, most of which is supplied by smaller providers, is facing dire circumstances which will imperil their ability to keep their buildings stable and their residents secure,” the alliance said.
Before Pritzker extended the order in August, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart urged the governor in a public letter to renew the moratorium until state and local agencies had finished issuing financial aid to homeowners and tenants.
Dart warned that letting the moratorium expire would put as many as 250,000 households in the county at risk of eviction during the coronavirus pandemic.
After the letter was published, a group of Chicago landlords pleaded for more help for building owners.
“Many families are suffering a COVID-related loss of income but so are many of the people who provide them with their homes,” the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance said in a statement. “In this COVID era, the cost of providing housing has increased while rental income has declined due to the inability of many tenants to pay their rent.”


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--Alderman’s call for annexation of Mount Hope cemetery smacks of bias

I have several close family members buried at Mount Hope Cemetery .
So it is particularly hurtful this far South Side cemetery is now being stigmatized as the “ gang cemetery.
” Without a doubt , there are gang members buried at Mount Hope — alongside pastors , teachers , barbers and nurses .
If you go there and read the headstones , you ’ ll find the dead from every walk of life .
It is the living causing the problems that have led Ald .
Matt O ’ Shea ( 19th ) to call for the annexation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what — lock it down ?
The shooters aren ’ t just causing trouble at the entrance of Mount Hope cemetery .
They are causing trouble on the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower expressways ; on Lake Shore Drive ; and on main thoroughfares and side streets .
People have been getting shot left and right on our roadways , and a lot of those shootings don ’ t have a thing to do with gangs .
That ’ s what I find troubling about O ’ Shea ’ s tirade over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cemetery ’ s front gate .
When someone opened fire on a car that was blocking traffic last month , a 53-year-old man was wounded , and flying glass cut two other people , including a child .
Although the shooting had nothing to do with gangs , O ’ Shea chose to frame it that way .
“ For far too long , we ’ ve had these episodes of shootings and pursuits in and out of cemeteries , rival gangs settling their disputes in a funeral procession .
My community ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Chicago Sun-Times .
A few traffic cops — like the ones who direct traffic outside of major entertainment venues — would likely have prevented this incident .
But , frankly , maybe it is time for us to give up on long funeral processions .
I ’ ve been in processions where I feared for my life because motorists were upset by the long line of cars .
Besides , there is little respect for this tradition anymore .
“ There ’ s a lot of anger out there , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and president of Leak & Son ’ s Funeral Home , an 80-year old family-owned business .
“ What I am asking families to do is to consider not having that processional .
When you have grieving families and long lines of cars with young people , they tend to act up , ” he said .
“ We try to encourage the family that once everything is over at the funeral home , to just say that the burial will be private , ” he said .
He acknowledged , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends at the burial site .
“ During these dangerous times , that is not the best decision to make , ” he added .
Unfortunately , too many shooters are able to get away quickly because in all the chaos no one had the presence of mind to get a license plate number .
These are societal problems — not Mount Hope ’ s .
What O ’ Shea is really railing against is the burying of so many Black bodies in an area of the city occupied by white residents who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They have two points of entry , but they seldom use the second entry , which causes traffic backups for hours at a time .
... Today between 12 and 2 p.m. , they have 12 scheduled funeral processions .
...
Multiple homicide victims from gang shootings .
These types of events routinely cause very dangerous bottlenecks , ” O ’ Shea told the Sun-Times .
In 2012 , the cemetery agreed to build a “ back entrance ” to deal with the traffic congestion , but , really , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grieving black person the family has to enter the cemetery through the back door ?
If Mount Hope didn ’ t serve so many black families , I believe the “ road rage ” shooting would not have been handled in this manner .
In 2017 , when a man was fatally shot at a grave-site service in Evergreen Cemetery in Evergreen Park , no one smeared that cemetery .
And when a man was shot during a funeral at a west suburban cemetery in an unincorporated Cook County that same year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a shooting occurs in or near Mount Hope , it is characterized as a “ gang cemetery.
” That ’ s a tired slur that needs to “ RIP .
”

I have several close family members buried at Mount Hope Cemetery.
So it is particularly hurtful this far South Side cemetery is now being stigmatized as the “gang cemetery.”
Without a doubt, there are gang members buried at Mount Hope — alongside pastors, teachers, barbers and nurses.
If you go there and read the headstones, you’ll find the dead from every walk of life.
It is the living causing the problems that have led Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) to call for the annexation of the cemetery to the city of Chicago to what — lock it down?
The shooters aren’t just causing trouble at the entrance of Mount Hope cemetery. They are causing trouble on the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower expressways; on Lake Shore Drive; and on main thoroughfares and side streets.
People have been getting shot left and right on our roadways, and a lot of those shootings don’t have a thing to do with gangs.
That’s what I find troubling about O’Shea’s tirade over a shooting that recently occurred outside of the cemetery’s front gate.
When someone opened fire on a car that was blocking traffic last month, a 53-year-old man was wounded, and flying glass cut two other people, including a child.
Although the shooting had nothing to do with gangs, O’Shea chose to frame it that way.
“For far too long, we’ve had these episodes of shootings and pursuits in and out of cemeteries, rival gangs settling their disputes in a funeral procession. My community’s been under siege,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Beverly? Morgan Park? I don’t think so.
A few traffic cops — like the ones who direct traffic outside of major entertainment venues — would likely have prevented this incident.
But, frankly, maybe it is time for us to give up on long funeral processions.
I’ve been in processions where I feared for my life because motorists were upset by the long line of cars.
Besides, there is little respect for this tradition anymore.
“There’s a lot of anger out there,” noted Spencer Leak, Sr., owner and president of Leak & Son’s Funeral Home, an 80-year old family-owned business.
“What I am asking families to do is to consider not having that processional. When you have grieving families and long lines of cars with young people, they tend to act up,” he said.
“We try to encourage the family that once everything is over at the funeral home, to just say that the burial will be private,” he said.
He acknowledged, however, that most families want many of their friends at the burial site.
“During these dangerous times, that is not the best decision to make,” he added.
Unfortunately, too many shooters are able to get away quickly because in all the chaos no one had the presence of mind to get a license plate number.
These are societal problems — not Mount Hope’s.
What O’Shea is really railing against is the burying of so many Black bodies in an area of the city occupied by white residents who are apparently put off by the processionals.
“They have two points of entry, but they seldom use the second entry, which causes traffic backups for hours at a time. ... Today between 12 and 2 p.m., they have 12 scheduled funeral processions. ... Multiple homicide victims from gang shootings. These types of events routinely cause very dangerous bottlenecks,” O’Shea told the Sun-Times.
In 2012, the cemetery agreed to build a “back entrance” to deal with the traffic congestion, but, really, what funeral director is going to tell a grieving black person the family has to enter the cemetery through the back door?
If Mount Hope didn’t serve so many black families, I believe the “road rage” shooting would not have been handled in this manner.
In 2017, when a man was fatally shot at a grave-site service in Evergreen Cemetery in Evergreen Park, no one smeared that cemetery.
And when a man was shot during a funeral at a west suburban cemetery in an unincorporated Cook County that same year, no one called for annexation.
But when a shooting occurs in or near Mount Hope, it is characterized as a “gang cemetery.”
That’s a tired slur that needs to “RIP.”


chicagosun-times--2020-10-16--Getting kids back in school must be America’s first priority

America is in the grips of a national education emergency , and we ’ re wondering why the alarms bells are not ringing louder .
Millions of public schoolchildren remain stuck at home for school , where they stare at electronic screens instead of attending classes in classrooms , where they would be far more actively engaged with their teachers and classmates .
Some children are no doubt working diligently on their lessons , with parents and teachers coaxing them along as they make the best of a bad situation wrought by COVID-19 .
But common sense says that many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot less , if they ’ re learning at all .
As a country , we can not allow remote learning , a third-rate alternative to the real thing , to become the “ new normal.
” Or we will have failed an entire generation .
But right now , as best we can tell , the United States is doing just that , seemingly more upset about closed bars than closed classrooms .
We sense upside-down priorities , as recently lamented by Joseph Allen , a professor at Harvard University ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The second we closed schools in March , it should have been an urgent and national priority to figure out a plan for how to get them back , ” Allen told the Harvard Gazette .
“ Instead , we opened things like bars , restaurants , and casinos , and now we have millions of kids who are not in school .
We have kids who are totally unaccounted for.
” The long-term consequences to children ’ s education and social development are potentially devastating , as Allen and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great for lower-income children of color , whose families have the fewest resources to make remote learning really work .
“ What ’ s our job in this country ?
” Allen asked .
“ It ’ s to educate and care for the next generation.
” Politicians talk endlessly about economic recovery .
And , accordingly , much of the public debate about a possible new federal stimulus package has focused on the importance of rescuing struggling businesses and shoring up the battered finances of state and local governments .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big city public school district in the country also is begging for help , and the next stimulus package — should Washington ever get its act together — must begin there .
We envision a kind of Marshall Plan for education , with every elementary and high school , in even the most impoverished communities , provided with the resources and expert guidance to reopen safely as quickly as possible .
We ’ re thinking about a portable air cleaner in every classroom , as called for by Allen , to improve ventilation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particles .
We ’ re thinking about mandatory masks , extra cleaning of buildings and smaller classes to allow for social distancing .
Nothing we can do will eliminate all risk .
But much more can be done to minimize the risk and make school re-openings more feasible .
It ’ s a matter of doing whatever it takes .
On Friday , Chicago Public Schools announced a plan to slowly return to in-person learning .
Preschoolers and children with special needs would return to school next month .
Elementary and high schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January .
We support that effort , even as we understand the reservations of others .
Yes , we know that Chicago and Illinois are experiencing a troubling resurgence of COVID-19 .
We understand why many parents are wary .
And we see that the Chicago Teachers Union has already signaled its opposition , blasting the CPS plan as “ reckless.
” But we are more persuaded by Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady ’ s review of the work that went into the plan — which CPS is prepared to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus worsen .
Arwady and her team began by examining COVID-19 cases in Chicago involving children under age 18 , including those attending day care programs , park programs , and private and parochial schools .
What they concluded , which is supported by research done in other states and foreign countries , is that school re-openings — carried out with responsible caution — do not as a rule lead to widespread outbreaks of COVID-19 .
“ When proper precautions are taken , ” Arwady said , “ transmission in these settings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that health care is essential and a human right , access to education is essential and a human right , ” she added .
“ I am a pediatrician .
If I thought this was dangerous , I would not be supporting it.
” Some CPS parents will choose to have their children continue with remote learning .
But many other parents — and students— appear to think that it ’ s not working well enough for them .
We received a letter on Friday from a junior at Taft High School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My virtual school is a joke , ” she wrote .
“ It is mid-October and just this week two of my classes were changed .
Two others have rotating subs .
I still don ’ t have any textbooks .
Tests are a joke .
Nobody cares .
It is truly a waste .
I would take any other option offered.
” Our kids deserve a better education — safe , and as soon as possible .

America is in the grips of a national education emergency, and we’re wondering why the alarms bells are not ringing louder.
Millions of public schoolchildren remain stuck at home for school, where they stare at electronic screens instead of attending classes in classrooms, where they would be far more actively engaged with their teachers and classmates.
Some children are no doubt working diligently on their lessons, with parents and teachers coaxing them along as they make the best of a bad situation wrought by COVID-19. But common sense says that many other children surely are learning a whole lot less, if they’re learning at all.
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As a country, we cannot allow remote learning, a third-rate alternative to the real thing, to become the “new normal.” Or we will have failed an entire generation.
But right now, as best we can tell, the United States is doing just that, seemingly more upset about closed bars than closed classrooms. We sense upside-down priorities, as recently lamented by Joseph Allen, a professor at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“The second we closed schools in March, it should have been an urgent and national priority to figure out a plan for how to get them back,” Allen told the Harvard Gazette. “Instead, we opened things like bars, restaurants, and casinos, and now we have millions of kids who are not in school. We have kids who are totally unaccounted for.”
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The long-term consequences to children’s education and social development are potentially devastating, as Allen and other experts warn. The dangers are especially great for lower-income children of color, whose families have the fewest resources to make remote learning really work.
“What’s our job in this country?” Allen asked. “It’s to educate and care for the next generation.”
An educational Marshall Plan
Politicians talk endlessly about economic recovery. And, accordingly, much of the public debate about a possible new federal stimulus package has focused on the importance of rescuing struggling businesses and shoring up the battered finances of state and local governments.
We’re all for that.
But every big city public school district in the country also is begging for help, and the next stimulus package — should Washington ever get its act together — must begin there.
We envision a kind of Marshall Plan for education, with every elementary and high school, in even the most impoverished communities, provided with the resources and expert guidance to reopen safely as quickly as possible.
We’re thinking about a portable air cleaner in every classroom, as called for by Allen, to improve ventilation and tamp down the spread of virus particles. We’re thinking about mandatory masks, extra cleaning of buildings and smaller classes to allow for social distancing.
Nothing we can do will eliminate all risk. But much more can be done to minimize the risk and make school re-openings more feasible.
It’s a matter of doing whatever it takes.
A cautious thumbs-up
On Friday, Chicago Public Schools announced a plan to slowly return to in-person learning. Preschoolers and children with special needs would return to school next month. Elementary and high schools students could return to school beginning in January.
We support that effort, even as we understand the reservations of others.
Yes, we know that Chicago and Illinois are experiencing a troubling resurgence of COVID-19. We understand why many parents are wary. And we see that the Chicago Teachers Union has already signaled its opposition, blasting the CPS plan as “reckless.”
But we are more persuaded by Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady’s review of the work that went into the plan — which CPS is prepared to put back on hold should the spread of the virus worsen.
Arwady and her team began by examining COVID-19 cases in Chicago involving children under age 18, including those attending day care programs, park programs, and private and parochial schools. What they concluded, which is supported by research done in other states and foreign countries, is that school re-openings — carried out with responsible caution — do not as a rule lead to widespread outbreaks of COVID-19.
“When proper precautions are taken,” Arwady said, “transmission in these settings is rare.”
“Just as I believe that health care is essential and a human right, access to education is essential and a human right,” she added. “I am a pediatrician. If I thought this was dangerous, I would not be supporting it.”
“Devastating consequences”
Some CPS parents will choose to have their children continue with remote learning. But many other parents — and students— appear to think that it’s not working well enough for them.
We received a letter on Friday from a junior at Taft High School who just thought we should know:
“My virtual school is a joke,” she wrote. “It is mid-October and just this week two of my classes were changed. Two others have rotating subs. I still don’t have any textbooks. Tests are a joke. Nobody cares. It is truly a waste. I would take any other option offered.”
Our kids deserve a better education — safe, and as soon as possible.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com